Miranda here.

How did we run in a semi circle around the building, you ask? I wasn't paying attention to which direction I was running. I was trying for distance from the building and wasn't thinking about it.

I stared at Dottie for a moment.

Then Carmen and I both took off sprinting in different directions, taking a chance that Dottie could only chase one of us.

She chose to chase Carmen, luckily for me.

I ran around, back to the trees.

Jack lay next to the trees, bleeding out of his knee and shoulder.

"I leave for five minutes..." I muttered. "Let's get out of here."

"How?" he demanded. "I can't walk, and you can't exactly carry me. Just go, like the plan says."

"Think you can limp a little ways on one leg?"

"To where?"

"Just trust me on this. It probably won't work, but I'm all out of ideas. There's no chance we won't get caught, and very little that you won't bleed out."

"Thanks for the reminder. What's the plan?"

While I explained, I grabbed his uninjured arm and helped him into a position on one leg, with his arm draped around my shoulder.

His eyes widened as I explained. "Please tell me that's a joke. That's craziest plan I've heard of since Ariel slapped the Winter Soldier."

"Her plan worked, and mine just might too."

I took a step forward, moving Jack with me.

He let out a little hiss of pain, nearly stumbling and falling.

"Either you help me make this work, or I'll drag you. I don't have much time or patience for pulling this off."

He nodded.

I helped him out of the trees and toward the hangar.

We couldn't see anyone else – Carmen was as fast as I'd hoped.

"Hey! Is anyone here?" I yelled. "I need some help!"

Ivchenko appeared out of the doors.

Perfect.

"Hey! Can you help us?" I invented a little story about being in the surrounding area and there being an accident.

He hesitated. Probably because if he turned two people away in that situation, they'd be suspicious. If he let them in, they might find out what was going on.

At that moment, somewhere nearby, Carmen screamed.

In that moment, my plan fell to shreds. Well, it wasn't so much a plan as a desperate, last ditch attempt to get some kind of help for Jack. Yes, it was a horrible one. it was my last resort now that all our plans had failed.

Jack leaned his head over. "Go. Don't worry about me. Go."

I lowered him to the ground and ran.

Glancing behind me, Dottie was dragging Carmen to the building, yelling at him. The doctor looked too shocked to know quite what was going on.

I made it to the trees and kept running, crashing through the undergrowth and nearly slamming into several tree trunks.

I eventually made it out of the trees and stopped, panting heavily.

No sound of pursuit.

Now I came to think of it, why was there trees near an airplane hangar? Mr. Stark must have been very sure about his capabilities as a pilot. Really overconfident.

Well, he is a Stark.

I know what you all are thinking. I should have stayed and tried to help. Help how, exactly? There was no way to help either of them. There's no reason to be embarrassed about a perfectly logical decision.

I started running again.

Jack here.

Ivchenko didn't seem to know quite what to do when Miranda took off running.

Dottie let go of Carmen and started running after Miranda. Carmen tackled her from behind, wrapping her arms around her neck.

Dottie disentangled herself just as Miranda reached the trees and took off after her.

"You're stronger than I thought," I said to Carmen.

"Are you okay?"

I laughed weakly. "I was shot twice and am kind of bleeding out. No, not really."

"Oh, yes. Sorry."

"Don't move. Either of you," ordered Ivchenko. He had a gun out.

"Do you think I'm capable of it?" I asked. Yeah, I know, I shouldn't say things that could tick him off.

Carmen groaned. "Dummkopf."

"I know what that means."

"I suspected you might."

"How are you so calm right now?"

"The only alternative is absolute terror. This is preferable."

"Quiet!"

There were several minutes of silence. I continued bleeding out, Carmen just stared, probably too afraid to help.

"You know..." I said after a while. "I'm not getting any more alive down here or anything."

He gestured at Carmen. "Get him inside."

Carmen stared at me for a moment.

"Think you could get into a standing position, Jack?"

I shook my head.

"Sorry, Jack. Really sorry. I'm going to have to drag you."

I swallowed hard. "Okay."

"On three. One –" She grabbed me under the arms, hauling me up off the ground and pulling me toward the hangar.

I screamed in pain.

She dragged me backwards. Every jolt and bump sent agony shooting through my shoulder and knee. I let out a long, loud shriek of pain.

Then she set me down on the cold floor.

"Sorry." Her face was pale. "I thought it would be easier if you didn't have the anticipation."

I took several deep breaths. "Probably right."

Footsteps sounded, announcing Dottie's re-entrance.

She glared at Carmen, fairly shaking with rage. "We need to talk. Somewhere else."

Carmen's face went even whiter.

They grabbed her and pulled her to the little office room on the side.

I groaned aloud. "Don't mind the guy bleeding to death on the floor or anything..."