A/N: Thank you for all of your kind reviews on the previous installment! Love to you all! Hope you're all staying safe!

"We can go to cops now?"

Lucy scoffs over here friend's suggestion, standing at the subway;

"Are you kidding?! Really!"

The elder of the two reaches into her pockets, scrambling to locate a debit card that is inevitably missing.

Izabella glares with a tilted head, her palms up to avoid the pain that occurs for each clench. Lucy pops her lips, diffusing they situation with a joke;

"You look like you're praying."

The younger retorts back, "Yes. Praying for patience."

Lucy throws her hands and pivots around the area, head down looking for stray coins. Izabella shakes her head;

"So, we have no money..."

Lucy grabs her head dramatically;

"Oh my god. I've never been broke in my entire life! What the heck do we do?! What is that even like. We need to sell some pape's! Pitch a headline! We can dress up like the Schuyler sisters, I'm Angelica, we need to kidnap a Peggy...we're lookin' for a mind at work...?"

Izabella cringes, her fist clenching subconsciously;

"Ow...my hands."

Lucy puts aside her humor, reaching to examine her friends burnt palms;

"Geez. You're the wannabe surgeon, what should we do about those...?"

She inhales through her teeth;

"We can wrap."

"With what..."

Her chest falls, visibly uncomfortable. Lucy rolls her eyes to prevent herself from feeling any emotion and reaches for her cuffed bottom pants and tears the end;

"Hold still Missy."

She wraps Izabella's left hand carefully, "You didn't feel this happening?"

Izabella shakes her head, tears in her eyes;

"They drug me."

"Must've. This is like, pretty bad."

"I'm- I'm-"

"What?," the girl retorts.

"Dizzy."

Lucy rolls her eyes over their situation leading her friend to a nearby bench;

"I'd ask strangers for help but I kinda don't trust 'em."

"Why?"

Lucy scoffs, her muscles tightening over her bicep strength as she tears the other leg of her pants;

"Because. I never knew I could- uh...experience such an adventure and such inner turmoil at the same time. I'm like a changing person if I could embrace my emotions. Your hand please."

Izabella offers her right, cringing over Lucy's clumsy wrapping;

"Gently."

The girl continues to ramble in a fog;

"I'm never gonna forget this day, that's for sure. Maybe we can dance for some quarters so I can call mom...Whenever you get your surgeon license, I'm first on the list right? I want my appendix removed cause with my luck it'll explode in the next two years- senior year, mid high school production of Wicked."

Izabella can't restrain her chuckle;

"And in the fantasy, you are Elphaba?"

Lucy shrugs, regretting her ramblings;

"Look, Chica. If we get out of this alive and in one piece and like, my appendix does burst Senior year, I hope you're my Glinda."

Izabella reveals a smirk, her focus shifting to the honestly in her friend's brown eyes;

"I like the nose ring."

Lucy sits up with slight confusion over her sudden compliment;

"Thanks? I mean, I've had it all week. Did you just notice it?"

"It suit you."

She laughs, tightening the make shift wrap, "That was random but, thanks, I guess."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Natasha pulls up to the block where she can locate the Murphy family. The normalcy, average, humane home is enough to confuse her. She steps from the vehicle suited in her uniform with a focus on the missing children. She steps purposefully and makes her way up the staircase. With a peer through the previously smashed window she destroys the rest with her entry inside. Met by a unassuming Kyle, his demeanor changes over the recognition and the two engage in a wrestle.

The Black Widow is thrown to the ground, losing her weapon due to a clumsy action in her part. As the two engage a young man enters to intervene;

"Dad, stop!"

Natasha grits her teeth toward the teen;

"Back up kid,' addressing the elder of the two she stands with an intimidating tone, 'Where is Izabella?!"

"Gone,' he retorts, 'Too bad you're late to receive the news on their departure."

Romanoff squirms under his thrust, a solid metal cuffing her wrist under a random shoving of cloth under her nose. She inhales once. Upon recognizing the scent she flips backward and tucks Kyle's head under knees.

"Dad!"

Natasha pauses and with a groan releases her victim. Pinning him down she threatens;

"I swear! If your kid wasn't here-!"

"They went East."

She grits her teeth over Kyle's sudden confession, "They?"

"Lucy James and Izabella-"

"It's Jameson...' she turns her head toward the teen, patience growing short with his father, 'I'd start thinking about confessing what role you played in this-"

The blonde stammers, "I'll tell you everything! Just let, my dad, go, please."

With a narrowing focus there is little that can pull Natasha from her trance. Her focus on one of the king pins currently within her grasp.

"Tasha?"

Her expression falls. His voice echoing in her ears. With Barton at his side Banner enters with his first aide satchel strapped to his shoulder. With a raised hand and Clint's bow targeted toward the enemy he speaks softly;

"Let him go Tasha...it's okay-"

"We have no idea if the girls are still-"

"Nat...,' Clint pauses, 'Let him go."

Natasha releases Kyle with a snarl, the younger of the two stepping forward. The blonde holds his head;

"Okay! I don't entirely know what's going on. But I joined voluntarily."

