She released a shaky breath, suddenly finding herself at a loss of words.

Tony sat beside her on the med bay bed, his wrist still tightly clutched by her, as if afraid he will disappear if she let go, "Nora, see I-...I don't want to force you to share, but you also know that secrets have a way to resurface, that agent he would open his mouth for sure after waking up, I don't want us--me, anyone to understand you wrong. We all have our demons, we all have our mistakes, what is important is to move past them, and let them become a past."

She released a sigh, her heart still thumping loudly in her heart, "I--I don't remember anything before my teenage years," she started, her shoulders slumped, "who I was? where? what am I? anything, but the moment from where my memories starts...I-...I was with HYDRA,"

The cell was dark, the only source of light, being the bulb attached outside the cell. A groan of pain escaped her lips as her eyes fluttered open, her head throb with pain, like someone took out her brain, figuratively, of course.

She sat up at the cold biting floor, her eyes darting toward each black corner with bewilderment and fear.

Where the hell am I?

She kept a hand on her head, trying to remember but it was gone, her mind, once a canvas full of cherry colors, was now blank, pure white, pristine and eerie. She felt like she was floating in space, endless darkness enveloping her, with no knowledge of the ending or beginning. But there must have been a beginning, unless this was it.

She snapped out of her dazed state, when she felt little arms enveloping her legs, looking down, she found they belonged to a little girl, her curly black locks falling over her face, while her brown doe eyes looked toward her, "Sis, sad?" she spoke, her childish voice seemed almost non-familiar in that dark abyss.

"Sis?" she muttered, looking at the child on her feet, was she, her sister?

The cell door opened with a ding, as her arms involuntarily shielded the girl, a familiar feeling tugging at her chest, her emerald eyes meeting with the two bulky men immediately, "Come with us," they said, their voice cold and firm.

She didn't know who they were, but the guns in their hand, conveyed the message that she should probably follow them without any question.

**

Walking into the well-lit room, she took in her surroundings, the walls were sterile, the room vacant except some chairs and a wooden table that mark the center of the room.

"Ah, finally you are awake," a gruff voice addressed her, as she looked forward, a tall man of 6 '5 stood there, his presence towering and commanding attention, the edge of his hairs was gray while his emotionless charcoal orbs stared back at her.

"Who are you?" she asked, her eyes trailed on his form, as he circled her, looking at her like a prey.

"For now, your father," he said, she blinked in confusion but nodded nonetheless, her father? Why the hell she can't remember anything? "You see, my child, you are the most brightest kid I ever had, you are special," he said, and kneeled to her level, "your existence is due to a special cause, for something better than living normal life,"

His words were sweet, at least they seemed to be like that...

then why the sinister gleam in his eyes?

"You would help us, bring the world the ultimate peace, wouldn't you, Erica?"

This was supposed to be a good job, right?

"Yes, father,"

Then why does she feel a weight settling on her heart?

After that everything in her life was dark, it was almost like a routine to get up, train till your body ached for rest, and sleep. The sight of blood became familiar with time, the scent of flesh too.

With time, all that started feeling normal, a numb feeling that covered her whole being, whenever she saw the crimson life force flowing down others' bodies. What didn't become normal, was the pleas that haunt her at night. The pleas of men, women, people... real people unlike her, the desperation lacing their voice, the fear clouding their eyes, the longing in their heart to live, to be with their family.

She knew from the very first time she heard those begging for mercy, that even though she didn't know who she was, or what she was, she had emotions. The glassiness of her eyes, when she shot them, the worry in her heart when she looked at the child at her feet whenever she returned, who looked at her with such innocence, which she was sure should not be here, Lumine, was what she called her, cause she did luminate her life even if just a tiny bit.

She was also confident that she was not related to that kid, how could she, someone who was nothing but a killer be related to someone so pure and innocent, how could her hands tainted with red and scratches be related to her hands, so small and tiny, where the line of fates were still new.

She despised that kid too, despised how much worry she felt whenever Lumine even as much got a scratch. And despise her, because now due to that worry she was stuck there. Her 'father' knew, she cared about that kid, the innocent girl now used as a threat, whenever Erica even tried to refuse a mission, not finding in her heart to kill innocent childrens, or others.

The warmth of her father's words were long gone, replaced by ruthlessness and menace, after seeing that even after wiping the memories of that ungrateful kid, Erica, the emotions still lingered in her head. Her heart still fixed with the same nature that provided her ethereal powers to her, the law of nature to protect and nurture.

The experiments were the next thing that tormented her, she was seventeen when she was first bought in that white, sterile room, a gray chair in the center. The pain that wracked her body that day was life taking, she was surprised she didn't die that day. She remembered losing her voice for a few days, due to the sheer amount of screams that left her mouth, her skin was pale after that.

