Ouch, another lengthy absence. Sorry about that guys. Lost my inspiration a bit there. After a mini marathon of Star Wars and the Marvel movies/ Agents of SHIELD, I have it back. So, here we go, the next chapter.
Chapter Seven
Revelations
Triskelion
Washington, DC
Marissa focused on the weights in front of her. A five pound weight rose in the air. She kept it steady, steady. She tried to make it turn in the air.
Rissi, can you hear me? She heard in her head.
The weight dropped to the floor, nearly pummeling her foot. "What?"
Rissi, it's your sister. Can you hear me? That voice again. Her sister was trying to contact her in her mind?
Marissa tried to focus on that voice. "I hear you," she whispered softly. "Where are you?"
No answer. Was she just imagining the contact? Marissa didn't think so, but she wasn't going to dwell on the matter. She focused on the weight again.
"You know weights are meant to be lifted, right?" Brock Rumlow, one of Steve's STRIKE commandos, joked as he past.
"Really?" Marissa quipped, using her mind to lift the weight level with his face. "Thought never crossed my mind."
"Okay. Have a good workout, then," Rumlow said as he eyed the weight for a second, then walked off.
She let the dumbbell drop softly onto the floor. She looked for something else to lift when she sensed a very familiar presence. Steve, she thought with a smile. He was at the entrance way, scanning the gym. He made a beeline for her.
"Hey Cap. Looking for me?"
"Marissa," he nodded. "I was looking for you. I saw that encounter with Rumlow."
"That was funny. Got a minute or two?"
"Yeah."
Marissa took his hand and led him to an isolated corner of the gymnasium. She sat down on a broken bench press machine. Steve sat down next to her.
"I know things have been awkward with us. I know you care for me very deeply. You know I considered you a very close and dear friend."
"Of course. I told you—showed you—in the Avengers Tower how I felt about you. And you pushed me away. I'm not going to push you anymore."
"I know Steve. When you left, I couldn't sleep. I found Pepper in the living room. She and I had a long talk. I was taught that attachment to someone is weakness, a tool to be exploited. No emotions or attachments should get in the way of your mission. The mission is everything. Pepper explained that the love Tasha and Clint have for each other makes them stronger, empowers them to fight harder."
"They are very happy with each other," Steve agreed with her.
"She challenged me to take a look at my own situation. How do I feel when you're not with me? How do I feel when you're with me? How I felt when I saw you on TV fighting the Chitauri in New York?"
"What conclusion did you come to when you thought about it?"
"I nearly freaked out when you were fighting the Chitauri. I knew the next strike was going to take you out. I breathed a sigh of relief every time I saw you come out unscathed. I was terrified for you, Steve, for all of you, but especially you. When I thought you might die, my whole world collapsed. A piece of me would have died with you. I didn't know how to react to that. I was confused, and I lashed out because I was angry."
"I can understand that."
"I didn't want you to be taken from me, too. My parents were killed when I was a baby. The people who took me in died in a car crash when I was five. My sister, that I didn't even know I had, was torn from me. Everyone I have ever loved has been taken from me. I don't want to lose you, too, Steve."
Steve took her hand in his. "I can't promise you won't lose me, Marissa. I will promise to fight like the devil to stay by your side."
"I know that," she said with a grin. "I don't know if this is love, but I'm willing to give it a try." She squeezed his hand. "No matter what happens, I'm with you. You're stuck with me, Cap."
"That's good. You're kinda stuck with me, too." Then Steve leaned in and kissed her softly.
Marissa relished the feel of his lips. Her free hand snaked around his neck, drawing him closer. She wanted to feel more of him, taste more of him.
His tongue swept across her mouth, asking for access. She moved to let him in.
The beeping of her cell phone broke the moment.
"Damn," she exclaimed, breaking the kiss. She looked down at her cell phone.
A jet is waiting to fly you to the Hub in three hours. Further instructions in flight.
"What a way to ruin the moment," she sighed, closing her cell phone.
"Mission?"
"I leave for the Hub in three hours. Walk me to my quarters?"
"I'd be honored to, my lady." Steve took her hand in his again. He helped her up from the bench and walked out of the gym with her.
"Always a gentleman," Marissa laughed.
