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“You going to hang around all day?”
Bucky huffed, pushing his hair out of his face with his free hand, while his metal hand kept a hold on the rock.
“You’re hilarious,” he called up to Clint, who was sitting on top of the cliff, about ten meters up.
Clint shrugged down at him, swinging his legs. “Whatever you say.”
“Care to lend a hand?” he called out; Clint shook his head.
“You know I can’t help you.”
Bucky rolled his eyes, before he began climbing up the cliff.
“Is this going to take all day?” Clint called out a minute later.
“It’d go a lot faster if you bothered to help me!”
Clint remained silent this time, for which Bucky was grateful. It wasn’t as though the climb was strenuous for him; it was just tedious. And Clint sitting at the top, not offering help?
That was just mean.
Once he was at the top, Bucky paused for a moment to catch his breath, making sure to give Clint a strong glare.
Clint held his hands up as he stood. “Don’t blame me; you know I can’t help you.”
Bucky rolled his eyes as he began walking. “I can blame you all I want, Barton.”
“Back to last names only, Barnes ? “ Clint put a hand on his chest in mock-pain. “I’m hurt.”
“Not as hurt as you would have been if I had fallen off that cliff,” Bucky muttered, making sure that it was loud enough for Clint to hear.
“Hey, stop blaming me. You know the drill,” Clint waved a hand out in front of them. “Come on, which way?”
Bucky looked around at the unremarkable landscape, before pointing to the left. “That way.”
Clint looked that way, before falling into step beside Bucky. “You sure?”
“Well, it’s not as though you’re helping.”
“Fine. You know what we’re after?”
“HYDRA.” Bucky didn’t elaborate on the word, instead absentmindedly checking the safeties on his gun. He knew that Clint knew where they were going.
“We have a plan?”
Bucky nodded.
“Alrighty then. Let’s go kick some HYDRA ass.”
~~~~~
The plan was foolproof, Bucky had convinced himself. Foolproof. So simple, even Barton wouldn’t be able to mess it up.
The pair would enter the compound, which was minimally staffed, and take out the staff one by one. Once done, they would torch the place.
Only, there were more guards than the intel had suggested.
Within the first five minutes, the pair had been separated, and their comms disabled.
Bucky had fought, fought as hard as he could, but there was just so many opponents, not even he could take them all down.
Within ten minutes, Bucky had been tied up and strapped to a chair, unconscious the whole time.
~~~~~
“Where is he?” Bucky yelled as soon as he woke, trying break free. The ties were unbreakable; he tilted his head from side to side, but couldn’t see anything.
“WHERE IS HE!” He yelled again, before going quiet. A door opened, and he could hear footsteps.
“Where is he?” he asked again, this time his voice wobbling on the edge of tears. There was no answer; Bucky felt a stab of pain at his elbow, before his head was swimming.
He was unconscious within five seconds.
~~~~~
When he regained consciousness, Bucky immediately tried to sit up. His head began to throb, and he fell back with a groan.
Well that was stupid, a voice (which sounded suspiciously like Clint) said. Bucky sighed, testing the restraints at his wrists. They didn’t give.
Bucky closed his eyes, trying to think through what had happened. He couldn’t remember much from recent events, beyond being with Clint.
Where are you?
They had been together, before…
Before….
They were separated.
There’s no reason for them to keep Clint alive. He’s no use to them.
Bucky closed his eyes, and tried to avoid the tears. Clint can’t be dead. Clint is alive, you’re alive, and you’ll both make it home in time for Clint’s birthday next week.
Bucky had planned it all out, with the help of others. He and Clint were going to spend the day at the apartment, not getting up before noon. Maybe take Lucky for a walk. No Avengers business.
8pm, they’d end up at the Tower for the weekly movie night. There would be pizza, and all their friends. Watching whatever film Clint chose. And a cake, baked by Bucky and Kate.
(Mostly Bucky; Kate would be serving as ‘taste director’. Bucky was pretty sure that she just wanted to eat the cake mix.)
Bucky closed his eyes, trying to save his strength.
~~~~~
The screams that he could hear weren’t helping him at all; his head kept providing him with worse and worse scenarios.
The screaming you can hear isn’t Clint.
The screaming you can hear isn’t Clint.
The screaming you can hear isn’t Clint.
The screaming you can hear isn’t Clint.
The screaming you can hear isn’t Clint.
No matter how many times Bucky repeated it, he didn’t feel any better.
~~~~~
Bucky figured he had been there for two hours before anyone entered the room, though he wasn’t completely sure. There was a sluggish feeling in his brain, typically associated with drugs.
Or was it two days? Bucky went to shake his head, before remembering that that wasn’t a good idea. He blew out a breath.
Get it together Barnes, gotta get out of here.
Bucky stretched his limbs as best he could; he didn’t feel any problems.
So no physical torture then. Who knows how much mental torture I’ve been through.
“You need a plan Barnes,” The Clint voice in his head helpfully supplied.
Any ideas?
The silence in his brain would have made him laugh, in any other circumstances.
~~~~~
Bucky had blinked when a figure entered the room, not entirely sure that it wasn’t just his eyes playing tricks on him; it was only when the figure spoke that Bucky believed it’s presence.
The figure walked over to Bucky, and checked a vial that had been placed on the table next to him. The figure then stood in front of Bucky, hands behind their back.
“You are awake? Good,” the figure said.
Bucky stared defiantly at the figure, but did not speak.
“Do you know where you are?”
Bucky remained silent. The figure produced a new vial from their pocket, and injected Bucky with… something.
“Where are you?”
Bucky didn’t want to answer, but the words fell out of his mouth. “HYDRA base five seven theta.”
Bucky felt his eyes go wide as the figure nodded. “And why are you here?”
“Mission two three,” Bucky blinked; what? What is mission two three?
The figure nodded again; Bucky’s vision was still too blurry to make out any features on the face. “And the result of mission two three?”
“The elimination of target, codename: Hawkeye.”
WHAT? Bucky’s brain yelled, but his body didn’t move.
“The elimination was a success?”
“Yes.” What?
“Detail your movements after having eliminated the target, then to being here.”
“Eliminated the target in the forest. Climbed the cliff. Walked to the base.”
No, Clint and I climbed the cliff. We were together; we walked to the base together . We were going to torch the base.
Together.
“Good. You have done good work on this undercover operation; now it is time for you to have a well deserved rest. You have been gone for a year. Let me say, welcome home, Winter Soldier.”
No.
No!
NO!