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I FUCKED MY WAY INTO THIS
MESS, I'LL FUCK MY WAY OUT

"People are not born heroes or villains;
they're created by the people around
them." —Unknown
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Aldwych Underground Station

Location: London, United Kingdom

June 5, 2014

LONDON wasn't at all what Aurora expected when she first arrived in the city. The assassin had to change her appearance to prevent being recognized, thus she changed her name to Isabella Connor, an exchange student staying for a few months. Next, she cut her hair into a long bob haircut before purchasing a bright pink wig to hide her natural hair. Aurora switched her clothes to something more casual yet appropriate for the weather, burning her old ones to avoid having her DNA tracked.

The teenager was greeted with a gloomy rainy day forcing her to take shelter at one of HYDRA's abandoned warehouses they used to experiment subjects during World War II. It was located near the outskirts of the city, beside a small river that flowed close to the building. No matter how hard she tried, her past seems to follow her. The building was infamous for the lives they took by trying to create a new breed of super-soldiers, which ultimately failed until decades later... starting with herself.

The said abandoned warehouse was actually an underground train station that transported HYDRA generals and officials around the United Kingdom and parts of Europe. Luckily for Aurora, she found the junction— or the electrical box that still worked to light up the building. In one of the rooms, was a folded bed covered in a black tarp along with some old lab equipment that seemed outdated. Papers scattered around the ground with some glass shards of the windows as well.

Aurora explored the other rooms, noting that it had a similar layout to the Research Base in Sokovia. Training rooms at the end of the hall that met near the stairs, the mess hall was on the first floor with broken wooden chairs and tables. However, one-room stood out to her, seeing a control panel with written plans along the chalkboard along with mathematical equations that were physics related. A steel chamber stood proudly in the middle of the room... it reminded her of the horrors she's endured alone.

HYDRA's first female super-soldier. Experimented at just four-years-old, whilst no one believed she'll live after being injected with the dangerous serum. And when she proved them wrong, they treated her as a prisoner of war until she became one of them. The perfect soldier many described her, a soldier that complied with every order and command without hesitation. But, she didn't exist... many believed she was just a ghost story, a myth they tell when people are frightened.

No one believes in ghosts until they see one. And when they do, Aurora simply murders them brutally or waits until she has the chance to give a fate worse than death. A powerful asset indeed... just like the Winter Soldier. Everyone knew she was the adopted granddaughter of Alexander Pierce who did anything to gain world domination. But also the daughter of Diana Hunter, the SHIELD agent that did everything in her power to create the world a better place.

'How ironic,' Aurora grunted mentally, fiddling with her Uru necklace as she read through her mother's journal. Not once did it mention her father, and to be honest... Aurora didn't want to know. He neglected them before she was born and her mother had to do everything herself until something happened that compelled her to leave. The only person Aurora considered her father was the Winter Soldier. The teenager knew that he might not consider her anything, still, they have a special connection both shared.

Two people that had to give up everything they had to save themselves from HYDRA. Super-soldiers serve a fruitless purpose when the world would always have heroes to protect them from villains. Heroes... villains... they're all somewhere in between. Aurora never considered herself a villain for the actions she's caused during her time with HYDRA. After all, a villain is just a victim whose story hasn't been told yet.

A victim... yes, that's what Aurora would describe themselves. A misunderstanding that many won't bother to investigate until it's too late. Maybe an anti-hero was a better term Aurora would consider herself, nonetheless, she knew that she'll never be someone's hero. Her morals and ethics were too fucked up if she ever had to do a rash decision between life or death. And it seemed that death would always be the option for her.

Aurora couldn't help but feel ashamed and guilty about leaving Bucky alone weeks ago in a foreign country. Although he was a grown man, that didn't help that he was mentally unstable since he hasn't been brainwashed frequently. Nightmares— or rather flashbacks became a common theme that Bucky had to endure for many nights, all memories from his past life. The teenager could only hope that no one would activate him again, because if he did... trouble would trail behind him.

Although Bucky never called her for anything, that didn't stop Aurora from checking on him when she had the chance. It was the hardest decision she had to make, still, someone had to sacrifice doing what is necessary to protect them both. There was still one question that swarmed her mind constantly, 'Why her? Out of everyone in the world... why did she have to live such a fucked up life?'

