A/N: I apologize for the long wait. I'm so, so sorry. I truly am.

Anyway, here's the fourth chapter. Thank you for sticking with me! :D


The experiment starts today.

I step into the lab room, the Sokovian winter air creeping into my skin. Normally, a lab gown isn't a good choice for such weather that seeps through the ground, but HYDRA lab gowns are different—they're made of thick, off white cloth and reach just above my knees. The long sleeves are a big help, too. Even then, I enjoyed the cold and survived winters with fashionable coats, cardigans and sweaters.

It astounds me that the lab is still the same after all these years—the overhead lights, pristine white color scheme, cold atmosphere, superior lab equipment and row of lab tables were still there, reminding me of my childhood. Being the only child of highly-respected scientists gave me the perk of exploring the entire compound without restriction, save for the...intense lab rooms located deeper into the base which I avoided without question. Mom used to praise me for my obedience, taking me out for some coffee and bread...

I shake my head and blink away the tears. There is no time for mourning. After this experiment, I'll be able to avenge my parents and continue their legacy as one of HYDRA's most valuable employees.

I'm coming for you, S.H.I.E.L.D.

My thoughts got interrupted when Dr. Schneider walks into the room, wearing his usual lab uniform. He is accompanied by a female doctor—Lucilla Kennington, specifically. Her blonde hair is tied into a low ponytail and a pink pair of eyeglasses rests on the bridge of her nose in place of a purple one.

"Good morning, Amelia." They greet.

"Good morning, doctors." I return, giving each of them a nod. I smile at Dr. Kennington. "You got new glasses."

She giggles, her hand flying to her face. "Yeah, I did. Thanks for noticing."

Dr. Kennington is one of my "aunts" in HYDRA—whenever my parents had a shift and she didn't, we would play brain games or hack into HYDRA's system with the IT department's permission. Good times, good times...

I shake off the warm feeling and follow them to the very end of the row, where a few syringes with needles sit on the edge. I perch on the table, trying my best to avoid swinging my legs back and forth like a child.

Dr. Kennington grabs a cotton ball squirted with alcohol and rubs it on my arm, and I immediately know what's going to happen.

"All right, we'll start off the experiment with an injection," Dr. Schneider says, holding up one of the syringes and confirming my theory. He pops off the cover and pushes the plunger slightly to test the needle. A drop of light blue liquid escapes, and he proceeds to inject the fluid on my bloodstream through my arm. Pain spreads throughout my body at a snail's pace, and I fight to keep a straight face.

"What's that for?" I ask.

"It's for stabilizing your system. Without it, the desired effects will be much harder to achieve," Dr. Kennington explains. "Now, just hold still for two more minutes."

Dr. Schneider removes the syringe and puts the cap back on before throwing it in a nearby trash can. He looks at me and says, "Now, Amelia, I'm just going to call another doctor. I'll be back."

I nod, and he strolls out of the room.

Dr. Kennington looks at me with a sad expression and I prepare myself for her message of sympathy. I've been getting a lot of those from various HYDRA employees, mostly from my parents' coworkers. Whenever someone expresses their sympathy, I try my best to act gracious about it—I may not need their well-wishes but I do appreciate their efforts.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she speaks.

I hesitate. "Thank you."

"They...they were...really intelligent. Kind, too. Always looking out for everyone."

I swallow a lump in my throat.

The conversation is cut short when Dr. Schneider enters the room with another woman at his side. I've never seen this person before—her brown hair is styled in a bob that frames her face perfectly and her blue eyes are in the lightest shade possible. Her stance radiates a sort of confidence that would make a normal person intimidated, but I know better—it's at the fine line between arrogance and confidence.

Dr. Schneider speaks up. "Amelia, meet Dr. Marisse Lawson. Dr. Lawson, this is Amelia Parkington. She is the daughter of doctors Viktoriya and Alistair Parkington."

My parents. It's been so long since I last heard their names. So long that it feels like light years since I last said "I love you". So long that the memory of their death replays in my mind in place of a supposedly happy one, and fear takes over my body.

