Chapter 12

Hydra Hideout

POV GARP

With quick strides, Rodenko and I headed toward Fury and the brothers. By now, the hallways were almost empty of soldiers, and my Observation Haki confirmed that we had wiped out nearly 80% of the Hydra hideout.

Most of them had fallen to me, with Victor and James sharing the second-highest kill count. The rest of the team had been holding the entrances, killing fleeing soldiers, and capturing scientists. Dino had apparently received additional orders from Fury, as he was also combing through the base's remains, checking all prisoners for cyanide capsules, just as Rodenko had done with the documents.

As we'd feared, some Hydra members had managed to escape through hidden tunnels, gathering at a point roughly 5 kilometers north—well within my Observation range.

Up ahead, I could hear the sounds of combat, so I picked up my pace.

With the force of a berserker, I hurled myself at a group of 20 Hydra soldiers who were battling the brothers and Fury. They stood no chance. Even without me, they would have been nothing more than target practice for James and Victor. Together, the three of us were unstoppable. The soldiers must have known it, as they all bit down on hidden cyanide capsules.

I didn't bother to stop them. Unlike the officer I had encountered earlier, these regular Hydra soldiers weren't worth saving.

"Garp, what's the situation? Mission accomplished?" Fury asked, giving me a quick once-over as he noted my blood-covered appearance.

"Mission complete," I replied, giving a short summary. "Just a few stragglers left in the tunnels; even the regular army shouldn't have any trouble finishing them off. No serious injuries among the team. But the escapees are regrouping about 5 kilometers north."

I hesitated, feeling reluctant to put those energy batteries into Fury's hands. I knew he'd use them, and not just against Hydra.

"Good!" Fury nodded, satisfied. "Did you find the energy weapons mentioned in the report?"

'Of course, he had to ask about those damn weapons right away,' I cursed silently.

I couldn't just destroy the batteries; it would likely blow up the entire mountain and the surrounding area. With Operation Diadem underway, the Polish forces were expected to secure this area soon. Blowing it sky-high wasn't an option.

Noticing my hesitation, Fury pressed harder. "Garp, did you find the weapons? If so, we need to secure them immediately. Our scientists are already on standby. We have to get to the bottom of this technology, or the war's as good as lost!"

I finally conceded. At this point, I had no way of disposing of the batteries safely. But someone would have to transport them back, and someone would have to guard that transport. And who better than a crafty sergeant with a superhuman special unit? At least, that was my hope.

If things went my way, I'd have plenty of opportunities in the near future to "accidentally" destroy or misplace the equipment.

I gave Fury a nod, and together with Rodenko, we headed back to the battery storage room as a group of five.

"The weapon was destroyed in the fight," I said as Fury inspected the remains. I could see a flicker of mistrust in his eyes; he didn't fully buy my story.

"A real shame… at least we've secured the ammunition, it seems. Garp, go finish off the escapees. We've got more than enough hands here to handle the rest."

Hydra Hideout

POV FURY

'That motherfucker thinks he can fool me. "Destroyed in the fight," my ass. I saw right through you, Garp—you'd shred everything here to pieces if you could,' I thought, watching Garp's broad back disappear down the tunnel to hunt down the last of the fled Hydra scum.

Luckily, I had a good excuse to send him off and secure the find without him breathing down my neck. If we can reproduce these weapons, the war against Nazi Germany is as good as won. And if the Germans manage to mass-produce them before we do, we're dead in the water. To add Hydra's already hard enough to kill, even if today didn't look like it.

I glanced around once more and then barked, "Let's finish cleaning up here and get the rest of the team. Let's hope Operation Diadem was a success; otherwise, we'll be fighting our way back out of enemy territory."

Thinking it over, I slipped the smallest battery I could find into my coat pocket. Couldn't hurt.

Together, we fought our way back toward daylight, shooting any soldiers that crossed our path and herding the scientists along. We will squeeze every bit of information about the weapons from them, by force if needed.

'If Operation Diadem failed, Dino will get everything out of these scientists he can and then finish them off… no way we're getting them out of German territory alive.'

Finally, I could see sunlight ahead, spilling through one gate in the mountain. We'd come out of a different one than where we'd entered. For a moment, I savored the sunlight and the quiet, but it didn't last.

BANG!

