✓ ❘ 𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐑𝐄 𝐌𝐘 𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐃, 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐌𝐘 𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐄𝐑 ─ 𝐁. 𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐄

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ ᴏɴᴇ: ᴛʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴀᴡᴏᴋᴇ, ᴀ ʙʟɪɴᴅɪɴɢ ʟɪɢʜᴛ

I woke up feeling dazed and disorientated. The effects of whatever the hell kind of gas knocked us out was steadily wearing off, and I shook my head in an attempt to accelerate the regression.

Blinking a few times, I willed my eyes to adjust to the unforgivingly bright light shining in from the outside of the space I'd been tossed into. A quick survey of my surroundings told me that there was only one way in or out, and that way was currently being blocked by a Hydra agent.

The location of where he was standing caused the aforementioned bright light to cast a shadow over his face, sheltering his identity from my eyes. I groaned softly as I used the wall to push myself up; my muscles tensed in protest, which meant that they must've manhandled me a shit ton during the journey from the hotel to here, those fuckers.

I placed one hand against the cool wall as I took a moment to gather myself. My free hand instinctually patted around my abdominal area in search of one of my weapons or comm systems but came up empty. There was no question that they'd thoroughly stripped me of all S.H.I.E.L.D tech after I'd been knocked out but like I said, it was a visceral thing to check anyway.

Shutting my eyes, I tried to recall the moments before I blacked out.

*

"Oh, come on!" I groaned, accentuating every word as my desperation built up, "I was fucking protecting you!"

"Well maybe I don't need you to protect me!" she yelled back, "Did you ever think about that?"

I saw it before she did – the cylinder rolling across the carpet and stopping right next to her pump-clad feet. There was a sickening hiss emanating from the object, and I immediately started forward to try and get it away from her.

"(Y/N)!" I called out to her, frantically waving my hands to try and get her to move.

I was too late – that was evident by the way her eyes were starting to sag – and the only thing I could do was outstretch my arms to catch her as she fell.

The gas hadn't affected me yet, so I hurriedly glanced around the room. Ross was knocked out, body half-draped over the sofa behind me, and I could see a few unrecognizable figures on the surrounding rooftops outside – Hydra. My eyes darted to the clock on the wall in front of me and I noted the time: 22:30.

I could feel the poison slipping into my system and I pressed one finger to the distress button attached to my belt. S.H.I.E.L.D might not be here to help us right this second, but at least now they'd know that they'd have to come and find us.

Looking down at (Y/N), I grazed my fingertips over her face. "I won't let them get you," I murmured, words starting to slur as my body succumbed to the gaseous toxin, "Don't worry, bab-"

*

That was all I could remember. I reopened my eyes and barely stifled a growl. I'd be willing to bet everything that Ross had orchestrated the entire thing. Let these terrorist douchebags in on the fact that she was at the hotel and planned her capture. That's probably why he wasn't in this cell with me right now. Bastard's a collaborator.

But nobody puts her in danger and gets away with it. No sir. Not as long as I'm still kickin'. I would find him and, so help me god, I would end him.

After I find her and make sure she's back safe.

My growls from earlier alerted the guard to my resurface from dreamland, prompting him to toss a bottle of water through the bars of the cell. It landed at my feet with a crack, and it was only then that I realised my throat was painfully dry. I made no motion to pick up the offering, though. No way in hell was I getting drugged twice in one night.