Chapter 25

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I make a break for Tony's research lab. I start to bring up everything I can on everyone who I graduated the red room with. I find death records for all of them.

"This can't be right." I say quitely, moments later the rest of the team floods into the room. I'm running around the lab like a crazy person looking for anything I can find.

"What the hell just happened?" Sam asks.

"Who the hell was that?" Steve asks.

"What do you mean, they're coming for you?" Wanda asks.

"Well, obviously we were ambushed. That, was someone who should have died on," I pause as I look to find her death records. "March 11th 2013 and honestly, I don't know." I say as I try to answer all their questions.

"Ali" Natasha says in a concerning tone.

"Natasha, this is much, much bigger than I thought." I say to her. We lock eyes for a moment and she nods her head. "You need to tell them" Nat says.

"Tell us what?" Steve asks. I sigh and start to explain.

"The red room is the place where I was trained, where I was raised. Where we were raised." I say as I look over to Natasha. "There have been many graduating classes, Natasha has one, so do I. It seems that they are hunting down my graduating class. They're killing us off, one by one. I was supposed to be killed tonight. That woman, was Svetlana Kostornia. We graduated together. She only did this because she was trying to survive." I finish explaining.

"Who is they? Who is trying to kill you?" Steve asks.

"That's the thing. I don't know" I admit. "But while I try to figure that out, I need all of you, out." I say. I usher them out of the lab.

"Ali, don't push us away we can help." Nat says trying to reason with me.

"No, you can't. I'm sorry but, my past is catching up with me, you all get to leave yours behind. I don't, so please, just let me do this." I say.

"Okay, but if you need anything. You tell us." Nat says.

"I will" I respond and the team leaves to let me be alone in the lab. For the next week I'm in the lab looking for anything and everything I can get my hands on. I don't eat or sleep for weeks. Each day someone comes in the lab to check on me, they bring me food but I don't eat very much of it. I'm only surviving on caffeine.

"Ali" Steve says as he stands in the doorway with his 'concerned dad look'.

"Can I help you?" I ask.

"You need to take a break, Ali. Your not eating or sleeping and it's not healthy." He says to me.

"I can't take a break, If I do, well. Who knows what'll happen." I say. He walks over to me.

"Ali, your pushing yourself too hard. I don't want anything to happen to you" Steve tells me.

"I can take care of myself Steve I-"

"I'll watch over it for you" Natasha says as she walks into the room. I look between her and Steve for a moment.

I sigh, "Fine, but if anything comes up, I know about it first". Natasha nods and I turn and walk out of the lab. I go up to my room and take a shower. Once I'm done I get changed into more comfy clothes and sit on my bed.

"They have Evvie" That moment keeps replaying in my mind. It's all I've been able to think about. I was so focused on that memory that I didn't even notice Wanda come into my room.

"What troubles you Ali?" She asks me.

"They have her"

"Who?"

"Evvie"

"Who is Evvie?"

"One of the girls I graduated with, Oksana, Evvie is her little sister. As we graduated she went in. Oksana introduced me to Evvie when she was 5. Oksana told her that once she's gone, that if Evvie needed anything that she could come to me, that I would protect her. I promised Oksana that I would. I need to find her, so I can keep that promise." I explain to Wanda.

"We are doing everything we can to find her" Wanda reassures me. "You need to get some rest" She says and leaves my room. I lay down on my bed and fall asleep. Hours later I hear a knock on my door and Natasha comes in with Steve behind her.

"We found her" She says and I rush down to the lab.

"She's been trying to send messages and I was able to intercept one. She's in Maladzyechna, Belarus." Natasha explains to me.

I look at Natasha, "Let's go get her" I say and go to change into my suit. I pause and turn back to the team, "Small team only. This is my mission and I don't need all of you to come. Sam, Nat, you two can come with. I need the rest of you to stay here." Steve goes to interject but Nat cuts him off. "Steve, just let her do this. Sam and I will be with her. We'll be fine." She says to him and goes to change. I pack a bag full of different hand guns and knives. Once I get on the jet I set the coordinates to Maladzyechna. Sam and Natasha make it to the jet and it takes off towards Belarus. Hours later we make it there. The quinjet lands in the woods so no one will be able to find it. Sam, Natasha, and I make our way to the abandoned warehouse where Evvie is being held. We get close and take cover behind some bushes.

"No guards outside. They know were coming." I say.

"Let's go kick some ass." Sam says. I look over to him and kiss his cheek. "Be careful" I say to him. He takes off to get to the top of the building. Natasha and I start walking towards the front door.

"So, You and Sam huh?" Nat says to me.

"Not the time Nat." I say back to her as I kick open the door. Natasha and I pull out our guns and start shooting down their men. Sam bursts through the window above and shoots at them to. I make my towards the back of the warehouse. It's a big empty room except for the scared little girl tied to a chair in the middle of the room. She has a gag in her mouth and looks to me terrified with tears running down her face.

"Evvie" I say and run to her. I pull the gag out of her mouth and start untying her hands. As soon as I do a man walks up behind me.

"Alina!" Evvie yells scared. I use my powers to send him into the wall and knock him unconscious. I get her hands untied and she falls into my arms crying and shaking.

"Shh. It's okay. I'm never gonna let anyone hurt you again." I say to her as I hug her and caress her hair making sure she's okay. I pick her up and start to walk out. Sam and Nat were standing outside the doorway. I nod to them and we make our way back to the quinjet. Evvie never leaves my arms the whole ride. She can't me much older than 9 or 10.

"I'm going to take you somewhere safe. I promise."

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