oblivion. ▷ captain america. [1] •••DISCONTINUED•••

xiii ▷ new serum.

T H I R T E E N

13. | new serum.
ideas change

genevieve.

•

ICE. ICE had hardened around me after my partner and I were praised for our hard work. Ice melted God only knows how much longer later. After being thawed and set in the electrical chair, I prepared myself for the worst, whatever that might be.

Shock after shock, my brain liquified to ooze, settling inside my skull. I nonchalantly stare at one speck in the concrete floors for further instruction. However, there is nothing. No words are spoken by the soldiers or the commander who pulls the lever that sends the shockwaves through me. He just glances up at me from the control panel every few minutes, probably making sure that I haven't passed out just yet.

Then he stops pulling the lever all together. He takes a step back from the control panel, releasing the lever and pulling on his black gloves. He barks at one of the guards, ordering for a scientist. After a few moments, a tall one scurries into the room with a glass bottle in hand. If I could function properly, my stomach would have lurched at the sight of it.

Inside the bottle is an thick, inky black liquid. Whatever it could do was another explanation, but I know that it isn't meant for a good thing based on the conversation I hear between the commander and the scientist.

"What is this?" the commander growls. He tears the glove off his hand with one swift motion, taking the glass bottle in his bare hand. His eyes set on the scientist, who stutters, "It is what we were ordered to make, sir."

"But what does it do?" the commander interrogates. "What is its purpose? We do not need to risk a good soldier on something pointless."

"I can assure you, sir, it is not pointless."

Their voices are hushed now, and I am straining to make out their words.

The scientists points to the liquid, its dark color swimming in his bright orbs. "It makes everything like it — dark. It makes things seem more, you know, threatening. She.....does not exactly have an intimidating appearance, sir, although she most certainly is. The blue that Zola gave her will be the same color as this serum and seem dangerous and scare off her opponents. Instead of those blue sparks that Zola enjoyed so much, we can have black smoke that clouds the terrain so that the opponent cannot see. It is wonderful."

"Yes," the commander mumbles, drumming his fingers against his chin as he muses to himself. "Without Zola watching over us anymore, we can do whatever we want. We can make them better than ever."

The scientist nods. "Exactly."

I gulp as the scientist turns towards me, his lips curling into a smile. He makes his way towards me, shoving the bottle into a slot in the machine. He hooks me up to it, pulling up my black undershirt's sleeve. I feel his thumb jab against the disk in my shoulder. I wince as the metal that curls around my arm retracts, revealing my bare pale skin. He jabs an IV into the inside of my arm, truly connecting me to the machine. He presses a button on the machine, filling the IV with the black serum, meaning me too.

I feel something swirling in my veins, entirely engulfing me as it moves through my body. My vision becomes clearer in all the hustle and bustle, making me have 20/20 sight. In fact, everything becomes sharper — my sight, my hearing, the blood pumping in my ears, my heart hammering against my ribcage. As my fingers extend against the arm of the chair, my eyes are clouded by a jet black fog that whooshes through the compound. Scientists and soldiers cough, trying to find their way in the dark to rip the IV from my arm. As it is detached from me, it leaves my head hanging from my spine and the energy drained from me.

"What the hell," the commander hisses, "was that?"

The scientist stutters, "s-sir, the serum." His widened eyes stare into mine as I crane my head up to face him. "T-T-That was the new serum."

[•]

After the serum was injected into me, I had passed out once the IV was taken out from my arm and woke up in a laboratory with soldiers surrounding me. I thought they were just there for the normal oversee of me, but then they started to attack me. One threw me from the table I was lying on, sending me down to the concrete floor. I grunt as my back hits the floor, pulling my forearms to block my face from a punch that is being thrown at me.

"Go, go, go!" the soldiers shout at each other.

This is a game, I think. Just another one of their tests.

I notice that there isn't a metal clinking as my arms brush against each other as I move them over to block another punch from a soldier, shouting at others to grab at my limbs. Once I feel hands curl around my ankles and tug, my eyes linger on my pale skin. My instinct is to detach them from me by shooting my hands at them. Instead of the old blue sparks that they used to be, there is a long wisp of black smoke that swirls around my fingertips and makes its way towards the men.

Release, it whispers. Let me free.

The soldiers do as it says, loosening their grasp and letting me go. They still punch and fight, but they no longer drag me towards them.

I scramble to my feet after kicking one in the face and punching two. Another one sprints towards me. A mental clock ticks in my head.

Tick. Tick.

I send another wisp of inky smoke at him.

Tick. Tick.

It weaves around his helmet, murmuring something in his ear.

Tick. Tick.

His hands cup over his ears as they desperately try to stop the whispers that form into screams. He winces, tumbling to the floor on his knees. The smoke shouts back, shrieking at him in a language I do not know.

This continues around the room. Each soldier falls to the concrete, attempting to stop the screams. Tears fall down their cheeks as they shriek begs for mercy, hyperventilating from stress and anxiety and pure terror. In response, I feel nothing. They deserve it for attacking me. They were going to hurt me. I stand over the hunched bodies, breathing heavily. My veins are as cold as ice, like my heart.

I hear the door crack open behind me, and a hand stabs the end of a syringe into my neck, causing my vision to go black.