The Royal Asgardian

Chapter 32

Natasha Breaks the silence. "This is a dead end. Zero heat signature, zero waves, not even radio. Whoever wrote the file must have used a router to throw people off."

I watch as Steve notices a building ahead of us. "What is it?" I ask.

We make our way over to the building.

Steve Begins "Army regulations forbid storing ammunition within five hundred yards of the barracks. This building is in the wrong place."

"Even as an old human man. You have great brain." I beam.

Steve opens the lock with his shield and we enter inside.

We start to look around for a light switch.

I flip the switch and turn on the lights.

We notice it's a SHIELD office.

Natasha Reads the words and speaks "This is SHIELD."

Steve shrugs "Maybe where it started."

We enter a room where we find old framed portraits of Howard Stark, Peggy and Col. Chester Phillips.

Natasha Points "There's Stark's father."

Steve Smiles "Howard."

I point "Who's the girl?" Steve doesn't reply and turns away to walk further down the room and stops by a massive book shelf. "Did I speak out of turn?" Nat shrugs.

Steve Speaks again "if you're already working in a secret office..." he pushes the books shelf and slides open to reveal an elevator behind it. "Why do you need to hide the elevator?"

We go down the elevator which takes us to a room with old looking computers.

Natasha Looks at the equipment. "This can't be the data-point, this technology is ancient."

"Well it's nothing like Asgard so I'm completely lost." I chuckle trying to lighten the mood.

Natasha notices a small flash drive port, she places the flash drive in it which then activates the ancient computer in the room.

Computer: Initiate system?

Natasha types using the keyboard "Y-E-S, spells yes." Natasha smiles as the old computer starts to cranks up "Shall we play a game?" She waits for steve .. "It's from a movie that..."

Steve clears his throat "Yeah, I saw it." suddenly we hear an accented voice speaking.

"Rogers, Steven. Born, 1918. Romanoff, Natalia Alianovna. Born, 1984. Avinna The Asgardian Warrior Goddess of Water."

We look and see an old camera moving above us as it analyzes us.

Natasha stares at it "it's some kind of a recording?"

The voice continues. "I am not a recording, Fräulein. I may not be the man I was when the Captain took me prisoner in 1945, but I am" the computer screen shows an old photo of Dr. Arnim Zola.

I chuckle "Do you know this thing? Your nothing but a machine."

Natasha nudges me.

Steve Look intensity at the screen. "Arnim Zola was a German scientist who worked for the Red Skull. He's been dead for years."

Dr. Arnim Zola continues "First correction, I am Swiss. Second, look around you. I have never been more alive. In 1972 I received a terminal diagnosis. Science could not save my body, my mind, however, that was worth saving on two hundred thousand feet of data banks. You are standing in my brain."

"That's gross. But yet really amazing how humans can do such things." I poke the screen.

Steve Grabs my hand "How did you get here?"

Dr. Arnim Zola responds "Invited."

Natasha Looks at the information on the screens "It was Operation Paperclip after World War II. SHIELD recruited German scientists with strategic value."

Dr. Arnim Zola speaks sounding as if he's smirking "They thought I could help their cause. I also helped my own."

Steve Balls his fists "HYDRA died with the Red Skull."

Dr. Arnim Zola just continues "Cut off one head, two more shall take its place."

Steve raises his voice "Prove it."

Dr. Arnim Zola spoke proudly "Accessing archive." the computer screen shows them old footage of Johann Schmidt/Red Skull, of the how the original SHIELD founders "HYDRA was founded on the belief that humanity could not be trusted with its own freedom. What we did not realize, was that if you try to take that freedom, they resist. The war taught us much. Humanity needed to surrender its freedom willingly. After the war, SHIELD was founded and I was recruited. The new HYDRA grew. A beautiful parasite inside SHIELD. For seventy years HYDRA has been secretly feeding crisis, reaping war. And when history did not cooperate, history was changed."

Natasha Now upset. "That's impossible, SHIELD would have stopped you."

Dr. Arnim Zola smiles "Accidents will happen"

the computer screen shows us HYDRA had killed Howard and Maria Stark making it look like a car accident along with the recent death of Fury.

"HYDRA created a world so chaotic that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom to gain its security. Once the purification process is complete, HYDRA's new world order will arise. We won, Captain. Your death amounts to the same as your Life; a zero sum."

In anger i smash the computer screen.

"As I was saying..."the evil man continues.

Steve Looks to Natasha. "What's on this drive?"

Dr. Arnim Zola answers "Project Insight requires insight. So I wrote an algorithm."

Natasha "What kind of algorithm? What does it do?"

Dr. Arnim Zola looks to Natasha "The answer to your question is fascinating. Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it."

suddenly the doors starts to close, Steve tries stops it by throwing his shield in between it but he's too late.

Natasha looks at her device "Steve, we got a bogey. Short range ballistic. 30 seconds tops."

Steve Looks to Nat "Who fired it?"

...."S.H.I.E.L.D."