Chapter 3
You had grown accustomed to cell life.
Watching Netflix in your spare time when you weren't setting up defense systems for HYDRA, scraping hummus off the egg sandwiches you got three times a day (being allergic to chickpeas), talking to Johnny the toilet in ten different languages, and chatting with Bing.
That was now your daily routine, and by the digital calendar, you realized you had been here for a week and a half.
Tony would be searching for you desperately back home, almost going crazy. Natasha would be out of her mind, you were like a little sister to her, Capsicles would be trying to calm everybody down and get a strategic way of searching for you. Thor would be blasting the roof to smithereens, and Hulk would just peek in your room and grunt disappointedly when you weren't there. Hawkeye would go rogue, probably, searching for you all over New York and come back at midnight exhausted. You thought they would be disorganized.
"I'm really scared." Flopping down on your bed after finishing the last touches of security on your computer, you wondered what was going on in the outside world. They had blocked Twitter, Instagram, Skype, anything that could alert the Avengers to your presence. It was annoying, not only because you couldn't reach out to them, but also because you couldn't follow Trump on Twitter and give him a two-hour speech about how Obama was better, or follow @woozico0914 or @realllllmino on Instagram and see what Korean idols were up to. "I'm really scared."
You were talking to Johnny the toilet- which you assumed was a sign of Stockholm Syndrome. "I'm so scared, and all I can do to disguise the fear is to pretend I'm not scared. They're probably going crazy back home, I would do anything to make sure this doesn't happen. God, I wish I could turn back time. I wish I could use my powers-" Whispering that part, "-to escape this place, but I'm too afraid that I'll get caught and they'll mind wipe me and turn me into the Summer Soldier or something. I am so scared."
He did not answer.
"I know you don't even have eyes, but I really wish someone was in your pace right now. I don't care if Lady Gaga comes up wearing her meat dress, or my old math teacher who kept on insisting I needed to fit in so gave me 5th grader math questions when I was in 5th grade, when I actually was supposed to be in the 9th grade level. I'm frigging scared. I just want another person besides me- I don't care if it's bully 7th grade who got my drink poured all over his face after I put salt in it cause he called me a selfish emotionless daddy's girl whore when he tried to get me expelled, or if it's Stevie after I took his shield and had practice with it, or if it's even the Winter Soldier himself. I wonder if he gives good hugs. I hope he does, and I hope someday he gives me one. A real nice one, not one where he hugs me because he needs to stab me. Everybody pronounces E equals MC two like E equals MC two, but actually the correct one is E equals MC squared. It's so dumb. People are so dumb, even my dad cause he doesn't understand the value of things, and not even the value of family. Stevie's so nice to me, and he's really human, so I really like him. He's really nice and he's like a second dad to me. Hulk is kind of like my big brother who's kind of dumb, but when he's Bruce he's really nice and we spend tons of time going over science stuff."
You take a deep breath.
"Hawkeye is like a concerned big brother too, he always goes soft on me in sparring because he's worried he'll hurt me, and he always saves a seat for me at breakfast, and gives me a fist bump. He's a dad too, you know, so I think I get it. 'Tasha is like a sister to me, she's always being such a great person. But really though, I think Thor is the weirdest. He always throws the cups onto the floor and shouts 'Another!'. And he burps on the table, which is kind of creepy cause I'm still eating. He's so fit, I don't see how he can eat seven granola bars for breakfast and still have a six pack."
The toilet still did not answer.
"You're stupid, you never answer." You, thinking the toilet was not worth your time, started typing on your computer on the HYDRA files for the Winter Soldier.
The Winter Soldier. Age: 50+, Height: 186, Name-
A pounding at the door sent the computer under the blankets and closed. "Yeah?"
"We have been informed to fetch you to the chamber, Miss Stark."
Your eyes widened. For what reasons?
"For what reasons?" You called back, and the door opened, revealing two guards.
The one in front shrugged. "All I know is that you are to come with us."
Sighing, you let him escort you through a maze of hallways into a familiar place. The dentist chair room.
The captain was waiting there, with a sly smirk on his face. "Ah, Miss Stark, so nice of you to join us."
You scanned the room- and your heart fell at what you saw. The room was surrounded by men with guns, the weapons all trained on the Winter Soldier. He was standing next to the dentist chair, equipment scattered all over the floor, and his hand was grasping the doctor guy's collar, lifting him several inches off the floor. You could see the sheen of sweat on his brow.
"Wha.... what's happening? Why am I here?"
His smile only grew wider. "Have you ever heard of putting a goat inside a horse's stall?"
You stared blankly at him, then it clicked. The calming effect.
"You... you're going to put me in there with him? That's insane!"
"It might work." He nodded. "Bring her in."
Your eyes were wide, terrified, and you resisted as they shoved you into the room. But, alas, due to your tiny form, no matter how lean you were, they managed to get you fully in.
Behind you, the lock of the door clicked shut.
You started to panic- you wanted to scream, tell them they had no right to do this. Tell them you were going to die. But that would just aggravate the Winter Soldier, and you were pretty sure he was in a bad mood.
"Hey." You mumbled. "What's wrong?"
He didn't answer. You were starting to think even Johnny the toilet was better company than that when he replied, voice husky and hoarse- "They're all selfish idiots."
You winced. "I understand." Then biting your lip a little. "Not to sound like a yoga instructor or anything, but dude, just breathe. You're mad and I get that, I have anger management issues too, but you're not going to help if you grab that poor guy and shake him out of his wits, even if I do enjoy what I'm seeing."
He was silent, again.
"And really? They're aiming the guns at you. You make one wrong move and you'll die."
His face contorted in anger as he turned towards you. "I don't CARE!"
"Then why are you hesitating?" You stepped closer to him. "You can snap his neck, you can kill me easily with that metal arm of yours. Why are you hesitating?"
"I'm not." His voice hoarse, a bare whisper.
"Let go of him, and they won't shoot you. They won't harm you." You pressed on. "They're aiming the guns at you because you're letting your anger get in control. Believe me, I get that. I want to set the world on fire sometimes, I'm angry. But you can't let it get in control or it'll hurt people. It'll hurt you."
He just turned away, pondering. You were beginning to think your little speech had no effect when he dropped doctor guy like a sack of rocks.
"Good." You mumbled. "Great."
He growled and strolled over to you, looming over you like he was about to kill you.
I'm dead.
Give my computers to Tony so he can look at my improvements. Give my equipment to Nat so she can practice.. Give my snacks to Clint so he can eat it while watching <Rocky Horror Picture Show>. Give my plushies and science equipment to Hulk. Give my phone to Capsicles so he can learn to be modern. Give my cups to Lightning man so he has spares.
But he didn't even touch you.
"You made me let go of him." He snarled.
You gave a little smile. "You chose to let go of him. You chose to listen to me."
The Winter Soldier just turned away. You could see his fists clench and unclench, trying to get rid of the anger.
You didn't know what possessed you. Glancing at his metal arm, you took it and set it lightly on your arm.
"I trust you." You told him. "I trust you can manage to calm down, and I trust that you won't hurt me, and if I'm wrong I'm probably going to end up with a broken arm but I don't care, cause I trust you can do this."
His prosthetic arm hovered over your real one.
He dropped it.
You breathed a sigh of relief, and the guards clanged into the room. He walked over to the captain and stood in front of him.
"Take the asset back to its cell." He commanded, and two guards tore away from the others to accompany him. He just huffed and walked faster so that they couldn't catch up.
"And as for Miss Stark," He turned to you. "Bring her back to his cell. She will find permanent residence there from now on. We may find a better use for her there."
HIS ROOM??????
You let the guards lead you away.