It's a cell. Smooth ceilings and walls and floor.

There's a half concealed toilet. A sink. 

Two cots flowing out of the wall. They're lying on one. 

And there's a girl, unconscious on the other.

Unfamiliar surroundings. Unknown occupant. What is their mission?

Kill the target.

Unfeasible. Revaluation needed

-- Captured, behind enemy lines.

New mission: escape, eliminate hostiles. Return to handler.

The girl stirs after a bit - she's very good at pretending to be still asleep, but not so good as to fool the Winter Soldier. She seems nervous.

They stand over her, prepared for movement.

"Не двигайся. Назови себя."

She freezes.

"Яша," she says slowly. "James."

-- what

It passes and he repeats himself.

"Identify yourself."

"I'm James. Я Яша."

"What is your mission."

She stares at him for several long moments.

And she's screaming internally because somehow she's time traveled or he's been reset or some bullshit but that's the Winter Soldier, not her dad - 

Her augmented mind is flashing through possibilities. Memories. Things she's read, things she's learned about that time -

But words are hard, especially when she's stressed, and she doesn't have a mission or a lie prepared - 

They grab the girl and shove her against the wall, arm shining dimly under the lights.

No words, they don't need any. Just pure physical threat. They must complete the mission.

She's not very easy to shove. About as easy as he would be, actually.

There's something in the crystalline panic that makes her remember something - 

"сталь. молодой. ветер. спокойный."

Codes, laid bare for the world to see after Aunt Nat unveiled HYDRA, that her dad'd had ripped out of his head - 

-- they drop her and step back. Any evidence of their previous insubordination gone.

"Ready to comply," they say in Russian.

Uh crap.

"Wait. Evaluate. Escape together," she strings out of the scattered words in her brain.

They nod their acknowledgement and look around the room again. First: any signs of an exit? A weak point in the architecture?

It's smooth, with no variations or weak points. The forcefield is a possible weak point - it feels like glass to the touch, and doesn't react when poked. It shimmers in the light. He won't be able to get an angle to see anything other than the same featureless hallway.

They push forward on the force-field with increasing strength, watching it carefully whilst also keeping an eye on the principal.

It doesn't change.

She's (mostly) subtly checking herself for hidden items, both ones she'd been carrying before and ones that've been planted.

They push harder, with their shoulders and legs, steadying themselves on the floor with their feet.

Still nothing.

There's footsteps echoing down the hall, from his right.

That gets them moving back and in front of the principal. They take hold of their arm, ready to move at the moments notice.

"Silence."

She tenses, goes wary - 

Also why is even brainwashed dad overprotective. Ugh. Maybe she should've tried to remember a different code set - (ignoring the part of her brain screaming about mind controlling her dad)

And a woman comes into view. "Having fun?" she asks them, voice light.

"Oh, I forgot, you two are our tall dark and mysterious ones. Don't worry. I can explain things just fine."

"You see, you aren't in your home dimensions anymore. This place exists between universes. Champions come from all over to fight in our Arena - willingly or not. You two are a team. If you win, you'll be set free. If you lose - well, that's where the fun begins, isn't it?"

"The challenges all have different rules and win conditions. Sometimes you'll even be told what they are. As you advance, you'll be given access to more gear."

"We'll provide you with food and water between challenges. It'll appear on a tray in the middle of the cell whenever we feel like it."

The words don't seem to affect them and they just stare.

"Awww, are you giving me the silent treatment? How cute."

She doesn't like this person. She doesn't think she has words, not right now, but - 

The woman is amused. She's confident. Doesn't think James or the Winter Soldier are any more a threat than a bunch of angry butterflies. And... Her eyes. The speed with which she seems to be taking in information - it's faster than James can. It's faster than most speedsters can. And the woman seems intensely aware.

She walks like an experienced fighter, one focused more on fluidity - what James' nerd friends would call a dexterity build.

She's showing very shallow emotions - only the ones she wants them to see, probably. James can't see any signs of suppressed reactions, though.

The way she carries herself... Probably only makes sound when she walks for the effect of it.

So. This woman is deadly. Fast. Aware. Deceptive. And not someone on their side it seems.

(James is no slouch. Her analysis is completed by the time the woman finishes talking.)

"Identify yourself."

Collect more intel. Keep them talking. The more they talk, the more they reveal. Their weakness, motive.

The opportunity for escape will come.

"I'm Uzumaki Karin. In case it isn't obvious, I work here."

"Identify your Commander."

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough. Why spoil the mystery?"

They step forward, still holding onto the principal.

"Lower the shield."

"Now why would I do a silly little thing like that?"

"Oh, no clever comment?" She turns to James. "How about you? No?"

She smirks. "Well, then I wish you all the luck in the world. You two are going to need it." She turns, raises a hand, and waves, sending a "See you later," over her shoulder as she leaves.

