The Soulmate Initiative: Book 1

2. Enhanced

LOCATION: SOKOVIA

In the HYDRA base, Prisha and Warren Maximoff hear a distant explosion, then an announcement over the PA from Wolfgang von Strucker "Report to your stations immediately. This is not a drill. We are under attack!" HYDRA soldiers run to the armoury to grab weapons and run outside.

Out in a forest, Suzanne Wilson is flying around with guns and a new set of wings. Nian Romanoff is driving a vehicle, Candice standing up in it with her bow and exploding arrows. They are being chased by another vehicle and being shot at. Tasia flies over and takes out the vehicle next to the pair, then flies up to a tower and takes out the soldiers up there. Some of the soldiers have equipment allowing them to fly. Stacey drives through the battle on a motorbike, throwing soldiers and her shield about. The Hulk tears through the forest, beating soldiers against each other, trees and the snow covered ground. Further ahead is a mountain and on that mountain is the HYDRA base they need to get to. 

Suzanne flies up to the building, avoiding being shot and gets close, but hits a force field "Argh! Damn it!" Stacey talks to Jarvis through her comms, there is a Stark satellite up in orbit, being able to keep them informed "Jarvis, what's the view from upstairs?" "The central building is protected by some kind of energy shield." The satellite images are relayed back to the Avengers Tower, where Ashley and Lavina are watching the screen, while trying to keep little Maria happy "Strucker's technology is well beyond any other HYDRA base we've taken." Lavina comments "The sceptre must be there. Strucker couldn't mount this defence without it." Tasia adds "At long last." Nian and Candice get out of the vehicle and fight on the ground, Nian tossing grenades at soldiers' feet. He tackles two soldiers to the ground, punching and kicking, knocking them unconscious "At long last is lasting a little long, ladies." Candice pokes out from behind a tree to shoot an arrow "Yeah. I think we lost the element of surprise." Stacey throws her motorbike at a vehicle driving and shooting at her, flipping it over.

Strucker walks into a tech room "Who gave the order to attack?" A man replies "Herr Strucker, it's the Avengers." Then a soldier continues "They landed in the far woods. The perimeter guard panicked." Strucker speaks to Dr List "They have to be after the sceptre. Can we hold them?" The first man replies "They're the Avengers." "Deploy the rest of the tanks. Concentrate fire on the weak ones. A hit may make them close ranks." He talks quietly to Dr List again "Everything we've accomplished… but we're on the verge of our greatest breakthrough." "Then let's show them what we've accomplished. Send out the twins." They look over at the Maximoff twins who are standing in a corner, quietly talking amongst themselves, though, they are secretly listening. Strucker shakes his head "It's too soon." "It's what they signed up for." "My men can hold them."

Suzanne is up on the mountain, but not getting too close to the building. Jarvis informs the group "The city is taking fire." Stacey speaks "Well, we know Strucker's not gonna worry about civilian casualties." Ashley, from home, makes a decision "Send in the Iron Legion." Five metal suits, looking similar to the Iron Woman suit, but silver and blue with an Avengers branding, land in the city and one says "This quadrant is unsafe. Please back away. We are here to help." Another speaks from a bit further away "This quadrant is unsafe. Please back away." The civilians aren't taking it well, yelling at the suits "We wish to avoid collateral damage. We will inform you when this current conflict is resolved. We are here to help." People start shouting "Avengers, go home!" Then they start throwing things at the suits, that keep repeating "We are here to help." 

Strucker talks in front of his people "We will not yield! The Americans sent their circus freaks to test us. We will send them back in bags. No surrender!" "No surrender!" People start moving about and Strucker whispers to Dr List "I am going to surrender. You delete everything. If we give the Avengers the weapons, they may not look too far into what we've been-" "The twins." "They are not ready to take on-" "No, no. I mean…" He indicates to where the twins were standing, but they are no longer there "...twins." Prisha had grabbed her brother and zoomed the pair out of the base, with her super speed. They head into the forest.

Candice hides behind a tree, she peeks round to see where a bunker is, people are shooting from there. She pulls out an arrow and loads her bow, she aims for the bunker with her exploding arrow, but just before it hits, Prisha grabs it out of the air and throws it aside. Candice is confused and tries again, but before she can even shoot, she is knocked off her feet but Prisha running by her and pushing her over. Candice looks up as Prisha, with a cocky smile on her face, her white blonde hair blowing in the breeze and a swagger in her stride, walks by "You didn't see that coming?" She then zooms away, a trail of silvery-blue mist forming after her, but disappearing after a second. Candice had raised her bow, but way too late. Just then an energy beam is shot at her and she drops onto the snow, groaning in pain. Nian sees her go down and runs to her "Candice!" Stacey is thrown off her feet, up into the air, as Prisha speeds by her, but Stacey manages to land back on her feet "We have an enhanced in the field." "Candice is hit!" Nian barely avoids a shot as he bends backwards, then getting onto his knees beside Candice "Somebody want to deal with that bunker?" The Hulk roars and charges at the bunker, taking it out and attacking the soldiers, while Nian applies pressure to Candice's wound and tries to stabilise her "Thank you." 

Stacey hits soldiers with her shield "Suzanne, we really need to get inside." "I'm closing in." Suzanne lands right outside a door to a lower part of the building that isn't shielded, and shoots at the soldiers there "Jarvis, am I closing in? Do you see a power source for that shield?" "There's a particle wave below the North tower." She flies over a gate and around the base of the mountain, taking out soldiers on her way. Ashley comments "Go poke it with something." Suzanne flies into a vehicle, picking up one of their energy weapons and flies up to the main building, she throws it at the shield and it collapses "Whoo! Drawbridge is down, people!" Stacey presses a button on her wrist and her shield flies up to connect to the magnets on her wrist and forearm that Ashley had made her. She then runs over to Tasia, who asks "The enhanced?" "A blur. All the new players we've faced, I've never seen this. In fact, I still haven't." Nian updates the others "Candice is hit pretty bad, guys. We're gonna need evac." As a tank approaches, Tasia responds "I can get Candice to the jet. The sooner we're gone, the better. You and Suzanne secure the sceptre." Stacey nods "Copy that." The tank continues to approach, as well as loads of soldiers on foot, Tasia smiles "Looks like they're lining up." Tasia raises her hammer and Stacey glances at her "Well, they're excited." She holds her shield in front of her and Tasia hits it with her hammer. All the soldiers are electrocuted and thrown aside, and the tank is blown up "Find the sceptre." Stacey nods and Tasia flies away.