Shannon Smith is an average, young woman to the outside world but scratch on the surface and her dark past lurks beneath. After the events in Washington (Captain America 2: Winter Soldier) part of her history is out for the entire world to see, pushing Shannon in to the grey area of would be hero to possible villain. When the dark Stranger James 'Bucky' Barnes comes knocking asking for help in opening up his past. Will Shannon decide to follow James on his path of redemption or be engulfed in her need for revenge?

Prologue

White walls. Closing in, Shannon could feel her feet walking the same path as they had many times, the same claustrophobic routine for what seemed like an eternity. White walls, slow steps. 'WALK CHILD, WALK!' The woman's voice vibrated off the wall. 'Hail Hydra'

Shannon woke up with a scream caught in her throat, the walls were not white but a bright blue, she was in bed, not marching around her cell, that was another life. Everything was safe here, the clothes she had taken off still sat on the floor, the moving boxes still propped up against her wardrobe, safe that's what she is.
Shannon looked out of the only window in her room, she could hear the steady drum of New York traffic, a constant buzz that made her feel safe, better then silence.
She turned peaking at her phone on the bedside cabinet, her deep brown eyes squinted when the light came on, 5.00 am. Great. She had to be up in a few hours for a day full of taking calls and listening to her co worker Super Stacey talk about how together her life was.
Turning, Shannon's heart beat had relaxed to normality, the nightmare slightly fading.
'Your safe' She forcefully told herself, sighing she relaxed and returned her bed and the rest of the furniture back on the ground. Damn powers.

chapter 1

'So I said to him, fine I'll take both your numbers and will have to put them in a hat' Stacey droned on, Shannon eyes drooped as she forgot what had even happened for them to be on the topic of Stacey's love life, she had felt like she had made an effort today, even calmed the dark brown mane of hair that stuck out at every opportunity in to a pony tail, she wore her grey trousers and a lilac top that went with her tanned skin but surprise, surprise Stacey had worn a skirt so small if she bent down, Shannon could tell what colour knickers she had picked too.
Shannon suddenly stood up and turned away from Stacey making her stop mid sentence, she was bored, she should of trained last night, that's why the nightmare had creeped in, she wasn't strong enough, she knew it and they probably knew it, after everything that happened in Washington, she had to be careful her past had trended on twitter for god sake, she had to change her name and move to New York but she was no where strong enough, she had to train more, she had to tonight.

Back in the sanctuary of home, Shannon shrugged out of her coat, winter was her favourite season but this one seemed to back more bite, her head ached from keeping her senses in check at work, she had a peak once in to Stacey's mind, it was hard to look her in the eye for a few days after, never again.

She sat at her small flat pack table and stared out at the lights fighting the coming darkness, she was lucky in a way with what had happened in Washington, she was more aware of what they had done to her, the experiments. Some days she thought she was going crazy, that it was all in her head. She mused for a while, the remnants of her nightmare flashing in her eyes, she remembered everything, the safeness of home back in Britain so many years ago, the terror of her cell, the joy of freedom and the realization of what they had made her in to. For a second she used her powers, stretching the force in her mind for any living thing around her, it was like a invisible paw clawing at any mind it could find. Mrs Bates, the woman who owned seven cats named after the seven dwarves was wondering what to watch but apart from that, nothing. Completed silence, god she hated silence.

Pushing herself from her solace at the kitchen window, walking to her bedroom she sighed, taking her work clothes off and leaving them on the floor, she shrugged on some skinny, grey jeans she found in her wardrobe and a black vest top and her brown military jacket. She was ready.

Chapter 2

Shannon stood on the balcony of the club, the strobe lights bounced off the metallic surfaces almost blinding her, the music vibrated in her ears.
'Cmon, focus.'
She concentrated her powers, pushing it from her mind, over everyone else in the club, the blast of the band began to dim to a slow hum, the drunken singing and screams also drifting away. Still nothing.
Shannon scowered her eyes, focusing. Her body tense ready to strike. She stalked along the balcony, her hand tightly gripping the banister, in places there were always scum lurking around every corner, she just had to find them.

As hope ebbed away, she heard it, a pitiful sob. Her hawk like eyes caught the source of the sad noise, a weak little stick thin creature, wearing nothing much and teetered on heels two inch off the ground was being dragged by a beast of a man, even from Shannon's vantage point she could see his veins standing out on his neck, he dragged her along like a little bird stuck on a string, dissapearing in to a curtain area away from the bar.

Shannon shot down from the balcony, the adrenaline kicking back in to her body, she shoved past everyone in her path, never breaking her stride, she had found her target and she wasn't going to let it go.

'Please Darren ... I .. didn't know he was going to be here' The brute grabbed her wrist, his giant hand made her grab for her twig like wrist. His vice like hand and fingers dug in to her hand as he shouted insults in her face, spit flying everywhere.
'Its not my fault.' She sobbed as he raised his right fist, terror gripped her eyes.

