Chapter 2

A/N

Chapter 2 is up and running peoplezz. Give it a vote, comment along the lines. You know the drill. 

Marvel quote;

"Why would you want to save the galaxy?!"

"Because I'm one of the idiots who lives in it!"

Star-Lord and a snappy Rocket at the planet no where.

~~@@ @~~

"Someone tell me where the hell Strucker is or I will explode the building!"

I shout, after finally finding the tiny ear comm in the snow and putting it on.

Through the energy waves reflected back at me, I felt most of my team members cringe. They knew how serious I am at dealing threats and also know I'm very pissed off at the moment.

Wave and waves of angry energy rolled off me and they only added to my fueling cackling abilities.

Jesus, I'm going to teach those two a thing about manners.

Excuse me, you're one to talk. You're the most childish of them all.

I'm sorry brain, why are you fighting me right now?

"Blues head onto the right side of the building. I could use your help,"

Great, more things to do.

I huffed loudly and made blocks of pillars, jumping and running across the air to get to Tony.

When I saw a gap in the glass, I jumped in and landed daintily on my feet, peering around in utter confusion.

Almost all the HYDRA soldiers were on the ground, muffling out their pain.

"Tony, what the hell?" I asked out loud, sidestepping all of them to duck into an area, I felt he was in. My brother has made his way further into the far corner of the room.

"We have a second enhanced Female. Do not engage." Steve's says breathlessly through the comm.

I scoffed. "A little too late Ice Pick, those twins are going to get a good smacking when I grab a hold of them."

My feet stopped upon an open panel, revealing a dark room. I find myself getting slightly nauseous as a barrel of twisted current flowed back at me.

Where was Tony?

"Guys, I got Strucker." Steve points out.

Good riddance.

"Yeah... I got... something bigger..."

There was a human-size hole on the wall beside me, just a couple of distances away and I walked over to it, peering at the dark corridor.

"Tony, I swear if you go down there, without me..."

My brother was a reckless idiot that needed to be kicked in the ass.

I could sense a current of energy all the way from here and knew it was the sceptre. It was nearby.

Swirling blue green light on my fingers, I light up my palm and attempted to journey towards the obvious-secret-basement.

I almost got a heart attack at the entrance when Tony's suit jump at me, repulsor-hand raised. When I realized it was on Sentry mode, I knocked at the metal in annoyance.

"Tony!" I shout, walking down the corridor warily. There's a set of stairs leading downwards that seemed to go on endlessly. The walls being dimly lit only added to my worries.

I felt like they were closing in on me with each step I took. My movements faltered when I was halfway down.

"Fuck," The buzzing was back. Loud and heavy in my ears like a massive boulder has been put on my shoulders.

It was the sceptre.

I can feel how it called for me, in the same way, whenever I got too close to a power source that is similar to mine.

When it proved too much, I stopped dead in my tracks and succumb to the floor, leaning my head over the metal railing on the side in apparent pain.

My head throbbed.

When will I ever stop being under it's control?

Whatever it is.

"Thor, I got eyes on the prize," Tony's proud voice comes clear through the comm, and I gritted my teeth.

"Tony doesn't touch it, you know what it can do." I struggled out, gripping the railing to stable myself.

He did not reply and I mentally groaned.

Of course, doing as he's told was never in Tony Stark's vocabulary.

Forcing myself to move, I put up a block in my mind that should act as a conduit to stop the buzzing for the time being.

Hopefully, it doesn't bite me in the ass.

Walking shakily down the stairs, I rip off the mask from my neck and struggled for air when it became thinner for me. The charge from the sceptre was unformidable.

It was difficult to focus.

Eventually when I could see where I ended up, the sight I saw left me speechless.

What on earth...?

Above me lay the alien-like whale thing, suspended on wires. The huge mass only proved just how large it actually was up-close. Numerous alien techs were also scattered around the extremely crowded area and I frowned.

What was HYDRA trying to accomplish?

"Tony?" My voice echoes across the basement as I hobble forward, practically holding onto anything I can find to stop the energy from draining out of me.

He's nearby.

I could feel him.

Walking deeper, I stop when I noticed a blue glow from the distance, emitting a strange beacon of light that drew me in.

Tony stood in front of it.

Frozen like a statue.

Like he was mesmerized by it all.

