Chapter 2 – Iron Man POV
A/N: Unless it's Spider Man's POV, I will put the POV at the top
I was awoken by the insistent alarm of Jarvis's warning system. "Sir, an assassin has made his way into the tower and is fighting with Mr. Rogers and Miss Romanoff as we speak. He has requested assistance. Your suit is prepped and ready for use." I leapt up and ran out of the room. The suit shot up around me, and I stopped running to fly.
I met up with Thor and Clint as they both ran towards Steve's room. "Sir, do you want to involve the hulk? Mr. Banner is wondering if he should move out as well, but I told him to stay where he is until further notice."
I shook my head. "There is only one assassin and I feel that four Avengers should be able to deal with that pretty well."
Now we were outside the room. I burst through and without even thinking, blasted the black suited assassin in the chest as he sprang for Natasha and Steve. He went flying and landed on his side, still conscious if his attempts to get up were any indication. Steve quickly rolled out from under Natasha and stopped that by punching him hard upside the head. The assassin shot into the air before he came back down from the force of the blow.
I lifted the visor and looked at Steve. "Bit much on the upward swing, don't you think? He may have answers to some questions, answers he cannot give if he never wakes up." Steve was panting but managed to wheeze something. I was shocked. "No way. He can't have been. It's not possible. He was winning, wasn't he? He was beating you both?" I was shocked.
Natasha nodded, breathing heavily. "Give me a moment and I will explain." I nodded and muttered for Jarvis to take the suit off. It flew off and back to my room, where it would stay for the time being. Nat stood, her breath seemingly regained.
"I have no idea how he got in here, but one minute I was asleep, the next I was punching a black masked assassin in the head as he had Steve in a cheese wire." That explained why Steve was massaging his neck in a pained manner, but why was he able to even fight one of them? She continued, "Steve and I were then fighting for our lives, he was that good. He would have killed both of us had you not come in when you did."
Steve stood. "Thanks Tony. You really saved us." His voice was hoarse, and Natasha immediately hushed him. He smiled at her, a warm, caring smile that she returned. I was floored. When did Natasha Romanoff smile like that at anyone? Where these two a couple? When did that happen? I looked at my fellows, both of whom looked just as confused as I did. Steve turned beet red when he realised we were there but smirked all the same. Nat just looked smug.
Clint cleared his throat. "As much as we all have questions about Steve and Nat, we should probably call Fury and tell him about the master assassin that nearly killed you both. And we should lock him up, you know, before he wakes up and tries again." I nodded and called out to Jarvis.
"Jarvis, could you call Director Fury and ask him to come over here. Code, um, Nat, what code do we use for deadly master assassin?" She sighed but didn't get chance to answer me.
"Do not worry, sir, I have already notified the Director. He told me that you better all be alive when he gets here. And he is now heading up in the elevator. Do you want to activate the restraining cuffs for the assassin?" I nodded. Immediately as set of cuffs shot from down the corridor and wrapped around his arms, binding them closely then wrapping around them like the roots of a tree.
Thor walked over to the limp body that was surprisingly smaller than I had thought. He picked him up bridal style and carried him with his cuffs into the main room. The elevator dinged pleasantly, announcing the arrival of Director Fury as he walked in. "You know I am not Director anymore, don't you Stark?" Was his first comment as he strode in.
"Beg to differ, Mr. Fury." I snarked back. He was Director and he knew it. We all did. It was an unspoken truth of the variety that I often spoke.
"Where is this master assassin that nearly killed two of my best fighters then? Cause if that's him in Thor's arms I am going to freak out." Fury walked over to Thor and ripped the mask off.
We all gasped as a kid's face was revealed. Nat nearly collapsed, her face slack with shock. "No. No. No." She kept muttering to herself. I looked over, but Steve was already on the comforting train.
"Nat, it's ok. Sh, it's ok." He murmured softly to her and lowered her onto a couch. Fury, sly old fox, didn't look the least bit surprised at that, whereas Clint and I were floored by her actually taking comfort from him. She always rebuffed any form of comfort for as long as I had known her.
Fury looked on at the face of the assassin. "Well, this causes us a few issues." He was stroking his chin! Like a wizened old advice giver that you see in films all the time, I nearly laughed. But, though the child in me rejoiced, I was just as horrified as everyone else. Who ever had sent him had done so probably knowing full well he was a child.
He gasped, and blue eyes shot open. He leapt from Thor's grip and tried to take a fighting stance. He looked terrified. "I am so sorry, so sorry." He cried out before looking towards Steve and Nat. "I nearly killed you! I am so sorry, please don't hurt me!" He was nearly in tears.
Nat looked at him in sorrow and pity, almost as if she knew what he was feeling like. Fury didn't look quite so happy. "Stop faking and own up, now!" He barked at the poor kid, who visibly shuddered. Clint looked on in horror, his eyes flicking from Nat's now shaking frame to the kids.
Jarvis's voice came from the ceiling. "Sir, his heart rate is sky high and he is beginning to hyper ventilate." He was staring at Fury, his eyes wide with terror. "Please don't hurt me sir. I didn't want to attack you, they made me. I didn't have any choice. They say the words and I am gone." Steve looked interested then.
"Who do you work for then?" I knew why Spangles was so excited, his long-lost pall could be forced like this kid was.
"I used to work for HYDRA. But I didn't want to, they took me from my home when I was very small." He crouched even lower. "They brainwashed me with their chair thing. Someone says the words and I will do whatever HYDRA ask. It moves my allegiance to HYDRA completely and utterly. If they told me to cut my own throat I would."
Steve looked sick, yet hopeful. "Do you know someone called Bucky? James Barnes? I think he is sometimes called the Winter Soldier?" The kid whimpered in terror and stepped back a little.
"Know him? Yes, I know him. Poor sod, he is even worse off than me, but he is heartless when under their control. He was my instructor at the Red Room." Nat sagged into Steve whilst Clint looked horrified.
She managed to whimper. "They still operate? I thought they were gone?"
"I am the last. I only graduated yesterday. They gave me another serum yesterday, one that helped me defeat you and Captain Rogers. Without it, I would have been destroyed." Fury then startled me by asking a simple question.
"Can you get rid of those cuffs?" The kid nodded, then straightened. The root like cuffs that not even Steve could break shattered off his wrists like tin foil. We all stepped back in shock.
"Put him in the hulk cell. We will talk more in the morning." Fury ordered. Thor looked at the kid, before becoming to him and walking away. Steve put Nat down on the sofa and followed after him. This, more than anything, told me his story was true. Any real HYDRA agent would have pulled out of those cuffs and continued the attack and they certainly wouldn't have gone quietly to a hulk restraining cell.
"We need answers Fury. We need them now." I was deadly serious for once. Whoever had hurt that kid like they had would pay.
A/N: Hello, second chapter, second day. Thank you for all the support I got for the last chapter! (SkyDreamer12, Sherlockian445, I'm looking to you!) Please review or PM me with any questions/suggestions!