Colder Weather

The streets were barren and empty.

The clouds in the sky were dark and chilling.

The cold breeze froze the earth, blowing trash slowly.

The stench of death filled the air.

Her eyes opened suddenly, taking in her surroundings. The world was grey and no one was in sight. Worry immediately struck her, instantly thinking of her team and wondering where they were. Where was everybody else?

She looked down and noticed she was wearing a pure white dress, flowing down to her feet, as the sleeves ended at the very tips of her fingers. She stared curiously at her clothes, reverting back to the stillness of the city. Fear suddenly enticed her, as she slowly walked. She looked back down, realizing her feet were bare.

Thunder clamored above, as she looked up and gasped. The HYDRA symbol was formed in the clouds, as an eerie green shade stained the sky. Her breathing fastened, as she continued to walk wherever her feet led her.

"Hello?" Janet called. "Is anyone there?" The silence continued. She thought going to the mansion was the best idea; maybe she could contact some of her missing teammates. She noted that she was on the east side of the city; she'd have to cross Central Park to get to the mansion.

She attempted to shrink down her size to zoom back to the mansion quickly, but it wasn't working. Her powers weren't working. "What's happening?" Her voice quivered, as she looked at her own hands. The wind continued to blow, as she walked briskly toward the park. As she neared it, a putrid smell almost made her gag.

She covered her face to block the odor, now jogging toward the park, hoping not to trip on her dress. Her feet hit the grass and she stopped dead in her tracks. Her blue eyes widened with fear and horror.

Bodies.

There were lifeless bodies everywhere on the in the park, the grass stained red with blood. Her breathing increased, utterly speechless at the tragic sight before her. There had to be thousands of bodies throughout the park, maybe in the millions. She was running now, ignoring the smell, the gagging, and the many insects that buzzed around.

She had to get back. She had to find someone. She had to find her team. It was clear to Janet that HYDRA was obviously responsible for all of this; they had to be stopped. He had to be stopped. The sweat was now leaking from her skin, as she ran to find her team.

She stopped again, this time freezing in place as her breathing stopped completely.

The Avengers.

Her team was dead, in a straight perfect line. "No…no, no, no." Her lips quivered some more, as the tears poured from her eyes. "No!" Her scream echoed off the sky, as the HYDRA symbol above her beat like a heart.

She ran forward, shooing the birds that were picking at their flesh. Everyone but Thor was there, lifeless just like the rest of the people. Her head slammed on Hank's chest, sobbing in it. Her tears soaked his uniform, as she brushed his soft hair.

"No, Hank, please don't leave me. I never told you..." she sobbed, cradling his face with her hand. "I'm sorry I wasn't here…I'm so sorry. I will find out who did this." A glimmer of hope sparked her mind; maybe Thor was still out there somewhere, or even SHIELD.

The sky roared once more, as the HYDRA symbol glowed brighter. Janet looked up from Hank's body and gasped. Two very familiar crimson eyes were staring down on her, glaring at her with hatred and rage. Columns of smoke fell from the sky like octopus tentacles, reaching to grab her. Janet had no way of defending herself, other than standing up and positioning in a fighting stance.

"Stay back!" she warned, her voice filled with sadness and pain. "You will pay for what you did to them!" The pair of red eyes were now at her level, staring down at Janet. Her mouth hung open, "I…I know you."

She could've sworn she heard it snicker gently, as the tentacles reached out for her in a swift motion. The column wrapped around her, as she struggled to get free. She looked down and noticed her beautiful white dress had turned into a haunting black color. The eyes stared at her knowingly.

Those eyes…they were hers…

"No, I didn't do this! I would never do this!" she cried, screaming at the top of her lungs. "We are not the same!" She heard her own voice laugh in amusement, as the column curled up and blocked her mouth. "No!" She was suffocating, as the column continued to drown out any good Janet had left in her…

Her eyes flung wide open, as she gasped loudly and sat up in bed. Her breathing was erratic and her chest heaved up and down heavily. Sweat dribbled down the sides of her face and forehead. She immediately pulled her sheets away and rushed out of her bed. She opened her window and let the night breeze cool her down. Her breathing finally calmed, as she shook her head.

Thunder rolled in the sky, causing her to jump. She moistened her lips, finding it ominous that the sky was filled with dark clouds, like her dream. She shook her head once more, noticing that her hands were shaking.

"Just a dream, Jan," she said to herself letting the air dry her sweat. She wiped a few dried tears away from her cheeks, muttering to herself, "Or a nightmare. A little too real for my taste…" She breathed slowly, closing her eyes.

