*Please note that all characters belong to Marvel apart from Elliot Dawes who's all rights are retained by me, the author. This is set after Age of Ultron and continues through Civil War*
Trapped. That's how I felt. I had all the resources and funding in the world but I was still trapped. I didn't have the freedom to choose what I created. I couldn't just walk out the building to go get a pint if milk. Everything had to be approved and leaving wasn't an option. What became an exciting opportunity rapidly became an unbearable life. I grew depressed and started hating life. I helped save the world from a dangerous villain yet I'm the one being locked up? The only projects I was allowed to work on was improving the Iron Suit and studying Bruce Banner's DNA (they wouldn't even let me near the Hulk's). It gets rather mind numbing doing the same shit every day: train in the morning, work all afternoon, lie awake in bed hating myself, repeat. I thought things would improve after the Winter Solider arrived and practically took down SHIELD but that was a different story.
"SHIELD no longer exists," I brought up on breakfast.
"I know," Tony said, not looking at me.
"That means I am no longer a prisoner here and can leave," I declared. "I can't be kept here by something that doesn't exist,"
"I am not letting you out there," Tony said with a finality.
"Why not?" I demanded. "This is now kidnap!"
"Tony-," Pepper tried to speak up.
I like Pepper. She's a strong, independent woman who can handle Tony Stark and an entire business. She's always backed my corner, fighting against anyone who said it was a good idea.
"HYDRA are still at large," Tony cut her off. "They'll be on her before she can leave the area let alone the city,"
"You don't know that!" I protested.
"No,"
And that was the word of God. So time went on and SHIELD fell to pieces, The Winter Solider and Captain America almost destroyed Washington DC and I learned how to make a rubber band ball. How exciting. Watching news clips and footage online, I found myself drawn to the Winter Solider. It didn't take me long to find out he was James Buchanan Barnes. Also known as Bucky. It was his metal arm that I found myself most fascinated. I watched the clips if him fighting Steve for the first time over and over again. He used the arm with such ease, as it was just another part of him. It inspired me to work harder with my own metal body part.
I was beginning to grow restless which made things dangerous. I waited patiently for a chance to strike. I secretly developed sleeping powders and other little gadgets that might prove useful in the future. I kept my bag constantly prepped for a sudden departure. It came in the most unexpected way: Ultron. When the Avengers flew out to Sokovia to save the world, I took my chance. I felt terrible for drugging Pepper but I had to get out of here. I kindly made her a cup of coffee on that fateful morning, slipping in the sleeping powder I had developed. I didn't give her too strong a dose, just enough to sneak out. I also slipped a set of car keys into my pocket. She was sitting at the breakfast table, going through more papers to sign. I handed her the coffee with a twinge of guilt. No, now is not the time to feel bad about drugging the only person on your side. I slipped away, hiding behind one of the many pillars in the floor (there is a serious amount of pillars, like is it even necessary?) and waited. I closed my eyes and slowly counted. I reach nine when I heard the clunk of the coffee cup falling from a hand. It rolled across the table and right off the end, smashing quite amazingly. I peeked out, Pepper Potts was slumped in her chair. I crept over to her and made sure she had a pulse. She did. I pulled on my boots and slung my bag across my shoulder. I took and a deep breath and marched to the elevator. The trick about running away is to act like you mean to. No shifty looks or jumping and looking around constantly. You hold your head high and march like you have places to go. In my case it was to the basement. A couple of Stark's cars were kept under one of his many buildings. I clicked the keys and a sporty looking white car beeped. I hurried into it, flinging my bag onto the passenger seat. I buckled up and drove off.
I drove right out the city and I kept driving. I didn't doubt for a second my stunt went unnoticed. I chose to drive through the countryside for a bit, enjoying the sunny weather and the drive off the car. I then drove into the nearest city and abandoned the car in a parking lot, with the keys in it. I took my bag and headed straight for the nearest bus stopped. I hoped buses all day until the evening fell. I then took the last train from the station. I lightly dosed off in my little cubicle of seats. I woke up every now and then, looked around and dosed back off again. I noted every passenger that came and went. Only two men stayed with me until the end. I dived into the train station and headed straight for the bathroom. I changed my clothes and hid my hair underneath a cap. I marched out of the station and to the nearest motel. I stayed there until the first train was due to leave. I spent the next three days jumping from train to train. Sometimes I doubled back on myself, sometimes I just grabbed the first train I came to. I never stayed still for too long. I done that until I eventually reached the USA/Canadian border. It was then I went off the grid. I spent the next few weeks running through the forest, avoiding all civilisation. I lived off the land. I found the experience freeing. I had no one to answer to but myself. It was a wonderful feeling, just running. I hunted, set traps, and learned to survive. This was what living was all about. It was nice to get out the lab, turn off my phone and experience nature in a way no one does these days. I flitted between the USA and Canada, not really paying attention to where I was running. As my second week on the run came to an end I stumbled across a small cabin. It looked like it had been abandoned for a while: the wood was starting to rot, the windows were covered in grim and ivy had crawled up almost all four sides. I had to hoist myself up, clinging to the tiny ledge at the window to see into the cabin. It was a small, cute cabin with everything had made. It looked old and forgotten and rather dreary. It was perfect. It didn't take much effort to barge into it. I put on my little blocker at once: didn't want anyone to track me here. The cabin had two rooms: the living/kitchen area and a bedroom that literally fit a bed and a little floor space for the door to open. I set up some traps to catch a rabbit or something to eat, gathered some planets to heat and started a fire. As I waited on everything to fall into place, I dared to switch my tablet on. I did it briefly for five minutes max: it was a risky thing as it was. The Avengers had saved the world but the world was angry. There was a lot of causalities and cleaning up to do and the Avengers just seemed to disappear. I hoped Pepper wasn't too angry at me.
