Sup guys. I'll have you know that this time I didn't delay too much in posting the chapter here from ff.net. I literally just finished it last night. Not that you care I suppose. Oh well. I stuck an Oc in here cos I couldn't be bothered searching for a cannon villain. I like him though. He's sassy. Should any of you bother commenting on this chapter, do let me know what you thought of him would you? Enjoy!
Sorry I think that was unnecessarily mean. My apologies. Well, this is the updated version. Should you read it you should know that I prefer this version.
Finding that off shoots of HYDRA still existed was not news that any of the Avengers Tower's residents welcomed. It made them even angrier to find that Fury had ever so conveniently forgotten to mention it and it was only picked up on by Jarvis during one of Tony's routine hacks into SHIELD.
Percy was also ever so slightly pissed when Steve said he and the twins should stay back at the tower. That they probably wouldn't be necessary. Steve honestly should have expected the blowout.
"Right, stay back while you risk your lives. Stay back when you don't have the assistance of either of our Norse gods, when Bruce is somewhere in India so you don't have the luxury of calling in the hulk for backup. Do you really expect any of us to comply? This is the organisation that tortured Bucky, nearly killed Pietro and damaged SHIELD almost irreparably. We're going with you and I'd like to see you try and stop us."
Steve helplessly looked at the others for some sort of support on this. Tony, Bucky and Clint all snorted at the idea. As if Percy would willingly stay behind, honestly did Steve even know the demigod in question? "Birdbrain here taught him how to fly the quinjet. He'd just follow us of he had to," Tony added oh so helpfully.
"Gear up, then." Steve had a bad feeling about this mission though. He shook it off, knowing that no one would listen should he forbid Percy and the Maximoffs from coming.
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Wanda had a habit of holding grudges, it was something she willingly admitted. She didn't like people hurting the ones she loved and HYDRA had a bad habit of doing just that. So reaching the Alaskan outpost, she was most definitely looking forward to seeing the place razed.
She, Percy and Pietro made an amazing team when they worked together, each one complimenting the other's movements. They moved as a single unit, although each had extremely different fighting styles, yet somehow, it worked. On missions like this it was generally better for the team to split up so Tony would scout ahead in the suit, spending an equal amount of time on the ground and in the air, Bucky and Clint would take a higher ground mostly, covering them. The rest of them split up into at least two teams with Steve and Nat teaming up and the the of them together. Today was no different and they all cautiously made their way into the base.
They were met almost immediately with well trained soldiers who aimed to kill first, ask questions never. Percy instinctively erected an ice shield around them while Wanda used her telekinesis to grab their guns and Pietro knocked them out.
They barely had time to catch their breath before a second group of soldiers were upon them and attacking from all directions. It was complete pandemonium as they fought, the narrow corridors making their job far harder then it would have been under normal circumstances. But they were holding their own pretty well against them considering their level of training. Well, until a small hiss could be heard and the entire corridor filled with gas.
Distracted as they were, they didn't realise the danger until it was too late and they were already falling to the ground.
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Percy forced his eyes open, groaning at the pounding in his head. He quickly realised his hands were bound tightly by rope, not enough to cut off circulation, but tight enough to be uncomfortable. Pietro was already awake, far less disoriented than he was. At Percy's confused glance, the white haired teenager shrugged.
"Fast healing." He said simply. Right. Lucky bastard.
Wanda was still unconscious but it wouldn't be long before she woke up too. "So how exactly will we Houdini our way out of this?" Percy asked, he really wasn't in the mood for staying in a dark, cold cell for much longer.
"Honestly I was hoping you would be able to come up with sort of a plan. As far as I can tell they've got the others too so-" he was interrupted by a groan as Wanda woke up.
"Where are we?" Her voice was flat, hard. She was already on the defensive, ready to fight, to tear down anything and anyone who hurt the ones she cared about. It was the voice of a warrior speaking, battle hardened and experienced, rather than an eighteen year old.
The boys opened their mouths to answer her but were cut off by the large steel doors opening with a clang. A young man of about twenty-five walked in, flanked by two guards. His clearly handsome face was marred by a scar that stretched from the corner of his right eye down to his jawline. Piercing blue eyes gleamed at them, an easy smile playing about his lips, voice seemingly carefree as he spoke. "Why, I thought it should have been obvious where you were Miss Maximoff! This lovely freezer of a room is acting as a prison cell for the time being as our actual prison cells are a bit occupied at the moment. I do hope you aren't too uncomfortable, but as needs must, we simply had to take a few precautions. My sincerest apologies but its a necessary evil on my part." He had a smooth British accent that, under any other circumstances would probably have been a delight to listen to. As it was, it was disconcerting to see their captor so at ease.
