Dear Readers,
Sooo sorry this took so long to get out- it took a lot of time to make sure all of the information in the chapter was correct. (And I edited it about 5 times. Don't get me started). Thanks a million to all of my reviewers/followers /favoriters- I. LOVE. YOU.
Alley Arlington : Awww, thanks! Your support means a lot.
ecrooked24 : I have a chapter coming up w/ Nat and Anna- thanks for the suggestion!
Alrighty then…
"Tell me the whole story," he requests softly.
Anna POV
"I…uhh…." I mumble, not knowing whether to continue or not. I've been on countless assignments that have led to torture and injury and never once have I ever talked about it to anyone, much less a fellow team member. It just seems weak to whine and sniffle and pour out my emotions on someone else. I can handle it myself.
But somehow I know that this time seems different. I was held captive for longer; beat down harder. At this point I usually would have forgotten the whole thing, yet I still have flashbacks and nightmares. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to tell someone else the story. I could use a confidant.
After this momentary deliberation, I sigh. "Well, sit."
We plop ourselves down on the side-by-side reclining patio chairs and lean back to look at the sky.
"It was supposed to be an easy mission."
The wind whips across my face as I peer out the open helicopter door.
"Agent Martin, you ready?" the pilot yells.
"As I'll ever be," I shout over the ambient noise.
A few seconds later a screen beeps in the cockpit.
"In the drop zone, agent. Good luck."
I take a deep breath and dive out of the small helicopter without another word. My teeth chatter almost immediately- it is absolutely freezing and my skintight uniform is not helping much. I don't know what I was expecting though, Russian winters aren't known for their warmth.
After taking a moment to stabilize my fall, I spot a small light a ways below me. Any other passing aircraft could mistake it as a small rural home, but I knew better. The light came from a rickety house, leading the way to an underground facility of an enemy human-trafficking industry.
The organization, The Black Cobras, had been failing for years, so it hadn't been critical for S.H.I.E.L.D. to step in. Now that it was a few members away from falling apart, I had been sent to place a charge in their formerly secret headquarters. It would definitely be enough to finish them off. Simple enough.
Judging my descent speed by the building's light, I pull my parachute at just the right height and drift silently to the snowy ground.
Leaving my chute pack behind, I dart through the sparse trees while creeping down the side of the hill to the entrance. I eventually make it near enough to the structure to see inside.
Two guards are pacing in circles in the dim light. Due to the rather large assault rifles they are holding, I quickly determine that a stealth approach would work best. I steal away to the side of the house and gently open the grimy swing window that opens to a dark side room. Slipping through the small opening, I step lightly into the empty room as to avoid creaky floorboards.
I take a deep breath. I am inside and ready to attack- my element.
I slowly pull the handgun out of the holster on my thigh and swing out of the doorway. The two guards are out with bullets in their skulls before they have a chance to blink. I think of Nat, who was my foremost trainer at SHIELD. She would be proud.
Stepping over the accumulating pools of hot blood and running to the back of the room, I throw open the doors to the descending stairwell. Slitting the throats of three more passing guards with ease, they barely have the chance to make a sound. No wonder the group is failing. The guards can't fight worth a crap.
I reach the bottom of the stairwell and dart through the complex, remembering the intricate blueprints I had been shown earlier in briefing. I have to locate the correct cell to place the charge in, as one had been previously calculated to ensure the greatest damage. I make another left turn, then pause. This looks right.
I grab the explosive from my belt and smack it on the cold stone wall. The second before I can hit the button for activation countdown, I gasp at the feeling of a sweaty hand on the back of my neck pulling me away.
"Did you really think you could get away this easy, дорогой?" a voice rasps, dripping in a thick Russian accent. He was waiting for me.
I do not respond, instead spin around and connect my bent elbow with his straight one, causing his to emit a sickening pop. He yells and backs away, but manages to catch the foot I send his direction before it connects with his ribs.
He throws me to the ground. I get up in a split second, and turn to look at my attacker. I recognize his face now as Sergey Kudinov, head of this stupid organization.
"Strange that the leader is now reduced to fighting like his henchmen," I taunt, kicking his knee out from under him.
"Strange that a talented young SHIELD agent like you was taken down by an amateur like me," he laughs, equally at ease as he regains balance and we continue to spar in the shadowy cell. He doesn't seem to be very concerned with playing the offensive side, he's simply countering my blows.
"You haven't quite yet," I respond, landing a well-placed kick to his solar plexus.
He slams against the ground coughing, but continues to laugh as I try to turn and set the charge.
Though I am only a few feet away, I can't bring my legs to work. Suddenly, every muscle in my body seems to move in slow motion. My limbs are like wood, locked in place. I look down to my side as I notice the tiny dart sticking out of my abdomen. God, how did I miss that? Am I really falling prey to something as simple as this?
My mind is reeling: screaming to the rest of my body, to get up, to move, to fight back- to stop acting like such a goddamn rookie.
"No, no, NOO," I howl, but no matter how hard I try no noise will escape my lips.
As I slowly collapse to the floor the pain starts, sharp chemically-induced stabs to every muscle in my body. As I lose consciousness, the only noises I hear are the stomps of approaching guards, Sergey's maniacal laughter and the screams echoing through my head.
I shiver, coming back to reality.
"Shock was a lot of it, just comprehending how everything went so wrong, so fast. When I woke up, I was in chains. For a long time I tried to fight it, but after a week or two I realized it was hopeless. It was unexpected- for such a deteriorated organization they were very good at… dealing with prisoners," I finish.
"I just don't see how it took SHIELD so long to approve our rescue mission," he declares, frustrated.
"Don't worry about it, they had to gather data first and reanalyze the threat. And getting caught- that was my fault. I accepted this mission for myself. Besides, I'm a week or so away from getting out of these horrible joint braces, and then everything can go back to normal. Once I get back to field work, I'll be totally fine. I just need a little time to… process my thoughts."
He mutters something unintelligible and then looks over to me.
"What is your biggest fear?" he asks suddenly.
"Why?" I return instantly.
"Just wondering," he says. "I know a lot about you but have never really picked up on any real fears before."
"Being left behind," I answer, after contemplating for a moment. "I just… hate the feeling that someone you love has forgotten about you."
He nods, contemplating my response.
"What about you?" I wonder.
He stands abruptly, and I follow.
"Good night, Anna. Sweet dreams."
He gives me a quick peck on the cheek and seems to vanish before my eyes.
"This conversation isn't over," I yell to no one in particular, but somehow I know he is still listening. As I return indoors and walk back to my room, the end of our discussion replays over and over in my head.
Reclining on the bed again, I sigh in frustration.
The god of mischief is more complicated that I thought.
I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter… what do you think? Honest opinions. Review!
