Take Me back to the Start | B. Barnes

75. Game Over

"Do you really think I don't see you trying to prepare your missiles to be fired, Stark? Before you're even able to use them, Farrell will be dead, so drop it." Crossbones clicks his tongue, the gun pushing harder against my head causing slight pain. I want to turn around, I want to check on Bucky so bad but I'll get shot before I have the chance. This is my mistake, I got way too distracted.

Tony hesitantly turns off the Iron Man suit, a sound telling me that he deactivates the weapon. I shoot him a look, asking for Bucky's condition but before he's able to make any signs, Bucky's loud voice is audible. "Let her go!"

Crossbones puts his arm around my neck and turns half around, so we both have a view of Bucky and Tony. The first one picks himself up, the Hydra commander must have thrown him against the wall and used the chance to threaten me. "Stand still, Winter or she'll die! Lift your arms, Farrell! Do what I say, raise them up!"

I do as he says and remain calm, focusing on every movement that he's doing to get a chance to overpower him. This position makes me appear weak and I hate this. I hate to see him that powerful, I hate him to think that he's stronger than me. The torture flashes through my mind and I almost wince, controlling myself and holding my breath.

"We're back at it again, Farrell." He hisses into my ear. His breath disgusts me and I scrunch up my face. Suddenly, he bores the edge of his armor into my thigh and I let out a pained yell, the wound stinging like hell and a warm liquid flooding out. "Me torturing you. It must be destined. Don't move or I'll blow off her head!"

His shout stops Tony and Bucky from moving towards me, I only pant heavily, the pain influences my breathing. Both seem to be angry at the whole situation.

"Soldiers, leave us alone and finish the plan!" Crossbones' finger remains around the trigger as the rest of the army obey and I tense up, not moving a single muscle. "Who do you think you are? Invading my base and ruining my plan to build up Hydra again, you bloody parasite. You wanna know why Howard Stark died? Because he created you, Voltricity. The Red Skull kept his promise."

I admit that Howard Stark's done a great job and he'll eventually pay for it, these were the Red Skull's words. My eyes widen and a pang of an incredible rage runs through my chest, releasing an impulse that drives through my veins. A loud fizzle arises and the pain suddenly doesn't bother me anymore. The blue familiar light streams through my fingers, intertwining with my sight and I slowly turn around, ignoring the pressure of the gun. It's not Bucky's fault that Howard died. It's not even my fault. It's Hydra's.

"You shouldn't have mentioned Howard Stark." I furiously snarl at him and grab the gun as he fires, the bullet hardly grazing my shoulder but the adrenaline and anger numb the pain and I tackle him down to the ground. Blinded by fury, I throw the weapon in his face and start punching him with my electric fists, an enraged scream escaping my mouth. He hurt Bucky. He harmed Steve. And he tortured me. He bloody broke me.

Soon, blood flows out of his face as my fists are covered in his blood, yet my pulse is racing and my head pounding from the anger. My breath is unsteady and my hands keep meeting his face when I think of the name that is marked into my collar bone, a mark that'll stay. I think of his joyful laugh when he had his fun with me, his dirty smirk. "You hurt Bucky! You hurt Steve! You tortured me! You! Tortured! Me!"

My fist slowly sinks when I notice the damage on his face that just looks mashed now and his ceasing struggling, instead of being broken or scared, he only laughs, coughing blood. All of sudden, Phil Coulson's face flashes through my mind, along with Howard's and Pietro's. My breathing slows down when I think of them and I suck in a deep breath, the rage vanishing into thin air. This isn't me. Revenge isn't my style.