Decryption Code Accepted...
Access Granted...
Welcome Baron Strucker...
Accessing files...
Project Codename: Winter Soldier
Objective: Eliminate designated targets...
...
Avengers converging on location. Unable to continue experimentation. Data corruption imminent.
Activate Blizzard Protocol; Code Name: Icefall...
Objective: Eliminate Captain America and the Avengers at all costs...
Hail Hydra...
Pressure valves hissing, gears whirring, a cold, dark room filled with fog. A lone containment pod stood in the center, its door open, various lights flashing as the figure inside slowly stirred.
The frozen mist crept from the cryogenic chamber, curling away as the figure, a young woman, stepped out. Her foot slid along the cold cement floor, her hands gripping the edge of the pod for balance. Her green eyes strained to focus, dozens of flashing screens surrounding the small room.
"What is… Where am I?" she panted, her gaze focusing on the symbol emblazoned on several of the monitors; a skull with tentacles curled beneath it.
A shudder rippled through her body, her arms curled around her bare chest. Deep brown locks fell over her shoulder as she steadied herself at one of the computer stations. Her lips trembled as her shallow breaths formed small clouds in the air.
"What is this place?" she whispered, her finger delicately pressing the space bar on the keyboard.
A startled gasp escaped as the screen came to life, sequences of numbers and letters flying across it. She struggled to make out something, anything, as the symbols flew up the screen.
Winter Soldier Program...
Subject yielded unexpected results...
Results highly favorable...
Request removal to further study ability enhancem-
"No!" she gripped the edge of the stand, the screen shutting down as the room trembled. Distant explosions rattled the walls, gunfire echoing behind. A loud whirr startled her to attention, the lights shutting off leaving her in complete darkness.
She gasped, falling to the ground as the room quaked, a monstrous roar, coming from right outside. Her head spinning, she looked to a metal door at the top of a small set of stairs illuminated by a red flashing light above the square window in the center. The glass was covered with ice, but the handle jiggled open with ease. The bright light blinded her for a moment, her hand raising to shade her vision. Snow-covered trees and rocks blurred into view, the sound of combat much louder than a few moments ago. Her steps forward were cautious, her eyes searching desperately for anything to tell her where she was.
The ice crunched beneath her bare feet, but she paid it no heed. The air shook with another beast-like roar, more explosions sounding in every direction. Her head throbbed, her mind racing as she braced herself against a tree, movement ahead catching her gaze.
"Help," she whispered, stumbling toward the figure in black. "Help me, please."
A scream of pain ripped from her throat, her shoulder on fire. Her hand flew to the source, her fingers touching something warm, wet. The world spiraled as she collapsed, the snow around her turning bright red. Muffled voices rang in her ears, strong hands gripping her.
"Hey, are you all right? Where the hell did you come from?" a woman's voice echoed, the figure in black now hovering over her. "I need help over here!"
Consciousness slipping away, she opened her mouth, but nothing came out. The world around closed in, everything fading black as she tried to focus on the face framed in red hair.
"We're going to get you some help, just hold on," her voice grew more distant with every word.
"Cap, I got a woman over here. She's been shot and she's losing a lot of blood."
She tried to raise her hand, but her arm felt heavier than stone. Aleah...my name…is...Aleah.
"Do we know who she is, or why she was out there?" asked a tall man dressed in a blue suit, a white star in the center of his chest. "Did she say anything before she passed out?"
"Actually, a better question," another man, slightly older than the others, dark facial hair framing his jaw, spoke up as his chair in the cockpit of the small jet spun to face them. "why was she out there, in the snow and ice, with absolutely no clothes on? Anyone else wonder why she was naked? That raise any alarm bells for anyone, or is it just me?"
"Is she enhanced, like the other two we encountered?" the red-haired woman joined the conversation, peering over the first man's shoulder.
The man in blue shook his head, his eyes remaining on the digital medical chart in his hands. "I can't tell from this. Hopefully Dr. Cho will be able to tell us more," his attention turned to the man in the cockpit. "Tony, how long until we land?"
Clapping his hands together, Tony faced the front of the jet, "Right, changing the subject because clearly this can't be a trap, beautiful, naked girls are never a dangerous trap," he muttered, "We aren't too far out now, about ten more minutes."
