Fallen Heroes | Marvel/CATWS {2}

Chapter 15: Do or Die

Too late for second-guessing. Too late to go back to sleep. It's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leap. –Wicked, Defying Gravity

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Getting into the Triskelion is easier than expected. I mean, it's not like we walked in through the front door (except Natasha; she actually walked in through the front door), but I would have expected security to be a bit more impressive.

At least flight control bothered to lock the door, I think as we stand in the hallway, waiting for the door to open. When the door finally swings open, the poor guy standing on the other side is met with two pistols aimed at his head.

"Excuse us," Steve says while Hill gestures with her gun for the man to move out of the way. He does and we file inside.

I stay by the door, holding it open with my foot. "Everybody that's not a wanted fugitive, out," I order the room. "Keys stay in here." None of the people working here are armed—or, if they are, they're too afraid to reach for their weapons—so they all stand and shuffle out of the room, leaving their keys to the room in a pile on one of the desks.

When they're all outside, I lock the door behind them and join the rest of the team. Hill has finished patching into the Triskelion's intercom system and nods at Steve. He leans against the desk in front of him in front of a microphone and speaks into it. "Attention all S.H.I.E.L.D. agents," he begins, "this is Steve Rogers. You've heard a lot about me over the last few days. Some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it's time you know the truth."

He pauses and glances up at the ceiling. I can't read his mind, but I imagine he must be thinking along the same lines as I am. He and I have both dedicated our lives to S.H.I.E.L.D.—granted, he dedicated his a very long time before I did—and now know that S.H.I.E.L.D. never truly existed. Nearly every other agent that's not HYDRA made the same sacrifice. As soon as Steve tells them the truth about the organization they've sworn to serve, all those sacrifices will seem like they were for nothing.

Steve draws a deep breath before continuing. "S.H.I.E.L.D. is not what we thought it was. It's been taken over by HYDRA. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The S.T.R.I.K.E. and Insight crew are HYDRA as well. I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you.

"They almost have what they want. Absolute control. They shot Nick Fury. And it won't end there. If you launch those helicarriers today HYDRA will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way. Unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot. But the price of freedom is high. It always has been. And it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not."

Hill turns off the microphone and Steve steps back from the table. "Did you write that down first," Sam asks, "or was it off the top of your head?"

"Guys, we gotta get going," I speak up before Steve has a chance to answer. "After that little speech, I doubt they wait much longer to launch." Nobody argues.

While we're on our way to Insight Bay, each of us carrying one of the targeting blades, Hill's voice echoes through our comms, "They're initiating launch."

"You both remember the plan?" Steve asks as we pick up the pace from a jog to a full-on run (well, I guess Steve's still just jogging, because he stays fairly even with Sam and me).

"Yeah," I answer. "The plan's not to die."

Since we can't go to the launch bay, we change direction and head towards the exit, hoping to catch the carriers before they get too high. Even though it's early in the day, the sun shines brightly and reflects off the surface of the Potomac around the raising launch platforms (how the hell did they build those underwater?). I know there must be hundreds of people right now walking their dogs, taking their kids to school, planning picnics in parks, thinking it's a beautiful day. All those lives depending on the three of us to change three targeting blades before the carriers reach three thousand feet.