Ablaze {Marvel} ||2||

8. Avengers Reassemble (Minus Thor)

I pulled away from Seth and hit the floor like many others did as a fire shot out overhead.

People started panicking, running for the elevator, stampeding over others, practically sacrificing them. Seth was trying to pull me away with him, but he got taken by the herd, and I got left behind. The fire wasn't just overhead, it was licking, eating away at the bar and the furniture. Those who weren't able to get into the elevator frantically searched for the nearest door that would hopefully lead them into a hallway or a stairwell so they could get away from the flames. Thank goodness not many opted to crash through windows and hoped to escape that way.

Once I noticed most of the people were focusing on escaping the fire that was rapidly growing, I tried to call it to my palms. I watched it wriggle in the air, but it was like the connection got lost, and the fire dropped onto the floor, eating away at that too. My eyes widened. That's new.

I called the fire again. Some got sucked into a ball this time onto my palm, but again, some of the fire fell back, creating more of a hazard than before.

"What's going on?" I hissed to myself, seeing the flames eat away at the refurbished Stark Tower.

My eyes found more fire, I called it down from the ceiling. I jumped back as some of it collected into a floating ball on my hand, and the rest fell to eat away at more of the tower.

"Back up, Kia!" Stark shouted.

I stumbled back, feeling arms help keep me back, as Stark and Pepper came with fire extinguishers, aiming the foam at any flames that was visible. I vanquished the small fire in the palm of my hand before I let that drop too. I decided to let the fire extinguishers do their job as Stark and Pepper slowly battled the flames.

I watched the fire worriedly. I'd never had this issue before. I could pull fire away and then get rid of it, no problem. I had in the Battle of New York. Why was this a struggle now? Why was I losing control of the fire that, though it wasn't mine, I was able to take away?

It took a good twenty minutes before the fires were put out. There were lots of black burn marks. Thankfully, nothing of the ceiling came crashing down to crush people. Some of the furniture got destroyed, and like the floor, the bar had black burn marks streaked across it. Overall, minor damage to what could have happened.

"We need to go down there," Pepper told Stark. "There are going to be a lot of people who are probably waiting for the fire department to come."

"Stay here," Stark told me. I nodded mutely as he and Pepper ran off to calm the probably frantic guests who were outside.

I realized that I wasn't alone in the tower once Stark and Pepper left. It almost felt like an Avenger reunion, minus one. Yes, Natasha Romanoff, Bruce Banner, myself, Steve Rogers, and Clint Barton were all in the same room together once again. I hadn't even managed to find them save Clint during the party.

I noticed some concerned looks directed at me. I couldn't read their minds and see into them, but I had a few guesses as to what their thoughts were.

"Kiara!"

I turned and nearly got throttled by Todd when he hugged me. "I'm okay."

"Did you do that?"

"What? The fires? I wouldn't sabotage Stark's party, Todd."

"What's with this?"

"With what?"

"Your lipstick. It's a little...well..."

Clint let out a low whistle. "Kiara was mingling after all!"

"Oh, shut up!" I waved him off.

"I didn't think that was what you thought I meant when I said go socialize."