"I've already told you that," she replied.
"Then tell me how you found out about Операция «Гайя». I can count the people who know about that on one hand," replied Quicksilver.
"I don't know about it personally; it was our leader, Vulcan, who told us about it. We know what they did to you, and we understand your pain as it was done to us as well, just under a different name," replied Siren.
Quicksilver glared at her silently, trying to comprehend what he was told. He thought he was the one artificially designed who managed to live, but the pain he went through was happening somewhere else. He started to grow slightly angry.
"Who did this to you?" asked Quicksilver.
"The very people you are currently protecting. The proud and free American government tried to make their own superpowered soldiers. Do you think they would give up after the amazing success of Captain America? Oh no, they just started. They needed more variety, and they just wouldn't stop, resulting in our merry band of what they now call terrorists," answered Siren.
"You think I'll just believe in your words after Операция «Гайя»? I learned not to listen to what people say but how they act after all that," replied Quicksilver.
"I thought you'd be sceptical," she replied, pulling out a phone from behind her and throwing it towards Quicksilver. "From videos to documents, all you need is right there," she added.
Quicksilver reluctantly picked up the phone and started to scroll through all the videos while watching them. All of them with kids screaming from the experiments, begging for it all to stop, only for it to continue. The documents involved notes on the tests, talking about future testing, or disseminating them as failed subjects.
Quicksilver threw the phone to the ground and put his hands on his face, sliding them downwards until they covered half his face. "Только не это," he muttered.
"Those are the people you are currently protecting by acting against us. Join us, Quicksilver. So we can make sure shit like this doesn't happen to anyone else." declared Siren, reaching out a hand.
"Операция «Гайя». It was a secret operation done by the Russian government so they could produce a superpowered army, due to the influx of heroes in America. They would go to poor areas and villages, taking the children from their homes and giving the family a small sum of money for their child's'service' to mother Russia. There were different sectors, each trying to create a different power. I was in sector 3, the one where they tried to make a man be able to reach speeds faster than sound." lamented Quicksilver, his eyes lifeless, like he was reliving everything.
"We were all placed in what might as well have been prison cells; hell, even convicted murderers had better living conditions than us. We were fed well, though, and they tried to fatten us up as they believed that to use our powers we would need to use calories, but eventually they came up with a better idea. I was taken to a dimly lit room with a surgical bed in the middle, still stained with blood. They didn't bother to even clean it, as they came in their hazmat suits." continued Quicksilver.
Siren could just look as Quicksilver told his story; her eyes were just the same as his.
"The surgery was done without anaesthesia, as they sliced open my chest and heart, placing a small radioactive core in there somewhere. That little core is what gives me enough energy to continue living and, of course, to move at the speeds I'm capable of. I don't know when the energy will run out, but once it does, my body will no longer have the energy to continue the flow of blood in my body, leading to my death." chocked out Quicksilver.
"Then why use your powers to save such insects if it's what's killing you? What they gave us was a curse, so why not use it to give them just a slither of the pain we went through?" fumed Siren.
"I haven't finished. They found out it was a success when, while on a treadmill, I suddenly ended up 8 miles out of the facility with most of my bones shattered and almost dead in the snow. They continued to conduct tests on me to see if there were any side effects when they realised that I had an expiration date. Nonetheless, they forced me to use my powers again and again, breaking bones every time. Not a day went by when I didn't think about ending it all. Every breath I took was followed by pain. Just as I lost all hope, a man dressed in the American flag saved me, just like the superheroes you see on TV or read about in the comics," continued Quicksilver.
Siren held up her guard.
"He raised me in a way and taught me how to control my powers in a way that didn't hurt, and I wanted to be just like him. I have the greatest scientist in the modern world, Stark himself, researching a way to increase my life expectancy. Unlike you, who continued to live in that moment of anger and sorrow, I moved on. Our powers may be the result of a curse; yes, the pain we went through was unimaginable, and I still hope the people who did this to me are living in hell. Our powers are also a gift, we can use to remove just a little of that sadness from the world not make it worse. Killing thousands is not the way. If you go through with this, what makes you any less different than the people who sold their souls to the devil to make us? There are so many good people in the world, in this city, and I'll make sure to protect their happiness even if it eats away at my soul. So even if I lived a life devoid of joy, others can have it in my stead." finished Quicksilver getting in position.
"I hoped I didn't have to kill you, but if you stand against us, you leave me no choice, Quicksilver. I really hope after Gaia you found some resemblance of happiness; I really do," responded Siren.