Unbreakable

Meet the puppet strings

"So when you say the best one, you mean the best what? Assassin?" Asked Steve quietly.
"No."
She looked, almost hurt. "I'm not,
that.
Killing isn't always part of the job description, I work for one boss but I have to do very different things"
"And sometimes it does involve, murder"
"Sometimes"
I still wasn't sure about her, she seemed like a normal person, but someone normal that can kill that easily is much more of a threat.
"Stay for dinner" I suggested, why did I invite the assassin to dinner? I don't know. I'm seriously losing it.
"Bucky can I talk to you for a minute?" Asked Steve pointedly.
"Sure"
"What the hell was that about?"
I thought for a moment "you know, I think I'm just really bored"
Now Steve looked hurt, I realised that it wasn't the best idea to tell the truth. Way to go Bucky.
"Can she stay for dinner?"
"She's a murderer, who killed someone in our house. So what do you think?" He said sarcastically.
"She also spared our lives and destroyed that device, she's trying to make up for it"
Steve looked uncertain, now was the time to play the sympathy card.
"She clearly doesn't have a family, and you never know, she might never have wanted to work for this boss. Come on, aren't you even a little intrigued to find out more about her?" I knew he couldn't refuse.
"Fine, but I'm not happy about it" he grumbled.
"Excellent. Not that your unhappy about it but excellent that we're making new friends"
"This 'friend' punched you in the face"
I grimaced, "well then best keep her where I can see her"
Dinner went better than expected, Steve wanted to get take away and have the night over quickly but I was determined to squeeze blood from the stone and find out about her past. So we did order in, but we ordered from a posh restaurant with 3 courses and added a case of beer from the fridge to turn it into a long night.
Deciding to jump in head first I asked my first question, "who do you work for?"
She scraped her food around nervously, looking for a way out of the conversation. I was quite surprised that she even wanted to stay for dinner.
"Who do you work for?" She countered innocently. Damn. This was going to be harder than I thought.
"Corporal Haynes" I replied evenly, proud to show my military status.
"But in the end he works for the government. We aren't as different as you'd like to think, we both have the same boss"
I shivered at the thought of me and the assassin sharing the same boss, it can't be literal, so what was she getting at?
"Yours makes you commit murder, mine makes me protect people and save lives" an edge of sarcasm crept into my voice, the American government and military were so warped in comparison to this goal of a statement. I was reciting those cheesy sign up adverts about how you could do something for your country whilst men in suits send you and your mates off for slaughter.
"If you really believed that, you wouldn't be here."
"Really?" I asked skeptically, arching one eyebrow.
She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table "Yes. You'd be on the front lines, dying like the others"
"Others?" Don't you hate those conversations where you have to ask all the dumb sounding one word questions, and despite all those questions, at the end of it you're just as confused as when you started.
I was supposed to be finding out about her.
I was doing terribly.
I had to turn the conversation around before she got any further; "Never mind, what I really want to know is why you work for these people?"
"Who exactly are these people and how are they so powerful?" Chimed in Steve, curiosity must have got the better of him.
She sighed "there is no distracting you is there?"
"Would it be any fun if there was?" Ha. Look who answers a question with a question now!
"Ok I'll tell you what I know, it's a disappointing amount but it's all you need to know to realise how far up this thing goes.
There is a branch of law enforcement, outside the law. Run by someone that used to be in the military but was corrupted by the power it brought him. Now he searches for exceptionally talented people to train up to give him an always winning edge against the competition"
"Who?"
"His name is Nick Fury, he's been in the game a long time, and has gained a lot of support. Deep down his morals are right, but"
"But what?" I asked.
"But when he can't find exceptional people, when there aren't enough natural talents to be boosted. He makes his own, out of weak vulnerable strays."
"So that's why you're telling us this, you can't leave and you can't tell anyone that isn't influenced but you need someone to help?" Asked Steve slowly.
"No, I don't need help. Who would I ask? When all roads lead back to them, agents in the police force might not know about it but they will when they investigate and they'll be paid to ignore it, and tell them who told"
"They're all paid off that easily?"
"They employ a certain type of worker, and in truth I don't really know why I told you, I'm not used to company, just files and missions.
"I don't mean to sound dense" began Steve and I coughed loudly, he shot me a withering look "but still, who exactly are this corporation?"
"They're running your country. Government, monarchy, police, FBI, Interpol, CIA all of it, every country, every protection has one of their agent in it. They're the ones pulling all the strings, the strings you don't see. Hiding behind masquerades of good intentions.
Have you ever of the Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-enforcement Division?"