revivalproject | Longing

Entry tags:

Longing

WHO: Beck, Soldier
WHERE: Sh'ka
WHAT: Just reading a familiar book together
WHEN: End of the month
WARNINGS: Manipulation, mind control, etc.

This was probably the most risky part of his plan. If things didn't go perfect Beck would find himself beaten to death within a matter of minutes, but he was reasonably sure he'd thought out every angle. He practiced pronouncing the words again under his breath, his drones taking off to complete the first part of the mission and lure the Soldier in.

It hadn't been too difficult to get voice samples. Any of them probably would have worked, but Beck had observed the two of them over the network, he trusted this one would draw the man in the fastest, give him little time to think things over.

The drones split up, one cloaked and near enough to project the sound, while the other projected a familiar figure off in the distance, red cape picked up now and then it the wind, and it seemed to be running from something...

A pained scream cut through the air, one the Soldier should recognize as Billy's.

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He was not aware of Billy coming to Sh'Ka. The Soldier had informed him that his presence would be welcomed, but he also knew Billy felt much stronger ties to Temba. And Billy probably wouldn't do as well in the quiet of Sh'Ka, whereas the Soldier preferred the solitude.

So while part of his brain registered surprise at Billy's presence, it quickly became overridden by the part that registered the pain and panic in his voice. He didn't hesitate, taking off in the direction of that red cape — not even questioning why Billy chose to wear the garment instead of something closer to street clothes.

He wasn't stupid enough to call out where it might alert Billy's pursuer but as he closed the distance his hand dropped to one of the knives at his hip, pulling it from its sheath.

Beck was pleased he'd read into the soldier's feelings correctly, well enough at least that he didn't outwardly seem to be questioning HOW the situation had unfolded. Not yet at least.

As the Soldier got closer, he would find some hulking shadowed figure looming over the boy. It's shape was very much like that of the Agrii, and it had caught the Young Avenger in its grasp. Billy's latest scream was abruptly cut short, the sort of guttural end that the Soldier ought to be well familiar with, a life cut short with a sickening snap of bones that was hopefully shocking enough that the presence of the second drone wouldn't be noticed until after it had delivered a sudden sharp pinch to the back of the Soldier's neck, administering the poison Beck had crafted from those damn squid fish.

It was a high dose. Beck wasn't sure how quickly the Soldier's body would work it out of his system and didn't want to take any risk of being pummeled into a bloody pulp before he got the words out.

The Soldier knew well the sound of a life cut violently short; he cursed his own slowness as he raced across the space. His arm came up even as he screamed his anger, the knife flying straight and true.

He never got to see it pass right through the illusion.

Pain lanced through him, stemming from his neck and radiating outwards. He dropped to his knees, vision swimming as what felt like liquid fire spread through his veins. The world lurched around him, spinning and counter spinning until he didn't know what way was up or down, or even the difference between a second and a minute. Dimly his brain screamed at him to calm down, that the adrenalin only helped speed the fire through his blood, but all he could do was search for Billy's body, trying to fight through the pain to locate his friend.

Beck couldn't be sure how long the dose might keep him down, but he pushed down his doubts as he approached. His features were briefly twisted with concern, not quite closing the distance incase he was wrong, but a familiar looking red book held at his side should have given away his real intentions.

"...you really are too easy," he mocked with a smirk. He flipped open the book and began reciting the words, "Желание. Ржавый. Семнадцать-"

"No—" he growled out, trying to fight his way to his feet. He almost made it before the vertigo and the shakiness in his limbs sent him crashing back down. The sight of the book in the other man's hands sent dread coursing through him, even before the first word fell from his lips.

"Don't— No—!" The Soldier tried to fight his way to his feet again, and again crashed to the ground. He tried to cover his own ears but without the balance of his hands he just fell face-first into the dirt. He looked up at Beck, anger in his expression. "Don't do this."

Beck took a half step back, surely not the first of the Soldier's handlers to be frightened of him, though he fought to set his features into a look of calm.

"Shhh-" he urged, " Рассвет, Печь, Девять, Добросердечный, Возвращение," he continued. He wondered briefly what the chances were that the soldier was rid of his programming? Or that the Agrii had given him the wrong words? Not that there was any backtracking to be done now.

Not the first to be frightened at all. The Soldier was a threat, fighting his way toward Beck despite the pain of the drug coursing through him. Part of him knew he couldn't get there in time, but he still needed to try, to fight it.

"I'll kill you," he promised, forcing the words through gritted teeth. "As soon as—" he grunted in pain, writhing on the ground. "As soon as the leash slips, I'll kill you—"

Beck believed him. He frowned, resolving that so long as he had any say over it that leash would be going no where.

"*Возвращение на Родину, Один, Товарный вагон," he finished, watching the Soldier to see if any change came over him.

