HYDRA.
That name has gained infamy in the time of Captain America, and until now, its grotesque head is still writhing about. One incident in particular in America has managed to flush out every associate of that organization as they try to influence the word to move its path. Those that threaten the very name itself were met with a very sudden execution.
But that was why history kept its first superhero frozen for seventy years. So that he could right its wrongs, and Steve Rogers, together with other great men and women, became part of the Avengers, a group of people who dedicate their lives to fight the battles that humanity could not do alone.
This group was one of HYDRA's greatest threats. In 2012, a warpath by the name of Loki sought to bring Earth to its knees with the aid of a powerful race known as the Chitauri. Needless to say with how its backwards society continues to move at a rapid pace due to no small part to the Avengers' combined efforts, Earth won.
For now at least.
The extraterrestrials have scarred the planet and its inhabitants for life. Their invasion of New York City has caused worldwide unrest, and the remnants of their exploits have been coveted by organizations like HYDRA for their own devious purposes.
One artifact in particular, a scepter, is confined to the bowels of a facility situated on a mountain in a little part of Eastern Europe known as Sokovia. It is also here that one of HYDRA's elites, Wolfgang von Strucker, establishes headquarters and oversees a series of experiments involving the scepter's alien and very powerful energy. To cover it up, he uses the people's hatred of the West and orchestrates riots, sometimes picking his next lab rats from the activists.
Two of them, a boy and girl in their mid-twenties, were among the latest to be subjected to the procedures. While everyone else perished, these two saw it through to the end, and gained some rather interesting changes in effect.
They are now HYDRA's prized duo, and as the scepter's blue light casts a dim glow in the chamber where it is being kept, the pair stand at attention as a voice blares through the building's intercom.
"Report to your stations immediately! This is not a drill!"
As the alarm resounds throughout the facility, the boy, with a firm yet sleek build, intertwines his fingers with that of his sister's, and they immediately looked at each other for reassurance. So strong is their bond that no words were exchanged, their expressions enough to convey to the other what is on their mind at present.
Men rush outside with guns blazing. Their fire aimed at what appears to be a military jeep riding about haphazardly through the trees. Standing up on it was a blonde man holding up a bow, launching arrows at enemy lines. The driver, a redheaded woman of Russian descent, kicks off a soldier attempting to hijack the vehicle. The guns HYDRA was using were engineered and assimilated with the Chitauri's energy weapons, but it did little to deter the pair of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton as they forged ahead. These two, despite their somewhat shadowy profiles, stepped into the light as Avengers when Natasha's years of assassin training and Clint's unequaled marksmanship proved invaluable in the alien war three years back. The Black Widow was there for more than to cheer the males on, and Hawkeye's arrows may prove far deadlier than a bullet.
From an outpost in a clearing, a blonde man wearing quite the ostentatious armor begins to single-handedly dispose each of the soldiers one by one with his bare fists, even grabbing a flying HYDRA toady and flinging him to the ground. Thor Odinson, being an Asgardian, has little to fear from most of Midgardian weaponry, but his strength must be restrained. Enemies they may be, but a true warrior knows how to keep the mortalities to a bare minimum. Even his possession of the enchanted hammer Mjolnir is no excuse for a prince to smash a man's head in.
Meanwhile, in a cloud of smoke the downed HYDRA soldier is now being dragged across the snow-covered by a guy in a motorcycle. Steve Rogers, a man who is still struggling to the twenty first century's complexities, finds some familiarity in this skirmish. As he flings his shield towards several soldiers, the disc of vibranium finds its way back to him thanks to a magnetic field generator installed in his gloves.
Vibranium is stronger than steel but a third of the weight, and Cap's shield is the only known source of it. It was created by none other than the late Howard Stark, whose son Tony was the one who provided Steve (and the rest of the team) upgrades on their equipment.
Tony Stark, the most famous of the team after he confesses to his identity as the armored superhero Iron Man in front of national television, has a power that lies in his intelligence and resourcefulness that allows him to perform at optimum level in the field. A HYDRA tank stands no chance against his repulsors as the kinetic blasts send the fragments scattered in a plume of flames. As HYDRA homes in on the blast, they are sent running in different directions once again as a large, green shape hovers and holds what's left of the tank above his head before throwing it in their direction with an angry roar.
Normally, a reserved nuclear physicist, Bruce Banner can turn himself into a much more primal form courtesy of an unplanned exposure to gamma radiation. This persona, known as the Hulk to all, has a strength and persistence that strikes fear into any who incur his wrath.
