1963-07-12 - Spiders and HYDRAs
Summary: Jessica Drew decides to attempt and revenge her boyfriend when she realizes that SHIELD might not be the bad guys she was told. The fastest fight scene in SHIELD's history just barely occurs.
Related: None
Theme Song: None
akiva steve peggy jess howard 


*

Over the past few months, Jess has been watching SHIELD. She's under the impression that her lover and handler, Jared, was killed by one of their agents while on a mission of mercy bringing food to hungry children. Unfortunately for her, just about none of that is true. He was captured by SHIELD, taken alive, while attempting to set off a very large explosion in a very busy market.

Thinking she's on a mission of vengeance, though, Jess finally managed to narrow down her options to this quiet office fronted by a Chinese restaurant. She waited until lunch time, clinging to the side of the building, then, when a pair of agents returned from lunch, dropped down onto them.

One agent is already down, but he put up enough of a fight to give his partner time to set off an emergency alert for the rest of the office, which means that, at the moment, the woman in a close-fitting red and yellow uniform is engaged with a trio of agents.

Make that a duo. One's just been spin-kicked down the alley and into a dumpster.

*

So, exactly one day after being told to take things easy and try to keep out of stressful situations, what does Peggy do? Rush out of her office the moment the alarm goes. Granted, if Brian's around, he's got her beat on speed, so she's not going to be the first om the scene, but she's also not leaving her agents outside to get the snot wiped out of them by whatever is in the alleyway. She's in a pale yellow suit today, something annoyingly bright enough that it's clearly meant for the summer of 1963. A pencil skirt is, fortunately, slit just high enough that she'll be able to fight even in her heels. She dashes out the front entrance of the Chinese restaurant, taking just a heartbeat or two to figure out the sitrep.

*

"Sure Jensen," Steve says as he moves something around on the table. "An order of 100 will probably last awhile. You get a deal if your order the materials in bulk?"

Captain America is in one of the side rooms looking at schematics of new equipment to possibly be procured for the new team. Things seem up to par, judging by the blueprints, and overall it seems like the equipment has come a long way since 1945.

"We can get them ordered right away, not sure how long it'll take to get them shipped."

"Not a problem, just keep me p—" Steve looks over his shoulder as the warning klaxons begin going crazy. "What's that?"

"Emergency alarm," Jensen says. Before he's even finished with the second word, Cap already has his helm in one hand and his shield in the other.

*

It had been a very long day at the office for Howard. Yes most of his SHIELD business these days was conducted behind the closed doors of his home but that didn't mean that he avoided the office all together. It just meant he mostly avoided the office. "It doesn't matter if it's possible." Howard comments running a single hand through his black hair while pacing about the room. "We're here to do the impossible, and I'm not about to give up just because some text book a few hundred years old says it can't be done." A light angered pause as he speaks, kicking back the contents of the glass in his hand. "Listen I'm going for some fresh air, when I come back I expect to see something here even if it doesn't work."

That was five minutes ago and now Howard was on the way up topside for a bit of a quick smoke, and some quiet time. He needed it after today, some nice p- and there goes the alarm just as he's reaching for the door. That blaring and flashing of lights as the panic begins setting in. He pauses for just a moment looking up to the sky as if about to ask a question of the tiles on the ceiling, then pushes open the door anyway. There's a hope in his mind it's just another false alarm, as he comes onto the scene.

*

In the time it takes for Peggy and Howard to reach the scene, Jess has pushed the fight back into the alley at the side of the building, out of sight of casual prying eyes. Less so for professional prying eyes like SHIELD, of course. One of the remaining agents engaging her it hit with something that looks like sickly yellow-green energy that sends him stumbling back three feet, freeing her up to deal with the other one.

She catches his arm when he throws a haymaker, moving with inhuman speed, then quickly turns and twists it behind him, forcing him into a joint lock. "What's the code?" she growls in his ear, giving the arm an upward shove that warns she just might pop his shoulder out. Cautious, she keeps the building wall to her back and the captured agent between her and his partner.

*

It takes just a moment or two for Peggy to hear what is out of place, even if she doesn't immediately SEE what is going on in the alleyway. Without thought or hesitation, she dashes around the corner in the direction of the continued fight. Her eyes widen as she sees one of her Agents down in that stumbling energy. This is one of those situations where the split second decisions matter — did she call for medical or pull a gun?

