Author's Note:

Trigger warning for slightly graphic battle descriptions, Astrid is absolutely brutal in battle. Otherwise, this is an Astrid, Dugan bonding chapter. As always please review and let me know what you think.

Astrid let out a breath as she sliced her opponent's neck. Blood gushing through the air. Quickly moving on to the next one. Stabbing him in the gut and thrusting up. Eviscerating them. Before they could even get a shot off. Step and repeat with the next Hydra goon. Astrid smiling behind her mask. This was going better than expected.

She was expecting their first base assault was chaotic and it was. They still had a lot to work out. A few more bullets were flying in her direction than she would like. But it was easy enough to deflect. Keeping aware of everything around her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of the hydra soldiers raise his gun. Straight for her. Before she could react Shamira beat her to it. Putting a bullet in the man's head. Starting the chain reaction. Astrid attacking the next one who tried to hurt Shamira.

The two falling into their old rhythm. Nothing able to stand in their way. Cutting a path that allowed the boys to surge forward. Steve leading the charge. Astrid soon joining him. Steve may have been the peak of human perfection but he still had no idea how to fight. She was never more grateful for that shield. More bullets flying towards them.

Swiftly ducking she slid across the floor. Surging upwards when she approached her first opponent. Slashing him through the chest. Blades cutting through the armor as if it wasn't even there. Drenching both of them in blood. Using the element of surprise, she pivoted quickly. Taking out the man next to him with a few well-placed jabs to key pressure points. He would not be getting up anytime soon. The rest were taken out by a shield toss. Astrid hearing the clang of metal as it hit each person. Knocking them out cold before bouncing against the wall and into Steve's hand.

"Damn you can really make that thing fly," Dugan called out punching one guy in the face before shooting him.

"Yeah, I'm starting to get the hang of it," Steve replied. Smashing the shield into someone else. That was putting it mildly. Steve was an immensely quick learner. A few lessons and he would be a fighting machine. A perfect soldier.

Something twinged in Astrid's heart when she thought of that. But now was not the time. Right now, she wanted to make sure they all got out of here alive.

'Boys want to quit chatting and actually fight?' Astrid teased taking out two more people. Breaking one man's knees and another man's ribs. Both crumpling to the ground.

"Maybe we would be able to take more people out if someone would use a gun," Dugan retorted back.

Astrid rolled her eyes. 'I don't like guns.' She jabbed her blade into a man's throat. Almost decapitating him. She could almost taste the blood in the air. If it wasn't for the mask, she would. 'Besides, do you really think I need it?' She caught the look Steve shot her. Clearly impressed. But also, with desire in his eyes. She felt her mouth go slightly dry. Distracting her thoughts with her next opponent. Now was really not the time for those kinds of desires.

Steve was on the same page. At least she thought so. Briefly touching her hip before slamming his shield straight into a Hydra goon's face. She could hear the crunching of bones. Letting out another breath she was holding. Astrid always knew Steve had it in him. Seeing it was another matter.

"I think that's all of them," Morita called out. Astrid took a look around. Surrounded by the corpses of her father's soldiers.

'There will probably be more the further in we get,' Shamira pointed out. Astrid echoing the thought in all their heads. Even Stark couldn't figure out how to let them talk with the masks on.

"Keep your eyes out," Steve ordered. "Don't want to be caught by surprise." He gestured for them to follow. Each of them taking their positions. Steve leading. Astrid and Dugan right behind him. Followed swiftly by the others. Not bothering to stay quiet. Everyone already knew they were here.

Astrid guided them through the complex. Knowing this place like the back of her hand. Running into minimal trouble other than the occasional guard trying to stop them. Which was bizarre. Astrid was expecting more traps and resistance. Instead, they were basically walking in.

'Something is very wrong,' Shamira thought. 'We should-'

Astrid never heard the rest of the thought. Being launched backwards. Instinctively shielding herself from the debris. A loud roar in her ears as she felt herself roll several feet and smash hard into a wall. Her heart beating a million miles an hour. Astrid's mind going as fast. She knew exactly what happened. An explosion.

Immediately she reached out with her mind to check on the others. Her minds filled with thoughts of pain. Each of them trying to sort through what the hell happened. But she let out a sigh. They were all alive.

Ignoring the bruises and the ringing in her ears she sat up. Trying to see where she was launched to. Only to come face to face with a massive pile of debris. It didn't take a genius to figure it out. Ceiling collapse.

