the hunt - 2 - [rottmnt Donnie - COMPLETED]

#68

It was really beautiful, if one would stop for a moment - the infinity of the universe - this unimaginable emptiness, which nevertheless contains everything that existed.

She thought amused about this contradiction, her consciousness still intact, she was unbreakable.

See? Like I had promised.

A star, especially bright, slightly reddish, sparkled towards her - she felt its chemical nature, cooler than the average; without planets, not belonging to any solar system. All alone, it shone there, surrounded by the dark matter that held everything together - just like herself.

Smiling inwardly, she reached up, slowly and quietly. A thought of hers - and the star inflated many times over, only to collapse in itself. Arbitrariness - predetermination. Chaos - order. It had to be balanced.

A shadow at the edge, like a cosmic will-o'-the-wisp, distracted her.

"You need to wake up, my love."

What fool thought he could order her to do anything? An ignorant man, what could he do to her?

"Wake up!"

There was that voice again - she... knew that voice... she knew who it belonged to!

HE!

And just like the star a moment before, the hatred inflated inside her. To devour itself and take her with it.

Shiro's consciousness was pulled back, into the pain, into her body, into reality, into - herself.

—

The first thing Shiro noticed was the life of the whole world united in her. Billions of energies that knew nothing of what was going on here. A second later the impression was gone, and she took a slow breath, noticed that she was no longer lying down - but standing and still being held with her head hanging down. How was that possible? She stirred slightly - she was tied up! Her wrists at the level of her shoulders! Her body was stuck to the wall behind her! SHE COULDN'T MOVE AN INCH!

Then - she remembered everything, wrenched her eyes open and stared at the floor beneath her. Silently, her mouth opened as the memories rushed at her.

The pendulum!

The Orb!

She had let go!

The still, black, deep waters of her self slowly closing over her head, something reached out and grabbed her from below, pulled her down.

I can stand it. I must not fight it

A soft laugh.

"At last you are awake, my beauty."

HIS VOICE!

Shiro did not stir.

"Your suit is really extraordinary, not to be taken off. But Dr Stockman had the brilliant idea of making it your prison. Magnetism, my love. Magnetism. Good thing we were able to take blood samples through your neck veins. Sooooo... What's it like, huh? To be motionless? To be trapped? Not that we need it, right?"

He laughed. Shiro didn't move, sensing his life, another man was here in the room with him - the one who had been with him at the hospital.

"Agent Carter." a loudspeaker voice rang out, "I will now analyze the samples and that crystal in the subterranean lab, it will take a few hours. Is our little friend awake yet?"