Iris Crawsen: Hydra's Glorious Mistake

Origins-1962: "Root and Stem..."

Zola looks at the Pendulum Relic through a large magnifying glass. Slowly tinkering with its dials and mechanisms while reading from a old tattered book, faded green in color, it's pages scribbled in Latin. A nurse enters the room, startling Zola who receives a small shock from the relic. Zola frustrated looks up from his work to the apologetic nurse, "What could it possibly be?" he snapped hatefully. The nurse bowing her head, "Project Annihilation has been cleared. The swelling has subsided. Your assistant has noted a full recovery despite the damage. She has also been successfully processed through the Memory Suppressing and awaits her orders Dr. Zola." she informs him meekly. Zola looks away from the relic with a smile, "Take me to her..."

Anni had been in Med-Ward for nearly a month. She had finally regained sight in her left eye after the breaking of her cheek bone. Her face still has a hint of bruising around her cheeks and eyes. She sat on the end of the Exam table, left in a fog from being subjected to the Memory Suppressing Process. "Project Annihilation!" Zola glee'd, "How wonderous to see you out of bandages and nearly restored to your full glory.". Anni glared at Zola with emptiness. "Follow me, Fraulein." Zola ordered turning away from Anni who rose to her feet slowly. Zola lead her to a large meeting room. As he walked in, Soldat was already there, standing before a table where Ivan and others were seated. Zola took his seat in between them. 

Anni walked into the room and stood next to Soldat, who only offered a quick glimpse to her before returning his face forward. "We have brought you both here today to inform you of your next mission. I trust we have come to an understanding of our expectations and the consequences of failure? Hmm?" Zola said with a coldness. Soldat and Anni both shake their heads in agreement to Zola. 

"We have a small problem back in the United States. A woman who we did not think would be successful in causing a commotion, has made enough waves to be graced with an audience with the US Senators and SHIELD. She poses a threat to our infiltration projects and weaving in with major organizations such as SHIELD. You are ordered to eliminate her and destroy any evidence she may have had. Is that understood?" Zola asserted. "Understood.." Soldat and Anni respond blandly. "You will depart in a couple of hours. Ivan is gathering the last bit of intel needed. O, and Anni..." Zola trailed off, "Remember who you belong too." he said coldly. Anni dropped her head, and took her leave. She went to the Armory to gather her spear and daggers, when she sensed someone near her. Without even turning her head, she knew who it was, "What do you want, Zimniy Soldat?" she said hatefully, but he doesn't answer. "Are you just going to stand there or.." is all she gets out before he is nose to nose with her. "How did you do it? How did you put those images in my head?!" he growls. She quickly backs away from him looking into his eyes, "What are talking about?" she replies. Soldat is befuddled, "I carried you to Med-Ward after..." he avoids talking about the vicious beating he was ordered to deliver up on her, "I..I touched your hand..." tears pulling into his broken eyes, "I saw you.. you and me.." he says looking to Anni for some kind of reassurance, but he finds nothing. "I don't know what you saw or what you think you saw, but you need to get it together! You and I, we're nothing but children of Hydra. We take orders, and we deliver results. That is the extent of who WE are. Got it." She snaps sharply before brushing her shoulder with him. 

Ivan finds Zola in his office, nose buried into the tattered green book, "Have you made any discoveries in how the Pendulum works, Doctor?" Ivan bellows with his deep Russian voice. Zola gives his attention to Ivan, "In absentia lucis, Tenebrae vincunt. Do you know what that means Ivan?" Zola riddled to him, "I am afraid not." he answered. "In the absence of light, darkness prevails." Zola answered, "The Pendulum opens the door to an other worldly strength and power. Much more then we have seen with the combination of Annihilation's DNA mutation and the power of the Tesseract. However, we need a catalyst, according to the text. To help reign in the energy that would be emitted from the combination of the two. I know nothing known to man or man-made could withstand it's power." Zola said with a timid tone of defeat. "Continue the work, Doctor. I will make sure Annihilation is ready for the process upon our return." Ivan said before taking his leave.