The Captive's Resolve
The car ride was a blur. You couldn’t remember anything except being sandwiched between a teenage boy and some random guy with a robot arm.
While you were stuck in the middle row, Natasha sat calmly in the front with another guy. You had no idea who was driving, but you hated it. Their driving was absolute chaos. Every ten seconds, they slammed on the brakes, jolting everyone in the car forward. As if that wasn’t enough, they honked constantly, targeting anything on wheels that dared to exist.
When the car finally stopped, you swore you could see the heavens. Anything was better than being stuck in that death trap. Relief, however, was fleeting. You were dragged out without a second thought.
The sky was a gradient from blue to orange, the orange coming from the sunrise. The sight in front of you made your blood run cold. A small, brightly lit building stood hidden among the array of trees, its glow casting an eerie light through the forest.
“This’ll be your new home for a while,” Natasha said, gesturing toward the building. Her tone was calm, almost too calm.
You squirmed in their grip, but it was no use. They dragged you forward, ignoring your protests as if they didn’t matter.
“Stop it,” Tony snapped, no ounce of patience evident in his voice.
“Fuck you,” you shot back.
“You might wanna stop that before we cut your tongue off,” the metal-armed guy said with an unnerving nonchalance.
“Bucky,” Steve interrupted. “We’re not doing that here.”
Bucky shrugged, unimpressed. “Whatever, Steve.” He slightly rolled his eyes, but if you squinted, you could probably see a faint smirk.
Oh. So that’s their names, Steve and Bucky.
You couldn’t deny the building was unnervingly clean, despite being in the middle of nowhere. As your eyes darted around, your mind raced with thoughts of escape. Of course, they’d added every precaution imaginable. From fingerprint scanners to lock and unlock doors and cameras to motion sensors in almost every room. Key word: almost.
The bathroom was the only exception.
That realization sparked a flicker of hope. A way out. An escape. You immediately looked around the bathroom to take note of everything in it. A window, great. Unsurprisingly, the window had a lock on it and it was foggy. Luckily, the window was locked with a key, not with a body part. That’s good.
“Y/N!” someone called out.
Wait. How the hell did they know your name?
You spun around, heart pounding in your chest. It was the driver from earlier. You recognized him from social media, everywhere actually. He was part of the Stark family, though you couldn’t recall exactly which one.
You gritted your teeth, weighing your options. Then you decided to take a gamble. “Hey… Tony…?” you greeted, your tone unsure.
Calling your captor by his name wasn’t exactly what you had planned. And honestly, you weren’t even sure if it was his name.
“Hey Y/N,” he greets you back. “We’re about to have breakfast, come down in 5 minutes.”
Quietly, you nodded your head as a response and waited till he went away. You saw as he walked away and disappeared from your line of sight. Once you saw no sign of him, you straight away went back to looking through the bathroom. It was located on the second floor, right at the end of the hallway. The house was surprisingly big despite the small exterior.
Realising the time, you got back up and dusted yourself off. Hurriedly, you went down into the kitchen for breakfast.
“Y/N! Oh my poor mortal,” a voice bursted through the room.
Your head turned to the source and saw a man with long hair.
“Come sit next to me,” he said, patting the seat next to him.
You stopped in your tracks, taking a second to look around the room. There were a couple unfamiliar faces, like the red-haired woman extending her arm to grab something from the cabinet. You assumed it was Natasha at first but the second she turned around, you were proven wrong, she was much taller.
“Oh gosh, don’t make her sit next to you Thor,” a voice suddenly said, interrupting your train of thought. You looked towards the person, eyes interlocking with his. Emerald eyes looking into yours, it felt eerie. His stare felt invasive. It felt intrusive.
“Y/N! Come here, hurry before the food gets cold,” another voice called out to you.
“Don’t rush her, Sam,” Steve interjected.
Finally, you took a step forward, then another, before settling into a seat at the dining table. Soon, a plate of food was served in front of you and others. It was a simple breakfast: pancakes and eggs.
