Once the team bound for Cedros was in the air, they began strategizing again. Tony couldn't help but think this seemed right somehow. Maybe Fury was right. Maybe the Avengers could eventually rebuild. Of course, Ross was still a big obstacle, but Tony would keep working on him. Earth needed the Avengers.
"Friday, bring up a picture of Dr. Mark Foust," Tony ordered.
"Yes, Mr. Stark."
"Alright people. As much as we would all like to see Foust dead, we need him alive. Harness may be in charge, but Foust is the one with the know how."
"Yeah, the know how to destroy us," Clint added. "Shouldn't we eliminate the threat?"
"Not without understanding his work," Tony said adamantly. "If we can understand, we might really be able to help Banner." He looked at Steve. "And, if this techno-Red Room is designed to make super soldiers, there's a chance it could be reworked to deprogram the Winter Soldier."
"You'd help Bucky?" Steve asked. "Why, Stark?"
"Because I'd rather have him on our side than fight him again. Because something's coming whether you believe it or not and we are going to need all the help we can get. Because it's the right thing to do," Tony finished quietly.
Steve nodded. "Thank you, Tony."
"Yeah, well, you and Widow should probably gear up. Your stuff is in the back." Steve and Natasha left the cockpit to get ready. Tony turned to Clint and Sam, "I don't remember them changing together in the past, do you?"
"Looks like a few things may have changed in the past week," Clint replied cryptically.
"Bout time," Sam nodded.
"Yeah, Capsicle and Widow, that's an interesting pair," Tony agreed. Tony turned to Clint and lowered his voice, "I need you to know something. I never would have told Ross about Laura and the kids. You didn't have to move them."
"I appreciate that Tony. Right at that moment, we couldn't be sure of anything. Nat moved them to a safe spot before I got out."
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that, too. I never expected this to go down that way. I'm sorry."
Alone in the back of the jet, Steve put his arms around Natasha. "Are you okay?"
"I will be when this is over and I've made sure Harness can't destroy any innocent children."
"We won't let him. We're in this together, Nat."
"I know. I just didn't expect this, you know. I wasn't just an orphan who's parents died in a fire. The Red Room targeted my family. They set the fire that filled my family, Steve. They killed them to get to me. Of all the things I've done, the hardest thing I have to live with is the knowledge that my parents died because of me."
Steve kissed her forehead. "It wasn't your fault, Nat. You were just a child."
"But, Steve, there had to be something they saw in me to make them choose me, right? Some darkness they could manipulate? I might as well have set the fire myself."
"No, you were a victim of evil people. Not your fault."
"I can't let this woman die, Steve."
"I know. We will save them, Nat." Steve held Natasha a few minutes just whispering occasional words of comfort. "I guess we better get ready," he whispered.
Natasha grabbed her pack and started changing. "Nat, where's my gear? I can't wear this," Steve said, holding up his Captain America uniform.
"Yes, you can and you will, Steve. You are Captain America."
"I can't be him, Nat. We've been through this."
"And, I can't watch another child be trained as an assassin. We need Captain America."
"Nat-" Steve began.
"The Black Widow doesn't follow Nomad into battle. She only follows Captain America. You got that Cap?"
Steve stopped arguing and nodded. "I'm not carrying the shield."
"We'll see," Natasha said, kissing him soundly.
"Not playing fair."
"Just using all the weapons in my arsenal. You can do this, Steve."
Cedros Lab
"West entrance is heavily guarded," Sam stated. "East entrance doesn't look much better, but it's probably our best option. According to the map Bobbie managed to download, that puts us about as far from the labs as we can possibly be though."
"Not like we expected it to be easy," Clint smirked. "There's a little perch over there. If I can get to it undetected, I can provide some cover fire. I could probably take out several of the guards near the door. Clear you a way in," Clint added.
"Well, it's a start," Steve agreed. "Let's move."
True to his word, Clint took out all but two of the guards. Steve threw his shield and took out another, while Natasha and her widow's bite handled the final guard. They made it into the building with relative ease then split into two teams. Tony and Sam headed down the corridor towards the west side stairwell. Steve, Natasha, and Clint took a right and made their way up the first set of stairs. The plan was to take out as many guards as quietly and quickly as possible before meeting at the lab, but the plan changed quickly.
Before Tony and Sam found the stairway, the alarm sounded. Soon, they found themselves in a fire fight. Upstairs, Steve, Natasha, and Clint ran into their own hell. They found a room marked operating room. "Think we should check it out?" Clint asked.
"Might be a good idea," Steve agreed. They opened the door slowly. It was empty except for a dead woman on a gurney. It had to be Maria Chavez. Her abdomen was still open. Blood was everywhere, and the baby was gone. "They didn't even bother trying to save her. They just took the baby and left her to die."
Natasha put her hand in the woman. "Still warm," she whispered. "It hasn't been long." She looked at Steve, remorse and anger visible in her eyes. "We need to move now."
They went out of the room quickly. "Tony," Steve shouted into the coms. "We were too late. The baby has been delivered. We need to find it asap."
"Little trouble down here, Cap. They know We're here. Sam and I will keep these guys busy. You find that baby and guard that machine."
Tony and Sam continued to take out guard after guard. Soon, they were on a loading dock. Two vans were speeding away from the scene in opposite directions. "We can't let them get away," Tony shouted to Sam. "Rogers, we are going after a couple of cargo vans. One might have the baby."
"Move," Steve replied. "We've got this."
As Tony and Sam split up to fly after the cargo vans, Steve, Natasha, and Clint quickly made their way down the hall, checking each room as they moved. Each was eerily empty. Finally, they heard voices and rushed in their direction. Soon, they were battling their own battalion of guards. "Nat, was that Foust?" Steve asked nodding towards a man quickly scurrying away.
"I think so. Cover me. I'm going after him." Without waiting for a reply, Natasha flipped her current opponent and took off after Foust. She cornered him in a lab. "You're not going to get away with this, Foust. You may have killed Maria but you won't turn her baby into an murder."
Foust laughed. "Her baby? Oh, this is rich. I don't know how you found us, but you're too late. Go ahead and kill me. You won't stop the inevitable. This baby was created with a purpose, and it will be fulfilled. Chavez was just a surrogate. Do you like irony, Widow? I'm guessing you do, so let me give you something to chew on for the next three months. My perfect killer is coming for you. You'll be the first non-simulated kill, and the irony of it is we chose our egg donor very carefully. The Red Room harvested eggs from all their graduates. When I acquired their collection, I knew exactly which one I wanted. Congratulations, you're a mother and you won't even know if it's a boy or a girl until moments before your death." With that, Mark laughed again and popped a cyanide pill into his mouth. Widow rushed him, but he was dead before his head hit the floor. Natasha could only scream.
Sorry. I know this is a shorter chapter, but it seemed like the best place to end it. More tomorrow.
