I was slapped 'awake'. The hard crack of skin against skin made me blink 'awake' in panic, my eyes flicking across the room and my limbs straining against the straps holding me down in a chair.

All in all, it was quite frightening if I wasn't expecting it. While I was panicking almost on the verge of freaking out on the outside, I was calmly sitting and drinking tea on the inside. This was rather easy, almost childs play. Getting inside of a highly secure secret base was so far proving nothing but a small challenge. Even then, when I found out that the Red Skull was hiding in the base, that changed my plans only slightly.

Now, back to the featured presentation.

"Ohmygod, I swear I didn't do anything, I swear I didn't do anything!" I babbled, my mouth going the speed of a train. "I only downloaded music off the web, and I know that's bad, but I swear on my mothers grave that I haven't done anything. Oh please don't hurt me, please. I can't handle needles, and-"

There was another loud smacking sound, and it took me a few seconds to realise that the stinging in my cheek was because Lab Coat had slapped me again.

"Be quiet." He ordered, and I bit my lower lip as tears began their journey down my face. I made a few weak whimpering noises, and a few sobs, just to add the effect that I was downright absolutely terrified.

Oh yeah, sipping my tea here. Completely calm. I'm sure if they were monitoring my heartbeat, it wouldn't coincide with whatever they thought it would be. Racing? Nah. It's more like laying down in bed taking a nap speed.

Cassidy Browning, on the other hand, was having a complete mental meltdown. "Please," I started to whimper softly, "please I can pay you anything. Please believe me."

Lab Coat ignored me, and I began to plead and bargain for whatever Cassidy Browning had. She didn't have much, since she was fresh out of college. I lost track of what I was saying, but kept up the appearance that I was terrified.

"Miss Browning," Lab Coat said, and I bit my lip as I looked up at him. "I believe I can give you an offer."

Words of relief babbled their way out of my mouth. I didn't even notice what I was saying.

"Instead of getting the death penalty," Lab Coat said, and I paled, "I can offer you a place in this facility. You will be working off your crimes, and then after you have done your duty we will set you free." Do you mean; death? Yeah, because I know how you guys work. Once you're in Hydra, you can never leave.

"H-how long will that take?" I heard myself asking.

"As long as it needs to. It really depends on your skill set." The man set a clipboard down. "Now, you have approximately ten seconds before I walk out of this door, and the guards will come in here to end your miserable life. Chose wisely."

I blubbered. "Yes, yes yes please I'll take your deal. Please. Don't go."

Lab Coat gave me a small, reassuring smile. "I'll go talk to my superiors. Let's hope that they'll also say yes." And he left me. This was a waiting tactic, to see what we'll do if we were faced with the possibility of life or death. I did the usual thing and hung my head while pretending to cry.

I waited two hours.

Boring, unassuming hours. I was almost half tempted to break out of my confinement and go bust some chops, but I knew they were keeping an eye on me. I wouldn't get very far unless I wanted to kill, and then there was the Red Skull problem. The dudes a super soldier! One with a very bright target painted on his skin, yes, but the dude could take on Captain America!

Captain America is legend. Everybody, and I mean everybody, respects the man.

I was gently dozing when the door opened again, and I brought my tear streaked face to see who had walked in. Lab Coat and yet another guard.

"My superiors have agreed that your talent with electronics have saved you. You shall be prepared to be ready to work immediately. If you try to do anything that is suspicious, we will kill you." My head bobbed up and down as they started to unstrap me from the chair.

"Thank you." I started to cry again, this time in relief. (Honestly, how can normal people do this? So much expression. I'm so exhausted.) They brought me too my feet, and the guard gripped my arm as he led me away.

Now this… this was going to be the weird part. I walked through familiar hallways until I was led into a white tiled room.

"Strip."

How did I know that was coming? Oh yeah, I have this memorized.

"B-but," I started, but the guard simply held a pistol to my head.

"Strip."

Ugh. Fine. Usually you'd have to take me out for dinner first, but I'll make an exception due to the gun in your hand. I began to hurriedly unpop the buttons that held my PJ's. I tugged off my shirt, leaving me with a tank top on, and slid my pants to the ground, leaving me in the top and panties.

"Strip."

Wow. One word. Is that all you can say? Blushing (even though I had long since gotten used to the notion where people saw me naked. Comes with being a Hydra controlled assassin.) I bit my bottom lip as I took off the tank top, covering my assets (hahaha) with one arm and pulled down my panties, and covered the area with my hand.

