The Nine Tailed Foxx
Chapter 23
((A/N: No, I haven't forgotten about my other stories. Just waiting on one muse to step back and let others have some time.
A wonderful thanks to my friend Lady Moonhawke, who is also my co-writer, co-conspirator, Idea tester, plot hole finder, monkey wrench thrower, and ghost editor.))
Polo!
Monday, late afternoon, Somewhere high above the Canadian landscape…
"No, you're doing it all wrong," Johnny said, exasperated. "There are two types of HYDRA agents. The mercs in it only for the money and the fanatics who believe in what HYDRA stands for." He reached up to rub at his forehead but remembered at the last moment he still had the mask on. He wasn't about to take it off just yet and let everyone see just how far past empty he was running on. Too much depended on pulling this off to take a break. Instead he drummed his fingers against the top. "Every merc I have ever had to cross paths with or even work with, have had some type of driving goal or vice." He looked everyone over again, trying to spot problematic areas. Steve stuck out in all the mat black combat fatigues whereas Clint looked like he was born to wear em. James and Sam were somewhere in the middle of the two.
"Steve and vice do not go together," Nat commented from her seat. Her disguise as a lab tech fit her like a second skin.
Steve shot Nat a look, not sure if he should be thankful or offended by that comment. "One can be made up," he said. He knew he wasn't good at the cloak and dagger stuff, much preferring for the straightforward missions.
Johnny shook his head. "No, you can't just make something up and have it be believable. Or rather, most people can't do that," he nodded to Nat. "I'm betting she could at the drop of a hat."
"Not taking that bet," Clint said with a laugh.
"Alright, if you know so much about vices," Steve challenged, "Name off a vice that would fit each of us and be believable."
Eyebrows were raised by some as others made noises of protest.
Johnny threw his hands up as he rolled his (unseen) eyes and turned away. The desire to beat his head against the bulkhead was building. "Now I know just what my previous teachers had to deal with.." he muttered. Turning back around, he crossed his arms over his chest as he shifted his weight. "This isn't about-"
"I like porn," Clint spoke up.
"Fine scotch and even finer cigars," James added.
Nat turned to face Clint, a genuinely curious expression on her face. "What about…"
In reply, Clint just shrugged. "We have an agreement."
"Ah."
Tony just smirked. "My vices have been tabloid news from the start. Besides, they are all behind me now."
"Workaholic," Pepper chimed in.
Johnny stepped back, slipping into the darker area of the right wing storage area. Flipping the hood up to hide the telltale soft blue glow of the eyes, he settled on the floor to think. How had it gone from the pre-op planning stage to Avenger oversharing time? He decided that if anyone ever offered him a position as team lead, he would seriously consider quitting first after beating them bloody. With a finger tap, he muted the speaker so he could talking without being heard. "FRIDAY, can you give me a quick synopsis of both Steve and Sam's history? The general public stuff you can find with a little research on the web."
"Of course," the AI responded, for Johnny's ears only.
Ten minutes later, Johnny had the answer to his problem. With a tap he un-muted the speaker. "I know what your vice is now…" he said, watching as everyone stopped what they were doing almost as if he surprised them. "You are after vengence. You and Sam both. You want to make them pay for the loss of your best friend and partner. They took them away from you and there was nothing you could do about it at the time. Now that you have the power to make them pay and you intend to see them burn in hell." He had stood up and moved closer, unaware that the experimental stealth tech his gear was made from, was glitching. To everyone else, it appeared as if he was fading in and out of view like a ghost. His form rippling like water as he moved. "Now, is everyone finished with the interpersonal information exchange? Yes? Good… Now," he said pointing at Steve. "Keep what I said in mind and you'll have no problem fitting right in." He turned to Wanda next. "Have you finished with those two?" he asked, nodding to the two, still, unconscious HYDRA agents.
"Yes, it was done soon after you asked if I would be willing," Wanda replied.
"Good… good… ETA to location?" Johnny asked then added, "How well known is this jet?"
"Still a good 30 minutes out at this speed," Clint reported. "Fairly well known but it can be hidden once we land."
"That'll work. How long will it take to do the other?" Johnny asked Wanda.
Wanda thought about what Johnny had asked her to do for him. She'd been in his head several times already so getting in wasn't a problem. "Maybe 5 minutes. Depends on how much you resist," she replied.
