HYDRA Has Terrible Asset Management
Winter was no longer with HYDRA. They were a group of idiots who barely even knew what he could actually do. Once he was given to HYDRA he stopped being able to go undercover and have long missions. HYDRA, Winter deemed, was paranoid of him turning against him. Sure he may dislike them but a good weapon doesn't backfire, and he was the best there was. Winter sighed to himself over HYDRA's failure and focused back onto his task. After he had managed to get his mind back on track after the failure with the helicarriers, and then saving his Mission that was a terrible malfunction, Winter had taken to scouting his Mission and the team around him while looking for a new handler.
So far, he had managed to find a potential handler but was no closer to succeeding his mission. Tony Stark would know how to properly handle him without being an idiot like HYDRA. He used to build weapons, ran a business, and had the resources to keep Winter safe and to keep him from having any more malfunctions. Winter shifted his rifle scope and focused on the team again. He had followed his Mission across the States before his Mission finally came to the new Avengers compound. Winter hadn't dared to enter, surely he would have been spotted and then he would have had to deal with his Mission insisting that Winter was his friend.
He felt a vague feeling that he knew the Mission, but nothing solid and the small flashes that he got didn't match up with what he had observed with the Mission. It had been a couple months after the Sokovian city lifted into the sky. Now they had done of HYDRA's enhanced, the Witch, further making Winter want to stay away. He didn't exactly remember her, but he knew that she was dangerous. Dangerous enough that he knew the best way to get rid of her. With surprise, and to either trap or hurt her hands.
Currently, the Avengers were outside the compound and appeared to be having a meal of some sort. The Witch was waving around her hands, the red magic creeping along in the air. Winter shifted slightly to watch her, wondering what she was doing. It mostly just looked like she was moving things around in the air. Once Stark walked towards them Winter shifted again to watch him. He still didn't quite know how to approach the potential handler, but he would keep watch for now and ensure his safety.
Winter watched as Stark talked with the other Avengers. They gathered around a table on the porch and were eating what looked like lunch. Winter figured that was right as it was the middle of the day and people seemed to normally eat around this time. Stark didn't seem to follow this trend, Winter didn't know why, but he figured that maybe people didn't really need this meal. Of course he didn't then understand why they did it, but he wasn't supposed to. Winter wasn't a person so he didn't have to participate in normal person behavior.
Winter was just far enough that he couldn't hear their conversation which is why he didn't get a warning when the strange red android appeared behind him. Winter whipped around and pulled out a knife, glaring at the android. The android didn't repsond, just watched him.
"We noticed that you were watching us and were wondering if you would like to meet the others," he said. "Captain Rogers doesn't want you to leave again and I'm afraid neither do most of us," he added. So Winter didn't really have a choice about meeting the Avengers, it just depended on whether he would go willingly or not. Willingly into a situation he didn't exaclty have control over.
The android was watching him, waiting for his response. Winter glanced around and noticed that the Avengers were walking towards them. He looked down at his knife and rifle and then back at the android. Figuring that this was the most likely way to ensure that he gets to keep his weapons, Winter slowly put the knife back into its sheath. He held his hands at his sides, close to his weapons but not touching them.
The Avengers reached them and surrounded Winter, he didn't know if they were trying to make it seem like they weren't but it was obvious to Winter what they were doing. They didn't want him to escape so they were cutting off any exit points. If it came to it his best bet would be to attack the Falcon and hope that he would be able to outrun the rest of the Avengers.
"Bucky!" The Mission said. Winter supressed a flinch. The name tore into his mind trying to tear carefully hidden memories. There was a reason Winter was wiped and he really didn't like someone trying to break through to the memoreis that he knew were hidden belowt he surface of his mind. The memories of the person that he used to be, before HYDRA made him into somehting better. One of the best weapons that was in their arsonal. He could easily remember past missions, a couple needed a bit of help from a handler, but any memories from Before were hidden, and hurt when they were uncovered.
Winter decided not to answer, maybe then they would see that he did need to be reconditioned and he could be able to forget the few memories from Before. "I knew you'd come back," The Mission was saying. Winter turned in a circle and studied the surrounding Avengers. The Witch was studying him but he didn't think she would attack with the way his Mission was acting. The Witch needed his protection. Most of the group was wary of him. Even Natalia, which sent a flicker of hurt that he then ignored. She had left, it was not his fault that his handlers had sent him after her. She should have expected as much once she broke her ties. He could vaguely remember training her, but didn't dig deeper in case he got in trouble or any unwanted memories came back to him.
