Rumlow and Tess sped back to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters like they were in a race.
Everywhere Rumlow looked, the place was buzzing with activity.
Clearly, Hydra had made "impressive" progress here. They were inches from fully controlling S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Grab him!"
A shout echoed from the distance, and a swarm of agents rushed that way.
Rumlow caught a glimpse of Hawkeye Barton's silhouette, arrows jutting from several Hydra agents' bodies.
A guy like Hawkeye was bound to be on Hydra's radar. Elite solo combat skills, a rare long-range specialist, and handpicked by Nick Fury?
No matter how dumb Hydra got, they wouldn't overlook him.
But Hawkeye was a straightforward warrior, prime for brainwashing.
They'd probably try to take him alive.
Rumlow spared a glance in Hawkeye's direction, then ignored it.
If Hawkeye was making a loud break for it to draw attention, Fury's crew must already be sneaking in.
Why else would he use such a sloppy tactic to pull focus?
All Rumlow had to do was get to Pierce and land an Ancestral Hammer. That'd knock out half his goal.
A leaderless Hydra would fracture, fighting amongst themselves while dragging S.H.I.E.L.D. down with them.
"The boss switched offices. I'll take you up."
Tess's expression was off, strained.
She hit the elevator button.
Rumlow felt a flicker of déjà vu but couldn't place it.
Ding!
The elevator doors slid open.
Rumlow and Tess stepped into the empty car.
"Archives."
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s elevators were voice-activated.
Rumlow's eyebrow twitched. Something wasn't right.
The elevator stopped after two floors.
"Hail Hydra!"
Three agents whispered their allegiance the moment the doors opened.
Rumlow nodded, acknowledging them.
The trio moved to stand behind him.
"Conference room."
The elevator, picking up the command, kept moving.
It stopped again after two floors.
"Rumlow."
An agent with a stack of files greeted him by name. Rumlow knew her.
"Melinda."
He nodded back at Melinda May.
Looked like he wouldn't be smashing the elevator floor this time.
May was one of Fury's trusted, and her name wasn't high on Hydra's list.
At least, it wasn't when Rumlow was still with them.
The doors closed again. Tess was visibly tense.
He'd clearly heard of May's "Cavalry" nickname.
Rumlow sidestepped slightly, letting May take the center.
In that moment, he felt like he'd missed some kind of opportunity, unease settling in.
Ding!
The doors opened again.
Four new special ops team members stepped in, silently boxing May in.
"Logistics."
The elevator hummed back to life.
Rumlow sensed the Hydra agents around him growing nervous, but May stood calm as ever.
"Anyone want out before we start swinging?"
May's voice cut through just as Rumlow opened his mouth to ask what was up.
And just like that, he was thrown.
The Hydra agents—minus him and Tess—had come for May.
"Look, I've got important business. Next stop, let me off. I'll take the other elevator."
Rumlow's tone was helpless.
If he saw May and Hydra go at it in here, who was he supposed to hit?
Punch Hydra, and he'd lose his shot at Pierce.
Hit May? That didn't sit right.
Before he could finish, the agents moved!
May was a master of hand-to-hand, but against seven big guys in a cramped space, she was hemmed in.
The three agents in the back went straight for Rumlow, trying to shove him aside.
"I said I've got important business!"
Rumlow grabbed one agent's hair as he pushed past, slamming him to the floor—out cold.
A quick slap to another agent's face snapped his fragile neck with a sickening crack!
"What the hell are you doing, Rumlow?!"
Tess slipped on his brass knuckles, suddenly brimming with confidence.
That power made him bold enough to yell at Rumlow.
May seized the moment of distraction, smashing her fist into the throat of the biggest agent in front of her—one-shot kill!
The guy clutched his crushed throat, face red, gurgling in agony.
"Where's Pierce?!"
Rumlow's roar shook the elevator, rattling everyone's ears.
A barbarian's bellow in a confined space? Devastating.
He grabbed a fist swinging at May, squeezing until the agent screamed.
May launched a groin kick, sending that agent's hopes of kids sky-high, then followed with a hand chop to another's throat.
Double kill!
Rumlow spun to face Tess, who was poised for a fight, eyes blazing with fury.
"You are a problem!"
Tess didn't answer Rumlow's question, instead throwing a swift, precise jab at his chin with the brass knuckles.
Not a bad punch.
Too bad Rumlow ducked and smashed his forehead into Tess's face.
The knuckles held, slicing a bloody gash across Rumlow's brow.
But Tess's hand couldn't take the force—his fist turned to pulp.
May, meanwhile, tangled with the last three Hydra agents in the tight space.
"Last time—where's Pierce?!"
Rumlow yanked Tess by the collar, holding him up to keep him from collapsing.
"In… the office!"
Tess, sweating bullets, stammered out the intel before Rumlow slammed him into the floor.
Ding!
No one had hit the emergency stop, so the elevator kept going.
The doors opened, and a stunning woman stepped in, unfazed by the chaos.
"Office."
The doors closed again.
"Hey, Melinda. Need a hand?"
May dodged a swinging fist.
"Hey, Natasha. I'm good."
May landed a hook under one agent's armpit, then snapped a high kick, her heel crashing into his jaw.
Triple kill!
Author's Note
A.I.M. follows the comic origin, setting up a smooth transition to the Extremis virus arc in the outline.
A quick word on M.O.D.O.K. and the Beekeepers:
M.O.D.O.K. is a giant head with human limbs—a villain with mind control and high intellect but small ambitions. Basically a nerdy, daydreaming bad guy.
The "Beekeepers" are A.I.M.'s comic combat team, nicknamed for their hazmat suits resembling beekeeper gear.
A.I.M. is a direct lead-in to the next big arc, much like Saint Angel, Blade, and Constantine, but more straightforward.
It'd be a shame not to use the comic A.I.M.'s background for storytelling.
Born from the same roots as Red Skull's Hydra but split over differences, they're perfect for bridging to the next major plot.
As for Melinda's fighting style, it draws from traditional Chinese martial arts, though similar moves exist in other disciplines.
That last kick? Called the "sleeve-bottom leg" in Chinese martial arts, also seen in taekwondo, karate, and more. Pretty much every striking martial art—Muay Thai, Burmese Lethwei—has it, except maybe modern boxing.
(Laughs)
Man, researching this stuff is exhausting…
(End of Chapter)
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