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The sound of metal on metal rang throughout the seemingly endless hallways as Tonys steps grew impatient, no longer caring that he could be heard. He knew they were expecting him, anyway. He ran past cowering scientists, leaving other Avengers to deal with them. Before long, he ended up at the end of the hallway, at a larger, more protected door than ones he had previously past. He wasn't nervous, or scared, but somewhat curious at what lay beyond. He tapped the comm on his suit, letting the others know he was at his destination.
Earlier that day, a weak-looking man turned up at Stark Tower, demanding to see Tony. Obviously, security denied it but allowed him to leave a message. He told them that he was from HYDRA, and within 3 minutes and a thorough scan from FRIDAY, revealing he was a HYDRA agent who was once seen on a mission, he was speaking directly to Stark himself. He told him where HYDRA was keeping their 'biggest weapon'.
He scoffed, though his heart was beating ever so slightly quicker. HYDRA was a fucked up "corporation" that killed many innocent people- the Avengers had been after them for as long as he could remember. But HYDRA was notorious for sneaky tricks and, though evil, genius plans.
'And why should I believe you?'
'Well, your AI cleared me, didn't it?'
Tony shifted in his seat and leant forward slightly. Neither broke eye contact.
'So? HYDRA could've sent you here as a false lead, to lure us away.'
The man's face tensed, such a small motion that anyone who wasn't staring directly at him wouldntve spotted.
'I- I can't really prove anything else. They killed my family after I started to doubt their intentions. But all I know is there's a compound somewhere in Queens with their biggest weapon. They say its stronger than the Winter Soldier.'
Tony's breath hitched in his throat. Stronger than Barnes? If this guy is telling the truth, he needed to act. Fast.
'If you're telling the truth, HYDRA really did kill you're family- how did you get here? Why are you telling me?'
'I'm supposed to be on a mission. That's all I can say. I came because they killed- They..'
The man's uptight persona cracked. He brought a hand to his face and wiped his reddening eyes.
'I had barely been there a year. They said they'd give us a house, food warmth. I had already been involved in some shady stuff so I agreed. But once- just once I asked why, why was it necessary? And they murdered my.. little girl'. He spat out the last words with such venom Tony couldn't help but believe him. He silently got up and left the room, asking security to place the man into secure custody- but gently. He'd done nothing wrong. He promptly ordered FRIDAY to send the recording of that meeting (or whatever it was) to the Avengers when out of earshot.
Within an hour, the Avengers had grouped together and soon found the Queens compound. They previously had ran through protocols on what to do if this situation ever occurred, though when it was done it seemed to be hope- never to happen, but at the time all Avengers trained with utmost focus.
The others - Steve, Nat, Wanda, Clint and Rhodes (Barnes admitted he was too close to the mission to do anything more than talk over the comms to provide as much input as possible) we're more thoroughly searching each room, but Tony knew a place like HYRDA would be smart enough to keep such a weapon behind more secure facilities.
So he ran , confident in the man after his sincere display of emotions, sure he would find this 'weapon'. The man had also stated, once interrogated by Nat, that the weapon had never been used, making Tony think that perhaps it's uncompleted, or so destructive they are afraid to use it. If it was the latter, he doubted that they would destroy what seemed one of their bigger and more advanced compounds, bringing the attention of the outside world.
He rose his repulser to the doors hinges and fired, the door immediately crumpling and smashing backwards. He walked in, muttering his location to his comm while assessing his surroundings.
The room was dark- not pitch black, but it was fitting with barely functional, dim lights and all black surfaces. It was neatly organised minus a disturbing stain on the floor. The left side of the room was covered in bars, and he counted five contrastingly white cameras pointed around the room, but mainly at the bars. He approached them, hand still raised, only to be greeted with darkness- actual pitch darkness this time. A light on his suit shone against it, revealing a small room with a slab of raised metal in one corner, and what seemed like another, smaller room. He attempted to blast the bars, then the walls around it but somehow not even a dent was made.
By this time, both Steve and Wanda had arrived, seeing that the material seemed impenetrable. Wanda soon pryed the bars apart and climbed through, though she seemed to struggle for a while.
'What is this?' Steve turned to face Tony
'I don't know. Some sort of prison? Interrogation room? But why make it so tough?' He asked, mainly to himself.
He walked to the smaller room he had seen before, and swung the door open. Inside fit a cramped toilet, shower and sink, all made of that same dark metal material. He left the room quickly, and Steve and Wanda seemed just as confused as him.
Steve opened his mouth to talk, but suddenly a thin white rope shot from the ceiling and sucked his shield upwards. Before anyone could even blink, Steve and Wanda were pinned against the wall with the same rope, and a dark figure held a knife to Steve's throat, his shield abandoned on the floor.
'What the fuck are you doing here?'
The figure that easily pinned both hero's to the wall spoke, seeming almost amused when talking directly to Tony.
Tony was startled, but knew not to show it. Was this the weapon the man was talking about?
'Looking for a weapon. That's you, I'm guessing? Who are you? What is that?' He gestured towards the strong, thin rope holding the two.
'I don't think you're in the position to be asking questions, Stark.'
The light from Tonys suit was just bright enough to see that the man was dressed head to toe in a black material, small grey lines running along his body. A large HYDRA symbol sat in the center of his chest, and even his eyes were covered with a black, large goggle type mask.
'Okay, okay. Just put down the knife and we can sort this out, right?'
He resisted the urge to look upwards, to find how he had seemed to hide on the ceiling for the whole time he has been in there. He hoped to stall him long enough for any of the others to come since none of the three had checked in for a while.
The suited man cooked his head, but Tony knew he kept eye contact under the mask.
'All three of you, wow. Just for lil' ol' me. That scared, huh?'
Tony kept quiet, deciding to try and step forwards slightly.
The man gripped the knife harder, and Steve groaned slightly as a bead of blood began to form at his neck. Wanda stayed quiet, but seemed concerned as her breathing rate increased slightly.
The man's head snapped round quickly, at the blown-off door and Tony took the opportunity to launch forwards at him, while at the same time Clint leapt through the door silently, seeing the situation. The man rose an arm to defend himself from Stark but was too late- his iron suit crashing into the side of his face with full force, but miraculously he stayed upright , barely wobbling but dropping the knife. Behind them, Clint fired an arrow at the rope keeping them both bound, and Steve immediately and swiftly delivered a punch to his gut. Wanda slammed him into the wall, and the combination of both so soon after Tonys attack made him stumble ever so slightly, letting out a small groan.
'CLINT!' Tony yelled, knowing this guy would take more than a few punches to go down.
Clint took a syringe of clear vial and ran towards the fight, intent on injecting and knocking out the man. The others continuing to beat and punch the man, eventually pinning him to the wall simular to how he pinned them. Clint stabbed the syringe into the man, and he slumped and fell to the floor.
Unwilling to let their guard down, Tony breathlessly chuckled.
'Jesus.'
'Yeah.' Steve said, already grabbing the unconscious man.
Once the man had been taken into the back of a very secure van and taken to an interrogation room back at Stark Towers, with everyone, including Barnes, Tony sighed, relived in a sense.
'Find anything else? Because I'm pretty sure this is our weapon.'
The others stayed silent.
'Hey. Where the hell am I?'
All necks snapped up to the room behind the two way glass, to the still suited man chained to the desk.
'What the..' Tony stared at Clint, his mother open in shock.
'You said he'd be out for a few days.'
Clint simply stared at the man.
'Clint, its been 45 minutes.'
'Yeah.' Clints eyes were wide.
'How about we find out what the hell is wrong with this guy? Maybe actually see what's under that mask.'