(Author Note: I am sorry for the re-write... It was pointed out that I had messed up royally when it came to Shield and Hydra's dynamic, especially considering Chapter 86's existence! I apologise for any hassle and confusion caused by this. SHOUT OUT TO: HarkenEliwood, he informed me about it!)
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Steam hissed from the slab of ice as howling winds soared on top of the ice-filled plains above. The vapour billowed out in quickly freezing plumes as snow and sleet hurriedly plopped to the ground around the Shield Agents. Shattering shards of ice mixed with the constant droning of the drilling laser, creating an eerie echo that resembled a banshee's wail.
The room they stood in was small and contained. Metal supports lined the chamber, devices wrapped in cords and varying cables sitting discarded against the walls. Three hallways faded into light-blue and deep white, their lengths and widths obfuscated by the monochromatic colour pallet of the polar ice.
A large chunk of ice from the slab sloughed to the ground, the water quickly freezing in the frigid temperature. Although it was thick, the slab was slowly melting with the unflappable work ethic of the agents and their devices. Hours had passed since they had fished this block from the greater whole using advanced archaeological detection methods, and finally, signs of him showed.
Pulling back her fur-lined hood one agent deactivated her laser, her eyes scanning the block before her as her co-worker followed her lead, his glances coming fast but calmly.
"What is it Jemma?" The woman frowned from behind her goggled as she knelt down and brought her face only an inch away from the block.
She raised a gloved hand and slowly wiped away the dusty layer of ice that clung to the exterior of this carved slab, the insides faintly glowing with a pulsing blue light. Frowning, she pulled back just enough to look at her colleague.
"I think I see something Fitz!" The man raced over, his curiosity surging as the light from inside rhythmically pulsed. She was almost mesmerised by the paleness of the light, ices' natural propensity to remain semi-translucent factoring in no doubt; she noted.
The man, Fitz, finally crouched down next to her. His eyes scanned the same area that she was currently stared at, the iPad within his hands filling with notes and the articulations of his examinations. "T-this is it! This must be... It fits the description of the artefact. W-we've probably found him." His Scottish accent added a lilt to his words that made the discovery seem impossibly possible.
She failed to care about anything else at this point... This had been the break she had needed. Going from University to PHDs and now to an Agent for a super secret organisation... She needed stability for a while and luckily, with this, she had just found it.
"Great! We have to contact Hill!" Fitz rushed his fingers along his iPad before a call was initiated.
Without paying attention to the iPad she rushed over to a large array of heating elements, moving them with some effort towards the slab. Her friend's words slipped through the neurons within her brain as her entire being was concentrated on freeing whatever, or, whomever was within this slab of ice.
Grabbing several of the free cords and cables she began plugging them in, the ice crackling under her gloves as she slammed them in with as much force as she could manage. They were old tech in comparison to what they were used to but it would have to do.
Taking the layers of ice off and checking the condition of the array she eventually decided everything was fine. She pulled it back towards the slab of polar ice, the sloughed off pieces from before already having done their best to merge with the floor. Wheels clattered against slick ice, scraping grooves into the firm ice floor. Eventually, after much wrangling of cord and heating elements she positioned the device over the slab.
Craning her head to the side she looked over towards the switch behind her, the idea already having been intercepted by her colleague as he eagerly flicked the array on.
The barest signs of a melt coagulated upon the surface of the slab... Small beads of fresh water coiling down the smooth exterior. Trepidation swept through them both as time marched forwards. The first few minutes were filled with an eerie and silent electrical drumming from the machine as it chipped away at the physical state of the block, turning solid into liquid as more and more was revealed. Ten minutes passed from then, Fitz rushing off to the generator in a frantic desire to do something to ensure everything goes well.
Shards sluggishly broke off from the greater block, the ice of the wall behind the block slowly caving inwards as water dripping down its edifice. With another crack a segment of ice fell. Then another... and another... A glow that was once buried and faint becoming deeper and fuller. The light almost seemed to call out towards freedom, as if it were alive, a silly concept but one that she couldn't help but give at least a tiny credence to. Eventually, after half an hour, the ice had melted to such a stage that the faintest gleams of red, blue and white refracted from the soft orange glow of the elements hanging above.
Disbelief painted her features as she watched a man slowly get carved out of the ice by the device she herself had setup. This was a massive discovery and a sure-fire promotion if she had seen any. Giddiness mixed with intense pride as she watched the star spangled uniform get uncovered from in arctic purgatory.
"Oh... My god... Th-that's h-him, isn't it...?" Fitz was losing his cool as he watched with equal excitement to her own.
"Yeah... I think we just scored big, Fitz..."
His gulp was audible as several footfalls echoed from behind them, their senses shouting it out as they watched this historic relic slowly get excavated from the hell in which he threw himself into to save the world.
"Holy, hell..."
...
Shield Headquarters...
Getting off a call with Agent Fitz, Fury steepled his hands and with his one good eye stared at the far end of the room. The news was great, excellent in fact. Operation Avengers could begin once the Captain had recovered from his status, everything should be fine...
