Norah clenched her jaw and focused on her breathing. "Do not scream. Do not scream. Do not scream." She chanted in her head, shouting at herself over the sounds of machinery. The metallic whine slowed to a halt, and she sagged in relief - knowing it wouldn't last.

"Now. Try again." the doctor - as she had taken to calling her captor - said.

She focused on the young man trembling in front of her and swallowed. "You're getting sleepy... veeery sleeepy." She intentionally whispered, acting as though she had to croak the words out through parched, cracked lips. He glanced around in confusion, waiting for something to happen, and then sighed when nothing did. Norah glanced up at the doctor and shrugged, "You know, I'm thinking maybe we should set the mood first." She said, still at a soft, raspy whisper. "Some soft music, a few candles - you know, ambiance."

A crony stepped forward and slapped her, hitting her hard enough for her head to ricochet off of the chair back. "Funny" the doctor said "always chattering away, thinking you're so clever. Until I apply the treatment. Then, suddenly, you're so quiet. I wonder why that is." He smirked at her, and nodded to the assistant. "Turn it up - we'll just keep trying until it works again." He said. Norah heard the metallic whine spinning up again, and closed her eyes, clenched her jaw, and focused on a memory that would take her away from here.

She had no idea how long it had been since her capture, but it felt as though these "treatments" the doctors was subjecting her to had been going on for years. She could barely remember a time when she wasn't in pain, or darkness. They had asked her questions at first - injecting her with all sorts of drugs and chemicals, even using radiation therapy of some sort. She had just focused on keeping her mouth shut. It was the only thing she could think to do. She knew that if she opened her mouth, even just to weep or beg, she wouldn't be able to withstand the pain any longer. She would tell them everything she knew - everything she could do. She couldn't do that. They couldn't know that it had worked. She just had to hang on. She didn't know where she was, how long she had been here, or what they were trying to accomplish by these experiments, but she knew one thing: Someone was looking for her. She knew without a doubt that Steve, her brothers (if they knew) Bucky and Sam, maybe even Natasha - they were all coming for her. She knew they wouldn't stop looking, so she refused to stop holding out for them to come. So she closed her eyes and her mouth, and dreamed of home.

Norah felt the pain begin, that screaming, burning sensation liquefying her bones and muscles until she felt like a ball of pure energy. Painful, burning, white hot energy. She stepped inside her mind and closed the door behind her. Norah painted a picture in her mind of her home. Steve was there, smiling at her in that charming, boyish way. The sun was shining in through the window, glinting off of the golden streaks in his hair. From the kitchen she heard laughter and then Bucky and her brothers stepped through the doorway, shoving and kidding each other like highschoolers. Steve reached out and took her hand, and she smiled at him, feeling the warmth of his skin on her palm. They were a family, all of them. Laughter and fellowship were the staples of their lives. She wasn't alone in this world, she had people around her who loved her, and she loved them. Then a sweet little girl came running down the hallway, followed by her mother and leapt directly into Norah's brother's arms shouting "daddy!". Norah smiled, her brothers were home safe, they had families and lives that didn't involve constant danger. The little girl then walked over with a finger in her mouth. "Tell me a story unca Steve" she said with a little lisp. He squeezed Norah's hand before letting go, and then lifted her up into his lap. "Well... what kind of story would you like to hear?" "Wizards! and the Tin Man!" she shouted, bouncing up and down. Steve laughed and caught Norah's eye with a shake of his head. "Ok, Wizards. Again." Then suddenly the smoke alarm in the kitchen started to go off. It was blaring - loudly - with red, flashing lights - Norah jolted out of her hallucination as the machines suddenly cut off. The doctor looked around and began shouting commands in that same language he always used with the others. Men began rushing about, grabbing weapons and heading out the door.

"It seems we might have some unexpected company" the doctor said to Norah. "I hope you don't mind the interruption while I attend to my new guests. Not to worry though, I'll be back shortly, so we can continue our lesson. I'm quite certain my dear, that you are holding something back, but not to worry. I have methods to help you defeat your shyness." With that he turned on his heel and rushed to the door.

Five months since Norah had been taken. Two since they had begun clearing every Hydra base they could locate, but something about this one felt different. Steve knew there was something here - he could feel it. There were more defenses, the base was clearly guarded by troops, not to mention the field Tony was trying to bring down.

"Loki's scepter must be here. Strucker couldn't mount his defense without it. At long last." Thor said.

"At long last is lasting a little long boys" Natasha replied.

"Yeah, I think we lost the element of surprise" Clint said.

As the battle continued, a flash of something caught his eye before he was hit in the legs, his feet flying out from beneath him. Steve was able to flip and land upright, searching the area for whatever hit him. "We have an enhanced in the field." He said grimly. Although he knew this was an added obstacle, it only reinforced his feeling that this base was important. This base might actually hold a clue to where Norah was being held. If she was still ok. He refused to think about the idea that she was gone. Hydra wouldn't have taken all the trouble of kidnapping her if they were just going to kill her, and if they had, they would have let him know. They would have gloated.

No. They were using her for information, he knew it was the only thing that made sense, and if that was the case, he knew she wouldn't tell them anything without a fight. He loved her for it, and hated that it might cause her more pain. The longer he took to find her, the more time they had to try and break her. After what they had done to Bucky, Steve knew they had methods of taking control of someone's mind. He hadn't been able to protect Bucky, but he wouldn't allow that to happen to Norah.

The battle began to wrap up, as he sent Thor to get the injured Barton to the jet and Natasha to get Banner, Steve and Tony infiltrated the base. Meeting that enhanced in the field only strengthened his feeling that this base was important. They were here for the scepter, but he prayed they found more than that.

Steve found Strucker and encountered another enhanced, she packed quite a punch, but he was able to take Strucker into custody. No matter what they threw at him, he wasn't willing to leave. He would search this base from top to bottom until he found the scepter, and then he would search it again until he found something that pointed him toward Norah.

"Help me" Norah rasped out to the other captive - still trembling in front of her. "Untie me - please!" She begged, pulling against her restraints as the sound of the alarm mingled with the sound of explosions and gunfire above them. He shook his head, glancing around them. He moaned slightly, but looked away from her, slowly backing toward the door. Too afraid of what might happen to help her. Or simply too afraid of her. Norah begged once more - "Please! I need your help. Those are my friends up there (she truly hoped they were). They can help us, but you have to let me go." He only shook his head again and began moving away.

Norah took a few steadying breaths, pushing the pain and fatigue of the last few months aside to focus on him, she stopped forcing a raspy whisper, stopped focusing on keeping her voice in check and holding everything in. "Stop" she said. Her voice sounding clearly through the room, and vaguely alien in her ears. The man froze, turning slowly toward her with a vacant look in his eyes. "Untie me. Now." She said - her heart breaking as she saw that it was working. Knowing that she had just chosen her own cause over whatever life this man had. He walked toward her, a soft smile on his face changing to adoration as he drew closer to her. Releasing her from her bonds, he gazed at her, murmuring, pleading, asking her for something in a language she couldn't understand. "Now go home. Forget about me, and live your life as you did before. Be happy. Please." Norah said with a sigh. The man resisted for a moment, looking confused, but then turned and walked toward the door. Never looking back.

Norah took a deep breath, clenched her jaw at the pain, and walked toward the doorway. Toward her freedom.