So Sorry I'm late! I also wanted to clear up a few things. Bucky is referred to as the asset, Winter Soldier, soldier, and Zastinik by Malo. I know it can get confusing, but until they're out of Hydra, she doesn't know his name, so that's all Malo knows to refer to him as. <3 Artie
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Nine years. That's how long it took for the Winter Soldier to be brought out of cryofreeze. Malo had studied the doctor's movements, absorbed her every word. A few years ago she'd been forced into an experiment on her eyes. Her sight had gotten progressively worse to the point that glasses were barely cutting it. After half a dozen surgeries, she could see with a strong pair of glasses. It was better than the alternative – death.
She'd taken over most of the responsibilities that the previous doctor had. It was increasingly obvious that her time with HYDRA was nearly up. Rumors were spreading that Malo was ready to take her place – permanently. Especially now that the doctor was confined to a wheelchair in an effort to teach Malo how to amputate a leg. It had been фицер Vassiliev's idea.
Malo still got nauseous thinking about it. She had been successful in amputating and stitching up her mentor without her lunch making a guest appearance. But that memory was the furthest from her mind. Rumors had spread that a mission was coming where they needed the expertise of the Winter Soldier. Malo fell asleep every night talking to him, even though he probably couldn't hear a word she said. Having him in her room brought a surprising sense of comfort, despite the fact that he sometimes reminded her of the dead bodies she'd occasionally encounter.
Pushing her glasses further up her nose, Malo leaned back on her cot, her gaze falling on the machine. If the rumors were true, he was needed to take out some science dude that held a serum of some kind. Izak wasn't sure of the full details. But the return of him and Miller said a lot. They were his usual handlers and had been sent to different bases over the last nine years. Now that they were back, this could only mean one thing; her Zaštitnik was to be unfrozen.
Another week passed without an official announcement. Malo was busy finishing up a report. The doctor sat behind her, double checking her work as she went. Despite her efforts, Malo had come to think of the doctor as a friend. She was one of the few people she spoke with on a daily basis, not to mention one of the few females.
The rumble of boots coming down the hallway brought their attention to the door. If it were one or two people, the women would ignore it. This sounded like at least a dozen agents heading their way. Sure enough, the agents piled into the room, Herr Fischer and фицер Vassiliev entering first.
The doctor pushed herself to face them. "What is this? We are working!"
"How diligent of you," фицер Vassiliev said with a smirk. This didn't feel right to Malo. Something was about to go down and she and the doctor were not likely to enjoy it.
"Ladies, we are waking the asset. He is needed for an important mission across the sea," Herr Fischer explained. Malo's heart soared with excitement. She was about to have her Zaštitnik back! Even if it ended up being a short time, it would be enough for her. The thought of his thick arms wrapped around her brought a sense of warmth and comfort deep within.
"Doktor, lead the way. Kleine {little one}, follow her. We need the two of you to be up front and center. Kleine, you will assist the asset in adjusting from the cold. Doktor... we have another plan for you," фицер Vassiliev explained. He held his hand out for them to walk past towards Malo room, where the cryo chamber resided.
Malo's fingers twisted together in front of her. It was a habit she had picked up over the years to ease her nerves. It bothered no one and made no noise, something the doctor hated. One year Malo came down with a cold, but they refused to let her rest. Every time she sneezed, the doctor would smack her with a rod. She still has no idea where the rod even came from.
The two of them rarely left their rooms. The doctor had a chamber just on the other side of the med lab. Their rooms were practically identical, except for the small slightly larger selection of clothes for the doctor and the frozen super soldier in Malo's.
But now he was about to wake up. And Malo could be back in his arms once again. Even if he didn't remember her, his presence would keep those occasional night visitors away. She didn't have the heart to tell Izak and Miller about what had happened while they were gone. It was too embarrassing for her to admit out loud.
Their hands on her chest, under her pants, wrapping around her neck until she couldn't breathe. Some of them liked it better when she screamed and fought back. Some liked it better when she was knocked out cold. Most were repeat offenders.
But no more. She would be wrapped in her soldier's arms every night, one warm and one cold. The thought of having a full night's rest without having to be on high alert increased her impatience. They stood in her room, a few guards spilling into the lab or the hallway. Finally, one of them produced a handheld computer, typing in a few buttons that released the lock to the cryo chamber. Malo jumped at the hiss it made to release pressure.
Slowly the door swung forward, revealing the masked soldier. Her breath caught in her throat. His blue eyes snapped open, staring blankly ahead. His body shook with chills and a few men rushed forward to help him out of the machine. His massive form towered, nearly a head above everyone in the room. Malo took a step forward, but a hand reached out, blocking her path. She met Miller's eyes as he gave the slightest shake of his head.
Izak leaned down to her ear to explain in a whisper, "He's a bit of a grump when he wakes up. But you'd know all about that."
Malo blushed, but her eyes never left the soldier. Her Zaštitnik.
The doctor pushed her wheelchair forward, prepared to start taking his vitals. Before her fingers could make contact, Oфицер Vassiliev barked out an order.
