Earth's Mightiest Problem (Avengers Fanfiction)

Chapter 34 Weapon

Clint's POV
I woke up at the first light, ready for another day of searching. 'I don't know how much longer they can survive in the cold. I don't even know if they made it this far.' That's what killed me. They could be dead for all I know. But I still have to try.

I strolled out of my room, handgun at the ready, just in case Hydra pulled a fast one. I peeked into a room while walking by to see three men talking fast and running their hands through their hair. I left it for now and continued on, eager to get an early start on searching.

I threw on a thick winter coat and stepped out into the cold Antarctic air. A mix of wind and snow whipped at my face, making it hard but not impossible to see. There it was again. Men were standing outside the gate, making nervous gestures and speaking rapidly into radios. 'Ok, something's up.'

I jogged over to the biggest group of men, dodging people running in and out. They hardly noticed me, they just kept looking at the gate worriedly. One or two were anxiously reaching to were their guns would've been if we hadn't taken them. "You expecting someone?" I shouted over the wind.

"The supply trucks haven't come back yet." One man shouted back.

I came closer to the man who answered my question. "Anything important in those trucks?" I ask loudly, staring the man down suspiciously.

The man was taken aback. "Well yeah! We need food and water to live! What are you suggesting?"

I frowned. The man sounded too defensive. I took a deep breath. "Look, we both know you have another few weeks worth of food and water in storage for this reason. What else were you expecting?" I demanded.

"Nothing!" The man took a step back. "The rations won't last forever, we need more supplies."

I grabbed the man's collar and brought my head to his ear so I could speak quieter. "I'm going to give you one more shot, if you answer wrong I will shoot you. If you refrain from telling me I will shoot you. So make the right decision."

"I... Um..." The man stuttered a bit. "It was just f..."

I raised my eyebrows and used my free hand to take out my gun. "What did I say about the wrong answer?" I growled, flicking the safety off.

The man's eyes got wide. "Ok, ok! We were expecting a weapon and a large load of men. We were hoping that with the extra manpower we could take you out." The man winced, expecting a blow from me.

"You called for backup?" I barked angrily. "Remember the punishment for doing that?"

"No no, please sir. They were already on their way while you took the base. It takes almost a week to get here from the nearest Hydra base. We just wanted to use them once they got here." The man looked at me with a pleading gaze. I wasn't as good as detecting lies as Nat, but I could tell this guy was truthful. Or just scared straight.

I didn't lower my intensity. "You something about a weapon?" I implied, waiting for him to explain. "If the weapon isn't for taking us out, what is it for?"

The man gulped. "I don't know." I brought my fist up for a punch and the man shrunk in my arms. "Please! I swear I don't know! I mean that wacko John said something about the prisoners, but other than that I really don't know!"

I loosened my grip and the man fell to the floor. 'The prisoners? Amanda and Steve? He was going to use the weapon on them? Why? What was his game? Was he trying to test a new weapon on them?' All these questions were making my head spin. More wind whipped in my face as I thought.

I looked at the man who I just interrogated. He was brushing snow off his jacket, trying to save the little dignity he had left. "I'll investigate the disappearance of the supplies. If I hear that a single one of you left the base in my absence, you will die." I looked at the fearful faces of men around me. "We clear?"