The House in the Field

It had been little over four hours since Steve willingly handed himself over to the HYDRA doctor and he too was now tied to the same upright bed. The Winter Soldier was sat on a chair directly facing them gun trained on Steve. Ava had been out of it since she was reconnected but she had completed the process about three hours ago and was stirring as she came round.
“Ava.” Steve whispered to her, her eyes slowly opening hissing when they light burnt her sensitive eyes.
“James?” She spoke with a cracked voice, opening her eyes again in time to see the gun being trained on her.
“He’s not Bucky.” Steve whispered looking over at her. She turned her head to look at Steve searching his face for answers. “How you feeling?”
“Tired.” She took a deep breath noticing the pain she had before had gone. “What have they done to me?” She whispered.
“They’ve injected you with a new serum, Buck was covered in your blood but there isn’t any fresh blood coming out, I think you’ve been injected with a healing agent.” He told her as she nodded slowly.
“That makes sense.” She whispered, “Sam and Wanda?” She asked biting her lip noticing Steve look away.
“I’m sorry.” She whispered. “Never thought I’d be tied to a bed with Captain America.” She laughed slightly as a small smile appeared on Cap’s lips.
“We need a plan.” Captain whispered after a few moments of silence.
“We have a plan. Remember what we spoke about in the training room?” She turned her head to see him nod, the look on his face telling her he still wasn’t accepting the chain of events. “Steve do me a favour? Just whilst it’s you and me, drop the positivity crap and see the real picture. One of us is going to die and it’s going to be me. They told me so, I have a gun pointed at me and I know it.” She told him. “Remember get my body to Stark and don’t let Bucky see it.” She whispered. “Hey hot shot I think my hand’s coming loose out of my tie you should probably come retie it.” She looked over at her husband before looking up at her hand. He was torn; if she got free he’d be tortured, but, she wouldn’t tell him unless she was up to something. Deciding he could handle himself if she tried anything he stood slowly placing the gun on the chair and walking over to her swiftly. Reaching up for her arm she swung her legs to wrap around his waist pulling him closer and planting her lips on his quickly. “I’m sorry, I’m about to die and I wanted one last kiss James.” She whispered on his lips, close enough to cause a distraction giving her chance to slide the knife from his waistband. He pulled away quickly, still trapped in her legs; he wrapped his hand around her throat causing her to start coughing and spluttering giving her the perfect opportunity to mask the clank of the knife on the floor and the scrape when she kicked it to the Captain.

“At ease soldier, you’ll have your time to finish her.” An accented voice filled the room as the door swung open as if on cue allowing the doctor, a guy in a suit and three armed backups. “Ah excellent work doctor I see she survived and not looking to bad either.” The man in the suit spoke with the same accent studying Ava from the other side of the room.
“Thank you sir, I’ve just got to extract her blood and then she’s all yours.” The doctor informed his superior wasting no time in sticking the needle in Ava’s arm draining the blood he needed whilst Bucky sat back down, his gun trained on her again.
“How long before we can inject it into him?” Suit man asked, eyeing the Captain for the first time since he entered the room.
“About two days, sir.” The doctor told him honestly before turning around to face his angry face.
“Ok new plan.” The boss surprised everyone, all his men looking at him intently including Bucky. Ava glanced over at Steve before nodding slowly at him, he raised his legs bringing the knife to his hands everyone’s attention focused solely on their boss and his next move.
“He chooses which one becomes our new soldier.” The boss spoke out as he looked over at the emotionless assassin. Ava sideway glanced at Steve whose face was of pure realisation that she was right all along, one of them wasn’t getting out of this alive. “Soldier. Terminate one of these two like we practiced.” The suit spoke to him, his eyes flicking from his boss to the two captives. He stood painfully slowly, walking forward a few paces so he was stood in front of them both.


