Esme's eyes slowly opened as she squinted them a bit as the bright room struck her eyes. She parted her lips slightly and took in a breath of air. Her hands gripped the blanket underneath, her eyes finally scanned the room she was in. She was thinking of waking up in a cell or something, but no. She was in a bedroom.
When her eyes finally adjusted, she slowly sat up and looked to the nightstand beside her. A glass of water sat on top and she quickly grabbed it, gulping it down, the cool water refreshing her throat. Once she was done with the glass she carefully placed it back down and stood up.
She carefully made her way to the door and placed her hand on the doorknob and pushed it down, opening it. Esme stepped out and carefully made her way down the hall, trying to not make any noise. She heard the sound of music getting louder as she made her way further. She rounded the corner and instantly stopped.
The hooded man sat at the kitchen table, cleaning what looked to be a sword. His back was turned, so he couldn't see her. Esme's dark eyes flickered to the small radio on the kitchen counter then to the part of the room where she saw the front door.
She could easily get out, make noise or not. She could get it opened and run, letting her bare feet carry her away. Esme did just that, she looked at the man one more time, seeing he didn't move then made her way to the door. When she got to it, she unlocked it, a click going off but wasn't too loud. Esme then turned the knob opening the door, she could feel the fresh air blowing in her face and the sun shinning on her.
That was all taken away when a hand pushed on the door, slamming it shut. Esme looked up and saw the hooded man towering over her, an unamused look plastered on his face.
"You're not very quiet." He told her as she backed away and him locking the door once more.
"What do you want?" Esme hissed, her hands slowly turning into fists at her sides.
"I just want to talk Esme. I told you before. I don't want to hurt you." He told her seriously as he stayed where he was at, the two looking at each other.
"But you did hurt me."
He didn't say anything at her comment. He just watched her, observing to see what her next move was. His eyes went from her fists, to the umbrella tattoo on her arm then finally to her face. She was scared, she may have not shown it, but he could feel it radiating off of her.
"In another universe, yes." He finally answered.
"I-I don't understand." Esme's voice cracked as she tried to be strong. Pathetic really she was. If her father could see her now he would say something like, "Number 0, stop your crying and do something about it."
"Let me explain. Everything." He took a step closer to her and she didn't bother to move. His hand reached out to her and when it got closer she starred right at him with a despised look. Esme then quickly grabbed his wrist, turning his arm in an unpleasant direction letting him let out a hiss.
She then kicked his stomach, sending him flying back into the wall where a picture fell down and cracked slightly when it hit the ground.
"You want to do this? Ok. Fine. Show me what you got." The man cracked his neck and pushed off the wall, making his way towards her.
He went to punch her in the face but she immediately dodged it and when he went to do it again she just grabbed his arm, pulling him forward where he stumbled then kicked the back of his leg, sending him to the ground.
This went on for quite some time before the hooded figure threw Esme across the room, sending her flying on the couch.
"ENOUGH!" He shouted angrily as he made his way towards her.
"You need to understand." His voice softened a bit.
"No! No! No! Stay away-"
Esme didn't have time to finish as his hands were placed on either side of her face, her lips parting slightly and her eyes glazing over.
"Your new assignment Dread."
A piece of paper was handed to the hooded man. He gripped the paper as he saw the name across the paper along with a photo. He never questioned the people that he killed. But, something about this one was different.
"Why her?" His voice was gruff as he looked from the picture up to his leader.
"No reason really." Was all the other man said.
"There has to be a reason." 'Dread' retorted.
"Fine." The other man let out a frustrated noise as he stood up from his desk and made his way to his creation, placing both of his hands on his shoulders.
"She's very powerful. So is her family. But, before you question me why not exterminate her family, it's because she can communicate and control some of the most powerful creatures on this earth."
"Demons." The hooded man whispered, finally realizing.
"Yes, my god boy." He patted one of his shoulders. "Now, no more questions and get it done Dread."
The man backed away from the hooded figure as the scene in Esme's eyes clouded away in darkness before a new scene began to play.