"Ms. Wasp? Previous sleep activity has shown that you do not normally wake at these hours. Is everything sufficient?" Jarvis sounded.

"Everything is fine, thank you," she replied. He didn't reply, meaning he went back to his usual mode. Janet stared out the window once more, gazing at the clouds.

"At least I hope it is…"

It was a cloudy and bleak day. Dark clouds rolled throughout the sky, but the rain wasn't yet released. A few tremors of thunder roared, but that seemed to be it. The wind was brisk and cold, causing a chilly breeze to penetrate the skin. Despite the lovely days the city had been having, it seemed the weather decided to grace it with a darker atmosphere.

However, Janet already knew the weather from the unfortunate early mornings. She was extremely tired, for she couldn't get the bloody and daunting visions out of her head. It didn't help that Nick Fury was yelling incessantly throughout the ship.

It was only yesterday that Janet went on her 'date' with Strucker, so naturally Fury wanted to discuss it. Since Fury's mood was a little uneasy at the moment, she hoped he wasn't going to yell at her next. If he yelled, she would yell back; she wasn't in the mood to take any crap right now. She did her job and hopefully it was up to his standards.

Janet eyed Nick Fury cautiously, as he continued to give out orders and complaints. His voice echoed throughout his ship, as he progressively yelled at how terrible and awful the agent's 'disguises' were at Janet's mission. Fury spastically flung his hands everywhere, slamming his fists on the table when he thought was good.

Mockingbird sighed next to her, rolling her eyes while waiting for him to finish. Clearly, this was a regular routine. Janet figured Fury's agents were perfect and did everything correctly. Maybe they would've done a better job if they were up against regular civilians, but when Strucker or the Black Widow was trained to spot things like that, obviously they would have to do better.

She could barely hear Clint snickering in the corner, while T'Challa tried to shut him up. The Avenger team was located off to the side, while Janet was standing next to Bobbi, an official spot next to Nick Fury. Apparently, she was now one of his favorites, much to her dismay. She made a quick glance toward the team, seeing a very irritated Tony. Tony didn't like it when his time was wasted.

"Seriously Fury? The team isn't going to stand here any longer," he said harshly, narrowing his eyes. Janet knew when he said 'team,' he meant her specifically.

"Keep your suit on, Stark," Fury replied, waving off his agents to their work. "I don't even know why any of you are here. I just need Wasp."

"Anything you say to her will be said in front of us as well," Steve retorted, narrowing his eyes.

Janet smiled at how her team cared so much. All of them wanted to be involved, no matter how much she wanted them to stay away. Their worries made her stronger, in a way. However, she was utterly surprised at how calm Hank was about this whole thing. He barely spoke up, ever since the drastic and over dramatic performance of his in front of Fury, and he hadn't come up to personally speak with her. Sure he probably heard the whole thing from her microphone, but he knew her well enough to know to talk with her personally. So it was extremely odd when he didn't drag her to a dark corner and interrogate her.

Fury grumbled, muttering inaudible things to himself. Janet seriously thought he resembled an old man sometimes; he was always grumpy. He finally turned to her, feeling satisfied for yelling at his agents. Agent Hill glared at her for a split second before turning around in her chair and typing a few things in the computer. Fury seemed to be harder on her lately, as if she was against everything he said or claimed. "I want to congratulate you, Wasp. Your role was flawless."

"Really?" she asked, surprised.

He nodded, "Indeed. You 'enjoyed' his company, but you weren't too engrossed by him. It was the perfect balance of emotion. Now, I want those emotions to go deeper."

"Wait, what does that mean?" Tony asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I have to 'like' him now, or at least show him that I do," Janet explained, knowing where this was leading. Tony nodded, as Hank shifted uncomfortably, trying not to yell in objection.

"You're going to be glued to his hip, so you might as well get used to it," Fury added. "You won't be able to use any chips, cameras, or microphones once you enter the facility, so you will report back to the helicarrier as soon as you're done. I don't care what time it is, you will be here." Janet nodded, suddenly becoming nervous. Agent Hill could no longer keep her mouth shut, for she shot up from her seat.

"You do realize that by using an Avenger to support the HYDRA cooperation, it will go against everything we believe in. The public will see that SHIELD is okay with this, and that we will officially be apart of something negative," she spat, saying Avenger as if it was poison in her mouth. Fury glared at her furiously, controlling his temper.

"That is a blow I'm willing to endure…for now," he gritted his teeth.

