Claws of Fate

Brooklyn

Brooklyn,  New York,  2014

I had been in Brooklyn for a few months now, my latest attempt to find peace and escape from my past. The bustling city was such a stark difference to the forests and battlefields I was so used to, not to mention how advanced everything was.

After escaping Stryker's lab I became a mercenary, unable to fulfill my promise to avenge James and take out Victor, I took it out on bad people for money. It's what's been able to keep me going but I had grown weary of the endless cycle of violence. Now I sought a quieter life, even if a part of me still burned with unresolved anger.

Walking up to my apartment door, I was lost in thought, berating myself for hiding away from the fight, but I was fucking tired of it all. I knew Victor was still out there, but the thought of confronting him after all these years filled me with a weariness I couldn't shake. 

"Hey, Morg!" A cheerful voice called out, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see May, my neighbor, standing in the hallway with a basket full of laundry. She lived across from me with her nephew, Peter.

"Hey, May," I replied, forcing a smile that didn't fully reach my eyes.

May smiled back at me noticing that I was staring at the red and blue stained clothes inside, "Peter washed the American Flag with his clothes again. Taking these things out is a nightmare." She informed me as she sighed.

I chuckled, glancing at the stained clothes, "For someone as smart as Pete he sure as hell didn't think that one through."

"He's a handful sometimes, but he's a good kid," May said, a warm smile spreading across her face.

I nodded agreeing with her, I tried to keep my distance from the two but they were starting to grow on me. "Yeah, he seems like it."

As I stood there, exchanging pleasantries, I couldn't help but notice a subtle change in May's demeanor. There was a softness in her eyes, a slight lingering of her gaze that made me shift on my feet a little bit. It had been such a long time since I allowed myself to feel anything beyond anger and sorrow.

I took in a small breath before I walked over to the woman, "Need any help with that?" I offered, gesturing to the laundry basket.

May's smile widened. "That's sweet of you, but I've got it. Unless you're offering to fold?"

I shook my head at the shorter woman with a small smirk on my lips. "I draw the line at folding."

"Fair enough," May laughed. There was a moment of silence before she added, "You know, you're always welcome to join us for dinner sometime. Peter's been curious about you."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Curious?"

"Yeah," May said, a playful glint in her eyes. "He thinks you're some kind of superhero with the way you're never home."

I felt my smile falter for a second,  I knew that wasn't the truth, I was far from a superhero. "Definitely not a superhero. Just a regular person trying to live a quiet life." I said with a forced-out laugh.

May tilted her head, studying me for a moment. "Well, quiet or not, we'd love to have you over. It might do you some good to be around people."

I took in a small breath, feeling the sincerity in May's words. "I don't know May, I'm not exactly a people's person."

"Oh ok then, have a good night Morgan," May said in a dejected tone as she headed back to her apartment. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel guilty rejecting her offer but I had been doing such a good job at not letting anyone in, why change that now? The last thing I wanted was for them to be pulled into something dangerous because of me but seeing the way May looked rejected I almost felt bad for her.