Chapter 2:

Elena's POV

I have to make a split-second decision when the door slides open. Attack and hope that I can find my way out or put my faith that he's not playing with me. I calculate my odds of getting out of this place, having never seen the exit. It doesn't look good.

So, I take a step towards the exit. I don't want to get in front of this Steve guy, so I gesture for him to go first.

He's wary apparently. "Why don't we walk side by side?"

"Fine." That was good, seems very un-hydra like. A Hydra agent would have just shoved me forward.

We walked down the countless hallways and rooms. For a moment I wondered if we were lost, but looking at Steve through the corner of my eyes, he didn't seem lost. Maybe I was that deep into the base. Suddenly another question popped into my head. "Where are all the guards?"

"I took a lot of them down before I met you. Hawkeye and Widow must have taken out the rest." He explained. Then, no longer talking to me. "The girl and I are on our way out."

Steve listened to the voice on the other end of his earpiece and then replied, "I know."

"Who are you talking to? And who are Hawkeye and Widow?" I ask, wondering how much this guy was willing to share.

"It's my team. The Avengers." He says.

"The Avengers?" I question.

"You've never heard of us?" He said, clearly surprised.

"I don't get out much."

"Well, you're about to get out today." He smiled as we came up to a door. He pushed it open and suddenly light flooded the room. I recoiled at the light. It was bright.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

I don't respond. I blink and the pain of the light- of the sun- fades. I step out and for the first time in a long time, I don't feel cold cement underneath my bare feet.

"We're headed to the quinjet." Steve said into his earpiece.

I see it in the distance, still pretty far away. This is my last chance. I'm in the open, outside. I need to run. I need to get a head start. I start to look around, analyzing my surroundings without causing Steve to think that I'm about to run.

After a few more minutes of walking, getting further from the Hydra main base. "Hey Steve?" I say.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." I do something that most people would regret, but not me. I kick him in the face. Hard. Then I run. There's a forest to the right and I head straight for it.

I notice the uncomfortable feeling of the dirt and rocks scraping my feet, but I don't let it stop me. I've been in worse pain that that. Behind me, I hear Steve shouting into his earpiece. "She's running! Headed West!"

West. If only I knew where I was. That could've been useful information. I hear Steve again. "Yes, Widow. I know what you said, now is not the time."

I hear more voices appear behind me. I'm far enough away now that I can't really make out the words anymore. I'm glad about that. Now I just need to know how far I away I am from the nearest town. Maybe I didn't think this through. Still, dying in the wilderness has got to be better than continuing to be a prisoner.

Suddenly an arrow zoomed by my head and hit a tree. Who would use an arrow? I think as I run past the tree it hit. Then, it exploded. I get thrown to the side. My ears are ringing as I get up as quickly as possible. I start running, although perhaps not as fast as I was before.

I stop when I see someone- or something- in front of me. It's metal, but is shaped like a man. I'll admit, I'm pretty freaked by that, but I don't show it. I think he's saying something, but my ears are still ringing a little, so I can't quite make out the words entirely.

I know I have pretty good skills in fighting, but I'm not positive I could take something made of metal. Still, I have to try. I start to lunge at him. When something hits my back and electricity shoots through my body. I stifle a scream of pain, it comes out as a groan. I fall to the ground.

"You didn't have to do that, Clint." I hear Steve say from behind. The ringing has stopped.

"She was going to attack Stark." I hear a male voice say.

"What do you think this girl was going to do to me?" I hear a different male voice say, kind of robotic like, I wonder if he was the metal man.

"She's dangerous." A female voice said. "She gave Steve quite the shiner."

My vision starts to come back as they talk. I don't think they're noticing me. I see a gun strapped to the woman's ankle. I reach for it. Just as I'm about to touch it, another wave of electricity goes through me. I give out another groan, both in pain and frustration. Then it's darkness and I hear no more voices.