Steve and the others had finished up their training down in SCP-1678. Buggy was once again able to move around without problem, having gotten used to his new mechanical limbs in combat situations. Peggy had also refreshed her skills after so many years of doing nothing.
This meant that they could finally start to get around to dealing with Hydra; they had already struck a small base of theirs, a prison camp. It wasn't supposed to be the first target, but once he learned about it, Steve couldn't just leave the people trapped there any longer than they had to.
"If you are done playing hero and are ready to begin your real mission, perhaps we can start with the briefing? We don't have much time since it's possible the target might move due to your reckless mission." Their handler, a stern man by the name of. Andreas Ludvic said as they filed into the meeting room.
"We couldn't just leave them there; those poor people were suffering." Steve said, remaining strong in his conviction to save those who needed it.
"I am well aware of their suffering; I am the one who has had to deal with taking care of them. We can't just turn them over to the public; they would speak, and we don't want anyone to know about you just yet," Andreas said, clearly tired of dealing with Steve's strong moral compass.
"You mean you are keeping them imprisoned?" Steve asked, shocked and angry that the people he just freed from unjust imprisonment were being kept against their will once more.
Andreas just sighed, clearly he didn't want to start doing this. "Rogers, clearly you aren't understanding the situation you are in, or that of those people." He began to explain.
"Those people whom you let go, you have no idea who they are. They could be innocent people, captured off the streets in the dark. Or they could very much be hardened criminals taken from death row, murderers, rapists. You have no idea who you let out."
Steve, someone who saw the best in people, didn't want to be so critical. "That is no reason to keep them imprisoned or at most just find out and release them to where they belong, their homes or their cells."
Andreas rubbed his temples, clearly frustrated. "It's not that simple, Rogers. We need to vet each and every one of them. Until then, they stay in our custody. It's for their safety and ours."
Peggy intervened, trying to ease the tension. "He is right Steve, if we just let them go Hydra will surely target them again, if nothing else then just to silence them. while keeping them locked up might not be the kindest thing, it is the best way to ensure that everyone remains safe."
"Let it rest, Steve. We did what we could, and others are no doubt suffering more at the hands of Hydra than the small injustice caused by the Foundation here." Buggy said, eager to hear of their next target, a big proper one this time.
"Fine, but I'm not happy about this." Steve finally relented, seeing the wisdom in it even if he didn't like it.
"A good thing you don't need to keep you happy then, Mr Rogers; now, if we are all ready, it's time to introduce the target that has been carefully selected to be your first. Hydra is, as you know, a fragmented organization with many different heads." Andreas began, only to be interrupted.
"Cut of one and another shall grow." Steve couldn't help but say, repeating the motto of Hydra. He quickly looked just a little embarrassed as he found everyone looking at him; even Peggy glared at him.
"Yes, now the first target, is the stronghold of one of these heads, Daniel Whitehall." Andreas continued and handed them each a folder. Containing information about the target.
Steve, Peggy, and Bucky opened their folders, scanning through the details about Daniel Whitehall. The picture immediately sparked recognition in Peggy's eyes.
"I know this man, he is… Reinhardt! Werner Reinhardt! He was someone I captured right after the war, he should be dead, or at least old, this… he looks as young as he did 70 years ago."
Andreas nodded, acknowledging Peggy's shock. "Yes, Werner Reinhardt, also known as Daniel Whitehall, has managed to extend his life through various means. He's been conducting experiments on himself and others, using the knowledge and resources Hydra has accumulated over the years."
Steve's jaw tightened as he listened. "So, he's not just a threat because of his position in Hydra. He's a personal reminder of everything we've fought against."
"Exactly," Andreas confirmed. "Whitehall's stronghold is heavily fortified, but we have a window of opportunity. Our intelligence suggests he's planning to move his base soon, probably in response to your recent mission. We need to strike before he can disappear again."
Bucky studied the map, tracing their planned route with his finger. "How do we get in? This place looks like a fortress."
"We'll insert you via helicopter under the cover of night," Andreas explained. "Peggy will handle the tech, disabling their communications and security systems. Steve and Bucky, you'll lead the assault team. Once inside, we neutralize Whitehall and extract any intel we can find."
Peggy nodded, already formulating a plan. "Well, with the equipment of the Foundation, I should indeed be able to deal with all automated defenses, maybe even turn them on themselves depending on the systems themselves."
Steve looked around at his team, feeling the weight of their mission. "Let's do this. Hydra has caused enough pain. It's time to end this once and for all."
"Good, if you are ready, you can set out, everything has already been prepared for you." Andreas said as he called their little meeting to a close.
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The team geared up, donning their specialized suits and weapons provided by the Foundation. The flight to Whitehall's stronghold was tense, the weight of the mission pressing down on each of them. They knew that this could be a decisive strike against Hydra.
As they approached the drop zone, Peggy's voice crackled through the comms. "Approaching target. Prepare for insertion."
Steve, Bucky, and Peggy rappelled down from the helicopter, landing silently in the dense forest surrounding the stronghold. They moved swiftly and silently, their training taking over as they navigated through the underbrush.
Peggy split off from the group, heading towards the control tower. "I'll take care of the security systems. You two head for the main entrance and clear the way."
Steve and Bucky nodded, advancing towards the fortress's main gate. They encountered a few patrols, quickly and quietly neutralizing them. Steve's shield and Bucky's precision made quick work of the guards, leaving a clear path for Peggy.
