Red Winter [Bucky Barnes]

Chapter One: The Chosen One

Siberia, 1990

I sit quietly in the back of the car as we drive through the barren wastelands of Northern Siberia, wondering where they were taking me. Just before we left Alexi told me that he needed me for something special, but he failed to specify what it was. I couldn't imagine what they needed me to do, especially in Siberia. I would be much more helpful in Moscow. 

One of the Hydra agents sitting across from me smirks mischievously as he looks me up and down. "The little mouse hasn't said anything since we left Moscow," he laughs as he nudges his friend sitting next to him. 

His friend smiles as he rests his hand on my leg, slowly sliding it up. "I bet I could make you scream," he whispers into my ear, his breath thick with alcohol. Where these guys as stupid as I thought they were? They had to have known who I was and where I came from, certainly they knew what I could do. 

I smirk as I tilt my head, looking into his eyes, "I would love to see you try," I hiss as I grab his hand, quickly snapping it back until I hear the satisfying sound of bones snapping. As his head drops to look at his wrist, I swing my elbow at his nose, smiling when I feel it crack. 

"Bitch," he shouts as he falls onto the floor of the car, his unbroken hand wiping his bloody nose. 

His friend moves as if to attack me, but the man driving suddenly speaks up, "I wouldn't if I were you. As entertaining as it would be to watch, Alexi would kill you if he found out you laid a hand on her," he warns him. 

I smirk confidently as I look at the man sitting across from me, "It's alright, he wouldn't get the chance." 

 He flinches as if to attack, but the car suddenly slows down, the back door opening as soon as we stop. Armed Hydra soldiers motion for him to move, and I wave as he steps out of the car, his fiery eyes locked on me.

I hop out of the car behind him, laughing silently as he flinches when I step past him. In front of me was an old bunker that looked like something out of the Cold War. The creaky doors open and I watch as Alexi walks out, surrounded by his men. 

"Katerina," he smiles quite falsely as he walks towards me, "you survived the journey up here." His smile grows when he sees the guard I beat up get out of the car, "Someone was a rather naughty girl wasn't she." 

I turn behind me to look at the guard again, "You can't blame me, it was such a long ride up here," I respond cooly. Hopefully he wouldn't put his hands on another agent again. 

Alexi only laughs at my comment, "Come," he says motions for me to follow him. "Do you know why I've brought you up here," he asks as we walk inside. I shake my head as I look around the bunker, it was certainly worse than any bunker in Moscow. 

The air was stale and cold, filled only with the sound of the winds outside. The walls were dirty and covered with various stains, most of which I imagined were blood. Despite it's dreary appearance, I could tell that it was structurally sound, built to withstand whatever might be thrown at it. 

"I have always seen something in you, Katerina," he sighs as he leads me into a large room filled with Hydra agents. "Thankfully there are others in Hydra who see the same," he whispers into my ear as we stop in the center of the room. Everyone's eyes were on me and I felt like an animal in a zoo, purely here for their entertainment. 

 A young man in a suit walks towards me, his eyes examining me. "Is this the girl," he asks Alexi, his voice low and monotone. He stood at maybe 6ft with broad shoulders and stark blue eyes. A deep scar ran across his cheek, most likely inflected with a knife. This was a man who had seen conflict before, and from the look in his eyes, it was something he enjoyed.