Ashley Romanova. The adopted daughter of Natasha, an Avenger since she was only the mere age of 12.
After the alleged death of Tony Stark, and the events of Endgame, Ashley is now the new owner of the Avengers Facility after it was fixed. She now i...
The tears that streaked down Storm's face rolled hotly and quickly. Corpses were all over the place, which included Colossus, Rogue's, and several students. She couldn't hold the scream she had, letting it rip out. Gut-wrenching screams that made Ashley's insides swirl and almost made her vomit all over the place were the only things that were heard.
From that scream, lightning struck down.
Jean's black eyes were in view. It was then Ashley realized that Jean had killed police officers and crushed a police car. Not holding anything back, Ashley launched herself off the ground and with her mind, she lifted various parts of the debris and launched them at Jean, who made them merely surround them. "Jean, please. Stand down, you don't want to hurt the school of mutants."
Jean looked deeply into Ashley's eyes, black hollow eyes meeting Ashley's brown ones. Ashley wanted to cower in fear, but she stood her ground. She faced Thanos, she could fight a mutant.
Even if it was a woman probably twice her age, who merged two timelines, and possibly turn the young Avenger into a rag doll.
Ashley felt the warmth of flames surround her hand. She threw forward flamed-circles which served as steps for her to run towards Jean. She launched herself with the last step and raced forward, summoning more fire which shattered over towards Jean as if it were water from a very harshly spraying spray bottle. Jean brought up a piece of the debris and used it as a shield. The winds grew harsher around Ashley and Jean, nearly causing Ashley to fall off her customised steps. It was then Ashley realised the wind wasn't caused by Jean, since Jean herself faltered, but instead, a tornado was headed their way. Ashley turned around to see Storm, her eyes white, her body as still as can be.
But it was a rookie mistake.
Jean had just seen Storm, and charged towards her.
Ashley was trying to grab anything to keep her balance in check. She saw Jean charge at Storm, but feared for the more-sane mutant in this case. Ashley saw some debris on the opposite side of Jean, and with the tornado getting closer, she lifted it and brought it to crash into Jean, who flew back from the impact. Storm looked at Ashley, the tornado halting its movements. Ashley, getting up on her feet, tried to look into Jean's mind, but all she saw was darkness. All clawing up her back as if trying to absorb her too.
Powerful child, the Dark Phoenix spoke, yet so much wasted potential. Ashley looked up to see a giant, dark flaming bird stare down at her, causing Ashley to writher in place. Ashley felt her breath hitch, repeating to herself that it was only just a thought, just her being in someone's head, she had seen much worse in her past experience. The Dark Phoenix then nodded towards the necklace, the flaming wings scorching through Ashley's chest, causing her to let out a cry from the burning pain. You are so much, yet so little.
Ashley had to force herself out of the thought before she could be fully entrapped by the darkness, but when she had done so, Ashley felt as if she was being diced open by something large. It was then she saw that Jean had genuinely slashed her, a burn mark on her chest, a sharp copper wire cutting through her clothes and cutting open her skin, blood seeping out of her wounds. Ashley gasped as the pain was beyond anything she experienced.
Just then, a strike of lightning came crashing down between the two women, which made Jean lose her hold of the copper wire, letting it fall to the ground with a clatter. Then, more of what remained from Xavier's School had fallen on top of Jean.
Ashley's lungs burned, her whole body ached, she could hear her heartbeat in her ears. She slowly got to her feet, blood dripping all over the floor, on her hands, from her nose, everywhere. Her vision was blurred, but she could make out a silhouette in the distance running for her, calling out her name.
Her first guess was that it was Storm, but then she found a second silhouette, taller, muscular. Her thoughts trailed to Bucky, but he couldn't have known where she was. She made sure to keep her own matters to herself as to not mix up anyone else in this mess, which she felt responsible for.
"Ashley!"
But it was the unmistakable voice of James Bucky Barnes. Ashley, holding onto her torso, began limping towards them. Her vision was still blurry, but she could hear his voice, even against the shrill-piercing sounds in her ears. "Bucky?" She called out. "Buck?"
Bucky sprinted towards her, wrapping her arms around her as she fell into his grasp, tears stinging her eyes but she held them back, burying her face in his shoulder. "Hey, let's go home. Alright?" Bucky softly cooed. Ashley, not trusting her own voice, nodded her head, still shaken up from what happened.
"I need to talk with Wong," she said gently, "I need him to teach me how to use each of the stones. Only he can help me."
Bucky nodded his head, agreeing with her, "Alright, alright we can do that. We can ask him if he can teach you."
At that moment, all Ashley wanted to focus on was the fact that someone was holding her, Bucky holding her tightly as if he was about to lose her. As if she might escape from his grasp any second.
"You're gonna be fine, you're not alone."
Storm came up from behind them, offering a small smile through her own tears towards Ashley.
After all, Ashley was only a child.
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Ashley woke up to an annoyed groan of Wong from his conversation with Bucky, she realized both were talking about her. Her heart almost leaped from her chest, realizing how she was covered in bandages, just in a tank top, meaning that Bucky had to change her clothes. Suddenly, her hand began to pulse with pain as if she popped her wrist a bit too hard. She looked at the stump of where her hand once was, mentally crushed as she remembered she had no wrist, she had no fingers, not anymore. She sighed to herself. Why was she so weak? She didn't want to be like this.
Ashley hated feeling powerless, feeling weak. She only wanted to be strong enough to keep others she cares about safe, and the citizens–safe. She would never ask for too much power, nor would she want to be too weak. She needed to find her Goldilocks zone.
Suddenly, the door opened, revealing Wong. "Do you know what tomorrow means?"
Ashley stared at him, "Uh, yeah?"
"Then why did you skip training yesterday, you barely won that fight. Good thing these two found you," Wong said, referring to Storm and Bucky
Ashley was quiet, looking at Storm again. Seeing the old picture, and the news at the school, she was now certain that even though Tony met Storm, it wasn't this Storm. And she had questions.
"Ms. Storm," she began, "if you're from an alternate timeline, then where is the Storm of this timeline?"
"I think she's dead," Storm answered. "Why?"
"I was just curious, my apologies.." Ashley turned to the Sorcerer Supreme. "I need you to train me."
Wong groaned. "So now you want the training? Fine. Then let's start! We have so much work to do!"
Ashley looked at Bucky, "And I need you to be there, just in case. Please?" Bucky smiled in response, giving his usual brotherly bear hugs. "I've always been here, and that won't change at all in the slightest."
Ashley hesitantly smiled. "Then let's begin my training."
