Blue Phoenix - MCU Civil War Replacement

Chapter Twenty Eight

As we limp back towards the exit no one spoke and I was grateful. I wanted a few minutes with my thoughts without a bunch of background noise. I've killed people before, when I was in the military, but this somehow felt different. I'd burned him, granted he'd grabbed me willingly and that's how he got burnt but it'd still been my flames that had done it.

"Hey look, footprints." Steve says, his voice echoing in the silence.

The floor was heavily coated in dirt and scattered pieces of pipes and concrete from the walls and ceiling. I push to the front and see the prints Steve had spotted, leading up the steps we were about to pass. We continue walking, following the prints in reverse and they dead end near a larger disturbance in the dirt in front of the collapsed exit; Sam had blown the doors like I'd told him too and Zemo hadn't escaped.

We were going to have to move all of this to get out. As I glance around the area my eyes land on a flash of red near the base of the pile. I walk over and pick it up, dusting it off.

"Is that..." Tony asks, squatting down beside me.

"The Red Book." I whisper, looking over my shoulder at Bucky.

I stand up and hand Bucky the book. He takes it gingerly, staring at it like it might bite him at any moment.

"I'd like to read it when we get home. We can destroy it afterwards if you want but I think it's best if you keep ahold of it until then."

He looks up at me and nodes, tucking the book inside his jacket before smiling at me sadly.

"Do you think it will help fix me?" He asks quietly.

"I do. We will figure out how to get those damn words out of your head one way or another." I say, pulling him into a hug.

"So should we go after Zemo?" Steve asks as Bucky and I separate.

"I just want to get out of here right now. If he made it out another way Friday will have no problem finding him out there. Trust me, there's nothing for miles and Sam is sitting beside his transportation outta here."

"Tony, think you could cut us a path through all that?" Steve asks

"No, Muscle Head back there damaged my reactor. I could try but it'd take forever to make progress." Tony grumbles, tapping his flickering reactor in his chest.

"Then I guess we have to follow Zemo." Bucky says and the boys all turn around.

I look down at my hands, listening to their retreating footsteps and call my flames to my hands. I squat back down and pick up one of the chunks. As my flames lick across the stone it turns into molten rock and streams down onto the floor where it cools into puddles.

"Kenna did you find something else?"

"We don't have to follow Zemo."

I stand up and turn to face the boys, smiling slyly and hold my arms out to my sides. My flames explode out of me and form the shape of a bird, the wings outstretched. I hold the phoenix shape for a few seconds before forming a ball around me, pushing the flames away from me to create a hollow ball and make an opening, holding my hand out towards the boys. Tony steps forwards without a moment of hesitation and takes my hand, leaning in to kiss me softly.

"You're so hot."

I roll my eyes, smiling and look past Tony to Steve and Bucky. They'd walked closer but were now looking at my flames with matching worried expressions.