Howard and Lizzie begin working on the super soldier serum. It becomes quickly apparent to the employees at Stark Industry that they are working on something big. People have tried to guess about what they could be working on but Stark has everything locked down tight. They always work on the project in Howard's most guarded labs where it's virtually impossible to break in.
One man in particular takes a particular interest in what they are doing. Dmitri Volkov has been working in Stark Industries for many years. He has watched as Stark creates cutting edge technology and reports back to his superiors at Hydra. He has been told not to interfere with anything but just observe and report.
He has been watching Elizabeth Rogers for some time now. Not many people have found out that Elizabeth Rogers was the twin sister to Steve Rogers also known as Captain America. That information was not common knowledge to the public. However, once Dmitri noticed how close Stark and Elizabeth were, he went digging and soon found out the truth.
He closely followed her career and discovered that she was brilliant. She was incredibly intelligent and there was few problems she couldn't solve. Her focus was in biotechnology and Stark left her division alone while he focused on the weapons division. It made him wonder what kind of project could a biologist and a weapon maker be working on together?
He has a theory and he knows if he is right, this could mean trouble for Hydra. There's no way to prove that he is correct with all of Stark's security. He decides to contact his superior to see how they want to proceed.
He goes to the rendezvous point at the agreed upon time to meet with his contact. Alexei Petrov was a busy man and Volkov was just one of the spies under his supervision. Whatever Volkov has to say better be important or he's not going to be a pleasant man.
"Hail Hydra," Dmitri says.
"Hail Hydra," Alexei responds with impatience.
"I've been watching Elizabeth Rogers," Dmitri says.
Dmitri has always had a strange fascination with Rogers but everyone at Hydra thought she was harmless. Sure, she was a brilliant woman but she developed medical technology which wasn't exactly a threat to Hydra. She's well protected by Stark and if anything happened to her, there would be a full inquiry into her disappearance. Hydra was still rebuilding after the death of Schmidt and they couldn't afford to be discovered just yet.
"We have told you, Elizabeth Rogers is nothing. I doubt that she has any knowledge in weapons technology," Alexei says sharply.
Dmitri can tell he's starting to frustrate Alexei and knows that he should get to the point.
"Not technological weapons but maybe biological weapons," Dmitri says.
"Biological?" Alexei asks curiously.
Dmitri could tell he's got Alexei hooked and is quick to continue.
"Stark and Rogers have been spending hours in Stark's top security labs. The same labs that he used when working on The Manhattan Project. Whatever they are working on is big and very secretive. It makes me wonder what a biotech specialist and a weapons engineer could be doing that is so important. Not only a biotech specialist but also the twin sister to the first super soldier," Dmitri says.
"You think they are trying to recreate the super soldier serum?" Alexei asks.
"It is the most logical explanation," Dmitri says.
Alexei takes out his gun and shoots Dmitri in the chest twice.
It was a shame that he had to rid of his spy in Stark Industries but Volkov was too interested in Rogers. This could be something big for Hydra and they can't risk him accidentally revealing them by his unnecessary interest.
He booked the first flight to Russia he could because this is a conversation that he needed to have with the directors immediately.
He arrives at the base in Siberia and is taken directly to the directors.
They are sitting on the same side of a long table and he stands in front of them. He bows slightly in respect.
"Hail Hydra," Alexei says.
"Hail Hydra," they respond.
"You are a far way from New York. I take it whatever you have to say is important?" One director asks.
"My spy from Stark Industries contacted me about a top secret project that is being worked on between Stark and Elizabeth Rogers," Alexei says.
They all begin murmuring in surprise. They all knew about the Captain's sister but they had deemed her a non-threat. She wouldn't be a particular strong asset either because she developed healing technology.
"I have reason to believe that Stark and Rogers are developing some kind of biological weapon. With her relation to Captain America, it would lead me to conclude that they may even be working on recreating Erskine's formula," he says.
The room gets unbearably loud with everyone yelling over one another. Finally they all settle down and are able to continue with the discussion.
"So what do we do?" One man asks.
"Stark is too protected so we can't take him. We can't take the girl without risking Stark investigating so we better make sure she knows something before taking her," another says.
"How do we find out what she knows?" one asks.
"We send in someone to investigate and if she knows anything, we extract her," Alexei suggests.
They need someone who can be discrete and leaves no trace. If Elizabeth Rogers needs to be taken, there must be no evidence that she was abducted.
"This matter is very sensitive and must be handled with care. If we do this correctly, she could be invaluable to hydra and it's cause. We need him," a man says.
Alexei knows immediately who they are talking about. There have been whispers of a new weapon that Hydra has acquired but it has always been a secret with only the head members of hydra with full knowledge of the subject.
"Yes, he will get the job done," another man concurs.
"If we are all in agreement," one says.
He is met with many nods of approval.
"Let's wake The Winter Soldier," he says.
They usually use The Winter Soldier for assassinations but he has a wide range of talents including espionage and abductions.
They thank Alexei and send him on his way. They can tell he is curious but The Winter Soldier is top secret for a reason. Alexei has a job to do and it's been done.
The directors call in a couple officers and instruct them on the mission for The Winter Soldier.
They go into the lab where The Winter Soldier is contained and start the process for taking him out of cryostasis.
The machine hisses as it defrosts him. When the chamber opens, The Winter Soldier begins to collapse but the officers catch him and drag him to the chair. They set him in the chair and place binds to his arms to keep him still. Two metal plates lower to his head and the electrical current runs through. He screams out in pain but no one feels any guilt. He is a weapon, not a person.
As the machine releases him, he slumps forward in exhaustion.
As The Winter Soldier recovers, a man removes a red book with a black star on the front and begins reading from it.
"Longing. Rusted. Seventeen. Daybreak. Furnace. Nine. Benign. Homecoming. One. Freight Car," the man says.
The man looks down at The Winter Soldier in expectation. He can already tell that the words have worked. There is no hint of a man behind those eyes, only a machine.
"Soldat?" The man asks.
"Ready to comply," he says mindlessly.
"I have a mission for you. Reconnaissance and possible extraction. The target is Elizabeth Rogers," he says.
He pauses to see if there is any recognition at the name. They knew it was quite probable that The Winter Soldier once knew Elizabeth but they know that Zola did his job well. There was no way for the memories of Bucky Barnes to resurface because hydra made sure he is dead. He however does feel better that The Winter Soldier gives no reaction.
"She may be working on a biological weapon for Stark Industries. If you find that she is not, you leave her alone. However, if she does know something, you bring her here. You must make sure there is no witnesses. Elizabeth Rogers must disappear without a trace and with no evidence of any foul play," he demands.
The Winter Soldier has no idea who Elizabeth Rogers is and it really doesn't matter. All he knows, is she just became his mission.