Winters War Phase 3: Some Kind of Monster

Chapter 8

Whitehall was finishing some paperwork when Madame HYDRA burst in without knocking.

"A news channel reported that a Jane Doe has been found. It's the subject," she reported.

"Get her here before The Avengers find her," Whitehall demanded.

"The team is already on their way."

"Good. Remember, I want her alive. She may be pivotal to HYDRA's dominance as we move forward."

Madame HYDRA turned around and left. On her way out she released a sigh, and felt something breaking inside of her.

A team of medics pushed a stretcher with a young female into the SHIELD QuinJet. Agent Phil Coulson leaned forward to be heard over the sounds of the engine as he spoke to a doctor.

"Thank you for taking care of her. We'll do the rest."

"You're welcome. This is a copy of her medical file as requested, and in this bag we have her belongings," the doctor said, as he handed over the items to the agent. "To be honest, we haven't seen anything like this before."

Coulson smiled.

"Well, lately, nothing surprises us."

They shook hands and the doctor went back inside the hospital.

Melinda May took her seat behind the wheel with Coulson next to her. Jemma Simmons strapped herself next to Julia's stretcher. She wanted to touch her forehead with her bare hand, but an electric shock stopped her before she'd hardly touched her. She reacted with a little shriek.

"Everything okay?" Coulson asked, glancing over his shoulder.

Jemma smiled as she looked back at him.

"Yes, we are. Just a little shock, nothing serious."

She looked at Julia.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. You'll be safe," Jemma said with her sweet caring voice.

"We're not sure if she's a sweetheart," May said. "She's HYDRA after all."

Jemma opened the medical file and started to read, while May took off from the hospital's roof. After a few minutes of reading and staring at the X-rays, Jemma gazed at Julia in astonishment.

As they cruised, Coulson noticed a helicopter on a parallel course.

"We've got company," he said.

The side door of the helicopter opened, and a missile launcher fired from it. May pulled at the steering wheel to avoid the hit. Because of the sudden movement, Jemma had to hold on tight on the bed.

"Hey, careful! We have a patient here," she warned.

May shifted the QuinJet to a higher speed, and went up into the clouds. The helicopter wasn't as fast as the jet, but it tried to stay on their track as it rose higher into the cover. But once the helicopter got high enough, the pilot noticed the QuinJet was gone.

A tired-looking receptionist looked up as Sam and Natasha strode through the hospital doors.

"Hi, I made a call about the Jane Doe, and we are here to identify her," Natasha said in a friendly tone.

The woman's thin eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"Oh. Well...she's already been transferred, half an hour ago."

"By whom?" Sam asked.

"I'm sorry. Because of privacy reasons I can't tell you that." the woman shrugged.

Nat leaned on the counter, the friendliness in her tone replaced with steel.

"We respect your policy, but we need to know who took her. Her life is at risk!"

The receptionist sat up straight, her own expression closed.

"I can't tell you."

Natasha sighed and felt the twinges of a new headache. She turned around and took a seat in the waiting area.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked, sitting next to her.

"Yeah. Just a headache," she mumbled as she massaged her temples.

"Let's go back to the compound. You need your rest."

"But..."

He knelt in front of her.

"We will find her again somehow," he reassured Natasha, "but first you need your rest. Come on, let's go."

Sam tugged gently at her hands and pulled her carefully to her feet before leading her back to the car.

Julia's eyes fluttered open and she squinted into the bright room, her hospital gown crinkling as she shifted to look around. Sticky sensor pads pulled at her skin when she moved, and an oxygen tube sat uncomfortably around her ears. She even noticed an IV in her hand with a thin tube. With her eyes she followed it and saw a sack with clear fluids, hanging on a pole. Panic started to rise in her body. She wanted to move but she couldn't. Raising her head with an effort, she could see that her wrists and ankles were secured to her bed.