Slade woke with a sharp gasp, his superhuman heart thudding in his ears. Nightmares. He seemed to have them every night since that damned serum got pumped into him, turning him from a soldier to what he was now. A husk of himself, a weapon. All blood, blood, blood-

He wiped the cold sweat from his brow with his hand, combing back the soakedwhite hair from his face. Slade forced himself to his feet, and as he did the floor seemed to sway underneath him, come and ebb like the waves.

He made his way to the kitchen.

The images echoed still in his mind. Flashes of wars. Mercenary jobs gone wrong. Those he loved being snatched away from him, all the while he was helpless to stop it, so helpless he couldn't even yell.

It seemed like yesterday for him, being strapped to a chair in some government lab, screaming and screaming as fire seemed to course through his veins...

Then the blood. So much, too much.

Drowning, helpless to stop it, even awake.

He stopped at the sink, turning on the tap to get himself a glass of water. Just dreams, he reminded himself. Just damn dreams.