Chapter 6
September 22nd, 2014
The Playground
Location Classified
Simmons glanced at the three patients in her lab. Skye, plus the two HYDRA assassins.
“Sir… Why do we have the HYDRA agents here?”
Director Coulson glanced at her. “They were exposed to an alien chemical weapon. If nothing else, I want to contain that. Raina was already gone by the time we got in there, but if we can study the effects here, we-”
“-may have a better chance of recognizing or neutralizing them in the future!”
Coulson looked at her. “You do know I’m capable of finishing my own-”
“Sentences. Yes, I know. Sorry.” Simmons frowned. “Will they at least be restrained?”
“As best as we can. We only have the one quarantine cell, however, so they’ll have to be in the same room as Skye.”
Simmons grimaced. “Well, we may as well start now. If you could step back sir?”
The hazmat suit was frustrating to work with, but Simmons made do. She made her way over to the female HYDRA agent. Feeling around the back of her neck, she quickly located the clasp. The goggles and mask came off as one, and Simmons gasped.
The face of Natasha Romanoff remained unconscious underneath. Coulson was wide-eyed. “Take off the man’s mask.” he ordered.
She turned and did the same to the male agent. The recognizable face of Tony Stark stared back. The mask dropped from Simmons’ hands with a clatter.
A little while later, Simmons gave her report to Coulson and May.
“I’ve run EKG scans of their brains, and it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. The very structure of their brains has been altered, almost as though it’s been burned.”
Coulson frowned. “Brainwashing?”
Simmons hesitated. “It… may be a possibility, sir. I have DNA samples from them and Skye running now. My… preliminary theory is that the Super-soldier serum in their veins may have been derived from Kree tissue. It’s too early to know for sure, sir.”
Coulson nodded. “Thank you, Simmons.” The scientist smiled, and left the room. May turned to Coulson.
“I know that look. What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that if they were brainwashed, we’ll help them find themselves again.”