The second thing that caught Astrid's attention was the loud string of curses. Turning towards the noise with a smile. Seems like Dugan was on her side of the collapse. Which meant that everyone else was on the other side.

"Astrid! Dugan!" she heard Steve called out. Ignoring the hitch in his voice when he called her name.

'We're fine Steve!' she sent out. Wrapping everyone else in the conversation as well. 'Any injuries?'

'Pretty shaken but were all fine,' Bucky answered. 'You?'

She quickly looked over to Dugan. Which other than a couple of cuts and probably a ton of bruising appeared to be fine. 'We're good over here.'

'Hold on while we dig you out,' Steve added in. Astrid looked up at the debris in front of them. Wondering if this was a good idea. Given Dernier's loud protesting it probably wasn't.

'He's saying that if we move anything it could trigger a secondary collapse,' Jones translated.

'Then what do we do?' Morita asked. All their voices starting piling in all at once. Astrid cutting them off in a single thought.

'Enough!' That brought everyone into silence. 'Right now, we are cut off from each other. However, if Dugan and I continue our course we should be able to meet in the main weapons bay. Shamira you remember where it is?'

She could almost hear Shamira snort. 'Kinda hard to forget. I'll get us there. You and Dugan meet us there in one piece.'

That seemed to settle everyone's nerves. Now that they had a plan. Astrid cutting all connections except between her and Steve.

'Stay safe,' Steve said. 'Who knows how many more traps there are.'

Astrid smiled. 'You do the same, Steve.' She held on. Not wanting to break the connection yet. This might be the last time she talked to Steve in a while. 'I love you.'

'I love you too.' She broke off the connection then. Even his thoughts alone could send warm feelings dancing in her chest. But right now, she and Dugan had to get out of here. The explosion was bound to draw attention.

"Come on," Dugan grumbled picking up and dusting off his hat. Putting it on his head. "Before we miss any of the action."

Astrid gestured towards the darkened hallway. Taking the lead. Hearing the clicking of a gun as Dugan reloaded. Even now that noise set her on edge. Probably always will but Astrid was able to move past it. Wouldn't be very effective if she wasn't. Adding the feelings that it generated to her arsenal. It's what made her so good at what she did.

"You doing okay?" Dugan asked snapping Astrid out of her thoughts.

'What?' Astrid responded.

Dugan rolled her eyes. 'I'm not sure I'll ever get used to this. Are you doing alright?'

'Yeah… why?'

He shrugged his shoulders. 'You know you seem…'

'Distracted, brutal…' She was throwing out suggestions at this point. Wondering what Dugan was getting at.

'Actually, I was thinking calmed and composed. Considering where we were a few nights ago.'

Astrid let out a sigh. She expected this conversation from virtually anyone else. Just not Dugan. 'I would make for a pretty poor companion on the battlefield if I wasn't.' Astrid didn't exactly want to get into all the details now. But if Dugan asked, she wouldn't lie. 'Can we leave it at that?'

'Sure. As long as you're actually doing alright. Can't let anything to Cap's best girl.' Astrid let out a laugh. Only Dugan. 'If only because I think he would kill me.'

'No. Shamira would kill you after she killed the person who killed me. Steve wouldn't even get the chance.'

Now it was Dugan's turn to laugh. 'Truer words have not been spoken.' Dugan whistled. 'That woman is scary.' It was actually kind of hilarious. Astrid was the well-trained torturer but it was Shamira all the men were terrified of. And Astrid couldn't exactly blame them.

Continuing through the maze of the complex. Metallic walls and floors. Doors on top of corridors. All leading around in circles. If Astrid hadn't spent so much time in this place she would have been completely lost. This was the base she spent the most time in. Where she was healed and cared for after her rescue. Also made all the traps obvious. Astrid shook her head. Red Skull really wasn't holding back. She wondered how much trouble the others were running into. Probably better than they were considering they had Dernier the trap master. Instead, Dugan and her had to dodge around all of them and the men trying to kill them.

"You would think that they would get the message by now," Dugan growled shooting a man in between the eyes. Astrid was just as brutal. Panting heavily as she cut up her opponents left and right. Floor becoming slightly sticky with blood. "Though where would the fun be if they did?"

'You always did love a good fight.' She flicked the blood off her blades. Once again clearing out the room. Signaling towards another doorway on the left. 'We're almost there.'

Ðugan snorted. "Right, just a couple more hallways." Astrid shrugged not arguing with him. This time letting him take the lead. Opening up the heavy iron door. Astrid closing it swiftly behind them. "We're just lucky they haven't cut the power."

