Siberia
“Target.” Rumlow passed a file over the table. She took it, reading it over. “You have 48 hours.”
“Witnesses?” She asked.
“Kill anyone on sight, angel.”
---
“It’s her, I know it.” Bucky’s fists were clenched by his side as he spoke. He looked up at the screen, usually devoid of anything useful, but today containing a blurry image of a woman. Though the face was half covered by Hydra’s recognizable mask, Bucky knew it was Iris. It had to be. This was the first real lead they had in almost a year.
Just seeing her on the screen was enough to shatter his already broken heart into a thousand smaller pieces. The shards wrenched at his chest, killing him from the inside. He was filled with a painful blend of agonizing sadness and raging fury, not sure how much longer he could control them.
“You sure?” Steve asked. He hoped Bucky was right because this photo was taken in Siberia just a day ago.
“I’m sure.” Bucky nodded his head, looking around the room. The atmosphere was tense, uncertain of how this was going to go. Of course, the thought that this was a dead end, leading to an empty building or what not. Worse was what would happen if they actually found Hydra and what they would find.
“I guess we’re going to Siberia.” Stark closed.
---
The Quinjet landed soundlessly in a snow drift on the top of the mountain. Between those who had come on the mission was silence and no one wanted to be the first to break it. The air was heavy, no one knowing what to expect when they entered the Hydra facility.
Soundlessly they gestured to move out of the jet, the door opening with nothing more than a quiet pop. A blast of chilled air came from outside, it currently being early winter. Under Steve’s boots the snow crunched, Bucky and Natasha knowing better how to conceal the sound of their footsteps. Tony, on the other hand, floated silently in his iron man suit a few inches above the snow. They moved quickly to the metal door situated in the rocky mountain peak. A large keypad, worn from years of use, was situated beside the thick metal. door. Tony reached to try to hack it but Bucky felt himself lift his arm and quickly push in the code.
“I’ve been here before.” Bucky sucked in a sharp breath of cold air as the door’s bolts slid open with the slight sound of grinding metal. The door creaked open. Inside it felt even colder than outside, the metal walls eerily familiar.
After a few minutes of wordless movement throughout the facility, they realized they needed to split up. The inside was massive, much larger than they initially thought, and they knew that they would be spotted and Iris would most likely be removed if they didn’t move faster.
They gestured to the different directions each individual was going before moving apart. Bucky chose to keep moving forward; he knew something was there, he felt it in his gut, but couldn’t place his finger on it. Everything was recognizable but at the same time, wasn’t.
Eventually, Bucky found himself in a large oval-shaped room. A shiver ran through his spine as he noticed the too-familiar metal chair sitting in the center of the otherwise empty room. His heart began pumping, his head throbbed. He lifted his gun, trying to ignore the memories trying to dig their way out of his skull. Bucky stepped forward, checking each dark corner for someone or something. Suddenly, he heard the metal creak behind him.
Bucky spun around, his automatic still raised, to see the outline of a man shrouded in
“Who are you?” Bucky demanded, an air of unknown familiarity surrounding the man.
“Afternoon, soldier.” The man said as he stepped out of the darkness. Bucky’s stomach dropped, his finger tightening around the trigger.
“Rumlow.” He gritted his teeth as he spoke.
“Good to see you still remember me,” Rumlow smirked. Bucky felt his heart beat faster once more.
“Where is she?” He forced himself from attacking the man.
“My angel?” Rumlow chuckled. Bucky tensed. “She’s been dying to see you.” Rumlow gestured for someone behind him to step into the light.
Bucky’s breath hitched as he watched the woman he loved step into the oval room. She barely looked any different from the day he lost her, though she was gaunter than before.
“Iris.” Bucky didn’t think as he let the gun fall to his side. Iris didn’t respond, her eyes didn’t even seem to recognize him. All he could see in her face was hatred and malice. “Iris please, it’s me.”
“Sorry to break it to you solider, but she won’t remember you.” Rumlow gestured to the chair, a cruel smirk still on his scarred face. “See, we’ve improved this little bit of technology quite some since you left us.” Bucky’s heart dropped once more. What have they done to you… He painfully thought to himself.
Suddenly a distant alarm began to scream through the building.
“I guess that’s my cue to leave.” Rumlow shrugged. “Angel, make sure there’s nothing left of any of them.” Rumlow moved his hand down Iris’s thigh as Bucky watched. His anger grew as he placed his lips down the side of her neck. “Returned to base afterwards and we can have some fun.” He whispered just loud enough for Bucky to hear, not breaking eye contact with him once. Iris’s features remained emotionless. Rumlow placed a single kiss by her collarbone before straightening up and taking his leave. Right as he stepped out the door it began to slide closed with the sound of groaning metal. “Oh Angel, spread your pretty little wings won’t you.”
With that, the metal doors clanged shut leaving Iris and Bucky alone. Bucky desperately looked at Iris only to be met with empty eyes. She stared him down blankly before moving towards him. Just as Bucky opened his mouth for one last desperate vie for her recognition a bulk of metal expanded from her back. Bucky could only gape as he watched a pair of metal wings unfurl from behind her, his eyes unbelieving as a emblazoned metal star stared down at him from the inside of her left wing, mocking his own arm.
“Iris…” Bucky whispered desperately before she launched her first attack at him.