Chapter 144: The Finale Base part 2
Commissioned for: Jonathan Kurtzman
Thanks for the support!
Also HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
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Inside the base soldiers moved about as new orders where given and forces mobilised. Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker at that moment in time was not a happy man, no he was absolutely furious. Suddenly being interrupted in an important meeting and then finding out that nearly all of his forces had been mobilised could do that to any person.
His face was a stone mask that all his soldiers had learned long ago not to mess with as he quickly made his way into the command centre. Without breaking stride his commanding voice dominated the room catching the attention of the person he called.
"Who gave the order to attack?" His voice was quiet and controlled and his eyes instantly snapped to the comms operator than stood and spoke back to him. "Baron Strucker! The Avengers are attacking." Though it was a good reason, it wasn't an explanation on who gave the orders. One of his Lieutenants quickly passed by though giving him his answers.
"They landed in the far woods, the perimeter guard panicked." 'They need better training if that is the case.' He kept that thought to himself as his lieutenant quickly moved off to join the fight, knowing he would be needed and gladly dying for the cause.
Struckers' analytical mind quickly thought through the next step of what had to happen. They had to be after the sceptrer and they were the Avengers. Maybe if he had more capable soldiers or equipment to deal with the blasted monster and the God he would have had a chance.
But he didn't have that.
Quickly snapping his head back, he addressed the room that was in full war mode, organising strategies and troop movements. "Deploy the rest of the tanks. Concentrate the fire on the weak ones." His orders given he turned still in thought.
As ideas streamed through his mind Struckers eye caught the sight of the man he wanted to see the most right then. Dr List quickly arrived at his side as he turned and spoke in a lower volume. The others had turned back to what they were doing as the two brains behind their operations schemed.
"Everything we've accomplished…we are on the verge of our greatest breakthrough." There was a bitterness that pervaded his voice as he let the words slip. He was facing a downhill battle that he definitely wasn't going to win and didn't have time to retreat. His fists gripped tightly as his eyes narrowed in anger."
Dr list also felt those words. After so long, having spent the last few months studying the sceptre and running from what was left of SHIELD and the damn Avengers, they were about to lose it all. His eyes scanned around the room, mind whirling with thoughts.
But those thoughts stopped when his eyes hit upon the siblings, they had gone through so many resources getting them to obey, strengthening their powers, seeing how they reacted to the sceptre; even paying that psychic so much to get them fully under their control finally…but it would give them enough time. Or so he hoped, it was a major risk, one he didn't want to but had to take.
"Then let's show them what we've accomplished. Send out the twins." Strucker looked at the two, a bit more docile than he wanted, but the price they had to pay for their obedience, this would be their first mission since they had acquired them.
A flash of indecision appeared in his mind. "…It's too soon." But Doctor List pushed forwards. "It's what we acquired them for, why we took them in the first place." Strucker continued to look at them for a bit longer before finally shaking his head. "My men can hold them a bit longer.
Though he would have liked nothing more than to send them out. If word spread or got out what they looked like too soon, 'he' would come. It was risky taking his children, but the results spoke for themselves.
But if he found out now, they would have not just the Avengers and the remnants of shield to deal with. Unless they got the full power of the sceptre…then it wouldn't matter who came for them. This conviction however was put to the test when 20 minutes later their forces dwindle.
The idea of surrender did cross his mind, his tactical genus knowing if they were put away, they could possibly fight another day, 'deleting the data so they don't know what we've been testing'. That idea or the children continued to war within his mind before finally he came to a decision.
Turning once more to Dr List he spoke. "We'll surrender, we won't be able to win today, but a war is not won by any one battle…" His face was calm as the words came out, but his eyes narrowed as he looked at one of his long-time friends and partners.
There was a look in his eyes, something he had seen many a time. 'No he didn't, we could have hidden them, made them escape. Sent them to another base to be useful till our return. Anything as long as they weren't revealed right now!'
"List, what have you done?!" The Doctor looked on a hardened glint in his eyes as he stared back. "What had to be done, or research could not wait." A backhand was all he received with such an answer.