"To-"

A sharp piercing knocks me out of air as it envelopes my ears, striking an ache so deep I feel my lungs constrict. Red flags are instantly raised in my mind.

The sceptre glowed.

Brighter. Higher. Frantically.

Almost as though it sensed my presence.

As though... it sensed its other half...

No.

Muffling the number of energy waves hitting me at once, I leaned over a table filled with alien tech and breathe loudly, pushing out the feelings that are now coursing through me.

"Tony!" I shout, getting his attention.

He finally snapped out of it and turned around, gaze meeting mine. Maybe it was my imagination but I swear his eyes glowed a red tinge before disappearing into the usual brown orbs.

"Blues?"

I nodded, my whole body trembling. Whether it'd be from the power radiating out of me or the strange call I could hear, I don't know.

But maybe I do.

"Take the sceptre," I commanded, a voice not my own.

At the back of my mind, I think I heard someone laughing but I didn't pay heed.

My eyes were trained on the blue gem. The power radiates a strange allure.

Do you see what you need to do?

The dark voice cackles.

I remember.

Looking back at the sceptre, Tony raised a hand and a metal arm flew towards him, attaching itself to him in a blink of an eye.

He then circled the gem and snatched at the sceptre, holding it up high so the glow enveloped us both.

We got it.

Finally.

My wrists burned.

A feeling I ignored because I never noticed.

I never noticed how they were slowly and steadily growing.

I never noticed, they were sucking me dry.

I never noticed the burnt blue stains that marked me meant something else.

For the first time in three years, I felt something familiar twinge at my soul.

Like a heavy weight had once more settled on my shoulders.

The dark energy that had been gone was back.

And how I missed it.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

I watch the cuts that litter my palms with interest, seeing them heal slowly and figuratively.

After SHIELD's downfall, I realized I unlocked another part of my abilities.

Emphatic power randomization.

It's what causes me to heal quickly.

It is true to its name basically.

It comes randomly whenever my emotions run high and they give me random abilities at certain moments.

I should be grateful I have this but at the same time, I felt odd that they kept growing and growing. Just because things are good now, didn't mean they will be good in the future.

What else could my abilities manifest if they continue on like this?

It was scary.

How much more could this body take?

I was only human.

The feeling of being burdened by things I do not know really takes the icing on the cake.

Even after numerous raids, we finally completed our mission in finding the sceptre. It all worked out. But why do I still feel so...

Out of place?

The feeling was overwhelming. It crawls up my spine, settling near my neck and as much as I stretched my sore muscles, they did nothing.

My mind keeps going back to the twins.

Our paths only crossed once, yet I find myself worrying about them.

I know it's weird but I can't help but remember what I saw. Strucker experimented on them and they survived.

They became enhanced humans.

Just like me.

It's only fair, I share a strange... connection to them.

Beneath all that hate and all that rage, I recognize that they were hurting.

Secrets...

They'll stay buried, sure.

But not for long.

"Ow!"

Barton's pained groan broke me out of my trance as I refocused on the people standing around me in the Quinjet.

"Stop being a baby Barton and relax," I sighed, waving my hands and lulling a calming wave that would hopefully make him less fidgety.

Barton visibly relaxed at the touch of my powers and gave me a side smirk. "I only did it, so you can do this."

I rolled my eyes at the thought. From what I heard if I were to send a calming or lulling wave at someone, they felt, well, to be honest--high.

You can see how some people might take advantage of what I can do.

"Blues, you doing fine back there?" I heard Tony called out from the front seat.

I ran a hand through my tangled blond hair and leaned back against the wall.

"As fine as I can be,"

Thor and Steve hung near the sceptre by the back, the gem glowing brightly.

Squinting at the glow, I looked away immediately when it became too much for me to register in my current mental state.

"Hey," Natasha nudged at me gently and I looked up from my position, raising an eyebrow at the spy.

She gestured over to Bruce. He was sitting on the ground with a blanket over him and headphones pulled up, listening to some classic opera.

When she nudged me again, I knew what she wanted me to do.

Sometimes I feel like I don't get enough credit for doing these things to help my team.

Since I was the only one capable of projecting and manipulating emotions, I had to do it.

I sent her a mocking glare before obeying and splashing a slight wave towards him to calm him down.

