HYDRA Facility 017
05-15-2020
1715 HOURS
The alarms were screaming, the warning lights were flashing, and the Red Skull was furious. All three things separately were bad, but in combination it was simply terrifying.
"What do you mean we're compromised?"
A very nervous lieutenant stepped forward and stuttered his explanation.
"Well, sir, a-an outside s-source managed to h-hack into our mainframe a-and c-compromise-"
The poor lieutenant was cut off by a nearby explosion on the lower deck of the cargo bay. The Red Skull peered over the side, his features twisting into hatred. Captain America leaped over the remains of the door and began to destroy the crates that hadn't already been shipped out. The Red Skull pointed at him shouting his newest order, "Stop him!"
HYDRA minions rushed onto the lower deck, quickly surrounding the hero. The Red Skull looked very proud, and said with a grand voice, "Captain! You were very foolish in coming here."
"Is that so?" Captain America replied, "I say differently. Now, why would you compromise your own facility Skull?"
The Red Skull was thrown off, but recovered quickly. "Why? Because I knew you were coming, and thus I set this marvelous trap!"
Captain America shouldered his shield onto his arm. "I'm afraid today is the day I take you into S.H.I.E.L.D custody, Red Skull."
The HYDRA leader laughed incredulously, then leaned over the rail and said in a mocking tone, "You and what army Captain?"
A crashing sound came from above, causing most of the Hydra minions to look towards the direction of the sound. It was enough of a distraction to let the infamous S.H.I.E.L.D agent Black Widow sneak behind the Red Skull and put a gun behind his head.
"I suggest you hold still."
The Red Skull was panicking, but didn't show it on his features. How did she get here? Then it dawned on him. I was set up! Someone, this outside source, wanted me in this situation while he leisurely walked in and took whatever he wanted! By the time the Red Skull finished that train of thought, a third hero had picked off a few of his subordinates. Hawkeye stepped from the shadows after Captain America picked up his shield, leaving the rest of them motionless on the ground.
"'Ya know Cap, you could have called us in earlier," Hawkeye tilted his head toward the Red Skull, "Could've spared you listening to his ego." At this, the Red Skull turned a darker shade of red. The Captain swung up on the balcony where Black Widow and the Hydra leader stood. Captain America promptly grabbed the Red Skull by his collar, pushing him up against the wall.
"Why would you compromise one of your own major facilities?"
The Red Skull choked out his reply, "I'm not that insolent, Captain. If I had, I would have done it after I was gone, the area cleansed of Hydra's presence."
Captain America dropped him, leaving the Red Skull gasping for breath. Suddenly, Hawkeye shot an arrow up near the ceiling. The first sound was a hard thwack as it hit a wall, and then of rushing wind followed it.
"We're not the only ones here for the party, Cap."
The Red Skull mumbled something.
"What did you say?" asked Black Widow curtly.
"The outside source…"
"What does that mean?"
"It means, Agent Romanov," The Captain said as he gripped his shield, "That if this snake didn't reveal his hideout, something else did."
The trio of heroes took up a defensive position at the sound of more rushing wind. A shadowy figure then leaped from a hidden ledge and Hawkeye rapidly released an arrow. The shadow flipped and kicked the arrow away from it, which exploded a few seconds later, and landed on the opposite balcony. "We are agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, identify yourself!" called out Black Widow. The shadow cocked its head, then shook it twice, and ran across the balcony. Hawkeye continuously shot arrows at it, each one exploding just behind the shadow, and they seemed to have no effect. Another explosive arrow and the shadow went to its knees, grasping its left arm. But it was soon on its feet again and running across the balcony.
"Persistent." muttered Hawkeye, who had now stopped firing, "Whoever this guy is, he can certainly take a hit."
Captain America prepared his shield, "We're not done yet." He ran a few feet and threw his shield, aiming just ahead of the shadow. The shadow outstretched its uninjured arm and within the space of a few seconds the Captains shield disappeared inside a shadowy portal. Another one opened up soon after, and the dark figure disappeared into it. The portal closed as the Red Skull laughed and the heroes looked at him, "Well Captain, it seems you've lost something!" In response, the Captain slugged him in the jaw, knocking him into unconsciousness.
