Guardian

I always wondered how it was possible for me to be in a school full of outsiders, yet still feel so alone. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters was supposed to bring us together. According to my mother, I was supposed to find people who would accept me. People who were just like me. I got a rocky start, being one of the youngest when I arrived to the school at eight years old. Even as I grew, and kids my age began to filter in, I always felt like the outcast.

I wasn't sure why I was unable to use my powers. I had used them before, which is what led my mother to drop me off at the doorstep of Charles Xavier's mansion. I had caused quite the commotion at my previous school, so much that my mother found herself allied with men in black suits in order to protect me. I wasn't sure what I was being protected from, I only knew that my actions were wrong.

The minute I stepped on campus, though, the powers stopped. All I had was a big ball of energy inside me, waiting to be released. It suffocated me. I walked around with it, always feeling it within me but never able to use it. Teasing was common in the classroom when others could display their own tricks, while I couldn't even lift a book. It was humiliating, and led me to be always alone.

In winter, the mansion was covered with snow. We were only allowed two hours after classes to roam outside before we had to get back indoors. The dark came early on in the evening, and the teachers never let their guards down with us. As mutants, we were always in danger.

When the bell rang throughout the courtyard, telling everyone to get back inside for dinner, I stood up from the bench I was sitting on. My boots shuffled in the snow as I pulled my jacket closer around my body before I felt a hard shove against my right shoulder, causing me to stumble down into the fresh white powder.

"Freak," A voice muttered past me and I looked up, eyes locking with my main tormentor for the past four years.

Her name was Charlotte Wilde, but everyone called her Charlie. Both of her parents were mutants, rich ones at that, and donated a lot of money to the school. It wasn't like we needed it, but I was sure the money was why everyone loved her so much. And I...

Well I wasn't loved at all.

"Leave me alone," I pleaded as she smirked down at me. That smirk always told me she was about to cause trouble, and that left a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach.

She jutted a hip out, hand on her waist as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. The wind picked up as she did stood strong above me. Her power wasn't that great, if you asked me. She couldn't control the weather like Storm could, just air. She could move air, create gusts of wind, make tornadoes. For being such an insignificant mutant, I was still in shock that she was actually being considered as a candidate for the X-Men.

"Aw," She frowned, "Did I hurt your feelings?" She asked in a mocking tone, "Do you want to call Mommy and Daddy?"

Charlie knew very well that my mother had died shortly after my arrival to the school, and that my father was never in the picture. It was one of her favorite things to torment me with, mainly because she knew it upset me right away. There was no poking or prodding with it. The pain was instant and the cuts were deep.

My fists clenched, my breathing becoming erratic as I stared at her. My glare could have sliced right through her. She remained in front of me, one hand on her hip with a smirk on her face.

"That's right," She nodded, "Your mother is dead and daddy is no where to be found. Guess he's too embarrassed to have such a weak daughter."

"Shut up!" I screamed, jumping up to my feet so I could run after her.

She smirked, raising her hands before I was tossed back by a gust of wind, landing right on my back. I gasped at the pain before sitting up, eyes filling with tears as I looked up at her. I glared, raising my own hand to give her a taste of her own medicine.

I could feel the energy clawing at my insides, begging to be released. My eyes only filled with more tears as I desperately attempted to release my energy like I had done before. I waited for bright blue streaks of light to erupt from my palms, but nothing happened.

"You can't do it," She laughed as she shook her head with disappointment, "You never do!" She continued to tease me before the wind picked up again, this time carrying me up a few feet off the ground.

"Put me down!" I screamed.

Charlie laughed, "Suit yourself. Have a nice trip!" She exclaimed before tossing me back. I heard her mutter a string of curse words before she scurried off, probably realizing she had used a little too much wind when she tossed me.

I flew back, so far that I had crossed the wall that separated the school ground from the thick forest around us. I screamed, holding my head as I flew. I was sure this was it. I was going to collide with a tree and fall into the snow.

In my stomach I could feel the dread. Time became slow, and I wondered if everyone felt like this right before death. I wondered if it would hurt, or if I could be so lucky to just die on impact. Sobs ripped through the air as I waited to fall into a tree or down into the rugged snow-covered terrain.

I screamed as I collided with something that felt like it wrapped around my waist. I let out a loud sob as I cowered, shaking violently as I realized my flight had stopped and I landed in the snow. I was alive with no injuries, not even a single scratch. I looked down to see that two arms were wrapped around my waist so tightly I thought their life depended on it.

I could hear their breathing. It wasn't a girl. I could just tell. The deep breaths and low grunts told me it was a man and he wasn't a small one. I was lying back on a muscular chest, even more muscular arms wrapped around me. I let him breathe a little before allowing myself to crane my neck back to look up at the man who had captured me. My eyes locked with icy blue orbs that were so bright I thought they could light up the entire forest.

"You..." I shivered, "You saved me."

He just gave a nod before sitting up, not removing his grip as he looked down at me. He shifted me around so I could face him, sitting firmly in his lap as he brought his hand up to tilt my head. He gently moved my head to the right, then to the left, eyes calculating on my skin as he examined me for any damage. He then looked down at my arms and legs, a black gloved hand trailing down and occasionally squeezing to check if anything was broken.

As he checked for injuries, I was allowed a better look at him. His long dark hair was covering his face, but I could see that a black mask was covering the bottom half. His eyes were enough, though. They were hard, distant, but somewhere in them I saw a hint of worry and compassion. I reached up, hand landing on the mask so I could pull it off, but his hand shot up to grab my wrist.

