Chapter Text
A routine mission, a simple assassination. That’s all it was supposed to be. A twelve-man cell, spearheaded by a three-man unit. That’s all it should have took. But no, they were down to four remaining soldiers, well, five if you counted their squad leader, not that anyone was. Redwell had come back from what should have been a clean in and out alone, the other two soldiers left behind, dead. And that was how they were all going to end up if things didn’t start shaping up.
Thor strong-armed Redwell off his perch, where the man was doing fuck all. The squad ‘leader’ put up only a token resistance, clearly not in a right state of mind. Redwell out of the way, Thor peered carefully past their vantage point. They had been pushed back into a precarious position but the target was still in sight. The target, their mission, was top priority. They were expendable.
He carefully lined up the sight. Wind speed? About 14 MPH. Distance? Two thirds of a kilometer.
Thor took a breath, exhaling evenly. He took the shot. The mark fell, a bullet through his left eye.
“Target down, our position is compromised,” he informed the remaining soldiers.
Thor hoisted a catatonic Redwell over his shoulder, only momentarily debating leaving him behind. Too much paperwork. Command could deal with the idiot once they got back. If they got back.
“Johnson, with me. Sig, McLane, watch out six,” Thor ordered calmly. The three fell into position quickly, all seasoned and smart enough to not waste time arguing.
They made it to the extraction point with only a couple minor casualties to show for it. Sig got clipped in the side but managed to keep their pace. Thor got a bullet in the arm that was probably imbedded in the bone but he barely noticed it, adrenaline drowning out the pain.
Redwell, the textbook definition of dead weight, had passed out on his shoulder at some point, which Thor only noticed when he finally dropped their worthless leader on the floor of their evac chopper. Sig just shook her head while the rest of them let out a collective sigh.
The rest of the flight was uneventful, Redwell remaining unconscious for the remainder of the ride. Thor and Sig were ushered off the medical once they landed and some other unlucky individual got to lug Redwell off. Johnson and McLane gave them a nod and wondered off to the barracks. Sig was held overnight but Thor got away with just a few stitches and orders to take it easy. Outside medical was a man in a pristine grey uniform he had never seen before.
“Odinson.”
Thor’s eyebrows shot up. He didn’t go by his real last name anymore and few even knew it here.
“And you are?” he asked wearily.
“Irrelevant,” the man replied, “Walk with me,” he said in a tone that brooked no argument.
Thor, who had spent most his life following orders, found one lived much longer if one did so without asking questions. So, he did.
Grey uniform guy walked silently till they were a way out into the yard. Day had turned into evening while Thor had been getting patched up and most of the base’s occupants were in the mess hall. Where he would also be if he hadn’t been accosted by this weirdo. Said weirdo finally stopped, turning to look at him.
“You have been selected for a promotion.”
Contrary to popular belief, Thor was not stupid and he knew this was far from a normal promotion.
“What’s the catch?” he asked.
Grey uniform guy promptly ignored him, continuing as those Thor hadn’t said anything.
“If you accept this offer you will be transferred to a top-secret research facility. You have 48 hours to decide. Tell no one.” He handed Thor a card before walking away. Thor stared after him incredulously.
“The fuck?” he mumbled, looking at the card.
It was a simple black business card with ‘Mr. Black’ embossed on it in a silver, pretentious type-set. The cardstock was obviously expensive and felt substantial in his hand.
Thor turned it over several time, as if it might have the answers to what the fuck had just happened. His stomach grumbled, snapping him out of his revelry. Shaking his head Thor shoved the card in his pocket and went to the mess hall, determined to forget about the whole event.
/////
Thor woke, covered in cold sweat, from unsettling dreams he couldn’t remember. The haunting unseen images leaving a bad taste on his tongue. Trying to shake it off, he opted for a quick shower before heading to the canteen. Johnson and McLane waved him over, motioning to the empty spot beside them. Thor grabbed his food; something vaguely reminiscent of oatmeal and bacon, and joined them.
“Morning,” he punctuated with a yawn, “Sig out yet?”
“Nah, not till tomorrow,” Johnson replied, glaring suspiciously at the goopy substance occupying his bowl.
“That moron Redwell almost got us all killed,” McLane said casually, low enough for no one at the other end of the table to hear.
“We owe you one,” Johnson added, giving up on the gelatinous thing masquerading as food and moved on to the so called ‘meat.’
“Any of you would have done the same, it was-“ he was cut off by a spoon in his face, making him so cross-eyed.
“Johnson couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn from that distance,” Johnson distractedly flipped the other man the bird. “You took the shot and saved our asses,” McLane stated, unconcerned as the meal, containing neither oats or anything else resembling food, dripped off his spoon in clumps.
“Fine, thank you,” Thor sighed, pointedly ignoring McLane’s spoon and the growing mess that had accumulated on the table.
McLane nodded, satisfied, and retracted his utensil. They spent the remainder of the meal in companiable silence, occasionally engaging in small talk.
The bell rang and they piled their trays in the designated bin before filing out and heading off to their respective duties.
Thor had been tasked with drafting and turning in a written report regarding their mission, the downside of taking charge. He sat in a mostly empty office, filing out the pre-printed form. After what felt like far too long, but was probably less than an hour, he checked it.
Good enough.
Satisfied, he went to take his report to the paper room. Getting up he noticed a slip of black paper on the edge of the table. The unassuming little not, printed on familiar black cardstock, simply read ’38 hours left.’
Thor dropped the card as though he had been burned. He stared at it for several long moments before gingerly picking it back up and shoving it in his pocket. It seemed that, despite his best efforts, last night’s little incident was not to be forgotten so easily.
/////
Thor is haunted by little black notes throughout the rest of the day and into the next, counting down the hours. He never sees who delivers them but they show up without fail.
‘One hour left,’ he stared at the note. It’s meal time but for once he has no appetite, despite not eating much earlier. So he sits on his cot in the dorms, staring at the card. Despite not getting rid of them, all the other cards have inexplicably disappeared. Only the most recent one remains, the white ink staring back at him.
“It’s time,” Thor jolts up, dropping the card in surprise.
The man in grey stands before him. Even distracted, Thor should have noticed him. He blinks several times, just to be sure he’s real. Grey uniform guy is still there, looking exactly the same as he had 48 hours ago, like the last two days had never happened.
“Your answer, Odinson,” he ignored Thor’s internal panic in favor of business.
“Yes,’ Thor says automatically, despite still not being sure of his decision.
“Follow me,” the man said, a textbook example of composure.
Thor gets up and trails after him, like a child following the piper. A sleek helicopter awaits them in the yard, shrouded by the moonless dark.
“Your effects will be sent after you shortly. Goodbye Odinson,” he ushered Thor into the chopper, giving him a small nod of the head before leaving.
It’s only after the helicopter is in the air, Thor the sole passenger, that it sinks in. He had said yes. Had gotten onto a vehicle headed god-knows-where. Had just upended his entire life in the span of a couple minutes. Fuck.