𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗡 | 𝗡. 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗙𝗙

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𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐚, 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐚

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It was a bumpy car ride as Truth took them along a dirt path, avoiding the main road littered with Feds and reporters scrambling to understand what had occurred on this night of destruction and death. She drove with one hand on the wheel, her elbow on the console as Natasha held her phone up between them, her uncle's voice coming through the speaker.

"It's a prototype," she was saying, her eyes on the dark road as she used her telepathy as a guide to the nearest, barren highway. "They're far from finished with the designs, but they're using the gala to advertise it to possible investors and clients. They've already managed to get the attention of the Ten Rings, if I'm not mistaken, and I'd hate to think of any other terrorist group getting word of it."

"What do we know of Judy Warner?" Agent Clarke questioned. "Is she independent or working for someone else?"

"Seemed like she was independent, but there's something else going on where she's involved. I don't know what she would want with the implant, but she's definitely going to the gala."

His sigh was just barely audible through the phone.

"And, this is the gala that is hosted by Alec Keil, correct?"

Truth answered with an affirmative, aware that this was a much bigger issue than any of them had assumed it would be. Her uncle tried so hard to keep her and her brother away from HYDRA, but it seemed that everything always circled back to them despite their best efforts.

"If it makes you feel better," Truth started, "I seriously doubt that he's going to be there. And, if he is, he'd leave the second he knew I was there."

One reason Keil always managed to stay out of her grasp was because he never, ever allowed himself to be in any proximity to her. He knew all about her powers and what she was capable of—a little better than most, and Truth suspected that was because he had played some hand in HYDRA's experiments for Project Olympus, though that wasn't a proven assumption. Most of their interactions had been through second or third parties—he had a number of people indebted to him, including other enhanced individuals who did a lot of his dirty work. He was smart, and he knew that the second Truth had him in her sights, there were very slim chances that he'd be able to escape.

"Shouldn't I be the one reassuring you right now?" Clarke questioned.

Natasha looked away from the window to get a glimpse of Truth's reaction to the question. She didn't look at all perturbed at the idea of possibly revealing herself to HYDRA, though she wondered if whether or not that was simply an act she put on for their benefits.

Truth sighed, aware of both Natasha's concern and Clarke's worry. She didn't speak until she maneuvered the SUV onto an empty road, abandoning the dirt path as they rerouted towards the general direction of D.C.

"Am I happy about it? Not exactly," she said. "There are better things I'd like to be doing, but I don't think this is something we can just put off. This is a priority mission now, and there aren't that many people more qualified to pull it off than the Black Widow and the Siren," she said, sharing a glance and a small smile with Natasha at that last part. "It'll be in and out. Our only goal is to retrieve the implant and deliver it to a secure facility. If we have the authority, you can give us a team to apprehend anyone who gets in our way, and no one would be the wiser."