They watch her go, observing her movements and direction. Listening.

James pauses for a while, then pulls herself away from the Winter Soldier and signs, "Analysis on her?", knowing she very well might've missed some things.

"Seventeen year old female. Ambidextrous. Has seen a lot of combat, has training in knives and hand-to-hand. Access to superior healing, metaphysical or advanced tech. Spy."

She nods. Signs "Fast. Eye twitch - speedster." Speedster is unlikely to be a sign he's seen before, but the meaning is hopefully obvious. "Extrasensory perception. Confident. Good liar."

"Mutant."

She shrugs. She's... Not entirely sure about that.

"Different worlds."

"They all die the same."

She smiles a little. She's familiar with aliens and the great powers of the cosmos, even if not alternate universes.

"Some difficult."

-- they looks away from her sharply and starts reexamining the outside of the cell.

"I will not fail the mission."

"...Yes," she says after a pause. She could tap his shoulder to make him look at her, but...

The Winter Soldier does not fail missions, after all.

They step forward again, looking carefully at the space beyond the barrier to examine it in more detail. And listening.

There's no flaws, not even up close -

And a voice fills the air. Perfect, clear, echoing from all around them, like there's a million tiny speakers embedded in the walls.

"Greetings champions!" declares the voice. "A new game will start shortly. Your target is something quite special, this time."

They step back again in front of the principal and freeze.

"Good luck."

And the hallway vanishes, to be replaced by an alleyway previously damaged by fire, and the force field shimmers out of existence.

-- they wait on any commands.

"Scout," is James' first. "Identify potential hostiles. Do not engage. Nonlethal force."

They reach back and take hold of her forearm.

"Stay behind me."

"...Talking. Problem."

-- they pull her in front of them and take hold of the back of her pants, pulling on them once to make sure they're secure.

"Forward."

Eyeroll. Really, dad.

She proceeds, scanning, adjusting to moving with someone instead of independently.

They keep tight hold of the principal, listening, watching, waiting...

There's distant noises after a bit - human noises. The shuffle of footsteps, mostly. Two people not quite as stealthy as they are.

-- they search for a place out of the way, where they can watch, evaluate.

James nods towards one, up a ways - there's no stairs up to it, no way to get there except parkour or flight, but it has a good view without being exposed, and should keep at least some people out.

They give the principal a not-so-gentle head start and quickly follow their way up themselves.

Rude.

She's possibly somewhat unnaturally - or supernaturally - good at this, flexible and strong and fast in a way civilians rarely are.

Her methods are familiar, they expected nothing less.

She leans against one corner when she's settled in, peers out through a small gap in the metal. The entire map isn't visible from up here - but there's movement, and after a few moments of holding so still you'd be forgiven for mistaking her for a doll, she spots a glint of metal.

Someone has weapons.

What type of weapons do they have. They have their training and their arm, but having enough weapons isn't ever a bad thing.

Seem to be a polearm and a sickle with a chain attached.

And who is attached to the weapons?

Two people, humans, no extra limbs or anything, but moving with confidence.

Do they show any signs of superhuman abilities?

Not explicitly - but they're moving like their weapons are a lot lighter than they look.

They keep hidden, remembering their orders to not engage and make note on everything about the hostiles.

James scans more, but - she's not seeing anyone else for now.

"Engagement possibilities?" she signs.

"Element of surprise."

It seems like they have the advantage.. but without knowing more about their opponents. They can't be 100%.

She nods. "Approach?"

They look at her for a moment. "Stay."

-- they move quickly, jumping down and snapping the firsts neck in one motion.

Calling her incandescently angry over that would be an understatement.

She jumps down, knocks the second away from the murderous idiot who can't follow orders, and pins her opponent. Sans weapon.

(She shouldn't be thinking like that. She knows what his training was. But, still.)

They do not take that well, and she has the Winter Soldier coming for her throat.

They still move like the father who helped trained her.

She's still as augmented as her mother, who taught her to fight dirty.

She's going to try to throw him away from her, next. Logically, she should be saying his command code, but there's a raging ball in her throat stealing all words.

Logically, they're not going to give her the chance. They roll with the throw and then surge back and punch her with their vibranium arm.

She catches the blow with her hand. Seems, though, that it was hard enough to at least strain her, going by the quickly suppressed wince.

"Are you weak?"

She snarls, pushes back against him suddenly.

"Show me," they reply, moving quick and bringing her down to the ground.

She twists, lashing out for his face.

Her avoids it, and pushes down harder. Painfully.

"Do better."

She scowls and kicks him.

She is so far past being able to talk. Probably for a few days.

They pick her up and shove her against the wall, away from the enemy. "Obey or die."

Next time she's able to talk she is fucking overriding everything -