Nightingale | An Avengers Tale

Flashback

June 18, 2016

A small dark haired girl slipped unnoticed into Rosewood Assisted Living. The orderlies didn't notice her as she slipped up the hallway towards the room of one of their oldest patients. They were all too engrossed in the news of a bombing in Lagos. The girl briefly overheard something about the Avengers being involved. That didn't concern her. She had only one thought on her mind: completing her mission.

Her silent footsteps stopped when she reached the swinging door to the room which held her victim. She paused for a split second before pushing ahead to face destiny.

The girl stared emotionlessly at her target. The women's wrinkled face was crowned with wispy silver hair. Her eyes flickered open as the door squeaked shut behind the girl. The two stared at each other for several minutes without uttering a single word.

The target appeared harmless, but the girl knew better. For the most harmless are often the most deadly in disguise. She continued to stare at her victim. Her orders were to merely finish the old woman. She was to leave no trace. Make it look as if the woman had simply passed in her sleep. Curiosity overtook the small girl as she wondered what this woman could have ever done to deserve this fate.

The old woman tilted her head as she watched the child. The confusion that had filled her eyes transformed into a look of understanding. "Lily?" She finally spoke.

The girl took a step backward. How could this woman know her real name? She had never met her before, or at least she never remembered meeting her before. Then again, there were many things she couldn't remember. It was like someone had constructed a steel wall in her mind, and no amount of her painstakingly diligent efforts could crash through it.

"It's been such a long time." A truly joyful smile overtook her worn features. "I've missed you my dear." She began to ramble. "I haven't seen you since you and Jack."

"You don't know me." The girl robotically spoke. "You can't know me. No one knows me."

The woman sighed to herself as sadness settled over her. "I knew this day was coming." She smiled. "It's alright. Lily, it's alright."

"It's not alright." Unwelcome tears filled the child's eyes. "If I don't do this. They'll kill my friend."

"I know." The woman nodded again.

"I don't want to do this." The girl trembled as she backed away again. She instinctively shivered as she remembered the pain she'd suffered. The orphanage. Waking up in a cold cell with Jack. No food. No water. No nothing unless she complied.

But for some reason, the mind control wouldn't work the way it had before. In spite of all the ways they'd broken her, they couldn't break her mind again for long. Each time they read the words, the effects lasted less and less. She had heard their fearful whispers, that someday, the words would do nothing at all.

That had led them to new methods. Methods she very much wanted to forget.

Finally, she pretended. She'd grown weary of the pain, of fighting against them so she wouldn't commit another unspeakable horror. So she said she was ready to comply to their evil orders. But somehow that evil woman knew.

So she'd given her an ultimatum. Successfully complete the mission and Jack would live. If she failed, than they'd put her under. The effects would last long enough that she'd wake up and find that she'd killed her only friend. And for Lily, that wasn't an option.

"Please sit with me for a while. It's been so long." The old woman finally spoke.

"You don't know me. No one knows me. My name is Kobik." Lily almost shouted.

"No, it's not." The woman shook her head. "Your name is Lillian Maria Sta."

"Shut up." Lily aggressively fumed. She trembled as indecision filled her. If she didn't do this, she would be responsible for Jack's death, but if she did this, she would have this woman's blood on her hands for the rest of her life.

The door creaked again. Lily frantically looked back to see an old man. He looked just as fragile as the woman lying in the bed. Compassion filled his eyes upon seeing her. "It's been a long time." He whispered.

He gaze rested on the woman. A sorrowful smile flickered across his face. He slowly trudged to her side and gently gripped her wrinkled hands in his own.

"I have to kill her. I don't have a choice." Tears filled her eyes as she gazed up at him.

Understanding washed over his face as he stared down at the little girl. "You always have a choice."

Lily stared at the woman who had now fallen asleep. There's always a choice. Save Jack or save the old woman. Save Jack and live with the guilt. Save the old woman and live with the guilt. She shouldn't have to make this choice. No one should have to make this choice. But she had to, and she did.

As to what happened that night, only three know. One died. One made a choice. One lost the love of their life.

The night would go down in history as the date the world lost a great hero, Margaret 'Peggy' Carter, founding member of S.H.I.E.L.D. died in her sleep. No autopsy was ever performed.