Pointing fingers 'cause you'll never take the blame like me.
I am soooo sorry for the extra long wait. But I am one diploma smarter now, so that's cool! However, I'm afraid there will be another delay for the next chapter. I'm having surgery tomorrow and I'll be taking a few days to recuperate. But anyway, enjoy some action!
Sharkisha the 3rd – Yeah, canon!John has been though a lot, even before getting dragged into messes with Sherlock! Thank you once again!
Celestial Glowhead – Thank you so much! I hope this chapter somewhat fulfills your earlier request for a Kingsman-esk scene. Please enjoy!
With Director Walton off looking for other potential SIP assets and checking on Agent Marks's progress, Hatts had free range with their soldier. He was proud of the drug he had created, but HYDRA's assassins didn't need to be constantly dosed – trigger words before every mission was all that was needed (before they were killed, that is). Hatts just wished he had access to the original notes.
Hatts had been developing a new version of the drug – one longer lasting and more potent. The drug SIP was currently using was beginning to lose its effects, but Hatts was hesitant to test the new concoction. He had heard the story of Vinik and the last time SIP had tried to dramatically change the Barnes Recreation Program. Hatts didn't want a repeat of that, but he was starting to feel confident. Not only had he been ordered to try the new drug, but unlike Vinik he had been a part of the program since the very beginning – he had founded SIP's Barnes Recreation Program. If anyone was going to make a choice regarding a change of drug, Hatts was the best one to do that.
The agent held his newly developed formula tenderly in his hand. He looked over at the previous SHIELD agent. "Agent Johnston?" The said agent looked over at Hatts. "Prep Watson; we're testing a new compound."
"Yes sir."
The other SIP agents got to work and Hatts watched on, focusing on the man in the chair in front of him. He was a blank slate to write on.
Hatts took one of the IV lines and hooked up the new drug, eyeing the soldier very closely as the concoction hit his system. Hatts picked up the small blue book from the nearby table and began to read. "Война." The man in the chair began to twitch. "Рассвет. Восточный." He was convulsing now. "Оставил." He screamed with the introduction of every word. "Поле битвы. Здоровье. Январь. Коллега. Жилье. Корона." The room fell silent.
Hatts closed the book with a snap and carefully placed it back down on the table. He watched the panting assassin closely. "Agent?" Their eyes met. Suddenly, Hatts felt quite afraid. But he had to follow through. He punched in the code for the restraints and the cuffs popped open. "Come with me." Guards stood close by, guns at the ready. Not that they would be any help if it came down to it.
John stood and Hatts began to walk towards the training room. He stopped and turned around. John was still standing by the chair. Hatts approached cautiously. "Agent, I said follow me." He didn't budge. The surrounding guards raised their weapons. Others were glancing cautiously at any sharp object nearby. "Is there something wrong?" Hatts asked.
After a beat, John spoke. "What have you done?"
Hatts tried to remain in control, but his heart began to race. "I'm not sure what you mean."
John stepped forward. The guards aimed. The mutant stopped and looked around at the SIP agents surrounding him. He turned back to Hatts. Hatts was not fond of the feeling he was getting. Time to stop the mutant before things got out of hand. "Sput—"
Hatts didn't get to finish the kill switch word. John reached out and grabbed the agent by his neck, effectively cutting him off. Hatts reached up to his throat instinctively, trying to recover his depleting air supply. All the guards were at the ready, but none dared fire in fear of hitting the scientist. One of the other science division agents leapt for the blue book, desperate to find the failsafe word. John turned around and threw Hatts into her, causing them both to go skidding across the floor.
With Hatts out of John's reach the guards fired and the rest of the scientists went running. But of course, it was futile. The mutant flinched, but remained true. He quickly disarmed one of the gunmen, turning the weapon on its previous owner then the rest of the agents in the room, eliminating the threats with ease. Hatts and the other remaining scientists included. He would not allow a simple word shut him down.
John made his way up the stairs to the landing. He could see several men down the hall approaching. It was quick and easy to get rid of them. John was out of ammo now though. Not a problem – he simply picked up a gun from among the dispatched agents in the hall. All he knew was that he needed to get out of this facility. He didn't know why, but he didn't question it. Could he even question his own mind anymore?
He turned a corner and was met with another wave of agents. At least this time they had more protection on. Not that it did much for the amount of power the guns they owned were packing. John ran out of bullets before finishing them off. The SIP agents that were left standing pulled out knives, prepared for hand to hand. Not that they would be able to take the super strength mutant. But nevertheless, they tried.
One agent reached out but John deflected the swipe, quickly disarming the man and plunging the knife into his chest and leaving it there. An agent from behind managed to slice John's arm. The man grimaced but made no noise as he turned around and retrieved the knife from the agent's grip with ease, quickly using it against him, but taking it back this time.
The few agents that were left were quickly disposed of. John was going to get out of the SIP facility, no matter how many agents he had to go through.
