"It's because the bad guys aren't paid like self-acclaimed superheroes." My steps falter as I whip around in a full circle, looking for the heavily accented voice in the dark depths. I find myself scowling before throwing my arms out, suddenly illuminating the whole mining shaft. And that's when I see him. Standing directly within my path shielding his eyes.

Tall, white hair, black jacket, cocky smirk.

"Who the hell are you? Where did you come from—" I begin to question with an intense need for answers.

"I think I should be the one asking you questions." He hits back confidently. I watch his eyes narrow as they look me up and down. "You're with them?" He nods back in the direction of the outside world. I can only wrinkle my nose in disgust.

"Hell no." As I glare into his eyes, I watch as his suspicion quickly turns to shock, followed by awe.

"You're her...the first..." Dread sweeps over me in a fell swoop, nearly crushing the air from my lungs as panic settles. I quickly redirect one of my arms and allow a quick burst of power to leave through my fingertips. I absorb all light around us to darken the mine before throwing myself to the side of the tunnel. I quickly pick up whatever my hand lands on first and throw it behind me in an attempt to misdirect this man into thinking I'm running. There's a moment of silence before the actual lights of the tunnel come to life despite my best efforts to maintain darkness.

Damn.

We make eye contact. In a state of panic to get away, I focus on manipulating my molecular structure to allow light to pass through me, giving me the advantage of invisibility. However, it renders me blind due to the fact that one's eyes cannot function without light reflecting off the retina. I lurch forward to make my escape, but quicker than the speed of light, I'm backed against the wall. I lose my concentration and therefore my invisibility. I'm left staring into the endless blue eyes of the man who holds me against the wall. My muscles are bundled tightly, awaiting the split-second command to move. "You didn't see that coming?" He whispers, that smirk never once leaving his face as he watches me like I'm a prized possession. For a moment I'm too stunned to talk.

They've created a speed demon. But what's worse? They've created more. There's no longer just two enhanced. Not to mention who knows how many more there are in addition to this dude. This information I've come to steal has become more vital to me. I have to know what HYDRA has accomplished here. I have to know how many more people have lost their lives to this experimentation.

"No, of course I didn't see that coming. I'm not psychic, didn't you know?" I quickly snap back, shaking my head in an attempt to reorient myself to the current situation — boxed in by a rather attractive HYDRA operative. Was that their play now? Entrap attractive people in their web and send them out to entangle more unsuspecting fools? Well, I know better. I hope. I brush his hands off my arms before giving him a shove away from me. He laughs at my small attempt to distance ourselves.

"Strucker told us about you — never stopped talking about you. He never did warn us how striking you'd be." The Sokovian offers a sly wink. I'm nearly distracted by his flirting.

"Strucker is as dead as a stuffed crow." I scowl. What a foul joke. That man died the same day my innocence did. "Buried under a grave of concrete."

"Ah, well someone forgot to mention that to him. Guess I'll have to let him know, hmm?" My mouth gapes in shocked horror. There's no way that man can actually be alive, can he? Oh...but he could. How else would someone be able to successfully recreate my trials without the data that burned under my feet? "Oh? You really didn't know? Riveting." I don't know if it's his off-handedness about it or if it's just the sudden flare of anger...but I find myself throwing a fist without first thinking the action through. Unsurprisingly, my rash decision gets my arm twisted between my shoulder blades painfully. Probably best not to challenge a person who can move faster than light.

"Do you just like the sound of your voice or do you just never stop talking?" I grunt.

"Spirited, aren't you?" He whispers in a sultry tone into the shell of my ear from behind me. I don't think he accounts for my free arm, which I use to sharply elbow him in the ribs. It's enough distraction for me to spin around on him and hold a fistful of his sweater within my grasp as a golden charge builds within my fingers.

"You don't know the first thing about me, or what that man put me through. You have no right." I whisper with calmness so eerie it'd give ghosts the chills. Yet, this man seems unbothered.

