Chapter Two
Avengers - P.O.V.
Tony Stark, hovering in his upgraded suit, had a perfect view of the newly discovered Hydra base. It was hidden in plain sight, nestled at the edge of a snowy forest, a quiet town oblivious to the horrors concealed within.
“What’s it look like up there, Stark?” Captain America’s voice crackled through the comms. Tony scanned the building. Some sections were obscured by walls too thick for sensors, but even from a cursory glance…
“Looks like a lot of hostiles, Cap. Probably a whole lot more deeper inside. They’ve got a hell of an arsenal in there. Should give us an idea of what we’re dealing with,” he replied, watching heat signatures of two guards idly kicking stones outside the entrance. He scoffed. “Lucky for us, they haven’t got a clue we’re here.”
“Aw, that’s a shame,” Natasha’s smooth voice came through. “I was looking forward to a good fight.” Captain Rogers chuckled.
“Come on, Nat. It won’t stay quiet for long. When is it ever easy for us?” Tony quizzed, rolling his eyes above the team on the ground.
“What’s the plan, guys?” Clint asked. “I’m freezing my ass off here.” A thud echoed through the comms as Nat shoved him into a tree. “Ow—Nat! What the fu—”
“Language!” Tony and Rogers said simultaneously. Tony laughed, while Steve shook his head and sighed. *Sometimes it’s like babysitting,* he thought to himself.
“Seriously though, guys. Here’s what we’re gonna do.” Tony began. “Rogers, I’m gonna blow a hole in that entrance. You go in and take out the immediate hostiles. Nat, leave no stone unturned. Intel. Anything you can get your hands on. You too, Clint—watch her back. I’ll—” Tony stopped mid-sentence, startled by the forceful blast that sent the two guards flying. A figure erupted from the building, running at top speed, sparking in the darkness. *Definitely didn’t expect that,* he mused.
“What’s going on, Tony?” Steve asked, shield raised. FRIDAY alerted Tony to rapid ticking in a munitions room. He had just enough time to yell “GET DOWN!” before—
BOOM.
The explosion left everyone reeling. Tony was thrown backwards, slowly regaining his footing to assess the damage. The building was collapsing, flames of every color roaring from within. *Must’ve been some serious chemicals,* he thought grimly. No one could have survived that. After a moment of stunned silence, Steve’s voice cut through.
“I’ll check for survivors.”
“I think I found someone,” Nat informed them. “She must’ve gotten out just before the explosion.”
“Clint, you help Rogers. We’ll sort this girl out,” Tony said, veering toward Black Widow’s position.
“Stark, I don’t know what this is, but I don’t like it,” Nat mumbled. Tony landed beside her, a few meters from the figure. It was a woman, collapsed on the ground, wild and messy golden-brown hair, dressed in a thin hospital gown. Bolts of lightning crackled across her skin. They could hear the electrical buzz. “She’s badly injured, too.” They exchanged glances, uncertain, and slowly began to move toward her.
Subject 88 - P.O.V.
I hadn’t gotten far after escaping when the explosion ripped through the building, sending me flying. Everything was a blur of pain. I lay there, head pounding, trying to focus. The whirring of machinery, footsteps approaching. Familiar faces, yet my memory felt fractured. A voice said, *“Don’t worry, we’re not here to hurt you.”* But everything was collapsing. My body ached, shoulder burning—a bullet wound, maybe. As panic surged, the focus I’d cultivated to manage my powers evaporated. I screamed. The electricity was overwhelming, surging through my veins, making me convulse. Sparks arced across my skin. As I started to blackout, I noticed they’d backed away, a safe distance. The last thing I heard was, “I think we’re gonna need to bring in the big guns.”
Avengers - P.O.V.
Tony had contacted Thor just before he was about to launch into another off-world excursion. It wasn't long before he arrived, landing dramatically.
“Tony! My friends!” Thor boomed. “What have you summoned me for? You sounded urgent.” Steve gestured toward the woman on the ground, electricity visibly surging through her.
“We need your help,” Steve said. “She’s…unstable.”
“I see,” Thor nodded, concern etched on his face. He could wait a little longer.
“We need to know if you can handle the lightning, because you’re the god of thunder, and all that,” Clint said. Natasha glared at him.
“Of course I can,” Thor scoffed. Tony quickly interjected.
“Perfect. We need to get her back to a lab, and none of us can get near her without getting fried. You’re able to get close, maybe you can give her tips on how to control this—whatever it is.” Thor was already striding toward the woman, unfazed as sparks jumped from her skin to his. He gently lifted her into his arms.
“Do you think she can learn to control it?” Natasha asked.
“Those little lightning bolts were all over her when she was conscious,” she added, lost in thought. “I wonder why it just started affecting her like this.”
“Then Stark,” Thor boomed, “I shall take the lady with me. I will place her in the newly reinforced cell you designed.” Natasha smirked at Tony, who rolled his eyes.
“Okay, it’s pretty freezing out here guys. Let’s get back to the jet and go home,” Steve instructed, jogging toward the Quinjet. “This one’s gonna be interesting to explain to Fury.” A groan from Tony caused the others to chuckle as he hovered in the air and followed.
…
Inside the surveillance room, located in a helicarrier flying high above the ocean, Tony, Steve, Nat, Clint, Bruce Banner, and Nick Fury gathered around screens showing live footage from the cell room.
“So, you just happened to find an electrically charged woman lying in the snow after a Hydra base exploded?” Fury asked, skepticism dripping from his tone.
“That is correct, sir,” Steve confirmed. “From the way she was dressed and her condition, we believe she was inside that building before the explosion. There was nowhere else she could have come from.”
“And you think she set off the bombs before escaping, on some sort of timer?” Fury questioned. “Then she must’ve known her way around. She must know more about that secret base. When you’ve figured out how to stop her from electrocuting herself, we’re gonna need all she knows.” Steve opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted.
“Are you serious—she’s fallen asleep!” Tony exclaimed, pointing at the screen where Thor was slumped in a chair opposite the unconscious woman.
“It’s fine, Tony,” Cap reassured him. “She’s restrained. She can’t hurt him.”
“Besides, you called him away from his trip off-world. Maybe he was going home to rest up,” Natasha added with a smirk. Tony gave her an irritated look.
“The readings we’re getting off this girl are seriously unusual,” Bruce chimed in. “I wonder what happened to her in that base. Honestly, the hospital gown plus her ‘electrical aura’ suggests she was experimented on.” The others glanced at him. “What? I’m just using the power of observation…”
“Just come find me when you get anything out of her, and please don’t take too long,” Fury muttered, exiting the room. Tony pointed at the screen.
“Looks like we have some movement in there, guys.”