The morning sunrises were always my favourite part about the country, there were no skyscrapers or buildings of any sorts to block it. I loved how the colours filled the sky the beautiful hues of pink yellow and orange, it was mesmerizing. It was these moments, when I was alone in the woods, staring at the sky did I truly feel human. When I was out here I forgot the sins I had committed, forget the monster I had become, and forget the world. Inhaling deeply I took in the sweet scent of a warm spring breeze. "Hey Monkey!" I heard a familiar voice call from below me. "What is it Jack?" I called back. "I just wanted to know if you were ever coming down from that tree?" He asked. Sighing heavily I began to climb down the tree.
"What' is it Jack?" I asked curiously. Jack scoffed and said "What I can't come over and see my girlfriend?" I raised a weary eyebrow at this, he then walked over to me and wrapped his arms around me. Gently he smoothed down my hair and I wrapped my arms around his neck. "It's getting harder to bear this cross." I mumbled into his chest. "I know. One day we'll be free." He whispered into my ear. He gave me a kiss on the cheek and one more tight squeeze.
"We are being called back to the base." Jack said with a grimace. I shook my head and looked at him. "It's urgent I'm afraid." "Isn't it always?" I said coldly. He shrugged as we both made our way back to the base. "Race you?" He said with a little smile. I nodded and without hesitation took off running. "Hey that's cheating!" He hollered. "Guess you better pick up the pace then!" I yelled over my shoulder laughing.
Everyone was gathering and taking their seats when me and Jack arrived. I scanned the room carefully for my brother, my brother usually wasn't hard to miss. But with everyone dressed in the usual black ensemble it became a challenge. I felt a heavy hand land on my shoulder, I turned swiftly to meet my brothers dark blue eyes. "Looking for me?" He asked. I nodded and then pointed out a couple of seats for us to sit at. We took our seats and waited for everyone else to find theirs.
The meeting began how it usually did, opening remarks, a few other boring things and then the stuff we all sat quietly and waited for. "As few of you know, we have recently had a breach in our security. It seems that an, outside source has managed to locate our base. These people are currently taking up residence on the outer part of the boundary, we are forced to take action against these people to protect our secret organization and everything we stand for." The councilman said as screams and shouts of excitement echoed the room. "Great everyone's even more blood thirsty than usual. This is going to be a bloody mess." My brother said rubbing his temples.
"Who are they Drew? And why do they see them as such a threat?" I asked quizzically. My brother stared at me from the corner of his eyes. "Because they're threats to the organizations "training" and other activities." Drew said. "Free thinkers are a bad influence don't you know?" Jack said coldly. "We should find out who they are, then decide where to go from there. They could be our way out." I said with a faint hopefulness. Jack and Drew looked at each other and nodded to me. "We have to be careful, and keep in contact." Jack said holding an ear piece for me and Drew. "You made these?" I asked. He nodded. "I am a genius after all." Jack said smugly. Rolling my eyes I put mine in as Drew did the same.
"You're all dismissed and are to report to your stations immediately. And always remember we are assassins of God." The councilman said before everyone stood and marched out. We began to leave and almost reached the door when the councilman pulled Jack aside. He looked over his shoulder and mouthed for us to go, my brother and I gave a sharp nod to him and then left. "Looks like we're field mice again sis." He said as he grabbed two hand guns off the wall, handing one to me. I grabbed a small dagger and another hand gun.
"Taking a risk today are we?" My brother said eyeing my weapon choice. "Don't judge my choice, I know well enough what I'm doing. Plus if there's no risk, well what's the fun in that?" I asked shooting him a smirk. "To true sister. You know Eris, I think your name suits you perfectly. You truly are a dark one." He scoffed. We both laughed and then headed out to the field. "This is going to be an interesting day. Do you think they've ever seen powers like ours?" Drew asked seriously. I shrugged as I loaded my hand guns. "Who knows, hell they might be the ones with a surprise for us." I scoffed. We reached the doors and I turned to face my brother. "Drew, remember keep in contact okay?" I asked pointing to my ear piece. He nodded. "Be safe sister." He said before we went through the doors. Once outside my brother and I went our separate ways.
I headed for the forest and took up my position in my tree, making sure to blend into the shadows. Slowing my breathing I listened and watched for any bizarre or anything at all. After what felt like an hour I saw and heard it. A blur of silver came darting down a thicket of trees, the blur came to a sudden halt under the tree. I began to sneak down the tree, as I got closer I noticed a young man and woman about twenty or so. The young woman took off in the direction of some of the organization members. I was sitting right above the young man, I must have made a noise because he heard me and almost instantly bolted. Luckily I had time to jump into his shadow before he took off.
