Silence had returned to the building, no sound could be heard except those of medical machines, footsteps and the wind in the broken window. No one dared to break this natural silence. No one dared to speak. Everyone went about their work without saying a word. They were too afraid to speak up and say what everyone else was thinking. At the same time, no one dared to look into each other's eyes out of fear of reading their own thoughts.
It was just another day, it was very hectic, but it was almost their daily routine. So where is all this tension in the air coming from? The tension is rising while the pressure is falling, it doesn't make sense. What is going on here?
In this heavy silence, one could almost hear the heartbeats of the living beings occupying this building. You could hear them beating in unison. One would then understand that all these beings are in a state of panic, their bodies are trembling, their breathing is discreet and short and their hearts are beating at full speed. Are they afraid? Why are they afraid? What are they afraid of?
They are in a huge building and yet everyone knows what happened and they all share the same feeling of anxiety and insecurity. They feel at first helpless and small, then dependent and weak. They could have died and they understood that.
Relief. This is something they would like to feel right now, after all, it's over. But is it really? Deep down, they know it's not really over, it's just the beginning. That's what scares them. They know they are not ready for what comes next, and they wonder, will THEY be ready?
All these people have many questions, and it is the fear of finding an answer and of seeing the truth in the flesh that prevents them from speaking or looking at others. However, they must face the facts, they must admit it even if it is frightening. They cannot deny it indefinitely. The sooner they accept it, the sooner they can move on. But how do you do that? How do you accept something so senseless? It's not possible, no one can believe it!
They then made their way to the assembly room, where there was a stage and seating in front of it, just like in the theater. All sat in the chairs, in the greatest silence this room has ever known. If you didn't hear the sound of their hearts, you could almost hear all the questions in their heads rushing around. Then, as a man took his place on the platform with a woman, all thoughts stopped, breaths were cut off, hearts were silenced. The man took his place in the middle of the stage, facing his audience, his face was serious. He didn't show it, but in his eyes, the same anxiety as his subjects could be read. Then he took a deep breath before saying aloud what everyone was afraid to admit.
"The Avengers... almost lost."
~~
"Listen to me carefully!" shouted Director Fury.
"We're going to have to be very vigilant from now on! Since the Avengers have been considerably weakened, the enemy could attack us at any time. I'm going to ask you to be very careful about who goes in and out of this building, no one goes out or in without my approval. We will have no contact with the outside world until the threat is over! You will not return home either! We can't afford any mistakes!
Here are the facts! Agent Barton is still in critical condition and will need time to get back into action. Mr. Stark needs to build a new reactor if he wants to get in on the action as well, he has been very weakened and won't be able to build for a while. Dr. Banner has also been very weakened and is currently in the infirmary but his life is not in danger. Captain America, Steve Rogers, is also in the infirmary and his injuries will take time to heal. Unfortunately, Agent Romanoff's days are counted, we don't know yet if she will make it, it's not looking good. Our only strength is you, the Shield agents and Thor, the God of Thunder," Fury explained.
These explanations awakened the spirit of the agents who began to revolt. One of them then spoke up.
"Why should we stay here? They are not after us!" he said.
"Let us see our families! Whether we stay here or go, we're finished without the Avengers!" said another.
"You want to wipe out the enemy? Kill Death Giver! This is all her fault and yours! If only you hadn't left that monster in our midst!!!" shouted another and he received many shouts of approval. All then began to shout together: 'KILL DEATH GIVER'.
The director reached the end of his patience, after what had happened today he really had no patience left, he could not take it anymore, he was worried about what was going to happen next and about his two agents in the infirmary.
"SILENCE!" he shouted. The whole room then fell silent.
"As for the case of Agent Ivanov, she is locked in a cell more powerful and resistant than the one once built for the Hulk. She has an electronic collar around her neck that prevents her from using her powers. In front of her cage is also positioned the weapon with which we put her on the ground. This is how it's going to happen. I always want at least 2 agents ready to use the machine. I want 4 agents around the cell, 2 agents in front of the door, 2 agents behind the door, 5 agents watching the room with the surveillance cameras, and 6 agents protecting this room. No talking to her! We have to strengthen the security around agent Ivanov, but we will also strengthen it everywhere in the building. I want you to always be ready for the unthinkable!" explained Fury.
