You awoke with a groan, a persistent throbbing in your head. You reached your hand to the back of your head to try to relieve the incessant ache, but felt an immediate pull at your arm that stopped it from reaching your head. You opened your eyes sluggishly, a wave of grogginess washing over you. You looked down to your hands and saw your wrists tied with ropes to the arms of the chair you were sitting in. You tried to move your legs, but found they were also tied to the legs of the chair. Great.
You looked to your surroundings and found yourself in a dimly lit aisle that stretched for what seemed like forever. There were old, wooden pallets scattered on either side of you and piles stacked on top of each other. There were other stacks that had several black boxes on them that were wrapped tightly with plastic to keep them from falling off the pallets. They looked like they were ready to be shipped somewhere.
The ceiling was unbelievably high. The immense size of the building you were in made you feel small and helpless. Maybe that was intentional. Towering metal racks with shelves of black boxes surrounded you. You could make out some sort of writing on the boxes. It was in a foreign language that you were pretty certain was Russian. The air was musty and damp. Whatever this place was, a warehouse you guessed, it smelled as if not much life had inhabited it for quite some time. Where could a building this big be in New York City? Were you even in New York City anymore? How long had you been knocked out?
You winced as another sharp pain pulsed through your head. You closed your eyes and hung your head low. You groaned, desperately craving to massage the pain away. This wasn't supposed to happen. Everyone was so careful. The plan was supposed to be foolproof. Where did you go wrong?
You thought back to what you remembered last. You were being brutally tugged by the arm by Will and exited the restaurant through the back door. And then everything went black. But why? All the doors were covered. Who was covering the back door?
"Shit," you muttered to yourself, eyes widening in realization. Steve. It was Steve. This was exactly what he was afraid would happen. This is what he tried so hard to prevent. You knew he was probably blaming himself for this. No, he was definitely, without a doubt blaming himself for this. Your heart ached for him, for the pain and worry he was feeling. You could just see him now, pacing endlessly around the tower, probably in the common room. His restlessness and anxiety eating him alive. Or he was in the training room, violently battering a punching bag until it couldn't handle the force anymore. You could see him taking all the anger and frustration out on himself. Losing sleep, not eating, distancing himself from the others until he formed a plan to find you. And if he didn't, if he couldn't find you…you did not want to think about that.
You started to hear footsteps echoing from somewhere in the building. As they inched closer, you held your breath. Questions flooded your mind. What were you going to do? What were you going to say? What did they want? What were they going to do to you? How were you going to get out of here?
What would the Avengers do in a situation like this? Would they even be in a situation like this? You laughed silently to yourself. Of course not. But if they were, what would they do? Natasha would use her assassin skills, seduction and martial arts, neither of which you had. Steve would use his strength, which you didn't have either. Bucky would just use his arm, an aspect of himself you knew he didn't like, but you secretly always admired the sheer power and force of it. Sam would…actually, you weren't sure what he would do. He'd probably talk their ear off to be honest. You'd let him go after about an hour of his endless griping and rambling. Tony would use his tech and gadgets. You didn't have any of…yes, yes you did. The necklace Steve gave you. You snapped your head down to see if it was still around your neck. Sure enough, it was. Thank God Steve was so worried. Now you actually had a chance of the team finding you. You just had to work that damn catchphrase into conversation casually without causing suspicion.
The footsteps echoed closer and closer. You could see a figure at the end of the long aisle of racks making their way towards you. As they inched closer, you could make out Will's features, his wide shoulders, sharp jawline, and his greasy dark hair. It shined underneath the lights as he approached. God, how you hated his hair. He stopped a few feet in front of you, not getting too close, which you were thankful for.
"Well, well, look who's finally awake," he smirked, his voice low and playful. You looked at him, not speaking. "Did you have a nice nap?" he cooed. You glared at him. "Yeah, that's what I thought."
