Haunted | B. Barnes

Empire falls

Bright red lights flashed off and on in a repetitive motion, only a few seconds in between each flash. My breathing was labored as I pushed my back against the desk behind me, my gun was clenched tightly in my hands as I listened for the sound of approaching footsteps or gunfire.

The message from Steve Rogers was clear. Shield had been infiltrated by HYDRA. And there was no telling who was on my side, and who was out for my blood. I realized that my breathing was becoming labored from fear, and purposefully took a few deep breaths to calm myself down. I'm no good to myself if I am panicking.

I could feel blood trickling down the side of my face from an open wound on my forehead. A fight with someone who I thought was my coworker and friend did that to me, but I didn't have the time to clean it up.

The sound of the door opening loudly caused me to pause all movements. My breathing stilled as I listened to the footsteps on the tiled floor. It was a man from the heavy sound, and the shoes had a slight heel, making me assume the man who had entered was dressed smartly, most likely in a suit.

I tried my best to stay hidden in the shadows, and out of sight of the person who was possibly looking for any remaining agents loyal to SHIELD. I heard his footsteps nearing my right side, and so I shuffled silently to the left.

My motions were halted when I felt the cold metal of a gun pressing against my forehead. It felt like my heart stopped and started to beat erratically all at once.

"Hands up, agent." I recognised the voice. Agent Benjamin Cooper, level 9 agent. A traitor.

With reluctance, I placed my gun on the cold ground in front of me and raised my hands, begging them not to betray me and shake. I slowly turned my head to look at him with a harsh glare.

"Don't look at me like that." He tutted, disliking the harsh glare I wore on my face. Unfortunately for me, his face was the last thing I saw alongside the butt of his gun as he smashed it against my temple.

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11 months later
The bright prison cell was quiet and empty. The only noise was the footsteps of the occasional scientist who would walk past or the banging that would come from one of the neighboring cells. An occasional scream would break out from somewhere nearby, and it always made me flinch and curl into myself.

The fear that had been coursing through my veins was beginning to feel familiar. It was the only emotion I really felt anymore. Aside from fear, all I felt was utter numbness. The only reason I have survived this long was by curling into myself and practically shutting down.

The room was bright white, fluorescent lights burned my eyes and made them sting. I think it was on purpose, to make this place feel as hostile to the human senses as possible. They also knew how sensitive my senses are, and they like to utilize it as a way of keeping me in line. The only furniture that it had was a single bed, devoid of any comfort. I stared up at the bright ceiling with emotionless eyes.

The only thing I could really feel was the dull throb in my neck. No matter what position I layed in, the thick mechanical collar that sat around my neck would dig into my skin. I didn't want to imagine the bruising and scarring that it has left on my skin. I couldn't really tell how long it's been locked in place, but I remember the day they put it there like it was yesterday.

A loud explosion woke me from my staring competition with the blank ceiling. A loud siren pierced my ears almost simultaneously. My boys jolted from the sudden sound, my adrenaline rising and my heart racing. I
raised my hands and clamped them down over my sensitive ears almost immediately.

My eyes darted towards the glass window that looked out into the stone corridor outside of my cell. I watched as agents with guns rushed past towards the exit to try and hold off whoever caused the explosion.