No one was actively bleeding out. No one was actually unconscious, yet, from what she could tell. So, it's her gun which is immediately drawn from beneath her shoulder and levelled in Jess' direction. She gives Howard a sideways look as she passes him, but there isn't time for small talk now. She just keeps that muzzle even and calls across the alleyway. "Drop the man and put your hands up. This is not a request." Peggy's voice is sharp, flat and thoroughly British. She sounds like a woman who expects to be listened to. She's also not, yet, pulling the trigger.

*

"The code is stop!" responds Captain America from the other end of the alleyway. But the really silly, almost campy, response is just a ruse. He's already thrown his mighty shield which soars like a lightweight frisbee, bouncing off the brick and right towards the back of Jessica Drew's head!!!

Captain America makes eye contact with her, sees Peg down the way, and holds his hands up in the 'let's take this slow.' It's a sneak attack that HYDRA would be proud of.

*

Howard makes his way to the edge of the roof taking his time to make it over towards the edge cigarette going into the corner of his mouth. He flicks out his lighter for a moment looking down. "Alright so, jump off the edge with a slight jog jump off at a 34 degree angle then I should be able to roll in such a way as it'll break my fall." He speaks out loud working in a bit of advanced mathematics under his breath as he thinks it through. "If I hit it just right the second awning breaks my fall enough that I can roll off the third slide down the street lamp and land behind whoever it is down there."

He rubs his hands together for a moment taking a few steps back from the edge, then moving further to get a nice running jump. His hands rub together and he starts to run picking up speed coming closer to the edge. The sounds of his rushing feet ringing out one after the other as he charges.

Except he stops at the last minute hand resting on the raised edge of this rooftop area. His hand sits there for a long moment as he raps his fingers atop the firm concrete. "And if I do it wrong I splat on the ground like a rock…" So instead he hops over the edge with the fire escape, a confidently quiet voice muttering. "Stairs it is." A grumbling even quieter. "Dammit, when did I get old?"

*

Jess glances to either side of the alley from behind the white-eyed mask that hides her features, weighing her options. Peggy, it seems, is deemed the greater threat. She's the one with the sense to keep her distance and use a gun, after all. So as Cap throws his shield, Jess throws the captured agent at Peggy with far more strength than she looks like she should possess.

Using the force of the push to propel herself toward the wall, she starts to vault up the side of it, utterly ignoring gravity…and the shield. Which doesn't entirely work out well for her. It clips her shoulder, leaving her right arm hanging limp even as she flips toward Peggy in the wake of the agent.

*

Akiva had been told to meet Peggy not far away, part of his own induction. Meet a few colleagues, get to know the faces, that sort of rot. He's been dropped off by a taxi and is strolling along casually when he hears the ruckus. Throw in the obvious America-ness of the Captain and, well, not hard to figure out that something's afoot.

He reaches under his coat, casually unbuttoning his holster as he makes his way to the alley. He calls out to Peggy, "At your seven. Don't be startled now," he says. He's at least familiar with her from the negotiations in regard to his hiring.

*

Well, that wasn't exactly how this all was supposed to go. Peggy hasn't a bloody clue what Howard's planned, Steve is boyscouting with the best of them, and she's got Carrero suddenly careening straight into her which forces her to drop her gun or risk shooting her own agent. She ducks to the side, trusting the man to know how to fall himself, but that was way faster and more violent than a woman Jess' side should have been able to throw someone and he still clips her shoulder. Fortunately, Peggy's gun is pointed to the ground and her training strong enough that it doesn't go off, but it does actually buy Jess a bit of time. Akiva is given a single nod. "Disable, disarm, do NOT kill." Peggy states loud enough that Akiva, Steve and Howard can hopefully hear her. And the enemy, of course. But that doesn't bother her. It sets the rules for everyone.

*

Steve is pulling into a flat out run as the perp seems to be going to toward Peggy. He picks up speed, zooming down the alleyway at his top speed. Unfortunately it's not quick enough to get to Peggy before Jess does. He does, however, catch his shield right in stride.

