Classified || Bucky Barnes

Chapter 10

Ideal Federal Savings Bank, Washington D.C.

It took Marina longer than she would have hoped to report back to the bank after the mission. The sky had begun its descent into darkness sending orange and red dancing amongst the clouds. Rain leaked from the slowly darkening sky and soaked into her clothes, chilling her to the bone. Her leather boots squelched with every step and water dripped from the hairs that had fallen from her braid. The hood did little to shield her from the droplets. She kept her trembling hands tucked away in the pockets of her jacket while she fought to ignore the familiar ache that had settled in her head.

She navigated the dark alleyways to wind up at the back entrance of the building and remain unseen by strangers in passing. Her fingers wrapped around the silver handle and twisted, dragging the metal door open. She flinched when met with the barrel of a gun on the opposite side. The guard's stiff posture loosened and he lowered the rifle back to his side, pressing a finger against his earpiece.

"безопасность активов." [Asset secure.]

Marina kept a frown from taking hold of her face as he stepped aside to permit her entry. Asset was a term she had only ever heard used to describe the Winter Soldier. He was a tool; a weapon. Is that what she'd become? She brushed past him and her shoulders tensed when his footfalls followed close behind as if escorting her.

They made their way through the eerily empty bank and descended the stairs into the basement where the vault was kept. She stopped just short of the metal bars and finally, a frown slipped across her lips. 

There was a frighteningly large metal chair-like contraption in the center of the vault. A tangle of wires littered the floor and stretched from the machine to a pair of monitors on either side. Beneath the poor lighting, she made out the images of scans and vitals on the screens. The Winter Soldier sat slouched in the chair with an IV stuck in his right hand. He was shirtless and a few doctors sat working on his metal arm. 

Marina's mouth fell slightly open and her eyes widened. A guard inside the vault unlocked the barred door and the armed agent behind her motioned for her to enter. She did, although she couldn't help her reluctance. One of the doctors watching the soldier's vitals peeked over his shoulder and did a double take. He was familiar to her, one of the many who gave her suppressants. The doctor stood to his feet and adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

She couldn't help but watch the Winter Soldier as she stepped deeper into the room. His face was blank, empty eyes staring straight ahead. She flinched away when a hand dropped to her shoulder. The doctor met her blue eyes and held up the already filled syringe expectantly. A bit of her tension faded and she allowed herself to be steered over to a metal bench pushed up against the wall.

Marina extended her arm habitually and paid no mind as he sunk the needle into the crook of her elbow and emptied the blue liquid into her veins. He didn't speak a word, just stood back to his feet and went back to work on the Winter Soldier.

She leaned against the wall of safes when the lightheadedness swept over her and threatened the far reaches of her vision with darkness. The feeling of ice in her veins made her shiver. She studied the soldier sitting across the vault. The first thing she took in was the metal arm and how intricate each individual functioning piece was. The blood red star on his shoulder bobbed up and down as his breaths steadily grew deeper. Pearly white scars stretched across the line dividing metal and flesh. They were an odd pattern extending from the left half of his chest, almost like he'd been clawing at his arm to rip it off. She found herself wondering how he lost the arm, then scolded herself for even caring. His dark hair appeared poorly kept. It brushed his shoulders and hung in his face to curtain his gray eyes and faintly stubbled jaw.