Chapter 49: Lynn: Huh? A White Iron Man Suit?
Inside Alexander Pierce's office at the Triskelion.
Pierce stood at the massive floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the city lights.
Behind him, Crossbones and Sitwell stood at respectful attention.
"Oh? So you're saying the Council's bases in Europe... have all been destroyed by the Avengers?"
"Yes, sir."
Sitwell looked up. "According to the reports from our assets in Europe, all Hydra bases controlled by the Council have been eliminated."
"That includes the joint-op bases they were running with AIM."
A satisfied smile touched Pierce's lips. "Those old fools. Always going on about the 'glory of Hydra.'"
"I used to tolerate them, for tradition's sake. But in recent years, they've gotten reckless."
"America is our territory. It was bad enough they decided to meddle, but then they tried to launch their own separate agenda."
"Heh. Idiots. No one interferes with Project Insight. Not even other heads of Hydra."
He turned, walked to his desk, and fed a deck of playing cards into a shredder.
A closer look would have revealed the faces on the cards: the elders of the Council.
"And the Sokovia base? Is Strucker still trying to play both sides between me and the Council?"
At Pierce's question, Sitwell quickly replied, "Sir, the Avengers know nothing about the Sokovia base. We... omitted... it from the list of European assets we provided."
"Even if they knew it existed, they'd never find it. Baron Strucker is currently building a new castle to move operations above ground."
"As for him... with the Council elders all but wiped out, I believe Strucker is smart enough to know which side to back. His superhuman research program can only succeed with our support."
Crossbones stood by, listening silently.
As the team's field commander, he kept his mouth shut.
Only when Pierce dismissed them both did Rumlow finally speak. "Sir, I get why we coddle Fury's pets. But this Lynn Hall... this NYPD detective? What's the plan for him?"
"You want me to take a team and eliminate him?"
"Hmm?"
Pierce gave Rumlow a curious look. "Did he kill a relative of yours?"
"No, sir."
"A brother-in-arms?"
"No, sir."
"Then why are you so eager to kill him?"
Pierce turned and sat back down. "This Detective Hall has some skills, yes, but he is nowhere near a threat to us."
"Besides, once Project Insight is online, it doesn't matter how skilled he is. The algorithm will find him."
"Rumlow, you need to remember, nothing in this world is absolute. Even Steve Rogers... isn't he taking orders from us right now, without even knowing it?"
"I've read Hall's file. He's lazy, undisciplined. He likes food, wine, and women. He's human. He has weaknesses. He is nothing like them."
Pierce paused, thinking. "Sitwell. Are we short on... those things?"
"Of course not, Mr. Pierce. I understand perfectly."
"Then see to it."
"Yes, sir."
Sitwell nodded, and he and Rumlow exited the office.
***
In the elevator.
"I don't get it," Rumlow grumbled. "He kills dozens of our men, and we're supposed to send him cash and whores?"
"What else?"
Sitwell shrugged, smiling. "Hydra always has a place for men with talent, Rumlow. Unlike those self-righteous heroes, Lynn Hall is... well, he's human."
"Besides... Mr. Pierce has wanted those old Council fools out of America for years."
"When you think about it... didn't he just do us a huge favor?"
"Yeah... I guess."
Rumlow considered it. "Fine. Whatever. Just point me at the next mission. I'm better at kicking in doors than this political cloak-and-dagger bullshit."
"But... if we really could flip a guy like Hall, that'd be something."
"Tsk. Taking out an entire armed and trained Hydra squad in a CQB scenario, and taking out the sniper? I like a guy with balls."
***
Did Lynn have balls?
Absolutely. No question about it.
At least, that's what the blonde woman walking out of his hotel bathroom the next morning would have said.
'And Mephisto as my witness,' Lynn thought, 'I didn't even make a move on this one.'
After wiping out the Hydra bases, he'd been wired, high on the adrenaline. He just wanted a drink.
But the women here... they were just friendly.
That cold, just-back-from-a-fight, 'don't-fuck-with-me' vibe... it was like catnip to them.
And Lynn, well... he needed to unwind, too. It was a perfect match.
***
"You really expect me to believe that?"
Natasha sat on his sofa, leg crossed, a smirk playing on her lips.
"I'm just telling you what happened."
Lynn cracked a beer and took a long pull.
He didn't stop until the can was empty. "Where are the others? They all head back?"
"Tony went home. The rest are... decompressing. I had some free time, so I thought I'd check on you."
She leaned forward. "Aren't you even curious? About what else the resonator showed me?"
"I told you I saw a few things, but that was just a fraction. I saw a lot more, Lynn."
"Not really."
As far as Lynn was concerned, he already knew the general script. What was there to be curious about?
"What if I told you... one of the things I saw... was you? Wearing a cape. And Tony, in a white suit of armor... standing against us. Against the Avengers."
"And you were standing next to someone who's been dead for over twenty years. Still not curious?"
"Huh? A white suit?"
Natasha finally had his attention. The bored, hungover look was gone. This was interesting.
"'White suit'?"
Natasha looked surprised at his choice of words, but nodded. "That's... actually a good way to put it. In the vision, yeah... his armor was pure white."
----
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