The Sokovian Shadow

Chapter 2

TW:
- The Reaper
- Mentions of dehumanization?
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The streets of Sokovia were alive.

People were screaming in the streets below me. Hundreds of people had gathered to protest for Sokovia's freedom. It was a sight to behold, but my head was killing me. I told myself I'd find the twins and leave.

My solid black eyes skimmed over the crowd taking in everything. There was the blonde couple who'd lost their daughter in the bombings. There was dark-haired John Michal who lost his son, daughter, and pregnant wife during an uprising. There was the shock of red hair that belonged to Alice, who'd lost her family and her memory to the bombs when she was 12. There was the angular frame of the man who lost his name when he went insane.

I finally found them. Wanda and Pietro's eyes were filled with an undeniable fury as they screamed their hearts out for Sokovia. I smiled when I found them, then changed into a blood-red peregrine falcon. My black eyes didn't change.

People barely noticed as I started swooping and diving over the protest screeching my agreement, my headache gone now that I was a falcon. I tucked my wings in and dove sharply for the ground, pulling up at the last second. As I did, a cry rolled out.

'For Sokovia!'

The protesters screamed it back and I screeched it along with them, proud of my country and what it's become.

---

'We have to do that again.'

'I know it was exhilarating!' Wanda was still slightly breathless,

'When did they say the next one was?' Pietro inquired, eyes sparkling with exhilaration, just like his sisters.

'Same time on Friday.'

'Perfect'

Pietro's arm was slung over his twin's shoulders and the two of them were having an earnest discussion around the protest. I stopped listening after Pietro spoke and focused on the people around me, looking for threats as a force of habit. I only tuned in again when I heard them mention me, even if they didn't know it.

'Did you see the falcon that was flying over the protesters?' Wanda's voice caught my attention as I realized they were talking about me.

'It was a beautiful colour if a bit odd. It almost sounded like it was agreeing with us.' Wanda hummed in agreement before she and her brother disappeared into the crowd. I cursed under my breath as I slipped down an alley and climbed a wall until I was on the roof. For some reason, the air was nicer up here, but that was probably just me. I took a few more deep breaths to clear my mind, then focused on my soul sense.

Even in an alley, I was almost overwhelmed by the sheer number of souls in a 15-mile radius. I searched harder until I found the twins.

They were in an abandoned building on the very edge of my focus, which explained why they'd been so hard to find. I tore my mind away from the souls around me and focused on the twins, rubbing my forehead ruefully. Using my soul sense always took so much out of me and I didn't know why.

I used the tab I had on the twins' souls, well really soul, to track them down. When I found them, I was disturbed. They weren't alone. The new soul left before I could get a read on him, but I wasn't willing to spread out my soul sense so soon. I caught a flash of greying hair as he hurried away.

Instead, I focused on the twins' soul. They were loyal to each other to the point where they'd risk their own lives to save each other. Her half was dark red with hatred and anger, while his was a light blue. I hadn't seen that kind of colour in a soul, so I wasn't sure what it meant. Their soul was lightly tinted with light green, worry or fear, and black, trauma. I wasn't surprised, but I was ashamed. I couldn't take it. I turned across and ran across the rooftops.

I was due for a meeting with the Reaper.

---

The Inter World was grey, dark, and lifeless. The faces of the souls on their way to the after-world were literally blank, and the wraiths pushing them around were the same. I shuddered; this was what happened to Wraiths who failed. I ducked my head, pulling up my hood, but this time leaving my mask down.

I hurried through the empty street, my footsteps silent even here. The centre of the region. That was where I had to go. The central cathedral. Before I was hunted by one of my... peers. Here, I wasn't the predator.

I was the prey.

When I reached the central cathedral, someone was waiting on the front steps. I couldn't make out who they were due to the black hair, white skin, and black uniform every Wraith had. As I got closer, I realized that this Wraith had a chain wrapped around its neck. He looked up at me and smirked. My eyes widened in realization, but I felt nothing. The only thing you felt in the inter-world was pain, fear, and occasionally sadness. At least until it was beaten out of you.

'Aorta Necros, a pleasure to see you among your own kind again.' I shuddered at the use of my full name.

'Quarris Lux, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were jealous that I'm a Shadow while you're the Reaper's latest toy. Oh, that's right, you don't know what jealousy is, do you?' He hissed at me, baring his fangs. I'd hit a sore spot.

'I see your tongue hasn't abandoned you yet. If you'll follow me.'

I let my hood down as I entered the cathedral. Quarris led me through a maze of corridors, possibly trying to confuse me. Much to his disappointment, I'd already memorized the layout of the cathedral. I was getting bored of being led through passageways getting "confused" when he finally led me to the Reaper. He stopped in front of the door and turned to me.

'Watch your tongue with him. He will not be as forgiving as I am.'

I simply inclined my head and turned to wait. I felt Quarris leave my side to return the entrance to the cathedral. After what felt like an eternity, the Reaper admitted me.

When I entered the room, closing the door behind me, I instantly felt the cold caused by the Reapers' presence chilling the ink of my tattoo. Only those who were dead or dying could feel it. I turned to face him and walked to the centre of the room. I dropped into a crouch and dropped my head. I waited in the same position for a few minutes before he spoke.

'Aorta Necros, so glad to see you could make it.' I stood and clasped my hands behind my back, my feet planted shoulder-width apart. The Grim Reaper studied me, the bony fingers of his left hand clutching his scythe, his black robe hanging in tatters around his skeletal form. 'It's been so long since you last visited us. How's Sokovia?'

'Sokovia is going well, sir. Some of the citizens are even beginning to protest America being there, as well as the Avengers as a whole.'

'Interesting. How long do you think it will... end?'

'Sir?' I was cautious. I'd been on the receiving end of the Reaper's scythe enough times to know to be careful when asking questions.

'How long will it be before there are... civilian casualties?'

'I'm not sure sir, but I'm keeping an eye on the protesters in case a fight does break out.'

'Good, good. But there's something else on your mind.'

I took a deep breath to calm the nerves I thought I couldn't feel here. My time in the Physical World must have changed me. 'A pair of twins. They're closer than most, close enough that their souls are one.'

'A phenomenon I've only heard of. Tell me, what happened to these twins to make them so close?'

'Their parents were killed in the bombings when they were ten years old.'

'I see. The bombings that you failed to prevent?' His voice hardened with barely suppressed disappointment.

I swallowed. This was why I'd avoided coming here for the last 6 years. 'Yes sir.'

'Hmm. The Sokovian Shadow's first major failure. What a time to find you weren't as strong as you think.'

'Sir?'

'You failed, Aorta Necros. And your last name was all the more appropriate because of it.' He lunged toward me, reaching for my forehead with his right hand. As the tips of ice-cold bone met with my skin, I was thrown back in time.