Only Hope

Chapter 6

I felt defeated. I knew that wherever I went evil would follow, and I would leave a path of death and destruction in my wake.

"Will, I've noticed that you aren't trying to get close to us. Is there a reason why?" Simmons sounded worried.

"I can't get too close to people. If I do they get hurt. Every time I get taken, they get sick with worry and grief. They can be used against me" I explained "People like Ward and Doom threaten to kill the people I care about if I don't do what they say".

"Will, we don't care if Ward or Doom threaten us. We can take them, but you need to open up so we can help you".

"I- I can't. I just can't. It will only hurt you" I wouldn't do it.

"Okay then don't open up, but just know that me or Fitz or anybody here will listen to you" she sighed "so you said your knee was broken. May I see it?"

I rolled up my pant leg to let her see. My knee was in a brace, but you could see the place where all of the blood had come gushing out of my leg.

"It looks better than you described it, but what are all of these scars" she asked.

"That one is from getting stabbed by a poisoned knife. That one is from the battle with Ultron" I pointed to every major scar and told Simmons the story behind each one.

"You have more scars then May and Hunter" she stated.

"I figured. They weren't raised by Hydra and they didn't meet the Winter Soldier or Ultron or Doctor Doom".

"Will, I know how you feel" Simmons started.

"No you don't. You haven't gone through what I have. No one has. I'm the only person that has been raised by Hydra. I'm the only person that's been taken by Doctor Doom twice and actually lived. I'm the only person like me" tears ran down my face.

"Let's go. You need to get out of here. At least tell someone else about that phone call" Simmons grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the room. She dragged me to where the others were.

"What's wrong?" Daisy stood up and held my head still so I would look at her.

"She got a call from Ward. He knows that she's with us. He won't stop coming after her" Simmons said for me.

The others stood up. "Is this true?" Hunter asked. I nodded.

"Bloody hell. Why doesn't he just give up?"

"I told you already. He says that I'm his property; Hydra's property".

May stormed into the room. "Bobbi, Will, suit up. We need to go".

I headed back to my room to grab my jacket and my gun. I didn't really need the gun, but it kept me from having to use my powers which could be a mistake, like with Flash. That took all of a few minutes, so I went to the jet were May was waiting.

"Time to live up to your name, Rogers" she said. Bobbi soon followed and we headed out.

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked.

"To find Von Strucker" Bobbie said.

"Strucker is dead. Ultron killed him" I replied.

"Not that Strucker, his son. We want to find his son for information about Ward" Bobbi corrected.

"Strucker's son is spoiled little brat. He has no respect for life" I knew a little bit about him, I had met him once, nine years after I was unfrozen.

"How do you know that".

"I met him once about four, maybe five years ago".

We sat in silence for the next couple hours until we got to our destination. It was a small, rundown motel on the outskirts of a small town. We went in and found Stucker hung to the ceiling by his feet. He was covered in blood. There were several Hydra agents with him. It didn't take long for May and I to take them down, although Bobbie took a fight outside. I cut Strucker down.

"Y-you're-you're R-Ragnarok. My father spent more time with you than he did with me as a child" he stuttered.

"And you're a brat who has no respect for life" I sneered.

"Wh-what do you want?"

"Where's Ward?" May demanded.

I heard a man scream from outside. I rushed to see what it was about. Bobbi had just electrocuted a Hydra agent in the pool.

"That was easy" she commented.

"Yeah and now for the hard part, actually getting our information".

While Bobbie and May interrogated Strucker, I went to a corner of the room and played with my powers. I let fire dance through my hand, and to Strucker it was intimidating, so it helped.

"T-that man, the one Ward wanted me to kill, h-he changed into a m-monster. L-lash" he cried. May looked distressed.

"That isn't true" she barked.

"I-it is. I saw it with my own eyes" Strucker pleaded.

"It can't be". After a few more minutes, Strucker passed out and we left.

May was silent the entire way back to base. "May, none of us want it to be true. We all know that Andrew isn't a monster, but there is a possibility" Bobbi said. I had no clue Strucker was talking about Andrew. Andrew was a nice man. Coulson called him in to do a full psychological evaluation on me the second time Doom had taken me.

May still said nothing. The jet landed and I went back to my room. I had been there not even two days, and I already felt like I was back at the tower with the same problems and the same fears.

"How was the mission?" Coulson walked into the room.

"I don't know. We're no closer to finding Ward" I replied not looking up.

"How do you like it here?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. It feels safe, but I know it isn't. Nowhere is safe for me Coulson. Wherever I go Hydra follows" I whispered.

"Hydra follows my team too. They somewhat know what you've gone through with Ward".

"No they don't. They doubt me, they don't think I'm strong enough. They don't think I live up to my name" I interrupted.

"Will, they don't know you like me and Daisy do. They have reason to be skeptical, but know that you have lived up to your name. You're an Avenger, they are just SHIELD agents, they don't know what it's like to be up in the big leagues facing high class threats like Ultron and Doom" he said.

"And you know what it's like?"

"Will, I've never told you how I died. I went up against Loki, Thor's brother, and he stabbed me through the heart".

"I had no clue".

"I didn't expect you to. Now you and I are wanted by the same guy. Ward wants me dead so he can end SHIELD".

"Why are you telling me this?" I was growing suspicious.

"Because if he kills me SHIELD will need a new director".

"What are you saying, Coulson?"

"I'm saying that if I die, I want you to be the director of SHIELD".