Author's Note

Usually I leave these until afterwards, but EEP! My first proper story on this site! However, I must warn you that there are SERIOUS SPOILERS for Captain America: The Winter's Soldier (which I finally saw today, ending in this little creation) so don't read if you want everything to be all wowza's and GASP when you see it. Other than that, hope you enjoy! :)

"Is he awake?"

Those were the first words Bucky Barnes ever heard when he was no longer Bucky Barnes. He didn't know who, or where, or when he was. The last thing burnt into his mind was an outstretched hand far above him, a trail of red on a white background, and a blinding pain while a voice promised it would all be okay. But it wasn't.

His eyes adjusted to the bright light. The point where the pain had started was numb. It rose into the air, fingers moving just when he wanted them to. It's metal. No. It was flesh. He was flesh.

"He is. Oh God, he's awake. Get the doctor in here!" A face came up close to his. It was ratty and weak, a childlike excitement clouding the fear in his small eyes. "How are you feeling? I'm doc-"

The silver hand clasped itself around the man's throat and squeezed. His voice annoyed him just as much as his stupid face did. So innocent, so childlike. So pointless. The fear grew and grew until it consumed those tiny eyes, tears falling on to the metallic surface of his skin. Was it all like this, he wondered? Did he and this man have nothing in common, not even the material of their thoughts or their flesh? The hand released the man as soon as the panic disappeared and the thin claws stopped scrabbling for air.

Instead of attending to the gathered audience around him, he glanced over the room and himself. He had a strong form clad in a too-small hospital gown, though you could see that the rest of him was clearly not metal. It was light and creamy and taunt across his muscles, still up by a few dozen upgrades compared to the rat man's. His eyes travelled back to the odd one out, a silver limb held to his torso by twirling wires and bubbled flesh.

"What did you do to me?" His voice was deep, with a harsh but wary tone. He sounded older than he looked, older than he felt. Nothing seemed to be fitting with the image he had gathered in his head.

"We saved you. And now you're in our debt." The man, the same voice which came along with the memories of blinding pain, appeared in his vision. Unlike the other spectators, there was no fear lurking in his eyes, only awe and pride. A father looking upon his son. A scientist staring at his experiment, his mind added bitterly.

Nothing seemed to be fitting, he thought again, the words harsher and bolder in his mind. Not the metal or the flesh or the strangling or the memories or the bitter voice in the back of his head which sounded a lot like his own, only alive. Did that mean he was dead?

"Freeze him. As soon as he wakes up, he'll be ready to follow orders."

Before he could react, his arm was being clamped into place behind his back with some sort of magnetic handcuff. Four doctors shoved him backwards into a small coffin against the wall, the man glowing the entire time.

"Wait. Who are you...who am I? Please!" His voice was drowned out by the door slamming. Everyone but the scientist, the creator, left the room, only him remaining to be beckoned closer by his pleading eyes.

"You are my achievement. Don't fail me. And please, do get comfortable- you're going to be here for a while."

Instead of carrying on screaming and fighting like that voice in his head wanted him to, something forced his muscles to relax and his eyes to close. It's alright, the new voice whispered. Don't you trust him? He created you. He saved you. You are in his debt. You are his soldier now.

Just before the creator pressed the final button, the first voice screamed one last time and his entire body flinched. A strand of long brown hair fell forward into his eyes, but he couldn't brush it away as the coffin was filling with freezing air and his lungs were burning and he couldn't feel his toes and his arm was shaking and someone was screaming...

The last thought before he fell asleep was wondering when his hair had grown so long. It hadn't been five minutes since he and Steve had-