*

Keeping up a decent pace Howard makes his way down the metal stairs clacking out loudly as his fancy dress shoes hit down onto the recently re-worked fire escape, the metal still fresh. His pace is regular and well managed as he looks through his coat, trying to find something he might have brought with him that can help matters. From his jacket he pulls first a small cigarette pack, before placing it back, then a prototype miniaturized radio transmitter, and other gadgets as he runs closer and closer to ground level. Were he in a hostage situation he might be able to do something but as it stands he's coming up empty.

*

"And since when were those your rules?" Jess flips off of the wall once she has the momentum, landing light as a feather in a crouch next to Peggy, hand snapping out for the gun. Hand to hand, she's willing to risk. The gun, orders or not, is less of an acceptable risk.

Now the threat is Peggy and the Captain, but it looks like the Captain can be neutralized with Peggy, if she plays her cards right. Coming in closer, Jess tries much the same maneuver she pulled with the agent just a moment ago, trying to use Peggy as a shield.

*

Some people get so very picky about killing. He supposes he understands, from a humanist perspective, but such niceties could be rather difficult to sort in the heat of battle. Well, for other people. Akiva, of course, had no such difficulties.

He draws his pistol and trains it on Jess as she tries to snatch Peggy as a shield. "You might as well give up now. Using her as a hostage will do you no good. I can put a bullet through the eye of a needle. How much easier, then, to put one through your eye? Non-lethally, of course," he says, the last in deference to Peggy's sensibilities.

*

Well, Peggy might not be super human strong, but she's still DAMN fast. Which means she manages to duck Jess' first attempt, still quite smooth in her old age. Unfortunately, Jess has a lot of super human cheating on her side and even just catching Peggy's wrist means Peggy is suddenly fighting someone strong as titanium, not a slim looking woman. The older director's dark eyes go wide, cursing deeply even as she tries to twist her wrist around enough that she can still us her gun. It's not budging. She's suddenly a human shield and NONE of this is going how it should. "…That is *always* the policy, young lady. We're not here to hurt people, we're here to protect. I don't know what you think you're doing, but you've got the wrong people. And Agent…" She growls to Akiva, even as he threatens that non-lethal shot, "My orders stand. No lasting injuries." Peggy, it seems, would rather be a hostage than risk killing the woman.

*

Jess' guess is correct. When Steve sees her catch Peggy, he slides to a stop with his hands back up in the air. "You're surrounded. There's an easy way out of this and no one needs to get hurt." Steve tilts his head, memorizing bits about the woman not related to her the hidden parts of her face. Her head. Hair. Body shape. Just in case this all goes to hell.

"You haven't even told us what you want."

*

Howard digs through his pockets for a few more moments as he comes down to the last leg of the fire exit. A good view on the back end of the scene. From inside of his jacket he pulls out a rather bulky device the size of his forearm which he'd brought along for a bit of testing. The large off green device is shaped like a box more then a traditional weapon with a pair of wires sticking out the front of it hanging down.

Howard stuffs the cables back down under the device slotting in a small capsule into the front of it from his pocket. The clunky device covered in early stage hallmarks of stark tech function over form in every respect. He fumbles with it, before finally flicking on the switch at the side of the device. A low hum from the massive battery hanging off the top of the device while he lines up the shot. "Don't think that'll be much of an issue." He mutters to himself getting ready to depress the trigger.

*

Jess's one arm still hangs limp at her side even as she hides behind Peggy. Peggy at least can probably tell by the strength of her grip that if she wanted to hurt the other woman, she already would have without putting forth much effort. She glances to Akiva, eyes narrowing behind her mask, then back to the Captain.

"For someone who says they don't want to hurt anyone, your people seem willing to make enough threats," she points out to Peggy, keeping her back to the wall. "I want whoever killed Jared," she calls back to the Captain.

It's an odd request. She moves like a spy. She fights like a spy. But no experienced spy has the sort of attachments that go with that tone of voice. Or if they do, they hide it better. "Your people put him down like a dog."

