Chapter Text
Flashing lights; bright and irritating. Disorienting, perhaps, although still tolerable.
A pinch just under the right elbow; aimed away from the wrist. Another flash.
An inquiry - no, an order - followed by a monotonous answer. Another flash, this time with a jolt of electricity to both sides of the prefrontal cortex.
“Name,” the inquirer repeats.
“Asset 0331.” A flat tone and an unseeing gaze forward.
“She’s done,” another voice - unauthoritative, but confident - declares. The voice from before instructs you to stand, so you do.
“0331, orders?” they ask. The person is masculine, pale with a natural suntan, dark brown hair. His attire is militaristic, uniform. A black form-fitting t-shirt, dark green cargo pants, and black combat boots. He’s some sort of combatant; a tactical leader.
“Operation Alpha-Tango-Kilo. Op-ATK. Follow and assist Agent Clarkson-” you pause, recognizing the man as Clarkson himself, “-your orders to eliminate S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nicholas Fury, Deputy Director Maria Hill, and Agent Natasha Romanoff,” you respond, finally making eye contact with him.
“And by ‘eliminate’ you mean-”
“Assassinate. Terminate. Kill,” you interrupt. Clarkson looks at you wearily, then to one of the other men in the room.
•••
It takes you all of three months to scope out New York. Another month and you easily pick up on each of your targets’ routines.
Director Fury - codenamed Foundation, priority level three - rarely leaves the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, to the point that you’ve deduced he essentially lives in them. He isn’t the easiest man to track, but at the same time, he’s also become predictable. His patterns change at irregular intervals, but even that has a broad, almost imperceptible structure.
The only time he leaves is if he makes a surprise visit to various agents and Avengers.
Deputy Director Hill - codenamed Structure, priority level two - from what you’ve gathered has no personal life. S.H.I.E.L.D., much like her boss, is her life. She lives in east side Manhattan, in an apartment building only twenty minutes from S.H.I.E.L.D.’s New York-located headquarters. Tracking her is simple, at five-thirty in the morning, she goes out for a run around the block, often stopping by some breakfast chain restaurant for coffee and a bagel.
At one point, you offered to merely infiltrate the restaurant and mess with her coffee, but Agent Clarkson shot the idea down when he revealed (most likely by accident) that there was more information required from Structure.
Agent Natasha Romanoff, Black Widow - codenamed Roof, priority level one - lives at the Avengers’ facility, also known as the compound. Other residents include Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Bucky Barnes, Wanda Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff, Sam Wilson, Vision, James Rhodes, Thor (occasionally), Clint Barton (occasionally), and Carol Danvers (occasionally).
Romanoff is by far the hardest to track, seeing as she’s constantly traveling for assignments, oftentimes accompanied by one or more fellow Avengers. She’s also the most dangerous among your three targets. While Fury and Hill are easily the most guarded, protected, due to their roles within S.H.I.E.L.D., their connections make them the easiest to infiltrate. Romanoff, on the other hand, is one of the greatest combatants, spies, assets, you name it to have ever walked the planet.
Your handler (more likely your handler’s handler) decides she needs to go first.
“You have your assignment,” Clarkson says, his way of telling you you’re dismissed.
“Yes, sir.”
“Hail HYDRA.” He sounds distracted, like the action was merely an unconscious behavior trained into him Pavlov-style.
“Hail HYDRA,” you respond in kind.