Mosaic (Bucky Barnes X OC / Winter Soldier x OC)

Chapter 12: Valeriy Ayers - Demons Inside (Part I)

Author's Note:

I'm always trying to improve my ability to pull a person into a character's headspace or feel their emotions, and your feedback will help me know if what I'm trying for is working or not. Even an emoticon or button smashing tells me something useful and can influence what I write more or less of.

I respond to all comments and it's always fun to hear your thoughts ^^

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"How long has he been in there?" I asked, tossing the tablet side for a long sleeved shirt.

Couldn't help the frown while I tugged it on. Didn't need to remind Bucky of the bruises I sported.

'Ewww... this feels so warm....'

"51 hours."

"...Fif – What happened to the last two bloody days?!" I quickly hobbled my way to Bucky's room.

"You passed out for about 18 hours, and with your habit of losing track of time...."

"Bucky...?" I called out, knocking on his bathroom door.

It scared me, honestly, to find out what's on the other side of this door. I knew how the mind could twist everything. Thoughts that could tear one to pieces. His was likely far worse. 51 hours trapped with them, I had to wonder if my friend's still inside there.

After a minute or so, I tried again. "Bucky? You hungry?"

It was another long silence, but eventually, he spat out an answer. "No."

Followed by a loud grumble of his stomach disagreeing.

Hunger probably the way to start a conversation. That thing, I suspected, was likely to be a bottomless pit.

"I'm not hungry," he insisted.

"Okay." I eased down next to the door. 'At least you're willing to talk....' I could work with that. "You haven't hurt yourself, have you?"

It was another tense minute, before a muffled voice came through the door. "I haven't.... You?"

"Was in bed the whole time."

"You need to stay away from me. It's too dangerous."

I sighed a little. "This isn't a fully equipped lab. Kind of have to be in the same room to fix that arm of yours. I also have to check for the damage I did."

"No."

"...No?"

"No. You're not fixing the arm."

"Why the hell not?!"

"Do you need to ask that?! After what I did?! I'm a monster!! Why can't you see it!?!"

"Because you're not one?"

"Tell that to all those innocent people I killed!"

"...."

Yeah, okay, he's most definitely intimidating as fuck when he wanted to be. Pretty sure no unenhanced human could stand a chance with his strength and speed. Probably do fine against a bear with his bare hands....

"...Did you think they were innocent when you pulled the trigger?" I tried.

"What...?"

"You mentioned how they said you're a war hero. That they stripped you of the ability to remember anything. Probably meant that brainwashing and reprogramming wasn't enough for them to – "