Ivy here.

So, while they were busy getting chased, I was climbing off a motor cycle in front of Cap's apartment building.

I vividly remembered crawling up those steps a couple weeks ago, dripping blood. It still hurt to walk, but I was healing nicely otherwise. Weird. I shouldn't be healing that fast. I got stabbed once, a couple years ago. In a fight. Let's just say it involved a boy with a crush on me with a quick temper and leave it at that.

I'd left my mark on the woodwork, though – some of the floor was noticeably darker than the rest. I swallowed and glanced in the other direction.

We climbed up several flights of steps to Cap's floor.

Agent 13 was just coming out of her apartment with a basket of laundry.

"Hi Kate," said Cap.

"Hi." Her gaze lingered curiously on me. Probably wondering if I was something she'd need to report to S.H.I.E.L.D.

"This is Ivy," he said. "Ivy, this is Kate. The girl you helped in the lobby."

"Hello," I said. "Thank you for that. You saved my life."

"Don't mention it. I think you left your stereo on, Captain Rogers," she said, leaving down the flight of steps.

Cap paused. "Ivy, wait here a minute." He turned to go down the stairs.

"Actually, I think it's safe to go through the door," I said.

"Okay."

He headed inside.

I darted down the stairs. "Agent 13?"

She spun around, nearly dropping the basket. "What?"

"It's… really, ridiculously complicated. And I'm not sure what your clearance level is, so I actually can't tell you. I just wanted to tell you that you'll be needed upstairs in a moment."

She set down the basket on the stairs, staring at me as if I had three heads. Which would actually be less weird than the truth.

That is a really, really depressing thought.

"Um… okay? How do you know Captain Rogers?"

"Unfortunately, that's too long a story for the time we have while we wait."

She regarded me with a very paranoid expression. I tend to bring that characteristic out in people.

A gunshot sounded.

She stared at me for a moment, then ran up the stairs.

I didn't go up. If the Winter Soldier was anywhere even remotely in sight, I did not want him to see me. I'd really prefer not to be killed this soon.

Ariel here.

I really don't see why they had to do it in the middle of the audition. I mean, seriously. Drawing attention to themselves much? I guess they were in a hurry. Or maybe they wanted him to be seen, to send a message to Ivy. I don't know.

The audition went really well. They dismissed me from the stage and told me to wait outside.

I walked out and closed the door. I turned in time for a fist to connect with my face. My head twisted to the side and hit the door. Bright lights flashed in front of my eyes and I slid down.

A hand closed around my throat.

I instinctively pried at my attacker's fingers. My other hand scratched out at his face.

I managed to get a hold on a finger and peeled the hand away from my windpipe. I inhaled deeply and screamed.

He punched me in the face, sending me back against the door. Something flashed in front of my eyes, slicing through my neck.

Footsteps pounded nearby. "What's going on?!" yelled a voice.

The Winter Soldier vanished.

I started to crawl toward the voice. There was dampness on my neck, running everywhere. Yuck.

Miranda here.

We lost our followers pretty easily in the woods, to be honest. The lack of light helped. As did me managing to hit one in the head with a rock.

Even once we thought we were well away, we kept walking. Eventually, morning light began to filter through the tree branches.

"How much farther is it?" I asked.

"No idea."

"Are we lost?"

"No. I just don't know where we are."

"Brilliant. Is there a difference?"

"I'm just heading in the direction I know to head in." He wiped sweat off his forehead. "I think I might have packed too much stuff."

"How many parts and tools did you bring?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Probably not."

He reached out and took my hand. "Don't worry. We planned this out ahead of time for a reason. So now, we just have to keep following the road. And to keep following the road, we have to head south. And we're heading south." He pulled out a compass from the pocket of his jeans. "Yeah, south."

Ivy here.

I had spent countless hours at the hospital as they operated on Director Fury. No matter who came past, no one spoke to me, not even Agent Romanoff when she arrived.

What a mess everything was.

Shouting and footsteps in the hallways caused me to turn around. Someone was rushed past me on a stretcher. Ariel. There was blood all over her pink shirt and an open gash along her throat.

Her gaze fixed on me and her eyes opened fully. She managed two words before they rushed her past – "Winter soldier."

Some little part of me snapped.

Pierce was behind this – I had little doubt of it. I'd already blown my cover as far as what I knew was concerned. And I was ticked off. I marched out of the hospital and walked all the way to the Triskelion for a little chat with him.

Just so I can maintain my history of impulsive, terrible decisions. Really, you'd think I'd have learned by now.