End of S.H.I.E.L.D. Part 2/3
"What's up, outdated version? How's life treating you as the captain of a bunch of kids?" said Owen, raising his hand slightly toward Captain America, who was approaching with a serious expression.
"I told you not to call me that," replied Steve, shaking his head, though not sounding annoyed.
Behind them, several soldiers marched, surrounding one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s largest bases—or rather, what had once been its central base. Helicopters circled the area, ready to open fire if necessary. From the structure, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents emerged with their hands raised, their faces tense and full of worry, as they were surrounded by overwhelming military power. All around, armored suits hovered, their weapons aimed in every direction, ensuring no one escaped.
Among the ranks were also the X-Men—an unusual sight. Normally, they didn't get involved in matters that didn't concern mutants, but this time was different. They owed Owen and Nathaniel a huge debt after the incident with Jean, and something far worse had been uncovered: S.H.I.E.L.D.—or, more precisely, Hydra—had been capturing mutants for experimentation.
With the help of data sent by Fury, every secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base around the world was being surrounded. Many politicians opposed the operation, but they couldn't do anything once Nathaniel decided to leak everything to the public—including evidence that incriminated them. Tony, as always, had everything prepared long ago.
The plan had been in motion for years; they had only been waiting for the perfect day. And that day had finally come.
Fury would probably be glad he wasn't around to see it. It was ironic, really, considering all of it had started under his command. From the beginning, Nathaniel and Tony had been collecting evidence, preparing to destroy S.H.I.E.L.D. the moment it became a threat. Now, with the world's most powerful heroes watching over every base, the organization's fall was inevitable.
At the main base stood Captain America and Owen, though Steve hadn't come alone. Beside him walked a man equipped with what appeared to be metal wings.
Owen regarded him with mild curiosity.
The newcomer, noticing his gaze, straightened up and gave a flawless military salute.
"Samuel Thomas Wilson, former pararescue pilot, Captain, USAF," he introduced himself firmly. "It's an honor to meet you, Colonel Colt. I heard a lot about you during my service."
Owen returned the salute with a brief nod, keeping his calm expression.
"Sam helps me train the new recruits," explained Steve with a faint, composed smile.
Owen silently crossed his arms, glancing toward the massive structure ahead. The base rose partly from the water, connected by an enormous steel bridge. The whole facility radiated an aura of impenetrable strength.
"Do you think they'll surrender without a fight?" asked Steve, looking in the same direction. Several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were coming out of the building with their hands raised, being handcuffed and searched one by one. The innocent ones would be released and reassigned as regular agents, while the Hydra members would be imprisoned.
VITAE's soldiers were tasked with escorting them in groups to a secure location for interrogation.
"I doubt it," said Owen with a tired smile. Without hesitation, he drew one of the daggers strapped to his leg and hurled it with lethal precision toward an agent who had just pulled a gun from his belt. The blade flashed red as it sliced through the air, cutting off the man's hand before he could fire.
VITAE agents immediately surrounded and restrained the attacker, but he bit down on a hidden cyanide capsule in his tooth and died instantly.
The VITAE soldier in charge shook his head as he looked toward Owen and Steve, confirming the situation.
"Hey, I'm done over here. Disarmed those big toys. Think the old man will mind if I take something interesting home?" Tony's voice crackled through the earpiece.
"I didn't know the great Stark resorted to stealing instead of buying," replied Owen with a faint smirk.
"Well, it's not like they're going to sell me the blueprints for these things," Tony answered, amusement clear in his voice even if they couldn't see his grin.
"The general said to destroy everything so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands," Steve said firmly.
"So serious. Who says they don't already have a copy?" Tony shot back teasingly.
"Tony," Steve said simply, his tone that of someone too tired to argue anymore.
"Tsk, whatever. It's not like I couldn't build it myself," muttered Tony.
Owen raised an eyebrow, glancing at Steve. The interaction between the two was almost comical. Steve tried to act like a responsible older brother, though technically Tony was the older one. Their personalities, however, couldn't be more opposite.
At that moment, Owen noticed Alexander Pierce being escorted in handcuffs by VITAE agents—the main reason he and the Captain had been sent there.
One of the soldiers handed him over to them. Their mission was to transport Pierce to a high-security cell; they knew Hydra wouldn't waste time trying to rescue him.
"Hello, Captain. This is our first time meeting," said Pierce with a calm smile before turning his gaze toward Owen. "And you must be Colonel Colt. I suppose it's also our first time, though I recall you declined joining S.H.I.E.L.D. several times."
"I didn't want to walk into a snake's den," replied Owen calmly, gesturing for the soldier to leave them in charge.
"Is that so?" said Pierce, still composed. "You won't find anything incriminating on me. Why don't we make this easy and let me go? I'm not part of Hydra. I chose to work with Fury—I even served alongside Miss Carter."
"We'll see about that after the interrogation," Steve said evenly, urging him to move.
Pierce's lips curved into a faint smile that bordered on mockery.
"Well, technically it won't be an interrogation per se," said Owen with a barely perceptible smile. "It's one of Tony's inventions; a kind of brain scanner that can read memories. Perfect for those who aren't exactly talkative."
Steve gave him a confused look, not realizing Owen was lying on purpose. The intent was clear: to plant doubt in Pierce's mind.
