Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers, its content, or any of its characters. I am not making any money, nor do I intend to, off of this story or any of its chapters.

A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to update, but thank you all so much for the reviews and follows!


Cold

The dark eyes staring ahead unnerved Eva the few times she had to enter the room; they were like ice. Unchanging, stone-like orbs burned an imaginary hole through her. Bryn sat, her gaze transfixed on the other woman until she looked away in discomfort, determined to make the woman understand the monster she had unleashed when she had returned to the room to take her anger out upon her. Burns from cigarettes discolored the flesh around her left eye, bruises were starting to appear on her upper body, and the blood running down her face from the cut on her nose was staining her clothing.

"Tell me something, Eva." She grinned. "Do you think you've won? Managing to kidnap me, beat me, burn me...do you really think it's going to make a damn bit of difference?"

Eva glared back at her.

"Does it sting? Does it get under your skin, knowing, that everything you're doing is for nothing?"

"It is not for nothing!" Eva's scream echoed across the room. "Our children should be able to live in peace, without having to compete with those who don't belong here for what is rightfully theirs!"

"The only people who don't belong here, Eva, are people like you. The world is moving forward. Borders are being broken down. You can't hide behind the lies you've been told anymore; you're old enough to know better."

The woman spat at her feet and strode out of the room.


Steve maneuvered around the building with ease, but Natasha was much more subtle getting in without being noticed. Already having rendered two guards unconscious, the pair knew they'd have to act relatively quickly to avoid any more harm coming to the person they were trying to save. The Black Widow was checking one side of the building, while the Captain checked the other. Splitting up during a rescue operation would normally be risky, but the people they were dealing with were much less dangerous than those they'd faced in the past. He tried to push past the sick, sinking feeling in his stomach when he thought about his friend being hurt because of him, and attempted to focus on the task at hand.


"I don't want anyone moving her unless the Captain is willing to take her place!" Eva yelled. "He's here! You keep that gun pointed on her and don't move it. If he resists or tries to take her out of here, without taking her place, kill her. And don't hesitate."

The man holding the gun scowled at Eva's back as she left. This wasn't part of their plan. Hell, kidnapping someone and holding them hostage wasn't even part of the plan. He heard the hostage laugh a little and he looked down at her.

"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you." He muttered.

"Why not? Everything about this situation is completely unexpected. Run into some trouble?"

"Guess so, or I wouldn't be here."

"Hm...Well, you're in a bit of a pickle now. You know this isn't going to end well for anyone involved."

"No. It isn't." His blue eyes betrayed how nervous he was and Bryn saw right through him.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Seems kind of impolite, you pointing a gun at my head and not at least introducing yourself. I promise I won't remember when my brain is splattered all over the floor."

"It's Carlisle." He frowned. "Yours? If I'm going to shoot someone, I'd like to know who it is."

"Bryn." She smiled. "Thanks for making the experience a little more...personal."

"...I never wanted this to happen, you know. Sure, we were protesting and organizing, but...this is not what I signed up for. I don't want people hurt. And I don't want to be either." He paused. "I went along with this because Eva threatened to go after my wife if I didn't. She's pregnant, you know. 6 months along."

Glancing into Carlisle's eyes, she could see he was sincere about his statement.

"That isn't right. And I'm sorry, for what it's worth. Even if we don't agree on things, even if you stand for everything I'm against, you're still a human being...I have no children. I have no family. I don't want to die, but...you do what you have to."

Carlisle was taken aback and turned his head away, not able to look into his hostage's eyes. The candidness there felt like a knife in his chest and he didn't deserve her kindness.

"I can't do this." He muttered.

"You have family. It's okay. I understand. And for what it's worth...I forgive you. Don't let it weigh heavy on your conscience. Just go forward and try to do better for yourself, and your family, if you get out of this okay."

Tears fell down the older man's face and he rested a hand on Bryn's shoulder. His graying hair and crow's feet, coupled with the anguished expression he wore, did little to hide the fact that he had aged quickly in this line of work. The sound of a crying girl snapped both of the room's occupants to attention as Willow was forced into the room by her mother. She looked ahead at Carlisle and Bryn, her bright blue eyes displaying how terrified she was. Bryn felt her heart in her throat, as she watched Eva grab Willow and hold her tightly against her, a Colt .45 pressed to the back of the little girl's skull.

