Shadow Killer

Two

"Your mission today is to kill Nick Fury."

"Yessir." I say, my voice calm and steady.

"Failure to do so shall result in serious consequences."

"We understand. Hail HYDRA."

Asset 01 and I both spin on our feet and exit the office. The same guards who escorted us from our rooms up here lead us towards the aircraft hangar. Several aircraft vessels lay dormant around the hangar, gathering dust as they vastly remain unused. A lone helicopter is situated in the centre of the hangar, the blades already rotating at a slow speed.

Asset 01 and I climb into the helicopter and take our seats at the back of the aircraft. One of the guards leading us shuts the helicopter door, whilst the other is in charge of opening the overhead hangar. I grab the headset hung up on the back of the seat in front, and pull it over my ears as the helicopter blades pick up speed.

I look to my right where Asset 01 sits; his headset is on as well. He stares straight ahead, unmoving as the helicopter moves upwards. His natural hand covers the metal hand, which is balled into a fist. I look away as the aircraft exits the HYDRA compound, moving away with great speed.

The snowy mountains come into view as we fly off. The sun is setting just below the sky, painting the typically clear blue skies with warm colours of pinks, oranges and red. The colours are pretty, I must admit, and somewhere deep inside of me, part of me wonders if I could ever enjoy it like a normal person. Yet, I am not normal, but a typical definition, so I guess that day will never come.

I look away from the sunset, leaning my head back against the seat. I close my eyes and begin to hum quietly to myself. I don't know what the song is or if it has any lyrics. All I know is the basic tune. It doesn't really provide any comfort, but there is little else for me to do. Eventually, I find myself falling asleep.

Asset 01 shakes me awake, causing me to react on instinct where my hands curl into fists. "We will be in the drop zone in twenty minutes."

"Thank you." I nod my head curtly before looking back out the window. It is nighttime, so there is very little to see, only the occasional light in the far distance.

Twenty minutes pass by quickly, and before I could fall asleep again, Asset 01 shoves a backpack in my face before yanking open the helicopter door. I shrug the pack on quickly and fasten it around my chest. Following as Asset 01 jumps out the helicopter. Before giving it any thought, I step off.

I didn't hate much, but I hated this. Jumping from an aircraft during the day was doable, yet at night when you are unable to determine up from down, it was annoying, and I hated it. The cold air rushes up past my face, whipping my braid around. After a second of falling, I press my hands firmly against my body before pointing myself headfirst to where I assume is down. The air whips at my face causing my eyes to water. After a few minutes, I reach the strap of the pack where I find a cord. I tug on it hard and feel my whole body get yanked backwards as the chute is deployed.

I grab the handles to support myself whilst I wait for the painfully slow descent to finish. It isn't long before my feet hit the ground, and I fall to my knees in one of my more failed landings. I unclip the pack and shrug it off before pushing myself to my feet. I see a silhouette figure, which I quickly identify as Asset 01. I make my way over to where he stands impatiently, waiting for me.

"You now how to take your time."

"Shut it. Not everyone has a freak arm like you."

"I can ensure you get one if you'd like."

"Come on, we have a fair distance to walk."

"How far?"

"Don't know and don't care."