Unexpected Valor

28

"Attention all SHIELD agents. This is Steve Rogers. You've heard a lot about me over the last few days. Some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it's time you know the truth. SHIELD is not what we thought it was. It has been taken over by Hydra. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The Strike and Insight crew are Hydra as well. We don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you. They almost have what they want: absolute control. They shot Nick Fury, and it won't end there. If you launch those helicarriers today, Hydra will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way. They must be stopped. I know I'm asking a lot. The price of freedom is high; it always has been. But it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not."

While Steve was giving his speech, Dr. Groff entered the lab and started shooting the other doctors. Dr. Chong was first. Val was on the floor, crawling to another door. She clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming as the bodies kept falling and glass was shattering everywhere. She managed to escape when Dr. Groff went into his office. She ran down the hall to the old lab where Stacey was working. She took off her lab coat and threw it on the ground as she slid into the doorway. "Stacey! We have to get out of here now!" Stacey looked up from her work with confusion as a Strike team member entered a side door with a gun and started shooting the workers. Stacey ducked and ran toward Val in the doorway. She couldn't believe this was happening. "Quick, lets head to the stairwell!" Val took Stacey's hand and they ran as fast as they could away from the sounds of gunfire and screaming. But they were trapped! Another agent with a gun was coming up the hallway. Stacey pulled Val into an office and they kept turning corners and going through doors until they couldn't hear the gunfire any more.

"We can't stay here. I'm sure they'll come looking for us," Val said.

"Let's just stay here a few minutes until they pass. Then we can try to get back down stairs."

They sat huddled together in a dark office when they heard heavy footsteps walk past. They carefully snuck out in the opposite direction. They went down another hallway when Val's phone rang. It was Brock. She answered it in a whisper, "Brock?! Where are you?!"

"I'm coming to get you! Where are you?"

"I left the lab; Dr. Groff was shooting everyone and there are Strike team members killing everyone too! Oh, Brock!"

"Calm down, babe. I'm going to come and get you. Tell me where you are."

"Stacey is with me and we're on the 30th floor, east side. We're trying to get to the stairwell."

"Just stay where you are. They'll be looking in the stairwell for people." Click.

"Brock told me to stay where we are. We have to hide."

Stacey and Val went into another office that was closer to the stairwell. They went across to exit through another door and Stacey walked through first when they heard the click of metal on metal from a gun. She instantly froze and pushed Stacey through the door, slamming it shut. "Well, well, what do we have here? Brock's favorite girl, huh?" It was Rollins and he was Hydra. He was facing her with an AR-15 and his finger resting over the trigger. "Where's your phone? Throw it down."

Val slowly took out her phone and tossed it at Rollins' feet. "You work in the Special Projects lab and Dr. Groff was supposed to finish you off. Hm. It seems such a waste if you ask me."

"What do you want? I don't know anything!" Val pleaded with him.

"Shut up!" he yelled at her. He took steps forward and grabbed her hair as he made her walk back the way she had come.