I nearly gasp at the sudden remembrance, and tears prick my eyes. I blink them away, careful not to show any hint of weakness to this woman. I sense that she's the teasing type, but even though I've had enough of that shit from Dr. Schwann that it almost served as practice, I am not in the mood to deal with that kind of bullshittery.

Dr. Schneider introduces me to her and I give her a nod, signifying my acknowledgement of her existence.
Like I suspected, she presses me on information that I seriously doubt are needed for the experiment.

"I understand you speak five languages?" she asks.

"Yes."

"Care to elaborate?"

"My mother knew Russian and English, while my father knew French and English. I had a friend who spoke German in middle school and I had to take Latin in high school."

"Interesting."

She remains silent for a few moments, and then scoffs. "The experiment?"

"R-right, of course," Dr. Schneider stutters slightly. He pours some water into a glass and hands it to me.

I raise an eyebrow.

"To help you calm down," he explains.

I raise another eyebrow but hold my tongue, opting to drink the water instead. Frankly, I think it's Dr. Schneider who needs the water more than I do.

I finish drinking the water and hand the cup back to him, which he takes gingerly. The more this man functions around Dr. Lawson, the more I doubt it's him. He could literally be an amateur impersonator of the doctor and I wouldn't be surprised.

Dr. Kennington helps me get off the table and we walk down a series of hallways heading deeper into the base. As we walk further, I realize that we are headed to the forbidden experiment rooms—the very ones that were banned to me when I was a child. A distinct chill runs through my body. What awaits behind those thick doors?


We take a sharp turn to the right, just past the experiment rooms. I act unfazed, determined to remain stoic. For once in my life, I'm not sure where I'm headed and though I know these people, I don't like it one bit.

We creep further, down to a flight of stairs and to an ancient-looking room filled with weapons, giant computer monitors and other defenses. Never have I ever gone to this room before.

Dr. Schneider prompts us to stop in front of a wall, sparking my curiosity. Dr. Kennington pushes a particular spot, causing a small section of the wall to sink backwards and to the right.

We file in to the semi-lit room, a blue glow illuminating a few feet of the tables of weapons and a large stature behind it. As my eyes adjust to the darkness, I realize that it's the Tesseract in Loki's scepter that's glowing. Shit is about to go down.

Dr. Lawson is quick to grab the scepter, brandishing the weapon like it were hers. As the lights dim, she announces with a nearly imperceptible sinister look on her face, "Ladies and gentleman, the experiment starts now."


The experiment takes a month, most of which is a blur that consists of the three doctors rushing from table to table, injecting fluid after fluid into my system and transferring into different lab rooms performing procedures too complicated to remember. As I stabilize, the first thing I see is the Tesseract glowing from above.

"Aagh," I mutter.

The Tesseract is lifted away from my face, and I blink in a poor attempt to erase the blotches of black in my vision. I sit up from a hospital bed, only I'm in the dark room.

Dr. Schneider approaches me, his movements careful. "How are you feeling?"

"I have a small headache, but other than that, I'm fine." I tell him. "And...there's this feeling of some kind of power surging through my veins."

"I see."

He helps me get off the bed, and I struggle to keep my balance. It takes me a few seconds to realize that I am floating mid-air—I have the power of flight without even asking for it.

How. Cool. Is that.

I float forward, careful not to push myself too hard so early after the experiment. My right hand subconsciously reaches forward, and a blue light sparks, making my eyes widen in surprise.

My powers...they're...they're here...

I stop in my tracks, the thrill in my veins starting to make sense. The experiment was successful. I am now enhanced.

I narrow my eyes in focus, keeping my right hand in the air. A small, swirling ice sculpture comes out, not a trace of pain coming out in the process. A grin creeps up to my face, and I raise my left hand, willing for a flame to appear. It follows, the fire crackling in the air.

Looking up, I stare straight ahead, my grin turning to a smirk. Revenge plots rush through my head, all with my newfound powers in use. The sense of power is overwhelming—and to have them at the tip of your fingers at your disposal makes it even more exhilarating. A giggle escapes my lips, turning into a laugh, then finally a cackle that echoes through the dark room.

I'm coming for you, S.H.I.E.L.D. Watch your bases.