Outsider

Twelve

"No!" I screeched, running over to Maria's body.  "Why did you do that?"  S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't on our side, but killing one of their agents was just inhumane and... evil!  Hydra was pure evil.  Tears poured down my cheeks as I searched frantically for where the bullets hit her body.  But, I found no blood.  Confused I felt the agent's chest, but nothing red and cold stained my fingers.  "...What?" I gasped, confused.

A hand softly touched my shoulder.  Oliver's deep blue eyes met mine as he said, "Elissa, it was just tranquilizers."

"Tranquilizers?" I repeated.

Oliver explained, "Meant to knock her out for a while, she won't remember what happened."

Lifting my head up, I questioned, "She's not dead?"

"No, Elissa," Ollie answered.  "But we have to hurry if we want to get out before her associates find her.  The Hydra officer managed to hack into her phone- he found the location of their hotel."

"Where is it?"

Oliver grinned and said, "It's ours.  They've been under our noses this whole time!  Room two-zero-seven."

"We have to report back to Hydra," our pretend father said.  He placed the phone near Maria.  "Let's go," the officer ordered, so we snuck out a back exit of the gala, and were met with the frigid, frosty air, and a black limousine awaiting our arrival.  The back door opened for us and we were met with Rumlow, dressed for combat.  I was always a bit scared of him ever since he stabbed me with that stick on my 'initiation' night, so sitting across from Rumlow felt quite threatening.  I tried to scrunch my body up against the side of the car, as far from Rumlow as possible.  Oliver, who was sitting next to me, clutched my hand and mouthed, "It's okay,"  Instantly, I felt a bit calmer.  Luckily, Rumlow was oblivious to all of this, as he was banging on our limo to tell the chauffeur to start driving.  I took advantage of this, and held onto Oliver's hand as long as possible.

Once we were off, Rumlow didn't hesitate to make conversation.  "Well done, Officer Becker," he chuckled, giving our fake father a name.  "And of course, kids- we couldn't have done it without you."  

My first praise from Hydra, I thought, and a sly smile crept across my face.  For some reason it felt good to be complimented, even if it was from the most malice organization on the planet.  

"What's our next plan of attack?" Becker inquired, drawing my attention back to the task at hand.

Rumlow looked at Oliver and I.  "You two are done for now," he said.  "The other spies are going to handle it from here.  I expect you to be packed and ready to return to the base at o-seven hundred."

Leave?  I wasn't ready to leave, I had only tasted luxury and freedom for a few short hours!  An impulsive thought told me to protest, but a gentle squeeze of my hand from Ollie told me to stay quiet.  For the entire car ride back to the hotel, I stared glumly out the window.  

The city seemed to light up in the dark of night, and the towering skyscrapers were purely mesmerizing to look at.  It brought a lump to my throat to think of how I would have to say goodbye to all of these tomorrow morning for who knows how long?  When the car stopped, I dragged myself up the stairs and inside my hotel room willingly, although I was actually at gunpoint.  The pretty princess dress along with my heels came off, and I folded them neatly in my suitcase.  I decided to leave the hair that Lara did for me, though, because I wanted to remind myself of this night.  Once that was all over, I gazed out the window of my hotel room at the city of lights.  "I felt pretty tonight, Papa." I whispered, glancing up at the sky illuminated by a full moon.  A small smile crept across my lips as I told my father, "I had fun, it was great,"  All of me yearned so much to see him again.