He walked closer and knelt down until he was inches from your face. Your breath hitched at the close proximity of the two of you. His eyes bore into you. He didn't speak, only examining your features. You shifted in your seat slightly, the weight of his gaze making you incredibly uncomfortable. If he was trying to intimidate you, it was working. He noticed you shift and smirked again.
"I know who you are," he whispered. "Who you really are." You gulped. You had to stay calm and collected. Maybe he was making that up to scare you.
"You don't really work at a paper company, do you, Miss Y/N Y/L/N?" he asked, his voice lowering when he said your name. You looked straight into his eyes, but didn't answer. You could see your silence sparked anger in him, his eyes narrowing.
He abruptly grabbed the back of the chair with his right hand and tilted it back, threatening to let you fall and topple over. The sudden shift in gravity caused you to panic inside, your eyes widening.
"Listen," he growled, "if you want any chance of me sparing your insignificant life, you need to talk. Got it?" You nodded quickly. He saw your silent agreement and pushed the chair back upright with a slam.
"Good."
"So," you breathed, "what tipped you off?" You asked, your voice horse and dry but with a hint of anger.
"Please," he scoffed as he stood up and walked behind the chair so you couldn't see him, "there's no way a receptionist could afford a restaurant like that." Damn Stark and his expensive taste.
"And besides," he continued, walking around the chair to face you, "we have met before," he said with a low voice.
"No," you shook your head. "I would've remembered your repulsive face."
"Hmm," he hummed. "What about my voice?" he asked, inching closer to you. You sat there, trying to remember if you really had heard his voice before. You talked to hundreds of people a day. The phone also distorted voices, too. If you had really talked to him before, there was no way you would've remembered.
"I've called Stark Industries multiple times, actually. I'm disappointed you didn't remember me." You scowled at him. "Not as cunning as you thought you were, huh?" he crooned.
"What do you want from me?" you demanded.
"Impatient, aren't we?" he snickered.
"What do you want?" you pressed again.
"Answers," he stated.
"And what makes you think I'm going to give them to you?" you tested. He smirked and walked towards one of the stacks that had several black boxes on them wrapped in plastic.
"Now, I'm sure you're no linguistic genius, but if you look at these," he gestured to the boxes on the shelves with Russian written on them, "they have words on them that mean a great deal. I'm not going to translate them, because you're not significant enough to know. But what I will tell you is they allude to destruction. Mass destruction.
"And this right here," he walked towards the pallet of wrapped boxes and leaned against them, "is a small gift for your little friends. In a matter of seconds, that ugly tower in Manhattan and everyone in it will be reduced to nothing."
You took a deep breath. This wasn't good, at all. You had no idea HYDRA had this much power. Hell, you didn't think the Avengers had any idea either. They wouldn't be expecting it at all. You had no choice but to comply.
"Okay," you agreed. "What do you want to know?"
"Uh-uh, it's not that simple," he walked towards you and waved a finger. "You could literally say anything to me. I have to know you're not lying."
"Okay, so what are you going to do? Make me drink a truth serum? Tie me up in the Lasso of Truth?" you quipped.
"Oh, just you wait," he responded, walking closer to you.
"What do you-"
You were cut off when he stuck something sharp in the side of your neck, causing you to black out instantly.
You woke up again, feeling even worse than you did before. Your senses were bleary and your focus was blurry. Your head ached and you felt nauseous. Whatever he stabbed you with was definitely doing its job. Maybe it really was a truth serum.
You found yourself in a completely new location. You were in a small white room. The ceiling wasn't as high as it was inside the warehouse, but it was still tall enough to make you feel tiny and insignificant. You were strapped to a different chair. This one was metal. Metallic clamps secured your arms and legs to the chair. Directly across from you was a glass window. You could make out two figures talking to each other. Your vision was distorted, but you could tell one of them was Will. The other one, a man, was much smaller than Will. He was sitting behind what looked to be a switchboard of sorts. You saw Will make his way past the other man and through the door that connected to the room you were in.
