Project X had to get out of the city. She had to. Out of New York, out of D.C.

Somewhere neither HYDRA nor the Avengers could find her. She stood inside of a travel agency's office, muzzle in her pocket. The farthest place she could take a bus to was Los Angeles. From what little Spanish she knew, the city sounded promising.

The Angels.

One man she had guarded called her his guardian angel. She looked it up in his library and it sounded good to her, having someone watching over her without an ulterior motive.

She didn't have any money left. She'd have to find a large family or group and slip in with them.

Project X slipped on her hood and stepped back out into the night.

Walking past an alleyway, she was suddenly pulled into it. She pulled a gun out of her pocket, and fired. It was pushed aside, so all it hit was a wall.

She was turned around and slammed against the wall. Project X had an idea who it might be.

The Winter Soldier.

Or Black Widow.

One of the two.

"Open your eyes," a voice hissed in Russian.

She did. It was an agent of HYDRA. She knew his name, but it wasn't coming to mind. It was in that fuzzy space in the back of her mind, where everything she knew but didn't know resided.

"Project X?"

"Da?"

"Were you trying to leave without finishing your mission?"

"Nyet!"

"You were!"

"I was not!"

"Quiet!"

He slammed his hand over her mouth as an obviously drunk couple staggered past. She bit his hand and a knife was placed at her throat.

"HYDRA would not be happy if you killed me," she hissed.

"They would not be happy if you failed."

She shoved him off of her with telekinesis and took a few steps away from the wall. He pointed a gun at her. "I am not going anywhere," she said, sitting down. "Do you have orders for me?"

"Yes. I have a bag with two dozen explosives. You are to place them around the base without being seen. The detonator is in there. You will send a telepathic message to Scarlet Witch saying that if Captain America and the Winter Soldier are not in the back lawn of the White House at ten in the morning tomorrow, alone, then you will detonate the bombs. Understand?"

"Da."

"Heil HYDRA."

"Heil HYDRA."

Project X took the bag and sped off, cursing her bad luck.