[His metal hand opened, letting shattered glass dance on the table, and aside from a few demons looking over to investigate the sound, no one cared much for the drama unfolding in their small corner of the loud room. He could certainly use one as a weapon, could quite easily have one in hand and slashing at Rumlow's throat before the man might teleport away from him. He could stab him over and over, try to force the programming back inside of him, but he knew it was futile.
Rumlow had broken free. His commander was stepping away from the mold that had made them both, had the strength of character and somehow had been undermining that programming that he knew must be there to keep Rumlow in check. All this time in Hell, Rumlow had been hating HYDRA for abandonment, had been tugging him along on the road that he thought was the one that he was expected to follow because Rumlow was his commander, was in control of the ideals that they had to serve. All this time, and Rumlow had been pulling free of it all.
His commander's words struck him almost like knife strokes, opening him up. It was blasphemous. There was always HYDRA, he thought, even if he struggled against the idea. HYDRA was in his head, was stamped into his bones, but he was dead and couldn't hope to function at the level in which he had been made.
And Rumlow had Kenzi, Chase to a degree, was safely and clearly functional without HYDRA. Rumlow could continue on with Chimera, but certainly wasn't beholden to it. He had programming and no memories.
Maybe he really did deserve to be in Hell.]
All those plans... everything we talked about regarding Brimstone. The recruitment speeches, the weapon gathering, the finding appropriate allies to help us... was that all a lie? Was everything I tried to do for you for an ideal you already abandoned and only now am telling me? HYDRA is...
[What? HYDRA is what? His brain seemed to jam, unable to piece together the words to finish the sentence even for himself. Seventy years. Was this what it felt like to have his programming come apart?]
no subject
Rumlow had broken free. His commander was stepping away from the mold that had made them both, had the strength of character and somehow had been undermining that programming that he knew must be there to keep Rumlow in check. All this time in Hell, Rumlow had been hating HYDRA for abandonment, had been tugging him along on the road that he thought was the one that he was expected to follow because Rumlow was his commander, was in control of the ideals that they had to serve. All this time, and Rumlow had been pulling free of it all.
His commander's words struck him almost like knife strokes, opening him up. It was blasphemous. There was always HYDRA, he thought, even if he struggled against the idea. HYDRA was in his head, was stamped into his bones, but he was dead and couldn't hope to function at the level in which he had been made.
And Rumlow had Kenzi, Chase to a degree, was safely and clearly functional without HYDRA. Rumlow could continue on with Chimera, but certainly wasn't beholden to it. He had programming and no memories.
Maybe he really did deserve to be in Hell.]
All those plans... everything we talked about regarding Brimstone. The recruitment speeches, the weapon gathering, the finding appropriate allies to help us... was that all a lie? Was everything I tried to do for you for an ideal you already abandoned and only now am telling me? HYDRA is...
[What? HYDRA is what? His brain seemed to jam, unable to piece together the words to finish the sentence even for himself. Seventy years. Was this what it felt like to have his programming come apart?]