Hey, everyone! I think this is late! You all deserve this much sooner, but things are going slow. Finals week is approaching very quickly, and I'm trying to keep up with everything. I have great plans for this series. We'll see how long it goes. Anyways, I'm introducing a new character briefly in this chapter, and also you'll get more of the "Bride". Happy reading! :D

Remember to come check out my tumblr page: mariahills-capsicle. I'll be posting my new Captain Hill fanfic there, one chapter per day during Captain Hill week!

Thanks for reading!

-randomblueboots


The Capitol

2100R (UTC-5)

16JUN2012

"Fuck this shit." Clint groaned, pulling back an arrow for the millionth time in an hour. He stared down the shaft, he could fire at any moment, but once again he decided against it. The Bride was moving towards the Hydra barracks, and Clint followed silently. He was pissed. I'm going to fucking kill Fury when I'm done with this. He hadn't really ever been so conflicted about a mission. He assumed it was he whole killing thing. Fury had never made him do such a thing before. Though he was not a stranger to killing, he was no assassin.

He followed the Bride down the hallways of the barracks to her own room. There he waited outside her door, unsure of what to do. He could hear her clearly now, the walls were paper thin. She started out by speaking in English with a thick Russian accent.

"They're going to kill me." She whispered. "How can I follow orders from someone that I know could kill me any instant. It's madness." There was a bang as she kicked something and Clint flinched. "I have to leave." She whispered. I can't let her escape, dammit. Clint thought. I need to follow my orders. But the more he thought about it the more he had a gut feeling that it was the wrong thing to do. He groaned, wondering what to do when the answer came to him as he heard rustling. The Bride was packing what she had. She was trying to leave. Clint stood and quietly slipped into her room.


Labor District

2135R (UTC-5)

16JUN2012

"You're in trouble now." Sam smirked.

"Yes, he's in 'trouble'!" Major Hill gasped. "Rogers, you endangered the whole mission!"

"You're right, I'm sorry, it was a mistake."

"You're lucky Stark's such a genius idiot, or we would have been thrown out, or worse: arrested!" Hill snapped.

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

"You better make sure it doesn't, because we're going back tomorrow." Hill said. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, yanking off her bracelets and shoving them in her purse. "Goodnight!" She marched off down the hall towards Fury's office, her heels tapping on the metal floor.

"How does it feel, knowing that you've been granted a second date with Major Maria Hill?" Sam laughed. Steve rolled his eyes.

"Right now? Not so good."

"You know Maria can take care of herself. You didn't have to defend her in front of Stark." Sam said. Steve frowned, thinking. He didn't know what had come over him. He just didn't want Tony Stark anywhere near Major Hill. The thought made him angry. He knew full well that Hill could take care of herself, just like Peggy.

"I know." He nodded.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Sam asked as they moved back into the elevator.

"I think... Hill's right. I really shouldn't be out on field. Not so soon after coming back." He muttered, "But it's my duty. So... In my spare time I'm going to pray." He whispered. "Pray that I'll be able to adjust to this while still working."

"Sometimes diving in is the only way to get used to the water temperature." Sam said.

"And sometimes you just find out you really can't swim." Steve replied. "I've got to be careful with this. It's all just so overwhelming- waking up 70 years later and finding out the world is the same and just so different all at once."

"I understand." Sam nodded. "Rest as long as you need."

"Thanks."


The Capitol

2200R (UTC-5)

16JUN2012

The Bride froze and Clint crossed his arms. She was the first to speak, slowly turning towards him with a glare, her green eyes filled with defiance.

"Are you here to kill me?" She hissed in her thick Russian accent.

"I guess that all depends on you." Clint shrugged. "See, I was sent to kill you, but not by Hydra. I'm going to be honest with you, I really don't want to kill you." The Bride smirked.

"That's hilarious."

"I know you want out." Clint said, ignoring her comment. "I'm here to help."

"How exactly could you help me?" She asked.

"What's your plan? You just gonna run out of the city, without being caught and shot down?"

"I could do it." She said. "If you know anything about me you know that I could."