*

Akiva raises an eyebrow at Peggy, "You are very generous people here. A bit soft, but I suppose compassion is an admirable quality. Not one I expected, but admirable nonetheless. For the record, I could put together a lovely glass eye for her and smooth away any cosmetic damage. But your meaning is taken,"

He frowns slightly at Jess' words, "I am new, I admit, but, given that the woman in charge of us all is currently pleading with us not to hurt you, despite the fact that you are clearly asking to be shot in the face - I find it difficult to believe that she ordered anyone's summary execution. Logic would dictate otherwise."

*

"My people are protective when one of their own is being held hostage. But they'll listen." Peggy's last comment is hard enoough that it's clear she's trying to ensure that everyone around her knows that is an ORDER. Akiva's commentary earns him a look, an almost smile, but there is no time for smiling. Her brow just arches at him, but then she processes the name the woman said, "Jared. You mean Karl Gray, alias Jared Collingsworth? The man who attempted to blow us up with a bomb strapped to his chest? He's not dead, no thanks to himself, he's actually in lock up and still being questioned, but we have no intentions of killing him. If you relax your grasp and calm down, we might even be able to arrange for you to see him."

While Peggy has often been one to fight, there is just something about this situation which tells her that starting the fight up again might be a poor choice. So, she doesn't struggle against that steel grip and impossibly strong arm around her. She just speaks calm and without anger or threat to the woman. It's a quiet line of facts that come from the British woman's lips.

*

"Jared?" Steve mouths at Peggy and then shrugs his shoulders. What kind of name is Jared anyway. There weren't a lot of 'em around back when Steve was kickin' it in Brooklyn twenty years ago.

Steve's blue eyes watch Jess carefully; he's ready to strike should Jessica make any movements that might harm Peggy.

*

"Deep breaths, center of mass, use the railing for support" Howard mutters to himself as he goes into the motions of putting everything into place. "Please don't blow up in my hands again." A full focus as he slows down his breathing before pulling the trigger on his one of a kind weapon. A pair of eighth inch thick sharp metal probes are propelled with a hefty dose of gunpowder rocketing out from the end of the gun. Behind each trails a long chord back to the battery atop the weapon itself, aimed right for the mid of the woman's side. After pulling the trigger for a moment howard closes his eyes as if from reflex.

*

"I might settle for him," Jess mutters regarding Akiva before Peggy speaks up. That grip around the other woman tightens momentarily as emotions and thoughts struggle for dominance. Anger, denial, hope, frustration. "You're lying," she hisses. "He wouldn't-"

Before she can finish her denial, though someone is firing something at her. One arm is still limp, and the other is holding Peggy, which means she has a choice. She can turn to put the other woman into the line of fire, or she can let her go to deal with it.

In one swift motion, she pushes Peggy out of the way, reaching out instead with inhumanly fast reflexes to grab the probes flying through the air in her good hand. It isn't immediately clear if she's feeling the results of the charge, but what is clear is that she's sending one of her own back, a shock of venomously yellow-green bioelectric energy traveling back along the leads.

*

Akiva focuses on the simpler part of the mission. He grasps Peggy and tugs her out of harm's way, his own reflexes faster than those of a normal human, his body a momentary blur as he grasps her and draws her back behind him. Not because she's a vulnerable damsel but because, at the moment, she's the most likely target for the woman in question to lash out.

Other than, of course, the buffoon who's attacked her. Akiva isn't particularly sure who he's rooting for in that particular showdown.

*

It all happens so fast. Maybe she was getting old. Or, more likely, she was just surrounded by a lot of people with super powers when, for as good s she is, Peggy is sitll just human. "Crikey, How-!" She was probably going to yell Howard, but she's released and is about to run herself but is abruptly being tugged to the side by their new recruit and she's out of the line of fire. Her eyes shoot wide, the fire of a director angered now TRULY behind them. "ALL OF YOU. STAND DOWN NOW. THAT GOES FOR STARK AS WELL." This is a voice that has almost never been disobeyed. SHe's not reaching for a weapon again, not now that she was free. She was so close to talking sense into the woman. "Miss, we can sit here and play tag all afternoon, but I promise you these men are faster and stronger than most and you are quite out numbered. So you can trust and learn, or you can exhaust yourself. But I, for one, recommend the peaceful route. I think you'll be surprised at what you see." Of course, people might not give Peggy enough time to get those words out, but she's trying.

