Chapter 33: Breaking Point

During this time, they have already noticed the slow growth of Stephan compared to the other kids. Anxious that something was terribly wrong with him, they decided to visit Dr. Erskine's laboratory at S.H.I.E.L.D. to run some tests. There, they have discovered that the aging process for Stephan was ten times slower than normal. Dr. Erskine run the same tests for Yumhee and the results were the same.

Yumhee was paralyzed with guilt and sadness that her son wouldn't be able to live normally like his peers. To be mentally and emotionally mature but be trapped in a kid's body for more than a hundred years. She couldn't even imagine the agony he would go through. To see your friends and love ones get old and move on with their lives and eventually die. She doesn't know if it was a great thing or not that she is the same as him. Is she going to be enough for him as a company? But what would happen to him when she eventually dies or worst fall in love?

When she couldn't handle it anymore, she started throwing things, crying and screaming. Making a mess of their living room. Then she collapsed on the floor asking her father why do these things keep happening to her, to her family. Dr. Erskine, not knowing what to say or do just hugged his daughter tightly.

"It's not fair father!" Yumhee cried bitterly to her father. "I thought when we finally escaped that place...we can start anew and live as normally as we can like the others." The hold she had of her father's coat tightened. "But I was terribly wrong. So wrong..." Yumhee whimpered on his father's embrace. "It will forever haunt us...not letting us go." Face pale, body shaking. Yumhee was completely devastated.

And all his father could do is to hug her tightly like his trying to prevent his daughter breaking apart at that moment, the light in her eyes visibly vanishing to the naked eye. At that moment, Abraham have never felt so helpless and useless in his entire life. "Malaya...I'm so sorry..."

Since that day, he watched as the daughter he knew died a little bit everyday. What replaced her was a cold, indifferent woman. Besides her family and few friends since her days of being an agent, she didn't allow anyone else to enter her life. Though she may seem kind and friendly with everyone, the smiles and laughs she gave them were all just a facade. If one looked closely, one can see the wall Yumhee had erected around her. She became fiercely protective of the remaining people important to her especially to Stephan.

At first, she was proactive in finding a way to fix the issue regarding their growth and lifespan. But after five years without any results, she finally gave up. The moment Abraham saw hope left her, was the moment his obsession over finding the cure to their predicament started.

While Abraham dedicated most of his time in his laboratory, looking for a way to alter the harsh destiny his family was dealt with, Yumhee tried her best to cope with everything alone. She was tired of looking at the concerned faces she saw everyday on everyone who were privy of their situation. She was also tired of hearing their constant question of how she is and them hovering like she's going to have a meltdown anytime. Even her best friend, Howard Stark, who was supposed to be the fun one became annoying in an instant.

After all these years, Yumhee learned to accept their fate. But the trauma never left her. Paranoia and insomnia suffocating her most nights. When she's not alone, she tried hard to prevent any breakdowns.

Unfortunately one time, Howard, unexpectedly visited their home claiming to have had requested an early out that day, barge into their home like always and saw her in one of her episodes. "Yumhee!" To say that Howard was surprised by the scene is an understatement. He ran to her side, fumbling with his hands. He was totally clueless on what to do. Though he is aware and saw some of the added abilities she obtained during their stay in a Hydra base, he doubt that this is normal. At his wit's end, he called Dr. Erskine immediately with the communicator he invented.

Body flickering, a light blue and red orange light emitting from her hands and along her body like the colors of a flame, diamond scale like things coating the lower parts of her arms. The pain of it all reducing her to a writhing mess on the floor. It wasn't new to her to have her powers manifest when she's emotionally or mentally unstable but it never was in such intensity to bring her down on her knees. It was mostly the temperature around her changing constantly from cold to hot. This is something else. She can feel a strong surge of power inside of her violently trying hard to free itself. Due to the amount of pain she is subjected to, her consciousness is slowly slipping away.

When Dr. Erskine arrived at their home, he was reminded of the memory when Yumhee first used her abilities. But what frightened him was that this wasn't like before. It was like she's fighting something inside of her. When he was near her, Yumhee clutched on his arm tightly, almost breaking the skin with her nails, and with gritted teeth she said "I can't...leave...take Stephan. Evacuate ev—." A piercing scream escaped her lips cutting off what she was saying. "Leave!!!" She harshly ordered them.

Howard immediately went to Stephan's room, grabbing anything his left hand can hold and toss it in a bag while his right hand fumbling with the communicator again to contact HQ and inform them about the situation. After carrying Stephan and slinging the bag on his shoulder, he exited the room shouting for Dr. Erskine to follow them.

Tears staining his cheeks, Dr. Erskine kissed his daughter's forehead before he got up and walked to the door. Howard gave him Stephan, both stopping at the door conflicted, looking back at Yumhee. But before anyone can say or do anything else Yumhee ordered them again to leave.

Howard gently dragged Dr. Erskine to his vehicle. "She's going to be fine." As he drive away he assured the man beside him again. "You and I both know that she's a fighter." Sparing a glance to the man, giving a small smile. "She'll pull through. I believe in her."

Moments later, the sound of cars and hurried footsteps echoed all around her. Then Colonel Phillips dropped to a knee beside Yumhee and asked her anxiously, forgetting she's retired. "Agent Sakura...how long can you contain it?"

Yumhee looked at him briefly. "I don't know Sir."

"There's too many people here. We can't save them all." He paused for a second. "Can you teleport?" Colonel Phillips asked urgently.

"I don't —" Yumhee muffled a scream before continuing. "Where?"

"Do you remember the abandoned science facility that went up in flames a decade ago?" Colonel Phillips suggested. "No one can be seen miles from there."

"I'll try." Came the exhausted reply from Yumhee. "Leave...Colonel." And he did as she said.

Gathering the remaining strength she had, she controlled her body as best as she could. While teleporting herself, a burst of electricity left her body traveling through the floor and up the walls. Another scream escaped her lips, the intensity of which resulting in a small scale earthquake. But she was able to teleport completely before a much worse scenario occurred. There were many people injured during the incident but fortunately, no one died that day.