Beauty is a Beast

Chapter 5: SHIELD and the Avengers Initiative

My head was pounding as bright lights greeted my eyes. After quickly shutting them I tried to throw my arm over my eyes to find it attached to something. An IV was hanging out of my arm and a clip was on my finger as I laid on a hospital bed.

I was still wearing my mask and suit but one long sleeve had been cut off to insert the IV. My suit had seen better days. There were tears and parts that had been scorched.

I remembered going into the city and Kraven. He shot an electric net at me and, me being cocky, I fell for it.

So that left the question to where I was.

My muscles protested as I reached a sitting position. Surveying the room I reached the conclusion that I was not in a hospital. I was in a lab.

Crap.

My breathing began to increase as I thought of all the things they did to me back at Project X. The tests and trials they put me through were sure to give anyone nightmares.

The door opened for me to see Dr. Banner in a lab coat and a clipboard in his hand. His head snapped to me as he heard my heavy breathing.

"Hey. Calm down." he spoke calmly as he rushed to me.

Calm? How can I be calm when they're going to experiment on me like those people?

"No one is going to hurt you," he assured me as if he could read my thoughts. "We want your help. But you need to get your breathing under control before we can do anything else."

It took a few minutes but I was able to decrease the rate of my breathing and heart. Dr. Banner took the IV out of my arm and turned off the heart monitor.

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked, removing the clip from my finger and setting it on a table next to me.

"Kraven. He got me with an electric net," I looked around the lab again. "Where am I?"

"SHIELD headquarters."

"Great." I sighed under my breath.

"Director Fury wants to speak with you," Dr. Banner said, motioning towards the door. "Can you walk?"

Nodding, I rose to my feet with the help of Dr. Banner. Usually I would push away anyone who got this close to me but there was something comforting about Dr. Banner around. Not in a romantic way, he was my teacher after all. It was like an unspoken connection.

After I was standing firmly by myself Dr. Banner led me out of the lab (thankfully) and down a busy hall. While we walked I caught glimpses of rooms as we past them. Most of them were other labs filled with people working on projects.

Scientists tapped on see-through screens and holograms were on display in the middle of tables. While passing, I saw a giant container that was tube shaped. It was big enough to fit a person in and when I did a double take, it was gone.

I faltered in my step but caught myself so Dr. Banner wouldn't turn around. My mind must be playing tricks on me. Blaming it on the electric currents that ran through my body not even 24 hours ago, we kept walking.

Soon enough we entered a room that was an office. A desk was placed in the middle of the room with one chair behind it and two in front of it. Nickolas Fury, Director of SHIELD sat behind the desk, speaking with a man in one of the chairs in front of him.

"Sir, she's awake." Dr. Banner spoke up, announcing our sudden presence.

Both man looked up and my heart got caught in my throat as Logan stood up.

"Hey, kid." he smiled.

I didn't say anything as I moved past Dr. Banner and jumped into my father's arms. My arms were wrapped around his neck and he wrapped his own around my waist, picking me up slightly.