Double Agent

Chapter 1

Tucked away in the Appalachian mountains, Hydra had hidden a facility from the public - and even most classified - records. The school nearby was known to most intelligence agencies, but not the small facility the Avengers were now tasked to infiltrate.

Only a handful of loyal Hydra agents remained to keep the building in working order. It was a fairly simple building; only those on a need-to-know basis knew the location. The organization only used it to house those weapons that they could never risk anyone finding.

"Do we have any idea what we're walking into here?" Stark asked over the comms as he flew around overhead.

"No, nothing. There's barely a mention of the building, let alone what may be inside, so there's no telling what we might find," Cap replied. "All Bucky could tell us was that it was here. He never knew anything else about it."

"Great. So not only are we taking on Hydra, but we're doing it blind."

"Look, Stark, he's helping as much as he can. But even the Winter Soldier himself didn't ever set foot inside." Steve knew he had to keep a level head in this game.

"Well, I only see five body signatures inside. So maybe we'll get lucky," Tony quipped to the team.

"Are you sure that's all there is?" Nat chimed in.

Steve stood with Bucky, Natasha, Sam, and Wanda on a large hill overlooking the small building, only about the distance of three football fields away. The quinjet had landed in a small clearing of trees about a mile north, so they could be sure their approach was undetected.

"That's all I see, but without knowing the facility, it's tough to say if there are hidden areas that my tech can't penetrate," Tony announced as he landed on the hill just behind where the others stood.

"Should be an easy takedown then." Sam extended his wings, "So what are we waiting for?"

"What did you see, Tony?" Cap asked, trying to form some type of plan in his head.

"Five bodies - one in a large central room under that glass dome, and the other four look to be patrolling the halls — a bunch of seemingly empty rooms around the perimeter. Pretty standard stuff, really," he shrugged.

"Alright, well, let's still be vigilant and expect surprises." With a nod from Steve, the group split into teams.

Bucky, Cap, and Natasha took off, running down the hill toward the building. While Tony, Sam, and Wanda took to the sky for one last look before they all reached the building.

It didn't take long for them to scan the land and the surrounding high-altitude forests. Nonetheless, the only life they saw was the small and simple wildlife - the birds flying above and the scattered squirrels near the base.

"Alright. Let's move in - Cap and Bucky take the north. Natasha, you take the west. Sam, you take the east side with Wanda," Tony instructed, his voice echoing through the comms, "I got the south covered."

Each member entered the building from their respective points, circling the halls quickly and effectively, eliminating the four agents that seemed to be protecting whatever - or whoever - was in the center.

Steve was the first to step onto the catwalk that encompassed the vast center room.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the man with the giant metal frisbee," a voice echoed from below.

Steve looked over the edge and saw a lone figure standing below. Wearing a solid black bodysuit, much like Natasha's, and a black piece of cloth over the lower half of their face, there was no telling who they were. He spoke cautiously, "Who-"

"I mean, she's not wrong," Tony commented, interrupting Steve as he stepped onto the walkway on the opposite side of the room.

"If it isn't the tin man himself. Should I feel special to have both of you here?" Cocking her head to the side just a little, the men couldn't get a good read on her. Was she friend - or foe? Her dark brown hair covered her right eye and with the mask she wore, only a quarter of her face was visible to the heroes slowly surrounding her.

She held her ground, though, never moving more than a step or two in a small circle to watch as the others entered the room. "Wow, and here's the cowardly lion and Dorthy, come to visit Oz again," she said as Bucky and Natasha stepped forward. "You brought Glinda and Toto, too," she smirked under her mask, "Hate to break it to you, but you're not in Kansas anymore."

"Who are you?" Natasha asked. "You're not from Hydra's Red Room; that much is obvious. And I'm sure you're not from the prep school up the way. But you very clearly know me - know us - but how?"

"Who doesn't know the infamous Black Widow? One of the deadliest female assassins to grace Hydra." With an evil grin that barely reached her eye, she continued, "Or perhaps, you have another name? Something more favorable now? Perhaps-"

"No. No other name," Natasha cut her off. "Not that you can use anyway." Of course, she knew this was no friend. But she could play along for now while the others made their way down to where the stranger stood. "Still doesn't tell me who you are, though."

The woman listened, knowing the others had left to make their way to the lower level. "Who I am isn't important. What is important is that I know exactly who each of you are. The Widow prodigy - top of her class at the red room, excelling where few others could. The Soldier - Hydra's best-kept secret that was stored on ice when he wasn't needed, knowing full well that they could dispose of him at the drop of a dime."

She heard the footsteps approaching, knowing they were listening to every word she spoke. "The failed experiment, losing her brother in some twisted joke when they tried to turn their backs on us. A loyal patriot who gave his life, only to be thawed out and thrown right back into the same bullshit war he already died in once."

Turning on her heels, she faced Tony and Sam as they stepped into the room again, "And you two? Just happy to be part of a corrupt team. Trying to do some good - make up for all the shit that's happened to you in the past."

The woman turned her back to Tony, keeping Sam in her sights and turning just enough to see Steve and Bucky too. "I know you three have seen everything the armed forces can dish out. Government, Hydra, and S.H.I.E.L.D.. Seen all the best and the worst of what the world can offer." The sound of a smirk was evident in her tone as she spoke, though the mask still covered her mouth.

The two Avengers teams had gathered around the woman, keeping a slight distance, not wanting to move too close without knowing what they were up against. Tony was getting a bit tired of the game she so clearly wanted to play, "Uhm... okay. Who are you?"

"Who I am is above your pay grade at this point, tinman," she replied. "I'm someone who knows more about you than you do about yourselves. I'm someone who has had some of the same experiences that you have. Only I have seen more. I have fought more, and I have seen more death." She had seen and experienced things that she was not proud of. But she knew the Avengers wouldn't kill her. They would try to understand her, even if she did not want to be understood.

"You'll have your answer when the time is right. And when you do, we will have a lot to talk about." Turning her attention to Tony, she finally lowered her mask, flashing an innocent smile. "For now, all you need to know is that I'm someone who actually knows where they belong," she said quite confidently.

"What?" Cap asked, watching as she crouched ever so slightly.

"What do you mean?" Natasha asked, trying to get her to continue to play the game she had started in hopes of getting as much information as she could.

"In due time, dear Widow. In due time." Before they could register what was happening, she thrust her arms toward the ground. A burst of energy emitting from her hands pushed her off the floor and sent her flying up through a hole in the glass ceiling.

Natasha turned and immediately set to work finding the computer system and set off a series of explosions around the building. Fury sent them to destroy the location after all. While she worked, the rest had taken off outside to try to find this mysterious person that had been inside. They still had no idea who she was or what role she played with Hydra.

But that didn't matter now. She was gone.