A new update, have fun.
Chapter 4
After Natasha had told him everything about her only encounter with Elijah Smith, Steve remained silent for a while and considered her words.
"Well, if he's a criminal, it certainly explains how he got a hold of all these information", T'Challa said.
"No, no mere criminal can get information like this", Natasha contradicted. "When Clint first met him, he said there was something strange about Elijah Smith. When I asked him about it again later, he said that he must have been wrong about that."
Steve frowned. "Clint?" He asked thoughtfully. If he knew one thing about Clint, it was that Clint's instincts and observation skills were sometimes even better than Natasha's.
Natasha chuckled. "Clint can sometimes be wrong too. In any case, SHIELD monitored Elijah Smith without any particular occurrences until the Chitauri attacked New York. The building, in which he had his apartment, collapsed. Since he never again showed up after that, it was assumed that he perished in the collapse of the building."
"Understandable. When you think about your encounter again in retrospect, what is your assessment?"
Natasha was silent for a few minutes before a strange expression crossed her face. "Huh, that's weird!"
Steve leaned forward. "What?"
"The timing of events is inconsistent with my memory. It's like I'm missing time."
"So he has manipulated your memories?"
"It is likely, yes." Natasha swallowed hard. "Something must have happened during the fundraising that he didn't want us to remember."
"Did SHIELD knows of other 084 who can do something like this?" T'Challa asked curious."
Natasha shook her head vigorously. "No, nobody who has so comprehensive and versatile abilities. Is there anyone who can erase memories? Yes, but he cannot replace them with new ones or cover it up that it was done.
There are also some 084 who can make someone say anything but they cannot force someone to tell the truth.
But here we are talking about someone, who can erase memories, create new ones, and get someone to tell even their greatest secrets.
I know that the government investigated shortly after the successful hit against Hydra a series of suicides and accidents involving Hydra agents. If we assume that Elijah got his information from these agents, then he also did make them kill themselves and he caused these accidents.
And then we're talking about someone who has no problem killing people, which is not a problem for me, but what alarms me are the suicides.
If Elijah arranged those with his abilities, we are here talking about a 084, who can turn off a person's will so completely that he overwrites the strongest human instinct, the self-preservation. And then is he one of the most powerful 084 I have ever heard about."
"That sounds indeed alarming", said Steve. "Do you think he influenced Laura in the same way?"
"I don't know. The only thing that reassures me that back then Smith really liked Pepper. It means, he is capable of forming attachments with someone. To be honest, I found him quite fascinating, there was something refreshingly cold-blooded and unsentimental about him." Natasha smiled slightly.
Steve and T'Challa exchanged glances and decided unanimously not to elaborate on this comment.
"How should we now deal with this new knowledge? Can we still trust him?" T'Challa asked instead.
"Someone like him has no interest in the government finding out about his existence", Steve said calmly. "So we can assume that his offer to help us is meant seriously.
The only thing that I don't understand is why is he so fixated on helping Clint and his family? From what you told me, had they next to no contact during your mission. Have they met a second time?"
"If so, he never told me about it", replied Natasha.
"You said that Elijah lived at the time in New York. And we both know, that Clint has been on his own for most of the fight. Did he ever tell you what happened to him during that time?" Steve continued with his questions.
Natasha frowned. "He was quite evasive. Sitwell asked me too if I knew more." Suddenly she hesitated when she thought of something. "Sitwell was assigned to both of us as new handler after Phil's death and conducted in this function the briefings with us.
After he finished with Clint's, I was called in. Sitwell showed me footage of Clint with a man in a suit and a not recognizable face." Natasha concentrated and recalled the recordings. "From his stature and his movements, it could have been Elijah."
"So there was perhaps another encounter between the two in a highly unusual situation", T'Challa summed up thoughtfully. "Enough that the two have developed a special bond. Enough that when Elijah Smith learned of an impending attack on Clint's family, he found it appropriate and necessary to act and to protect Clint's family."
"Which also explains how he was able to find Clint's family so quickly. And as a possible criminal he has enough contacts and capabilities to hide even from the government", Steve added.