I threw myself to the ground just in time, a bullet whizzing over me and striking down a scientist who'd been standing behind me.

"Motherfucker!" I yelled, lying flat in the dirt.

"Damn, sorry, Serg! Thought you were a Nazi!" I heard Pinky's voice from a nearby tree.

"Ever seen a Black Nazi, you bastard?!" I shouted back as I got to my feet.

No answer—just the sound of branches rustling. A second later, Pinky appeared, his rifle slung casually over his shoulder, scratching the back of his head with an embarrassed grin.

"Guess no harm done, Serg… I kinda stopped thinking after so many easy targets. By the way, what the hell was Garp doing down there?! I almost felt sorry for those Hydra bastards."

My mind drifted back to our Vice-Admiral. It seemed like the bastard got stronger every day, but he was growing just as headstrong. I dreaded the day he'd start doing whatever he damn well pleased. Just earlier, I could tell he was barely following my orders. Right before he left to hunt down the last of them, I could've sworn he was on the verge of blowing the whole stash sky-high the second we got out.

"He did his job… nothing more, nothing less," I replied, after that we rounded up the rest of the team from the other entrances, gathering all the scientists in one spot. Dino got to work, and soon the air was filled with screams of terror, pain, and desperation. It didn't take long for the scientists to start spilling secrets.

They didn't know much. Dr. Zola, the little ugly rat was apparently the mastermind behind these weapons. Should've guessed it. Zola is as ugly as he is smart, and anyone who's ever seen a picture of him would think he's the world's most brilliant mind with that discreption. Yeah, he's that ugly.

Most of the scientists here were only working on studying the energy source itself. From the brief session, Dino learned it came from some ancient "Zauberwürfel." According to Izzy, whos german was the best of us it means magic cube. So probably the info was a load of bullshit.

About 30 minutes later, Garp returned, more blood-soaked than before but still in top shape.

"Done?"

"Done!"

That was all I needed to hear to know there was a bloody massacre five kilometers north.

Our mission was a success, through and through.

Montecassino Abbey Ruins

POV GARP

"They tried to run the moment they saw me coming. Had to hunt them down like rabbits in the brush—for almost half an hour," I finished recounting my hunt for the fleeing Hydra soldiers to Agent Rodenko. She'd asked how I'd dealt with them, and it wasn't like we had anything better to do at the moment. Any distraction from the tortured screams of the scientists was welcome.

We were lounging on a sun-warmed tank, impatiently awaiting word from Command on the outcome of Operation Diadem. Fury paced back and forth, lost in thought, while Izzy was busy setting up the radio to establish contact.

Not easy, since every transmission risked being intercepted. But Izzy was a master at his craft, and soon the soothing static of the correct channel filled the air.

Now, we waited for one of two code phrases: "The cat is in the bag," meaning the German defensive line had been breached and Operation Diadem was a success, or "The dog is in the cage," our signal to hightail it out of here because we were still deep in enemy territory and the operation had failed.

Rodenko and I continued chatting to keep our minds off the waiting. "Rodenko, where are you headed next? Got any new missions lined up?" I asked, not expecting much of an answer.

She glanced around, then leaned close and whispered, "Natasha Romanov…"

I gave her a puzzled look. Had she just given me her real name, or was that the name of her next target?

She let out a small laugh and whispered again, "My real name, you idiot."

"Why?" I asked. Not that I would reveal her name to anyone, but I couldn't understand the point of her confession. Still, I could feel the truth in her words.

"I know I'll never convince you to come with me... or am I wrong? Since my husband passed, I haven't felt this close to anyone. My upcoming missions are already set, filled with orders from my superiors."

I looked at her, waiting, letting her continue.

"Maybe this is the last time we'll see each other… and I wanted you to know me, the real me."

"Thank you for trusting me, Natasha… if we really don't see each other again, there's something I'd like to tell you."

Back when we were stationed in Paola, I had shared my observations about the foggy wills with Fury. Together, we'd come to suspect that I might be able to detect when someone had been brainwashed or otherwise manipulated, acting against their own will.

I had considered telling her about it before, knowing she might be a victim, but Fury warned me it could backfire—especially if the person is already suspicious of you. A revelation like that could only push them further into their conditioned loyalty. Natasha still carried a hint of distrust, even though she'd opened up to me now.

