A/N: So, I just want to give a rough idea where this story is going. This first part, which will consist of around 15 chapters, is just to give some background on Elena. The next part, which will be in a separate story, will be called Daughter of Hydra: Age of Ultron. As one can imagine, it will follow the Age of Ultron storyline. You won't have had to read this story to read that story, unless you are interested in these background details (which I hope you are).

Elena's POV

I'm resigned to my fate, rotting in a cell for all time. In some ways it's a comfort, to no longer move according to the whims of someone else.

I wasn't concerned if Steve was coming back or not. This place was comfortable compared to Hydra. I was given nice food 3 times a day, I was given sleeping pills every night, I had a blanket, and, the same day I talked to Steve, I even got a book. It was filled with fairy tales. Another thing that I haven't had since before my days at Hydra.

I was in the middle of reading when I heard someone approach. I look over and it's Natasha. She lingers in the area outside my cell, probably waiting for something.

I don't say anything, I just watch her. I'm not the best at reading people, training has not helped in that department, but from what I can tell- she seems frustrated.

She huffs before coming over to my cell.

"Do you want to get out of this cell?" She asks abruptly.

I swallow hard. I'm safe in this cell, it's sad to say but it's true. They can't hurt me a wall of glass between us. I don't make a move.

Coward. Weak.

She moves on.

"If we let you out, do you plan to kill us all in your sleep?" Natasha questions, getting directly to the point.

I answer. "I do not, but if you don't trust me then why let me out at all."

She pauses, "Steve has a soft spot for broken things."

I look to the floor, "Steve does seem too nice for his own good."

"That we can agree on."

"You don't seem like the trusting kind though." I guess.

She pauses. "I trust Steve."

"You're thinking about letting me out of here because of Steve, even though I'm sure he told you what I've done."

"Yes."

I nodded. I wonder what it's like to have someone to trust.

She goes back to waiting. I wait a minute too, before going back to my book. I had gotten through only about one more page when Steve walked in.

"You're late," Natasha stated.

"I'm sorry," He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I got caught up talking to Stark."

She sighed and Steve looked to me, smiling.

"Hey," He greeted. "The team has agreed to let you out of here, help you slowly readjust to living outside of Hydra. We have a room for you upstairs."

Natasha interjects after that, "we will be watching you. This is a second chance at life that the team is giving you."

"If you're ready to go," Steve speaks again, "we can head upstairs."

I nod. I still worry about these people. I'm not used to trusting people and this goes against my basic instinct. I'm guessing there taking a risk too, trusting me. Unless they are playing me. I can't let my guard down.

Steve opens the door and we head up the elevator.

Steve's POV

As we're in the elevator heading to the top floor, I want to fill in the silence with something. I just don't know what. Both Natasha and Elena seem fine with the silence, but I want things to go smoothly and I guess I feel like saying something would help with that. "So, the Avengers, I know you don't know about us, but we help people and- um- "

I look to Natasha for help, she just shakes her head, smirking at my struggles.

"Um… Right now, there's nine people, but only a few are here right now." Steve answers, "And you've already met me- I go by Captain American on missions, and Natasha here is Black Widow."

Elena nods at the information. Then the elevator opens, the three of us walking onto the top floor of the Avengers' Tower.

It's a pretty big floor. There's a living room area with lots of seating and a television, a kitchen, some tables full of Stark's tech that he left lying around, but it's a pretty minimalist space besides that.

I watch Elena as she takes it all in. She walks around and then her eyes seem to land in the direction of the far wall, which is just completely windows looking over New York. She walks over to it and just stares at the landscape.

I mean, it is pretty beautiful. I guess I've gotten kind of numb to it since living here and seeing it almost every day. Then I think, maybe she's never seen a view like this. She's been on -missions- so maybe she's seen something similar. Maybe she's just never been to New York.

I'm about to say something, when someone else does, "Yep, best view in New York, try not to gawk." Oh, Tony. At least he had calmed down from before.

She doesn't move or takes her eyes off the view. She does ask, quietly, "this is New York?"

"Yeah," I answer quickly, before Tony could say something sarcastic. "It's pretty amazing, isn't it?"

"It is. I've just—" She stops mid-sentence.

"What is it?" I ask, trying to get her to continue. She seems quieter already, since leaving the cell.

"Nothing." She pulls herself away from the view.

I wonder whether or not I should push it, but then Tony does, "that doesn't seem like a good conclusion to that sentence, 'I've just nothing.'"

She glances back at the window and then looks down, "I've just never seen anything like it."

"Not even on missions?" I ask.

She shakes her head, "I'm not usually in a position to see the whole city like this."

I want to say more, but then the elevator opens again. Clint and Rhodey enter the floor. Based on their look, they must have just come from the training room.

"Hi guys," I say.

"Hey," Rhodey says. Clint mumbles a greeting too, but is already heading towards the kitchen area, near where Tony is standing.

"Rhodey, this is Elena."

Rhodey walks over to her and holds out his hand, which I'm impressed with the level of professionalism he brings to the team, "Hello, I'm James Rhodes, but you can call me Rhodey."

She looks momentarily at his hand, but doesn't shake it. "Hi," she says, rubbing her arms. I've noticed she rubs her arms a lot when she's nervous.

"You're supposed to shake it," Clint announces to her with a mouth full of cookies, making the words come out muffled.

"That's okay," Rhodey says with a smile, putting his arm down and walking over to take a seat on the couch.

I take over again, "Rhodey is War Machine on the team and the other one over there is Clint, he's known on the team as Hawkeye." Clint gives a small wave.

Elena is looking pretty uncomfortable at this point, maybe meeting this many people this soon was a bad plan. "Why don't Natasha and I show you to your room?"

Elena's POV

I'm happy to get out of there with the Avengers. I am not good with people. Let's be honest, I don't have much experience. Only the occasional mission required talking to people and then I was always directed on what to do and say.

Natasha and Steve left me in this room a little bit ago. It was a nice room. It was a really good size with a bed and some other furniture.

There was a bathroom attached and a closet that already had clothes similar to what Natasha had brought me to wear. Apparently, when they saw it was the right size, they had bought more. It was a nice place.

I sat on the bed, not entirely sure what to do next. So, I sit and wait.