"So, the Hub, huh?" Steve asked, walking with her. "Ever been there before?"
"Never. You?"
"Once. It's a very impressive, big building. Not like the Triskelion."
"Should be interesting. I don't even know what my mission is yet." For Hydra.
"I've had a few missions like that." They reached her temporary quarters. "Want some company while you pack?"
"Are you that bored?" Marissa joked.
"Never too bored to spend time in good company," he replied with a cheeky grin.
Marissa punched him in the shoulder.
"So, do you have any guesses what your mission is?" Steve asked as Marissa grabbed a duffel bag.
"Fly to the Hub? Can't be anything good."
"Take down an international arms dealer?" Steve speculated.
"Assassinate an evil scientist?"
"Intercept intelligence?"
"Recover stolen goods?"
"Buy Director Fury a new eye patch?"
"Yeah, that sounds like a matter of national security," Marissa laughed. "Whatever the mission is, I'll get it done, so I can come back to you."
"So you like my company too?"
"I told you, Cap. You're stuck with me." Marissa grinned. She grabbed her katana and added it to her bag. She grabbed clothes, including a certain gag gift Natasha and Clint gave her for her birthday.
"You still have that shirt?" Steve asked with a laugh.
"I happen to like it," she replied with a shrug as she pulled her uniform from the closet. In it went as well. "Reminds me of you." She put her laptop in as well. She zipped up her bag.
Marissa walked to the desk and grabbed her SHIELD badge. She put it in her pocket. Finally, she opened the drawer and grabbed her weapons. Her Glock went at her side, and her combat knife in her boot. "All set, and I still have two hours to go. Any suggestions?" She moved closer to him.
"This is good."
"Just talking?" She was inches from him.
Steve backed up, tripping and landing on the bed. He sat up quickly, noticeably swallowing. Marissa grinned mischievously.
"Talking is good," Steve managed to say.
"What about this?" Marissa said as she neatly sat down on his lap and kissed him.
Heat protruded her senses, filling her with a euphoria that made her drunk with desire. She needed to feel more of Steve, taste more of him. Her arms circled his neck and beckoned him closer.
She was vaguely aware of Steve's arms around her waist, tracing little lines of electricity all up her spine. Her brain turned to mush as they pulled away from each other.
"Keep that up and you'll miss your jet to the Hub," Steve breathed, holding her close to him.
Marissa could feel the rapid tattoo of his heart against her forehead. "I know. Maybe we should just stick to conversation of the verbal variety."
"Yeah. Director Fury would kill you if you missed your mission to allocate a new eye patch for him," Steve joked, sending Marissa into fits of laughter.
"Can't let that happen," she answered, disentangling herself from Steve and sitting at the desk chair.
After a moment of silence and staring into space, Marissa looked at Steve. "So, see any good movies lately?"
Steve grinned. "Well, I just watched the first Hunger Games movie."
"What did you think about it?"
Steve and Marissa talked about movies until she left for the Hub.
One hour into the flight, Marissa received her instructions. The video communications panel chimed. "This is Agent Hermann," she answered.
"Enigma! So good to see you again.!" John Garrett, the last man Marissa expected as Hydra, greeted her. "I knew your defection from Hydra was all an act. Ready to deal a fatal blow to SHIELD?"
"Of course. What are my orders?"
"Nick knows that SHIELD has been compromised by Hydra. He just doesn't know how high up we go. You are going to give Agent Victoria Hand an encrypted note identifying Secretary Pierce as Hydra. Then, you will personally send out the message for Hydra to come out of the shadows."
"And afterwards, do I come out of the shadows as well?"
"No, Enigma. You keep your cover as long as you can. You are close to the Avengers. Our perfect mole in Fury's choice team of superheroes. You will know when it is time to reveal your true nature."
"I understand. What is my cover?"
"You are there because the scientists who worked on your blood when you joined SHIELD have questions for you about the organism that lives in it. I am certain you have questions yourself."
"That is actually true. Sometimes, I sense that these organisms in my blood talk to me. Lead me on the right path. It's weird, but I do not let it bother me. I will do my job."
"Good. I will see you soon," Garrett replied. "Hail Hydra."
"Hail Hydra," Marissa echoed. She ended the transmission. "Great, just great."
