Trapped in the Shadows

Chapter 24 - First Mission

"Congratulations, Shadow, you have almost finished your training to become an official Hydra operative," Edgar Lascombe spoke after requesting my presence in his office.

"It is my honor to serve such a formidable and honorable organization," I assured him, eager to start my first official mission. I was getting antsy for a real challenge, not just killing those brought to me in chains.

"You are to return to your formal life and kill your father as your final task to prove your commitment to Hydra. You will return to the Avengers compound, acting as though you escaped confinement. Once inside, you are to get Tony Stark alone and kill him, then your training will be complete. And please do try to make him suffer, both physically and mentally. While there, we would prefer that you do not mention Hydra, you will claim instead that you were taken by the Scorpion. He sent a hired army to kill you so they will believe that and may even take him out for us. Everything that you need to know is in this file."

"And when do I get started on this mission?"

"As soon as you are ready. And please wear these clothes," Lascombe replied, passing me a set of dirty and ripped clothing.

"Don't you think it would be best if someone beats me up a bit? I don't think the Avengers would believe that I managed to escape a facility holding me for three and a half years with nothing more than a scratch."

"Go to the training room, I will have Hauer meet you there. I am sure he will enjoy getting to lay a few punches on you after the amount of times that you've beaten his ass. I'll see you at the end of your mission. And Shadow, don't fail me."

"Of course not," I replied, grabbing the clothes and leaving the boss's office. I changed into the clothes and then teleported to the training room, where Hauer was already waiting. I gave him a smirk, "Alright, Hauer, it's time to let out some of that pent up anger, don't go easy on me."

He immediately landed a punch across the left side of my face. My mouth filled with the metallic tang of blood, but I let him continue throwing punches. He grabbed my leg and flipped me on my back, knocking the wind out of my lungs. I tapped his leg, letting him know that I had had enough and then sprung to my feet.

I checked out his handiwork in one of the large mirrors lining the wall, "I suppose this will do. I hope you realize that that was the last hit you are ever going to lay on me and, trust me, when I've completed this mission, I will pay you back for this."

After reading the quick briefing on all of the Avengers, I teleported to the Avengers compound, making sure to land outside of the gates. I underestimated how cold it would be outside, reminding me that it was December in New York. I ran through the snow to the front gates, waving at the camera and try to keep myself from freezing. To sell my act I then fell down into the snow, pretending to pass out from exhaustion.

I heard the sounds of repulsers coming closer to me before I was picked up my a pair of metal arms. There was a little pop of the facial plate opening as Stark spoke, "(Y/N)? (Y/N) are you ok? Oh god, please don't die on me. FRIDAY, check vital signs.

Oh shit, I thought before trying to channel my magic to slow my heart rate down in an attempt to fool the AI. I then moved slightly in Stark's arms, whispering faintly, "dad?"

"(Y/N), stay with me, I'll get you home," he assured me and I felt our altitude dropping as he landed inside the compound. "Bruce, get the medical bay set up, she's barely hanging on."

"N-no, I'm fine," I replied, keeping my voice even. "I-I'm just a little cold."

"No wonder, you're clothes are worn thin. Rhodey, can you get us some blankets? And a warm cup of tea? I'm going to set you down now, (Y/N)," Stark replied as he carefully placed me on a sofa.

His nanotech suit disappeared into the arc reactor and he knelt in front of the couch, checking to make sure that I was actually all right. The other Avengers rushed around me, grabbing supplies for my wounds in addition to what Stark has requested for me.

"(Y/N), what happened out there?" Colonel Rhodes asked as he placed a blanket around my shoulders. "You've been gone for three and a half years."

Maximoff placed a cup of tea in my hands as Banner came in with the first aid kit and began to tend to the wounds that Hauer gave me. I took a sip of the tea and began to explain, "has it really been that long? I started to lose track of the time. I was taken to this warehouse type place owned by the Scorpion. I-I don't know why he didn't just kill me. I think that he wanted to inflict as much pain on me as well as the Avengers and Spider-Man as possible, killing me would be too easy. I've been studying the rotation of the guards for a while now and today I finally had the opportunity to get away. I ran into a little trouble on the way out, but managed to get the magic restraining cuffs off of me and teleport away."

"Mac Gargan did this? I mean I knew he hated you and Pete, but I didn't think he would go this far," Tony muttered, making me fear that he wouldn't accept my story.

"He tried to kill me, dad. And he attacked a high school to do so, is this really all that far-fetched?" I asked as I snuggled in more to the blanket.

"Speaking of Pete, I should probably call him and let him know that you're ok," Tony replied, causing me to shake my head.

"Wait, dad, I was wondering if I could speak to you alone first."

His face melted into concern as he nodded, "yeah, sure, of course honey. We can go talk in my lab."

He helped me off of the couch and to his lab, making me realize how absurdly easy this was turning out to be. Everyone was just so relieved that I was finally home that they failed to suspect that anything was awry. So much for being Earth's mightiest heroes, they couldn't even protect themselves from one threat.

"What is it that you needed to tell me, (Y/N)? I must admit, I'm a bit nervous that you wanted to speak privately. Since when has there been things that you've kept from the rest of the Avengers?" He asked as he sat down in his lab.

"Well, I have to admit I didn't actually want to talk to you," I replied, producing a dagger in my right hand.

"Then why-?"

"I just needed to get you away from the other Avengers so that I could kill you."

"Wha-?" He began to ask me, before I plunged the dagger into his abdomen. "Wh-why are you-?"

"Why would you leave me to those people? You never came after me, you left me to suffer through their endless abuse, through their torture. Well, I've come out a different woman, dad, and now you're going to feel a just a bit of the pain that I have had to endure for three and a half years," I growled as I pushed the dagger in further, coating my hand with the blood spilling from the wound.

"Tony, I'm sorry for interrupting, but do you want us to-" Steve spoke as he entered the lab, breaking off when he realized what was happening. "(Y/N), what are you doing? F.R.I.D.A.Y., alert the Avengers that we have a bit of a situation here."

I growled as I whipped around to face him, sending a knife into him as well. I knew that I couldn't take on all of the Avengers at once, so I teleported back to the Hydra base, trying to mentally prepare myself for the torture I was about to endure for failing my mission. There was still a chance that Tony would die, but without a confirmation of my kill, my mission was incomplete.

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(A/N): I probably should have spent more time revising this chapter as I'm not very happy with it, but I hope you enjoy!