Of course, the answer lies beyond her understanding of the past and what she has to offer in the future. If only she knew... Aurora plays an important role in the future, the fate of the world is within her grasp when the time is right.

"Where to now, Miss Hunter?" The British A.I. questioned the teenager who discreetly left the warehouse, hurriedly strolling along the street to her destination. She wore a baseball cap with an olive-green jacket, white t-shirt, and denim jeans, a typical attire that's perfect for the incoming summer weather.

"The usual café, Matt. I have some important business to attend to," Aurora confirmed, gently placing the loose hairs behind her ear when she crossed the street. It was a good day to be outside for the meantime, still, Aurora knew she wasn't completely alone. Once every week, she noted a large man reading a week-old newspaper with a small smirk. The teenager might believe she's crazy, but she swears that she recognized that man before.

To avoid attracting too much attention to herself, Aurora casually walked inside the cafe making sure that people were surrounding her near the glass window. Any chance that he might try to assassinate her, it would be a challenge for there to be civilians around the teenager. She wasn't stupid to let herself exposed when HYDRA was trying to find her. Just because the organization was destroyed doesn't mean that they were finished. They will never be gone for good when someone will always want world domination.

That's the harsh truth Aurora has to live with, knowing that she will probably die trying before she could do anything about it. Aurora wanted to forget everything HYDRA taught her, but she knew that it was too late for that. Her conscience was already stained from the pain and suffering, turning nothing more but an empty shell of what she used to be. The more she wanted to forget about it, the more she seemed to remember vividly.

'It's hard to forget someone who gave you so much to remember.' Her adopted grandfather, Alexander Pierce would tell her. Reminding Aurora that she should be grateful for everything he's done for her. But it's all just a bullshit statement that made her want to kill him herself if he wasn't already dead.

Aurora felt her hands slightly quiver at the mere thought of her past, biting her lip to control the dense impulses ready to explode inside her. The brunette assassin ordered some coffee and donuts as a way to relieve her stress, gently gripping her baseball cap to cover the top part of her face. Finally, when the food arrived, Aurora devoured it in delight almost forgetting what's happening at the moment. She stayed at the cafe for a few hours, observing the citizens from different nationalities strolling by happily.

Aurora wondered how true happiness feels like... an emotion? A state of overwhelmed feeling of belonging and security? Perhaps one of them if only Aurora had something to look forward to. No one loves her— and if they did where are they then? Meanwhile, she'll have to keep moving forward on what she has, living her life on the run till one day it stops. The thought of death may frighten people but to Aurora... it's only the final awakening. And she's ready to embrace it with open arms if it means having to give up everything.

A few tears escaped her eyes, therefore, she roughly rubbed them away with her jacket. The HYDRA assassin paid for the meal as she walked herself to what she called 'home'. Sighing deeply, Aurora made sure that no one followed her along the way with an idea in mind. The man followed her closely behind until she walked into a crowded farmer's market. Weaving through the crowds, she managed to lose him before teleporting to the quiet side of the city.

Once she arrived, the teenager locked the rusty door firmly as she headed towards the old laboratory. She gathered everything that she needed for the moment, organizing the supplies, and listing what was missing. The teenager took out her mother's necklace along with something that didn't belong to her.

A few days ago, she managed to steal a new element that Tony Stark invented a year prior. If she can somehow combine the two elements, it just might become the first technological advancement to harness her powers. Needless to say, Aurora also stole a prototype signal decoy that could counteract transmission blockers. Essentially, allowing her A.I. signal to make it pass any blockers to hack into the mainframes and rebooting the schematics.

She named the new project G.E.N.E.S.I.S. for the purpose of a new beginning for herself. A start of something extraordinary, perfecting and continuing what HYDRA lacked on since the moment she arrived at the Research Base. Aurora was certain that there are other enhanced individuals after the Chitauri attack, some probably living in New York as she's wondering. Her A.I. became online, a small display appeared out of thin air as M.A.T.T.H.E.W. stated, "Miss Hunter, I sense heat signatures around the building. Would you like for me to scan the perimeter?"

