The Scorch || Marvel/HP

75 - The Trail

It was frustrating how little progress they were making. Steve blamed himself, like he did from the start. He was left reeling over the knowledge that his best friend was alive and the villain he had been looking for. Steve couldn't stop himself from growing irritated whenever he thought about what he could've done differently on that day. He focused on the what ifs and buts. His mind would regularly flicker back to that day and show him exactly what he should've done. Natasha was there for him, constantly reassuring the man. Part of her grew heated whenever Steve would blame himself, she offended wondered if he blamed her too for loosing Harlow. She had been there that day and she hadn't managed to do anything to help. Did Steve think about that?

Every time they thought they'd outsmarted Hydra. Believing to have found a pattern in the deaths, allowing them to estimate where and when the next one would take place. They were immediately proved wrong with another dead body cropping up in a different place. Every attempted strike was slapped away by an invisible force that apparently hated them. The Avengers couldn't find a logical reason to the death spree apart from Hydra's personal motives. Most likely revenge or punishment. It quickly became clear that there was no pattern to guess and Hydra were using Harlow to do their dirty work.

But it didn't seem like they were going to have to figure it all out and find where they were keeping the girl. Instead Hydra was bringing Harlow out into the playing field before they last the last ounces of control they had over her vanished.

With Harlow still able to be occasionally under Wanda's control, Pierce knew it was time to act. They had put The Winter Soldier in crypto for a short period of time, locking him out of the way to prevent any interaction happening between him and Harlow. It was one of the last things they wanted. In the past, Harlow's close relationship with The Winter Soldier always helped him remember things quicker. Pierce couldn't be bothered with all that extra hassle and he also didn't want to risk Wanda's control over the girl. Therefore Winnie was out on the back burner.

However now they needed him. They needed the 'Slayer' and Pierce couldn't truly come to grips with the fact that he had both of them in his hands. It was time to finally finish the original plan made by Hydra before they knew they were going to get Harlow back. They were going after those that they seemed to be a threat or future threat. They were finally going to execute anyone that they deemed, with their algorithm, to be a threat to the expansion of Hydra. In result, their plan almost promised hundreds of innocent civilian deaths.

Rumlow, who Harlow had unluckily become familiar with, was in charge of the first part of the plan. Rumlow was someone Harlow hadn't met during her first time in Hydras custody. He had become a regular presence in her daily life. Which only increased when Harlow and Winnie were transferred to a closer Hydra base in America. Rumlow would walk the halls, a large sneer on his face. It was obvious to Harlow that Rumlows ego was even larger than his head. Not doubt inflating in size daily. The man thought he was the shit. Harlow of course disagreed.

The man believed that he was as invincible as a human could get. In his eyes he represented everything that Hydra stood for and needed. He spent a large portion of his personal time training and working out for his vanity. That much was obvious given how frequently he would flex his various muscles. Pierce thought highly of the man, seeing him as a worthy agent. Rumlow had managed to secretly defect to Hydra years previous, and since stayed a loyal soldier. Which was the most important thing to Pierce.

Steve had been tipped off to this particular mission the first time he dug into Shield compromise. Since then, it had all gone quiet. Secrets were once again covered up and the group struggled to find a lead. That was until Natasha decided to do her own work. The woman was left silently grieving the loss of her mentee, her newest friend and a girl who reminded her so much of herself. With the number of days Harlow had been missing multiplying quickly, Natasha took the situation into her own hands. Channeling more of her old self than her new self usually allowed herself to do, Nat went though pools of people who could possibly know anything. Tears and Blood were shed as Natasha finally started to receive some answers. The ones she had been dreaming off.