Colorado Hydra Base
A While After The Attack

Natasha's first conscious breath was formed from a dust-filled gasp for air. There was slight pressure over every part of her body, and after a few moments of consideration, she realized that none of it was painful. Slowly moving her hands, she was eventually able to rub them over her face, brushing away a heavy layer of dust and debris. Wiping her eyes first, she then risked opening them to see the actual circumstance she was currently in.

Her body was still wedged up against the solid metal support beam and wall where she had been heading. Now she stood there mostly from the debris surrounding her, trapping her in place. Her body was slightly crumbled, her legs bent as her arms had been wrapped protectively around her chest. Her face was in the corner formed by the beam and wall, giving a hollow space for her to breathe in.

Lifting her head, she could make out an open area a few feet above her past the objects that crossed over her which were keeping chunks of the ceiling from falling in on her. There was only a faint glow of light from up there, meaning either the lighting in the hanger was still on or it was now daylight outside. With the soreness that had already set in, Nat was sure she had been unconscious for an hour or more.

"Nat? Are you awake?" Steve's voice was weak and coming from somewhere very close.

Following the sound, Nat finally was able to focus on the faint outline of a body right next to her but covered in shadow.

"Steve?" she had to make sure she had actually heard him.

"Who else would you be expecting?" he tried to sound chipper. "Are you hurt?"

Trying to stretch out her body so that she was a bit straighter, she still did not feel anything that would indicate a major injury.

"I think I'm fine, just wedged in here enough to bring out some claustrophobia," she joked back, trying to make light of the horrible situation.

"That's good, because I'm going to need you to figure out how to get out of there," Steve told her. "Can you slowly try to stand up?"

Over the next minute that it took her to finally get upright, Nat had to push away the pieces that were wedging her into the confined space. With every move, more of the rubble tried crush down around her, threatening to bury her even more. But eventually, she was able to almost match Steve's straightened height. She was then able to make out that Steve's back was to her, blocking her view past him due to his strange outstretched stance. That was when she realized that the beams that were holding back the ceiling pieces were his arms. There was no way that he was comfortable holding that position, but to keep them both alive, he had.

Moving slightly to see his face, she saw small gashes over his hairline with dried streaks of blood that had started to drip down it before his healing factor had kicked in to seal the small wounds. But debris was leaning across his chest area, blocking her from seeing any other injuries.

"Steve, how badly are you hurt?" she asked, dreading his answer.

"I'm fine for now," he cryptically told her. "You are going to have to crawl straight up. It's the only way out. There's no other option."

Looking to the side, she could make out hole openings on the I-beam that would allow wiring and duct work to run through them.

"We can use those holes to climb out of here," she told him.

"Nat, I need you to listen," Steve's voice took on that serious mission-tone that left no room for argument. "When I start to move my arms, everything above us is going to shift. The only place for it to go is down. You'll need to watch out for anything falling as you climb."

Nat's furrowed her brows as she gathered his meaning. Steve believed that he could get her out but that it was going to cost him his life. He had been physically holding up the 'ceiling' over her head until she had finally woken up.

"I'm not getting out of here without you, and if you think that I would, it makes you a bigger idiot than I thought you were," she pointed out with a smile she knew he couldn't actually see.

"You're too nice to think that I'm an idiot," he joked with her.

"Nobody's ever accused me of being nice," she was glancing around the small area, examining it a lot more thoroughly now. "And if you actually think I would leave you here to die, then yes, you are an idiot."

She heard a resounding sigh from him as he told himself that she was serious with her statement.

"Besides, between staying here or facing Bucky if something happened to you, take a guess as to which I'd prefer," she told him, making him sigh heavily.

"Fine, then we're going to have to take this much slow than I had planned."

Over the next hour or so, Nat would move small pieces of debris with her hands, dropping them to the ground so that they could then step on top of them. Using her feet, she was able to wedge pieces as replacement parts for Steve's legs, letting him move for the first time after so long. A few inches here, a foot or two there, they slowly climbed up the beam out of the hole. Close to the top, a larger chunk of concrete dislodged and grazed Steve's leg on the way down.

"Are you alright?" she asked from her spot on the I-beam only a few feet above him.

"It's not as bad as it would have been if I'd still been down there," he told her.

"See, that just proves that you should always listen to me," she teased moments before the realization of what she had just said hit her.

