Poisoned Youth | Marvel616

Clubs

"So we're back to square one? We have absolutely nothing to help us. " Malcolm ran his hands through his thick, black hair and sighed out of frustration.
"Well, maybe not," Miriam said as her piercing blue eyes scanned Eric's email, "Davenport doesn't seem completely useless. He's the CEO on paper, so of course, he is going to get emails about any odd deliveries. Like, say, to the Lena Plateau in the Sahka republic. Does that sound important Luda?"
Lyudmila's heart dropped to her stomach as she heard the familiar name. She could still feel the cruel frostbite burning her skin and the ever towering mountains keeping her isolated. "It's where I was raised. Vikhrov's base. I can give you the exact coordinates." Luda tried to hide her panic with confidence.
A deafening silence that could only be caused by pure sympathy. Not being able to stand the quiet, Malcolm tried to break up the tone, "I'm still barely recovered from my last flight to Russia. Do you know how exhausting piloting is?"
Lyudmila laughed trying to forget about the sharp pain rising in her chest, "I'm going to find the actual CEO while you guys go recon the base. Aurore, you'll go with them."
Aurore was still unsure of her place, so she was more than happy to stay quiet and observe until she was needed or trusted. "I didn't realize being a team member was a part of the deal. Besides, I think you'll need my help. Didn't you already burn your bridge with Davenport?"
"Your information was incorrect, and, well, I don't help people for free, so you still have to earn it," Luda smirked devilishly, "You should worry more about yourself though. We were all trained by Black Widow hopefully you can keep up."
A flicker of pure anger crossed Aurore's eyes, but she taught herself long ago not to show any emotion. She was more than willing to prove herself to get what she truly wanted.
The high rise tower hid every star in the sky with its artificial light. The tail of summer was still lingering behind with a humid, windy storm howling against the building. Lyudmila's body was pressed against the smooth metal. Her dark, tight suit was hidden amongst the shadows with the only reflection coming from from it's light brown accents. Her boots were stuck firmly against the building, and an anchor was wrapped around her waist.
Luda quietly slipped into Eric's office with the cracked window she left open. His cigarettes were left untouched and the alcohol still sat where Luda left it the day before. She never had to worry about cravings or withdrawals. Luda wasn't capable of getting addicted to anything, cigarettes just controlled her breathing when she couldn't. A drone scanned the building as Luda pulled up the blueprints on her gauntlet.
"There seems to be a floor underground," the high pitched, mechanical voice spoke over the coms.
"Thanks, drone," she mumbled.
The sound of thick boots echoed in the hallway and then quietly disappeared. "Right on time."
Her silhouette quickly made its way down the never-ending flights of stairs. The dim, lit garage appeared virtually empty and dampness and gasoline. Making sure to avoid any cameras, Luda quickly made her way to the elevators. Worn out buttons once new and shiny showed no way down. She wiggled the metal case off to reveal a small slot for an ID.
"Welcome, Eric Davenport." A voice erupted from the panel contrasting the old technology surrounding it.
The elevator descended rapidly making Luda's head spin. The doors slowly opened revealing a large lab filled with tubes and futuristic computers. Several pictures adorned the metal tables looking out of place in the cold, emotionless room. The young girl, around Lyudmila's age, seemed to live in hospitals. A cystic fibrosis ward was always her background. Preserved animals stared at Luda with black, emotionless eyes as she stuck a thumb drive in the computer.
The uncompromising and aged mountains seemed to reach for heaven as the jet flew by. Soft snow scattered into the air as they landed on a barren piece of land.
"God I hate the cold," Malcolm mumbles under his breath.
"Didn't you grow up in Vermont?" Miriam asked
"Not exactly. I lived in California with my grandma till I was 11. She passed away, unfortunately. I never did know why they sent me halfway across the country."
"Sounds like a culture shock."
"Just a little," he laughed quietly.
Aurore stood behind the two friends knowing she wasn't welcomed. The three of them wore white, tactical suits blending into the black, white canvas.
"It's just a mile northeast." Malcolm explained.
"What about guards?"
"Surveillance showed it was heavily guarded, but it was all private sector security so I wouldn't be worried about it," Aurore responded. Miriam stifled at her words, much more willing to pretend she doesn't exist than trust her.
The three trekked through the deep snow in relative silence. Their faces were red and burning with the cold. The heavy snow weighed down on their feet and slowed their pace. A small valley came into view. A large, grey building stood near the edge of a frozen lake. It was windowless in a perfect rectangle. The walls were worn from sitting empty for several years. Barbed wire fence emitted a loud, electric buzz. Guards armed with large guns and batons were stationed at every corner and weak point.
