Spy Games Ch. 14

Captain America: Winter Soldier

(Triskelion, Washington D.C.)

When I arrived at the Triskelion, there was a somber disquiet in the air. I found out why from the receptionist when I was directed to pick up a visitor's badge that would allow me to ascend to Undersecretary Pierce's office. Apparently, Nick Fury was dead. I gave the appropriate shocked and appalled expression outwardly, but inwardly I wasn't overly worried about it.

He'd survived until Age of Ultron hadn't he? I was around… eighty five percent sure that I probably hadn't actually gotten him killed with my presence. Probably. I put the concern out of my mind as I found myself at Alexander Pierce's office just in time to see Steve walk out dressed in full Captain America regalia. He was startled out of his thoughts when he saw me, "Vali? What are you doing here?"

I smiled as I stepped up to him, taking his hand in mine and shaking it, "Steve, it's good to see you. I was called in by the Undersecretary about some worries he has over the security of a certain SHIELD Project. Given what's happened to Nick, it seems I wasn't called in fast enough."

My words cause a strange look to pass over Steve's face, "Are you talking about Project INSIGHT?"

I raise an eyebrow, "I didn't know Fury had brought you in on that, but yes. We're closing in on the launch of a global defense system that will finally make the Earth safe. This assassination though, bodes ill for both the Project and all of us."

Steve looks like he wants to say something more, but instead he bites his tongue. Nodding with a half-smile he says his goodbyes and departs from the room. I watch him go for only a moment before entering Alexander Pierce's office. He's just hanging up a call when I walk in, and when he sees me, he smiles, "Ah, Vali. Thank you for coming on such short notice. You're actually just in time, I need you to support our strike team in bringing down Captain America. He's withholding critical information that Nick gave him before he died.."

I smile back and make no move to carry out that order, "I'd be more inclined to do so, but I had a very interesting meeting with a very interesting young man after you and I spoke over the phone."

The smile on Pierce's face immediately disappears and I know I've failed this little test spectacularly. If I'd jumped to help secure Steve, he'd have known I wasn't aware of Mark's escape and thus the Hybrid program quite yet. He probably intended to string me along until my usefulness was at an end, but I'd just shown it already was. His hand moves towards his desk, but I've got eye contact and I was waiting for him to make this move, "Stop. Do not speak. Stay absolutely still."

The head of Hydra before me freezes up, his lips pressed tightly together by my compulsion as I step closer to him, "Did you think I'd walk into your trap without ensuring that you'd never get to spring it Alex? Now, without activating anything, explain how you intended to deal with me."

He spoke carefully, his eyes already filling with a quiet fear at his complete lack of control, "The access badge you were given can burn a hole in your chest and destroy your heart in a moment."

I looked down at the thing I had indeed put over my heart and let out a derisive snort. I contemplate letting him activate his little kill device for fun, but no, I'd rather not risk it actually being able to burn through my Kemiya, the armor has self-repairing enchantments but that didn't make it any less of a pain. My clothing regenerated far, far slower than I did. Pulling it off my chest, I contemptuously throw it to the side before practically purring out my next question to Piece, "And what was the backup plan?"

"There are turret placements in the walls all around us. Any one of them is high enough caliber to decapitate your head from your body."

That gets a smile from me and I step closer to my compelled friend, placing a hand over my heart and then pressing a finger against the side of my head, "My heart… my head… tell me Alexander, how many of my children have you killed so far?"

He answers easily, "Twenty Five."

Nodding slowly, I draw ever closer to him, "And does that leave twenty five left, or have you made more? What are you doing with the living ones?"

"Only twenty five still live, the program was altered significantly upon our realization that you commanded their loyalty after the change. We've been keeping them in cryo storage while we wipe their minds and instill a new loyalty in Hydra, but so far we've had little success, our technology doesn't seem to be able to make them forget you."