Suddenly he grabbed his head and screeched in pain, rage shot through Shannon at what she had just witnessed, the girl cowered on the floor, her body shaking gripping at her injured wrist, her make up and tear stained green eyes locked on to Shannon's.
'Run'
As she scampered back to the noise and blackness, the heavy breathing brute turned, his gaze following the fleeting bird and finally locking on to Shannon blocking his path. Fury crossed his eyes as he took a step towards her, blood trickling from his nose.
'Back off' Shannon shot at the bully, her lips never moved, fear gripped the brutes eyes as he processed what had just happened, he had heard her voice but in his head, he turned to run but Shannon pushed her left hand towards him, power coming from her arm as she pulled him to a stop, blood flowed freely from his nose and now mouth as he fought against both her telepathic and telekinetic powers, he screamed in terror as Shannon pushed her hand towards the wall of the hall, sending his heavy set body crashing in to the same wall, he was now on her bit of string. She threw him around the corridor, she could feel her power growing, the easier her movements, the quicker he moved.
'Please' He begged, as his body slid down the wall, broken. His knees buckled under his weight as blood flowed freely, engulfing his face in to a red mask.
'Your a monster' He chocked as his pain ridden eyes locked on to Shannon's power hungry ones.
'Yes and your a rapist and a bully.' A quick swipe from Shannon's hand and Darren's neck snapped. He wasn't going to be caging any little birds anymore.

Quickly Shannon strode back in the direction she came, her mind banged along to the beat of the music, every cell in her body groaned as the adrenaline from her system drained from her, she was too weak, she had to step up her training if she wanted to stay out of the cage.
She focused on the sign that showed an exit from the noise from the band and all the people, she struggled to control her telepathic powers, as she heard everyone's thoughts.
'That must be her.'
The thought made her step falter, even in a room full of women, she knew this stranger had meant her, unlike everyone else he was sober, she could see his mind focused on her.
'There here, its too late.' Terror filled her tired body, sending her already diminishing energy back through her body. White wall was all that crossed her mind.

Stumbling outside, the cool November air hit her face like a smack she really didn't need, she headed towards the alley opposite the club. Not the smartest idea but if she was going to use her powers in a uncontrolled environment then she was going to keep the risks low.
With the noise from the music and the crowd fading behind her, she could focus her returning powers around her, she strained her ears for any footsteps or breath, she strained her telepathic powers to hear a murmur of a thought. Nothing.
She breathed a sigh of relief, appreciating the cold air filling her lungs for the first time since that stray thought in the club, she began to walk down the alley towards home. She had to get home fast, she could already hear the sirens, looks like someone had found Darren.

'Now?'
That voice again, someone was lurking in the shadows, cold sweat shivered down her spine. She couldn't run, she had to fight.
''I know you are there, I have no time for games.' Shannon's eyes darted around her alleyway, she had switched from the huntress to the hunted in a matter of minutes, she fought back the fear rising in her body.
'Breathe.' She screamed in her head. ' This is what the training is for.'

Sensing him she turned. Blocking her exit from the alley stood a tall muscler man, he wore deep blue jeans and a pair of faded white sneakers, a dark brown jacket covered his body, a black baseball cap hid his eyes and his hair, even though from the dark strands that were escaping from underneath the cap, Shannon could see it was brown almost black.
'Back off.' Shannon spat out in to his mind, a smirk touched his handsome mouth.
'Well done idiot' She scolded herself, she could feel power radiating off him, she'd never felt like power like it before, he made her uncomfortable, maybe a little bit scared.
He moved to take a step forward, his long legs taking a stride towards her, she lunged her hand at him, pushing all her power at him as hard as she could, Shannon didn't know if it was due to his power or her training but he didn't move as far as she would of hoped.
He dropped to one knee, steadying himself with his left hand, the sound of metal hitting concrete. The smirk evolved in to a grin as he threw himself in to a run towards Shannon.
Panic and the threat of death pushed Shannon on, she thrusted her hand again towards him again, stumbling him again but he carried on coming. Black spots began to fill her vision, dizziness hit her in waves, she carried on pushing her powers towards the powerful, capped machine thundering towards her. He stood a few feet away as he slowed, his sea blue eyes locked on to hers as she swayed, her legs turning in to jelly, she didn't know from the fright of the stranger or the eyes that held a massive amount of pain in them.
She swayed again, the stranger stretching his arms to grab her shaking body, her powers reacted before Shannon even realized, she sent a blast of power to the unsuspecting stranger, sending him high across the alley, back at his started position, his baseball cap hurtling in to a different direction. His head snapped up in shock at Shannon as she continued to sway, losing the cap revealed a handsome face, his striking blue eyes stared up in shock and awe, his dark hair was long, growing past his chin, a stubble of hair across his strong jaw.
Shannon fell to her knees, she could feel her blood trickling from her nose, pain ripped up her legs as she hit the ground but she couldn't take her eyes of her would be attacker, he jumped to his feet as the top half of her body began to descend to the ground, the blackness taking over her vision as she could hear is foot steps towards her and the only thing she could think, in that very moment was:
'Wow, he's hot.