Aurora stopped what she was doing, responding to her A.I. firmly and to notify her of the individuals. However, Aurora did notice the faintest movement coming from down the hallway to the right. Luckily, she was near the underground train station if she had to escape from someone. Quietly, the assassin put away what she was working on, using her mirror as a guide around the rooms.

The building consisted of two levels with a large staircase connecting the floors, whoever the intruders were would most likely be there. Swiftly, Aurora stealthily teleported to her room cautiously, gathering her belongings as she felt something creak along the wooden floor. The assassin fastened her backpack to her shoulders, glancing around for her weapons until she eventually found them.

The teenager grabbed her daggers and handgun close, leaning around the door to attack the individual. Seconds passed with no sign of movement, perhaps this person already had experience with being vigilant. Slowly the door creaked open for a few inches, a sleek bow with an arrow was pointing at the direction of the bed first until the teenager kicked the weapon away in a split moment.

"Woah!" The blonde archer, Clint Barton gasped in surprise as he was met with a kick on his side with her enhanced strength. The man banged his head against the wall, Aurora walked out of the room with his bow in her hand. The assassin smirked to him when she used her two hands to break the bow, with some effort she was able to break it into two with Clint staring at her in horror.

"Oops? Was this yours?" Aurora mocked him, dropping the bow until she grabbed her small dagger with a dangerous look in her eye. Clint abruptly stood up with his own dagger in hand, wondering if he should say something snarky to her.

"What— sorry, who exactly are you, kid? Another Super Soldier sent to kill us? Wait don't tell me that you get an injection as well?" Clint teased the teenager, who lifted her dagger above her head before trying to strike him. The archer grabbed her hand to block the strike, stomping on her foot that caused her to fall. Aurora growled in frustration, glaring at him until she felt her fingers swirl around in the blue mist.

"Uh... guys, I think we lost the element of surprise here. Need some back up NOW!" Clint declared through his earpiece, alerting the other Avengers that were nearby his location. Aurora tossed the other dagger near his head, Clint managed to move until he felt a trickle of warm blood coming out of his cheek. Next, she used her energy beam to attack the man, pushing him to the left where the staircase is.

"We can help you if you just trust us." Clint insisted calmly, outstretching his arms slowly towards her to demonstrate that he wasn't going to hurt her. Aurora knitted her eyebrows confused at the gesture, doesn't he understand that what he did displayed weakness? However, she cautiously strolled forward with some tears falling. Just when she looked like she let the blue mist disappear, Aurora swiftly grabbed his shoulder as she twisted it behind his back.

"Trust you? Here's something you should know. Never show weakness to anyone!" Aurora barked at Clint, dislocating his shoulder that caused him to cry out in pain. Finally, she grabbed the handgun from the holster, pointing it at the man's head with a small smirk, "Any last words, archer?"

"Just two... behind you." Clint coughed whilst Aurora was caught off guard at the kick she received from the back. The teenager regained her balance for a few seconds, turning around to find the infamous Black Widow in a stealth manner to her. Great, just how many came to capture her?

"I'm not here to hurt you," The redhead woman spoke to her, Aurora silently chuckled at the statement. The two female assassins circled near the staircase, daring one another to make the first move.

"That's what they all say." The HYDRA assassin replied and before Natasha could react she felt herself being shoved forward. Her body tumbled down the stairs, knowing dark bruises will appear later from the damage the teenager created. Next, Aurora dragged the man down the stairs, settling him to a nearby pillar in case she could use him as leverage. Nonetheless, Natasha stood up with a small scowl on her lips, glancing over at the teenager that looked no older than fourteen.

Aurora knew everything about her but so did Natasha, examining each other closely at their fighting technique. Aurora was the first to attack with a fluid roundhouse kick that made Natasha stumble across the wooden floor. The older assassin forced herself to not think about the pain, bringing her hands down to her sides until Aurora advanced at her again. This time, Natasha gracefully dodged the next hit, counteracting with a butterfly kick to the neck and shoulders.

"For someone who's the world's greatest assassin, you're a little slow on your movements," Aurora remarked, wincing slightly at the bruises that formed. Natasha glared at her after the comment, however, they were here to rescue her even if she was acting like a child. This will prove to be difficult if sooner or later the HYDRA assassin will become hostile.

