Don't You Forget About Me

Will you stand above me?Look my way, never love meRain keeps falling, rain keeps falling

Down, down, down

Will you recognize me?Call my name or walk on byRain keeps falling, rain keeps fallingDown, down, down, down

- Simple Minds

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Siberian Base, USSR; 02 February, 1987

Colonel Vasily Karpov had been project lead over Operation Winter Soldier for almost half of his life. It and the Wolf Spider Ops in the Red Room had been directed by him personally through the talents of The Winter Soldier. Until today, he had never had to fear for his job, much less his life. Until today, he had never been threatened by Alexander Pierce. Until today, there had been no reason for him to fear such a thing.

He had been paranoid since Tessa and The Winter Soldier had returned from their mission in Florida. Word had been sent with them regarding the upcoming mission that was to be attempted by the future-Director's daughter. One, Vasily would be killed immediately if the chair actually hurt the girl. Two, he didn't want all of his careful work to be unraveled by Pierce's daughter.

Tessa could very well kill one of the only super soldiers still alive today, the only one HYDRA currently had in its possession. He was already pacing back and forth in his quarters, his fingers laced at the base of his skull and his elbows jutting outward. His wasn't the only brain addled at the moment.

Just looking down at the chair made Tessa paranoid. She was standing there with the fingers of both hands pressing against her lips. There was no one else currently in here with her, but they soon would be. The Winter Soldier would be here to watch, as would Vasily, of course. He oversaw everything when the Soldier was out of cryostasis. When the Soviet Asset was asleep, Vasily could visit other bases and offer whatever help he could to whomever needed it. He was the type of man who tolerated Tessa because of who her father was. He was neither friendly nor cold toward her; he was just there.

Fingertips softly drew over the ends of the armrests of the Memory Suppressing Machine. There were no marks where her friend had gripped them or tried to wrench away from the iron grip of this particular monster, but she knew the screams that he'd let pour out of him as his gray matter mashed to bits and fried by the electricity. Then and there, she resolved that she would take this chair any day if it meant her only friend didn't have to ever sit there again. Then, sadly, she realized that he might not; she was going to take the place of that chair. Her shoulders slumped.

The Soldier pressed his fingertips together before him as he sat on the edge of the laughable cot he got to sleep on when he was activated. He was staring holes through the spaces between his fingers as he almost frantically tried to file all of the memories he currently had into a nice, neat box somewhere in his brain. A warm, safe place that he hadn't quite found.

He trusted no one more than he trusted Tessa, but he was terrified in that moment. What was worse than losing all of his memories again was that Tessa was having to be the one who did it. He didn't feel betrayal over the matter. No, he felt pity because it was going to rip a little bit more of her goodness out of her soul. He was going to be the reason that her gaze was a little less warm than it had been before Florida, and that killed him more than anything else he could think of right then.

A firm rap was given to his door, and The Winter Soldier was immediately to his feet even before Karpov had the door halfway open. All expression had fallen away into nothingness; he was a blank slate, unafraid and undeterred.

"Come," Vasily commanded, turning on his heel and walking away.

Naturally, The Winter Soldier complied and fell into a stalk behind the Colonel and the escort of HYDRA soldiers who surrounded them on the stroll. After only a short walk, the men made their way into the cavernous former silo that housed his cryostasis tube as well as five more that had never been powered up. He hated this room to the core of his being. It made his blood speed through his veins even more than it already was. Extra oxygen in his brain made him briefly euphoric until his eyes landed on the slender ghost of a form standing in front of the chair that had ruined who he was. Bathed in the light of the overcast sky from above -- her hair and skin so pale -- Tessa looked like a waif. Even her clothes were paler than what she normally wore; it didn't help that fear had bled any skin color out of her face.

It took everything within the Brooklyn native to keep his concern out of his eyes. He had to school his expression closely or else, well, they might wipe him right then and there without the tenderness Tessa would try to provide. Vasily stopped behind the chair and motioned toward it while The Winter Soldier moved around to stand guard on the facing side of it.Tessa blinked out of her fear when she realized that others had shown up. She was shivering from the opening at the very top of this so-tall room as well as the blast vents down below on the ring beneath the platform. It was always cold in here, and she understood why; the cold was better on the electronics than fluctuating temperatures, and it helped keep Winter Soldier's pod from overheating and failing.

"Sometime today, please, Miss Pierce," Vasily's heavily accented voice was given gruffly as he motioned to the chair itself. Quietly, Tess stepped forward then turned slowly until the backs of her knees were against the edge of the seat. She frantically looked toward the Soldier and mouthed the words I'm sorry because it was the only chance she might have to say those words to him before the future crashed into both of them.

She was seated a second later, and the chair adjusted to her form. She almost snapped into fight or flight mode the instant the mechanical restraints slid around her arms and wrists. They were momentarily too big, made for bigger arms, but they soon adjusted until they fit her.

The Winter Soldier stepped forward and picked up the new, smaller mouth guard brought in for her. A gauntlet to monitor vitals was slipped over her right hand briskly. He showed as little of himself as he could as he offered the rubber to her mouth so that she could part her lips. As gently as possible he eased the piece in between her upper and lower teeth, trying to let her see a brief glimpse of his empathy. Too soon, he was backing away.

