𝐇𝐄 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇. It was the sole thought on his mind as he silently pleaded and begged for his suffering to end. However, his skull vibrated once more as his tormentors continued their experiment once his vitals settled.

His hands trembled as his body spasmed, but even the slight movement was agonizing as the pins that kept him restrained tore at his muscles with every twitch. He would have screamed, but he'd torn his vocal chords just twelve hours earlier when the session of torture had begun. He couldn't remember how many sessions he'd experienced and lived through, but that wasn't the end of his memory issues. Events of the past week merged and twisted to be unrecognizable. He could feel his mind going numb, turning to mush with each passing second. Although currently mute, he mentally repeated the only phrase that he'd uttered since being brought into the damned room.

< David Barnes. Lieutenant. 12557241. >

However, with each time that he repeated the phrase, he remembered it less and less. The sound of each syllable started to slur, growing less and less comprehensible. It would only be a matter of time until his entire identity would be lost and his mind would be submissive to his captors.

A hushed whisper of tongues foreign to his own echoed around the room, jeering and taunting him in his hour of misery. Suddenly, a switch flipped in his mind and his sense of sanity was thrown out the window. The pain became too much and his eyes rolled back inside his head as he started to convulse on the table.

The Russian scientists quickly gathered around the metal slab that acted as a table, rushing to stabilize their project's vitals before his heart gave out or his mind spasmed from an aneurysm. Despite the failures of their other test subjects, this one had proven his ability to survive where others hadn't. It was the closest they'd come to successfully replicating the original Winter Soldier, and they weren't willing to give that up so easily.

A defibrillator was rolled out on a crash cart as a safety precaution, but there was no intention of using it as the scientists jabbed a syringe into his forearm, injecting the first dosage of serum. The soldier's fever spiked, matting his hair down against his forehead while his shaking limbs grew more violent.

From beyond the crude laboratory, behind the one-way window, a small group of highly decorated war officers watched the experiment with great interest. Hedda Vogel, HYDRA's Red Queen, tilted her head and her laughter chittered in reply to something said. Although she wouldn't consider herself fluent in Russian, she understood enough of the language to thrive in the environment. Which worked in her favor since her eyes hadn't left the figure of a young lieutenant quickly rising through the ranks of the Soviet Union.

"Stárshiy Leytenánt Dreykov." With a bat of an eyelash, she summoned the man to follow after her. He briefly looked inconvenienced as he was called away from the demonstration, but she implied it would be worth his while as she curled a finger, drawing him closer. He followed her down the hall where they might converse in private, but she only broke the silence of the wall once she knew they were absolutely alone.

"I heard word that your predecessor's Leviathan project had been terminated," she admitted with a hint of sorrow in her tone. It quickly changed as she made note of another rumor she'd heard floating around. "But I've also heard that you're on to something greater."

Dreykov remained silent, allowing her to speak, but it was clear that her flattery had piqued his interest. She waved a hand to clear any confusion as she laid the foundation for the proposal she had in mind. "You see... today's test is only the tip of the iceberg. We're expecting an army of super-soldiers before the end of the year. I would like to propose a partnership of sorts."

Dreykov stroked his chin in thought before nodding his head. "What did you have in mind?"

"HYDRA would be willing to share the serum in exchange for borrowing a few of your widows... that is what you've been calling them, ja?" She paused just long enough to take a step closer, walking her fingers across his shoulder blades to further achieve her desire. "Imagine the benefits you could reap from such benefits. You're already well on your way to a promotion of General... why stop there?"

With his ego stroked, his eyes glistened with a power-hungry look she knew well. She'd seen it far too much on her sweet Johann's face before it was ultimately his downfall. Looking in the mirror, she'd caught the feverish look in her own eyes once or twice. The nod of his head was slow at first, a sense of composure and self-control that was quickly lost as the lieutenant extended his hand, eager to draw up a contract.

Her lips curled into a twisted smile as she accepted the gesture, offering a sole but firm shake before opening the door to lead him back to the demonstration. Perhaps it had been hasty to arrange such decisions before knowing for certain that this test had been a success, but it was a risk she was willing to make, too confident for her own good.

Having rejoined the other military officials, Hedda folded her hands across her lap and watched as her scientists injected another dose of the serum into the soldier's arm. She could make out every wrinkle of anguish that contorted across his face as his body convulsed and writhed along the table. Slowly, she lifted a hand to hide the sick, masochist grin that spread across her face watching the pain that had afflicted her for so long finally be expressed through another being.

Pain defined their generation, and she would ensure that pain continued to spread across the world until she set fire to the atmosphere. Whereas most of HYDRA wanted to control the world, she had a deep seated desire to watch everything around her burn. She closed her eyes, imagining screams of agony to fill the silence then took a deep breath, lowering her hand to reveal her gleaming smile that broke with depraved laughter.

The world was going to burn... and David J. Barnes was going to carry the torch for her.