*

Steve steps forward as Peggy is let loose but he stops when he realizes that she is in safe hands with Akiva. Then, with the attack between Jess and Howard, he's not sure what sort of weaponry they're using against each other and whether or not it's harmful to him. Throwing caution to the wind, he is about to go for the tackle on Jess, but Peg's voice rings out and he stops dead in his tracks. Not literally dead. That would be pretty sad.

*

Sparks fly off from the wires leading up to the prods and arch from the prods themselves with enough eletricity to down a small elephant. Though luckily for Jess it's not being dispersed inside of her and rather just into the out of her hand as the pieces arch. Were Howard able to actually turn this model off he would have the second the order went out but as it stands the thing needs to drain out the entirety of that massive battery on the back the old fashioned way.

When he catches sight of the green energy rushing towards him Howard sets down the prototype onto the ground a quick leaping roll as if he were trying to get out from an explosions range, because with this thing it might just be the prototype itself exploding. He makes the leap over the bottom platforms railing for the fire escape, covering his head.

*

It's…a lot of electric feedback. That battery is probably going boom. But then, Jess is going down too, falling to her knees with a stifled cry once the electricity has been taken care of. Her glove smokes slightly, but she forces herself to a crouch, watching the SHIELD agents warily as she catches her breath.

"I'm not afraid of your men," she says to Peggy, though her voice cracks just a little bit as she says it. "But I want mine back. So if you're willing to talk, then I'm willing to come with you."

*

Akiva puts his gun away and buttons his jacket, flicking a bit at his cuffs. Peggy raising her voice makes him take a step back, mostly just for the sake of his senses. Woman has a voice that carries. He pulls out his cigarette case and draws a Turkish, lighting it with his silver Zippo, the Star of David gleaming in gold on it. "This is clearly going to be an interesting outfit," he says. "I can't wait to see this one's boyfriend. He must be a peach."

*

A slow, slightly steadying breath is released as Peggy look from Jess, towards Howard (trying to ensure that her old friend isn't actually injured) then back to Akiva and Steve. She gives the pair of quite ready to act men a nod of reassurance and approval. She appreciates they having kept on guard, but not attacked. Then she looks to Jess and jus teadhes over, offering a hand to her non smoking glove, to assist the woman off the ground. "Come with us. Captain. Agent. If you'd keep an eye on our backs…" That is code for 'Keep an eye on this pseudo-prisoner', but Peggy is too polite to say it aloud. "Oh, and, miss, before coming inside, I am going to have to ask you to remove any weapons you are wearing. I can pat you down for them if you make me, but I've started from a point of honesty here. You are going to see that in a minute. I suggest you do the same." Peggy doesn't need super powers when she simply has that personality that radiates earnesty and solid strength. No wonder, even with no superpowers, she seems to be in charge.

*

There's a metallic 'thunk' as Steve puts his shield on his back and joins Peggy and Jessica. Now that it appears the battling is over, he reaches up to undo the chinstap from him helmet, letting it hang. "You alright?" Steve asks Jessica quietly.

*

Howard is in pain, to be honest it's probably some of the worst he's felt in the last week, as he reaches over towards the arm that caught shrapnel which would have gone right for his neck if he hadn't made sure to cover it. He stands up trying to look somewhat confident in himself despite wincing at the fact his left arms feels on fire from the impact. He begins walking over as if nothing happened hands in his pockets smile on his face.

"This mean we're all good then, or do I need to grab another prototype from the lab? I've got four or five of them sitting around." Pure unadulterated confidence and control exuding from the man even as he winces from the REALLY bad stinging sensation coming from his bleeding arm. A light tip of the hand in Peggy's direction to show he's alright even as he makes sure to keep the badly damaged arm out of view.

*

Jess hesitates for a moment, eyeing Peggy's offered hand. She reaches up to her injured shoulder, giving it a push until there's a stifled pop, then reaches out to take the hand. She doesn't need it to stand. But the gesture matters. "I'm fine," she replies to Steve, though Peggy's last gets an unexpected quirk of a smile before she looks down at herself.

"I'm good, but not good enough to hide weapons in this outfit," she points out in a dry tone, though she follows the statement by pulling her mask back and away from her face in a different sort of gesture of trust.

