A Pause in Time

Chapter 1

Nika hadn't been back to this place in ten years. She had spent those years teaching herself how to survive. It was difficult, but at fifteen she was teaching herself how to do basic math and science equations, having honed her skills so well that, if she had gone to school like a normal child, she would have been the world's most sought after chemist.

She also spent those years training her powers. She no longer puked every time she phased, and could now do it to travel medium distances instead of just through solid walls. She could also understand, read, and speak any language known to man. She'd spent the last few years learning learning different fantasy languages, like Elvish from Lord of the Rings and High Valerian from Game of Thrones, just for funsies.

After she had escaped Hydra, she went straight to America in order to get as far away from them as she possibly could. After a stint working as a paper girl in London to earn her way across the pond, she landed in Chicago. There she worked odd jobs until she could afford the shittiest apartment available, faking all of her documentation in order to secure her housing. Once she had a house where she could shower every day, she got a job at a local mom and pop pizza parlor as a waitress. It was in that city where she learned how to do math, how to concoct small bombs, and just survive in general.

Things were easy for her during the Blip. Both of her employers got Snapped, so she wondered around the practically barren streets of Chicago for about three weeks before she met a man who was hiring people to teach them basic working skills, such as computer coding, nursing, and construction. Nika tried pretty much everything, just for the hell of it, but she found that she was extremely adept at coding. When she dug a little deeper, she found out that she could manipulate computer code with just a simple touch of her finger, giving her the ability to code anything in a matter of seconds. It wasn't long before she found out that she could manipulate anything electrical in one way or another, giving her the opportunity to think of a few electricity-based superhero names for herself.

Then everyone came back. It was hard to adjust with so many people now suddenly back in the world, and Nika figured she was better off by herself. Her apartment was awarded back to the family that had been living there before, as was her job. So now she had no house, no job, and some savings to live off of, once she figured out where she wanted to go. It didn't take long for Nika to start hearing rumors that made her blood run cold. The scientist that made Nika the way that she was: damaged, unusual, scary... super. That scientist had come back from the Blip and just continued on with what she was doing. That's when Nika made up her mind. She was going back to Sokovia to find this scientist and end it, once and for all.

Nestled in the mountains between Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Nika's homeland of Sokovia has always been beautiful. Winters were her favorite, especially when the snow first fell. She could remember when she was young, before she was snatched up by Hydra, living in a cabin on the outskirts of Novi Grad with her family when the snow was fresh and her brothers and sisters got her up early in the morning to play outside. Once she was under Hydra's thumb, however, Nika was no longer allowed to go outside. Instead she was stuck looking longingly at her country through bar-covered windows on the rare occasions she was allowed out of her cell. She was excited to see her country after being away for so long.

Nika did not find what she had expected. Tensions were high, especially in the old capital of Novi Grad. After Ultron had left the country in disarray, Sokovia had been absorbed by the surrounding countries, leaving her people with new rules to learn, new languages to understand, and no sense of country or self. The former capital was no longer bustling and happy, the people were walking around in rags for clothes, and the buildings were falling apart. Nika walked around the old capital of her now defunct country, her heart falling deeper into her stomach with every step. She stopped at a few vendors, buying some bread and vegetables that Nika started handing out to the kids that were running around the streets, begging for anything they could. But the entire time, Nika couldn't take her eyes off of the looming castle in the distance, following the shadows that block out the light as they pass by the windows. Nika gave away the last of the bread she bought, high-fived a few of the kids, and jogged toward the edge of the city.