Johnny was about to answer but found himself being dragged to the side storage area by Pepper.
"You don't have to do this, Johnny," Pepper said quietly. "This is their job, it's what they were trained to do."
"I know… but..if it was Tony? Would you stand back and wait around?"
"Yes, because I know I can trust them to do what is necessary and bring him back," Pepper answered. "And if they can't bring him back, then I know they will avenge him."
"Then you are a better person than I am. I trust that they know their jobs better than anyone else, but I don't trust myself not to do something stupid in order to protect Alexei," Johnny said. "This way, I'm not tempted to sneak off and do that something. Besides, I'm doing what I do best."
"And what is that?"
"I'm the decoy, the distractions. With all eyes on me, no one notices what's happening until it's too late. It's what I was trained to be."
Pepper's expression turned stern. "Then you had better come back. With Alexei and in mostly one piece. If you don't, I'll be very unhappy with you."
Johnny nodded as he grap her forearm and squeezed lightly. He stepped past her to where the seats had been turned and laid out as a temporary cot. He removed the overcoat and folded it before stuffing it into the bag Pepper was holding for him. Off came the vest, then the bracers and belt. Each item was stuffed into the bag in a certain way to allow easy retrieval for him. Next came the mask itself, first the upper section, then the lower. He blinked several times as his eyes adjusted to the lighting levels. His shirt was last to come off. He sat down on the seat with his body tilted forward and his head down. His hands braced on the edge with his legs stretched out, crossed at the ankles and as he waited.
Sam, with his training as a pararescue, was acting medic for this operation. He moved to crouch down so he could have a better look into Johnny's face. A slight bruising around the eyes, pale lips and even paler skin made the wet blood around his nostrils stand out. "How you feeling kid?" he asked. He continued his evaluation, noting the dryness to his skin and the barely there tremors.
"Strung out, hung over, feel like I'm covered in hives and hurting," Johnny muttered, tightening his white-knuckled grip on the chair to keep from scratching his arms raw now that the shirt was off. "Gods, stop calling me 'kid' already... 'm almost 27..." he muttered, bringing up a hand to wipe under his nose. "Fuck… again?" he added, looking down at the smear of blood.
"You're younger than me so you're still a kid. Now explain what you meant by 'again'," Sam said with a frown as he reached up and grabbed Johnny's chin to angle Johnny's head for a better look.
"Had to cut through a lab that was filled with smoke or something. A short bit later I had to go to ground until it stopped. Happened again, not as bad," Johnny said as he tried to swat Sam's hand away but found his own arm trapped in Steve's grip. His other arm was held firm by James and Pepper had his legs.
Standing up, Sam held out his hand for the roll of bandages. "Your's?" he asked Steve, lightly touching the darker patch of skin over Johnny's solar plexus.
"Yep," Steve confirmed. "And the one on his left bicep."
Sam nodded. "This is how it's going to be. I'm going to wrap your ribs, they aren't cracked or broken but I do see signs of possible bruising. Then I'm gonna put you on a saline IV cause your showing all the signs of starting to get dehydrated." He nodded to the others to lift Johnny's arms so he had better access to Johnny's torso.
As Sam did the wrapping, Tony tucked a couple of items under the bandages. "Tracker. If they let you close to Alexei, put it on him. Electronic lockpick. For those pesky card locks you'll run into." He flipped Johnny's hair back away from his ear. "Good, it's pierced. That'll work even better. One way com so we can hear what's going on around you." He pulled a tiny case out of his pocket and flipped it open. He pulled what looked like a plain silvery-white stud earring out of it then worked it into Johnny's piercing. He removed the second part, which was a wafer thin disk, less than a quarter inch in diameter, on a hair thin wire that ended in a disk. The disk went into the inner shell of Johnny's ear as the thin wire was looped over his ear and the disk connected to the back of the stud. "FRIDAY, check the signal."
"The signal is good Boss," the AI replied. "I've started recording."
"Good, make sure a second copy is sent to my private server," Tony ordered as he moved towards the front of the jet. He tapped Clint on the shoulder. "Wanda will need you in a moment. I'll take over till she's done."
Clint glanced back over his shoulder then up to Tony. "What does she need me for?" he asked. He wasn't worried about going off course since the jet was on autopilot at the moment.
