Project Reaper

12. "Well I didn't think that Through..."

Ash, Clint, and Natasha had been assigned to a mission, raiding some alleged HYDRA goons.

The first part went well, infiltrating the base, but a guy looking the wrong way at the wrong time had them captured.

The leader of the base held a gun while pacing in front of the three, lined up on their knees while three agents held them all in place.

"Now, what am I going to do with you three?" He mused. "I could kill all three, I could kill one, I could kill two." He was British and wearing a suit. His brown hair was slicked back. "Or, I could do nothing, let you three go," he mused, tucking a finger under Ash's chin and tilting it upward. "What is your thought, my dear?"

Ash wanted to spit in his face, but she decided that was not in their best interests. She remained silent.

"Nothing to say, then?"

"Nothing to say," she agreed.

"Well, you're about to have a whole lot to say," he told her before crouching in front of her. "You're gonna choose who dies!" He declared jovially, grinning widely, a manic glint in his brown eyes.

Ash creased her eyebrows as he stood. "What?"

"Choose who of you three dies," he said as though it was as simple as choosing what to watch.

"What will happen with the other two?"

"They'll be returned, unharmed, you have my word."

"The word of a HYDRA agent does nothing for me. Let them go, go ahead and kill me. Just one request."

"I'm all ears!"

"Bury me shallow. I'll be back." Ash smiled devilishly up at him as he clicked off the safety and shot her through the skull.

____

The next day, Asterin awoke with a blinding headache.  She opened her eyes.  

Darkness.

She tried to move, to stretch her wings.

Fear gripped her tight as she realized she couldn't.  

Her eyes adjusted and she saw wooden planks above her.  

A coffin.

Her pulse and breath quickened.  

No, no no, please no.

Ash swallowed, throat tight already.  

She couldn't breathe-

Idiot, a quiet voice said in the back of her mind.  Angels don't need to breathe.

Just another of her shortcomings, she thought to herself.  

Her headache gave one final throb before abating.  Ash's left hand started to glow, the silver blue of her grace lighting up the coffin.  

Ash let her grace dissipate as she began punching the wood.

___

 Clint and Nat were being led to a helicopter that would bring them to the nearest SHIELD base.

"What're we gonna tell?" Nat asked quietly.

"I don't know," Clint murmured.

"Come on, then, we can get you back to your friends over at SHIELD," their host stated.

"I wouldn't count on that," a pissed off voice told him.

An exhausted and dirt covered Asterin stood behind them, a gun in her hand and leveled at the leader. Her knuckles were scraped and bruised.