"You failed!" The leader shouted and hit Dreads face, making his head snap to the right.
"I'm sorry sir." He whispered, not daring to look at him.
"And I call you an assassin. What kind of assassin knocks on a door and leaves when it doesn't answer?" The man scoffed, walking away as he began to pace the room.
The hooded man looked up slightly at the man pacing back and forth, gulping when he came to a stop. The leader snapped his head towards him before quickly getting in front of him, only being two feet away from him.
"You didn't want to do it." The leader looked at him harshly. "It's the only explanation." The hooded man didn't speak which only made the leader more angry.
"Answer me!" He shouted.
"I-she looked innocent." The hooded man said softly. This was the first time, well the first time in awhile that he can remember where he didn't want to do the assignment.
The truth was. When he rang the doorbell and waited then no one answered, there were many other ways he could've gotten in. But, something clicked in his head just waiting on the front step where he didn't want to do it anymore. He was done.
"I've created you, made you who you are and this is how you repay me?" The leader questioned.
"You made me into a killer!" The hooded man snapped back.
The leader took a few steps back away from the man, getting closer to his desk as he still kept his eye on him.
"Oh, if only we didn't have this complication Dread." The leader turned around to face his desk, moving an item away where the red button was. "I had such high hopes for you Dread, but it seems we must wipe you yet again." His hand hovered over the red button and before he could press it, a blade slit across his throat.
The hooded man leaned in from behind, the now crimson blade in his hand as he heard the man choking on his own blood. He gripped his shoulder and leaned into his ear.
"My name is Thomas." The hooded man hissed before letting go, letting the man fall on the ground dead.
Esme gasped as her eyes went back to normal and stared at the hooded man in front of her, his hands slowly moving away from her face and placed in his lap.
"Thomas?" Esme questioned.
"Yes." The hooded man nodded slowly. "That's my name. Even after what they did to me and changed my name I remembered after a certain amount of time." He answered her.
"They made you into an assassin and wiped away memories?" She asked once more and he nodded once more.
"So...you're basically Bucky Barnes." Esme said softly, not wanting to offend him or anything.
"Yes, but I'm more badass." He smiled slightly and Esme felt a smile tug onto her lips as she let out a small laugh.
"I still have one more question." Esme commented. She didn't feel like this man was going to hurt her anymore, he didn't feel like a threat. To her he was Bucky Barnes, someone who was forced to do horrible things when their mind wasn't really there.
"But you did kill me, but you didn't." She said confused. "But you remember it and I know bits of it." She looked at him after she finished.
"Yes. Because you opened that door. It was in an alternate universe, because that day really didn't happen. Your brother Five, went back in time and someone stopped you from opening the door the second time." He paused for a moment before continuing.
"I was ready to kill you, my doubts were pushed away. That's how he made me. The things I can do are almost inhuman. When you opened the door it was quick for me to do. But, in the other universe. The one when your brother went back in time and you didn't answer the door, it was like something snapped in me. Just waiting there, everything being processed and then...I wanted to be done, I didn't want to be a monster anymore." His breath was slightly shaky at the end and he looked down at the ground.
"I promise you Esme." He looked back at her. "I'm not going to hurt you, that's not who I am anymore. I will try and get you back to your family." He told her honestly.
Esme nodded slowly, she knew he was telling her the truth. She could tell in his eyes he meant it. She carefully scooted to the end of the couch where she gently grabbed his hands into hers and held them. "I trust you."
1963
"I am not trying to be a hero, okay?" Diego looked to Lila clearly annoyed, the two not noticing Five appearing in the back seat.
"Then why are you doing this?" Lila asked confused.
"Because he is an idiot." Five jumped in, looking at the back of Diego's head while Lila jumped from the new voice.
"Who the hell are you?" She asked, her eyes wide.
"Hi. I'm his loving brother." Five had a small smile on his face as he gave her a small wave while Diego looked clearly annoyed.
"Who left me to rot in a nuthouse."
"To protect you from yourself." Five said seriously as Diego turned back to look at him.