*Smack*
The sound reverberated around the room as a few stopped to look at what was going on, but a quick look from their leader and the cold fury in his eyes made them get back to work. "You may be smart doctor, but even you make mistakes…"
He almost wanted to hit him again, but restrained himself, his hand lowering back to his side, hand clenched together behind his back, the presence of a leader radiating from him. His eyes kept their cold look though as he stared down at his 'friend'.
"…You have no idea what kind of trouble you might have just invited onto Hydras door step 'Doctor'…" The venom behind the title was scathing. "…We had specifically hidden our traces from that mutant monster,and you have thrown all our hard work down the drain, all in search of results that could have been re-gathered later."
"Pray this doesn't affect our other operations or I may reconsider killing you myself. Now get up and go delete those files, we don't want shield or Stark to look at our research results. Am I clear!" There was a bitter look on Dr List's face as he nodded, a small trickle of blood flowing from a cut on his right temple.
He didn't dare make another noise as he knew he would be taken out if not useful to Hydra and it's purposes anymore. Standing he quickly made his way from the room to delete the files. Something he had spent countless hours researching and compiling!
The last thing he heard was Struckers voice yelling at a comms officer. "I want both weapons ordered back to base. I don't care if the fast one has already engaged, get them back here now."
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Clint hid behind a tree, his breath calm but laboured. Protracted fights, especially with his growing age were getting a little harder. Steadying his breath for a moment and pulling an arrow, he lined up the base and quickly let loose the shot. Knowing that it was going to hit he quickly re hid behind the tree and waiting for the explosion.
It was when that explosion didn't happen that Clint grew annoyed. His breath sped up just a little as his professional practice seemed to be insulted. Picking an arrow even quicker this time and lining up the shot even quicker, he was about to shoot when he was struck from the back.
He couldn't even see what hit him as a silver streak came and went by. Groaning from the high impact, he was slow to get back up as he caught sight of a new advisary. With white hair and a little stubble, the man twirled Clint's own arrow in his hand as he strolled by.
"You didn't see that coming?" There was a small smirk on his lips as he dropped the words before disappearing again. Clint didn't even have time to pull another arrow before he disappeared. In his stupor at what just happened Clint didn't see the automated turrent from the bunker he was just trying to destroy fire his way.
Thankfully it was a glancing blow that didn't out right take his life, though the high energy did leave a lasting cauterizedwound across his mid-section and hip.
"Clint!" Natasha shouted above her downed opponent as she rushed to his side, her shout alerting everyone else in the group that something was wrong.
Steve didn't even get a chance to figure out what was wrong as he reached for his comm to ask, when the silver blur once more came by. Flinging him into the air from the shove, Steve was just able to keep himself upright as he landed on his knees, though he was quick on the uptake.
"We have an enhanced in the field!" With those words he started to sprint towards Clint's position, ideas on how to deal with this new threat filtering through his mind. His warning came a little late as Felicia was also attacked.
Having just finished up one of the agents, she had just rebalanced herself when a mighty shove from the back sent her flying into one of the trees to the side. With a solid thwack, her body crumpled to the ground as she sucked in air.
With her suit reinforced by Tony over the months she wasn't grievously injured, but she was winded and one of her ribs might have been cracked. Laura was even worse off as Quick Silver went in for the kill. Laura was facing a group of soldiers her claws tearing through their equipment when he struck.
With his insane speed her shoulder was torn from its cuff when he impacted her side, though the hardness of her bones also tripped the speedster up for a few seconds. His body hurt as he quickly sped off away from the group, he hadn't been expecting that.
But with this small interruption the Hydra goons had free reign on shooting Laura for those few seconds, their bullets piercing her skin and spraying blood everywhere. This only made her angrier as she lashed out at those around quickly taking them down.
With her enhanced speed she quickly healed up, but her eyes starred menacingly at the spot where the silver streak disappeared.
More attacks might have happened and even greater damage to the Avengers if Strucker hadn't already called the twins back.
With the reprieve from attacks, Natasha was able to stabilize Clints wound as Hulk took out the bunker that was firing at them.
They had a long battle still ahead of them.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone