Caught in the Crossfire

- - - - -

The rain was pelting down hard in Bagalia. The clouds of fog stretched for miles, Ana noticed, as she tried her best to navigate within it. The royal blue raincoat was doing nothing to protect Ana from the sharp drops of water falling from the sky. She grimaced when she could feel her bra fill up with water, and pinched it forward to let the liquid continue downward into her clothes that were already soaked and sticking to her skin. Ana was walking without any directions. From the airport, she saw the city's skyline and thought to start there, but as far as she knew, she could be going in circles. Ana was tired, cold and hungry. All she wanted at that point was a warm place to stay and eat.

Ana squinted, looking through the fog straight ahead. She thought she saw something. A flash of light. She quickened her pace and hiked her backpack up her shoulders. The lights of which there were two, were getting closer. A low rumble of an engine told her it was a car. Ana released a breath. Hopefully she could ask someone for directions.

"Hey!" Ana used one hand to shield her face from the rain as the other waved in the air over her head, aiming to beckon the driver to her location. She frowned when the engine revved loudly. The car was speeding forward and the driver couldn't see the woman with her hand in the air. Or at least that's what Ana liked to think. An eerie shout from the driver made Ana's breath hitch, and she tripped backwards onto the sidewalk when the car charged at her, almost crashing into her. The driver's laugh only grew louder as he disappeared into the fog, the very sound making Ana's spine shiver.

"The hell..." Ana whispered, standing up. She glared then, remembering where she was. And just like that, the fog behind her dissolved, displaying the wonderfully roguish city of Bagalia. Ana's jaw dropped. Buildings covered in immoral neon signs. At least a dozen crimes were being committed right in front of her. Ana flinched when she heard a woman scream, and frowned when it turned into a petrifying cackle. Cars zoomed behind her with passengers throwing fireworks into the air, roaring with laughter when Ana jumped away and covered her sensitive ears when they went off at her feet. The blinding colours of the combustible chemicals led Ana to shut her eyes and gasp. She shielded her eyes and darted for cover underneath a dark, one-storey building.

Howls and shouts followed after her in the wind. She felt surrounded even though no soul was near her. Ana's back met with the blood stained brick wall of the abandoned bank. She lifted her feet when she heard she stepped in shards of glass from the broken windows above her head. At least her footwear was made by Tony, otherwise the shards would have cut right into her soles. Ana's head snapped to the left when she heard a man sniff and a switchblade spring out from the handle. He had come out from the back of the bank, and lifted the blade in warning.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" He voiced, tone cold. It was slightly muffled from the ski mask over his face. Ana scrunched her nose up when he tried to smile at her with his missing teeth through the mouth hole of the mask.

"Stay back." She snapped, curling her hand into a fist.

The criminal eyed Ana's bag and shook his head. "Gimme your bag!" He yelled and sprung forward, ready to attack. Clearly, he was drugged up and itching for blood. Ana stepped aside and caught his hand before the two inch knife could come into contact with her. He grunted when she forced him into the wall. She stared at him and listened to the way his wrist bones cracked from the slight pressure she placed on it with her thumb and index finger. His bloodshot eyes widened as he let out a cry, and he looked at her with something similar to fear.

"Not even two seconds in a new country and I've almost been mugged and stabbed with... what even it this? A mini fork?" Ana questioned tauntingly. She even chuckled before elbowing his head into the brick wall, knocking him unconscious. Ana stepped back and brushed her frizzy, damp hair out of her eyes, and sighed. She was already missing home — even though New York had a little crime here and there.

Ana was drawn to the sound of her own insides grumbling. She placed a hand on her stomach and looked around, wondering if there was an audience to her attack. When she was satisfied there was no-one around, Ana emerged from the corner of the bank and observed the heart of the city. Despite it being run by criminals, they had a few eye-catching stores. Reaping Restaurant. The Hole, a bar and nightclub. Vile Kyle's, a liquor store. Fired-Up-Arms, a weapons business. Scorching Sake, another liquor store though this time with a Japanese twist. More liquor stores, more guns shops, a few strip clubs, a pharmacy — although all they advertised was cocaine, marijuana — a small pizza place where the Italian Mob were playing cards out front, and a bakery.

