Chapter 9: The Facility
After her symbiote had reformed, Natasha grabbed the C4 explosives from the closet that she had noticed earlier. She tucked them into a pocket her symbiote had made for her in the suits leg area.
After that, Natasha, quietly snuck out the back exit to the plane, jumping onto the runway and then crawling along the plane's underbelly to get to get to the top of the plane in order to get a better look at where she needed to go.
When she heard Maria and Jake had moved past the runway and into the fenced-off area of the facility, Natasha activated her symbiote-enhanced vision, in order to locate Androvich.
"New prisoners are typically kept in the holding cells on the second floor," she said to herself, triggering her sight to zoom into the second floor.
Natasha was astonished as heat vision was turned on, allowing her to see just what was going on in the facility.
After searching to no avail, she saw a man who she recognized, sitting alone in one of the cells facing the runway.
Natasha ran as close as she could to the fence without alerting any of the security guards, and then, aiming her web at the building, formed a tight rope that connected the ground below her to the top of the prison. She began crawling up it, slowly and carefully, like the spider whose name she had taken for her own…
***
A door opened, and Jake and Maria slowly walked in with their armed escort. The room they were in was dimly lit and plain, not the main part of the prison but rather a processing area.
Commander Fields turned to Jake. "Agent Thompson, obviously, I hope you understand that the capture of Agent Hill is a very… urgent matter. High level threats to our national security are involved. Director Fury is personal overseeing this prisoner transfer, and he should be calling us sometime soon to talk to us, as well as congratulate you and learn the details of Agent Hill's capture."
Jake gulped. "Well, uh, that sure is exciting."
Fields jostled Maria as he turned her to face him. "As for you… traitor. You know the reputation this facility has. There will be no mercy shown to you."
Maria looked at him, defiant as Jake and Maria sat down in chairs, awaiting the call from Fury…
***
The island the facility was on was considered so secure that guard posts were relatively limited, allowing Natasha to continue to crawl, upwards towards the top of the facility, with little to no interference from intrusive security.
Her line suddenly broke in half, sending Natasha flying and slamming her into the wall of the facility. She started to fall, but immediately swung a web in order to reposition herself. She was now sticking to the side of the building, making her way towards Androvich's cell, only a short distance away…
***
A phone ring.
Fields answered. "Director Fury."
Maria glanced at a nervous Jake, hoping to catch his eye.
"Yes, sir. The prisoner is here, along with her captor. Yes, sir. Thompson, sir. Agent Thompson." A pause. "Huh. Well, yes, sir, that is obvious cause for concern. I will see to it immediately. We will hold the prisoner until this is all sorted out. Thank you, sir."
Fields hung up, and turned to face Jake, arms crossed.
"It appears you have not been truthful with me, MISTER Thompson," Fields said, emphasizing the word "mister" as he wasn't referring to Jake as an agent anymore.
"Director Fury says there is no person in any of our records matching your name or description. So," Fields said, pulling out a gun and pointing it at Jake's head, "I'm only going to ask this once: who the hell are you, and what are you doing with this fugitive?"
***
Natasha looked into the small, barred window into the small cell. She saw the short, balding man she had come across what seemed like forever ago in the busy streets of Washington.
"Androvich!" she whispered.
Androvich turned around in a panic, hoping to locate the source of the voice that had just spoke to him.
"Hello?" he asked, in heavily accented English.
Natasha's symbiote covered face appeared in the window, and Androvich let out a yelp.
Natasha sighed, and the symbiote around her head melted off, revealing her true face.
"I'm here to help you!" she said
"No… is not! Cannot do!" he screamed at her. Natasha hoped it wouldn't get the attention of the guards.
"Please, I need your help! Stand back!"
Androvich looked at her, confused.
"GO. TO. BARS!" Natasha said, pointing. "That way?"
An anxious Androvich made his way as far away from the window as possible as Natasha withdrew the C4 from her leg, planted enough C4 to blow his cell wide open, and dropped the rest of it on the ground below, leaving her leg as tight with the symbiote as it was before.
She scurried down the wall to a safer location, hit the detonation button, and watched as a section of the thick, concrete wall of the prison broke away and came tumbling down, revealing Androvich's cell to the wide, open world…
***
An explosion vibrated throughout the facility.
"What the hell was that?!" Fields barked at his subordinates. Most of his men went outside to try to catch the source of the explosion.
Maria knew now was her time to move. With limited protection and Fields distracted, she got up, ran to him, and proceeded to roundhouse kicked him in the head, knocking him unconscious and his gun on the floor.
"Jake! The gun!" Maria yelled.
Jake grabbed the gun.
"Here!" Maria put her handcuffs on the counter. "Shoot the handcuffs apart!"
"Maria, I don't even know if I'm that good a shot-"
"Do it now!"
Jake took the gun, aimed it at the counter, and fired, covering his eyes in fear that he might have accidentally shot his friend. He opened them to discover Maria freed from her handcuffs, grabbing a larger gun that was hidden behind the counter.
"Come on," she said, cocking the gun. "We can't stand her all day," she said, running outside.
"Yes, ma'am," Jake replied, obediently following after her.
***
Natasha made her way back to Androvich's cell as she was vaguely aware, because of her enhanced sense, of SHEILD agents making their way to the side of the building she was on.
She leapt into the cell to find a panicked Androvich in the fetal position, rocking back and forth.
Natasha offered her hand. "C'mon. I'll take it from here."
Androvich said nothing, and just shook his head.
Natasha sighed, she had enough. "Okay, you big baby, if you're going to be like that," she said, lifting Androvich over her shoulder with him kicking and protesting, "well, we're just gonna have to do things my way."
With that, Natasha and Androvich jumped out the hole in the wall, and Natasha spun a web, allowing them to land gently on the ground.
She saw two figures make their way toward them, and immediately got into a defensive position, assuming they were SHIELD agents. To her relief, she realized they were Jake and Maria, both armed and equally relieved to see her.
"Hey," Natasha said. "Mission accomplished?"
Just then, Fields' men began shooting at them, and Natasha realized it was never going to be that easy.
"Take Androvich to the plane. Run as fast you can! I'll hold these guys off!" Natasha ordered.
Maria put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Natasha, you need back-up, and we-"
"I'm bulletproof. You're not. Even if I'm not there, you start that plane and take off, even if it means leaving without me, is that clear?"
Maria nodded. She and Jake put a hyperventilating Androvich between them, with one of his arms around each of them, as they ran towards the plane.