"Yes, but they'll be expecting it, won't they? You have no where to hide."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Let me help you. I know a place you can hide."

"How will this benefit you?" She asked.

"If you disappear my boss will believe I've done my job." Clint said. "I don't want to kill anyone. If you let me help you you'll be helping me avoid it." She hesitated.

"You're with SHIELD."

"I am." Clint nodded.

"I can't trust anyone. Not even you." The Bride said.

"I know. I understand." He sighed, "I can't trust you. No one can trust anyone. But sometimes we don't have a choice."

"I could kill you right now." She threatened.

"You know I don't doubt it." He replied. "Just do me a favor and don't make me shoot you, and please don't kill me. We can help each other." She narrowed her eyes, considering. Then nodded slowly.

"We must be careful what we say in here." She whispered. "Show me where we must go... Mr..."

"My name's... Andrew. Agent Andrew McGregor." Clint held out his hand and she took it firmly. He could feel the power in her grip.

"Natalie Rushman." She's lying, but she probably knows you're lying too.

"Nice to meet you. Lets get out of here."


The Labor District

0830R (UTC-5)

17JUN2012

Steve was up early again, as usual, but he lay in his bed staring up at the metal ceiling above him. Nightmares had plagued him in the night again, and he hadn't gotten much sleep. What am I doing? I don't belong on the field. Not any more. That's not what Peggy and I wanted. He knew both of them had dreamed of a coming peace, a time when they could return home and be happy. He had woken up from sweet dreams of the future to the nightmare that was reality. He had nearly compromised the mission yesterday, and it had been all for upholding old values- values that even some people looked down on in the forties. This is a world I know nothing about. He thought. What am I doing on field when I could easily compromise the mission by not knowing how to open some sort of fancy door.

Steve pulled himself out of bed and stared at his small wardrobe. He only had a few pairs of clothes- very simple, his Captain America uniform was hanging with his other things, and lastly, his army uniform, with all it's medals and pins. He stared at the brown uniform, remembering the past, remembering his friends. My friends are all dead. He thought. He wondered what they were thinking now, as he reached out for the uniform, and held the sleeve in his hand. He sighed, and turned away from it, grabbing one of the two normal outfits- a pair of jeans, and a long sleeve green t-shirt. After he was dressed he decided he needed to go for a walk. He had only just found his way to the elevator when someone shouted out his name.

"Captain Rogers!" A tall, dark haired man, who looked like he had some sort of Middle-eastern heritage, came running up behind Steve. He was wearing a long white lab coat, and had a stethoscope around his neck and had a clipboard held tightly in his hand. "I'm Dr. Jacobs. I'm sorry about all this nonsense. I've just been informed by Agent Wilson that you're back on field, which is completely unacceptable."

"I agree, Dr." Steve said, shaking the the man's hand. "Though, I don't think anyone has much of a choice, from what I've learned."

"No, no, that's true. What I'm saying is that I never got to examine you after you woke up. It's not exactly safe for you to be on field when we don't know if anything is functioning properly. Frankly, it's a miracle you're even alive after being frozen like that."

"An exam?" Steve asked.

"Yes, just a routine exam, Captain. Major Hill told me you don't have to be back on field until tonight, so, if now works for you, it works for me."

"Of course!" Steve nodded. "Lead the way." Dr. Jacobs led him into the elevator and pressed the button for Level Three- which was labeled as the lab sector. The huge elevator moved down, and there was a "DING" as it reached the second floor and let someone on.

"Good morning, Doctor!" The figure said cheerfully as he stepped into the elevator. He was a young man, with light brown hair. He wore a white lab coat as well, and had his hands in his pockets.

"Henry!" Dr. Jacobs smiled. "How are you?"

"I'm alright. Just going down to the lab. I've got to finish the last touches on the belt."

"Right, your crazy experiments." Henry, whoever he was, laughed. Then he looked up at Steve.

"Ah! I'd heard a rumor, but hadn't quite believed it. You must be Captain Steven Rogers." He held out his hand and Steve took it firmly.