Ana had to do a double take on that last one. From what she could see, there were a few civilised people among the uncivilised enjoyed tarts and coffee. That thought was waved away when the owner of the bakery shot down a dine and dasher. She furrowed her brows when the rest of the customers threw their heads back and laughed. "What kinda fresh hell is this?" She muttered.

The mugger Ana had knocked down started to come to, and she quickly rounded the corner, away from his field of vision. To avoid another confrontation, Ana sneaked into the Hole, a bar and nightclub. A few posters on the front windows told her tonight was burger night, and from what she could see, if you buy one you get a free side of fries.

Ana wondered why there wasn't any security guards out front to prevent any unwanted visitors. She shrugged it off and threw open the door. The first thing she noticed when she walked inside the Hole was how loud it was. Borderline deafening. Somebody could shoot a rifle and no one would notice from the incessant booming of modern day club music. It was crowded the more she walked in. The hallway was packed with men and woman of mature age caressing on each other and drinking. Ana kept her head down and avoided touching any of the occupants in the club. One other thing that stood out was the weapons. Every single person was carrying some sort of pistol or knife. They were on show for everyone to see. Ana assumed it was their way of portraying status.

Ana walked through a cloud of smoke puffed out by a woman in black, and she coughed, flapping her hand around to get rid of the drug's remnants. She could hear the way her sneakers squeaked with every step she took, and grimaced from the unpleasant feeling of wet socks. Her hair was dripping wet and at this rate, Ana was leaving a trail of water in her path. Her hazel eyes widened when she listened to a man slip and fall behind her. He cried out and cursed loudly, asking for the person responsible for all the water in the hallway. Ana quickened her pace, rounding a corner to the main floor of the club.

Her shoulders sagged in relief. "Oh, thank God." She mumbled, and made a beeline for the station handing out freshly made burgers and fries.

Ana just wanted a burger. And some free fries. She did not intend on accidentally bashing shoulders with a familiar face. One she hadn't seen in years. The man had chalky hair and a strong build with his average height. It was also nice to see his red and white mercenary outfit hadn't changed. Her eyes widened as her fists balled inside her raincoat pockets. This wasn't good. The second the man she walked into made eye contact, the whole bar had their sights set on Ana.

"Shit..." Ana whispered.

William Cross, aka Crossfire, one of Ana's first S.H.I.E.L.D. marks she put away in prison. Last she remembered, he was sent to a top secret lock-up known as the Vault — a maximum security facility for S.H.I.E.L.D. prisoners located in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Now, he was in Bagalia. He must have broken out when S.H.I.E.L.D. collapsed and found refuge in a place full of his kind. They probably even welcomed him with open arms and gifted him with a fruit basket consisting of bullets and blades.

"Michaels?" William questioned, squinting with the eye that wasn't a cybernetic infra-red device, as if he had a hard time putting the face to the name, or maybe it was because he was a little high.

Ana shrugged. She tried to play it dumb. "Who's Michaels?"

Same smart-ass attitude... it's her, William thought. He growled, grabbing her by the front of her jacket to trap her in his sight. "You put me in prison ten years ago!" He exclaimed.

By now, all eyes were on the two. Ana looked around at all the weapons being raised at the mention of prison, and she started to sweat. Luckily, nobody could tell because of the rainwater on her skin. Chuckling nervously, Ana asked, "Ten years is a long time, pal. Are you sure you don't have me confused with someone else?"

William shook his head firmly. He was positive. "No! You and Mockingbird, you two put me in the Vault!"

Ana paused and squinted. Let's try this again. "You're probably high..." She plucked out the blunt from behind his ear and showed it to him. "See?"

A few more of the clubs occupants stepped forward and voiced in unison, "It's her!"

Ana pulled a face. Talk about being ganged up on.

"Alright. You got me." Ana groaned. She couldn't argue against a collective group. She looked at them all calmly. She trusted herself to get out of the situation. "I'm guessing you all broke out the second Hydra was exposed." She stated.

"Damn right, we did." They chorused.