"There happened something else in New York", said Natasha slowly. "Sitwell showed me a report of an incident involving Chitauri, civilians, and a man in a suit. According to the civilians' reports, this man walked towards the Chitauri, asked them to let the civilians go and when, as expected, they did not respond favourable to his request, he killed them. And if we can believe this report, he did it in a way that no normal human could ever accomplish."
"Was this incident before or after the recording Sitwell showed to you?"
"After that. Clint reported to Sitwell that his companion was with him the whole time until the Chitauri collapsed dead", replied Natasha.
"Interesting." Steve got up and paced back and forth thoughtfully. "If we assume that the two men are one and the same, then that means that Smith has also unusual physical abilities. And when Clint says that they are not the same men, then Smith has either changed his memory or he forced Clint to lie for him."
"There is a third possibility", said T'Challa soberly. "Clint knows exactly who Smith is and what he is capable of, and Smith has not influenced him in any way. Clint would then have deliberately and deliberately lied for him."
"Then Smith must have an unusual secret. Clint tells me everything, and if he thinks I shouldn't know it..." Natasha didn't have to go on talking.
"Yes, I know what you mean", Steve replied calmly. "But that doesn't matter now! From what I've heard so far, Elijah has a sincere interest in Clint and his wellbeing, and this includes his family too."
"So it is not a trap", T'Challa concluded.
"Do we all agree on this?" Steve asked calmly. T'Challa and Natascha nodded. "Then let's call Elijah and discuss how we can free our friends."
Steve picked up the burnerphone that T'Challa had given him and that couldn't be located and dialled the number, Elijah had given them.
xxxxx
Laura had listened carefully. After Elijah hung up, she looked him seriously in the eyes. "You know that Natasha will now think carefully about your previous encounter and maybe draw conclusions and discover discrepancies that could be dangerous to you?"
Elijah smiled slightly pained. "Yes, I am aware. She is a very astute woman who will at least partially figure out what I have done to her." He sighed. "But there was no other way. For a mission like this is a certain amount of mutual trust necessary and one of us had to take the first step."
"Do you think they will call back?" Laura asked worried.
"Yes, they will. And then I'll know what Natasha found out about our previous encounter. But for now I can't allow that other people than you find out about this place."
Laura involuntarily looked at Shana. "Yes, I know what this place means to you."
Elijah saw it and grinned. "Ah, I see, someone gossiped a little."
Shana blushed and looked at the floor. She hoped Elijah wasn't angry at her.
"It's okay, Shana. I am happy that you two get along so well", Elijah calmed her immediately down and he was serious about it. "Come on, Laura, while we wait for the call, I'll show you my home."
Laura gratefully accepted the offer and for the next hour she admired the house and its furnishings, which were not only expensive but also tasteful. Again and again she saw expensive antiques and if it had been someone else, she would have thought that they were bought but in Elijah's case she knew better. "Are these all memorabilia from your past?"
"Yes, they are. Most of them have always been in my possession, but over the centuries I have lost quite a lot items or I had to leave them behind." Elijah looked a little sad. "Every time now, when I find such a lost piece, I try everything in my power to get it back."
"I can understand that", said Laura gently. She couldn't imagine what it was like to live a thousand years. When she thought about how many people and things Elijah must have lost over these centuries, her throat tightened.
Elijah then took her to his study shortly before the hour was up. Shana showed up a little later and brought them coffee.
When the phone rang, Elijah gave it to Laura and she took the call. They had discussed beforehand that Laura would start with affirming that she was not manipulated.
"Hello Steve!" Laura said.
"Laura, how are you?" Steve asked kindly.
"Still good, and no, Elijah doesn't control me. I am completely free in my decisions and in my speech."
"So you know what he can do?" Natasha asked surprised.
"Yes I know it. When Elijah Clint brought the information about Hydra, they explained everything to me. Wanda came by too and she met Elijah. She did her thing and confirmed that neither Clint nor I have been manipulated by him in any way", Laura added.
