Chapter 10

Naturally, as soon as HYDRA had left, the Avengers were up, desperately trying to search for the stolen S.H.I.E.L.D jet and frantically trying to decipher what their plan was…but it was all in vain. They had no leads, no agents and no Sophie. "Where's Fury in all this, exactly?" Banner remarked, tending to a shot wound on Thor's shoulder. "This is hardly an incident he would just lie down and accept, is it?" Stark was with Loki on the other side of the control room, focusing on various computer screens trying to find some sort of lead or link. "Well, I don't know! I'm not his personal manager!" He fumed, tearing his gaze away from the monitors. "Where are Romanoff and Barton? Where's Maria Hill? Where's everyone?! I. Don't. Know!"

"Tony! Calm down! I know this situation is stressful for you, but just be patient. Something will arise eventually." Thor tried to reassure him, wincing through the pain of his shoulder. Talk of the devil, Fury hobbled through the door. They could tell he was in agony, and snapped up as soon as he walked in. Stark was first to react, naturally, butting in front of everyone else. "WHERE HAVE YOU-"

"Romanoff and Barton woke up. They know everything. Where they've gone, what they'll do to Sophie, the 'big' plan. Sorry I'm late people, I got a bit…caught up." That shut everyone up, even Tony. "Where are they?" Loki demanded. He'd perked up at the mention of the two agents knowing what's going to happen to Sophie. "Down in the cargo hold on one of the jets. We gotta move quickly, they're not in very good shape." That was all the encouragement the little group needed. In an instant they were out the door, chasing the promise of any sort of information.

Loki

I was first out of the door when the man with the eye patch announced those 'agents' knowing something about where Sophie could be headed. I still hadn't managed to work out that feeling of betrayal as we moved out. You would think I would be used to it by now, but it appeared that it seemed to just hurt more each time it happens. I was forced to wait for the others as it dawned on me I didn't actually know where I was going, but we moved on swiftly enough.

It wasn't long before we arrived at the 'cargo bay' to find the two agents bent over chairs in the corner of the room. I hadn't seen them since the dance, and they really didn't look to be in good shape. I was hesitant to approach at first, not wanting to seem too…caring, because caring was certainly not in my nature. Well, I thought to myself, not caring towards most people. The doctor was first over to them, checking them over for wounds, to which he could only find a few cuts. "What do you know?" I asked after a while, getting straight to the point. They exchanged nervous glances before turning back to answer. "Are you sure you really want to know? It's not pleasant." I hesitated…then nodded. There was no messing about with the details, the agents got straight to the point. The girl with the red hair was the first to speak. "When we were at the dance, we got…er…a…drugged, and dragged off into a back room of some sort. There was some guy there—"

"He was the guy we clocked earlier as some sort of 'leader.' He was always on the coms, talking to everyone, and there was a lot of hustle and bustle with the organisation and the staff, who we then clocked as HYDRA as well." The other man butted in. The human they were discussing must've been the one who caught us. "Right! And?" I urged, hasty to move on with their story. The others around were listening just as intently as I was, but were saying nothing, probably lost up in their own conclusions. "It was pretty obvious he thought we weren't getting out of there alive, so they started spilling everything. Starting with…" She paused, and it was clear that she found the information given distressing. "Starting with what they did to Sophie. They told us that like you said, they'd altered her skeletal structure, but also fused her DNA with the Tesseract Energy research…stuff."

"Wait what?" Stark butted in, confused. "They fused her DNA with the Tesseract Energy? They altered her genetics? That's impossible!"

"That's what we thought…then they showed us the proof. The DNA samples, the Blood Tests, everything."

"But why would they show that? Even if they were certain you wouldn't get out, it would be stupid to even release information like that." I interrupted, also puzzled.

