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Undisclosed Location
Shortly after Days of Future Past
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The facility was large, extensively dug away underground. S.H.I.E.L.D. thought they had explored most of the Weapon X facility, but they were gravely mistaken. Under constant construction since before the American Civil War, not WWI as S.H.I.E.L.D. suspected, the Weapon X facility was massive, an underground HYDRA bunker "recovered" by S.H.I.E.L.D. in the early 1980s, it stretched beneath three separate states and two countries.

One of the most secure facilities was located miles beneath the surface of the Earth. Challenging depths of the Mariana Trench, those who went into this laboratory had to be taken down slowly, the journey taking up to an hour, in the special condition of the triple-reinforced vibranium elevator.

This facility, designated Betatron, held HYDRA's most valuable weapons and assets: Wolverine's DNA, the ravaged body of their leader Red Skull, the Zolac AI, an infinity gem, among many other valuable treasures. The man in charge of this deep-rooted area of HYDRA was a man by the name Baron von Strucker. Strucker, a survivor of World War II, keeping himself alive by experimental ways such as the Deathlok program, the Centipede serum, GH-325, and many others maintained an iron fist over every project at this level of the HYDRA facility. He was bald, straight, and stern. His green HYDRA uniform was decorated with many medals for his valuable service. One half of his face was burned, the flesh nothing but scar tissue. His eye was missing on that side of his face, replaced with a crystal one that acted as a communication device and gave him direct contact to anyone he wished. His other eye was an icy blue, cold and unforgiving, merciless.

He was currently talking to someone only referred to as Madame Hydra. She was inquiring into his open projects, specifically that of X-23 and the Weapon X project.

"We learned our lesson with Wolverine. We injected the sleeping agent into her brain fluids the moment she was born. She retained all of her secret commands and can be activated at any moment. Unfortunately, we never finished coating her skeleton with adamantium. That would have stunted her growth at the time. Now she's ready. All we need is her."

"Good," Madame Hydra replied. "She is exactly where I want her. Our informant with the X-Men is keeping an eye on her. We must wait for the right moment."

"Very well, Madame Hydra."

Madame Hydra smiled. "Hail HYDRA"

"Hail HYDRA" von Strucker replied.