Leave Me Broken [Winter Soldier] II

Crumble [Chapter 24]

"It is part of a good man to do great and noble deeds, though he risk everything."

Plutarch

        It was the silence that made it all seem unreal. As if someone had put a bubble around this base so that nothing from the outside world could get in, and anyone inside couldn't get out. The fight that was about to commence had to be contained, not a single Squad member would be allowed to make it out, but that was far easier said than done. 

            The only noises that sounded in the entire place were the soft foot steps of Bucky, Ophelia and Steve, alongside the slightly louder whirring and thumping of Tony Stark walking in his bulky suit. Ophelia's eyes darted into each room, but they did not enter many of them. It was unlikely that they would find anyone inside the storage rooms, or the cells in which many of them were kept. No, Bucky and Ophelia knew the way to the cryogenics room all too well.

        One thing that did seize Ophelia's interest was the room labelled as backlog. Files upon files would be inside there, shelves taller than she could reach with information on everything HYDRA. That, hopefully, included her. She looked down at the floor and pressed on, knowing that now was not the time to get excited about finding a room that may or may not contain the facts about who she really was. It was just as likely that there was nothing in there, that she was a ghost in this world, but she still made a mental note of how to get back there for after the fight, if she was in a walking condition.

        They carried on, finding that familiar room of so much pain; it was so tall, reaching the top of the mountain if anyone were to climb to the top. The big circular room even had a roof that lifted up, opened up the mountain itself to the world.

       "I'm getting a heat signature," Tony announced.

       "How many?" Steve asked, his shield raised.

        Bucky was standing half a step ahead of Ophelia, giving her room to hold out her weapon and not have him in the way, but also standing enough in front of her that if someone were to shoot at her, it would probably hit him first. Though she didn't like that thought, she truly felt a warmth spread over her knowing that he would protect her as best as he could, and that was far better than anyone else in the world could protect her. She held on to that, as she always had held onto Bucky.

         "Uh," Tony carried on, "One."

          That was unexpected, and yet relieving. Of course, that could have easily meant the Squad was on their way to destroy whatever empire it was that he wanted to break. But the chambers lit up; each cryogenic chamber began to glow an ominous yellow, and the black-ice like smoke filled the air around them. They were still closed, they were still within their chambers. But they were not waking from a long slumber, they never got the chance. 

          There was a bullet in the head of every single one.

          "If it's any comfort, they died in their sleep." The doctor's voice rang out over the entire room. A light appeared at the end of the room, and there he was, hidden behind impenetrable walls. "Did you really think I wanted more of you?"

          "What the hell," Bucky growled under his breath as they walked closer, inspecting and seeing that they all were dead as could be. Whether or not this was a good thing, Ophelia couldn't tell, but she was leaning towards the latter.

            Ophelia snapped back into the reality of things as Steve threw his shield at the window, it bounced around the room for a moment, and the Captain caught it with ease, sliding it back around his arm methodically. The doctor made a comment about how tough the walls were, and how it could not simply be opened by a shield, regardless of the substance it was made from. Tony made a snide retort about being able to get through, but the doctor knew what he was doing. This was all too perfect, laid out brilliantly.