Tessa felt the electricity before she felt the vibration of the chair. She turned her head to the left and saw her vitals on a screen there. To the right, a large tank of nitrous, an unused saline bag on a lone stand and another screen with the performance readouts for the chair. Suddenly, the chair gave an ominous sound and the arms began to pivot.

Each half circle shifted to align then lowered down around her while the paddle on each side came in to form against her face. A hiss of disbelief was given as her fingers clenched and formed fists, her eyes frantically darting to each paddle of the Mind Crown before swiveling directly toward The Winter Soldier.

In that one second of silence, she steeled herself against what was going to come, her head pressing back as she shut out everything except the crackling energy that was already warming up to burrow itself into her gray matter. A grunt was pulled from her followed by a strangled scream that lasted for only a moment before instinct kicked in and began mapping each crawling piece of chain lightning trying to spread into her mind to wipe it all away.The power that coursed through her seemed to take hours instead of seconds, but it burned through her effortlessly, bonding to her abilities, enhancing them, bringing her one step closer to what she could consider her ultimate potential. No one had expected her to be as strong as she felt she could be, and that strength now -- in the midst of pain of the likes no one should be subjected to -- she became one with the current and embraced it to memorize every bit of it.In one perfect moment of utter clarity, she knew she could do what was going to have to be done. She could also undo it if she chose to. The machine that yielded to no one submitted to her as she reversed the flow of electricity, pushed every pulse back into the generator and caused the facility to momentarily turn off altogether.

Without power, the chair released her arms, but Tessa sat still right in place, bathed in eerie winter light from high above and just below the platform. Static held some of her thin, blond strands of hair apart from one another and made some of it halo entirely around her head. With the light, it seemed to glow right then just as it illuminated the exhalation of steam from between her lips. Where she had looked like a waif just minutes ago, she now looked like a frozen statuette of some icy deity, atop her throne of nightmares.

The Winter Soldier watched her highlighted silhouette in absolute calm until he saw her eyes finally open. That glow wasn't caused by any ambient light around them; her irises alone crackled with pure, raw elemental power. His breath caught in his throat and silence was palpable around the silo.

Finally, the lightning faded from her gaze and the power sourcing into the facility again flickered with growing stability as she allowed it loose into the lines once again. Sitting forward, she rubbed at each wrist and took one deep, shaky breath before exhaling and letting her eyes lift toward the Soldier before her. The mouth guard was removed and set aside when she got to her feet with a small sway. That sturdy metal arm was there to steady her without hesitation.

Vasily was looking only at Tessa with a raised brow and silence, but his heart felt liked a dying sparrow flopping around against his ribs. He had seen great power before in HYDRA, but he had never seen anything like this up close and personal. Rather than outwardly showing his astonishment, he looked impatient as only a Soviet could. He wanted to know if it had worked as it was supposed to. He'd seen and been shaken by the light show, but he wanted her assurance that all his hard work wasn't going to be shot to shit by a fifteen year old girl. A flat look was given to him followed by a nod. "I need a day to recharge, but I can do it."Vasily felt relief; Tessa felt regretfully powerful; The Winter Soldier felt trepidation of the likes he couldn't remember.

The Colonel nodded his head then addressed the Soldier. "Return her to her room after she gets some food into her." Winter Soldier nodded his head then placed his metal hand gently against Tess' lower back to guide her toward the exit of the room that would lead them to the dining area. He wasn't even tempted by the idea of asking if she was okay or talking to her in general while they were outside of her room.

While she ate, others stared until The Winter Soldier chased them away with a glare of warning like the guard dog he often was with Tessa. She took no notice; this wasn't new behavior around the facility. The Soldier said nothing still. Neither of them did.

When she had finished, The Winter Soldier stood in wait while she threw away her trash and returned her tray to the window. When she was at his side again, he turned to fall into step and bring his hand to its place at the small of her back. The touch was never out of place. He had guided her just like this every time he had watched over her, even as a child when his hand fell between her shoulders rather than the small of her back.

They were both nearly thrumming with nerves by the time they went into her room and he shut the door behind them. Immediately, she sat down heavily onto the edge of her mattress, her eyes lifting toward his. James let go of his mask and fell into the helplessness he felt right then. He made no sound as he crossed to sit beside her, his hand taking hers gently, flesh to flesh.

"I know it's something you have to do, Tess," he began.

"I will hate every second of it, but I will make it as painless as I possibly can," she stopped him, her fingers wrapping desperately against his. "I'm so sorry, James."

The statement and his given name plummeted the room into complete stillness. No one had called him James in a very, very long time, and it pulled at a thread deep within him that threatened to unravel every carefully looped row that made up who he had to pretend to be.

"You have absolutely nothing to apologize for, Tess," he said, his chin tilting downward to get her eyes to find and hold on his for the time being. "I mean it. Your safety is all I care about, and if this ensures it then I will take the punch and roll with it. I will always be there for you with this mind or the other. Always."

"I know you will," she told him. "But that doesn't make me like it any more."

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Posted: 30 July, 2021