"Steve, I agree with Tony that we need to be cautious here," the red-haired woman leaned in, her voice lowered as she spoke to the first man. "We don't know anything about her and I don't like that."
"Nat, you're overthinking this. Besides, you're the one who rescued her," he raised an eyebrow at her, his blue eyes glancing to the back of the plane, "before we make any kind of judgement, we need to find out who she is and why Hydra wanted her, and we can't can't find that out until she wakes up."
Focusing her gaze on the blinking monitors beside the unconscious Aleah, Nat sighed, "Well I couldn't leave a bleeding woman in the cold to die. I didn't exactly have a chance to interrogate and access the situation," she sighed, "Either way, we took something Hydra didn't want us to have, or we took their bait, and the prospect of the latter makes me uncomfortable."
Steve smiled as he walked to the back of the jet, "Whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it."
Aleah's body lay perfectly still on the bed attached to a the wall, a thick blanket covering her body. Her shoulder had been bandaged with a field dressing, but she remained unconscious. Steve studied her soft features, the oxygen mask over her nose and mouth clouding with her steady breathing. She appeared to be young, mid to late twenties if he had to guess, but she had the build of a fighter. Her muscles curved with a certain definition, her skin marred with various scars. Her dark brown hair framed her face, falling down to her steadily rising chest.
"All right boys and girls, buckle up! We're coming in for a landing!" Tony's voice came from the front, Nat and the others sitting in seats lining the interior of the jet.
Reaching behind him, Steve latched the seatbelt, glancing at the unconscious woman beside him. He understood why Tony would be cautious, and Nat didn't trust anyone at first, but when they made the choice to bring her back, they committed to keeping her safe...at least, he did.
With the clicking of the latch, Aleah's eyes snapped open, her hand springing from her side, wrapping around his wrist. Her blue eyes met Steve's, but they were empty, as though she looked right through him.
"Pomogi mne," she whispered, before her eyes closed, her head dropping back to the pillow. Her hand squeezed tightly before going limp as she slipped away once more.
Wide-eyed, Steve stared at the young woman, his heart racing as he pulled his wrist away. His brow furrowed, his eyes drifting down to the coat of frost outlining where her hand gripped his brown leather glove. Tiny icicles had formed where her fingertips touched him "Another enhanced?" he whispered, rubbing his wrist, breaking the ice. "Were you trying to escape?"
"Everything okay, Cap?" Nat called, her steely gaze silently confirming she saw what happened.
The question snapped Steve from his thoughts, his gaze glancing beside him before nodding, "Yeah! All good, I uh-" he chuckled, "It looked like she was waking up, that's all."
Nat stared for a moment longer, her expression unconvinced. Pursing her lips, she nodded toward him, "Maybe we should restrain her, just in case."
"Oh hey, there's an idea!" Tony chimed in, his eyes remaining forward, "restrain the strange woman found wandering the woods outside a Hydra base that was loaded with advanced tech. Why didn't I think of that?" he threw his hands up, sarcastically reinforcing his statement. With a wave, Tony pulled a control panel up. Punching a few buttons before waving the image away, Tony sighed, "That should do the trick for now, but if she busts out of those I'm popping the hatch!"
Steve shook his head as metal restraints slid over her chest, torso and legs. Tony was always so quick to use his tech. Steve watched her body go rigid as the locks clicked, her hands balling into fists. He tilted his head as a thin cloud of fog crawl across the edge of the bed, flecks of ice developing along the edge of the metal restraints. Steve's gaze intensified as he held his hand over her chest, the frigid air drifting from her body felt through his glove. "What are you?"
Monotonous beeps filled the silence, a dimly lit room blurring into view. Digital displays floated in the air, various charts and monitors tracking vital signs. Aleah blinked rapidly, her vision trying to focus on her new and unfamiliar surroundings.
"Sir? She seems to be waking up," a voice sounded from outside the room, but it was different, synthetic.
"Cap? You want to do introductions or-?"
"I'll talk to her, Tony," a tall man, muscular with sandy brown hair held up his hand as he entered the room.
