She felt cold and thirsty. But more than that, she felt fear. The darkness of the room she found herself in was almost total and what she could make out in the gloom provided little comfort. Sharp edges and the sheen of metal in front of her. A table? A tap dripped rhythmically, a sound that drilled into what remained of her resolve. She strained against the restraints that bound her to the hard chair she was encased in. "Hello?!" she called. She waited, hearing only her own ragged breath as it condensed in front of her face. "Hello?!" she tried again.

With a pneumatic hiss, cold light spilled into the room. She winced against the sudden brightness. A tall, balding man carrying a clipboard and sporting a labcoat entered the room, muttering into a recorder in his hand "Subject 5 is awake and appears fully coherent. Initial interview about to commence. Date 27th March 2016." The man flicked a switch in the corner of the room and a bulb flickered into life overhead. Turning to her he smiled "let there be light.". He set his recorder and clipboard down, then pulled a second chair over and sat opposite her, his face a mild mask. "Hello, Miss Netherwood. Do you know where you are?"

She shook her head, unable to respond, the dryness in her mouth and apprehension in her mind striking her dumb.

"Oh, where are my manners? Water?" She nodded. He crossed the room. The dripping noise turned into a gush. He returned and set the cup down on the table before remembering she was unable to lift it. He held the water to her lips and she drank greedily. It tasted metallic.

"Now what is the last thing you remember?"

"I-I was on my way to school. I had a test. Someone asked me for directions and-" her memory coalesced "It was you! Who are you? Why did you bring me here? Where am I?"

He held up a hand "please, one at a time. My name is not important, Miss Netherwood. We are currently two stories below ground outside a European town I still cannot pronounce. As to why you are here, that may take a little longer to explain. You are aware, I take it, of the value of your…abilities..."

"What do you mean?" she felt the tightness in her throat return.

"You are what the public has come to refer to as a mutant."

"No-one's supposed to know about that!"

"There is much we know" he looked through a sheaf of papers and recited "Miss Brianna Verity Netherwood. Born 1st May 2001 to Thomas and Jane. Younger twin brothers Jake and Harry, currently 10 years old. Attends Columbus high school in New York State. Bright student. You manifested your powers at 11 years old when Harry fell off his bike. You only had to touch him and a wound that would have needed several stiches healed immediately. You lifted the bike off of him without touching it. Exo-healing and telekinesis. Impressive. And certainly valuable for our program."

The girl called Brianna frowned "What programme? Is this to do with my new school?"

"Oh, yes the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters" the man grinned contemptuously "no. We have considerably more lofty ambitions for you."

"I want to go home" Brianna said tightly, tears prickling at the edge of her vision.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible."

"What do you… you can't keep me here! My parents will look for me!"

"I doubt that. We made reports of your death very convincing, child."

Brianna felt sure she was in a nightmare "they think I'm dead?" her head felt like it was shrinking.

"You would be surprised how easy it is to manipulate the news. Especially when you are as...practiced at it as we are. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a report to attend to. I will be back to collect you for processing soon." At this, he stood and crossed to the light switch, plunging the room back into darkness. He murmured a few words into his recorder and made to leave "You are going to be very useful to us. This programme might not be a complete waste after all."

"Who are you people?" she desperately tried to get him to keep talking. She didn't want to return to the dark.

"Well as you're stuck here, you might as well know. We are HYDRA"

"But HYDRA's gone! We saw it on the news. The Avengers said-"

"I told you, my dear, the news can be altered. And we have been doing it for such a very long time now." He left the room with a smile. Brianna's head fell on her chest as it shook with sobs.