I can't help chuckling at that as I come within arms-length of Alexander and reach up to grasp him by the chin, staring into his eyes, "No, I think you'll find I'm incredibly hard to get out of your mind once I'm in there. What am I going to do with you now?"

The fear is still there but some defiance is now sparking in his eyes as he answers my question, "You can't kill me. You kill a member of the World Security Council and you lose all credibility you have as a Hero. You'll no longer be Savior of the World, you'll be the alien monster who lured us all into a false sense of security."

My smile is all the wider at his words, "You've considered this long and hard Alexander. You're very confident I won't kill you. And you're right in that killing you here would be counterproductive. So what do you expect to happen now I wonder?"

Despite my continued compulsion of the man, he now begins to believe he's gaining control of the situation, "You will release me and we will sit down and discuss just how you can be of use to us as Project INSIGHT gets off the ground. Anything else, and I fear we will be forced to take action against the remaining hybrids, as well as declare you an enemy of the Planet Earth."

I stare at him for a long moment, "I think Alexander, that I will take door number 3 instead. Now, I haven't done this in a while, so relax or it'll be far more painful for you."

Splaying out my fingers I place my hand over his face and begin to take what I want from his mind. As soon as he realizes what I'm doing he tries to resist of course. His will is strong but he's not trained in defending his thoughts from outside sources and it shows. Back on my old world there were humans who could resist both mind reading and compulsion simply because they trained for years to do so.

Alexander Pierce had not, and he was faced with the power of four thousand years being levied against him. Within the hour I had everything I needed from him, along with many personal memories I'd torn up from the depths of his mind just to cause him anguish. His body could no longer support itself and he collapsed to the floor of his office gasping in clear pain.

I stare down at him for a moment before smiling and speaking, "Now I know everything you know. Every filthy little secret, even the ones Hydra kept from me. Isn't that just fun? I'm going to leave now Alexander, and if you come at me in any way, I won't kill you, I'll destroy you and everything you hold dear."

Pulling him to his feet, I look him in the eyes and compel him one last time, "Don't do anything to piss me off today, alright Alex? Good boy."

Dropping him into his desk chair I move to the door in a flash and then throw out, "I'll be in touch soon about my hybrids. Consider yourself able to move and talk normally again."

And then I left the Triskelion. On my way out I saw a broken elevator and the remains of a vertiberd near the bridge that led away from the Triskelion. It seemed I missed Captain America's escape while I was digging around in Alexander Pierce's head. Ah well, that was fine. I didn't intend to play Steve's sidekick here, I had my own plans to carry out.

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Captain America: Winter Soldier

(Residential Area, Washington D.C.)

When I arrive at Alexander Pierce's home a few hours later, I was expecting the house cleaner. I wasn't expecting the Winter Soldier I'd read about in Pierce's mind though. Still, this would work well enough. Reaching for the Aether flowing through my blood I stood still as my features flowed and shifted, my appearance becoming that of Alexander Pierce down to the finest detail.

The first test for my disguise was the thumb print scanner on Pierce's home, which responded easily to my own thumb, allowing me access without even a moment of protest. I stepped inside and quickly came face to face with Renata, the house cleaner. She was of course, surprised to see me, "Mr. Pierce, you're home early!"

I smile and nod as I step up to her, "Yes, there's some things I need to take care of here at home. Because of that, I need you to leave early for me Renata."

A touch of compulsion makes sure she doesn't protest or argue, nodding quickly and gathering up her things before heading out. Only once I was sure she was gone did I move into the dark room that the Winter Soldier sat in. Sitting across from him, I made note of the gun on the table between us before looking up into his laser focused but also blank eyes.

Once more I use compulsion, not willing to change this next order, "I'm glad you're here. Very soon, an imposter will walk in here wearing my face. When he does, I want you to take that gun and shoot him until he is dead. Do you understand?"

The brainwashed soldier looks at me almost listlessly, before speaking just one word, "Yes."

Standing up and moving into the kitchen I smile, "Wonderful, I'm going to make something to eat. Do you want anything?"

