Finding Him
The room seemed to shimmer in gold. It was almost blinding to her as she scanned the room of diplomats and other influential people. Alec had a very tight grip on her arm as he led her through the crowd. Many greeted them with smiles and gentle nods as they passed through. Only a few of them knew the extent of power Alec had and those were the ones that came up to speak to him. They knew that the woman hooked in his arm was a powerful asset to their cause and they admired her silent nature.
"You look beautiful, Angelique." one of the suited man complimented her. She placed a fake smile on her face and nodded thankfully to him.
"Quiet one, isn't she?" someone else asked in the group.
"Does she even know how to speak?"
"Does wiping have that big of an effect on one's mind?" A doctor asked. "If so, perhaps you should bring her for a check-up Mr. Bane?"
The conversation flourished with a lot of questions like this. Alec answered them all quickly, gracefully, and politely. He knew they were trying to make an impression on him, but it was these weak-minded attempts that made him want to wipe these agents out of the way.
"Let me get you a refill on your drink, darling." she spoke up for the first time in the conversation. Alec was slightly surprised to hear her voice when she was instructed not to speak at all. Yet the acknowledgment that she could indeed speak did stop the questions all of these men had about her silent nature. Not only did she manage to do that, but she showed that she was mentally capable of being obedient to his needs as well.
"That would be great, thank you." Alec says as he hands his empty glass to her. "Scotch on the rocks."
She smiled up at him, excused herself from the group, and disappeared in the crowd. She made her way towards the open bar, waiting for the bartender to take her order. As she waited, she scanned the room in search of a target; a Hydra operative that has broken off from the initial group and was vulnerable enough for her to infiltrate. One seemed to catch her eye and right as she was about to make her way towards him, someone blocked her way.
"What does he think he's doing?" Steve asks through the earpiece. He watched as Bucky abandoned his post and made his way to the bar. This was clearly not a time for a drink and Steve soon realized that wasn't what Bucky had intended. No, his focus was on the woman with the maroon gown that was waiting by the bar which alarmed Steve more.
"Buck, this isn't a part of the plan." Steve tells him through his earpiece. "Natasha's supposed to go in, not you."
"It's too late, Steve." Natasha answers as she walks up to stand beside him. She was just about to make her way towards Angelique until Barnes had beaten her to it. "Bucky's gone rogue, but the plan can still work. It's up to him now to give us the sign."
Steve turned to Bucky in concern as he watched him place a gloved hand on her waist, leading her away from the crowded bar. Steve didn't know what he was up to, but could only hope that Bucky wouldn't let his emotions take over the mission. He watched them get lost through the crowd and knew it was up to Tony for the rest.
"May I have a dance?"
"I'm sorry, my fiancé..." she starts to say before her eyes looked up to find a clear blue. Her mind went blank, mouth slacked open, with only one word slipping off her tongue. "Soldat..."
"You remember me?" he asked her, his expression softening.
"Bits and pieces, I... what are you doing here?" she asks him.
"Let's dance and I'll answer your question." Bucky tells her as he places a hand on her waist and starts to lead her away.
It only took a glance at his set scowl that allowed them to pass through the crowd with ease. No one dared to look over at them again due to the high intensity of Bucky's glare. Once they made it past the crowd they were forced out into the open of the dance floor. Bucky offers up his hand to her and she takes it lightly. She looked up at him and really looked at him.
His jaw was nice and clean, recently shaved. She could smell the aftershave and his light cologne, an intoxicating smell that drew her in. His long hair was gelled back, revealing his full face. The Winter Soldat was as handsome as she remembered, even more so now that he was here in front of her. The Soldier's eyes snap down towards her and she bashfully looks away, she scans the people around them, instincts kicking in as she looked for her handler and the others.
"What do you remember about me?" Bucky asks her as he led the waltz.
"You're the Winter Soldat." she answers to him. "We danced at some point."
"That's all?"
"Yes," she tells him. "Do you remember that?"
"I remember the red dress," Bucky confesses to her. "But not the dancing. I do remember seeing you after I got out of cryo."
"I don't recall that," she says glancing down, her brows creasing tightly.
"Don't worry," Bucky reassures her. "The memories will come back. It just takes time."
She remained quiet as she absorbed this information. She had a lot of questions to ask him but this one slipped out first.
"What are you doing here?" she asks him, concerned laced in her voice. "If Alec and the others find you here, they will take you back."
"Others?" Bucky asks her. "How many other Hydra agents are there?"
"What are you planning to do Soldat?" she asks him worried. "This isn't the right place for a war. Innocents are here."
"We're not looking for a fight," Bucky tells her. "We're looking for you."
"What?" she asks him confused. "We?"
"Look I just need to know one thing from you." Bucky says as he notices the multiple glances their way, suspicion growing from what he believed were the recently mentioned Hydra operatives. "Are you with Hydra by choice or by force?"
"I..." she stutters out, unsure of how to answer.
"We're running out of time." Bucky warns her as he sees suited men start making their way towards them. "They know who I am."
"They'll wipe you if they catch you, Soldat." She warns him. "Please go before they corner you."
