~~ELLIE
I was walking in a dark room...my blue eyes couldn't see anything around me without any source of light as I spun around with each sound that flashed behind me. Glancing down I saw that I still had one arm, my normal arm while the other was gone; the metal one. It was obliterated by Stark's energy blast.
"Hello? Who's there?" I yelled into the darkness until only silence was my response until I turned around walking into something that caused me to stumble backwards. Moving forward I held my hand to embrace what I hit feeling a cold wet substance across my fingertips as I could only use my senses of touch, hearing, smell and taste right now. My fingers swished against the other to try to figure out the texture, it wasn't thick enough nor did it smell metallic to be blood. Soon a small light flicked on behind me...like a spot light to show a chamber, the chamber that I spent most of seventy years of my life in. Stumbling backwards my heart was racing at the sight of the chamber before me, my stomach churned inside me as I felt sick. "No...no...no..."
"Добро пожаловать домой Shade..." a familiar voice replied (Welcome home Shade) I spun around seeing a figure outlined around by the spot light as I could see the reflection of metal in my eyes. Mine went wide...it was her...it was Nightshade.
"No...it can't be." I mumbled watching her take a step forward twirling the Bo in her one hand and kept her dead look in her eyes.
"Oh it is...this is who you are..." she smiled evilly I took a step backwards from her feeling my fear forming more in my body.
"No...I'm not..." I replied watching her take another step forward while I took one step backwards from her.
"Yes you are...I've always been here...locked away deep inside you. HYDRA released me...you can never be rid of me." She smirked evilly taking two more steps towards me until I felt my back pin against something hard. I couldn't move anymore while she stopped looking up and down with her empty eyes. "You are me...I am you...you are the partner of the Winter Soldier...you are Nightshade."
"No I'm not." I hissed until another metal arm braced across my neck sending me up into the air while I braced my flesh hand against the cold silver. The light flashed on above me as I could see the familiar metal arm braced under my chin. It was Bucky's...glancing slightly I could see it wasn't Bucky; it was him...the Winter Soldier. "Bucky...stop...this isn't you."
"I'm not Bucky..." he whispered before sending me flying across the room which I hit the chamber hard with my back then slid down seeing the both of them standing before me. My vision cleared when I saw the two were embracing, a wet sensation hit my cheek as I touched it to see it was blood. Looking up I saw blood dripping from the grated railings and the horror to where the source was. It came from Steve...his dead mangled body above me.
"No!" I yelled seeing the two break away from one another to look at me, my heart was pounding harder into my chest.
"This is who you are Ellie...you are a murderer...a killer. Embrace it...you loved feeling the bones crush in your grip. You loved the warm blood spraying across your skin..." Nightshade smiled evilly walking towards me while I tried to move but my body wouldn't move from where it was. Soon I felt her embrace my chin with her metal hand lifting me from my feet and turned my face to look the Winter Soldier who was pulling out his blade from his holster. "And you loved him when he was a killer." I broke from her embrace seeing a door behind the Winter Soldier open with a bright light inside which told me was a way out. I slammed my elbow into Nightshade's face then I rolled away from the Soldier who was charging at me until I got to my feet and rushed towards the door. As I stepped through a knife had pierced into my right numb shoulder, turning the door slammed shut as Nightshade and the Winter Soldier vanished from my view. Bracing the knife in the back of my arm I ripped it out not feeling any ounce of pain but I felt blood drizzling down my skin. Was this real? Was this really happening? Or was this all in my head? The light above me went off as I looked around trying to figure out what was happening while clutching the blade in my hand. Taking two steps forward another light flicked on showing me that I was standing in a lab, a non-familiar lab but it wasn't the one I remembered.
"Where the hell am I now?" I whispered moving forward until a loud gunshot rang out forcing me to flinch into guard stance but I saw no bullet coming my way.
"Bucky!" I heard a voice yell just as the gunshot rang out next to me as I felt images flash across my eyes. I saw Bucky...his hair was shorter and he wore a dark blue uniform top. This was before the Winter Soldier...before we had the metal arms as glanced at my stomach where a bullet once hit but all that was there was a slight scar.
"Now you remember." A voice replied causing me to freeze up while I held up the blade in the direction of the voice.
"Who are you? Show yourself!" I ordered watching a figure emerge from the darkness but it was Nightshade, she was wearing clothes from the forties. She was me...another me...was she the good version of me? "Who are you?"
"I'm you...the old you." She answered taking another step towards me while I kept my hand trained onto her but I could tell she wasn't afraid of me. She was now standing in front of me letting the tip of the blade touch her chest. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"I just fought another version of myself so excuse me for not exactly believing you right now." I reminded watching her nod telling me she understood until I felt the presence of someone behind me.
"We aren't going to hurt you Ellie." Bucky's voice replied I turned to see him in his old World War 2 uniform from the past while I turned back to the other me again.
"What's going on? What's happening to me?" I asked keeping me arm close to me in case I needed to use it for any reason.
"You're fighting yourself...there is two sides of you at war. The light and the dark. Me and Nightshade. Only one of us can be dominant and Shade isn't going down without a fight. She will kill the weaker part of you so that she can have full control and once she does you will be stuck as her forever." The white version of me exclaimed I knew I couldn't let that happen, I couldn't let Shade return not after everything that has happened. "You must hurry...you must free yourself from her grasp. You must imprison Nightshade again if you ever want to wake up."
"I have one arm...she is too strong for me. I can't do this." I answered until I felt the past Bucky's hand touch my arm causing me to slightly jump when I looked at him.
