SHIELD Agent Eleanor Flint

Chapter 3

-6 Months Later, January 2007. Small town 126 km outside of Jerusalem, Israel-

"You two want to do anything after this?" Natasha asked over the comms. 

I crawled underneath a car as a grenade detonated overhead. This was the best cover I could find without creating a shield of ice. I inched myself out from under the vehicle, stood up, and shot the grenade thrower. 

"Natasha, it's been twenty minutes since the first shot was fired," I said. 

"Just thinking ahead!" Nat shouted as she hopped over a car across from me. 

I turned my attention to the base ahead of us. The entire framework was made from stone and concrete, making it a hard target to infiltrate. The courtyard surrounding us was barricaded by a stone wall, separating the base from the nearby city... or town... It was a small settlement, which was a perfect location for an 0-8-4. 

"The next wave is coming in two minutes," Agent Sitwell informed. 

"Copy," I answered. 

Gunfire rang out from one of the base windows and I ducked down behind the car again. There was a whizz above me as one of Clint's arrows flew into the window. The gunfire ceased. 

"Clint, how's the civilian situation?" Natasha asked. 

I glanced up at Clint's position on the stonewall. He glanced behind him while loading his bow with another arrow. 

"So far, so good. SHIELD detail is keeping them back." 

"One minute," Sitwell said. 

I began to climb up the rubble that sloped up the stone wall. My main goal was to stay at a high point when the next surge of energy caused a quake wave through the ground. 

"Did you find the location of the 0-8-4?" Natasha asked. 

"Yes, it's right in the middle of the base, 5 feet in the ground," Sitwell answered. 

"Oh, perfect, we can totally reach that," I said, sarcastically. 

"Incoming wave." 

The ground rumbled and a ripple effect emerged from the base, causing the stone ground to crack and suddenly jut upward before falling back in place. I held onto the wall for some sort of support. Natasha jumped onto a car before the ripple hit her. 

"You're clear." 

I ran down the rock slope and began firing my gun into the base windows, hoping that it would take down any enemy that was inside the base. The gunfire from inside stopped for a few moments and I regrouped with Natasha. At this rate, maybe our plan wouldn't work out so well. Sitwell was having trouble finding a weak spot in the base and the only progress we were making was killing the multiple hostiles that came in a neverending stream from the doors after each quake wave. 

"How long do you think this will go on for?" I asked. 

Natasha and I stood back to back. We fired our guns at the oncoming attackers and fought anyone who came close. Another arrow whizzed over my head as Clint shot a man who I had not noticed coming after me. 

"If this goes on any longer I might just go and find that weak spot myself," Natasha stated. 

"Bad idea," Clint said. 

"What, you think I can't handle it?" Natasha chuckled. 

Both of them were right. This mission was taking a little longer than we had planned, but Natasha was in no place to be able to find the base's weak spot. That's why we had Sitwell. I shoved a hostile back and placed my gun on my belt to prepare for this brawl. Once he recovered he swung first with his fist and I ducked. I stood again to return his swing but instead was met with his shoulder to my chest as he barreled towards me. He shoved me back into the hood of a car to begin landing punches on me. I tried to block as many as I could, but you can only do so much when your back is pressed against a vehicle and a broad man his swinging at you in close range. I kicked his legs in an effort to hold him back but that wasn't working. This was becoming a big issue. I couldn't reach my gun without exposing myself to his fists and I couldn't shake him.