Steve

Steve was dragged into a large garage, well that was a guess on his part. The large room smelled of gasoline and Steve could hear numerous voices speaking Russian. Steve knew that step one was done: get arrested. All he needed to do now was get in without Niko suspecting that he was Captain America. Steve felt the men cuff his hands in front of him and he was lifted into a car or truck. Steve was dragged back and they leaned him against the side or the wall and he heard men climbing into the truck as well. It seemed that they and put Steve into a military transport vehicle, he knew all too well about these types of vehicles. Steve felt the truck rumble to life and then it began to drive forward. Steve had to keep playing the unconscious person and lean with every direction and he slightly went with the pull to the left and he fell over onto his side.

He listened to the men laugh and he knew they were talking about him. He just wish he could just wear some ear plugs. He knew there was a reason why he hated Russia. Steve took the fact that they weren't paying any attention to the unconscious idiot who got caught and who was now pulled out a long nail from the floor. Steve smiled in his mind and he felt a bump and he went up into the air slightly and he used the split second to hide the nail in his sleeve on his sweater. He landed hard and he felt the aching pain in his shoulder and he felt another bump and another. He would have much rather just gone in by force, but he was taking a play out of Natasha's book: let them think that they have you, and when they least expect it; kill them. Steve was trying to think like a spy and not a soldier, even though he was much better at being the soldier, the spy stuff was Natasha's world. Steve had spent two years in her world and he didn't like it very much.

He did agree on the effectiveness of the techniques though. He had learned numerous things over those two years and now he was finally putting them to good use. He felt the truck increase in incline and he knew that they were going uphill. He kept his face on the floor of the truck and he felt the truck turning. Steve kept his eyes closed and then he heard the truck squeak to a stop and as the truck finally stopped the truck lurched and Steve was sent backwards and he went along with the movement and he hit the wall with his back again. Then again he knew he had to sell it and then he knew that his weight would have propelled him forward, so he fell back to the floor face first and he landed on his cheek making a loud thump. Steve heard the men laugh at him again. Keep laughing, I'll see you soon.

Steve heard the driver talking to someone and then the truck lurched forward and it drove and he felt it turn to the left. Steve heard the sound of the engine suddenly become loud and he knew that they were now inside the Gulag; most likely a transport depot. Steve slowly and softly inhaled and he could smell the awful stench of the place. Steve knew that prison was bad, but he thought that a prison in the U.S. seemed like vacation compared to a Russian Gulag, and he hadn't even opened his eyes yet. Steve listened as the truck's engine died and then the truck came to full stop and he listened as the men slowly shuffled out of the back of the truck. Steve listened and one of them was talking to another about him and how they had found him wandering in their outpost and how he took out four guys. Steve almost thought that he did a little too well for fighting. He heard two men climb into the truck and they grabbed his arms and dragged him out of the truck and they let him fall to the ground. Steve landed hard and he felt his forearms ache slightly from the landing. He kept it together and he acted like he had begun to come to. He slowly opened his eyes and he noticed that two black boots were in front of his face.

"Take him to Niko" one of them said

Steve felt the two men drag him away and Steve opened his eyes and he raised his head and looked around. He looked at the numerous cells and how they traveled up a massive center complex.

"Ha you like? Welcome home dog" one of the men said to him in English.

Steve studied the large spiral of the cells and how at the top, there was a large pad. Steve guessed that was where the Quinjet could land. Steve needed to find Natasha and then get her up there. He exhaled at it and knew it was going to be hard work, but it also mattered on how high up she was or how low. Steve had a hunch that she was near the top, Niko wouldn't let her out of his sight, unless he was stupid.

Steve was dragged into an elevator and it was rusted badly. The metal gate creaked closed and the elevator lurched then quickly shifted upward. Steve knew that if there was an overabundance of weight on it, it would fall. He could use that as an advantage. Steve kept a mental note and then the elevator squeaked and it stopped and the metal gate creaked open. Steve was brought to his feet and then another man who was about his height stood before him. He put his hand on Steve's face and he turned his head to the right then the left. Steve never broke eye contact. The man seemed pleased and he hit Steve in the gut. Steve lurched over and he acted as if the wind was knocked out of him. Steve had to guess that was how people reacted getting the breath knocked out of them. Steve barely felt anything from the man's punch.

"He's through the doors. You're lucky he's in a good mood" the man said

Steve chuckled in his mind and he was dragged toward the doors to the left. Steve tried to look around, but every time he tried a stock of a gun hit him in the face. Steve was now bleeding from the lip, he almost had to thank the guy, and he was just helping sell the look. Steve felt his feet leave grated steel to solid concrete floor. Steve looked over and at the large window Niko was standing with his arms behind his back. The two men stopped and they threw Steve to the ground and Steve let his face hit the floor and he now had a cut on his cheek.

