Chapter twenty seven
Steve, Wade, Maria and Natasha finally reached a spiral staircase, which they could only assume that Bucky had taken. They were all deadly silent.
One word from Tasha and Steve would likely shoot her, Maria was still battling with her urge to call Carol, and Wade just wanted to get in, get Bucky and get the hell out. But naturally, the Nomad had other plans. He held his gun firmly in his hand, indicating the rest of them to do the same.
Steve raced up the staircase, not stopping until he reached the top. And once he did, he got an odd feeling. The corridor in front of him was long, so long in fact that you couldn't see the end. The only source of light was the moon, which was streaking through long rectangular windows.
"Something ain't right." He said, looking around.
"No shit Sherlock." Tasha retorted.
Steve shot her a glare. "Keep testing me Natty, I dare you." She held up her hands as surrender and smirked.
"Err.. Boss, you should see this." Wade caught a glimpse of something shining on the floor covered in blood, picking it up carefully he noticed it was dog tags. Nomad snatched it from his hand and held it up to the light, fresh blood dripping from them, The thick red liquid ran onto his hand.
He didn't even flinch.
Maria walked over and gently tried to take them from him, his eyes had that unpredictable spark that she'd seen so many times before. But he had an iron grip on them.
Maria sighed and reached out again. "Nomad, it's Bucky’s dog tags , not his blood."
"She's right boss, I saw the bodies downstairs." Wade said shuddering at the mental image.
Steve laughed darkly. "My messy little Bucky Barnes."
"He wouldn't of left it voluntarily, he has a sick attachment to the damn things." Maria retorted.
"Yeah, he has sick attachments to most things." Nat said, narrowing her eyes at Steve. He winked at Nat. "Oh he’s sick alright, especially in the bedro-"
Tasha pulled out the knife she had concealed inside her out fit. "One more word and I'll cut your tongue out. I swear it."
Steve laughed. But he stopped when he's eyes caught a glistening moonlit puddle on the floor, close to where Wade found the tags. He crouched down to his knees and dabbed his index finger in the shallow liquid.
"What is it boss?" Wade asked, getting down to his level.
"Not sure.." Nomad placed his finger in his mouth and shuddered. "Fuck! That's disgusting!" He said, trying to scrape the taste off his tongue using his teeth. "Why do I keep putting things in my mouth today."
Steve heard widow and cat snicker. He glared at them, realizing how his words must of sounded to such immature minds. "Don't you even dare." He warned.
Tasha swallowed her laughter and walked over to him, she dipped her finger in the small pool of transparent liquid. "Move out the way clown, I have more experience in this field." She sniffed it before rubbing her finger over her gums. She couldn't deny that the taste sent a cold shiver down her spine.
"Chloroform." She said, turning towards Nomad.
Bucky’s eyes slowly blinked open. He had a killer headache and his vision was still blurry from his involuntary sleep. While his eyes adjusted to his surroundings, he soon realized that he was in a chair. Bucky attempted to bring his right hand up to rub his eyes, but as he went to move his hand, he heard the distinctive sound of chains clinking against the metal slab which he was now apparently laying on.
Panic set in immediately. He raised his head and looked at his right hand. His wrist was shackled by rusty iron cuffs, a short chain was connected between his wrist and the slab.
Looking to his left side he saw the same.
Bucky threw his head back onto the slab and closed his eyes, hoping to god that this was just a terrible nightmare. He wiggled his left foot and felt the restriction of another chain. "Argh!" He yelled, fighting against his restraints. The sound of metal hitting metal filled the room, along with his continuous cries of frustration.
He stopped when he heard a door creak open. "Who is it? Who's there?"
"Hello James..." A sinister voice echoed through the room.
Bucky heard footsteps approach him, he turned his head towards the direction and immediately recognized the man emerging from the shadows.. "Pierce." He whispered.
"The one and only." He said, stepping closer. Pierce leaned over his body and brought his hand up to stroke his face. "Well, don't you look different." He muttered.
"Don't touch me!" Bucky snapped, trying to bite at his hand.
He laughed darkly. "Still feisty I see."
"What do you want from me?" He whispered, a stray tear ran down his cheek.
"I just want to have a little catch up James, it's been so long since we last saw each other. The last time I saw you, you were playing the 'victim' in a rather revealing red shirt." He said, looming over him. Bucky reluctantly looked up into his face, he looked exactly the same as the day he’d met him. But even more unhinged.
