The door to the hole opens over a week later and I'm still bound in rope with my hands behind me, ankles bound together and gagged. I squint my eyes to the sensitivity of the transition of light after so much darkness but I can't keep them open for long. It hurts too much.

While down here I was fed once every couple days but given water every day so I wouldn't die. I had no visitors other than Strucker and a guard who would let me out to feed myself and use the bathroom. Now my body hurts from being in this position for so long, tired and weak. They made sure I had the bracelet on so I wouldn't use my powers or in case Wanda or Pietro tried to sneak in and have a telepathic conversation with me. They wanted me in total silence. No one to talk to...helpless.

On the days Strucker would come into this room he would kick at my bound body, zap me with the taser and yell at me answers to the questions he would ask until I seemed to get it. He didn't stop there, he drilled into me that he owned me and that I should be grateful that he took care of me and that I owed him for everything. He would continue to repeat that I had no other family other than himself, Wanda, Pietro and the others in this compound. Not once did he mention Archie, making it harder and harder to remember who he or anyone outside of Sokovia was. Things got so out of hand that I started to believe it, barely remembering my own life other than pieces he wanted me to remember before coming here.

"What do you think?" I hear Strucker's hushed Sokovian voice talking to someone.

"That using my dream world would have been more subtle than torture." A woman's British accent says to him, I know that voice.

"We used your dream world." Another man says. It's also a British accent and I know that voice too.

"On occasion." She replies annoyed.

"She needed to be taught a lesson." Strucker says back in his own annoyed yet stern way.

"Magic is better than your methods." She shoots back at him.

"You need to understand that taking other measures can be necessary too. We didn't grow up with magic." The other man says.

I take a painful breath, wanting out. "Mm-mmft." I muffle weakly, opening my eyes slowly now and try to see through the bright light coming from the door. "Please help me." I say through the gag, realizing she's the woman who spoke to me in my head that night in the media room. I just don't understand why she's letting this happen.

"Oh sweetie." The woman's voice says with some sympathy. "Don't try too hard."

My eyes are starting to adjust just as a yellow light flashes towards me and I gasp softly, seeing the Avengers destroying New York as they smash buildings and let people die under the rubble. Then my eyes go back to normal and I pant hard through my gag.

"That would have worked better." Her voice sounds a little angry, "Manipulating the mind doesn't have to be messy." Then the sound of footsteps fade away from me and echoes out of the room.

I'm tired and weak as my eyes close again but then I feel a sharp pain go into my arm, kind of like a needle and I let out a muffled groan from it.

"Who are the Avengers?" Strucker asks in a stern voice now as he pulls off my gag.

I can barely keep my eyes open, my body so still I probably look dead. But I pant softly, my brain a little scattered but then it's like it settles and I can think more clearly.

"American government." I take a painful breath, "They are trying to destroy us and ruin our goal to enhance the military with super powered soldiers." I say with a dry voice but with confidence as I add, "They want all the credit for making Captain America."

He grunts a bit in satisfaction, "She's ready. Get Pietro."

After what feels like ever I feel myself get untied before being lifted off the cold floor, my eyes closed once again as I groan in pain. I feel the bounce in Pietro's steps when I figure out that he's the one carrying me until he starts slowing down and I open my eyes to see that we're in the command room. I'm so tired and feel like I'm grasping for straws on what's happening because I feel hazy, foggy and confused that I grip onto his shirt.

"Shh. I got you, Maddie." Pietro's soft familiar voice comes and I stare up at him to see the sadness in his eyes. "You're okay."

I keep looking at Pietro with a blank expression, as if it's hard to process him. But then I smile and take a breath just as he sets me onto a chair. Then I see that he turns his head to look at someone close by, so I turn my head too.

Wanda is watching us from not too far away with a look in her eyes being soft and worried, fear's building in them and I can tell she wants to come to me but she keeps her distance. "God, Maddie." She practically whispers.

"Do you know who you are?" Strucker asks.