You stared down at the plate and poked it with your fork. It looked… normal. Too normal, especially given the circumstances. The pancakes were fluffy and the eggs were perfectly cooked. This was the kind of breakfast you’d expect at a cozy diner, not in the middle of a forest, surrounded by people who had effectively kidnapped you.
“Eat up,” Steve said, his voice calm but you know that was an order. “You’ll need it.”
You hesitated, your fork hovering over the plate. What did he mean by that? Did they drug the food? Was this some kind of twisted game? Your mind raced with possibilities, none of them providing any comfort whatsoever.
“Relax,” Tony announced from across the table upon your wary expression. “If we wanted to kill you, we wouldn’t have gone through all that trouble.”
“Wow, that’s so reassuring,” you muttered sarcastically, earning a chuckle from Bucky.
“Smart mouth on this one,” Bucky remarked, leaning back in his chair with a smug grin.
Thor, still seated next to you, clapped a hand on your shoulder, making you jump. “Do not fear, little mortal! No harm will come to you while I’m present.” His loud voice echoed through the room, and for a split second, you found yourself actually believing his words. Then he added, “Unless, of course, you give us a reason to. Which I hope you don’t.”
You felt your appetite disappear. Well that soured the mood.
Natasha, who had been quiet until now, finally said something. “You might as well eat. Starving yourself won’t do you any good.”
Sighing, you picked up your fork and cut into the pancake. Putting your hand up, you took a small bite. Surprisingly, it tasted… normal. Too normal. You expected it to taste like drugs or some sort of poison, but there was no hint of it at all. After realising it was safe, you began eating, still keeping an eye on the others.
“Sooo, what’s the plan with her?” Sam asked, breaking the silence. He was leaning on his chair
Steve’s expression quickly darkened and he opened his mouth. “We’re not discussing that right now.”
Your froze, your hand holding the fork paused in the air. Plan? Wait, what plan?
“Oh, come on,” Bucky chimed in. “She’s sitting right here. Don’t you think she deserves to know?”
“Bucky,” Steve warned, his voice authoritative. Oh . So it looks like he’s the bigshot.
You heard Thor shifted beside you, eyes looking between them. “Why so secretive? If there is a task, let her rise to it! I’m sure she will prove worthy.”
Natasha snorted, muttering something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like “optimist.”
Before you could even open your mouth, Tony cleared his throat and started talking. “Alright, that’s enough chit-chat. Y/N, finish up. You’ve got a big day ahead.”
All of a sudden, the room fell silent, all eyes on you for some reason. Your heart pounded in your chest, as you processed the weight of their gazes.
“What’s happening today?” you asked, your voice barely able to be heard.
A grin tugged at Tony’s mouth. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
You let out a loud sigh before going back to eating. If you were being honest, the food was actually good. Whoever made it definitely made it with a lot of… skill.
"I’m Clint," he introduced himself, pulling the chair to sit down.
You couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. "Hi…?"
Clint leaned back in his chair. "No need to be all scared like that. I only have good intentions. I promise," His eyes flickered over to Natasha, signalling her to do something.
You weren’t sure how to respond. The way Clint spoke made you skeptical, there was something off about it. Maybe he was trying to get on your good side, or maybe it was just his way of manipulation. You couldn’t quite figure it out yet.
"How long am I supposed to stay here?" You asked the question before you could stop yourself.
"As long as it takes." He states, giving no further explanation, and you didn’t press further. You weren’t even sure if you wanted to know the answer.
"Don’t worry, we’re not your enemies," Sam chimed in, voice gentle as he slid into a seat beside you. "We just need you to cooperate now."
"Cooperate with what exactly?" You questioned.
Sam raised his hands in mock surrender. "We’re not trying to play some game with you, Y/N. You’re here because there’s a lot going on, and we’re trying to keep you safe."
"Safe? Is this some kind of… joke? This isn’t funny," Your words were sharp now, frustration bubbling to the surface. You could feel the walls closing in, the confinement of it all pressing down on your chest.