Beck better believe him. So there. ~~Also I literally just remembered I had the words in an entry I could've given it to you to copypasta, go me.~~

It was sudden, like an ice bath. The maybe-Bucky-maybe-Soldier fell away into blackness, leaving only the Winter Soldier. And the Winter Soldier did not lay on the ground fighting against poison; he did not groan in pain at the fire coursing through his veins. Pain meant nothing; he must comply.

He straightened, straining against the muscles spasms and pain to get to his knees. Sweat broke on his forehead, the only sign of the pain he now forced himself to internalize. "Я готов отвечить," he replied, voice void of all emotion; even the anger had wiped clean off his face. "Ready to comply."

Beck looked surprised at the sheer level of control those words granted as the Winter Soldier pushed to his knees, his brows jumping with a brief moment of appreciation for the impressive act.

"How long do these words hold you?" he asked, gesturing with the book. If he was going to require round the clock maintenance to keep him from tearing out his throat that was the first bit of information he needed to have.

The Winter Soldier knelt, fighting back the tremors in his limbs. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to his feet. His body shook with the effort and he couldn't stop all the trembling, but he made it. And still he wore that same blank expression.

"Standard procedures include memory wipe and reprogramming prior to deployment," he recited. "Standard deployments no longer than a few months. Reprogramming during field deployment acceptable. Asset to be returned to cryogenic storage when not actively deployed."

"Standard procedure's out the window in this place," Beck informed him, lifting his chin as the Soldier managed to get to his feet, and he swallowed, holding firm to his believe that the words had worked and this wasn't some ruse.

"I know this isn't necessarily in your wheelhouse, but can you do undercover? I need you to lie in wait until I need you. And no one can know you've been activated. Can you do that, Soldier? I need you to act like nothing's happened."

The Winter Soldier blinked, considering; critical assessment of the situation came slowly given that a larger part of his concentration centered on the pain of the drug.

"I have been trained for undercover operations." Not his standard deployment but not outside his skillset. "Deviancy has been noted in prior deployment. Regular reprogramming recommended for optimal performance."

Beck gave an amused snort. "Deviancy, huh?" He nodded then and considered, "You're going to need to come back to Temba then. You're going to help me work out a schedule for when you need a reprogram. And any time you feel an act of deviancy coming on, you come to me for a tune up," he instructed.

"For now you're just going to lay low. But if anything happens to me, then you come to me, understood? And you stop anyone who tries to keep you from me."

Curse Beck for thinking of all possible loopholes! Were the Soldier in his right mind he might almost admire the man for such attention to detail. As it was, every word drew the proverbial chains tighter. "I will comply."

And there it was: the command that had the part of the Soldier that was still his own screaming in the back of his mind. He didn't want to do violence, but he knew he wouldn't be able to resist if commanded thus. "Am I to monitor your movements and status?"

"You are." Beck nodded, and looked the Soldier over.

"...is the toxin still affecting you or has your body fought it off?" he asked curiously, wondering whether he ought to be impressed by how well he was withstanding it, or worried that his means of hobbling the Soldier wasn't as foolproof as he'd hope.

"My absence from here may be noticed." Not by many; few would likely actively seek him out. But one or two? Maybe.

"I am compromised," he answered. "I cannot operate at full capacity. I do not know how long the effects will last." A beat, because he was unsure of the entire contents of the book, of what may have been recorded, and Becks control didn't leave a lot of wiggle room for non answers. "I have fought off Earth-based toxins before. I cannot speculate about anything from this planet."

"Make whatever excuses you need to. Stay close. Don't intervene unless things look dire. Or I call for you to. Understood? I'm giving you free reign, but I expect you to be ready when I need you."

Beck nodded, looking interested at the phrasing. Compromised. Strange.

"If you can fight it long enough, take the train back to Temba. Go to the hospital and they should have something to undo it. Tell them you were stung by something in the lake. Make up whatever reason you need for you to have been there. If you don't think you'll make it back, use whatever strength you have left to send a message for someone to come collect you."

"I will comply." Orders not that different from some of his missions, at least in generalized terms. Staying in the shadows — literally and figuratively — was one of his skills.

"I will go to the hospital." To his detriment if he had to drag himself there, but he could make it on his own power. The train would do the hard part, and presumably he could rest while on it. "And stay in the city thereafter."

Beck grinned. He liked this more than he thought he might. Maybe he'd have to explore this further when there wasn't a toxin floating through his veins.

"Good boy," he mocked with an amused look. "All right, go. And don't be so predictable next time. You didn't even stop to think for a second, did you? Just went off running."

Perhaps Beck should be cautious that the other end of the leash didn't slip. He had control now. He didn't necessarily have control permanently.

Beck's insults fell on deaf ears; the Soldier had no opinion on the man's sarcasm and therefore ignored it. Don't be so predictable next time wasn't an order and didn't give him the leeway to use it for his own freedom. He simply turned and started moving toward the train station.

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Longing

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*pretend I didn't bisect this word like a dummy

look google only gets us so far lol

:D

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