"Let's lock her up." A middle aged woman with a buzz cut suggested.

A bionic man with a gun for a left hand grinned wickedly at her. "Tasky's gonna love this!" He pointed out, with a few of his friends laughing in agreement.

Ana whipped her head around to find the person who offered to put her behind bars. "Nah-uh. That's not happening."

Within seconds, Ana went behind William and caught him in a headlock. She picked a knife from his belt and pressed the tip of the sharp blade to his prosthetic eye, narrowing her eyes at the group pointing their weapons at her. Crossfire's breath caught in his throat when he realised Ana was threatening to remove his enhanced eye. It had been some time since Ana resorted to blunt methods, but that didn't mean she forgot how to pin a target down. William's hands were thrown in the air, palms facing the men trying to come to his aid.

"Don't shoot, idiots!" He yelled at them, becoming angry when they didn't lower their firearms. He groaned and clutched Ana's forearm that was wrapped tightly around his throat. He didn't remember her being this intense. "Do you have any idea how much money I had to steal to bribe a guy to build this prosthetic outta misappropriated materials, Michaels?"

Ana snorted. "Wow, aren't you a model citizen?" She asked sarcastically. She shook her head and started walking backwards, to the bar. It would have been a little more dramatic if it wasn't for her soggy, squeaky sneakers. With every step back she took, the weaponised people would step forward, keeping the same distance between them. "Easy now, fellas." She warned.

The criminals grouped up opposite her, staring her down, wondering what she might do next. She had already shown them how unpredictable she could be, and anticipated her next move. The DJ with questionable face paint stationed at her turntable on Ana's right swapped out the vinyl records she was playing earlier with a duo of tunes with bass. The music boomed throughout the club, and the lights went into party mode.

A sinking feeling made its way into Ana's stomach, and she knew something bad was about to happen. Without warning, two of the biggest security guards Ana had ever seen burst out of the VIP room, kicking the door down with their tree-trunks for thighs. The wooden door decorated in glitter zoomed by Ana, almost coming into contact with the tip of William's nose. That set everything into motion. Bullets started flying. Knives were thrown. Even face paint was applied.

"I hope you've got health insurance." Ana told William.

"We don't even have a hospital." He grunted, struggling in her grip.

Ana kicked William away from her, the bottom of her boot landing square on the centre of his spine, and dove behind the bar, shielding herself from enemy fire. The liquor stacked up along the shelf above the bar shattered due to all the sharp and explosive objects hitting them. Ana sniffed and turned her head. A smiled made its way onto her face. She reached forward and picked up the delicate substance from the shelf, inhaling the luscious scent. She brought the sesame seed bun to her lips and bit into the hamburger, savouring the taste. She had to admit, it was one of the best burgers she ever had. They way the softness of the bread complimented the grilled beef pat-

"Oh, what?!" Ana screamed when buckshot from a shotgun blasted her food to chucks. She retracted her hands and looked out of the hole the gunshot made in the centre of the bar table. She spotted the shooter and jumped up, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Not cool, man!"

"Come out and fight!" He shot back, reloading.

Ana had to grin. At least two dozen people were trying to kill her. She considered it an unfair fight — for them. She knew she could easily run through a wall and disappear. Avoid the fight. But with all the pent up anger and frustration building inside of her every passing second, she decided it was best to release that tension through combat. Ana dropped her bag behind the bar and leapt over the table, kneeing an incoming opponent in the chest with brute force. He fell back against the opposite wall, crying out. She swung her fist at another hitman, listening the sound of his jaw dislocating from the pressure of her knuckles. She crouched then, avoiding a dagger meant for her eye.

Crossfire had finally gotten his bearings, and grabbed the nearest gun in sight. After making sure it was fully loaded, he focused for a single second before pulling the trigger. His marksmanship was advanced due to his cybernetic eye. One look at a target and the moment his finger found the trigger, they weren't a problem anymore. He was a one hit, one takedown kinda guy. Ana clutched an opponent's shirt and pulled them in front of her, using them as a human shield against Crossfire's attacks. Her challenger was wearing Kevlar, so despite feeling like he was being thwarted by the Hulk, no bullet entered his body.

