*This book is a good few years old now so apologies for the poor writing - make sure to check out my newest Avengers book 'Trust Me, I Will Never Trust You'.*
'I continue to struggle against Buckys grasp, as the doctor approached me with a needle in...
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• • •
"I've shaken off my chains
But I still feel those shackles
Living inside of me."
• • •
I glance behind me to double-check I had lost the baseball cap guy. It quickly turned into a dark autumn evening, and I was losing sunlight quickly. I turned off the street and into another back alley as I took out the wallet to examine the contents.
Unfortunately, there were only a couple of dollars and a few receipts. I pondered nothing significant in the sense of cash and no reason for the guys' reaction. Shaking the thought out of my head, I tucked his wallet back into my pocket I headed toward a Steakhouse restaurant. Before I approached the entrance, I slipped down the side alleyway towards the back of the building, where the food waste dumpster sat.
Lifting the lid of the dumpster, I jumped, pushing myself up so I could get inside and get a better look. It was dirty business dumpster diving and often bore no success at all, but it was a means to an end if it meant I could save those few dollars for when I desperately needed them.
Rummaging through the scraps for something edible, I smiled in delight as I found half of a small baguette and leftover scraps of what looked like a stake. It was old food, no doubt, but my stomach seemed to be made of steel as it never bothered me what I ate as long as it was food. I was about to look in another dumpster when I heard one of the chefs coming out of the backdoor, causing me to run off before being seen. They never took too kindly to the homeless digging in their bins.
I returned to the main street away from the restaurant, smiling in delight as I bit into my first meal of the day, savoring every mouthful.
After another hour of walking around New York, I finally found an abandoned shopfront that wasn't already occupied and was safe enough to sleep in.
• • •
I woke up suddenly, breathing heavily, from another nightmare. I've always had nightmares from all the things Hydra put me through, all the experiments and torture sessions. They were only snippets; my memory wasn't all there due to the times they had tried to wipe my brain as a kid. I was only 14 now but never had got to experience having a good childhood; gosh, I didn't even know who my parents were or where I came from. I sighed, stuffing my only blanket and spare jumper back into my old backpack.
I got up and walked down the street looking for something to steal, hoping to eat something decent that didn't come from the garbage.
Walking down the street, I saw a mother arguing with her child. I usually wouldn't steal from someone so vulnerable, but she looked like she came from a wealthy family; judging by the designer handbag, I could quickly flog for $50.
I approached the mother till I was a meter away, then suddenly broke out in a run towards her. I ran forward and snatched her bag with a quick grab. I started to flee the scene, hearing the women cry out behind me. It was a messy crime, but I thought this bag could feed me for days or weeks. With adrenalin pumping fast through my veins, I almost didn't notice running past a middle-aged guy with his hand on his ear as if he was talking to someone.
Fear started to build in my stomach, with the thoughts racing in my mind. What if the guy was from Hydra? What if they had found me? I started to speed up, pushing the burying the thoughts as I approached a corner, hearing a machine humming noise. My mind was so set on fleeing that I rounded the corner so fast that I ran straight into a metal pole... a metal person?
