"Someone called me?" Natasha peeks through the gap between Steve Rogers and Clint Barton. When both of the men turn to their backs with a quizzical look, Natasha gets to see who said her name. "Ah, Stark! Funny we tend to bump into each other in this hallways," she glances at the girl standing behind him, "with Hermione."

Stark's daughter didn't respond, only look at Natasha and the other two men standing in front of her with blank stare. Beside Captain America, she knows Clint Barton. How can she not? Remember when Aaron used to show the Avengers members? Only that she doesn't afraid at him at all. With a bow and arrow? Hermione can hold better than those. She, too, can shoot in the head from afar precisely.

Tony raises an eyebrow. "Having another discussion? Here?" he asks curiously.

As Steve stares at Hermione with a suspicious look meanwhile Clint looks at Hermione with a small smile at the end of his lips before looking at Tony and Natasha back and forth as they talk. The Widow gives Tony a look.

"Out of all the private places in this building, you can have-"

"I see you're having fun with your daughter?" Natasha teases as she looks at Hermione and Tony with her arms crossed on her chest.

Soon hearing the statement, Hermione glares at Natasha. Her innerself is eager to remark back what the older woman had said but she holds it back, not wanting to cause any argument. She tries to stay calm by taking a deep breath mentally.

Natasha smirk, looking at Hermione's reaction.

Tony only smiles bitterly, knowing that Hermione doesn't like it. "We're just... she just wants to have a walk."

"A walk for an escape plan?" Natasha sarcastically asks.

"Nat," Hawkeye warns the woman seeing Hermione's face has turned red.

"What, I am just curious," Natasha says. "Y'know if I were her, I would do the same thing. Pretending to go out for a walk in the building to draft out the map of the building, and it's easier to do that because I have a father working with S.H.I.E.L.D." Natasha smirks again. "That's what assassin do. Seducing people."

Hermione scoffs and rolls her eyes 360 degree, tilting her head to the side as she looks down at Natasha with her sharp eyes. It's her advantage that she's taller than the Black Widow. And she's not failing herself because she, too, has her famous evil smirk at the end of her lips.

Her mind comes out every thoughts and ideas to remark back what Natasha said to her. She knows she'll make the Widow speechless if she opens up her mouth and speaks up what's playing in her mind because, proudly, they're genius ideas. However, she decides to do against it. And she doesn't know how she can still be patient to face Natasha Romanoff right now. She really changes Hermione's perspective on her.

Tony, on the other hand, can't say anything as well as the other two men. He doesn't know what to say to defend Hermione. He's speechless with Natasha's sudden change of mood and attitude that he certainly never have seen it before. Sarcastic? Tony's used to it. But evilly sarcastic like she'd never had a strong feeling to kill someone before? It's new. It's like, Natasha is a new person now.

What the hell is happening? Tony wonders.

"What's the matter, Tony?" Natasha speaks after a long pause of staring back at each other. "You used to be mouthful with come backs. What happens now? Did she change you?"

Hermione can't help to side glance at her father, wanting to hear what he would say.

Tony Stark lets out a sigh and shakes his head. "Please don't start, Nat," is all Tony could reply.

With the answer, Hermione can feel her heart breaking into million pieces. It's the feeling when she realises that Aaron Rooster died, the feeling when she received a news about the death of Arnold Rooster, and the same feeling when she knows Tony broke their promises. She was about to forgive Tony after all he did to her, but after listening to what Tony replied to Natasha's insult, Hermione takes back what she swore to herself.

With a shake of disappointment, Hermione turns back around and walks theough her hallway following her instinct, but absolutely not going back to her room.

~

"Hey!" Steve Rogers call the girl who's running away. "Hey! Wait! Helen!"

The call of her real name stops her on her track. She takes her time to collect the pieces of her missing self back, before turning around to face the captain.

"I am not running away, for God's sake!" she says aloud, didn't even care whoever else hear it. "I don't have anywhere to go even though I am completely able to escape this place!" she repeats what she told Tony.

Steve slows down his pace, looking at Hermione with sad eyes. His suspicion towards Hermione fades away soon listening to the girl's statement and he can't help but to feel her. "I'm sorry," he says. "I'm sorry what Natasha said back then. I know it's hurtful but she's just teasing you. You don't have to take it seriously."

Hermione looks at Steve for a second. "Whatever," she replies. And then they stand there in awkward silence, facing each other.

"H- Helen?"

Hermione turns to Tony, scrunching her face.

"Is it okay if I call you Helen? If- if you don't I'll just call you-"

"I'm fine with it," Hermione quickly cuts in before the man in front of her starts to babble. "It's just... It's been a long time people have been calling me Hermione so I feel a little awkward."

Steve smiles. "8 years versus 10 years?"

Hermione groans and rolls her eyes before turning back around. Just as then she takes the second step, Steve calls her again.

"Yes, Mr. Captain America?" Hermione looks at Steve over her shoulder with an eyebrow raise.

Steve makes a face that tells Hermione he doesn't agree with the nickname. It sounds weird. "Look, may I walk with you? It's not that I don't trust you but I have something to talk with you."

