Project Lupa chronicles The Pack vs The Red Room c11

It had been three days, in those three days Maria had left the Avengers compound she was running things from Coulson's bus, a mobile unit as they tracked Alex down. So far they had been all over America following leads, trailing after Clint who had gone dark. But things were slow and Maria was still furious. She had gone numb and had blocked the link from her pack mates as she sat up in Coulson's office reading over reports from the teams she had sent out.

Two days later Clint reached out saying he had something, Maria had ordered him to tell them before he acted on anything. He was not happy that he had to wait for them but he did. As the bus landed in the dessert in Navada she looked over her pack mates, all geared and ready for a fight. She also happened to look at Natasha's family. Yelena, Melina and Alexei who had rejoined them late the night before. Stark, Steve, Bucky, Sam, Bruce, Wanda and Pietro were also there mainly because Stark had hacked SHIELD and found them.

"We don't know what we are walking into, according to satellite there is an underground facility, but other than the size and the entrances we can't scan it to see what exactly is inside. So watch each-others backs, you all know the plan." Maria stated the idea was to split into three groups each taking a different entrance, it was agreed that Coulson would stay on the Bus with Fitz and Simmons seeming Maria would need to be on site if they come across Alex and she had been brainwashed again. She thought she could feel her close by but whenever she tried to focus on that feeling it got further away.

They were moving into position when the ground shook and an explosion was heard, black smoke erupted from the underground base forcing earth, steel and stone to go flying. That was when all hell broke loose. Gun fire could be heard and it took them a second to realize they were not the ones that were being shot at. Clint's hand was on an arrow and he was about to take off but Maria grabbed his arm stopping him.

"We don't know what is going on." Maria stated they could hear screaming coming from inside. Maria's authority over her pack mates was one thing, the Avengers were a different thing only Wanda and Pietro remained with them because of Maria had wanted them close but Stark, Bucky, Sam, Steve and the Hulk all charged into the base now confident that this is where Alex had run off to. Not to mention Alexei, Melina and Yelena had disappeared. Their plan was out the window now, she looked over at her pack. "Rodgers what are you doing?" she asked over the com.

"Engaging with enemy combatants." Steve replied followed by a curse. "They're enhanced." He added. Maria then sent in Bobbie, Trip, Mac, Izzy and Hunter to back up the Avengers, she then took the rest as they moved in through their entrance guns at the ready. As much as she wanted to tell Clint, to let him find a vantage point she could tell that his head was not fully in it so decided to keep him close so he won't do anything reckless. Sharon was on her right, Clint on her left Skye and May were following behind her leaving Wanda and Pietro to bring up the rear. That was when Sharon started taking the lead, she was taking them down hallways as if she knew the layout of the base. They came across bodies of what look like guards all dead without a scratch on them.

"Alex did that." Skye informed her

"So she is here?" Maria asked as the ground shook again and a rush of air blasted past them.

"Yes, she is fighting her right now." Skye said tilting her head "If we were smart we would high tail it out of here before the entire base collapses." Skye mumbled her hand held an icer as she reached out with her powers scanning for anyone close by. The further they walked the more bodies they found the more gruesome it became.

"Are you saying Alex did that?" Pietro asked looking down at a body that had been brutally disfigured, he was unidentifiable as his limbs were mangled in ways they were not meant to.

"That one was not Alex." Skye stated "We need to be alert."

"Who did it then?" Maria asked but seeing Skye's reaction she was not sure she wanted to know.

"He has many gifted assassins under his command, lets pray none of us run into him." Skye stated Skye bent down and placed her hand on the ground using her powers she managed to get an image of their situation.

"Skye?" May asked

"Need to get to Yelena now." Skye stated taking the lead at a run, she did not stop, not when a man blocked their way as they rounded a corner Skye shot him twice in the head he fell to the ground with a thump. Before breaking a wall on her right she entered a different hall and tackled a man as big as Steve away from Melina. The two of them got back to their feet with ease Skye had lost her icer and got into a fighting stance. The man mimicked her and a smirk appeared on his lips.

"You did come for her." He spat at her moving forward in a swift movement Skye was ready for him and blocked his attack, she knew if he got his hands on her it was all over. The man standing before was a close quarter expert, he liked making you bleed with his own hands. Skye knew that he could easily crush her if she gave him the chance, that was not going to happen. Maria had seen Skye spar with Alex using her powers, but there is a difference in seeing her fight for survival using her powers. "I will break you and show your Oztark, she will regret defying our Master."

"It was not her idea." Skye stated pulling off a maneuver that she had witnessed Natasha pull off with the bonus of using her powers. In doing so she broke his shoulder, he grunted but did not slow down, Skye did not stop either she pushed up both her hands and concentrated stopping him in his tracks. He grounded his teeth in anger as he tried to push past her powers, Skye did not stop. "You like crushing bones." Skye stated her tone completely neutral.

"You b…" he got no further as Skye crushed his skull with her right hand while simultaneously crushing his chest with her left hand. He fell to the ground with a thump and Skye let her hands drop to her side as she turned back to the others.

"You…" Alexei began to speak but Skye brushed past him she didn't look at any of them she moved for the doorway.

"There is more coming, we should keep moving." She stated stopping at the doorway because she had to wait for Maria.

"Will you stay with us?" Maria asked Melina who gave her a nod, she knew that if Skye had not come they would have been killed.

They continued moving through corridors following Skye, they came across a few more bodies but no one alive.

"Is it just me or are we moving towards the booming sounds?" Alexei asked but no one answered him. He got his answer when they came to a hangar. This is where the Avengers were fighting powered individuals, there was debris everywhere and smoke it was hard to see everything.

"There she is." Skye stated pointing up, this made Maria look up to see Alex fighting a girl, even with her enhancements Maria was having difficulty keeping up with what they were doing. Skye narrowed her eyes. "That is not looking good."

"What?" Maria asked

"At this rate she is going to enter the state."

"What state?" Sharon asked going to take a step towards her but Skye grabbed her arm stopping her.

"Right now she is fighting for her life, one little distraction she will die. We should help the Avengers, leave Alex."

"Leave Alex? How can you say that?" Clint demanded he had an arrow at the ready, but Maria stopped him.

"You are awfully calm considering what she did to us." Clint stated

"Go help Stark!" Maria ordered Clint, Wanda and Pietro she then looked once again up at Alex before looking at Skye. "Are you going to go to her?"

"No, like I said one small distraction that is all I will be. I can't help her yet." Skye replied

"Yet?" Maria asked but Skye went off to save Bucky from an assassin that was gaining the advantage. The fight progressed, Maria got pulled into her own fight she lost track of Alex but from the constant booming noises she was still fighting strong. By now there was only a handful of Assassins left as the Avengers and agents regrouped. That was when Skye sensed it, she looked over to Melina who was standing next to her.

"You might want to step back."

What are you planning on doing?"

"Something reckless." Skye smiled taking a step away from her friends.

"Skye?" May asked seeing her move.

"Now or never." Skye stated creating a ball of energy in her hands she could feel the ground around her begin to shake, the others called out to her wanting to know what she was doing but she was not looking at them she was looking at Alex and Ray. "OZTRAKI!" Skye shouted out and unleashed her powers, everything around her went flying as she directed her powers towards Alex.