Chapter 10 – Broken Bones
"We're here," Jane's voice cut through the silence that hung over the jet like a knife. Natasha looked up and looked out the window at the front. That was great but where was here exactly? Hill hadn't actually told them where they were going, she just gave Jane the co-ordinates and off they went.
"Where are we?" Natasha asked getting up out of her seat.
"Louisiana just outside of New Orleans," Darcy told them looking on the control panel as she slipped off her head set. Natasha nodded and went to stand beside Clinton. He looked at her quickly before snapping his bow out to its full length. Hill lowered the ramp before walking back over to Coulson before smiling at him knowingly and pulling down her balaclava. Natasha waited until all the balaclavas were down before walking out. As soon as they were out they walked through the trees eventually coming across a compound. Natasha crouched behind a tree her gun ready to fire. Cautiously she peered round the tree and studied the base. Natasha looked at the base confused; the Red Room had no bases in America, well not in her dimension anyway. Natasha hid back behind the tree and relayed the information to the group.
"There's six guards patrolling the perimeter with three guard dogs and there's two guards positioned in each of the three watch towers around the base," Natasha told them. It was a lot of guards for a small compound like this one. That meant they were in the right place. Rose was in those walls… somewhere. Cap looked past her to the base.
"It looks like an old military base I was in not long before I got frozen," Cap muttered.
"It's not going to be easy sneaking in, but it'll be fun," Natasha smiled slipping her gun back in its holster on her leg. Darcy looked at Natasha, eyebrow raised. Fun? Is she crazy?! They might get killed! Gunned down by the men in the watch towers!
"This is your idea of fun?" Darcy asked, Natasha didn't reply instead she just got up and ran out of the trees, "And she's gone. Oh come on Clinton!" Darcy groaned as Clinton rushed past her. The rest of the group sat there listening to the twang of Hawkeye's bow as numerous guards fell to the ground or out of the tower windows with arrows in their eyes. They watched as Black Widow untangled her legs from one guard's dead body before rushing to another and doing the same. Once all the guards were dead they ran back to cover and dragged the group out before running to the compound.
"Starks shown up yet?" Hawkeye asked. Just as he said it the sound of rockets filled the clearing.
"What did we miss?" Iron Man asked.
"Those two killing a lot of guards," Betty nodded to Black Widow and Hawkeye. They both shrugged like it was nothing. Rescue and Iron Man looked at Natasha.
"Who's she?" Pepper asked wearily.
"We'll explain later right now one of ours is inside there," Hill started, "Dr Banner, would you do the honour of knocking?"
"I thought you'd never ask," Banner smiled. He smiled at Betty before transforming into the Hulk. The Hulk broke through the fence surrounding the perimeter and walking to the door. They all walked through the hole he had made. When they reached him again the Hulk lifted up his hands and slammed the door in. Instantly a rain of bullets came through the door. Everyone apart from Hulk, Rescue and Iron Man dived to the side. The three returned fire (or in Hulk's case smashed the Red Room Agents) and when the bullets had calmed down slightly the rest of the team came out and killed the remaining Agents. Once the last had fallen to the floor Iron Man spoke.
"There are there floors underneath us, 548 people alive in the compound and it looks like the prison's on the lowest floor but the person could be anywhere," he started, "Who are we looking for anyway? The kid?"
"Yep," Cap nodded, "Split up into two's and search this compound top to bottom, all of it we need to find her. If we lose communications meet back here in an hour, no one gets left behind ok?" They all nodded and ran off in separate directions, Black Widow and Hawkeye went off together, Hulk and Betty, Hill and Coulson, Iron Man and Rescue and the last team Cap, Darcy and Jane.
Widow and Hawkeye kicked open every door they came to on the second floor. So far every room was empty and they had no word of finding Rose for the others. Communications was still up but it mostly consisted of Tony… well, being Tony. With every door that opened and only lead to Red Room scientist or Agents that they shot dead Hawkeye got more frantic. This time when Widow kicked open a door instead of it leading to a room it lead down a corridor. After peering inside she called over to Hawkeye.