My mouth is dry as I take a deep breath and try to keep my eyes open, "Madison James." I say with a scratchy voice.

"Where are we?"

"Sokovian headquarters."

"What is your mission?"

I rub one of my eyes through the tiredness, "Become more powerful to protect the family. Protect the world."

Strucker nods, now walking to me and sets a hand to my head the way a father would. Then his hand goes to my chin and forces me to look at him. His free hand has a bottle of water so he helps me drink it when he sets the bottle to my lips. As I drink I feel like I get a good amount of my strength back, grasping his wrist so he won't pull the water away.

He smirks down at me and I blink slowly, noticing a surge of energy coursing through me and I'm on my feet almost immediately. I take a deep breath and then he leans in and takes off the bracelet.

"We have work to do, go get cleaned up." he tells me with a soft smile.

I nod, standing straight like a soldier. "Yes, sir." Then I walk around him and head into the hallway, seeing Wanda I smile softly to her but the concern in her eyes confuses me.

"There was an energy serum in that drink." I hear Wanda's thoughts for the first time in ages as she watches me leave, "The same serum you almost died getting from Dr. Magnolia."

"But I feel amazing." I think back to her, truly feeling as if I could fly if I wanted to. "And I'm ready to kick some ass."

...

As I'm heading to my room I can just make out loud footsteps behind me, as if someone is running. Then a soft, "Madison, wait." echoes into my ears.

I hear Wanda's voice when I realize that she chased after me. I don't turn around though while I keep walking down the hall, almost to my room now. "I need to get ready." I have a soft hop in my step because of the limp I permanently got from breaking my leg months ago. All the training in the world hasn't helped me get over it.

She catches up and grabs my arm a bit to stop me, "What did he do to you?" her voice cracks a bit as she asks.

"Wanda, please." I look at her, aware that her hand is still wrapped around my forearm and say as calmly as I can. "I have work to do."

She bites her bottom lip a bit, staring at me with worry. Her eyes are watching mine with such focus it's alarming. Then she sets her hand to my face and rubs my cheek gently. I feel a bit of pain where she touches my skin and I slightly wince, but I lean into her touch nonetheless. "You don't seem like yourself."

I take a breath, grabbing her hand away from my face and instead slip my finger between hers and kiss the back of her hand gently. "I'm fine. I just learned my lesson is all."

Her mouth is parted open a bit, as if trying to figure something out. I don't want her getting into my head so I block her out, which I know she realizes because there's frustration on her face. "Madison..."

"I don't want you reading my mind, okay? Let me change so we can see what the next mission is."

"But…"

"But what, Wanda?" I ask in concern.

"You were in the hole for over a week. He tortured you."

I press my lips together, flashes popping into my head. "I deserved it."

Her mouth slowly drops now, shaking her head. "You're too sweet to deserve anything like that."

"I snooped around and got caught. Consequences are bound to happen."

Now she blinks a bit, as if something is bothering her more than that. "What about Archie? Aren't you worried about him?"

I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion, staring at her like she has two heads. "Who's Archie?"

Her face drops, blinking so slowly that it scares me. She opens and closes her mouth a couple times before she says, "Your best friend."

Not understanding where she's getting at I half laugh, "Um, Wanda. You're my best friend." I squeeze her hand gently and then kiss her cheek before I start to walk backwards, letting her go. "Trying to get rid of me or something?" I joke but her expression isn't giving me the same vibes so I give her a reassuring smile, "I'll meet you in a bit." Then I turn on my heels and bolt down the hallway, still a little off on that conversation and how scared she seemed.

Once I showered and cleaned up I put on my sweatpants and zip up jacket that are both black with blue stripes going down the sides of the arms and legs with a black long sleeved shirt underneath. I fix up my light brown hair into a ponytail as I stare at myself in the mirror, a little banged up on my face and even notice some bruises on my ribs but I take a deep breath, setting a piece of my hair behind my ear and run out of my room to head back to the command room.

"I'm ready, sir." I say to Strucker when I get inside, standing straight and waiting for my next command.