"So Wanda and Clint know both about Elijah and have kept his secret to themselves." Laura could hear clearly the surprise in Steve's voice.
"Yes, as will I do", Laura replied firmly.
"That's good enough for me. What's your plan, Elijah?" Steve asked after a short pause.
"I have someone in The Raft's surveillance centre working for me. He will ensure that nobody notices our arrival and he will delete all records afterwards so that nobody learns about our presence there."
"What about the guards? At least some of them are bound to see us, even if we come in the night," Natasha said hesitantly.
"I also have someone in the control centre too. At the time of our arrival he will release a gas that will make everyone fall asleep except my people, whom I have given an antidote." Elijah smirked. "This gas is a defence system from the Raft itself that is intended to stun the prisoners in the event of a prisoner revolt. The guards have gas masks to protect themselves but if they are not warned, they will not be able to put them on in time. Don't worry, they will all wake up after a good two hours.
He'll bring the raft to the surface so we can land on it. We have an hour to get the Avengers out of their cells and vanish again. After all traces are covered, my people will take each a narcotic drug with the same active ingredient as the gas and when they wake up, they will have forgotten everything they did."
There was dead silence at the other end before Steve asked in a hoarse voice. "You can do that?"
"Oh, Captain, you know I can do it. Natasha has undoubtedly found out by now that I have manipulated her memory as well."
"Yeah, my only question is why and which of my memories you erased", said Natasha angrily.
"Maybe you will find out one day. But you agreed to it, Natasha, as did Phil, Pepper and Clint. Well, you all preferred it to the alternative", Elijah amended.
"You mean you would have killed us otherwise", said Natasha coldly.
"Exactly", answered Elijah laconically, without the slightest feeling of guilt.
"What tells us you won't erase our memories too after the rescue?" Steve asked.
"Nothing", answered Elijah coldly. "But I give you my word that I will do nothing to endanger the mission."
Again it was longer silent on the line when everyone digested this answer.
"Wow, at least you're being honest", said Natasha at last.
"One thing you have to believe me, Natasha, I am genuinely interested in getting Clint, Wanda and the others out of there before it's too late for them", Elijah said in a serious voice.
"So bad?" Natasha asked in a croaky voice.
"Yes, it is that bad", Elijah simply replied.
"We can reach the US coast in about five hours", T'Challa said now, he had made his decision.
For Elijah, it was the sign that the Avengers would work with him. "Which coast?"
"The east coast", replied T'Challa.
"That is good. I'm now sending you coordinates in Virginia, near Richmond. A very lonely area where no one can watch the landing when you pick me up."
"You want to come with us?" asked Steve nervous.
"Yes, in case something goes wrong", Elijah replied with amusement, who vividly imagined what the Avengers were now thinking. "I always anticipate problems in carrying out my plans. I am sending you the coordinates of The Raft along with the blueprints so that you can familiarize yourself with everything. How long do we travel between the two places?"
"About an hour", T'Challa replied a little later.
Elijah did the math. "I think it's best if we do the rescue at night."
"I agree with that, it reduces the risk", Steve stated approvingly.
"I will then tell my people to expect us at two a.m. My agent will release the gas ten minutes earlier." Elijah's eyes were cold and calculating. "When we arrive, everyone will be asleep. Only the cells that hold Clint and the others are so secured that they will remain awake."
"We'll be at the coordinates in seven hours. Can you be there in time?" asked Steve.
"Yes, I can", answered Elijah. "See you!" He hang up.
Laura sighed. "It will undoubtedly be an interesting collaboration."
Elijah laughed. "Yes, I think so too! If you'll excuse me, I want to sleep a few hours before I have to leave."
"How long will it take you to get to the coordinates?"
"Not long, less than an hour." Elijah shrugged. "I am very fast and I know the area!"
"I'll see you in a couple of hours then", said Laura, and got up. "Sleep well!" She left the room.
Elijah got up and went to his bedroom, but first he got a black riot gear ready for later he had once acquired. After all, he couldn't go in one of his suits on a rescue mission, it would be such a waste.