When It Snowed

Chapter 35 - Inside and Out

You're name is Finley.

She gripped her ankles hard, of course her left hand squeezing stronger than her right.

You lived in Brooklyn.

The cool draft from outside crept in through the window leaving goose bumps on her bare natural arm.

It was the 1940s, it's the 2000s now.

They don't have control on you.

They dont.

They dont.

They dont.

You won't hurt him.

From her bent knees, Finn looked over them and towards Bucky who was fast asleep in the bed. The man had tried staying up with her, talking to her, but she knew he wouldn't last. Bucky was always a sucker for sleep. No matter how many times she thought of him though, all the good characteristics that he had, all her hands wanted to do was wrap themselves around his neck. She wanted to squeeze, cut off his airflow until he stopped fighting.

Bucky Barnes needed to die.

He was her target.

"No." She hissed while rising to her feet and rolling her neck. Whatever voice was inside her, it had been telling her to do things, things she knew that she couldnt. There wasn't a distinct tone, whether it was male or female she couldn't tell- but Finn knew it belonged to HYDRA.

They programmed her. Trained her. Created her.

Gliding across the floor and away from him, Finley locked herself in the bathroom and pressed her back against the wall. Her breath began to escalate, and out of nowhere flashes of images flew across her vision. One was of a girl, younger than her. Soft orange hair with beautiful blue eyes. She always showed up in her dreams, a common figure that Finley saw everytime she closed her eyes. Why? She didn't know. But the woman was sure one day she would figure it out.

Then, all of a sudden, she was back in the metal chair. Strapped down, gagged, hooked up- it was how HYDRA wipes her memories. After they figured out that machine, that was when they gained full control of her.

"Stop." She gripped onto the sink and leaned into it. "No." Flash after flash after flash. "Buck..." no response. "Bucky?" ... "Bucky." She started screaming a little louder. Images of him flashed through her head, but they weren't any previous ones. They were of him in a military suit, him in a river, him with Steve, his hand reaching out to her and vein bulging from his neck.

Wipe her.

A man's voice clear as day echoed around her.

Every ounce of rage that she had in her body built up and burst. "NO!" In one swift punch, the mirror before her shattered to her feet and everything went black.

Her reflection crumbled, both inside and out.

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Bucky wasn't asleep. He remained where he was, dead silent and still the entire night trying to observe her while her guard was down. It was the only way to see how she was really doing, and up until now she seemed okay.

As soon as she got up from the window though, Bucky knew that something was wrong. He could tell by her breathing, the way it hitched and sped up all at the same time. He let her work through it though, he knew that she needed to. Bucky could feel her standing over him for a second, and inside his chest his heart and instincts flared. His heart told him to wake up, to comfort her, to tell her everything was going to be okay. His instincts though, they were ready for a fight. They were ready to take the Winter Soldier on.

Finley was fighting it though.

He knew that because of how fast she glided away from him and into the bathroom. That's when he sat up and stared at the door. She was silent inside, all except her breathing.

So, rising to his feet, the soldier stood outside the door listening to the fight that was going on within. "Stop." Her voice was quiet. Who she was talking to, Bucky couldn't imagine anyone other than herself. Then a "no." Left her lips as well.

Whatever she was fighting wasn't going her way.

By now, he had his ear pressed against the door.

"Bucky." His name dripped off his lips quietly. Then, again. This time though, only a little louder. It wasn't until she was practically screaming his name that he started calling out to her. She wouldn't stop though, his name wouldn't stop pouring from her lips. It wrapped around him and encompassed his logic completely like an anaconda constricting it's prey. Bucky hadn't even noticed how hard he was hitting the door, not until it busted open and he was on the other side.

As soon as he did, Bucky froze seeing the ground covered in wood and shards of the mirror.

In the shower to his left, what looked to be cold water was running washing over Finley as she sat on the floor with her head between her hands. "Finn." He hissed climbing right in with her not bothering to turn off the water. It hit his bare back as his arms wrapped around her. "Finn talk to me."

"Go." She let out in a monotone voice. "Get away from me."

"Look at me Finn."

"I want to kill you Bucky." She slurred as her body shivered from the cold. Then, gradually, her bloodshot icey eyes locked with his soft green ones. "I want hurt you, I want to hurt you bad."

Every one of her muscles were tense, she was fighting as much as she could.

"No, you don't."

"I do." She practically cried. "Everybody's telling me to kill you, I have to."

This made his face contort. "Whose telling you to kill me?"

For a while, she just stared at the bottom of the tub and let the cool water run over her. With a long suck of air though, she looked back into his eyes and wore a shocked expression. "Me."
Then, like a bat out of hell, her metal hand was against his throat cutting off any ounce of air that he had in him. There were no punches thrown, no more words- instead, her eyes had hazed over once again and she was strangling him to death.

He had managed to slip away inch by inch, but her grip was right there with him every step of the way.

Bucky didn't plan on fighting her, but he couldn't get any words out to try and break through to her. His world was going blurry, blackness creeping in at every corner of his vision. He was running out of time, and Bucky completely regretted what he was about to do next. Taking his only option out of this, the man used how focused she was on killing him to his advantage. He stretched as far as he could and grabbed the metal trash can on the bathroom floor. Then, with all of his might, he wound back and smacked her across the side of the head with it.

Immediately her grip released and she was sent on her side in a unconciouss heap. In return, the air filled his lungs and ripped through his body like a freight train.

"T'CHALLA" he screamed as best as he could with his broken voice.

It wasn't long before his guards heard him and summoned the King before entering the room with Bucky's code. There, they all watched as Bucky gathered himself from the floor and picked up the soaking wet girl in his arms. By now, the king was in the room with his hands at his side in shock. "What happened?" He looked to the fresh stream of blood running down her forehead.

"She lost control." Bucky panted carrying her out of the bathroom. "I need Shuri to sedate her. Whatever she's fighting is in her head, so that's where she's gotta stay until she figures it out."

"Okay." The king nodded. "I'll go wake her."