Chapter 7
616 felt the weight of the Winter Soldier’s metal arm pressing her body against the cold floor of the training room. Her movements were locked, immobilized with surgical precision. It was a simulation, a demonstration of how to restrain an opponent without allowing them to escape. But at that moment, her mind wasn’t focused solely on the technique.
"Do you like training with me?" she asked suddenly, her voice low but firm.
The Soldier remained silent for a moment, as if analyzing the question. His cold blue eyes showed no emotion when he finally responded:
"I was assigned to be your mentor."
616 frowned. That wasn’t what she wanted to know. Dr. Elise asked different questions—questions she had never thought of before. Questions that made her feel… restless.
"But do you feel good?" she insisted, repeating the words Elise had told her before.
The Winter Soldier paused again. He didn’t seem bothered by the question, only processing it. When he answered, his voice was as neutral as ever.
"I am useful."
For some reason, that answer made something inside 616 stir. A strange sense of satisfaction spread through her chest, and she nodded quickly.
"Just like me," she murmured, almost to herself, shaking her head with a small smile.
But the moment was brief. The Soldier didn’t give her time to dwell on it. In one swift motion, he released her and took a step back.
"Again," he ordered, and 616 immediately took her stance, discarding any other thought. The training continued as if that brief exchange had never happened.
--
The Winter Soldier walked through the narrow corridors of the facility, his heavy footsteps echoing in the metallic silence of the place. His uniform was still stained from training with 616, but that didn’t matter. He had been summoned, and he obeyed. He always obeyed.
Upon entering the lab, he was greeted by the scientist responsible for his maintenance. The man wore a pristine white lab coat and held a clipboard, casting him an assessing glance.
"The mental cleansing protocol is scheduled. It has been weeks since the last session," the scientist said, adjusting his glasses over his nose.
A faint tremor ran through the Soldier’s body. The chill down his spine wasn’t fear—he didn’t feel fear. It was just a physical response, a meaningless reflex. But for a brief moment, he remembered the sensation of electricity burning through his brain, erasing everything, leaving only the void.
He was ready to obey, ready to sit in that freezing metal chair, when the lab door opened. Alexander Pierce entered, followed by Karpov. The scientist stopped writing and turned toward them.
"Cancel it," Pierce ordered, his voice firm. "We can’t risk compromising him now. The cleansing might affect his performance in 616’s training."
The scientist hesitated, glancing at Karpov, who merely nodded.
"But, sir, it’s overdue. The signs indicate that—"
"Are you fit to continue the mission?" Karpov interrupted, crossing his arms as he looked at the Asset.
The Winter Soldier lifted his chin, his expression unchanged.
"I am fit to continue as ordered."
"Then he doesn’t need the cleansing. At least not for now," Karpov concluded, giving the Soldier one last glance before leaving the room.
The scientist muttered something under his breath but didn’t argue. He simply gestured to the guards.
Then the Soldier was taken back to his room. The door shut behind him with a heavy sound, the lock sliding into place, keeping him there until the next call.
He removed his vest and sat on the narrow bed, staring at nothing.
He was supposed to sleep. The body needed rest to maintain efficiency. But when he closed his eyes, it wasn’t darkness that came first.
It was 616’s voice.
"Do you like training with me?"
He frowned in the dark.
"Do you feel good?"
Like. Feel good. What did those words mean? He knew the definitions, the terms—but knowing was different from understanding.
He thought about it until sleep finally took him, without ever finding an answer.
--
The incident happened fast.
616 was in yet another training session, but this time, the tension that always simmered inside her boiled over. One of the instructors harshly reprimanded her for an insignificant mistake, and in an instant, she lunged without hesitation.
Her body moved before her mind could process it, and before anyone could react, she had already taken the man down, her knee pressing against his chest.
The guards intervened immediately, pulling her away by force. The incident did not go unnoticed, and soon, Alexander Pierce was informed.
This time, he didn’t waste any time.
"No more incidents like this," he said, his voice laced with impatience.