“Buck listen to me. This isn’t you. You don’t have to do this. If you do this, you’ll regret it.” Steve started trying to get through to the man he grew up and fought with. The plead in the voice made the HYDRA men smirking smugly, who’d have thought the great Captain America would be so desperate. Ava watched intently judging Bucky’s reaction, he was too far gone to snap out of the brainwashed state he was residing in, no matter how much she hoped the kiss would work she knew it was a long shot. She noticed his weight shift to his left leg as he got ready to walk over to Steve and in her last sane moment, when she needed it the most, she knew he choose her.
“Hey hot shot.” She spoke out, swallowing the lump in her throat and fighting back her tears. She heard the guns of the bodyguards click as she ignored them focusing on the man she had so many plans left unfulfilled with. He always told her he’d teach her how to ride his motorbike, or how she’d introduce him to all the music she liked, or how they’d be a normal married couple for just one day. “Let me make this easy for you.” She bit her lip as she forcefully ripped her hand from the ties, the strength of the serum meaning that the cable had nothing on her, the healing factor allowing the skin to repair almost instantly. He looked over at her, marching over to her out of fear of what she would do. Or what his owners would do. She raised her hand, but, before he could grab it she plunged it into her own chest gripping the organ she held it out to him with a shaking hand. No matter how many times she’d done this to herself it still hurt like a bitch. “You are Sargent James Buchanan Barnes, expert marksman, soldier and best friend. That guy there is your best friend Steve Rodgers and he’s a good guy, stick with him. These men don’t care for you your just their puppet, go with Steve.” She spoke quickly as he stared down at her hand that held the bloodied heart. “I’m just a stranger.” She whispered as she placed the organ in his hand, her silver wedding band now stained as she tightened his grip on her heart. “Do it before they do.” She whispered, his fingers tightening as she fought the urge to cry out, tears rolling down her face. “Now.” She shouted out before the heart stopped beating.

Her head fell forward as all coloured drained from her face quickly, one arm still raised above her hand; the other dangling lifelessly at her side as the blood dripped from her fingers to create spots on the floor. Bucky looked over at her still body, his cold hard stare faltering for a moment when he noticed the wedding ring. “Mission complete soldier. To the chair.” One of the henchmen spoke as Bucky tore his eyes away from the corpse, dropping the heart on the table before heading towards the door obediently. Steve acted quickly, a switch flicked in him after seeing what they made his best friend do, he cut himself free from the cable ties which were holding him in place; diving across the room he swiped his legs taking out two of the henchmen as the other fired his gun towards the hero. Grabbing the gun and pulling the guy forward, Steve planted his head firmly on his causing the guy to stumble backwards before dropping to the floor; the other two grabbing anything they could to protect themselves.
“Soldier get me out of here now!” Shouted the suit guy as the doctor looked over at him in a panic.
“Sir what about me.” He shouted, cowering round the table as Winter Soldier made his way over to his boss; pushing him behind him and holding out his own gun as he walked towards the door, gun pointing expertly on the Captain.
“I have what I need.” The suit guy shouted holding up the blood samples he’d ensured to grab when he saw the Captain free.
“I don’t think so.” A familiar voice spoke out as the Iron Man suit appeared, Bucky firing his gun pointlessly at him before it’s fist raising and delivering a knockout blow to the assassin. “I’m sure you’re a lovely guy; you’ll thank me soon enough.” Tony’s voice came out before his attention turned to the man in the expensive suit.
“Cap!” Sam shouted throwing him his shield which he used quickly to protect himself from the knife that was being swooshed around. Sam ran over to Steve helping to fight the two agents, taking on one each meant that the two trained soldiers easily took them down with minimum effort. Turning their attention to the doctor they noticed that Wanda had already handled him; his hands cuffed with intricate Stark tech as Tony grabbed the boss.
“You think capturing me is going to make a difference? We have her blood. We have him. If I don’t do it then somebody else will.” He laughed.
“It’s not you we need though is it?” Tony asked, his hand wrapping itself even tighter around the assholes arm. “Expensive suits don’t get dirty.” Tony commented from past experiences, before anyone could do anything the gun shot sounded as the doctor slid down the wall, the bullet hole in his head still bleeding.
“Now what you going to do.” He raised his eyebrow at the metal mask of the Iron Man. Tony didn’t have chance to respond because Wanda had raised her hand sending the suit man across the room his head smacking harshly against the wall.
“He’s not dead, just hurt.” She glared over at him.
“We need to get out of here.” Steve spoke as he rushed over to Ava, cutting down her one arm and picking her up bridal style, he was about to start walking when an Iron Legion suit clomped into the room, the back opening up as it stood in front of Steve.
“Put her in the suit Cap, it’ll help with the preservation until we arrange the plans.” Tony told him, his masked raised as he looked over at the girl’s lifeless body.

Notes