Chapter 2

                                    

                                          
Sorry this is kinda a filler chapter. This chapter sucks. Read at your own risk. I just need it so that Minka actually meets people.
                          
Warnings: bad writing, those IV drip thingies, sedatives, incorrect facts about mind wipes, avengers being chaotic, probably swearing
                          
Word count: 1008 i think
                          
They drag me back to the Stark Tower. Luckily for him, Nick Fury avoids me, probably because he's been warned and told off by the others, and this man they all call Bruce injects me with sedatives that calm me down enough for the yearning for Fury's blood to be dampened. I cock my head as I inspect Bruce. He looks like a scientist, greying hair and lines in his face, a slight squint, and definitely not in a good enough physical state to be the type of Avenger to fight. Maybe he's the brains? Still, that's okay. I can manage that, the HYDRA agent did say that I have an enhanced brain. Mind madly conjuring escape plans, I Shift back into my human form so I can speak to this so - called Bruce.
                          
'Why are you here in the Avengers Tower?' I mumble.
                          
'Bruce Banner,' he replies. 'But most call me the Hulk.'
                          
'Oh, crap,' I groan back. So I am trapped in a tower packed with Avengers and this isn't just some scientist called Bruce who I can knock out. Not that I could, judging on how much sedatives are now gallivanting around in my bloodstream.
                          
'I'm going to put this IV in your arm,' he tells me. 'To put it simply, it's going to take HYDRA's serum out of your bloodstream.'
                          
'Serum?' I ask, eyes feeling heavy with the drugs.
                          
'The thing that's making you want to kill Nick,' he says bluntly. 'They inject you with it and you turn into a mindless zombie until the task they give you is done. It's normally assassinations. They used Bucky, the Winter Soldier, for years, just doing that. They mindwipe their agents after.'
                          
'Oh,' I say through stiff lips. 'That's how he knew about the suicide pill.' And that's why I woke up with no memories. How many people have I killed before?
                          
'Yeah. Now the sedatives are probably fully in your blood, I'm fine if you sleep, so go ahead.'
                          
I frown. I should be on high alert. I'm in an enemy base - aren't I? 
                          
Someone walks into the room, and my eye catches a metallic glint.
                          
'Stop fighting to stay awake, Minka,' a familiar voice says. And something deep down trusts it. A groan escapes me, and my eyelids slam shut.
                          
-------------
                          
When I next wake up, Black Widow sits by my bed, scrolling through whatever she's scrolling through on her phone.
                          
'Hey,' she greets as I open my eyes. 'I'm Natasha Romanoff.'
                          
I inspect her for a few seconds. These people, I slowly realise, are the good guys. They weren't the ones who took away my memories. HYDRA was.
                          
'Hi,' I answer. 'I'm Minka Williams. But you probably already know that, thanks to Mr Metal - Arm.' I snort. 'I don't even know him.'
                          
Natasha raises her eyebrows. 
                          
'You do. Or you did.' She sighs. 'That's why HYDRA's so messed up. I can't believe they'd erase someone's memories. Your memories make who you are.'
                          
'Yeah,' I agree. I glance over as a petite woman strolls over too. Scarlet Witch, I recognise.
                          
'Hi, I'm Wanda,' she smiles.
                          
'Minka,' I reply.
                          
'You'll be getting your memories back soon,' Wanda tells me. 'According to Bucky, anyway. The effects eventually wear off when you meet someone you used to know,' she explains. 'If they don't want that they have to ramp up the brain wipe and you can't even remember how to do skills you're used to doing, like killing people, so I guess they try to avoid that.'
                          
	Bruce walks in.
                          
'Oh, you're up!'
                          
'Yeah,' I say, standing up and noticing I don't want to kill Fury any more. 'Thanks.' I walk through the door and walk smack into the Winter Soldier.
                          
'Sorry,' I mumble, trying to figure out why he looks so familiar. The fact my memory is patchy doesn't help. At all. I furrow my brows and stare up into those storm tossed eyes. They're troubled, and I notice he hasn't moved out of the way. I tilt my head expectantly, and shake blinks his eyes, like he's trying to get rid of a memory.
                          
'Uh, Bucky Barnes,' he introduces himself nervously, the calm that he showed before completely disappeared without a trace. I look at him for one more second, still trying to figure out where I've seen him before, then realise I'm staring and speak.
                          
'Minka.' I reply.
                          
'I'm Steve,' Captain America says. 'Tony's on the way and so is Clint. I mean Iron Man and Hawkeye.' 
                          
I nod, bewildered by so many names, just as Tony Stark walks in.
                          
	'Hello, Minka. If I can call you that?'
                          
'Yeah, of course, Mr Stark,' I reply.
                          
'Tony,' he answers. 'Call me Tony.'
                          
'Uh, Tony,' I say. 'What are you going to do with me?'
                          
'Well, you aren't trying to kill anyone yet, you're trained in combat like Nat, and you probably know stuff about HYDRA, so how about joining the Avengers?'
                          
I gulp. 'Uh - '
                          
'Wolf girl's joining the Avengers?' A voice says. I turn around, and a man nods at me. 'It's Clint Barton.'
                          
I swallow, my brain buzzing, full of too many names at once, too many questions, and I look over to Natasha and Wanda for help. 
                          
'Alright, boys,' Natasha says. 'You're mobbing her.' She glances meaningfully over at Bucky. 'She's going to want answers soon, so be ready.'
                          
He shakes his head. 'I - I can't. Not now.'
                          
I glance over at him, and a memory washes over me. I'm back in the HYDRA headquarters, crouched in a dark dirty cell, bruised and wounded from a previous assassination that had been wiped from my mind, pain singing through my body. I snap back into reality and stagger, propping myself up on a wall. Looking back over at Bucky, my eyes meet his. No wonder he doesn't want to explain. No one deserves to be in that place. Or to be forced to relive it so I can get my answers.
                          
'It's fine,' I tell him. 'I'll wait.'