The Sokovian Experiment

It was 2013 when the protests in Novi Grad had escalated into a Sokovian civil war, which intensified further when foreign forces were dispatched to suppress the rioting.

The protesters blamed the Sokovian government, enforcing the ideology that they were left powerless because of foreign oppressors, and shifting blame towards the United States of America. Specifically, the industrial tech conglomerate Stark Industries, led by former arms dealer and industrialist Tony Stark.

It was also the time and year where HYDRA leader Baron Wolfgang von Strucker and Dr. List began indoctrinating test subjects from Sokovia under the pretense of justice for experiments with the Mind Stone.

Zahira Sidra was amongst the citizens alongside Pietro and Wanda Maximoff who volunteered to be guinea pigs for the organization, believing they were "changing the world", and helping their country by gaining the power to put an end to the fighting on their streets. However, Zahira's dedicated plan was different as to why she considered joining the organization.

It may have been too late for her to withdraw from participating in the experiment even though she was with the Maximoff twins, whom she had leaned on since she went astray in Sokovia, 10 years ago.

Zahira felt a gentle tap on her shoulder and looked at whoever it was. Wanda remained standing next to her in the line and behind Wanda was Pietro.

"You don't look good, Za." Wanda's Sokovian accent did not disappear even though she's using English as her conversational language.

It also caught Pietro's attention which revealed his thick Sokovian accent upon speaking.

"Don't worry. Wanda and I will protect you. We will not let them do anything bad to you."

Unbeknownst to them, the plan of Dr. List to conduct experiments and use the Scepter on the Sokovian citizens who volunteered in order to obtain the power would make them believe that it will allow them to stabilize their country.

There is also no certainty whether they will survive to the middle or end of the experiment.

"I'm afraid you'll still have to wait your turn longer than you've been waiting earlier." Dr. List approached the lane where they were lined up.

Wanda turned to look at Pietro who immediately frowned after hearing what just the doctor informed them.

"Let me handle him. Stay behind me." Pietro stepped forward in line to talk to the doctor.

Wanda tried to convince her twin brother to calm down since he's a rather cocky, arrogant, impatient, tenacious, and quick-tempered person.

"Just talk to him, Pietro." Wanda warned him.

Pietro nodded before continuing his attempt to talk to Dr. List. Zahira remained with Wanda on the line with the rest of the volunteers.

"Wanda," Zahira called, "what do you think they will do to us?"

Wanda glanced at her with concerns, "They will help us to get stronger than before."

"Would it hurt?"

Wanda was unable to tell the truth that she also doesn't know what situation they entered into, because they may even have made a mistake.

"Za-"

"Wanda. Zahira." Pietro called them as he approached the two women with List.

Dr. List spoke about the given number of volunteers that would lead the rest of the volunteers on the same lane as the Maximoffs to wait for their turn.

However, he also admitted that he was eager to witness the results of his test on the Maximoffs, given they were twins, and wondered what kind of abilities the scepter would unlock in them.

Wanda glanced at Pietro and Zahira since she was unsure about the procedure.

"What's wrong?" Zahira asked them.

"I don't feel good about this, Pietro." Wanda told him.

Pietro grabbed his twin sister's both arms and gently stroked it so she wouldn't be nervous.

He whispered, "Aren't you the bravest of the two of us? Why are you acting like that? Za may get scared because of what you are doing."

"How do you want me to react based on what I am exactly feeling right now?" Wanda whispered back to him.

They sighed together. But Pietro remained on his will to be positive.

"I need you to be strong, as it would soon grant us the power we needed to fight."

Wanda bit her lip before looking at Zahira's way. She wasn't worried about herself and her twin, but she's worried for Zahira. She was left for the twins to take care of, but now they are not so sure if it will remain like that.

"What about her?" Wanda glanced back at Pietro.

Pietro glanced at Zahira who remained clueless of what's really happening.

"Wherever we go, whatever we do. She stays with us." he said.

Wanda nodded at him before motioning Zahira to come closer to them, which the latter did. Strucker and List's plan to experiment with volunteers soon began.

Lying on the available tables located at different rooms; Wanda, Pietro, and Zahira were injected with 30 milligrams of Pentazocine injection as a sleeping pill.

