Without You
Lost
I came to and instinct told me to try to move. A grunt escaped my lips as I failed, my hands restrained behind the seat I was in and my ankles bound to the legs of the chair. Instead of panicking, I inhaled slowly to shoo away the unwanted fear and decided to examine my surroundings to help myself calm down.
The grey paint was peeling to reveal red bricks, and tall windows exposed thick branches and leaves that blocked my view. A thick metal beam was a step away from me and the rest of the floor was littered with wooden planks and crumbling bricks. Judging by the high ceiling and the other clues, I guessed I was in an abandoned factory of sorts, and now I just had to figure out why.
I shifted my fingers around the best I could, reaching up to my wrists and feeling the taut rope that bound my hands together and rendered them useless. But I was determined to not remain here, possibly alone to die, so I began struggling in attempt to loosen the knots.
Footsteps.
I stopped moving and glanced to my right, a few moments later spotting my captor walking to stand before me. His posture was stiff, though I don’t know how much of that was merely provided by his metal arm, and a scowl was creasing his face and making it almost unrecognisable. The Bucky I knew always wore a smile, and his blue eyes were full of light and joy. This man was dead inside, and it frightened me to think of what could have possibly happened to my friend to make him like this.
“Why did you and the other man call me Bucky?” he asked, voice slightly deeper and rougher than I remembered it to be. Despite the changes he was still a sight for sore eyes and it was somewhat relieving to hear him actually speak, considering I had watched him fall to, what had seemed like at the time, his certain death.
“Because that’s what we called you, that’s your name,” I answered, not seeing any point in lying or remaining quiet. Surely if there was even a trace of Bucky left inside this hollow man then I could find it and use it to escape.
“I don’t remember that man on the bridge,” he stated. His gaze dropped, seemingly more talking to himself than me. Bucky was lacking memories, clearly important ones if he couldn’t recognise Steve of all people, but…
I hesitated, lips parting slightly as I considered not asking the question that was at the front of my mind.
“Do you remember me?” I breathed and his icy eyes shot back to mine. He stared intently at me in silence I didn’t dare break.
“Ev… Evelyn,” Bucky stammered before frowning. “Why are you familiar to me? I don’t understand…”
I raised my eyebrows, truly surprised that he was able to recognise me but not Steve.
“What do you remember?” I wondered, asking in the gentlest tone I could manage.
“I am a soldier, for Hydra. That’s all,” he answered, my heart sinking as I learned that Hydra was responsible for yet another tragedy. “How can I have not met you, and yet know your face and name?”
“We knew each other during the war,” I said and I watched on as Bucky scrunched his face up, clearly bewildered by my statement.
“I wasn’t in a war,” he spat and I felt a tad hurt, aware of how much the war had meant to the Bucky I had known.
“We fought together, Bucky,” I continued and he shook his head as he refused to accept my answer. “We were captured together, we were freed together, and we-”
Metal slapped my cheek and my neck clicked as it was thrown to the side. I exhaled with shock and from the stinging sensation he had left behind.
“No,” he uttered.
“That’s the truth,” I rasped as I rolled my head, trying to stretch the muscles he had strained as they repaired themselves.
“Don’t lie! Tell me how I know you!” he shouted with such rage that it stunned me to see that come from a man I had known to be so grounded. But his eyes, as cold and distant as they were, were also full of confusion. Bucky was lost, and I wanted to help him find himself again.
“But it is the truth. I’ll tell you everything I know about your past, if you’d like,” I offered.
He nodded.
“I met you and Steve, the blonde man from before, during the war when-“
I stopped speaking because he was walking away. I craned my head as far as I could over my shoulder to try to spot what he was doing. His back was retreating to the doorway, a cracked door hanging lopsided from its hinges.
I sighed, frustrated with myself. How the hell was I going to get him to believe me?
The grey paint was peeling to reveal red bricks, and tall windows exposed thick branches and leaves that blocked my view. A thick metal beam was a step away from me and the rest of the floor was littered with wooden planks and crumbling bricks. Judging by the high ceiling and the other clues, I guessed I was in an abandoned factory of sorts, and now I just had to figure out why.
I shifted my fingers around the best I could, reaching up to my wrists and feeling the taut rope that bound my hands together and rendered them useless. But I was determined to not remain here, possibly alone to die, so I began struggling in attempt to loosen the knots.
Footsteps.
I stopped moving and glanced to my right, a few moments later spotting my captor walking to stand before me. His posture was stiff, though I don’t know how much of that was merely provided by his metal arm, and a scowl was creasing his face and making it almost unrecognisable. The Bucky I knew always wore a smile, and his blue eyes were full of light and joy. This man was dead inside, and it frightened me to think of what could have possibly happened to my friend to make him like this.
“Why did you and the other man call me Bucky?” he asked, voice slightly deeper and rougher than I remembered it to be. Despite the changes he was still a sight for sore eyes and it was somewhat relieving to hear him actually speak, considering I had watched him fall to, what had seemed like at the time, his certain death.
“Because that’s what we called you, that’s your name,” I answered, not seeing any point in lying or remaining quiet. Surely if there was even a trace of Bucky left inside this hollow man then I could find it and use it to escape.
“I don’t remember that man on the bridge,” he stated. His gaze dropped, seemingly more talking to himself than me. Bucky was lacking memories, clearly important ones if he couldn’t recognise Steve of all people, but…
I hesitated, lips parting slightly as I considered not asking the question that was at the front of my mind.
“Do you remember me?” I breathed and his icy eyes shot back to mine. He stared intently at me in silence I didn’t dare break.
“Ev… Evelyn,” Bucky stammered before frowning. “Why are you familiar to me? I don’t understand…”
I raised my eyebrows, truly surprised that he was able to recognise me but not Steve.
“What do you remember?” I wondered, asking in the gentlest tone I could manage.
“I am a soldier, for Hydra. That’s all,” he answered, my heart sinking as I learned that Hydra was responsible for yet another tragedy. “How can I have not met you, and yet know your face and name?”
“We knew each other during the war,” I said and I watched on as Bucky scrunched his face up, clearly bewildered by my statement.
“I wasn’t in a war,” he spat and I felt a tad hurt, aware of how much the war had meant to the Bucky I had known.
“We fought together, Bucky,” I continued and he shook his head as he refused to accept my answer. “We were captured together, we were freed together, and we-”
Metal slapped my cheek and my neck clicked as it was thrown to the side. I exhaled with shock and from the stinging sensation he had left behind.
“No,” he uttered.
“That’s the truth,” I rasped as I rolled my head, trying to stretch the muscles he had strained as they repaired themselves.
“Don’t lie! Tell me how I know you!” he shouted with such rage that it stunned me to see that come from a man I had known to be so grounded. But his eyes, as cold and distant as they were, were also full of confusion. Bucky was lost, and I wanted to help him find himself again.
“But it is the truth. I’ll tell you everything I know about your past, if you’d like,” I offered.
He nodded.
“I met you and Steve, the blonde man from before, during the war when-“
I stopped speaking because he was walking away. I craned my head as far as I could over my shoulder to try to spot what he was doing. His back was retreating to the doorway, a cracked door hanging lopsided from its hinges.
I sighed, frustrated with myself. How the hell was I going to get him to believe me?
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Thank you Awkwardly Obscured for the comment, and totally guessing what was about to happen XD I hope you enjoyed reading this update :) I'd love to hear what everyone thought, and if you think that Evelyn can get through to him!