A Wonderfully Terrible Idea

Winter sighed once Stark had left. He wold have much prefered to stay out, or stay in the workshop for the rest of the day. There was so much things to see and do there, and the small bots were amazing. The technology was so amazing, everything had been created by Stark, Winter wished that he knew how to create something that wonderful. Or just how to create something that other people would like. All he knew was how to kill and hurt people.

He layed down on the floor of the cell and stared up at the ceiling. He wouldn't be able to do anything until Stark came back. Winter looked up at the door as he heard footsteps. It wasn't Stark, the footsteps were too sure of themselves, too loud. Stark tended to walk quieter, more aware of himself.

Winter scowled as the Witch came into view. She was wearing the same triumphant expression as the last time Winter saw her. She walked right up to the cell, firm in her knowledge that Winter wouldn't be able to get out. She looked around his cell, the expression falling into something like anger.

"You shouldn't be here," she snapped at him. "This isn't even that bad of a cell! You deserve so much worse for everything that you've done," she said. Winter watched her silently, she wasn't a handler, the Witch did not decide what was going to be done to him. If she did get angry enough to open the door, Winter could deal with her quickly, and get rid of the threat.

"Everything was going fine and then you come along and say that you're not the man Steve remembers," the Witch said. "He deserves so much better than you, and you don't even deserve this." She raised her hands, the red magic slowly surrounding her. "Luckily for us, I can do both," she said. The Witch gestured, clearly planning for the magic to travel from her hands to Winter, only for the cell walls to stop it.

Winter grinned at her. "You will not be able to do anything to me until I am out," he told her. "And when these doors are open, it will only be a matter of time before you are dead."

The Witch clenched her fists. "You can't hide there forever, and the second you lay a finger on me you'll be right back where you started," she hissed at him. Winter surpressed a snort, the Witch couldn't make him fear her. She had no control over him. He wondered if he could convince Stark to let him go after the Witch, it would solve any future problems she would surely cause.

"And you will be dead, and it will no longer matter what threats you make to me," Wintern told her. He stood up and stalked over towards the glass. As he reached it he noticed the faint flash of fear in the Witch's eyes. "Я не могу вспомнить все," (I can't remember everything) he growled, "Но я знаю, как убить тебя, я был обучен убивать тебя, и ты можешь быть уверен, что я сделаю это, если ты снова угрожаешь моему обработчику." (But I know how to kill you, I was trained to kill you, and you can be sure that I will do it if you threaten my handler again.)

The Witch stared up at him before turning and leaving the room, trying to project her confidence to prove she wasn't afraid of him. Winter watched her leave, not moving. As soon as she was out of sight winter slumped back down to the ground, his good mood from earlier disappearing. "Friday, could you read something for me?" he asked. It was a way to pass time, and might help him feel happier.

"Of course, anything in particular you would like me to read?" she asked.

Winter shrugged. "Something I haven't heard before," he said.

"I have wikipedia open," Friday offered. "Currently the page open is on the Hyskeir Lighthouse, if you would like me to read it to you," she offered. Winter nodded and Friday made a sound like she was clearing her thoat. "Hyskeir Lighthouse was established in 1904," she began. It was a short page and they read through it quickly. After that Firday read to him about Daniel Fox, Bradford Leavitt, and Singapore FA. Friday stopped halfway through reading about the movie Outlaw: The Saga of Gisli. "Boss is wondering if you would like anything for breakfast," she said.

"I don't know, whatever he thinks is good," Winter answered. He didn't really feel like eating, altough he would eat whatever Stark brought down for him, it was needed and he did like the shawarma from last night.

"Very well, would you like me to continue reading?" Friday asked. Winter sat up and shook his head. If Stark was asking what he wanted for breakfat than maybe he wouold get to come down and see Winter again. He said that he was going to try to get Winter out of the cell, but now that he was alone again it felt like it was taking longer than it needed.

In fact, being in the cell kind of felt like Winter's cryo chamber, minus the cold and cramped quarters. Despite the techs commonly referencing is as a sort of sleep, Winter was somewhat aware of what was going on. Mostly it depended on whether his eyes were open or not. Winter always found it incredibly boring in the cryo chamber, but it was sort of peaceful.