This was one of my powers, shadow manipulation. I could use shadows to travel and even control the actions of the owner of the shadow. The young man ran until he caught up to his sister, which didn't take that long at all. He was impossibly fast, keeping a hold of his shadow was a bit of a challenge in itself. "Pietro I am fine here for now, Clint however needs backup." The young woman said with a interesting accent. "Are you sure you're fine here Wanda?" Pietro asked the young women with the same accent. "Yes I am fine now go brother!" She yelled.
Once the young man was running through the forest I managed to trip his shadow causing him to fall as well. I came out of his shadow, which earned a shocked expression from him. "How have you been keeping up with me?" He growled. "That's for me to know and you to find out speedy." I said smirking. "Fine then you want to fight me so bad, then let's go." He said cockily as his accent seemed to get thicker. Within a flash me and him were fighting, he was hard to keep up with. What with his speed and all, but I would not allow myself to lose to some speed freak.
I managed to land some punches and a couple of kicks even managed to manipulate his shadow to my advantage, but he kept coming back just as strong if not stronger. I lost sight of him for a moment, in that very moment I knew this one was going to hurt. Sure enough before I could even see him coming his fist collided with my stomach. I lurched forward feeling my breath hitch, I fell to the ground holding my stomach coughing. I tried to regain my composure, but before I knew it I had been kicked on to my back.
He stared down at me and was ready to give me a finishing kick to my face, but I was quicker this time. I managed to hold his shadow for a moment, rendering him stuck for a moment. I then knocked his shadows legs out from under him causing him to fall back. As quick as I could I got up and pulled out my gun and aimed it at him. I then made sure I was stand firmly on his shadow so that he had no chance of bolting away. "Guess you lose." I said cocking the gun. I watched as his eyes widened and stared deeply into mine. I felt my breath hitch again, what was I doing? Do I want to continue on as this monster? This monster who brutally murders people she doesn't know?
"What are you waiting for?" He asked calmly. His expression had relaxed for someone who had a gun pointed at him. This was as still he had been since I had first seen him, I noticed his unnatural silver hair and his light blue eyes. "Sister do you copy?" My ear piece blared. "I copy. What is it?" I barked. "Woah chill, I found out who these "enemies" are, they're those Avengers. You know, the ones we've been told were evil and shit? Turns out there good guys, they breached a couple of the training bases where the children were being held and managed to save a lot of them. Who would've guess am I right?" He said sarcastically.
"Brother I have one of them." I said sharply. The bud went silent for a minute. "Eris, you didn't kill them did you?" He asked nervously. "No. I'm going to let him go." I said. "Your what? Are you sure? I mean you really want another..." I cut my brother off before he could finish. "I'm not doing this anymore, I refuse to take another life." I said softly, I then turned off my earpiece, stepped off his shadow and holstered my gun. Hesitantly I held out a hand to him, he eyed it and glared at me. "Why are you letting me go?" He asked sharply as he glared into me. I paused and met his gaze. "I don't want to be a monster anymore." He stared at me and his gaze softened. Reluctantly he took my hand as I helped him up, he scanned around for any of his team members before turning back to me. "Thank you." He said. "I'm not done helping you yet, listen to me you need to get your friends out of here. Take the innocents you have and leave." I said. "What about you?" He asked curiously.
"I don't care about me, I've already become a monster they haven't. Just go! Get out of here!" I yelled. He put a hand on my shoulder and then dashed off. I managed to lure the other guards to my location, saying that I was pinned down and in need of assistance. I bought them some time to get away and they did. I looked up at the sky as their jets flew over head, I felt the corners of my mouth turn up into a smile. My smile would not last long however, as I was being hand cuffed and dragged back to council room.
"Eris, Drew and Jack, do you acknowledge your actions to help the enemy escape?" The head councilman asked. I looked up and stared into his eyes. "Yes I acknowledge my actions." I said with confidence. Whispers echoed through the room and I could feel my brother and Jack staring at me. "Yes I do." Drew piped up. "I acknowledge my actions as well." Jack said his voice sounding shaky. I glanced over at him and noticed that he looked off, like something was wrong. "Eris and Drew, for your betrayal you will be punished in front of your peers and receive twenty whips each. Eris you will receive an extra twenty, as this isn't the first time you have acted out of term." The councilman said smirking.
Drew looked frightened as he was pulled up first, before they could start I interrupted them. "Wait, I'll take Drew's punishment!" I yelled. Drew looked over at me pleading with me to stop speaking. "Very well then Eris. You will receive sixty lashes." Another councilman spoke. They instantly dropped Drew and dragged me over to the post, they pulled me to my feet and ripped the back of my shirt open. Exposing my previous wounds from before, they had barely healed. The councilman stepped down from his seat and came to stand in front of me. "Instead of me giving you you're punishment, we have decided it might make you learn quicker if Jack is the one who lashes you." He said a sickening smile plastered onto his face.