The Murphy father shakes his head;

"I told him to target the Russian girl. She was trusting and easy-"

Natasha narrows her focus, hands gripping for his collar;

"You need to start talking a little bit faster."

"It's Olga! She's Black Ops-"

"So are you-"

"Our mission is to eradicate Blonsky's metas. The kids have a trigger word, they have the potential to go rogue."

Banner speaks softly from behind the Black Widow;

"And why take Lucy?"

John interjects, "She wouldn't leave Izabella. Dad and I couldn't let her go because she wouldn't stop talking."

Barton nods with a shrug, his bow draped over his shoulder, "Sounds legit to me."

Natasha inhales sharply, her threatening state;

"You're not sharing everything. What is the mission behind Black Ops?"

Kyle complies with her questions, his focus on his son;

"Eradicate all metas. Take down SHIELD. I hired Crusher and Titania. I used them as a distraction-"

Romanoff snaps, cutting off Barton's potential question;

"Who hired Alexei to shoot me?!"

He shakes his head, "Olga."

"We took Izzy to protect her,' John stammers, 'We took away her powers."

Kyle accepts the blame, "I burned her hands."

Natasha's aggressive inclination to strike softens upon Fury's landing of the nearby jet. As the agents swarm the domestic cape Kyle is taken away in cuffs, his son moving toward him with a tearful focus. Banner offers a mumble his own stare soft and genuine;

"Hey!,' with John's full attention the two share a knowing glance, 'You don't have to become your dad-"

John removes himself with a narrowing stare, "You don't have to worry about me, my dad is a good man."

Natasha clenches her jaw and makes a move toward the teen only to be stopped by Banner, "Leave him alone. He's angry and he's hurting."

Natasha lowers her eyebrows, "Way to defend the enemy."

"He's not the enemy. He's a confused kid."

She eases her pulling, sharing a momentary pause with the doctor. His kind heart and ability to spot the best in people inspire her to do the same. If only her instinct wasn't always to attack. He makes her want to be better whether he knows it or not. Whether she is willing to admit it or not.

With a heavy sigh she reaches for his arm and gives a nod. Accepting Bruce is right somehow slips her mind as she moves toward the Director who enters the building. She steps toward him;

"Any word on Olga."

Fury tilts his head and motions for her to follow she pauses and lifts her chin toward the road;

"I need to find the girls. God only knows where they are at this point."

The director offers an understanding nod himself;

"You know we can find them faster."

She pauses, "I know. I need to do this, they won't trust the agents."

"You all know Jennifer Walters will have a few words when she lands."

Barton scoffs, "That was an abrupt last minute flight."

"For Lucy? She'd start running," Fury grumbles.

Natasha glances over her shoulder, eager to move on. Fury points;

"Take a chopper."

Clint chuckles, "What? You don't trust Nat's driving abilities?"

Banner mumbles, "I mean, I don't."

Romanoff crosses her arms and moves outside with a solid glare aimed at her Vrach. Motioning to her teammates she heads for the vehicle;

"Get in. Izabella's gonna need a Doctor she trusts. Hopefully they didn't blind Lucy too."

Barton and Banner comply with Clint eager to make a joke;

"Buckle up doc, she's wild behind the wheel."

Bruce scoffs, "No way. She's only my wife, how would I know."

Natasha puts her car in reverse and speeds up the road. If she weren't so stressed the company might be enjoyable;

"Keep your eyes peeled for two lost teenagers."

"Good thing we're not in a city or anything,' he wrings at his fingers, 'So, Alexei? That's who shot you?"

Natasha checks the rear view;

"Alexei is no longer a concern."

Clint looks over his shoulder from the passenger seat. Eager to avoid a feud he eyes the doctor;

"How have the two of us never worked together before?"

Banner shrugs, his sarcasm level up to avoid raging on the crowded highway;

"Maybe because you always prefer I stay home and knit, Natasha."

She shakes her head and forces a smirk, "Sorry I'm not the spider fearing, too weak to open a pickle jar wife you were hoping to marry."

"Well. Huh...I just assumed those were your jobs."

Her lips spread to a satisfied smirk, content with his answer as she glances up to the rear view mirror to check on her Vrach who's focused toward the window.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Izabella rustles from her sleep first, knees tucked tight with her head lifting from Lucy's shoulder. She pushes herself up, hands against the cool bench. She feels a cold hand around her throat, threatening tone in the muscular man's voice. With the clenching of her jaw she swings forward, disgusted with their current predicament and the events of the day. Instinctively she reveals her jean wrapped hands;

"I will hurt you!"

She helps as he grabs her, the yell awakening a yellow eyed Lucile. The Jameson girl swings forward without a second thought, finding a strength she didn't know she had as she flings the man onto the subway track.

Izabella's wide eyes plead for an explanation the girl is not inclined to provide. She grabs her wrist;

"Let's get out of here."

The girls are stopped by security, urging them to state their name. Lucy forces her emotions, her acting completely up to par as she fakes a tear;

"Officer! That man just attacked my friend! He tried to hurt us!"

