Facing your own allies (Tony Stark/Iron man and Steve Rogers/ Captain America)

Captivated

"Any luck?" Steve asked, as he did everyday. Maria looked back and answered the same way she had for the last two weeks. 

"No. Sorry, Steve, not yet." At this point Steve would turn around, sigh, and walk back out of the base. He would drive the short distance back to the tower and walk inside. At this time Tony, who had already been waiting for news, would quickly walk up and ask him about it. When Steve gave his negative reply Tony would growl angrily and stalk back down to his lab.

Tony would work through the day, anxious for his friend. Three times over the course of the weeks, Tony would find something or finally work out something. He would get excited and start his way next door to Bruce's lab to show him, at which time he would realize that Bruce wasn't actually there. Tony would sag and haul himself back to his lab and resume his work, which had changed subject's lately.

One day after Steve had, once again, given Tony no new information, he decided to come down after Tony. Tony was furiously typing, fidgeting and working away. "Tony, what are you?-"

"I could try to explain it, Cap, but I don't have all day." Steve sighed. 

"You've said it yourself that the Red Room is practically untraceable," Steve tried to reason. Tony muttered something under his breath before fully retorting.

"And yet I've done it before, I found Natasha, didn't I?" Tony snapped. Natasha. She out of everyone, besides maybe Tony, had seemed the most heart-broken when she found that Bruce had been kidnapped. It had gotten so bad as to when Tony screamed at her and told Natasha that it was her fault she actually agreed with him. When Natasha was cleared with SHIELD, she started following leads of her own. None that really went anywhere, but she was still gone every day with something new up her sleeve.

"We're all worried about him, Tony," Steve tried to sympathize, " The Agent's at SHIELD are trying everything-" Tony groaned and rolled his eyes, "What?"

"Hasn't Bird Boy told you about all the chatter? Apparently most of the agent's just agree that he saw it as another opportunity to run, so he did," Tony answered, bitterly. Steve wouldn't admit how surprised he was to hear this. He had known Dr. Banner had struggled in the past and that statement might as well have been the understatement of the century, but he had seen Bruce change, they all had. Steve, for the life of him, could not believe that he would just run as soon as he saw an opening.

"Bruce didn't walk out on us," Steve said, finally. Tony 'hmed'.

"Finally, something we can agree on."

                                          ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

One week earlier.

"Rise and shine, Doctor," said a female voice in fast and fluent Russian. Bruce's eyes slowly fluttered open, though he still felt drowsy. Where was he? And wow did he have a killer head ache. He realized quickly that he laid, mostly bare, on top of a dusty wooden floor. It didn't take much after that to figure out why he felt like utter crap. "Still dozing off I see."

"Who?-" Bruce started to ask.

"An old friend of yours truly." Bruce felt his heart drop.

"Natasha?" Oh no. Was she alright? Bruce wasn't able to recall much after the Hulk- Other guy had taken over. He did remember vaguely, Natasha jumping out through the wall, seemingly to her escape, though Bruce wasn't really sure.

"Mhm. Too bad she couldn't be here to join us. Too busy with her new found friends I suppose" Bruce was able to breath a little easier now, "Still I don't like being the third wheel. So how about you and I have some fun, hm?" The woman started rummaging through a bag. Bruce was worried until she tossed out a simple pair of clothes. Why, he wasn't exactly sure. He had pretty much pieced together by now that he was in trouble, lots of it. She had him drugged and probably intended to torture if not kill him.

"I can turn around if you'd like. Though I, personally, really wouldn't mind." Bruce said nothing as he began to pull on the simple t-shirt and pant's. Much to his relief the girl did turn around. What was it her name was again? Bruce was sure he could remember from that night aboard the plane. Genevieve? Gabriela? He knew it started with a G- Oh, Galina!

As soon as Bruce had finished. Galina picked up a chain that was hammered into the wall and cuffed it to the back of his hands. They were tight, heavy and uncomfortable.

"There, now we'll have lots of time to get acquainted. Shall we start by talking about our mutual friend?" 

"Where are we?" Galina grumbled.

"Oh, you're no fun. And I would think that you would know, you've been here before." Galina walked over to one of the windows with a, slightly torn, faded, pink sheet over it. Galina tore it down, letting the bright morning sun pour in. It took Bruce a moment for his eyes to adjust, but once they did he had no problem figuring out where he was.

"Why Brazil?" Galina shrugged at his question.

"Why not?"

"It's just you seem like such a smart girl to be able to drag me this far. But I'm fairly certain you know that SHIELD will know that I've been here plenty of times before. They have agent's of spies still stationed at my more favored hiding spot's. They'de more than likely find me here." Galina nodded.

"Of course I know that, Doctor. And I hope they do find you, honestly. But not until I've had my way with you."

"Obviously," Bruce muttered.

"You my friend, are nothing else but a lovely parting gift for the Widow." Bruce pursed his lips and broke eye contact. She intended to use him as a warning. Her next few word's proved said theory.

"You see doctor, thing's have changed. I need a new calling card, a way to send a complicated, yet very clearly spelled out message," Galina hung the sheet back up over the window, "And you just might be able to help me with that."