Couldn't Get to You.

Silence filled the room once more, for what felt like a lifetime. James didn't want to give away this information, he didn't want to tell Alexander Pierce what he had come to know. It was all a mistake, one that was making him question his role in Hydra all together. What were they so desperate to hide from him? And why were they determined to keep him molded into their perfect little weapon? It was in this moment that James was starting to understand that Hydra didn't view him as human in the slightest bit. "I knew him," The words seemed to fall from his lips before he even had the chance, his drained eyes flickering to rest on Clara once more. He could see just how concerned she was, even how frightened she was for his well-being. He could tell how much he cared, and he wished in that moment there was some way that he could express how much he cared back. The look on her face told him how she felt about what he was doing, and he had to look away from her once more. He couldn't bare to see her upset, or scared... He had trusted her, and now he was going back on his own decision. But in the current environment, she was his pressure point... And he wasn't prepared to let Hydra get to her.

Clara wanted to tell him that she didn't need him to protect her. She wanted him to know that he shouldn't have taken the fall for her. She knew what she would have been getting herself into, she wouldn't have agreed to look into his files if she hadn't, and she wished that he hadn't done it. She wished that he'd kept his mouth shut, but something told her that things wouldn't have ended well for them either way. She only wished that there was something that she could do to help, she had never felt so helpless before in her life, and she hated it beyond belief. All she could do was watch on and hope for the best. "Your work has been a gift to mankind, you shaped the century, and I need you to do it one more time." Clara was frustrated. She couldn't believe the way they were treating James. It was obvious that all they really saw him as was a weapon. It was sickening. "Society is at a tipping point between war and chaos. Tomorrow morning we're going to give it a push, but if you don't do your part, I can't do mine, and Hydra can't give the world the freedom that it deserves."

James' eyes remained fixed on Alexander as he spoke. Everything he was saying seemed to make sense. To him, to his trained and molded mind, it was true... and it all made perfect sense. He wished, for the sake of things being easier and less confusing for him, he could completely accept it. Before today, he knew he would have accepted it. He would have nodded, and asked Alexander for his next orders. He wondered for a moment if the reason Alexander was there was because someone had told him about the soldier's compromised state, or if it was because he had failed to take out the two targets Alexander had assigned him. In that moment, the soldier actually felt vulnerable. As powerful or as skilled as he was, he had no control in this situation. He had no power other Alexander, especially when the man was surrounded by as much security as he was... And he had no control over what would happen to Clara. He could only hope that through this decision of his, Clara would be safe... Whatever the consequences were that weighed against him. The vulnerability started to show through on his face, his lips pursing slightly before he spoke, "But I knew him..."

Clara could only watch on and hope for the best. She wanted him to stop, wanted him to let her at least take some of the fall. She didn't know if Alexander wanted her here because he knew of the conversation she'd had with James. She didn't know if he knew of the compromised state they were both in. She had no idea, but she couldn't think of any other reason for her being there. "Prep him." She watched as Alexander stood. "But he's been out of cryofreeze too long." One of the other Hydra members had spoken this time. "Then wipe him and start over." Clara didn't know what any of those words meant. They resonated with her for one reason or another though, and she felt even more sick to her stomach now than ever before. She watched as two men approached James, ready to do whatever Alexander had asked them to, when the leader of Hydra spoke once more. "Not you. Her."

As soon as Alexander spoke, James knew what was going to happen to him. His heart dropped into his stomach, the fear and upset coming through to show on his face. He hoped, wished that Clara wouldn't be there to see it. The process of wiping wasn't a pleasant one, for not only him but anyone who hadn't before witnessed it. In the past, he had been lead to believe it was for his own good... He had accepted whenever he was told it was necessary to do this. Now, he was becoming more and more aware that it wasn't for his own good. It was in Hydra's interest only. They couldn't have their best weapon questioning, or becoming aware of life before Hydra. He needed to believe that all he was was in fact Hydra's weapon. Zola's word resonated within his mind; 'You are to become the new face of Hydra.' The Winter Soldier was the best they had, and they needed to keep him that way. His eyes snapped up as he heard Alexander order Clara to carry out the order, rage and panic filling him. There were little things that James could think of as more cruel than to make Clara wipe him. It stung, and burnt in his chest to know she was being forced to do this to him... He watched the two men come closer to him, tempted to lash out at them in order to prevent the entire procedure from going ahead. As he leant forward to pull himself out the chair, both of the men took hold of his shoulders and forced him back against the chair. "No.." He breathed out weakly, wishing he could fight against the agents... But something told him it would only make it worse for both himself and Clara.

