Chapter 2
The first thing you felt when you regained consciousness was leather straps digging into your wrists.
You were just about to open your eyes when you remembered the past incidents-The Winter Soldier, hacking files, middle of the night- and decided alerting them that you were awake wasn't that much of a good idea. Instead, you poured your attention out to your ears and nose, mentally thanking Nat for the training sessions you had.
A metallic smell- dungeon? Blood? Lots of metal. You couldn't be sure, but there was also a kind of "clean" smell to it, like someone had set up a mini hospital there.
You could hear distinctive talking, in another language, but of course you could understand- being taught Russian as well as.... a lot.... of other languages.
More footsteps. There was slight heavy breathing next to you, and you matched the one with the Winter Soldier. Standing next to me, most likely keeping watch.
Why did he have to guard you? He was a frigging 186 and you were only a tiny 162, twenty-four centimeters between you.
"She does not appear to be out of the ordinary, putting aside the incredible hacking skills she has." you heard a man's voice say, and almost sighed in relief- they didn't know anything about your powers. Trying to keep calm, you shook your sleeve slightly for the lockpick you always put in your sleeve. Then you realized you were wearing your pyjamas- a tee with the STARK INDUSTRIES logo on it, a size too big and swallowing up your jogging shorts. So basically, no lockpick.
You gritted your teeth and swung your legs silently, eyes still closed, trying to be as natural as you could. There must have been something next to you, because it clattered and you heard footsteps coming towards you. Two, in fact.
"She is awake!"
Crap.
Since they already knew, and it was a waste of two perfectly good eyes, you snapped them open and blinked a little to adjust to the light. It was a large chamber, with bars for walls on some of the sides. You were strapped to the large dentist chair in the middle, a few machinery here and there. The Winter Soldier stood next to you, head straight and perfectly still like the guards in Buckingham Palace.
"Ah. So you are awake." A little man in a doctor's coat scuttled up. You felt the leather straps on your wrists.
"Well, duh. My eyes are open and I'm talking. Unless I sleep with my eyes open and sleeptalk, I'm pretty sure I'm awake."
"Sassy as always." A deep voice mused, and you snapped around to see a guy suspiciously dressed like a captain.
Your eyes flickered between him and the doctor guy. "What's happening? I think I'm freaking out. I think I'm freaking out so bad. Oh my god, I think I'm freaking out. Am I freaking out? I'm pretty sure I'm freaking out. Yeah, I'm freaking out. I'm freaking out."
Okay, that didn't turn out so well.
"(Y/N) Stark." He leaned closer to you, and stroked your cheek. "Beautiful as always." You wrinkled your nose and pulled back as far as possible.
"Your breath stinks, nasty man."
"I have heard of your.... abilities." He pondered his words a little, and gestured to the doctor guy. "Free her."
He scrambled forwards, almost tripping, and fumbled with your bounds.
"Aren't you afraid that I'll.... oh, do something?"
"I have the asset to protect me." He nodded, and you rubbed your wrists, letting the circulation back in.
"What asset?" Then your realized the only "asset" in this room was the Winter Soldier. "Oh, you mean the Winter Soldier."
"We have decided to recruit you-"
"And that also means kidnap."
"-to HYRDA's cause."
"Oh, so you're the cut-off-one-head-and-grow-two-more like a potted plant guy."
His eye twitched a little, which meant you were getting on his nerves. Good.
"Every day, you will be....taking your time upgrading the security of the HYDRA base."
"What makes you think I'll do that? I'm Stark's daughter, like, puh-lease." Sniffing in distaste.
He nodded. "If you do not do as we say, then..." Gesturing to the dentist chair. "...this is a-"
"Dentist chair?" You offered.
"-memory wiping system. This will erase all past memories, and the asset is just an example of what happens to those who are put through the process."
You turned around and mesmerized, started walking over to the Winter Soldier. "So that's what happened to you, huh?"
He stayed silent.
"Nice prosthetic arm, by the way."
Still silent, unmoving.
"Gives the real gothic vibe off you, right? You look like a hippie crossed with a goth guy crossed with an army sergeant."
"Miss Stark." The guy said loudly. "How do you say to this?"
"Lose my memory or do some upgrades?" You shrugged. "I'll go with the upgrade, thank you."
His lips curled up into a sneer. "Be thankful you were even given a choice, Miss Stark. The asset was not."
"Stop calling him asset." You snapped. "You're thinking of him as a thing. He's not a thing. He's human. This-" You spread your hands, meaning the HYDRA (what you assumed was the) base, the scary dentist chair, the Winter Soldier, everything. "-is wrong. Doing this to him is wrong. God, does he even know his name? Other than 'the asset', which you insist on calling him to make him feel less human and more powerless."
"Starting to warm up to the asset, are we, Miss Stark?" The captain nodded. "You shall see why we do not in a few days."
"And that's supposed to scare me?"
"I have had enough of your attitude, Miss Stark. The only reason you are alive right now is because of the knowledge you hold."
"Great."
Then he slapped you. The sound was sharp and loud, filling the entire room. It must have been your imagination, but you could see the Winter Soldier's fists clench harder. "And you will call me sir from now on. Do you understand?"
"Yessir." You gave him a mock salute as the soldiers dragged you away.