Chapter 78
The three of them pull up to an outside abandoned military base, where the signal had led them.
"This is it," Maddy sighed.
"The file came from these coordinates," Natasha said.
"So did we," Steve replied.... turning to look at Maddy.
"This is the camp where Steve was trained, and this is where I was training to be an agent... like Peggy," Maddy said.
"Changed much?" Natasha asked.
"A little," Steve said.
They all three walked through the gates... Maddy looked all around remembering how happy she was back in those days.
"This is a dead end. Zero heat signature, zero heat waves, not even radio. Whoever wrote the file must have used a router to throw people off....." Natasha paused, drawing Maddy out of thoughts.
Maddy noticed a building up ahead of them.
"What is it?" Natasha continued.
"Army regulations forbid storing ammunition within five hundred yards of the barracks. The building is in the wrong place," Maddy said.
Steve walked up to the door and hits the knobs with his shield....and they all three enter the building.
Maddy turns on the lights and noticed it's a SHIELD office.
"I remember this place," Maddy smiled.
"How? This is SHIELD," Natasha said... looking at Maddy with a confused expression.
"This is where it all started, I remember talking to Peggy about starting something like this for people like me and Steve...." Maddy paused.
"Peggy kinda laughed it off, but I never thought she would actually do something like this," Maddy continued, walking up to a wall full of pictures.
"There's Stark's father," Natasha said.
"Howard," Maddy smiled.
"W-Who's the girl?" Natasha questioned.
"That's Peggy Carter," Maddy said, turning to look at a very uneasy Steve.
Steve turns away and walked further down the room but suddenly stops by a massive book shelf.
"If you're already working in a secret office...." Steve paused.
He quickly pushes the book shelf and slides it open, reveling an elevator.
"Why do you need to hide the elevator?" Steve continued.
They all three pile into the elevator.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Maddy frowned.
The elevator moves slowly down...then stopped opening up to a room filled with old computers.
"This can't be the data point, this technology is ancient," Natasha said.
"Kinda like us?" Maddy laughed.
"Hey Maddy! You still have that flash drive?" Natasha asked.
Maddy set her leg up on the table that was in front of them.... she pulled down her sock and pulled out the flash drive, handing it to Natasha.
Natasha grabbed the flash drive and puts it in a small flash drive port...which activates the ancient computer.
"Initiate system?" The computer said.
Natasha started typing using the keyboard.
"Y-E-S, spells yes..." Natasha smiled put paused.
She turned to look at Steve and Maddy.
"Shall we play a game?" Natasha laughed.
Maddy and Steve stare at Natasha... both confused.
"It's from a Movie," Natasha sighed.
"Oh yeah! We saw it," Steve smiled.
Suddenly they hear an accented voice speaking.
"Why does that voice sound familiar?" Maddy asked looking over at Steve.
"Rogers, Steven. Born, 1918. Rogers, Maddison Elizabeth. Born, 1920. Romanoff, Natalia Alianovna. Born, 1984," The familiar voice said.
"It's some kind of recording," Natasha replied.
"I am not a recording! I may not be a man but I was when the Captain and Miss took me prisoner in 1945, but I am," The voice said.
All of a sudden a picture of Dr. Arnim Zola appeared on the screen.
"Do you know this thing?" Natasha asked, looking over at Maddy and Steve.
"Arnim Zola was a German scientist who worked for the Red Skull. He's been dead for years," Maddy spoke up.
"First correction, I am Swiss. Second, look around you. I have never been more alive. In 1972 I received a terminal diagnosis. Science could not save my body, my mind, however, that was worth saving two hundred thousand feet of data banks. You are standing in my brain," Zola said.
"How did you get here?" Steve asked.
"Invited," Zola replied.
"It was Operation Paperclip after World War II. SHIELD recruited German scientists with strategic value," Natasha said.
"Mhm they thought I could help their cause. I also helped my own," Zola replied.
"HYDRA died along side with Red skull," Maddy said.
"Cut off one head, two more shall take its place," Zola smiled.
"Prove it!" Steve growled.
"Accessing archive," Zola said.
The computer screen showed old footage of Johann Schmidt/ Red Skull.... and the original SHIELD founders.
"HYDRA was founded on belief that humanity could not trusted with its own freedom. What we did not realize, was that if you try to take that freedom, they resist. The war taught us much. Humanity needed to surrender its freedom willingly.... After the war, SHIELD was founded and I was recruited. The new HYDRA grew. A beautiful parasite inside SHIELD. For seventy years HYDRA has been secretly feeding crisis, reaping war. And when history did not cooperate, history was changed," Zola said.
"That's impossible! SHIELD would have stopped you!" Natasha growled.
"Accidents will happen," Zola laughed.
The computer screen showed how HYDRA killed Howard and his wife Maria Stark... making it look like some accident along side with Fury's death.
Maddy stumbled back... trying to process all of this information.
HYDRA had killed her lover... and her best friend.
Maddy grew angry.
"HYDRA created a world so chaotic that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom to gain its security... Once the purification process is complete, HYDRA's new world order will arise. We won, Captain... Miss. Your death amounts to the same as your life; a zero sum.... and Maddy Rogers! HYDRA will stop at nothing until they have you with them... Johann wanted you and he shall have you," Zola laughed.
Maddy rushed up to the computer and smashed the screen.
"As I was saying," Zola continued.
"What's on the drive?" Steve asked.
"Project Insight requires insight. So I wrote an algorithm," Zola said.
"What kind of algorithm? What does it do?" Natasha asked.
"The answer to your question is fascinating. Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it," Zola replied.
"Y-You said HYDRA needs me, why kill me?" Maddy asked.
"We'll bring you back, just like someone you may know," Zola said.
Suddenly the doors around them started to close... Steve throws his shield in between the doors, but it was too late.
"Maddy! Steve! We got a bogey. Short range ballistic. 30 seconds tops," Natasha said.
"Who fired it?!" Maddy questioned.
"SHIELD," Natasha frowned.
" I am afraid I have been stalling, Captain.... Miss. Admit it, it's better this way. We're all out of time," Zola laughed.
Maddy and Steve quickly look around... they both find a small opening on the ground.
Maddy picks up the metal door and throws it aside... and just as the place is about to explode, Steve shoved both Maddy and Natasha in the opening... covering them all up with his shield.
Suddenly the building exploded.
Steve managed to move the rubble around them.... he looked down at Maddy and Natasha and noticed Maddy was unconscious, Natasha opened her eyes and started coughing.
Steve quickly picked up Maddy and helped Natasha up... and they quickly disappeared before the STRIKE team showed up.
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