"Cолдат, убей. {Soldier, kill}."
A streak of metal flashed before Malo's eyes, clamping around the doctor's neck. She wanted to stop the inevitable, but knew better. She had seen firsthand what happened when the officer's direct commands were not obeyed. She had failed in reviving more than one person in those instances.
"Закончи это {Finish it}."
The words came across cold and harsh. You wouldn't know the doctor, who had been loyal and dedicated to the cause, hadn't worked for HYDRA for over twenty years. Sure she used the roaming agents as living cadavers. She wasn't any worse than the rest.
Malo watched in horror as the doctor's last breath faded. She held back her tears and rolled her shoulders to stand straight. Fear and sorrow would get her nowhere. She knew it was coming. She and the doctor had been preparing for this moment for the last nine years.
Herr Fischer now stepped in front of the soldier, who had released the dead woman's neck. "Kleine, check he is healthy."
Malo stepped forward, her nerves coming back with a crash. With shaky hands, she took his flesh hand in hers to check his pulse. She could feel his icy blue eyes on her, but she couldn't meet his gaze. Not yet. That would wait until they were alone.
"It's slow, but not worrisome," she stated. She released his wrist, but he quickly grabbed hers, forcing her to look up. His eyes narrowed, studying her. Embarrassed, she looked away and pushed her glasses further up her nose.
"Excellent," Oфицер Vassiliev's hand squeezed her shoulder. "You have thirty minutes to have him fed, changed, and ready to be briefed. Actually, I'm feeling kind today. You have one hour."
He left, the group following him out until Malo was left alone with the Winter Soldier. His metal hand cupped her right cheek with a gentleness it hadn't shown to her former mentor. At the thought of her death, Malo's eyes teared up. She turned around, hoping they had wheeled her body out of the room. Someone had, thankfully.
"Come on. I need to check all your vitals," Malo mumbled, pulling him to the small cot. The fabric groaned under his weight. His legs separated, allowing her to stand between them in order to look at him easier. She did her best to ignore his stare as she took his temperature, blood pressure, and took a blood sample. Everything seemed to be just fine, considering he was a super soldier that was locked in cryo freeze for the last nine years. The blood work would take a while to get the results, but that was expected.
She left him in the room, wrapped in a blanket, while she waited for the blood to finish processing in the connected lab. While staring blankly at the table in front of her, she jumped at a hand wrapping around her waist. Her Zaštitnik stood tall behind her, still wrapped in the blanket.
Malo swallowed, ripping her gaze away. "I have your food over here. They must have left it earlier."
His hand gripped her waist tighter, refusing to let her leave. Instead, he pointed to an empty wheelchair in the corner of the room. Malo grew sad once more.
"That was for the woman they had you kill. She was a doctor. She had both legs until a few years ago. She was known for using the agents as ways for me to practice – usually alive, without anesthesia. Often she would get them to the brink of death for me to bring back. As payback, the officers Vassiliev and Fischer had me amputate both of her legs. I tried to save one, but it ended up getting infected because she wasn't allowed to shower for a week. I wouldn't be surprised if they did it on purpose, in the hopes she'd get sick and die."
She couldn't see his face, but had a feeling the soldier held no surprise. He'd been with HYDRA a lot longer than Malo had. She'd learned a lot about him over the years, from asking the different people that came and went. She learned of the horrors he'd endured and how he came to be the Winter Soldier. Malo had cried many nights after discovering what they did to him. She wiped her tears on her sleeve before continuing.
"She was the closest thing I had to a friend. And yet she refused to tell me her name. She was like a vault. The only time I could get her to talk was when she was teaching me something medical related. On very rare occasions she'd give me advice. Mostly on how to survive here. Not that it ever really helped. They have cameras in every room, so every time I thought I was prepared, they found ways to catch me off guard."
He turned her around so they were chest to chest. Malo had to lean back to meet his eyes, her hands slid up to wrap around his neck. A breath she didn't realize she'd been holding released. Everything she'd gone through the past nine years was bubbling to the surface.
"Doc and I have been preparing for the moment they killed her. That doesn't make it any easier. I don't blame you, you know? I knew they like to give you a command the moment you step out, to ensure you're willing to obey. I'm kind of glad it was you that took her out. There were worse ways she could've gone. Trust me."
One finger gently lifted her chin that had fallen. His eyes were soft, curious. He waited for her to continue, but Malo shook her head.
"You need to eat and change. There will be plenty of time for talking later. I heard they plan on keeping you out for a while this time around."
Zaštitnik pulled Malo into his chest, his thick arms holding her close. She relaxed into his embrace. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't been held like this since he was put under. Men had touched her, but not in a caring way.
"Come on, I really need to make sure you're ready. Now that the doc's gone, the stakes are higher for me. There's no one else to take the blame."
This time, he allowed her to do her job. She made sure he was fed, changed into a fresh set of combat clothes, and a final vitals check. It took all of Malo's effort to not fuck the soldier right then and there as he dressed. The hour they had been given was used up.