Author's Note:

I'm always trying to improve my ability to pull a person into a character's headspace or feel their emotions, and your feedback will help me know if what I'm trying for is working or not. Even an emoticon or button smashing tells me something useful and can influence what I write more or less of.

I respond to all comments and it's always fun to hear your thoughts ^^

.

.

. ** .

.

Gathering the various boxes at the back door, I took a scan of the area. Nothing. Never saw anyone in the backyard. Seemed that the A.I. ghost had timed the drops to when I was asleep. I couldn't watch the food be delivered. I had no idea who put the boxes on the back porch at unpredictable times.

For all I knew, they could have poisoned the food. That fact never seemed to have crossed Valeriy's mind. Blindly trusting whatever the voice in the speakers set up.

But so far, I haven't found anything wrong with the food. Nothing felt off when I ate them.

Nor had anybody shown up to haul me off. Hydra hadn't been lurking around either.

Almost automatically, I unpacked the box of food. Shelving the non-perishables. Placing the milk, juice, and fruits in the fridge. Left the bread on the counter. Unfold the box and stored it in the pantry.

Last was a sizeable box with a large V scrawled on the top. Likely for Valeriy.

She had come down sometime this morning. Hadn't heard her move upstairs and didn't see her in her room on my way down. But she wasn't in the living room or the dining room. Checked the basement. Couldn't find her. She avoided it. Gave that staircase a wide berth. Would be unexpected to find her there.

That left the front of house. With the big windows.

I frowned, picking up my pace. Hopeful I could get to her in time. Before somebody saw.

Found her outright leaning on the damn window.

A tablet on her lap. A phone in her hands. And one of those oddly colored mini orange slices between her teeth.

Not a care in the world.

I quickly hauled her off the cushioned window sill and dragged her into the shadows.

"What the bloody hell!?" Valeriy yelped. She hadn't even realized that I was there until I wrapped an arm around her. "Should you be using that ar - Ow shit."

The metal arm seized up around her waist, clenching down. It took everything I had to fight through the pain to prevent the wayward weapon from crushing the young woman.

She struggled, flailing about trying to push the arm away. To find some breathing room. Or maybe to stop it from breaking her bones.

By the time the electric current stopped running rampant, we were sprawled over the carpet.

"Sorry," I groaned out, flinching when her arm landed across my chest.

Valeriy gave me a pat. "Don't sweat it, Bucky." She sat up, adjusting her shirt and combing her hands through her hair.

Her head could be seen from the street. It wasn't low enough. So I grabbed her upper arm and dragged her back to safety.

"Seriously? What's gotten you so bloody wound up?"

"It's dangerous," I hissed at her, grinding down on my teeth. I motioned to the window. "You're out in the open."

"...Huh?" Valeriy looked away from me to one of the cameras. "Eve, didn't you explain the windows to him?"

"I don't believe I have.... Nope. Never told him about them. There's no reason for him to know about them."

"...No wonder you tried running through one the other day," she muttered with her head in her hands. "Explains all the hiding too...."

"You've said they're reinforced," I repeated, taking a moment to scan the surroundings.

There was nobody. But they could be hidden. Or cameras recording.

"That's a small part of it. See any reflections of the window out there?"

The rear window of the car parked across the street. Reflected most of the house. I gave her a nod, and Valeriy snapped her fingers.

A man, old, short, glasses, walked into the room, standing in the middle of the window.

I whipped around, searching for the stranger, but there was nobody there. We were the only two people in the room. We should be the only people in the house.

Looking back at the reflection in the car, I could still see the man. Though now, he was clearly pulling the curtains partially closed. But the curtains weren't moving beside me. Not a sway to them.

"These windows are soundproof, bulletproof, and unless Eve wants someone to see through it, they're not going to. Even gets to mess with what people see. To the rest of the world, there's been a single male, a writer living in here. Not two people hiding away."