"Who are you?" Aleah spoke softly, trying to push herself into a seated position. She frowned when she felt the tug of a metal cuff against her wrist, her green eyes glancing at her restraints. "Where am I? Are you holding me prisoner?"
"The restraints were for your protection and ours, but you're not being held prisoner," he flashed a smile as he sat beside her. "Considering where and how we found you, some of the team felt it was safer for everyone until we learned more about you."
"The team?"
"The Avengers," he glanced toward the open door, a group of people gathered around a small table outside the glass paneled walls laughing together. "My name is Steve, by the way. You don't have to be afraid of me."
Confusion rested on her weary features, her hand twisting as she gently pulled against the restraint. "My name-" she met his sapphire eyes, "my name is Aleah, but I usually go by Leah."
Steve's smile faded, his brow wrinkling as he clocked his head, "Your eyes, they're green."
"And yours are blue," she smirked awkwardly.
"No I thought- I'm sorry, you woke up on the plane and you said something to me, and your eyes were blue," he shook his head, absentmindedly rubbing his wrist, "or I thought they were. Sorry, it's not a big deal. How are you feeling?"
"I would be feeling better if I could move my hand," she looked at him from beneath her brown hair.
"Oh she's awake," a red-haired woman in a loose black t-shirt and blue-jeans entered the room, her heels clicking against the tile as she approached the bed. "My znayem, kto vy."
"I'm sorry?" Leah frowned in confusion.
Gesturing between the women, Steve nodded, "Nat, this is Leah. Leah, uh, this is Natasha. She's the one-"
"You saved me," Leah held Nat's wary stare. "I remember seeing you…"
Flashes played in Aleah's mind, two bleary figures standing before her. It felt as if she were watching while underwater, their voices stifled making it hard to understand them. An argument? Whoever they were, they were angry. She tried to focus, but the vision disappeared, replaced by a massive green creature flying through the air, Nat in a black jumpsuit fighting off armored soldiers. The ground trembled, the air shook with gunfire...searing pain in her shoulder.
Leah's free hand flew to her left shoulder, her fingers picking at the fresh bandage. "Thank you."
"Leah, can you tell us what you were doing out there?" Steve leaned back in his chair.
She searched his eyes, her mind trying to remember. Did it have something to do with those two men? She recalled Nat, the dark room she woke in, but how did she get there? "No, I can't."
Nat shifted her weight, an irritated sigh pushing through her nostrils.
"I-I want to," Leah glanced between them, "I don't know. I don't remember, I don't remember anything," her breathing grew shallow and rapid, panic settling in her chest as she realized the words she spoke, "I-I can't remember anything, I don't know where I came from o-or who I am-"
"Hey," Steve reached out, his hand resting on her arm as his soft gaze settled her frantic mind, "one thing at a time. You know your name, that's a good start."
"Does the phrase 'pomogi mne' mean anything to you?" Nat crossed her arms, her hardened eyes remaining on Aleah.
"No, I don't even know what it means. Should I?"
"When you woke up on the jet, you grabbed my wrist and said it to me before you passed out again."
"It's Russian for 'help me'," tossing her hair from her face, Nat's suspicion was evident. "You don't speak Russian?"
Aleah shook her head slowly, "No, I'm sorry, I don't. I'm not sure what you want me to tell you, I wish I could help."
"Steve?" turning toward the door, Nat motioned for him to follow.
Flashing a reassuring smile, Steve stood and followed her out of the room. "What do you think?"
Nat paused, her tongue pressing against her cheek as she watched Aleah look around the room. "Her heart rate stayed steady the whole time and her confusion seemed genuine. I'm not sure that I believe she doesn't know anything, but I think she believes she doesn't know anything."
"Which means?"
"I think her amnesia is real. She didn't seem fazed when I spoke Russian to her either. I told her 'we knew who she was' and she didn't react. If she is faking, she is doing a damn good job."
Rubbing the back of his neck, Steve chuckled, "What are you suggesting?"
"We let her go, but keep a close eye on her. She doesn't leave the tower. She was in a Hydra base, kept under lock and key like Loki's scepter for a reason and sooner or later we'll find out why."