'Don't give them any ideas.'

"Say's the person who can see in the dark. Watch to your left."

She nodded, moving around to avoid the explosive. Buried in the base of the wall. If they triggered that they probably wouldn't be making it out.

'There must be something here that Red Skull really wants to protect.'

"Or he really wants to capture you." Astrid stopped in her tracks. Looking directly at him. Hearing her footsteps stop he turned around. "You must have thought about it."

To be honest she hadn't. After breaking out of the last base she thought that would sever all ties between them. But deep down she knew that wasn't the case. Red Skull would never stop hunting her. And with the Tesseract who knew what he was capable of.

'We should keep moving.' Astrid took the lead. Walking past Dugan. Who let out a sigh.

'Whatever you say Doc,' Dugan replied answering with his thoughts for once. 'But we still need to consider the possibility.'

'I already have. If Red Skull manages to capture me…. Whatever happens, he needs to be stopped. Even if that means sacrificing me.' Her entire body was calm and composed. 'Even if that means you have to kill me or let me be killed.'

Dugan raised an eyebrow. 'Isn't that a bit dramatic? I mean he's already captured you once.'

'That's when I thought Steve was still back home. Now…' She summoned the courage to form the thoughts swirling in her brain. 'Red Skull can't kill me and I know I can't kill him.' She sensed Dugan's curiosity but that was a story for another time. 'Steve is really the only one who can. And if I'm captured-'

'Steve would do anything to save you,' Dugan finished her thought.

'Exactly. We…we can't have that. Not with the war on the line.'

Dugan was silent for a moment. Astrid retreating from his mind as his thoughts came through like a wave. He needed some time to process what she was saying. "Alright, I'll do it if it comes down to it." Apparently not as much time as she thought. "Steve and Shamira can't. They would kill themselves first. Bucky could but it would destroy him and the others… the others can but I don't know if they can live with the fact that Cap will never forgive them."

'And you can?'

"Cap is my commanding officer but it is you that I serve." Astrid had to stop herself from running into a wall. Definitely not the direction she was expecting the conversation. Waiting for Dugan to continue. "You, me, Shamira, and Bucky. We've been together since the start. Already we've been through some hell." He wasn't wrong. "Each time you helped make sure we got through. So, if you ask something of me you can be damn well sure I'm going to do it. Even if Cap hates me for it."

Astrid slowly shook her head. 'You do too much.'

Dugan gave her a small smile. Patting her on the shoulder and moving forward. "We can argue about it later. Right now, let's rejoin the others before we blow ourselves up."

Astrid was about to retort until she heard the faint shots of gunfire. Not even glancing at Dugan she took off. Him close on her heels. Racing towards the weapons bay. Only separated by a metal door. Crashing it open with her shoulder it opened with a bang. Launching herself at the nearest man she could get her hands on. Slicing down his back.

"Looks who's finally decided to join us," Morita called out. "What took you?"

"Never mind that," Falsworth interrupted. "Dernier has rigged this place to go off any moment."

"What are we waiting for then?" Dugan asked getting off a couple of shots. Hydra's goons were really pouring out. The four of them cutting a path back to the others. Guarding the exit route.

"Astrid!" Steve shouted. Relief evident in his voice. It made Astrid's heart melt.

"About time," Bucky grumbled. "Seriously. We thought we would have to go looking for you."

'Sorry.' Astrid sent out. 'Seems like we took more time than we thought. Shall we get out of here?' She didn't need to ask twice. This time Falsworth leading the charge. Dernier and Steve in the back. Making sure that the explosions went off and everyone got out.

Weaving back through the corridors. Astrid never more glad to see the exit. Watching and making sure they all made it out. Hitting the tree line just as the building exploded behind them. Launching a fireball into the sky. Astrid could almost feel the heat from where she was standing. Both her and Shamira removing their masks. Watching the spectacle in front of them.

"Cutting it a little close Dernier?" Shamira asked in perfect French. "Feeling a little roasted over here."

"You try setting up a series of explosions in a trap-heavy nightmare complex and see how well it goes," Dernier responded. As Dernier and Shamira gently bickered, Dugan caught up with the others. Only Astrid and Steve not participating. Standing a little bit away. Arms wrapped around each other.

"One down," Astrid said looking over the burning wreckage. "You know I think we can actually do this."

Steve arched an eyebrow. "You had doubts?"

"Not anymore."