Hey there, lovely readers! I like to think by now we all know each other pretty well (unless you're new, in which case: Welcome!) so I'll skip the explanation and just say that I've gone over all of the chapters I've written so far and edited them etc. Nothing too major, just some grammar mistakes and stuff that I missed the first time 'round. With that being said, if you do notice a mistake, then I think it's safe to say that I'm really not good at this editing thing! But anyway, I hope you enjoy the story regardless :P

Oh yeah, and this is a story that will be based on an OC, again, I'm sorry if that's not your cup of tea! But hopefully ya learn to love her…eventually. Another thing that will be eventual is anything to do with the romance department, I like the realistic sort of stories so that's not happening for a lil' while.

Disclaimer: I own nothing that is part of the Marvel Universe, that includes movies, comics, books, action figures and the list goes on and on *sigh*. That all belongs to Stan Lee and Joss Whedon etc. this is just being written for fun, and my own amusement, I guess.

Chapter 1:

The snow was rapidly falling, and the harsh wind was only making it even harder for the five figures that had wandered out in the middle of a snowstorm. Their dark forms stood out like ink on paper, but were slowly turning white from the recent onslaught of snow. The land itself was elevated, the altitude only adding to the already unbearable cold Russian climate. Nevertheless, they had a job to do, and it was for this reason that they were now clustered together in front of a well-hidden metal doorway.

"Ok team, lets run through this one more time. Nat and Clint?"

"Clear the halls, and deal with the agents." Replied the two in question.

"Pietro?"

"Scout ahead."

"Wanda?"

"Find the source."

"That leaves me to detain anyone trying to escape, and Stark…Wait a minute, where's Stark?"

The team of five gave no response, as they looked around confusedly for their sixth member. They received their answer when the familiar metallic form of the Ironman suit shot across the foggy sky of Verkhoyansk, Russia. The small east Russian settlement was one of the coldest places in the world, if the multiple layers of thermal clothing that the team wore were anything to go by. The only one who the chill seemed to have no effect on was Pietro, the elder twin showing no signs of discomfort while the others unknowingly seemed to huddle closer as the freezing breeze grew in strength.

"One step ahead of ya, Cap. I'm the eyes and ears from above." Suppressing an eye roll, the Captain gave a nod at his words, even though he knew the billionaire could not see him.

"Nice of you to join us, Stark."

But before the man in question could reply, the Captain continued addressing the entire group with his pale cheeks flushed from the cold, and his breath coming out in visible puffs. His eyes scanned the people before him, showing that they all had a similar appearance.

"When the area is secure we meet outside the energy radius. I don't want anyone going anywhere near that door until we're all there, am I clear?" His question was met with nods of acquiescence and a general hum of approval from the four team members in front of him. But he knew that they were not his main concern, so he diverted his searching gaze to the cloudy sky, trying to locate a figure in the blur of falling snow. "Stark?"

"Crystal clear, Captain." He answered, a slightly mocking tone lacing the words.

Steve's eyebrows furrowed, still not entirely convinced but he decided to not waste anymore time debating over the matter. So he just pursed his lips and once again gave an unseen nod.

"Well alright then, let do it."

At his words the group disbanded. The two former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents moving ahead of the female twin, as her brother disappeared within the strong metal doors of one of the last remaining HYDRA testing facilities. The facility itself was underground, with several layers of snow obstructing all signs that there was ever anything there in the first place. But of course, nothing can truly stay hidden from Tony Stark. With the cool metal of her guns clenched in her hands, the fiery haired assassin shot an encouraging smirk to her bow-wielding partner as they too approached the metal doorway.

The small, visible surveillance cameras inconspicuously attached to the frame of the doorway were the least of their worries; J.A.R.V.I.S had dealt with them a while ago. Clint knew that he would be the first to enter the facility, he always was, but his mind was at ease knowing that their trusty scout would have alerted them if it were not safe to enter. With that in mind he readied his bow and approached the open doorway from the side, the spider following closely behind him.

