LEGACY ─ marvel

XI. The Struggles Of The Enhanced

Chapter Eleven
Josephine

I sit silently in the corner of the ship on our way to London, not really feeling in a talkative mood like I usually do. Everything that's happened today has really thrown me for a loop, I still haven't processed it all yet.

When I saw Aunt Soroya trying to hurt Uncle Bucky I didn't even think, I just used my powers and forced her off of him, and I did the same when Dad was trying to hurt him. Using my powers on them was hard, but what's even harder is knowing that my powers might be the only thing that keeps us alive. While I'm around, Aunt Soroya and Dad can't touch us. I'm the wall that has to stand between them and the rest of our family. That's a heavy weight to put on someone, and its one I never thought I'd have to carry.

Livy, Stevie, and Zy have always talked about what they want to do in life. Stevie has always wanted to be an Avenger, Zy had always wanted to be king, and Livy has always been caught between being normal and being an Avenger. I've watched my cousins struggle with these questions and paths that will decide their entire future, and until now, I've never given my future a second thought. My parents spent my whole life trying to make me feel happy and safe. They rescued me, they gave me a home, loved me like I never thought I could be loved, and tried not to pressure me into anything, or make me worry about the things the others worried about. As much as I'm grateful for that, I feel like the pressure and worry they hid me from is now crushing down on me all at once.

While we are on this mission I could be discovered, the world could learn who I am and what I can do. If that happens, then I won't have any chance of living an anonymous life, I'll be in the spotlight forever. What's even scarier is that on this mission I'll have to face my father and aunt, I'll have to protect the others and try to stop whatever plot we're all being thrown into. I've never used my powers in a real fight before, today was the first time I ever had. I didn't like it, I didn't like using my powers against another person. If I'm discovered and I'm forced to become a government agent, I'll have to use my powers against other people all the time. Is that what I want? Is any of this what I want?

Uncle Bucky comes over towards me and sits down, wrapping his metal arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his side. "What's on your mind, honey?"

"Everything," I confess, my voice dropping down to a whisper. "I'm not like the others, I've never thought about what I want, I've never worried about what my future could hold. Now it feels like all the choices I never considered are being taken away all at once, it's very overwhelming. If I'm discovered do I become an Avenger like you? Could I ever really have a normal life? And what about Baba? He's the Jabari lord, I'm his only child, I'm expected to be his successor. I hadn't even thought about that until now. Here Zy is worrying about Wakanda not having a king and Jabariland is in the same boat, they don't have a leader either."

"You're putting too much weight on yourself, Jo. There are things that you need to consider now that you're getting older, but you don't have to decide anything right this second."

"Don't I? I always thought Livy was paranoid for constantly worrying about this stuff, but I'm starting to see her point. Why didn't Dad and Baba ever ask me these questions? Why didn't they prepare me like you did Stevie and Livy?"

"Because they didn't want you to spend your childhood worrying about your future," Uncle Bucky responds, bringing his other hand up to brush my bangs away from my face. "Your Dad especially didn't want that, because he knew that you spent your first few years of life worrying about living to see the next day. He wanted you to live a carefree life as long as possible."

"I miss him." I whisper, wiping the corner of my eyes.

Uncle Bucky kisses the top of my head, rubbing my shoulder. "Me too, honey, me too."