I clutched my coat a bit closer, the thick jacket doing no help to shield the icy weather. Snow littered the sidewalks shovelled to the side as I passed through the Main Street of Mahagony. Original, I know.

Becky! Creepy girl. I need mint. Oh it's the loner. She probably has some disease or something. Jessica required toothbrushes and pastries for tomorrow. Soap spuds. It's snowing. Too much money, he's trying to rip me off. It's the creepy girl, steer clear. Julie, Julie, Julie, Julie... Snowmen and christmas! Warm fires...

The thoughts of the townspeople filtered through my head, chattering away. All of them wrapped in their own problems. I winced in pain at the sudden onslaught and leaned against a pole for support. The chattering increased until I took a deep breath, steadying myself and ignoring the chatters. I shivered again and my thoughts of control, per usual, drifted to Bruce. How was he? Had SHIELD gotten to him? Had he given up on finding a cure for his condition?

This, in turn spawned thoughts of the recent increase in tracking Bruce. When I lived with him, after I'd been orphaned, he always used to protect me from the bullies that prowled the school playgrounds and more frequently, from his father. Bruce and I were cousins, but after my mother had died, Rebecca, my mother's sister had taken me in. She was kind, but distant, her abusive husband often tore any sort of relationship we had.

When Bruce had his accident, I was with him, narrowly avoiding the chaos. Later, he'd sent me away 'for my protection' and queue the long list of cliche excuses. I wasn't happy, but I kept people off his trail, dates and events, specific names were lost in cyberspace. Hacking flowed like speaking to me, it was all about discovery, what I didn't understand, I would soon, then I'd exploit it. Not to toot my own horn but I could sync the President's selfies whenever I pleased, on a slow day. Call me mischievous, I am.

I began to reach the outskirts of the town housing, snow fell in thick flakes. My house was located on the utmost outside of the town, close to the border. Anything beyond that was thick forestry. Bruce had suggested that minimal contact with the townspeople was required. As long as I had a fire in my hearth, an electronic device in my hand, Internet and Mac & Cheese in the cupboard I was going to be okay.

I came across an abandoned Norse church. It was two stories, the roofing all slanted downwards. The timber, a dark contrast to the pale snow. From discard and the snow, it had caved in and was decaying to nothing more than a chilling shell. Ahead, a convoy of four-wheeled cars were silently abandoned in the middle of the road.

Suspicion began to ebb away at the back of my mind and I slunk into the first line of trees for cover. Hoping to pass by and that it wouldn't be a trap. The cars were empty but still in a single file. No sign of human life was nearby.

I searched the surrounding area for thoughts. One defined mind could be translated from the white wash;

Tesseract. SHIELD. Agents.

SHIELD were here? I froze, that was never good, after me or my brother.

A snap of gunfire echoed into the frigid air and I dived into a ditch. The snow pressing its cold hands to my neck. I tried to slow my breathing to avoid giving away my location, whilst still listening for any signs of life.

After a few quiet moments, I decided to take a peek, a thin layer of snow had covered me and I decided against brushing it off in case of further stealth. On the opposite side of the road, a man broke the first line of trees, running. He was dressed in a dark uniform, what I presumed was a SHIELD Winter uniform. In his hand was a silver briefcase.

As the agent reached the other side of the road, a single shot sounded and he fell to the ground. The briefcase fell from his grasp and skidded into the snow, a few centimetres away from my face. I looked away from the dead agent and to the case that laid within a grab's reach. The case was slightly open and a blue glow emitted from the open crack.

This drove my curiosity and I tugged the case a little closer towards me. After pulling it into my safety ditch, I rattled the broken lock and to my curiosity's joy the case opened.

Inside, a glowing cube was nestled. Rays of blue light bounced within the cube, forming a shifting pattern that completely enhanced me. Despite the obvious isolation in the vicinity, the whispers in the back of my mind increased.

Cubes don't speak. The logical side of me dumbly stated. But I could make out a few words. Touch Me.

As much as my logic and film-experience warned me against it, I reached out for the cube and made contact with it. Searching pain reached up my left arm and then send my entire body in a wage of pain which caused me to wake up screaming.

Henceforth The Lunar Castor was born.

A/N: For those of you who are new to the book, editing changes are as of that follow; Becky is Bruce's cousin not brother and that she is a Computer Hacker as her profession compared to a scientist.

When Becky reads the minds of others, all the different thoughts are in one paragraph. A different thought is separated by a ".".

Question of the Day: Whose your favourite Avenger and why?

HULK SMASH.

11/5/15