Chapter 77

The metallic clinks of Nina's armored suit echoed in the dimly lit warehouse as she moved. Jessica looked up, grimacing through her pain. She found herself looking into the reflective visor of a combat suit, standing imposingly over her.

"Quite a situation you've found yourself in, isn't it, Jessica Drew?" Nina's voice came out cool and composed.

Jessica grunted, glaring at her. "Who the hell are you?" she spat out, her teeth gritted against the pain.

In response, Nina reached out, her grip gentle yet firm on Jessica's hand. Then, without warning, she twisted, snapping one of Jessica's fingers. A sharp gasp of pain echoed through the room, though Jessica fought back a scream.

"Keep it down," Nina ordered, her voice not wavering. "I have a few questions."

Jessica glared at her, trying to control her breathing. "I'm not going to give up any information for your corrupt organization."

Nina's visor focused on Jessica, clearly taken aback. "Corrupt organization?" she echoed, confusion coloring her voice. "What are you talking about?"

Jessica didn't answer, her gaze unwavering. Her eyes, filled with defiance, held one clear message - she was not about to give in. Nina knew she needed a different approach to get the answers she needed.

Nina examined Jessica for a moment before shaking her head. "You work for Hydra, Jessica," she said, her voice filled with a mix of disbelief and frustration. "Does that not strike you as a corrupt organization?"

Jessica narrowed her eyes further at Nina, a mixture of defiance and confusion flashing across her face. "You're the enemy," she shot back, her voice strained with pain but steadfast in her belief. "Hydra told me..."

Nina sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping ever so slightly in her armored suit. "Right," she muttered under her breath. This was clearly going to be harder than she thought. She was dealing with a case of heavy indoctrination. She had to be careful and tactful if she was going to get through to Jessica.

Steeling herself, Nina straightened up, her gaze focused on Jessica. "And why," she started, her voice steady and calm, "do you believe what Hydra tells you, Jessica? What proof have they shown you to convince you that we, the Avengers, are the corrupt ones?"

In the dimly lit warehouse, the room fell into a chilling silence, broken only by the hum of the device projecting the grim footage. Nina, standing sternly at Jessica's side, observed her captive's reaction closely. She saw the subtle changes: the tightening of her jaw, the way her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the screen.

"Where did you get this footage?" Jessica asked, her voice low and strained.

"V, my AI companion, infiltrated Hydra's network. This...this is Hydra, Jessica," Nina replied, her voice somber, "Your 'noble organization' is responsible for this inhumanity."

As the footage continued, Jessica's eyes were glued to the screen. She saw familiar faces of Hydra scientists indifferent to the horrendous experiments, the screams of the victims echoing in her ears. One face caught her attention – a Hydra scientist she had known personally. The horror on her face was evident. "That's...I know him," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, you probably do," Nina said, her tone sympathetic but firm, "He's one of them, Jessica. One of the Hydra scientists who sanctioned these experiments, these murders."

Jessica looked at Nina, a range of emotions flickering across her face: disbelief, horror, denial, and finally a dawning realization. She looked down at her hands, her gaze fixed on the Hydra insignia on her suit, the reality of what she had been a part of sinking in.

The room was thick with tension, the silence punctuated only by the flickering projection illuminating the harsh truth. As the footage ended, Nina switched off the projector, plunging the room back into a shadowy semi-darkness.

In the gloom of the warehouse, the tension was almost tangible as Jessica struggled to reconcile the truth with her indoctrinated beliefs. Her eyes flickered across the different video clips projected by Nina, each revealing more damning evidence of Hydra's cruel experiments.

"You see this, Jessica?" Nina spoke calmly, pointing to one particular video where a Hydra base was raided. "You recognize some of these places, right? That's because you've been there. You've been part of this..."

Nina let her words hang in the air, the gravity of the statement sinking in. Jessica's brow furrowed in deep contemplation, the implications of her actions hitting her hard.

"They...they told me we were the good guys, that we were fighting for the betterment of humanity," Jessica managed to say, her voice faltering, filled with pain and confusion.

"And that's how they operate," Nina added, her tone empathetic yet stern. "They manipulate, Jessica. They create a lie so compelling that you lose sight of the truth."

Nina's communicator beeped at that moment, an incoming message from Steve Rogers, notifying her that the Avengers were en route to their location.

