It was dark outside. The tiny specks of lights in distant buildings sparkled. Katrina watched, silently, at this new world that was slowly becoming hers. She laid her head against the window, the coolness of the glass pressing against her skin. She touched the glass with her fingertips, the chill ricocheting through her body. She closed her eyes, wishing it to fill the emptiness she felt inside.

She had never felt this way before. She didn't understand why. She had always been alone. Yes, she did have other comrades to fall back on back at the base. Every soldier was alone, and that brought them together. But her heart had always been guarded by an iron wall. She never extended a hand, she never initiated friendship, never wanted a relationship.

She'd moved on to the next stage of her life, and her isolation followed her. Alone, in this big, booming city. Katrina wasn't afraid. No, she knew she could get through it just fine. She could start a life. She was smart.

So then why did she still feel that hollowness inside her heart? Why was she feeling so desolate? What was she missing?

She opened her eyes and watched the glimmering city. The cars seemed to move faster and faster, the lights brighter and brighter. There was such a disparity between this and the base. She was so used to nothingness, no lights, no color, no sound. But this city…

This city was alive.

The city that never sleeps.

Immediately, her ears picked up on the soft shuffle and her head snapped towards the direction where it was coming from. "Sorry," Steve whispered. "Were you sleeping?"

She straightened. "No."

"Well, when you do…" he trailed off and Katrina could see his face go a little red. "There's only one bed. So you can sleep on that and I'll sleep on the couch."

"No."

"N—no?"

"I'll sleep on the couch."

He stepped forward. "No, no," he insisted. "You have to sleep on the bed."

"Why?" she challenged.

"Because you're my guest! And—and you're a lady."

Katrina barked out a laugh.

He glared at her, clearly flustered.

"Both of those statements were false. Nonetheless, the couch will suffice for me."

"You are my guest."

"You kidnapped me. You're my kidnapper."

"I absolutely did not kidnap you."

"Then let me leave."

Steve gaped at her, his mouth opening then closing again, clearly at a loss for words. Then, with his hands on his hips, he declared, "You're sleeping on the bed and that's final." Katrina watched as he stormed away. She cracked a small smile. She liked teasing him. Something about watching him squirm was satisfying to her.

Katrina sat by herself silently until a wave of tiredness washed over her. She glanced at the clock. It wasn't even that late but her wounds were draining her. She so desperately wanted to crawl into that bed and close her eyes…

But she couldn't. She didn't trust the Captain.

But she needed him to trust her. And defying everything he said to her certainly wouldn't help. Katrina sighed. She got up and made her way into the kitchen where Steve was quietly sitting. "You win. I get the bed," she complied.

"Thank you."

Unsure of what to do, Katrina left and went into the bedroom. It was simple and neat. Katrina didn't understand why he was so boring. He had everything at his fingertips, why didn't he utilize it? Maybe develop a personality? She had no choice back at the base.

Whatever. She climbed into the bed reluctantly and spotted two pills and a glass of water on the nightstand. Absolutely not. Did he think she was that stupid? So he can drug her? Kill her?

If he wanted to kill you he would have done it already.

Not without a fight. Katrina narrowed her eyes at the medicine. She wouldn't fall for any of his tricks.

She sat with her back against the headboard. She refused to fall asleep. She refused to succumb to her wounds. She ignored her throbbing head and glared at the wall in front of her.

Then her eyes flitted over to the window. She contemplated escaping. She could do it, so easily. She could be free.

But her wounds. They would slow her down for sure. And, plus, the Captain would never stop until he caught her. She should just stick to her plan.

But as Katrina stared out the window, out at the gleaming city, for the first time in her life, she slowly felt logic exit her body. She knew it was such a bad idea, but the city was so inviting. She slowly got up and walked over to the window. She pressed her fingers against it. They slid down, and down, and down, until her fingers enveloped the lock. She twisted, slowly, and when she heard the click, she opened the window and looked down. She was a good twenty feet in the air. Normally she would make it with ease, but, again, her blasted wounds.

Hell with it. What kind of soldier was she if she wasn't able to take risks?

Katrina backed away from the window a few feet, readying herself. She took a deep breath, relaxing her tense muscles.

Three, two one.

Katrina charged, leaping into the air, and contorting herself into a ball as she flew out the window. She unfolded as she hurled in the air and landed seamlessly on the ground. Her feet hit the concrete, and she shook for a few seconds, but once she realized she made it, she let out a startled laugh.

Then she ran.

Steve silently sipped his coffee, rubbing his temples. Everything he seemed to do was wrong. She mocked everything he said, was repulsed by everything he did. He realized that drawing out answers from her back at the cabin would have probably been easier than this. There was no way he could make her fall for him.

As much as his heart told him not to, he thought of Peggy. She loved him. He loved her. And he didn't know how it happened, it just…happened.

So maybe this plan was just foolish. He couldn't force love.

Peggy loved him for every reason Katrina was repulsed by. He had integrity. Morals. He was kind. Simple. Almost everyone he knew growing up egotistical or maniacal, and it was draining. He vowed to never be the thing that beat him down the most. Any pride he might have had was thrown out the window. He would take abuse, all if it, if it meant he kept his sanity. It there ever was a downfall in society, he refused to be a part of it. Steve knew Peggy felt the same.

But Katrina…

Katrina was different. She was cold. Merciless. And, again, it wasn't even her fault. Her upbringing was ten times worse than Steve's. Steve willingly trained to become a soldier. She didn't. She wasn't raised to see the good in the world. She was raised to take it away.

Steve had to wonder: was morality simply an innate trait, or did it really just come from your upbringing? For the first eighteen years of his life, his mother always taught him to be kind, to be the light in the darkness. If he had never had her nurturing, would he have been the same?

Katrina was remorseless, but Steve found it hard to believe that every single person under that operation was without guilt. There had to be at least one person who knew what they were doing was wrong.

Steve didn't think Katrina was completely heartless. He could show her the light. He could help her.

And suddenly Steve's motives shifted. He didn't want to find DAGGER because it was a threat, he wanted to find DAGGER to help all those people who never got a childhood, the people who had to conform to standards that stole their humanity. The ones who never even got a chance.

Steve sat back and watched the city as he pondered. The kitchen was dark, the silvery blue of the moon casted upon the walls. The little slivers of light comforted him.

He decided that he should check up on Katrina. She better had taken those pills. Knowing her, she hadn't. She was so defiant. He could tell she didn't like being told what to do. He wondered if being controlled all her life made her finally snap once she was free.

Thinking about it that way made Steve feel guilty. The girl had finally gained her freedom and he just stole it from her. He really sucked.

He decided that it would be best to reassure her that she was safe and that he would let her out eventually—soon. She wasn't his prisoner. She didn't have to worry—

The first thing Steve saw when he entered the room was the empty bed and open window.

Oh. My. God.