Facility 405

Laura glared at the man in front of her. Who was as still as a statue with his pistol raised to her. Seemingly ignoring the other Assassin next to her, in favor of defending against what he deemed to be the bigger threat. With a silent sniff, Laura gained a wealth of new information. She was surprised to find that he didn't have any sort of distinct smell. Rather, there was a barely perceptible hint of gunpowder and blood. As if his suit was actively cleansing his form and reducing his presence.

With that thought of the suit, her attention turned to the various plates and straps that made up the man's uniform. The metal itself didn't look like anything special, but the way it was designed was. The armor looked like a blend of pure metal plates overlapping some sort of black body suit. She wouldn't be surprised to find it was composed of similar metals. Interwoven to allow for freedom of movement and the appearance of cloth. Her thoughts were interrupted though by a deep distorted voice emerging from the figure.

"Who are you?" He asked. The glowing eyes of his red helmet locked on hers.

Calmly, Laura answered, "We're the Avengers. We've been given intel that this site is a prisoner labor camp and have been sent to shut it down."

"Sent by who and what are the Avengers?" The figure shot back. Much to both Laura and Natasha's surprise. They were surprised that someone wouldn't have heard of them before. They were international news after the New York attack. With clips of Natasha and Steve fighting in the streets being the subject of news sites for weeks after.

With a visage as hardened as stone, Natasha answered, "The Avenger initiative was launched under a classified US military branch in response to extraterrestrial threats. Its directives are the recruitment, training, and deployment of special individuals against threats deemed too dangerous or volatile for normal troops."

They waited as the figure stared. Visage unflappable and pistol remaining poised to strike. He then asked another question. But this one was even more confusing.

"Where am I and what year is it?'"

Laura pushed her own questions down and answered, "We're in an AIM facility in the Symkarian mountains….. It's 2012."

At that the figure's head shifted back. As if he had been struck. The pistol lowered as the figure's head began to shift back and forth. As if trying to process everything he had been told. Laura turned her head slightly to share a look with Natasha, who seemed to be as confused as she was. Even if on the outside she looked indifferent to the current proceedings. Laura turned back to the figure who had now fully lowered his weapon and was glaring at the floor. Before his head shot back up. Readied with another question.

Unfortunately, Laura and Natasha would never learn what he wanted to know. As the crack of an automatic rifle and ping of a round bouncing off the figure's helmet interrupted their meeting. Instantly the figure was diving away from the fire. But instead of falling back to the wall behind him, he dove forward. Tackling Laura and forcing the two of them into the cover of the hallway corner. A low grunt escaping from the heroine as the heavy man landed on top of her.

He then shifted and was now face to face with Laura. Her face reflected in the metal of his helmet and far too close for Laura's comfort.

"Are you ok?" He asked. His voice was seemingly softer than it was before, despite the filter. Under the mask, Laura blushed slightly as she wasn't used to being saved like this. Usually her team was aware of her and Logan's abilities and would let them deal with whatever fight they wanted, while they completed the mission. With a shove and snarl, that was far weaker than she intended, she pushed the man off her.

"Get off me you fat fuck!" She growled. Above her, the figure shifted and started to stand. Only to pause when his hand brushed against her bicep and suit. His visage snapping back to her as his forefinger and thumb rubbed the fabric. His head tilted as he completed his investigation and turned to her now angry scowl.

"What the hell are you wearing?!" He growled. Seemingly incredulous at his discovery of the makeup of her uniform. Without any consideration she answered.

"Spandex." Which seemed to incense the figure more as he rocked back. Clambering to his feet before pulling her up harshly.

"What the…..!" He growled again. This time breathing rapidly and glaring at her. Laura shifted minutely to prepare herself for the inevitable attack. Only to have the figure huff three large breaths before speaking again. "Alright….. Here's the plan, you two stay here while I recover my gear. Afterwards, I'll escort you two on your mission and then to your extraction. Clear?" He asked, only to railroad over any sort of response they could have provided. "Great! Be back in a few." And with that, he was gone around the corner.

Laura blinked a few times before snapping her head to Natasha. Who had taken on a quizzical expression as she stared at the corner where the figure disappeared.

"What the hell was that?!" Laura questioned. Receiving an unperturbed shrug from the Widow as she turned back down their hallway.

