Shadow Cadet: Rising Shadows

3 {A widow's web}

(Warnings for this chapter include violence, gun use, and death.)

"Squeaks, what's the status on those cams?" Anastasiya whispered into her earpiece as she watched two S.H.I.E.L.D guards standing at the stations just outside the tall gate.

It was dusk, the sunset painting the sky with purple, orange, and pink colors. They were just on the outskirts of Washington D.C. getting ready to break into an archive building of S.H.I.E.L.D's to steal some files of Howard Stark's.

"Shutting them down." Malcolm mumbled as Anastasiya grasped the 9mm handgun on her hip.

The plan was for her and another Shadow Cadet named Luca to take down the guards at the front before rushing in and grabbing any and all information they can. From the time the cameras go down, they'll have approximately thirty minutes before S.H.I.E.L.D. shows up and by that time they need to be out.

"Now." Squeaks said before Anastasiya and Luca stepped out of their hiding places in the bushes and shot both guards dead.

Together they rushed through the large gates and up the front steps before smashing the glass door and climbing through the empty frame with glass crunching at their feet. "You take left I'll take right. Be back out here in twenty. Copy?" She asked before receiving a nod from Luca and running their separate ways.

Anastasiya rushed toward the East wing occasionally shooting down the very few agents in the building before locating Howard Stark's archive and picking the lock. The door creaked slightly as it opened. When it did some lights flickered on with a low hum to fill the eerie silence making her release a shuddery sigh.

Okay. Just look for the files and go. The quicker the better.

Once the door was shut behind her she got to work opening some crates and digging through them. The first three were filled with some family photos and other knick-knacks. But the fourth one, that one had exactly what she was looking for.

This information would help them get Project R in the air. As carefully as she could she slid the files into her backpack and continued looking for anything else that could be of value. Then she found it. The blueprints for an arc reactor. This was information that Adrielle could definitely use to keep Project R running and self-sustainable once it leaves the ground. There would be no way of taking it down.

"I don't think you should be touching that." A man stated from above her. Her head whipped up to stare at him, leaning over her from the railing above. She could recognize him from the other night. He had stopped to check on Natas- Agent Romanoff right as Aleksandr had pulled her away.

"Yeah, well uh, my boss kinda needs it so- I think I'm gonna keep touching it and even take it." Anastasiya mumbled reaching for her handgun again and quickly firing off a shot that the man just narrowly dodged.

She had five minutes left before she had to leave. Looks like she'll just have to leave a little earlier.

"Лука, нам нужно идти" (Luca we have to go) She said into her earpiece before making a run for the door and sliding her backpack onto her shoulders. The man followed after her his own gun in hand and firing at her making her have to duck on occasion.

"Luca!" She called into her earpiece again but got no response. "Squeaks?!" She yelled as another shot landed itself into her shoulder making her yelp in pain. "Squeaks we gotta go."

"I know. I know." Squeaks grumbled as Anastasiya passed by Luca who was lying face down on the ground. She quickly rolled him to his front only to see the puddle of blood below his head. He was dead.

"Small problem. Luca is dead. Meet me at the rendezvous point in two minutes or I'm leaving without you." She yelled into comms.

This mission couldn't have gone more wrong. The guy from before was still on her tail so she had to throw him off somehow. The only problem was she didn't know- The room went pitch black.