Breathe

Chapter One : Escape

A/N I don't own anything Marvel except my own characters and storyline.  Please don't copy.

Dusting myself off, I stand up. Facing my opponent once again.

"Do not speak to me!" The man kicks my gut again, but this time I stand my ground and remain silent.  I could rip his throat out, my abilities allow me to.  But, unfortunately I have my orders.

"You don't even know who I am."  I scoff under my breath in Dutch.

"Do not speak!"  The man shouts again, one of his men grab my arm.  I twist it slightly, but he only tightens his grasp.

"You're a hypocrite."  I tell the man in front of me.  He sneers at me before signalling his guard, and within a moment my arm is twisted and snaps.  Wincing, I narrow my eyes.

"Kill her."  He tells the guard before looking at me again, "You worked faithfully here for seven years.  You never spoke.  You never argued.  So I'm disapointed in putting you down."

"I'm sorry, was I not perfect enough?"  I demeanor him, "The one you experimented on and tortured wasn't the perfect lab rat you wanted?  Oh, I'm sorry.  Apparently you didn't cut out my vocal chords like you thought."

My 'boss' turns and leaves the room with a scowl on his face, leaving me alone with one guard.  He should know better.  The guard takes out his gun, but I kick it out of his hand and snap his neck before he realizes.  I bolt out of the room and recall how to leave the building.
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

"Aecus, requesting extraction."  I speak into the communicator.

"Extraction's 30 minutes out."

"Make it 15."  I order and shove it into my pocket.  Looking out, the horizon's beautiful sunrise is interrupted by the fire and ash of the building I was in less than 20 minutes ago.  Enemy scouts will be here in another 20.  I sigh heavily and breathe in the fresh air freely.  Seven years I've been undercover at the HYDRA base in Maine, and while it was horrible, it definitely hasn't been the worst thing I've gone through.  But it came close.

I organize my thoughts for my mission debriefing, debating on telling Fury everything.  They might not send me back in the field for a while if they know what happened.

Six years since I was a lab rat.  Five years since I got my abilities.  Four years since my throat got sliced open.  Three years since I was cut open.  Two years since my body count rose drastically.  One year since the incident.  Six months since I regained my memories.

I shake my head, trying to rid my mind of the memories.  Running my hand through my matted brunette hair, I gaze at my shoes.  Muddy, ripped up.  The only things that lasted the seven years of horror.  S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't know what they were sending me into, it's not their fault.  They don't even know what I can do now.  I mean they know I'm a level seven agent.  They even considered me for the Avengers Initiative, but then they sent me undercover.  They trained me in when I was 12 after Agent Coulson found me outside their building, I was a runaway after all.  I've never met any of the Avengers, even though they say I'm as good as Romanoff. 

May recommended me actually, she's a good friend.  She was my supervising officer, and while I mostly worked with Coulson's team before I was sent undercover, I also learned engineering from Fitz and bio-chem from Simmons.  The whirling air disrupts my thoughts, and I climb into the quinjet quickly.

"Agent Atrox, it's a pleasure meeting you."  A younger man, a recruit, smiles at me.  I glance at him, not really wanting to speak.

"You as well."  I reply, "What's happened the past seven years?"

"Director Fury will catch you up."  The man replies, and we don't talk the rest of the flight.
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

"Atrox, it's nice to see you again."  Fury says as I enter his office, I give him a nod.

"It's good to be back."  His brow furrows slightly at the sound of my voice.  I forgot it changed.  After they tried to cut out my vocal chords, they healed and now my voice is broken in a way, scratchy and rough.

"I'll be debriefing you."

"Alright then.  Where do you want me to start?"

~~

"Sir!  We have a volunteer."

"Her name?"

"My name's Anne Peters, sir."

~

"Prep her for treatment."

"But it's experimental."

"That's why she volunteered."

~

"What's she doing?  What's going on?!"

"She seems to be able to mimic any animal's ability.

~

"Take it out."

"What?"

"Make sure she cannot speak.  Remove her vocal cords."

~

"Find out how she can do that, cut her open, figure out how she survived that."

~

"Wipe her."

"Bu-"

"She just wiped out 14 different cities.  Wipe.  Her."

~

"Sir, it's not safe keeping her here anymore.  She's a threat."

"She's always been a threat."

~~

I give him the run down of the past seven years as I relive it in my mind as snipits.  My memory still hasn't fully recovered, and I doubt it ever will.

"You can mimic animals?"  Fury looks confused and amazed.

"Yes."  I focus on the speed of a cheeta, and whithin the second I feel it in my veins.  I quickly get out of the chair and speed around the room inhumanely fast before calming my mind and returning to my chair.

"That's impressive."

"It was horror, sir."  I reply, referring to my experimentation.

"About what happened to you in there, you were in deep, your protocol never allowed you to check in, and I'm sorry for that."

"Director, they wiped my memory the minute my experimentation began.  I never would've been able to contact SHIELD." 

"Is it all back?"  He asks.

"Fragments of the past seven years.  But the rest of my life?  I remember all of that."  I shift in my chair as I bring up my past.

"Would you consider the Avengers Initiative?"

"I thought I didn't qualify."  I say.

"You've always qualified, I just never thought you were ready."

"And I'm ready now?"  I ask, doubt in my voice.

"You would make a great addition to the team, Agent Atrox."

"I'll have to sleep on it."  I reply, standing up to leave.

"Please do."  I start to leave, before stopping.

"Is Coulson's team here?"

"They just got in."  A slight smile plays on his features.