The Dark Captain

Chapter 1

Arianna walked down the sidewalk next to Central Park. She always called her cousin, Tony, when she was out at night. It gave her a sense of security. She had someone on the other end who would help in some way, and her talking on the phone deterred would-be muggers.

Not that she needed to worry. She could have a suit at her location in five minutes. She learned enough from the rest of Tony's hero team to at least delay until it got there. But an Ironman suit was a last resort, not the initial attack.

She would often get advice from the Avengers on how to handle herself. She valued Tony's more due to how close they were. However, they often stuck their noses into her personal life. Like how Tony decided the topic for this day would be her plans Friday night.

"Tones," Arianna said in exasperation, "it isn't a mission. It's a date."

Tony chastized, "And as my cousin, you deserve more than a janitor."

"What? He's nice!" And it gets the girls off my back. "At least it isn't Bucky Barnes, right?"

"You date him, and I disown you." Arianna could hear the smile in his voice.

"Puh-lease!" She laughed. "You forgave him! Besides, that's not as bad as faking your own death so you can 'retire!'"

"Okay, shorty!" Tony joined in. "Look, I-"

Arianna shushed him. She heard footsteps behind her. They were getting closer. She still had another three blocks back to her apartment.

"I think someone's following me!" she whispered. "Track the phone!"

Tony got to work even as he said, "Ari, if this is a trick-"

Arianna hung up the phone. She didn't have time to play into Tony's need to make light of a frightening situation. As a beautiful woman, she was used to having to be on guard, especially at night alone.

However, she didn't have time to react. There was no sound, no warning. Strong arms wrapped around her, knocking the phone from her hand. She screamed into the stranger's palm as they dragged her away. Once they got to an unsuspecting vehicle, she was thrown inside where she felt a needle pierce the skin of her neck and the world went dark.

She woke up in a dark room. She was chained at the wrists. Anytime someone entered the room, they would pull her back until she was against the wall, arms in the air. There were moments when her arms would go numb with how long the strangers were in her cell. However, even when the chains were slack, she couldn't reach the door. She was lucky she could sit or lie down, never mind walk. She was stuck.

There was always a gag in her mouth unless she was eating or interrogated. She tried to beg them to let her go a few times, but her kidnappers wouldn't say a word. They would take her food and replace the gag. If she tried to remove it, electricity shocked her fingers.

Arianna had no concept of time in this place. She could have been down there a couple of days to a week, maybe more. Like usual, when she heard the door handle jiggle, she was yanked back to the wall. She stood, waiting.

An unknown woman walked in, and an assistant followed her. She looked to be a part of high society. Her outfit was name-brand and she had the eyes of someone who saw everyone as beneath her. She removed the gag from Arianna's mouth. The men that came in didn't scare her, but this woman had an edge of cruelty about her. Some part of Arianna was scared of her. The assistant, not so much.

"Here's how this goes," the woman said. "You listen, we don't hurt you. Fail to obey," she looked at the assistant, who put a knife to Arianna's throat, "you get it. Your name?"

Up to this point, Arianna had been playing with the interrogators. No matter how they beat her, she wouldn't answer their questions directly. But this woman had all the power at that moment, and all of them knew it. Not that it mattered. Arianna couldn't take the beatings anymore and burst into tears.

"M-my name's Arianna Stark!" she cried.

"Very good," the woman replied. "You are to tend to our greatest asset since the Winter Soldier." She nodded to her assistant. "You answer to him and do whatever he demands." The implications were written in neon, and that frightened Arianna more. "Come on out, Captain Hydra."

Arianna looked to the shadows. She hadn't noticed anyone standing there before. When had they entered? Or had they always been there? But the man who walked into the light was not one she was expecting. The furthest from it.

"Oh my God!" Arianna gasped as Steve Rogers walked out, wearing the symbol of HYDRA on his chest instead of his usual star.

The woman got up, teasing, "Have fun, Captain."

With that, the two women left Arianna alone with Captain Hydra. She stared at him, praying to see any hint of the man formerly known as Captain America. But there was nothing.

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked.

He came up to her and played with some strands of hair as he said, "Whatever the fuck I want."

Arianna's head swam the low growl in his voice causing her thighs to clench. Focus, she chastised herself. But damn, if this version of Steve didn't turn her on!

"Listen," she pleaded, "I know how to get us out! Just please, let me go!"

His hand gripped her face hard, and she knew there would be a mark there. That didn't stop the excitement running through her. She was a Stark, after all.

"Shut up!" Captain Hydra ordered. "Speak out of turn, and I won't hesitate to-"

Arianna yanked her face away and said, "That's not you. I know it isn't. Please, listen. There's no way you're really part of HYD-"

Slap! Her cheek stung as her head snapped sideways.

"Already breaking the rules," he said. "Since you're new, I went easy on you. Disobey again, and all bets are off the fucking table."

That was easy? Arianna began crying again, but she refused to give up hope. She didn't notice how he stared at the developing bruise. She was shocked when his fingers traced it, gentle and almost apologetic.

"I don't want to hurt you, princess," he whispered, the dark tone going straight to Arianna's core, "so don't fuck around and find out what worse is." His haunted, cerulean eyes looked into sapphire ones. "I want you to be this beautiful forever, princess."

Her breath caught in her throat. She knew if she didn't get at least herself out of this hell, she would let this man control her and make her body his playground. Steve Rogers, Captain Hydra, it wouldn't matter what he called himself, she would become his. She had to get out before she lost herself to whatever game HYDRA was playing.