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When SIP's somehow invisible and untouchable Brighton facility reappeared on the sensors, SHIELD knew something had happened. They just had no idea how big. But the mere fact that SIP had reared its head called for instant action. Even Agent Coulson was called in. Granted, he was in France and not transatlantic, but the fact that he was called away from another assignment still remained. And while Fury was once again in the United States he doubted even while in England he would have the power to keep Holmes away from Brighton. Not that he'd want to in the first place.
So Coulson, Sherlock, and fifty other SHIELD agents made their way to Brighton. As per usual, Sherlock refused the uniform, opting for his typical clothes. The suit didn't make him look too out of place next to Coulson, but the coat was a little dramatic, even by SHIELD's standards. But what else was new?
When Sherlock hopped out of the van at the Brighton facility he immediately got to work. "One van was taken as a getaway car."
"We'll track it on CCTV after we finish our check," said Coulson. The words seemed to fall on deaf ears as Sherlock made no indication of having heard. He simply walked straight into the building. "Homes—" Coulson didn't even bother trying to get the detective to follow orders. Where John was involved, there was no controlling Sherlock Holmes.
What Coulson didn't expect to find upon entering the facility was Sherlock standing stone cold. But that's what he saw. Then the smell of blood hit his senses. He lifted his sleeve up in an attempt to block out the scent. "Jeez!" He squinted at all the bodies littered across what could be described as the lobby. Causes of death clearly varied, but it Coulson had to guess he'd say bullets and stab wounds were the main perpetrators here. He slowly lowered his arm as the shock of the scene wore off. "This was Watson, wasn't it?" Sherlock didn't answer, simply continued further into the building. Coulson fought back rolling his eyes.
The SHIELD operative turned to the other SHIELD agents. "Alpha, take the left; beta, take the right; gamma, you're with me." The agents nodded at their orders and split up, Coulson following after Sherlock.
Coulson quickly caught up to the detective. "Theories so far?" he asked.
"Yes, this was John. I just haven't figured out what happened yet." Coulson almost ran into the other man, Sherlock halted so quickly. Coulson silently raised an eyebrow in question. Sherlock turned and started down a short hall that clearly lead to a dead end. One of the doors at the end of the hall was busted off its hinges. Sherlock stepped over the hunk of metal and into the room, Coulson only a few steps behind.
Inside was a man, still alive, but barely clinging to consciousness. Sherlock rushed over and knelt down. The man looked up and tried to scramble away. Blood was pouring out of a bullet wound in his side. Sherlock held out a hand. "It's alright; we're going to get you out of here." He looked up. "Get a medic in here!" he shouted into the hall. Footsteps taking off could be heard.
Sherlock turned back towards the man who was clumsily grasping at his bleeding wound. "You need to put pressure of that," Sherlock ordered. The man looked at him with wide eyes but tried his best to follow orders. "What's your name?"
"J-Joe. Joe Tar-Tarman."
"Joe Tarman. My name's Sherlock Holmes, that's Phil Coulson." The agent mentioned nodded. "We're going to get you out of here, alright? Now can you tell me what SIP wanted with your abilities?"
Coulson looked at the detective in question, but Sherlock didn't see it. "They…they hooked me up to this-this thing," the man panted, gesturing up to a mess of wires and metal in the center of the room that had been utterly demolished. "It was…They used it to-to…to use my powers and-and put them….put them, uh, into the…into the building." Joe was struggling to stay awake.
"And they used your abilities to what?" Sherlock questioned. "Power the building?"
"Hide it." A look of revelation crossed the detective's face. "I-I can go in-invisible and I'm, er, intangible. That-that means people can walk through m-me."
"That's how the building was hidden," Sherlock muttered.
A SHIELD medic burst into the room. Sherlock got his feet and stepped aside, letting the medic work. He looked on for only a few more moments before heading back out into the hall. Coulson followed close behind. "Any new theories?"
It was then that the two of them came upon the main experimentation center. The gamma squad was already all over the scene, securing evidence and tallying a body count. Just like the basement in the suburbs, there was a reclined chair in the center of the room – this one, however, clearly had some upgrades. Sherlock made his way down the stairs as he took in the new evidence he was provided. He stopped when he got to one of the tables. "Someone came back."
Coulson stopped. "What?"
"Someone came back after the…massacre…and retrieved a few things. Some of the drugs and possibly a book."
"A book?"
"Yes, a book. Notes most likely. SIP wants to retain its research, even if they can't retain their asset," Sherlock sneered. "The van that was taken was taken by John. If we trace that we should be able to find him. That is, if your agents can act quicker than SIP." He turned on his heel and began making his way out of the building. "Every time we get close we end up one step behind. Just one step behind."
"We'll find him, Sherlock," Coulson called up to the platform.
Sherlock didn't even bother turning around. "You've said that a few times now, Agent Coulson. When are you going to follow through?"