She sat down to work on her encoded message to Agent Victoria Hand. She grabbed a tablet and wrote out her template for Vigenére's cipher. She quickly wrote a brief message then fought for a codeword to use to encrypt her note.
"Enigma," she finally said as she wrote her code name repeatedly under her message. Then, she used her cipher template to encode the message.
From Enigma:
Nhaz weeevlp Sip. Xoqrgr qy Uyhei. Nkhvn zkmclra ozts ntr xezsty af WUQKXD. Rb akorjga ymfj.
"Now, we just have to wait," she said to herself. She walked up to the cockpit. "How much longer until we reach the Hub?"
"About three hours, ma'am," the pilot answered.
"Enough time for a nap. Thanks."
"Yes, ma'am."
I hate being called "ma'am," Marissa thought disgustedly to herself as she strapped herself into her seat and closed her eyes. Thoughts of a man in a star spangled uniform plagued her as she drifted off.
The quinjet took a sharp angle downward, rousing Marissa from her slumber. She immediately knew that they were entering restricted airspace. They had to follow a specific flight pattern or risk retaliatory action from the Hub.
"Rise and shine Sleepyhead," the pilot joked as he took another sharp banking turn.
"If I had anything to throw at you right now, I would," Marissa glared at him as she tightened her flight restraints.
"I'm sure you would," the pilot joked. "Air control, this is Quinjet Alpha 985 requesting clearance to land."
"Quinjet Alpha 985, transmit clearance code on channel three," a crisp male voice answered.
Marissa reached out with her mind, catching a sense of the terrain around her. The Hub was alive with minds focused on their job. There was a sense of urgency and efficiency to the environment, a true desire to protect the world. There were also a few vibrations of deception, and something more sinister laced underneath.
Great, Hydra was here as well. Marissa focused back on the situation at hand as the jet made a soft landing. She quickly grabbed her bag and her katana.
A lone agent was waiting for her when she disembarked. "Agent Hermann, codename Enigma. I have heard a lot about you. I'm Agent Victoria Hand, Station Chief. Welcome to the Hub."
"Thank you for meeting me, Agent Hand," Marissa replied as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "So, I understand that some of the scientists have questions about the strange microorganism in my bloodstream?"
"Yes, indeed. One agent in particular, Agent Simmons wants to study samples of your blood."
"Is she here at the Hub?"
"She's on her way in." Agent Hand stopped. "I have heard of your abilities to detect lies. Are you aware that there is a mole in SHIELD?"
"I suspected because I could sense deception around me. You just confirmed my suspicions ma'am."
"Good. I want you to help me find the mole while you're working with the scientists here. Your abilities make you uniquely qualified to help."
"It's a deal, Agent Hand."
"Your cooperation is appreciated, thank you."
Marissa grinned. "I'll get started immediately. I'll use old school methods when I find something."
Hand nodded then walked off to a different part of the Hub.
Marissa watched her for a moment and then turned to find her way to the barracks. She focused on making her presence as small as possible. She smiled as she walked past two agents who didn't as much as glance her direction.
She stopped as she sensed a familiar presence. No way, he's dead. Marissa o kept walking, but the presence got stronger and closer. I'm imagining things. She kept walking. No, I have to find out if I'm right. She made her way towards the presence. It got stronger and stronger.
"Son of a bitch!" she gasped to herself. "He is alive!" In her shock, she lost concentration and she found herself staring at a ghost.
"Hello, Agent Hermann," Phil Coulson greeted her with a grin.
"Agent Coulson," Marissa greeted. "You look awfully well for a dead man."
"I'll take that as a compliment, Marissa."
Marissa felt the anger bubble up. "I saw the video. Loki stabbed you in the heart. How the hell are you still alive?"
"You don't want to know, Agent Hermann." Coulson grinned again. "I am glad to know you still care about me."
The anger bubbled away for now. "I'll accept that for now, Coulson. I'll see you later?"
"I would like that very much."
Marissa walked away.
"Can this day get any stranger?" she asked herself.
Author's Note:
Hello, we are getting into Cap 2 now. Hydra is about to drop the hammer on SHIELD and worlds are about to collide. What will happen now? Tune in next time.