"Stay right here miss-"

The policeman presses forward, lunging toward a random gentleman Lucy had no problem throwing under the bus as she leads the two-some back to ground level. Izabella pulls away;

"Stop stop,' she breathes heavily, 'Why would you run from him?! He can help!"

Lucy widens her eyes hands dropping to her sides;

"Oh. I'm sorry, would you like to grab a milkshake with him as well?! We were just kidnapped! By a SHEILD agent! Someone who is supposed to be on our side-!"

"Not everyone is bad."

"No but...Uncle B was hunted by the government, did you know that?! I'm assuming he never actually gave me details! But! It's in my DNA, to get screwed over, apparently, so like, let's just- figure this out together!"

Izabella shakes her head over her friend's lack of information, her eyes low;

"Wait, Wait! Lucy. Ugh it not matter. If you cut off help-"

"Fine! Do you wanna split up?! Because I don't trust anyone but my family right now! Like, I'm not interested in getting drugged and dragged into a basement again! Are you?!' the girls share a glance. Lucy exhales to calm her nerves, 'I doubt the team will let us be lost for too long. We just have to patient and do what we can to survive-"

"And trust, help."

Lucy shakes her head, "I'm sorry, we were just captured and you wanna trust another male authority figure?! Like Izzy, I don't. If you want to go then be my guest, but I'm gonna keep surviving. We have no money, no identity, no way of proving who we are! I need to hunt down two more quarters to call my mom because she'll get me out of this so that's what I plan on doing. I think the team is out looking for us right now. We can get home, we just need to keep walking and hustle a few homeless grandmas for a quarter or two. Now are you with me or not?"

"That, horrible."

She holds her head with one hand, wrapping the opposite arm around Izabella with the other as she begrudgingly follows;

"Grrr! Ok look! God knows I'm not the most intellectual human on planet Earth and she forgives me for it. But oh! My!...'That's' can you say 'that's?!' It's a beautiful conjunction gift that's- THAT'S...Meant to be used."

"Rude."

"I'm not...Alright- okay. I'm a little rude. I'm starving and I'm getting hangry. It's really time for a W.W.N.D."

The Russian pushes her friend from off her shoulder, mouth contorted with her hair falling over her eye;

"No! I- ugh!"

Lucy pauses with the shake of her head, cautiously observing the sudden range of emotions from her consistent friend;

"You good...?"

With tears in her eyes her tone ranges;

"No! I have been-! Kidnapped! Twice! I have been hurt- over again! The burns-! Hurt! I not ask for this- I did not- I didn't! My hands! They all I had to go back to find my mother! I done with running, we are lost! And I -I am- I'm! Tired!"

Lucy pauses to let her friend finish, shifting out her left hip with arms crossing snuggly. The burns visible over Izabella's fingertips are starting to blister with a purple tinge;

"Okay...I'm sorry! Okay? Like I'm sorry about your life-Wait! What do you mean, go back to find your mom? I thought she was dead-"

"Lucy! Ya by vas paslal, da vizhu vy ottuda-"

"Alright, okay, stop. I give up! We'll do things your way. If you wanna go talk to the creepy guard then fine...we'll go talk to the creepy guard."

Izabella exhales heavily, restraining a tear in her eye from falling. With an abrupt pivot she makes her way back down into the subway and expects Lucy to follow. With wide eyes the girls freeze in their tracks upon hearing a gunshot coming from underground. The Jameson girl quickly reacts and grabs her friend's wrist to lead her from the city street;

"Ah! Okay-! New plan; run!"

"Wait!"

"Izzy, I so swear, if you get me killed and survive, mom will rip your shoulders from your torso and mash your brains in her morning coffee-!"

"I have idea!"

Lucy consents to following her in the opposite direction, Izabella's eyes clearly recognizing the city street. The older of the two sets off in a ramble, her mind numb and racing from their most recent encounters;

"'An' idea...By the way, I take back off of my DNA comments. I'm not good at being on the run I confess it to the gods above- I'm ready to go home. I'm just a Broadway loving girl with a soft spot for caffeine! I just wanna turn 16, go back to learning how to drive, possibly graduate! Ahh! Wait! Why are we running from the city? How much of a fever are you running anyways?! We should be moving toward the tower that we weren't so far away from to begin with, don't you think?! Izzy?! Ugh! I'm still hangry and it's making my eyes glow, I can feel it-"

Izabella refuses to acknowledge, picking up speed as she makes her way for the bridge.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"We have been by this bridge Izzy, I'm sorry but we're running in circles! We should be moving toward the tower or giving up completely to sacrifice ourselves to the evil SHIELD gods to be consumed at nightfall. At least that frickin basement was warm."

With a solid glare Lucy takes a step back with her hands raising in a surrender;

"Okay! Alright! I'm sorry I don't know what your religion is in mother Russia if I've offended some sun gods..."

"I'm Catholic."

Lucy lowers her head. Had she paid more then a passing second of attention in social studies she would've just spared herself the embarrassment.

"Right. Obviously. I knew that."

Izabella raises her hand to knock at the door, a smile spread over her features at it opens to reveal a freshly showered Darcy Lewis;

"O.M.G! We have company!"