Darkness.

Do not for one moment think you are friends with this creature. With this beast. The Dark has no friends. No family. No allies.

No one.

It preys on every single soul, creature and being. It's deceitful, manipulative and the most corrupt and wicked essence to contaminate everyone and everything's existence. Some are fortunate enough to earn negligence from it, but do not think for one second that it sees you as an equal, or with some kind of respect.

Everything is below it.

I know people who think they own the dark. People who think they were born and raised in it. People who think they adopted it under their care.

These people are dumb asses.

Before everything, before life, before planets, before Earth and before us insignificant human beings there was darkness. Most, if not all religions acknowledge this in some way. Scientists have to as well, because before all the stars in the sky, before the Gods, and before the suspected 'Big Bang' what was there? What existed before everything came into being?

Darkness.

It was born before its younger sibling; Light, for Light must originate from a source, whether that be a campfire, a light bulb, the sun or something else. Light cannot simply appear from nowhere, whereas Darkness is everywhere unless Light is with us.

Light and Dark. The younger sibling and the older sibling. Yin and Yang. Angel and Demon. Good and Evil. Life and Death. The list is endless.

Remember when I said I believe Hell to be cold? To be ice? This is another reason it has to be. Hell is said to be the vilest and most malevolent destination in reality. If this is true, then Darkness would have to be there, without the younger relative Light poking around. So obviously fire can't be an option, because fire gives off Light, and Darkness is weaker around its kin. Ice however, does not give off light. It remains at its continuous luminosity which is merely determined by the amount of Light or Dark in the room.

A great author once wrote 'Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light'. Even though Darkness is the elder, and anticipated to be the superior, Light overpowers its elder sibling if enough force is put behind it.

Things are changing. I am changing. I guess you would need to know me to realise that though. Do you really think you know who I am? You think you know my story? How I was abandoned as a child. How I was raised as an assassin and SHIELD agent in secret. How I joined then was booted from HYDRA. How I evaded and was hunted by some of the world's most notorious criminals and heroes. How I watch my best friend's tortured and mangled body die in front of my very eyes because of me. How I met a certain super soldier I was sent to kill.

How I fell for the enemy.

What you know is wrong. My entire life is a web, and I'm a single fly entangled within the lies of a thousand strands, the spider nearing another inch towards me every day that drags past. I'm a mouse snared in a trap with a vulturous cat slinking around the corner and blending with the shadows.

I was anyway.

Like I said, things are changing. Prey is becoming predator. The mouse is transforming into the cat. The fly is evolving into the spider. I may be broken, but I promise you this:

Lillian Veronica Nightshade will not go down without a fight, because I'm a stubborn ass bitch and we all know it.

Remember what I said today. You'll need it if you hope to survive what comes. Heck, I'll need it to survive what comes. What you have seen, what you have read, it is simply round one to the games that have been set in motion, for war has started, and while it may not be widely known or acknowledged, it will be the most formidable and perilous war fought to date.

Light will be against Dark. Blood against blood. Ice against fire. My father isn't one of the largest players on the field, but he is most certainly a force to be reckoned with. He thinks that I'll plunge my hands into the dirt so far, that I'll never be able to cleanse them again. He doesn't realize one thing though.

My hands are already stained with dirt. And they always will be.

******

NOW

"Name."

"This is stupid, I don't see why-"

"Name."

Glaring down the man seated opposite to me, a lock of my hair falls from place to obscure my vision in one eye. Huffing irritably and blowing the strand from my sight, I offer a frustrated sigh before answering "Chuck Norris."

The man throws me a look.

"Fine.... Lillian Veronica Nightshade."

Returning his gaze to the clipboard, a barren expression remains on his face as he flicks through various sheets of paper, fine print covering them. Unblinking, he drones "Date of Birth."

"Five hundred BC."

"Date of Birth."

Rolling my eyes at his lack of humour, I disinterestedly answer "March 16th, 1989."

His fingers skim through my dossier again, still refusing to make eye contact with me. "Says here you are experienced in over 12 forms of martial arts, followed by various weapons training and a vast amount of experience in actual combat. Care to elaborate?"

I snort. "Pretty self-explanatory, don't you think?"

When I am met - yet gain - with the man's humourless silence, I internally groan and stoically explain "Started at the age of five. Obviously a five year old can't do much, but it helped me get a feel of how a weapon should be held - or not held - and the general idea of what it's supposed to do. Real training was further initiated at my age of six, and I soon figured out that I'm quick to pick up hand to hand combat techniques from numerous martial arts. Weapons took more time and patience to master. I'm sorry, but everything I'm saying is written down on that file you've got in hand and quite frankly I'm wasting precious oxygen re-telling everything you already know-"

"Continue."

