Elemental Mastery (Steve Rogers Love Story)

Confessions With a Monster

Sitting at the large table on the bridge I start playing with the water in my cup, turning it into a ball, heating it, cooling it, turning it into a little rain cloud, that one has to be my favorite.

Natasha leads both Bruce and Captain Rogers into the large room, Bruce immediately heading to the far back of the room, trying to stay away from others. Yet standing near me, it must bring some comfort to him knowing me.

Rogers on the other hand looks around the large flight deck in amazement, it must be strange, waking up 70 years from your time, seeing all of these advances, I know that he is going to have a hard time with all of these advanced in technology, Knowing my comments to Fury earlier may have been harsh but not completely wrong.

"Gentlemen" Fury says, stepping away from his command post, I look up and see Rogers hand Fury a ten dollar bill. I'm curious as to when they made some kind of obvious bet, but shake it off and continue to play with my little cloud, getting it mad enough to make it rain inside the cup.

"Wow that's really impressive" Bruce says directly behind me causing the cloud to erupt in flames suddenly as he startled me. "Oh sorry"

"No it's fine, still trying to control the fire better, didn't know you could set fire to a cloud. I've got water, ice and air controlled for the most part, but fire is highly tied to anger and sudden emotions for me, but I'm also working on light and dark," I say, creating a small shadow around him while giving him a small confident smile.

"Better adjusted than I am for sure" he says with a smile, causing me to feel slightly sad, wondering if there was more I could have done for him. Knowing that after we discovered my powers he shut me out, I should have tried harder to connect with him, but I was so young and stupid. I know him shutting me out was him feeling bad for causing this, but I don't have any hard feelings towards him.

"Bruce I want you to know," I start to say just as Fury walks up to us, I stop my attempt to talk about the accident.

"Doctor thank you for coming" He says shaking Bruces hand, it makes me smile that Fury is treating Bruce like any other normal consultant instead of the monster he could assume he is.

"Thanks for asking nicely," Bruce says, pausing "So, how long am I staying?"

"Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the wind" Fury says back with confidence

"Where are you with that?" Bruce says walking over to another part of the bridge, still giving a wide gap around the rest of the team and agents in the room

"We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet." Coulson says maybe too proud of himself

I go back to watching my cup of water as everyone continues to talk, letting the liquid become a form of meditation for myself. Creating another small cloud out of the humidity I created in the cup.

"Agent Fenix" breaking me out of my trance once again "Will you show Doctor Banner to his lab please?"

Standing from the table I walk over to Bruce, linking my arm in his, pulling him with me slightly.

"Come on you will love it, we have all of the toys" I say smiling at him pulling him along with me more as he resists slightly at my touch.

Once out of earshot of everyone I try to bring myself to talk about the accident, finding it harder than I originally thought to talk about the first incident that changed my life.

"Bruce, I want you to know that I don't blame you for this, lab accidents happen, you should have seen what my dad did to the home lab last year, literally melted thick concrete to create a whole new element" I say with a laugh

"I know accidents happen, but If I hadn't of asked you to stay after hours for that stupid project" He trails off, i know exactly what hes referring to, Secretary Ross asked Bruce to help him create his own super soldier, thats when i was exposed to entirely too much radiation, as well as that weird glowing stone.

"Then I wouldn't be here today helping kick ass, and showing you to this super cool lab" I say with a smile nudging him. I can fake confidence in myself and my abilities if it causes him to feel better. "I mean look at this place, it's so much better than that small research lab that we had, and sure is better than wherever you have been hanging out all of these years."

"Hey, I'm not sure how to even approach this, but a few years back after I last saw you the big guy was unleashed he was upset about you" He pauses "Are you doing ok? He wouldn't explain why, though he never gives any explanation really. I just want to make sure you're ok."

"I'm fine, that's weird tho, when was it?" I wonder genuinely curious

"Gosh three years back now maybe" Bruce pauses taking a moment before continuing "I guess it has been a while since then hasn't it? He just claws in every now and again wanting to know about you"

"Ah, yeah 3 years ago, well, that was solidly the worst year of my life." I say looking down "Odd that the big guy knows about that"

"You don't have to..." he starts to say

"No no it's fine, the big guy deserves an answer if he's so concerned, that's the year that my dad and I were involved in the attack in Afghanistan, he was kidnapped, I was rescued by his best friend, spent two months in the hospital, lost a kidney, some of my liver, and.." I pause the last part has always been the hardest to talk about "and any chance I have at having a family was tossed out the window"

"Let me guess, some of the shrapnel lacerated into your ovaries and uterus?" He says very Doctorly, sometimes I forget that he is just so smart.

"Yeah" I say sadly, "No chance of me continuing on the Stark line, hopefully my dad fixes that mistake with Pepper"

"I'm sorry Kay" he says enveloping me in a hug "I know how much you wanted to be able to find a family and settle down eventually. I know just how much you wanted to, as you called it, Break the Stark tradition"

"Of being a truly awful parent, I remember. But Bruce, it really is ok I've had years to process it" I say back with a small laugh, looking over to one of the computer screens as my communications device beeps

"We have a hit, suit up," Coulson's voice comes in over my earpiece

"Gotta go Bruce, we can catch up more later, hopefully that response helps the Big Guy feel better!" I say with smile and a wave

"It is, I can feel his sigh of relief, you two are weirdly connected" I hear Bruce call after me as I laugh, Guess I have a large rege monster looking out for me.