"That's not the point! They've changed her genetics! They've utterly changed and messed with her biological data! If her genetics were fused with the Tesseract that means the energy is all over her. There won't be a way to remove it without killing her, meaning there won't be a way—" He halted as the realisation hit him like a ton of bricks. "-to get her back like she was…without HYDRA wiping her memory again, and her having to start all over again." The girl finished for him. Nobody said a word as the task at hand became evident. It was very possible that there would be no way to get her back, to get the girl I'd come to…I couldn't deny it anymore…the girl I'd come to cherish, back ever again. Now that really stung. "Trust me…that's not even the worst part." The man broke the silence with yet another bombshell. "They have an army of people with a slightly weaker, but more producible version of what they've done to Sophie, all able to be controlled by this guy…and they plan to take New York. They have the Chitauri tech as well! Guys, we're in for a round 2, I hope you realise that now. There's no reasoning with this guy, the civilians have to be our priority now!" There was a moment of silence before the Captain finally spoke up. "I think…our task now is evident…so, er, let's suit up guys. We have to worry about the details of all this later, we have an army to contend with." I shook my head. "Unbelievable." I walked off then, not wanting to hear anymore. There was a battle to be fought, and I assumed they would be expecting me to take part. Well, at least I had a way to vent my anger now. I thought to myself with a smirk as I went to retrieve my weapon. Bring it on.

Sophie

The next few hours after we landed back in New York went by as if they were nothing. We arrived back in the HYDRA building and Boss led me back to his office, ordering the other soldiers to go and get prepared for…something. I wasn't sure what, but it didn't sound particularly good. As I strolled along behind him, we walked along a corridor to find one of the windows smashed, with fragments littering the window sill. "What happened here?" I asked quietly, picking up one of the smashed shards. "Oh…um…someone…er…jumped out." An image flashed in my mind, one of a…man…? He was injured, on the pavement. The memory looked as if I was standing where I was now, looking down on him. It was the man…the man from the heli-carrier? With the strange helmet…why would I have memories of him? "Sophie." Boss broke me out from my over obsessive thinking. "Come on, we have matters to discuss." Obediently, I put down the glass and followed him into the office, the image of that man haunting my vision. "I need your assistance with our…project."

"What project, sir?" I asked my voice monotone and respectful.

"We're…borrowing New York for a while." He responded curtly, looking out of the back window, his chin resting on his hand. "The government don't believe our soldiers and our organization have the power to physically take over a place without the help of legal military forces. Today we prove them wrong." He finished, finally turning back to face me. "No doubt the little band of S.H.I.E.L.D misfits will try and stop us, but…" His lips curved up in a smile, as he gestured to me. "That's why we have you, little miss!" In an instant he had come round the side of the desk and was patting me on the back, leading me towards the window. We looked out upon the view of New York as he grinned like a proud father. "You are the only one, besides me of course, blessed with the gift of the Tesseract and can stop these guys! Now don't you feel special?! While the rest of the soldiers are busy with New York, you can single-handedly take on the so-called 'Avengers.'" I rolled my eyes, unimpressed. It was just another assignment, so he didn't need to big it up like this. "Joy." I muttered. But deep down, I had another twinge of guilt, like I was…betraying someone I knew, and I couldn't shake it. I swear this was all getting weirder and weirder. Missing memories, fragments, images, and that feeling like I'd just woken up from a dream or sleep. It just didn't make sense.

The Boss told me that I should take a look at the new gear that we would be using so I steadily meandered my way down after our little conversation. I passed several other soldiers who all nodded curtly out of respect, a notion I was wholly unaccustomed to, to which I responded with another nod. Strangely, it appeared that I ended up in the prison facilities rather than the weapons department. Must've taken a wrong turn somewhere… I told myself. Deciding not to make myself look foolish, I continued my walk through the facilities as if I meant to go here, and I was just passing through. The various prison cells caught my attention and I couldn't help but look as I walked past. There was one where a girl was sitting behind a table, glaring out towards the glass as if her mere expression could melt it. She looked rather foreboding even for my standards. Weirdly, her face softened into one of utter relief and shock when I came into view. "Sophie!" My name was a startled cry as she called it, hurrying up to the glass. She was slightly taller than me with blonde hair which had been mangled and ruffled during her time in the cell. Like the other HYDRA soldiers, she had the familiar red glow about her, which made me wonder why she was being kept in a cell. She was also wearing a HYDRA uniform, minus the weapons, which just added to my suspicions. I halted, slowly walking up to the glass to face her. "…how do you know my name?" Her expression faltered ever so slightly, as if I'd hurt her. What was it with people at the moment? Everything I said seemed to hurt someone! "Sophie…er…it doesn't matter. Just…you have to listen to me."