"Good." He turns to me and smiles, pointing to the monitor on the big screen in front of him. "He's our next target."

Wanda and Pietro are looking at the same screen, but their faces are slack. Mine however is on guard as I nod and stare intensely while I read the information of the boy on the screen. The picture of the boy is showing him looking at someone in front of him, but all we see is the back of the head of the girl he's talking to. He has a bright smile on his face, his brown eyes twinkling with messy dirty-blond hair, a scruff on his tanned face and a noticeable scar on his cheekbone. As I read more of the information on him it says that he's 5'10", born in Brooklyn, NY in America and is a wizard. His name...Archard Arias.

I tilt my head a bit from reading this, feeling like my brain is on fire when it hurts for a split second as if something is trying to break through. But then just as quickly it's gone. "I'm from Brooklyn."

"Yes." Strucker says, staring at me now. "But because you're an American born witch the US government wants you to join them instead of us. He was sent here to retrieve you."

I look at Strucker now, crossing my arms over my chest. I'm aware that the twins are eyeing me with concern, as if they want to say something but can't. I however don't pay attention to them because they are distracting me. "What's the plan?"

Strucker smirks softly, "Capture him."

"And if he resists?"

"Then you kill him."

I smirk now, nodding at him. "No problem."

The twins look at each other in alarm, then their heads snap to Strucker as he looks at them and tells them that this mission is just for me. Wanda's face slacks a little bit, her eyes still focused on Strucker until her gaze shifts away from him with a nod. Then she leans over and whispers to Pietro before they both stare at me with worried eyes.

I recognize that familiar look she has because it's the same one I get when I'm reading minds or talking to someone with my power. So I watch her for a few long seconds, debating whether to let her in because I can tell that she's trying. But I decide against it, not needing to have doubts about my mission as I turn my gaze away from her sad eyes and look back at Strucker. "Where can I find him?"

He stares at the screen for a while before looking back at me, "Last location was in the woods of our compound. One of the guards saw him and chased him down until he slipped away."

"That's not much to go on. This area is huge."

He slightly smiles with his arms over his chest now, "I know you can track him."

I'm glad he's confident in that because I sure as hell am not. However I nod to him regardless of how I feel with a soldier stance and then turn when he dismisses me. How am I going to find this kid on my own?

...

I searched that whole day for this boy and he was nowhere to be found despite willing myself to hear his thoughts and hoping that I wouldn't get a headache if he was more than 20 feet away, but I was not successful in tracking him down. I got all the way to the edge of the compound and could look over the mountain to see the city from where we are and I knew if he made it that far I'd never know where he ended up. Luckily this didn't have Strucker upset or disappointed, he knew it would be a long shot to figure out where he went on the first day.

For a few hours extra after I get back to the compound I'm in Strucker's office, pinpointing spots where this Archard boy could be hiding out if he did end up in the main part of the city. My eyes are glued to the maps and tour brochures, anything we found on the web to get some feedback and clues. But I can feel myself crashing now because that serum that Wanda told me that I drank from the water bottle earlier made me lose how hyped up I had been, and now I feel tired and weak.

"This boy is dangerous." his voice seeps into my ears and I turn to him, blinking slowly as if I can barely grasp what he said. "If he gets his hands on you all is lost for our cause because the Americans will have another enhanced with them."

I take a breath, my hands still hovering over the keyboard to his computer as I'm sitting in his chair and he's half sitting on the edge of his desk beside me. "I don't plan to let them get me, sir. I know the cause and I know what my country has done."

He smiles softly and sets his hand onto my head, "He'll make up lies, but you mustn't believe him."

I smile back at him gently, "Capture or kill him. I know my orders."

"That's my girl." he gets off his desk now and ushers me to stand, "Go get some sleep."

"Yes, sir." I get to my feet and give him a nod before I walk to his door and leave.