The only reason that they were in this mess was because of the information that she had gathered on Keeling.

And it, apparently, had all been a trap.

Steve must have seen her expression drop since he informed her, "Nat, whatever you're thinking, stop. This mission was my call, not yours. You gathered the information but it was eventually my decision as to whether or not to go after Keeling."

"Steve…" she tried to continue but was cut off.

"How about we get the hell out of here then we can play the blame game?"

Looking down at his weary face, Nat couldn't help but tell him, "What a potty mouth…"

"Get going," he grinned up at her.

After finally reaching the top of the pile of rubble, they found a small crawl space between the remainder of the ceiling and the top of the pile. It took over another hour for them to carefully crawl towards where the only light was coming from. They had both agreed that none of it was coming from where the hanger doors had been located. That meant that either it was nighttime or the opening was fully covered over.

Deciding to not take the chance since the pile under them was unstable in places, they stayed close to the wall and headed for where the door Keeling used during their surveillance should be. Luckily, as they grew closer to it, the pile began to dwindle in size, giving them more headroom to move about in. By the time they reached the area, they found that half of the door was uncovered. The debris had smashed it open, pushing the twisted metal into the hallway and allowing some of it to spill inside.

Both of them collapsed onto the sturdy ground, glad to be out of the destroyed hanger area. Climbing over and under the mess inside of it had been like navigating a dangerous playground. Her muscles were burning from the strenuous activity. Even Steve seemed to have been worn out if his heavy breathing was any indication.

Glancing over his body for any other injuries, Nat saw that not only was his uniform in a major need of cleaning, there were minor rips strewn about all over. But the main draw was the normally bright white star in the center of his chest which was partially ripped off.

Seeing her taking an interest in something, Steve looked down and spotted the hanging material. Taking a hold of the star, it only took a single ripping motion for it to be removed from him.

"Another uniform bites the dust," he commented, running his gloved fingers of the dirty star in his hand. Shoving it into his pocket, he scanned down the hall before looking over at her, "Ready to get moving?"

They'd had a few minutes to recoup and Nat knew they had to at least check out what was still left of the base. Since they had sat down, there had been no sounds to indicate that they were not alone.

"At least we know that Keeling is either still in here, or there's another exit somewhere," Steve told her as they both stood up.

"My plans didn't show any other exterior exits," she hated to point out.

"I highly doubt that Keeling allowed himself to be trapped down in here. And we never saw him leave through the hanger. He had some form of escape planned, trust me."

"That doesn't mean that we'll actually find it," she told him.

The lights were still on so they figured that the explosions had been limited to the exterior of the base. As they carefully made their way through the base, there was no sign of anyone else.

Finding a large mechanical room not far from the hanger, they saw the base had a recycling air-filtration system so that no exterior airways were necessary. And with the generator still working it also meant that the air handler was still providing air to the underground base. They may be buried in here for now, but they would not die of asphyxiation.

At least not until the generator ran out of fuel. She might have to check on that sooner rather than later.

They made a quick run-through of the two levels looking for any immediate signs of people or a way out. There was not another soul in the base except for them. They paused briefly in the small medical area just long enough to bandage up Steve's cut thigh until his healing factor managed to take care of it.

As for the escape route that Steve was sure existed, rounding a corner made Nat glad that she had not made a bet with him.

"What do you think?" she asked as Steve glared at the debris-filled doorway. Whatever this location was, it was the only other disturbed part of the entire base except for the hanger. For some reason, the entirety of it was filled with chunks of concrete and rock. A thin layer of dust covered the immediate floor, and not a single footprint was visible in it, telling her it had happened recently. They couldn't tell if it was a room or a hallway since the rubble filled the entirety of the space.

"It's at least suspicious," he told her. "Stand back."

Nat moved down the hallway a couple of extra steps not sure what Steve was going to attempt. Taking hold of a larger concrete piece, he pulled on it until it finally dislodged. Smaller pieces began to fall from higher up to take up the open space but quickly stopped.

Steve went back over to the opening and studied what had happened.

"I think that this was an escape tunnel that went upwards and they blew it once everyone was out," he told her.

"I don't think that it's going to be very useful to us though," Nat pointed out.

"Not like this it won't," he said pulling out a fist sized rock and tossing it over his shoulder. "But we are far enough around the side of the mountain that the area above would not have been effected by the hanger avalanche. Keeling wouldn't have been able to get out otherwise. I think that with some time and hard work that I could have this cleared for us to get through."

