ℜ𝔲𝔰𝔱 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔅𝔬𝔫𝔢 | Winter Soldier | Bucky Barnes

VI

Natasha noticed Athena flinch away at the sound of the organisation's name.

"Cut off one head, two more shall take its place." Athena found herself mouthing the words as the computer said them. The words, carved into her brain like a painful and ugly tattoo.

A parasite living deep within her, seemed to awaken by those words.

"Prove it." She heard Steve say through gritted teeth.

"Accessing archive." It was still Zola's voice, but it was more computerised than the other he had just spoken with.
The computer screen showed the three some old footage of Johann Schmidt/Red Skull, and something about the original SHIELD founders. "—HYDRA was founded on the belief that humanity could not be trusted with its own freedom. What we did not realize, was that if you try to take that freedom, they resist. The war taught us much. Humanity needed to surrender its freedom willingly. After the war, SHIELD was founded and I was recruited. The new HYDRA grew. A beautiful parasite inside SHIELD. For seventy years HYDRA has been secretly feeding crisis, reaping war. And when history did not cooperate, history was changed." Zola explained proudly after the video had stopped.

"That's impossible, SHIELD would have stopped you." Natasha said, almost as if she didn't want to believe the facts and evidence presented to her.

The computer image of Dr Arnim Zola smiled almost evilly. "Accidents will happen." He stated innocently.
The computer screen then showed the three an article of Howard and Maria Stark's fatal car accident, and a file that proofed Hydra had only made it look like a car accident, along with a file stating that the recent death of Fury also had been written into reports as an accident.
"HYDRA created a world so chaotic that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom to gain its security. Once the purification process is complete, HYDRA's new world order will arise. We won, Captain. Your death amounts to the same as your Life; a zero sum." As the last words left Zola's digital mouth, Steve smashed the computer screen in pure rage. Athena flinched at his actions. Her tongue stressfully finding her cracked molar tooth.
"As I was saying.." The three agents whipped their heads at a screen to the left as it switched on and Zola's voice spoke up again.

"What's on this drive?" Steve hissed angrily.
"Project Insight requires insight. So I wrote an algorithm." Zola explained.

"What kind of algorithm? What does it do?" Natasha asked puzzled.
"The answer to your question is fascinating. Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it." Suddenly the doors started to close behind them, Steve tried to jam it by throwing his shield in between it, but he was too late.

"Guys, we got a bogey. Short range ballistic. 30 seconds tops." Natasha informed the two others panicked. "Who fired it?" Steve asked.

"S.H.I.E.L.D." The assassin said with a hint of surprise and hopelessness in her voice.

"I am afraid I have been stalling, Captain. Admit it, it's better this way. We're, both of us, out of time. Hail Hydra-" Athena, who had been standing by in silence from Zola's words, now woke up from her daze and used her super soldier strength in a outburst of anger to smash all of the computers.

Hail Hydra.

Her head felt like exploding, as if it could burst like a bubble at any given moment. It was like the smallest thing could have pushed her over the edge right there and then. She didn't know what edge, but she was afraid to find out.

Hail Hydra.

In a second after Athena's outburst, everything went completely quiet.

Then chaos erupted as the missile hit it's target.

Steve had noticed a small opening on the ground before. He'd thrown the metal door aside and just as the place exploded he'd thrown himself and Natasha into the hole, protecting them with his shield.
He hadn't been able to save them all. He yelled for Athena several times, but the girl had been standing still in those last seconds before the missile hit. It was like she didn't even hear him.

Steve looked down at Natasha as the dust settled around them. The red head had unshed tears in her eyes and a gash in her forehead.
"Tell me you saw her get to safety." Natasha almost whispered, her voice hoarse. Steve didn't reply -which to Natasha was answer enough- as he got up, pulling her with him.

In an uncomfortable and heavy silence the two began searching for their friend between the rubble and larger pieces and remnants of building.

"I FOUND HER! ROGERS! SHE'S HERE!" Natasha's yell was a mixture of relief and dread and Steve quickly made his way over. "Where?"

"Her heat signature is coming from under there!" Natasha pointed at a huge piece of building and Steve's heart leapt uncomfortably in his chest as he began moving the rubble.

Natasha watched hopelessly as Steve dug and threw one huge part of building after the other until he stopped and jumped down. "Can you see her?" Natasha asked anxiously.

"I've got her." Steve sounded relieved which instantly calmed Natasha a bit. She wasn't really that close with Athena, but the young woman had made quite an impact on her. "How bad is it?" Natasha was instantly by his side as he carried Athena out of the hole.
The girl was limp and paler than usual, but besides that, she looked alright.

"She's going to be okay." Steve said as he listened to the girl's heart beating softly in her chest. "—Let's get out of here before the STRIKE agents come to search for us."

✪