The Mimic

6

"This might hurt a bit..." Bruce murmured, preparing a needle so he could take some of y/n's blood. Y/n was sat on the edge of the bed in Bruce's lab, trying her hardest to stay as still as possible. She had wires stuck to her that seemed to be attached to several different monitoring machines around the room. They weren't very comfortable, especially the ones on her head, but she knew Bruce was just trying to understand her powers more. Y/n didn't even understand her powers fully, so she was quite curious. 

Natasha had told her that she didn't have to let Bruce take tests, but y/n reassured her that it was fine. She couldn't avoid her mind forever, even if it would bring back bad memories. Plus, y/n was holding out hope that it would help piece things together. Her mind was still so jumbled. Any sort of clarity would help. 

Bruce carefully put a plaster over the area he took blood from, giving y/n a slight smile before he made his way back over to his work station. Bruce set the vial of blood in what seemed to be a high tech machine, but y/n had no idea what half of the tech was in the lab. "Whilst we wait for the results of that, do you want to test out your powers?" He suggested, hoping that the monitoring machines would pick up some signals. Y/n looked at Bruce hesitantly, not wanting to destroy anything. She hadn't used her powers since the night Wanda came to visit her cell - too scared to lose the team's trust. "I can try?" She murmured, glancing around the lab just in case anyone else was nearby. After a few moments of thinking, a red orb of energy appeared in y/n's palm. Y/n kept her eyes on her hand as the energy danced around her fingers, seeming to be completely focused on it. Bruce tensed a little, but stopped himself from properly reacting - she probably already felt like a monster, she didn't need the team being scared of her.  The machines seemed to spike as y/n begun to mimic Wanda's powers, some beginning to beep due to the amount of energy coursing through y/n. The sudden, constant beeping caused y/n to freeze. Her eyes wide with what seemed like terror. "Y/n?" Bruce asked hesitantly, making his way toward her. He waved a hand in front of her eyes a few times, but gained no response. 

The beeping had triggered a memory that y/n didn't even know existed. 

She was only a child. 

Music played distantly on the record player out in the kitchen, it was her father's favourite song. Every morning y/n would dance with him in the kitchen to it. It was a happy song. Y/n was sat in her room, playing with a new dolly that she'd gotten for her birthday. She adored the doll, despite only having it for a few days. "Y/n!" Her father's voice suddenly called from the living room. Y/n sighed, holding her doll's hand as she walked out of her room to figure out why she was called. The small girl wandered in to the kitchen first, but didn't find anything but some half-chopped vegetables. That was weird, her father was always cooking dinner at this time. But, y/n didn't worry just yet, her bare feet pattering against the wood as she made her way to the living room. However, as she pushed open the door, she froze. 

Her mother and father were tied to two of the dining chairs, a blinking object strapped to either of their chests. Both were pretty roughed up, with a black eye prominent on her father's face. Several strangers with guns and batons were stood in the room, but a man in a suit stood between her parents. Y/n hugged her doll tightly, looking at her parents with wide eyes. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know what was going on. "Don't be shy, sweetheart. Come over here." The man in the suit smiled. But y/n didn't move. The man knelt down so he was closer to y/n's height, reaching slowly in to his pocket. Y/n watched curiously from the doorway, holding on to her doll as tight as possible. The man in the suit held out his hand, opening his palm to reveal a few chocolates. "Come, take some. I just want to be your friend." He cooed. Y/n seemed to hesitate a little, glancing over to her mother for approval. Her mother nodded quickly, but y/n didn't notice the tears in her mother's eyes. The small girl slowly stepped forward, glancing around at all the other strangers. The floorboards creaked under her feet  as she stepped closer to the man in the suit. "Papa says no sweeties before dinner." She murmured nervously, staring at the chocolate in the man's palm. The man chuckled a little, shrugging at the little girl. "Well, I think you can have one. I bought them especially for you." The man hummed, grinning like a Cheshire Cat. Y/n smiled nervously, carefully taking one of the chocolates and putting it in her mouth. Taking a few more when she realised how good they were. As the little girl ate, the man in the suit pointed at the blinking objects on her parents' chests. "Do you know what these are, little one?" He asked in a calm tone, ignoring the mother's crying. Y/n shook her head curiously as she ate, pretending to feed one to her dolly. "These are bombs."

The mention of bombs shocked y/n. Causing the fear to come rushing back as she quickly back away from the man in the suit, only to back in to one of the strangers, who seemed to push her back in to the centre of the room. The man in the suit seemed to press a few buttons on each of the bombs, causing the beeping to begin, and the timers to count down. "When these timers run out, the bombs will explode." The man hummed calmly. Tears begun to fill y/n's eyes, hugging her doll as tight as possible as she watched in fear. "But, those little powers of yours can save them, can't they? This is your time to shine, sweetheart." The man in the suit cooed. He gave a signal to the strangers in the room, and they all begun to leave the apartment. The man in the suit was last, ruffling y/n's hair as he walked past. "Good luck." He hummed, leaving the little girl in the room with her parents, locking the door behind him. 

Y/n was frozen in pure terror as the bombs continued to beep. Watching both parents with wide eyes. She reached a hand out, the other still holding on to her dolly. The little girl closed her eyes, trying her hardest to stop the bombs. But nothing happened. Her father tried his hardest to remain calm as he watched his daughter. "C'mon, y/n. Deep breaths..." He cooed, nodding to his wife who begun to take deep breaths for y/n to copy. "It's just like before, alright? Easy peasy..." He whispered with a reassuring smile. Y/n nodded, copying her mother's deep breaths, keeping her hand held out.

But, nothing was happening. The timer was ticking farther and farther down, and beeping became more aggressive. "Time for you to use your powers, sweetheart!" Her mother said in desperation, well aware of how little time they had left. But y/n couldn't do it. Her back was pressed up against the door, watching her parents in fear. Her hand was still held out, trying her hardest to stop the bombs, but she seemed to be stopping anything but that. The record player kept glitching and taking the same song back to the start, the lights kept turning on and off, fireplace kept going from roaring with fire to no fire at all, but the bombs didn't stop. "C'mon y/n! Deep breaths!" Her father exclaimed. The terrified girl nodded, taking deep, shaky breaths. She copied her mother by closing her eyes, trying her hardest to focus. 

That was when the bombs exploded.

Y/n was suddenly snapped back into reality. Her hands rushing to cover her ears as she screamed. The scream sent out a blast of Wanda's powers, sending Bruce, and anything nearby flying. The lights in the lab smashed, the monitoring equipment exploded, and so much more. Y/n felt as if she was still back in the apartment, her eyes stayed scrunched shut, her hands over her ears. 

Steve, Tony, Natasha, and Wanda burst into the destroyed lab. All frozen at the sight of all the smoking, sparking equipment. Y/n with her hands over her ears was the only thing not damaged. "What the hell just happened?!" Steve asked in shock, not even sure where to start with all of the mess. Bruce grunted in pain, coughing a little from the smoke. Natasha had rushed over to help him up, carefully taking his hand to help him stand back up. "I have no idea!" He exclaimed with wide eyes. "She just froze, and next thing I know she's screaming and sending out a shockwave through the lab..."