His twitching ceased and he immediately relaxed, closing his eyes at the wave of my abilities.

She gave me a smirk before making her way over to him. I didn't miss the small genuine smile on her face as she approached the now-calm-Banner.

"Hey, the lullaby worked better than ever,"

Banner takes off the headphones at Natasha's approach and smiles weakly. "Just wasn't expecting the code green."

Natasha shrugged. "If you hadn't been there, there would've been double the casualties. My best friend would've been a treasured memory."

Barton gave out a weak grunt at that and I shushed him, giving him a look that meant I wanted to see what was happening between Natasha and Bruce.

"You know, sometimes exactly what I want to hear isn't exactly what I want to hear." He concluded, sarcastically.

Natasha drew in a pout before glancing deeply into his eyes. "How long before you trust me?"

Bruce doesn't hesitate to reply, but it's almost quiet and shy. His emotions filter back at me and I found myself frowning.

He's afraid. Shy. And...

"It's not you, I don't trust."

Natasha scoffed. "Thor, report on the Hulk?" She turns to him.

Thor who had been watching the sceptre looks over with a grin. "The gates of Hell are filled with the screams of his victims."

I facepalmed, already knowing he ruined the moment.

Natasha glares at him and I could feel anxiety rising in Banner so I hastily sent out another wave, not caring how it took away most of my energy.

I'm running on reserves.

Being in the same area as the Scepter was exhausting.

Thor hastily scrambles for an exit, upon realizing he's in deep water. "Uh, but, not the screams of the dead, of course." He laughs nervously.

"No no, uh...wounded screams, mainly whimpering, a great deal of complaining and tales of sprained deltoids and, and uh--gout."

"Thor?" I called out, giving him a hard glare. The god of thunder faces me and visibly paled.

"Shut up,"

He obeyed, looking like I kicked his puppy. From behind, Steve chuckles at the interaction already knowing the god of thunder was quite frankly, wary of me.

"Hey Banner, Dr Cho's on her way in from Seoul, is it okay if she sets up in your lab?" Tony interrupts, craning his head to meet his science buddy.

Bruce nodded. "Uh, yeah, she knows her way around."

"Thanks-- tell her to prep everything, Barton's gonna need the full treatment."

JARVIS automated response is quick. "Very good sir,"

Meanwhile, the Russian has backed up slightly, giving Bruce his space. I could see something swimming in her eyes.

I grinned at the interaction. Feeling her emotions run clear.

Okay, no more peeking.

Standing up, I wobbled and nearly fell over on my butt, if I didn't grab the railing in time.

"Woah," I breathe, a dizzying feeling ceasing me all at once.

My body went ice cold to rushing hot and I blinked, struggling to control what was happening. I must've used a bit too much of my powers on the battlefield earlier.

It didn't help that I was also aiding Banner and Clint in their recovery.

"Hey," Steve immediately stepped away from the Sceptre and went over to me, hands hovering by my shoulder. "You okay?"

I nodded but then stopped when my legs buckle and intense heat seared my skin.

Steve reached out to steady my flailing figure and I gratefully leaned on him, knowing I couldn't even feel my legs at the moment.

The Quinjet was spinning.

"Blues?" Tony turns around in his chair. When he sees I am barely able to support myself, he narrowed his eyes, recognising I've hit my limits.

"JARVIS, take the wheel," The chair moves back and he clambers out to reach me.

Unlike before when Tony was still, well, Tony--he's changed slightly, or should I say, grown increasingly overprotective of me these past few years.

I never forget when I wake up due to nightmares. He always runs in immediately when JARVIS wakes him up.

The problem is, I never remember what my nightmares are about. They're gone the moment my eyes open.

I know for a fact that Tony's plagued by nightmares of his own.

So when he, has night terrors, JARVIS wakes me up and vice versa.

It takes me a short amount of time to put him back to sleep with ease and even though Tony can't mentally help me due to the fact that he doesn't have my abilities, the fact that he was there was good enough.

Our nightmares have only increased lately, even more so since we were the Earth's best defence against any world-destroying problem.

They weren't getting any better and maybe it was because we haven't actually talked about it.

It just never came up.

Tony doesn't want to share and neither do it.

So we basically reverted back to thinking it doesn't exist. It won't last long, but it's hold so far.