"What do you want?" Percy really wasn't in the mood for games.
"So hostile! We've only just begun! Besides, what would be the fun in that? Don't worry, it won't be something as demeaning as only using you as leverage. I have something much more fun than that planned for you three."
They eyed him warily, slowly inching back, as far away from him as they could go, bound as they were.
Now that he was feeling less out of it, Percy cast his senses out in search of a water source. He was sorely disappointed as he couldn't sense even a drop. His disappointment must have shown because the man grinned widely.
"My apologies Mr. Jackson. Water isn't going to be something you'll find too easily at this point. That's probably my fault but, oh well." He shrugged as if to say what can you do? A grin flitted across his face as he remembered something. "How rude of me! I'm Jonathan. Pleasure to meet you!" Percy, Wanda and Pietro simultaneously rolled their eyes at his ridiculousness.
"Anyway, I'm going to need her for now thanks." He pointed to Wanda. At their enraged expressions he sighed as if he was surrounded by idiots of the first order. "No torture, no blackmail, none of that boring stuff, so don't worry your pretty little heads over it 'kay? I just want to ask her something and have her do me one tiny little favor. That's it, I promise! Scout's honor." He grinned widely as Percy scoffed.
"Somehow I doubt that you were ever a boy scout."
"Well I'll give you that one but honestly, I could care less about HYDRA and its ridiculous politics. Most of them were a bunch of bigots anyway. Maniacs the lot of them."
This time it was Wanda who replied, confused by the man's words. "Are you not part of HYDRA?"
Jonathan's face darkened and for the first time he actually looked angry. "You don't have to believe in a cause to use it to your advantage. I took an opportunity that I saw coming my way, end of story thanks. Any other personal questions I have no interest in answering?"
"So you made a deal with the devil and lost your soul in the process, huh?" Pietro smirked. He could tell that Jonathan was pushing his limits of control and he'd get angry soon. That they could probably use to their advantage.
But the man in question suddenly smirked at Pietro's words as if he knew something they didn't. "I suppose it's a good thing I like playing with fire then. But enough chit chat. She helps me and if you just happen to escape after, well... whoops." He shrugged, unconcerned.
"Sorry but I'm gonna have to say no to your kind offer. HYDRA has used me enough." Wanda spoke, her voice strong and clear. Percy took this as his cue and reached deep with his earth-shaker powers, tearing apart the concrete as if it was paper.
To their surprise his grin only widened and in the dim lighting it seemed as if his irises turned to flames.
He clicked his fingers and a small flame formed which grew into a ball of fire. Daggers of ice which Percy formed from the water content in the air vaporized as he flung them towards Jonathan who only laughed as he casually threw the fire ball towards them. "Pyrotechnic, I'm afraid. Hurting me is going to be just a little bit harder than hurting the others. Sorry about that." His voice hardened, yet a small note of desperation could be heard, "but I really just need Miss Maximoff for all of twenty minutes. The rest of you I could care less about." Twin streams of fire burst from his hands hitting the floor between Wanda, separating her from the boys. "In fact," he continued, "I'd happily tell you where they put the rest of the Avengers as a bit of good will. Get me into trouble with the big guy of course, before you ask, but he can go to hell for all I care. Not that he isn't anyway." He added as an afterthought. Shaking his head as he stopped the stream of fire still pouring from his hands. He was about to say something else when Percy struck. Freezing him in a layer of ice he did something he had only done twice before, the first time In anger and the second with great regret.
During the mess with the Superhero Registration Act he had stopped Bucky by freezing his blood, keeping him in place. He now did the same to Jonathan, holding the man in place as the ice surrounding him melted due to his unnaturally high body heat and intenal fire. He hated this part of his power, hated the absolute control it gave him and right now he hated Jonathan for leaving him with no other choice but to use it.
He didn't look at Wanda or Pietro, unable to bring himself to look at the faces that would undoubtedly be full of fear. Fear of what he could do, what he was capable of.
Addressing Jonathan, he partly unfroze him and asked where the rest of the Avengers were kept. The man grinned. "Either kicking ass on the higher levels or the second floor. Depends on how messed up he's feeling today." Slightly inclining his head, "it seems as if you're in luck though. Big brother isn't home right now."
The door was blasted off its hinges, Tony standing behind it, repulsors still glowing, ready to fire at any moment. "Uh, guys? You can stop Nat now. I found them." Percy, Wanda and Pietro all cringed simultaneously. They did not want to know what Nat had been doing.
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Note: I don't actually hate you guys even if it sometimes seems like it. I just hate the fact that it feels like you can't be bothered to take out a minute and let me know what you thought. Feedback is important because it lets authors know what they're doing right or wrong. Also it's very motivational.
Hope you liked the newer version