21: (Low) security

                                    

                                          
It was hours.  Passing.  Tick, tock.  When it got really quiet, she could hear her own heart beating inside her ear.  
Cat had questions.  She wanted to ask all of them.  Let everything she felt flow out of her and let it go.  But she held it in.  Because she knew if she let it go, something bad would happen.  
"Do you really trust him?" she said, out loud.  Sam knew she was talking to him.
"He knows the difference between right and wrong," said Sam.
"He didn't before," replied Cat.
"He just didn't have solid evidence."
——— ✪ ⍟ ✪———
Nothing happened for the whole five hours they were there.  
But the sixth hour was different.
Cat was sleeping.  She remembered having a dream — but wasn't sure what it was.  She was woken up too immediately.  The mechanical noise of the door opening.  Two people walked through —  but it was dark, she couldn't completely see who was coming up to the bars.  
"Steve," said Sam's voice.  
"Steve?" repeated Cat.  
The person turned to face her and came into the light.
"Cat," said Steve.
Cat smiled wide. 
"Took you long enough," she said.  
"I know."
"You getting us out of here, or did you just come to chat?" said Clint.  "C'mon."
"It's happening," said Steve.  "Natasha?"  he said, turning towards where the door was.  
"Overriding systems, level eight..."  said Natasha's cool voice.
Cat was confused.  Hadn't Natasha sided with Stark?  "Wasn't Romanoff —"
"I switched," she said.  There was beeping coming from a device she could see lit up in the distance. "Okay, unlocking doors..."
There was a click, and all four doors opened at once.
"Let's go," said Cap.
The four of them walked out of the cells, without a glance back.  Cat knew the place wouldn't be missed.
"Wait," said Cat, quietly.  "Steve.  Where is he?"
Someone was missing.  
"Where's Bucky?" repeated Cat.
"I'll tell you later," said Steve.
"You're not going to tell me he's —"
Cat dreaded the thought.
"No," said Steve.  "I'd never let that happen.  But I can't tell you here."
Cat nodded.  "Let's go," she said.
"What about Wanda?" asked Clint.
"Lowest level," said Nat.  "High security."
"But wouldn't they have heard the commotion up here?  I'm sure you guys had to beat up a bunch of control room people just to get into the elevator," Sam said.
"They can't hear a thing down there," said Steve.  "It's completely insulated.  All concrete and metal.  So no one can break through the ceiling or anything."
"So they don't know you're coming?" asked Cat.
"They don't know we're coming," said Steve.
"What about our gear?" asked Scott.