SHADOW [BOOK 2]

PROLOGUE

MANY YEARS AGO

"Anya. You've been asleep for long time, my friend." A voice said as I slowly opened my eyes. "Where am I?" I asked in Russian. "No need to worry, comrade. You're in Siberia. You're lucky we found you when we did. Or else you and your friend would be dead." The man said looking at me. "Well...parts of you anyways." He added. I furrowed my brows before looking down at my body. I brought my hands up to my face and saw they had been replaced by metal prosthetics. "We had to add a few modifications to your body. As you can obviously see. They happened to be your arms. We've been wondering how you and your friend were able to survive for so long with such grave injuries. But luckily now that you two are awake. We don't need to wonder any longer. Doctor, you may proceed. Now that you two no longer have any missing limbs you two will make the perfect soldiers...for our superiors...in HYDRA." The man said in Russian. I looked over at Bucky. He was still looking at his new metal arm before glancing over at me. "HAIL HYDRA!" The man shouted. The room echoed loudly as everyone inside repeated the phrase raising their arms into the air. The doctor walked to me with a device in his hand and pressed a button. My arms went to my side by an unseen force. I tried to pull them up but they wouldn't budge. He put an object on my face and felt excruciating pain as I let out a scream of pain.

DECADES LATER
PRESENT DAY
2014

I awoke from the sleep with a heavy head. "It is time, Shadow." The commander asked. "Already?" I asked flexing the digits of my metal arms. "You and the Winter Soldier have been assigned a mission of great importance, my dear friend." He explained. "Ready to comply." I stated. "As you know, HYDRA has a powerful enemy. But now...it is time for the secret empire...to fall." He voiced. I turned a corner to find Barnes loading ammo into an assault rifle. He looked over at me. "Sleeping Beauty awakens." He stated. "Call me Sleeping Beauty again and I'll have your head." I threatened picking up a knife and putting it to his throat. "You're getting faster." He said. "And you're losing your touch." I countered. "My right arm begs to differ." He shot back walking away putting the gun around his back. I glared at him tightening my grip on the weapon before accurately flinging it at the guard's right eye directly in front of him. The guard fell to the ground dead before Barnes dropped his head, lifting it up before turning around to face me. He pointed at the dead man at his feet. "We needed him." He stated. "What use do we have of a dead man?" I asked before sauntering out of the armory with two guns strapped to my thighs. I walked onto the rooftop followed closely by a now masked Barnes before we entered a helicopter. Barnes gave me my black face mask. I put it on before motioning for the pilot to take off. "What's the mission?" Barnes asked. "It's time. We've been instructed to kill Director Nick Fury. By any means necessary." I answered. "Today...S.H.I.E.L.D. dies." I said looking out the helicopter. "Hail HYDRA!" I added. "HAIL HYDRA!!" The occupants of the aircraft repeated.