#abstractionss

Sterling had gathered a small team for the mission. Javi was flying the plane. Akela had been his field agent for his department so he knew she would be in. Germaine was on comms and recording what they were seeing and hearing should the mission go wrong and the footage was needed. He was also in their ear for advice, calling backup, or looking things up for them from the safety of base. Barton, well... After Sterling’s car wreck he had volunteered to help hunt down the ones responsible. 

And this was exactly that.

The plane had touched down smoothly in a clearing of snow in the middle of the Canadian wilderness. Sterling had honestly never seen this much snow in his life. He’d made sure they all bundled up for the trek through the snow, checked weapons and supplies, had Javi put cloaking on the plane as he waited in it for their return, and took up the middle of the three man team as they began the journey to the exact point of the coordinates he was given. He wasn’t the leader of the mission, he had made sure they knew they all had equal say in what was to happen on the flight over. The other two had far more field experience and if this wasn’t personal for Sterling he probably wouldn’t even be there. He couldn’t help but feel like this was somehow meant for him though. He wanted to see this through. One last field op. He had promised Chen. 

 As they walked he trusted the more experienced agents to check for enemies or traps so he could concentrate on navigating to the right spot. They had been walking in the ankle deep snow for about an hour before Sterling suddenly stopped and checked the device in his hand. 

“This should be it. Akela.” 

As Sterling looked over at her she pulled a pair of glasses from her bag and put them on. She tapped the side of it to activate the backscatter imaging on the glasses that had been made to mimic her old eye implant. Sterling had borrowed them to search for whatever they were looking for and give them a slight advantage and while he had said he would use them Akela had volunteered. She had 3 years of experience with them and while it had been a rather dark time in her life, she wasn’t against taking those reigns again. She was stronger than anything Hydra had done to her. 

“A secret underground base. How cliché.” She pointed toward a rock face. “There’s a door there.” 

“Testing comms. You there, Shepherd?” 

Arrie held her personal phone in her hand, shaking a bit. This was it. This was the decision that could change everything. She wondered how long it would take Roman to realize she wasn't going to come back from her usual snack run to the fridge. The very thought of him finding what potentially could be her last gift to him on the kitchen counter was nothing short of heartbreaking.

No, she couldn't change her mind now. Micro was already awake and on standby, ready to go. It was now or never. Sighing to herself loudly, she sent some texts to the anonymous number.

[ texte à : inconnu ] you know, i was always much more of a night owl than an early bird. i thought someone like you would've known that, but maybe we got off on the wrong foot.

[ texte à : inconnu ] the whispering gallery. right now, as soon as possible. there's still work to do, is there not?

[ texte à : inconnu ] will i be seeing you?

It was just a coincidence that she looked at the TV screen at the exact moment something weird appeared for just a couple of seconds. “What the hell?” Why would they broadcast this very old announcement? 

Darcy paid more attention to what was happening on the screen, then a couple of letters showed up. “Oh shit, not again.” Darcy just typed as fast as she could whatever she could find and then a song.

The tick, tick, tick from the clock an ever-present reminder that time was running out. There was only a small window of time to accomplish her work and go. 

The woman’s attention shifted quickly to the click of shoes in the hallway, footsteps. Then, the banging on the door. In a swift motion her gun was drawn from its holster as she stepped behind the kitchen island. 

One more bang from behind the door and a finger-width hole was blasted through the wood. Ducking quickly behind, she did not fire her own gun until she could see a shadow behind. Her heels were kicked off, with her eyes trained on the door she grabbed for her phone with her left hand. 

[ NO NUMBER ] 

Another shot blasted through, and returned through the door.

    “Move you fucks, move!”

     Roman pressed his hand on the stolen car’s horn as he could see the smoke rising in the distance. It had taken him about twenty minutes to get from the hospital to about two blocks away. Time was dwindling. He had to get there and help. He had to.

     “Fuck this,” he cursed, slamming the door open before rushing out of the vehicle. He heard some of the people behind him call back but he ignored it. There was no time, he had to sprint the rest of the way.

      Roman grabbed his scarf and wrapped it around his mouth and nose as a makeshift mask before he started to pick up the speed. His legs started to carry him faster and faster until he was hitting nearly forty miles an hour. He blasted down the sidewalk, dodging people standing in his way the best he could as he closed down the distance between him and the care facility. 

     It didn’t take long for him to run into one of the fire engines trying their best to put out the raging heat that was engulfing the building.

Classic New York.

The gun was still behind her head, the knife only a reach away to her left. There were four other people on the cart. How bold they were.

Mercy brought a hand up to her face. Her cheek felt like it was on fire.

Never mind how she feels, send updates-

No. No , no no no-

There had been a name left on the coffee cup, discarded along with the phone. He’d been left a name. At least, he thought it was a name. 

No results, when he searched it up. Not a name of anyone he knew.