Liam frowned, his expression tightening. "Sokovia? Why suddenly there?"
Steve shook his head, glancing down at the screen again. "He didn't say why." But before he could continue, another notification appeared. It was short and direct.
> "Open the door. Take the package."
Steve exchanged a look with Liam before moving to the front door. Just as the message said, a small black case was waiting outside. There was no delivery man, no markings, nothing. He brought it inside and placed it on the table.
Inside was a compact, high-tech device. It was a portable holographic communicator used for off-grid S.H.I.E.L.D. transmissions. Steve followed the instructions from the message and pressed the activation switch. The device hummed softly and projected a flickering blue light.
A moment later, Nick Fury's face appeared. His expression was serious, and his voice was low and tired. "Rogers. Walker."
Fury's one good eye shifted between them as he exhaled slowly. "Your words were the truth, Walker," he said. "HYDRA's been bleeding S.H.I.E.L.D. from the inside. They are deeper than we ever realized."
He looked exhausted. The dark circles under his eye were heavy, and his voice sounded rough. It was clear he hadn't rested since their little Shawarma joint meet. And it was a natural appearance of a man whose entire life has turned upside down within a single week.
"Why Sokovia?" Liam asked coming to the point.
Fury sighed. "After the New York battle, we recovered everything left behind. Alien weapons, data, and fragments of Chitauri tech. The Tesseract went back to Asgard with Thor, but Loki's sceptre stayed with us for study. We locked it in one of our top-security research facilities." He paused. "At least, that's what I believed."
Liam frowned. "Let me guess. They moved it."
Fury nodded. "About a few days ago, one of my analysts noticed strange activity in our transport logs. A series of clearance codes that didn't match any known authorization profiles. When we traced them, the trail ended abruptly. The coordinates point straight to Sokovia."
Steve crossed his arms. "And you're sure it's HYDRA."
Fury nodded again. "No doubt. The precision, the secrecy, the manipulation of our transport systems. It all has their fingerprints on it."
Fury took deep breath and continued. "But there's a problem. The coordinates don't lead to an exact spot, only to a general area. Novi Grad, Sokovia's capital. Somewhere in or around the city, there's a hidden facility. We don't know where. It's buried deep under civilian infrastructure, and any satellite scans are scrambled."
Steve frowned. "What about Stark? He could locate it faster."
Fury rubbed the bridge of his nose. "He already tried. Stark and Banner have been running trace scans through global networks for past 2-3 days. But they can't get a clean read without triggering alarms, and one wrong ping would alert them we're coming."
Liam leaned forward slightly. "So no backup from them?"
"Not this time," Fury said. "Stark and Banner are helping me deal with another issue."
Liam sighed. "So that leaves us."
Fury nodded. "You two and Romanoff. She's already there, operating undercover in Sokovia. She's monitoring local communications for any HYDRA movement. Once you land, she'll meet you near the city's industrial zone. From there, you'll have to find the facility yourselves."
Steve straightened. "So we have no coordinates, no backup, and no clear intel."
"Pretty much," Fury said.
Liam crossed his arms. "And the objective?"
"Two main goals," Fury said firmly. "Get proof of HYDRA's activity and bring back the sceptre intact. Whatever you have to do to make that happen, do it. I'll handle the rest."
Steve nodded. "Understood."
Fury's voice softened. "I know I'm asking a lot, but you're the only ones I can trust. Everyone else is either compromised or under surveillance."
Liam almost rolled his eyes at that. Trust and Fury, those two words didn't exactly belong in the same sentence. The man trusted people about as much as he trusted an unlocked door in enemy territory.
Liam crossed his arms. "You sure you're not already ordering me around like I'm one of your S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Director?"
Fury gave him a flat look. "If you were one of my agents, you'd already be on that jet without asking questions."
Liam smiled. "So what's this then? A polite suggestion?"
Fury's tone hardened. "Call it what you want, kid, but if you really want HYDRA gone, this is the way. You're not just in this for me, you're in it for yourself. You've seen what they're capable of."
Liam didn't say anything but nodded seriously.
"Good," Fury said, adjusting his eyepatch slightly. "Then we're on the same page."