"And the last time I saw you, you ran for your life." He let out strained laughter. "I'm flattered Pierce, really I am, but I'm not really into the whole bondage thing... Actually that's a lie. I just don't like it when it involves succumb like you." He laughed. If he was going to die, he wanted to go out with dignity, not a blubbering wreck strapped to a dental chair.
"Your jokes won't help you here James.."
"I ain't joking Piercey." He smiled. Then sighed. "Urgh! Now I've got BDSM on my mind.. So if you would be so kind as to untie me so I can go home and make those dreams a reality, I'd be very grateful." Bucky winked.
"I'm afraid not James, besides you won't recognize your home by the time I'm finished with you."
His words rattled through his head. What did he mean?
"Why are you calling me James? I'm not him anymore. " Bucky said, gritting his teeth at the name.
"Oh but James you are. The Nomad may have changed you physically, but the little goody-two-shoes Doctor is still in there somewhere. And I'm going to get him out. I'm going to bring him back." Pierce explained.
"Why?" He asked, his whole body trembling at the thought of him being Dr. Barnes again.
"Why? Oh my dear James... They told me you had some intelligence. But then again, you did run off with a madman." He looked at him, confusion riddled all over his little face.
He began pacing around the table. "Y'know, I had intended on killing you and sending your dead body to Steve, but, plans change, and after seeing what you have become, what he made you... I came up with the most delicious idea... Instead of killing you.. I'll only kill part of you. The part that Nomad created. You're his greatest joke James, and we both know that he's nothing without his jokes." Pierce drummed his fingers along the metal slab, taunting him. "For the first time, he's actually made me laugh. The fact that he manipulated his own psychiatrist to fall in love with him, just so he could escape shield . I have to hand it to the lunatic, he did do a good job."
"He didn't manipulate me!" Bucky cried.
"I think all that chemical exposure has made you delusional James. How can you not see it? You were a means to an end. You still are. He used you to escape, he only took you with him so that he could have a bit of fun. But then you latched onto him, like a leech. And now he just continues with the joke, just so he can deliver the killer punchline when he gets bored of you."
"That's not true." He yelled. "He loves me."
"Does he? Has he ever said it to you?" Pierce smiled when he saw a tear roll down his cheek, that was the answer he was looking for. "It's okay James, I'll help you see, I'll help you understand." He said, brushing a stand of dark hair out of his face. "But you'll need to look like your old self before we get started."
"No! No! You can't do this!" Bucky shouted, kicking out his arms and legs, but his energy was wasted, the chains still held him firmly in place.
"I can. And I will. You made it so easy for me James, walking right into the palm of my hand. Making it so much easier for me to crush you." He motioned his hand balling into a tight fist. " I am wondering though.. What was your plan huh? Hunt me down all on your lonesome, and kill me?" He chuckled. "So predictable."
"I'm not alone, my friends... They'll find me." Bucky cried.
"Oh I'm counting on it dear. My little henchmen will give them the run around first and when they do eventually find you.. You won't be the Bucky Barnes that they remember, you'll be the James Barnes that they don't."
"Steve will kill you for this! He'll find you and kill you!" Bucky tried to buck his head upwards, hoping to hit him but he was too far away. "It doesn't matter if I leave here as Bucky or James, you'll be a dead man either way. Just except your fate Pierce, fear of dying is completely justified, seeing as your death will most likely be slow and painful."
"I'm not afraid of your narcissistic boyfriend. He tried to kill me once before and failed, what makes you think he'll succeed this time?" Pierce retorted.
"Because despite what you think, Nomad is the most powerful criminal Brooklyn has ever seen." Bucky spat. "And if you're not afraid of him then why are you going after me and not him. Why not cut out the middle man and just kill him?"
"You are the middle man James, and I am going to cut you out." He growled, picking up a pair old scissors, which where laying on an only surgical tray next to the slab. "Mmmm... Now where should I start?"
"Lay one finger on me and I swear to god-"
Pierce ignored his empty threats and grabbed his blue tinted pigtail. He yanked it to the side harshly. Bucky cried out.
"Don't be scared James, I'll be gentle." He pulled out both of his hairbands and let his hair fall over the sides of the table. "How do you feel about a little trim?"
"I'll kill you for this!"
Bucky’s screams echoed through the halls, the sharp cries reaching almost every corner of the Club.
And Steve heard it…