Hermione huffs a smile. "Very polite of you," she says. "Sure." She shrugs, without thinking another second, without thinking what Steve wants to talk about. She's used to following orders without asking.

Steve smiles and walks closing Hermione. "Thank you," he says.

"So what is it you want to talk about?" Hermione asks as they begin walking.

Steve had to run his hand the back of his neck before opening his mouth to speak again. "I... would like to apologise what happened to you the first time you were captured."

"Excuse me?" Hermione looks at Steve, puzzled.

"Remember when you got broken bones and bruises? That we had to hold your interrogation until you were, at least, 80 percent healed?"

"I was trying to break the chairs I was tide into and suddenly I was thrown away to the end of the room by some force," Hermione recalls back. "I remember. Why?"

"I was the one who opened the door too harshly," Steve admits, wincing in the process to tell Stark's girl. "Look, I am sorry. I didn't know you were back there. I thought you were trying to get our attention or something."

Hermione can't help to look at Steve in wonder. "You're apologising me?" she asks in curiosity. "Hey, I am not saying that it's wrong but it's kind of funny for you to say sorry to me. I mean, I am just a nobody. I am just an assassin. I don't deserve to get anything nice let alone taking a walk with you and getting your apology. Oh my God, what's happening right now?" She laughs.

"To be honest, you've been the Most Wanted Assassin to us for a long time. I didn't know how they got your schedule that you were going to that concert but they did and you're here."

Hermione smiles and shakes her head, shaking the thought off. "To be honest, I don't care," she replies. "I wasn't afraid to get caught by someone or to die because of someone. I was just... I didn't want to meet one or two particular persons here."

"Two?" Steve raises ana eyebrow. "May I know who's the other one is?"

Hermione bites her lower lip, mentally slaps herself for saying it out loud. Even though it's just a hint. "Can't tell you that," she says.

It leaves Steve even more eager. "Can't force you to tell me, can I?"

The girl only shrugs.

"Okay," Steve replies shortly. "Hey, uh, actually I want to say thank you for planning up a brilliant idea to free those boys. One of them -- the one with green eyes and long hair...?"

"Harry," she quickly clarifies without further description.

"Yeah, him. He said goodbye to you," Steve tells her. "I should've told you long before but... you know..."

Hermione smiles, thinking back to the green-eyed boy. "No worries," she says. "I don't blame you."

Steve smiles triumphantly. "Thank you," he says again referring to the escape plan for One Direction. "I've been trying to plan one but job can't keep my feet on the ground."

Hermione softly chuckles. "Small matter. I'd hate to see them lying all around me without apparent reasons, though. They have friends and family awaiting them back home. Unlike me..."

"Wait, I don't think you can say that, Helen," Steve objects.

"May I know?"

The captain can't hold back his laughter. While walking in the hallway with his hands clasped behind his back, he says, "Tony," he begins, and it just makes Hermione's heart falls, didn't expect Steve would want to talk about him. "He has been crazy about you since he found out who you are."

"What, an assassin?"

"I am serious, Helen," Steve says sternly, that, once again, breaks Hermione's heart. "Think about it. He insisted Fury to postpone your interrogation; he insisted Fury and Nat to be nice with you during the interrogation; he insisted Fury to let you stay here and let he himself to handle you after the second capture."

Hermione opens her mouth to interject.

"I am not done yet, Helen," Steve says with a low enthusiastic chuckle. "I've never seen Tony cares someone so much -- well, except Pepper -- and you literally changes him. Now, I doubt I would be surprised seeing what he can do for you."

Hermione laughs mockingly even before Steve finishes his sentence. "He broke our promises; he didn't defend me in front of Natasha Romanoff. He's pretty much the same as he was," the girl tells Steve. She had stopped in front of Steve and looks up at him. "Hey, look, if you want to talk about how Mr. Stark is changing and how I should accept him again, just forget it, all right?"

"You call him Mister Stark?"

"I don't want to listen to them," Hermione continues, crossing her arms on her chest. "I've lost everything I care about. Now I am left with one choice: to free my fellows down there, but now that I see no hope, I am left with nothing. My life is ruined because of him.

"Listen, the reason I want you people to know who I am is because I am sick of hiding. I want to let you know that Stark has a legacy and, yeah, I admit I want to pay back what he did to me and show him how bad he was. But you probably didn't care because he's useful to you guys, am I right?" Hermione takes a deep breath to calm down. Oh, she has been teaching herself to do that since she's captured the second time.

"Now, Steve Rogers." Hermione smiles, creeping Steve out of him although he knows that girl means nothing but being mischievous.

So much like Natasha.

"Bring me to the location you keep my friends," Hermione asks, more to ordering, actually.

It's ironic how an 18-year-old girl could tell him what to do when he was the one who's supposed to give commands. The charm.

Oh yes, the charm! Now Steve sees one of the best traits Stark Junior gets from her father. The charm makes him follows what she wants. No wonder Clint smiles when he saw Hermione for the first time. No wonder Harry looked very sad to leave Hermione. No wonder Hermione is needed to the Villa. No wonder Tony himself couldn't say no to Hermione despite that he's her father. Biological father. And there are even many reason to that!

Without any words to respond, Steve nods her head. He walks, leading Hermione to their destination.