SHADOW [Avengers: AOU]

XVI. I'm So Sorry

"I see your little boyfriend's back from the dead. That was a nice trick he did yesterday, using water to extinguish the imaginary flames that were boiling you up. No matter. I have many more fun things up my sleeve."

It's been only 3 hours since Pietro had thrown Jacqueline and himself into the pool. She hasn't felt any pain. Yet. Just because the storm was calm now doesn't mean that it was over.

She was sitting criss crossed on her bed in new dry clothes--sweat pants that were given to her from Natasha, and a big navy blue t-shirt that Steve left for her outside the showers. Her hair was washed out and brushed back into a pony tail.

She looked at the green woman with narrowed eyes, wondering what it had planned for her already. The Source quickly grabbed her arm forcefully pulling her off the bed and onto her feet.

"What are you doing?" Jacqueline asked trying to pull her arm back.

"Look over there," She did. Her eyes widen. Her parents stood in the corner of her room. Black and white like from an old film. Eyes glowing green. "Look at them. Lovely couple aren't they? Kill them."

Jacqueline vigorously shook her head. Even though they weren't really her parents and just projections from her mind, she would never harm them. The grip around her arm became tighter as the Source pursed her lips.

"Well if you don't, they'll just kill you."

Jacqueline was pushed forward and they sprang at her. Her mother delivers a punch to her jaw, and a knee to her stomach. She fell to the ground with a gasp. Then she's being kicked and stomped to death.

"Come on Jacqui! Get up! Use those set of skills Hydra taught you!" The Source yelled.

She did nothing. Just laid there on the floor and took the beating. Through it all she kept her eyes shut. Clutching the metal star that hung around her neck in her hand tightly. The Source noticed this and rolled it's eyes.

"Unbelievable. That small piece of metal scrap can't protect you from any of this!"

After a few more kicks and pain filled groans from Jacqueline the scaled woman raised a gloved hand.

"Alright, that's enough."

Jacqueline peeked one eye open and saw that no one surrounded her. The pain the kicks brought was gone in a cool sweep around her. Opening the other she got up from the ground. She looked at The Source who stood in front of her, smirking at something over Jacqueline's shoulder before moving over to the side.

"Your turn."

She didn't have time to turn around as a blur pushed her into the wall. She began to slump down but they picked her back up by the shoulders and slammed her against the wall with a crack. Jacqueline looked at her attacker with wide eyes.

Pietro.

He wasn't gray like her parents. Instead in actual color. It was him. But it wasn't him. The only thing that tipped her off was the fact that his eyes glowed green, glaring at her. 

"Pietro--Ack!"

His hands wrapped around her throat, nails digging into her flesh. She clawed  at his hands. Pleading with him with her eyes to let go while gasping for air.