"How long are you thinking?" knowing it was not going to be good.

"Depending on how high it goes…a couple of days at least. Maybe even a week."

Nat felt her entire body slump at that.

"Are you sure the hanger isn't a better option?"

Steve shook his head.

"No. Once I start to move anything from there, it will just be covered over by whatever is still up on the mountain sitting above it. It's too much of a risk. At least here, I can pull stuff out piece by piece, dropping them down so that the tunnel clears from top to bottom."

Nat looked between Steve and the rocks, hating that he was right and that this was their only option. She had found that their communication equipment was useless inside the base, being blocked by the thick granite mountain above them. And even if they managed to call out for help, there was a good chance that whomever heard their signal was not going to be on their side.

She could already hear the taunts from Tony at getting themselves into this situation, right before he led them to the authorities waiting to take them into custody.

Neither one had spoken about the sensitive subject that she knew haunted both their thoughts…Sam and Teagan.

Sam had been outside in the air at the time of the explosions, which meant that he should have been safe from get caught in them. And Teagan should have still be safe inside of the Quinjet. Just as their comms were fading out, Nat thought she heard Sam's voice calling out to them, but between running for her life and the deafening sounds of crashes all around, she had not been able to answer.

Were the two of them still outside waiting for her and Steve to somehow get out? Somehow, a worst case scenario seemed more logical. That the two of them had to face off against Hydra all on their own. Had Steve already considered the same idea she had?

"Steve, what about Sam and Teagan?"

The super-soldier dropped his head and his body seemed to slump a bit, telling her he didn't have any good feelings about their friends' situation either.

"I think that this entire thing was a setup. That Keeling baited us to try and get to Teagan. All that we can do until we get out of here is hope that Sam was able to get to her and that they managed to escape whatever plan Keeling had in place."

She knew that with her raised questioning eyebrows that she didn't look like she agreed with him. Keeling had managed to out-think them by playing on their connection to Teagan and wanting to do right by her. Steve looked miserable, and it wasn't just from considering what their friends might be going through.

And she had led them right into this trap with her information.

"If only I had…"

"Nat, don't. It was my call, not yours. As for Sam and Teagan, we can't do anything from in here except hope for the best…that Sam managed to get to Teagan and they are already back at the safe house waiting for us. Let's just concentrate on getting out of here."

Nat didn't want him to take all of the blame, but hearing him say that again did help with the guilt that she was starting to feel. She could only hope that somehow Steve's highly unlikely wish had somehow come true.

"Fine, but first you are going to eat and then get a couple of hours rest in the dormitory that we found," she informed him. "I don't know how long you were standing there while I was out of it, but you need to get your strength back. We both do."

Steve glanced at the blocked doorway again and she knew he agreed with her. There was a lot of work to be done over the next few days, and she would only be able to help with a small portion of it.

"I hope that Keeling left plenty of food for us," he told her as they headed back down the hallway towards the kitchen area.

"I highly doubt he had his men clean out the pantry," she joked with him. "Let's go see how well Hydra feeds its people."

Unknown Hydra Base
Two Hours After Attack

"Take him to medical and make sure they understand to keep him sedated," Marcus ordered as two guards dragged Falcon out of the jet onto the concrete floor before lying him on the medical stretcher. There was not a sign at all from him of being aware that he was even being moved. The drugs in his system should last a few more hours. "Tell them to keep him that way until I have a chance to get there."

"Yes, Sir," one of the guards told him as they entered one of the two waiting elevators. He smiled as the doors shut, sealing Falcon inside of his new home without him even knowing or being able to do anything about it.

Behind him, he heard numerous approaching footsteps before the sound of something heavy touching the ground. He took a deep breath to calm his enthusiasm at having his prized tool finally home.

Keeling glared down at the box containing Teagan as the guards placed it on the ground inside of his home base's hanger. He'd ordered her unloaded at their arrival, but instead of having them carry her in the box down to her cell, he wanted to make her feel a bit more at home. There was to be no mistaking of her understanding where she was now.

"Open it and lift her out," he instructed the fully clad guards. Even with her exposed skin, they were not susceptible to her commands. Then there was the deprivation hood that she still wore, and would be wearing for quite a while.

