The Shadow [a marvel fanfiction]

The Winter Soldier: Chapter Nine

Marie pocketed the red laser-pointer as Jasper Sitwell complied with Sam's demands. Why Sam had it was a question for later. She scooted back off the edge of the roof and turned back to Steve and Natasha.

"ETA two minutes."

Steve nodded and left with Nat to give Sitwell a warm welcome.

Marie shuffled her feet in the loose gravel and stuffed her hands in her borrowed jacket. Sam's hoodie dwarfed her frame, but was necessary to cover the too-small tank top that belonged to some ex. Her torn leggings and beat-up sneakers were still in place.

She barely looked up when the door to the rooftop burst open and Sitwell stumbled out, followed by a raging Steve and a determined Natasha.

"Tell me about Zola's algorithm."

"Never heard of it."

"What were you doing on the Lemurian Star?"

"I was throwing up. I got seasick."

Steve forced Sitwell further and further back until his heels hit the roof ledge. Marie wandered over to them and flashed Sitwell a smile. He had no idea what was coming for him. She perched herself on the edge of the roof and picked at her nails.

"Is this little display meant to insinuate that you can throw me off the roof? Because that's not really your style, Rogers," Sitwell laughed nervously.

Steve paused, frowning as he released Sitwell's suit jacket.

"You're right. It's not." He smoothed down the wrinkles he had created.

"It's hers."

Steve smoothly stepped to the side. Natasha delivered a swift kick to Sitwell's chest and sent the shocked man screaming over the ledge. Marie waved as he fell.

Nat snapped her fingers. "Oh wait, what about that girl from accounting, Laura..."

Marie shook her head. "Lillian."

"Lip piercing, right?" Steve asked.

"She's cute."

"Yeah, I'm not ready for that."

"You're s-so picky."

Sam soared up over the roof, depositing Sitwell on the concrete. He arched over them, his wings providing immense speed and power as he cut through the air and landed smoothly on the roof. He looked at home in the sky.

Sitwell cowered back. "Zola's algorithm is a program for choosing Insight's targets."

"What targets?" Steve demanded.

"You! A TV anchor in Cairo, the Undersecretary of Defense, a high school valedictorian in Iowa city. Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange—anyone who's a threat to HYRDA! Now, or in the future."

Marie kicked a rock at Sitwell. "The future? How-How could it know?"

He had the audacity to laugh. Marie almost kicked his ribs instead. "How could it not? The twenty-first century is a digital book. Zola taught HYDRA how to read it. Your bank records, medical histories, voting patterns, e-mails, phone calls—your damn SAT scores. Zola's algorithm evaluates peoples' past to predict their future."

Steve frowned. "And what then?"

"Oh my god, Pierce is going to kill me."

Marie stomped her foot. "I'm going to kill you."

"Then the Insight Helicarriers scratch people off the list. A few million at a time."

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