Leave Me Bleeding [Winter Soldier] I

Human [Chapter 14]

                "Where are you going?"

                "I need to go with Fury..." he said, then glanced at Kate. "Can I trust you?"

                "I was hired by Fury to protect you, of course you can."

                "Fury told me not to trust anyone," he admitted.

                "Where do you want me to bring her?" she asked. "To SHIELD?"

                "No." He shook his head. "Somewhere safe. And be careful, she's a fighter."

                "So am I," Kate retorted, grabbing the Huntress by the arm. 

                They watched as Steve disappeared into the back of the ambulance. It took off, the whine of the sirens fading into the traffic sounds. There were a few people standing outside the apartment building, but they all shuffled back in when the commotion died down. Kate cuffed the Huntress and brought her back in as well, bringing her to her apartment; it was not a safe place, but it was the safest place she could be until she could confirm another location. This was something she was trained for, Kate, and she knew who Fury would trust. 

                "Sit," she commanded.

                The Huntress sat on the couch; never before had she had such comfort. She looked up at Kate, studying her. Steve said he didn't trust anyone, but he put enough trust in Kate to watch over her. Looking at the floor and sighing, wondering where the Winter Soldier was, but knew that no one knew that. He certainly wasn't coming back for her; they were hardly partners for more than a day and he had shown that he didn't want her there. 

              She guessed around now HYDRA knew of her capture and would be sending him after her pretty soon, to make sure she never spoke to anyone about what she knew. Being a threat to HYDRA like this made her nervous, but also gave her so much power. She shuddered at the thought, which felt like a memory.

                "Who is trying to kill Fury?" Kate asked her, sitting down on the coffee table in front of the Huntress. Kate leaned over her legs and stared across into her green eyes, searching for something to trust. Some reason to be sitting here with a HYDRA affiliate while she could be doing far more important things; she trusted Steve, though.

                "The question is who isn't." She said wryly, knowing that HYDRA members made up about half of SHIELD - she'd never been told formally, but she heard them, snaked her way into their minds.

            Half of her wanted to betray HYDRA now that she had someone like Captain America possibly willing to help her. That part of her was telling her trust these people. There was hardly any part of her that didn't want to grab hold of this opportunity if it meant she could get away from HYDRA; but she was also terrified. They had connections; Kate could even be HYDRA and was waiting for the Huntress to slip up. If that were the case, she was dead already. 

               Suddenly she realized how unlikely it was she would survive. How could someone like her possibly help take down HYDRA? A distant memory flitted in her head, a song. She cringed.

                "What do you mean?"

                "I can't tell you anymore." She sighed; though she knew that she would be killed by either the Winter Soldier or by SHIELD, and giving intel might keep her alive on one side, she felt as though she was giving information too easily. If she could guarantee some promise of safety, she would give them what they needed. But in the end, she knew very little. Only that she was meant to hunt down her targets and help end them with the Winter Soldier. It would take more than formal chit chat and interrogation to open up her mind.

                "Why not?" Kate sounded infuriated, but remained calm. 

                "I don't know... I don't even know who I am."

                "Well then, let's find out." The determination in her voice made the Huntress trust this woman.