Winter Soldier's Soulmate Ch. 14

Bucky felt like the biggest idiot as he sat there strapped to a chair. Luckily for him it wasn't THE chair. But that wasn't as comforting a thought as it could be.

He had been so stupid. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that he had been Bucky and not the Winter Soldier when he walked into this or if it was because they had been expecting him or both.

He had been so focused on getting in, blowing stuff up, and getting out so that he could get back to Lucy that he hadn't done that last check.

Now he was stuck in this chair that brought back too many flashbacks of times that he didn't want to remember.

The soldier half of himself fought with the man part to take over so it could keep them safe. Bucky finally gave in.

The soldier immediately thrust all those obnoxious emotions to the side. He forgot about everything that had gotten them here. He existed to survive in any way he could. He no longer took orders, he lived for himself.

The soldier tested the binds that held him in the chair. They were tight and immovable, even with his superhuman strength. That meant who ever had him knew about his abilities. But they probably didn't know about the tinkering he had done with his metal arm since the last time he had been in Hydra's hands.

He flexed the metal arm and heard the metal chains holding him groan under the stress. The soldier didn't show the feeling of satisfaction he felt. That wouldn't help him escape. But he did allow the small part that was Bucky to feel it and bask in it.

They could and would escape. But now wasn't the right time. There were still some lingering drugs in his system from whatever cocktail they shot him with.

So he would wait, play up the symptoms and strike when his opening appeared.

**********

Lucy fidgeted with the clips on the body armor that she wore in the back of the quinjet, while the Avengers moved around her.

The anxiety of waiting was getting to her. She had had it all under control for the first hour and half while she was still wrapped up in determination and badassery but as they got closer to Bucky her heart rate had picked up.

Katerina had been a life saver. She had called Lucy back and said that Nicolas had gotten some info on Hydra and possibly on Bucky. Apparently there had been some activity in France of all places.

Some inactive Hydra base that seemed to have had recent suspicious movement going on around it. Ten minutes after that phone call a car had shown up to Avengers Tower and a very polite guy that looked like a stereotypical Russian mobster had gotten out and handed a black briefcase to Lucy, then driven off.

Inside was a set of two handguns, two daggers, six throwing knives, and a taser all in a shiny gold color. It looked like a set. As well as a set of body armor done in a tasteful black with golden highlights here and there.

Natasha had casually picked up the guns and checked them over with an expert eye before handing them back to Lucy. "Good quality, the best actually." She commented then walked away.

After Lucy had put on the gear, she had walked out into the common area and Tony had let out a whistle.

"Well aren't you looking like a true badass. The Tiger lady?" Tony guessed.

Lucy just nodded. Tony walked up to her and tapped her armor with a knuckle. Then gave another whistle of appreciation.

"You know what this is made of right?"

Lucy shook her head.

"It's vibranium. The best material in the world. Vibration absorbant, stronger than adamantium, and expensive as hell."

"Adamantium?" Lucy asked.

"What wolverine's claws are made out of."

"Oh." Was Lucy's articulate response.

"Those tiger people must really love you. You're wearing a billion dollar suit."

"Oh." Lucy got out. Her knees felt like jelly all of a sudden.

Iron Man walked off to don his own armor.

So here they were. Lucy, wearing a billion dollar suit. Three hours from Bucky by plane. While the Avengers got prepped for the mission in their own way.

Tony was flying and playing on his phone at the same time. Nat and Steve had both taken seats and seemed to be meditating. Sam stretched and paced a little, getting his muscles and self "in the zone" as he put it. Thor snored loudly from a bunk. And Bruce was doing something science related on a computer.

It was all so surreal. Three weeks ago she had been studying for a psychology test and now she was here going on a mission with the Avengers to rescue her soulmate.

If her siblings could see her now. The baby of the family, taking on the world. It made Lucy snort. All that badassery was fading fast.

But she needed to get it back if she was gonna do this. Just think about how stupid Bucky was, yea she was gonna chew his ass out when she got her hands on him.

Lucy felt more steady. She was a badass. She was the soulmate of sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, a World War II hero. She was wearing a badass billion dollar battle suit. She had her own set of badass handguns, daggers, throwing knives, and taser. She had been shotgun in car chases. She had an entire mob empire cheering her on, plus the Avengers.