I quickly raked my memories of the recent three weeks for any mention about any of this. The only hints were the few confused eyebrow quirks from Valeriy.

"Are all them able to do this?" I asked.

"Yup. Even the frosted ones. Probably for consistency. Surprised me that this house is decked out so heavily. Though these are only one way."

I peered at the seam between the frames and found nothing different. "You can tell? They look like any other window."

Valeriy gave a soft laugh. "I'd hope I could recognize my own brainchild no matter the iteration or the changes others ma.... Shit. Damn. Fuck."

"Did you hit your head and forget how to hold your tongue or do you like shooting yourself in the back, Valeriy?" The A.I. ghost did not sound one bit happy.

"Hmmm?" I hummed distractedly, waving the metal arm around. Not a sign of it in the car reflection. Nor the windows across the street Still completely unsettling how there was a man who wasn't in the room but was there in the reflection.

The young woman sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair. "Only a handful know that.... Damn it. Just don't tell anyone." She curled up in a ball, muttering into her elbow. "I can't deal with the aftermath of people knowing."

"I don't have anyone to tell." Whatever it was that I wasn't supposed to know.

A small smile tugged at the corners of her eyes. "I guess, welcome to the very exclusive club? So, what's in the box?"

I grabbed the box nearby. Held it out to her. "This should be for you."

"Ooo wonder what work I got to do this time... yay...." Sarcasm dripping from her tone. A second after her hands took the box, it dropped to the floor with a clunk.

I tensed.

Was I not supposed to give it to her?

Was there something dangerous inside?

Judging by how her entire body bristled at the thing, it could have been a bomb... which had been unceremoniously dropped to the floor.

"Eve!!" Valeriy seethed. "Why the fuck do you have this!? I threw it out!"

"It's nothing dangerous, Mr. Barnes.... And Val, you better hope you didn't break anything with that drop. They're expensive."

"Answer the bloody question!!!"

I backed away from Valeriy and the box. If I moved slowly enough, maybe I wouldn't be noticed slipping out of the room. If I slipped out, maybe she wouldn't take her rage out on me.

"I thought you might want them back. Someday."

"Are you shitting me!? I fucking don't!!"

She's been moody and irritated in the last couple of weeks. But not like this. This rage.

Huffing, she picked up the box and got onto her feet. "Bucky."

"Y-yes...?" I responded, freezing on the spot.

I was so close. Five steps. Only five more steps and I would have disappeared around the corner.

With an annoyed sigh, she slapped on a grin. "How are you on sleep? Think you can stay up for a few hours?"

She seemed almost normal if not for how my gut twisted when I looked at that smile. Still angry.

I gave a nod. A faint memory of cooperation hurting less than resisting.

"Good." Valeriy practically marched her way past me, grabbing my hand on the way and dragging me after her. Her tight grip on my fingers shook. "Let's see if we can get that tracker out in one sitting, shall we?"

'What...?'

She faced me, opening her mouth to say something, but instead, she charged right into the banister, ending up in a curled up ball of pain. She rolled onto her back and looked up at me, notably calming down with a sigh. "...I forgot about my stupid ankle."

"Whe... where do you want to go?" I asked, carefully.

"My room?"

Silently, I watched her for disapproval as I picked her up. There was none. Just an exhausted expression. Securing her over my shoulder, I made my way upstairs.

Didn't need to risk crushing her with the arm again.

"Thanks, Bucky...."

With every bounce of the box in her hand off my back, I expected pain. A hit. For her to unleash her anger physically. But she didn't. She didn't move much, hanging like deadweight on my shoulder. Whatever was inside of the box merely clinked together instead. With every bounce.

The tools finally arrived. It'd be one step closer to being free of them. Free of Hydra. Would be nice to have proper use of a second arm as well.

I could hear her pluck a pair of scissors out of a mug on the table from behind me, and I tensed, waiting for a stab. A cut. But there was none. Not even as I lowered her onto the edge of the unmade bed.