"Look who's talking," Natasha retorted until Aurora ran towards the entrance to the underground train station. The older assassin followed closely behind her, not knowing Aurora's plan in mind. The train station seemed in good shape when Black Widow arrived, cautiously observing the station for the girl. She must have run down the train tracks to escape, Natasha concluded with a small frown on her lips.

Suddenly, the electricity went out and Natasha was met with a hard smack on the head with a wooden plank. Aurora didn't waste any time tieing the female up with some ropes after seeing she was unconscious. The HYDRA assassin made sure she had all her belongings inside the backpack, everything seemed to be there which was good. She turned the electricity back on until Aurora sensed some movement knowing there was still more trying to get her.

"Hey, Firecracker!" Someone hollered clearly, Aurora grumbled under her breath saying profanities whilst the great Tony Stark showed up in his Iron Man suit. His hand repulsors were already directed at her, although she couldn't see his face, Aurora was sure as hell he was smirking. The assassin clenched her fists tightly upon noticing that the Avengers were here for her.

Two down, four more to go.

"Don't call me that! How did you find me?" She hissed at him, lifting her hands in the air with sparks of raw energy ready to surge through herself. Tony slowly lowered him to the ground, revealing his face at the young girl with a neutral expression. Her facial features were hardened from the situation she was in, even her eyes seemed to flicker to a sickly blue hue that matched her powers.

There was no doubt that she's been through so much that not even Tony could ever experience. Experimented at a young age, trained to become a murder for HYDRA in exchange for her soul. He felt sympathy for the kid, understanding that being an orphan was difficult with no one to guide them. Just like himself, finding out his parents were murdered when he was at college with his best friend, Jim Rhodes.

"Simple really, because you stole something from my warehouse," Tony shouted angrily, alerting Captain America and Thor for some backup. However, his communications were cut off by Aurora's A.I. with an ear-splitting sound that caused him to turn off his communicator.

"It isn't yours anymore if you don't take care of it," Aurora answered seriously, her eyes trained at the billionaire to demonstrate that she wasn't backing down now.

"Get me back my toys!" Tony scowled with his snarky attitude, lighting up his repulsors in case she might attack. Instead, Aurora fixed her long pink bob back into the cap as M.A.T.T.H.E.W gave her different options for escaping.

"It doesn't have your name on it," Aurora scoffed whilst rolling her eyes at the man, playfully crossing her arms. M.A.T.T.H.E.W managed to hack into the Iron Man suit not before Tony's A.I. alerted him of the mainframes being rewired. Stark's eyes widened at the thought of a teenager's A.I. hacking to his suit, that was deemed impossible to hack into.

Aurora grinned widely as she formed an energy beam at Stark with full power, but with his one repulsor working, he tried to stay firm. At one point, they both knew who was going to prevail as the beam slowly overpowered Tony's hand repulsor. That was until she knocked off by her side with a shield, catching her off guard as she coughed violently at the lack of oxygen. Fantastic, just fucking fantastic! Since when did this become acceptable for teaming up against a teenager?

"Look I know what you have been through..." Captain America started after he got his shield back, cautiously strolling towards her whilst Aurora backed away from him.

"Do you really? No one will fucking care when I'm gone! I'm just another pawn piece of HYDRA and an enemy to the world." Aurora proclaimed, power surging through her eyes that slightly shocked the two men at the power she possesses. What exactly did HYDRA do to her?

"I know it may seem that way with no one else to look up to. But we can change that if just let us save you." Steve answered sincerely with a sincere expression on his face. Soft... almost like he cares for her... his dazzling blue eyes seemed genuine from his mannerism to his voice.

"You're too late... nothing can save me now. I'm a monster— and it takes a monster to destroy a monster. So just kill me now, because I'm done saving myself!" Aurora disagreed, feeling her body twitch at her frustration and anxiety she's endured for many years. Silent tears fell from her cheeks, her voice was wavering slightly at the mess she got herself into. Steve pitied her in many ways, no child should ever be alone in this cruel world they live in.

"We're not here to kill you, kid. Just trust us that you're going to be fine, I promise." Steve uttered with Tony behind him with a look of disbelief. They were going to rescue her through sweet talk and comforting her?

