| sparks + butterflies | a peter parker fanfiction |

-14-

860 words :)

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DOROTHEA ZOLA WAS FAIRLY SURE SHE WAS IN SHOCK.

On the floor of her safe house in Florence, lay three Avengers, all staring at her like she was bright green and glowing.

Falcon, Sam Wilson, the late Captain America's wingman, one of the many warriors who defeated Thanos and returned Thea, along with half the universe, back to existence.

The Winter Soldier. James Bucky Barnes, the man who promised Thea that he'd protect her, then never showed his face again.

Spiderman. Peter Parker. Her friend, a hero.

Katrin Zola studied the room, immediately spotting the connections between her sister and hostages. It complicated things, sure. But if she played this right, it could still work. In fact, it might just end up even better than she'd planned.

'Thea, I doubt they came alone. 'M going to run a perimeter check. You got this under control?' As Katrin spoke, she weaved shadows around the men's hands, restraining all three Avengers to the wall.

'What? Y-yeah, I got this,' she nodded to her sister, forcing her brain to focus.

'You're Theo, right?' Bucky asked, his voice surprisingly gentle.

Thea nodded. 'Bucky.'

'Look, kid. I don't know what's happening, but I need you to answer a question.' Sam Wilson explained, his brown eyes locking in on hers. 'Are you with HYDRA?'

'What? No, of course not!' Thea cried. 'That's why we're here; HYDRA found us again, we're on the run.'Why would you think that I'd be with them?'

'Because-' Spiderman spoke up for the first time. 'Because we are fairly sure your sister still is,'

'Katrin? Why? HYDRA-' Thea sighed. 'HYDRA ruined us.'

'Theo, you and I both know that HYDRA isn't afraid to play the long game,' Bucky said. He gestured to the small satchel that he'd been holding before...everything. 'The first pocket,'

Thea cautiously approached the bag. She pulled out two files. Dorothea and Katrin Zola.

The first was hers, the same one Thea had found during the first attack. The second, she'd never seen before. It had Katrin's name emblazoned on the front, and Thea slid to the ground as she read the file.

Words blurred before her eyes.

STATUS: ACTIVE, UNDERCOVER

'W-what? No, this is wrong. Katrin had no choice, just like me,' Thea gasped, the edges of the file starting to smoulder from her fingertips.

Bucky met her eyes. 'I'm sorry, Theo. We found them in your apartment. But we have to get out of here before Katrin comes back.'

'Too late, soldat.' A voice said, deprived of emotion. Thea spun on her heels, to find Katrin, shadows twisting around her dark form. Behind her stood at least five HYDRA agents, faces obscured by black masks.

'Katrin?' She asked, her voice cracking. 'Please tell me they are wrong, there's no way you'd- you got me out, you risked your life for mine- you-'

'Oh, Thea.' Katrin sighed. 'Surely you should know by now. Manipulation of the truth is just one of my many talents.

'W- why?' Thea snapped her fingers, flames erupting from her fists.

'This whole mission dragged out so much longer than was needed, and you still haven't been triggered yet! Father called us back, I just wanted a little....drama, first.'

I should have expected this, Thea thought, a single tear tracking down her face. I should have known. HYDRA would never let me go.

She straightened herself, facing against her sister. She didn't know Wilson very well, but she owed Bucky, and he owed her. And there's no way she'd let anyone hurt Peter.

'We don't have to fight, Thea. HYDRA always wanted us to work together. Darkling and Flare, flame and shadow. You messed it up last time, but we have a fresh start.' Katrin whispered, gesturing for the soldiers to leave. They did as she asked, and while Thea presumed that this was supposed to make her feel better, it did nothing of the sort. All it did was confirm the amount of power Katrin held within HYDRA. And all that proved was how Thea could never, ever trust again.

'No. I'm not coming with you, Katrin. Let them go,' Thea gestured to the three behind her, still pinned helplessly by Katrin's shadows.

'Fine.' Katrin's face hardened once more, and with a flick of her hand, Bucky, Sam and Peter dropped from the wall. They surged towards Katrin but before they could do anything, Thea snapped open a portal to the parking lot, three floors down. The three fell through it, and Thea ran to follow them, knowing that talking was just going to end in more pain.

'Sorry, Theo. Can't let you do that,' Katrin lunged forward, her shadows grasping Thea tightly.

It hurt, Thea had never had Katrin's shadows on her before. They were freezing cold, and they stung everywhere they touched her pale skin.

'The agents will round up your little friends. But you are coming with me,' Katrin smirked, tightening the shadow bonds around Thea's mouth and wrists, silencing any sparks the girl could conjure.

Staring into Katrin's dark eyes, the same eyes that Thea herself bore, she tried to force every ounce of heartbreak, betrayal, and hate into Katrin's soul. If Thea was to be tortured indefinitely, so so would Katrin every time she closed her eyes.

The shadows burned tighter, and the world faded to black. 

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[ this is katrin's file, that buck, sam, wanda + pete found in the drewitt's apartment]

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