"It's nice to meet you Mr..."

"Doctor Pym, but please call me Hank. Jacobs here refuses. I think he just wants to annoy me." The elevator came to a stop again at the lab level, and all three of them stepped off.

"Where do you work, Dr. Pym?" Steve asked. Pym sighed,

"Hank, please. I'm a biochemist."

"Henry discovered a new particle, which he named after himself-"

"That's an incorrect statement, I let Janet name it."

"Pym particles theoretically allow you to shrink and grow in size at will- if their power is harnessed correctly." Dr. Jacobs explained.

"Theoreti-? It's not theoretical!" Hank sighed, "I've seen it happen, you and I both know Jan's powers are given by Pym Particles- partly... I'm just finishing up my design, and I'll be able to do exactly what I've always wanted to do."

"Study the environment at a little bit of a closer viewpoint." Dr. Jacobs finished.

"Exactly."

"Well, Captain Rogers and I have to go. He needs a routine exam before he goes out on field again."

"Your work sounds very intriguing, Dr. Pym."

"It's Hank. Thank you, Captain, it really is. I hope we'll meet again soon."

"As do I, good luck with the final parts of your... experiment."

"Thank you. Good luck with your mission tonight."

"I'll definitely need it."


The Labor District

0900R (UTC-5)

17JUN2012

Clint stepped over to where the red-haired assassin was sleeping and carefully set the mug of coffee down on his old coffee table. He hadn't been in his old apartment since he'd joined SHIELD as a field agent. Before, he'd spent the nights here when he was just doing paperwork. Now it was too dangerous. He turned to walk away, but stubbed his toe on the coffee table leg.

"Dammit!" In two seconds Natalie Rushman had him pinned to the ground.

"Don't move!" she hissed in her thick, Russian accent.

"Nat..." He gasped, "...alie!"

"If you're here to kill me, scum, than too bad. I've spent all my life in a prison cell. I'm not going to waste the rest of it dead because of Hydra idiots like you."

"Nat...It's... I'm not... Hydra."

"Shut up!" she dug her knee into his back and he groaned.

"Don't you remember?... Last... night... you wanted out." The pressure on his back lessened. She's thinking. Why can't she remember? Hydra did horrible things to many people, maybe they had hurt Natalie's head more than he thought they had.

"Who are you?" She snapped.

"My name is... My name is Clinton Francis Barton." He choked. "And I... I work with SHIELD." She remembers. I just need to prove that I'm trustworthy. I have to tell her the truth. She slowly lessened the pressure on his back, and then stood up, stepping away from him. She was wearing a pair of his sweats as pajama pants and one of his blue t-shirts. He rolled over slowly to look up at her, groaning. She collapsed in the dusty chair behind her.

"You're telling the truth." She said. "About your name."

"I need you to trust me. I'm putting my life on the line by saving your life, you know." He said as he lay on the floor, staring up at her beautiful green eyes. "You could kill me... Nick Fury could kill me...Hydra could kill me..."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen. I think... I think that some of the hold Hydra has always had over me is still there."

"Did Hydra brainwash you, Natalie?" Clint asked. She was silent for a moment, and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I don't know." Then she paused. "Your name really is Clinton?"

"Yeah..." He laughed, his voice a little hoarse.

"My real name isn't Natalie Rushman."

"I figured."

"I want to trust you too, Clinton."

"Please, call me Clint." There was a long pause. "If this is going to work, Natalie, until you leave, we're going to need to trust one another. We're going to need to tell each other the truth and only the truth." Natalie looked down at him, tucking a strand of her red curls behind her ear.

"I don't know if I can do that." She whispered.


I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I HAD TO BRING IN HANK! Hank and Janet are some of my favorite characters, and definitely one of my favorite couples in Marvel. They are founding members of the Avengers, so they will be returning later in the story for sure! :D

I still don't have any form of outline written for this story, so we're just going with the flow right now. Hang in there guys! And remember: I LOVE getting reviews, they're the best, so leave me comments and suggestions! I love them all.