"No idea. But it looks like you have a survivor to escort." She waved off. Her voice full of mirth and amusement at the turn of events. "Make sure you have your cowl's camera on and recording. I'm sure Tony and Steve will want to see what we're dealing with once we get back to the tower." She finished before taking off at a sprint towards the server room.

"What do you….. Nat?! Nat?!" Laura called after the spy. As she disappeared down the hallway, leaving Laura alone in the corridor. With a frustrated growl and newly formed scowl on her face, Laura rounded the corner and started her pursuit of the unknown figure.

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Somewhere In The Corridor Ahead

Jason spun around. Driving a man's head into a wall with his right arm as his left maintained control on the widely firing pistol. With a crack, the man's skull shattered on the white tile of the hallway. Leaving a red smear as the man's corpse dropped limply.

Jason then stooped down to relieve the body of its now useless pistol. He had just grabbed the pistol when another squad rounded a corner ahead of him. Already firing their rifles randomly and painting the corridor with new pockmarks and paint chips. Jason used his crouched position to roll forward. Allowing his body to coil before unleashing himself at a sprint toward the squad as his roll finished. As he ran, he fired his two pistols towards the first two men. Causing small bursts of red to appear across their chests and causing them to stumble.

Then, with a roar, he collided with the lead men on the right. Leading with his right shoulder and driving the two of them into the men behind the soldier. As they sailed, he aimed his left pistol and unloaded on the three men behind the lead soldier on the left. Catching them in their chests and heads as his new reflexes took hold. Jason then landed with a thud on top of the body he had charged. While the four new corpses fell to the floor on the left.

Jason then scrambled up to a crouch. Leveling his right pistol on the singular standing man who had managed to dodge crashing to the floor from the agent's rush. Jason pulled the trigger and instead of being met with the pop of a round, he was treated to a low click. Signaling the gun was empty. Thinking fast, Jason reared back and launched the pistol forward. Catching the man dead center of his forehead and sending him to the floor with a groan.

The other two soldiers had managed to reorient themselves by this point. Lining up their sights on the crouched agent who, once again, had to improvise. This time, Jason grabbed the front of the hazmat soldier he had charged with right hand. Pulling the corpse upright as the two soldiers pulled their triggers. Sending a wall of 7.62 into the agent and his makeshift shield. As Jason weathered the fire, he pulled his left arm back and settled the pistol on the right shoulder of the corpse. Blind firing back at the two soldiers and gaining two yelps of pain for his efforts. With their return fire dying off quickly after.

Jason then shoved the corpse back down and stood to his feet. With two hands on his pistol as he policed the bodies of his attackers. Quickly determining that they were all dead. Besides the man he had thrown his empty pistol at. Who was both groaning and trying to work himself back up to his feet. Making use of the pause, Jason ejected his pistol's magazine and did a round check. Coming up with one singular round left in the clip. With an internal sigh, Jason dropped the magazine and threw the pistol away as he had used up his three magazines in the two other fights earlier. He then crouched quickly and pulled another pistol from one of the bodies. This time it was a Sig Sauer M17 with two accompanying magazines. He holstered his new weapon and turned to the concussed man.

Without giving him any chance to react, Jason swooped in and pressed the man against the wall. Lifting him off his feet as the man's arms waved manically before coming to a death grip against his forearms.

"Where is the armory?" Jason growled. Allowing his voice synthesizer to do the work of intimidating the man. Who thrashed around. Trying to escape from Jason's vice-like grip. Before the man settled and glared at the agent behind his visor.

"Go to hell Subject 379!" The soldier snarled in Russian. Before feeling the temperature of the room drop as the agent remained perfectly still. Only to have the room chill further when he responded.

"Already have. Now. Where. Is. The. Armory?" Jason snarled back in perfect Russian.

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Facility 405 Armory Ten Minutes Later

Laura rounded the final corner. Having tracked the man by the series of bodies he had left in his wake. Most of which had been killed by blunt force or pistol rounds. She entered the armory tentatively. Claws retracted, but ready to pop at a moment's notice. She glanced left, then right. Not seeing the agent in the room but hearing a shuffling further in.