The guard leered at me.

Attackkillstophimwhileimvunerable- I might actually agree with that.

The guard tossed a bundle of white clothing at me, and I caught it. "Get dressed." He stared at me while I hurriedly put on the threadbare slacks and shirt, slipping on a labcoat. (I didn't even question why he was giving me a lab coat. It's Hydra, people.) He then gave me a pair of nondescript shoes that were worn out. I didn't have any socks, and I seriously hoped that they wouldn't chafe.

And as I predicted, nobody checked my hair.

"Come with me." The guard beckoned me closer, and I shuffled after him. We moved down the hallways, and I curiously looked around. It was a bit more deserted than what I remembered, but then again, that was when Hydra was still a secret. Now, it was public enemy number one. Or two. Depending on who you thought so. Loki these days was making a fuss.

We came to a room filled with computers. Nobody manned any of them, but Lab Coat was in the room with his clipboard.

"Come in, Miss Browning. Let us test your skills." I gave him a small nod as I walked towards the only computer that was on. I sat down on the swivel chair, and I placed my fingers on the keyboard.

I have no idea what I am doing.

There is a separation between of saying I know how to use computers, to actually knowing. And believe it or not, four years had taken it's toll on me, mostly because I don't know how technology works anymore. I used to have 'okay-ish' skill on hacking, only because I was taught by Hydra for missions.

"Is there a problem, Miss Browning?" I looked up at Lab Coat, and figured that time was up for me.

Lets get the party started.

I moved before Lab Coat could say anything, pushing the chair into the guard. He stumbled backwards, and while he was distracted, I grabbed the pen from LC's hand, clicked it, and drove it into his carotid artery in his neck.

Ehehe. Beautiful.

Lab Coat gurgled on his blood, and fell to the ground as I turned towards the guard. He was fumbling with his gun. I took a single step towards him as he managed to get it pointing me. My hand came up, twisted the gun from his fingers, and I gripped at his wrist. Pulling him forwards, I brought my other hand to dig into his hair as I slammed his face into my knee. The ethmoid bone from his nose slid neatly into his brain.

I paused for a second, waiting for a reaction from the voice… but all could feel was elation. I ended my record of not killing today. Probably won't get that long again.

Moving over towards the bloody body of LC, I removed his bloodsoaked I.D card from his coat. I brought it to my lips and licked it clean, instantly feeling alert and awake.

Sotastyyumyum.

I checked to see if I got any blood on me, and thankfully I hadn't. I hadn't gone through all this trouble for the clothing for somebody to stop me because I had gotten blood on it. Clipping the I.D card on my lab coat, I strode from the computer room and down the familiar hallways. I knew exactly where to go to find my information.

Passing a few other people in the hallways, I wasn't stopped nor questioned by anybody. I knew how to get through Hydra's base without looking suspicious. (Which was, act like you belong. Keep your face schooled to a blank slate. Take even paces. Look like you're on a mission.)

I turned down an all too familiar hallway, and found a guard standing outside of the room I needed to get into. In a smooth motion, I pulled the earphones from it's makeshift ponytail, pocketing the USB drive into my jacket, and unwound the cord. I walked past the guard, turned and used the wire to wrap around his neck. He choked, and I brought my leg up and smashed it into the back of his knee. He fell down, and the wire went taught. There was a crack when his neck broke, and he stopped moving.

I opened the door and smoothly looked inside. There were two scientists. Using the earphones, I dragged the body in with me, just as the scientists looked up. A table of scalpels were near, so I picked up a few and with deft fingers, threw them at the scientists. They fell to the ground as I calmly closed the door behind me.

Stepping over the bodies gingerly, I looked over at the equipment that sometimes visited in my dreams. The Chair that burned pain in my skull, the cryo freezer that I've never had the privilege of using, and several tables with straps made of adamantium. An old, outdated computer in the corner. It was connected to The Chair, used to activate and take notes.

That's what I needed to use.

Grabbing a stool, I sat down and started the computer online. I found an adapter, and plugged in the USB drive. The computer was stripped down, left with only the coded 0's and 1's. Hydra always used the same passwords, always. That's one thing I could always depend on. Typing in the code, the computer loaded the search engine.

SEARCH?

Autumn Crocus.

UNKNOWN, 0 DOCUMENTS

Hmm. What about...

Classified Walkers.

