The Other Stark

Chapter 13

Tory sat on her bed after she took her shower, books about the human psychic all spread around the sheets, laptop opened on her lap. For the last few days, she had dived into searching all about the human brain, how memories worked, how they were blocked, brainwashing and other things.

Over the last week at night, she had heard Bucky's pained screams from across the hall, and now that they were closer to each other, she was getting more worried. It seemed like it got worse every night.

She had planned to talk to Steve about all this, but at the moment the woman was trying to avoid him, so Tory just kept researching.

Typing fast on the laptop keyboard, she wrote all of her questions and hypothesis to Dr. Helen Cho. She was the only person the young scientist thought would maybe have some answers for these matters or would at least know someone who did. If she asked Bruce, he would be glad to help too.

While Tory was deep in her thoughts, she didn't notice that someone had entered her room, after nocking for some time. She looked up when Bucky cleared his throat.

"Oh... How did you get in like that? Right... Winter Soldier training and all, forget the question. Need something?" the woman blurted, following Bucky's gaze on the books.

"Nat wanted to know if you wanna start the interrogations now. She wanted to help," he said, looking up at her. His eyes asking questions she couldn't answer at the moment.

"But you seem busy."

"Well... yeah, but I can keep doing this at night. Just give me a sec to change."

Before he could say anything else, Tory just ran to her closet, leaving the Soldier looking around awkwardly.

After changing into jeans and a bottom down, she strolled out of the room with Buck by her side. He was deadly quiet all the way down to the detention floor.

"Thought you'd never come," Nat said approaching her friend, who was already looking to the one-way mirror, expression serious.

"They said he's not eating, just drinking water for over a week now."

"Oh, that's enough then," Tory said, thinking on all the ways she could make that man talk. Steve didn't want torture, he would never trust her if she tortured the man without his permission. Even though it was the best option, she wouldn't do it.

"But he'll..." Buck started saying, but Tory cut him off, explaining.

"The water has enough nutrients for him to live for two weeks before he starts getting weak. Fury wanted something that would be of easy excess, 'cause agents in a battle don't have time to eat. Never know how much time it's gonna last and all that."

Both ex-assassins looked at the brunette with a half smile. When she was about to speak again, footsteps were heard from the hall, their attention turning to its direction. Its owner had a serious expression.

"Came here to stop me?" Tory asked with annoyance on her tone of voice, looking at him in the eye. He took a deep breath.

"Give me two more days. If they don't break, you have permission to do whatever you want," Steve said. Tension flooded the room. Bucky and Natasha stared at each other. Tory looked at the blonde, thoughtful.

"Fine. Okay. I'll give you 36 hours. Let me know when you've got nothing," Tory said with a mischievous smirk on her lips, already turning her back to him.

"I'm taking Buck to a tour then."

"Around the tower? Again?" Steve questioned, confused.

"No, no. Around New York. I'm sure he would like to see the way Brooklyn looks like nowadays, you loved it!" she said, still smirking. Bucky gazed at her then at his oldest friend with apological eyes.