Dr. Elise Wagner sat in a nearby chair, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She knew this would have consequences and feared what they would do to the child. She took a deep breath and tried to argue.
"She’s still too young to fully control her impulses. It’s natural that—"
"Natural?" Pierce cut her off with a sharp look. "I don’t care what’s natural, Dr. Wagner. I care about control."
He turned to the Winter Soldier, who stood beside the table, waiting for orders.
"From now on, you will accompany her in all her daily activities. I want you watching her. If necessary, do whatever it takes to tame her."
The Soldier simply nodded.
This meant being present in her training sessions, during her moments of rest, and, most curiously, in her sessions with Dr. Elise Wagner.
Dr. Elise Wagner’s office was small and simple, furnished only with the essentials: a desk, two chairs, and a bookshelf with a few books she had barely had time to look at since she had been brought to that Hydra facility. The room carried a faint scent of paper and tea—a small detail she insisted on maintaining, trying to bring at least a hint of warmth to her sessions with 616.
But today, something was different.
The Winter Soldier stood by the door, his posture rigid, as if he were part of the room itself. His cold eyes swept over the space before fixing on a point ahead, ever watchful.
Elise adjusted her glasses and took a deep breath before turning to him.
"Can you give us a moment? This conversation should be private."
The Soldier did not move.
"My mission is to watch over 616."
His voice was low, almost monotonous, as if he were merely reciting an order that had been programmed into his mind. Elise frowned, crossing her arms.
"You don't need to be in here for that. You can wait outside."
But he didn’t react. No hesitation, no expression, just the impassive confirmation of his presence. Elise sighed, realizing it was pointless to insist.
She then turned to 616, who was sitting in the chair across from her, idly fiddling with the sleeve of her dark uniform.
"Do you mind his presence here?"
616 looked up at the Soldier, her expression unchanged. Then, she shrugged.
"No. His presence makes me feel calmer."
Elise blinked in surprise but quickly smiled gently at the girl.
"Then that's fine. We can begin."
The pen glided smoothly across the paper, and the only sound in the room was the faint scratch of the tip against the smooth surface. Elise watched 616 draw, her attentive gaze capturing every detail of the girl's expression. Her demeanor was calm, the strokes fluid, without the rigidity from before. With each session, Elise saw small changes in her, signs that, despite everything Hydra had done, something genuinely human still resisted within that child.
Five months. That was the time since Elise had started working with 616. At first, the girl barely spoke, only responding objectively to questions and rarely showing any emotion. But now… here she was, drawing peacefully, her posture relaxed, almost like a normal child.
But Elise knew the truth.
Outside of this place, 616 had no childhood. Her world was made of brutal training, strict orders, and severe punishments. If there was progress in their sessions, it was because this small space represented something different to the girl—a escape, a refuge.
Turning her gaze away from 616, Elise focused her attention on the Winter Soldier. He stood near the door, his expression neutral, but his blue eyes were fixed on the girl. He observed every movement she made, every line she drew on the paper.
Elise had already read about him, about the methods Hydra had used to turn him into a weapon. The control, the activation words, the absence of free will. He was a product of the same organization that molded 616.
And then, as she studied them, something caught her attention.
The way they both furrowed their brows when concentrating. The way their expressions shifted slightly when something piqued their interest. Their eyes. The same deep shade of blue, so identical that it was impossible to ignore. The dark brown hair, the similar bone structure.
An idea took shape in Elise's mind, something she had never considered before. But now, looking at the two of them, it seemed obvious.
When the session ended, Elise gathered her notes and headed to Dr. Kraus' office, as she did every day. The environment was cold, impersonal, with papers organized impeccably on the scientist’s desk.
She handed over the report and, for a moment, hesitated. But then, her curiosity won out.
"Who were 616’s parents?"
Dr. Kraus, who had been casually flipping through the notes, stopped. His gaze met hers, sharp and assessing.
"Be careful with the questions you ask, Dr. Wagner" he said, his voice low, laden with warning.
Elise kept her expression neutral and simply nodded. But inside, she already knew the answer.
She was right.
The Winter Soldier was 616's father.