Chapter 9 – Deadpool Provides a Reality Check
The rest of the day passes in a blur. Wakandans come in and out of the suite with updates or messages from T'Challa as the country lends its help to finding the missing team members. The rest of the team analyses footage from the attacks, both in Vienna and in New York, for any clues that might give them a lead. Strange has gone to Kamar-Taj to speak with the sorcerers there on any ways they may be able to track them through magic; Loki and Thor have been locked up most of the day with T'Challa discussing how best to approach this from the diplomatic view point. Loki was not supposed to be bringing Jotunheim into the political game until further down the line, but it seems he was either unable or disinclined to contain his rage at their friends' disappearance and has brought his involvement forward. For once Thor is the one having to council his brother towards a diplomatic solution.
FRIDAY has been going through footage of CCTV cameras and running every recognition software Tony has invented in an attempt to get a hit on one of the attackers. Clint, Natasha and Tony have been hacking into various agencies in an attempt to get any information that might be useful; Peter's been allowed to help and was picking up some interesting skills along the way.
Bruce was busy analysing samples from the canisters that had been left at the scene that had contained the mist, and T'Challa's suit had managed to contain some of it which meant they had a small sample to work from. Shuri was on her way over to help, and Wade had disappeared into the city to follow up with some of his contacts on any news on HYDRA. Being the only member of the team who would be able to move around fairly safely, Clint and Natasha had also given him some of their contacts to follow as well.
Needless to say by the time T'Challa arrives in the suite, Loki and Thor following, and suggests they stop for dinner everyone's tempers are a little worse for wear.
'Friends, we should pause for sustenance so that we are better able to assess the information in front of us,' Thor protests, his voice not quite as boisterous as usual.
'There is no information, Thor, that's the point!' Tony snaps, not tearing his eyes from the screen.'
'Tony, he's right,' Steve sighs, and something in his tone has the inventor's fingers pausing on the keyboard in front of him and sighing.
'Alright,' the man sighs.
'Can we order in?' Clint suggests, making a point of sniffing under his armpits. 'I'm not sure any of us are in a fit state to be seen in public.'
'Not to mention I'd rather be somewhere there are less people likely to shoot at us,' Sam grumbles.
'We shall dine downstairs,' T'Challa reassures them. 'And no one will comment on whether or not you have found time for a shower, Clint.'
'Has Wade come back yet?' Peter asks as he stands and stretches, grimacing as his back pops.
'He's on his way,' the king responds, 'he tells me he shall meet us downstairs in time for dinner. Shuri should be arriving at the same time.'
'Anyone heard from Strange?' Tony asks.
'Perhaps if you paid attention to your phone you would have done?' the sorcerer replies as he steps through a portal, Wong behind him.
'Huh?' Tony looks at his phone. 'FRI why didn't you tell me I had calls?'
'You told me not to alert you if you had calls or messages, boss,' the AI responds.
'I did?'
'Yeah, after Ross tried calling you,' Peter yawns.
'Oh yeah!' Clint grins. 'I think your exact words were: don't let anyone call me, FRIDAY. And then she asked about Pepper and you changed it to: don't let anyone other than Pepper call me, FRIDAY.'
The first laugh all day sounds in the room, and even if it is strained it certainly helps to lift the mood. They all follow T'Challa down to his private dining room, where Nakia and Okoye are already waiting with Shuri and Wade; everyone sits down together and, as they help themselves to the food laid out in front of them, they start sharing their information.
'So basically,' Rhodes summarises with a heavy sigh, 'they've disappeared into thin air. No one knows anything about HYDRA. No one has seen anything, heard anything, smelt anything. How?'
'Anything from Bucky through the link?' Steve asks Loki, his eyes pleading with the trickster.
Loki's expression is tight. 'None yet. I imagine that means he has not regained consciousness. I have not heard of anything being able to block a mental connection before. What of you?' he asks Strange and Wong. Strange shakes his head.
'Not unless other magic was involved,' Wong replies, 'but you would be able to sense that was present.'
'You don't think…do we think HYDRA has its own magic user?' Peter voices the question, voice quiet.
'Apart from Wanda you mean?' Sam's voice is grim. 'I think if they did they would have used them when they attacked us. In case Wanda wasn't knocked out. They'd have been idiots to go into a magic fight and leave their own magic user at home.'
'It's highly unlikely in any case,' Nakia adds. 'There aren't that many magic users around.'
'We don't actually know how many there are around though,' Clint points out.
'We don't know anything for certain,' Wade snaps. 'Hell, I'm just being honest here we have no fucking clue what is going on. HYDRA have disappeared into thin air and they've taken back the two members of this team they helped create.'
'Wade-'
'Let me finish,' the mercenary cuts off Natasha. 'Because we need to have someone say the shit we don't want to admit, and at least if it's me you can make yourself feel better by shooting me afterwards. The fact is, Widow, HYDRA created the Winter Soldier and they gave Wanda her powers. If anyone knows how to find a way to control either of them it's HYDRA. Let's not forget that Francis, also working for them, now knows it's possible to cross dimensions. We don't know if he's worked out how to do it, and if he has, they could have more than one Wanda with them. And the other Wanda might not be sunshine and rainbows like our one is. Point is we don't know what we're facing. They might have taken them to another dimension, or even another planet for all we know.
