Fragments of the Past: A Marvel Story

003

Alev and his twin sister Aria shuffled nervously down the dark street towards their home. They knew they were late, and their stepfather was going to be furious.As they turned the corner, they saw the lights on in the house and their stepfather's shadow moving restlessly on the curtains.

Alev's heart sank. He knew what was waiting for them inside.

They opened the door as quietly as they could, hoping to slip past their stepfather's notice, but it was no use. As soon as they stepped inside, he rounded on them, his face twisted with anger."Where have you been?" he barked."We're sorry," Alev mumbled, "we lost track of time.""That's no excuse!" their stepfather shouted, grabbing Aria by the arm. "You knew the rules. You were supposed to be home by 5:00 p.m. sharp."

He pulled her forward and raised his hand as if to strike her. Alev stepped between them, shielding his sister with his own body. His stepfather glared down at him, his nostrils flaring with rage.

"You insolent little brat!" he snarled. "I should teach you both a lesson you won't forget."

Alev stood his ground, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew his stepfather was capable of anything, but he couldn't let him hurt Aria. They were all each other had in the world. They were both roughly thrown into the house.

As their stepfather raised his hand again, Alev closed his eyes and waited for the blow. But it never came. Instead, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. It was the sound of a belt being unbuckled. He knew what was coming next.

He opened his eyes just in time to see the belt whipping through the air towards him. He tried to duck, but it caught him across the back, ripping through his shirt and leaving a searing pain in its wake.

He yelped in pain and stumbled forward. His stepfather kept swinging the belt, hitting him over and over again. Aria was screaming in terror, but he hardly heard her.

All he could think about was the pain, the humiliation, the fear. This wasn't the first time their stepfather had beaten them, but it was the worst by far.As he lay on the ground, trying to curl up into a ball and protect himself from the blows, he realized something. He was never going to be able to escape this life. He was trapped, and there was nothing he could do about it.

The beating finally stopped, and Alev lay there, tears streaming down his face, as his stepfather breathed heavily above him. Aria was cowering in the corner of the room, too scared to move."You two better learn to follow the rules," their stepfather sneered. "Or else it'll be worse next time."

He turned and stalked out of the room, leaving Alev and Aria bruised and broken on the floor.Alev slowly sat up, wincing as the pain shot through his back. Aria crawled over to him, tears still streaming down her face. He put his arms around her and held her close."It's going to be okay," he whispered, even though he wasn't sure he believed it himself. "We'll figure something out."

As Aria sobbed into his chest, Alev's mind raced with thoughts of escape. He couldn't let this happen again - he needed to protect his sister from their stepfather's wrath. His eyes wandered to the phone on the counter, and an idea sparked in his mind.

Once his stepfather had gone to bed, Alev carefully made his way over to the phone. He dialed a number he had memorized long ago, but had never dared to call before. The person on the other end picked up after a few rings.

"Hello?" a tired voice answered."Uncle Coulson," Alev said, his voice shaking with fear and excitement. "It's me, Alev."There was a pause on the other end of the line, and then Uncle Coulson's voice grew urgent."Alev, are you okay?" "Is everything all right?"

Alev took a deep breath and then spilled out the whole story. How their stepfather had beaten them, how they were living in constant fear, how they needed to get out.

Agent Coulson didn't hesitate.

"I'm coming to get you," he said firmly. "Right now. You and Aria get whatever you need, and meet me at the end of the street." Alev's heart soared with relief. He finally had a way out. He hung up the phone and turned to Aria, who was watching him with wide, tear-filled eyes. He took her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"We're leaving," he said, his voice strong despite the fear that still lingered inside him. "We're going to be okay."

They moved quickly, grabbing a few essentials and stuffing them into backpacks. As they moved through the house, Alev's stepfather didn't stir, and they made it out the door without incident.The street outside was quiet and empty. They walked to the end of the block, where a black SUV was waiting for them. Agent Coulson was behind the wheel, and he gave them a reassuring smile as they climbed inside.

"Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D.," he said, as he pulled away from the curb.