The Before [Prequel- Part 1]

Hydra

~~~Catherine's pov~~~

"We need to get them back. No question. But the rest of the team is down. I need you to-" Coulson started, but I interrupted him.

"Phil, stop. I can't. You know I can't. Ward has already seen me. They know I'm back." I tried to protest.

"I'm not trying to dismiss your situation, but I need you to do this. For Jemma and Fitz."

I can't. I promised Loki that if Hydra ever became an issue, I would stay out of it.

I looked to the ground. I can't believe I'm about to do this. "Heading in now, sir," I said quietly, grabbing a gun and teleporting out of the Zephyr and into the castle.

Unfortunately, I landed in a circle of Hydra agents, all of their guns pointed at me.

Time for things to get messy.

Using my magic, I crushed their guns. But that wasn't enough. They were Inhumans. They didn't need weapons.

Thankfully, they didn't have the serum on them. I doubt they even knew who I was-

"Hello, Catherine."

Malick.

I spoke too soon.

"Hello, Malick. Happy to see me again?" I tilted my head, trying to conceal the fear I was feeling.

"Oh, yes. Very happy. In fact, so happy that I brought an old friend along." He stepped aside to reveal Ward behind him.

"Hey, Cat. Nice to see you again. You're looking well. What have you been up to? Other than threatening my brother's life."

"Lots of stuff, you know. I made some new friends and some new enemies. And I've developed a lot, and I mean a lot, of anger issues. So, kindly leave me alone, and I won't crush your skull." I said sweetly.

"I know you're more than capable of it. I saw what you did to that man at the penthouse. Did you ever stop and consider that the men had cameras on them?" He taunted. "I thought I taught you better. I see all our time training together was meaningless."

"It wasn't training. It was you making time to threaten me for an hour uninterrupted." I seethed. "And it was not wasted or meaningless. It gave me the motivation to kill you and all of Hydra."

With that, I snapped the necks of the seven Hydra soldiers surrounding me with just a flick of my wrist.

I took joy in the fear I saw in Ward's eyes. Malick's too.

~~~Ward's pov~~~

Okay, so she's more powerful than I remember. And a bit more insane.

I think we pushed her to the edge.

The last time I saw her, in person at least, I had terrified her into submission. Granted, she wasn't as experienced then...

"Sir?" I looked at Malick but only saw fear.

"Do what you must." He spoke to me quietly as her eyes turned pitch black, and she advanced closer.

Like that's even the slightest bit helpful?!

The woman isn't a scared teenager anymore! Old Hydra fear tactics won't work on her!

Just then, one of the soldiers got up behind her. I guess his Inhuman ability protected him from her magic. Seconds later, he knocked her unconscious.

"Good work, soldier." Malick breathed a sigh of relief as we walked over to her unconscious figure.

"Do you remember her being this powerful? Ever? Because I certainly don't. How do we use this to our advantage?" I asked. "Fear won't work."

"That's where you're wrong, Ward. Two things. One. After what we put her through last time, there is a high chance she'll have some form of PTSD. And two. We have this." He held up a small vial of gray fluid.

"And that is?"

"The one thing in the universe that can cancel out her magic."

~~~Catherine's pov~~~

I groaned as I came to. I was strapped to a wooden chair in the middle of a dark, windowless room.

Just like old times.

I needed to get out of there. But teleporting didn't work. The room I was in must've been lined with the serum.

Well, sh-

"Look who's finally awake?" Ward walked in, slamming the steel door shut behind him. "Hey, Witchy."

"Don't call me that," I said through clenched teeth.

"Fine. What do you prefer? Witchy? Witch? Or the little girl who forgot how things work around here?"

"Hmmm. You know that last one is a bit long. But I'm- " He cut me off by gripping my throat tightly, blocking my airway.

"Do you think this is a joke? It's been eight years, so I'll cut you some slack. First rule, you take a beating without complaining. Second rule, don't talk back. And third rule, no escaping. Evidently, you forgot that last one." He released his hold on my neck, leaving me gasping for air.

"Your daddy isn't going to save you this time. And neither is Shield. Or even Mr. James Barnes. He's been out of play since Project Insight failed and Pierce died. You can thank your friends Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff for that." He ran a knife across my neck, drawing some blood.

My breath quickened, and my heart was beating out of my chest. I was starting to have a panic attack.

No, no, no! Keep it under control! Keep it under control, Catherine! Don't show weakness in front of him. It will just make things worse.

"Aww. Poor little girl having some painful flashbacks?" He mocked me.

"What do you want?" I asked, tears starting to fall.

"What I want? Oh no. You've got it all wrong. It's what Malick wants. And he wants you to be our next Winter Soldier."

Winter Soldier. Just like James.

"It's been quite the struggle since we lost Barnes. But I think you're just what we need to replace him. How does the Winter Witch sound?"

I kept silent.

"Oh, so now you shut your mouth! Those rules starting to come back to you now?" He ended the statement with a punch to the stomach and then to my face.

In a moment of weakness, I cried out in pain, earning me a knife slash to the arm and another kick to the stomach.

"What part of taking a beating without complaint do you not understand?" He cut me out of the chair and tossed me onto the cold floor.

~~~Ward's pov~~~

I'm enjoying this.

I stalked closer to her, and she backed away into a corner.

"Not so tough now, huh? Now that you don't have your magic." I got out my gun and loaded it.

"No! Please!" She cried, holding her hands in front of her blood-splattered face.

"Tsk. Tsk. You broke the rule again. No. Complaining." I shook my head, shooting the wall behind her, making her scream out in fear.

I chuckled. "You still don't get it? This just keeps getting better and better."

I shot the wall behind her a few more times, unaware of the fact that I had weakened its integrity.

Suddenly, she stood up.

"You're right." She smirked through her tears. "It just keeps getting better and better."

Without any warning, she threw herself against the ancient castle wall, making it crumble.

I felt my face pale as I realized my mistake.

She ran out through the hole in the wall and teleported away.

I'm such an idiot!