Choices

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven: Level 6

"One minute I held the key, next the walls were closed on me. And I discovered that my castles stand upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand." -Coldplay: Viva La Vida.

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 If you ever want to get your mind off of a situation, I suggest a month-long stakeout mission in Indonesia.

 That night Agent Coulson called it was about a surveillance mission over in Indonesia. I had just enough time to attach my improved leg. I was extremely thankful to be having it on me again; it felt like a miracle. It was even more exciting with a brand new upgraded cooling unit and wiring. Tony also advanced it by adding what he calls the "emergency ring." The emergency ring is just a little add on to the base of my prosthetic. In case my leg had to be detached hostilely or it malfunctioned, this ring would unfold into a temporary leg. The backup prosthetic would only be hollow, providing me with less durability and no sensors. It would be just enough to give me something to walk and run on.

 I had only a moment to say goodbye to my parents for an unknown period of time. It was unsure of how long I would actually be in Indonesia. With no contact with anyone outside of Director Fury and Agent Coulson, I have not been able to think about things back home. I just told myself my first night I was overseas that by the time this mission was over I would go home and Alex would be there. Alex just needed another week or two to be found; this mission was a perfect way to pass that time.

 I spent a month in Indonesia hiding out and watching a suspect of a possible 0-8-4 handler. I was in a large village for the duration. I spent the nights on rooftops with night vision goggles and my days keeping an eye on the man. I assumed different disguises as I inconspicuously followed the guy around. By the end of the month, I had my fair collection of Indonesian clothes, dresses, and wraps. I even had a few hijabs to help my disguises.

 S.H.I.E.L.D. gave me a fair amount of Indonesian rupiah to cover my basic needs during the duration of the mission. This is how I was able to buy my clothes and disguises. The first thing I bought was a few pillows and a blanket to help sleeping on a roof be a bit more comfortable. I also had to pay for lodging and care. Even though I spent my nights on the roof does not mean it was free, unfortunately.

 My mission was to simply watch this man and if I saw the 0-8-4, then I was to arrest him. If he turned out to be associating with the Ten Rings terrorist group, which was currently in Australia, then I was to put a bullet through his head. It was about two weeks into the mission when my man snuck out at two in the morning. He went down the road a mile into another house with me in pursuit in the shadows of the roofs. I had my gun waiting for a clear shot as this was indeed a terrorist meeting. However, someone else did my job. A gun fight broke out within the meeting and my guy was killed by another member. I immediately contacted Director Fury, asking him if I should engage. He gave me orders to determine who the leader of this particular group was and switch to observing him.

 I did exactly that. Turns out that this Indonesian-based Australian terrorist leader was staying in this village for a while. I followed this man just as I had followed the other. Not to my likings, this man was far more cautious and wary. I took to the rooftops mostly; the buildings are so close to each other it was quite easy to jump from one rooftop to the next. When I did need to sneak through the streets, the black hijab seemed to become my go-to disguise.

 At the end of these three weeks of surveying the leader, I discovered that he had plans to jet over to Saudi Arabia. Director Fury commanded me to make sure he never even made it to the airport. I could not kill the man; S.H.I.E.L.D. needed him alive for interrogating. A bullet of dendrotoxin went beautifully into his back. I handcuffed the man, causing little commotion, before a helicopter picked me up. Agent Coulson was on the helicopter when I left the streets of Indonesia. It felt wonderful to see a familiar face again.