When I Lose Control

The Worst Period - Part I

Staring up at the ceiling as I lie on my bunk, I feel each lump of the paper-thin mattress digging into my back, offering only a slightly better alternative to the cold cement floor. With nothing else to do, I periodically focus my attention on one bump at a time, attempting to will it into disappearing. If I was Wanda, this would work. Unlike my older siblings, the Mind Stone has had no effect on me thus far, much to the annoyance of Strucker and List. I'm not dead like the others but, right now, I'm useless to them. It's only a matter of time before either the Mind Stone kills me or they do.

Beep, beep. Beep, beep.

The red buzzer above the entryway begins to flash as the heavy-duty steel-cased glass door slowly slides open. I tilt my head to the left as four HYDRA soldiers march into my cell.

"Get up. Now!" they command. I swing my legs so they hang off the side of the bed and slide myself to the edge. Weakened from the failed experiments, I place one hand on the stone wall to prop myself up as I stand. As soon as my feet touch the ground, my body falls forwards and I am thrown to the floor. It happens too quickly for me to react and throw my hands out to break my fall so, instead, I twist so that my right shoulder hits the concrete first rather than my face. A searing sensation burns through my shoulder and collarbone as I gasp in pain. I manage to crawl up to my knees and balance on my left arm, still bent over in agony. My eyes are dazed and tearful as I try to focus my vision on the door. I know I won't make it. I'm winded, I have a probable dislocated shoulder and I have blood trickling into my right eye from a graze on my forehead. I have to at least try. I tense my body and prepare to make a run for it when a voice speaks from behind the wall.

"Ava?! What's going on in there?" I recognise the voice as my brother, Pietro's. For a moment, the guards are distracted and I know it is now or never. I leap from the ground and bolt towards the open door. The agents clearly weren't expecting me to retaliate and are caught off guard when I run, but one manages to snatch my right arm causing me to howl as black dots form in front of my eyes. The adrenaline surging through my veins enables me to turn and use all of my force to slam the palm of my left hand into the throat of the man who grabbed me. He flies backwards and hits the wall with such force that it creates a crack and the soldier slumps to the ground. I look down at my hands, shocked at my own strength, and for a split-second, there is a crackle of blue light at my fingertips.

"Ava!" Wanda cries from a cell on the other side of mine. More soldiers rush over to keep my siblings contained in their rooms. The wall to my left starts shaking as Pietro proceeds to run into it with all of the speed and power he can muster in an attempt to get to me. I take a deep breath and turn to face the three guards who have now moved to block the only exit to my room. Shaken after seeing what happened to their colleague, they now have thick metal batons in their hands. My arm is wet with blood and sweat as I wipe the crimson dripping from my forehead and feel a fresh burst of resolve.

"Who's up next?" I ask. The centre guard is the first to charge at me and the remaining two close the gap behind him. He swings at me, targeting the right side of my face. I foresee this move and duck, simultaneously pulling his head down and towards my knee. My kneecap successfully connects with his nose.

Crunch. 

As he is stumbling backwards, I swivel my hips and thrust my foot into his chest. He crashes into the far wall on top of the other unconscious agent, allowing me to move inches closer to the door. That was easier than I anticipated. I am now standing with my back to the wall opposite my bed as the remaining soldiers decide to flank me. The agent that is furthest from the door approaches me cautiously. I can almost hear the beads of sweat drip from his forehead onto the cold floor. I'll make the first move then. I step forward and aim a jab towards his chin. He catches my fist with his hand and I tense, anticipating the punch to my abdomen. He grabs my dislocated shoulder and squeezes as he pushes me into the wall. The back of my head strikes the hard concrete. "Pietro!" I shriek as the pain now ripples through my entire body. My eyes flutter open to see the soldier smiling sadistically at my suffering. A baton is lying on the on the ground near my feet and the muscles and tendons in my arm pull and stretch as I try in desperation to reach it. Please. Blue light jumps from my fingertips and suddenly the baton flies into my palm. My fingers curl around it as tight as they can and I whack it over the agent's head. The metallic taste of his blood hits my lips. He falls to the ground. You're not laughing now. Exhausted, I slowly slump down the wall until my legs are outstretched on the floor.

The edges of my vision are turning black as Strucker looms over me. "Who knew we only had to almost kill you for your powers to reveal themselves?" he comments. Strucker kneels in front of me and I catch my reflection in his monocle. The entire right side of my face is stained with blood. My lip is starting to bruise and swell. I don't even recognise myself. "What are we to do with you now, hmm?" he asks as he tucks my hair behind my ear. And then, nothing.

Author's note: thank you for reading! This chapter, and the next 2 chapters, are a lot shorter as I wanted to try and depict the short bursts of memory/flashbacks. Please vote, share and comment to let me know what you think!