Status: Active c:
The North Star
Seven.
8:03PM -- The night before departure for Asgard
I had managed to score a cheap hotel room for the night about an hour away. When I wasn't home by sunset, Tony had started blowing up my phone, but I didn't answer. I didn't want to talk to him. I was sitting on the bed, watching the TV when a message from an unknown number came through.
I hope you realize that your phone is equipt with GPS. Don't move. We'll be there soon. -Nat
I gulped. I grabbed my bag from the nightstand, slipping my shoes on and throwing on my hoodie. I left my phone in the middle of the bed as I slipped out of the door and back onto the city streets.
It was getting late, and it was cold. I kept my hood up and my sleeves rolled down onto my hands to hide my glowing skin from passerbys. I could tell I was getting near a bar because I could smell the booze in the air. It made my nose scrunch up in disgust. I heard a few men whistle as I got closer, and they began walking up to me as I passed the bar. "Hey baby." One of them slurred, and I kept walking. "Where you goin', pretty lady?" I felt someone grab my arm and I pulled out of their grasp, feeling my skin begin to burn again. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" My arm was grabbed once again, but this time I couldn't pull away, and I was pulled into someone's chest. I could smell the liquor on his breath, and I turned my face away. "Let go of me." I told him, my skin growing hotter by the minute. He laughed in my face, and the stench of his breath was something fierce. "Oh, feisty are we, I like that." His hand suddenly struck me across the face and I tasted blood in my mouth. I could feel fire come from the palms of my hands, and his eyes suddenly filled with terror.
I felt a smirk come to my lips as I held my hand up to him, a ball of fire resting in the center of my palm. "I told you not to touch me." He backed away slowly, tripping over his feet drunkenly, before turning and running away with his friends behind him. I was suddenly alone, staring at my hands as they glowed with the fire. I calmed myself down, and as I did, the fire went out, and the burning under my skin subsided. I brought my hand up to my face, wiping blood from the corner of my mouth before I kept walking. Maybe I could make it on my own.
I heard a helicopter overhead and I looked up. It was one of Tony's. I pulled my hoodie tighter around myself and tried to stay in the shadows so that they wouldn't see me. I should have known that he would come looking for me. I heard boots clicking on the pavement behind me and I picked up my pace, almost jogging now. The footsteps quickened, too. They were almost to me and I felt my skin start burning again. They grabbed my shoulder and I turned around, holding the ball of fire in my palm up to their face, snarling. As soon as I saw who it was, I dropped my hand. It was Nat, and for the first time since I've known her, she looked scared. "I'm sorry." I whispered, taking a few steps back. "What was that?" She asked, pointing to my hand. "I'm so sorry, Nat. Please tell Tony I'm sorry. I can't go back." I took a few more steps back and I bumped into someone. Turning around, I came face to face with Steve dressed in street clothes. "You're coming back with us." I shook my head, holding my hands up to them, my palms glowing red faintly. "Please, I don't want to hurt you." I whispered. I suddenly felt hands around my waist and sharp pain in my neck, and that's all I remember before everything went black.
When I woke up, I was laying on a bed inside a white room and I was wearing a white hospital gown. I was hooked up to several machines and Tony was asleep in a chair next to my bed. I looked down at my hands, which had been wrapped in bandages, and my cheek felt sore. Probably from where that drunk guy hit me. I sat up slowly, and my movement cause Tony to wake up. He stood up immediately, coming over to me. "Why would you do that? Run away? Did you honestly think that would solve anything?" His eyes were puffy and bloodshot, and my lower lip immediately started quivering. "I'm sorry." I whispered, "I was just trying to protect you.. To protect everyone.. I can't ever get close to someone, Tony.." I held up my hands, staring at them, "I don't know if it's even safe for me to touch people anymore.." He sighed, slowly taking my hand in his and sitting on the edge of my bed, "You're being too hard on yourself. You can learn to control it. You proved that last night when you didn't light Cap on fire." I stared at my hand in his, not saying anything. "There's someone who wants to see you." He told me softly, letting go of my hand and leaving the room.
