When Fury came he and Coulson had a very serious expression on their faces.
"What's wrong?" Clint was the first one who asked.
Fury looked and me for a second and that already clued me in on what he found out.
"We've been compromised… heavily," was all he said before going to the fridge to grab a beer.
"We ran out." I told him just before he opened the fridge.
"What's left?" Clint and I looked at each other for a second before we both replied.
""Juice.""
He groaned as he let go the fridge and took a seat in the dining prompting us to follow.
"Pierce just put up your profile on the site and according to him you are a 'HYDRA terrorist who attacked three of S.H.I.E.L.D's bases' during the last three months."
Shit. This wasn't what I was expecting, definitely wasn't.
"Luckily for us, only agents with a certain level of clearance has access to the network that has your profile so that gives us a window for us to work with. A very tight window but still one nonetheless." He then explained to us what happened at the meeting.
Apparently the bases I hit today were declared 'backroom storages' of S.H.I.E.L.D which gave Fury all the proof he needed and also as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D, these were information that was supposed to be made known to him but it wasn't. And given that it was the ones he told me to hit specifically, it wasn't a coincidence.
"So what's our plan of action? We need more room to work with." Clint expressed his concerns.
"We need to take away their freedom of movement." I said, to be honest I was getting tired of being passive. Sure I was hunting their base but I couldn't do it expressively but instead act covertly.
"And how do we do that?"
"We need to take one of their leaders down. We know who they are so if we take one down the others will become more cautious." I explained and Fury finished for me.
"… Therefore limiting their actions. It's a feasible plan."
"So who are we taking down first?"
I thought for a while then I brought a laptop and plugged in the drive and scrolled out some names.
Arnim Zola.
Alexander Pierce.
Hale Klepter.
[A/N: She didn't have a last name in the series…I think. So I just have her one.]
Baron Strucker.
Gideon Malick.
These were the names we were going to hit.
"So who's it gonna be?" I asked Fury because despite how I wanted them gone as soon as possible, he was THE spy. He would know who was the best mark.
"Arnim Zola's out." He struck out Zola's name.
"Why?" I knew why but I just wanted ask.
"Because he dead. He once helped S.H.I.E.L.D destroy HYDRA." He gruffed after he said that.
"Or rather helped them hide better."
Next name he struck out was Pierce. This time no one said anything.
"Pierce has eyes and ears in S.H.I.E.L.D, killing him now would only make the rest burrow back into the ground. Same with Strucker."
He also struck out Hale's name.
"She wouldn't make as big a wave as we want." All that was left on the screen was the last name.
"Gideon Malick, CEO of Gothite Industries. We already have some incriminating files on Malick, coupled with a little set up and we have one in the bag. Motherfuckers ain't gon know what hit 'em." Wow vengeful Fury, me likey.
"When do we tag this motherfucker?" Even Clint was feeling a bit vengeful.
"In a week. I have to case a study on Malick and dig up any other dirt I can find on him." While Gideon Malick wasn't my first choice, then again I wasn't a master planner.
"We only got a chance here. If by chance Malick escapes then that's it, because if I know anything about Pierce is that he can cover his trails pretty well. Also if we want to cut off any avenue of escape then we'll have to bring in S.H.I.E.L.D agents," he looked at Coulson and Clint, "if we do that then we might be able to clear your name and increase your mobility and pin most of the shit on Malick."
I take back what I said before, Fury isn't just feeling vengeful but also pissed.
"Any questions? Speak now or forever hold your piece."
"No one? Then this case is adjourned."
With that, the Fury is out of the court.
…
One week had passed and today was the day they took out Malick.
Draul and Clint were still at the safe house getting ready for a shakedown that would shake the country.
Different from Clint, Draul didn't have what Clint called a 'personalized combat outfit' which was just another fancy way of saying 'superhero costume' for himself, not that he'd ever want one, so he settled for the next best thing in his wardrobe; black trousers, a white sleeved shirt and the most hardest-to-decide part – the tie.
He honestly didn't know which one to go for, the red, the black, blue or grey.
He was still in the middle of deciding which tie to wear when Clint came into the room and stared at him with a confused look on his face.
"What the hell are you doing?" Chris asked as he was weirded out by the grown man fidgeting in front of a mirror. 'Was he checking out himself on the mirror? Narcissistic fucker.'
Unaware of what his friend/babysitter/observer was thinking, Draul looked at Clint with what seemed to be hope and resignation.
"Thank God you are here! Which tie do you think fits?" Draul raised him hands, each holding two different ties, as he waited for an answer but all he got was a dry deadpan.
"What?!" Asked Draul as he couldn't understand the look he was getting and why he was getting it. 'I mean, it's just a tie.'
"It's just a tie." Clint wasn't an impressed Barton at the moment.
Seeing as none would budge from the matter, he shook his head and looked at the ties in Draul's hands.
"The… red one…?" He didn't sound sure but then again what do spies like him know about ties.
Draul didn't register his friend's doubt as he threw the other ties back into the wardrobe. He put on the red tie leaving it a bit loose around the neck and hummed in appreciation.
"Why are you even putting on a tie in the first place? You are going to wreck your entire clothes anyway so I don't see the importance of finding a tie that matches." Clint argued only to be countered by Draul a second later.
"Me neither. But then again macaroni and mayo are apparently a thing."
"Ugh…Let's just go. I can't deal with shit like this in the morning." Clint just shook his head and left the room.
They went to the living room where a quiver of arrows were laid on the table with a bow besides it.
Clint strapped the arrows to his back after double checking them and did the same to his bow.
