Control - Book 1

Meetings

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Waking up I could hardly open my eyes with how bright the room was and how much of a headache I had. Slowly and painfully I opened my eyes to look around, only to find myself in a hospital room.

Fuck, no, Mark, I need to go. I tried to think quickly, mentally taking notes of the blurry exit signs and the figures in the room.

As my vision finally came into full focus I recognised them all immediately. The Avengers. Well some of them.

Wanda, Black Widow, Captain America and Tony Stark, were all huddled together whispering at the foot of my bed. I let out a small groan of pain to get their attention, causing them all to go silent and come to my side.

"Y/n!" Wanda smiled at me in comfort, placing her hand on my shoulder, "don't worry, you're safe. Nat and I wanted to make sure you were okay after you passed out." I looked down at her hand on me, causing her to quickly retract it.

I tilted my head at her with confusion. "What do you remember?" She asked. I looked over at Black Widow and then down again. Hesitating while I tried to put the pieces together.

"The alley behind the bar, you and Black Widow-"

"Call me Nat" she insists, smiling at me.

"Sorry. Nat ... you both ... saved me". I said as I glanced up at both of them.

Wanda nodded with encouragement. "Good, that's good y/n. That guy you were with, Mark. He's been taken care of don't worry".

"He's dead?!" I shot up out of the bed, scared of either answer.

"No, but I tried to make sure he wasn't coming back for you any time soon" she chuckled seeming pleased with herself. I didn't doubt her intimidation.

"Y/n?" Nat sat beside me on my bed, "can I ask you a few questions? You're not in any trouble don't worry".

Shit, the ice. I almost forgot. They've seen me use my power, well only a small portion of what I can do.

I nodded lightly. "You saw that huh?" I joked, trying to ease the room. Tony had a calculated look on his face like he was trying to figure me out.

Steve was still standing at the foot of the bed. Out of his uniform, he didn't seem so intimidating, just like any normal guy. Well, a super beefed up soldier but you know. Normal.

"I ... I have some powers," I muttered, not wanting to go into much detail.

"Is it just ice or is there anything else you can create?" Steve finally spoke. I looked up at him as he smiled at me reassuringly.

"It's mainly frozen things. Ice and snow. I made a blizzard once" I giggled a little, remembering the time I had a temper tantrum when I was 3, nearly destroying the house.

Tony laughed too. "Well Elsa", he stepped forwards off the wall, "I don't know what happened last night between you and that douchebag guy. But I know you're probably not safe around him. Am I right?" He raised an eyebrow.

I stared down, not sure how to answer. Of course, I wasn't safe around Mark, but how safe would I be away from him. I was barely enough for someone else, how the hell would I have survived on my own?

Nat leaned forward, reading my reaction better than the others knowing the question wasn't as easy as it sounded.

"Do you need somewhere to stay?" She asked, "The compound here is plenty big enough and we have spare rooms." I shook my head to their surprise.

"I couldn't intrude any more than I already have," I said trying to get myself off the bed, grabbing my ribs and hissing with pain.

"If this is what he did to you just for not looking at him, what do you think he's going to do if you go back?" Steve asked angrily. I flinched at his tone despite being used to forceful responses. I began to tremor slightly. Steve looked toward Nat with both confusion and remorse. She shook her head to reassure him that he wasn't out of line.

"Steve isn't mad at you, he's just angry at the situation you're in. He has a thing about bullies" Wanda said as she sat next to me. "But he's right, this might be as good of a chance as any to get out and away from that guy".

I closed my eyes with my thoughts running through my head. Unexpectedly the fear of being alone and free was causing me so much more anxiety than I anticipated. The thing I had wished for so long was in sight but I couldn't reach for it.

"I'll go and stay with my friend" I lied. They didn't know how isolated I really was. I hadn't had a friend in years because of Mark. "But I need to go back and get my things. How do I get to View Street from here?".

"Wait a minute snowflake" Tony spoke up, "Bruce needs to clear you first, can't have you passing out on the street can we?".

Another wave of familiar anxiety came over me. Being told I can't go somewhere wasn't a new thing to me. I cupped my hands together on my lap and waited.

"I'll take you back when you can go" Steve broke the silence, trying to redeem himself from before "in case he is there. I'll bring my friend too as backup. If that's OK with you?"

I reluctantly agreed, "then we can take you to your friend's house to make sure you're safe."

Shit he's going to know I lied, what can I do? I know, I'll go home and lock the door behind me. Oh yeah because a frigging Avenger can't get through a locked door, think y/n think.

Realising I hadn't answered I nodded and smiled at Steve. "Great, I'll go grab and Bucky. Tony, let us know when she is ready".

Tony saluted Steve "aye-aye Captain", causing Wanda and Nat to chuckle. Not long after another guy walked into the room and introduced himself as Bruce. I tried to remember where I had seen him before but couldn't put my finger on it.

"You probably know him as the big green guy that causes your insurance rates to go through the roof", Tony joked looking over at Bruce.

"Well y/n, you have a few rib contusions, which is basically like bruising", he read from the chart, "You also have some discolouration from what I'm assuming are old bruises. You do have some cuts on your back that are healing well, but overall I can't see any reason you need to stay longer."

Bruce said all of this with a hint of sadness in his eyes. None of this was news to me. I had been keeping track of all my cuts that I had gained for signs of infection since I wasn't allowed near a doctor.

I stood up slowly and grabbed my bag.

"Y/n?" Bruce sighed, "there is one more thing." Tony stepped up next to me and grabbed the chart with an intrigued gaze on his face.

"Woah, and this is hers?" He pointed at me.

"Your blood", Bruce watched me to make sure I was listening, "it contains particles that quite frankly I have never seen before. They behave like, well, snowflakes to be honest. But they're so intricately designed I... can I ask you, if it's not too much, to come back one day? I'd like to study them more."

I looked around at Wanda, knowing she was one of the only people I could relate to right now.

"It might help you understand your powers more" she projected into my thoughts. I went back to Bruce and Tony, who were still both studying my readings.

"Okay sure, but I can't promise when, I need to get myself sorted first". I wasn't technically lying but I knew as soon as I got back Mark would never let me outside again.

Bruce handed me a business card with his number on it and I placed it in my bag.

Nat and Wanda lead me out of the room when I heard Tony shout from down the corridor,  "Hey kid, make it snow on Christmas Day will ya?". I chuckled and headed to the exit.