Renegade (Marvel/ Captain America)

Chapter 2: Predators

Just so you know, the story will take place in the time between The Avengers and Captain America 2.  I'm basically winging it, so bear with me XD

Steve Roger's pov:

"Are you sure this one woman is worth going to so much trouble over?" I ask, watching the screens that are scattered around the Bridge of the Helicarrier.  Information on a woman named Tatum Black is on every one of them.  Her file says that she's 6 feet tall and an ex-CIA operative. Definitely not one of our typical suspects. Black is said to have killed her teammates and stolen some very important data from HOPE Industries.  I can't see why SHIELD is bothering to send me, Clint and Natasha after her.  Couldn't the police or the CIA take her out themselves?  Black is on her own, it should be easy to locate her.  Every person in the U.S. knows her name by now.  Yet, we haven't had this large of a man-hunt since we were searching for Loki last month.

  Director Fury glances over at me and raises an eyebrow.  Looking back at the screen, a video begins to play.  Maybe twenty guys are in a room on the screen.  A tall, blond-haired woman appears on the scene; Black.  Before any of the men can register what she's doing, Black shoots three bullets, all of them hitting their targets.  She then runs over at startling speed and levels the guy closest to her, finishing him with a knife.  A man tries to move on Black with a gun, but she spins, kicking the pistol out of his hand.  She then shoots the man point-blank.

  As the video goes on, I stare at the screen, shocked.  This woman moves with speed and accuracy that should be impossible.  The video ends with Black slitting the last man's throat.  Twenty men.  Down in less than two minutes. 

"As you can see, one woman can do a lot of damage." Fury informs Natasha, Clint and I.  Looking over, I see that even the assassins are impressed... to an extent, of course.

"Think she's a super?" Barton asks, studying the screen calculatingly.  It's the only explanation that Black was able to do what we just saw.  She has to have some kind of powers.

"It's certainly a possibility.  That video was recorded in the main lab of HOPE headquarters.  She stole several important and top-secret files while she was there.  The men that were killed were a high-ranking team in the CIA.  Those were Black's comrades.  Now you know what all the fuss is about." Fury replies. 

"Have you had any luck tapping cameras or tracking her cellphone?" Natasha asks.

"Not exactly.  A nice elderly lady got a surprise visit from the FBI and the NYPD an hour ago.  Black had slipped the phone into her purse.  That's the trouble with this one; she's smart.  Black isn't new to this.  She knows how to stay one step ahead of us." Fury begins, his eye looking at the woman's profile, like he could find some clue hidden within it.

"We haven't been able to find her on any camera that we have.  My guess, Black had a little change of wardrobe.  It'll be harder to find her.  But HOPE did inform us that she has a cut running horizontally on her left cheek.  It's not much to go off of, but it's what we have." he concludes.

"So, when we find her, what are we supposed to do?" I ask.  Fury turns to me, his expression dead serious.

"Bring her in.  By whatever means necessary."

So, basically dead or alive.  That alone tells me how important it is that she's stopped.

"The last place Black was seen was at a subway station in Brooklyn. You'll head there now and try to figure out her plan.  If you find anything new, contact us.  Good luck."

We nod and then turn to exit the Bridge.  Once we are in the hallway, I voice a thought that has been bothering me ever since we were presented with this mission.

"Why do you think Black did it?  It just doesn't add up."

Barton glances over at me and shrugs.

"My guess: she was paid off."

I shake my head, not completely sold.

"She was with the CIA for 6 years and was completely loyal.  No misconducts on her record. Black followed orders, no questions asked.  She was the perfect soldier.  Why would that change all of a sudden?"

"Maybe she wasn't actually with them.  Some big boss could have payed her to provide information from the inside." Natasha comments.

"Like a mercenary." I mutter.  Even if Black's not, she killed twenty men single-handedly.  We have to take her down.  Orders are orders.

"Exactly." Barton says.

"As long as she's payed, she's loyal.  Money can turn people into nothing more than puppets.  We've seen it before." Natasha adds.

"Well, unfortunately for us, this puppet is very good at what she does." I say. 

"Well, she's pretty bad-ass.  Even by Nat's standards." Clint observes.  In reply, Natasha gives us a smile, one without humor.

"A challenge.  I like it." she says with mock enthusiasm.  Barton and I chuckle and follow Natasha to the armory.  Fury has had me go on some other missions, but on this one anything can happen.  Tatum Black is completely unpredictable.  But we will find her.  And we'll make her answer for what she's done.

I know the chapters are short so far, but the story's just getting started.  Let me know what you think :)

-Vega8282