Valen: A Collector's Item

The White Haired Man

"Val, who is this?" Peter asked, not taking his eyes off the man before them.

Valen didn't respond. She had never seen him before, but something in her gut told her she did know him. She tilted her head, studying him, trying to figure out where the familiarity was. He looked young. Not Hydra. What was it?

Peter took one step forward, trying to be side by side with Valen, but even if the move was innocent in behavior, the man darted off. He headed for the opposite stairwell, but as Valen and Peter followed, it exploded. A gulf of flames came roaring out of the blown hole in the wall. Part of the stairs were now missing as splintered wood dusted what was left. There was also a new human-sized window that no one paid for.

Peter and Valen got thrown back from the blast and collapsed to the floor. People immediately started screaming and running out of their apartments to get to the one remaining stairwell. The residents began pushing and shoving, making no one safe from the chaos of the crowd.

Valen lay on the floor with her knees to her chest, her head against the wooden floor. She covered her ears, but she could feel warmth trickle over her fingers. The roaring sound of trampling feet hid the fact she was screaming until Peter was right in front of her trying to peel her arms away.

Peter was strong, but at this moment, Valen was stronger. She would not relinquish her hold as she was transformed back into that awful force field. She could hear Laufey's laugh as he threw her up and then down. She could hear Peter's muffled screaming, completely distraught that there was no way to break through. He was looking in at her, pounding the force field with all his might.

"Go, Peter. Go! I got this." May yelled at him. She dropped to her knees, taking his place.

His eyes were filled with tears as he stood up, backing away toward the new glassless window. She was still screaming, not once faltering. In another life, she could have probably been a singer with the lung capacity she held.

Peter turned around and wiped his eyes. He jumped out the window, his suit automatically covering his body from head to toe.

"Valen? Hunny? Look up, okay? I need you to look up at me." May tried to talk soothingly over Valen's now silent scream.

Valen's body shook, but something disturbed her memories. She looked around the battered battlefield. Instead of her team standing oh so close to her without being able to reach, was May.

Aunt May? But she's not here. How is she here? Valen took a second to continue looking around, and as she turned her head, Laufey was no longer there getting ready to throw his next assault. Her world started spinning round and round until she puked.

May luckily moved out of the way to miss the vomit. She grabbed a hold of Valen's sweaty hair and pulled it back out of her face just in case the girl threw up again.

"Valen, I'm so sorry, but we need to get out of here." She rubbed her back in circles but her eyes were full of terror as the hallway filled up with more smoke. Smoke detectors were going crazy, alarming everyone as if it wasn't clear.

May's voice was still muffled even outside of Valen's memory. But it was the disgusting smell of what used to be in her stomach that made her sit up and fall onto her butt. Her eyes burned from the smoke, making them water, and have to blink several times to get her sight back.

May released her silver hair and tried to put her shoulder under Valen's arm to help lift her up. "Let's go." She strained, trying to stand.

May started coughing as more smoke covered the ceiling. Something within Valen kicked into gear as she heard a loved one struggling. She used what little strength she had to use the wall to push herself up. And even through shaky legs, she managed to get down the stairs quickly.