Authors Note: Hello Folks, as promised here is the real Chapter 11!
However before I start I would like to say beforehand that I wrote this chapter with a friend of mine as I was struggling, so the detail in the dialogues and description can be seen, however unfortunately this will not last as I am now unstuck and will carry on by myself.
Another however is that after this story I might rewrite it myself, making it more detailed. Please enjoy though!
Chapter 11
"Our intelligence places A.I.M here" Said Fury, gesturing to the display panel to his left.
The city of New York could be seen in a three-dimensional model, the computer capturing all five boroughs in pixilated hologram form.
"Well thank you so very much for narrowing our search down to the busiest city on the planet. Or is it Tokyo? Possibly Beijing. I really should know this shouldn't I?" Said Tony, stroking his beard in mock contemplation.
"Mr. Stark would you let me finish teaching the class or would you prefer to?"
Tony opened his mouth again as if to offer a retort but Fury cut him off before he could get a word out.
"Since Loki's attack we have been keeping tabs on certain special interest individuals around the globe. Four weeks ago one of our operatives in Madrid, Peter Garcia, was killed while on assignment. "He pressed another button and the display changed to that of a woman's face. She appeared to be in her late 40s although that could have just been the tired look in her eyes aging her.
"This is Ava Henrikez, one of Spain's top neurosurgeons or at least she was. Last week she turned up dead in the sewers in the Bronx. Now it turns out that Doctor Henrikez was on Agent Garcia's list of targets and that she went off the grid after his death."
Fury was about to continue but at that moment Bruce stood up from the table
"This is all very interesting Nick but how does knowing any of this help us find Darcy or tell us what A.I.M's goal is?" Through his voice was calm the veins in his temples were visibly throbbing.
"I understand your need for haste, as I said before I need you to focus, and that means letting me talk right now"
Bruce was shaking but he sat back down. Control was slipping away by the minute.
"Well we seem to be pressed for time" Fury looked over at the rapidly destabilizing form of Bruce trying to hold it together "So I will skip the 'Hows' and 'Whys' and skip to the 'Where' "
He made a new image appear on the display, this time it was that of a large seven story building that appeared to be in a state of disrepair
"This is Saint Thomas's Hospital. It has been shut down for over two years now. The thing is, it was supposed to be demolished nine months ago but that order never went through. We have learned that A.I.M have been using it as a base, when you think about it a Hospital is the perfect place there would be hookups for medical and scientific equipment and a helipad on the roof. Clint I will need you and Natasha to run point for this one covering the roof from the north and south. Steve I want you to cover ground level. Seeing as how the place is still boarded up to look condemned I doubt you will have any trouble but just to be on the safe side it is best to have all our bases covered. Tony you and Bruce will go in from the Central Avenue sewers and cut your way into the basement. Alright everyone move out. Oh and Tony?"
Everyone turned around.
"Yes, Patchy the Pirate?" Said Tony
"Since Bruce will be going with you, the Hulk is your responsibility. Don't make me regret it" Fury gave one last retort, ignoring Tony's name for him.
Steve laughed "Yeah and this time why don't you two try and keep the collateral damage to under a billion bucks."
The trek through the sewer was the foulest thing imaginable. Tony thanked god that he had a helmet to protect him from the stench which was powerful enough to cause the Hulk to throw up upon their entry. The water came up to his knees and he shuddered to think about how much of it was actually water and how much of it were waste,
By now the Hulk was almost blind with rage. The only thought in his mind now was getting to his Darcy at any cost.
"All's quiet on this front, how do things look at your end?" Steve's voice came in over the radio in Tony's helmet.
"It is lovely, wish you were here!" Tony replied sarcastically before
"I see no movement on my end, if this really is their headquarters then they have done a wonderful job making it look like exactly what it appears to be, an old hospital. I would be surprised if a helicopter could even land here safely without the roof collapsing." Clint interrupted the exchange between Tony and Steve.
"Steve stay focused; you too Clint, you should know better than anyone that you can't take anything you see on these streets on face value, but Steve STAY in the van, that outfit you wear is hardly inconspicuous." Natasha said, effectively silencing the chit-chat that was developing.
Tony and Bruce continued through the sewer for another several blocks before JARVIS announced they had arrived.
"I hope this really is the place, I would hate to accidentally be breaking into a bank or something." Said Tony "All right big guy you are up, get us in there."
The Hulk faced the wall and with three well placed battering-ram like punches, enough concrete and mortar crumbled away to create a hole large enough for the both of them to fit through. They surveyed the room they were now in. It was large enough that the Hulk could stand upright.
It looked like it had once been a record storage room in the days before computers when all the documents needed to be kept filed away on paper. There were still boxes of files lying around. Some looked as though they had been eaten or shredded by rats for nests.
"Well this certainly is quieter than I was expecting" Tony looked around for a minute "Guys we are definitely in the right place, this room may not have been used in ages but someone has been making sure the wiring is up to code, Bruce if you could."
He pointed to the wall next to the hole they had made; in the high corner was a very new security camera. The Hulk grabbed the camera pulling it from the wall sending a shower of sparks flying as the wires snapped. They walked out into the hallway and again no sign of life.
"It is like they knew we were coming…" Tony muttered.
They walked toward the exit that would lead the stairs at the other end.
As they passed the elevators however an alarm began to sound.
"JARVIS, you are supposed to warn me when there are lasers I cannot see in front of me"
"Sir, I am detecting massive interference from an outside high band frequency from your location. "
"Oh crap, Bruce give me your hand and hold on, this is going to be painful"
The Hulk grabbed hold of Tony's armoured hand and Tony fired his jets sending them up through the the several layers of Earth, concrete and marble before the initial course had been altered by a struggling Bruce and they ended up sprawling sideways into one final wall.
Bruce, nearly unconscious, fell away as Tony flew into something.
It took him a few moments to realise Tony's fall had been broken by machinery and kitchenware, Bruce looked around and found the face of Maria staring at him, horrified but relieved before he blacked out.