They say that when kids go through something traumatic, their brains hide those memories, like burying secrets deep down. But for Evelyn Taylor, those memories never stayed buried. They were always just beneath the surface, waiting for the slightest trigger to resurface.

The day everything changed started like any other. Evelyn was walking home from school with her older brother, Ash, who was always teasing her as they made their way through the bustling streets.

"Come on, Evie, you've gotta keep up," Ash grinned, nudging her shoulder. "You're walking like an old lady."

"I am not!" Evelyn shot back, rolling her eyes. "You're just freakishly tall."

Ash smirked. "Or maybe you're just freakishly short."

Their dad glanced back, laughing. "Hey, cut it out, you two. You're both freaks, so play nice."

Evelyn stuck her tongue out at Ash, and he ruffled her hair in return, as they continued down the street. It was a normal day, filled with normal sibling teasing, until the sky went dark.

A low rumble filled the air, like distant thunder. Evelyn stopped, her smile fading as her eyes were drawn to the alien ships swarming above the city, blocking out the sun.

"What the hell is that?" Ash muttered, his voice laced with confusion. He stepped protectively in front of Evelyn, eyes scanning the sky.

"Ash, language," their mom scolded, though her voice was tight with tension. She grabbed Evelyn's hand. "We need to move. Now."

Her dad's face turned serious. "Ash, take your sister and run. Don't look back."

Before they could react, explosions ripped through the street. The force of it sent them sprawling, knocking Evelyn off her feet as the ground trembled beneath her. Her ears rang as she struggled to get up, disoriented and terrified.

"Evie!" Ash shouted, grabbing her arm and pulling her up. "We have to go!"

"Mom? Dad?" Evelyn's voice cracked as she searched through the smoke and rubble.

She spotted them a few feet away, buried under debris. Her mother's hand was stretched out, reaching for her. Evelyn broke free from Ash's grip and ran toward them, but Ash caught her around the waist, holding her back.

"Let me go!" Evelyn screamed, her heart racing. "I have to help them!"

"We can't, Evie!" Ash's voice was rough, filled with fear she'd never heard before. "They're gone! We have to run!"

"No!" she sobbed, clawing at his arms. "You don't know that!"

Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled violently, splitting open with a deafening crack. Ash's grip slipped as the pavement fractured between them, a chasm appearing out of nowhere. Evelyn's body jerked forward, but before she could react, she was pulled backward, a surge of energy sparking within her. Flames flickered at her fingertips, and wind howled wildly around her.

"Evie, what's happening?" Ash's voice was distant, muffled by the ringing in her ears.

She looked up, her vision blurry from tears, just in time to see a building collapse between them. Ash was on the other side, his face frozen in shock as he disappeared behind a cloud of dust and rubble.

"Ash!" Evelyn screamed, but her voice was drowned out by the roar of destruction. "Ash!"

The world went silent. When the dust settled, he was gone.

Evelyn dropped to her knees, her hands trembling as the flames and wind disappeared as suddenly as they had come. She couldn't breathe, couldn't move. Her parents were gone, and now her brother, too. All around her, the battle continued, but she couldn't see any of it anymore—only the empty space where Ash had been.

That's when she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. She looked up into the face of a man she recognized from the news—a man in a blue uniform with a star on his chest.

"Are you hurt?" he asked gently, crouching down beside her.

"They're gone," Evelyn whispered, her voice hollow. "My mom, my dad... Ash. They're all gone."

Steve Rogers' expression softened, a pained look crossing his face. He pulled her into his arms, holding her close as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured. "But you're not alone anymore. I promise."

Evelyn clung to him, her sobs muffled by his uniform, but the pulsing energy inside her was still there—wild and powerful, completely out of her control. As Steve carried her away from the chaos, one thought burned in her mind: she would never be that helpless again.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the rubble...

A young man staggered to his feet, coughing up dust. Ash looked back, expecting to see his sister running toward him, but the street was empty.

"Evie?" he called out, his voice cracking with disbelief. "Evelyn!"

But there was no answer. His stomach churned, dread creeping through him like poison.

In that moment, Ash knew—he was alone.

He staggered back, his heart a twisted knot of pain and anger. He turned away from the rubble, from the chaos, walking away as the weight of loss began to harden him. There would be no forgiveness, no redemption. Only one thing mattered now: survival.

And as the years passed, the bitterness grew—bitterness toward the Avengers, toward the heroes who had taken his sister but left him behind.

The world had torn him apart. And in that moment, Ash Taylor became a different person.