They could all see from her hesitant movements that Teagan was awake, but her fighting had finally calmed down. Had she already started to accept her fate of being back with him?

When the hands grabbed a hold of her torso to lift her out of the confining box, she began to struggle again. She twisted her body trying to get free from them, but even if she did, there was nowhere for her to go.

"Bring her," he instructed as he walked over to the elevator being held open for his team.

Her steps were hesitant, not sure of her footing or what was in front of her. But he knew that very soon that she would figure out where she was. She had walked this path so many times through the years, she would remember it.

Nobody spoke was they rode the elevator down to his project level. Teagan stopped her struggling as they stood there, the guard's bodies pressed against her to hold her in place. Years ago, he would have her beaten for making such physical contact, even if it was them holding her as commanded. Maybe she was waiting for her punishment.

Stepping onto his level, he turned to the right and a few short steps led them to the first security door. Using his hand print, Marcus accessed it and led them further into a hallway. Reaching the second security door, he noticed that Teagan's steps stopped at almost the same time as his. She was counting her steps, remembering the well-used path to her home for so long.

Leading them down the last hall, it was only after they made the final turn to reveal her cell up ahead that Teagan began to struggle. He heard the muffled screams of protest begin also.

"She's going to put up quite a fight," he informed the guards. "Don't let her get away from you."

"She won't," one of them told him as she started to kick out with her feet.

By the time they reached her open cell door, Teagan was practically being dragged on the floor. Her hard thrashing with such a limited air-flow due to the mask left her almost hyperventilating. Marcus wondered if she was about to make herself pass out again. That would make things a lot easier.

"Stand her here," he tapped the concrete floor with his cane to indicate the spot right under the chain.

The guards roughly held Teagan as her body jerked violently, trying to stop what she knew was coming. All it took was a simple securing of the clasp to the ring at the top of the arm binder to detain her back in her cell after being gone for so long. The click as he snapped it shut brought a smile to his face. It was a most satisfying sound.

"That's all," he dismissed the two guards.

Now that he was all alone with his tool, Marcus gave an examination of her body. He ran the Hydra-headed tip of his cane down the long tattoo on one of her bare sides. With a sorrowful cry, she tried jerked her body away from the touch but found that he'd made sure the shortened chain left no room for an escape from him. They would return to their old routine soon enough. Being put back into a familiar pattern would help with breaking her back down to where she would once again be useful.

Smiling as his cane continued its path down, it crossed over her hips then her leg. When it started its upward journey, Marcus allowed it to drag along the inside of her thigh. Her body began to visible tremble with fear as it came to rest between her legs. He then stepped forward, pressing his body up against hers.

Leaning his face close to her black leather one, he whispered, "It's good to have you home, tool. I've missed you."

He knew that Teagan couldn't hear him thanks to the hood, but he felt her body give a violent shudder as if she could. Lifting his hand, he ran it over the leather covering her face, pressing firmly so that her head was forced to turn.

"You know exactly who's touching you, don't you?"

Marcus stood there listening to her pathetic crying, each whimper exciting him just a bit more. He let his hand drag down from her cheek and over her neck, until it finally rested on her breast. Giving it a hard squeeze, she screamed while trying uselessly to back away from his touch.

Smiling, he took a single step back, waited a few seconds, and the slapped her so hard in the face that her dangling body jerked and began to sway in place.

"You know the rules," he pointlessly reminded her about not allowing him access to her.

He waited until her body stopped swinging and she was once again barely able to stand on the balls of her feet. Stepping forward, Marcus grabbed her breast again, expecting her to remember and comply with his touch.

Instead, Teagan once again twisted away from his hand. That disobedient streak he had expected was indeed there, meaning that she was going to have to be broken down just like he had suspected she would.

"Wrong choice," he told her as he once again swung at her face, this time with his closed fist. He made sure not to impact with her jaw, needing her to eventually be able to speak. So instead, he aimed high on her left cheek.

Watching her body hang and swing, her head drooping to her chest, Marcus knew that she was unconscious.

"We're going to have some fun getting you back under control, aren't we?"

Closing the door behind him, Marcus decided to give her a few days of isolation to reacquaint herself with being helpless to his wants. She had always been much more compliant after being left in the dark cell for a bit. This time, he had the hood to help him.

Then he would begin her trips to the training room.

It had been a long day, so he headed to his residence to enjoy being back home again. The next few weeks were going to be busy…and fun.