But the Hulk is somewhat hindered by his mind, and he and Banner are as different as night and day. A much more dangerous creature lurks the forest as HYDRA vehicles are suddenly obliterated in a flash of black and red lightning. A wolf-like monster with huge forearms, gray, scaly skin and a thick white mane lopes into view, its body charging up again with a blood-curdling howl as yet another set of thunderbolts render soldiers and machines incapacitated. There are no Dragonfell berries here on Earth, and this particular Stygian Zinogre's parasites are but metal and wire, but they contain a rechargeable supply of the Dragon element that can be charged into the Thunder Wolf Wyvern's electric-based attacks. Having a green giant throw you aside suddenly doesn't seem bad in comparison.
Jake Hunter, known by the title of Monster Hunter, can owe his ability to change form to several microscopic robots in his bloodstream. Dubbed biodes, they can alter his genetic code to match that of super-powered fauna from an alien planet that goes by Minegarde. But that's a story for another time.
The group of seven make their way toward the HYDRA base. Having thrusters, Tony covers the most ground while his teammates keep the soldiers' fire on something else as purple energy blasts melt the snow in spouts of fire.
It seems all too easy until Tony makes a high-speed impact with an energy barrier.
"S***!" The billionaire curses.
"Language!" Steve admonishes. "J.A.R.V.I.S., what's the view from upstairs?"
From the lens of a satellite in space, Tony's personal AI scans the HYDRA building and confirms it to be surrounded by a form of energy shield.
"Strucker's technology is well beyond any HYDRA base we've taken."
"Loki's scepter must be here. Strucker couldn't mount this defense without it." Thor declares confidently as he lets Mjolnir fly.
"At long last." The Thunderer mutters under his breath, forgetting that his comm piece is connected to everyone else's. Above him, the Fanged Wyvern tears a soldier in mid-flight before changing into what appears to be a bear-sized rabbit with an enlarged nasal cavity. Lagombi slides on its belly, weaving through the trees as it shakes off the firing soldiers, moving down an incline past Natasha as she flings a grenade into a HYDRA vehicle, before sliding, kicking, and back-flipping her way into enemy territory. Like her moniker, she's hard to squish.
"At long last is lasting a little long boys." She says as she shoots a sniper in the leg.
From behind a tree, Hawkeye trades shots with a turret.
"Yeah, think we lost the element of surprise." He remarks. Not too far away, the Hulk barely manages to avoid the tobogganing mammal before the Pelagus slips into a darker, winged form. Yian Garuga's shrill cry pierces the forest, further frightening the already spooked forest animals and into the base, where Tony is already dealing with the forces sent to dispatch him.
"Wait a second, no one else is going to deal with the fact that Cap just said, 'Language'?"
"I know." The soldiers says dryly before grabbing his motorcycle by the handlebars and flipping, the momentum utilized to fling it at a HYDRA jeep.
"Just slipped out." He continues.
Meanwhile, inside of the research base, Wolfgang von Strucker himself arrives at one of the control rooms.
"Who issued the order to attack?"
"Herr Strucker, it's the Avengers." Hearing that accursed name, he correctly guesses that they are after the Chitauri scepter. Aside from the fact that they have raided every HYDRA base by force, leaving destruction in their wake, Strucker has a personal vendetta against the youngest member of the group. During one of their earlier assaults, Strucker who had paid the facility a visit, ran into Hunter, who tried to stop him and turned into a Bnahabra, injecting him with a poison that, because they were in a desert climate, caused him to nearly die from a heat stroke. He still bears the mark of that very sting. On his arm and in his mind.
"Can we hold them?" He demands.
"They're the Avengers."
That answer was anything but consoling. Strucker then tells them to deploy a full-scale assault this time. Spare no expenses, was an understatement to his orders. He could not let everything they've accomplished go up in flames
"Then let's show them what we've accomplished." Dr. List, another HYDRA figurehead, suggests to him, gesturing to the pair in the corner, "Send out the twins, just to show them. It's what they signed up for."
Strucker looks at them. He's had already enough bad experiences with superpowers to resort to using them. "My men can hold them." He replies stonily as the windows light up with fire, and the energy shield takes a pounding from the outside. Yian Garuga, a wyvern known for its high brain capacity, is testing their energy shield for weaknesses.
As Iron Man circles the base, J.A.R.V.I.S. informs him of their little battle catching up to civilians. Strucker and had experimented and remorselessly killed the Europeans. He's not one to care whoever gets shot down.
