2012

Hell's Kitchen, New York

Warehouse District

(Brock POV)

After taking care of the thugs from earlier, I led my small group to a place where we could talk in private.

We were currently standing in the middle of a large empty warehouse in the most lawless neighborhood in New York City, Hell's Kitchen.

It was a simple building made of brick and concrete, though it wasn't exactly brand new. It probably hadn't been used in decades and looked like it was falling apart in some places. There were barely any windows and only one door, which was situated directly in the front of the building.

It was located next to a busy train station, so the building had once served as a storage shed for the trains themselves before the railroad company decided to build newer, better warehouses elsewhere.

"This where you'll be staying for the time being," I informed Zeru, after showing them inside. "It's not fancy or anything, but it should serve our purposes for the moment."

"How'd you find this place?" Ava asked curiously as she glanced around the dimly lit empty space, scanning the shadows for possible threats.

"I didn't," I answered truthfully. "This was one of the safe houses that my...caretaker set up for his assignments. Figured this would be a good place to lay low if I ever needed it."

"You're not worried about him coming back here?" Zeru asked me cautiously.

"Not really, in fact...kind of hoping he does," I replied. "He and I still have a score to settle, so If he comes here, he won't be walking out."

"Are you two staying here too?" Zeru asked me nervously as he looked up at Ava and me.

"No, I'm heading out," I answered with a shrug. "I've got some work to take care of,  Ava will stay here with you for now. You two have a lot to talk about."

"We do?" Ava asks.

"Yeah," I confirm as I smile and look over at Zeru. "I want you to do a full inspection of the tech in her suit. See if you can find a better alternative for her condition till we find a more permanent solution."

"Her condition?" Zeru questioned

"She'll explain."

"Alright..." Zeru murmurs quietly. "I'll check it out."

"Good," I reply as I look back at Ava. "Try not to scare the kid too much."

"I won't," Ava responds confidently.

Then, without saying another word, I turn around and leave the warehouse, making my way back towards the cage that was the S.H.I.E.L.D Headquarters.

*************

New York City

S.H.I.E.L.D Headquarters

Secretary Pierce's Office

A few Hours Later

"In summary, We faced heavy opposition during the mission," I reported as stood in front of Secretary Pierce, who was seated behind his desk. "Most of the team was killed in the assault, but I managed to acquire all the information on the other FoH cells,  as well as destroy their base upon my exit."

I finish explaining and place a small device on his desk, no bigger than a thumb drive.

"Your office has been updated with the data from my analysis. Should you require additional information, I will be available to answer any of your questions," I tell him.

"Excellent work, Major Rumlow," Secretary Pierce tells me with a nod. "I appreciate everything you've done for us, and the sacrifices you have made to protect our interests."

"No problem sir, just doing my job," I reply casually.

"Well then, I suppose that's all for today," Pierce states as he stands up from his seat. "Thank you again for your help."

"Of course, sir," I say as he walks and stands up from his desk.

Pierce shakes my hand and thanks me politely before gesturing for me to leave the room.

Once outside, I walk back to the elevator and take it down to the lower level, where I make my way to the S.T.R.I.K.E team barracks.

I enter the facility and head towards my room, but before I can reach my quarters, I hear a familiar voice call out to me from the hallway.

"Major Rumlow!" Jack calls out as he runs over to me.

"Jack," I greet my foster brother back.

"I heard you were back, so I came to welcome you personally." He says with a wide grin on his face as he reaches his hand out for a shake.

"Thanks," I reply as I return the gesture.

"So what happened? How'd the mission go?"

"It went great," I respond with a smile. "We took out the entire cell, including the leader, and captured all the intel we needed to proceed."

"That's great!" Jack exclaims happily. "You know you're the pride of our team, right?"

"Why is that?" I ask curiously.

"Because you always come through when we need you to." He says with a chuckle. "Plus...you're pretty cool, in a weird sort of way."

"I'll take that as a compliment then." I laugh lightly. "Anyways, I wanted to talk with you about something before you leave."

"Oh yeah? What's up?"