"Y/N…" Steve’s voice was steady, but it held an edge of warning. He was the only one who hadn’t said much, and his quiet presence was starting to make you feel uneasy. "Let’s just finish breakfast. We can talk about this later."
“I’ve finished. A long time ago.” you responded.
“Oh… Uhm…” Steve muttered.
"Alright, here's the deal," Steve finally spoke, his voice breaking the stillness. "You’re not going anywhere unless you follow the rules."
You raised an eyebrow, your gaze shifting from Steve to the others. "Rules? What kind of rules?"
Bucky leaned back in his chair, his metal arm gleaming slightly in the light. "The kind that keeps you alive," he said, his tone dark and serious.
"First rule," Tony added, his voice sharp. "No running off or any funny business. If you try to leave, we’ll stop you. And we’ll make it clear why you shouldn’t."
You swallowed, but said nothing, keeping your focus on them.
"Second," Natasha cut in, her eyes scanning the room. "don’t talk to anyone else unless. You can only contact us. No one else."
"Third," Sam chimed in, his voice almost like a warning, "you play by the rules here, or we’ll make sure you regret it."
“Fourth,” Steve started. “You always bring one of us when you go anywhere.”
Your stomach twisted as they all seemed to be in agreement. Listening to the rules, the weight of it pressed down on you, and you realized just how little power you had in the situation.
"So, what? You’re gonna keep me here like a prisoner? Treat me like a prisoner too?" you asked, your voice starting to break. “Why are you eve-even doing this?”
Tears were welling up in your eyes, and blood rushed to your face, the heat of humiliation and anger burning against your skin. Every inch of your body screamed for you to escape, but there was nowhere to run, no one to scream to. This was your reality now, locked in this strange house with strange people who seemed more like enemies than anything else.
Your hands trembled as you wiped away the first tear, but the more you fought it, the more they seemed to come. You hated how weak it made you feel. "Why?" you repeated, voice quieter now, a mixture of desperation and confusion lacing your words.
The silence went on, the air feeling thick.
One of them, the taller figure you hadn’t seen yet, stepped forward, his gaze unreadable. “It’s not about what you want,” he said, the coldness in his tone making your heart skip a beat. “It’s about what you need. And you’ll understand that... eventually.”
His words were like a slap, it hurt. Something darker, like a promise. It wasn’t about freedom or choice, but about you belonging to them. But why?
You swallowed the lump in your throat, feeling destroyed. “I don’t want to belong to you. I don’t want to belong to anyone,” you whispered, your voice barely audible.
A small chuckle came from the corner of the room. You turned your head to see Clint, smiling like he just won the lottery.
“Too bad,” he said, his eyes glinting with something twisted. “You’re already ours.”
“How? This is human trafficking, I could sue you for this. Lock you up forever,” you said angrily.
Tony stood up after hearing your words. “Oh honey, don’t you know who we are?” he said, his tone condescending.
You clenched your fists, trying to suppress the anger bubbling up inside you. "I don’t care who you are. This is wrong, and you can't just do this to people."
Tony's smirk widened, almost like he was enjoying your frustration. "You really think you can do something about it? You’re not going anywhere, sweetheart. There’s no one to save you here."
Your heart pounded in your chest. "I’ll find a way out," you muttered under your breath, more to yourself than to him.
“Oh, I’m sure you will,” Tony said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “But the question is, will you be able to put us in jail? No one would believe you. I mean who would they choose? A group of vigilantes or… a random person?”
His words cut through you like a knife, but you refused to back down. You wouldn’t let them break you. You couldn’t.
“Gosh you all are disgusting! Why me anyway?” you asked.
Clint’s grin never left as he stepped closer, his eyes locking onto yours with an unsettling intensity. "Why not you?" he replied smoothly, voice dripping with venom. "You're the perfect fit. Feisty, but vulnerable. You’ll be a nice... addition to our collection."
Tony scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You really think you matter that much? We could've picked anyone. But you're here now, and that’s all that matters."