As quietly as she could manage, she trotted forth. Passing lockers full of rifles and pistols that had yet to be pulled for the facility's defense. She gave each impromptu hallway a quick glance before finally finding her quarry in the final hallway. Rearing back, before lashing out with a right jab and reducing the locker's door to a distorted rectangle.

"Hey!" Laura called as she approached. Affixing a scowl on her face.

While the figure continued to ignore her. Instead, he pulled what looked to be a black katana from the locker. Unsheathing part of the blade and flicking some sort of switch within the hilt. Causing the blade to flash to life in a bright red glow. Before the agent flipped the switch again and returned the blade to an inert state. Promptly depositing the blade on his back.

Next, the agent pulled out a black G28 with a custom twenty round clip, integrated acog sight, canted iron sights, angled foregrip, and invisible laser system. Cycling the charging handle and checking his sights quickly. Before loading his first clip in and depositing the other three within the pouches on his left hip. The rifle itself joined the sword on his back. Both positioned to be parallel to one another.

Then, the agent pulled his pistols free. Two TTI Pit Vipers with two standard armor piercing clips and one clip of "Thump" rounds for each pistol. These clips quickly found homes along the agent's belt. The pistols themselves already holstered in their holsters on his thighs.

Finally, a series of what Laura thought to be knives were sheathed in various ports and points throughout the remaining space on the agent's belt. Joined by two standard and two flashbang grenades and some sort of grapple gun. Which was promptly placed parallel to the agent's hips on the back of his belt.

Feeling her patience running thin, Laura snapped at the agent. "Done playing dress-up?"

Who finally decided to acknowledge her existence. Tilting his head in what Laura guessed was a questioning manor. "I thought I told you to stay put and I'd be back."

"Last I checked, I don't take orders from you." Laura pointed out.

The figure's head straightened. Before he responded. Sounding faintly amused at Laura's rebuke, "Last I checked, I'm actually wearing armor. Not a bright dancing uniform."

Instantly, Laura's hackles were raised. Her claws springing free as her anger to hold. Her face turned a light red as she glared at the petulant man. While the agent just watched on. Before he spoke again.

"Know what? No! You don't get to be angry with me! What the hell are you doing assaulting an enemy facility dressed like the world's angriest bee?!" The agent roared as he stalked forward. Closing the space between the two of them and leaning down to glare eye to eye.

Not one to not rise to a challenge, Laura roared back, "I heal! It doesn't make sense to waste resources on armor which will slow me down!"

"So you went with the next best thing to a bathing suit?! Surely you could have chosen something like interwoven Kevlar or at least one or two plates?!" The agent pointed out.

"Why! I'm durable enough and heal fast enough that a bullet will only slow me down for a few minutes, if at all!" Laura defended.

The agent rocked back again. Laura could feel his gaze on her. Taking in her five foot - ten figure. He then sighed loudly and turned towards the door. Bypassing her question and defense.

"When we get out of here, I'm going to need you to brief me on everything. I'm also going to need to talk to whoever makes the decisions around here." He said lowly, before turning back to her. "Now, what's the plan?" he asked, surprising Laura again.

Fighting off sputter at the abrupt change, she steeled herself and answered, "Me and Widow were supposed to breach the server room and extract any intel we found. But obviously that plan has changed. So, I think we go with plan B." She paused. Looking at the agent whose body language screamed, "Go on."

"We'll link up with the others and provide a distraction for the prisoner extraction team." Laura finished.

With a nod, the agent drew the rifle from his back and held it across his chest. "Lead the way, bumble bee." He directed. Drawing a growl from the girl as she shouldered past him.

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Facility 405 Hanger Bay

Peter leapt off the back of a fuel tank. Spinning in the air and unleashing a series of impact webs on three soldiers unlucky enough to be below him. Mr. Stark flying by behind him as he landed. Tony then unleashed his repulsor blasts on the incoming reinforcements. Striking two soldiers before they could get to cover.

"That's twelve kid! You're getting slow!" Tony taunted before blasting off towards another wave

"I just hit fourteen! I think your mind is slipping Tony! Steve! Remind me to tell Pepper to start looking into nursing homes when we get back!" Peter taunted back. Shooting another web and swinging into the air. Dodging around bullets as some of the soldiers on the ground took notice of him.