His eyes don't follow me, instead focusing on the entrance to the room where the 'imposter' is most likely to walk through as he replies with a, "No."

I shrug and get to work on my snack, "Your loss!"

There's silence until the real Pierce arrives home. As he steps into the dining area his confusion over Renata's absence is palpable. His eyes are drawn to me first as I'm in the well-lit kitchen, and he looks shocked to see himself standing there biting into a sandwich.

I don't bother with anything witty though, as a moment later the Winter Soldier has picked up the gun, stood, and fired a shot with pinpoint accuracy into Alexander Pierce's forehead. The man dies with nary a whisper, slumping down boneless to the floor even as I continue eating my sandwich. Swallowing a particularly large bit I smile at my new loyal hitman, "Well done James, well done."

That gets his attention as he immediately looks at me, his eyes turning curious for the first time since I'd met him, "James?"

Nodding, I beckon him over and offer a cup I'd filled earlier while I was making my sandwich. He takes it, confusion apparent on his face even as I give a new order, "Drink it down now please."

He does so without complaint, only a bit of my blood leaking from his lips as he swallows the majority. I'm smiling wide as I grasp him by the back of the neck and look into his eyes, "It's time for you to become more than you currently are James. I'm curious to see what happens next."

His eyebrows are furrowed in confusion when I snap his neck, and then his features go slack as he falls to the ground dead just as Pierce did. I stare down at him for a moment before sighing and crouching down to pick up the big lug. Draping him over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes I deposit him on a nearby couch and pull off his little mask before settling down in the chair next to him to wait.

When Bucky Barnes comes back to life, it's with wide eyes and gasping for breath, as if he's been submerged for quite a long time and only now allowed to come up for breath. He sits up but a wave of nausea hits him almost immediately. I hold out another glass and he takes it without thinking, drinking down the blood that will finish his transition before he even realizes what he's holding.

I watch as he becomes my newest hybrid, I can feel the Aether within him already suppressing whatever personality exists. I pull back that particular bit of mind control quicker and easier this time around, wanting to know what he's really feeling, "James. How are you feeling? What do you remember?"

Bucky holds his head in his hands, cradling it between metal fingers and real fingers as he groans, "I… I remember everything. Oh god, what did you do to me?"

With Alexander Pierce's face I smile at him in a grandfatherly way, "Ah, and do you know who I am?"

This is a test of just how far my disguise goes, whether it cuts off the sire bond no doubt already forming. Bucky looks up at me and his eyes fill with hate and anger, "You're my handler. I'll kill you you fucker!"

He moves forward with all of his considerable new speed, but I'm faster. I grab his wrists easily and slam a knee up into his ribs. He crumples at my feet even as I pull back the effect of the Aether and return to my normal form, looking down at him imperiously, "No James. You already killed him for me. I'm pleased to see you in control of yourself once more."

He looks up at me and there's no more anger, just a measure of confusion, reverence, and fear, "W-who are you?"

I grin at that, "My name is Vali and I have saved you from Hydra's clutches James. I think we can both agree you remained in their hands for far too long considering it's now the twenty first century."

His eyes flit around for a second before his natural hand slowly comes up to the shoulder where his metal arm is connected to the rest of his body, "C-call me Bucky… my shoulder itches."

I focus in on the spot he's rubbing and after a moment nod, "Yes, that's your body trying to rebuild the missing part of your body. So long as the metal remains in the way I suspect it won't be able to regrow, and you will continue to… itch."

He looks at the arm with distaste and I can imagine how he feels, given the red star emblazoned on it probably reminds him of his status as a pawn for the last several decades. He grip the metal and begins to pull, "I want it off…"

It seems even with his newly gained hybrid strength, he can't pull it off that easily. So I activate the Aether within him and watch as his eyes turn black and he sparks with red energy before suddenly pulling the majority of the mechanical part of his body clean off. He roars in pain, the mesh of metal and man was perfectly fitted together it seemed, and was not meant to just be torn away.