"She'll explain," Tony replied.
"Alright," Clint said as he slid the pilot's seat back and around so he could get up. He made sure Tony was in position before he walked back to where everyone else was gathered. He noted that Wanda was directing everyone into certain positions. Bruce, wearing a lab coat, was now seated at communications with Thor and Vision bracketing him. Tony was of course in the pilot's seat. Pepper was standing next to Wanda and both were also wearing lab coats, so was Nat. The two HYDRA agents were strapped into the seats directly in front of Johnny.
"Ready?" Wanda asked Johnny who just nodded. Reaching across the storage unit, she placed her hands on either side of Johnny's head. Red wisps faded into view, curling about her hands and wreathing about Johnny's head. "This is the easiest part," she explained aloud as she sent Johnny into a trance like state. "Johnny decided on how the deception would be carried out. In a moment, I will be altering his memories slightly. To him, you are not who you are. You are the group of mercenaries working for HYDRA that were called in to re-capture him back at the lab. Everyone else is either lab techs or guards. I will also place a trigger phrase to bring him out of it."
"Wait.." Clint said then tapped Steve on the shoulder. "You take his legs I'll take his arm. Remember, he's got a wicked kick and will resort to some pretty dirty techniques." He took his position once Steve moved, then made sure he had a secure grip on Johnny's arm. "Ready."
Wanda looked to Steve, James and Sam, making sure they were ready before she started twisting Johnny's memories. "Oh, he also said, don't be afraid of hitting him if it was required."
True to Clint's word, when Wanda started and Johnny woke from the trance, he gave them only a couple of seconds before he started fighting them. They had all seen the video of Johnny's fight with the original team that had caught him, so was prepared for most of what he dished out. Johnny still somehow managed to almost get away from them though. Sam got a bruised jaw from a wild swing, James sported a bruise in the shape of a bite on his arm and Clint had to deal with a tender scalp. Steve got scott free on the principle of enhanced speed and strength to avoid the blows, the worse he got was mussed hair. The entire fight ended when Sam managed to get ahold of the syringe Nat had prepped and jabbed it into Johnny's upper thigh. Wanda used that moment as an ending to his false memories and finished her work by putting Johnny under fully.
"It's done," Wanda said as she brushed her hand over Johnny's forehead to ensure everything was set.
Sam took a look at James's arm. "If it wasn't for the fatigues, he would have broken skin. Damn he is a dirty fighter." He glanced at Steve who was still on the floor. "I hate you right now," he said as he rubbed his jaw.
"Told you," Clint said as he winced, rubbing his head. "Besides, what do you expect from someone me and Nat have been training?" he asked, a bit of pride showing up in his voice.
The HYDRA agent, Jesse, looked down again at the body strapped to the backboard. "You sure he's out?"
Marcus, the HYDRA agent that had been in charge of the labs, just gave the other man an annoyed look. "I've already said it several times now. The drug my mercs used is guaranteed to take down even the likes of Captain America. Now shut up before I have one of them shoot you."
The shorter, dark blond haired merc, a fellow called Frank, just smirked as he twirled his combat knife. "Why waste the ammo?" he asked casually.
"Knock it off Frank and go relieve Ripper," Grant, the team's leader, ordered as he made another circuit around area. The small clearing was sheltered from from the biting wind, but wasn't the least bit secure. And he didn't like that at all, too easy for someone to try and sneak up on them.
Frank gave a two fingered salute as he sheathed his blade then disappeared into the woods.
"Where the hell did you get these guys Marcus?" Jesse asked, not quite keeping his voice down.
"They're the best money can get for retrieving uncooperative test subjects," Marcus boasted as he eyed the lab tech, a woman that went by Alice, up and down like a side of prime beef.
"No change, he's holding steady," Tom reported, as he stood up scanning the clearing automatically. "But if we don't get some shelter soon, whether he's awake or not is going to be moot point," he said as he looked up to what little of the sky he could see through the trees.
The fourth member of the merc team came trotting into the clearing. "Frank's spotted incoming," he said as he took up a position that was one of the better defensive positions the clearing offered.
Grant nodded, taking up the best defensive position as he signaled the others to be prepared. "Sir, you'd best take cover," he told Marcus.