"The public will support HYDRA more now. This isn't the right decision. We shouldn't have to rely on her to achieve this," she hissed, as Janet narrowed her eyes, ready to fire stingers right in her eyes. "It should be someone who isn't in the public eye already."

"Agent Hill, you can be discharged for the rest of the day," Fury's voice was sharp and icy, his words cutting like a knife. She narrowed her eyes in disgust, her eyes lingering on Janet and then shifting toward Bobbi. She briskly walked out of the assembly room, the sliding doors shutting swiftly behind her. Janet pursed her lips, suddenly feeling extremely awkward. Bobbi, on the other hand, was trying her best not to laugh. "Ignore her. She's good, but she's also sometimes ignorant."

"Sometimes?" Clint mumbled, making the others grin.

"All of you are dismissed" Fury finally said, as the room went back to its usual buzz. Janet walked down the steps and toward her team.

"Boy, does Hill have a stick up her ass, or what?" Clint said, grinning widely. Thor stared at Clint in confusion.

"I…do not understand," Thor said slowly, gulping in nervously and very worried, as everyone laughed. As usual, Janet saw Tony, Steve, and Hank in the corner talking, only this time Fury was with them.

'Even though I'm the main part of this mission, it's like I'm still out of the loop,' she thought, shaking her head. Her eyes narrowed skeptically, keeping herself from barging into their conversation and blurting something immature.

"What do you think they talk about?" she asked suddenly, as all heads turned quickly at the group. They remained silent, not knowing what to say.

"What do you think?" Bobbi called, approaching the group slowly. "Thought you were better than that, Jan."

Janet grinned, "Call it a rhetorical question. You're his sidekick, why don't you know anything?"

"Sidekick? Please…I can't always read his brain. He keeps to himself if you hadn't noticed," she replied, a mixture of serious and amusement in her tone. Janet eyed Bobbi unconvinced, knowing she knew way more than any other person besides Nick Fury himself. Bobbi glanced at Clint and stated, "Barton."

"Morse," Clint responded, the sides of his mouth forming a smirk.

"You think it would be bad if I just barged into their little secret group?" Janet spoke, stopping herself from grinning at the two.

"Duh," Bobbi said with a small chuckle. Janet never took her eyes off of them, but they lit up when she saw Hank leaving the group and out of the room. She wasted no time, never excusing herself and jetting off to him as fast as she could. However, before Janet could get to him, Fury stepped in front of her. She looked at him irritatingly.

"Yes Director Fury?" she rolled her eyes, knowing Hank was already long gone.

"Good luck today, you're going to need it," he said hesitantly, as if he couldn't say what he really wanted to convey. She nodded, appreciating his gesture, but still curious at his tentative motives. "Um…keep your eyes open at all times. If you look close enough, you might just find friends that will help you."

She opened her mouth to speak, but he hurriedly walked away back to his post. She stared at him confused, shaking her head. "Friends? I seriously doubt it."

Janet nervously bit her lip, looking up at city hall. Many HYDRA agents surrounded the entrance, as well as many reporters still hyped on the frenzy. She slowly walked up, still sporting her yellow and black uniform, as the cameras flashed at her appearance. A pair of HYDRA agents quickly came to her aid, walking her to the front. As soon as they went inside, Strucker was already there, waiting for her.

"Janet," he said, seizing her hand and holding it gently. "I am glad you could make it. Please, follow me…"

"I was surprised you decided to meet at city hall. It's so…so-"

"Boring? I completely agree. I asked you to meet me here because I had a meeting with the other council members. We will now be going to one of my facilities."

"A HYDRA facility?" she beamed, feeling thankful that she was going to see one of his hideouts.

"We are no longer called HYDRA, but yes, it was a secret corporation. Now, of course, the government knows full well what it is. I now lend it to them for military purposes," he explained, as they exited out the back where a limo was waiting for them. They got it, and the limo drove onto the streets, making its way towards the docks. As soon as they pulled up, Janet did see government agents surrounding the entire area. Strucker exited the limo quickly, as she followed him briskly.

He went into an old building, but what Janet witnessed on the inside wasn't old at all. Inside, everything was brand new and pristine with the latest technology everywhere. It reminded her much of Tony's things. Strucker led her into an elevator, where an eye and hand scanner were located. Strucker bent forward and leaned his eye into the scanner. He did the same thing with his hand, as the elevator went down. Janet noticed there were three stories below ground, making her wonder what was on all the floors.