"Carlisle has always been a little hesitant in his line of work." Eva scowled. "I'm going to make this decision a little more simple for you, Carlisle. If, at any point the Captain refuses to cooperate, and you hesitate, Willow dies. I won't just go after your wife. I need to make sure you'll do your job and do it right. We can't fail this time."

Bryn looked at Willow and finally caught the small girl's attention. She nodded to her, her eyes trying to display that everything would work out, that she wouldn't be harmed, even if she wasn't entirely sure what would happen within the next few minutes. She hoped, against all odds, that the child would not be harmed, even if she herself didn't walk out of the room. Willow kept her sight on Bryn as her sobbing died down. The young child wasn't sure why this supposedly dangerous stranger was so comforting, but she'd take her over her own mother any day at this point.

When Natasha found that the large ducts connected rooms together rather nicely, she was quick to climb into them and use them as a way to move about the building. She had heard the raised voices of a woman she presumed was Eva Voss. Her suspicions were confirmed when she arrived directly above the room Bryn was being kept in. The holes in the grate were large enough to aim her Glock 26 through, and within seconds she had a clear shot. She could take out Eva without hurting the child, but that did nothing to solve the issue of the man with the gun pointed at Bryn's head.

Hearing footsteps from the hall after what sounded like several people being thrown around, Natasha was certain Steve had found the same room she did. That added another element that could potentially go wrong, but at the very least, there would be another trained combatant in the room.

"Steve! They're armed!" Bryn yelled.

Carlisle clamped him hand hard down on her shoulder, forcing her to wince in pain. It was harsh enough to silence her, but not enough to seriously hurt her; a silent message to keep quiet, as he knew how unstable Eva was. As Bryn's head turned upward, she just noticed Natasha's figure aiming toward Eva.

'She won't take out Eva with Carlisle still here. It's too risky. And if Steve gets in here, they might hurt him.'

She quickly turned her gaze toward the door, feigning an alarmed state to avoid anyone catching on to the Widow's presence. Eva began to speak just as the door started to open, but Bryn wasn't paying any attention to her, more focused on the task at hand.

"I'm sorry about this, Carlisle. Drop your gun, okay?"

Carlisle had a split second to look confused before Bryn threw her head back with all the strength she could muster, slamming her skull into his groin. As soon as he dropped his weapon, she brought her foot down onto it to stop it from going anywhere. Natasha took her shot and Eva's body fell to the floor. Carlisle, seeing the formidable looking man enter the room, backed himself up to the wall behind him, hands in the air.

Willow looked stunned, as if she were in shock as the Captain stood in the doorway and Natasha kicked the grate open and dropped into the room. Her eyes were brimming with tears looking at the body of her mother.

"Willow...don't look, little one. Come here." Bryn spoke as softly as she could manage, her voice rough from exhaustion and lack of water.

The small girl slowly stumbled over to Bryn and wrapped her tiny arms around her leg. Bryn rested her head on top of hers.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. It's going to be okay..."

Willow clung to her as if her life depended on it. As Steve broke the chains binding Bryn, the little girl looked up at him.

"Are you Captain America?" She began, still crying. "You don't look like a monster at all."

Steve was taken aback and Bryn shook her head as she wrapped her arms around the little girl, still stiff from being in one position for so long, but wanting to offer what little comfort she could.

"He's not, Willow. He's a really nice man, I promise. The sweetest you'll ever meet. And he's here to make sure nothing bad happens to you, or to me. I am so sorry. We're going to fix this, somehow."

Natasha called in one of S.H.I.E.L.D's medical teams to transport Bryn to Stark Tower. She knew Stark had an excellent medical facility on-site for the team and since Bryn technically wasn't a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, there wasn't much of a reason for her to go the any of their medical facilities. She watched as Steve had one arm around Bryn, who was holding onto Willow tightly. Carlisle had been handcuffed and was awaiting transport, silently sitting beside the wall, watching the scene with a torn expression; a mix between relief and sadness.

"I'll see you all back at the tower. I'll take care of the clean-up on this one." Natasha spoke.

Steve just nodded and pulled his arm a little tighter around his friend. Bryn finally loosened up and leaned into him a little, closing her eyes and taking comfort in the fact that she, and the child she was holding, were finally safe.

"I don't think you know how happy I am to see you right now." She muttered.

"Trust me, the feeling is mutual."