Girl At War

...And Escape! - 27

**This chapter is dedicated to X-O-spider. Thank you for the encouraging comment, and taking the time to read my book:D**

"You'll never believe it, guys!" Iron Man dropped from the sky and landed with a clang in front of the rest of the team. "She put the tracker on a horse! Now we'll never find her!"

"Wait, what?" Natasha went around the stone-like Bruce standing in the doorway. She jumped to the ground. Clint and Wanda were on her heels. Steve had not yet returned from his quick scouting mission, and he'd instructed them to stay in the jet until he or Tony came back. And Tony was back, so they weren't waiting any longer.

"Where's the horse?" Wanda asked, curiously looking around. Tony motioned in a general direction. Pietro whizzed away.

Startled, Tony demanded, "Hey, where's he going?" 

Clint rolled his eyes. "To look at the horse, genius." He began walking in the direction Pietro had ran off. Bucky hopped down from the plane, eagerly following Clint. Natasha and Wanda fell in behind Bucky. Tony raised the faceplate, staring at them as they walked away.

"It's just a horse!" he cried. The faceplate snapped shut and he raced up to Clint, hover-flying backwards to talk to the archer. "What's the interest?"

Clint never slowed. "If the signal is coming from a horse, then I guess the horse is worth a look, huh? Especially since this whole world seems to get around on either horses or super-sonic jets. Talk about a mixed-up planet. The middle of their technology seems to have dropped  out, just leaving medieval or futuristic."

"It does seem that way, doesn't it?" Steve's voice spoke up as he joined the group.

Tony flew ahead, miffed. Upon their arrival, they found the billionaire-hero glaring savagely at a small brown-white-and-black horse, who kept a good distance away. "See? A horse. She put the tracker on a HORSE." Tony scowled in disgust. "Now come on, or we'll never find her!" 

"No, wait." Clint studied the black and white creature, who returned the favor from a healthy distance away. "First of all, that's HER horse, not just any random horse. She said he was a mustang. Remember how she joked he would follow her around, and even trails her when he gets out of the barn? What if he did that again? She might be right around here."

Realization dawned on the others faces, followed by excitement.

"Alright, spread out!" Steve commanded. "Sweep the area in pairs. Watch for agents. We'll find her!"

"Uh, Steve?" Steve paused, glancing at Tony. "We're after the ring, not the pretty girl."

"Not even that, Stark." Clint teased. "We're after the TT, not the ring."

Steve rolled his eyes, heading off.

*************************

Eloyse ducked around rubble and panicked agents, making her way to who knew where. She was looking for an exit, but they all seemed camouflaged or heavily guarded. A door loomed before her, and she flew through it at a run by letting her hand stretch and turn the doorknob a moment before her body reached the door. She stumbled as a second explosion rocked the building, with a force only rivaled by the first blast.

Oh shoot! The weapons room!

Eloyse grimaced. How had she forgotten? This whole place was going to go down in a few minutes, and she still hadn't figured out if she was going toward freedom or deeper in the base. She turned down a hallway, backpedaling when she saw what was in it.