✦✧✦✧✦✧

ANASTASIA'S ATTEMPT TO WARD HIM OFF WAS FEEBLE. The moment she swung the tray at him, he dodged, and brought his shield up to block her blow. The force in which they met was enough to knock Anastasia off her feet, but she managed to regain her balance just before she fell.

The stairs behind her, while leading back down into that dark prison, seemed a safer option right now than fighting an armed man. Regardless, she regained her stance, and aimed another hit with her tray.

This time, the man seized the tray, and snatched it from her grip. He tossed it to the floor, and Anastasia took his distraction as a means to dart under his outstretched arm, and charge for the hall in which he'd come.

She'd made it no more than a few feet when he caught her, his arm wrapping around her waist. Instinctively, she fought his grip, and elbowed his sharply in the face. He dropped her quickly, his hand flying to his nose just where she'd snagged him. Anastasia hit the floor on her hands and knees, and quite immediately, the floor beneath her became auriferous. Gold spread out between them, unfurling like ice over a frozen lake.

"Don't come closer!" Anastasia warned, holding her hands out in the most threatening manner she could muster. A fearful tone laced her voice, but she bit it back. "Not one more step, unless you'd like to be a statue."

The man froze, but his gaze remained on Anastasia as she picked herself off the floor, and backed into the alcove of the stairs. He was tall, and painfully blonde, but he had a kind face– not a common attribute in Strucker's prison.

"I'm not here to hurt you." He said, and held his hands up to show his truth. "How did you do that?"

Anastasia watched him for a few moments, trying to pick out the closest exit in case she needed to make another run for it.
"I can't control it. It just happens." She replied. "Your accent, it's American.... you're one of them, aren't you? One of those Avengers."

He shifted his stance, and Anastasia moved to match, holding out her hands as if it were more intimidating that the heavy metal tray she'd just tried to heave at his head.

"I am." He said, nodding. "But we're here to help. Baron Strucker has been doing some very awful things to people like you–"

"What would you know of that?" Anasastia snapped. "You don't even know who I am."

The man dipped his head slightly, taking in her words.
"You're right." He said. "I don't know who you are, but I can help you... how about you tell me your name?"

Anastasia glared at him, but she was beginning to lose her edge. Despite trying to appear menacing, she had no desire to hurt him. Not any further anyway. After possibly killing that man downstairs, she was in no rush to put her abilities to any further use.

"Anastasia." She said hesitantly.

"My name is Steve." He replied, in an earnest manner. "I can get you out of here. You just have to trust me–"

In spite of herself, Anastasia laughed, turning another cold stare in his direction.
"Trust you?" Her tone became incredulous. "You believe me to be that naive? That kind of ignorance is what ended me up in here."

Steve heaved a sigh.
"I can't make you believe me, alright?" He set his jaw while he spoke. "But you have to trust me on this. I can make this better for you– and you can help me. I need to find Strucker."

Anastasia hung back, trying to find the unreliability in his words. It was hard to detect anything other than his sincerity, and that made her anxious. If he was being truthful, she had a one-way ticket out of here– and if he wasn't, she couldn't possibly think of anything else that could be worse than Strucker and List.

"I don't know much." She relented, beginning to lower her hands a bit. "But I do know he is a narcissistic weasel– he'll be covering his own ass by now."

"That's more than enough." Steve said, before reaching up to touch his ear. He spoke clearly, and it wasn't until now she noticed the earpiece he'd been wearing– not doubt a way to communicate with his team. "The enhanced is disengaged. I'm going after Strucker."

"Disengaged?" She echoed, furrowing her brows at his remark. "I am not disengaged. You are the one that's trapped– I have you exactly where I want you..."

Steve chuckled instead. Anastasia immediately faltered, frowning at his satisfaction.
"Sure you do," He replied, and started towards the open doorway she'd been eyeing. Anastasia jumped, raising her hands defensively. "If you had wanted to hurt me, you would've done it by now."

She stifled a groan, balling her hands into fists.
"You're supposed to be scared." She said. "I could kill you with my little finger– how would spending an eternity as a grave-marker sound? Nu prea frumos, da?"

Steve glanced back through the open doorway, sighing quietly.
"Time to start thinking for yourself, kid. Now are you coming or not?"