A couple moments pass before Winter here's someone coming down the stairs. To his disapointment, he realizes it's not Stark. Wilson comes into the room, holding a couple brightly colored packages. He waved at Winter. "Pretty sure you're disapointed that it's not Tony, judging by thte look you're giving me. Although I bring food," he said, waving the boxes in the air.

The door opened and Wilson walked over to Winter, setting the boxes on the floor. Winter picked up the nearest one, the box proclaiming the food inside to be a pop tart. "I stole these from Thor, so you better enjoy them," Wilson said, he had a smile on his face despite a slightly threatening tone in his voice.

Winter looked through the boxes, there were different flavors, before randomly choosing a box. The one he picked up said that the poptarts were smore flavored. Winter didn't quite think that the strange food would taste like an actual smore, not that he had any experience with food, but whatever a poptart was it wasn't a smore. Inside the box were rectangles wrapped in a shiny silver foil, opening the foil showed two rectangular pastries. "How does this taste like a smore?" he asked.

Wilson shrugged, grabbing a poptart box for himself. "Modern food is weird," he said. Winter tasted his poptart, it wasn't bad but it was definantly sugar filled.

"Where is Stark?" Winter asked, opening another package.

"Probably in the commons, he wanted to come down but mostly everyone decided that it wouldn't be a good idea seeing as he was a good part of the threatening thing. Then Wanda said she should go and that got as many downvotes," Wilson said. Winter scowled.

"The Witch already came down here earlier," he said. "She seemed to be upset with me, I told her that I would kill her," Winter said.

Wilson closed his eyes. "See, that's the reason you were put in here. Threatening to kill people does not help people trust you," he said. Winter crossed his arms. She did deserve to die and he wasn't threatening if he was actually going to do it. "Judging by your fac I'm guessing you don't beleive that," Wilson said.

"It's not a threat if I'm planning to do it," Winter said.

"Hey, Winter, we're not killing Wanda," yet Winter added in his mind, "You'd probably be thrown into prison," WIlson said.

Winter shrugged. At least the Witch would be dead. Although if he was in prison he wouldn't be able to be with Stark. Well, he can kill someone without making it look like it was him, Winter's done it before. He had a vague memory of staging a car addient, but when he went searching for other informatino it slipped away from his mind. Wilson stood up and cleaned up the wrappers. "I got to get to a meeting, hopefully we'll be able to get you out of here," he said. Winter nodded and watched as Wilson left.

"Friday?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"Am I allowed to listen to the meeting, it seems like it will be about me," he said. Friday was silent.

"I'm not quite sure," she says. "Normally they don't let anyone listen to the meetings because it's sensitive information, but if it is about you..." Winter waited as Friday thought of the answer. "I can give you the general conversation," she offered. Wniter nodded, that would work better than nothing.

After a couple minutes the meeting seemed to have started. Friday started telling him about the viewpoints of the others. His Mission, Natalia, and Barton believed it would be best for him to stay until they were sure that he wouldn't attack anyone else. Stark, Wilson, Vision, and surprisingly Wanda thought that he would be fine to be out, as long as he wasn't able to leave the compound.

Winter puzzled over why the Witch was suddenly on his side, then realized that she probably wanted to use her magic against him, and they had already established that it wouldnt' work through the walls of the cell. If he could somehow get her locked in one of these she wouldn't be able to use her magic against anyone in the compound.

The discussion continued until his Mission relented only if Stark built a tracker and Winter wore it the whole time. Natalia said that something that would be able to disable his arm would be smart, but that was vetoed solely on the argument that it was a part of Winter's body, and that the weight was bad enough with the hydraulic system working, they didn't need to make it worse. He vaguely remembered when he was first with HYDRA and they hadn't added that yet. They had to strengthen his bones and lodge the arm deep into his body, the anchors drilled straight into his bones.

Friday told him when the meeting was done, and sadi that Vision, Wilson and Stark were going down to get him so that they could figure out the tracker. Stark entered first. "Friday told me that she was keeping you informed?" he asked. Winter nodded and stood up. Stark sighed. "Well, guess I've got to build that now," he said.

"I will not be able to leave with a tracker?" Winter asked.

"Technically you're not allowed to leave at all," Vision said as he opened the door. Stark still looked upset but didn't say anything else.

"Where will the tracker be?" Winter asked as he left the cell.

"Eveyone wants it in your arm," Wilson said. "I'm not sure that's where we are going to put it, though," he said, turning towards Stark. Stark was closing the door.