"Stop calling her Agent Ivanov as if she were one of us!" shouted one agent
"Call her by what she is! Death Giver!" shouted another.
All the agents then began to shout, again. Agent Hill, who was positioned next to the director, felt that the director was going crazy and would explode with rage in a short time. She pulled out her gun and fired it into the air. The blast calmed all the agents in the room and the director looked at his right hand woman.
"Death Giver and Y/n are two different people, don't let appearances fool you, save Y/n. These were Agent Romanoff's last words before she passed out." Maria spoke up, gaining the attention of the other agents. "She used the last of her strength to tell us to save Agent Ivanov. The person who attacked and almost killed the Avengers is not Agent Ivanov but Death Giver; the person who killed many of our people is not Agent Ivanov but Death Giver, the person we need to watch out for is not Agent Ivanov but Death Giver. Death Giver is a weapon created by Hydra and manipulated by Hydra. Agent Ivanov is a person, a human being, a consistent member of the Shield. The person we took in was not Death Giver but Agent Ivanov; the person we fed and trained is not Death Giver but Agent Ivanov; the person we sent on a mission for the Shield is not Death Giver but Agent Ivanov. Death Giver is a creation of Hydra, it is the result of the annihilation of the personality of agent Ivanov. To create Death Giver, they had to destroy agent Ivanov and replace her with a murderer. So I tell you, the person we put in our cell is Death Giver but who is the person who will wake up in that cell? That we don't know, it's impossible to know. But you can recognize Death Giver by her eyes, she has black and lifeless eyes, while in the eyes of agent Ivanov you can see sadness, anger, pain, sorrow, shame, guilt, love, joy, in her eyes you can see life. Agent Ivanov is one of us, treat her with respect and learn the difference between being manipulated and being in control."
After Maria Hill's speech, no one dared to say anything more. Even Director Fury was stunned by the speech, but he was no less proud of it. He then let a few minutes pass, giving the agents time to digest this speech and then he spoke again.
"As Agent Hill said very well just now, Agent Ivanov is a Shield agent, treat her as a friend. If you knew her at all, you would know that she would never attack you or the Avengers. Yet you all know about her work in locating and destroying countless enemy bases. In a few months, she has done more than all of you combined in several years. I think she has already proven herself and there is no need to question her loyalty. However, we still don't know who we have in our cell, so we have to be very careful because Death Giver is not our friend, she is not a Shield agent and even though we have seen her abilities, we don't know what she is really capable of. Make the difference between Death Giver and Agent Ivanov. Be vigilant and always ready. We have been weakened but that does not mean we are weak. So I am counting on you to protect this base from our enemies and Death Giver if needed, but also to protect Agent Ivanov if needed. You will find your personal affections and schedules in your respective emails, no one has access to another's schedule so don't share them." continued Fury. "Is that clear?" he then asked.
"Yes sir!" shouted all the agents in the room.
"Any objections?" asked the director.
"No, sir!" the agents shouted again.
"Then get to your positions!" instructed Fury.
"Yes, sir!" the agents shouted one last time before heading out.
Once the agents left, only Director Fury and Agent Hill were left in the room. Fury lowered his shoulders and let out a long sigh. He then ran a hand over his face.
"You should get some rest, sir," Maria offered.
"I can't take the time to rest, not until I know she's out of the woods," he said before heading for the exit. Agent Hill then followed him and they eventually arrived at the infirmary, in front of the door to Agent Romanoff's room.
They knocked and waited at the door. They heard footsteps approaching. It was Steve who opened the door for them, and with a sad look, he let them in.
In the room there was a central bed with a redhead on it, who had wires everywhere and a tube coming out of her mouth. Around the bed they were all there, Agent Barton was on a chair next to the bed, Dr. Banner was standing on crutches, Thor next to him, Steve was standing in front of the bed and Tony was further away than the others, on his wheelchair. They all looked tired and pale. You could see the concern in their eyes, but also anger, incomprehension and helplessness.
They all wanted explanations to their questions, their heads were full of them, but they were too tired and too worried to even ask them.
Deep down they still had hope, hope to see them both again, to see them both smiling. They all thought of the good old days when everything was fine.
The current situation was unthinkable but they didn't want to give up.
After all,
This is not the end.
A/n
How are you guys ? I hope you're doing well !
Take care of yourself, your life matters !
You're doing amazing, just keep up the good work :)
La bise !
A bientôt ;)