Upon entering the building they first noticed the lack of guards, the room that they had walked into was empty, save for some computers that were covered by a heavy layer of dust, and seemed to have not been used in months. Lowering their weapons, the two assassins shared a cautious look. The emptiness and overall abandonment that they were sensing was not sitting well with them.

"There is no one here."

The accented voice from behind them hadn't needed to ask, so it was more of a statement than anything else. Turing her head to look at the young brunette behind her, Natasha gave a small nod in reply. She couldn't deny that she was slightly troubled with the new observation. They had been certain that the HYDRA base they were currently in was still active and after the energy readings that they had gathered through one of Tony's devices, they were sure that this was most likely the last and most powerful remaining energy generating facility that HYDRA had.

Natasha was pulled out of her thoughts as a figure approached the new group, and like Clint, she raised her weapons immediately. Recognising the blue blur, the two agents relaxed their shoulders, lowering their weapons in the process.

Pietro was slightly panting as he came to a halt in front of the former agents and his younger sister. His sharp blue eyes had swiftly scoured through the base and hadn't found a single trace of human life, let alone any sign that the equipment and tech had been used in recent months. Releasing a slow breath, he informed them of this.

"There is nothing."

Clint had expected as much, and was hardly surprised by the revelation."You hearing this, Cap?"

"Yeah I heard him. I just don't really understand."

"There is nothing. No guards, no doctors, no experiments…nothing." Pietro felt the need to elaborate, and the faces showing the conflicted relief and caution that looked up at him told him he was right in doing so. It was in that moment that the familiar buzz of Tony Stark's Ironman suit could be heard approaching, before he and the Captain finally made their entrance.

Shaking the snow from his head, Steve's features were set in determination as he strode into the room. Tony, on the other hand, was surprising everyone with his lack of banter and smart-ass comments. It was no secret that he was the most sociable in the group, but ever since they had begun researching the energy patterns for this particular facility, he had been unusually quiet and had often been hidden away in his lab working for days on end. What he was working on, they had no idea. But they did know that whatever could not only hold his attention for so long, but silence him completely, was definitely something to worry about.

His mask rose showing his face, as he approached the group from behind the Captain.

"Not nothing. J.A.R.V.I.S is getting readings that are off the charts. Whatever this base was housing, it's still here."

Tony's words drew everyone's attention, and though none would admit it, there was a nervousness that had rooted within them. This is what encouraged Steve to try and alleviate the tension, by offering his own explanation.

"Maybe the readings are from whatever generators they have here, I mean they obviously left in a hurry, all of their machinery is still here by the looks of it."

Clint nodded in support. "Yeah, couldn't it just be like…left over energy? The tesseract left an energy signature at the base, even after it was taken. Not to mention the scepter…" He trailed off after seeing Tony shaking his head in objection.

"No, whatever this thing is, it is not a generator. The amount of power I'm getting is equal to the tesseract, no generator in the world has that much juice. And as for the energy pattern…readings this high are unstable. Hell, you would know bird-boy, you were there when it tore S.H.I.E.L.D. a new one." He ignored the glare 'bird-boy' threw at him, and walked behind Pietro, towards the door that the silver-haired man had recently come through.

"Unstable? How unstable are we talking Stark?" The Captain's question stopped Tony right in his tracks, just before he could reach for the metal door handle in front of him. A sombre look flittered across his features as he kept his back to the group, who where now staring at his retreating form expectantly.

"Unstable enough to evacuate the biggest base HYDRA has ever had…permanently." With that said, he threw the door open and began his search, with the team slowly following behind him.

Okaaay…so first chapter is done. Kinda boring, I know, but it was necessary. We meet the OC soon, and I know there is not too much character interaction this time 'round but that will increase as the story settles. Let me know what you think, or if you have any ideas you really want to come into play :) Bye guys!