III: The Soldier and the Fairy Queen: Red Eve

XXIII: Zima and Leto

Bucky opened his eyes to a gray ceiling with three lightbulbs hanging from it. And a voice. Two voices.

"You've done well, Soldat. Congratulations," an older, female voice said.

Bucky tensed at the name. Another voice answered submissively, "Thank you, ma'am." Sunny. Bucky tried to sit up. His chest hit something hard wrapped around it. He twisted his head and saw Sunny sitting on a cot. A woman with a sharp nose and black hair shot through with white stood in front of her. Two men wearing navy blue uniforms stood on either side of her. The woman's head snapped toward him, her bun wobbling on her head.

"Oh, look. The other Soldat is awake. Goody," the woman said, sarcasm dripping from her words like blood from a knife.

Sunny turned to look at him as well. Bucky's blood ran cold. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth to her chin. Her expression was neutral as she stared at him.

"Where am I?" Bucky growled.

The woman smirked, "That is not how this works, Zima. You don't get to ask questions. Isn't that right, Leto?" She smiled expectantly at Sunny.

Sunny nodded immediately, "Da."

Bucky clenched his fist, trying to stop his hand from shaking, "Sunny!" Sunny didn't respond.

The woman was still smiling at Sunny, "Oh, dear. He just doesn't get it, does he? There is no 'Sunny', anymore. It took some work, but she is thoroughly broken." She leaned down and patted Sunny on the cheek, pressing her thumb on the red line on her cheekbone.

Sunny flinched and bowed her head. The hospital gown she was wearing made her skin seem even paler.

"What do you want?" Bucky hissed. He was panicking now. His heart was trying to burst out of his chest.

The woman laughed delightedly, clapping her hands, "To make the world a better place. One flattened nation at a time."

"You're insane!" He shot back.

"So are you. All the best people are," she matched his response, grinning. "And besides, sanity isn't an issue if I have the means to carry out my plans. I've been waiting for this for over seventy years, darling. If that's not 'biding my time', I don't know what is."

Bucky felt a bead of sweat slide down from his forehead to his temple. It dropped onto whatever he was strapped to. The hot, sticky air wrapped around head, clouding it even more than it was already.

The woman yawned, "I tire of this. I'll be back in a couple hours to start your training, Zima." She waved for her soldiers to follow her as she exited from the room.

The door clicked shut.

Sunny spoke in Russian, her voice raspy, as if it hurt to talk, "Don't try to break the restraints. They'll only cut you. You can't get out."

Bucky stared at her. Her skinny arms and legs were littered with bruises in various stages of healing. Her hair was limp and pulled back. A bright pink scar smiled on her knee. "What did she do to you?"

Sunny frowned, "Only what she has a right to." She rubbed her left shoulder.

Bucky scanned the room, his eyes flitted from the small mirror on the wall to the rusty showerhead, toilet, and sink in the corner. The orange rust was the only color in the room. Everything else was variants of gray and white.

Sunny stood up and walked over to the showerhead, "If you obey, she will let you go without restraints." She cranked the knob until a little trickle of water dripped out. They indoctrinated her well, Bucky had to admit that. Sunny stared at him until he looked away and he heard her hospital gown hit the floor. "You and I will be roommates," she said.

"Why is it so warm in here?" Bucky asked. He was going to get out of here. Somehow.

"I don't know."

"Who is she?" Bucky inquired. The shower shut off and Bucky looked to see Sunny walking back to her cot. She didn't answer his question. "Who is she?" He persisted.

Her dark eyebrows drew together, she stuttered, "I-I don't know."