10 – Seizing an Opportunity

I knew my freedom wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

Yes, I can move outside of my room. But certain areas I can't access. And when the chance arises, I've got a babysitter. Most of the time it's Winter who's at my side, or Tessa. I'm more comfortable with Tessa, to be honest.

I feel like this is more a lateral move for me more than anything. Moving from one prison to the next. Only, here, they're more critical of me. Watching me more carefully than HYDRA ever did. Well, I'm the enemy as far as they can tell. I'm in enemy territory. If they aren't careful, I can snap at any second.

Truthfully, my new plan is the only thing that's keeping me from snapping.

"Is this how it was when you first got here?" I ask Winter. Agents are either looking at me in terror or scrutiny. We're heading for a training room, since I'm not allowed outside. I haven't seen the light of day for a while now since I've been here.

"Much worse," he says. "You're nowhere near my infamy. Be thankful for that. Anything coming back to you?"

"Nothing new." I shrug. I see more ocean water, glimpses of that house, where I was supposedly abducted. A house near a beach. I guess that sounds like me.

Don't play the part too well, otherwise you'll convince yourself that you want the change. Get close to him. Get him alone. Get the job done. That's what you're here for. Not to make friends. Not to bond with the Winter Soldier. If my conscience had a physical form, it'd probably bitch slap me right now.

The training room is empty when we get there. Winter and I part ways, but I can feel his ever-watchful eyes on me. I decide to opt for some strength training, meaning doing some pullups on a nearby bar. I hear music being turned on, but I tune it out as I launch myself up and begin the workout.

It's as though I have blinders on, how focused I am. Sometimes I'll hear Winter with his training. As far as I'm aware at the moment, it's just the both of us. But surely there are cameras here, watching. S.H.I.E.L.D. is always watching. I frown at the thought.

I lithely jump down, letting my arms get a rest, while I survey the rest of the area. I see a Salmon Ladder, which peaks my interest. I haven't really seen HYDRA have any sort of training room. All I've seen is my cell and the infirmary. Pretty dull, right?

Once my arms have some life back into them, I walk to the Salmon Ladder. I pick the bar up that's leaning against one of the sides. I test it. Not too heavy, but it does pack some weight.

I look at my challenge for a moment or two before I jump, connecting the bar to the lowest pair of rungs on the ladder. I glance down. I'm about a foot or so up off the ground, my body swinging in the air.

I swing myself like a pendulum before leaping, connecting the bar with the next pair of rungs upwards. I go for the third pair—success. Fourth pair is another success.

I can't say the same about the fifth pair.

The bar just misses one of the rungs. My momentum stalls, the bar drops, as do I. I land back first, the bar hitting me across the abdomen. I shove it away, rolling onto my side, feeling rather disgusted with myself.

"Don't beat yourself up too bad," says Winter, dramatically slow-clapping his hands. "Most people fall by the third one up."

I ignore him, using the bar as a crutch, hoisting myself up. I toss my hair away from my eyes. I glance at the Salmon Ladder. "Has anyone beat it?" I ask, not looking at Winter.

"Oh, yeah, sure."

"Let me guess, one of them is you." I offer him a sly smirk.

"I don't want to toot my own horn."

I roll my eyes. "You just did." Hmm...

I swing the Salmon Ladder pole at Winter, who jumps back from it. He gives me an accusing stare, I give him an innocent pout. I advance, swinging the pole again at him. This time, he blocks with his metal arm.

"Aww, come on," I lilt, pouting even more. "Don't be a poor sport."

"That isn't used for combat training."

"Well, now it is."

I hear Winter groan in annoyance as I go after him. He ends up being a good sport, playing along. Little does he know that I'm gonna go in for the kill. Enough blows to the head will do it. I've accepted the fact that there may not be a time where I can get Winter alone without watchful cameras lurking. Besides, they'll know who killed him anyway. It's not like it would be hard to figure out.

I keep Winter ducking, relentlessly aiming for his head. I charge, vaulting myself off the pole, kicking him in the stomach. He falls backwards, and I land on my feet. Whistling, I walk, pole dragging across the training floor. I lay the tip just on his chest.

"That all you got, old timer?" I taunt. "You're disappointing me."

The second I finish the sentence, he grabs the other end of the pole, shoving it towards my body. The most it does is bruise my stomach. I stumble back, still in possession of the weapon, as Winter gets to his feet. "You disappoint me. Weren't you taught better than that? Don't let your opponent take advantage. Who trained you, anyway?"

"Not you. Bet you would have, though, had you stayed and did as you were told." With a yell, I keep the pole as a sidekick and use my body against Winter, throwing punches at him, sweeping kicks at his legs. But he catches on, and I swear I see him smirk at some point through that mangy mess he calls hair.