"Jessica, we don't have much time," Nina said, her voice resolute. "My team, the Avengers, they're on their way here. You need to decide where your loyalties lie, and quick."

Jessica looked up at Nina, the severity of her situation dawning on her. A decision had to be made, a choice between the falsehoods she'd been fed and the harsh reality she was now forced to face.

The holographic map displayed by Nina's suit filled the room with an ethereal glow, casting light upon Jessica's face. Jessica's eyes darted across the map, her gaze finally lingering on a specific area, Gloucestershire.

"Is this the place?" Nina asked, her voice steady. She saw a flicker of something in Jessica's eyes, a glimmer of recognition. Nina zoomed in on Gloucestershire, her movements precise and controlled. "Is this where their main base is located?"

Jessica, though conflicted, gave a subtle nod, confirming Nina's suspicion.

"Thank you, Jessica. That's very helpful," Nina responded, appreciating Jessica's cooperation.

The communicator buzzed again, Steve Rogers' voice coming through. "Nina, ETA in 3 minutes. Are you ready for extraction?"

Nina glanced at the communicator, then back to Jessica, her features softened. "Yes, we're ready. Jessica has been...cooperative."

As Nina responded, she saw the turmoil reflected in Jessica's eyes, the struggle she was enduring. But there was a glimmer of hope as well, a faint possibility that Jessica could be saved from the clutches of Hydra.

The Quadjet, the Avengers' primary mode of transport, touched down with a gust of wind, dust swirling in its wake. Steve, Clint, and Natasha disembarked swiftly, their eyes immediately meeting Spider-Man perched on the rooftop, waving at them in his signature friendly, neighborhood style.

"Nice of you to finally join us," Peter quipped, dropping down to join them with a somersault mid-air.

Steve managed a small smile, "Always making an entrance, Spider-Man."

The group made their way inside, the chill of the evening replaced by the stark, cold interior of the building. Nina stood in the center of the room, her suit damaged but her demeanor undeterred.

"Captain," she addressed Steve, her tone respectful. "This is Jessica Drew, she's been working under Hydra's influence. It appears they've done a number on her."

Steve's eyes moved from Nina to the bound Jessica. For a moment, his gaze lingered on her, his mind wandering to Bucky - his best friend who was a victim of similar circumstances. It stung, the familiarity of the situation, but he forced himself back to the present.

"Another victim of their manipulations," he said solemnly, turning back to Nina, "What's the next move?"

"We have a lead," Nina responded, bringing up the holographic map, "Jessica hinted at their main base location. Gloucestershire."

Natasha, who had been silently observing, chimed in, "That matches with some of our intel. It could be a significant lead."

Steve nodded, the gears already turning in his head, formulating a plan. "We need to debrief, and fast. Hydra won't sit idle for long."

The team assembled around the holographic table, looking at the blueprints of what appeared to be an old castle.

"Impressive," Clint whistled lowly. "Didn't think Hydra had a thing for antique real estate."

Nina smirked, "Aesthetic choices aside, it's a fortress. Perfect for a secret base."

Steve looked thoughtful, analyzing the blueprints. "The architecture will work in their favor. High towers for vantage points, plenty of narrow corridors and passageways for traps."

"Sounds like we're storming a medieval castle," Clint grinned.

"More or less," Steve agreed, before turning serious again. "We'll need to be careful, but we can't afford to be slow. We don't know what they're planning."

He turned to Peter. "Spider-Man, I need you to stay on the Quadjet. If we need air support, you're it."

Peter nodded, "Sure thing, Cap."

Natasha cut in, her gaze on Jessica. "I'll stay behind and keep an eye on Jessica. If what you're saying is true, Nina, she might be able to give us more information."

Nina nodded in agreement. "That's a good call, Natasha."

Steve returned his gaze to the blueprints, "Clint, Nina, you're with me. We'll sweep the castle, neutralize Hydra personnel, and gather as much intel as possible."

With the plan settled, they each nodded in agreement, ready to execute their mission. The tension in the room was high, but they all knew what was at stake. It was time to take down another Hydra base.

Steve, wearing his iconic star-spangled suit, shield in hand, led the charge. His voice boomed through the communicator, "On my mark, Hawkeye."

