Aim: Hydra | Y/N Story | Sequel to "Aim: Avenger"

24. Ready, Set, Spar

"Getting ready to fight you." He shrugged, holding out a hand for me to take. I raised my eyebrows, a smirk coming over my face as I reached up to take it. As soon as I did, I pulled on his arm and flipped him onto the ground, pinning him with one knee on his chest and the other against his throat, still holding his wrist.

"Lesson one: fighting with 'honor rules' isn't going to help you. Hydra fights dirty, so do you."

"Ow." He croaked, finding it slightly difficult to breathe. "Message received. Can you get off me now?"

"No. Get up yourself. You think Hydra will follow your whims because you ask nicely? They'll cut out your tongue before you can even blink."

"Lighten up." He grumbled before using his free hand to web my shoulder and pulled, causing me to fall. He quickly rolled away from me and jumped onto his feet as I did the same.

"Good. Now, most agents are of above average human strength. You can use that to your advantage, but don't rely on it; I bested you, and I'm normal. Physically, anyway." I spoke as I pulled a few knives from around my waist and flung them at him. He dodged all of them, but as he was distracted I kicked his legs out from below him. He yelped, grabbing the kick I was aiming at him and pushed me away. "I know your abilities, and can strategize around them. Don't get distracted."

"There's apparently a lot more talking in a fight than I was told." He huffed, firing webs at me as I either dodged or threw something at them to block it. One eventually caught my wrist, and he pulled me closer. 

Big mistake, I thought as I summoned a knife and, using the momentum from the web, twisted around him until I held the knife to his throat from behind him. "If this were real, you'd be dead. Pretty sure your healing and durability can't help a slit throat."

"Jesus, that's dark."

"Lighter than death. So, let's talk through it. How would you take me down?" I asked, relaxing my stance.

"Is this another trick?" He eyed me warily, the eyes of his mask squinting. Upon seeing me shake my head, he also relaxed, albeit slightly. "I know your abilities require contact, and I'm wearing my suit, so that's crossed off."

"I'm not the only person you'll have to fight."

Huffing in annoyance, he said, "okay, um . . . assuming-"

"Never assume. Assume and you're dead."

"I'm not going to die." He groaned.

"You could! I've said it already: they will fight dirty. They are not bound by the same moral code you are. We will-"

"Kill me, I get it." He attacked, I evaded. He attacked again, closer, and I blocked. Again and again we fought, both of us switching from offensive to defensive and back again. I'm not going to lie, it was fun fighting him. It reminded me of all my matches against other agents, all the times I won. I was getting tired, seeing as I was not physically enhanced, but he kept coming. He eventually swept my legs from under me and I slammed into the ground, hard, knocking the air out of my lungs. He webbed my arms, standing over me triumphantly. He pulled off his mask and beamed. "Got you."

"Finally." I smiled back. "An important note: most Hydra agents are of human strength and stamina. The way to beat them is to wear them down."

"Does this mean you'll let me help you?"

"No."

His smile twisted into a frown. "But you said-"

"I said you had to beat me in a fight. You haven't."

"Says the person on the ground. Admit it, I won."

Smirking, I said, "did you? Or did you let yourself become distracted again?" 

"I don't like that face. What is that face?" His eyebrows furrowed in worry, soon to be replaced by pain as I switched on the taser disk I planted on his neck when we fought. I summoned a knife, cut myself free, and looked as he tried to pull it off. 

"A very important lesson, Parker: we were all trained in the arts of deceit. It's our specialty. I knew you were stronger, so I allowed myself to lose, but you would be the dead one. I used a taser, they'll use a bomb."

"So how do I win?" He rolled onto his side and sat up, rubbing his neck and looking up at me.

My tone become softer and more somber as I responded, "you don't." I took a seat next to him, sitting with my legs crossed.

"Then how can you?" His chocolate brown eyes were slightly crinkled in worry and confusion, boring into mine.

"Because I can fight dirty." I answered simply.

We sat together in silence for a long time, looking out over the city as the sun slowly set over the horizon, casting a golden glow on the metropolis below. "Hey, Y/N?"

"Hm?" I hummed, not turning towards him.

"Earlier, you said 'we will kill you.' I know you, you're too clever to misuse pronouns." He started.

I sighed, but remained silent, not acknowledging the boy or the question. I can't tell him that. I can't get locked up again, not when I've found my family.

"You can't ignore me forever, you know. And you can trust me." He gently took my hand and encased it in his, squeezing it assuringly.

"Manipulation isn't the only way Hydra controls us." A raspy voice spoke behind us. I jumped, dropping his hand and standing in front of Peter as I whirled around to face the newcomer. I immediately relaxed when I saw the familiar ocean blue eyes looking back. "We all have a failsafe, if we ever stepped out of line." Distortos spoke again, walking closer and slinging her arm around my shoulders. "The Winter Soldier had his words, but we have a more modern system."

"What is it?" Peter asked as I sighed. I did not want to talk about this right now, especially with Peter. It's a miracle he didn't run screaming the other times he's learned about my history, he didn't need to hear this, too.

"Saying it would put us under."

"Are you still under control?"

"Yes, now can we please leave it alone?" I hissed, twisting out of Di's grasp and standing up.

"Forgive her, she had a particularly difficult time with it." Di whispered, like I couldn't hear them.

"Difficult how?"

"First off, if you must know, you both suck at whispering. Second, might as well call it what it was; the Faustus method. You were kept awake for hours while being forced to watch the same damn video over and over and over." I snapped. 

"That sounds horrible." He muttered lowly.

"Even worse for me. I can never forget." I grumbled, more than a little annoyed

"What monsters would do that?" His tone and words aggravated me.

"They weren't monsters! Don't call them that!" I yelled, stepping towards him angrily.

"Why are you defending them? They put you through hell!" He raised his voice, making my fury much worse as I felt my skin boil.

"If it was hell, than why did it feel like home?" I screamed at him. He froze in shock. I took a breath, trying to calm myself down. The heat of anger moved behind my eyes as I felt the prick of tears, one managing to slip out. "Why does it still feel like home?"

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