LIGHTNING STORM |b. barnes| [2]

PROLOGUE

ANANYA KHATRI WALKED DOWN THE STREET, grocery bags in her hands.  While walking past a store window, she noticed somebody walking behind her, their hood up to conceal their identity. 

Ana picked up her pace and the person behind her did as well. 

Ananya turned down an alley and swung the plastic bag that had milk in it at her stalker. The person went down and Ana straddled the person's hips with a small gun pointed at the attacker's face. 

The attacker's hood fell off and revealed a woman with dark red hair. "Natasha." Ana let out a sigh of relief and put the gun away, "You scared me."

"Do you always attack people with your groceries?" Natasha asked with a smirk as Ana helped her up,

"Why are you here?" Ana questioned, crossing her arms with her eyebrows raised,

"Fury wanted me to find you." Nat answered, "He has a mission for you."

"I've been done with that for a while, Natasha. You and Fury know that." Ana replied before Natasha held out a folder,

"Yes, but this is something bigger than a SHIELD agent." Nat stated with a smirk, "Much bigger."

Ananya looked at her skeptically before opening the folder, "Avengers Initiative?" Nat nodded, "Who else is a part of this?"

"Well, it's not official yet, but Bruce Banner, Thor, Steve Rogers, Jacqueline Braden, Tony Stark, me, and Clint Barton are on the list. Along with you." Natasha answered,

"And you want me to join? Why? I'm not anything special." Ana questioned, closing the folder and holding it out for Natasha,

Nat smirked, "We know what has been happening to you, Ana. SHIELD knows that whatever happened to you in Moscow has changed your DNA makeup. It's mutated. And Fury believes that your mutation can help save the world." She pushed the folder towards her, "Keep it."

"Can you give me time? To let me think about my decision?" Ana asked,

Natasha nodded, "Of course." 

"After we are finished, you will be the most powerful being alive."  The man stated in Russian as he injected the woman with a serum.

She screamed in pain as the serum ran through her veins. It felt like there were fire and ice running through her at the same time.

"Please." She begged in Russian, "Make it stop."

"Not yet, dear child. Not until you're invincible." The man sliced her arm and her blood ran blue.

Ananya sat up in her bed, panting and sweating. She threw off her covers and went towards the wall next to her bed. She pressed on a certain spot on the wall and it opened up. It revealed her old SHIELD mission outfit. A skin-tight black suit with two sapphire blue lines running along her hips as a belt. Next to the suit were her old weapons. Eight throwing knives, two daggers, and two guns.

Ana slipped on her suit and put on her boots. After placing her weapons in their place on her suit, she grabbed her phone.

"Natasha? I'm in."