Broken Soldier [#Wattys2015]

Chapter Twelve

The Compound, Sokovia, 2015

Maria

**********

"Reboot complete, sir. We now have the NovaStar under control."

"Good. Now, set her a mission."

"What shall it be?"

"I need the Avengers gone but I don't want to risk the twins yet. Send her instead."

"Are you sure, sir? She's Hydra history and a vital part of our survival. What if she doesn't survive?"

"Oh trust me, she will."

"What about the Winter Soldier, sir?"

"That will come - at a later date..."

**********

"Maria..." Someone whispered my name. "Maria..." A very soft, young voice.

I let my eyes flutter open slowly and found myself in a comfortable looking bedroom. Valerie was standing over me, like my own little guardian angle.

"Hey," I said softly to her.

Her eyes sparkled lightly and she helped me sit upright. My head spun a little but I recovered quite quickly. Valerie turned away then back to me with a tall glass of water. I accepted it gratefully.

"Thank you," I said to her and guzzled half of it.

"Slowly," Valerie said as she put her finger on the end of the glass to tip it up right.

I looked at her and studied her face. She definitely had Ryan's shape. But I still couldn't understand how 'it' happened. I mean, it would probably help if I could remember our times together. But still, none of if made sense.

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud banging on the bedroom door.

"Maria! May I come in?" Strucker asked.

"Yeah, sure," I replied and looked at Valerie worriedly.

"I don't think you're supposed to be here," I whispered to her.

She grinned. "What are you talking about? I'm not here," and she disappeared, just like that.

"Ah, good morning Maria," Strucker announced as he walked into the room.

I didn't quite process what he said as I was still trying to figure out how Valerie just disappeared. I caught him looking at me as if waiting for an answer.

"Oh," I started as I processed what he said. "Good morning."

He nodded curtly then strolled over to a large, wooden wardrobe. I watched as he went through it and threw random pieces of clothing at me.

Why can't I wear the clothes I bought?

"Here, put these on. They're better for training in rather than the ones that you have on." He said. "When your done I'll meet you down the hallway. We have a lot of work to do." And he left the room.

I looked at the clothes on my bed. They were a pair of black tights with golden stripes running down the sides and a golden tank top. There was also a black sports bra to wear underneath.

So much gold...

I dressed myself then had a good look in the mirror at my reflection.

"This isn't me," I said to myself. "Then again, I don't even know me." The sad truth.

I took one last look in the mirror before grabbing a hair tie that Valerie must've slipped on my wrist and pulling back my hair. I'd decided to skip shoes, mainly because I couldn't find any that would seem 'suitable' for what I was dressed for. I didn't want to be training in combat boots.

I walked over to the door and grabbed the handle, but stopped suddenly, deciding not to turn the handle. Outside, I could hear two people talking. Their Russian accents hung thick on their words.

"She's in this room, I'm telling you," one of them said.

Immediately I backed away from the door and readied myself for anything. The door swung open quickly and stayed open, but I saw nothing. I thought that they were gone so I relaxed my body slightly.

"Hello," someone said from behind me.

I whipped around and came face-to-face with a young man and woman. They looked to be just in their twenties perhaps.

"Sleep good?" The girl said.

Well you're intimidating...

I said nothing back to them as to not start anything that I didn't want to. They continued to stare at me, as if they were putting my whole life together; especially the girl.

I watched them as they watched me. The girl finally looked away to whisper something in the boys ear. Then she stepped towards me.

"I'm Wanda," she said nicely, then gestured to the boy. "This is my twin brother, Pietro."

"I'm-" I started.

Wanda cut me off. "We know who you are; we know it all. Ghost soldier."

I shrugged. "That's actually not a bad description."

They smiled slightly. "You are enhanced, yes?" Asked Pietro.

Enhanced? Oh, right.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." I replied.

They kept looking at me, as if they were waiting for me to show them.

"Oh - you want to see?" I said.

They nodded intently, so I held my hands out in front of me, palms up. They slowly began to glow golden and, not long after, a ball of golden energy hovered above each hand. I was quite proud of myself.

"Amazing," Wanda said in awe as she etched closer and closer to me.

I noticed that her eyes had changed to scarlet red from the brown that they were. She had her own hands out in front of her, doing the same as me, only her power was the same scarlet red as her eyes. Pietro watched behind her.

"Hydra?" I asked her as I let my power die down.

"Yes," she said and gestured to Pietro again. "Both of us, we volunteered."

Pietro suddenly dashed towards Wanda and I, showing me what he could do.

Well, that explains the door...

"You volunteered?" I asked.

Wanda nodded. "Yes, didn't you?"

I thought for a while. "I can't remember." I said and looked at the floor. "I can't remember anything."

Wanda went to say something when Strucker could suddenly be heard stalking down the hallway. Pietro quickly grabbed Wanda and they zoomed out of my room, leaving me by myself. Soon, Strucker was in my room again.

"Where have you been?" He seemed genuinely pissed off. "I've been waiting for you! Come on, let's go!" He said as he grabbed my hand and led me out of my room.