She merely offered a tired smile and sliced open the box.

Valeriy carefully picked up a purple toolbox. Practically pristine except for the massive dent in one corner. But none too careful, she tossed it onto the bed, the fury from before flaring up again.

That was when I realized. "You're afraid." That her anger was an attempt at hiding.

"Means I might spend more time in the bathroom than on your arm...." She flipped the box upside down, dumping its contents onto the bed and sorting through them. "Get comfortable, Bucky."

"Why the bed?" I frowned, shuffling back against the headboard.

"It's more comfortable than the floor? I don't have the stamina to hold random ass poses to get the right angle nor keep it any bit steady to do any work. From what I can tell, your arm's not detachable, is it?"

"...Not that I can recall...."

Valeriy reached out slowly and pressed her fingers into my left side. Around the upper ribs. Feeling for something. "...Pretty sure it's not...."

There was metal under her fingers. Under the shirt. Under the scars. Under muscles. Braced against my bones. "Felt it the other night."

"When I was...." Unable to remember a thing. Had no idea who I was. Had no idea who she was.

"Yeah." She offered a soft smile and then turned her attention to the mess of equipment behind her. Took a few seconds for her to settle next to me. A palm sized silver box in one hand and a tablet in the other. "Hopefully this whole thing doesn't hurt too much? Can't guarantee anything though. Sorry."

I had faint memories of the repairs hurting, but not much. Not enough to bother. And it was nothing compared to getting this arm on. Or having what was left of my arm removed. From the little bits that I could remember.

She pulled an apologetic smile. "Yeah.... With that current jumping around in there. It's going to at least hurt some. Sorry. I won't know more until I get a look inside. But I actually read most of the manuals on the new toys, so they shouldn't cause too much of a problem?"

I shook my head, backing away when she reached for me. "You're not going to strap me down?"

I had memories of lashing out. Violently. Killing a portion of those who worked on the arm. That was the last thing I want to do here. With her.

"No? You've already proven to me that you can hold still while lifting over a hundred pounds, so there's no need for that."

"I could hurt you."

Valeriy opened her mouth to say something but paused and shook her head. "I'll be fine, and I doubt you'd do it on purpose."

When she moved closer again, I shifted away. I couldn't trust myself. Not with this.

What if I lost myself? In a rash temper.

What if I lost my place? Back with them.

What if I killed her...?

Then everything rushed past me. I stared up at her from the floor, terrified. Cornered.

I couldn't help but eye the door. I could easily flip over her and get out. Escape.

But to where?

Hydra would find me with the tracker. The A.I. ghost would be more than difficult to shake.

"Bucky," her voice rung out clear over my thundering heartbeat.

My body flinched in response, trying desperately to sink into the walls.

"Get back here."

An order.

I had no choice.

My body moved on its own.

Luckily enough, she wasn't specific. So I stood at the edge of the bed. Willing myself not to yank my hands back as she held onto them.

"Bucky, it's going to be okay," Valeriy stated so softly. I could almost believe her. That everything's going to be okay.

"You don't know that," I argued.

"It'll be fine, Bucky. We'll take it slow. If you're hurting, even a tad. If you're not okay. If I need to give you space. If you need a break. If you need sleep. Stuff like that. Tell me all of it, alright? And I'll do my best to keep my temper in check. Keep things calm for you."

I gave an unsteady nod.

I'd cling onto reality the best I could. So I wouldn't slip into the past. So I wouldn't have to add another name on my long list of regrets.

But I needed that tracker out.

I needed Hydra out.

"Now just hold still for a sec. Going to do a very general check, 'kay?" She released my hands and grabbed the silver box again, pressing a button on the side before it beeped. "What the fuck does your arm need a receiver f - Oh shit."

"What's wrong?" I asked, panic bubbling up in my chest.

"Uhh... hang on." Valeriy removed her monitoring bracelet, tossing it over her shoulder.

