SHADOW [Avengers: AOU]

I. Breaking Free

HYDRA RESEARCH FACILITY

SOKOVIA, EASTERN EUROPE

Time fly's while you're stuck frozen in a jar.

Days, weeks, months all past by while Jacqueline was "sleeping".

Dreams of the haunting memories, the deaths she caused to the innocent were always on repeat. Well, not all that died were innocent-most of those she had drained was Hydra agents-but she still felt just as bad.

But now, something was off. Today, whatever day it was, felt different. Something was going to happen.

The memories had stopped, the force in her head was silent for once. Almost like it was never there at all.

Finally, after all this time she could hear. It started as ringing in her ears. Then she heard a very loud bang, followed by many others.

What the hell?

For the first time in a long time she opened her eyes, looking side to side, then straight ahead.

A shadow appeared in front of her. Man or woman, she wasn't sure. They spoke words, ones that didn't make sense to her. It just sounded like they were loudly humming.

Two large hands appeared on the glass. She wanted to put her hand out and touch them, but they were stuck tight, crossed over her chest. Everything vibrated, and cracks started to form in the ice.

With a loud crash, the glass broke. Jacqueline's falls out of the box and onto the stone floor. Shards of glass and melting ice laying underneath her naked body. The strands of her hair was frozen, sticking to her face and the back of her neck.

Placing her hands on the floor she pushed the top of her body up, taking in a deep breath, tilting her head up.

Freedom.

The corner of her lips lifted up into a grin. Finally. Now, who's my knight in shining armor?

A blur went past her, along with it a rush of air. Warmth covered her body and protected her from the chilly air.

Jacqueline looked over her shoulder, recognizing the feeling of the material as cotton. It was a blanket. A long gray blanket. She looks around, for her savior, for anyone. Nothing.

She was alone.

Sadness washed over her. She wanted to thank whoever it was that saved her from that freezing imprisonment. She sighs.

Quickly, she got on her knees and stood up.

"Whoa..." Jacqueline stumbles as the feeling in her legs slowly return. Then shivers, pulling the thin blanket closer to her body.

The room she was in was completely deserted. Papers littered the floor, floating around from the breeze. There was an opened door that led to snow covered ground.

There were stone steps to the side. Shadows caste around the room from whatever parts of it were not touched by the sunlight that shinned from the high above windows.

A ding came from her left and there she saw a computer. It had a file on the screen, and a picture of her face with her eyes closed. It was a picture of her taken while she was frozen. She read the words on the screen.

JACQUELINE WOODS

CODE NAME: SHADOW

AGE: 16

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RELATIVES: (PARENTS)

SHARON AND JAXEN WOODS