𝕊𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕜𝕤 // ℙ. 𝕄𝕒𝕩𝕚𝕞𝕠𝕗𝕗

Chapter 35: The Scorch Marks

WARNING: This chapter deals with domestic/sexual abuse and child molestation. It also depicts anxiety and panic attacks. 18+ content.

Also, 2anxious4myowngood sent me this meme and I literally chortled because I love dark humor.

Another short disclaimer: There is some Norse lore in this chapter that I 100% made up so don't come at me when it isn't historically accurate.

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"Lady Farah, this is only going to work if you cooperate."

"You're kind of asking a lot of me," Farah said through an intercom. She was on a treadmill in a lab while Bruce and Thor were on the other side of a glass window. Farah had decided that she needed Thor's help after her talk with Pietro, so there she was, three days later, running on a treadmill like a lab rat.

"You said that your powers have been the most active when you are running," Thor said to her over the intercom, "So if I am going to help you, I need to see what you are capable of." He said to his daughter. Farah just sighed and looked over at him. She began to move.

At first, Farah started off with just a light jog. As she picked up the pace, she didn't feel anything. Usually, she felt some sort of static, but now she just felt out of breath. Thor and Bruce were watching her and Thor was a bit confused.

"Banner," He said looking over at Bruce, "Why isn't this working?" Thor added crossing his arms. Bruce kind of just shrugged and looked at her vitals, he thought that maybe they could indicate some kind of trigger. They both looked over to Farah as she began to slow down.

"This isn't working, Thor" Farah said through the intercom. At this point, she was sweaty and tired so she grabbed her water bottle that was near the treadmill. She shook her head, she just wanted to be able to control herself. Bruce then had a realization.

"Wait, Farah" Bruce said cursing himself for not think about this before, "You said that your powers were triggered by an emotional response a while back, I'm assuming that's still true" He said to her through the com. Farah looked at him nodded, he was right. She supposed that when she was running she had gotten emotional.

"Ok, so I just have to get really upset?" Farah asked raising an eyebrow. She didn't want to do this stupid treadmill thing, she thought training would be more meditation than cardio. Thor and Bruce looked at each other and nodded. She sighed and got back on the treadmill.

Farah began to jog again and she tried to focus. It was weird, when someone told her to get emotional, it was like she all of a sudden couldn't. Farah shook her head and looked over at her father. Thor thought for a moment and decided to do something bold. He leaned over to the intercom.

"Lady Farah," He said, "Think about how angry you were when we first met" Thor added and Farah felt herself roll her eyes. Did this man really have the audacity to just say that to her? She shook her head but decided she would give it a try.

She began to think about how angry she had been when she found he was her father. Farah had felt betrayed and now he all of a sudden wanted to help her? She began to run faster, her feet feeling the static first.

Even though he said he wasn't going to push a relationship, it felt like that was what he was doing. Now he was trying to help her? What about all those times she needed a dad? She had her mom but she wasn't always there.

Farah began to spiral and for once she decided to let herself.

She was now in a full-on sprint and thoughts were flooding her head. If he had been there all those years then her mother would have never met Adam. Farah probably would have been able to tell someone about her grandfather. Hell, she might have had a dad that could have protected her from Earl.