Gauntlet || Maximoff Younger Brother

Chapter 1

If music is being played during the scene, it will be indicated in bold and will be placed in the header of the chapter as media. Keep in mind the lyrics written probably won't be synced up with the music if you read whilst listening, and I'm not going to make a conscious effort to sync them up.

*  *  *

Hydra Research base, Sokovia
2015

Gabriel awoke abruptly to the sound of the ground rumbling.

"What was that?" he asked worriedly. He looked to the bunk bed opposite his bed to find it empty, its sheets scattered around the floor.

"Wanda? Pietro?"

His confusion was cut short however when he heard the short sound of static, announcing the PA's use.

"Report to your stations immediately, this is not a drill. We are under attack, we are under attack!" spoke Strucker through the PA.

Panic struck Gabriel. Not only are we under attack, Pietro and Wanda are gone! He stood up swiftly from his bedding and ran to the door. Its tungsten hinges refused to budge, no matter how hard he pulled on it. Great, remind me again why they made this room out of a metal I can't phase through? After a good few panicked moments, he decided to take another approach.

"Hey guards? I just threw up blood, I need help!" he said, trying his best to sound convincing.

No answer.

"Hello? Anyone?"

Nothing.

Everything is going to be alright. I'll be alright. Pietro will be alright. Wanda will be alright. What did the psychologist say would help again? Think. Think goddammit. Music! Gabriel bolted to the bedside table and picked up Pietro's phone, its earbuds dropping to the floor. Fumbling with the wires until the buds found their place nestled in his ears, he then anxiously tapped away at the screen until sound filled his ears.

You know, this ain't all that bad.

Back in black!
I hit the sack.
I've been too long I'm glad to be back.

And he calls other people old, huh?

*  *  *

"Shit!"

"Language!"

"JARVIS, what's the view from upstairs?"

"The central building is protected by some kind of energy shield. Strucker's technology is well beyond any other HYDRA base we've taken." JARVIS answered, his synthetic voice ringing in all their ears.

"Loki's scepter must be here. Strucker couldn't mount this defense without it. At long last." Thor spoke mightily, calling Mjolnir back to him, before stepping out of the way having it meet the face of a soldier, calling it back to him once more.

"At long last is lasting a little long boys." quipped Natasha whilst shooting a soldier manning an artillery cannon.

"Yeah, I think we lost the element of surprise." said Clint, using a tree for cover from the soldiers' blasts.

"Wait a second. No one else is going to deal with the fact that Cap just said 'language'?" Tony asked amused, flying through the air in his suit.

"I know" answered Cap exasperated. He jumped off his motorcycle, spinning it over his head before launching it into the truck standing in front of him, driving itself deep into the metal of the hood.

"It just slipped out." he uttered in a defeated tone.

*  *  *

Strucker strode up the stairs into the control room. The walls were a dirty concrete, covered with brown tarp and plastered with flashing screens and blueprints. The old wooden floorboards creaked loudly at each rhythmic step the baron took. Panicked soldiers rushed around different stations in an erratic dance of chaos, trying desperately to find anything they could use against their assailants.