"Oh, really? Never heard of such technology," replied Pierce with another smile, though Owen noticed a faint twitch in one of his eyelids.
Shortly after, they loaded him into the transport van. Owen took the driver's seat, Steve sat inside to keep watch over the prisoner, and Sam followed behind in another vehicle as part of the escort.
"Feels special, doesn't it? Two super soldiers escorting me to my destination. A living legend... and the successor of that legend," said Pierce with a cynical grin.
Before Steve could answer, the front window rolled down sharply.
"You mean an improved version," Owen remarked dryly before rolling it back up.
Steve just rolled his eyes, used to his remarks.
Pierce, on the other hand, kept smiling, relaxed—as if he were actually enjoying the ride.
Owen drove attentively, eyes focused on the road ahead. But then, something caught his attention. In the rearview mirror, he saw a motorcycle approaching fast. Within seconds, several cars appeared as well, some pulling out from side streets as if they had been waiting for them.
The colonel pressed down on the accelerator and, with a precise movement, turned sharply at the nearest intersection, making the vehicle skid. He tapped twice on the window with his knuckles—a silent signal for Steve.
"Oh? And what could possibly be happening?" asked Pierce with mock surprise and a smirk.
Steve looked at him for a brief moment before raising his shield, positioning it in front of him, ready for any incoming attack.
Owen kept control of the truck, dodging vehicles as they began to chase. More and more cars appeared in the distance, but he remained calm—almost amused.
"They're really idiots," he muttered in a mocking tone, touching his earpiece.
"They've taken the bait," he reported.
"The designated zone is ready," said the general's voice firmly. "Everyone else, prepare to move. Let's clean this up once and for all."
"Understood," replied several familiar voices through the comms.
Indeed, it had all been a trap.
The plan was to draw more "flies" into the web. Hydra had taken the bait.
The entire operation of dividing the heroes and sending them to different bases had been nothing but a façade. In reality, military units had been dispatched to those locations, while the true members of VITAE stayed together, waiting for Hydra to attempt a rescue.
Pierce was far too valuable for them to ignore.
And now, they were walking straight into the trap.
Gunfire erupted from the pursuing vehicles, but the bullets barely scratched the armored truck. Owen stayed on the planned route without deviation. If a car blocked his path, he rammed it out of the way. His composure behind the wheel was almost unsettling.
A motorcyclist pulled up beside him, raising his gun toward the driver's window.
Owen lifted his own pistol in one smooth motion and shot him in the head with a single bullet.
The body fell limp, and the truck sped on. It happened again and again—enemies appearing, Owen taking them out without even slowing down.
Finally, the truck reached an open industrial area, dominated by an unfinished building.
Dozens of cars followed.
Owen slammed the brakes, making the truck skid violently to a halt. The vehicles behind couldn't stop in time, crashing one after another in a symphony of metal and glass.
"Let's finish this quickly," said Owen calmly as he opened the door.
On the passenger seat rested a massive machine gun—the reason Steve had to ride in the back. Owen grabbed it effortlessly, as if it weighed nothing.
He could have used his powers, but that would've been overkill for ordinary humans.
The colonel raised the weapon and opened fire.
The bullets flew so fast the air itself seemed to split apart.
The sound was deafening; cars were shredded, bodies dropped, and the ground turned red as Owen advanced with steady, implacable steps.
The Hydra agents barely managed to crawl out of their vehicles before being mowed down.
Steve opened the back door just in time to witness the chaos—gunfire, smoke, and the metallic echo of Owen's shots bouncing off the steel framework around them.
When the gun finally clicked empty, Owen tossed it aside.
The silence lasted only a few seconds.
"Zone cleared. How about you guys?" Owen asked through the comm.
"Clear," replied Wanda's calm voice. Pietro quickly added, "Also clear."
"All clean. Left a few for you to play with," said Nicholas, his tone amused.
"Perfect. My day off, and they make me work," Tony complained through static. "I was going to take Pepper out on a date..."
An explosion thundered nearby, cutting him off. The shockwave shook the ground beneath them. Steve and Owen exchanged a glance as a pillar of smoke rose in the distance.
"We've found the science base as well," reported Ororo, her voice cold and furious.
Inside the vehicle, Pierce's face had gone completely pale, eyes wide in panic.
Whatever confidence he'd had was gone.
"Alright... fine, I'll talk," he stammered at last, realizing they had trapped him completely.
"No need," said Owen, calmly raising his pistol. "We have others who'll talk."
"Wait! I know where the Winter Soldier is!" Pierce shouted in desperation.
Steve raised a hand toward Owen, signaling him to stop.
The colonel, visibly annoyed, lowered his weapon.
"Where is he?" Steve asked gravely.
Pierce looked at him, managing a weak smile.
"He'll come for—"
A single gunshot cracked through the air.
Pierce's head exploded into pieces, blood splattering across Steve's face. Owen instinctively moved behind him for cover.
Both turned toward the direction of the shot. High up on the half-finished building, a figure darted across the beams, leaping to another structure nearby.
"You could've stopped him, couldn't you?" said Steve, shooting Owen a serious look.
"Yeah, but now I know where he is," Owen replied with a grin before propelling himself forward, leaping into the air with superhuman speed to pursue him.
Steve watched for only a second, then ran to a nearby car, jumped in, and sped off—determined to follow them.