Once I'm in my room I get into my PJs, use the bathroom and then lay on my bed. That usual feeling of not being able to sleep as I toss and turn for what feels like ever overwhelms me and instead I end up watching TV. As I stare at the TV I occasionally look over to my door, for some reason Wanda hasn't come to see me as it's now well after midnight. I'm almost positive I've done something wrong, because she's been in my room almost every night since we started our movie/show nights. I wonder if she's mad at me.

Then it's like my wish comes true because I hear a soft knock to my door and I look at it, sensing who it is right away as I smile to myself. "Come in." I stare at the door as it opens slowly and watch the twins walk inside, "It's about time." I half laugh, shaking my head in disappointment. "Left me hanging to watch TV by myself tonight."

They both look at each other with a bit of hesitation, not seeming in a good mood. Then they walk in all the way and close the door behind them. This is kind of odd behavior considering it wasn't a bad day, so I sit up and tilt my head at both of them. I even leave room for Wanda to squeeze under the covers with me. But neither of them budge from their spots by the door and now I'm alarmed.

My eyes shift between the two of them in concern, "What's wrong?"

Wanda bites her lip a bit and takes a breath, "We're worried about you, Madison."

I shake my head in confusion, "I don't understand."

"Maddie…" Pietro now says as he walks a little closer to my bed, "You're different."

I raise my eyebrows now, "Different in what way?"

"You went into the hole ready to kill everyone in your path and you came out…" He presses his lips together gently, "Brainwashed."

I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion, shaking my head now. "I'm not brainwashed, I know who I am."

"You know who you are but you're missing parts of yourself." Wanda says as she finally sits on the edge of my bed, facing me. "That boy you're chasing is part of your past and something won't let you remember." There's a look on her face like she wants to say more and I can sense her overwhelmed emotions while she holds herself back.

I blink slowly, staring at her gently. I see flashes of the boy's face in my head while he smiles and laughs, feeling like I've heard that laugh before. Then I feel a soft throb to my forehead and I close my eyes, setting my hand to it a bit.

"Baby?" Wanda's voice echoes into my ears, her hand setting to my leg now. "What is it?"

I take a breath, the throbbing going away and I pull my hand off of my forehead. Then I shift my eyes up to her and shake my head, a stern look on my face as I clench my jaw. "I don't know him. He's my target."

"M-Madison." she says with worry now, her eyes look scared. "Please think."

"Wanda…stop." I say annoyed now.

"Think." She says urgently.

"Tread lightly, Wanda." Pietro says cautiously.

She seems to ignore him though, continuing to talk to me. "You grew up with him. You came here together."

My brain scatters again from seeing his face, his bright smile, twinkling eyes. I see us running around as kids, "A-Archie." I say in between breaths.

"Yes." Wanda says, "Your best friend since birth."

I stare at her for a few long seconds and then gasp sharply in pain, my eyes flash blue and then yellow seeps into my mind while a loud ringing comes to my ears. Then another sharp pain to my head, making me groan and wince. "I...I can't…" I pant harder, placing both of my hands to my head now. "S-Stop..."

"God what have they done to you?" Wanda says in a broken tone, sounding like she's about to cry as she grabs my hands in hers and pulls them away from my head.

I grip her hands in mine, feeling the pain increase as I pant heavily and look at her with tears in my eyes. "It...hurts."

She's holding back her tears as she lets go of one of my hands now, "Shh." she places a thumb onto my forehead the way she always does, smoothing it softly between my eyebrows.

I take a sharp breath, seeing the blue fading from my eyes now as the pain subsides and I slump a bit forward as if I can't keep myself up.

Wanda gets closer to me and holds me in her arms, rocking me gently from my sudden weakened state. "I got you."

"Wanda." Pierto says, making her look at him. "Whatever happened to her down there it's not allowing her to remember." He points to me, "There's a side effect when she tries."

"What do we do?" she asks him, her head resting on mine now.

I feel like I'm barely awake as I hear them, but now I can't make out much of their conversation. So the last thing I hear before I pass out is, "We do what Strucker says. We can't interfere."