AsorenRM: Very south, and it doesn't exactly get better! ;)

Annabear, Guests, Gilyflower, Kairi Nara: Thank you!

Harmony: I hope it lives up to that promise! I'll be updating much quicker now.

ks90: I love them too, they're my fave AU! I'll update faster. I really hope you continue to like it!

Katlolhogg: Typing up the next chapter later today!


Sonoran Desert, Arizona – 2010

Katherine's research facility turned out to be a small, discreet building out in the desert. It was almost hidden completely from sight, tucked down between several large rock formations. Walking in the door, she and her guide were greeted by nothing but tall dirty walls and an ominous elevator, doors already open for them. The building had appeared to be maybe two floors high but the elevator listed nearly twenty levels. When they reached the sixteenth floor, the doors slid open noisily to reveal her mother and a few armed guards.

"It's just a precaution, dear." She tittered, pulling Alice's attention away from them before dismissing them. The one closest to her, a dark-haired man with a goatee, made a point of looking her up and down and leering aggressively before stepping into the elevator with his friends.

Al glared back, refusing to look away from him until the doors closed. He winked mockingly back at her.

"So," She managed through gritted teeth. "Is 'asshole' a qualification for that position, by any chance?"

"Manners, Alice. Now come along." Katherine gave her a tiny smile before adding, "I'm so happy you're doing this."

She followed the older woman down the hall and couldn't help the rush of apprehension crashing down on her. There were no windows on any of the doors, which were made of some sort of thick, formidable looking metal. Instead of name plates or anything personal, each door had a number etched neatly into the wall next to it.

Her mom stopped at 1612 and opened it by scanning her badge under the knob, revealing a plain and almost empty office. She gestured toward an empty chair while she moved to the coffee pot to pour them each a cup.

"Sugar or cream?"

"No, black is fine." Alice fidgeted in her chair, freezing in place when her mother sat across the desk from her and handed her a mug. She made sure to sip daintily with her mother's gaze on her.

"So, you've read the files then?" Reaching into a drawer, she pulled out a stack of manila envelopes with serial numbers that Al easily recognized.

"Yes! They were actually very interesting! Genetic mutation, 'the next stage of evolution', as you said." Taking another large gulp of the sweet drink, she continued. "The only thing I'm a little confused about is what exactly that entails. There weren't many details in the reports."

"Well that all depends on the test subject." She flipped open the top file, running a fingernail across a few graphs. "Subject 1, for example, experienced a sudden spike in intelligence- an IQ double that of the starting point. Subject 4 developed enhanced senses, one of which was comparable to sonar."

"That's amazing! What species are you using? I didn't realize you guys were already on animal testing." The coffee was still terribly hot, but she finished off the cup before setting it to the side and pulling the papers closer.

"Mammals, actually." Katherine's grin was so large that all her teeth were showing. "We look for a particular pre-existing genome. It's passed down through the mother, so it's easy for us to track once we have sight of it."

Alice rubbed her temples as the familiar throbbing of an oncoming headache washed through her head. "And… And you've developed some sort of serum that… What, speeds up whatever the existing genome is capable of?"

"Exactly. The potential is already there, we just fast forward a few lifetimes."

"So how does the serum work? The files didn't really-" Al was cut off by her own gasp when a sharp pain snapped through her skull. The floor spun in dizzy circles as her vision blurred. She curled in on herself, cradling her head and squeezing her eyes shut.

"I don't.. I'm not feeling so goooooo…" Her voice trailed off as her fingers began to spasm, the muscles of her arms and legs clenching and unclenching painfully. She could hear Katherine push her chair back, but when she looked up all she could see was a red and white blur stepping towards her.

"Shh, it's okay. To answer your question, the abilities are released by extreme bursts of endorphins after injection with the serum. We run a strict regime of exercise and stressful situations. Humanely as possible, of course, as you'll soon see."

Alice's hearing went unaffected as her vision continued to grow even cloudier. Her muscles finally just gave out and she found herself sliding to the floor, her mother's hand guiding her and making sure she didn't hit her head on the way down. Fear overrode her humiliation when her bladder released unintentionally. She tried to cry out, but all that came out was a string of slurred syllables.

Katherine bent down gracefully so she could tilt her daughter's face to the side, perfect timing as Alice began to vomit violently. It tasted of coffee and bile and regret. She couldn't stop the whisper of a whimper that escaped her.

"Shh little dove. Let go. You start doing your part first thing in the morning." She could do nothing more than gape at her, vision finally going completely dark and her voice fading away.

"You should feel special- the genome is nearly one in ten thousand cases…"

The world crashed down on her mercilessly and left her alone in the dark.


2013 – New York

Even in her pencil skirt, Maria Hill was absolutely determined to keep up with Steve's long strides as he made his way to the quinjet.

"Now we're not sure exactly how long the facility has been up and running, but we do know that they've had ample time to rack up quite the body count."

She passed him a few photographs, which had him grimacing at the graphic matter. He shoved them back at her almost immediately and rolled his shoulders back to try and erase what he had just seen.

"Human experimentation? What for? And why be so careless? You'd think they'd want to keep as many alive as possible."

"Desperation, maybe." Natasha appeared from seemingly out of nowhere, falling perfectly in step with her fellow Avenger. "Maybe they're trying to meet some sort of deadline."

"Maybe… It's our job to figure out why and how they're doing this, and who they're doing it for." Furrowing his brow, he adjusted his shield on his arm and pulled his mask down over his face. Without it, he sometimes still felt like just a scrawny kid.

"Toxicology still hasn't come back, so here's hoping that fills in some of the blanks. Good luck you two!" With that Maria gave them both a formal nod and turned down a side hall.

"Did you see the pictures?" Steve asked his partner quietly. She glanced at him knowingly.

"Yes, unfortunately. What was done to them was… Unnecessary."

"Have you seen anything like it before?"

"No, not for a long time." There was a beat of silence before Nat turned to face him with a small smirk.

"On a lighter note, have you tried talking to Lena in marketing yet?"

Steve cleared his throat, pointedly looking away. "Where is the lab, again?"

"We're coming back to that, Cap. But first we're going to Arizona. You'll love it."