Yet, he felt this itch caress the back of his neck. It was just like that time where he found Danvers and ended up in all of her craziness. The Skrull still gave him bad memories, though their space cat had certainly been awesome... 'If only I had more of them at my command.' He mused within his own mind.
Looking around his own office with the minimal amount of movement required, he noted the lack of any pictures within or any personal effects... A sacrifice he had made in order to gain immunity from inside leaks of his personal relations and allies. This organisation, apart from the section he was running, was going to hell in a hand basket. Hydra was running rampant, Pierce and Madam Hydra picking off many of his allies and the remaining branches... Many other agents had tried to supplant his position, the different sections fracturing as everyone wished to be 'king'. It was a shit show. More than that, the world council was breathing down his throat for answers.
Usually he'd call them all mother fuckers and rush off, but that time his hands had been tied. He himself had just recruited in Fitz and Jemma, the two geniuses, to complete the work going on in the Polar icecaps... Rogers needed to be found, along with the tesseract.
'Stupid ass, motherfucking, council...' His eye narrowed whilst the eyepatch tightened against his skin. Muscles flexed across his body as tension sprang up through his emotions.
For a long time he had been tense, like a coil pulled back as far as its potential energy would allow. He was on the precipice of snapping at his 'superiors', the fools that they were. Hydra's actions drew his patience ever thin, Especially Pierce, that self entitled shit-stain that was once a friend of his. The man was every little dictator and shit-stain.
That tingle came back once more, his eye immediately squinting towards his office's door. Something or someone was out there and they were being very stealthy. His training and experience had hammered in a sixth sense of sorts, powered by his subconscious, and currently it was firing off at all cylinders.
Slowly he pulled his magnum from under his desk, taped there in case he needed a quick and violent response. With a scratching pop the firearm came free into his hands, his right hand chambering a round whilst he casually checked the magazine, finding it completely filled. Carefully he checked his belt and in all of his secret holsters, finding all of the ammo and gadgets that he was used to using in their place. If someone was going to come for him, he was prepared. He had even planned for such a scenario in the past, his desk acting as a perfect shield with the top being tick and metallic.
'I just have to flip this table, get off a few shots and then exit down the hatch underneath my table.' His fingers slide along the cold carbide material of his pistol as he retained a ready but casual posture upon his seat.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
Three concise knocks interrupted his thoughts, his throat tightening ever so slightly before he relaxed enough to make his tone casual, normal.
"Come in." His voice echoed, composed, as the door opened up.
Pulling the door open, Natasha walked in followed by two new presences. They were unfamiliar, strange. Their fashion and garb was that of Yakuza almost, yet they were utterly formal, completely composed and their stances were unnaturally prepared for anything. Only the league of assassins had this level of training, that, or The Hand.
The man was looked to be rather young, perhaps fifteen or sixteen. Black hair lined his face, the bangs of his hair slightly obscuring his shining red eyes. A band covered his head, a weird asterisk-like symbol with several dents upon it. His clothes were a pitch black with a silver vest that was almost as dull as the purple sashes and belt that he wore around his midsection. Sandals adorned his feet as two katanas graced sheathes on his side, kunai tucked into several folds of his sash and the unmistakeable presence of a pistol within a side-pocket of his vest.
Standing beside that man was a purple haired woman... An oddity that was obvious as the hair seemed completely natural for her. She wore the exact same outfit with her hair almost looking exactly like the man's except for the colour and some minor details in her bangs. They even had the same red eyes, weird symbols spinning lucidly in place of irises or sclera. Fury felt his sixth sense flare powerfully as he met their eyes, before that sense faded slowly, their calm demeanor ensuring a steady pace behind Romanov, who looked rather intense. No doubt she was feeling what he was.
"Director, these two have been sent by Freya; Gods Empress." Fury felt an ache building within his brain as he considered the possible reason for their appearance and the nature of the enigmatic and unscoutable game creator.
"Great. What can I do for you two?" The man looked over to the woman before shrugging, the woman's eyes tracing Natasha who was trying to leave and grant them privacy.
Fury waited for their response but didn't receive one. "Redhead, stay." The Purple haired woman's words echoed towards the best spy Shield had ever seen, said spy turning gracefully with a small cock of her head and an upturn of her features. No doubt she was intrigued as to why she should be present in such an important meeting.
Natasha returned to the side of Fury's desk as the two Shield agents watched these, for a lack of better words, Ninjas, stand there without a single ounce of emotion. The silence was eventually broken by the male Ninja, thankfully.
"We have come here under orders from our mistress. She has told us that Hydra has wiped out Shield and needed help." There was no question in his spiel, but the implication of one was very clear. Whether to accept their help or not was left unspoken.
Fury blinked very slowly, his single eye staring up at the ninja before turning to Natasha; who looked utterly drawn out, black rims surrounding her eyes as her hair dangled down in a tangled mess... This conflict had left marks on everyone.
"All help, will be appreciated... Is there a specific reason for you to help us?"
"Are you incompetent?" Fury resisted the urge to scowl at the boy, Natasha luckily imposing herself into the conversation to save her boss.