"She's only stronger because you allow her to be...this is your mind El, you are in control here. Be that strong girl that I fell in love with...be that hero who kicked ass in that alleyway. Be the Canary." Past Bucky smiled I could feel a surge of power flow through me as I closed my eyes allowing it to consume me until I heard a door be kicked in. Opening my eyes I saw the Winter Soldier and Nightshade entering the room with darkness pouring into the room.
"Hello again little girl." She smiled evilly which the Winter Soldier remained where he stood while the forties version of me took a step back behind me.
"You're not escaping Shade...you are going back to that prison where you belong." I answered watching her tilt her head like she wasn't scared with the Bo pressed onto her shoulder while I clutched the knife in my hand.
"You're weak Ellie...you can't stop me." She reminded I twirled the blade in my fingertips until I felt the energy fill me again causing a tingling sensation on my right side. With a look I saw that my arm was there, not my metal one but my real arm that I lost those years ago. Looking down I saw I was wearing the white uniform as I looked back at Nightshade who seemed scared now.
"You're the one that's weak." I hissed she was enraged as she charged at me with her Bo while I pulled mine from my back and stopped her attack. She swung multiple times at me which I was able to block easily until I slammed it into her face knocking the mask off of her eyes. She spun the Bo in her grip before I locked eyes with the demon before me. "You are the darkness....you are the evil that HYDRA created...you are the monster that is in the back of my mind. But you are nothing...you do not control me..."
"Yes I do...you think he loves you...no. He loves me...he loves Nightshade. And once you are gone...I'll give him what he wanted. Freedom...power..." she replied swinging her Bo at me which I avoided bending backwards then I swiped the Bo in my hands at the back of her legs causing her to fall to the floor.
"Darkness...we are all attracted to it and some of us were susceptible to it but we have the choice. We can choose to walk back into the light...we can choose to fight the darkness inside us...." I exclaimed swiping the Bo across her body sending her stumbling backwards until she regained her footing and charged at me again. I caught her into my grip until I heard a gasp escape from her lips as I twisted the hidden blade into her chest until I locked eyes with her again. Blood dripped from her lips and fear was in her stare. "And we can defeat the darkness by sending it back to where it came from." I caught Nightshade who felt forward into my arms as I lowered her to the ground and the Winter Soldier who was emotionless began to fade away. Looking down at Shade I saw her struggling to breathe as she tried to pull the blade from her stomach until we locked eyes.
"You'll never be rid of me Eleanor...I will always be trapped in your heart." She gagged I took her hand into mine giving it a tight squeeze which surprised her.
"I know...but one day I'll be free." I whispered watching her choke again until she faded from my grip and the knife disappeared into a puff of smoke. Standing I turned to see a smiling past Bucky who also faded and then the old me took a step forward.
"You're free..." she smiled I saw a small door open behind her as she turned to look at it and then turned back to me. I moved up next to her before stopping to look at her with some pain in my eyes.
"I'll never be you again will I?" I asked watching her take my hand into hers and tightened her grip as she led me to the door.
"I'm always with you Ellie...I am a part of you that you lost but that doesn't mean I'm gone forever. You may never be Agent Eleanor Carter, defender of the weak and protector of the world again but you can be Ellie Carter. You can be redeemed...all you have to do is find the light inside yourself. Don't let that darkness consume you...you are stronger...you are in control." She exclaimed I smiled nodding she released my hand and faded away like the others. I turned to the door taking in a deep breath before walking into the light feeling myself slip away again. My eyes opened as I saw I was lying in a tent, looking down I saw my right arm was gone again but I felt a certain peace. Then I heard some giggling as I looked up to see small children peeking through the opening of the tent and the moment we locked eyes they scattered. Sitting up I noticed I was wearing some toga like clothing and my bare feet were crushing across the sand.
"I appreciate what you've done for us...Ellie and me." I heard Bucky's voice outside of the tent as I stood moving towards the entrance. Opening it I saw the beautiful city of Wakanda before me and a vast river around me. Children were playing around me until I spotted Bucky talking to a young girl. His long brown hair was pulled back into a semi bun and he was wearing similar clothing to me. The young girl who he was talking to saw me then muttered something to Bucky as he turned around to look. We locked eyes and I could see the peace in his eyes that matched mine, we moved towards the other what felt like slow motion until I felt his flesh arm around my waist and our foreheads were pinned to the other. "I missed you..."
"I missed you...are you okay?" I asked looking into his eyes seeing more light in them then I ever saw before.
"I just battled my inner demons." He answered I smiled pressing my forehead a small bit against his before laughing at his response.
"Funny...same here." I replied we hovered over each other's faces before I felt Bucky lean in closer pressing his lips onto mine. His stubble beard danced across my cheeks as the kiss felt lighter, warmer and full of life. We broke away after a moment pressing our foreheads again.
"I've been dying to do that for the last year." He whispered I smiled until I heard some crunching footsteps behind him and we both turned to look.
"Agent Carter...I'm Shuri. T'Challa's younger sister and I was the one who reset both you and Bucky's brains. How do you feel?" she asked I felt Bucky's hand squeeze my side as I turned back to the young girl.
"It's just Ellie and I feel Free." I answered she nodded as she moved away allowing Bucky and I time together. We were free and we were together.
~~That is the end of Control, I hope you all loved it as much as I loved writing it. I loved this scene in particular because I came up with it, gave Ellie the chance to fight and finally free herself from Nightshade. Stay tuned for the note posted tomorrow. Thank you all again and see you then.~~