Search for the Soul Gem

Chapter Fifty-One

(Tony Stark's Point of View)

"What exactly is it out here that we are looking for?" I asked, slightly annoyed.

"Fury said he got information about a Hydra base here that he wants us to deal with," Steve said. I rolled my eyes.

"This country doesn't have a military for that?" I asked.

"You didn't have to come, Stark," Nat shot back.

"Not technically, but really I had no choice," I replied. "Plus, a Hydra base in the Black Forest seems a little far-fetched, don't you think?" The team groaned.

"You're just mad that you have to protect someone other than Lucy," Clint teased. I rolled my eyes again.

"False," I growled, annoyance clear.

"Ah, leave the Man of Iron alone. It is not his fault that he is heartsick," Thor boomed. A laugh ran through them, setting my teeth on edge.

"I'm not heartsick! I don't even know what that means!" I snapped. Another laugh.

"Then how do you know you aren't?" Clint asked.

"Shut up Legolas," I hissed. He laughed, "Can we just get this over with, huh?"

"Alright, so here's the plan," Steve began. While he spoke, my suit attached to my body. The suit's vitals along with mine popped up in front of my eyes, "if this really is a Hydra, there will no doubt be guards on the outside. We should try and be as stealthy as possible. Thor and I will take the left, Nat and Clint will take the right. Stark will fly inside and find out what they've been working on," Steve explained.

"Sounds delightful," I kicked my feet off the ground and launched up above the trees. Once above the trees, I could see far across the trees.

"Alright J, where am I going?" I asked. A map filled my view of the area around. The base was colored in a light green where green dots represented enemy guards. Behind me were blue dots that represented the team.

"How many targets do you count?" Steve asked.

"JARVIS and I see fifteen at least," I said, starting forward.

"Alright, well let's draw them out should we?" Nat said, There was a sudden explosion went off behind me. The fifteen dots started flooding toward where the rest of the team waited.

"Subtle," I commented.

"That's the plan," Clint said. I started forward toward the base. From above, it looked just like any other base we've raided but when I studied it closer, it seemed less advanced than any Hydra base I'd seen.

"Alright J. What am I looking at here?" I asked, hovering just out of range.

"The base is only 1.5 square miles total but it does have what looks to be a very large structure underground. that does down fairly deep into the Earth. The total personnel on base looks to be just around 100, but I cannot scan far underground so there is probably more," JARVIS noted off in my ear. My eyes darted around, trying to find a way into this "underground structure.

"What kind of weapons are you picking up on?" I asked, changing positions to get a better look. Behind me, gunshots and metallic bangs echoes; drawing more soldiers off base.

"Basic handguns, shotguns, semi-automatics rifles, and automatic rifles," JARVIS said. That's strange.

"Nothing Vibraniam?"