Winters War Phase 3: Some Kind of Monster

Part 20

Bucky walked through the hallways of the compound while he placed his armor on his suit. When he entered the conference area he saw Steve staring at a large screen that showed a map and a flickering dot.

"Are they still driving?"

"No, there is no motion for over half an hour now."

"They are driving, but slowly," Natasha mentioned as she was looking at her smartphone.

Both Bucky and Steve gave her a questioning look.

"It looks like they are parking the car."

"How do you know?" Bucky wondered.

"I had the feeling that placing the GPS in the stuffed animal wasn't enough. So I placed a GPS underneath the hood of the car as well," Natasha explained.

The men smiled at her.

"Natasha, you're a genius," Steve said in admiration. "Can you tell us where she is now?"

"I take your telling and raise it with my showing," Natasha replied while tapping a few times on the screen. Daisy and Jemma gazed over Natasha's shoulder, who zoomed in the map and a very detailed image appeared.

"That's the facility of HYDRA in Delaware," Jemma informed them. "I have worked there on an undercover mission."

"We know the location and know they are together. Let's go and save them," Steve announced.

Rudolf made notes on a notepad while Julia lay unconscious on a metal table, being hooked up to several kinds of machines. He looked at a small sac of blue fluids and saw it was almost empty. Leaving the area, he went into a secured storage room next door, which had several glazed fridges with Terrigen Crystals. Rudolf passed them by as he went to another kind of fridge, from which he retrieved another small sac. Returning to the room with it, he saw Julia sitting up, reaching out to the IV in her hand. Reaching into a pocket of his lab coat, Rudolf retrieved a remote control. When he pushed the single button on it, Julia's body was hit with a heavy cramp. While getting out a syringe with his other hand, Rudolf released the button, which caused Julia to collapse back on the mattress like a limp ragdoll. Wasting no time, Rudolf jabbed the needle into her leg before having a relieved sigh. In the next moment, he heard the tell-tale "click-clack" of high heels coming up to him.

"Is the subject ready?"

"Almost, Madame. I am now giving her an extra portion of the Super Soldier Serum by Dr Nagel. However, the X-rays show the Adamantium in her bones isn't as strong as expected," Rudolf reported.

"What do you mean by that?" she snarled, confused.

"I investigated it and found out the sample we have used is outdated. It isn't as strong as it should be. But for this mission she is strong enough," Rudolf reassured her.

Madame HYDRA walked closer to him and pointed a finger at him with a jutted chin.

"I hope you are right," she hissed in his face before turning on her heel and marching away.

In the meantime, both Avengers and SHIELD agents made their way to the QuinJet. Steve, walking next to Peter, noticed that the youngest member was tense.

"Nervous?"

"I'm scared she's changed too much in the meantime," the teenager admitted.

"I'm sorry for saying this, but there is a large possibility she will be another person. We know for sure HYDRA did brainwash her and wiped her memories," Steve said. "Just remember, our mission is to rescue her and bring her into safety. When she feels safe, we can bring her to Wakanda."

Peter blinked, confused.

"Waa-wo-where?"

"Wakanda, a place in Africa. With their advanced technology, they can cure her of all the trauma she's been through."

Peter just nodded when Steve finished his explanation, hoping deep down that this strange, unknown place would really help Julia, somehow.

Some steps behind them were Daisy and Jemma. All of a sudden, Jemma grabbed Daisy's arm.

"Oh my god, can you believe this?" she asked excitedly, in a whisper.

"Believe what?" Daisy whispered, confused.

"We're so close to Steve Rogers! Captain America! Peggy Carter's love interest!"

Daisy rolled her eyes slightly and moved Jemma's hand off her arm.

"Can you maybe stop fangirling and concentrate on this mission?" Daisy said, annoyed.

Jemma frantically nodded her head and bit her lower lip to restrain herself. At last, the team arrived at the QuinJet, and Bucky went closer to Jemma and Daisy.

"Actually, Peggy Carter was the love interest of Steve," he corrected Jemma.

Jemma's eyes widened as she noticed he had heard her enthusiasm. There was a naughty smirk on Bucky's face, while Jemma blushed fiercely before looking away from him. Daisy next to her just smiled in malicious pleasure at the two.

The team stepped into the jet and arranged themselves around a situation table in the middle of the aircraft. A digital map of the facility appeared.

"As you can see, this is HYDRA's facility in Dover, Delaware. In this wing, on the South side of the building, are the offices. On the twenty-fifth floor is the office of Daniel Whitehall," Jemma explained as she tapped on the screen to enlarge the spaces.

Everybody listened to her in serious concentration. She tapped again on the screen.

"In the West wing from the eighteenth till the twentieth floor are the laboratories. Perhaps they keep more Terrigen Crystals there."

"Any idea where they can keep Pepper and Julia hostage?" Steve questioned.

Jemma released a worried sigh and shook her head.

"Okay team, listen up. They could be anywhere in the building," Steve announced. "Jemma and Bruce, you stay here in the QuinJet. Make sure you can track each team and their surroundings by the radar and the comms. Also be prepared for medical requirements."

The two medics nodded at the Captain.

"Sam, you go with Wanda and take the West wing. Daisy and Bucky, you go with Sam and Wanda," the Captain ordered. "I'm going with Clint, Natasha and Tony to the other side." He turned to Scott and Peter. "Guys, I want you to guard the QuinJet."

"We'll do our best, Cap," Scott saluted, while Peter just nodded.

"Once again, we don't know what state Julia is in. She could be worse than last time. Just keep wearing your gloves. When you find her or Pepper, bring them to the QuinJet safely. Wait until the whole team is complete so we all can go home, safe and sound." Steve looked at Jemma and Daisy. "Anything else?"

"There is a possibility the people who are working there are gifted with powers," Jemma warned.

"Also, if you find a blue crystal, don't touch it!" Daisy added. "It can eventually kill you."

"Okay, I assume we're all ready to bring them home," Steve said.

Everybody except for Tony and Clint nodded in understanding.

Steve looked at the two men.

"I know both of you have access to her trigger words. I order you not to use them."

Clint slightly rolled his eyes at him and took his place behind the wheel with Natasha and started the engines. The QuinJet was ready to lift up into the air after leaving the hangar. Tony just stared at Steve with an arrogant expression.

"Did you even listen?" Steve wondered aloud.

"Yes, it just takes me a while to process so much stupid all at once," Tony sneered back at him.

Steve could barely restrain a sigh while he didn't believe what he heard.

"Everybody, take your seat for take-off. We will arrive in Dover within forty-five minutes," Clint announced.

The Avengers listened and took a seat. While walking to their places, Peter glanced at Tony, who didn't look at him. Instead, Tony locked gazes with Clint via the rearview mirror. A slight nod from both men followed.