"Why? You're in a cell, probably for a very good reason. I have no business listening to you." I returned, coldly. But once again, I had that deep down feeling that I…should listen to her. "Sophie! Please! I know just…two minutes of your time! That's all it will take!" She begged, her face sad yet hopeful. I glanced at the name tag; 'Ella' was all it said, yet that seemed to ring a bell. Strange. I sighed, conceding to her. What harm could it do, listening to a prisoner rambling on for two minutes? "Go on. 2 minutes." I commanded. She didn't hesitate, just launched straight in.

"The big boss man, wants to take over New York, right?" I didn't respond, just let her continue. "Right, well he won't, he can't get very far. Not with you around. You are not one of them, not one of those HYDRA brutes and you will remember sooner or later. Look, I know you probably have no idea what I'm talking about, but please! You have to believe me! When you remember, and you'll know what I mean and when the time comes, you have to read this!" She shoved a piece of scrap paper up against the glass, pleading me to take it. I knew I shouldn't, my head was telling me not to, my heart completely disagreeing. I weighed up the pros and cons of the whole scenario, and was caught off by her desperate expression. "Fine." I submitted, motioning for a guard to unlock the door. He was puzzled at first, eyeing me with a look of puzzlement as he unlocked the door. Surprisingly, she thrust the paper in my hand, but didn't make any attempt to escape, just walked back to the table where she was sitting before. "Don't read it, until you remember." She said. I still didn't know what she meant. The soldier was also caught off guard as 'Ella' made no move to escape when the door was unlocked, but he just shrugged and returned to his station. "Don't read it, until you remember." She repeated sternly, reclining in the chair with a sigh. Looking between her and the letter, frowning, I muttered a response. "I heard you the first time." Reluctantly, I continued my journey to the weapons department, looking down at the small piece of paper. I should've read it there and then. Read the irrelevant piece of paper and binned it but…something, told me not to, that I should trust this girl, listen to her. My hand hovered over the folded piece, wavering only ever so slightly. "Ma'am? Are you alright?" A HYDRA soldier tapped my arm, bringing me out of my trail of thoughts. "Yes, thank you." I responded, curtly. He seemed satisfied with my response, and continued his walk. I took another look at the piece of paper…and tucked it in my pocket, without looking.

The weapons department was very impressive. Everywhere I looked Chitauri bikes lined the floor, I estimated the amount to be well in the hundreds, meaning there was one for each HYDRA soldier during the invasion.. There was a wide array of weapons recognisable from the 'Great and Revolutionary Battle of New York' as the Boss described it. As I walked along, the soldiers moved out of my way, nodding curtly. I began to ignore it after a while; nodding back to every single soldier who passed me was starting to really ache. I didn't recognise any of the faces that passed me, which unnerved me slightly. I could've sworn I knew some of these people…which was strange. How can you just…forget, someone? A short, slim woman bumped into me as she walked past, studying a clipboard. She snapped up, barking at me rudely before stopping to see who she'd bumped into. "Watch where you're go—" She looked at me and halted, a lump caught in her throat. "Sophie! I'm sorry! Are…are you alright?"

