Remembering Freedom

Rescue

Jemma didn't struggle as she was dragged from Barton's cell, only gasping as the rough movement pulled the staples in her chest and the stitches in her side. She tried to block out the sounds of fists hitting flesh, but it was all she could hear as she was unceremoniously shoved back into her room. It was like she never left HYDRA, but this time she and Barton were on their own, both with substantial injuries. The constant throbbing pain in her body was almost becoming bearable as she slowly made her way back onto the bed. It took a long few minutes to finally find a somewhat comfortable position, but it was short-lived as an explosion rocked the building and she found knocked to the ground. The sharp pain in her side hinted at torn stitches and the red slowly seeping through the bandages confirmed it. Jemma never even had a chance to get to her feet before Ward walked into the room and deliberately grabbed her broken right hand, the agony shooting straight to her other injuries as he pulled her up.

"You going to come with me Jemma." Cutting strips off of the sheets, he gagged her and wrestled her arms behind her back before restraining her.

Jemma's smart-ass reply was muffled by the gag as Ward led her down into the cellar without making a sound. Forcing her back to the ground, he then tied her to one of the rafters. Another stitch tore when she hit the cement.

"I have to say..." Ward crouched in front of her. "I was impressed to hear to that your little boyfriend survived the two teams I sent after you guys."

Jemma narrowed her eyes, remembering James' retelling of the events. Of how he allowed the Soldier to take control. The darkness in those bright blue eyes...That was all Ward's doing...

He took a few strands of her hair between his fingers. "You look good as a blonde." Before she could even shy away, he tangled his fingers in her hair and yanked her head up to face him. A gun was now pressed underneath her chin. "You're going to behave like a good little lab rat so I don't kill you okay?"

Jemma nodded as much as she was able, relieved when Ward released her hair. She let her head fall and concentrated on pushing through the pain. She could feel the blood running down her side and that brought to mind a similar moment as she examined Clint's wound. He had been right when he'd said nothing vital had been hit, but she knew that the most recent beating caused by the Russian "Fuck you" she'd spat in Ward's face had aggravated it. Not her smartest moment, but she knew James would be proud of her for it...

Ward was pacing the length of the room, gun held tightly in his hands.

Jemma knew what the explosion meant...help had arrived. She could hear heavy footfall upstairs, the multiple sets of tactical boots loud on the wood floor. Then the house exploded with the sound of gunfire and bodies thudding. They came before he planned, not surprising considering that the rescue party included Black Widow and Captain America. She watched Ward freeze as something came over the comms and he strode quickly out of the room.

As soon as the door shut, Jemma tested the restraints around her wrists. She winced as she put pressure on her broken wrist and sighed when she realized the restraints were expertly knotted. Even with two working hands, she didn't think she could untie them anyways. She slowly pushed herself to her feet, biting her lip as another stitch tore and blood began to flow faster. Damn...

She worked the gag from her mouth, pulling in as deep a breath as she could, and took a look around the dimly lit room. There were no windows or other exits besides the door. The walls were straight concrete, the floor literally dirt. The air was stale and cold and Jemma determined the room was underground given that she could currently see her breath. The hospital gown she wore offered nothing in the way of warmth or modesty and she didn't miss the groping hands of the other agents when they 'escorted' her to the restroom or when they forcibly pulled her down the hallway.