Monster

Chapter 3: The Hidden Reports

Covered in sweat, drowned with confusion, and scared. You'd awoken with a jolt. You didn't know what that dream had been, but it terrified you how real it had felt. You had called that man, papa. You were confused as to why, because you had never seen that face before, nevertheless it seemed all the familiar. It was impossible for that man to be your father. Your parents had died in an accident when you were a baby, causing you to spend some of your childhood in an orphanage that took you in. When you were just five years old, your aunt and uncle had come from Italy to take you home to their home. There had been a legal issue to get you sooner, but at least they got you out of that place before your teens. It had been rough for you. You didn't go back to sleep that night; you couldn't do it even if you tried. That dream meant something, and you were going to find out what it meant.

Once you had calmed down, you remembered another impactful thing about the dream—you had witnessed the Winter Soldier being brainwashed at the hands of HYDRA. Your blood went cold when flashes of images crossed your mind, then you saw how even with his emotionless body in front of you, his eyes seemed to show so much pain. What made your heart hurt and tears sting the back of your eyes was his muffled screams, and your lack of emotion your young-self lacked to show.

°°°°°

Once morning had come around, you got ready for work with the speed of an old turtle. You hoped that these newfound dreams wouldn't bug you much, but as per usual, things didn't go your way. You were unable to concentrate at all, the dream now replaying on a constant, disturbing loop. Worst part of it all was that scenes you hadn't dreamt were now forming in your head, and they were too vivid to be just normal daydreams. There were ones where you could see yourself running away from something, or someone? There were other where it was you at a shooting range, and he stood there looking, analyzing you. You and him working together—training, running, shooting, killing; and the rare ones where you would stare at his light blue eyes while he looked at yours. You felt like you were losing your mind, they shouldn't feel as real as they did. What the hell did it all mean?

It was around five in the afternoon when your body couldn't take more of your sleepless mind. You didn't even make it to your room, landing on the sofa in the main living area. Sleep trying to catch up to you, you felt yourself drifting when someone came into the room.

"Y/n? You okay there?" said the soft voice of your best friend.

"Nope," you said, not bothering to open your eyes. You heard movement from above you, and the weight of a body sitting on the edge of the sofa.

"I'm guessing you're tiring yourself trying to make up for messing up, but you sure look like you haven't slept at all," said Natasha looking down at you.

You sat up and let out a sigh with a slight irritated tone, "I didn't."

She gave you a look as to ask, 'why.' You hesitated for a minute. Should you be telling her about your weird dreams? With an internal sigh, you decided to do so; after all, she was like a big sister to you. "I had this weird dream last night, and ever since this morning it's been playing on a loop in my head, but it gets worse. Now, new images come to me as if they were some sort of flashbacks."

You swore you saw her go pale at the mention of the word 'flashbacks,' but you didn't dwell much on it. "What are they about?" said Natasha with a calm voice, the hint of worry almost buried by the calmness she showed, but in your tired state, it went unnoticed.

Now it was your time to go pale. You were hoping she wouldn't ask for details, but it had been wishful thinking. You hesitated once more but gave in and told her everything that was pestering you. "...and that's what has me all frustrated and confused," you exclaimed, finishing your rant. Natasha had been silent through the whole thing, holding an intense stare at you the whole time. She tried to muster a smile as if to tell you 'don't worry.'