Maria Hill had taken the four to the secret facility that a few loyal SHIELD members had been taken too. It was a large stone structure, appearing to be an abandoned dam. As soon as they entered through the hidden door, they entered a stone walled hall. There was pipes above them, leaking water in some areas leaving small puddles on the ground. The building had a distinct musty smell and the air was damp and cold.
After they had entered a man came running towards them, going to tend to Natasha's wound. "GSW, she's lost at least a pint," Hill tells the doctor.
"I'd say about two," Marci added, she had been quite experienced in treating gunshot wounds from being in Afghanistan.
The doctor nodded, "Let me take her."
"Wait," Maria says stopping the man from grabbing her. "She'll want to see him first." The four outlaws share a glance with one another, not understanding who she was referring too. She leads them down a seperate hall, moving a plastic door to the side she allows them to enter the room. It was revealed to them that Nick Fury the director of SHIELD was still alive. Although Marci and Sam weren't a part of SHIELD, they both knew who the man was. Though his current condition prevented him from meeting his normally profound reputable standards. He lied in a hospital bed, attached to multiple machines keeping track of his health.
Despite his current circumstances, he still had his strong wit, "About damn time." He said looking between the four. The doctor sat Natasha down, applying stitches to her wound as Fury spoke to them about his injuries. "Lacerated spinal column, cracked sternum, shattered collarbone, perforated liver, and one hell of a headache." He listed.
"Don't forget your collapsed lung," The doctor quickly added. Marci grimaced, those were hefty injuries, she was both surprised and not surprised at all that Fury had made it out.
"Oh, lets not forget that. Otherwise, I'm good." He told them, but he didn't sound very good.
"They cut you open, your heart stopped." Natasha had images of Fury in the operating room running through her mind, especially the point where she saw Nick's heart rate monitor flat line. Marci was surprised, she hadn't known that Fury had faked his own death, she was curious of how he had done it.
"Tetrodotoxin B," He stated. "Slows the pulse to one beat a minute. Banner developed it for stress. It didn't work so great for him but we found a use for it."
"Why all the secrecy?" Steve spoke for the first time since arriving at the new base. "Why not just tell us?"
"Any attempt on the directors life had to look successful." Maria added, folding her arms over her chest.
"Can't kill you if you're already dead," He paused before he continued. "Besides, I wasn't sure who I could trust."
A few minutes later a few of Fury's men helped him out of the bed, and helped him walk to a nearby table. Natasha and Marci had sat down along with Fury, while the two boys stood at the side. Fury held an old photo of Pierce, Marci had found that he was the one who attempted to kill him and sent the people to capture Captain America and Black Widow.
"This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize," He said not being able to believe that Pierce had turned out to be HYDRA. "He said, 'Peace isn't an achievement, it was a responsibility.' It's stuff like this that gives me trust issues."
"We have to stop the launch." Natasha said referring to project Insight, which Marci had also been filled in on.
"I don't think the Councils accepting my calls anymore," Fury commented, a tinge of sarcasm laced in his voice. Fury pulled a case from the ground and set in on the table. When he opened it he revealed three chips. Marci looked around not sure what they were supposed to be for, Sam also had the same thinking.
"What's that?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing.
Maria pulled out a computer and pulled up a diagram showing what would happen. "Once the helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponized."
"We need to breach those carriers and replace they're targeting blades with our own," Fury explained.
"One or two won't cut it," Maria added. "We need to link all three carriers for this to work, because if even one of those remains operational a whole Lotta people are going to die." Marci felt her chest tighten, she didn't have much field experience and now the fate of millions of people depend on her and her wanted teammates.
"We have to assume everyone aboard those carries is HYDRA. We need to get pass them, insert the server blades, and maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what's left..." Fury's plan had the intent of saving S.H.I.E.L.D., but even Marci understood that by doing this they'd take S.H.I.E.L.D. down with them.
"We won't able to salvage anything," Marci spoke, almost regretting that bad said anything but she continued on. "We're not just taking down the carriers, Sir. We are taking down S.H.I.E.L.D."
Fury gave her a virulent look, "S.H.I.E.L.D. has nothing to do with this."
"I agree with her," Steve said referring to what Marci had said earlier. "You gave me this mission, this is how it ends." Marci gave Steve a small appreciative smile. "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s been compromised, you said so yourself. HYDRA grew right under you nose and nobody noticed."
Fury let out an angry sigh, his eyes rolling like a teenager as he spoke. "Why do you think we're meeting in this cave?" He said rhetorically. "I noticed."
"And how many paid the price before you did?" Steve responded, making Sam and Marci's eyes widen.
Fury sighed once more, "Look, I didn't know about Barnes." Steve tensed up at the name of his no longer dead friend.
"Even if you had, would you have told me? Or would you have compartmentalized that too?" He retorted, venom dripping from each word he spoke. "SHIELD, HYDRA, it all goes," He firmly stated. Fury stayed silent, knowing that Steve was right but was too stubborn to admit it.
"He's right." Maria finally said, Fury gave her a small nod. He then looked between Natasha, Marci and then ending with Sam.
"Don't look at us," He said. "We do what he does, just slower." Marci nodded in agreement.
Fury shook his head, and reclined back in his chair. "Well, it looks like you're giving the orders now, Captain."
Steve left the room soon after the conversation ended, leaving Marci and Sam in a room full of an awkward silence between strangers. Natasha stood up, grimacing slightly when she put weight on her shoulder, she then walked to Marci's side. "If we're going to suit up, then I suppose you need a suit." A grin made its way to Marci's lips, she had seen some of the amazing super suits the Avengers had, she couldn't wait to get one of her own.
Natasha had Maria lead them to a room full of weapons and tactical gear. There was hoards of guns, knives, and other close range weapons. "We don't have something specifically designed for your capabilities, but most of the uniforms are fire resistant." Maria dug through a tote, searching for the right uniform for Marci. Once she found one that would work she pulled it out and handed it to her.
"Wow," Marci was in awe. It was a black catsuit, one much like Natasha's, but this one was sleeveless and had less gun holsters. Marci held the suit in both hands, gripping it tightly she allowed her powers to activate. The suit seemed unfazed by the heat, and she let her powers subside. "I think it'll do," Marci smiled. Maria and Natasha shared a quick glanced and responded with a nod.
"Well suit up, Cap will want you guys ready soon." Maria said, Natasha grabbed a suit for her and the three left the room to get changed.
After Marci got dressed she wandered aimlessly down the halls, trying to navigate her way back to her friends. The suit was fairly comfortable, a little tighter than her normal attire but for safety purposes she didn't object.
She soon ran into Sam and the pair made their way to the top of the dam where the found Steve staring out at the horizon lost in his thoughts.
"He's gonna be there, you know?" Sam stated, his arms folded over his chest while both him and Marci leaned their backs on the stone wall.
Steve nodded, "I know."
"Look, whoever he used to be, the guy he is now, I don't think he's the kind you save." Sam paused, feeling a bit guilty for what he was about to say. "He's the kind you stop."
"I don't know if I can do that," He responded honestly.
"Steve," Marci pleaded. "He might not give you a choice. He tried to kill you, he tried to kill us. He doesn't know you."
"He will," Steve was confident he'd be able to break through to Bucky. "Gear up, it's time." Steve nodded to the pair and began to walk off.
Marci and Sam shared a confused look, he was still wearing the outfit they had been captured in.
"You gonna wear that?" Sam asked, his eyebrows furrowing as he spoke.
"No," Steve chuckled. "If you're going to fight a war, you gotta wear a uniform."