Tony's fingers glide over my temple in worry and I flinched, knocking him away.

"I'm fine," I said stubbornly, pushing both males away.

They each gave me a scolding look to which I ignored.

"Stop babying me. Baby Barton or Banner--" I grumbled, pointing at them.

Barton gave a weak laugh and shakes his head from where he lay on the stretcher.

"I'm not dead. I can hear you,"

Poking my tongue at him, I walked away from the two males that continued to surround me so I can sit next to birdy (Hawkeye) without them interrupting.

Tony isn't happy when I do this. One look on his face and I know he hasn't let it go and will promptly deal with it later. He turns on his heel and joins Thor by the sceptre.

Steve doesn't fully move away from his position until I sent him a knowing look to which he obviously obeyed, not wanting to test me.

"Birdy, you're doing fine right?" I asked Clint, taking joy in his apparent annoyance with the nickname.

"You know, my accuracy is 99 per cent right? I never miss." He threatened although sounding light about it.

"Are you sure? From what I felt, you missed the bunker and got knocked down by a kid."

He sends me a fierce glare at that and I laughed, patting his shoulder.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

He scrunches his lips but doesn't say anything as I retreated back to the darkest corner of the jet, allowing the darkness to heal me. It wouldn't hurt to gather what I could, you never know when trouble might hit.

From where I stand, I notice Tony watching the blue gem with obvious interest.

He smiles at Thor.

"It feels good, yeah? I mean, you've been after this thing since SHIELD collapsed." Tony crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged. "Not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties, but..."

Thor nods in response. His emotions tells me he's happy that we got it. After several long months away from home, I know he misses Asgard. "No, but this...this brings it to a close--"

Steve, my boyfriend in all his white, red and blue uniform, uncrosses his arms and speaks out.

"As soon as we find out what else this has been used for. I don't just mean weapons."

He looks at me before looking back at the gem.

"Since when is Strucker capable of human enhancement?"

"Since me," I called out, standing up to join them. Once again, the dizzying warns me to stay still but I ignored it and walk forward, getting dangerously close to the gem.

"Strucker was one of Pierce's right-hand men. I recognized him from my memories."

Tony's gaze grew darker with vengeance. "I'm sorry when were you going to tell me this?"

I shrugged. "I told you I get dibs in punching him first,"

Steve pulls me back from Tony to join him and gives Tony a hard look to remain calm. "Look we got the sceptre that's all that matters,"

Even Thor nodded in agreement, but his dark eyes are holding something. It doesn't look like he likes what he hears, rather, he's uncomfortable with it.

The god of thunder has always been curious about my connection to the Tesseract.

He says that now that I was no longer connected to it, we shouldn't worry.

But I can't help but wonder if he's keeping something else from me.

Tony sighed but doesn't sound happy about it. He regards the sceptre with a chilling look.

The same one I saw back in the basement of the HYDRA base.

"Banner and I will give it the once over before it goes back to Asgard. Is that cool with you?"

Thor nods, all for it.

I could visibly see Tony's relief at that and wondered what he meant.

"I mean, just a few days until the farewell party. You're staying right?"

Party? Oh god.

I've seen Tony's parties. It's never a good night. Someone's always either falling off the Tower or skinny dipping in the pool.

Thor showcases a big excited grin. "Yes, yes, of course. A victory should be honoured with revels."

Tony lazily, leans on the table in front of the sceptre, both palms out. "Yeah. Who doesn't love revels? Captain?"

Steve shrugs, his posture growing slightly relaxed by the minute.

I could feel the burden he'd always held, evaporate.

HYDRA was gone. They can no longer cause trouble. Or take control of me again.

I can't help but share his feelings as well.

My protector can come home.

If only we could find him.

"Hopefully this puts an end to the Chitauri and HYDRA," Steve glances at me discreetly and I nod, sharing his feelings.

A slow smile grew on those kissable lips and I sent a wink without Thor and Tony knowing.

Steve smile broadens.

"So. Yes, revels."

I read Steve emotions and visibly shivered, wrapping my arms around myself to stop the heat that had crawled up my spine.

Coughing, I ignored Steve's smirk and gestured to the sceptre glowing gem.

It seems to be shinning much more alluring now.

"Close that damn thing before it suffocates me."