My heart was beating a million miles an hour.
I had managed to score a cheap hotel room for the night about an hour away. When I wasn't home by sunset, Tony had started blowing up my phone, but I didn't answer. I didn't want to talk to him. I was sitting on the bed, watching the TV when a message from an unknown number came through.
I hope you realize that your phone is equipt with GPS. Don't move. We'll be there soon. -Nat
I gulped. I grabbed my bag from the nightstand, slipping my shoes on and throwing on my hoodie. I left my phone in the middle of the bed as I slipped out of the door and back onto the city streets.
It was getting late, and it was cold. I kept my hood up and my sleeves rolled down onto my hands to hide my glowing skin from passerbys. I could tell I was getting near a bar because I could smell the booze in the air. It made my nose scrunch up in disgust. I heard a few men whistle as I got closer, and they began walking up to me as I passed the bar. "Hey baby." One of them slurred, and I kept walking. "Where you goin', pretty lady?" I felt someone grab my arm and I pulled out of their grasp, feeling my skin begin to burn again. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" My arm was grabbed once again, but this time I couldn't pull away, and I was pulled into someone's chest. I could smell the liquor on his breath, and I turned my face away. "Let go of me." I told him, my skin growing hotter by the minute. He laughed in my face, and the stench of his breath was something fierce. "Oh, feisty are we, I like that." His hand suddenly struck me across the face and I tasted blood in my mouth. I could feel fire come from the palms of my hands, and his eyes suddenly filled with terror.
I felt a smirk come to my lips as I held my hand up to him, a ball of fire resting in the center of my palm. "I told you not to touch me." He backed away slowly, tripping over his feet drunkenly, before turning and running away with his friends behind him. I was suddenly alone, staring at my hands as they glowed with the fire. I calmed myself down, and as I did, the fire went out, and the burning under my skin subsided. I brought my hand up to my face, wiping blood from the corner of my mouth before I kept walking. Maybe I could make it on my own.
I heard a helicopter overhead and I looked up. It was one of Tony's. I pulled my hoodie tighter around myself and tried to stay in the shadows so that they wouldn't see me. I should have known that he would come looking for me. I heard boots clicking on the pavement behind me and I picked up my pace, almost jogging now. The footsteps quickened, too. They were almost to me and I felt my skin start burning again. They grabbed my shoulder and I turned around, holding the ball of fire in my palm up to their face, snarling. As soon as I saw who it was, I dropped my hand. It was Nat, and for the first time since I've known her, she looked scared. "I'm sorry." I whispered, taking a few steps back. "What was that?" She asked, pointing to my hand. "I'm so sorry, Nat. Please tell Tony I'm sorry. I can't go back." I took a few more steps back and I bumped into someone. Turning around, I came face to face with Steve dressed in street clothes. "You're coming back with us." I shook my head, holding my hands up to them, my palms glowing red faintly. "Please, I don't want to hurt you." I whispered. I suddenly felt hands around my waist and sharp pain in my neck, and that's all I remember before everything went black.
When I woke up, I was laying on a bed inside a white room and I was wearing a white hospital gown. I was hooked up to several machines and Tony was asleep in a chair next to my bed. I looked down at my hands, which had been wrapped in bandages, and my cheek felt sore. Probably from where that drunk guy hit me. I sat up slowly, and my movement cause Tony to wake up. He stood up immediately, coming over to me. "Why would you do that? Run away? Did you honestly think that would solve anything?" His eyes were puffy and bloodshot, and my lower lip immediately started quivering. "I'm sorry." I whispered, "I was just trying to protect you.. To protect everyone.. I can't ever get close to someone, Tony.." I held up my hands, staring at them, "I don't know if it's even safe for me to touch people anymore.." He sighed, slowly taking my hand in his and sitting on the edge of my bed, "You're being too hard on yourself. You can learn to control it. You proved that last night when you didn't light Cap on fire." I stared at my hand in his, not saying anything. "There's someone who wants to see you." He told me softly, letting go of my hand and leaving the room.
My heart was beating a million miles an hour.