I will do my very best to stick close to how I believe the Marvel characters would behave.

Disclaimer: I own none of the Marvel characters except my own OCs.

Chapter 1- Hail Hydra

Mal sighted down her rifle, aiming at the target below.

Her target in question was chasing a butterfly, unsupervised and oblivious to the danger he was in. It was unusual; Hydra didn't often send Mal on assassination missions. She was trained in cold-blooded killing, of course, but Hydra preferred her to handle intel retrieval and other more delicate matters. Then again, things had changed since the Project Insight failure. Money was scarce, new recruits were nonexistent, and members and supplies were mysteriously disappearing all over the globe.

And now Mal was decimated to assassinating toddlers.

The target cried out, drawing her attention. He'd fallen over in the grass, his honey-blonde hair now matted with dirt and dead leaves. Soon his mother—a high level Shield officer tasked with rooting out undercover Hydra agents—would be home. Home to hug and kiss her child, not thinking of the repercussions her actions would bring on those she loved.

The boy begun to wail in earnest as he struggled to stand. He couldn't have been older than five.

But that didn't matter. He was a target, a mission to complete.

Mal pulled the trigger.

Hail Hydra

One of the most valuable lessons Mal ever learned was the importance of underestimation. It was a lesson she used regularly, convincing targets of her innocence with her unassuming face and fragile frame.

Radigast took underestimation to a whole new level.

His office was stuffy and windowless, with a lit fireplace on the far wall. Multicolored lights hung from the ceiling, bathing everything in a spectrum of colors. Chandeliers, decorative lamps, and other antique knick-knacks were strewn haphazardly across the room. The man himself paced behind an ancient desk, speaking into a land-line phone, looking like nothing more than a concerned grandfather. If only a few words were used to describe Radigast at first sight, they would include "elderly", "old-fashioned", and "harmless". No one would guess he was a ruthless Hydra leader. That was the whole point of his charade.

"I'll fax you the data. Keep it off book. No, thank you." Radigast set the phone in its cradle and sat behind his desk. He gestured for Mal to sit opposite him. She did.

"Agent, agent, agent. What are we going to do with you?"

Mal's stomach did an involuntary flip. Radigast sounded amused, which was never a good thing. The last time she'd seen him amused was when he'd taken the liberty to personally extract intel from a Hydra traitor. It had been the one time Mal saw him laugh—laughing as he carved the traitor into tiny bits and ordered the bloody mess sent to the man's wife.

Yeah, Radigast was a vicious bastard.

Mal struggled to keep her voice even and face blank. "Sir?"

Radigast leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on the desk. "You've been recommended for Project Phoenix."

He studied Mal closely, waiting for a reaction. When he didn't get anything other than a blank stare, he huffed and put his feet down. "Are you aware of Doctor Strucker's work for Hydra?"

Mal's fingernails bit into her palms. She'd heard of Strucker, all right. He was a Soviet scientist turned Hydra, dedicated to continuing Aram Zola's experiments in the field of genetic modification. Over half of Hydra's dwindling resources went to his lab, mostly for instruments that no human being could survive. He drank the blood of his victims in coffee too, if the rumors were to be believed.

Radigast steepled his fingers in front of him, taking the tone of a professor lecturing a student. "Doctor Baron Strucker is the head of Hydra's human enhancement division. He has made astounding progress in advancing humans to a superior form. However, with the Avengers converging on Hydra from all angles, his good work is endangered. Project Phoenix is an idea of his that will soon be put into practice to save all of Hydra and the world."

Translation: Project Phoenix was a wild last ditch effort to salvage what little Hydra there was left. And it somehow involved her, probably to be used as a lab rat for Strucker's 'good work'. Mal briefly considered fleeing, but the notion seemed as ridiculous as Project Talon. It wasn't as if she had anywhere to go. Besides, they'd find her. She'd seen firsthand what happened to deserters and traitors. Mal had no desire to be cut apart or flayed alive. But she also had no desire to be inhumanely experimented on.

Radigast continued on, oblivious to Mal's internal dilemma. "There are a few arrangements that need to be made, of course. Your transfer to Sokovia won't go into effect until next week, leaving you ample time to complete your final mission."

Avengers. Sokovia. Strucker. Final. The words buzzed through Mal's head. This couldn't be happening. She was an efficient and loyal Hydra agent. She had a long life ahead of her, full of friends and opportunities and now-

Now she was going to die.

Mal wasn't a fool. The chances of her surviving one of Strucker's experiments were slim. Nobody came out of his lab alive, or at least alive and sane. This was her end.

Her end, on the chance it could save Hydra and the world.

There were worse ways to die.

Radigast was silent, waiting for her to speak. "Why—" Mal started, but her voice was low and shaky. She cleared her throat. "Why me?"

Radigast shrugged, a motion strange from someone his age. "Strucker needed a subject; I gave him a list. He picked you."

It was an honor, to die for Hydra, to die to save the world. Yet all Mal could feel was the pounding in her head, the ice in her veins, the dread in her heart. She barely resisted jumping when Radigast tossed a file in front of her.

"Your mission. You have 48 hours to apprehend him. He's part of Project Phoenix as well, so minimum damage is appreciated."

Mal glanced at the file.

The Asset. James Buchanan Barnes. Born 1917. Vibraniam arm, trained in extensive field combat. Experienced sniper. Multiple memory erases and cryogenic habilitation. Recommended for Project Phoneix.

Her mission. Her last mission. Mal closed her eyes and breathed in deep. She took all her emotions—fear, anger, anxiety—and shoved them down. She had a mission. A purpose that she would fulfill. Nothing could stop her.

Mal opened her eyes.

"When do I start?"

Thanks so much for reading! This is my first fanfic, so reviews/constructive criticism are hugely appreciated. I have an idea for the next chapter, but the I'm not sure if it should feature Bucky or a few of the Avengers. Please shoot me a review on who you want in the story next!