Chapter Text
“Sarge…” The voice sounded far away and made my head pound right through my temples. “Jimmy, ya got to get up kid.” The use of the nickname he knew I hated had me swinging blindly, hoping to deck the bowler wearing Corporal. My fist only caught air. Putting my arm across my face I tried turning away from the man’s voice but rolled right into something.
“Dugan, can’t you just let a man sleep…” The words slurred coming out of my mouth, feeling foreign. The pounding building behind my eyes, I realized my entire body felt like a bruise. “What the hell?” Sitting up, I found myself on the floor of what looked like a cell.
“Glad the blow to your head didn’t deter your stellar personality Sarge.” Dugan’s face appeared in front of me, reaching out to brush his fingers over something on my forehead. “Still bleedin’ pretty steadily.” I shoved him with my right hand, my left busy holding me up.
“Get your ugly mug out of my face. Your breath smells like shit…” My statements were muttered and I knew they lacked my usual sarcasm. Slowly the memories of us getting overrun by Nazi’s with weapons that flashed blue and obliterated anything they fired on came back. Including being jerked from my sniper’s nest and calling them every name in book that would make my Momma beat the hell out of me. Felt like the Nazi’s tried taking a play or two from Winnifred Barnes’s arsenal. Dugan chuckled as he picked up his signature non-Army issued hat that I had managed to knock off his head. The ginger silenced his laughing quickly, hearing something I missed from my place on the floor.
“Got to get you up Sarge.” He grabbed my left arm and I felt someone else grab my right.
“Buy me a drink first. Damn no wonder you don’t have a dame.” I tried to hold my weight up, backing into the cell bars in search of any kind of support.
“Where is he?” The voice was loud, angry and dripping with a German accent. I tried to move towards the front of the cell, but the men on both sides of me held me back.
“Who…” As I started to ask who they were looking for, Dugan slapped a hand over my mouth.
“Jimmy, while I’m a fan of your wit, for once just shut it.” Dugan hissed into my ear.
“The sniper. With the sharp tongue.” The boisterous German spoke again in near perfect English.
“How sharp was his tongue, Kraut?” A voice from a nearby cell spoke up. “Not sharp enough to kill your chicken ass.” I heard the blow.
“Again, I ask where is the Sergeant?” The German received no response, but his voice was coming closer. Swallowing a lump in my throat, I tested my legs to see if I could stand on my own. I felt blood running into my eyes.
“Don’t be a hero…” Dugan spoke out the corner of his mouth, understanding exactly what I was thinking.
“Your silence will make this even more enjoyable for us.” The kraut had to enjoy the sound of his own voice. I started again to speak up but Dugan put his hand and fat fingers over my face.
“You will all perish here there is no one coming to rescue you. Keeping this Sergeant Barnes hidden in your midst will not delay the inevitable.” This voice was different, mousy, and the accent different. I glared at Dugan before biting down on his hand.
“Perhaps if you asked nicely you bums, I would have answered you sooner.” I spoke loudly as soon as Dugan jerked his hand away.
“You really are a self-sacrificing idiot Jimmy!” Dugan shook his head.
“Shut it Dum Dum.” I muttered back at him as the other members of our cell quickly moved out of the way as the footsteps came closer. Shuffling forward, in an attempt to walk without falling on my face, I saw three German soldiers and a smaller statured man with a bow tie and a jacket.
“Get all dolled up just for me? Ya really shouldn’t have.” I leaned forward on the bars as I spoke, hoping I exuded cockiness and not about to drop where I stood. There was a bright blue light and then I felt the electricity run through me, dropping me, my face smashing on the bars before hitting the ground. “That packs a punch…” I muttered as the shock dissipated and the sound of the door to our cell swinging open filled my ears. Gasping I managed to get on all fours before a boot found my rib cage. “I probably deserved that.” I coughed out a glob of blood, trying to direct it on the boots of one of the soldiers. My intentions were noticed and said boot came down on the fingers of my left hand. Raising my eyes from the floor I saw the soldiers standing around me, one was tussling with Dugan.
“Enough!” The mousy voice shouted. The soldier removed his boot from my hand before jerking me up by my left shoulder and dragging me out of the cell. Even sagging in the firm grip, I was nearly a head taller than the bespectacled bow tie wearing kraut. “I believe this one may just work.” His beady eyes traveling up and down as he circled me. “Bring it along.” My blood boiled at being addressed as a thing, an item.
“I have a name you Nazi psycho. Obviously you know it.” Blood splattered from my mouth as I yelled at the man. He glanced down at his lapel and brushed at what was probably my blood. Stepping towards me, he had a predatory gaze. I tried to back away from him, but was held in place by the soldiers to my left and right. Leaning in close he spoke quietly.
“Do you see any swastika’s here? We are not Nazis. We are Hydra.” Grabbing ahold of my chin, I jerked my head away but his grip tightened and he forced me to look at him. “And my hope is you will be my greatest accomplishment. Hydra’s greatest weapon.” He patted my cheek as I fought against the two men holding me.
“No way in hell!” As I struggled I felt the needle pierce my skin.
“You are not in hell yet. But you will be.” The man spoke as he injected something into my arm. “Hail Hydra Sergeant Barnes.”