The HYDRA agent just snorted as he moved closer to the asset. "Why should I hide and let someone else try to claim the capture of the asset for their own glory?" he asked in derision. These merc, while being the best money could buy, knew nothing whatsoever, about moving up the ladder in HYDRA's hierarchy. Besides, they were well within the territory that HYDRA controlled. Neither SHIELD nor the Avengers could touch them here.
A few tense minutes passed before Frank walked out of the woods, escorting another man at gunpoint. "He claims he knows you," Frank said. He tacked on a "sir" only as an afterthought.
"Well well well, what are you doing out in the middle of this frozen nowhere Dan?" Marcus asked.
"I could ask the same of you, sir," Dan replied as he held out a hand. "What happened to the Labs?"
Marcus took the hand, pulling Dan close for a back slapping hug. "Damned asset went crazy. Managed to tear through the lab before we recaptured him again. Then some idiot of a delivery guy called the cops when he heard one of the lab explosions," he bitched. "Labs wasn't making money or doing anything important that can't be reproduced anywhere else. Managed to get out with the merc team that caught him again and a lab tech to make sure he stayed under."
Dan looked the mercs over as well as the lab tech when he stepped back. "I don't know if the Commander will be too pleased," he hedged. Everyone but Marcus still had a chance to be assimilated within the base. Marcus on the other hand, thought too much of himself and used HYDRA's resources too freely on personal agendas.
"Don't worry about him, we go way back. He'll understand. Now, how about getting us out of this damned cold clearing and somewhere warm."
When they arrive at the base, instead of going to see the Commander in charge of the base, he came down to meet them in the motor pool area. Immediately, Marcus started bragging about himself, at the same time putting down everyone that worked under him in the lab.
"So you just up and abandoned the lab you were in charge of and the people under you? You took a small mercenary team, a lab tech and the original tech who was involved in the assets initial recapture?" the Commander asked as he examined first the asset then the two techs and finally the merc team.
"The lab wasn't bringing in the finances needed to help further HYDRA's goals and the research and experiments can be easily duplicated elsewhere," Marcus reasoned.
"I see…." the commander responded as he stopped behind Marcus. "You are both a fool and a coward. Useless to HYDRA and our goals," he said as he pulled out his pistol and shot Marcus at point blank in the head.
Both Alice and Jesse were splattered with blood and brain matter. Alice let out a frightened shriek, stumbling back as she franticly tried to wipe away the gore. Jesse, also let out a scream, then promptly fainted.
"Now tell me gentlemen," the commander said, "What makes you so important that I should let you live?"
Grant smirked as he pulled a pistol and pressed it against the assets temple. "The way I see it, you could kill us but not before we took out your asset."
"We've lost assets before. He can be just as easily replaced," the commander reasoned.
"No he can't. Not really."
"And how do you come to that conclusion?"
"He's been a 'guest' of the Avengers and Stark Industries for over 3 months now. He has their trust or enough of it that they let him come and go as he pleases. If you have him, that means you have insiders access to the Avengers, Tony Stark and Stark Industries. That's pretty valuable right there," Grant stated.
The commander was actually impressed. These mercs were lead by someone who was smart enough to reason all of that and wasn't afraid of taking risks. "Tell me, if I keep you, what does HYDRA mean to you?"
"I couldn't care less about HYDRA, its goals or its quarrels with SHIELD and the Avengers. I'm just in it for the chance to get revenge on the people that took my best friend and brother. Plus the money isn't too bad either," Grant replied with a hard edged smile.
"And the rest of you?"
"My partner was killed. I'm doing this for him," Tom stated.
Ripper nodded to Grant. "I follow where he says to go. It gets me the cash to afford the finer things in life. Like fine scotch and even finer cigars."
Frank shrugged. "I'm just in it for the money and porn. And I get to shoot people."
The commander nodded. Typical money-and-revenge men. "Well then gentlemen, as long as you obey my orders and follow the rules, you're more than welcome to stay. I am Commander LaBrawn. Hail HYDRA!"
The shouts of "Hail HYDRA" echoed throughout the motor pool.
Grant looked at each of his men, nodding to them then turned back to the commander. "Hail HYDRA," he said as he holstered his pistol.