"Hawkeye, this way," she hissed. Hawkeye looked round to see her running down the dimly light corridor and running after her. The corridor was silent apart from the sound of their footsteps echoing off the stone walls. At the end of the corridor was a metal door. Widow moved to the side and nodded to Hawkeye to open it. Slowly Hawkeye opened it and they rushed into the room. Opposite the door was a bundle on the floor and around it a small puddle of blood that was steadily growing. Hawkeye dropped his bow and rushed over to the lump on the ground that was the broken, bruised and bloody body of Rose. He looked at the puddle of blood helplessly before carefully turning her over. Rose's eyes opened slightly and a weak smiled crossed her face.
"Hawkeye…" she whispered.
"Yeah it's me, we're here to take you home," he told her soothingly.
Widow looked round the room wearily. It wasn't right. It was all too easy. This was the Red Room. It shouldn't be like this. Slowly she moved in front of Hawkeye and the broken body of Death Adder. There must be something coming, it's the Red Room for crying out loud! But what? That was the thing that scared her most of all. Hawkeye had just stood up with Death Adder hang limply in his arms, her arm hang bellow him and her now crimson dyed hair hanging over his arm, when a voice filled the room.
"You didn't think I was going to let you go that easily did you?" the voice asked speaking with a thick Russian accent. Widow recognised it instantly. Death Adder whimpered in Hawkeye's arms as the voice spoke only confirming Widow's suspicions. It was him.
"Ivan," she hissed.
"Who?" Hawkeye whispered to her.
"Ivan Petrovitch, he's the head of the Red Room," Widow whispered. Behind them a door that they'd both failed to see slowly opened. They both span round and watched the man come through the door. Widow tensed before walking back into the shadows. Not because she was scared of him because she didn't want him to see her she was meant to be dead. Half of Ivan's face burnt and the other face was covered in scars. Ivan caught Hawkeye staring at his face and smirked.
"Quiet a face isn't it? You want to know how I got them? Her," he nodded to Adder who was currently cowering weakly in Hawkeye's arms. Ivan smirked.
"She burnt my face the first time she tried to escape, chucked me into the fire. Once we caught her again not far away from the compound we whipped her memory. All these scars were from failed escape attempts. Every time we whipped her memory. Then we sent her to Berlin where you were sent to kill her and cornered her in Budapest where you gave her the chance she needed. You took our best experiment away from us and for that you'll have to pay the price. Who's your friend you brought with you?" Ivan smirked. He'd finally noticed Widow standing in the shadows. Hawkeye as always knew exactly what to say.
"The spirit to take you to hell, your own personal demon," he smirked. Ivan looked at him confused. What was he on about? His own personal demon? Ha! As if. If he had one it would have come to take him to hell a long time ago. It would have come when he stole the baby Rose then Rosie from her birth parents and trained her to be a mindless killer. Or when he burnt down Natalia's house with her family inside but saved her, fooling the toddler into thinking he was family before training her to be a mindless killer before giving her the enhancers that lead her to kill herself like all those girls before. She'd been his favourite, she'd been reliable and she never tried to escape unlike Rose. Natalia was the best they'd had until she'd killed herself. If only they'd got the enhancers right the first time, they'd have the perfect Черная вдова – Black Widow.
Widow took this as her time to step out of the shadows, her lips coiled up into a deadly smirk. When Ivan laid eyes on her he froze. He must be seeing things. He saw her body he felt for her pulse, she was dead!
"Hello Ivan, I'm here to take you to hell," she spat.
"Natalia…. No, you're dead!" he cried.
"Exactly, they want you down there, the spirits are screaming for your sole and they sent me to retrieve it, your greatest achievement," she smirked. Ivan stumbled backwards believing every word Widow spoke. When he hit the wall he searched for the door.
"You can't hide Ivan. We're coming for you," she hissed. Widow lifted up her leg and kicked him as hard as she could in the face. Ivan's head flew backwards cracking against the stone cell walls. Widow strutted over to him smirking.