"You're really good at blacking out. Is that your superpower?" Will mocked. He grabbed a wooden chair and sat down in front of you.
"Fuck off," you spat.
"So feisty. If only it was actually intimidating," he sneered. He looked over his shoulder to his partner. "Are we ready, Vlad?" Vlad gave him a thumbs up and nodded. Will turned back to you and smiled.
"Before we begin," he said, shifting his weight in the chair, "let's go over a few things. First, that chair you're in is astonishingly advanced. More advanced than what even Tony Stark is capable of creating."
"Sure," you scoffed.
"You don't have to believe me, that's fine. You'll find out soon enough," he shrugged. "It can detect the slightest hint of hesitation and deception. If you even think of telling us a lie, it will know." Okay, that was intimidating.
"And," he continued, "that's where our lovely Vlad comes in. Once the chair alerts him that you're lying, he'll flip a switch and hundreds of volts of electricity will be sent your way. Only to discourage you from lying again." And not to kill you, of course. He didn't sound very convincing.
"Shall we begin?"
"Ask away," you answered. You could do this. All you had to do was give half-truths. Truths that were, well, true, but not exactly what he was looking for.
He pushed the wooden chair out of the way and started to walk around you, his hands clasped behind his back. "This is a simple question, one I'm sure you'll be able to answer, since you seem to know each of the Avengers on a personal level." You licked your dry lips in anticipation and let out a ragged breath.
"What are their weaknesses?" he finally asked.
"Uhh," you stammered.
"Allow me to make it a little simpler for you. What is Black Widow's weakness?" he asked.
"No weakness," you responded flatly. He looked over to the glass and Vlad gave him a nod.
"Okay," he paused, "Hawkeye?"
"Arrows."
"What?"
"Arrows," you repeated.
"That doesn't-he's an archer," he argued.
"I don't know what to tell you, man," you shrugged.
"Fine," he waved you off. You bit your lip to keep yourself from smiling. You could tell your short answers were frustrating him. You weren't lying, but you definitely weren't telling the full truth either. You just hoped he wouldn't catch on to the little game you were playing.
"Iron Man?"
"I have no idea," you answered.
"Vlad!" he yelled.
"Wait, wait. I'm being serious," you defended. "That man is so complex. If you've ever met him, you would know that." He mumbled something under his breath at your response.
"Captain America?"
"Butter Pecan ice cream. The guy can eat a whole tub of that stuff in one sitting."
"This is getting us nowhere," he hissed. He turned his back towards you and faced the glass. "Vlad, turn on the machine," he commanded.
"She's telling the truth, sir," you heard Vlad's muffled voice through the glass.
"What am I supposed to do?" He spat as he turned back to face you. "Drown Captain America in a vat of Butter Pecan ice cream?"
"I don't know. I'm not the evil mastermind here. That's your job." You could see that your comment flipped a switch in Will, his whole demeanor changing. He was no longer trying to appear calm and intimidating. He was fuming. His face contorted, his mouth twisted into a snarl. He was like a loose cannon, ready to explode at any moment, and you were the only target. You were in trouble, big trouble.
He marched out of the room and behind the glass window. You could hear the two men arguing with each other, but couldn't make out what they were saying. Things started to get physical as Will pushed Vlad away from the controls. Will looked directly at you with seething eyes, smirked, and then flipped a switch on the switchboard.
Instantly, you felt a strong crushing, stabbing pain start in your chest and make its way to your limbs. You cried out in pain. After a few seconds it stopped. You hunched forward, gasping for air.
"Had enough, Princess?" Will yelled through the glass.
Was it worth it? Was it worth it to give up? To give him what he wanted? Or should you hold your ground? What little ground you had anyway. You thought back to the team, the group of people you had come to care for so dearly. For the person you had come to love so deeply. You had to stay strong for them. For Steve.