"Yeah…? Thanks. Um…who are you, again?" I asked carefully. I thought I recognised her from somewhere…but I just couldn't place her face. I could see her expression falter ever so slightly at my question, but she answered all the same. Again, what was it with people and always looking so hurt? "Doctor Harris! I engineer the serums in all the HYDRA soldiers." She said, hugging the clipboard to her chest. It seemed as if she didn't want me to see it…weird. "Oh. Er…you're doing a fantastic job." I gave her a small smile and a nod, not really sure what else to say. I still couldn't place where I'd seen her before…and it was really bugging me now. Realising I wasn't going to say anything else; she nodded and continued her walk. I bit my lip in deep contemplation as I also began to walk on again, inspecting the various array of weapons. A group of soldiers walked past me, heading towards what looked like a training room. One of them halted, pausing to stop and talk to me. "Ma'am, would you care to join us for some training exercises before the battle? There is a specialist here who will try to help us understand our powers better, I was wondering if you'd want to join us?" He seemed like a friendly, young man. It seemed a shame to send him into the ferocious world of battle. "Sure! Lead the way!" I said with a smile, following them into the training room.

Riley

My hands slid into my pockets as I anxiously watched the countdown to the battle. There were only 38 minutes left until we were scheduled to begin, 38 painfully slow, dragging minutes left. I turned back towards the window, running a hand through my hair. The window was large and pristine, to go along with the HYDRA office. I had to admit, I was rather fond of it…proud if you will. I could only hope that the so called 'Avengers' wouldn't cause too much disruption, but others would say I needed to be focusing on what was happening within my own organisation rather than what third parties may achieve. They meant I should be focusing on what was happening to my fellow Tesseract user, Sophie. It was a risk bringing her here, but one that if turned out correctly, could be of great gain to HYDRA as a whole. Because S.H.I.E.L.D had destroyed what was left of the Tesseract project, we had to start again using the left over energy from the Chitauri technology, which we found was much easier to mass produce. However, the serum we managed to develop which allowed total control over the soldiers wouldn't necessarily be compatible with the previous Tesseract developments. i.e. what Sophie had running through her veins. They'd warned me that if it didn't work the results could be catastrophic. It'd been working alright so far however, so I wasn't really concerned. I'd come too far with all this for it to not work. Yes, I'd had to lie and cheat just a little to get where I was today, but that's of no consequence. For example, the little lie about me taking over the business from my father, which I'd announced at the dance we caught Sophie at, wasn't exactly true. I'd taken over…well, stolen, the research and development from the military years ago…My father worked for the military, so I guess the lie I'd told was…partially true. But the point is, I'd taken that R&D much further than any government could even dream of taking. A knock sounded at the door, bringing me out of my thinking. "Enter." I barked, not really in the mood to speak to anyone right now. "Sir, I have the results." Doctor Harris said, cautiously. I turned around and took a seat at my desk, gesturing for her to sit down. She politely obeyed, handing me the clipboard she was holding. "What is this supposed to mean, exactly?"

"Well, the results show that—"

"In your own words." I interrupted. The science diagnostics just annoy me, and don't often make sense. "Um…we've figured out that although Sophie's serum is mostly stable, but there's a slight chance that the current Tesseract Energy will overpower the Chitauri Tech, completely erasing all the work since the Heli-Carrier." I put down the clipboard, disregarding it.

"What do you mean the 'Tesseract Energy will overpower the Chitauri Tech'?" I asked, frowning.

"The Tesseract Energy has its own defence system, with its own equivalent of antibodies, etc. So as we hard-wired it into Sophie's genetics that defence system has been transferred into her body. When we put in the Chitauri serum, there was always going to be a chance that the Tesseract defensive mechanisms completely dissipate it. But that completely depends on how powerful the Tesseract Energy within her has become. Theoretically, if she's still got the same amount of energy within her as we put in to start with, we should be alright. However if she's had any contact with another Tesseract object and she's absorbed that energy in some way or another, then we're screwed basically." She finished with a resigned shrug.

"It's highly unlikely that she's been in close object with another Tesseract object since we had her, so I don't think we need to worry." I tried to reassure her. By the look on her face, she didn't seem convinced. "Don't. Worry." With a reluctant nod she took back the clipboard, beginning to stand. "Is there anything else you need, sir?" She asked with a sigh.

"No. Just get ready, thank you." We exited the office together, 23 minutes left on the clock. "Time to face the music." I muttered, buttoning up my coat and heading for the rooftop.