“I’m not a thing,” you spat, voice trembling with both fear and defiance. “I’m a person. You’ll regret this.”
Clint chuckled again, shaking his head. "Oh, honey, we don’t regret things like this. Not when they’re exactly what we want."
Tony’s cold gaze moved back to Clint, as if silently communicating something between them, before he turned back to you. "The question is... what will you do when you realize there's no way out? You’ll have no choice but to accept it."
"We'll see about that." you said, glaring at both of them.
Silence followed, nobody saying anything. That was until Rhodes said something, “Alright everyone, cool off,”
“I think she just needs some alone time,” he continued.
You didn’t say anything and only stormed up to your room, like an angry teenager. You slammed the door behind you and landed on your bed. And you took out the keys from your pocket.
You stared at the small cluster of cold keys in your hand, their weight feeling heavy. Taking away keys from a group of super-spies was hard. But you were better than that.
You didn’t want to show them a vulnerable side of you, but you had to. If they saw you crumble, they'd feel like they had more power over you. But deep down, shit. You’re not any better than your captors.
You shoved the keys under your pillow, attempting to calm yourself. Then the door unlocked, and a red-haired lady came in.
“Hey honey, I’m Wanda.” she said, her hands in her pockets. “Please understand why we are doing this. We’re just trying to keep you safe.”
Her words fell on deaf ears and you didn’t respond.
Wanda studied you for a moment, her expression then softening. She seemed to be waiting for some kind of reaction from you but you didn’t give her any, you didn’t wanna tell her anything. All your feelings started to cluster up inside you, causing you to choke off any words you might have had. You just sat there instead, staring at the wall blankly.
"I know you’re upset," she continued, her voice gentle but firm. "But what’s happening here, it’s for your own good. You may not understand now, but soon, you will."
You clenched your fists tighter, the anger rising again. Safe? How could they call this safe? They had kidnapped you, trapped you in a god forsaken building, and now they’re feeding you lies?
You didn’t say anything, not because you didn’t have words, but because you didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of seeing your frustration.
Wanda took a step closer towards you. “Please… Just hear us out. We didn’t want to do this, but y’know… sometimes, we don’t have a choice. This world... it’s dangerous for people like you.”
You shot her a sharp look, not sure whether to scoff or to cry. "People like me? You mean normal people? Or just people who aren't part of whatever twisted thing you're all doing?"
Wanda sighed, her expression softening, but she didn’t back away. Instead she put her hand on your back but you smacked her hand away before it could even make contact. “It’s more complicated than that. You have no idea how important you are to us. If you get hurt, we’re gonna be hurt too.”
You stared at her, still silent, the weight of the keys under your pillow a reminder that this wasn’t over. You couldn’t back down now. You just needed to figure out how to get out, how to make them realize you didn’t need their so-called ‘protection’.
Wanda let out another quiet breath. "I know you’re angry. But we’re not your enemy. We’re just trying to do what’s best for you."
You finally looked up at her, your voice barely above a whisper, but full of defiance. "I don’t need your stupid protection. I just need to go home for goodness sake."
Wanda gave a small, almost apologetic smile. “I wish it were that simple.” Then she left the room. The door closed behind her with a click and you sat there on your bed.
They didn’t say a word or make any attempt to interact with you for the rest of the day. Instead, they simply came in occasionally to drop off food.
That night, you carefully snuck out of your room, wary of the motion sensors scattered around.
"Where are you going?" a voice asked, breaking the silence of the night.
“The bathroom,” you said before quickly walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind you. You locked the door then rushed over to the window.
Your hands trembled as you reached into your pocket to find the keys. Holy shit. There are footsteps outside the door. You had to move fast.
With a sharp breath, you took the key in your hand and slid it into the keyhole. You turned it slowly, heart pounding so hard you thought it might burst out of your chest. The sound of the lock unlocking was louder than you expected but what could you do about it?
You opened the window, the cold air rushing in and brushing against your skin. Your eyes scanned the drop below. It was high. Too high for a safe landing but it was the only chance you had.
