@heldentxd liked for a long starter.
nerves stood on end, relaying messages of panic !! of distress !! of a quelled excitement. a loud hiss was in the air, the sound of the airlock releasing to allow the door of her glass prison to open and release the beast within. – the WITCH within. doctors spoke of how she was healed now; as if what had happened to her was simply over now. had they forgotten what h.y.d.r.a. did to her? did they forget that she tried to tear the building apart, chasing after the man who, months before, she claimed to be in love with? her mind was taken from her when she’d been stolen from him. a compromised mission, it had been labeled. little did they know, she was still there — she was still alive, but her actions were controlled by anyone but herself. she could recall the hatred she’d felt towards him, and at the time she had believed it was her own.
they took her in once h.y.d.r.a. released her on them like a pitbull at a dogfight. sedated her then thrust her into the very same enclosure that’d been built to withstand the force of the hulk. there, they began trying to bring her back from the grips of the torture she’d suffered. she’d been wiped clean, just as they’d done to her lover, and used as a weapon. still, with each passing day she’d slowly gotten a grip on herself and had finally been able to see through her own eyes, not through those that h.y.d.r.a. had programmed. it took months upon months of waiting, but the day to release her from her imprisonment had finally come.
she was in the center of her cage as the door opened, but not a step was to be taken by the little witch. fear that the other side of her would return coursed through damaged veins and left her immobile, only to stare through that of the exit before her. she could see him on the other side, her james, but she did not dare to make a move towards him. last time her fingers reached for him, it was to tear the life from his chest — the terror that it would occur again was ever-present within her. when she spoke to him, her voice came as quiet and weary as she could manage whilst fingers entangled with themselves and twisted that of a silver ring upon a finger on the right.
“ —— james, this is not a good idea. ”
freedom could be solid like glass but burst into pieces just as quickly, it was fragile && to be cherished like life itself. it was also taken for granted by most people, their life carefree and anything but driven by control. james buchanan barnes knows how it feels like to be shackled && stripped off entirely. layer for layer, they keep removing who you used to be, manipulating your mind and replacing YOU with someone else. something else. these are the kind of monsters && demons you cannot eliminate, ignore nor even exorcise. once hydra moulded your mind. it sticks with you forever. (he could only feel little comfort that she never experienced decades of wiping && cryo. in the end, everything could have been so much worse.)
"maybe, but I was never known for good ideas anyway."
for someone who almost had been killed by her hands, he was seemingly pliant && at ease, quietly favoured the moment they finally allowed her to achieve some of her freedom again. they would keep an eye on her, something they both know, something he's been through himself, but there's a chance it will be better. time doesn’t heal all wounds, but they will eventually learn how to deal with their inner turmoil. and the soldier knew how strong she could be, both physically && psychologically.
James didn't hesitate once he moved closer towards her, allowing himself to be heard with each further step, (announcing himself,) before he'd stop a couple of inches away from her. neither she, nor anyone else, did deserve to feel crowded and pushed into a corner like some wounded animal.
"let's go home."
and once he removed his attention from her twisted fingers, he locked their eyes, flashing her a smile, relief && hope evident.