My nostrils flare in somewhat contained annoyance. "Education was taught along with my fighting skills, and it turns out I was quick to pick up on school subjects such as science, maths, history, geography and so and so forth." Because I'm a demi-God surrounded by mortal knowledge "I've had my fair share of up front and personal experiences involving combat. That of which can be found within my dossier which you're currently holding. I'm not exactly going to attempt to squeeze seventeen years of my life into what should be a less than five minute question so I'll just say that yes I know the stresses of battle, yes I know how to co-operate and work in a team, yes I can work alone - quite well - and yes, I work just as well under pressure as I do when I'm not."

Appearing satisfied with the answer, his gaze returns to the clipboard - shocker - before the next question falls from his inscrutable lips "You have encountered HYDRA on numerous occasions, as well as SHIELD. Which side appeals to you more?"

"Are you being forced to ask these as a joke? Or are you really this stupid?"

"Which side appeals to you more?"

"SHIELD. HYDRA tried to kill me on said numerous occasions and funny enough I tend to disagree with people who make an attempt on my life," I rush out impatiently, my fingers tapping on the metal desk in hope to marginally distract myself from the thoughts of punching this man in the face.

He pauses for a moment. "What is your specialty?"

"Katanas, you know, swords. Although I work excellently with double daggers as well, or a staff."

"But you can use an assortment of other weapons as well?"

I snort. "So you're not only stupid but deaf. I said so beforehand."

He stares impassively again.

My eye almost twitches in aggravation. "Yes! I am able to utilise an assortment and range of weapons from tridents and bows to guns and erasers. I actually hit a guy in the eye twice with an eraser."

"You named yourself Nightingale, why?"

I repress a flinch. "Sentimental and personal reasons."

"Why?"

"You really offer no privacy whatsoever don't you?"

"Why?"

Glaring at him with a newfound vengeance, I hold the venom at bay as I reply "Part of a poem or lullaby if you want that I grew up with, and I for a strange unknown reason can relate to a Greek myth about a Nightingale and a Sparrow. We done?"

"One more question."

My foot taps up and down erratically from where it is crossed over my leg, my mouth and throat feeling abnormally dry no matter how much saliva I swallow. My breaths, although steady, are taken uneasily, my fingers unable to stop their twitching. I'm sure I'm passing this with flying colours at the moment - please note the sarcasm in that sentence, because I'm too occupied to do so myself.

The clipboard creates an emanating clack as he plops it down on the steel table separating us, his eyes inflexible and unblinking as they try to pin me to the spot. No doubt he thinks he's tough, if only he knew of what I'm fully capable of.

"Let's be blunt-"

"Oh, so we haven't been doing that this entire time? My mistake."

He neglects my interruption. "Let's be blunt here. Why do you want to become a SHIELD agent?"

Ah yes, the big question I've been awaiting this entire interview... or could you classify it as an interrogation? Bit of both maybe.

"I'm on a spiritual journey, in hope of finding my inner self and-"

"Why do you want to become a SHIELD agent?"

The unimpressed and irked feeling between us right now is mutual, of that I'm sure.

Sighing, I allow myself the pleasure of closing my eyes and imagining that none of this was real, and that everything I've endured the past eight months was all some sick ploy created by my father in hopes of breaking me. But that too soon came to an end.

Gazing up at him, stare hardened to stone and frightening enough for the man to break his character and slightly gape at me in minimal fear, my lips part and offer the answer "Because being here is like being at home, which is something I can't do right now, nor ever again."

He has the audacity to question "Why?"

I glower. "Because everyone I've ever cared and loved.... They don't know who I am."

WELLCCOOMMMMMMEEEEEEE TO PLAYED BY THE ENEMY!!!!!!!!!! So, ya'll have been harassing me for the sequel to be up so here it is, up a tad earlier than I was going to put it up but that's alright. This chapter was kinda just an insight to what she feels/does/sees after everything Loki put her through in those 8 months, but starting next chapter we go back to the start of those 8 months and experience everything Lillian did.... which shall be heartbreaking, unexpected (I promise you that), gut wrenching and of course sassy.

We'll also be seeing the rest of the Avengers (mostly Steve) and how they coped with her absence. That will also be (hopefully) interesting, especially seeing as Steve is with the Inhumans.

Don't forget that I'll still be posting on FFTE some deleted chapter so be sure to refer back to that occasionally, because part two of the 'World War III in a Science Lab' is yet to be put up ;)

Oh, and I was bored... so I drew a cartoon Steve and Lillian together.... cuz you know... being bored makes you do stuff like that.... hope you like it :) If you guys ever draw anything or just want to show me a photo in general, don't be afraid to send it to my email [email protected] I'm always ecstatic to talk to and see things you guys send me :)

Thanks for reading and that's all for now, bye! :) xxx

~T.L