"Let's talk in my quarters, " I suggest as I lead him to the door of my room.

"Sounds good," He replies as we enter my room and close the door behind us.

"So, what's up?" He asks curiously as he sits down on the couch while I sit down in a chair across from him.

"I wanted to ask....how do you like your life here? " I ask him cautiously as I watch his reaction closely.

"I love it!" He responds enthusiastically. "The team treats me like family, they've given me a purpose, and I get to fight for a great cause every day!"

"So if you were given the chance at something better...would you take it?" I ask quietly.

"What do you mean?" He asks with confusion.

"I mean if you had a choice....would you quit?"

"Quit!?" Jack exclaims as he jumps up from the couch. "Are you crazy?! Why would I ever want to leave the best thing that's ever happened to me!?"

I can see the fire burning within his eyes as he looks at me, and I know that he means every word he says.

Shame.

"What's this about?" He questions, "Why would you even ask such a question?"

"Don't know...maybe I'm just feeling some fatigue after the long mission." I lie. "Nevermind, forget I said anything."

"No, wait, what's wrong?" Jack asks with concern as he grabs my shoulder. "Is there something bothering you?"

"Nah, it's nothing." I try to reassure him. "Just tired, that's all."

"Okay, then I'll let it go," Jack responds with a sigh. "But, if you ever need to talk...I'm always here for you."

"Thanks, Jack," I say as I lean forward and give him a pat on the shoulder. "You're a good brother."

"I know." He answers quietly as he smiles slightly. "Now, I'll let you get some rest."

We both stand up from the couch and begin walking toward the door.

"Bye Jack," I say as I wave goodbye to him.

"See you later." He responds before closing the door behind himself.

*************

Manhattan, New York

East Harlem

The Red Fish Blue Restaurant

(Omniscient POV)

The Restaurant was a popular hotspot for both locals and tourists alike. It was located in a quiet section of Manhattan, nestled in amongst the hustle and bustle of the city's busiest neighborhoods. The establishment itself was small, but its interior was decorated with a rustic theme that blended well with the neighborhood's atmosphere.

The restaurant boasted a huge patio area out front that overlooked the Hudson River, and several large aquariums filled with colorful tropical fish. It was probably the only place in New York City where people could actually enjoy seeing exotic fish in their natural environment.

Rosalie Carbone, leader of the Carbone Crime Family, was seated in a sectioned-off part of the restaurant, near an oversized window overlooking the river. She was drinking a glass of white wine as she watched the sunset across the water, as well as the lights, twinkling across the cityscape.

Several men stood around her in suits, waiting for their orders.

"Do we have any leads on who took out Luca, Matteo, and Angelo?" Rosalie asked quietly as she sipped her wine.

One of her bodyguards, a bald man named Lombardi, spoke up from behind her. "No ma'am," He answered. "We've narrowed it down to three possibilities. This could be provocation from the Stokes, an act of war initiated by the Irish, or a show of force from the upstart who's been buying all the property in the area."

"Which is most likely?" Rosalie asked calmly.

"All of them, maybe." Lombardi shrugged. "It's hard to determine until we find out who authorized the hit."

"Makes sense." Rosalie nodded. "Keep your ears to the ground, I want to know who did this before my Father arrives next week. Also, look into those properties, and see if you can find out which ones belong to this mysterious buyer."

"Will do."

"And don't rule out the possibility that it could be a third party working for someone else," Rosalie told him. "Whoever killed those guys was very skilled. If I had to guess, I'd say they could be trained professionals."

"Yes ma'am." Lombardi acknowledged. "Anything else?"

"Nothing else," Rosalie told him with a sigh.

She knew that whoever was responsible for killing her men was going to pay dearly for it. She wouldn't allow any more harm to come to her family, especially not when she was trying to do everything in her power to keep what they have from the hands of their enemies.

I won't let anyone hurt my boys, not anymore.

She takes another sip of her wine and watches as the sun sets across the water as she ponders over her next move.

***********

A/n: Hey Guys, hope you are enjoying the story so far and as always thanks for reading!