Weaponised

5

Rebecca Carter

When I wake up- strange, as I don't remember falling asleep- I assume I'm in the tent with Bucky, underneath the night sky. However, I also don't remember going back to camp at all... Something is very wrong.

I move to sit up, my head pounding achingly as I do so, yet I find that I can't. Even so I continue yanking my arms up and all over the place, trying my absolute hardest to become free from the ties that hold me down.

"Rikki!" the voice stops me instantly; nevertheless my heart beats erratically in my chest. "Rik, it's me. Bucky." I let out a small sigh of relief before fear finds it's way back into my head. What's he doing here? Why are we here in the first place? What is going on?

"Do you remember what happened?" Bucky asks softly, sounding almost sorrowful.

"Not really..." I admit. The Nazis must have done something to us, I think. "We went to Azzano... The Germans started firing at each other as well as us... Uhm, I climbed a tree and then that's it."

"Well, after you got down from the tree, most of our Unit including us were captured-"

"And we were in that truck," I interrupt, glad that most things are coming back to me. "I held your hand- I'm sorry if that made you feel uncomfortable or..."

"It's fine, don't worry. I was actually pretty happy about it. Made me feel like I wasn't alone, like someone cares, you know?" Bucky says, his voice wistful, gentle even. Maybe Americans aren't all the macho twats I assumed them to be. "I didn't let go until we blacked out."

"Gas, right?" I had thought, I recall, that they were killing us. Mass-murdering all of us for the sake of winning a war. Well, maybe that's better than being trapped in a Nazi base- who knows?

"Yeah."

"And then?"

"I woke up here. Then about a minute later, you did too."

"And now you're both awake," a malicious voice sounds from beside Bucky. The speaker pulls a curtain back dramatically, and I let out a slight gasp as I recognise the man: he's a Private. We fought together, at Azzano- he was captured with us! "How touching," he sneers, patting Bucky's shoulder as if they're friends before striding to stand imposingly between us.

"Private Baker?" Bucky asks, confused. "What the Hell?"

"Not Hell," I mutter, realising something I should have a while ago. Raising my voice, I calmly state: "HYDRA."

"Correct, Miss Carter," Baker smirks, offering a sarcastic clap. "You're not just a pretty face."

"Why do HYDRA want us?" I ask.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he laughs mockingly.

"Yes. That's why I asked," I reply. The pain comes before I register the slap, my head jerking to the side.

"Bitch," Baker snarls.

"Hey! Don't touch her, you asshole!" Bucky yells, writhing against his bonds like a snake escaping its skin. Unfortunately, he can't free himself like one.