"I will shock you until things you didn't even know you had tingle," she informs Howard, deadpan, before looking back to Peggy, waiting for her lead.

*

Akiva straightens his tie as he exhales twin plumes of smoke from his nostrils. "Happy to be of service. I hope you have something that passes for cognac back at the office. And a good dry cleaner," he says, taking his place to walk alongside of Jess to accompany her back to where her beau is being kept.

*

With that, Peggy leads the way into Wing Sing. It's back through the delicious smelling restaurant, to the backroom, a brief exchange with the host there means the rug is tossed aside and the hidden door into SHIELD HQ is opened. Peggy seems to either have good instincts about Jess or is going to trust someone to recruit her for the other team, being that she's letting the woman see all of this. But, of course, the moment the director walks into the bustling offices of SHIELD, three other people are coming up to her. She sighs and holds up one hand to stop them. "Agent Lansdale. This woman was allied with the man in holding cell B. Can you see that this team is escorted, with her, to see that he is still among the living, if a raving maniac? Thank you." She then looks to the others who, hopefully, followed along. "Please accompany our new… Guest, to see her partner. Perhaps do what you can to let her know that we really aren't the bad guys here. Maybe offer her a job. I trust your instincts. I'm going to go put out twenty other fires, no doubt." Peggy flashes the group a half wry smile and then allows herself to be dragged deeper into the office.

*

Steve follows along behind Jess. At first he's a bit anxious that someone allied with HYDRA is being able to see the inner workings of the SHIELD headquarters, but truth be told: She already knew enough to know it's here. That means that HYDRA knows it's here, in all likelihood. If Carter thinks that's the route to go, Steve's not going to question it.

*

"Don't threaten a man with a good time you're not willing to deliver." Howard calls back with a confident grin from one ear to the other. "Been too long since I've been with a girl who had such an electrifying personality." A bit of a wink from afar as he keeps hold strong of that overtly cocky almost suave stance and attitude. The tears of pain welling up in his eyes hidden away by little more then distance. He lets the group move on without him, calm and confidently giving a nod as the last of them makes their way into the building proper.

Then, once he's left alone Howard simply buckles under the pain. His hand reaching down towards the now wet patch on the side of his suit pain welling in his eyes, and he just stays there for a while letting the pain of life in general just get to him, even as he rips his flask from his jacket, chugging back the contents to numb the agony in his arm.

*

Jess looks after Peggy, frowning slightly to herself. Maybe it's the description of her handler. Luckily for Peggy's point, though, there's a tech in the office with a practical bent. "There's footage of it," the young man says, leading the way toward a utility room with a projector. "Family on vacation was filming when it all went down," he explains. It takes a moment to get things running, but once they do, the scene is…not at all what Jess expected.

"HAIL HYDRA!" the man in the video shouts, stepping into the center of the busy marketplace. "Cut off one head and two more will rise! Let the world fall to serve us!" He rips off his jacket, revealing a bomb vest beneath it, before SHIELD agents rush in to tackle him and the projector runs down, clicking empty.

Jess is quiet at the room goes dark, pressing the back of her thumb to her lower lip and staring at the screen. "I don't…understand," she says quietly.

*

Akiva is at the back of the room, watching carefully. He takes in everything he sees, eidetic memory committing it instantaneously. The man calling it out, he presumes, would be the man she's come to see, the man she trusted.

"It's possible he was brainwashed," he says quietly. "Hydra's very efficient at brainwashing. Strucker was particularly prolific with it - he was fond of sleeper agents, making people betray their own," he says. He may be new to SHIELD, but this battle has been his since he was a child. He knows the history. "Or you may have never truly known him. Hydra agents are devious, cunning liars. They are trained to deceive even those closest to them. Easier, then, to stab them in the heart when the times comes."

*

As Akiva speaks, Steve watches Jess' reaction carefully. She's a soldier, granted, for the opposite side. She could either see the truth of the film, or assume that it's some sort of trick. In these situations, honesty is the best policy (okay, that's always the best policy when it comes to Steve). "Maybe you should ask him when you get to see him. I wasn't there, but there doesn't really seem to be a lot of possibilities."