Finding nothing amiss, they left the house and entered a truck parked at the side that was to take them to one of the main bases of HYDRA in New York.
"Fury called," Clint started, "he's going to coordinate some of S.H.I.E.L.D's agent with us mid-mission so try not to kill any of them that come across you."
"Got it."
"Try not to be reckless this time around. For all we know they might have that regeneration inhibiting drug so stay sharp. Unlike before we'll be going in blind so we don't know what to expect." Clint cautioned.
They spent the entire ride in silence as they psyched themselves up for what they were going to do, mostly Clint. They weren't nervous considering this was their first mission but unlike others the stake on this one was way higher.
The ride was half an hour long without any stops or hitches along the way before the truck stopped.
They got out of the bus and saw that their destination was a small compound that once functioned as a church back in the 80s.
The fences had patrolling guards so they would immediately be spotted and rounded up if they were to go through the gates.
"You'll rush in while I blow up the gates and cover for you." Clint proposed.
Draul went silent for a while as he looked around searching for something. His sights then landed on a tree as he smiled.
"Put a hold on that thought. I'll do you one better." Draul said with the smile growing wider and he rushed at tree and started climbing it. Clint eyes opened wide as he understood what Draul was doing.
"Crazy bastard!" Clint laughed as he watched and made ready his arrow.
Climbing the tree to an height he judged okay, Draul stopped and calculated the distance he needed to go and finding it was possible he heated up himself as steam started coming from his legs as he jumped way higher than was humanly possible for a while before coming down in a free fall.
As he continued falling, someone from the base saw him coming and alerted the guards on the outside and they watched as a smoking human fall from the sky and landed in the middle of the compound.
"Ohayou gozai masu minna-san. O genki desu ka?" The fallen intruder, Draul, spoke in a foreign language as he stood up that had them confused and they immediately raised their weapons at him.
"You can speak Japanese?" Came in Clint's transmission from the comms.
"Yeah. And also French. How about that?" Draul replied, this time in English.
"Its pretty decent. I mean I can speak 6 different languages but that doesn't matter… I mean we aren't bragging or anything so… It doesn't really matter much." Came the sarcastic response of an amused son of Edith.
"Showoff." Was the only thing Draul could before an explosion rocked where they stood as some flew away from the impact while some fell from the shock.
Taking that as a cue, Draul once again heated up and a two pronged attack started. With Draul at the helm and a master marksman for the assist, they made quick work of any stragglers they found.
Draul went into the base first while Clint followed at large steps behind.
The more they went inside the base, the easier the mission turned out to be.
"This is pretty much a walk in a park… or a church." Barton's voice that came through over the comms froze Draul in his spot before his face turned ugly.
"Why… " Draul muttered in a low voice that became louder progressively with each passing second.
"Why what?" Clint was a very confused marksman at the moment.
"Why would you go and jinx it like that? If we find any-" his voice was cut shut as he was shot. He had an ugly face but as he saw who shot him it morphed into disbelief.
"I hate you Clint. Keep your eyes sharp man." He said without his eyes away frim the man he saw.
"What, something really happened?" Clint asked.
"Yeah. I'm looking at him right now."
"Who?"
"A super soldier." Draul said as he looked at the walking zombie that was Bucky Barnes. "I might need you help in knocking this one out."
He said making Clint confused, "Why? Just kill him."
"No can do on this one." Draul said before he started walking towards Bucky who seeing as his bullets didn't work as he fired more shots, threw away his gun and rushed at the invader.
They engaged in a bout of fisticuffs as they traded blows and kicks with the occasional slams.
'Damn he hits hard, mostly that metal arm of his', Draul thought as he blocked a fist full of metal from hitting his face. He couldn't even throw the fist away before a particular someone dived him to the ground.
Draul never expected this, not until he fought Bucky.
There were different levels to this shit.
Him basing the spectrum of a super soldier on Olav was an honest mistake because of a fact he just found out. Olav had nothing on Bucky. Bucky would chew and spit out Olav like he was yesterdays trash if they were to ever fight.
Sure he too would kick Olav's ass if they were to fight now but Bucky was different. Without this doping form of his, there would've been no way for him to fight Bucky. The heat on his body was also a glad advantage as Bucky took great care to hit him most times with his iron fist which was annoying.
If it wasn't for his healing then his face now would have been a crater of wounds and bruises.
This didn't mean it was a one sided beating as the blood and burns on the body of the Winter Soldier were proof.
'I really need a stronger physical might. Looks like I'm gonna have to find Dr. Banner after all.' He thought as he punched the metal arm of the Soldier.
"Who the hell is that guy?" Clint came in through the comms.
"About time. What took you so long?" Draul complained as he ducked under a swing Bucky sent.
"Unlike someone who went on a date with some random dude with a metal arm, I was in a base full of enemy homies that I had to curb so put a sock in it and tell me what's his deal." Clint's reply dripped with sarcasm which wasn't missed by the glowing man.
"I need you to take him out. I'll create an opening for you." Draul said as he went back to the fight.
"I already got him."
"Yeah I don't think so. I dodged yours remember." Draul said with emitted an huff from Clint.
"Technically you didn't." He countered.
Draul watched as Bucky rushed at him again but this time he didn't rush back but waited as he focused all the heat flowing through his body on his right arm and swung it in an uppercut as Bucky came into range which sent the Soldier cruising through the air as an arrow stuck to his side knocking out the already disoriented super soldier.
"How long he's gonna be out for?"
"Two hours."
Draul sighed.
"What! You wanted more?"