Longing •Bucky Barnes•

•Eleven•

"We need to talk." Fury said as we were sat in the meeting room.

Nearly a dozen other people sat in the room, most of which I knew by name thanks to pictures and news. My eyes rose to see Fury looking right to me. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion and I looked all around me and everyone else was watching expectantly. I had no idea why I was being addressed out of everyone, but he probably just wanted to embarrass me.

"Me?" I asked quite confused.

"Yes you, if you want any chance of not being HYDRA's slave you need to start preparing." He said firmly.

"You won't let me out of my room what makes you want to train me?" I asked.

"Not that kind of prep." He said shaking his head and turning his back to me.

"I don't understand." I said not catching onto his antics.

"You know HYDRA has trained you to fall into command with simple words." Fury said coldly. It seemed like they had meetings daily, but only invited me when it was my turn to be demeaned publicly.

"Fury we talked about this." Tony said slamming his hand on the table.

"You need to be tested if you want to fight off those words." Fury said ignoring Tony.

"She's already starting to remember things we can't rush into this yet. She's not ready." Tony said turning red.

"He's right." I said softly looking to Tony with careful eyes.

"Valerie, no-"

"What? Do I not get a say?" I asked nearly snapping, but I knew he was right whether I wanted him to be or not. Silence then followed and all eyes stayed on me. "I'll do it."

"You don't know what you're doing." Bucky said speaking up from the other side of the near Tony.

My eye held on him intently, but I knew I couldn't back down. No one here would trust me if I didn't fight off HYDRA's control. I would never be free or trusted without having that control and as much as I hated Fury, he was right. I needed to practice to be able to fight off those words and the sooner I started the better.

"I said I'll do it." I said firmly. "I'm not going to wake up one day and have those words mean nothing to me. If I don't start desensitizing myself now, I won't stand a chance in 8 weeks."

Anything to get me out of the god damn room and kicking down HYDRA's door faster. I knew no one else liked the idea, but I wanted to be doing something worth it again, fighting for something. HYDRA was going to have to be my first and definitely not last battle if I wanted to feel myself ever again.

"That's the smartest thing you've said since you've been here." Fury said looking shocked. "Maybe she is tuning back into the Avenger she was 5 years ago."

"Fury you're overstepping a boundary." Tony said shaking now. I could see Nat and Steve looking nervously as they sat next to Banner who thankfully looked calm.

"I'm giving her the best shot she has to undo what HYDRA did to her. You sent her on that mission much too young Tony, she's in a predicament now because of you." Fury said.

"Hold up, I didn't say that." I said angrily because what happened was not his fault and I wasn't going to let him think for a second it was.

"You don't have to." Fury said bitterly. "Your training starts now, at Stark Industries."

"Fury, come on." I said angrily.

"Steve and Bucky escort her so that she can get started." He said and not a single person moved in the room. "Now."