Upon closing their eyes, they are just hoping for the success of the experiment while waiting for the opportunity to catch up with the new future, and of destroying Tony Stark and the Avengers.

A year after experimentation, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff found themselves still alive but were being kept in cells and struggling with their powers.

"Sooner or later, the Avengers would meet them, as the world was not a world of spies anymore, not even a world of heroes." Strucker told List as they watched the twins in their cells, occupied with admiration for their powers.

"We have been successful with the twins, just like what we expected." List said.

"We are now at the arrival of the Age of Miracles." Strucker ominously announced. "As there was nothing more horrifying than that."

As Strucker was speaking, Pietro moved at superhuman speed from one side to another of his cell, while Wanda moved a series of cubes with her mind, finally crushing them together.

A sudden and fiercely effective flash of light appeared in Zahira's mind. It seemed to be a flashback memory which woke her up from a deep sleep. It was a horrific past, especially from her childhood.

Her head was spinning, aching. She could smell a bit of rotting flesh and wasn't sure enough if it came from a human or an animal.

She was alone in a room... no... it was a prison cell. There were armed men of Strucker, guarding outside. There were no other volunteers. It's just her.

"Hello?" She called their attention but none of the guards moved.

She was confused about what's supposed to be happening. She knows she should be with the twins, but where were they?

"Wanda? Pietro? Where are you?" Zahira continued calling.

She went in silence after hearing the sound of the iron door opening. There were a few footsteps coming her way.

Could it be Wanda and Pietro? She thought.

"How are you related to the Maximoff twins?" It was Strucker speaking and he's with List. They finally visited Zahira in her cell.

"Where are they? Why am I alone?" Zahira didn't care about the latter's question.

"It's better for you to answer the question." List warned her.

It took Zahira for a moment to answer Strucker. "They're my family."

"Family? On which part?"

"What do you mean?"

Strucker went closer to Zahira's cell. He noticed no sign of Zahira having any power from the experiment they did to her.

"You are a waste of time and the twins were not. It only means you are not related to them." List insulted her.

Zahira couldn't understand List and Strucker's real plan, however, she knew right away it wasn't for anyone's good.

"If I was of no value in your experiment, then let me go." she told them.

"You will soon be set free... from this world." Strucker gave her a malicious grin before some of the guards unlocked the cell.

Zahira backed away from them but was immediately grabbed on both arms by the guards and with Strucker's command, they dragged her out of the cell.

"NO! Let... go!" She was trying to fight them but was struggling to break free from their grasp.

She was forcefully brought to a gurney where she was strapped up unwillingly. Her arms, her feet, and even her head were leaned and strapped with a leather belt.

Zahira was trying to force herself out of the tied belts by growling like a madman. Her movements were violent but was still unable to free from the tightened straps.

"There's no use for that." List suggested while he was preparing the syringe for the lethal injection that will soon be injected to Zahira.

She glared at them and gave up trying to break free. List's assistant had two intravenous cannulas inserted on Zahira's arms, one for each.

Zahira was panting. "Why don't you just let me go?"

"Imagine this." Strucker walked right next to the edge of the chair, in front of her. "Since you already know what I do to volunteers who want to have powers from the scepter, consider your one foot already in the grave."

"You owe them their lives!" Zahira's voice echoed inside one of the laboratories of HYDRA research facility after yelling.

"No, I don't. In fact, they ask me for a life. Gaining power was the same as gaining a new life. They should be thankful." Strucker said.

When List finished preparing the lethal injection, he approached Zahira, the reason for her to act violently again.

"You should behave yourself or else this will hurt a lot." List warned her.

She couldn't help but scream loudly, hoping for either Wanda or Pietro to hear her. But, they might not be able to.

Zahira couldn't help but cry in fear and for being very helpless. Death is a few inches away from her but she couldn't even do anything about it to stop it.

"No... no. Please..." She started begging them with tears in her eyes.

The two were not even shaken or feeling any conscience as they watched how List injected the liquid that would kill Zahira who couldn't even protect herself.

She looked up on the ceiling with a continuous flow of tears coming from her eyes going down to her cheeks. She wouldn't want to look at the process but just wait for the effect of the injection. How painful could it be?