"Focus gentlemen! We have a mission!" Steve reprimanded. But it was undercut by the obvious grin on his face that Peter could hear over the comms.

"Nursing home?! I'll have you know that Pepper will never put me in a home!" Tony shot back. Ignoring Steve in favor of bantering with Peter.

"You're right." Peter conceded. Webbing up another two soldiers and taking off again. "She'll probably Old Yeller you. On an unrelated note, does she get your lab or does that go to Dr. Banner?"

"Why Spidey? Looking to cash in on the will early?" Tony returned. His voice holding a tinge of mock hurt.

"Say the word kid and that lab is yours." Logan growled over the comms.

"What the hell, Wolvie?! I haven't even done anything to you….this week." Tony balked.

"I distinctly remember you disassembling my motorcycle because you quote, "got bored and it was just sitting there." Logan answered. Remembering his shock at finding his baby as a mess of parts on the garage floor.

"Riggghhtttt, I forgot about that. Fri set a reminder on my calendar to rebuild Wolvie's bike." Tony said. Watching as a reminder popped up on his calendar before turning back to the battle.

Then, Laura's voice sounded off on their channel. The sound of rifle fire in the background as she spoke, "This is Talon, I'm incoming with a friendly in tow."

Steve threw his shield and watched it bounce around. Knocking three hazmat soldiers to the ground before returning to his outstretched arm. "We hear you Talon. What is the status of Widow and what type of friendly should we be expecting?" Steve asked with a finger to his ear.

"Widow is currently completing our original mission. As for the friendly….. We're coming in on your right." Laura radioed. Before the metal doors to the hanger flew open.

From within, a grouping of twelve soldiers rushed out. Some turned back and fired their rifles at the encroaching threat. Only for the crack of four shots to drop two of them instantly. The rounds finding new homes in the soldier's hearts and minds.

From the door, a black figure rushed out. Sliding into cover behind one of the overturned service vehicles before, peeking out to unleash another burst at two other soldiers across from him. The figure then charged forth again. This time towards the last grouping of eight. As he ran, he fired another shot from his rifle. Catching one of the men trying to get a bearing on him. This round caused the soldier to spin and unleash his clip on the man beside him. Filling him with a shower of lead.

The figure then threw his rifle over his shoulder. With the firearm coming to rest on the center of his back next to another handle. By this point, the black figure had closed the distance on the remaining men. Launching a right jab into the closest soldier and snapping the man's neck. Ending his screams from the previous shoulder shot. He then grabbed the falling corpse's right arm and spun. Releasing the body mid spin, into two other soldiers. Sending them crashing to the floor.

He then reached towards his belt and snapped his arm back up. Unleashing a glint of silver which revealed itself to be two throwing knives. Which shattered through the hazmat's visor of two unfortunate souls.

The last two standing soldiers charged him with knives. Slashing back and forth trying to catch him between their strikes. The figure merely leaned back as the first man charged. Before leaping around him and grabbing his chin and back of his skull. Then with a rip and crack, the figure snapped the man's neck. Leaving one remaining soldier.

The woman spun the knife in her hand and held it out in a reverse grip. She then rushed forward. Blade jabbing forward as she struck at his stomach and chest. Only to be deflected or outright blocked by the figure's hands and forearms. Eventually, she over-extended herself. Allowing for the figure to grab her right forearm and spin her to the ground. Where his left hand snaked around her chin before pulling violently. Ending her threat.

That only left the two stuck under their comrade. Who had managed to shove the body off them and were working back to their feet. With a blur of movement, the figure pried the dead woman's knife from her grip and sent it flying. His left arm pulled the corpse's pistol and sent off a shot at the other soldier. Dropping them both and eliminating the squad. Before standing back up to his full height and marching towards the two bodies with his knives embedded. Only to rip them free, clean them on the soldier's shirt, and return them to the sheaths on his belt.

The figure finished his policing and turned to Steve. His red helmet and glowing eyes reflecting the lights of the hanger. Steve felt the man's eyes trailing over him and making their own assessment, when Logan appeared next to him. Instantly becoming the main focus of the man's attention. Laura then appeared at the man's left shoulder. With the figure acknowledging her with a quick glance before settling back on them. Before he muttered a single word which was low enough that only Laura, Steve, and Logan heard it.

"Shit."