Carmine Jewels ║ Wanda Maximoff

Chapter 30 - Tick Tock Goes The Clock

Of course, Topaz didn't listen, nor did she remark on the unknown name. She scrambled to her feet, her back hunched, leaning against the wall, and her arms hanging limply by her side. She couldn't really feel them, they were tingling slightly, still numb after being exposed to electricity for so long.

Natasha exhaled deeply through her nose before speaking. "I said stay down." She shook her head before throwing three new discs at the blonde, who once again fell to the floor. "I'm sorry." She added in a small voice.

This wasn't her Keira. This was a mere shadow, a ghost of her former self. Something more primal.

The dull thud of the falling body earned the councilmembers' attention for a brief second before it was returned to the doorway. Nick Fury stood there, one arm in a sling and his long leather coat waving slightly in the wind. Wasn't he supposed to be dead? At least that's what the Captain had insinuated in his speech.

The Director entered the room with a serious frown painted on his face. He was glaring daggers at Pierce, who seemed unperturbed.

"Did you get my flowers?" Pierce joked, his hands on his hips. He practically confirmed that he had been the one who ordered the hit on Fury, who wasn't at all amused by the joke. "I'm glad you're here, Nick."

"Really?" Fury approached Pierce, who stood his ground. Despite the shock at seeing Fury alive, he didn't let the surprise show on his face. "'Cause I thought you had me killed."

"You know how the game works." Pierce answered, completely unbothered by the death glare that the Director was giving him.

"So why make me head of SHIELD?"

"'Cause you were the best, and the most ruthless person I ever met." Something in Pierce's tone made Topaz believe that there was a lot more meaning to his words and judging from Fury's face, he didn't appear to like it.

"I did what I did to protect people."

"Our enemies are your enemies, Nick. Disorder. War. It's just a matter of time before a dirty bomb goes off in Moscow, or an EMP fries Chicago. Diplomacy? A holding action, Nick. A band-aid. And you know where I learned that; Bogota." Pierce said pointedly.

There was definitely something she was missing here. Maybe she should've done a bit more research for this mission, so she didn't feel so left out. But feeling left out seemed to become a regular feeling for the mutant.

"You didn't ask. You just did what had to be done. I can bring order to the lives of seven billion people by sacrificing twenty million. It's the next step, Nick. If you have the courage to take it." If she didn't know any better, she'd say that Pierce was trying to convince Fury to switch sides. But anyone who could see the Director's face would know he'd rather die before doing so. Hell, he had almost died because he had refused.

"No. I have the courage not to." Fury said, grabbing Pierce by the arm and steering him to the big screen.

"Retinal scanner active." The computer chimed as Romanoff stopped her typing and instead aimed her gun at Pierce again.

Pierce, however, wasn't intimidated by this little display of power. No, he just chuckled. "You don't think we've wiped your clearance from the system?"

"I know you erased my password. Probably deleted my retinal scan. But if you want to stay ahead of me Mr. Secretary..." Fury removed his eyepatch, which revealed a very scarred eye. The man had never disclosed the reason behind his eyepatch, although some interesting rumors were flying around. "You need to keep both eyes open."

Either Pierce had an amazing poker face, or he already was aware of the scarred eye, because no sign of surprise showed on his face. So, with the gun pointed at his head, he turned towards the screen at the same time Fury did. It didn't take long until the computer chimed. "Alpha Level confirmed. Encryption code accepted. Safeguards removed." The two men stared daggers at each other while Romanoff returned to the computer, tapping away once again.