2014

Sokovia

HYDRA Research Base

Main level

 

(Omniscient POV)

"W-wait, what?" Ruby exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock as her mind struggled to process the situation. "Brock, what are you talking about? Why would you want to kill my mom?"

Brock sighed, a mix of frustration and annoyance evident as he spoke.

"Look, it's complicated," He said, his voice dropping the jovial tone it had possessed only moments ago. "And I don't really feel like going into a whole thing right now. Just know that your mom's a liability, and I need her gone."

Ruby shook her head, refusing to accept what Brock was saying.

"N-no, no, this doesn't make sense...This can't be happening," she muttered, her voice barely audible as she tried to wrap her head around the impossible decision she was being forced to make.

General Hale's expression hardened as she saw her daughter's distress and she stepped forward, moving to Ruby's side while keeping her eyes planted on the threat in front of them.

"Listen to me, young lady," She began, her quiet voice firm and confident, though a hint of unease trembled beneath the surface. "This isn't the time for panic. We need to stay strong and focused. Don't let this bastard manipulate you!"

Brock let out a mocking chuckle, his gaze shifting between Ruby and General Hale as he observed their interaction.

"Quite the mother-daughter bond you got there," he commented with a smirk, directing his attention back to Ruby. "But seriously, just step aside and let me handle this. I'm not really interested in hurting you."

"You expect us just to believe that?!" The General replied, her voice rising with desperation as she held onto her daughter. "Don't trust him, baby, he's just trying to separate us. Kill him and let's get out of here!!"

Ruby's emotions were in turmoil as she looked back and forth between the two, her past memories of Brock clashing with the armored figure before her. She then looked over her Mother, the woman who allowed her to be subjected to the experiments that made her what she was today, but who also stood beside her when she needed her most.

She knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself knowing that she'd left her defenseless mother alone to face Brock, even if he were still the same man he used to be.

Slowly, Ruby moved in front of her mother protectively, a single tear streaming down her cheek as she stared Brock in the eyes.

"Brock...I can't leave her," Ruby whispered, her voice wavering with emotion. "She's my mother...and no matter what she's done, I can't just abandon her."

At those words, Brock's smirk faded, replaced by a cold, crimson glare that sent shivers down both women's spines.

"Such a waste..." He muttered, his voice betraying his genuine disappointment.

Brock shook his head slightly before lifting his gaze back to the pair.

"You can kill her," He stated simply as his helmet folded over his face once more.

In an instant, a concealed blade emerged from the shadows where it had been waiting, plunging into Ruby's neck.

Her eyes went wide, her mouth agape in surprise as crystal blue blood gushed from the tear in her thin metallic skin.

"R-ruby!" General Hale cried out, rushing forward to try and stem the bleeding that was already pooling around her daughter's throat.

Ruby stumbled to the floor, her hands instinctively reaching for her wounded neck. Shock and pain washed over her as she stared at Brock in disbelief, her eyes filled with betrayal.

"B-brock?" she managed to gurgle out, her voice strained and weak.

General Hale's hands were covered in her daughter's blood as she desperately tried to stop the bleeding, her eyes burning with anger and sorrow as she glared at the armored figure before them.

"You monster!" she spat, her voice quivering with a mix of rage and heartbreak.

Brock ignored the General's words, his attention solely focused on Ruby as he watched her struggle to stop the bleeding.

Ghost appeared behind the mother and daughter, her intangible form materializing with an eerie grace. Her eyes glowed an ominous shade of blue as she studied the scene before her.

Without warning, her eyes shifted to General Hale, and she reached out and snatched the woman by her hair, before dragging her to kneel in front of Brock, the General's tears mixing with the dirt and blood that stained her uniform.

Meanwhile, Ruby's vision was beginning to blur, her strength waning as her body fought to stay conscious. She could do nothing but be forced to watch, as her mother was humiliated and forced to kneel before the people who had just harmed her.

Brock stared down at the crying woman before him with a cold, calculating gaze. His skull-like faceplate revealed his chilling smile as he regarded her.

"Isn't it touching, General? A daughter's love," He taunted, his voice dripping with mockery. "Too bad it won't save either of you."

General Hale's tear-filled eyes bore into Brock's, a mixture of hatred and defiance in her gaze. She refused to let him see her fear.

"You think this power you have makes you invincible, but it won't save you...You won't get away with this! Hydra will make you pay!!!" She shouted defiantly, her voice cracking as she spoke.

Brock's lips curled into a dark smile beneath his helmet. "Is that so? Well, we'll just have to wait and see about that."

Without another word, he raised his armored arms, and ten wickedly sharp bladed claws emerged from his gauntlets. The General's eyes widened in realization as she realized what was about to happen.