He thinks this is a game. Well, it's not. He's going to die here. I pick up my aggression. The pole hits his shoulder, and he shies away from the pain. I pant lightly, creeping in towards my prey. I strike him at the back of his knee. He buckles, and I take my sweet time to put the pole against his neck and make sure he can't escape.

Winter struggles, reaching behind him blindly to try and grab me. I chuckle, watching his fruitless attempts.

"Sorry, no chance of a rematch," I whisper in his ear. He's swearing under his breath, in Russian I believe. "They want you back, but you had your chance. I can't let them take you back."

"Let him go!"

I wrench Winter and I around to find Steve Rogers looking rather horrified by what's going on.

"Oh, hey, Winter's boyfriend," I mock. "Come to watch the show?" I release Winter just as the Captain tosses his infamous shield at my face. It hits nothing, and like a boomerang, returns to its owner. That's kinda cool. Winter lurches forward, coughing violently. I glare at Rogers, holding the Salmon Ladder pole at my side. "Party pooper."

"Put the weapon down." Rogers advances cautiously towards me.

"Or what? You gonna hurt me?" I twirl the pole in my hand. "I thought you respected women in your era."

"Yeah, when they aren't trying to kill my best friend."

"Come on, you and me. Let's have a little duel."

Rogers' version of a duel is flinging the stupid shield at me, which I block with the pole. I stomp on the shield when it hits the ground, and I launch myself off it. But as I'm mid-air, that stupid shield comes back to Rogers, and we collide, sending me onto the ground. I hear the pole clatter to the ground loudly.

"Is this your game? Let us catch you so you can turn around and kill us?" Rogers demands.

I chuckle bitterly. "Oh please, pretty boy. It's not you I'm after." I lick my lips, throwing a glance at Winter, who's watching me with an expression that can freeze Hell. "It's your partner over there."

"Why?"

"I want to prove a point." I retrieve the pole. "His time is over. All of yours is."

"So they sent you singlehandedly to take us down?"

"Pft, I wish I was that strong. That'd require an army of me." I look between Rogers and Winter. "So, are we gonna talk or are we gonna duke it out?"

"Try neither," snarls a voice from behind me.

I yell in pain, throwing the pole away, feeling the shocks pulse through me. I feel my hair grabbed and my head forced back. My eyes are to the ceiling, but I catch a glimpse of my sneaky little bitch.

Natasha Romanoff.

"Try something again," she says sweetly.

"You call in the cavalry to detain me?" I pant, trying to get my breathing under control.

"Wrong person. She's busy elsewhere right now. I'm second best."

"Wow, you must really be scared of me. Why else would I get such a strong protection detail?"

"Now I get why Wanda wanted to knock you unconscious, you're really annoying."

"Same to you, sister."

"What the hell is going on?!" I recognize Tessa's high-pitched concern echoing in the training room. Her footsteps are hurried, anxious.

My head is released, and I rub the back of it. At the same time, my hands are wrenched behind my back, and I can hear handcuffs being clicked on. Gruffly, I'm pulled to my feet, standing almost as tall as Romanoff. She's glaring at Tessa with a dark stare.

"We're about to get to the bottom of this," Romanoff says darkly. "You're going to go with Captain Rogers and Barnes to see the director, now. As for your...attack dog, she's going back to her room."

Tessa looks highly alarmed, and honestly, I don't care. I don't care that I've stirred up trouble. I like causing it. I live in it.

"Guess you'll get that rematch after all, Winter," I yell as Romanoff escorts me out of the training room.

"You must have a lot of balls to attempt murder in a S.H.I.E.L.D. base," Romanoff tells me as we're walking down the halls.

"What have I got to lose?"

"Your life."

I snort. "I've been in tough situations before, Romanoff. I've come out the victor in all of them."

"You have no advantages here. You're in our territory. You're gonna wish you hadn't done that."

"What are you gonna do? Torture me? Do your freaking worst."

Romanoff pushes me rather harshly into my room. I look back at her.

"You mind?" I jiggle my cuffed wrists.

"You'll get those off when someone brings you food. Until then, have fun." With a leering glance, Romanoff shuts the door, putting me in isolation once again.

I pace, trying to dig into my extra strength to pull the cuffs apart. I don't even loosen them. Cuffs that are stronger than Hell's Angel, who would've seen it coming?

My mind goes to Tessa. She's already told them what we both know. Director Coulson won't get anything new out of her. What I did was my own mission, not HYDRA's. Tessa didn't even know. As far as she knows, I'm trying to bring Winter back in one piece.

I'm pissed. I had the chance to kill the Winter Soldier, and I failed. I might get other chances. Might.

That's if they let me out of this damn room ever again.

**Hmm, yeah, so our girl is a little confused still...as you can clearly see.

For some odd reason the chapter song is what I pictured playing in the training room.**