The lights in the whole ballroom shut down. All the gold was gone and darkness encompassed the room. A few screams erupt in the air and people started to push and shove them around.
"Come with me," the Soldier tells her, clutching her hand tightly. "Hydra doesn't own us anymore."
She wanted to trust him, but how could she know if the Soldat was any better than Alec? He was the main asset for Hydra, how could she know if he was really out of their system?
The lights were out, she couldn't see if he meant it or not. All she could feel was the tugging of his hand, the hum of his heartbeat pulsing on his fingertips, the desperate plea vibrating in his veins. She didn't have to see him to know he was sincere in the need to get her out, whether it was for good intentions or not, she didn't care and so she squeezed his hand.
"Get me out of here please." she pleads to him.
Bucky didn't have to hear more before he pressed the earpiece in his ear on, turning on the gps chip, alerting the rest of the team that he was on his way out. He tightened his hold on Angelique and started to lead her through the moving crowd. He makes his way towards a hallway in which Steve and Natasha cleared for their exit. They were making good time until Angelique was being pulled back from him.
"Soldat!" she shouts, fear in her voice. Bucky didn't want to let go of her hand but knew he had too if he was going to have a chance against the guards that were filling into the hallway. He had a decision to make and he makes it.
Bucky swings around and punches the guard in the jaw. His vibranium arm vibrates with the contact and the guard is instantly knocked out. Bucky pulls Angelique towards him and pushes her behind him.
"Follow this hallway and then turn to the right. Take the stairs to the garage and my friends will meet you there." She was hesitant to go and Bucky noticed. "Just go! I'll be fine."
She spares a glance at the soldier before doing as instructed. Once she's gone, Bucky doesn't hesitate to go after the others. Bullets were shot, one grazing his shoulder while the others were reflected by his arm. He quickly knocked two more out with ease and was about to approach the third when he heard the electric baton buzz with life. It struck him on his back, causing his muscles to spasm and his lungs to lose air.
Fear was conditioned within him when electricity was involved and he couldn't push down the waves of panic he was feeling. Bucky attempts to crawl away but is struck again. His body spasms more as panic settles in every nerve of his body. Flashes of images appear in his head; a red dress, dark soft hair, a warmth blooming... He couldn't think as he remembered this and it was by pure instinct that his hand moves on it's own and clutches the electric baton that was about to strike him again.
The guard grunts in confusion and Bucky doesn't let go. His metal arm was heating up by the electricity coursing through it and it was stinging his body all over, but he ignored it. Bucky tugged the baton towards him, bringing the guard with it, and slams him into the wall before electrocuting him with his own weapon. The lights in the gala turn back on and Bucky drops the electric baton and immediately takes off running.
Distant eyes follow after the Soldier, not daring to go confront him. Hydra's two assets were together again and they were on the run once more. Alec should be angry, and he was, but the appearance of the Winter Soldier tonight was what settled him. Angelique will return to him one way or another, and she will bring the Winter Soldier right alongside her. His plan hadn't counted on the Angel escaping, but the pieces seemed to be settling in the right places, all he needed was for time to pass and for reality to settle in.
Bucky noticed that she was uncomfortable and he couldn't blame her. Steve was driving and kept on glancing at her through the rearview mirror. Natasha was more subtle about it but he knew that she could feel her stare too. The silence in the SUV didn't help either. The only words said were Steve's confirmation to the rest of the team about their success in saving Angelique. Other than that, it was a genuinely pure uncomfortable silence.
"Did Shield brand you two?" she asked them.
"Excuse me?" Steve asks confused.
"Captain America," she says to Steve before turning to Natasha. "Black Widow."
"Those are our codenames but we have names," Natasha tells her. "I'm Natasha Romanov and this is Steve Rogers."
"Do you have a name Soldat?" she asks turning to the man seated beside her. Bucky turns to face her, slight confusion on his face as he heard the genuine curiosity and innocence in the question.
"Yes, I do." Bucky tells her. "It's James Buchanan Barnes but people call me Bucky."
Her eyes narrow at him in confusion.
"Hydra doesn't give monsters like us names." she states.
"We're not monsters," Bucky tells her.
"That's not what Alec told me," she whispers. "He told me monsters like us don't have names, we just get branded. You're the Winter Soldier and I'm the Angel of Darkness. I don't have a name."
"Your name is Angelique Porter," Steve states. "It says so in the article."
"Alec says the articles is full of lies," she argues. "I have no name."
"Alec is wrong and he no longer has control over you." Bucky tells her. "You're not some monster or some weapon to Hydra anymore. You're your own person and we'll find you a name."
The angry tone should have frightened her but it didn't. The genuine anger the soldier had against Hydra reassured her that he was indeed out of the system and thanks to him, so was she. She stared at him with simple gratitude.
"Thank you," she tells him, her hand placed over his. "Thank you."
Bucky smiled softly at her and she did too. Steve caught sight of their joined hands and frowned in concern. He believed Bucky when he told him that nothing would arise between him and Angelique. The smile that Bucky had shared with her, the gentleness he treated her with, and the deep concern he had for her were signs that this wasn't completely true.