"No! No, please!" she begged, her voice a desperate plea.

But her pleas fell on deaf ears.

With ruthless efficiency, Brock brought down the claws, ending the General's life in quick, brutal strikes. The sound of the blades slicing through flesh and bone was sickening, and the General's body slumped forward into pieces, lifeless.

Ruby's vision blurred even further as she watched her mother's lifeless form collapse to the ground. Her gurgled cries mixed with the sound of her own blood, the pain in her throat and heart almost too much to bear.

Brock stared down at the fallen woman, his expression hidden behind the helmet, but his satisfaction was palpable.

"Pathetic," he muttered, his voice dripping with disdain as he looked down at the once-proud General.

He turned his gaze to Ruby, who was now clutching her bleeding neck, her life slipping away with each passing second.

"Should've just taken the deal," He said coldly, his voice devoid of any remorse.

Ruby's scream was choked off by the blood gurgling in her throat as she stared at her mother's lifeless form, her body trembling from a mixture of pain, fear, and grief. Her grip on her wound tightened as she tried to keep herself from passing out.

Brock stood there for a moment, looking down at the scene with his skull-like visage. Then, with a dismissive snort, he turned and began to walk away, his footsteps echoing through the corridor.

Ruby's grief and rage surged within her, fueled by the sight of her mother's death. Despite her weakened state, she mustered every ounce of her remaining strength, her mismatched eyes glowing with intense gravitational energy.

With a guttural scream, she unleashed her powers, a torrent of gravitational force slamming into Brock and Ghost.

Ghost was thrown back into a wall, her form phasing through the tough stone before she could collide, while Brock staggered slightly but managed to maintain his position.

Ruby's own body was pushed to the limit as she channeled her powers, her vision going dark around the edges as her world spun. She clutched her bleeding neck, tears mixing with her blood as she focused on her target.

She couldn't allow Brock to leave her alive, not after what he had done. With the last of her strength, she unleashed a powerful surge of energy.

The walls cracked, the ceiling groaned, and debris began to float off the ground as the gravitational forces around her spiraled out of control.

But Brock shook off the impact of Ruby's powers, his armored boots sinking into the ground as he resisted the intense gravitational force. He slowly began to move forward, each step deliberate and powerful, as he pushed against the current of gravity that sought to keep him at bay.

His muscles strained against the force that threatened to crush him. His eyes blazed with determination as he moved forward, step by agonizing step, closing the distance between himself and Ruby.

As the corridor around them began to crumble and collapse, Brock's armor absorbed the energy, his form pulsating with a crimson aura. He raised his gauntleted hand, his fingers glowing with power as he reached out toward Ruby, his grip unyielding.

Ruby's strength was fading rapidly, her powers waning as her body reached its limits. She stumbled back, her legs giving out beneath her as she fell to the ground, her vision blurring as unconsciousness threatened to overtake her.

Brock continued his relentless advance, his armor crackling with crimson energy as he defied the force of Ruby's powers. He reached down and grabbed Ruby by her bleeding neck, lifting her effortlessly off the ground.

Ruby gasped, her eyes fluttering as she struggled to stay awake.

"Mur...der...er," Her lips formed the word as best they could with the wet blood coating her mouth.

Brock smiled beneath his helmet, his eyes staring at her hungrily.

"Oh, don't worry," Brock sneered, his voice laced with cold amusement. "You'll be joining her soon enough."

With a swift, brutal motion, he tightened his grip on Ruby's neck, his armored claws digging further into her wounded dark grey skin.

Ruby's eyes widened in a final moment of terror and pain as she looked up at Brock, the man who had once been a friend...a first love...but was now her executioner. Her heartbeat slowed, her thoughts becoming a jumbled mess as the darkness closed in.

Her body went limp in his grasp, her last gurgled breath escaping her lips. The corridor around them was in shambles, debris floating in the chaotic gravitational field she had created.

As Ruby's lifeless form hung from his hand, Brock's grip loosened and he let her body fall to the ground. He stared down at her for a moment, a mixture of satisfaction and pity in his glowing crimson eyes.

Ghost appeared beside him, her ethereal form drifting above the rubble.

"Keep her body safe," Brock ordered with a dismissive wave. "It might come in handy later."

Ghost nodded in acknowledgment, her gaze never leaving Ruby's lifeless form.

"And you?" she inquired, her eyes meeting his through their respective helmets. "Where are you off to now?"

Brock's lips curled into a dark smile, his posture exuding confidence and malevolence.

"Need to go catch a rat in the basement," He replied, his tone casual and relaxed. "Won't be long..."

Brock turned, walking away from the scene of the crime, and leaving Ghost and Ruby's lifeless body behind.

