What If...? Rumlow Turned Against Hydra: Book One

34

Rumlow turned a corner, hoping he really was only one hallway from where Steve was supposed to be kept nearly running headlong into another security squad. They weren't STRIKE team members, just regular security but in that facility, he would have been a fool to assume they didn't know what they were doing. He was correct in that assessment as they wasted no time in trying very hard to kill him. He was doing well, using fists and feet along with the knife where needed, resulting in three on the ground dead or dying. He kicked another one hard enough to break their leg, sending them screaming in agony to the floor when another body slammed into him, sending him back into the wall with enough force to knock the wind out of his lungs.

He kept fighting even as he struggled to catch his breath; there was no time for him to try to regain his equilibrium. If he paused, he was dead and he knew it. A punch to the gut almost doubled him over, forcing him to use the wall behind him as a way to hold himself up as he took a grateful breath. He used a hook punch to slam his fist into the side of the enemy's head. As that one fell, stunned, another was right behind him, slashing at his neck with what looked like a large hunting knife, one edge serrated near the middle. Rumlow had no choice but to back into the wall once again, turning his head in an attempt to avoid the attempted cut to his carotid artery. The blade still found flesh, however, slicing up the side of his neck, into his face, carving deeply through his cheek and almost hitting his eye before he could finally react, bringing up his arm to block the rest of the move.

Blood flowed freely as he forced himself not to start to shake as his body tried to go into shock. He grabbed the wrist of his attacker, twisting brutally until it snapped forcing the hand holding the knife to open. Rumlow didn't stop, catching the weapon, driving it forward with all of his strength, burying it up to its hilt in the eye socket of the person who'd very nearly killed him. After a moment's hesitation, he pulled the knife from the corpse, wiping it off. It was a good knife; one he could use in the future. Only when he was absolutely sure there were only corpses around him did he try to staunch the blood flow from his own wound. He was bleeding freely from the side of his neck, but there wasn't an arterial gush that would tell him he had mere minutes to live. He hoped he wasn't also bleeding internally, knowing that even if he was, he couldn't stop to worry and there wasn't anyone who'd be able to triage it anyway. The side of his face was slick with blood, dripping to soak his shirt, but he didn't have time or resources to stop the bleeding. He knew it wouldn't stop bleeding until he could have medical attention. He considered the idea that he would bleed out if they were delayed, firmly ignoring that thought. He may well die of the blood loss, but he wouldn't stop trying to get Steve out. His last act would be to make some small amends for his past betrayal.

Rumlow turned another corner, then another in quick succession, fighting a sense that he was lost in the strangely constructed building. He couldn't backtrack, risking the loss of his sense of direction completely, possibly to the point that the others wouldn't be able to find him. He realized he could see two people in the hallway ahead of him; even in the dim light saw - to his relief - the glint of metal on the left arm of one. "It's me," he said hastily, before either of the two decided to kill him.

"You look like hell, Rumlow," Wilson said, but there was a note of concern in his voice.

"You don't look so great yourself." It was true, Wilson's face was swollen, and there was blood on his arms as well as his face. Rumlow saw a larger bloodstain on Wlson's side, over his ribcage, but the bleeding didn't seem severe. Only Barnes, the Winter Soldier, looked unscathed.

"Let's get Steve out and try and patch ourselves up later," Wilson said.

"Romanov," Barnes said suddenly. Rumlow looked behind to see Romanov ahead of another security squad.