The backboard that the asset was strapped to was loaded onto a gurney for easier transport to a secure holding cell that was located close to the base's lab. Grant refused to turn over the security detail on the asset, stating that they were the best suited for recapturing him if he escaped. Commander LaBrawn assured him that the asset would behave once he woke up, but allowed Grant and his team to continue as security for the moment. The lab and holding cells were buried five stories below the surface with only two ways out; the stairs which were under constant surveillance and the elevator which required a keycard to access.
The floor was laid out in several four cell clusters with adjoining labs. Each cell was roughly 10 foot by 10 foot, with a single steel reinforced, ceramic coated concrete wall that ran the 20 foot length and butted up against two end walls, creating an 'I' shape. The rest of the walls were 6 inch thick, transparent armor which allowed the occupants of two of the cells to be looked in upon as well as look into the adjacent cell. The doors to the cells were biometrically locked and required an authorized keycard. The ventilation system was a designed as a series of small holes in the ceiling instead of one large vent and once the door was closed, the cell could be hermetically sealed turning it into a hyperbaric chamber.
The scientist currently in charge of the lab respectfully nodded to the commander before opening a cell across the way from the only currently occupied cell. The asset was wheeled in then transferred to the cot. A lab tech came in after everyone was clear and placed remote sensors to monitor oxygen levels, brain activity and pulse. Until the asset was fully awake, anything else could give false readings. Once the door was closed, the cell was sealed and the oxygen level slowly increased by 50% to help induce consciousness.
Consciousness came in fits and starts as memories fell into place one by one. Several seemed out of order but he couldn't place how or why they were, he had to just accept that they were. Taking slow, deep breaths he catalogued where and how he ached, then matched them with his memories. A single thought crystallized in his mind, sending him bolting upright before he rolled off the cot to land in a crouch. 'Fuck, they have Alexei!' He used the movement at the same time to hide him checking to see what he still had on him. He found a tracker and a keycard hacker in the bandages wrapped around his chest. That meant his memories had been shifted. 'Ok.. ok.. I can work with that… means I have allies..' he thought as he ran a hand through his hair.
"Good morning Johnnathan."
Johnny jerked around, eyes wide.
Grant and his men were assigned quarters, bunking two to a room, and put on the duty roster like the rest of the bases grunts. Two men on, two men off, ten hour shifts was par for the course. Having worked with small independent mercenary teams before the person in charge of the scheduling automatically either paired them or put them on the same shift. Also reduced the chance of any double dealing or backstabbing if they were grouped together instead of scattered throughout the base. Of the pair, Grant was considered the hardass while Frank was the more friendly one, even if he was a bit on the sarcastic side. Most didn't mind working with them. It was when Frank and Ripper were paired that the pranks started. And when Grant and Tom were paired, everyone that was assigned with them ended up in foul moods due to Grants hardass attitude.
Currently assigned to perimeter patrol, Frank and Ripper was working with another pair of grunts that had a bad habit of cutting patrols short, or doing it half-assed if they had to go the full patrol. There was a betting pool as to how long it would take before the commander decided they had outlived their usefulness and had them terminated. For Frank and Ripper, those two represented some perfect opportunities to see their own plans to fruition. No one noticed anything different when the patrol returned on time instead of early and the two grunts were grumbling like usual.
The Lab tech, Alice, had enough credentials to be assigned to the labs as an assistant to one of the primary doctors in charge. In fact the man requested her specifically once he found out she was on base. There was something about the man that put her on edge but if asked, she wasn't able to say what it was. The doctor, a man named Nathaniel Essex, was an older Englishman with salt and pepper hair, pale blue eyes and a cultured, British accent that came straight out of the early 1900's. Dr. Essex also seemed to know the secondary asset from previous encounters and through his son.
"Miss Alice, if you would be so kind as to acquire some more buccal brushes in hard-pack please. Also, I would like tubes for blood samples, both regular and micro if this lab even bothers to stock such items," Dr. Essex said, the later half with disdain.
"Of course Dr. Essex," Alice responded.
"Thank you Miss Alice. Please meet me in the child's cell once you have acquired those items," Dr. Essex replied as he walked over to the secondary asset's cell and unlocked it. "Well? Are you going to just stand there or are you going to leave that cell and come see your son? Besides, I believe you are vastly more qualified in dealing with him than the imbecilic lab minions are."