That continued for upcoming months as far as she remembered, until her eyes held the capability to control emotions, but each time repaying with her own pain. She remembered slumping down the wall of that dark cell that day, her eyes not feeling quite like hers then.

Her eyes were after that just another thing she despised, she despised how they used that to gain information from others, using her to make the victims feel the most helpless or sad they have ever felt again. Erica knew that even though she controlled emotions, making them feel their worst emotions will certainly make them remember their worst memories too. She didn't want to do that, not when she knew how much memories weighed in one's mind.

Their were many parts of her life in those painful twelve years, where she wanted to end herself, but she couldn't bring herself to pull that trigger, not when they had other kids there too, her sister there too, she was the one who had to endure that brutal pain of experiment, but without her those little life will have to go through that.

Nod.

Kill.

Repeat.

That was her life at that time. That she did without any struggle.

She was selfish, she knew, but she was alright until that kid, who she had started to consider a little sister, was alright, away from harm, until they would keep their promise to not lay a finger on her. If she would obey them.

Who cares that she was dying inside, until her little sis was good.

Only if that would have happened...

Erica's step echo through the dark hall, her firm was scanned by the machines before she entered the room, "The work is done," she said, her expression blank, "We would be leaving tomorrow,"

The man nodded, his long black hair tied in a ponytail. She, her sis and some other agents were not in their home base, but rather sent to another base to clear some people they were not able to.

"Why don't you come with us?" The man said, "We would like to show you some new technology we are working on,"

"Not interested," she said, as she gave him a once over before leaving that room. Something was wrong.

She had blissfully ignored the sinking feeling in her heart when she entered there, thinking of it as guilt, but now the reluctance of the chief to let her go, even proposing to show her the weapon they were working on, means only one thing, something was wrong and they didn't want to let her see that.

Her steps were more rushed than normal as she neared the room they were staying in, she, the agents and her sis, her hand stilled for a second as it rested on the handle.

Please let it be just a suspicion, nothing real.

She pushed open the door, the lights were on, the other agents were not there, most probably still in some other parts of the city for a mission.

Her body froze, feeling breath getting knocked out of her as her gaze settled on the pale body of lumine that was lying down on the tiled floor, dried blood stains on her head. Her shaky steps made her way there, as she kneeled down only to feel no pulse beneath her fingertips.

Her fingers gently removed some hairs from her shoulder, to see the bruises and bite marks that line her neck, she released a shuddering breath letting the hair fall over, her eyes not able to look at the lifeless form of her own heart lying there. Just like a blossomed flower, that was plucked, pulled, torn and tossed aside, withered and lifeless.

One thing. She died everything for them, endured every wound, every pain, just for one thing, to keep the kid safe, that she had told them, they also never dared to lay a hand on her knowing that was her last straw of restraint.

And now just like that, she who was asking whether Erica will come early or not in the morning, was just lying dead there, her pale skin a stark contrast against her once lively cheeks, her eyes that once held galaxies looking at her with blankness, clothes disheveled, wrists bruised, it didn't took much thoughts to realize just what happened.

She didn't realize how much time she kneeled there, still, tears dropping down her eyes faster than the thunder that roared outside. A defeated expression marred her face, when she got up from her knees, taking a moment to gain balance due to the numb feeling settling in her legs.

Her heart clenched with sadness and pain, redness surrounding her eyes, but more than that anger shimmered in her body, her hands trembling from pent up emotions.

At that moment, every logic and restraint left her mind.

It was over, everything was over.

Her emotions, feelings, heart everything felt like it was turned apart and left in shreds, her steps weighed heavily as she stormed down the lobbies, her eyes were red rimmed. Her face etched with the blackness of her soul.

"Ah, Erica, what are you doing here?" The toothy grin that usually unsettled her, now felt numb, it felt calm almost.

"Doctor, I think your help would be appreciated," she said, her hand grabbing his neck, the metal desk cold against his head. A gun pointed at his forehead.

She could see his hand moving towards the remote button, which she twisted midway, "Doc, if I am getting those shocks than you are getting shot, so be sensible and take this damn chip out, and don't even think that any one else would come the CCTVs are disabled,"

She knew it would be painful without anesthesia, but if anything the numbness from earlier helps, as the doctor hands a little shaky from the cold metal pressed against his chest, works, taking out the chip in her neck.

It was something they insert so that if their agents betray them, or won't listen they could either shock them to death or until their body is left broken, Sucks? She know, had been on the receiving end sometimes.

That day she escaped, her sister's soulless body in her hands, and the bodies of agents and rubble of the base beneath her steps, the vines retracting in ground.

This was when she was twenty five, after her sister's funeral. She fled to America, trying to live a normal life, before she got on the SHIELD radar. It was an interesting run when they did catch her, some casualties before they promised her to let her take revenge on that main base, if she proved herself.

She escaped from that hell... but was stuck in the nightmare for years, still is.