He waited until the Mission had turned to say something to the Falcon, probably because of the Falcon's obvious dislike to Winter. Winter then turned to Natalia. "я ушел," (I left) he said simply, he knew that she would understand that he wasn't planning on returning to HYDRA, he wasn't under their orders.
Some of the Avengers seemed startled by him speaking but his focus was on Natalia, he wanted to know how she would react. "Тогда что ты здесь делаешь?" (Then what are you doing here?) she asked.
"Выбор нового обработчика." (Choosing a new handler) he said.
"Are we just going to stand here waiting for them to stop talking?" someone said. Winter didn't glance back, he didn't recognize the voice and he would tell if he needed to fight. Or run, as a more likely course of action.
Natalia glared behind him at whoever had spoken. "Кто?" (Who) she asked.
Winter dropped his eyes from Natalia's and looked around the Avengers. "Stark," he said. That got most of the Avengers attention. It was clearly the only word that they understood and it sent them on edge. Stark looked at Natalia and then at winter.
"If you're talking about me can you at least do it English?" he asked.
Winter nodded. "Sorry," he said, looking down. He should have known that Stark didn't speak Russian. Hopefully he won't be punished too badly for not understanding this.
"Bucky, you must be hungry," The Mission said, he walked closer to Winter. "Come on, let's get you something to eat," he said, reaching for Winter. Winter glanced back at Stark and then at his Mission, not sure how to react.
the Mission grabbed his arm, the flesh one, and Winter yanked it out of his grasp. He flicked a knife out of his belt and held it out at the Mission. Everyone tensed up, clearly ready to fight.
"You will not touch me," Winter hissed angrily. He wasn't this 'Bucky' despite what his Mission may think.
The Mission raised his hands. "Come on Buck, put the knife down we're not going to hurt you," he said, looking around to the other people in the room. Winter glared at him and flicked the knife up in the air out of spite. He twirled it around his fingers feeling a thrill of pleasure at the uncertain expression on his Mission's face.
"I don't feel safe if he has his weapons," the Witch said. Winter almost stabbed her. She was going to get his weapons confiscated, it would be so much easier to kill her and run, but that might make his Handler hate him and Winter didn't want to have to find someone better than Stark. He was certain there was no one better than Stark.
"Bucky please, you're scaring Wanda," his Mission said. WInter glanced over at Handler Stark, wondering what he would want him to do. Stark didn't look the happiest and seemed a little confused on why Winter was staring at him. Probably because he didn't know that Winter had chosen him to be a handler, Winter would need to fix that. His Mission was reaching for him again and Winter growled. Clearly he might actually need to stab someone.
"Steve, I don't think Frosty here wants to be touched," Tony interrupted, his Mission stopped to glare at Stark.
"I'm just trying to get him to drop the knife," his Mission stated. "He knows me and won't hurt me," he said confidently.
Winter almost scoffed. Almost. It truly was ridiculous, did his Mission not remember the fight they had on the helicarrier, or any of their other fights. Winter was trying to kill him and did hurt him, quite severely and would do so again if his Mission harmed Stark in any way.
Stark sighed. "He's still a trained assassin, Steve. I wouldn't suggest trying to use force to make him surrender his weapons, I'm sure if you just asked he would be glad to," Stark said. Winter turned the words over in his head, trying to figure out what Stark wanted. It seemed almost like he wanted Winter to surrender his weapons to his Mission. Maybe not all of them though, because Winter still needed enough to protect his Handler.
His Mission sighed in annoyance. "Bucky, please give us your weapons," he said. Winter slowly put his knife back in its sheath and glanced over at Stark. Stark's expression didn't change, and Winter figured that he would tell him to stop if Stark didn't want Winter to keep his weapons.
Winter slowly gave his Mission most of his weapons, keeping the smaller knives hidden in the small pockets of his uniform. Once he was done there was a pretty large pile of weapons. Winter was still debating whether he should keep the few grenades that he had when the weapons lifted with a red mist. Winter decided that he would keep the grenades, they may end up being useful later.
The Witch moved his weapons over to the compound, Winter watched her closely. It looked liked her powers were closely related to her hand movements, probably why he knew that if he were to injur her hands h wouldn't need to worry any more about her using her magic to attack him.
His Mission grabbed Winter again and started to lead him towards the compound. He was saying something but Winter wasn't exactly paying attention as he was trying not to kill his Mission. He was led into the compound and down the hallway, away from Stark.