"You missed, Cross!" Ana taunted, and dropped her shield.

When she met his eyes, she froze. Her view of William had been obscured by her shield, and she was unaware he got his hands on a grenade launcher. By the time her brain registered the weapon, he had already shot the canister at her. Ana ducked for cover next to a pool table, covering her ears when the explosion sounded. From the force, she was pushed into the hefty table and smacked the side of her head on the corner. Immediately, she felt pain. She winced and reached up to cradle her throbbing head, noting the deep red liquid that escaped her wound. Because of how close she was to the explosion, the sound of the eruption left her ears ringing. She clutched the leg of the pool table, breathing heavily. She swallowed, grimacing from her dry throat. She felt the floor of the club shake and looked up to see the security guards running right at her. They definitely weren't human. No man was that wide shouldered and tall. Not even super-soldiers. They were almost comparable to the Hulk.

Knowing she had to get out of there, Ana tried to stand. She used the pool table as a crutch and leaned against it. Her face fell when she figured she was about to get tackled down by two elephant-sized men.

"This is gonna hurt..." Ana sighed and closed her eyes.

The expected never came though. With her eyes still shut, Ana made out the sound of stomping in the middle of her and the guards. Peeking with one eye open, Ana saw the four criminals.

Could this night get any worse?

"If it ain't Little Miss Punch-a-Lot. Hey, baby!" The Wrecking Crew, four of the most stubborn, thickheaded men Ana had ever met, appeared in front of her. The very sight of them made Ana's face scrunch up in displeasure.

She dropped her fists and shook her head. "You guys?"

Let's start with Thunderball. Eliot Franklin, a has-been physicist. Needed money for his research so he started robbing, getting himself thrown in prison. There, he met Brian Calusky aka Piledriver, Henry Camp aka Bulldozer, and Dirk Garthwaite aka Wrecker. All four broke out and decided to form an alliance between themselves. Piledriver's hands were oversized and with that came super strength. Wrecker's weapon of choice was his trusty, unbreakable crowbar that matched his durable skin. Bulldozer has a specially made suit that he used to ram into things, effectively knocking them to pieces. As a whole, they were a serious threat. It took a lot of muscle to put them away with S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Where you been? We've got a lot to catch up on." Brian declared, cracking his knuckles. His chuckle was taunting, and it was enough to for Ana to scowl at them. The Wrecking Crew ushered the two guards away, promising they would handle the woman due to unfinished business. Ana was about to reply when she realised only three of the four were in front of her. Piledriver, Wrecker and Thunderball.

Bulldozer was missing.

Then, it hit her like a truck. Literally.

She found him the moment he rammed into her from the side. The force of the attack was too great and Ana was sent hurtling through the back wall of the club. The brick wall collapsed, paving way for Ana to land against a truck. The metal of the back of the truck caved in, ultimately curling itself around Ana's form like a candy wrapper. It had also pressed up against the convenience store it was parked in front of, breaking the glass windows and sounding alarms. Ana let out a groan and slumped to her knees on the road. She coughed, planting both hands on the ground to catch her breath. She wheezed, knowing her ribs were fractured from Bulldozer's slam. Ana's elbows shook slightly, unable to hold herself up for to long. Moving to a more comfortable position, Ana laid on her back, giving herself a timeout on the fight she stupidly agreed to.

"Five minutes..." She slurred, listening to the sound of heavy footsteps approach.

"We've got time. Yeah, plenty of time to talk, beat the crap out of you, get some payback..." Dirk mused, and picked up one of Ana's ankles, dragging her back inside the club. Ana figured she would let him do all the hard work for her and wait for the right moment to strike. She glared up at him when he rudely tugged at her foot, the action jolting her body awkwardly up the sidewalk. Ana huffed and cradled the back of her sore head. She was surprised her vision hadn't disoriented yet.

"Watch it, asshole." She snapped.

Eliot stepped forward while Dirk let go of Ana once they were on the dance floor again, and picked up his electrified wrecking ball by the chain. He stared at Ana, beginning to laugh as he swung the heavy weapon around in circles. Ana's eyes were glued to the ball, and calculated her next move.