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[Natasha lets out a slow, soft breath.]

What Winter is talking about... it isn't brainwashing or conditioning. It isn't what was used on us. If I'm understanding right, we'd still be conscious and aware, but... not in control of our bodies.

[Which is horrifying.]

I'm not sure that's true.

[It's a sad thing that he wants it to be, at least then he'd know if he were in control or not.]

I told you the Soldier had been[static]fter meeting the Prophet, I kept hearing voices telling me to give in andstatic]might be able to control us both ways.

[Any of her conditioning or memory blocks being reinstated isn't something she wants to think about, but it's something she has to consider. There's a lot of static in Bucky's message, but she can make it out, at least. Meanwhile, her response cuts in and out again, but it's clear enough to hear that her tone is tense, uncomfortable.]

It's a possibility. If these nanomachines are— and they can control our motor functions and senses, there's no— could affect us psychologically. —latent conditioning could resurface.

[It's just as he fears and suspects. He's not even sure why he called her just to confirm it, but perhaps it's because she's the one person here who might understand the terror of losing himself to programming once more. Not even Steve would understand that.]

I won't be the So[static]kill me if you[static]sorry.

[She understands what he's asking, and she understands exactly why he's asking it. It's something that Clint and Tony certainly couldn't do, would flat out refuse to do, but could she do it? If he was cutting a swath through the town?

She doesn't want to think about it.]

Bucky...

[Natasha doesn't cut in and out this time, at least, so he gets to hear the shaky little breath she takes.]

I won't let you hurt anyone.

[It's something he would never even ask Steve to do, because he knows Steve wouldn't have it in him to take him out if it became necessary. He doesn't want to die, he's not suicidal. He's going to fight this programming as long as he possibly can.

But if he ends up the Soldier again. If it's the choice between taking him out and letting him kill more people, he knows what the right choice is.]

Thank you.

[It's softer, warmer, than his voice has been before here.]

And I'm sor[static]efore. I was wrong, I know you and Tony only wanted to help and I[static].

It's alright. We were being pushy. We shouldn't have—

[She cuts out, and there's a pause this time, only a second or so. When the audio cuts back in, her voice is quieter, gentler.]

How are you doing?

[He appreciates her willingness to forgive him and accept some of the blame, even if she is just a hallucination caused by the programming. Though the question is perhaps the stupidest one he's ever heard.

How is he doing?

When they're all probably in the midst of being programmed, mind controlled, and altered. When Steve died such a short time ago right in front of his eyes. When he can't even most his left arm any longer and the pain from the skin sloughing off is constant. He actually snorts, pushed too far beyond fear for any genuine response, and replies in a dry tone.]

Never better, this place is like an endless vacation. You?

[Natasha smiles a little. Bucky gets the gallows humor, at least, and it puts her more at ease.]

Perfect. Every day is a gift. I'm especially enjoying the complete lack of information I'm dealing with.

Information is overrated.

[He hesitates on carrying this on, on prolonging a conversation with someone who might not even be real.]

Natas[static]rophet too?

[Natasha lets out a little huff of a laugh. Information has always been her greatest weapon, considering she's not a crazy super soldier, a god, or a web-slinging nerd, and now she's utterly without it. It's funny in a terrible way.]

What? I only caught "prophet".

[There's a smaller hiss of static, but it's just Bucky sighing. It was hard enough to ask the first time.]

Do you hear shadows telling you to kill the Prophet too?

[Tell him that he's not the only one.]

Yes.

[So it's not his programming, at least.]

I don't know much about the Prophet. From what I've gathered, her name was Sam, and [More static. Great!] She must have seen something she wasn't supposed to.

I think she might have had something to do with when I was triggered. I saw her in a dream.

[Or, at least, a weird thing calling itself the Prophet.]

Can you be more specific? What did she say?

[He thinks for a second, trying to order in his head what was real.]

She said to find the centre of the spiral, nothing that[static]before.

[Strange. Admittedly, she doesn't know enough about how his programming works specifically, but she can't imagine it would be triggered by something so simple. It must have been something else, or something in conjunction with his conversation with the prophet.]

I don't know. [static] affect the nanomachines. We don't have enough information.

[Information really is the sticking point here, he feels her frustration on that keenly.]

We need to find their base of operations.

"Underground" is the only lead we really have. I've been trying to organize some of the others to get those trapdoors open.

We need to try another way.

[Perhaps blasting through from the tunnels that are already underground?]

If you have any suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them.

I know people find bleach and similar things sometimes.

[He doesn't spell it out, because they're obviously being monitored, but Natasha is a spy. She should know bleach makes a good homemade bomb.]

I'm not sure that's the way to go. We've been told there are rules.

[Does that sound bitter? Totally.]

I'm not inclined to follow their rules.

I'm not inclined to potentially put others in danger needlessly. Tony tried to jailbreak his tablet, and we were attacked by an anomaly right afterwards.

[And then Clint died. Oops.]

It could be a coincidence, or it could be retaliation.

(no subject)

advanced - 2016-09-21 18:21 (UTC) - Expand