Then it begins to smoke

Chapter 4
Anna’s Point of View
I am on fire. This time for real. My body is literally covered in red-orange flames. I’m on fire, but I’m not. Then SNAP! I lose focus, the flames are gone. I am cold, and broken again.
“Excellent job, Anna. A mother couldn’t be more proud of her daughter.” Purrs the Madam. Or at least that’s what she calls herself. I’m supposed to call her, Mother. I’m still calling her Tinkerbell.
“Whatever.” I say, as the guards heave me off the ground.
It’s been two days since I was taken. Already, they’ve done tests and experiments. Tink says I’m supposed to be part of her Elite. Like Veronica was. So she’s given me powers; basically I’m a Human Torch knockoff. Great present mom. At least she hasn’t brainwashed me, yet. She still thinks she can win me over. Make me her perfect, super-villain daughter. I have to protect my head at all costs. So many secrets. Peter. Clint. Brenda. All those people would be put at risk if I fail. I can’t fail, I won’t let my family down.
“So, Anna dear, how are we feeling. Do we like the powers? Do you want different ones?” she asks; she’s trying to bribe me? Seriously? Does she not know who I am? Wait. What if she does?
“They’re fine. I’m want to go home.” I say. At this she frowns.
“You are home. I am your home now. It appears that you are incapable of seeing that, so fine. I’ll just have to take my role as your mother seriously. Would you boys be dears and escort my daughter to her room. She needs some time to think things over.” She says, as she glares at me.
The guards aren’t as rough this time; but they drag me away, kicking and screaming anyways.
Peter’s Point of View
‘Peter! I got something!!” Harry yells, his outburst jostling me out of the restless sleep I was in.
“What?” I groan as I roll off the couch.
“I found something. The people who took Anna, they came by Oscorp. A while ago. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, after everyone found out about my dad, well we attracted a lot of crazies. This lady, she called herself “Edith Barton”- “
“Barton is Anna’s last name.” I say, Harry nods “Anyways, this Edith lady wanted to find a way to give people powers. Like with the Human Torch, that sort of stuff. Said she knew people who were worthy. I brushed her off, said Oscorp wasn’t into genetics anymore. But, that coupled with the fact that shew as at you high-school dragging Anna off- “
“Dragging Anna off? Wait you found footage?” I ask, Harry’s face darkens for a second. “Yeah I hacked into the school’s security system, but Peter- “
“Let me see it.” I demand, Harry sighs and shakes his head but pulls it up anyways. It’s Anna roaming the halls of our school, and then a petite blonde woman comes up behind her, shooting her twice in the shoulders, the rest of the shots are merely aimed at the cameras. The image of Anna laying on the ground, blood rushing out of her it’s one I cannot easily push away.
“So do we have an id on this lady? Her real name? Anything.”
“Well the name she told me, was Edith Barton. I ran a search for that name, and pulled up Anna’s mom, and dad. They did like almost twelve years ago Peter. Or at least that’s what we’re supposed to believe. While they never actually found the Barton’s bodies, they simply assumed that the Barton’s who were in the hotel had perished given that were only a handful of survivors. But if it is Anna’s mother why would she kidnap her? What does she have to do with H.Y.D.R.A.?” I just shrug. What exactly is there to say? I’ve asked myself every question imaginable, every variable I’ve analyzed. I haven’t come up with anything.
I decide to call into the Avengers, see if anyone has any information, anything.
“Peter? Are you okay?” asks Bruce immediately after he picks up the phone.
“Yeah, I was at a friend’s house. I needed a fresh pair of eyes.” I say
“Well we’ve got one, Brenda’s.”
“What?”
“Brenda left. Apparently she was taken by H.Y.D.R.A. as well. Steve’s as I’m sure you can guess beside himself. Clint is so emotional it’s scary, Natasha is nowhere to be found. She’s in an off-the-books mission, her cover is a matter of global security, so we can’t exactly talk to her.”
“Well. I have something.”
“Great, I’ll gather the gang. This should be fun.”

Notes