Her finger motioned for me to lift my right arm as far away as I could. Another press of the button and another beep.

Frowning heavily, she pulled off the glove that covered the silver fingers. The thing that gave the smooth plates some grip. I had to resist the urge to punch her to get her to stop rolling up the damn sleeve.

Valeriy glanced up at me, forcing a smile onto her lips. "Are you willing to settle down now?" She tugged at the arm.

I complied. Going back to the unsettlingly soft bed. Scooting until my back hit the headboard.

"Okay, this isn't working," she laughed, patting the metal plates and turning her attention to the various devices scattered on the comforter. "Your arm's too big. So you have the choice of taking off your shirt or just pulling out your left arm. Eve, do we have a wife beater he'd fit in?"

"Nope. Might I suggest cutting off the sleeve?"

Thinking about it for a moment, I merely tucked the left side of my shirt over the shoulder. It barely did a thing to ease my nerves. Didn't want her to see it. I didn't even want to see the ugly mess.

Not the arm.

Not the mess of red scars.

"Thank you," Valeriy chirped, switching out the silver device for another one. This one with a cylinder sticking out of one end. When she faced me again, there wasn't even a shift on her face towards disgust. Merely propping the arm on her knee.

I quickly removed the arm from her.

"Hmm?"

"The electric current," I stated.

"It's fine. Just a little shock." She waved off with a laugh.

"It's not a little shock."

"She has insulated gloves."

"But I hate those," she argued with the A.I. ghost.

"Wear them," I said, holding the arm out of reach when she tried to grab it.

Pouting, Valeriy reached back into the purple toolbox and pulled out a pair of black gloves, slipping them on. "Happy?"

I gave a nod and gently rested the arm on her knee after shoving one of the many pillows in between. Should be enough not to shock her for when the arm acts up.

"Eve, could you put something on the telly Something Bucky would be interested in maybe?"

"I learned a lot of skills over the years. Mind reading still eludes me."

But the television screen across from us lit up anyways. With a reminding warning not to try this at home before going on about old west myths, guns and horses.

"Mythbusters, huh?" Valeriy laughed.

She started scanning with the second silver device, moving it up the arm as air was sucked through the cylinder at one end. It felt so weird against the sensors. Halfway up the arm, she yanked the comforter out from under us and wrapped me in it.

"What's the blanket for?" I asked when she started pulling it over my head. At least I could hide some of the scarring under it.

"You shivered. Figured you were cold. Father always complains about the temperature of my room." Which she kept at a cool 18 degrees Celsius.

Cold enough to induce uncontrollable shivering if left exposed in a cell. But not cold enough to pull one to sleep. Merely left to shiver into exhaustion and pain. Something even the serum in my veins couldn't fight against.

"The cold doesn't bother me," I muttered. As much as I disliked it.

"...Okay," she shrugged off, but neither of us bothered to move the comforter kept around me.

She continued to use the second device, and I made sure to keep still this time. Once she reached the top of the shoulder where metal met flesh, she tossed the device aside and picked up the tablet.

"What's in the arm?" I questioned warily, taking a peek at the screen to find it filled with what looked to be chemical formulas.

She stayed silent. Only the smallest involuntary wince managed to seep through a rather blank mask.

"Valeriy?"

"Apparently me and Hydra think the same? We have the same fucking fail secure plan. Ayers Corp.... We use explosives too."

"...There's a bomb in the arm...."

.

.

.

Author's Note:

If you enjoyed this part, please consider leaving a vote. They're very much appreciated. ^^

.

Hopefully, this chapter was alright. It's not as beta-ed as extensively as I'd like it to be. I tried cutting it down too, but every time touch this, it grew longer and longer T^T.

I'll be making use of Tuesdays to post this so that this chapter will be up in about 2 weeks instead of 4.... Yes, this is in four parts.... I don't want to risk losing chunks of this from Wattpad bugs when too high of a word count is in a part.