"N-No... enough with the lies-s! You're just like HYDRA— like e-everyone else! You don't care about m-me! You just want something t-that benefits you!" The teenager growled, in a split second she summoned her mind control at them with violent thoughts. She watched as they fell to their knees, helpless and defenseless against her. There's one thing HYDRA did right... turning her to a super-weapon that no one can defeat.

Suddenly, a thunderous boom echoed the building followed by a bolt of crackling lightning aimed at her. Aurora swiftly ran with quick speed to find Thor conjuring another lightning. Without a second thought, Aurora tried defending herself with an energy shield, knowing that she couldn't match up against the God of Thunder. But, to both their surprise, the energy shield was holding up well to protect herself.

Impossible... Aurora and Thor thought in shock upon the discovery. No one could ever defend themselves against the lightning, not even an Asgardian can. A mere mortal would be dead before they could even do anything about it. Wait a moment... what if she's not just a mortal, but part of another race? With Aurora distracted, Steve and Tony were no longer under her mind control to find the God of Thunder and Phantom using their full powers to defeat one another.

"ENOUGH! You're coming with us NOW!" Thor's voice boomed as he demanded Aurora to give up. He stopped using the lightning as Aurora lowered her shield, staring at the three Avengers with a solemn glare.

"You need to understand that you can still change for the better good. You shouldn't be involved in any of this, kid." Steve insisted, his eyes softening to Aurora signifying that he wasn't trying to hurt her. She couldn't say about the others though, they just attacked her out of nowhere thinking it was a good idea.

It wasn't at all.

"Well, I am, Captain." Aurora snapped furiously, clipping her backpack tightly as she stared at the exit her A.I. found for her, "I'll always be an assassin whether you like it or not. You don't understand what I've done in the past. And I won't let you take me away."

"What if I told you I can find your family?" Tony hollered that caught her attention. Aurora felt her blood run cold from that statement, for someone that almost got killed by her, he was still offering to help her? Either this was a miracle or a dream that appears to be a nightmare.

"Even if you did. I will never go with you!" Aurora declared bitterly through her teeth, although she was having second thoughts of not accepting the offer. She was sure they were dead already a long time ago, especially her mother since she was the enemy of HYDRA. "I don't belong in this world and I will most certainly not go—!"

Aurora felt a stinging sensation coming from her shoulder, winching down to her arm before pulling it out harshly. A small arrow that had a needle-like tip that leaked a little of some kind of fluid. Upon close examination, the rest of the arrow held a small container that no longer held that same fluid. Chloroform... that could only mean one thing. Aurora finally realized what it was that pricked her shoulder.

Tranquilizers.

Everything around her became blurry and disfigured, she tried to keep herself conscious for as long as she could. Her mother's necklace! She frantically searched for the necklace, however, her vision soon turned black as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Aurora passed out a moment later, almost collapsing against the concrete not before she muttered something. Thor being the closest, caught her before she fell to the ground.

The God of Thunder held her tightly, carrying her in a bridal style form whilst covering her with his crimson-colored cape. Tony found Clint dropping the dart gun with a guilty look, Natasha helping him with his broken arm. They were both bruised and exhausted by just trying to rescue her. Steve sighed through his nose, grabbing everything that spilled from her backpack not before sending a glare their way.

"Was it necessary to do that?" Steve questioned them, leading them back to the Quinjet with a stern look. Clint nodded his head rapidly, Natasha shrugged before she felt small bumps forming in her head.

"She wasn't going to come willingly. It was either her or us," The female Avenger explained with a neutral stare, walking inside the aircraft with Tony in the front. Thor placed her gently onto one of the seats, spotting Steve holding something in his hand.

"May I see that?" Thor pointed at the small necklace, Steve silently obeyed with placing the object in the Asgardians hand. The intricate design seemed familiar, the element was, in fact, the same dying star as his beloved, Mjolnir. Only nobility and royalty could have this if it was granted by his father, Odin.

"You see this, Tony? She broke my bow." Clint slightly whined as if that could help him fix it. The Avengers was sure that by the next day, everyone was going to be exhausted from the rescue mission. On the way to New York, Thor couldn't help but examine Aurora closely at her facial features... she most certainly reminds him of someone.

And he along with the Avengers was going to find out very soon.