Project Vita Nova || Yelena x oc

Chapter 3

Delick stood on top of a high sand dune, staring out at the wreckage beneath him.

"Will someone give me a useful explanation as to why my laboratory is in flames?" Delick asked, swinging around at one of his guards.

"We're searching the wreckage now sir...looking for any signs of survivors." The guard responded, looking away from Delick and back at the pile of rubble.

"I don't care about any survivors. I only care about the project. If the project is dead then we will soon be joining her." Delick growled. The guard next to Delick gave him a surprised expression, and then chuckled nervously.

"Sir...you can't be serious. Hydra wouldn't kill us just because she escaped and blew up the lab." But even as he said this, he knew it was true.

"Commander Tren, you know that Hydra gets what they want, no matter what, and no matter who they kill."

Delick crossed his arms, watching as a helicopter was being strapped to a pile of wreckage and lifting it up. Several Hydra guards rushed forward, helping some of the survivors out of the wreckage. A medic started tending to some of the more grievously injured. Delick lazily walked down the sand dune and over to the group of survivors.

"Captain, explain what happened." Delick was on the verge of an angry outburst.

The captain brushed away the medic who was trying to help him, and stood up.

"Sir, a stealth squad infiltrated our facility and took the project. We didn't see them coming." The captain's voice was wavering with nerves.

"Who were they?" Delick balled his fists.

The guard hesitated in responding.

"Who were they!" Delick yelled, grabbing the captain by the throat. The guard struggles under Delick's grip.

"Avengers...the Avengers." the captain chokes out.

Something snapped in Delick's mind and he yelled out in anger, and threw the captain to the ground.

"Contact Hydra command. I need to inform them of this new development." Delick recomposes himself, smoothing out his shirt.

*****

"So, how did the mission go?" Fury asked, sitting down and propping his feet up on top of his desk.

Steve and Wanda walk into Fury's office. Steve sets a crate of papers and different bits of technology and holds up a thin, silver flash drive. "Natasha downloaded the information from the Hydra computers and I salvaged this from the main lab."

Fury glanced at the crate and sat up.

"Any hostages or prisoners?" Fury picked up several pieces of paper and began to scan them. When no one answers, Fury looks up, giving them both a questioning look.

"One prisoner. A young female." Wanda answers. Fury looks around.

"Well? Where is she?"

Wanda and Steve exchange glances, then turn around at the sound of footsteps behind them to see Natasha and Valary entering the room. They both stop, standing next to Steve and Wanda.

"Director Fury, meet Valary Ryans." Natasha says, motioning from Fury to Valary.

Fury stands up and sticks his hand out, which Valary shakes.

"Pleasure to meet you." Fury says, sitting back down.

Valary gives him a curt nod, expecting to be bombarded with thousands of questions.

"If you three could excuse us?" Fury asks, glaring at them. Wanda and Natasha turn and leave, but Steve hesitates, giving Fury a strange look. Fury just stares back at him with a hard expression. Steve turns and leaves, closing the door to the office behind him.

"So, Miss Ryans..." Fury starts, motioning at the chairs in front of him. "Welcome to the Avengers compound."

Valary pulls out a chair and sits down.

"Thank you." Valary says, shyly.

"You must have a lot of questions."

"I'm sure you have a lot for me too." Valary shoots back.

Fury leans back, throwing his arms out in a surrendering manner.

"Let's make a trade. You ask a question. I answer. Then I ask a question which you answer." Fury suggests, staring at Valary with his one eye.

"Sounds fair."

"And let's make it easier on the both of us and agree not to lie to each other." Fury folded his hands together.

"Alright...I'll ask first. What are the Avengers?"

Fury gives her a look that says it all. "Really? That's your question?"

"Yes, it is."

"The Avengers...uh...earth's mightiest heroes. They defend the human race from threats." Fury recited. "My turn. Why were you at the Hydra facility?"

Valary ponders the question for a moment. "I was kidnapped...a test subject for Project Vita Nova."

"Project Vita Nova? What's that?" Fury asked, sitting forward.

"Nope...not your turn. What do you want with me?" Valary asked, sliding down in her chair a bit.

"I sent in the team to investigate the Hydra base and rescue any prisoners that Hydra may have taken. You happened to fall into the category of 'prisoner.'"

Valary nodded at the response.

"What's Project Vita Nova?" Fury was now fully invested, intently studying her body language. Valary shifted uncomfortably at the question.

"One of Hydra's new objectives. Headed by their main mainiac, Dr. Spencer Delick."

"What was their objective with the project?" Fury asked instantly. Valary ignored the fact that it wasn't his turn any more and went ahead and answered his question.

"To create a new kind of super powered agent. Hydra took two dozen kids, all with some sort of common genetic trait...tried to give them powers." Valary shifts nervously as she answers.

Fury nods, now fully invested in what the girl was saying.

"Miss Ryans, now I must ask the question...do you have powers?"

Valary hesitates at the question, her fear rising of what this one eyed man would do if he found out what she was capable of. Could this man and these so-called "earth's mightiest heroes" turn out to be another Hydra? Would they just turn her into another lab rat? But then again, these people had already treated her more kindly than Hydra ever had.

She leans forward in her seat, picking up a metal paperweight from Fury's desk. She clenches it tightly in her hands. Fury watches intensely, as Valary's exposed flesh turns to the same shimmering metal of the paperweight.

(Oooooo she has powers!)

(Hi loves, hope you guys are having an amazing day. I've been having so much fun writing this story. My word doc for it is now over 30 pages. Kinda crazy.)

(Hopefully you guys are enjoying the story. I apologize if progress seems slow. Don't worry, it'll get good.)

(Did I mention you guys are absolutely fantastic. You all look absolutely stunning today.)

(I'll be posting more parts soon!)