He ran through the twisting halls of the Hydra facility, quickly dispatching anyone who stood in his way. He had to get to her before they killed her or worse, wiped her. He hoped she would be in the same room he last saw her in, before everything went to shit. He rounded one last corner and crashed through the door, using his shoulder to bear the brunt of the fall. He came face to face with Gordon Brown, Hydra's new director. Gordon stood casually leaned against his desk picking his fingernails with the tip of a knife. He made eye contact and smiled.

"Well we meet again." Before Gordon could continue, he was cut off

"Where is she?" Gordon raised an eyebrow.

"Where is who James?"

"You know damn well who I'm talking about. So stop playing coy." James growled.

"Could you possibly mean .?" Gordon questioned. James remained silent.

"Well then let's bring her out." Gordon spoke into a radio and soon another two men burst through the door dragging something behind them. No not something, James realized, but someone. Tatijana. She was thrown to the ground in front of Gordon, unmoving. Gordon crouched beside her and lifted her head up. He turned it to look at James. Her eyes were swollen shut and a trail of dried blood went from her nose to her mouth, it very well could've been a cut. Her face was littered with them. Something was off about her appearance and it wasn't the fact that she was covered with cuts and bruises. She wasn't breathing.

"Look what happens when you betray us Winter Soldier. This is the price you pay." Gordon's voice dropped a few octaves.

"I won't be the one paying." James growled back with an equally deep voice. He tried to pull a knife from his sheath, but the two men who had brought Tatijana in grabbed his arms and held him in place. Gordon dropped Tatijana's head and walked over to James. James noted the sickening thud her head made as it collided with the concrete. Gordon pulled the knife James was going to pull out of its sheath and held it against James' throat.

"Watch yourself boy." He warned before tossing the knife far away and exiting the room. James quickly dispatched of the guards holding him with a kick to ones knee and using his gun to take care of both of them. He rushed over to Tatijana and listened for a breath. Next he felt for a pulse. None.

"No. No. No. No. No." He breathed. He was too late. He failed his mission. Without thinking, he gathered her up in his arms and held her close to him. She was beginning to grow cold. He failed her. He failed Tatijana. Sweet, innocent, little Tatijana. The one who gave him a second chance. He held her close and let out a scream of frustration. Why did Hydra have to take everything from him? One thing was for sure. Gordon Brown would pay, as well as every single Hydra agent out there. He let out another scream. He gently placed Tatijana back on the floor and stood. He walked over to the door and punched it open.

"Woah. James. No need for the arm swinging. It's just me. Tat. Wake up." Tatijana said. James opened his eyes and took in the familiar surroundings. The white walls. His alarm clock on the table. The desk. The familiar bookcase holding barely any books. He flopped over and saw Tatijana standing by the bed, a worried look in her tired eyes. She was still in her sweater and sweat pants, meaning he had woken her up.

"What time is it?" James croaked. Tatijana- or Tat as she had said he could call her- checked her watch and gave a small smile.

"2:30. You made it about 4 hours. That's good."She tried to hide a yawn behind one of her hands

"4 hours is good enough for me. Go get some more sleep Tat." he instructed.

"Are you sure you don't need anything? You good?" James nodded and got out of bed. He gently steered her out of his room, and down the hall to her room.

"Get some rest Tat." James said, mainly to himself for Tat was fast asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. With Tat asleep, James pondered his dream. He stationed himself on the wall outside Tat's bedroom and thought.