"Why are you here?" the secondary asset (Johnny), asked.
Dr. Essex just smiled that shark's smile of his. "Why wouldn't I? It is an opportunity to acquire even more samples for my research. Quite fascinating some of the samples I have acquired in the last few years." He motioned to the door. "Now Johnnathan, are you going to behave and come out or are you going to be problematic and require me to resort to other methods? Hmmm?"
Alice returned from collection the requested items about the same time as Dr. Essex and Johnny were entering the primary asset's cell, apparently in the middle of a mostly one sided conversation. She didn't bother even trying to hide the fact she was listening in. She had a feeling that the good doctor found it rather amusing.
"Really Johnnathan, you were my son's paramore for almost a year. I would think that you would still be in touch with him," Dr. Essex commented as he gave the lab minions a simple raised eyebrow look that sent them scurrying from the holding cell. "Do see to your son, his caterwauling is a bit disruptive."
"You wouldn't exactly be in the best of moods either if the same thing happened to you," Johnny shot back as he immediately went to Alexei and checked him over. With a diaper change, a full bottle in his stomach and his papa holding him, Alexei was in much improved (if still clingy) spirits. HYDRA seemed to feel that clothes weren't required but keeping the cell on the cool side was.
Dr. Essex gave the impression that he was rolling his eyes, even though he wasn't. "Miss Alice, do be a good lab tech and fine Johnnathan some blankets or such for his son. Thank you. You are a gem when compared to the rest of the people in this lab," he commented.
Alice wasn't sure how to take that exactly. "Um.. thank you Dr.?" she hedged. "I'll be right back as soon as I find something appropriate." She left quickly to locate the requested items. Upon her return 15 minutes later, with an arm full of hospital quality sheet-blankets, she found the doctor physically escorting the assets back to the secondary cell.
"I apologize Miss Alice, there seems to have been an accident in the other cell. Have some of the minions clean it up as soon as possible," Dr. Essex instructed as he let go of the asset's arm once they were inside the cell. "It seems I am in need of having words with a few people before I can continue my work."
"Of course Dr. Essex," Alice said as she deposited her armload onto the cot. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"After his cell is locked, you have the rest of the day off to do as you please."
"Thank you Dr.," Alice responded, but her words were waved off. Once Dr. Essex was gone, she turned to the asset with a questioning look. "Dare I ask what just happened?"
The asset just smirked. "He dislikes his samples being contaminated. It seems the bastard who brought Alexei in drugged him to keep him quiet on the trip here."
"And that's bad?" Alice asked, then amended, "The samples that is."
"Indeed. Bad enough I'd rather be in here than out there."
"Oh…"
Several miles away in the cloaked Avengers quinjet, Bruce and Tony were sifting through the information already obtained as Vision mapped the one known patrol route as well as movement inside the base thanks to the trackers. Thor was currently outside dressing a deer that Wanda had lured within his arm's reach. It's death had been quick and clean. As cover, just in case anyone discovered them, a hunter's tent had been set up to cover the side door to the quinjet, so Thor and Wanda could play as a couple out hunting for several days. There was even a nice fire going in front of the tent, which helped dispel some of the cold. Pepper, who didn't really have any duties to perform, took it upon herself to act as a heater. Her use of Extremis allowed for a reduction in how much the quinjets engines and batteries were required.
"FRIDAY, how's that search coming?" Tony asked as he continued to scan the incoming data.
"There are over 147 million hits Boss on the name Essex," FRIDAY informed.
"Narrow it down to doctors named Essex in the last twenty years," Bruce said. "Even if this person isn't a real doctor it still might help."
"That narrows the field considerably," FRIDAY reported. "I shall also eliminate any female doctors named Essex."
"Do that," Tony said absently as he stopped the data flow and scrolled back some. "Hey Brucey, take a look at this and tell me if I'm seeing what I think I'm seeing."
Bruce got up and moved to stand just behind Tony to look over his shoulder. He lifted his glasses then dropped them again. "Yeah, you are seeing what you think you are seeing. I'm seeing it too."
Vision glanced over to Bruce and Tony. "And what is it you are seeing?" he asked, standing up and moving to join the other two men. "Interesting," he said after spotting what the other two were seeing. "Very interesting."
