latibule ➳ bucky barnes

13. secrets

Washington DC, 2014
Day of the Helicarrier launch

Hidden from the chaos, Chase Underwood watched as the destruction unfolded outside, in the city of Washington DC. She knew that after this, S.H.I.E.L.D. was done. With all their classified files, though written and recorded in a code that was almost impossible to decipher, leaked into the net along with HYDRA's files, everyone, even their enemies, would know about the organisation.

She shook her head in disappointment. She couldn't believe S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't realised the existence of HYDRA all this time. She turned away from the window, but her head snapped back when she saw movement without her premises. Her eyes narrowed at the strangely familiar figure that climbed over the walls surrounding her house. She heard her dogs barking relentlessly, then quieted down instantly. At first Chase was confused to why her dogs would stop barking, but then she saw why.

Stumbling her way towards the house, one bloody hand covering her stomach, was Anastasia Volkov.

Chase rushed outside to help Anastasia. She was baffled by Anastasia's current state, but then again, after all that had occurred surrounding S.H.I.E.L.D.'s war against HYDRA, Chase shouldn't be surprised Anastasia was caught in the crossfire. She and the Captain were close friends.

"Ana! What happened?" Chase exclaimed, wrapping an arm under Anastasia to support her wounded body.

"HYDRA." She gasped, breathing heavily. Chase brought Anastasia inside and began cleaning the wound. There were two bullet holes, but thankfully the bullets weren't stuck in there. Anastasia tried her best to not scream when Chase stitched the wounds, but several tears escaped her eyes.

"How did you get involved with HYDRA?" Chase questioned, cleaning her hand and trashing the bloody tissue papers. Anastasia sighed, relaxing onto the sofa.

"Well... They needed someone with a particular set of expertise to 'fix their asset'." Said Anastasia, making hand gestures.

"Asset?"

"The Winter Soldier, he's real." Anastasia whispered, gazing out the window at the thick, black smoke that decorated the sky, the only evidence she saw of the destruction that took place deeper in the city.

Chase's eyes widened and her mouth dropped. "The Winter Soldier?! I-I thought he was nothing but a ghost story..."

"That's what I thought too." Said Anastasia, "but he's real Chase, and it only gets worse..."

"How so?" Asked Chase, handing Anastasia a glass of icy water.

"The Winter Soldier... they're brainwashing him to do all their killings. All those deaths, all that suffering, it was done by a man who didn't even realise what he was doing, who had no control over what he was doing." Anastasia murmured, "and they expected me to help them control him again. They expected me to assist them in... in improving him, in making him even more dangerous."

Chase swallowed, "but... how are they keeping him alive all this time? He's been around for decades Ana, it's impossible..."

"I-I don't know... I overhead them talking about... him being out of cryofreeze for too long?" Anastasia rubbed her forehead, "my guess is... they've been keeping his body preserved in ice, at least until.. until they need him again."

"What kind of monster would do such a thing?" Chase muttered, feeling disgusted by the cruelty of HYDRA. To think they'd do something like this...

Anastasia nodded, looking incredibly disturbed and upset by this. Chase knew seeing it first-hand must've had an impact on her.

"Chase... Can you do me a favour?" Anastasia said in a hushed tone. Tilting her head in curiosity, Chase nodded.