Strucker began typing in some numbers, as he turned to her, "Please lean forward, my dear." She gave him a confused look. "You work for me now. The computer will only recognize those I incorporate into the system." She nodded slowly, leaning her blue eye into the scanner. She did the same with her hand, taking off her glove and placing it on the scanner.

"Recognize: Wasp," the computer said, as the elevator stopped and the doors opened to many HYDRA agents walking around. All of them were now taking off their green uniforms and masks, putting on professional suits and glasses.

"Well, this is where I leave you," Strucker said.

"What?"

"Oh my dear, I am much too busy to give you the tour. That is why she will," he explained, as Black Widow slowly walked forward. Janet's eye twitched slightly, seeing the beautiful and sultry Natasha walking towards her. "The both of you need to connect if you are to work beside me. This is a good chance to get to know one another."

"Seriously?" Janet exasperated.

"Baron doesn't joke," Black Widow stated calmly. Janet would've been fine if someone else gave the tour, but in all honesty, the Black Widow intimidated her immensely. Not only was she a skilled adversary that could probably take Janet down in a second, but she also felt like a little girl going through puberty compared to Natasha's womanly figure. She was deadly, but graceful, something Janet wished she had.

"Perfect. I shall see the both of you later," Strucker nodded, as some agents came to his side and walked away with him. 'Great,' Janet thought. 'How am I supposed to shadow him if I'm around this thing all day long?'

Natasha already began walking without saying a word to Janet. She quickly followed, examining the large computers and technology around her. She finally deduced all the floors, one being for communications, another being a hanger for ships, submarines and other uses for transportation, one used for physical exercise, and another having rooms and dorms for some agents.

Natasha, on the other hand, didn't speak a word. Janet figured everything out on her own. Unlike her, Natasha was very cold and abrasive, some thing she wasn't so jealous about. Did Natasha have fun? Or was it strictly work? Did she do things on her own? The more Janet thought about, the more she actually wanted to get to know her.

"So…you haven't really spoken to me…at all," she said hesitantly, choosing her words carefully. They walked through the training room, where many agents were working out and sparring.

"That is because I don't want to," she replied harshly, keeping her eyes forward. Janet's mouth dropped slightly at her rudeness. Her eyes narrowed as she nodded.

"Right…you don't look like much of a talker anyway. More of a shoot now and ask questions later kind of girl, huh?"

Natasha's jaw visibly tightened, but her eyes remained forward. They walked into the locker room, as Janet saw a locker with her name on it, right next to Natasha's. Janet sighed, thinking she should be the better person and actually try talking to her.

"Look, we're going to be working together now. I figured-"

"Do you think this is a game?" Natasha's voice boomed, as she finally turned to her and looked her in the eyes. Janet found her self staring deep into pure green orbs that were full of fury. "Do you really think Baron doesn't know what you're up to? You think you can just walk in here and act like you own the place?"

"Excuse me?" Janet said, louder than she intended.

"You heard me, coming here while dragging SHIELD along with you…it's laughable."

"No, I made this decision on my own. I'm the one who thought of this…this was my idea."

"You're a fool for saying yes to him," Natasha's voice was sharp. Janet gulped hastily, feeling extremely hostile.

"I did this for a reason…which is none of your concern. Shouldn't you be tailing him as we speak? He'd be so lost without you, wouldn't he? The perfect ally for HYDRA, spilling all of SHIELD's secrets…I would stop judging me before you take a good look in the mirror and tell me what you see," she taunted, having to stand on her toes to get to eye level. "A traitor."

"You can find your own way out," Natasha spat, swiftly turning and walking out of the lockers.

"Bitch," she called out, knowing she heard her. Janet kept her eyes on the door, haven't being that angry in a long time.

Still, she felt unusually uneasy. Natasha's tone…it was almost protective. Janet studied Natasha while she was speaking, and it was as if she wanted to say more to her…like she was hiding something. Janet could hear the warning in her voice, begging her to turn away and save yourself from what is about to come. The Black Widow was a complete mystery to Janet, one she desperately wanted to solve.

Chapter 5:

Pretty short chapter, and kind of boring, but it's important to slowly ease into this, because a lot of secrets are going to also be revealed also. Next chapter Janet and Natasha are going to talk more, and maybe some more Strucker action.

Oh and yes, I watched every episode of the season 1 finale, and it was simply amazing. I can't wait till the second season, but I would like to remind everyone that the events with HYDRA and the Black Widow have not happened yet. Consider this my own version of HYDRA's reign over the city and the world. Have I said too much? Yeah, I'll just stop there...Please review!

SilverShadow09