𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒 ▸ bucky barnes [1]

4.

OCTOBER 5, 1943
5:00 AM
HYDRA WEAPONS FACILITY, AUSTRIA

                                         —

     TO VALERIE, SLEEP DID NOT COME PEACEFULLY. As soon as she closed her eyes, visions of what felt like a past life back in Iowa haunted her. Distant memories of her mother's soft hands braiding her hair, a warm smile. And her father. Once young and happy, ready to teach Valerie everything about the world, turned in a cruel twist of fate into something horrible that Valerie would never be able to recognize.

When she woke, it felt like he hadn't slept at all. Her eyes snapped open at the now-familiar sound of the screeching of a metal door, followed by none other than Schmidt strolling through the corridor. This time, he was accompanied by a short and stout man dressed in a lab coat, who had a wisp of light hair on top of his head and round glasses over his beady eyes.

"Americans!" Schmidt announced. "You have five minutes from now to wake up and walk to the main hall for your assignments for the day. If you are late, you will suffer severe consequences."

     Valerie stood, when suddenly, Schmidt and the other man approached her, coming to stand in front of her cell. "Not you, woman," Schmidt snapped.

     Valerie furrowed her brow in confusion. "What?"

     Schmidt jerked his head in the direction of the man in the lab coat standing beside him. "You're unfit for work. You will be accompanying Dr. Zola to his, er... lab."

     Valerie froze. A lab? What was she needed there for?

     Across from her, Valerie saw Bucky slowly sit up. His expression was worried. "Valerie?" He asked, confused. "What's going on?"

     Schmidt rounded on Bucky. "Silence, prisoner. I'd be happy to teach you another lesson in discipline if you wish."

     At that, Bucky fell silent.

     Schmidt turned back to Valerie. "You will be with Dr. Zola all day, and will return to your cell when night comes." He took a key out of his pocket, unlocked her cell, and the door came sliding open. "Follow me."

     Valerie slowly stepped out of her cell, the chains still shackled to her feet clinking together. As she turned to follow Dr. Zola, she looked back to Bucky still in his cell. He said nothing, but when they made eye contact, she could see that he was visibly worried.

"This way, miss," Dr. Zola said. As Valerie and the doctor walked past more and more cells, she realized that it wasn't just the 107th infantry that had been taken prisoner. Valerie saw what could've easily been hundreds of men packed into cells, all wearing different uniforms. All Allies, all prisoners.

     After a moment, the two of them reached the door leading out of the prison. Dr. Zola pressed a button on the wall, and the door leading out of their corridor slid open. After a few minutes of winding through a series of narrow, dimly-lit halls walled with metal and climbing up a series of staircases, the two reached a large door. Dr. Zola took out a chain containing more keys than Valerie could count, and one by one, began jiggling them into the lock. Valerie counted a total of seven keys that went into the lock before the door finally opened, and as she walked through, Valerie couldn't help but wonder what kind of laboratory would need that much protection.