Cupboards and Cryogenics

Chapter 10

Once train stops, the Soldier hears movement in the surrounding area outside. Footsteps approach, causing Nighty to bark loudly, and then a voice comes through the door. "Marionetka!"

The Soldier slows his motion of drawing a gun, but still draws and aims it anyways, glancing at Harry the Handler. The boy does not give any orders, just curls up in terror in the corner of the freight car.

The Asset moves to position himself between his handler and the freight car door. Nighty stands beside the Asset, growling.

"Marionetka!" The voice says again.

Codeword: once again rejected. There is a 99% likelihood that the man is an enemy of Harry the Handler.

It appears that extracting the tracking device from his arm had been pointless. Undoubtedly there was another tracker on his body that he had not known about. Perhaps they'd implanted it in case the first stopped working, or was removed.

It does not matter how they found him, just that they did. It is unacceptable. Harry the Handler's mission was to avoid HYDRA, but the Asset knew HYDRA was still looking for him.

The agent stupidly comes through the door and is immediately gunned down by the Soldier. The gunshot makes Nighty yelp and Potter whimper, but Potter is safe.

That is, until seven heavily armed, heavily armored agents flood into the freight car, all brandishing their weapons at the Soldier.

Harry the Handler had seemed to make some sort of energy shield when they jumped onto the train. Since it was similar to the shields the enemy asset conjured to block the Soldier's bullets during the fight, it would not be surprising if Potters would work in such a way.

Unless the boy's shields are weaker than the enemy asset's. He is a lot younger, after all, and does not seem to be in any condition to make shields at the moment. The Soldier grits his teeth. He shouldn't be thinking about putting his handler in danger anyways- he should always be the shield between his handler and danger, even if his handler can make shields.

MISSION: PROTECT HARRY THE HANDLER.

Affirmative. The newer voice says. The mission is also to avoid HYDRA. The first voice neglected to mention that. That part of the mission ended in failure, but the Soldier will protect his handler to his dying breath.

"Soldier, stand down!" This voice is one the Soldier can actually put a name to.

Director Pierce.

OBEY. STAND DOWN. The voice in his head says. Pierce, as the director of HYDRA, is the highest ranking person in the world, as far as the Soldier is concerned.

We need to get Harry the Handler out of here. The second voice says. The Soldier's finger twitches on the trigger. The three agents' fingers do the same on the triggers of the guns pointed at him.

MISSION AND ORDERS ARE INCOMPATIBLE. The first voice counters. The voices obviously no longer agree on the mission.

The red-and-gray-haired director steps into the freight car. "Stand down," He says even more firmly.

Director Pierce certainly outranks Harry the Handler.

Assassinating unidentified agents is one thing, but the Soldier can't even begin to think about assassinating Pierce. He lowers his gun.

"Marionetka." Pierce eyes the Soldier coldly. Surprisingly, he does not use the string of codewords to reset the Soldier.

The Asset lowers its head submissively. "Ready to comply."