Ruined in the Shadows
Prologue
I step slowly out onto the front grass of the White House lawn. I plant my feet firmly on the ground. "C'mon. I'm letting you take over," I mumble to myself. "C'mon, please, work. I give myself over to you." More tears fall from my eyes. "Come on!" I'm starting to grow angry. I'm letting the adrenaline take over.
Just when I think it is not going to work, I feel a powerful thrust in my midsection. My breathing grows heavy and desperate. I feel myself start to be lifted up. Fear wells up inside me but the adrenaline is too strong. My head falls back and my limbs dangle as I'm slowly brought up what seems like a hundred feet in the air. Rain drips from my fingertips and uniform. Higher and higher I rise as I watch the fighting below me in shock as the sounds become quieter and quieter. This is really happening.
"Oh God, please watch over Steve," I pray.
A splitting pain then rattles through my skull. It's happening. My eyes, my fingertips, my scars, my mouth, my nostrils, everything begins glowing white. I feel light and high. I feel like nothing can stop me now. It feels as if even my tears are glowing that brilliant white. I let out a soft breath just as a doughboy is surrounding himself around me. Everything is dark until I see a light. I watch as a white orb of white begins to grow and surround my body, starting at my core and expanding outward. The doughboy begins to dissolve and then everything goes completely white and I cannot see a thing.
After just a few seconds, I begin to float back down to the ground. I lie on the ground, feeling helpless. I can barely move. Steve is then right there, with me.
"Skylar? Skylar, are you okay?" He asks frantically, cradling me in his arms. He tears off my mask and wraps his arm around my head, holding it tightly against his chest.
I look up at him with half-closed eyes. "Steve?" The name is barely audible. Out of the corner of my eye I see the rest of the Avengers circle around us but keeping their distance. My vision goes blurry. I look up at the sky. I feel the light rain drops on my face.
"I'm here, Skylar," he says. He wipes my hair out of my face. A tear rolls down his face. "I'm here." He voice becomes soft.
I cough and taste blood. I don't have much time left. I know this. Hot tears trickle down my temples as I come to realize I must say good-bye to Steve. "Steve, Steve..." I observe his face. He has a gash at his hairline. It's dripping blood. There is dirt all over his beautiful face. His cute little eyelashes are wet with tears.
"Yes, Skylar?" He says. His lip is quivering. There is a tinge of hope in his voice. He searches my face, looking for the answer.
My face grows hot. There is a slight tingling in my nose as my crying grows harder. "I think it's time to say good-bye now," I whisper hoarsely.
"What? No!" Steve exclaims. "You can't say good-bye! We're going to get you help! You're going to be okay!" He squeezes me tighter in his arms.
"No, Steve. I think it's time to say good-bye." I push my arm up with all my strength and lie my hand against his cheek. "Be a good man. Protect the Avengers. Protect our friends." I blink my eyes to try to stop the stinging.
"I will! But you're going to be able to protect them with me because you're going to be fine! We're going to take you to a hospital and you're going to be fine!" He is now sobbing.
"Okay," I whisper, knowing that is not going to happen. "Steve?"
"Yes, Skylar?" He lets out a breath.
I motion for him to come closer. He does so and I take my last bit of strength to give him a passionate kiss. Our tongues dance together. What would normally be a upbeat, fun jive or a sexy, sedutive rumba has now been reduced to a awkward, weak prom dance. "I just want to let you know that... I--I love you. I always have." I squint my eyes shut at the pain rumbling through my body.
"I... I love you too, Skylar." He sniffles. He seems relieved to finally say those words.
"Good-bye, Steve," I finally manage to say as the life drains from my eyes. The last thing I feel is Steve squishing me tight against him. The last thing I hear is him crying out a horrifying scream and then everything goes black.
Just when I think it is not going to work, I feel a powerful thrust in my midsection. My breathing grows heavy and desperate. I feel myself start to be lifted up. Fear wells up inside me but the adrenaline is too strong. My head falls back and my limbs dangle as I'm slowly brought up what seems like a hundred feet in the air. Rain drips from my fingertips and uniform. Higher and higher I rise as I watch the fighting below me in shock as the sounds become quieter and quieter. This is really happening.
"Oh God, please watch over Steve," I pray.
A splitting pain then rattles through my skull. It's happening. My eyes, my fingertips, my scars, my mouth, my nostrils, everything begins glowing white. I feel light and high. I feel like nothing can stop me now. It feels as if even my tears are glowing that brilliant white. I let out a soft breath just as a doughboy is surrounding himself around me. Everything is dark until I see a light. I watch as a white orb of white begins to grow and surround my body, starting at my core and expanding outward. The doughboy begins to dissolve and then everything goes completely white and I cannot see a thing.
After just a few seconds, I begin to float back down to the ground. I lie on the ground, feeling helpless. I can barely move. Steve is then right there, with me.
"Skylar? Skylar, are you okay?" He asks frantically, cradling me in his arms. He tears off my mask and wraps his arm around my head, holding it tightly against his chest.
I look up at him with half-closed eyes. "Steve?" The name is barely audible. Out of the corner of my eye I see the rest of the Avengers circle around us but keeping their distance. My vision goes blurry. I look up at the sky. I feel the light rain drops on my face.
"I'm here, Skylar," he says. He wipes my hair out of my face. A tear rolls down his face. "I'm here." He voice becomes soft.
I cough and taste blood. I don't have much time left. I know this. Hot tears trickle down my temples as I come to realize I must say good-bye to Steve. "Steve, Steve..." I observe his face. He has a gash at his hairline. It's dripping blood. There is dirt all over his beautiful face. His cute little eyelashes are wet with tears.
"Yes, Skylar?" He says. His lip is quivering. There is a tinge of hope in his voice. He searches my face, looking for the answer.
My face grows hot. There is a slight tingling in my nose as my crying grows harder. "I think it's time to say good-bye now," I whisper hoarsely.
"What? No!" Steve exclaims. "You can't say good-bye! We're going to get you help! You're going to be okay!" He squeezes me tighter in his arms.
"No, Steve. I think it's time to say good-bye." I push my arm up with all my strength and lie my hand against his cheek. "Be a good man. Protect the Avengers. Protect our friends." I blink my eyes to try to stop the stinging.
"I will! But you're going to be able to protect them with me because you're going to be fine! We're going to take you to a hospital and you're going to be fine!" He is now sobbing.
"Okay," I whisper, knowing that is not going to happen. "Steve?"
"Yes, Skylar?" He lets out a breath.
I motion for him to come closer. He does so and I take my last bit of strength to give him a passionate kiss. Our tongues dance together. What would normally be a upbeat, fun jive or a sexy, sedutive rumba has now been reduced to a awkward, weak prom dance. "I just want to let you know that... I--I love you. I always have." I squint my eyes shut at the pain rumbling through my body.
"I... I love you too, Skylar." He sniffles. He seems relieved to finally say those words.
"Good-bye, Steve," I finally manage to say as the life drains from my eyes. The last thing I feel is Steve squishing me tight against him. The last thing I hear is him crying out a horrifying scream and then everything goes black.
5/23/13