He curls into a ball and I sit down again to watch as over the next several minutes he regrows the left side of his body. Eventually he slowly comes out of the fetal position and manages to sit up, eyes wide in wonder as he flexes his newly made hand and rolls the reconstructed shoulder, "I feel… fine? Better than fine, I feel amazing…"

Chuckling, I catch his attention, "Of course you do. I've made you immortal after all. It was the quickest way I knew of to undo what was done to your mind and body."

That gets his attention as he stares at me, "Immortal? I still… I still don't know who you are. You said the twenty first century right? What year is it? How am I still alive?"

"It's two thousand and fourteen James. You're alive because Hydra has access to cryotechnology. In essence, they froze you whenever they didn't need you."

He looks like he doesn't want to believe it, but his surroundings combined with his memories, some of which must be of feeling very cold, force him to accept it. He swallows thickly after a moment before repeating his earlier command, "Call me Bucky… and… what now?"

My smile is sympathetic as I gesture for him to sit on the couch and he does so, leveraging himself off the floor with his new arm and settling down, "Well first of all, you should know Steve is still alive as well."

That gets a blink and then a nod from Bucky, "Now that you mention it… I saw him recently on my last assignment. A day ago? Two? How is he still alive too? Was it the serum?"

I shake my head, "The serum probably helped, just like whatever Hydra injected with you helped improve your strength and speed. But Steve is the same age because he was trapped under ice and ended up frozen for the last seventy years, much like you were but… less on purpose."

Bucky digests this for a moment but I continue on before he can ask any other questions, "Second, I want you to help me destroy Hydra."

That gets the man's attention and he's suddenly laser focused, "I'm in. What's the plan?"

I smile and once more morph into my Alexander Pierce disguise. Bucky tenses up but manages to keep himself from attacking right away as I explain, "With this, I can take everything Hydra has worked towards and turn it against them. We can destroy them from the inside if you're willing to feign being the Asset for just a few days longer."

At that Bucky looks concerned, worried, "I… I don't know if I can. There's a big difference between Bucky Barnes and the Winter Soldier. I'm not a mindless machine like they made me. I've got my memories back and that comes with a personality."

I smile and nod, "Indeed, but luckily I'm wearing the face of your current handler. And that's also why I've been calling you James and will continue to do so. I'm going to be keeping you by my side over the next few days while things play out. SHIELD will think that you're my new assistant. Hydra will believe that I'm ramping up security and using you in the capacity of a bodyguard. Well, to be fair Hydra will believe whatever I tell them to believe. Still, it might raise doubts and confusions if I start referring to you by your chosen name of Bucky."

He seems to consider for a moment before looking at me with emotion that actually surprised me a bit considering how emotionless he'd been when I first met him, "Steve has to stay safe. I won't let him be hurt by this."

I smile at that, "Of course not. James, I'm doing this to help Steve as well as stop Hydra's plans to take over the world. I may not have the same bond with him you have, but he is still my friend. Do you know what they wanted to do with him if they caught him? They hoped to turn him into you. Another brainwashed Asset to do Hydra's bidding."

Bucky clenches his jaws and his hands curl into fists as he bites out, "Never."

My smile morphs into a grin and I stand, prompting him to as well. Putting a hand on his shoulder, I ask, "Exactly. Shall we get to work James?"

He grimaces at the name but nods all the same, not trying to correct me this time, "Yes sir."

My smile just widens in response. I've lost the loyal hitman almost as soon as I got him. In his place though, I had a new child ready to help me destroy those who'd taken so much from him. I hadn't known for sure that hybridization would restore Bucky's mind, but I'd seen no real downsides to him remembering and been happy to test it.

Now I was in charge. Hydra moved towards the launch of their precious Project INSIGHT none the wiser, and Steve and Natasha would continue to run around, not even realizing that I was already taking care of everything. I was relatively sure if they knew my plans, they wouldn't exactly be happy anyways. This was going to be fun.

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