**********

Sokovia

HYDRA Research Base

Basement Level

 

A few floors below Brock and his team, Dr. Whitehall's footsteps echoed down the dimly lit corridor as he strode through the labyrinthine holding cells of the HYDRA Research Base's basement level.

The air was damp, carrying a stale scent that spoke of confinement and despair. Fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting an eerie glow that danced across the cold, concrete walls. The holding cells themselves were constructed of thick metal and one-sided glass, each one showing an array of tragic figures, some visibly scarred by experimentation, others seemingly lost in the depths of their own tortured minds.

A young man trailed behind Dr. Whitehall, his presence barely noticeable in the shadows. Clad in a skin-tight jumpsuit, the fabric clung to his lithe frame, outlining the contours of his body. But what drew the eye most was the grotesque metal cap that encased his skull, replacing what should have been a crown of silver hair. Wires and tubes snaked out from the cap, disappearing into the jumpsuit.

The man's expression was vacant, his eyes distant, as if he were a marionette controlled by invisible strings.

Dr. Whitehall moved with purpose, his steps confident and unyielding. He approached each holding cell, his gloved hand occasionally reaching out to touch the reinforced glass that separated him from the subjects within. His eyes, sharp and calculating, scanned each inmate as he muttered to himself in a low, disdainful tone.

"Failed experiment... Useless augmentation... Inefficient enhancement," he muttered as he passed by each cell, his voice echoing through the corridor like a chilling mantra.

The prisoners inside the cells, their faces a mix of fear and desperation, pressed themselves against the glass as if hoping for a reprieve from their torment. Some had mutations that had gone horribly wrong, while others bore the scars of experiments that had twisted their bodies and minds beyond recognition.

Dr. Whitehall's gaze passed over them without a hint of sympathy.

His determined stride led him further down the corridor, toward a cell that was set apart from the others. The reinforced door of this cell was thicker, the glass more opaque, and the security measures more stringent. It was evident that whatever was housed within was of significant importance to Dr. Whitehall.

As he reached the cell, he paused and turned to the young man behind him, his expression a mix of impatience and superiority.

"Stay here and keep watch," he ordered curtly, his voice dripping with authority.

The young man nodded silently, his movements almost mechanical as he positioned himself just outside the cell, his vacant eyes still downcast, the grotesque metal scalp gleaming in the dim light.

Turning his attention back to the cell, Dr. Whitehall activated the control panel beside the door.

The door hissed open, revealing a small, sterile room with a single cot and a desk making up its only furnishings. Within, a restrained young woman was huddled in the corner, her hands and feet bound together in steel manacles. Her pale skin was caked with dried blood, and a thin layer of grime obscured the wounds that marred her soft flesh.

She was clothed in simple gray clothes, the same drab uniform as the other inmates, and a mane of dirty auburn hair ran down her shoulders. Her expression was inscrutable, but her eyes glowed with an unnatural scarlet light.

Dr. Whitehall stepped into the room, his expression a mix of fascination and calculation. He moved closer to the restrained woman, his gloved fingers reaching out to touch her face with a mixture of curiosity and cruelty.

"Your kind has always intrigued me," he murmured, his voice dripping with a perverse sort of excitement. "So resistant to our methods, so unlike the failures that litter this facility."

The Woman's eyes glowed brighter as she let out a low, primal growl, a mixture of anger and defiance reverberating through the small room.

Her scarlet gaze bore into Dr. Whitehall's with an intensity that matched his own twisted fascination.

Dr. Whitehall's lips curled into a chilling smile as he leaned in closer, his face mere inches from hers. His gloved fingers traced the contours of her blood-stained skin, a sickening mixture of scientific curiosity and sadistic pleasure in his touch.

"But you, my dear, you are different," he whispered, his voice a velvety caress that contrasted sharply with the malice in his words. "Your abilities may very well hold the key to unlocking the true potential of my experiments."

He brought his head close to hers, his lips brushing against her ear, his breath tickling her neck.

"There is so much we can learn...so much we can do together..."

The scarlet light in the woman's eyes grew brighter as her muscles tensed.

Dr. Whitehall glanced back at the young man standing guard outside the cell, his expression twisting into a sadistic grin.

"If only time were more accommodating," he mused, his focus returning to the woman before him. "For now, shall we indulge in a little family reunion?"

Confusion flickered across the woman's eyes, her resistance momentarily ceasing.

"What...do you mean?" she inquired, her voice fragile, as though disused.

Dr. Whitehall's grin widened with mischief.

"Join us, Pietro," he announced cheerfully, projecting his voice for the young man outside the cell. "Come and greet your sister."

*********

A/n: Hey guys, I hope you are enjoying the story so far, and as always, thanks for reading!

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