He had been training. There was no doubt about that. Training with top agents. Training with avengers. Training with simulations. Even training with one of those creepy punching bags shaped like the upper torso of what he assumed was the hulk with how many muscles it had. He had even been taking German lessons in case he encountered some really old school HYDRA agents. There had probably never been a time in his life where he was more prepared than this moment. And yet, he still felt a twinge of fear. Did other agents feel this? No one seemed to show it on their faces. He imaged they wouldn’t wear it there anyway. They weren’t supposed to. He wasn’t either but he feared he was doing just that.
A tightness of the jaw. A tension in his shoulders. Perhaps he was darting his eyes too much looking for everyone else’s fear. No matter. He was here and it was time.
They walked in packs down the quiet corridor. Guns trained. Boots and polished shoes silent on the hard floor. It felt like the recon team when he was undercover in HYDRA all over again just... lighter. Emotionally and physically. He didn’t have to wear all that tactical gear. Though, now that he thought about it, it couldn’t hurt to gear up for something like this. This bulletproof vest only covered so much of him.
A fist raised in silence. They all stopped on cue at a doorway. Then, before Sterling knew it, they were all filing in, fanning out at the entrance, and shouting for everyone to freeze and put their hands up.
But these people didn’t look like soldiers. This was a hospital. These were doctors. Sterling squared his shoulders and hardened his expression. They were HYDRA doctors. He couldn’t forget that part.
He stepped to the side, close to a woman with red hair and pointed his gun in her general direction.
