Hydra moving in shadow

January 12th, 2014

The leader of the religious order within HYDRA had gotten off lucky. While he had lost billions to the assault from SHIELD, he had been careful to make sure enough of his finances were not connected to HYDRA or SHIELD that he was still able to hide away with his daughter in a castle with his people.

But he was still in danger. All smartphones owned by HYDRA personnel had been tossed away when they realized how pervasive SHIELD's blackout on their technology had been. Every one of Malick's men was on edge. The battle of the Triskelion was over by now and they were all worried that at some point they would look into the horizon and see an Insight Helicarrier in the distance, superheroes rushing towards them.

How ironic, that HYDRA's greatest weapons would now be a part of their greatest nightmares.

So Gideon sat in his study, staring at the fireplace and contemplating his issues. How was he going to deal with this? How to survive against this new threat? Even with his current resources, he had no real power anymore, no member of HYDRA did. Should he just give up? Ask for leniency for his daughter possibly?

Gideon balked at this idea. After everything he had sacrificed for HYDRA, everything it had given him, all in the name of bringing their founder home... How could he sacrifice all of that?

But what choice did he hav-

"Sir!" Gideon's contemplation was cut off when an aide ran into the room. "We have communications!"

Gideon stared at him. "Who is it?"

"von Strucker!" The aide said. "He says he can bring everyone together!"

Gideon felt hope for the first time in hours.

"Samuel Sterns?" Gideon asked through the microphone in the radio set up in an upper room in the castle.

"That is correct," Stucker answered. "He has modified our radios to bypass the AI currently interfering with our forces. But we must move fast, Gideon. I need the Phase Harmonic Teleporter."

Gideon frowned. "That is only meant for communications with the Confederacy, you know that von Strucker. If we use it for more than that-"

"What is the point of limiting it's usage if we all die?" Strucker interrupted. "With it, we can move our forces with impunity. We can bring our people in and save them."

Gideon looked around at the people in the room. He thought about that for a moment. Finally, he nodded. "Okay, Strucker. The teleporter is at your alma mater, under General Fisher's orders before he was arrested. Steger, Hale, and her daughter will be there."

"We're on our way there then," Strucker said firmly. "Whitehall sent a message to Hale through Sterns' connection, hopefully, something to calm her, and we'll go grab it. I have people I can test it with as well."

General Hale

General Hale fired her gun once more, her daughter throwing her chakram into a man's throat. She scowled as two more of her own men died at her hands. "Good work."

"Thanks," Ruby was wearing her uniform, a form-fitting black costume made for ease of movement. The 14-year-old girl had hair dyed white and eyes the same color as her mothers. She looked at her mother as they ran through the halls of the HYDRA Preparatory Academy. "Are you sure about this mom? Betraying HYDRA?"

Hale, an older woman with dark blonde hair wearing a military uniform, looked at her daughter as the teenager pulled one of her chakrams out of a man's body. "Whitehall promised you would one day be the leader of HYDRA. Our greatest soldier. And now he wants to tear you apart and shove cybernetics and random DNA samples into you, with no regard for if you'll survive or not."

Ruby bit her lip, staring at her mother. Hale continued despite the pain her words were causing her daughter.

"We can't trust HYDRA, not anymore. But someone has promised to protect you, to train you. You may not become the leader of HYDRA, but you'll become something just as great eventually," Hale breathed deeply. "Come sweetheart. We need to get out."

"Hale!" The pair spun into cover on opposite sides of a hallway as bullets flew over their head. The Air Force general peeked out to see the headmaster of the school, a brown-haired man wearing glasses, surrounded by soldiers firing at her and her daughter. "You must surrender, please! We can protect Ruby, we can stop SHIELD!"

"When Whitehall has proven he doesn't give a damn about her!?" Hale yelled back, anger filling her. "No, Steger! HYDRA made its bed, now it's going to die in it!"

"Damn," Ruby said, shocked by her mother's vehemence.

"Language, sweetheart," Hale said simply. "Now, we should have our help in twenty seconds, you have the USB?"

"Yes, mom," Ruby rolled her eyes, utterly relaxed despite the bullets flying at her.

"Hale!" Steger yelled. "Please, just tell us you surrender, and I will protect you! We can make a deal with Whitehall!"

"Sorry Steger," Hale yelled back. The next words were said with a quiet determination as she looked upon her daughter. "But I've made my deal."

A wall blew up down the hall behind Steger and his men. Soldiers rushed through the hole, shooting as fast as they could.

"What-" Steger was shot in the chest by an ICER, and fell to the floor in a moment. The same happened to his men, bullets and ICER's finishing them off quickly.

Hale and Ruby poked their heads out, Hale coming out of cover when she saw the SHIELD symbol on their uniforms. Ruby followed hesitantly.

"Ma'am," one of the soldiers said as she walked up. "Fury sent us. We're to escort you to a Quinjet immediately."

"There's no time to grab the Phase Harmonic Teleporter?" Hale asked, worried.

"The what?" the soldier said, shaking his head. "Ma'am, there are more HYDRA forces on their way. If we stay any longer, we risk you and your daughter."

Hale froze, thinking. After a moment, she nodded. "Understood. Let's go," she gave Steger a look. "Let's bring him at least. He may be useful."

"Good idea."

Wolfgang Von Strucker

Strucker arrived at the HYDRA Preparatory Academy only a couple of hours after Hale had escaped with her daughter. Disappointing, but at least SHIELD had only sent a small team that could be chased off. Still, that meant that his current plan had to be moved up.

In the meantime, he used the brief moment to rest. The academy had fuel, food, soldiers, and aircraft, enough to help his fleet continue the fight. SHIELD would come but not before they could continue their plans.

"I've refined the process," Sterns said to List as the gamma-irradiated scientist watched Loki's scepter move past them towards a research lab. "But I'm not sure about these mercenaries you wish me to use the process on. Haven't they already been enhanced?"

"Yes, though they have not deigned to tell us how," List admitted. "But some of our experimentation has indicated that already enhanced individuals may take to enhancements with more ease than others. Chan Ho Yin, an individual found by one of our subdivisions, was able to gain tremendous strength from the Centipede Serum. Don't forget Blonsky, whose use of the soldier serum only made gamma irradiation that much more effective on him, for all his monstrous appearance. There is still value in creating enhanced of our own, but these four are perfect for testing our theory."

"And they will let us test that on them?" Sterns asked, walking along with List.

"As long as we pay them," List admitted. "Start with Davida, she's being sent out right now."

"What?" Sterns turned to glare at List. "You want me to simply empower someone and send them to battle a second later!? What sort of foolishness-"

"The SHIELD Academy of Science and Technology," both men turned to see Strucker striding towards them. "We must send our forces there, now. I want Davida to go with my men."

"It's too reckless," Sterns snarled. "Simply empowering her and sending her off, without testing, without-"

"Sadly, we can't take any chances," Strucker narrowed his eyes at Stern. "Dr. Sterns, we need resources, more engineers, and scientists to aid us, all of which are at that Academy. The risk is worth it and giving her every advantage we can beforehand mitigates those risks. Now empower her."

Sterns glared at him as Strucker gave him a level look. Finally, thegamma-enhancedd scientist turned and strode off.

"...He's going to be a problem," List said softly.

"Yes, he will," Strucker admitted. "But his intellect is too vast to be discarded... Keep an eye on him. If the device we implanted works, we can stave off any betrayals, but I will not have him turn against us."