I spent two days at the cabin and I grew rather comfy there. It was nice to have four walls around me and not worry about being eating by something during the night. I discovered a stream nearby so I had plenty of fresh water to drink and bathe in. it was nice feeling slightly cleaner and having clean clothes again. On the third day, I reluctantly decided to leave. Settling down for too long is just as dangerous as constantly running. I was tempted to send a text to Tony telling him to suck it. But I didn't dare it: he would quickly track my process. So I chose to pack up and run again. I clipped everything together and slung my bag over my shoulders and ran. It was during this run that I ran right into him.
As I ran through the forest I became aware of shouting and yelling in what sounded German or Russian, it was difficult to tell at this rate. But they were angry and they were also running. Panic filled me. I veered violently off the course I was on and began running in another direction. I ran the risk of tripping and badly hurting myself. I kept going however. The fear of being caught pushing my onwards. I was glad I had worked up a good energy that allowed me to run long distances quickly. A gun shot fired too close to comfort. I looked to where it had come from. They were running parallel to me but had yet to notice me. I was about to dive out of the way when something solid slammed into me. We rolled and next thing I know, I was behind a boulder with a strong, leathery smelling hand over my mouth. I froze up completely, the familiar feel of a blade pressing against my skin. Footsteps ran right past us, still yelling in what I believe is Russian now.
"Syuda! Syuda!" a voice yelled.
I could feel sweat trickling down my neck. My chest began heaving as fear began to overtake me. Weeks of hiding and it was about to come to an abrupt end.
"Ne dvigayutsya," a voice hissed in my ear.
I didn't have to understand it to know what it means. I remained as still as a rabbit caught in headlights. A tear rolled down my cheeks. I waited until the voices faded out of my hearing range. I wasn't about to be taken out hiding beneath a rock. I grabbed the arm wrapped over my face and froze: it was metal. I got flung away from him, landing in a heap of dirt. I rolled onto my side and froze. I found myself staring down the barrel of a gun.
"You're arms damaged," I blurted out before I could stop myself.
It was badly bashed and seemed to be sparking slightly. That wasn't a good thing. However, I've faced that sort of trouble myself. I held out my hand to show him I meant no arm.
"Look, I'm unarmed and I don't want to die," I said slowly. "I know a place where we can hide out for a few hours, I'll fix your arm, and then we can go our separate ways."
His blue eyes searched my face, looking for a sign of betrayal, for an excuse to shoot me. I remained perfectly still. I wondered if the man standing before me was The Winter Soldier or Bucky. I suppose there's only one way to find out.
"Okay, I get it, I wouldn't trust me either," I said. "But you have the upper hand: you're stronger and are armed. However we have a common enemy: HYDRA. They're after me too,"
"Why?" he grunted.
His voice was gruff, as if he hadn't used it much. He looked suspicious, his blue eyes narrowing at me, glowering.
"I done a stupid thing," I admitted. "When there's an evil organisation out there trying to take over, I would advise that you don't go creating the serum that turned your neighbour into Captain America,"
I said it, those words. I held my breath. His eyes softened a little, a sort of protective panicked look came over him. He lowered the gun slightly. I was too afraid to march.
"Steve," he breathed, looking away briefly.
Shouts could be heard.
"C'mon!" I said, leaping to my feet. "We gotta go,"
He hesitated before nodding. I turned and led the way back to the cabin.
I pulled out the blocked and put it on the table. Bucky reacted at once, raising his gun.
"I thought you said you weren't armed," he snarled.
"It isn't a weapon, it blocks out any signals coming to or from an area of fifteen feet," I explained. "If your arm has a tracker in it, this will block out the signal until I can destroy it,"
He grunted in response. He sat down, flexing his metal hand. It seemed to twitch and not respond as to how it should, how I've studied it. I took a deep breath and reached into my bag. I pulled out my tool belt and laid it across the table. I sat on the table, a little close to Bucky for comfort.
"May I?" I asked, reaching to the arm.