I wanted to drop a hint, suggest she might be under someone else's control. She was smart; with the right nudge, she might see it for herself. But just as I was about to speak, the radio crackled to life. Someone was seconds away from breaking the silence with an announcement.

In an instant, the whole team crowded around Izzy to catch the news firsthand.

The tension was at its peak when a voice finally said, "The cat is in the bag!"

Cheers erupted from us all. Today marked a milestone in the war against Nazi Germany. After months of brutal fighting, one of the war's most critical battles had been won with a massive offensive.

The Allied forces had secured victory today, gaining a firm foothold on the Italian front. I looked down at Natasha, who silently mouthed, "Later" to me.

"Alright, team…" Fury's voice broke through the jubilation. "We're holding this position until the Polish army arrives to secure the ruins. Set up light defenses to keep us from being overrun too easily. Garp, keep a constant 5-kilometer scan up, and watch the airspace closely—wouldn't be the first time the Germans launched a surprise attack on a critical point."

Though his voice was firm, the satisfaction was clear on his face.

I was relieved, too. Another forced through enemy territory. was the last thing I needed today.

Montecassino Abbey Ruins

POV NATASHA ROMANOV

Damn, I'd done it. I'd swallowed my pride and told Garp my real name. For the rest of the day, we worked on building easy-to-defend barricades and positions, but I couldn't stop overthinking my decision. Honestly, I couldn't even understand my own honesty. It went against everything I'd learned in the Red Room, against everything Dreykov had drilled into me for days on end.

But I'd wanted to tell Garp my name. Maybe as a last chance to bind him to me—no, that's a lie. I liked Garp. I respected his honesty with me, and I wanted to return that. Even though I didn't understand myself. Was the KGB's conditioning that important to me? Why did I feel so guilty when, for the first time in years, I'd actually followed my heart?

Something felt off, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. The Red Room had prepared me for everything—except the mess in my head. A voice told me I had to kill Garp in his sleep, or die trying. Total nonsense. But that voice had saved me so many times before. What the hell was I supposed to do?

And now, Garp was probably going to want to talk soon… damn, what do I do… do I still have time to make a run for it?

Just as that thought crossed my mind, as if he'd been waiting for it, I heard Garp's deep voice behind me. "Natasha… we're alone now, and no one can hear us..."

I'd wandered a few steps away from the rest of the Howling Commandos to clear my head. But now Garp stood right behind me. Tall, broad, but with a calm and gentle presence inside—well, at least when he wasn't fighting. I'd probably never forget what I'd seen of him in those tunnels.

I swallowed hard. Part of me just wanted to run, but I stayed put.

'I can trust him… I think. He won't tell anyone my name… at least I hope not… Natasha, why were you so stupid!' My thoughts were racing.

"I wanted to tell you something… soon we'll be fighting on different fronts, and maybe we'll never have the chance to talk again…" he said softly. Why did he sound like he was about to make some kind of love confession?

"Sorry, Garp, I can't return your feelings!" I joked, partly to cover my unease. Not that it did much—he could read my emotions like a book.

"Bwahaha," he laughed and replied jokingly, "What a shame… guess I shouldn't have turned you down on the first day…"

I chuckled too, but I fell silent as soon as Garp's tone grew serious.

"Natasha, don't take this the wrong way," he began slowly, choosing his words carefully. "But have you ever thought about why you're so loyal to your orders? Loyal enough to do anything, even when it doesn't quite feel right?"

I frowned. Could this idiot read minds now too? "What do you mean? I serve my country, just like you serve yours. Loyalty… it's in our blood."

He nodded, but he didn't look satisfied. "Yeah, but have you ever felt like… maybe some of your decisions aren't entirely your own? Like there's a fog over certain things… something keeping you from asking questions?"

A strange chill ran down my spine as I processed his words, but I shook my head. "Garp, I'm not some… puppet. I know my place."

"Of course," he said almost too casually. "I'm just saying… sometimes even the strongest will… can be guided without us realizing. It happens to the best."

His words hung in the air, slipping past my initial defenses. "Guided…" I echoed, and then silence stretched between us. The realization crept up on me slowly, as if a veil were being lifted.

I looked at him, but his gaze was elsewhere, avoiding mine, as if he'd already said more than he intended.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

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