He paused for a moment and looked at both of them. "Rendezvous at the old Coast Guard pier on Staten Island. It's been shut down for years, so no one will notice you. Use the service tunnel near the ferry depot to avoid cameras. The Quinjet is tucked in a dry hangar under camo netting. My pilot will be there to fly the jet, drop you near Novi Grad. Move fast and keep your heads down. And watch your back."
Fury gave them one last look. "Godspeed, gentlemen."
The hologram flickered once and vanished, leaving the room quiet except for the faint hum of the communicator.
Liam exhaled and muttered, "Guy's got a real talent for motivational speeches."
Steve glanced at him, half amused. "You'll get used to it."
"Yeah," Liam said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'd really rather not."
They shared a small look before getting back to business. Within minutes, both had packed what they needed for their so-called vacation to Sokovia — a trip that, as Liam joked, might last longer than either of them expected. Once everything was ready, they locked up the apartment and headed out.
The ride to Staten Island was quiet. Steve rode up front, focused on the road, his hands steady on the handlebars. Liam sat behind him, holding onto the side grip, his eyes fixed on the passing streets. The wind hit hard, carrying the chill of the early morning. Traffic was light, just a few cars and delivery trucks moving through the city.
They passed through downtown, the tall buildings slowly giving way to smaller streets and older neighborhoods. The smell of exhaust and damp pavement hung in the air. As they got closer to the harbor, the fog thickened, making everything look dull and gray. Steve didn't say much, and Liam didn't try to start a conversation. The only sounds were the rumble of the engine and the rush of wind in their ears.
By the time they reached the south shore, the old Coast Guard pier came into view, just like Fury had said it would. The place was empty, run-down, and quiet. It looked like somewhere people came to dump things they didn't want found.
Most of the buildings were falling apart, the metal frames rusted and the walls eaten away by years of salt and weather. Faded warning signs hung crooked on the fences, creaking every time the wind blew. The ground was cracked and uneven, littered with bits of metal and glass. Somewhere nearby, the waves hit the concrete with a dull, steady sound.
As Steve parked the bike near the fence, Liam looked around, scanning the area. Nothing moved. The place felt dead. "This place looks like it's one bad storm away from collapsing."
"Perfect cover," Steve said simply.
They found the service tunnel behind a broken section of fence, half-buried under debris and overgrown weeds. The entrance was small and dark, just wide enough for one person to squeeze through at a time. The air inside was damp and smelled like rust, oil, and seawater.
Steve went first, his flashlight cutting a narrow beam through the dark. Liam followed close behind, careful not to step on loose metal or broken pipes. Their footsteps echoed quietly against the tunnel walls.
After a few minutes, a low humming sound started to build in the distance. They followed it until the tunnel opened into a large underground hangar hidden beneath layers of concrete. The air felt cooler here, still but heavy. In the center of the space sat a Quinjet — silent, spotless, and clearly operational. It was waiting for them.
A man in a dark pilot uniform stood by the ramp, helmet tucked under one arm. He gave a quick nod. "Captain. Walker. Director Fury said you'd be coming."
Steve returned the nod. "You're flying us to Sokovia?"
"Yes, sir," the pilot replied. "We'll drop you just outside Novi Grad. Terrain's rough, but there's a valley north of the city that'll keep us hidden."
"Good," Steve said. "Let's not waste time."
They boarded the Quinjet, and the ramp closed behind them with a soft hiss. Inside, the lights dimmed automatically as the engines came online. Liam strapped himself into one of the side seats, glancing out the small window.
He muttered. "One minute you're in New York, the next you're halfway across the world...feels kinda weird."
Steve adjusted his seatbelt, calm as ever. "You'll get used to it."
The Quinjet lifted off silently, cutting through the clouds like a shadow. Within an hour, the city lights were far behind them, replaced by endless gray skies and distant mountain ranges.
They flew mostly in silence, the occasional turbulence rocking the jet slightly. Steve spent most of the flight checking gear, weapons, and comms while Liam sat back, lost in thought. Every few minutes, his mind drifted to HYDRA, the sceptre, and Fury's exhausted face. Something about all of this didn't sit right. HYDRA being this bold so soon after New York felt wrong. Too deliberate.
He exhaled slowly, eyes fixed on the horizon. 'I just hope everything goes alright,' he thought.
***
For 5+ advance chapters visit my patreon.
patreon.com/narrative_ninja007
***