*

Jess turns toward Akiva, giving the man a quizzical look. "I'm a HYDRA agent," she says in a small voice. "I just…That's not…That's not what it was supposed to stand for. They told me he was taking food to hungry people. They told me we were- I mean, we're supposed to be fighting for the good of the world. You're all just trying to stop us because you don't want to lose your luxuries, everything you took from…"

She takes a deep breath, dropping her brow into one hand. "Son of a bitch, I'm a sleeper agent."

There goes the rug, pulled out from under her in one fell swoop. "I think I need some air."

*

Akiva raises an eyebrow, "Ah. Then I would not dub you so much a sleeper agent as a dupe. The true agents know their affiliation and their purpose - Hydra's roots lie in the Third Reich, in cults and conspiracies obsessed with world domination," he says.

"Their only interest in feeding the hungry lays in fattening them up like pigs for the slaughter - or rats for the maze."

*

Steve watches Jess when she comes to her realization and decides not to press it further. If she needs some air to think about things, he's inclined to let her have it. Quietly, he adds, "When you're ready, you can talk to him yourself."

*

"Thanks, that's super helpful," Jess replies acidly to Akiva's clarification. "I like dupe a lot better than sleeper agent." At Steve's offer, she shakes her head, jaw setting. "No way am I ready for that right now. Not even a little bit." She moves toward the projector, pulling out the film to get a look at it in a last ditch effort to see if it's a trick.

"You have to understand. My parents died when I was- Well," she laughs, humorless. "Maybe not. My powers started coming on when I was 9. I dropped into a coma for a few months, and when I woke up, they told me my parents were dead and they were going to take care of me."

*

Akiva nods, "They like children. Those without - or separated from - their parents most of all," he says softly. He knows from experience. "The truth is always helpful, even when it is unpleasant. Better to have the blinders taken from your eyes so that you can see who's holding the whip," he says.

"If you are angry, good. You can use that anger to punish them for what they've done. Once you've proved you can be trusted, of course. Which is more likely up to the Americans. I'm here as a…consultant," he says with a thin smile.

*

"That'll all come with time." Steve says regarding Akiva's comments. "For what ti's worth, I'm sorry for what they've done to you. And I'm sorry about your parents." He nods towards the door, "I'm going to get some coffee. Anyone want some?"

*

Jess passes the film back to the tech, moving to find a piece of wall to lean against as she works through everything. "Yeah, well. I don't have to prove anything to punish them on my own," she grimaces. "But I appreciate the sentiment."

*

Akiva nods, "As you please. Governments are useful for vengeance. They provide weapons and support and intelligence. I have hunted and killed Nazis since I was fifteen years old, the day I was freed from the Hydra laboratory in which I was kept. I understand this."

*

Jess crosses her arms over her chest defensively, though the last piques her interest. She looks up cautiously, giving the man a closer look. "Yeah?" she prompts. "How's that been going for you?"

*

Akiva snorts, "Very well. Their experiments made me a very effective killer. I'm sure they would undo what they did if they could. I have been of service to my nation and my family," he says. "But I will not rest until every one of them is hunted down like the dogs they are. For my father, for my sisters - and for myself."

*

Jess nods slowly, considering that route herself. "Sounds like a solid plan," she agrees, reaching up to push a hand through her hair and glancing toward the door. "How'd you get out? I have to feel like stumbling into the truth while you're trying to do HYDRA's good work like me just takes a really special kind of stupid."

*

Akiva shakes his head, "Not stupid. I got out because my mother and the resistance came for me. Because the war ended and the Nazis fell. Because, after millions of the sons of David died, some of us managed to climb out of the wreckage, scarred but alive," he says. "I have many scars. Only a few of them on my body," he says.

"But, as I said - there is no shame in being deceived. Place the blame where it belongs - on the split tongues of the serpents who poured their poison in your ear."

*

"I…have a lot of re-learning to do," Jess says quietly, pushing back off of the wall and heading for the door. "I'm gonna go get that breath of air. You can come keep an eye on me if you need to," she adds absently. "I'm not planning on going anywhere, but I get it."

*

Akiva nods, "Of course. The fellas at the doors will be happy to escort ya, although I imagine they won't want you going far. I know you can prob'ly take 'em but be nice. YOu don't want me having to hunt you down," he grins.

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