✦✧✦✧✦✧

The compound continued into a series of twists and turns from there, none of which Anastasia recognized. They were beginning to reach the main level, because the corridors became progressively lighter, and the smell of snow and smoke alit the hall quickly. Keeping her hands to herself, Anastasia tagged along behind Steve, regretted her decision of not bringing her tray with her– the only source of protection she'd previously maintained thus far.

From time to time they were met with groups of soldiers. Many of them attacked on sight of Steve, but others scattered, shouting as they disappeared back down the passageways.

"It's so cold." She mumbled, upon realizing despite her horrible living conditions, her cell had at least confined heat in its four-corners. Her light jacket and a pair of old joggers didn't do her much justice against the winter weather.

"We're almost there." Steve replied, but Anastasia hadn't much clue what 'there' even entailed at this point.

A rogue soldier wandered into view, shouting loud obscenities at them in another language. He started to run as Steve approached, but one swift kick from the man sent the soldier sprawling into the next room. The noise of someone frantically climbing steps ended in the appearance of Strucker, pale-faced and sweaty. Anastasia tensed, slinking into the room behind Steve.

"Baron Strucker, Hydra's number one thug." Steve began, trailing a short circle around the other man.

"Technically, I'm a thug for SHEILD." Strucker announced, but his expression had deadpanned, and he'd already drawn in on himself.

"Well then technically you're unemployed. Where's Loki's scepter?" Steve's tone was strained. Strucker grimaced, but tried to play it cool.

"Don't worry, I know when I've been beat. You'll mention how I cooperated, I hope."

"I'll put it right under illegal human experimentation. How many more are there?" Steve snapped back. At that moment, Anastasia suddenly leaned over and kicked the gun out of the hands of the fallen soldier, glowering at Strucker as the gun slid across the floor. It bounced off of Strucker's foot right as he looked up.

He immediately switched the conversation up quickly.
"I see you've met my prize pupil." He said, grinning lightly. "Very good direction in that one."
Anastasia stomped her foot against the stone floor. She started towards Strucker, yelling:
"Ești laș, fiu de cățea–", when an abrupt, powerful force threw her back against the wall.

She propped herself up in time to see a young woman toss Steve down the stairwell, red flickers dancing about her hands like flame. The woman herself was a stranger, but from the many stories she'd listened to Pietro tell of his sister, it took mere seconds for Anastasia to recognize her.

"Wanda?" Anastasia choked out, spiraling gold from her hands as she used the wall to sit herself up.

Wanda turned and stared at Anastasia, and for a brief moment she thought she saw a shred of recollection pass over the other woman's face. Then it was gone, and Wanda disappeared through a set of doors– which dramatically slammed shut behind her.

Anastasia was busy getting to her feet when Steve came scrambling back up the stairs, muttering things to his forces through his earpiece. He appeared at the top of the alcove, Strucker looking awfully smug for a man who was running away.

"You'll have to be faster than–" he pantomimed, just as both Anastasia and Steve made to charge him. Steve got there first.
With a swift step, he launched his discarded shield into the air, and kicked it directly at Strucker's chest. The other man was hurled into the wall behind him, and hit the floor without another word.

Steve caught up Anastasia before she was able to get to Strucker's body, even as she struggled to at least land one kick on the German.

"You're going to take someone's eye out." He said calmly, before shoving her a safe distance back. "I'd prefer if it wasn't mine."

Anastasia wiped her face with one hand, pacing dejectedly away from Strucker, back towards the doors in which Wanda had vanished.
"At least let me spit on the bastard– once for ruining my life." She said between her fingers. "Twice because he deserves it."

Perhaps Steve considered it, but it was so fleeting that Anastasia didn't have time to register his expression. He shook his head.
"We don't have the time. We need to get back to the ship."

She hesitated as Steve headed for the door, evading his grasp as she suddenly ran back for Strucker. Instead of spitting on him like she planned, or at least giving him a kick in the face, she stamped on his fallen monocle, crushing it easily under her sneaker.

She jogged to catch up to Steve, facing her gaze down the open corridor.
"Let's go."

AUTHOR'S NOTE !
once again, hello my lovelies, and thank for reading other chapter of "gold rush"! had to go a little on-script for this one, but that's okay– i'm working on integrating characters and not just making anastasia standing off to the side.

steve's here! i love him so much, but my infliction is so bad– excuse me if he doesn't quite sound 'stevey' enough. i'm trying to focus him as a big brother figure to anastasia bc that stuff is the bomb, and she needs a little bit of guidance <3

hopefully you like this chapter, don't forget to vote and comment your criticisms !