I figured out why characters in the movies and books died with their eyes open. It was because they were afraid of the darkness, afraid of what they were slipping into. They wanted to see and know what was happening as they comprehended their death. But the darkness was a part of me. It had been for a little while now. So I spared the dramatic liberty of closing my eyes as I jumped, soaring into the unknown, all with my eyes firmly sewn shut.

...

The two men gazed at the subjects below them. One man was bald with dark skin the color of a deep russet. A patch was slung over his left eye and brutal scars peeked out from underneath it. The man's other brown eye scrutinized every object inside the adjacent room. His leather trench coat swayed with every movement he made. The man held himself with authority, his squared shoulders and grim expression made most civilians and new agents visibly flinch. The gun that occasionally peeked from underneath his duster added to the commanding atmosphere that radiated off the man.

The other one was quite opposite to the SHIELD director. He was a few inches smaller and instead of commanding attire he wore an expensive suit. His dark hair was slightly tussled and his face was clean with the exception of a light goatee. Unlike the other man who stood firmly, the second one had the compulsion to constantly move. Tapping his fingers, checking his advanced phone and wringing out his hands.

"What do you plan to say to them, once they find out?" He asked, his voice low. Below, in the room different children, probably no older than three or four were being tested. The room was large, and blindingly bright, it was probably the size of a full length basketball court. Each of the children were in different sects of the hall. He watched a display of one of the children's abilities, the child's hair was jet black and the body moved his hands fast, in the motion of throwing a dagger. One weapon flew from his hand and the target shattered to a thousand ice particles. The boy had some type of cryokinesis ability. The watching scientists scribbled down notes.

"They won't find out," The other man replied, his voice firm.

"This isn't right," The other man countered.

"Since when have you cared for what is right? The product of this experiment will produce many miracles for the world. People will be safe; there will be hope for the future, not an uncertain one, one where people can trust one another,"

"This isn't morally right," The other man snapped, a blazing fury taken into his eyes, "sure, don't think I just forgot what happened in New York." The man repressed a shudder, it'd been barely two months since the battle and the nightmares hadn't faded, "but these children deserve a life, not one subjected to lies and dominance. SHIELD can get away with many things, but this is one I will stand against,"

"And what do you plan to do about it?"

"I'll tell them." The firmness in the billionaire's voice left no room for joking, a sphere of socialism that he was normally accustomed to. "They won't be happy that you've been playing around, especially like this, look. You can't build soldiers from just genetics; they need an ordinary life, something to shape them, something to fight for,"

The first man took a moment to reply, his one eye filled with anger. Then Tony's words sunk in and he considered the proposition.

"And if I release the subjects, give them ordinary lives, what will you do?"

"Not, tell the world?" Tony offered, what SHIELD was doing made him sick to the core. They had forbade the reproduction of children and then they went behind the Avengers backs', using samples of DNA collected after the battle of New York and created the perfect soldier, based on the Avengers' best attributes.

Tony studied the kids; two strawberry-blonde haired children fought with vicious ferocity. They were probably the twins produced from Clint and Natasha's combined genes. A blonde haired girl was submerged underwater with a source of air, vitals were displayed on a screen on the wall against the tank. Occasionally volts of electricity emitted throughout the chamber, after the shock, the girl would give thumbs up to endure another round. Thor's no doubt. One short cropped blonde haired boy wrestled with weights up to nine hundred pounds. Typical American Patriotism. A small gathering of white-coated scientists scribbled notes. The final boy was drawing out notes in a lab-like setting. Bruce's kid. Tony broke in sympathy, like himself, Bruce couldn't have a child, to see the boy dash back and forth through the lab, combining materials and scribbling notes made Tony feel something he wasn't normally accustomed to.

"Do I?"

"Have a child? Unfortunately not, she was unable to survive the procedure, and even if she did, she'd be weaker,"

Tony took a second to conceal his disappointment. Despite his player attitude, he was growing tired of his repetitive actions. A child was something he'd never experienced and despite his worry for his lack of parental knowledge it was something he secretly yearned for.

"Your secret is safe with me; I can trust that you'll find suitable parents?" Tony spoke, halfway throughout the door.
"Sure," Fury replied, obviously not used to being upped by weaker-willed others. Tony left and Fury took a moment to look around before disabling the cloaking device.

A seventh child appeared, concealed from the view of Anthony Stark, she was alone, chalk drawings and measurements surrounded her, drawn by the child genius. Fear was evident in her eyes, a thick veil of darkness clouded around her.

The scientists testing the girl sent in a mouse through a compartment slot. Their pens paused above their tablets as they waited for a response, no matter how cold-hearted it may be.

The girl shifted away from the creature, smearing some of the numerals. However, her efforts to place distance between it, were in vain. The second the girl looked at the rodent, the veil lunged upon the mouse with animalistic fury, when the mist cleared, the animal was clearly dead. The girl launched into a sobbing mess.

Out of all the DNA collected, Stark's offspring was most durable. A lot of work would be needed to conceal her abilities for interaction with the civilian population. Nick thought grimly to himself watching the girl slowly focus her vision on him with a dark gaze.