"Waiting on you, Cap," Clint replied from his vantage point, arrow nocked and ready.

Meanwhile, Nina, in her battle suit, was on the ground, ready to stir the hornet's nest.

"Ready," she said simply, her fists clenched and muscles taut in anticipation.

"Mark," Steve bellowed, and chaos erupted.

Clint's arrows found their targets with unerring precision, taking out Hydra guards one after another, while Nina, a hurricane of focused violence, darted among the enemy ranks, disrupting their formations and causing chaos.

"Watch your six, Nina!" Clint called out, an arrow already streaking towards the Hydra agent sneaking up on her.

"Got it!" Nina responded, spinning around just in time to catch the incoming Hydra agent with a brutal uppercut.

Meanwhile, Steve was a one-man army inside the castle walls. His shield bounced off walls and Hydra agents alike, always finding its way back to his hand.

"Making good progress here," Steve reported, the sounds of battle echoing over the comm. "Keep them distracted."

"Roger that, Cap," Nina responded, just as she delivered a swift knee to a Hydra agent.

Despite the chaos, the team was in control, their tactics working perfectly. It was an aggressive ballet of strategic precision, proving yet again why they were the Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

"I've got three tanks coming in from the north. Think you can handle them?" Clint's voice crackled in Ivy's earpiece, an almost smug tone to his voice.

"Three tanks? Please. You're going to have to do better than that," Ivy responded, her voice a mix of concentration and determination. With a powerful leap, she launched herself at the incoming tanks, using her strength to flip the first one onto its side.

"Spider-Man," Steve's voice cut through the comm, a grave sense of urgency in his tone, "I need you to push the big red button on the center console."

Peter, still on the Quadjet, quickly located the button. "Got it, Cap," he responded, his hand hovering over the button.

Meanwhile, Steve had placed a red blinking device on a heavily reinforced door deep inside the castle. "On my mark," he warned, backing away from the door and taking cover behind his shield.

"Copy that, Cap. Ready when you are," Peter said, tensely awaiting Steve's signal.

"Mark," Steve's voice echoed in the comms, and Peter quickly pushed the button. The Quadjet jolted backwards as the missile launched, streaking across the sky with a resounding roar. Thanks to Tony's innovative tech, the missile was designed to penetrate deep underground bunkers, much like the one Steve was in.

Peter couldn't help but gasp as he watched the missile's trajectory on a monitor in the Quadjet. "Here goes nothing..."

The missile hit the bunker door with a thunderous explosion, dust and debris billowing out in all directions. Steve braced himself behind his shield, waiting for the chaos to settle before proceeding.

"Door's open, Cap," Peter's voice echoed in Steve's earpiece. Steve pushed through the settling dust, entering the bunker with caution.

"Thanks, Spider-Man," Steve replied, the sound of his boots crunching on debris filling the silence. "I'm moving in."

"Entrance is open, proceeding to sweep the bunker. Hawkeye, Ivy, keep them busy outside," Steve ordered, his voice filled with determination and unyielding resolve.

"Copy that, Cap," Ivy responded, just as she was taking down another wave of Hydra agents. The field was a chaos of dust and noise, but with Clint providing cover and intel, she was holding the line.

"Team, the target is secured," Steve's voice rang out over the comms, the unconscious form of Otto Vermis sprawled out before him.

"Copy that, Cap," Nina responded, her voice tinged with relief as she finished off the last remaining Hydra troops with Clint. "We're wrapping up here."

Soon enough, the team was back aboard the Quadjet, set to retrieve Natasha and Jessica. Nina looked at Spider-Man, her brows furrowing in concern. "You know, it might be best if Jessica stays away from you for a bit," she suggested, referring to the residual pheromone issue.

Steve nodded, understanding her concerns. "Good call, Ivy," he agreed. "Why don't you and Spider-Man stay back for a bit? We know you two can handle yourselves."

Peter and Nina decides to have some fun before they go back home. Just as Peter and Nina were starting to relax, V suddenly interrupted, projecting a video footage onto the air. Both of them watched in horror as a large blast erupted in the New York skyline.

"What the..." Peter murmured, pulling out his phone only to find a flood of missed calls from Miles. "Something's wrong in New York," he said, worry creeping into his voice.

Nina was already on her feet, her gaze hardened. "We need to get back," she declared. "Now."