Trust | 3 |

Chapter Sixty-Four

I didn't stick around for long, deciding that running was a better option than pretend Pierce didn't recognize me to be one of his assassin-pets.

Well, running is too dramatic. More like a determined walk away. Running was too obvious and it would be easier to yell, "Stop her!" So, fast walk won.

I also had to find a way to the rendezvous point. The very public street was not an option for me to take, so I hurried around to try and find a way out.

"Rey? Rey what's happening?" Tony's panicked voice came over the comms.

"Pierce spotted me and definitely recognized me. I'm trying to get out of here, hopefully without complications," I answered quickly. Finding a random corner, I decided to remove the SHIELD gear. It was too heavy anyways. "I'll meet you guys in that alley, okay?"

I didn't wait for any replies, and instead focused on getting out. When no one interrupted my path, I knew my escape was too good to be true. It was never ever that easy.

Rounding a corner, I finally met the obstacle I knew I'd face eventually. The elevator doors at the end of the hallway I entered opened. Inside was STRIKE, affectionally known as Hydra to those with enough clearance.

Me being one.

"There! Grab the asset!" Rumlow yelled, and I wasted no more time standing and staring. When they started to run, I turned and did the same thing.

As long as they didn't get close enough to say those words, I'd make it out alive. I did have to lose them somewhere, lest they find the rest of us and we screw the timeline up completely.

The tower was full of several twists and turns, enough to where I thought I was getting lost. I felt safe enough to stop and look around to try and figure out my surroundings. "Shit..." I breathed.

"Don't. Move." Shit. I was found. However, it wasn't by Rumlow or any other STRIKE member.

I knew this because none of them were female, and this was a woman speaking to me.

With my hands slowly lifting, I steadily turned around and faced them. I shouldn't be shocked, considering there aren't a lot of other women who would have found me and been suspicious. And yet, I couldn't stop from breathing in a shaking breath.

"Nat..." I whispered. One from long ago, who didn't know me or who hadn't gone blonde or seen some of her closest friends disintegrate in front of her.

She eyes me carefully, gun drawn and pointed directly at me. Aimed between my eyes, no doubt. "Who are you?" she asked, voice unsurprisingly calm. "If I found out it's you, Loki, in some sort of disguise, I won't hesitate to shoot. I don't care how much Thor loves you."

I shook my head quickly. "No, no, I'm not Loki. I'm... I'm a friend. Just not yet. But give it time and it'll make sense."

This caused confusion to fill her features, and I knew it would. I also hoped it would give me the chance to hurry off and get the hell out of this stupid tower. This layout was different than what I knew, considering it's about to get renovated after being nearly destroyed by Loki and his alien friends.

"There!" My guard was too far down, and I turned to see STRIKE coming straight for me. I turned back around and noticed Nat was gone. Whether she was in the shadows or had simply been stalling so they could find me and left after a job was well done, I didn't know.

Hands were on me in an instant and I was brought to my knees. I struggled against them, but they didn't have very forgiving grips.

Rumlow was the one to step in front of me, having been one of the few people to ever have access to either my or the Winter Soldier's books. He had memorized the words, most likely a command from Pierce in preparation for a situation like this.