"Dr. Sterns, where are you in your work?"
"I'm ready to move forward, but I'd like more time working out the details." He paused in his typing, glancing up briefly before continuing at a steady pace.
"Do you mean, Dawn, doctor?" The man inquired. "I've been keeping an eye on her. She still has her flaws, doesn't she?" He observed, leaving the implication to hang in the air.
"If we're going to keep up with this schedule, we don't have time to clear her again. Some of the training sticks, but it takes a little while to relearn." Eric chimed in, tensing slightly in the new presence. "Fry her brain anymore and there will be nothing left."
"Indeed. I think we should try another approach. You've been coddling her too much, doctor."
"Hm? Your method worked so well in Project Insight, right? There is a reason I was requested to work here, isn't there?" The blonde scientist didn't need to look up to know that his response was not well received, "Let me work."
"Project Insight was strong for years. Look at Eric and everyone else our methods have worked for. We need to act soon."
The trainer's gaze hardened at the mention of his name, but otherwise he showed no other sign of being disturbed, "Our usual methods could push her past her breaking point. She's already on edge."
"Has she rubbed off on you? Maybe you're not ready either."
"It was just a suggestion. I've worked with her more than anyone else."
"Good, then you can be the one to go get her."
The stillness in the room was amplified by the absence of typing once again as they waited for Eric's reply. "Yes, sir." Ultimately there was no choice, if it weren't him it'd be someone else. Perhaps it would even be one of the few who trained him and made him the obedient Hydra agent he was today. He turned on his heel and exited the room.
Resuming his work, Dr. Sterns made a noise of disapproval, "If you push her too far and things don't go as planned, you'll be lucky if he doesn't hunt you all down." He was of course referring to the Hulk, blinded by rage.
"Lucky we have you then."
"Eric?" I was surprised to see him at my door.
He pushed past me, "Close the door." Without pause he continued over to my desk, quickly pushing files and books aside until his hand landed on the one he wanted. He flipped through the sketchbook I kept, ripping out most of the pages.
"What are you doing?" I rushed forward.
"You have to stop with all of the distractions. Whatever you feel, whatever you think you feel needs to end. The only thing that matters is the mission, nothing else." He was watching me intently, but there was something there that wasn't before. There was something I was supposed to be picking up that he wasn't saying, but I had almost nothing to go on.
"I can't help-"
"I can't help you unless you get with the program and quick."
It'd been weeks since Eric came barging into my room and now I get it. I was deemed unfit for the plan and needed to be brought up to standard. My entire body ached with each bruise reminding me of the lesson I had to learn. You see, emotions are messy and get in the way. They cause people to act irrationally. The only way to be successful and efficient was to suppress the unnecessary thoughts and emotions.
Fear is the main thing I feel now. Fear of feeling anything else. Fear of failing. Fear of letting those same scared feelings show because it was a sign of weakness. I understand now what he was trying to say. I trained harder and improved faster than ever until I was finally cleared for the next mission.
"How do you do this?" I breathed, pressing my hands into my lap to keep them from shaking. It was just the two of us on our way towards our last assignment before we were scheduled to go to New York. I was more nervous than I'd been on other runs because now I knew what would be waiting if we weren't successful.
His cool stare lingered on my fidgeting foot before meeting my gaze, "I've been here so long I don't feel much of anything anymore. It starts to make sense after a while."
"You're lying to yourself." I shook my head, "You tore out a bunch of my sketches. You and I both know I wouldn't be out here if you hadn't."
"Our next move to New York would have been delayed. Dr. Sterns still believes you will be useful." He tilted his head back to rest against the side of the van. We were already prepared so there was nothing to do but wait until we reached our destination.
I watched him for a moment, "I don't believe you." His breath caught ever so slightly before he decided to continue ignoring me.
There was a long silence and I thought the conversation was over until he decided to speak up, but just barely over the hum of the engine, "It's not important anymore."
"It is to me." I answered just as quietly.
He opened his eyes to look at me for a minute, "No, it's not." It was a correction. "I tried to cling to my former self. It's easier this way." He resumed his previous position with his head leaned back, "You'll do horrible things just to keep breathing…for the greater good…"
I stilled and waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. What sort of horrible things was he referring to? Did he mean the people who may have died so that Hydra had the chance to change things? Or did he mean the way Hydra demanded respect and order by using pain a tool. After all, they did say that pain is a great teacher for humans and order came through pain. The van slowed to a stop and we rose to our feet. My thoughts on the matter would have to wait until later.
As it turned out, the assignment we'd been on was a supply run. Dr. Sterns had one last thing in store for me, having me stay in the lab until it was complete. I watched as he worked, occasionally helping out when I could, but the majority of the project was beyond me considering that I was not exactly a scientist. A small smile crept onto his face as he filled a needle with a transparent orange solution.
"Dawn, this is it. This is why you are so important to the plan."
"Oh? And what is that exactly?"
"Just a little something to give us an edge. As the Hulk he only becomes stronger until finally able to calm down. If something—or in this case, someone—were to be able to absorb the radiation he gives off and use it to their benefit, neutralizing a threat of that magnitude becomes a bit easier. You see?" He stopped by my side, swiftly opening a cleansing pad packet and gesturing for me to roll up my sleeve.
I looked back into the dancing blue orbs before me, alight with excitement, "No trials?" Hesitantly, I obliged and pushed the fabric up to my shoulder.
His smile broadened, "Of course I've tested, why else do you think you've been on so many supply runs? The stuff wasn't easy to come by so you will be the first human this is actually given to."
"Why me?" I couldn't help but wonder, hissing as he took the moment to stick my arm and press down on the plunger. I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt, but compared to his modified super soldier serum, this wasn't as bad. It could have been that the first serum made this one more bearable, but I wasn't going to question why this didn't leave me writhing in pain.
He shook his head as he removed the needle and pressed a cotton ball to the puncture wound, "You think there are better candidates? Trust me, there aren't. I've picked you for a reason." Quickly he whirled around and stalked towards the opposite side of the room, accessing the secured section of the lab and returning with a small box that thudded too heavily when set down. "This material…" He opened the box and removed the glowing contents, "is radioactive. It gives off gamma radiation much like our friend."
"Dr. Sterns! Shouldn't you be handling that with some sort of equipment then?"
At that he lit up once more, "Dr. Banner isn't the only one running on radiation these days." Again he was standing before me, hand with the blue glow extended forward, "You'll be fine."
Exhaling a shaky breath, I relieved him of the metal. Curiously, we watched as the glow dimmed and was finally extinguished while it remained in my hand. "That's amazing. I feel great." I smiled. It was like electricity running through me, strengthening every muscle and setting my nerves ablaze as it sought a way out. I curled my fingers around the roughly cut chunk as I tried to hang on to the feeling, slowly holding out my hand to return the material and finding indents where my fingers had been.
"Impressive. It's just as I thought; you will become stronger around sources of radiation."
The feeling was short lived in the absence of the sample, "This is all just a precaution, right? In case things go south?"
"Of course." He assured, "This is all just to be safe."
"So what now?"
"Now, I arrange a meeting."
"Sir, I'm afraid someone is attempting to gain access to Dr. Banner's research" Jarvis alerted the two in the lab.
"Where are they attacking from?" Tony demanded.
"Which files?" Bruce asked simultaneously.
"I don't know, sir, but the majority of his work from the past year was deleted before I was able to detect them."
"Bring up any information you have on them." Tony was typing away furiously now.
After a tense moment the AI spoke again, "It appears to be over for now. They've left a message for you, Dr. Banner."