The footsteps echoed closer, just outside your door. Your pulse quickened. You didn’t have much time.
Without another thought, you climbed over the sill, sitting on it. You felt your body shaking as you stared down at the ground. You gripped the edge of the window, squeezing your eyes shut for just a moment to steady yourself.
No turning back now.
You took a deep breath, squeezed your eyes shut, and jumped off.
For a while, you were falling in the air as if the earth had abandoned you. You felt a rush of adrenaline course through your veins. It felt like the longest drop of your life, but you felt the wind against your skin, it was only increasing.
When you hit the ground, it was like a violent shock through your body. Pain exploded through your legs as you collapsed, but you forced yourself up immediately, ignoring the sting. You couldn’t stop. You had to escape.
Using your hands, you stumbled onto your feet with trembling knees, but you pushed forward. You started running without thinking, adrenaline powering you through the pain. Your lungs burned, but you didn’t care. You needed to get away. It was a matter of time until they came for you.
Behind you, you heard their screams and shouts. The deafening sound of their boots behind you, but you couldn’t stop. You wouldn’t stop.
Every step was fueled by the overwhelming need for freedom, for the hope of never seeing their faces again. You could feel their presence right behind you.
The road ahead was dark, but it didn’t matter. You weren’t going back. Not ever.
You kept running, your mind focused on one thing. Which was escaping.
Your feet hit the ground hard every step you took. Every step brought you farther from the hellhole you were trapped in, for a day or so. The cold air stung your lungs but you barely noticed, too focused on escaping to care. You couldn't afford to slow down, because you knew they could catch up at any second. You didn't know how far you were from them. They could be close. But at the same time they could all still be behind at the house.
The night was full of the unknown. Every turn felt like a gamble. You darted through the woods, dodging the trees and rocks, your breathing starting to be ragged. The sound of your feet hitting the soil was quiet, but still loud enough to be heard.
The thought of them catching you and bringing you back made the pain in your legs feel like nothing. It was nothing compared to being a captive. You could feel the sweat trailing down your face, and dropping onto the dirt ground underneath you.
You were in your own world now, consumed by the need for freedom. You took a sharp turn and nearly slipped on the wet soil, but you managed to regain your balance and keep running.
The sounds of pursuit grew louder, closer. You could hear their voices, and though you didn’t dare look, you could feel their presence stalking you. The fear was back again, choking you, but you fought it down. You pushed your body harder, desperate to outrun them. You couldn’t let them catch you. Not again.
You turned left, and for a moment, you thought you might be safe. The path ahead was empty, just a stretch of empty nothingness leading to… god knows where. You could almost taste freedom, but it was still much too far away for you to be celebrating.
A shout came from behind you, sharp and commanding. It sent a fresh wave of panic through you, but you didn’t stop. You couldn’t. Your legs burned, your chest ached, but you kept running as if your life depended on it and it did.
The night seemed endless, but you refused to slow down. You had no idea where you were heading, but you couldn’t think about that now. You had to keep running. The fear of being caught was too much. The thought of them dragging you back to that place, locking you in again, was more terrifying than the darkness ahead.
The sounds of your pursuitors slowly became more distant, but you kept going, not daring to slow down. You didn't know how long you'd been running nor how much more you needed to but it didn’t fucking matter to you. It didn’t matter if it took minutes, hours, days. You just needed to keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep pushing forward.
Eventually the adrenaline started to wear off and you finally let yourself stop to rest. You found a spot behind the trees, hidden away well enough to allow you to gasp for breath. Your heart was still racing, your mind still buzzing, but you were free.
That was proven temporary when you heard footsteps surrounding you. You perked up and observed your surroundings. The forest was way too dark for you to see anything, but you could hear, feel , their presence. Then…
“Oh my fucking goodness. Where the heck are they?” you heard a voice say.
“Relax. They couldn’t have gone too far.” someone else answered.
“Why are we doing this anyway? What’s so good about them?”
“They’re a criminal.” was the last thing you heard before everything turned black.