After his call from the mystery person, Fury sends his agents after evidence that can exonerate them. They’ll discover that evidence isn’t some “thing,” but some “one”…

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As they raced through Manhattan streets in a SHIELD van, Fury gave his agents terse orders.

After getting off the phone with his mysterious important caller, he told Morse and the other agents that an anonymous tip gave them HYDRA’s staging grounds for their attack against Stane.

There wasn’t much more info than an address at the east side docks. He was giving the agents a chance to redeem themselves by shutting the place down.

Two caveats: they’d have to go in standard SHIELD agent uniforms, and they’d carry subdermal trackers, so he’d know where the hell they were this time.

The agents didn’t have a problem with either caveat; what choice did they have, other than time in the brig and prosecution for crimes they didn’t remember committing, crimes relayed by the guard they hadn’t murdered.

As the van parked at the docks, Fury looked to the four agents. “I have a field team half a mile away. Say the word; they come in like the mother fucking cavalry. But I want you to find HYDRA first, neutralize them if you can.”

“And they’re supposed to be in the south side warehouse?” Morse asked.

“That’s the intel,” Fury replied.

“Reliable intel?” Cash asked.

Fury looked at him with mild frustration. “The best intel you’re gonna have before you take your motherfucking ass in there, agent!”

That ended the question and answer session.

“The evidence to exonerate you is in that warehouse, agents,” Fury said. He hit the wall that separated the passenger section from the drivers. The van’s rear doors opened. Standard SHIELD agents in SWAT gear stood outside.

“Go get it,” Fury finished.

Morse, Romanova, Barton, and Cash headed out.

“Standard rules of engagement?” Barton asked.

“It’s worked before,” Morse replied.

With a nod, Barton followed the others into the dock area.

There were several container stacks between their entry point and the warehouse.

Barton would move to one of the stacks that overlooked the front of the warehouse. He’d eliminate any enemies there, then use the area for reconnaissance.

The others would hang back until given the all clear. Then they’d make their way to the office entrance and breach from there, while Barton covered the warehouse’s freight access area.

While Barton moved into position, Cash got nosey. He inched along the container wall, keeping a careful eye out for any opposition.

Not wanting just to stand around, the female agents doubled back around the opposite side of Barton’s container, the side closer to the warehouse.

“Sniper!” Cash whispered over their headset coms. “Straight ahead of me, vantage to cover Barton’s final position and the freight entrance to the warehouse.”

“He hasn’t seen you yet, or he’d have shot you,” Romanova said.

Morse started to run back to Cash’s position, but Romanova stopped her. “We need to get the drop on that sniper.”

Morse nodded. She continued her stealth approach around the container, with Romanova close behind.

Meanwhile, Cash was surprised when the sniper shot an arrow shot at him. It barely missed his head.

Cash immediately returned fire with his twin VAP handguns. Sure, the noise would warn any HYDRA agents of an intruder, but he’d already been made.

Might as well draw the hornets out of the nest so the rest of the team could pick them off.

Cash’s shots peppered the container beneath the sniper but didn’t score a hit.

And then a woman dropped down from a container right in front of Cash. He raisd his guns, but a bolt of electricity shot through him. He fired several wild shots.

Up above, Barton made it to the edge of the container’s roof and into position. He looked down to Cash’s position. One aggressor shot him with an electrical charge from her wrist. Another aggressor moved on his position.

“You ladies aren’t going to believe this,” he said over the com.

“What?” Morse asked back. “Cash miss the sniper or something?”

“Yeah, but not that,” Barton said. “Cash has engaged two tangos: they’re you.”

To be continued…

Copyright Info

DC Adventures, Copyright 2011, Green Ronin Publishing; Author Steve Kenson. Now it’s Mutants and Masterminds, 3rd Edition

Advanced Player’s Manual, Copyright 2005, Green Ronin Publishing: Author Skip Williams.

Proteus Plot, Copyright 2006, Green Ronin Publishing, Author Steve Kenson.

The characters Hawkeye, Nick Fury, Mockingbird, the Black Widow, Arnim Zola, the Red Skull, HYDRA, SHIELD and Captain America are Copyright Marvel Comics

The character Grifter is Copyright DC Comics

None of the characters (or the plot, for that matter) belong to me as this is fan fiction, done for fun and as a creative exercise.