Project Alpha

Chapter 30- Begin Again

6 months later...

Days?

Weeks?

Months?

I had no idea how long I had been out here.

Somehow I had broken through the mind control that Hydra had put me under, and I was able to break out. I was happy to be free, but I didn't know how much longer I could survive out here.

My body was frail, I was hungry, thirsty, and tired. If I gave up now, though, I would never see my dad again. I had been waiting to see him for so long. Even under mind control, my conscious thoughts were about seeing my family again. I wanted to just wrap my arms around everyone and be able to talk to them again.

I missed everyone, even though the last memories I had with them weren't the best, I still missed them. They had put me first, even if I hadn't. It may not have been handled in the best way, but they still had my best interest at heart.

Bucky had been there the day I lost control and gave in to what Hydra was placing in my head. The chip from when I was training with the widows is what gave them control of me, but they had put words in my mouth to control Bucky, too; the words that turned him into the Winter Soldier.

I hadn't seen him in what felt like forever, and I was hoping it was because the Avengers found him. I was hoping he was safe. Hoping that he hadn't killed many more people because I know that would kill him. It killed us both to hurt people.

It was terrifyingly freezing outside, and I didn't know how much longer I could carry on like this.I had hidden from the Hydra agents near and surrounding the base by burying myself under the snow and climbing up trees, but soon I wouldn't be able to climb or bury myself, which meant I was running out of time. My only hope was to keep going.

I could still see the large Hydra base that was supposed to be hidden by the mountains, meaning I wasn't far enough away. I don't think I could ever be far enough away from them because they were everywhere. I would rather die of frostbite than ever go back to that wretched place.

The sun was just on the horizon, making me walk faster because they would be able to see me soon. I could hear noise in the distance, almost like machinery clashing together, making me hide behind some rocks nearby.

Six Months Earlier at the Avengers Compound: Tony POV

"How could this have happened?" Nat asked as we all looked around the compound. There are scraps of things scattered everywhere and it is completely silent. There are burn marks on the walls, furniture thrown everywhere, and doors torn out of the walls.

No one answered Nat. All we could do was look at what was left of the compound in disbelief. The team moved swiftly through the compound, looking for anything that would tell us what happened or where they had gone. Even those who weren't close with Aria or Bucky were in search of what happened.

"Tony!" Steve yelled. Immediately I ran to him, hoping for something, anything but the worst. When I stepped into the room, there was nothing, but one message scribbled across the wall in blood. The message read They Are Ours Now.

How could this have happened? After all of the precautions I took, they still managed to escape. Bucky would never have gone willingly, which meant something had to have happened to him as well. How could I have let this happen? I never should have trusted anyone to watch my daughter.

"We need to figure out a way to get her back," I said, not feeling the need to expand further on it.

"We need to get both of them back, not just her," Steve said, looking at me like I was crazy. Maybe I was, but I didn't really care what happened to Bucky; I just wanted my daughter back.

"He's the one who was supposed to watch her and look where that got us," I snapped.

"It wasn't his fault, Tony," Steve argued.

"You don't know that!"

"Let's just calm down," Nat said, walking into the room. "If we start fighting, we aren't going to get anywhere." Steve and I looked at each other with eyes of anger, but we both knew that she was right.

"I'm going to check the cameras," I say, needing to leave before I did something that I would regret.

Present: Aria's POV

There were shots being fired from all around me. I couldn't leave the spot I had found behind the rocks because I would be bound to get hit if I did. I would have to wait for the shooting to die out, but at this rate, I could be here for days. Staying in this spot is just as bad as running, but running has a higher risk that I just can't afford to take.

I needed to get home to my family. To where it was safe.

Shots were fired into the side of the mountain. The more that hit above me, the more rocks were trying to bury me. I needed to get out of there soon, or I might be buried alive.

I decided to leave, but I had to wait for the right moment. I would be better off going while there was shooting, otherwise, I would be more likely to be spotted and caught. I couldn't go back again when I had just escaped again.

The firing had stopped and I knew something had to have happened, but I also knew that I couldn't look. Anything that had even the slightest chance of giving my hiding place up was out of the question.

"So this is where you've been hiding?" an all too familiar voice said from above me. I turned around with nothing but fear inside of me, knowing that my little bit of peace was gone. Once again, I had failed to escape this feral organization.

When I turned my head, I was met with the horrific eyes of one Brock Rumlow. Then, I bolted or tried to. As well as my reflexes are, Rumlow was still able to grab me by the collar of the jacket I was wearing and slammed me down to the ground. I tried to get back up, but he stomped his boot on top of me and pointed a gun at my head. And, before I had time to react, he slapped a pair of cuffs on me that I knew was to control my powers.

"Get up," he ordered, "Slowly."

I did as he said, putting up my hands to show that I held no weapons that could threaten him. I honestly didn't know why I had followed his orders, it would've been so much similar to dying, but somewhere inside of me, I still clung to the hope that I would see my family again.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on her," a different familiar voice ordered from behind the two of us.

Rumlow wrapped his arm around me to hold me in place against his chest while the other one held a gun to my head. I was terrified of what he might do. As much as he needed me, I was still someone that they could replace. Hydra never failed to remind every single one of its members that everyone was replaceable.

Slowly, Rumlow turned us towards the voice of someone I hadn't heard in a very long time. When we were finally facing Nat, I looked at her through tears of both happiness and sadness. I was beyond happy to see her, but I just wish that they were under different circumstances because my life was quite literally in the hands of another.

"It doesn't look like you have much authority over this situation, Romanoff," Rumlow mocked, making Nat even angrier. She went to press a button that would alert the others of where she was and that she needed help, but Rumlow fired a warning shot before she was able to press it. Of course, with all of the training he had, the button was shot right off of Nat's suit and into the snow. "Put the gun down and keep quiet or the girl dies."

Natasha did as he said, but kept her eyes on me the whole time as if they could somehow keep me safe. We held each other's gazes until Rumlow finally dragged me away, still with a gun pressed against my head. "If any of them come for the girl, she dies," Rumlow warned, but I was sure that wouldn't stop my family from getting me back. Especially not when we were just out of arms' reach of each other.