The Night We Met | Steve / Bucky

three - crazy

2015 

Katherine had lost track of the time since she arrived at the HYDRA Research Base in Sokovia. Although she was treated as a test subject, she evaded memory suppression and being put in ice. The men didn't take advantage of her like they had in the past and she was had a room of her own - well, a room that consisted of glass walls and was fireproof, which Strucker learned the hard way. Her hands were free and she was free to use her powers in her cell, but with very little water and earth to work with she resorted to her air bending and flaming powers to entertain herself. Strucker, with the aid of Doctor List, conducted several experiments on Katherine. Very similar to those she experience when she first discovered her powers; lifting objects, water bending, creating fire, shooting fire and manipulating the air around her. If anything, the experiments with Strucker demonstrated how powerful Katherine actually is. For the first time, Katherine felt fully in control of her powers. 

Katherine sat in her cell with a bowl of water in front of her, twirling her finger over the bowl. The water followed the direction of Katherine's finger, sloshing around the bowl. Katherine moved her finger up, sending the water in the air in front of her. She smiled to her self watching the water pivot in the air in front of her - it was almost soothing. The cell door behind her opened, Doctor List stepping inside. Doctor List was the kinder of him and Strucker. Strucker would push Katherine until the point she couldn't hold herself up anymore, reduced herself to nose bleeds and on several occasions - fainting. Doctor List always knew the limit and given Katherine's ability was sure to keep her alive. "Katherine." List spoke, "They're ready for you." Katherine dropped her hand, the water that was previously dancing in the air, fell lifeless into the bowl. Katherine got to her feet, brushing herself down, "This way."

Katherine followed List, passing other HYDRA agents, weapons and several computers that conducted research studies. There were murmurs around the base that Strucker was experimenting on locals of Sokovia - using the mind stone in the scepter that he managed to get his hands on. Strucker slightly resented that Katherine didn't derive from one of his own experiments and hoped that he could create people like Katherine with the mind stone. But he trusted Katherine and brought her to Sokovia for this particular purpose. 

List brought Katherine to Strucker, who stood in front of a glass cell, split in half. Occupying each cell were kids, not far off Katherines age. One, a boy, running around his cell at a superhuman rate, crashing into the wall dividing him from the girl sitting in her cell on the opposite side. The girl, her eyes glowing red, twisted her fingers around several wooden blocks on the floor. A red glow surrounded the blocks and effortlessly lifted them into the air - not too dissimilar to what Katherine was capable of. "Pietro and Wanda Maximoff." Strucker spoke to Katherine, "Twins."

Katherine watched them in awe. "Successful experiment candidates?" Katherine spoke. Despite the research base being a huge change from where Katherine came from, she fit right in and felt more comfortable speaking to her superiors as they would not abuse her as her previous superiors had. 

Strucker couldn't take his eyes from the twins, "Indeed. I want you to train them."

Katherine furrowed her brows, taking her eyes away from the twins to look to Strucker, "Me? What could I possibly teach them?" Katherine resumed her stare on the twins.

"Control."

-

The HYDRA Research Base had a small space that Strucker dedicated to training the twins. The floor and walls were padded to prevent damage from Pietros speed and Katherine's fire bending abilities. Katherine stood in the middle of the room awaiting her students - as Strucker would refer to them as. The Maximoffs soon entered, looking nervous. "Don't be nervous." Katherine smiled to them, "I won't hurt you -" She spoke gently, "- On purpose."