Taskmaster's Training Facility
05-15-2020
1730 HOURS
I stumbled back through the Darkforce portal, my left arm dripping blood from the barrage of shrapnel from the exploding arrow hitting the wall next to me, and a few large pieces were still stuck in said arm. It was painful, but nothing I couldn't come back from. I looked at Taskmaster and Magneto, "Success." I reported, and Taskmaster began the questions. "You managed to relieve Captain America of his shield?"
I nodded, and Magneto gestured toward the shrapnel in my arm. "I'm assuming the Avenger's archer was there as well?"
"Yes. Hawkeye and Black Widow were with Captain America."
Taskmaster shook his head, "That was reckless, going into an unknown situation like that."
I bowed my head, and then Taskmaster said something that surprised me.
"Sounds like Cryptic certainly left his mark on you Shadow Walker. He did that sort of thing often, getting himself into situations with major unknown elements in play." Pain spiked from my arm, and my sight was temporarily blurred.
"I apologize." Magneto. "There was no better opportunity to remove the shrapnel than when you were distracted from it." I saw bits of metal hovering before Magneto, the pieces dripping with my blood. Taskmaster helped me up and into a chair, and binding my arm up.
"I need to figure out a way to pay you back someday."
Taskmaster shook his head, "No, I'm busy paying Cryptic back by making sure his protégé doesn't get herself killed after barely completing her training."
I looked over to my crates of Echonium and reopened the portal which held the shield. It dropped onto the floor before me, and picking it up with my good arm I found it extremely light. I went over to the crates. Putting the shield aside, I opened up the first crate. Once I touched the shield to the Echonium, the batch instantly became Echo-Vibranium. It's dull gray color turning into shiny silver, as it does after it has copied the properties of a metal, which included the metals color.
I then proceeded to open the other two crates. Captain America's Vibranium shield touched each one. I now had enough Echo-Vibranium to complete my armor. Enjoying the brief feeling of satisfaction in a job well done, I reopened the portal and prepared to toss the shield.
Taskmaster objected, "Why not keep it from him? Surely it would be to your advantage?"
"I didn't sign a contract, nor am I getting paid to play keep-away with Captain America, the Avengers, and S.H.I.E.L.D."
Taskmaster sighed, "Very well. It seems Cryptic drilled his mindset into you as well as his skills."
I threw the legendary shield and sent it back to Captain America. Wasn't he in for a surprise?
HYDRA Facility 017
05-15-2020
1745 HOURS
The Red Skull was loaded on an aircraft sent from S.H.I.E.L.D that had arrived ten minutes ago. He had been cuffed and roughly shown the holding area by Black Widow. Captain America though, was standing by the base of the ramp, staring at the facility, his right fist clenching and unclenching. He had his shield stolen from him so easily, and by a shadow that had most likely compromised the HYDRA facility as part of a plan to set him up. Someone then approached him, and the Captain saw it was Hawkeye.
"Don't worry Cap, we will find your shield and we will find whoever's responsible."
"I don't like all this, I don't like being set up."
"None of us do Captain," It was Black Widow, "No one likes being played into a situation and then lose something important."
When she finished her sentence, another dark portal opened up a few feet from them. Something shot out of it as it closed once more. The object slid across the tarmac and stopped just a few inches from Captain America's feet. He blinked. It was his shield, and he cautiously picked it up.
"Looks like it, feels like it, and weighs just as much. It doesn't seem to have been tampered with." The Captain sounded stunned.
Black Widow looked suspicious. "Let's run some tests to make sure, I don't trust a thief who simply returns a stolen good only after less than an hour of having stolen it."
"Maybe he felt guilty about stealing an iconic shield?" Hawkeye added jokingly.
The Captain nodded his agreement to Black Widows statement, following her and Hawkeye onto the aircraft. Yes, pondered Captain America, what kind of thief steals something, and then returns it soon after?