Clara didn't know what was going on. She didn't know what Alexander had just asked her to do, but after stealing a glance over to James, and seeing the anger and fear written on his face, she knew that it wasn't anything good. She'd always had a bad feeling when it came to this organization, but she'd always pushed it aside because she didn't have any actual proof, but something told her that this would be enough for her. Something told her that, whatever she was about to do, was one of the worse things that she could possibly be forced to do. She knew that she didn't have a choice. If she didn't carry out this order, Alexander would know that she'd been compromised. He'd know that she was no longer loyal to Hydra, and she couldn't let him know that. "Sir..." She started, looking to him with confusion written across her face. "I don't understand..." She'd studied the machine near the chair James was seated in though. She'd more or less figured out its function, but maybe she could buy herself some time if she played dumb....that wasn't the case though. "Ms.Oswald, if your loyalties still lie with Hydra, and I certainly hope that they do, you'll do as I ask." She nodded wordlessly, letting out a shaky breath as she approached. She didn't want to do this, but she had no other choice. She looked to James, unshed tears in her eyes, and an apologetic expression on her face.

James wanted to scream at Alexander to get away from her, to tell Clara to get out whilst she still could. It was an overwhelming surge of emotion all at once, and he wasn't sure just how he was supposed to deal with it. He could tell from the look on Clara's face that she was at a loss, and he knew Alexander wasn't giving her a choice... As hard as it was, he needed to be strong for her. For the both of them. The look of unshed tears was enough to break his heart, something the soldier never thought would have been possible. "Clara, it-" As soon as he went to speak, one of the agents forced the mouthguard between his lips, quickly silencing him. They may have been using this as some sort of correction, but they wanted to minimize damage as much as they possibly could... Proper procedures needed to be implemented. They still kept a hold of him, waiting for Clara to start the process so he would be bound down against the chair. The look in his eyes was one of trying to tell Clara that it was alright, she was going to be okay. He was going to be okay. He gave her a small nod, trying to encourage and comfort her at the same time... But he knew, deep down, that there was no way they were both going to walk away from this the same people.

Clara knew that she didn't have a choice or say in the matter. She knew that, if she didn't follow orders, Alexander would have living proof that she'd been compromised. She didn't know if he had overheard the conversation she and James were having earlier, or if someone else had, but regardless of that fact, he obviously knew about it. And she was sure that this was some sort of a test to see if her loyalties still remained with Hydra. And they didn't, but they needed to believe that they did. Her gaze lingered on Bucky and she watched as a mouthguard was placed between her lips. He was about to tell her something though she didn't know what it was. And she didn't realize that, after this, he wouldn't know either. He would know what he was going to say, he wouldn't know of their plan, and he wouldn't know her. With watery eyes, she caught the small nod that he'd given her. It was supposed to be a form of encouragement, but it only made her feel worse. Letting out a shaky breath, she looked away, her focus turning to the machine. It only took a few moments of studying it for her to figure out what she had to do, and it took everything in her to keep her hand from shaking as she reached out and did the one thing that she'd always regret doing more than anything else: starting up the machine.

There was a sense of horror dwelling within James as he watched her start the machine. He knew she had no choice, but it was still heartbreaking and cruel to know that she had to do it, and that she had. A small grunt of pain escaped him as he machine pulled his head back into position, the cold metal restraints clamping around his arms. He wished Clara would look away, or walk away... He didn't want her to see this, he didn't want her to see what they would do to him. Hydra kept almost everything about the soldier secret, including just how they had molded him into what they wanted him to be... James could only hope Clara wouldn't have to watch. His chest heaved with deep breathes as he tried to prepare himself for what was to come... It seemed to be the only thing that he could remember whenever they wiped him; the pain just before the loss. He was determined not to scream, not whilst Clara was in the room. He didn't want her to see how much pain he was in throughout... But he was still human. The metal coming down around his head was enough to send him into a panic, and as soon as he felt the electricity surging through his head, he had to scream. There didn't seem to be any other reaction to what was happening to him, he was just screaming... and there was no way he could stop.