"Are we sure we didn't walk right into the gulag?" Malcolm asked. raising his eyebrows
"I do believe that's what Luda called it." Miriam said quietly, "and I can see why."
Aurore quietly stepped to the front of the group. Her mind was racing with every option and possibility. "I hope you two remember the plan," she smirked.
"Wait, can we at least talk about this?" Miriam groaned as Malcolm and Aurore darted off.
Malcolm and Miriam stayed in the darkness of the forest and mountains. Their stomachs touched the powdery softness as they hunkered down. Malcolm stood out in the untouched snow with his tan skin.
Aurore threw several, small disks to the edge of the barbed wire. A small light appeared in the center before a chirp sounded out. The electric fence and large, stadium lights were short-circuited. Miriam and Malcolm revealed themselves from out of the woods. Several guards, stunned from the small current, came forward. With sniper-like precision, Miriam shot down the four guards.
"Might want to start on phase two before this fight turns into thirty against three," Miriam hid behind a tree to avoid gunfire.
"Look at you finally talking to me," Aurore smirked as she pulled the pin on several containers.
Gas covered the courtyard making it look spectral. The team quickly put on their heat-sensing goggles and entered the thick smoke. Bullets went flying in every direction putting small holes in the smothering atmosphere. The three members quickly created a rhythm. Their bodies all synced together forming an eloquent but deadly dance.
"Someone needs to get into the building sooner than later," Miriam said as she wrapped a chain around a man's throat.
Blood rushed from a guard's incision wound, "Go ahead. We'll keep them busy here."
Malcolm was behind the two women with his rifle. He shot down anyone coming too close to the three of them. Even if they were right beside his teammates, he would send a bullet right between them.
Faint yells and sounds of breaking bones traveled across the yard as Miriam edged further to the building. As quickly as the guards attacked Miriam, they started shooting their gunfire in the opposite direction.
The weight of a train crashed into Miriam's side, sending her flying. Her body recoiled as she slid against the ground. Her gun went flying becoming lost in the dissipating smoke. The sound of a guttural snarl snapped her out of a daze. A large man stood over her hunchbacked. He shook his head like a fly was buzzing around him.
"What's your status? I think I found the grizzly bear." Miriam asked her teammates through her earpiece. Her knees were bent and ready to attack.
A light seemed to flash out in the man's eyes as he ran towards her. Miriam anchored herself to his hip and wrapped her leg around his left one. His sharp claws dug into her skin out of pure instinct. She bared all her weight against the point of his femur until she heard a sickening pop. The man fell onto one knee now slashing wildly without thought. Miriam landed her elbow in the center of his neck rendering him unconscious.
"Cobra has entered the building. Are you ok?" Malcolm asked.
"Yeah I'm fine," she panted as blood gushed down her legs.
Aurore stood in the cold building feeling a sense of dread building inside of her. She walked the halls passing the training room and labs feeling sickeningly at home. A small room was tucked away next to the training room. It has a small bed with a thin sheet over it. Its walls was blank with no window. She shakingly grabbed the door frame and ushered herself onward.
A young girl, barely on the edge of teenagehood, sobbed on the scratchy sheets. She gasped for breaths and hiccuped loudly as she ran her hands through her long coils.
"Cry it all out today for the next five years of your life will be of great consequence, Aurore. Hydra saved you and you'll be expected to repay that debt every day that we protect you from those evil men," a large, powerful man sets beside the girl and strokes her hair, "Only the strong survive. Don't ever forget that."
With a clang, he sat down a bowl of porridge and berries. Aurore hungrily ate her food barely coming up for air. Within a few moments, her round face screwed up in pain as she vomited blood.
The man stood above her like a father watching his child crawl for the first time, "and so it begins."
The building was like an abandoned dollhouse. It looked untouched with not one soul in the building. Aurore made her way to the underground hanger. The jet was gone and boxes upon boxes of stacked on the floor. Big red letters garnered her attention. "Typhon" was haphazardly stamped on every single empty box.
"We need to track down that plane. NOW. There's going to be an attack " Aurore urgently yelled into the comms.
Ten girls crowded around the table filled with needles, power, and decadent-looking food.
"This is the final test ladies. I've seen you all grow from scared, little girls to ruthless machines, but it's time to distinguish the week from the strong. Years of losing hair, temporary paralysis, and stomach pain have led to this. Pray you're strong enough."
Each bite the girls took twisted their organs, each injection seared their veins, and each spoonful of powder tried to liquefy their brains. In the end, three girls died convulsing in pain and begging for anyone to help them. The rest were on their knees begging the vomiting to stop and trying to remember how to move their muscles. Aurore stood alone propped up against the table. Her knees felt like jelly and her stomach wanted to rebel against her, but she fought long and hard because her will to survive out powered everything else.