Will took your lack in response as a 'no', and flipped another switch. You screamed out in pain again. Your eyes squeezed shut and you grit your teeth. This time lasted a lot longer than the previous time. Suddenly, everything stopped. With ragged breaths, you looked to the glass. Will was flipping switches on and off, but nothing was happening. He turned to Vlad and started to yell at him. Vlad stood behind the switchboard and tried flipping switches as well. When nothing continued to happen, Will yelled at Vlad one last time before entering the room you were in.
"Technical difficulties?" you asked, your voice dry. He glared at you and folded his arms across his chest. "Where's Iron Man when you need him?" you smirked. You felt the necklace around your neck vibrate slightly, signaling it heard the catchphrase and was hopefully sending the team your location.
Luckily, Will didn't seem to notice the necklace move. He walked closer in front of you and spoke, "Let's continue where we left off. I still have a few more questions for you."
"So do I," you stated.
"Oh?" he quirked a brow.
"Yeah," you nodded. This whole ordeal was intended for you to get information on HYDRA. You knew you had a limited time before the team got here, so you had to act fast. You had to bring back something to the team.
"If you have the weaponry and power to demolish Avengers Tower, then why haven't you done it already? That is if you really have what you say you have. Those could be empty boxes for all I know."
"They're not-"
"Do you not have the authority to make that call?" He clenched his jaw. "Ahh, so you don't. That must be infuriating. Having all these resources and no ability to use it.
"And why go through all this trouble? To prove a point to your superiors? To show them that you're more capable than they give you credit for? That you deserve to move up in the ranks and start calling the shots?" You inquired. "Or were you just that desperate to get a date?" He stared at you hard, not responding.
"Look, I'll give you a few pointers. Ladies aren't really into the mirror selfies. It makes you come off as a douchebag. Unless, of course, that's the look you're going for. And for the love of God, do something with that hair. Cut it, use less hair gel, do so-"
His hand smacked across your face, the skin stinging instantly. Your head swung to the side, your eyes watering from the sudden pain. You could taste blood in your mouth. You bowed your head, scarlet drops beginning to collect on your black opaque tights.
"I'm done listening to you, bitch. Your time is up," he spat.
All of a sudden, a loud blaring alarm began to ring throughout the building. The lights dimmed and red flashing light filled the space around you.
"Actually," you looked up at him with a smirk, "I believe your time is up."
He scrambled out of the room and barked orders at Vlad, causing him to leave in a hurry. He strode back into the room you were in and began to release the metal clasps around your hands and feet.
"You're coming with me," he commanded. He pulled you up from the chair and stood you on your feet. Your legs felt like noodles, collapsing beneath you from the pain they endured just minutes before. He grabbed you by the shoulders and lifted you up again. You fell to your knees once more, unable to make your legs hold your weight.
He looked down at you, the door that connected to the main hallway, then back down to you. You could see beads of sweat start to form on his forehead. His breathing quickened, the stress of the situation obviously getting to him.
"You're not going to win this," you stated. He looked at you one last time before leaving the room rapidly.
Knowing your legs were currently useless, you used your arms to crawl towards the door that lead to the hallway. You had to get out of this room and to somewhere more traveled so someone could find you. Once you made it to the door, you reached up and grabbed the handle, the door swinging open. You peeked your head out to see if you could make your escape unnoticed. You heard gunshots around the corner and quickly ducked back into the room and closed the door, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire. You turned around and pressed your back against the door. You closed your eyes and sighed.
"They will find you, they will find you," you muttered to yourself.
Suddenly, you felt the door behind you open and you fell backwards. Before you hit the ground, a pair of strong arms caught you. You turned around and saw Steve crouching in front of you.
"Steve," you breathed, tears starting to form in your eyes. He enveloped you in a tight hug.
"You're okay, Y/N. I've got you," he mumbled in your hair, squeezing you tighter.
You let out a sob, the realization of everything that happened finally hitting you. The pain that you went through, physical and emotional. But you didn't have to worry about that anymore. You were finally back in the caring, compassionate arms you longed for.
"You're okay, you're okay," he repeated to reassure you, and himself, that you were finally safe.