"That's quite sweet." Lila mumbled a bit.
"Esme would've let me out." Diego gave him a look while Five just looked done with his brothers shit.
"Esme probably would've been in the nuthouse with you." Five clenched his jaw.
"I will stab you right here!" Diego threatened. Now he was getting mad, even though Esme wasn't completely in the right head space for years, doesn't mean she belongs in a nuthouse.
"Oh. But that's against Esme's morals." Five clasped his hands together. Before Diego could say some snarky remark back, Lila spoke up.
"Whose Esme?"
The two brothers were basically glaring at each other as they answered at the same time.
"Our sister."
Elsewhere
1:23 am
Thomas clenched the pillow from beside him as he held an unpleasant look on his face, sweat on his forehead as he moved slightly in his sleep. He started to breath heavily and mumbled words as well. He could see and hear everything so clearly.
Thomas' blade struck through people around him, then it came crashing down on one person directly in front of him, the blood splattering on his face as he watched the woman fall to the ground.
He turned around ready to strike anyone else on the battlefield, but there was no one in sight. He couldn't see anyone. His surroundings were completely covered in smoke, the only thing he could see were specks of flying ashes from the burning building somewhere around him.
"Temhota! Wisp!" He shouted, trying to find his two partners. He shouted their names once more as he continued to move forward, not knowing where exactly he was going. He knew their mission. If they fall behind, you leave them and get back to base. Not this time...not this time.
"Dread!" A feminine voice shouted back, not that far away from him. He stopped in his tracks and turned to the sound of the voice.
"Wisp!" He shouted back and began to make his way to her. "Stay where you are. I'm coming to you!" He said loudly and blindly made his way towards her.
His pace began to move quicker when he heard metal clashing on metal, a few grunts then a scream that died down. Now, he began to worry.
"Wisp! Wisp!" He shouted desperately then stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening and his mouth falling slightly as he looked at the sight in front of him.
Wisp laid dead on the grassy field, her green lifeless eyes staring up into the sky as her torso was filled with blood, a dark crimson liquid pooling around her. Her dark red hair, scattered against her face and lightly on the ground.
He had to keep moving, he knew that. But, one of his partners were dead, someone he knew for as long as he could remember. His thoughts came to a stop when a dark hand appeared on his shoulder behind him.
"Dread! We must keep moving." The deep voice of his other partner, Temhota. Temhota looked at Wisps' dead body, sorrow quickly flickering across his eyes, but he quickly buried that. 'No emotions' was what he told himself.
"We need to get out of here." Temhota took his hand away from him and moved forward, standing on the other side of Wisps' body so he was in front of him.
"Dread. You know the rules." He told him, his brown eyes looking to his blue ones.
"We don't need another dead-" Temhota gasped as blood spluttered out of his mouth, he looked down and saw a sword impaled out of him.
"No!" Thomas screamed.
The sword was ripped out of Temhota, letting his body fall a few feet away from Wisp. He let out a few more gasps, before he was gone. The man who had stabbed him fell on the ground, letting out a dark chuckle.
"As long as I got one last kill." The man breathed out as he too was dying. Thomas breathed out in anger as he let his sword swiftly decapitate the man.
Thomas gave one last look to Wisp and Temhotas' body before he continued to move forward. They were dead and he had to keep moving.
"Thomas! Thomas wake up!" Esme shouted right next to him as she wrapped her arms around his withering body as he screamed bloody murder.
"You're ok. You're ok." She reassured him as his eyes snapped open and he realized where he was.
"You're ok." Esme reassured once more, her body clinging onto his, trying to calm him down.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Thomas said in a low voice, wrapping his arms slowly around her; trying to find some sort of comfort. The two held onto each other tightly as he stared at the blank wall in front of him. He could only get one more thing out of his dry mouth.
"It was just a memory."
** Ok. That was a long chapter, and I'm sure some of you are confused, I tried to make it as understanding as possible. So if you have any questions about anything, just comment and I'll answer them at the end of next chapter**