By the second day at the base, Dr. Essex had acquired both buccal and blood samples from Alice. By the third day, Grant and his team as well as any new arrivals, had been accosted by the good doctor for the same samples. Almost everyone on the base had had the same treatment from the day Dr. Essex arrived. For some reason, none of the samples ever made it into the lab's database, let alone could be located anywhere on base. Considering the doctor's reputation as being quite creepy even for HYDRA, no one tried to find out where the samples went. Those that did, well, no one saw them again. Commander LaBrawn had confronted Dr. Essex several times but even he couldn't get an answer out of the doctor.
On the eve of the fourth day since the arrival of the two assets, Dr. Essex came strolling through the lab, and following behind him, was a trio of guards. The smugly amused look on his face had many of the lab techs scurrying out of his way, quickly finding somewhere else they needed to be, for it usually meant he had found something of interest, or someone. When he arrived at the two assets shared cell, he opened the door and strolled in, two of guards taking up positions at the door while the third headed to the computers dedicated to the assets cell and set to work.
"Dr. Essex?" Alice asked as she came from the other side of the lab where one of the supply rooms was located. "I'm sorry, I didn't expect for you to be back this evening," she said as she looked at the two guards by the door then the third over by the computers with concern.
"Oh, don't worry Miss Alice. I'm just here to complete a project before I leave. Do be helpful and retrieve Mr. LeFleaur's things," Dr. Essex said as he opened the cell.
"Sir?" Alice asked in confusion, stepping past the door guards and into the cell.
Dr. Essex just chuckled as he plucked the infant out of Johnny's arms. "You heard me Miss Alice. Or should I say Ms Romanova," he said giving her a side glance as he carried the infant to the changing table that had been set up in a corner next to the hospital crib. "Did these idiotic people even bother with acquiring clothing for young Alexei?" he asked Johnny as he deftly and gently stripped Alexei out of his diapers, cleaned him then put fresh ones on.
Alice's, or rather Natasha's, eyes widened slightly. "Dr. Essex, I don't know what you're talking about. Romanova is not my name."
"Oh dear me, I had forgotten," Dr. Essex replied in amusement. "Ms Romanoff then. I know that at least two of your current teammates are here within the base undercover and if I was a betting man, I would say there are others about. But, if you wish to stay here and play pretend, then by all means do so." He waved a hand dismissively before returning Alexei to Johnny's care. "Come now Johnnathan, I plan on leaving soon. I'm sure you wish to leave as well." He turned and walked out of the cell.
Johnny exited the cell as well, holding Alexei close to his chest. He eyed both of the guards at the door, then looked at the third before he turned to look at the red-headed lab tech. He watched as she darted out of the cell, headed towards the far area of the lab with a hand to her left ear as she spoke too softly for him to catch. A hand on his shoulder caused him to turn around. It was one of the guards. He looked in the direction indicated and saw Dr. Essex standing next to the third guard who was still at the computers. He nodded and moved in that direction.
Nat quickly headed to the supply room to retrieve both her own as well as Johnny's gear. It was surprisingly easy to smuggle items in, but getting them out again without notice was a different problem altogether. Finger pressed to the comm in her ear, she sent a brief report. "I've been discovered. Essex has removed both from the cell and plans on leaving."
"Confirmed. Stay close to them. We'll meet up with you to make sure he doesn't take them."
"Got it," Nat replied. In two minutes she was dressed in her uniform and headed back in the direction of the doctor, his guards and Johnny. "What's the trigger phrase?"
"'What does the Fox say?' in French," Tony responded.
Natasha blinked, but otherwise gave no indication of what she thought of the trigger phrase. When she reached the group, she held out the bag which contained all of Johnny's gear.
"Give me Alexei, then take the bag and put on whatever is in it," Dr. Essex instructed, holding his hands out for the infant.
Johnny glanced between the doctor and the lab tech, who was now wearing a solid black body suit, with bracers and what looked to be batons of some type. Of the two, she was the unknown (and probably safer bet) but he knew the doctor's reputation of being very dangerous when crossed. He took the bag after passing Alexei to the doctor and looked inside. He looked back up glancing between the two once more. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," Dr. Essex replied.