Inside the control tower, Peggy worked her magic on the security systems. She bypassed the mainframe's defenses, her fingers flying over the keyboard. "I'm in. Disabling their communications now."
Steve and Bucky reached the main entrance, where a heavy steel door blocked their way. "Charges ready?" Steve asked.
Bucky nodded, setting the explosives. "Ready."
The door blew open, and they rushed inside, weapons at the ready. The interior of the fortress was a maze of corridors, but they moved methodically, clearing each room as they advanced.
Peggy rejoined them, her face set with determination. "I've disabled their defenses. They won't know what hit them."
As they approached Whitehall's lab, they encountered heavier resistance. Hydra soldiers poured into the corridors, their weapons blazing. Steve's shield deflected bullets as he pushed forward, while Bucky and Peggy provided covering fire.
Finally, they reached the lab's reinforced doors. Steve kicked them open, and they stormed inside, finding Whitehall surrounded by his most loyal guards.
Whitehall looked up, a sinister smile on his face. "My, my my, what a surprise. I have wondered who were attacking me here, who were willing and able to do so well. But never in my wildest dreams would I have expected it to me you three."
"Agent Carter, how you have changed since I last saw you, or a picture of you. I wonder how you have become so young once more? How did you cure your Alzheimer's? and then we have the man with the plan, Captain Steve Rogers, I and the whole world thought you dead, yet here you stand, like time never moved."
Finally, he turned his eyes to Buggy and looked at the new mechanical leg. "And then we have the Winter Solider as well. That does answer a few questions. Ricci, he is behind this, isn't he? Or rather, the Bulwark behind him."
Seeing the surprised looks on their faces, Whitehall believed them, shocked that he knew, while in the act, they were confused about who this Bulwark was; after all, they worked with the Foundation, and they knew Ricci had done the same.
"Yes, I know about them. And now everything makes sense. You are the revenge for killing him. They even know about Hydra, they just didn't care about us, not until we struck against them. And then they dug up your three old fossils; yes, that's quite the revenge; we kill their man, and they bring back our greatest foe."
Steve stepped forward, his eyes steely and determined. "Your time is up, Whitehall. We're here to end this."
Whitehall sneered, his confidence unwavering. "I never could find out Ricci's secret to his long life. He wasn't someone I could touch, but I believe I will find the answer once I dissect you, Agent Carter."
Steve's fists clenched at Whitehall's words, his rage barely contained. "Not if we stop you first," he growled.
Whitehall's loyal guards readied their weapons, and the room exploded into chaos. Steve, Bucky, and Peggy fought with a level of precision and coordination that spoke of years of training and experience. Steve's shield was a blur, deflecting bullets and incapacitating enemies with bone-crushing force. Bucky's mechanical arm whirred as he struck down guard after guard, his movements fluid and deadly. Peggy, using her agility and combat training, expertly took down opponents, her focus unyielding.
Whitehall, realizing his guards were no match for the trio, retreated towards a reinforced door at the back of the lab. "You can't stop Hydra," he shouted over the din of the fight. "We will always rise again!"
Bucky, seeing Whitehall's attempt to escape, turned to Steve. "He's getting away!"
Steve nodded, "Peggy, keep the guards busy. Bucky and I will handle Whitehall."
Peggy gave a curt nod, already engaged with multiple enemies. "Go! I'll manage here."
Steve and Bucky pursued Whitehall through the door, finding themselves in a labyrinthine series of corridors. Whitehall had a head start, but Steve's enhanced speed and Bucky's relentless determination kept them close on his heels.
They reached a large, high-tech room filled with experimental equipment and vials of unknown substances. Whitehall was at the far end, frantically typing on a console. "You're too late, Rogers!" he yelled, a manic gleam in his eye. "I've initiated the self-destruct sequence. This entire place will be reduced to rubble, and so will you!"
Steve threw his shield, aiming to knock Whitehall away from the console. Whitehall dodged, but the shield hit the console, damaging it and causing sparks to fly.
"You won't escape this time," Steve said, retrieving his shield.
Bucky advanced, his mechanical arm ready for action. "It's over, Whitehall."
Whitehall looked around, realizing his predicament. "No... you can't do this! I am Hydra!"
Bucky lunged forward, grabbing Whitehall by the collar and lifting him off the ground. "And Hydra is going down."
Steve approached the console, assessing the situation. "The self-destruct sequence is damaged, but we don't have much time. We need to get out of here."
Bucky nodded, securing Whitehall's hands with restraints. "Let's move."
They quickly retraced their steps, meeting Peggy at the lab's entrance. She had subdued the remaining guards and was ready for extraction. "Did you get him?" she asked.
Steve nodded. "He's coming with us. But we need to move, now."
The team raced through the corridors, the building beginning to shake as the self-destruct sequence progressed. They reached the main entrance, where the helicopter awaited them. Andreas's voice crackled through their comms. "Extraction point secured. Get in, now!"
They boarded the helicopter, and it lifted off just as the fortress began to implode. From the air, they watched as the stronghold of Daniel Whitehall crumbled into ruins, a significant blow to Hydra.
Whitehall, restrained and defeated, glared at them. "This isn't over," he spat. "Hydra will never die."
Steve looked at him, his expression resolute. "Maybe not. But as long as we live, we'll keep fighting."
The helicopter flew into the night, carrying the team and their prisoner towards the next chapter in their battle against Hydra. The mission had been a success, but they knew the fight was far from over. Together, they were determined to see it through to the end.
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