"Send in the Iron Legion." Tony commands of his AI.
Said suits land in the middle of the greatest congregations, attempting to get the Sokovians out of the line of fire. Unfortunately, the fear and anger of the people root them to their place, and they instead respond by pelting the exoskeletons with the nearest things they can get their hands on. Children are held back by their parents, some sinking into their guardians' arms as the unforgiving roars of the Hulk echo from the mountains.
Their message was clear: We do not need help, much less the "assistance" you warmongers offer us!
Strucker was paraphrasing those thoughts in his own twisted way to his officers. "We will not yield! The Americans sent them-circus freaks-to test us. We will send them back in bags. "
He turns to face them "No surrender!"
"Hail HYDRA!" Was their strong reply.
He turns to Dr. List. "Iron Man willing to surrender?" The latter asks disbelievingly.
"We will delete everything." Strucker explains. "If we give the Avengers the weapons they may not look to find-"
"The twins" List notes, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"They are not yet ready to-"
List cuts him off yet again. "No no, I mean the twins." He looks to where the pair were, only to find the space empty.
Outside, Yian Garuga senses something emerge. Animals of all shapes and sizes can read the energy of all things, and the Bird Wyvern is able to sense a strange energy rolling off from one of the building's entrances. Unfamiliar to the nature of the power, the avian turns into a dragon with plating that is the color of rust, readying itself for an attack.
And several meters below from base, Hawkeye still in the process of taking down a turret, when a blur of white intercepts his arrow before it can pierce its mark. He takes aim again before an unseen knocks him down.
"You didn't see that coming?" A younger man with platinum blonde hair asks him cheekily before seemingly disappearing. To Hawkeye, it looked like he ran, but no one could achieve blinding speeds like that in a second.
It was a distraction. As Clint notches an arrow, an energy blast from the turret gun knocks him down. The mysterious man manages to trip up Captain America as well while Natasha rushes to her partner's aid.
"We've got ants in the field." Steve warns everyone, especially the Russian.
"Somebody deal with that bunker." She says while looking the archer over. Her prayers are answered by the Hulk, who simply brushes off gunfire and bowls into the structure.
"Thank you."
"Stark," Steve says as he continues to fight off more soldiers, "We're going to need to get inside."
"I'm closing in" Tony notifies as he blows away a couple more soldiers.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., am I…closing in?" The inventor asks of his intelligence system as he blows open a gate.
"Is there a power source for that shield?" He reiterates.
"There is a particle wave below the northern tower."
"Great! I wanna poke it with something." That something turns out to be a missile that releases another wave to cancel out the energy field.
"Drawbridge is down people." Tony announces, and in the forest, Thor and Steve deal with their share of troops.
"He enhanced?" the god asks of the soldier.
"Piece of work. Of all the players we've faced I've never seen this. In fact, still haven't"
Natasha voice goes on the comms. "Clint's hit pretty bad guys, we're gonna need evac."
"I can get Barton to the jet." Thor offers, seeing more soldiers appear from a hill. "Assuming things will go better." He adds. "You and Stark take care of the scepter."
"Copy that." In his short time in Midgard, Thor has learned of the humans' military jargon enough to understand Steve's code of affirmation, As the soldiers arrange themselves in a line, Thor and Steve, reminiscing of their less than friendly first meeting, use a combo tactic in which Thor brings down his hammer on the latter's shield. Vibranium gets its name because it absorbs vibrations, and the force of the hammer releases a powerful shockwave that can topple a tank.
Thor makes Steve promise to secure the scepter before flying to escort his injured teammate to the safety of the Quinjet. Tony then makes another crack about watching his language.
As this goes on, a certain rusted dragon is fighting a girl with auburn hair who seems to be releasing some mysterious form of scarlet energy in the form of concentrated blasts that manages to somehow penetrate the Kushala Daora's gusty barrier and strikes its plated scales with metallic clangs. Normally, the Elder Dragon takes on a much more polished appearance, but Hunter hasn't used the form recently, and so it hasn't had much of a chance to shed its skin.
Hunter has a legitimate reason for his underuse of it though. Elder Dragons are some of the more difficult dragons to control, and while the boy has taken special training to keep both his hands on the wheel, he is still somewhat a little uneasy about prolonged use of a DNA strand.
The dragon launches a concentrated blast of wind from its mouth. With the cold air around them, it becomes a blizzard, but the girl manages to sweep it away from her body while causing a watchtower to suddenly collapse onto the dragon. The animal could barely growl out what sounded like "Uh oh." before the minaret pins it.