She was awesome.

*****

The soldier sniffed the air and smelled the faint whiff of old burnt flesh. The fettering smell of something rotting and decaying got stronger and filled the air as the door opened and a man in full armor and face mask walked in.

The soldier watched him with blank eyes. It was best to show nothing.

"Hello there asset. Long time no see. Where you been? Running around finding your soulmate? I heard about that. I wonder, did you recognize her? I bet she screamed when she saw all your scars. I bet she was terrified of you." As he spoke the man leaned in and whispered those last few things in the soldier's ear.

Inside Bucky raged, but the soldier remained blank, not even acknowledging that the armored man had spoken.

The armored man tried a different tactic: "Do you remember me? I'm not as pretty as I used to be."

He stepped back and pulled off his helmet. The soldier looked at his face. It was covered in third degree burns that were half healed. A glimmer of recognition flickered through him. It was Brock Rumlow. One of his handlers and Alexander Pierce's go-to-dirty-work-man.

He looked...bad. Now that the soldier knew who they were dealing with he allowed Bucky to come out and play a little. It would be fun to see how Brock reacted.

Bucky smirked up at Brock. "Man, you look horrible."

Brock looked shocked at this unexpected response. He finally pulled himself together and snarled at Bucky.

Bucky just laughed. "You're never getting a date looking like that. You're talking about my soulmate running screaming, what about yours? She'll be miles away from you before you can even blink when she sees your face."

Brock's whole face contorted with rage and he slammed his fist into Bucky's face. He would have sent the whole chair flying backward if it hadn't been welded to the floor and Bucky's neck would have snapped if it weren't for his super human abilities. Even so Bucky heard the ringing in his ears and could tell his nose had been broken.

Bucky shook it off and grinned up at Brock. "Yea, I'd probably have hit me too. Shame I'll heal in a few minutes, but my words will still be true."

Brock paced the room, rage still boiling, Bucky just watched, thoroughly entertained. Suddenly Brock turned and faced Bucky a sickly smile on his face.

"You never answered my questions about your own soulmate. How is Lucy? That is her name, right? I saw it in your records. They took a picture of your mark before they destroyed it you know. It looked so pretty and elegant. Too bad it's gone."

Bucky let out a snort. "No it's not."

Brock slammed his palms on the arms of Bucky's chair and brought his face within inches of Bucky's own.

"Don't lie to me, Asset. I can pull up your shirt right now and see for myself the scars that block out that mark. I helped put some of them there myself."

"Oh you're right about the scars. But the mark is still there. Just because it's covered doesn't mean it's gone. Don't you know that?" Bucky asked, smiling up at Brock.

Brock smiled back, pulling away from his prisoner. "I'll enjoy proving you wrong. It will be my pleasure to carve even more marks into your body as the chair deletes all of those memories from your brain."

Bucky watched as Brock walked from the room, leaving him alone once again. The soldier flexed his metal arm once more, appreciating the groan of the metal chains holding him. Soon he would escape. He would greatly enjoy caving Brock's face in with his fist.

*********

"Ten minutes to touch down." Tony said from the cockpit.

It seemed to be the cue that the Avengers were waiting for.

Nat and Steve came out of their respective meditations, Thor snorted awake, Sam stopped pacing and started putting on his wings, and Bruce turned from the computer, rubbing his eyes.

Lucy stood and started to pace a little, trying to keep her adrenaline under control.

"Everyone knows the plan?" Steve asked.

The Avengers and Lucy nodded. Steve, Nat, and Lucy would take point. Iron Man and the Falcon would be air support. Thor would be the battering ram where needed. And Bruce would stay on the plane unless there was an emergency that needed the Hulk.

Lucy let Steve take over at this point. This was his job, he knew exactly how to set up and run a mission. She had to admire the man in his element. He was amazing.

She strapped on the helmet that had come with the body armor. Inside it, Tony had attached an earbud thing that they could all communicate through.

"Everyone hear me?" Steve asked tapping his own earbud through his Captain America helmet. The Avengers and Lucy nodded.

"Good. Be ready."