Speedy Eagle

Escaping?

I wake up before Pietro and Wanda. After walking around for a few minutes. I see a window above us. I see a man come in and he motions for me to step away from the door. He opens the door and show me a taser, trying to get me to cooperate. I slowly walk forward before knocking the taser from his hand and running off. I climb the chains near the window, continuously watching the man. He calls for others and the twins wake up. As they are about to electrocute the line, I jump between the chains, quickly picking up the end so they can't reach it. I make it to the window and start punching it, letting the chain go.

I'm almost through when I hear yelling under me. I look down and see the twins trying to warn me. I scream as they send jolts of electricity through my body. I keep punching and get through the window. Just as I am about to climb up the men move the chains, knocking me off. I fall for a moment before I do a flip and land hard on my feet. I collapse to the ground, crying out in pain. Wanda and Pietro run up to me. Pietro picks me up as Wanda looks at my ankle. She lightly touches it and I scream in pain, blacking out.

I wake up with Pietro next to me, trying to comfort me. He sees I'm awake and brings Wanda over. "You are completely insane, aren't you?" she asks. "What you did is dangerous. Why did you do it?"

"I can't stand being in this tiny room. I need to get out of here," I tell her.

"Isn't being here with us enough? Why are you trying so hard to leave us again?"

"I don't want to leave you. You can come with me. You could live in America with me or Sokovia. I could try and come visit," I tell them. They look at each other.

"This is our home. We belong here. We can't just leave."

"Well then I'm sorry. I have to go back to America." I start to get out of bed but Pietro holds me down.

"Your ankle can't support your weight. You have to rest until it heals." I look down and see my ankle wrapped. I feel over the ankle.

"It'll be alright in a few days. It's just a sprain." They both stare at me.

"How can you determine that just by feeling it?" Wanda asks, concerned.

"I grew up in a circus. It isn't exactly an easy life. I was an acrobat and walked the tightrope." I curl up under the blankets, turning away from them. Slowly, tears start to fall down my cheeks.

"Anya, we are just worried for you. Please don't do anything that dangerous for a while," Wanda asks.

I shiver a little. "Alright. I just don't want to be locked in a room for the rest of my life."

The covers move and the twins are wrapping their arms around me under the covers. I fall asleep slowly in their warm embrace.

The next morning, the man enters our caged room and throws disks on the floor in front of us. I scramble towards the discs as the twins look wary. "I've given you back your toys now do something for me. Update our tech."

I spit in his face. "You gave me my tech now I'm not going to help you. I stand by my word. I'll die before I help you."

The man's nostrils flare. "You insolent child! You should respect and help those who care for you!"

"But you don't care for me, do you? You stole me from my family and friends, you hardly feed me, you keep me in a box that is kept chilly and you experiment on me. Please, tell me how that is called taking care of me?!"

"We have given you great power yet you ignore it," he says.

"I don't want power, I never wanted power! I just want to grow up and raise a family like any normal person would."

"You have become a better version of yourself. Who wouldn't want to become better?"

"I was perfect just the way I was. I don't need powers to help people and protect those who can't protect themselves. Strength is not measured in how much you can lift or how physically strong you are but what you do with your strength."

The man shakes his head. "You will help me once you see your friends aren't going to save you." The man leaves and I look at the discs in my hand. I crawl over to the desk before the twins can help me and start examining them. They ask questions but I never answer. I'm too wrapped up in my work. I tinker around with it, making sure all the wires are in place and nothing has been messed up. When I'm done, I lean back in the chair and twirl it in my fingers. I stand up slowly and limp over to my bed.

"So, mind telling us what's so important with those discs?" Pietro asks.

"They could be my ticket out of here, the death of me or fry my brain for a few hours. Depends on if they function properly. Time to test them." I start to bring them up to my head when Pietro grabs my hands.

"What are you doing, you said it yourself those things could kill you," Pietro screams.

"But they could also be a great improvement for technology. Think about what this could do. Medicines could improve with earlier diagnostics, weapons more precise so less innocent bystanders are hurt. It could change the lives of millions," I convince. "I have to do this."

"I won't let you. Let me test them." He tries to take them from me but I pull them away.

"It doesn't work that way, Pietro."

"You're just saying that. I don't want you to get hurt!"

"You don't understand!" I scream. I take a few breaths to calm myself. "It doesn't work that way because they don't work that way. To use these you need a third part. A microchip. Only I have this piece."

"Well then give it to me and I'll do it. I won't let you get hurt!"

"It would hurt more to give it to you. It's not something I can just hand over, it's inside of me! I had Tony put it in a few days before I was taken. We were running final tests on these discs and I was going to test it soon. It would have been better with Tony around because we would have proper monitoring equipment and anything that would be needed to protect me. Looks like I'll have to bypass the final tests."

"Please, don't do this. It's not safe. I don't want to lose you."

"The benefits out way the consequences."

"When did any benefit ever out way your life?! Anya, listen to yourself. This is crazy!"

"The benefit out ways your life when it could mean saving millions more! I have to do this and you won't stop me. Will you help me or stand in my way?"

Pietro sits down next to me and grips me in a hug. "I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"I'll be fine. You just have to have faith in my abilities."

"Alright. Let's try it."