"Thank you for giving us the opportunity to make you one of our test subjects, Zahira Sidra." List's voice echoed through her ears going inside her mind.

Zahira was amidst closing her eyes when suddenly List flew away from her and hit the wall. Strucker was surprised to see the doctor get hit with something... or maybe by someone.

"What happened to you doc-" A manipulated red energy suddenly hit Strucker which made him fly away just like what happened to List.

"Za!" Wanda appeared and rushed towards Zahira after which Pietro immediately removed the cannulas from her arms.

"We need to take her away from this place." Pietro with her twin sister started to remove the straps from the half conscious Zahira.

He carried Zahira just as few of Strucker's alerted men arrived from the other side of the laboratory. Wanda faced them and ordered Pietro to take Zahira out of the main facility.

With Pietro's superhuman speed, he successfully got Zahira out and a few steps away from the HYDRA facility. He laid her down on the ground and luckily she had gained back her consciousness.

"Pietro... you saved me," Zahira said.

"Stay here and stay hidden. I will get Wanda from the laboratory and we will all leave this place." Pietro explained to her.

"Stay safe and please hurry back."

He nodded and took a few steps away from Zahira, until he stopped which made her confused.

Pietro suddenly went back to Zahira and kissed her firmly on the forehead. They looked at each other once again before he rushed to his twin sister back inside the laboratory.

Zahira tried her best to find a safe place to hide and she walked a little further away from the HYDRA facility. She found a small cave-like hideout which is not deeper than she thought. But before she could even enter it, she was tased by two of Strucker's men who eventually found her upon their boss's order.

She was dazed for a few seconds, unsteady on her feet with a temporary tingling sensation and stress caused by pain. She got weakened as she fell on the ground.

The men notified Strucker via radio about having Zahira tased and arrested. However, they didn't see it coming from her when she suddenly overcame the electricity that had been left flowing in her body.

She gets up slowly before completely getting the men's attention. As they turned to look at her, she immediately held them on their foreheads and let the electricity flow from her body going to them, in return of electrocuting them until they passed out.

She could not believe what she had done, looking at her both hands. She immediately got back to her senses when she heard Strucker's voice from the radio of one of the fallen men.

Zahira took the radio and said, "They're dead."

Strucker, on the other hand, smirked upon hearing her voice. The voice of an early revenge coming from the betrayed and used subject of his experiment.

"Tell me how, my dear." he told her.

"You won't have your way of getting us and making us do whatever you want," she said.

"Really?" Strucker glanced at the twins who were both held in captivity again. "Talk."

Wanda and Pietro couldn't break free from Strucker's men even if they have powers already since they are wearing a neck device that will electrocute them anytime they do a wrong move.

Wanda breathes out. "Za."

Zahira got worried upon hearing her voice as she looked at the solid foundation of HYDRA's hidden facility.

"Wanda. What did they do to you and Pietro?" she asked.

"You must go. Don't think about us, we can handle ourselves." Wanda said.

Zahira took a few steps forward but immediately stopped on her tracks again.

"I won't be leaving you," Zahira said.

"Just go!" Wanda yelled at her.

Tears flowed down from Zahira's eyes as she could not accept the fact that she will have to leave her only family left.

"It's me again, Zahira." Strucker spoke to the radio which triggered her anger more.

"Let them go or you will regret it if you don't." Zahira wiped her tears off of her face before threatening one of the HYDRA bosses.

"Starting today, this will be our agreement," Strucker said as he walked around the twins in the middle of talking with the fugitive. "Since you have become useless in my experiment, I'll just let you live."

Zahira remained listening while trying to count all of Strucker's men guarding outside of the facility, not even alerting any of them.

"Flee and we will not pursue you... but-"

"But what?" Zahira cut him.

"But you will let us have the twins for further improvements of the experiment." Strucker proposed.

Zahira was stunned and could no longer speak. Her hands were trembling in anger but she couldn't even fight. The attack she did to two of Strucker's men earlier were just a fortunate event of her unfortunate life moment.

"Your disagreement will lead you to death. So choose wisely." Strucker added.

*** Authored by: Aria_Dean

(See author's profile in Webnovel) ***