Aim: Hydra | Y/N Story | Sequel to "Aim: Avenger"

27. I Guess That Monsters Don't Get A Happy Ending

I pulled out of her mind, breathing harshly as my mind whirled with the newfound information. I heard a strange sound, and looked up to see a twisted grin on the General's face. I realized the sound was her trying to laugh.

"You-" I spoke, but my throat closed on itself. "You . . . no. No, it's not going to work. No!" She only laughed.

"Too late, honey, " she rasped, "I've already won."

My resolve hardened at her words. "No. I'm going to stop you." I quickly summoned a suture and thread, stitching up her throat so it would stop bleeding. She would still die, but it would give me time to run. Run far away from everyone, so I couldn't hurt them. I promised myself I wouldn't hurt my friends again. "I'm not letting you win." I growled as I sprung up from the floor, deploying my wings and flying away as fast as I could. I pulled my coms device from my ear and dropped it into the water below me as I traveled to my apartment, not caring as I smashed through the window and rolled to a stop. Shards of glass pulled at my skin, leaving angry red marks, but I ignored it and hurried around the room.

"I'm sorry, Di. I'm sorry, Peter." I whispered as I grabbed the bag I kept packed from under my bed, shooting up and racing back towards the window. I was in the air, ready to fly as far as I had power for, before I found myself suddenly being pulled down, tumbling to the ground.

"Stop right there-wait, Y/N? Are you okay? I heard your window break and I thought something was wrong. How'd the mission go?" I heard a familiar voice say. A voice I was trying very hard to ignore. "Y/N?"

Against my better judgement, I turned toward him. "Hey Peter." I was right, it was a terrible mistake to turn around; his soft eyes were overflowing with concern as he stepped closer to me, pulling me into a hug that I melted into. Seeing his face reminded me of the promises I made him. I promised I wouldn't kill anyone again.

I promised that whatever happened, we would go through it together. And as much I wanted to run into his arms, and believe everything was going to be okay and ignore the bad things like they never existed, I couldn't. Because staying had far worse consequences than leaving. A plan, an ever-cursed plan, began to form. If I stayed, everyone I loved would die at my hand; but if I left, and I took away the pain like I had in the past, then at least they would be okay.

"When I heard the crash I thought you were hurt." He muttered, wrapping me in a hug and holding me tight.

"I'm not hurt. I'm okay." I lied. "Everything's okay." Goal: I have to get away from him as quickly as possible. Problem: I love him. It hit me harder than a train when I realized the extent of my feelings for Peter. But even as I thought about it more, I knew it has true. I wanted so badly to stay here in his arms, figure this out together, but I couldn't. As hard as I knew it would be, it would be so much better than staying; staying meant hurting him, and I couldn't live with myself if I did. Training was one thing, even sparring; me, under the command of the General? She made it clear she wanted the Avengers dead.

I pulled away slightly and ran my hand down from his cheek to his shoulder, to his elbow, to his wrist. I gently pulled his body closer to me, until our eyes were inches away. Staring right into his beautiful chocolate eyes, the windows to his heart, I brought my face even closer. I kissed him, gently, my hand curling around his wrist. As I touched my lips to his, I felt the familiar sensation of my powers wash over me, saw the red glow reflected on his face as I showed him my most prized memory. The night that Gestorben and Verdienen left, when I made that God forsaken promise. I broke that promise as I dug through his brain, scrubbing away our past and changing it into what I now realized I was, and always will be: a monster. Because when you were raised by monsters, it's only a matter of time before you become one yourself. I felt him relax slightly as he began to kiss back.

"I love you, and I'm so sorry." I flicked my hand, removing one of his web shooters and pushing him away from me, breaking him out of his daze as he stumbled backwards. I fired the web fluid at him twice, wrapping it around his legs and arms. "What the-" he fell backward, and I caught him before his head hit the ground. "Who are you?" He asked. 

"Tell Buc- um, Mr. Barnes that Erin says hello. Tell him these exact words; 'Project: Consequence.' If you forget, ask Karen to help you." I grabbed his arm and returned his webshooter to its resting place.

His face was twisted into fear and confusion. "How do you know her name?"

I stood, turning away from the one I loved, and smiled sadly as I finally allowed my tears to slip down my face. "The web we weave." I sprinted towards the edge of the building and leaped off, head first. I nosedived towards the busy street, and deployed my pack, soaring silently over the city, far away from my source of happiness. The cold wind stung my face and burned into the cuts all over me, but nothing compared to the unbearable pain that thumped through my chest in rhythm with my heart. I would like to say that the tears pouring from my eyes were from the harsh breeze, but their source was the all too familiar pain of being alone.

I had flown as far away as possible as quick as I could. I guessed I had reached Buffalo, landing on the shores of Lake Erie. I could feel the General trying to pull herself into the forefront of my brain, so I had a precious few seconds before she appeared. I slung my pack off my back, throwing the contraption into the water. I watched it sink below the waters before a voice make my blood run cold.

"Cute how you think you can save them from yourself." The General spoke. "You think distance will make a difference? You know just as well as I do that once I've given you a mission, you will to any lengths to complete." 

My fist was clenched at my side. "You don't control me anymore."

She tutted, speaking in an annoyingly sweet voice. "Oh, darling. I never lost control." I heard her step closer to me. "That little memory of your made Doctor Faustus' conditioning very effective."

Just the mention of that man's name made a shiver run down my spine. I'd always hated his creepy smile, his odd way of moving. He reminded me of a snake. "You're dead. You aren't here, you aren't real." I raised my voice.

"If I wasn't real, could I do this?" She spoke, and I heard the cock of a gun. I whirled around, kicking the weapon out of her hand, and shoved her to the ground.

"Go away!" I screamed.

"Little Erinnerung, never learned to control her powers." She mocked, a twisted smile on her face.

"My name is Y/N. I'm not her anymore."

She laughed. "You will always be that girl. The weapon, the monster, that I raised. That I trained! You would be nothing without Hydra!"

"Well, at least I'd be myself!" I scream, summoning a knife and throwing it at her sternum. She disappeared suddenly, and before I could react I felt a forceful shove behind me, making me fall to my knees. She slammed the butt of her gun into my temple, and I felt warmth pooling above my ear and down my head. I twisted, allowing myself to fall onto my back, staring at the woman towering over me. She raised the gun, pointing it right at me. "Go ahead." I croaked, feeling my eyes sting with tears before I blinked them away. "Go ahead, pull the trigger. End all of this."

She stood there, in silence, just gazing at me, before smiling and lowering her hand. "But that wouldn't be what's best." She kneeled beside me, continuing, "you know what's best."

"Please don't-" I begged, but it was too late.

"What is best is you comply. Compliance will be rewarded." 

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