At least that itchy feeling is gone. Buried under a greater discomfort.
The girl leaves without a word.
Her reason? Tony's managed to infiltrate the base's interior, incapacitating several soldiers and taking out Dr. List before he can tamper with the files. Stark puts the Mark XLIII on sentry mode before working on extracting HYDRA's juiciest documents.
He finds nothing on the scepter, List having erased everything on the weapon. "Hey J," Tony finally says, "Give me an IR scan of the room."
"The wall to your left. I'm reading steel reinforcement. And an air current."
Said room was pushed away to reveal, much to Tony's childlike delight, a secret door that led to a lower level.
In the outside world, backup arrives for the Avengers, Natasha oversees it before she accepts Steve's request to deal with Banner by "singing him a lullaby". A moment later, the super soldier runs into, as he puts it, HYDRA's number one thug.
But Natasha has a different plan though, as she approaches the green giant, she takes off her glove and reaches out to him.
Their matching gazes meet, and the Black Widow instinctively runs her fingers down the larger arms. It takes a while, but those precious seconds of skin contact are all that's needed to send the Hulk back to sleep, letting Bruce Banner take the wheel once again as he collapses while cradling the hand Natasha touch. In his transformation, he doesn't see the assassin hide a smile behind a curtain of fiery curls.
"Where's Loki's scepter?" Steve asks of Strucker.
"Don't worry, I know when I'm beat." But Strucker looks to a room shrouded in shadow. A perfect cover for one of the twins as she prepares to ambush Steve.
And she does, striking him in the face with a blast of red energy that sends him down the same flight of stairs Strucker used. Before Steve could retaliate, she leaves, backing into a door and locking it. Before Strucker could escape, Cap's shield does short work of him, leaving the HYDRA elite barely alive on the floor
Steve warns the other active members not to engage her. It's little too late for Daora though. Now that he's stuck in this form, Hunter now has to wait until the skin is ripe for shedding.
What a nightmare this mission has been.
But itchy, loose skin is only the start. As Steve notifies the team of Strucker's defeat Tony adds in his own big surprise. It's a chamber filled to the brim with Chitauri tech, complete with an entire Leviathan corpse hanging from the ceiling.
And that's not the only surprise. Tony looks to see the beginnings of a suit that looks eerily like his own, but the Chitauri scepter's glow draws him to it like a moth to a flame.
A bright light behind him causes him to see the Leviathan come to life, swimming in an air dark with conquest. Tony is met with a grisly sight as he sees his teammates down. The Hulk twitches in its feeble attempts to stay alive, Black Widow's open eyes are blank and glassy, Hawkeye kneels lifelessly while Thor's hammer lies dead as its wielder. The last of the Chitauri are fighting with what looks like ethereal versions of Hunter's monster forms before the eighteen creatures that fought with the Avengers three years suddenly disappear in puffs of smoke, gathering in a cloud above the corpse of a slain Alatreon.
Tony rushes over to Steve, inches away from his broken shield. As he checks for a pulse, a hand grabs his.
"You…could…have….saved…us."
The last thing Tony sees are the scores of Chitauri washing over the Earth through the portal Loki opened up.
It had been one of his worst nightmares. Far worse than when he fell through aforementioned portal and dreaded that he would never see Pepper again. It was this paranoia that had led Tony to construct the first Iron Legion and led him to put his loved ones through a far greater danger than the unknown reaches of space. Being an Avenger, as well as having a past stained with the blood of the innocent, Tony always dreaded that he would make a mistake that would cause Earth's destruction and the death of his friends.
Kushala, being an animal, can sense this fear, and starts to close its cyan eyes as its skin begins to fall around it like drapes. Inside, the steel shines like a newly forged blade, and Kushala Daora unleashes a cyclone that could be felt through the chamber before reverting back into a boy with a silver jacket edged with black and gray faded jeans. Hunter, unlike Hulk, is one with his monsters, and thus can remember that when Kushala tried to confront the girl, he had gotten a little too close and was in range of her attempt to manipulate his psyche. It was only Kushala Daora's horns that saved his mind from outside influence.
Meanwhile, as her brother returns, the girl motions for him to stay back and watch.
"You're just going to let them take it?" He asks as Tony's right gauntlet attaches itself into his arm. His sister smiles as he grabs the scepter and leaves with it. That action alone triggered a domino effect that nearly brought the inventor's idea of a worst case scenario into fruition.