Control - Book 1

Adjustments

"Mark? A terrorist? No way". I choked out, defensively leaning backwards.

"We've been tracking him for a while y/n. That's why the ladies were in the club that night. For surveillance." Bucky held a hand out to me. I was right all along, we were being followed. I looked down at his hand but still didn't feel comfortable enough yet to accept it, and was more focused on getting some answers.

"So you didn't want to rescue me? I was just in the way. I'm just an inconvenience, like a stray". I hung my head low and felt tears building up. Mark was right this whole time. No one cared about me.

The temperature of the room dropped, and everyone's breath was visible with frost.

"The truth is sweetie. Mark kept you hidden from everyone. Even with our surveillance, we didn't know you existed. Wanda here read both of your minds for Intel." Steve paced around to Wanda, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"That's when I heard and saw, what he was planning to do to you that night. And how scared you were". Wanda didn't look at me as she spoke.  "We couldn't leave you like that."

"It doesn't matter," I grumbled. "He's always looked after me. And anything that did happen I deserved it." I saw Bucky and Steve exchange another uncomfortable look.

"There's more...." Nat continued. "... Mark has been, using you."

I stood up quickly. "NO!" I yelled at her. Feeling my insides brew up. Frost grew on the windows. "Mark takes care of me".

"Y/n I'm going to hold you back here,  remember? ", Wanda warned me. Red began appearing around her palms and surrounding her eyes.

I felt paused. It was a hard feeling to describe. I could still move and react but went numb. I could only compare it to the feeling of going underwater.

"He used you y/n. We've looked through his files." Nat threw down a bunch of folders all over the table. "He was plotting to bomb a SHIELD facility. And for you to take the fall."

I stood back and gasped. Not Mark. He did a lot of things but this?

"The only person who gets hurt is me," I spoke clearly.

"He's been planning this bombing for years. An alibi wouldn't work for a reoccurring offender like him. He needed someone to blame. To have an ace up his sleeve." Nat sighed, hating this but knowing telling me straight was the right thing to do.

"Years? For an excuse?" I stumbled. "For a get out of jail free card?"

The realisation started to hit hard and fast, my life falling apart stitch by stitch. The untreated head wound also probably didn't help, putting pressure on my temples. Bucky stood up and walked over to me but hesitated as I held my arm up for space.

"A FUCKING ALIBI?" I screamed, a sound I hadn't heard myself make in a long time. The ice now took over the whole of the windows, cracking a few as it spread. My emotions returned as pure anger.

The previously excited Peter stood firm in place but shot his webs at things on the walls that were looking like they were going to fall.

"Hey what happened to crowd control there Red?", Tony asked Wanda with slight panic in his tone.

"I'm...... still...... holding.....her.....back". Wanda said between breaths. Tony looked up at Steve, presumably to figure out what to do next. And worrying about what might have happened if Wanda didn't hold me back. What would my full power look like? Bruce scanned the room and took mental notes of the chaos to analyse later.

"Y/N?" Bucky held his hands up in surrender. "Breath remember?". I closed my eyes and took deep breaths. "Good job. Why don't we see Bruce first for that head huh?". He suggested. "We can talk more later".

"I'm.... t-tired... Bucky", I limped towards him, falling into his arms.

Beep. Beep. Beep

Deja vu? The same hospital setting as last time. Bruce and Tony looking over my chart. The only difference was Bucky asleep in the corner chair.