'And why the fuck are they going to stop there? They've got our strongest team member; let's be honest Wanda is our big gun. She's the girl with all the fire power. None of us come close to her. I hate to tell you this as well Cap, but we've got to be honest: Barnes can take you out in a fight too. He's the stronger of the super soldiers on our team, you just often get smarter than him. Pete, Thor and Hulk are the only ones with the strength to go up against that metal arm of his. And the worst bit? They've trained with all of us. They know us. Take away their inhibitions and we don't stand a fucking chance.'
'You got a point to all this doom and gloom, Wilson?' Rhodes snarls.
'Yeah: we got to find them, sure. We've also got to be prepared for the fact that we might not find them until they find us. And when they'll do, they'll be coming to get more of us and get us under the same kind of control that they did Barnes way back when. And here's another thing we haven't considered yet: Beck.'
'What about him?' Natasha asks.
'Funny that he chooses now to launch his attack. Right when Tony's caught up in his trial and the rest of the team is caught up with the UN. SHIELD was just damn lucky they could go to Pete for help. Where do you think Beck got the funding for all of his work? Because even if Tony was very generous with his last paycheck there is no way he could afford all of that shit. Plus, it's got Fury chasing his tail trying to clean up after him.'
'If Beck was working with HYDRA,' Peter finds his voice again, 'they could have access to his tech. In which case they really could be hiding next door and we wouldn't know.'
'I never thought I'd see the day I was glad Wade Wilson was allowed to run his mouth,' Fury's tired voice comes from the doorway.
'Nick!' Steve stands to greet the one-eyed director.
'Don't be too glad to see me, Cap,' Fury sighs, sinking into a chair. 'Because I don't have all good news.'
'What news do you have?' T'Challa prompts him, as the older man takes a drink.
'Hill is finishing clean up on the last of Beck's hideouts. For now, that threat is largely contained.'
'Largely?' Tony lifts an eyebrow.
'We found evidence that Beck did, in fact, have support from HYDRA even if he wasn't working for them directly,' Fury admits. 'They helped supply the materials he needed and some of the funding, though they didn't exactly use their name to do, hiding it through shell companies. In return he'd support them once he'd got hold of your tech. Seems they wanted more than one option to fall back on seeing as Hammer was still tied up.'
'Son of a bitch,' the inventor growls.
'We can't be certain how much of his knowledge he shared with them,' Fury goes on. 'So, Peter is right, they could be hiding next door and we wouldn't know.'
'I'll go over the footage we have of all the encounters with Beck and run diagnostics on EDITH and see what I can come up with,' Tony says. 'Peter you feeling up for helping?'
Peter tries to control his pounding heart and swallows and nods. 'Yeah, alright.'
'I'll help too,' Shuri volunteers, 'I'll be more help there than anywhere else.' Tony gives her a grateful smile.
'Is there any way you can track Barnes through that link of yours?' Fury asks Loki.
'Unfortunately, not,' is the reply. 'Otherwise, I would have done so already.'
'Perhaps,' Wong's tone is thoughtful, 'there may be a way to trace the mystical energy. I shall speak with some of the masters in Kamar-Taj.'
'Would you permit me to travel with you? We may reach a conclusion faster if I am present for the discussions and it will allow for initial experimentation.'
'Of course,' Wong agrees, 'but what of the talks you need to have here?'
'I can send an illusion to take my place,' Loki waves a dismissive hand, 'and Thor can speak for me initially in any case.'
'We shall continue to do what we can for the situation in the UN,' T'Challa agrees. 'Though I can't yet say if this situation will help or hinder our cause.'
'What about the infinity stones?' Wade cuts in again. 'If HYDRA get through to either of them, they'll know where they all are.'
Silence greets that statement.
'We'll move them,' Steve's voice is strained. 'And we'll get Scott and Hope over here too. Perhaps their abilities can help when we do track down where they're keeping Bucky and Wanda.'
'I'll see if I can call in help from elsewhere,' Fury says. 'Just wish we knew someone who had a more recent connection to HYDRA.'
'We do,' Peter forces the words from his throat. Taking a deep breath he looks up from the table at Doctor Strange. 'Do you think you can help me look at Venom's memories? Like we did when you checked to see if he was still there?'
'Peter-'
'Venom was taken by HYDRA,' he cuts across Sam. 'He may have seen or heard something whilst he was being held that could be useful. He may have learnt something when he briefly took over that guard when he escaped. But we won't know unless I go back into his memories and I can't do that without help.'
'Peter I just don't think you're in the right place mentally to be trying something like this right now,' Sam argues.
'Screw that!' he snaps, and he sees a couple of team members flinch in surprise. 'They've got Wanda, Sam. They've got Bucky. We've got nothing. No leads. Nothing. I can't get hold of Venom quickly enough to be able to ask, so this is the quickest way.'
Promise me, Peter.
He shakes his head to get rid of the memory, then turns back to Strange. 'Can you help me or not?'
Strange, oddly, looks to Loki before nodding. 'Alright. But tomorrow after you've slept.'
'I'll continue to look at what was in that gas they set off,' Bruce picks up the conversation again. 'So far, I can't work out what it was, but whatever it is has to be strong. At the moment I'm leaning towards some form of mutation of a sedative.'
Talk returns to planning for the next day, and Peter lets it wash over him. He can't help the memory playing through his head as he pushes the food around his plate. Appetite gone.
'Promise me, Peter.'
'I promise.'
A/N: Hi everyone. Sorry it's a little late this week. I am going to try and update on Fridays but if I don't manage it they will always be up by Saturday.
Just because I feel like it: have a double update!
Love always,
L x