"You see I was given a deal, your life for mine even after all these year," she smirked slowly she crouched down beside him and whispered in his ear, "Goodbye Ivan and welcome to hell." Ivan stared up at her petrified still believing every word. Widow smirked as she pulled her favourite dagger out of its holder on her leg and plunging it into Ivan's chest. He screamed in pain causing Widow to twist it. Slowly his eyes started to close and she yanked the dagger out of his chest. Widow stood up gracefully before turning to face Hawkeye and Adder.
"I'll never get tired of hurting him but killing him is even better," she smirked. Her smile faltered when she noticed his face. Slowly she moved over and felt Adder's pulse that was there but only just. She was losing too much blood and if they didn't do something soon.
"Let's go, I'll tell the team," Widow told him. Hawkeye nodded and they ran back along the corridors.
"This is Widow, we have her but her pulse is fading fast, we need to get out of here now!" Widow ordered down the coms as they ran through the corridors. Seconds later Cap's voice came next.
"We'll meet you at the jet, we've found something that you might want to know," Cap told them a slight hint of anger in his voice. Both Widow and Hawkeye raised an eyebrow. Since when does Cap get angry?
"Right say when everyone's out so I can blow this place along with all the bastards in it!" Iron Man growled.
Minutes later Hawkeye and Widow emerged from the compound. They were hardly half way across the field when Betty and the now calm Bruce ran after them. Betty called after them and they stopped to let them catch up. Together the group ran to the jet and as soon as they were inside Bruce went into overdrive.
"Put her down there!" he cried before turning to Betty and telling her to get numerous things. Hawkeye did as he was told and lay Rose down on the table. Her eyes were closed and she was ghostly white.
Widow watched for a second before rushing back out. Part of the team was still inside and she wouldn't leave until they were all out, no matter how much Tony can annoy her sometimes. Widow rushed out into the field to see Coulson, Hill, Cap, Darcy and Jane rushing towards her. As soon as Cap laid eyes on her she nodded and he lifted his hand up to his ear.
"Blow it," he spoke coldly.
"Yes finally!" Iron Man smirked.
"We'll meet you back at the jet, just get out of here," Rescue came through the com link. They all ran back to the jet as the sound of explosions sounded behind them. They were running through the trees when Coulson turned to her.
"Where is she?" Coulson demanded.
"She's in the jet; Barton, Dr Ross and Dr Banner are with her," Widow told him and the rest of the group. They reached the jet seconds later and hurried into it just as the sound of rockets came towards them. They waited until Iron Man and Rescue flew into the jet before raising the cargo door. Jane and Darcy ran to the pilot seats and started up the jet. Once they were in the sky they looked over to the flaming wreckage of the Red Room compound. Natasha walked to where Cap was standing.
"So what's the news?" Natasha asked loud enough for everyone to hear. Hill, Coulson, Clinton, Tony and Pepper turned to Cap.
"I know how the Red Room got into America to set up numerous bases. They've got one in nearly every state and are kidnapping people to experiment on in every state they have a base," Cap lowered his mask and looked round the group. Anger was pretty much radiating off of him.
"Please don't say-" Hill started.
"And all because of Osborn," he spat. Hill groaned, turned and hid in Coulson's chest. Coulson sighed before wrapping his arms around her and stroking her hair. Clinton growled and ran his hands through his hair and down her face.
"God dam it!" he growled. He sunk down in a chair in defeat. They all took a seat (apart from Pepper and Tony) and looked at each other.
"We need to do something about him! I can't just sit by and watch him tare our world to pieces!" Clinton cried, "He helped the Red Room, now he's gone too far!" At this Natasha cocked an eyebrow it took him long enough to snap. How long had Osborn been in power? A couple of years? She would have snapped by now. Patience isn't her strong point.
"Yes I agree we have to do something but what?" Hill asked. They all looked round each other. Jane and Darcy put the jet on auto-pilot and came to join the group. Suddenly coughing filled the jet and they turned to look at Rose who with the help of Betty and Bruce was sitting up. She looked at them all in turn before coughing again.
"It's obvious isn't it?" she asked weakly raising an eyebrow. When no one replied she smirked and carried on.
"We have to take back S.H.I.E.L.D."