not like you → c . barton

[13]

Underneath the Humphrey Building lay this huge... Underground weapons facility. There were assembly lines, huge machines, conveyor belts, the whole nine yards. Instead of people, the assembly lines were being managed by robots. Behold, the future. I slowly crept around the place, and I swear, it was like a labyrinth, and I didn't have my golden string. I clutched the pocket knife to my chest, and I thought I could hear my heavy heartbeat echoing throughout the room, along with the heavy machine noises. 

As I walked around, I looked everywhere for my friends, or any sign of them. No luck. My stomach flopped, and my heart sank a bit. Every second I spent down here only deepened the despair I was feeling. That was why that elevator was the only one that went down. Down here was hell. If people were here, it would be a sweatshop, working for the people upstairs, in business heaven. That's why the other elevator only went up. That's where the moneymakers went, while the people who did the actual work would have been sentenced to this.

 I shook my head and froze when I heard a banging sound. Immediately, I looked around for a place to hide, and I dove underneath a workbench close by. I watched as Meathead and his partner, I'll call him Beef Brain, carried in a man who was thrashing around, trying to break free.

"No use, pal. Meathead's got a good grip," I mumbled, and I watched as they tossed him into a cell. I did a double take. Cells. There were cells in the hellhole. The door to said cell was slammed shut, and the two giants left this place, but I wondered how. Anyways, they had left the room, and the coast was clear. I climbed out from under the workbench, and I hurried to the cell, hoping to see a familiar face, and I did.

"Alex? Alex, what the hell are you doing here?" my dad asked, and I felt my palms grow sweaty.

"I- We came here to rescue you, and Wanda, and Sam, and my friend's parents," I whispered, and he reached through the bars of the cell door to cup my face. I looked at him, tears welling in my eyes.

"I'm gonna get you out, I promise. And then We'll find Wanda, and Sam, and the twin's parents," I fought the urge to cry, and my dad shook his head.

"No, Alex. You find your friends, and then you get out of here. The Avengers are on their way, they're almost here," he said softly.

"You don't think I can do it," I whispered, feeling dejected.

"I don't want you getting hurt. Why did you feel the need to do this?" he asked, and I looked away.

"Because I wanted to save you. I wanted to prove that I am as good as you, an Avenger. Because I didn't want to lose you. The Avengers were leaving two days after my friends and I made our plan, and I didn't know if them leaving that late would harm your chances of getting out," I whispered again, and he sighed.

"Alex, you don't need to be as good as me, or Nat, or Steve, or even your mom. You need to be as good as you," he told me gently, and I nodded. I flicked the knife part of the pocket knife out and proceeded to pick the lock of the cell. Dad watched as I worked, and when I heard the lock pop, I grinned.

"And, we're clear," I hummed, opening the cell door slowly, praying it didn't creak. My dad slipped past the door, and he grabbed my shoulders.

"We need to find your friends, and the others."

"I thought that was obvious."

"Alexandra!"

"Okay, okay. Sheesh."

Just then, Meathead and Beef Brain had reentered the room, because things just can't be easy, and they saw me, and of course, my dad.

"They're out! They're out!" Beef Brain called, and I rolled my eyes.

"Yes! Yes, we're out, although I was never in a place to get out of. Great observations!" I shouted back. Seriously, something must have changed in me during this trip. I just don't put up with shit anymore, and it feel great. Anyways, both Meathead and Beef Brain came barreling towards us, so I did what any other teen girl in an underground robot sweatshop would do: I picked up one item from the conveyor belt and threw it at them. To my surprise, and Definitely Meathead's, it hit him right in the chest, knocking him down. My dad looked down at me, then grabbed one other item from the belt and threw it at Beef Brain.

"Crotch shot!" I yelled, and it caught him off guard.

"Right in the dick!" my dad laughed. God, it's been a long time since I'd heard that sound. We high-fived, and then looked at the two men on the floor.

"We should run," I said.

"We should," dad agreed, so we did. We ran across the room to where they brought my dad back in, and went through there. It was a long hallway, filled with more jail cells, some of which had skeletons in them

"Wow, not one for interior decorating, I see," I muttered, looking at some skeletons.

"Alex!"

"Tell me I'm wrong."

But it wasn't my dad. It was Jeb, and his voice was coming from a far cell. I ran to the cell the gripped the bars tightly, looking inside. He was on the floor, with Diamond, and their parents. Mrs. O'Harris was nursing a bullet wound, and Mr. O'Harris was helping her.

"Guys, is anyone else besides your mom hurt? I know Hank's parents got out, but where's he, and Wanda, and Sam?" I asked, my dad joined me by my side.

"Alex, I'm up here, with Wanda and Sam. They got a four person maximum for each cell," Hank said softly, and I looked up to see him waving down at me, and I breath a sigh of relief.

"All right, I'm gonna pick the locks and get you guys out, and then we're gonna go take care of this chick," I mumbled, pulling out the knife. First, I worked off the lock from the O'Harris cell, and Jeb helped his mom up and out, his dad and Diamond following. Then, my dad hoisted me up onto his shoulders so I could pick the lock to Hank's cell.

"Nice job," Sam gave me the thumbs up, and I smiled a bit. I popped the door open and helped them out, but I heard grunts at the end of the hall. Meathead and Beef Brain.

"Dad, get the others out of here, I'll take care of Dumb and Dumber," I stood in front of them, and he gripped my shoulder.

"Alexandra Nicole Barton, there is no way in hell-"

"Is this really the ideal time for being a strict parent? Go!" I pushed him down the hall as both thugs came running towards us.

"Alex, no!" I heard Hank shout, and he was at my side. We shared this look before nodding and running back at them, which both morons were not expecting.

"Remember when we did boxing in gym class?" Hank asked as we neared them. It was a pretty long hallway, remember.

"Yeah, I do. Let's go with that," I agreed, and we each took on one thug once we reached them. Lucky me, I got Meathead. I got into boxing position, moving from foot to foot, dodging punches and his attempts to grab me. But, he did manage to clip me in the mouth, so there was a little blood dripping down my chin. Finally, I did a jab-cross-jab-front kick with enough force to knock him out and back, and Hank did the same thing. He looked at me, I looked at him, and he wiped the blood from my chin. I smiled at him, took his hand, and pulled him back to we could go and catch up to the others.

"Thanks for the help, Hank," I whispered, and he nodded, blushing a bit.

"No problem. You'd do the same for me," he whispered back, and we caught up with the others, still holding hands.

"All right, let's go give this bitch what she deserves."

"Alex!"

"Sorry dad..."