CHAPTER 6

*Please note that Elliot Dawes is an OC of mine and that this happens after Avengers Assembled and before Captain America 2, carrying on into that timeline*

My heart felt like it had just stopped. I rolled over and pushed myself up. I was breathing heavily. Despite all my precautions, I was still just a nerd at the end of the day who preferred the indoors to any form of physical activity. I found myself wishing I had a gun or something. He looked like he had stepped out of an old photograph of himself- he was still the same bright red skull and it both intrigued and freaked me out. My scientific part of my mind was more dominant and I found myself itching to tear apart his DNA and find out what makes his skin that way. I took several steps back and found a gun barrel digging into my back. I stopped moving. The area was clear of citizens now but I could see a few lying on the ground by the chairs. I hoe they're okay, I thought, scared I had caused a few deaths.

"How did you survive?" I asked, going into full babble mode. "Unless when you fell and hit the icy surface you became a icicle as well and were frozen just like Captain America only it took people longer to find you because face it, who wants to look at the freak who tried to blow up the world. You were like Hitler but worse,"

He physically growled at me. My babbling died to nothing as I gazed up at him. I was terrified, my heart was hammering painfully in my chest but I was more curious. Was it his regenerating abilities that made him survive the fall? I read he tried an earlier version of Cap's serum which made him like that so maybe his cells regenerate quickly to, giving him the ability to heal?

"Elliot Dawes, you have something that belongs to me," he told me quietly, a dangerously soft tone. "And I wish you to hand it over,"

I reached into my pockets, making sure I looked nervous. All I had with me was a wallet full of cash and my passport and boarding pass. I had left my briefcase filled with all my work in the possession of Captain America (although Steve probably hasn't found it yet).

"You're mugging me?" I asked, offering him my wallet. "And awfully big extreme for a mugging, don't you think?"

He pulled out a gun from inside his coat pocket and shot my wallet. I quickly dropped it. There was a whole burned right through it. Wisps of burning cash floated around me. I was glad that wasn't all my money. Most of my money if waiting to be loaded onto a plane to Florida. A flight I will definitely miss. That's going to be a pain.

"Hey! That was all my money," I cried, acting overly annoyed. "Look, buddy, that's all I have. A wallet with a hole in it and my passport. Are you stealing my boarding pass?"

He stormed up to me and clasped a hand around my throat. He lifted me cleanly up off the ground without wincing or showing signs of weakness. His grip was tight around my throat and I began struggling to breath instantly. I yanked and clawed at his gloved hand but it didn't even budge.

"Enough games," he snarled in my face. "I want the serum! The Super Solider Serum you created. Give it to me!"

I couldn't talk properly. I could only flap my hands and make weak gasping noises. Just as everything began clouding over, I was dropped. I let out a gasp and began choking for air. I was in a heap on the ground but I could hardly move. I clutched at my chest as my lungs lapped up the sweet, sweet oxygen. A boot kicked me painfully in the shoulder.

"You will give it you me," he snarled.

"Or what?" I challenged him. "You can't exactly kill me,"

I could see he hadn't through this through. He glowered at me, his eye twitching as he began to come up with a threat.

"You don't exactly have much on me, do you?" I requested. "I have no friends or family or even a beloved pet. You have nothing. Besides, I can't even remember the formula,"

A wicked grin spread across his face. I gulped in nervousness. Maybe I should have shut up.

"I have my methods of persuading people," he said in a cruel tone. "I am sure some torture will jolt your memory,"

I gulped. Before I could reply, a flying metal disk came flying out of nowhere. It smacked into the Red Skull's stomach and sent him backwards. Everyone began scrambling about. I pushed myself up and scrambled out of the way as I was in risk of being trampled. Standing behind me in his blue spandex was the glorious Captain America. He looked pretty darn hot in his uniform, only those starling blue eyes and lips on show. The Red Skull pushed himself painfully to his feet as the shield went flying back to its rightful owner. I was surprised to find it was just Captain America. I guess everyone else was busy. He did not look impressed to find a nemesis he defeated about seventy five years ago.

"IN FORMATION!" roared the Red Skull.

All his men scrambled to create a human shield around him. He stood in the centre, grinning broadly. It was the Cap and I against at least twenty men with guns out. Plus the Red Skull.

"I thought I threw you out the plane?" the Cap asked.

I have never heard him sound so angry. Heck, I didn't even think he was capable of anger. He was always such a calm, mellow guy who just wouldn't give up. I turned to face the Red Skull. I knew he wanted me alive so they would be trying to kill captain America. If I had a weapon or something I could throw them off guard but I don't and I'm not the best of fighters. Fear was still strong inside me, taking over any other emotion. The Red Skull laugh. It was a laugh filled with such malice it made my arm hairs stand up on end. I shivered at the sound of it. I tipped my head back to see Cap look unsettled by the laugh.

"You are not the only one who was frozen Captain," the Red Skull explained, clasping his hands behind his back.

"I really want to tear apart your DNA," I breathed to myself.

His eyes caught mine and I looked away quickly, my heart hammering. Nothing filled me with fear like gazing into the black emptiness of pure hatred.

"FIRE!" he roared.

Cap jumped in front of me and crouched over me. The shield was large enough to protect us both. Bullets ricocheted every, shattering the glass and tearing apart those awful metal seats. The fight for freedom had just begun.