Johnny dressed in the gear provided with speed and efficiency which meant he'd worn it before. Once the mask was on, he slipped the overcoat on and flipped the hood up. He was a little confused by the readings on the simple HUD the mask provided but shook it off as being part of those misplaced memories that were lurking in his mind. He held out his arms for Alexei, fully expecting to be denied, but was relieved when the doctor placed him back into his arms. He tucked him in close, using one of the sheet blankets as a sort of impromptu papoose. He then closed his overcoat, making sure it was fastened securely. He was concerned though that Alexei hadn't squirmed or even fussed much. He looked at the doctor questioningly.
"Oh don't give me that look. I know perfectly well what can and cannot be used on an infant. He will sleep for the next 8 hours and wake as normal, no worse off than he would be if he was on his normal sleep pattern," Dr. Essex said in exasperation. "Now, are we all done here?" he asked no one in particular.
The third guard nodded as he pocketed a thumb drive as well as an external SSD. "Yes sir, everything has been taken care of."
"Good," Dr. Essex replied as he turned and headed to the elevator. Because he said nothing about refusing Natasha's presence in the elevator, the guards allowed her to join them. The ride up was uneventful, if you don't include the two people who were shot when the elevator stopped on sub-floor three. When they arrived on the ground floor, it seemed that someone else had decided to start some trouble.
"Natasha, could use a hand here. We've been pinned down and my armor can't get to me just yet," James requested.
"On my way," Nat responded as she parted company with Johnny, the doctor and his guards. Johnny and Alexei were well protected at the moment, so she wasn't too worried. "Cap, you'll have to trigger him once they reach the motor pool."
"Copy that," Steve replied as he smashed his shield into the face of a HYDRA grunt that thought he could take down Captain America.
As soon as they exited the elevator and the woman slipped away, Johnny used the moment of distraction the sound of automatic gunfire caused to acquire via five fingered discount, both the external drive and the thumb drive off the third guard. Either he had the devil's luck and the guard didn't notice, or the guard had been instructed to ignore such actions.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly as Essex's party encountered relatively light resistance that was easily dealt with by his guards. The Avengers had yet to be encountered, though heavy fighting could be heard close by. Once they entered the motor pool area, their luck of being left alone vanished. HYDRA grunts had blockaded the external doors and were currently dealing with several of the Avengers while more were outside dealing with the rest. In the chaos, Johnny stealthed and moved away from the doctor in what he hoped was a safer route.
Across the motor pool, Steve spotted the doctor's group as they entered the area. He saw, for just a few seconds, Johnny before he vanished. "Can you access Johnny's com?" he asked FRIDAY as he moved through the grunts, taking them down with practiced ease.
"Accessing now…. You are connected Captain Rogers," FRIDAY responded.
"Johnny! Que dit le renard?"
The effect was almost immediate as hidden memories unveiled themselves and misplaced ones sorted themselves out in Johnny's head.
"Listen to me. Do not get involved," Steve ordered. "This isn't your fight right now. Your job is to protect Alexei and get out of here. Understand? The quinjet is a mile out to the north west." The sound of his shield rebounding off both objects and bodies wove between his words. "Do you understand?" he asked again.
"Yea…. yes…," Johnny responded. He waited a few seconds for a path to clear before he slid between and around the grunts and vehicles that blocked his path to the closest exit. "Stay away from Essex, don't get into a fight with him or his guards," he advised.
"He's got samples from all of us," Clint pointed out. "We need to get those back."
"As long as you don't piss him off, he's not too dangerous," Johnny shot back as he ducked under the back end of a heavy truck. "He's more interested in collecting genetic samples and tracking them th.. shit!" He reached into a pocket, pulled out a small sphere then threw it into a group of 50 gallon barrels. It bounced and rattled as the sphere split open like a whizzbang on the 4th of July.
"Fox?" Tony called.
"Sorry.. exit was blocked," Johnny said as he was able to slip by and exit the base's main building.
"You can fill us in later kid, just get the hell out of here," Steve ordered.
Johnny kept close to the exterior wall as he turned his head, waiting for the HUD to display the direction he needed to go. As soon as it lit up, he took off at a full out run, hoping the stealth tech would be able to provide enough cover. "I'm clear."
"I've got you covered. Just keep going," Tony said as his own HUD lit up with Johnny's position.
Johnny didn't reply, he simply did what he did best and ran.