There weren't very many things in life that Clara Oswald regretted doing. She was beginning to think that joining Hydra was one of the biggest mistakes she had ever made, though doing this, not asking questions, and just following orders, came in at a close second. She didn't want to watch, though she couldn't bring herself to look away. James was the one being tortured, though she felt as though she was being tortured as well. And she couldn't believe that this was something that Hydra did. She couldn't believe that they would do something so terrible to another human being. It was sickening. But the worst part was that she'd just done it. She'd started up that machine. She shouldn't have listened. She should have let them know that she was compromised. Anything that would have happened to her because of that would have been better than witnessing this.

It seemed to go on forever; the pain, the screaming. Every single thought and memory was cruelly plucked from James' mind, the faces of the people he knew were torn from his memory, their voices simply turning to white noise within his mind. His fingers curled into his hands, the short nails of one pressing in against the palm of his hand so that he could just feel something that he could control. It was barely any sort of help or comfort for what was happening. His eyes shut tightly as it went on, and on, and on. It seemed to last longer when he knew that Clara was watching. And then there was just nothing. Complete darkness.

Clara felt more helpless now than ever. She wanted to help him, she didn't know how she would, maybe figure out how to stop the machine, anything really that would stop the pain he was obviously feeling, but she couldn't do any of that. Not because she didn't know how to, because, if she did any of those things, they would know. They would know that she'd been compromised too. And if they figured that out, she wouldn't be able to continue on with the plan. She'd have to wait some so that the suspicions died down, but she was going to find a way to access those files.

When the machine finally shut by it's own accord, and the procedure came to an end, James' lay still in the chair, or rather what was left of James'. He was just a shell, exactly what Hydra needed in order to mould him once more. His eyes stayed shut, his body limp and hands uncurled once more. There was no energy, barely even life left in him as he lay unconscious in the torture bed. The only use of the restraints now was to keep his body upright in the chair, not to prevent him from fighting back. The room was silent as all the agents stared at him, none of them seemingly phased by what they had just witnessed.

It was sort of strange how quickly things could change. Clara never managed to access the files. Before she had the opportunity to do so, everything that Hydra/SHIELD had kept a secret from the outside world was put out onto the internet thanks to Natasha Romanoff. Project Insight was stopped successfully by Steve Rogers and friends, and the agents who hadn't already been captured by the government, both Hydra and SHIELD, had been laying low. Of course, Clara knew that there were still members of Hydra out there. She knew that James was out there somewhere as well, and with her newfound access to Hydra's files, she was able to figure out exactly who the soldier was: James Buchanan Barnes, best friend to Steve Rogers and the only member of the Howling Commandos who had supposedly been KIA. If there was one thing that Clara was determined to do, it was to find him, and help him to remember.

James wasn't entirely sure how long he had been on the road. He had resolved to find the remainder of Hydra the moment he had stepped out of the Captain America museum exhibition. He had hidden out in the exhibition for a few hours, trying to take hold of his mind. Since he'd last had his mind wiped, he was a mental mess... He'd been living his life, or what he knew of it, believing his was one person, only then finding out he wasn't. James had taken his time in the exhibition, trying to gather as much possible information as he could... About Steve, Hydra, and himself. It was overwhelming, and seemed to trigger something inside of him that he had no idea existed. It was hard to explain, this feeling of being someone he wasn't. It was confusion, and dysphoric. He wasn't sure what it was supposed to mean. When he finally left, he just kept walking... He wasn't sure what he was doing, or what his plan was exactly. He'd figure it out along the way... For now, he needed out of Washington, and he needed to lie low. The Winter Soldier had been exposed through Romanoff, and he knew there was probably a man hunt for him... So he just walked. Along the way, he'd picked up the supplies he needed; clothing, a sturdy rucksack to carry his things, and even stolen money. James knew how to survive, even if it was through less desirable means such as stealing clothing from washing lines, or petty pickpocketing. He just needed to live.

