Winter's Blade // Bucky Barnes

Winter's Beginning

The black abyss consumed everything I was, blocking my senses: sight, hearing, speech, touch, smell. It was meant to subdue me. To control me. To halt my life until I was of use again.

In the darkness, the cold crept in, wrapping around my body. Its tendrils curl around my mind, trying to destroy it.

Though my body was slumbering, frozen, my mind was awake, remembering. It was the only time when my mind was truly alive. Truly free. Flashes of memories, of my life, swirl around, battling the cold that threatened to steal them away with its icy claws.

This is what Hydra never planned on. The remembering. The cold and darkness was just supposed to be that. My mind wasn't supposed to be active in this nothingness. They failed. While I might be theirs to command when I was truly awake, I was free in this darkness, out of reach from their control.

Slowly the cold faded and the darkness receded. I desperately tried to cling to it, unwillingly to wake up. To be their puppet. I longed to stay in the black but it was of no use. I was returning. Warmth flooded my body, my limbs tingling as they were brought back to life. Feeling, starting at my feet, traveled up my body until it reached the top of my head. My muscles protested from being static for so long, the soreness was a pain in the ass.

Shifting, I tried to sit up to stretch out the tightness but I couldn't move. I was strapped down, immobilized in the machine used to put me to sleep. Struggling against my bindings, I tried to escaped, my breathing turning shallow and rapid, but I couldn't get out. I was trapped like an animal. My eyes fly open and swiftly shut, sensitive to the bright light flooding the room. Cautiously I opened my eyes again, adjusting to the light. My vision cleared enough to show a man looming over me, beady eyes darting nervously over my face. My hearing returned as I listen to him stutter before clearing his throat and hastily speaking again.

"So-Soldier. If-if you would um calm down, I will remove the-the straps so you can get up and we can run a full-a full diagnostics." I could practically smell the fear emanating from him but I complied, stilling my limbs. I watched as he reached out, hand shaking, to undo the straps.  A sort of calm settled over me as I decided that I would not be taken willingly this time. So I waited. I waited until the man removed the last strap, freeing me.

And then I began.

Without warning, I lashed out, striking the soft part of his throat. As he bent over, gasping for air, I launched myself off the machine, landing roughly on my feet. Stumbling to get my balance, I had forgotten that my body needed time to recover but I had none. So I ignored the pain and ran, aiming for the door on the other side of the room.

Slamming the door open with my palms, I dashed into the hall, looking for a way out, taking note that the man behind me had regain his breath and was radioing for help. I needed to move. Vague memories of the layout of the base were coming  back to me. I had no choice but to trust my sketchy recollection and headed right. I ran, taking a left and hoping it was correct until I came to an unfamiliar point, one hall leading left and the other right. Shit. I didn't know which way to go.

Checking behind me, I could hear shouts and footsteps heading my way. Going back the way I came was out of the question. Footsteps echoing of the walls from the left forces me to sprint right. Doors blurred past as I searched for a way out, the footsteps were catching up. I was running out of time.

Skidding to a halt, heart pounding in my ears and breath labored, the way in front of me was filled with the sounds of people approaching. I was trapped either way now. Wildly looking around, I saw a door to my side. Without hesitation, I shoved it open and barged in, slamming it shut behind me.

Pressing my forehead to the door and trying to control my breathing, I waited until I heard footsteps run past the door and fade away. Letting out a sigh of relief, I turned around and froze at what I saw. I hadn't even bothered to check if anyone was in the room before I rushed in.