"Jack, come forward." The councilman called. Jack stepped forward without hesitation, I then got to see him up close. His eyes were a sea of blankness, I had only seen that look on those who had been recently threatened or brainwashed. I watched as Jack took the whip into his hand carefully. Jack let the one end of the whip hit the floor, then he began. The pain was immense, each whip burned and would break skin. Each whip was harder than the last, I began to feel my old wounds re-open. I could feel the warmth of my blood as it trailed down my back.
By the time the sixtieth lash came I was on the ground sobbing silently. "You have been absolved of your sin Eris. You all may leave." The councilman said to the room of on lookers. I began to fade in and out of consciousness, though the whipping had stopped the pain had not left me. I felt my brother pick me up and carry me in his arms. Once we were in the quiet confine of our room my brother laid me on my stomach gently. I watched as he disappeared and reappeared carrying a needle, thread, and a couple bottles of alcohol.
"I'm sorry Eris, this is my fault." He said a few stray tears rolling down his cheek. I shook my head and mumbled out a "no". Drew shook his head in disbelief, he then opened the bottle of alcohol and gently poured it onto my back. I put my face down and screamed into the bed, he then took one of my new towels and began to clean the wounds. After he had cleaned them he began to sow them up and I passed out.
When I awoke I had a new shirt on and my wounds were stitched. My brother had also been nice enough to leave me the other bottle of booze and a note saying that he was going to get us food. I smiled at the note and then proceed to open the bottle. I took a long sip of it and managed to finish two thirds of it by the time Drew came back. "Chill out on the alcohol Eris, don't want you dying of liver failure." Drew scoffed. I laughed and knocked the rest of the bottle back. "It numbs the pain." I said lying back onto my pillow.
"I know it does." He said holding my hand. "Where's the food?" I asked quizzically. He paused and looked around. "The food can wait dear sister, our time has finally come." He said with a smile. I looked at him raising an eyebrow. "You don't mean..." I started. "Yes Eris, you and I are escaping tonight. I found a way out of here, this time we will get out." He said hopefully.
"Are you sure? You've checked everything out right?" I asked nervously. The last time we tried to escape resulted in a lashing, about fifty lashes each. He nodded and began again "I have checked every inch of his plan and it's going to work. We just need to hack the security system on our way out to prevent us from setting off any motion sensors." He said smiling. "Eris we're never going to get another chance like this. We need to take this chance." he said seriously.
"Drew I don't think I can take another fifty lashes if this doesn't work." I said weakly. He paused biting his lip and looking at me pleadingly. "Okay, Drew this better work." I scoffed. "It will." He said helping me up. Drew and I packed a backpack each. Each backpack had five hundred dollars, a hand gun, a dagger, a bottle of water, some food and a change of clothes.
"Ready?" I asked nervously. He nodded and with that the two of us were off. We slowly made our ways down the corridors, being sure to avoid the guards who prowled the night. Drew lead me to the one of many side doors of the building. We edged out of the door carefully, Drew pulled out his phone and began to hack into the security system and disarmed. "Alright we have about ten to twenty minutes before anyone notices, about thirty minutes or less to get to the perimeter before the alarm system goes back online." He said as we began to trek across the open field.
Once we reached the start of the woods we began to run, I pushed the pain to the back of my head and just thought of making it to the perimeter and escaping. By the time we reached the perimeter the guards had already noticed that something had breached the system. We had no time to waste as the security system could go back on at any minute.
My brother and I climbed a nearby tree and used it to get over the wall. Once we managed to climb high enough my brother and I jumped onto the wall and jumped over. We recovered quickly due to the adrenaline of escaping, now coursing through our veins. My brother and I smiled at each other, as we took each other's hand and began to bolt.
We ran and ran and didn't stop till we reached the harbor, my brother and I, looked for a boat that was going anywhere that was far away from England. As chance would have it there was a boat that was currently preparing to leave the harbor and on its way to Canada. "Canada?" I asked looking at him and he nodded. "Canada." With this we both snuck onto the cargo ship and hid. We watched as the ship pulled away, as the home we had known since we were six began to get smaller and smaller.
"We did it Eris, we're free." My brother said as he wrapped his arms around me. I hugged him back and took in a deep breath. "Freedom never smelt so good." I said as my brother and I huddled up next to each other. My brother told me to get to sleep and that we would take turns keeping watch. With this I was soon fast asleep dreaming of what we would do once we got there.
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Hello everyone! I hope you like my new fanfiction, I've written out majority of this story so I will be updating this story every Thursday. I was inspired this after watching Avengers Age of Ultron, Pietro is honestly an amazing character. Anyways hope you like the story!
-Blue