"No, love, I don't. But I hope I get the chance to hear more of your voice." And he does it again. He leaves me speechless with the cool, unbothered fascade. I can't even come up with a snappy quip before he rushing out of the tunnel, dragging a whipping wind with him.

What have I gotten myself into now?

It's not a question I can answer without the information I've come for. The faint temptation of giving up now that my cover is blown sways within my grasp. I tell myself I've come too far already so I have to push on. I run even as my legs grow weak with anxiety. I need to get in and out. Fast. There are more dangers than just being discovered by HYDRA or the Avengers.

At the end of the tunnel, I find myself in an expansive room. The result of mining who knows how long ago, now turned into a lab. Suspended from the ceiling is a Leviathan from the NYC attack in 2012. There are crates upon crates of alien tech. But there are also computers and generators — just what I've come looking for. I do a quick sweep of the area, happy to find there is no activity or movement. I move to the closest computer. Hovering above the computer station is the same Scepter wielded by Loki in the 2012 attack. I can't help but grimace at the weapon. Yet another thing HYDRA shouldn't have their hands on, but do. I'll have to be sure to grab it on my way out. Better in my hands than those of traitors.

I insert the memory stick I've brought with me before accessing the computer's mainframe. After I begin the download, an error alerts me to a system-wide file sweep. "No, no, no!" I whisper in a panic and open a systems window to reverse the command. But someone's faster than I am. The error disappears and the download continues. I look in disbelief at the monitor. "How in the hell...I'm good, but not that good." I murmur to myself before anxiously watching my download process. The complete download is at 47% when I hear a hiss and whoosh coming from the other side of the room. Could they know I'm here? Have I given myself away? Has that speedster already given me up?

I contemplate shutting down the monitor, but given the fact I don't actually know anything about these computers...I just duck and hope for the best, but expect to fight. Footsteps draw nearer and nearer until they stop on the other side of my cover. There's a very brief pause while I hold my breath. Seconds go by...then a minute...and another... I begin to wonder if my cover is blown until I hear the moving of footsteps and the sudden clang, clinks, and whirs of mechanics. Then the Scepter is swiped off its centerpiece and into my view comes none other than Tony Stark. I think he's just as surprised as I am when we lock eyes. We both stare for a prolonged moment before I grab my flash drive and scramble to my feet, headed toward my escape route. Or that is until I'm nearly shot. A plasma blast breezes by my head and hits the crate ahead of me. A warning.

"Hold it!" In fear of actually being shot, I do as I'm told. I spin around very, very slowly to face the man I'd been hoping to avoid. Well, I'd been hoping to avoid everybody during my little adventure but that didn't exactly happen now, did it? "Cap, I've got the enhanced girl. I'm headed back to the jet now."

Well damn. Guess my cover was blown. How did they know I was out here? How do they know who I am?

"Come on, let's go." The tech genius holds the Scepter in one hand while keeping the one gloved with a plasma blaster directed on me.

"Uh, yeah, sorry, but no thanks. I've got places to be—"

"It wasn't a request. Now hand over the drive and let's go."

"Ummm, go step on a cactus." I clutch the stick tighter while he sighs and glares at me. He takes one step towards me and I take one back. I can see the wearing patience on his face when he frowns in that characteristically Tony StarkTM way.

"Kid, don't make this harder than it has to be."

"Watch me, you old man." I snap back with a ferocity once buried long ago.

"I-" He sighs loudly. "I am not old."

"Of course you are. You're like what? 86 now?"

"You know what? Nevermind, just...come on. I've got places to be." There's another long pause between us as I fight with whether or not I should run for it. But considering all variables, it's more likely I'm seen as a HYDRA operative right now and Stark won't bat a lash as he ends my life should I try anything. So I make the smart choice and allow myself to be escorted from the building onto the waiting Avengers jet outside. I just can't shake the feeling of being watched on our way out.