Shadowed Past: Visions of Affliction

Sequel Teaser

Hey guys! This is the introduction to the sequel of "Shadowed Past" and helps set up the timeline before the first chapter of "Visions of Affliction".

The sequel is written in a combination of Alex's point of view and third person because the story surrounds more of what's going on inside Alex's mind and that was the easiest way to depict everything.

((It's going to take place after Age of Ultron, but it's going to be filled with flashbacks from when Alex fought the battle with the Avengers.))

Enjoy!

Chills ran through my body as I felt the steady inhales of freezing air fill my lungs. Yet I still exhaled small puffs of steam, signaling warm air leaving my body. My skin was pale, practically as white as the snow beneath my feet, except for the redness of my cheeks and nose from exposure to the low temperatures.

For a second, I heard nothing but silence. No bombs had been launched, there was no screaming of the wounded falling to the ground...nothing.

My eyes scanned the snow-dusted forest. There was no movement. No sign of life.

Until all of a sudden, the sound of a bullet leaving the barrel of its gun echoed off the trees. I looked up just in time to catch the bullet inside of a small purple sphere of force fields, only inches from my face. The bullet was aimed for the dead center of my skull between my eyes. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding before letting the bullet fall to the ground.

And then the battle seemed to magically reappear.

Bullets hit and tore at the bark of trees, the ground rumbled from Bruce rampaging around and bombs ripping apart the ground, and the cries of the wounded filled the air again.

"Alex! Heads up!" Steve shouted.

I spun around just in time to catch his shield, using it to wipe out many of the enemy's men beginning to surround me.

Steve fought his way to my side, literally, and I handed him his shield back. "Thanks for letting my borrow it." I panted.

We began jogging through the forest to catch up with the others as our conversation carried on.

"No problem. You know, that suit really works for you. It looks nice." Steve said.

"Was that a compliment, captain?" I teased.

"That's up to you to decide, Mrs. Rogers."

"This is why superheroes don't date." Natasha muttered over the speaker.

"Seriously, save it for the bed, lovebirds." Tony scoffed.

I smiled, actually enjoying their bickering for once. My new suit did look better than the old one. The old suit: black, leather, had the tears patched with red cloth to look like scars? That's the one. I liked it, but, I felt...vulnerable with it on. The new one was still black and leather, much like Natasha's and every other SHIELD agent's ever. But, this one didn't have the rips and tears like the old one. It didn't have the scars like I used to. A new suit for a new me. It had multiple belts, and a couple of different holsters for guns. I wore my combat boots with the suit to complete it.

My thoughts were scrambled when I saw the enemy lines rapidly approaching.

"Go get 'em, cap!" I called as Steve ran to the right, and I ran to the left.

I began taking out enemy soldiers with my force fields as quick as possible.

The cold air continued to burn in my lungs with every breath, every pant.

My mind continued to wander, and slowly my physical acts separated from my thoughts. I continued to punch, kick, throw fields, but my mind was completely somewhere else. The fight was implanted into the commander center of my brain, like how a robot's commands are programmed into it's system. I fought strong, but my mind took a break. My thoughts were filled with the memories from my life before I met Steve. The self harm, the fear, the loneliness. I felt the scars burn on my arms, forever etched into my delicate skin.

And then, I was hit.

A huge blow to the head, flinging my body backwards until it met harshly with the bark of a tree. One of many in the cold winters forest.

They all surrounded me, attacking my body in every which way. Blood began to surface, and yet I was still caught in such a daze, I couldn't fight back. I was motionless in the white, and I felt the pain surging through every nerve, spiking and flailing to unspeakable levels of agony. My voice was numb; I was unable to scream for help. I felt the fear wash over the pain, only contributing to the pure panic taking over my being.

And then I woke up.