Clara didn't really know where to start. He could be anywhere, though she was assuming that he couldn't have gotten far. Most average SHIELD and Hydra agents were laying low, she wouldn't be at all surprised if there was some sort of a man hunt going on for James, so she doubted that he could just walk into an airport and get onto a plane and be done with it. She hoped that was the case, because it at least narrowed things down to the US for the time being. And she hoped that she got to him before anyone else did. Of course, she doubted that it would be a simple task, finding him and all that, he was a trained assassin after all, nothing about this was going to be simple. She probably would have driven right past him if she hadn't taken a quick glance over. She knew better than to stop for hitchhikers and all that, but this man, there was just something about him that was familiar. As she switched lanes, she was able to get a better look at him, her eyes widened in realization, and she pulled off to the side of the freeway, rolling down her window. "Excuse me?"

Somewhere along the way, he wasn't entirely sure when, James' had picked up a travel partner. A stray, young German Shepherd. He really had no idea where it had come from, or who it belonged to... But it didn't look too keen on the idea of leaving him alone any time soon. He could barely scrape enough food along the road for himself, let alone food for a young dog... But, against his better judgement, a bond had formed with the dog. When they had taken to the freeway, James purposely walked on the side of the road, the dog to the other side of him. It was stupid, especially when there was a man hunt for him, to walk so close to the road... But he'd rather himself than the dog. It was incredibly well behaved, and clearly some sort of pet... But James couldn't shake it. He wasn't sure how long they'd been walking along the road, sleeve firmly pulled down to conceal his metal arm. It was the most obvious thing that would give him away... Otherwise, he could have easily passed as a homeless person. He supposed he was, in a sense. He had no idea where his home was now. The car pulling up along him was definitely a red flag, prompting him to keep his head down and just keep walking. He wasn't prepared to answer any questions as to who he was, or risk giving himself away... But it was the woman's voice that prompted him to stop and turn around. There was a familiarity about her, and he couldn't place why. He stood still, looking straight at her as he remained silent.

Clara had known that it was him before he turned around, though that didn't stop her heart from racing when he did turn around. She was so relieved that she'd found him, though it was clear that he didn't recognize her. She'd realized rather quickly after being forced to wipe him what that really meant. The thought was enough to put a sour taste into her mouth. She still couldn't believe that Hydra thought that doing something like that to another human being was fine. Hell, they acted like it was completely normal. It was sickening, and she was glad that she'd taken off the moment that she had the opportunity to do so. She couldn't be a part of an organization like that anymore, and she had more important matters to deal with anyway, like finding James. "Do you need a ride? I'm heading out of the district."

James' initial reaction was to simply walk away. He'd resolved to walk his way across America if he really needed to. Survival instincts were still intact, and if walking across America was how he would find Hydra then so be it. Getting in a car was a slightly dangerous decision. She could have been anyone, she could have been one of them... One of the many people searching for him. Something told him otherwise; she didn't seem the type. Even from the distance between them, James could see there was some sort of kindness in her eyes. She didn't register as any sort of threat. Against his better judgement, James silently made his way towards the car. The dog seemed confused for a moment, but quickly caught up in order to follow him. There were no words exchanged between himself and the woman as he opened the back seat door, throwing his stolen rucksack into the footwell before the dog leaped up onto the back seat. It was then that James decided this dog was definitely a pet of some sort. Closing the door, he made his way to the front passengers seat, remaining silent the entire time.

Clara really hadn't known what to expect when, and if, she found him. She also hadn't expected to find him as quickly as she had. Sure, she'd known that he couldn't have gotten that far, though she hadn't really known for sure, but she was relieved that she had in fact found him. Offering a small smile, one that she hoped conveyed some sort of kindness, she unlocked the car doors when she realized that he was approaching the vehicle. "Is he yours?" She asked, gaze shifting over to the dog that had jumped up onto the backseat. She wasn't at all surprised by the lack of conversation, he'd never been much of a talker, though she was hoping that she'd be able to change that in time. Before everything had happened, it seemed as though it was something that she was changing, and maybe she was just back at square one or something.