Marvel Cybernetic Girl

— Monaco Prison, Level Four

Monaco's prison isn't heavily populated, and even fewer inmates are held on serious charges.

The entire facility houses only a handful of rooms, each containing some of the most dangerous criminals seen in the small principality.

In a dimly lit room, a beam of white light pours through a small, square window on the ceiling, casting a narrow strip of light across the floor.

A prisoner, dressed in a dull orange jumpsuit, languishes in the corner, idly scratching at the dust on the wall with his nails.

A guard enters, carrying a tray of food.

He places it by the cell door without a word, preparing to leave.

But then, something strange happens.

It's as if the guard suddenly had a seizure—his head crashes into the iron bars of the cell door.

Almost immediately, he seems to be hit by an invisible force, collapsing to the ground, unconscious.

The prisoner looks up in surprise, watching the bizarre scene unfold.

Miraculously, the keys to the cell float up from the guard's body and precisely slot into the lock.

Click—

The door opens and closes again, a subtle ripple distorting the air around it.

Then, all the lights in the prison suddenly go out, leaving everything in darkness.

It's as if the power system has failed.

Only the red emergency lights flicker on, casting an eerie, blood-red glow over the already dim surroundings.

"Ivan Vanko, son of Anton Vanko," a cold, electronic voice announces from behind the prisoner.

"We meet again."

Amid the flashing red lights, the figure of "Flashblade" appears without warning in the middle of the room, clad in tight combat gear.

The prisoner, still curled up in the corner, sighs deeply, shaking his head.

"This is a surprise, Ms. 'Flashblade'. What brings you here?" he says slowly.

"Such bad luck… you don't seem like the type to be here for cooperation."

Flashblade's brow furrows, realizing something's wrong.

The voice of Cortana sounds through her communicator:

"Voiceprint match failed. This isn't Ivan Vanko."

The man in the corner chuckles darkly, a menacing grin forming on his face.

"You were looking for Ivan Vanko? Too bad—he's not here anymore. But since you've discovered that, you'll die here!"

Before Flashblade can react, the man pulls a gun from his clothes and turns, aiming it at her without hesitation.

He pulls the trigger.

She raises her hand to block, sidestepping just in time.

The bullet grazes her suit, leaving a few small cracks in the carbon fiber fabric.

Luckily, her suit, though not made of Vibranium, is still strong enough to withstand a light weapon's fire.

While blocking the shot, Flashblade quickly flicks a throwing dart that knocks the man's gun out of his hands.

The man, pretending to be a prisoner, doesn't flinch. Instead, he draws a high-tech electrified knife from his sleeve, the blade crackling with electric arcs.

With a swift movement, he stands tall, flexing his muscles, his bulky frame a testament to his strength.

The system immediately updates the battle data:

[Elite Armed Human, Light Armor, Threat Level: Medium, Hostile.]

The alerts flash in Flashblade's view, warning her about the knife's potential danger.

[Critical Hit Chance: 92.5% if armor is breached.]

[Probability of lethal injury: 99.99%.]

Flashblade clicks her tongue, impressed by the threat level.

"Looks like this is none of your business, Flashblade," the man growls, charging at her with his knife raised.

"But since you've decided to get involved, you'll pay the price!"

Flashblade dodges his attacks with ease, landing a powerful elbow strike to his ribs.

"Ugh!" The man stumbles back, clearly hurt, but he's no average soldier.

His strength and training are apparent.

Still, despite his impressive physique, he's no match for Flashblade's fully equipped combat skills.

Killing him may solve the problem, but it won't get her the information she needs.

An idea strikes her.

If Ivan Vanko has been switched out, why not ask this man instead?

"Wait!" Flashblade says.

"Are you... a Hydra agent?"

The man hesitates, surprise flashing across his face before his suspicion kicks in.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

'Bingo.'

Flashblade's instincts were right. She quickly raises her hands in a calm gesture.

"Hold on, you've misunderstood."

"Misunderstood?" The man lowers his knife slightly, still wary.

"Yeah, here's the thing," Flashblade says, thinking on her feet.

"I was sent to check on Ivan's status and discuss the potential for collaboration, but it looks like you guys were quicker than expected and already took him. Don't worry, I'm with you guys."

She continues to fabricate a cover story based on what little info the man has provided.

"Huh?" The man looks utterly confused.

"You're with us?"

Flashblade steps closer, leaning in to whisper in his ear,

"Hail Hydra."

His expression changes instantly.

Gone is the suspicion, replaced by a look of recognition and relief.

"Phew! You should've said that sooner!"

He plops down onto the floor, exhaling deeply.

"The organization told me to wait for some 'partners' to pick me up and act as a liaison. They said if anyone else finds out, we take care of them."

"Oh, I see..." Flashblade says casually, playing along.

"Well, seems like that was part of the plan, but you guys are pretty efficient. I came a bit late."

"Didn't expect you to be one of us," the man mutters, breathing out in disbelief.

"Damn, Hydra's got some serious talent! And you—you're strong and beautiful. Who needs 'Whiplash' when we have someone like you on our side?"

"Honestly, I thought I was gonna die here with all those SHIELD agents around, and then you show up—'Flashblade'? Man, how do I even fight you?"

Flashblade hesitates for a moment, not sure how to respond, before giving him a sarcastic smile.

"Thanks for the compliment. Well, I'm off now. Everything's going well, right?"

"Yeah, take care," he waves casually, not even questioning her exit.

"Maybe I'll buy you a drink sometime."

"Oh, and here, I have a gift for you." Flashblade smiles slyly.

"Oh? What is it?"

"Relax," she says, pressing a hand to his forehead.

[Activated: Electromagnetic Mental Interference]

In the blink of an eye, Flashblade invades the man's mind, effortlessly sifting through his memories.

She confirms Hydra is involved and that they're planning to collaborate with Ivan.

Once she gathers the intel, she leaves him with a final suggestion:

"The air is toxic."

...

After she leaves, the man, for reasons unknown, uses a cloth to strangle himself, inadvertently killing himself.