Not Quite

"Bye Erin!" The last of my youngest class left with a wave and a bounce of blonde curls. I waved goodbye to her, and started cleaning the dance studio for the end of the day, moving the towels into the bin and taking off my point shoes. Unlacing them by my bag, I heard someone walk into the room, but their footfall was way to heavy for a dancer.

I turned on bare feet to face a large chest. Looking up, I saw a blond man staring down at me. "Erin Leigh?"

"What, you're looking for dance lessons?" I laughed and crossed my arms but more than a little concerned he knew my name.

"No, I actually wanted to talk to you." He motioned to the bench on the side of the room.

"Really, I would love to chat, tea, crumpets, the whole shebang, but I've got a class in five minutes so make it quick," I lied. I made no move toward the bench, and fiddled with the fish tale that had become loose through the day.

"Maybe I can come back after the class, and we could talk then?" He stuck his hand out of a rolled blue plaid shirt. "Steve Rogers, by the way."

"Listen, Rogers, this really isn't a good time for me." He looked a little taken aback that I'd called him Rogers. "Can we just cut to the chase, and get this over with?"

He looked more than a little uncomfortable. "Not really. It might take a long time to explain, and I don't even know that much."

With every word he said and each different look he gave me, the hair on my neck started slowly standing up. "If you don't know that much, it shouldn't take you that long to explain, blondie." I moved back to my bag and got my low-top converse out, lacing them up.

"Here, will you come outside?" He moved closer to me.

"Have you felt out there? I would suffer internal combustion." I laughed it off, and he gave me a weird look like he didn't understand how internal combustion fit into the equation. "Short answer's no."

"I'm really afraid you don't have a choice." He started to corner me. Nice try, sir. Number one advantage to being this short: you can get out of tough situations way easier. I dropped and rolled through his legs into the empty space of the studio. He followed my movements.

I rolled my eyes at him. "I'm really afraid you don't realize I'm brilliant. There's always a choice." I grabbed my water bottle, took a swig, and, setting it back down, I made a bolt for the door. My gut was right, I found out, as he followed me at a full sprint. As soon I was in the empty hallway, I found a place to hide in a closet around the corner, almost catching my black leggings on a water heater, and heard him race past me. I tiptoed the other way, going back into the studio and grabbing my bag before I went to the sign in desk area to try and make it somewhere I could sleep tonight.

"Erin!" The perky red head behind the desk waved to me. "There's a guy here to see you outside." She gave me a smirk. "Very cute. How'd you snag him?"

I saw Rogers waiting outside the door for me, with an older man waiting next to him. "Never met him before," I said.

"Oh yeah, right. Go get 'em, girl!" She shoved me toward the doors, and I stumbled, begrudgingly outside. I sent her a glare then moved toward the two men.

"What, you needed a salt and pepper sidekick?" I folded my arms and fiddled with the hem of my sleeve.

"Hey, shorts, I'm no side kick." He looked down at me, and I noticed a glowing circle in the middle of his chest. Probably some douchey necklace or something.

"Oh yeah, that's exactly why you went in first, huh kid?" I smirked at him.

"I am definitely at least twenty years your senior."

"Oh, you're proud of that, father time?" I kept my glances between either of them.

"Now, that's below the belt, parakeet." He glared at me while I sent him a sarcastic smile.

"You wanna know below the belt?" I made an advance toward him, and felt a large hand stop me.

"Look, can we just talk to you?" Steve looked down at me.

I paused a second, debating. "Make it quick." I shot a glance back at the dance building.

"We work for a company called S.H.E.I.L.D., the Strategic Homeland-"

"-Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. Yeah, I know. Didn't I tell you to be quick?" I looked at Roger's open mouth.

"Isn't our organization supposed to be a secret?" He whispered to his friend.

"Yup."

"Oh don't look so surprised. Just because I'm poor as fuck and don't own a computer doesn't mean I can't do my research." I rolled my eyes. "Now, quick, remember? Continue."

"Right. Well, we got sent down here to see if you would come in with us." I saw Rogers survey the area around us. Survey all you want boy; I still know this place better than you.

"Now, why would you want that?" I planned an escape route in my head.

"We need you to help with a sort of problem we have." I thought I caught Rogers' eye twitching. "We have quarters for you, a place where you can work, the whole thing."

"You'll even have a shower and food." The older friend smirked at me.

"Yeah, cause I have such a hard time finding those," I said sarcastically. Though I hadn't eaten a decent meal in two weeks, I was more than adequate at stealing snacks to keep me going.

"It looks like you will. Just kicked out your apartment, right?" Salt and pepper was just on it, tonight.

"Stalking me now, are you?" I was actually getting annoyed now. "Look, I'm not going to come in with you two, okay? I'm going to stay here, and live my life. Please stay out of it." I walked off, fingers crossed they wouldn't follow me.

My finger crossing definitely did not work. "Hey, Leigh! Come back here!" The older one yelled after me.

"Why, can't keep up?" I yelled back, breaking into a run and heading toward the maze of back allies I knew like the back of my hand. I knew he couldn't. Steve, I wasn't so sure about. I don't know how long I could outrun him or even if I could.

I spotted a fire escape that would take me up to a roof, where I definitely get to another block. I jumped up to catch it, and I was able to catch a glimpse of my pursuers. Actually, make that pursuer. He was up on the fire escape in nothing flat, and I started to bolt up the stairs. He didn't look like he was getting tired. Oh, that's just ridiculous. And, on top of that, he was gaining on me. We only had one more flight between us, and I still had about three to go. By the time I was on the gravel roof, I could feel him behind me.

He grabbed me from behind, and I tried to wriggle out of his huge arms. "Get off me!" I screamed.
"Just come with us!" He yelled, and looked uncomfortable to be holding me so tight; that didn't make him loosen his grip though.

"No!" I tried to move somewhere out of his grip. "Let go of me!" I found a weak spot and took my chance. I spun out a tried to get my balance back.

He gave me an exasperated look. "Is this that hard?"

"Yes." I stood in the middle of the roof. He started to move toward me again, and, knowing I couldn't out run him, roundhoused him in the face. Or tried to. He caught my foot, and I flew forward, my face almost hitting the ground. I used my abs to come up and hit the back of his knees. He dropped and loosened his grip, dropping me on the gravel. Good thing I don't care about my face. Thanks, Steve. I muttered a cruse word or two under my breath and tried to make another run. He reached out grabbing my ankle, tripping me. He stumbled up and grabbed me again. I futilely tried to bang my fists against his arms.

"Oh, now you show up," He said to his older friend who just walked up, panting from the climb.
"Not all of us are super soliders, spangles." He walked over, gave a shot to Rogers, and put his hands on his knees, trying to get his breath back under his.

Great. "Oh no, you are not shooting me up with some stupid serum-" My speech was cut off as they jabbed a needle into me. I hate needles. I was wriggling my way up to give a final head butt, but then everything went black.