Niko was silent for a while and then he turned around "What is this?" he asked

The man on the left on Steve spoke first.

"We found him in the outpost to the west"

"What was he doing?"

"He took down four men, and then we restrained him."

"Who is he?" Niko said walking down the steps toward Steve.

The man stuttered and then Niko was standing in front of him. Steve had to say that Niko was intimidating.

"Who is he, you did check didn't you?" Niko said

The second man spoke next.

"He seemed like an escaped prisoner"

Niko turned his attention toward the second man.

"Seeming as something, does not make him what he seems to be" Niko said turning his gaze to Steve; who was now on his knees with his hands resting in front of him.

"Do we even know what nationality he is?" Niko asked

The two men stayed silent.

"Of course we don't" Niko said annoyed and he rubbed his eyes. Niko looked at the two men and he motioned to bring Steve to his feet.

The men grabbed Steve by the arms and pulled him up. He was at eye level with Niko and he got close.

"Where are you from?" Niko asked

Steve stayed silent and he didn't break eye contact or blink.

"Do you speak English?" Niko asked next

Steve swallowed and put on a Russian accent: "Not very well" Steve said in a thick Russian accent, his voice sounding very different from his own.

"Oh, so you are from Russia?" Niko asked in Russian

"Born and raised" Steve responded in Russian

"What is your crime?"

Steve needed to think of something horrible.

"Drugs and trafficking women" Steve said

Niko paused then he smiled and laughed "The famous Russian thin to do, how were you caught?"

"By Captain America, in South America" Steve said knowing that would strike a fuse, but he did it on purpose

Niko's smile disappeared and he got close and whispered "To have the notoriousness to get noticed by him is impressive"

"My luck" Steve said

Niko nodded and he chuckled.

"He will do nicely here, put him in the cell block close to the top, a man who hates Captain America could come in handy" Niko said and he turned and walked away.

Steve was kicked in the back of the leg and Steve fell to his knees and they dragged him away. Steve was dragged toward the door and he noticed someone in the corner. They were wearing a black operator suit and it had a weird symbol on it. He squinted and he saw who it was. Natasha was standing there with her arms crossed and she walked forward. Steve felt a sudden jolt of relief and it was quickly extinguished when he saw her leave the light and he could see her face. She didn't look like the Natasha he knew, she seemed different and she was getting closer.

She stopped before him and the two guards were almost shaking in their boots. Natasha bent down and she grabbed his face.

"You seem familiar" she said but her voice was in a Russian accent.

"We've never met" Steve said in Russian

"No we haven't" she said and she walked away

Steve's eyes went wide with horror as they dragged him away from her. What did Niko do to her?

"You like my new friend dog?" Niko said loudly

"She is beautiful" Steve said in Russian

"Yes, and she will help me kill an old friend" Niko said and Steve knew that he was smiling.

Steve was dragged out of the doors and toward his cell. Steve felt his heart racing and he didn't know what to think. Was Natasha brainwashed? That was Steve's best guess, now he had another problem. Well maybe she just didn't recognize him because of he looked, she could be playing Niko. Then again, she probably would have just killed him by now. Steve was thrown into the cell and he was in there with one other guy. Steve pushed himself up and he turned back toward the gate and he walked forward. One of the guards held a stun baton and pointed at him. Steve stopped and looked at him

"Back dog" The man said in Russian

Steve clenched his jaw and turned away.

"Good boy" the man said in English

Steve looked at the guy in the cell with him. He had a hood on and he was sitting in the corner. Steve looked to the right and he noticed that there was a second guy that he hadn't have seen before. Steve took a step forward and he took a seat on a bucket and he looked down at his feet. How the hell did this happen?

Bucky

"Ok guys coming on toward the Gulag" Bucky said piloting the Quinjet through the clouds.

"You're sure they won't see us?" Clint asked

Bucky turned his head toward him. "We are miles above them, in a cloudy night. How will they see us?" Bucky asked

"Never mind" Clint said

"Ok, well now we just wait for Steve's signal" Bucky said keeping the Quinjet in hover mode

"What's the signal?" Morse asked

Bucky turned toward her "No clue"

"Great, no idea what the signal is, this could end badly" she said

"Steve should be in by now, he will find a way" Clint said

"Well you have more confidence in him than I do" Morse said

"I should, Steve knows what he's doing" Clint said

Morse looked at him "Does he?"