The Doctor and The Nightingale {1}

an uninvited party guest 4

Nova remained floating in mid-air. Everyone continued to stare at her. Marilyn's eyes flashed with fear as Phoenix-Nova moved towards her. "Get away from me!" Marilyn warned with a frightened hiss.

Phoenix-Nova tilted her head. "You caused harm to my vessel. You are an enemy of the Phoenix force"

"And what are you gonna do about it, huh?" Marilyn dared, finally getting up on her feet. She looked Phoenix-Nova right in her fiery eyes. "She needs to be punished for what she has done"

"The only one who deserves punishment is you" When Phoenix-Nova raised her hand, Marilyn was raised into the air as well. Marilyn began gasping for air as she felt an invisible force choking her. Her legs also began flailing and she started scratching at her neck.

"S-stop!"

"I will spare your life if you promise to never hurt my vessel or her friends again"

"Y-yes" Marilyn managed to say. "I p-promise!" Phoenix-Nova lowered her hand which made Marilyn dropped in the process. She began coughing, trying to catch her breath.

Natasha walked over to Marilyn. She grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up on her feet. "Marilyn Denver, you are under arrest. You will be taken into S.H.I.E.L.D custody" A bunch of other S.H.I.E.L.D agents burst in. They began to arrest all the other HYDRA members, including Mac and Dr. Vick.

The Phoenix force still had control over Nova's body. The Doctor approached her. Phoenix-Nova watched him carefully. "What are you?" he asked.

"You may call me Phoenix when I am in control of this vessel. I am a spark that gave life to the universe, but my purpose is to live within a vessel and protect it"

The Doctor noticed the golden cracks in Nova's skin. "You're not hurting her, are you?"

"I would never cause purposeful harm to my vessel, or those that she calls friends"

Rose stepped forward. "Does Nova have control over you?"

"For now, I only take control when her life is in danger. However, she's not comfortable enough with me to summon me of her own free will" Phoenix-Nova planted her feet on the ground. She moved closer to Rose. "I sense a force within you as well, but it is very different than what I am"

Phoenix-Nova then turned towards The Doctor. She caressed his face. "She cares for you deeply. More than the first one she's loved. She won't remember what's happened here tonight. She won't remember the resurfaced memories. She won't remember me taking control over her.

"I am running out of time. It's time for my vessel to take control again. But heed my warning. I also live within two other vessels. One bad, one neutral. Don't let the bad one get her hands on the stones. Seek out the neutral, get her on the side of good, before the bad seeks her out first"

Nova closed her eyes. The cracks left her skin. She nearly fell to the ground but she was caught by the red fabric of Stephen's cloak. Stephen had conjured up another portal leading back to the Avengers tower. "We should get her to the infirmary" He said. "Make sure she's okay"

______

Bruce Banner had finished running some tests and checking over Nova. She was still passed out. The Doctor came up to see her. "Will she be okay?" he asked.

"She's okay. She just had a lot of her energy drained out. She'll be asleep for another hour" Bruce explained. He looked down at the clipboard in his hands. "I did some tests on her, but found no trace of this force that lives within her. How did this thing even find her?"

"I know how" The Doctor answered. He became saddened at the memory he saw. "She was pushed into a solar flare. It absorbed into her when she regenerated"