The Hero from Hell

Part 8

A week passed.
Steve healed well.
Nat looked after him well.
Peter continued to train Raine.
She progressed well.
Tony even heard her laugh one night, as she played cards with Bruce.
Nothing major happened.
Well.
Raine and Peter went on midnight expedition to the corner shop:

"And it has to be this *specific* brand of ice cream?" Raine exclaimed.
"Yup. Nothing else," Peter insisted adamantly.
She rolled her eyes and together they stepped into the brightly lit shop, full of rows of confectionery and essentials. Well, if you called porn magazines essentials.
"Aha! They have it!" Peter exclaimed triumphantly. He proudly held a bright yellow tub up to Raine's face.
She moved away, her eyes smiling.
Peter took it to the checkout counter, where a man was stood looking bored.
Suddenly, something gripped Raine's shoulder. She didn't need to turn around. Peter turned and saw Raine in the clutches of a tall sinister woman.
"I knew we'd find you, Salle. Or should I say, Raine Hunter," She spat. Raine's eyes widened.
She thrived under the woman's grip before webbed her hand off her shoulder. Raine's combat instincts kicked in like adrenaline, and she spun around and flipped the tall woman off her feet and into the magazine stall.
" Shit, Peter let's go," She said urgently. "Don't forget the mother fu***** ice cream!" He followed her and they ran out the shop, clutching the frozen yellow tub.

Peter didn't speak to anyone about what had happened. He knew Raine wouldn't want him to.
What did it mean?
The woman called her Salle.
What?
Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. These questions chased around Peter's mind. A few of the other guys had tried gently asking about Raine's past but she tactfully distracted them or avoided the conversation. In they end they'd given up.
Peter sighed and then got up from his bed. He knew he wouldn't be sleeping.
I'll go visit Mr Stark, he thought. He might need help.
He walked along the tower, to Tony's workplace. Last time he'd checked, he'd fallen asleep on his lab desk. Whenever the miracle arose that Tony finally went to sleep, he slept for days. Literally.
Peter knocked and heard Tony sigh "Come in"
He was slumped at his laptop.
"I CAN'T FIND HER!"he grumbled. Peter sat on his desk and swung his legs around to meet him.
"What, you still trynna find out about Raine?" he asked.
"Yes. It's not going well at all. I've checked EVERYWHERE and there is no trace of a Raine Hunter. At all. She  can't become an Avenger if we have no background. And she refuses to talk to us," Tony complained. Peter gulped.
"Ur Mr Stark? I might have some stuff that can help," he said. Tony looked desperate and curious.
"Yeah?" he prompted.
"Just don't tell the others. They're Raine's secrets. And, in only telling you because... I think she's in danger." Peter said. Tony nodded.
"Well , I don't know if Nat told you, but earlier I saw she had a tattoo. It said Test Subject 189. She also has no idea how old she is but she thinks she's around 17. And... I think the reason you cant find Raine Hunter online, is because that's not her real name, " Peter informed him. Tony leaned back.
" How do you know? "
" Well, earlier, Raine and I went to pick up some ice cream. And there was this really scary woman in there who kinda tried to attack Raine. And she said 'oh I knew we' d find you' and she called her 'Salle'. I think from her tone, that Salle is Raine's real surname. " Peter confessed. Tony looked gravely at him.
" Oh shit. Can you describe this woman? "
" uh yeah. Tall. Pretty creepy. Brunette. Bright blue eyes. Weird birthmark on her neck. "
" Right. Thanks for telling me. I'll see what I can do, " Tony sighed.

I begun to hate my life. I wished I'd never been born.
Thanks to all the crazy shit they'd poisoned me with, I had superhuman strength. My mind was ruined. My life was destroyed.
I only had my name.
And that I couldn't even bare to utter anymore.
I was ashamed.
I now murdered for a living.
True I was forced, but that didn't change the truth that I was killing out of fear.
I tried to make contact with my family but every time I was stopped by Them. They just didn't want me to discover they were already dead.
I was a year in when I'd had enough. I was the Master's top agent.
Mind encrypted with suicidal thoughts and wishes, I dragged my car up the cliff. Before anyone could stop me, I drove off, crashing onto the rocks miles below.
I should have died.
But I didn't.
Everyone else would have died.
My bones were shattered.
My brain even worse off.
I left my necklace in the car and set fire to the ruins. Then I crawled away.
Gone was Maria Salle.
Here was the beginning of Raine Hunter.
I thought it would be easy. Change my appearance slightly. Live a new life, without crime, without fear, in the big city.
But God I didn't know how difficult it would be.