I followed his gloved hand, all the way down a silver arm with a red star on his shoulder. I wasn't sure how I had missed such a significant feature earlier, but my eyes widened at the sight of it. I instantly forgot about the mask, focusing my attention at the metal before I pulled my wrist from his grip, placing it down on the cool steel that started from his shoulder, all the way until the leather glove.

"Is it all like this?" I questioned. He gave no reply but a small nod as he continued to let me examine his arm. He let himself move it around, showing me that it wasn't a cover up. I could hear the gears and contraptions moving around with each movement. The metal was in fact an arm. A bionic arm.

I looked up at him with curious eyes, "Who are you?"'

He gave me no answer, just looked around him before looking back at me. I smiled anyways, accepting that maybe he didn't have a name, or maybe he was just afraid to tell.

"I'm Mara," I stated and he gave me a knowing look. I wasn't sure how, but he seemed to already know that information. Seeing as he just saved my life, though, I was okay with that. "Thank you," I whispered and he gave another nod, standing up so he could lift me into his arms, one around my shoulders and the other behind my knees. I felt like a princess with the way he did it so easily. I leaned into him as he began to walk back towards the campus, but I sat up, stopping his movements, "Please don't take me back."

His eyes may have been hard to read, but I could see the sadness in them. He didn't want me to go back, whoever he was. But something told me he wasn't allowed to take me. Maybe I wasn't his burden to keep. I sighed, leaning back down into him before he started to walk again, heading back to the mansion at the edge of the forest.

I was used to it anyways. The feeling of not being wanted. Mom had dropped me off the minute she saw what my powers could do. Dad, well, he was never in the picture to begin with. No matter how many times Mom had uttered that I was exactly like him, he was never around.

My savior took his time getting back to the wall that separated the school and the forest. I didn't mind either. My head just rested on the cool leather of his jacket. I could feel armor beneath it, and I let myself play with the buckles and straps over his chest while he continued to walk. I couldn't help but notice the obvious weapons on him. I should have been scared, but with the way he was holding me I found it impossible.

He came to a halt at the wall and I turned my attention away from the intricate design of his jacket to look at what he was seeing. Over the wall I could see the faint glow of flashlights, and something told me the teachers were looking at me. I wasn't sure how long I was in the forest, it only felt like minutes, but if the teachers were looking for me then I obviously missed room checks.

He tensed and took a few steps back before getting a running start. I clung closer to him as he tightened his grip around me, his boots coming in contact with the wall before he launched both of us over. He landed on his feet with a thud in the shadows of one of the many statues that decorated the courtyard.

I noticed he made delicate moves as to not be seen by the flashlights, and I kept my head down. If he didn't want to be caught, then I didn't want to be caught either. He slowly made his way through the shadows back to the mansion.

When we came to a stop under my window, he shifted me so I could be on his back. He moved my arms so they could wrap around his neck while my legs wrapped around his waist. He looked around first before gripping his hands on the stone wall before pulling the two of us up. He carefully picked each stone to grip as he slowly made his way to my window.

Finally, he unlatched the window and pulled us inside. He unlatched my arms around him and I jumped down from his back. I didn't look at him as I shrugged my damp jacket off, unraveling the scarf around my neck before kicking off my boots. I turned back to him before he gently lifted me up, carrying me over to the bed before setting me down.

"Can't I know your name?" I asked as he moved to grab my blanket. I could audibly hear him sigh through the mask before he pulled them up to my shoulders, "Please?" I asked, "I told you mine," I argued softly.

He looked around the room, examining it closely. He stopped at a picture on the wall. The rooms already came decorated, so I had no control over what went on my wall. It was a painting of soldiers storming the beach of Normandy. Professor X was a big history fan, and most of the rooms came with art from some sort of historic event. Mine just so happened to have a lot of depictions of soldiers.

"Is that it?" I asked and he turned to me, "Do you want me to call you soldier?" He shrugged before turning outside, nodding at the snow, "Snow Soldier?" I asked and he shook his head, "Christmas Soldier?" He shook his head again, his shoulders slumping like he was getting agitated, "Winter Soldier?"

He nodded this time and I smiled, "Winter Soldier," I smiled, "I like it."

He pushed me back gently so I could bury myself in the covers. He hovered over me, making sure I was okay once again before I stopped him, grabbing his metal arm that was cool to the touch. It startled him at first, but he relaxed and leaned down closer to me. I reached up, placing my fingertips on his mask, "Can I see? Please?"

He frowned shaking his head, "I won't tell anyone. I promise," I stated and he sighed, looking around as if anyone else was in the room. He slowly reached up, unlatching the mask from the back underneath his hair before pulling it off slowly.

My eyes widened at the sculpted jaw. A man who was rugged but beautiful all at once. He had slight stubble that covered his face. I could see a hint of rosy cheeks, despite the cold, and lips that looked surprisingly soft for how rugged he was.

"Thank you," I whispered. He nodded again, his lips in a firm line before he set me down to sleep again, "I wish you could stay here."

I saw the corners of his mouth tilt up into a slight smile. He pulled the covers up tigher over my shoulders before he leaned down so his cheek was resting against mine, "I promise one day I'll be back," He whispered. His voice was too soft for me to hear what he really sounded like, but it was comforting to finally hear it.

I smiled widely before he pulled away, placing his mask back on his face before he stood. He pulled out something from his pocket, but I couldn't see it well. He reached forward, a hand near my neck, before I felt a sharp prick. I hissed and watched as my vision went blurry. I tried to keep my eyes open to see him, but I only saw him long enough to escape out my window, shutting it on his way out.

He was the Winter Soldier and he was my guardian.