"I don't know yet, we shouldn't even have to be putting a tracker on Winter, he didn't actually hurt anyone," Stark said angrily. "Why does Steve even get to decide this! It's my compound I can do what I want," he said as they started up the stairs. Winter followed behind here, worried that someone might overhear and get angry with Stark. Or that they'll run into the Witch, although he doubted she would attack with so many people around.

They walked through the commons, heading for Stark's wing. Winter hoped that they would be able to go to the workshop, he wanted to see the bots. Stark continued ranting all the way to the workshop. Winter felt his spirits lifting as Dum-E rolled over, beeping happily. Dum-E grabbed his arm and started to drag him off into the workshop. Winter glanced back at Stark to make sure it was fine if he went. Stark nodded and Winter followed Dum-E to the back of the room where the blender sat on the counter.

Dum-E, with the help of U and Butterfingers, whizzed around the workshop grabbing items for him to put into the blender. Winter turned on the blender once Dum-E stopped bring him them. The bots got excited when he did and Winter smiled. He came to the conclusion that this was one of the best things in the world.

Throughout the course of an hour, Winter spent the time following the bots around the workshop, he played catch for a bit and made more smoothies before Dum-E dragged him off to the very back where a fire extinguisher sat. He beeped at it and reached to grab it, although it was kept out of reach.

Winter reachd up for it as Dum-E kept beeping. When he grabbed it Dum-E trilled happily. Deciding that the bot wanted the fire extinguisher, Winter handed it to him. Dum-E spun in a happy circle and rushed off towards Stark. Winter followed behind him. The other bots joined in Dum-E's race to get to Stark.

Stark turned as Dum-E beeped at him and Dum-E sprayed the fire extinguisher directly in his face. Wilson started laughing at Stark's stunned face. Winter felt a flash of fear that maybe he would be punished. Perhaps he wasn't supposed to let Dum-E have the fire extinguisher. Dum-E, on the other hand, seemed completely find and rolled around, spraying more random items. Stark wiped the foam from his face, a vaguley annoyed expression on his face. Winter shrank back, watching with wide eyes.

To his luck, Stark simply cleaned up his face and then smiled. He looked over at Winter and gestured for him to come over. Winter walked over cautiously. "Dum-E convinced you to give him the fire extinguisher I'm guessing?" he asked. Winter nodded. Stark chuckled, "I'll just clean up later, although I have finished the tracker," he said, holding up a bracelet. So Stark wasn't actually upset, he probably wouldn't have punished Winte rlike HYDRA would have, but he had still felt the fear that it would happen.

Winter frowned, that didn't look like any type of tracker he had seen before. "You put it on and when you leave the compound Friday will activate it and turn it off when you come back," he said. Winter nodded. "It will also connect to Friday if she's not around and you need her," he added. This tracker was definantly better, he enjoyed Friday, especially when she read to him, and now he could talk to her even out of the compound.

He nodded. "I can put it on now and then we can head up to the commons and get food that isn't poptarts," Stark said, shootin a friendly glare towards Wilson. Winter held out his hands, not quite sure what arm he was going to put it on. Stark clipped the bracelet onto his right. "Tell me if you get any chafing please," he said and Winter nodded.

"Boss, Colonel Rhodes has entered the compound and is asking for you," Friday said.

Stark's widened and he cursed. "I forgot he was coming, tell him to meet me in the commons," he said.

"Of course, Boss."

Stark stood up out of his chair. "Well, we can get food and Frosty can meet Rhodey, nothing could go wrong," he said. Judging by the tone of his voice, Winter was guessing that quite a lot of things were going to go wrong. He wondered why Stark wouldn't be more excited at hearing about Rhodey coming, but maybe the files were wrong. HYDRA said that Colonel Rhodes and Stark were very good friends and both had extremely advanced suits.

The small group left the workshop, Winter giving the bots small pats as a goodbye. They walked through Stark's wing and headed for the commons. They walked in and Rhodey turned to look at them from his seat at the counter.

He had an exasperated face and sighed as he spotted Stark. "Tony," he said, dragging a hand over his face, "what did you do to get the Winter Soldier to follow you like a lost puppy?"

Winter tilted his head, this was the first time he had ever been related to a puppy. He wasn't quite sure where Rhodey had gotten that simularity from, but clearly something about his demeanor was puppy like.