The room is lined with columns of bank security boxes, the majority of which are locked closed, but a few are left slightly open, allowing the darkness to spread into the dim room. The majority of the vault is casted in a rough green colour, and just off the side of the middle of the room is a metal chair and tray tables pulled up beside it, a light hanging over it, allowing the scientists a better view of the metal arm they are working on fixing.
The arm belongs to the man sitting in the metal chair, bare chested and with greasy shoulder-length hair. His face looks blank and distant, some of his hair sticking to his head. His other arm is gripping the armrest of the chair, an IV secured to the bank of his hand with a strip of white tape on top to keep the man from ripping it out of his hand. His eyes drift up to the scientists, both of which are wearing white shirts and bow ties, making sure their own eyes don't make their way down to the man in the chair, pretending like he doesn't exist. He jerks his metal arm away from them, his eyes glazing over and they draw their attention to him.
— — — — —
His head jerks forward slightly when he hears words in his head, Zola speaking to him. "Sergeant Barnes…" He says softly, his eyes looking over at him from above. He's laying down on something, a bright light shining above him.
He's suddenly falling, his arms spreading out. There's a man above him, hanging his head out a metal container, possibly a train, shouting in fear. "Bucky, no!" He screams, his hand uselessly hanging out in a failed attempt to try and catch him. Had his hand slipped?
He hears a snap, and he's on the ground, he sees blood coming from his arm. Where's his arm? Why's there blood? More hands are picking him up. They were wearing burkas and thick hats. Is that a soviet symbol? Why's there an octopus on his jacket?
Then he's laying down again, and the man from before is looking over at him. "The procedure has already started." He says, a sinister smile on his face. There is a saw cutting into what remains of an arm. Is that his? The scene flickers, a metal arm is in place, it glints in the light. "You are to be the new fist of HYDRA." A scientist comes closer and he grabs at his neck.
A needle is plunged into his leg and his mind goes again only to suddenly see himself looking at a dark piece of glass. The face has scars on his check, some beside his or on the top of his head. Are those burn scars? Is that him? Who is this man? "Put him on ice." A voice says and he reaches his hand up instinctively as a white mist fills the room? Chamber? Is that liquid nitrogen? A metal hand touches the glass and he lifts his head up slightly before going dark.
— — — — —
He reaches his arms out in panic, and his metal arm pushes the man beside him away, causing him to fall to the ground. He breathes heavily, his fingers flexing. He hears gun's cocking and Rollins points his gun at him to stop him attacking any further. He stays still, everyone in the room holding a gun to his head, the scientists standing away in fear. The man, the asset he remembers the technicians calling him, looks towards the door as he hears footsteps coming down.
The walls are dark, the lights dim as Pierce makes his way down the back corridor of the inner city bank. He stops in front of a gated room, two men in with white shirts and black bow ties casually talking with each other, only to stop when they see Pierce try and make his way through the door. "Sir, he's…" He holds his arm out, trying to block his path. "…he's unstable. Erratic." He tries to inform him but Pierce barges past and enters with Rumlow and some other HYDRA agents trailing in behind him.
He walks over to the asset, standing in front of him. "Mission report." Pierce orders, looking him in the eyes. Asset looks forward, his eyes blank and distant before not responding. "Mission report, now." He repeats, sounding annoyed at how he acts. Pierce moves closer to Bucky and suddenly strikes him hard across the face, causing his face to move harshly to the side but he doesn't react.
His eyes trails up to Pierce, but not really looking him in the eyes, his eyes drifting off the side. "The man on the bridge…" He says slowly, sounding unsure and confused, scared and disoriented almost as he minds makes him remember Steve calling out a name… his name his mind tries to remind him. "Who was he?"
"You met him earlier this week on another assignment." Pierce answers, hiding the full extent for the truth, turning his head slightly, following the asset's line of sight. In the back of his mind there is the smallest amount of hope that the programming is all there, but deep down he knows it's not.
"I knew him." The voice is soft, not quite arguing with the man, more scared of him.
Pierce signs slightly before bending his knees, sitting down in front of Bucky… because this is Bucky, not the asset he wanted. "Your work has been a gift to mankind." Pierce tells him, forcing a small smile on his face, sounding slightly proud, above him. "You shaped the century, and I need you to do it one more time." He leans forward, his arms on his thighs, looking Bucky right in the eyes. "Society is at a tipping point between order and chaos. Tomorrow morning we're gonna give it a push. But, if you don't do your part, I can't do mine, and HYDRA can't give the world the freedom it deserves."
"But I knew him." Bucky argues, sounding broken and confused, his eyes looking away as his mind slowly tries to piece everything back together.
Pierce lowers his head and shakes it slightly before standing up and facing the scientists behind him. "Prep him." Pierce orders.
The scientist looks over at Bucky before looking back at Pierce, looking slightly unsure about it. He pats down his trousers, before looking Pierce in the eyes."He's been out of cryo-freeze too long." He says softly, his voice low and soft.
Pierce looks over at the scientist, ignoring the look of Bucky searching the room as if it could help him search his mind. "Then wipe him and start over." Pierce orders, ignoring the eyes on Bucky widening.
The scientists walk over to Bucky, one of them getting out a mouth guard and placing it in Bucky's mouth without an ounce of resistance. Their hands press against his shaved chest, pushing him back against the back of the chair, metal coming out of the armrests and clamping around his wrists, and the upper arm of his prosthetic, keeping him from being able to escape. Pierce watches on, his face not betraying any of his emotions as they watch the metal halo come closer to Bucky's head, the small needle-like tips crackling with electricity. He lowers his head slightly before turning away, not baring to turn around when the sound of Bucky's screams bounce around the room.