Hey everyone! I'm overwhelmed from all the positive response this story has gotten. I couldn't write this without you all to motivate me, so THANK YOU! I'd also like to give a special shout-out to R.S. Dobs for reviewing!

Okay, so I know this is a super long writer's note, and I'm sorry, but I feel like I should explain myself. Once I post the next several chapters I'm expecting a huge critical backlash. This is because Mal is going to change. Until now, she's been the smart, savvy, sarcastic Hydra spy. After the next few chapters her whole personality will twist into something darker. She's going to fall down a very deep rabbit hole that she's going to have great difficulty crawling out of. I know this story is labeled Hurt/Comfort, but as the saying goes things are darkest before the dawn. Mal and Bucky's dawn will come, but first they will travel down a very dangerous road. Mal will do and think some pretty unsavory things. I realize not all of you will be pleased with this chain of events, but I ask you leave constructive criticism only and not flames. This is my first fanfiction, and it will never be perfect, but I will do the best I can.

Also, things will be deviating somewhat from the Age of Ultron storyline. I haven't worked out the details yet, but I can tell you (WARNING: AGE OF ULTRON SPOILER) Quicksilver will not die. And to clear up some language issues, everything that's said in this chapter is in German. Since Mal knows German, and she's American, everything she hears is translated in her head to English.

Warning: This chapter has torture, death, and other unpleasant stuff. Read at your own risk.

Chapter 4 -The Story of How I Died

The air smelled like a combination of oil and disinfectant.

Mal opened her eyes, breathing deep, and immediately doubled over coughing. She was lying on something hard and cold. Metal? What—why couldn't she move her hands-

"It's awake."

"Ah, good, good. Begin stage one."

German? What the flipping-

Mal forced her heavy lids open again, but saw only blurry outlines and bright lights.

No. No they didn't. Hydra wouldn't-

"July 12, 2015, approximately 1600 hours. Subject 194 conscious after transfer from Washington. Traces of the R-6 sedative are present, but will dissolve before immediate procedure. Stage one is initiated, injection of 3.2 millimeters of HM-68. Levels are holding steady."

Oh, god, I'm in Sokovia. They're going to...to...

"Subject showing elevated heartbeat and breathing. Injecting paralysis and light sedative."

There was a small pinch, then blessed darkness.

"Wakey wakey, my dear. That's a good girl."

Mal woke up coughing again as something rancid was shoved near her nose. Oh god, what was that? Rotting meat? Spoiled zucchini?

Oh. Smelling salts. Damn them. What, was injecting her with lord-knows-what not enough? Why couldn't they just let her rest?

Hmmm, maybe because they're sick Nazi psychopaths who get a kick outta torturing people?

Gee, thanks, would've never figured that out.

Man, whatever drugs they'd used were strong. Mal struggled to focus.

The last thing she remembered was the infirmary. She'd wanted to see the Soldier's memory removal-she felt she owed him that much after knocking him out-but Radigast insisted on a full medical evaluation first. Next thing she knew, one of the doctors was pumping her full of sedative and she woke up here.

Sokovia. The land of death, torture, and experimentation.

Blearily opening her eyes, Mal took stock of the situation.

She was lying on a metal examining table. Thick leather straps crossed it horizontally, keeping Mal from moving anything but her head. A bunch of scary looking machines lined the walls, some of them beeping at constant intervals. Various instruments lay on a long table near her, gleaming silver in the bright artificial light.

"Welcome to Sokovia, Subject 194."

A balding man stepped in Mal's line of view. Even without his distinctive trademark monocle, Mal would have recognized him. He was Hydra's current leader following Pierce's death.

Baron Von Strucker.

He looked creepy, sure, but Mal was pretty confident in a one-on-one fight she could take him. Unfortunately, she was drugged to the gills and restrained. She couldn't even speak, much less move.

Strucker noticed her distress. "Thanks to SHIELD, we have a limited amount of anesthetic and sedatives in this facility. We do, however, have a surplus of paralysis medication." He ran his hand down Mal's cheek, a sick smile on his face. Mal would have given anything to be able to bite him.

A sharp voice, also in flawless German, spoke up. "Doctor, the longer the procedure is stalled, the less her chances of survival are. We need to begin phase 3 now."

Stucker stepped back, turning to admire the display of sharp instruments. He picked up a scalpel. "Continue with your work, then. But be warned, if this procedure is a failure again Leedoro…"

Strucker tested the scalpel on his finger, a dot of red staining the blade.

"You don't need to remind me. This one is strong enough, I'm sure of it." The mystery man, Leedoro, sounded exasperated. "Now, if you would kindly step back, we can begin."

The scalpel blade clanked as Strucker carelessly tossed it back on the table, moving out of sight.

Two indistinguishable figures in scrubs took his place, sorting through the instruments. Instruments that would be used on her. Without anesthetic.

Her stomach twisted in fear, her mind screaming.

Nononononononononopleasenonopleaseno

"Begin stage three, procedure six."

A tear escaped Mal's eye, the first of many to come.

Then the pain began.

Make it stop….just stop...please...kill me...

Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep

"Energy levels are at eighty percent! Increase oxygen intake now!"

...just kill me kill me please kill me KILL ME...

"Pulse at two-sixty bpm, get the defibrillator!

"Energy at one hundred percent!"

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

"Clear!"

"No response."

"Recharge. Three, two, one…."

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

Finally.

And Mal is dead.

Anyone want to guess how she comes back? Anyone?

Next up: Loki's cameo!