UNKNOWN, 0 DOCUMENTS

Would they even use that old name? I barely remember being called it… It's actually kinda hazy now that I think about it.

Nightshade.

NIGHTSHADE- FIVE DOCUMENTS:

NIGHTSHADE- POISON TESTING

NIGHTSHADE- ASSET

NIGHTSHADE- SHIPPING

NIGHTSHADE- PLANTING SYSTEM

NIGHTSHADE- TESTING

Nightshade- Asset. Copy and paste on Drive 1.

This is what I've been looking for.

COPYING. TIME- 3:24 SECONDS

Three minutes, I can do this. I was about to go clean up my messes, when something caught my attention. The computer had also pulled up my file while it was copying. Something was seriously wrong about this.

ASSET NIGHTSHADE, BOUGHT FROM SOVIET UNION 1983. FILES TRANSFERRED; 1984. FILES ON PAGE 4.

That's… wrong. Was this even about me? Or some other poor fellow. I was born on 1996. I'm not that old. Was I getting the wrong file?

Turn to page 4.

ASSET NIGHTSHADE- CREATED IN 1952, ALONG WITH SIX OTHER CLONES. OTHERS REACTED BADLY WITH FATHERS DNA AND SERUM. SIX DIED, ONE SURVIVED INTO INFANCY.

A picture to the side showed seven test tube… babies. It was black and white, and obviously old. Next was a picture of a small baby girl with dark hair, her eyes closed while she was being handled by a man in a lab coat. The nametag said 'Whitehall'.

I had a bad feeling about this. I continued to read.

ASSET SHOWED SIGNS OF HAVING HAVE THE SERUM. [[TESTS ON ASSET DURING INFANCY PAGE 15]] AT DAY 3, GAVE IT GROWTH FORMULA. WITHIN A WEEK, ASSET NIGHTSHADE GREW UNTIL AT AGE 1. SHOWN SIGNS OF HIGH INTELLIGENCE. IN TWO WEEKS, ASSET WAS AT AGE 4. SENT INTO TRAINING.

A picture was shown of a dark haired girl in a jumpsuit, her hair cropped short to her skull. She had her baby fat still clinging to her face, but the bright blue eyes were unmistakable.

Me.

B-but… This couldn't be right. I was a pretty princess. I loved my brothers. And my parents were Shield, or something I know that. I had a family. I did, not… some test tube baby. I had parents. I-

I knew I had them, but I couldn't recall any memories.

Who was my father? It said… I had my fathers DNA, and it killed my… siblings.

Search; Nightshade- Asset father

SEARCHING. 1 DOCUMENTS.

...REACTED BADLY WITH FATHERS DNA…

Okay… what else could I search for? I bit my bottom lip, my mind suddenly going blank before I typed in Search; Nightshade- Asset original DNA taken from (loose search)

SEARCHING. 1 DOCUMENTS.

… DNA TAKEN FROM...

Document 1.

PAGE 8, CLONE PROJECT 42 USED DNA TAKEN FROM ASSET WINTER SOLDIER.

My breath was suddenly sucked out of me. I stared at the screen, unable to wrap my head around this…

My dad…

..is the Winter Soldier?

I'm a clone of him?

And here I thought nothing could surprise me anymore.

"You have done a clean job of getting rid of these people. I wonder who hired you." I stiffened and looked behind me at the immaculate uniform of Red Skull. I looked upwards to see his red face, grinning down at me. Even though he was fifteen feet away from me, he was much taller in real life than I had imagined. A bit lankier as well.

"So you'll tell me who hired you, and I won't kill you. Or do you want to do this the hard way?"

I unplugged the USB and stuck it in my mouth, and swallowed. I really didn't want to worry about losing it while I was getting out. It felt weird going down, but I had way too many things shoved down my throat to make it the worst thing to enter my body.

"So it's the hard way." Red Skull cracked his knuckles.

"Bring it on, bitch." I smirked, my blood coming up under my clothing and stealthily protecting me. "Bring it on."

END OF ARC TWO- LEVEL ONE- MERCENARY

ARC THREE- THE FINAL HUZZAH


Just because I said thank you for the reviews, does not mean you cannot stop reviewing all of the sudden. Thanks again to leeny len, and you're going to be the best green power ranger in the world. Anon, you'll be the pink. You didn't say which color you wanted to be.

So, this is the whole 'mindblowing' chapter. Tell me how you felt about this.

NON-Reviewers don't get Agent Carter season 2.