"I believe our director is asking us whether you have a target..." The female ninja frowned a little as the male simply regarded her evenly, his features returning to serenity.
"Our Mistress has declared war. This Hydra is our target, alongside this Madam."
Silence reigned for a time as the ramifications of the word war settled into the dull office.
"War?" The boy nodded at Fury's question. "With Hydra..." Fury paused and let the inquiry on the tip of his tongue out, "Are there others?" He refused to answer his question, his eyes simply glued Fury's cheeks as if he were asking a stupid question.
Natasha spoke up once more. "Is your mistress investing in the war? Perhaps giving us resources and assets...?"
The female ninja spoke up this time, her countenance cautious. "She told us to find and kill Madam Hydra, as well as Hydra itself. The entirety of Yggdrasil Interactive is behind us in this action, including the Spartans and our Ninja Clans." Fury immediately started coughing into his right hand as his eye looked close to popping out of his head. Sweat unconsciously began to leak from the small of his back as that sixth sense prickled at his throat now.
They weren't lying... She was truly invested in eradicating the traitorous Hydra. Slowly he panned his head towards Natasha, the woman also matching his gaze. A small conversation was had just between their eyes before Fury spoke up energetically.
"N-Natasha, go get Clint and Coulson. Hill will be here within the next few hours alongside the asset." She nodded powerfully as her feet carried her out of the office.
Fury shook his head and turned back to the two Ninjas of Freya. That was an insane thought... Ninjas working for a woman named after a Norse Goddess and making games that were beyond even Stark's capability to make. He had known they existed, but the idea of it still hadn't fully entrenched itself.
"Could I ask what your names are?"
Immediately the two questioned him back.
""Why?""
Fury sighed a touch before straightening himself upwards, his trench coat and vest slightly loosening and slipping tighter upon his body.
"Because, I need to tell my people who you are and that you are on our side..." He paused on that line once more, his breath slightly hitching as a series of curses and elaborate sailor-like language screamed within his mind, "I also need to make identifications for you both and give you codes so you can access the Shield computers and servers."
Hydra had destroyed much of the existing servers and hideouts but there were still many that were hidden by him personally, locked behind his own codes. At this stage he couldn't be picky with who joined their forces, Hydra needed to be eradicated.
"Itachi."
"Naori."
Fury nodded and quickly got to work, his computer opening and several confidential and secret documents flashing past in a blur as he got to the personnel section and quickly began filling out the required details for his two new Ninjas; his as in they would be under his 'purview' technically.
Ten minutes later the paperwork was complete and the two Ninjas had settled into chairs opposite his desk. The main door opened and Clint and Coulson entered, the two men immediately noting the presence of the Ninjas.
"Itachi, Naori, you have been given the same clearance as Coulson and Hill. You can effectively access whatever information we have left and also any communications system within the greater server." Coulson and Clint seemed to flinch slightly, eyeing up the new people in the room and the words that Fur had just spoken. They made to voice their questions...
Before they could say something however, Fury rounded onto them after obtaining nods of ascent from the Ninjas. "Clint, I need you to go help Hill escort our asset from the Polar Icecaps. Take the remaining quinjet." The man didn't even hesitate, merely nodding before rushing out of the office.
"Boss, what is happening?"
Fury looked at the man and frowned slightly, before a clarity came to his eye.
"Coulson, I need you to assemble your team earlier than expected. Grab that Sky woman and anyone else you need, that we have... Your goal is to gather as many recruits as possible. Inhumans, Metas, Superhumans... Whatever... Just get us manpower."
"Okay. I can do that... Am i to keep their records and details off the records?"
Fury nodded.
"Yes."
Itachi frowned at this before exhaling and standing up. The two men turning towards him with inquiry etched in their faces.
"Use these, they will help you communicate via the Game World of our mistress and it will also allow you to classify any powers that you run across... " He pulled out two sets of glasses, the new Augma headsets made by Yggdrasil Interactive. Fury frowned, "That isn't a feature that has been commented on in the adverts..." Itachi simply smiled.
After several moments of silence, Coulson and Fury took one each, running their eyes over them and touching them all over. Fury was impressed by the practicality and the design, his scheming mind working over all the advantages of such technology if their capabilities were truly as the Ninja said they were.
"Is it immune to hacking and theft?" Itachi merely nodded in response, Naori watching on with cold placidity.
Coulson turned to Fury after hooking his new glasses into his suit's pocket.
"I'll get on all of that boss. What about the Avenger initiative?" Fury sighed.
"We'll start it as soon as possible, especially considering the power of the Tesseract. We don't have the support we used to, or the manpower, so we'll need to bring together the greatest group of Heroes the world has seen." Coulson winced before half-turning towards the doors.
"Great, I really want to see Cap." He spoke happily before striding out of the room calmly.
And finally peace was returned to the room, Natasha and Fury standing there opposite to the currently seated Itachi and Naori.
"Where is the closest Hydra base?" Fury looked to his top spy, her eyes attaching to his singular eye before turning back to the two of them.
"Have you both heard of Fort Knox?"
The two ninjas stood and gestured for them to continue.
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