𝐈𝐕𝐘 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐃 || 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐤

☰48- THE FALL OF ECHO

   I teleported through the building growing multiple plant bombs until I got to the very top. I limped into the room, sweat and blood dripping down my face, my entire body glitching and shaking.
   I leaned on the wall, looking at the desk right across from me where the man sat back, finishing his drink.

   "Tell me." He speaks. "Do you think you won?"

   "I know I have." I huff pulling my mask off.

   He raised his eyebrows at his drink like it didn't taste as he expected.

   "It's nice to meet you once again, Amelia."

   "I can't say the same for you."

   "You know Amelia, since I've met you, you've always surprised me. I wondered why you intrigued me so much and then it hit me. You're exactly like me."

"I'm nothing like you?"

"Resilient? Strong? Smart?" He asked stepping closer to me and this time I didn't move back.

   "Why didn't you run?" I ask annoyed.

   He looks at me and smiles. "I'm not a runner. If I did, you would eventually find me again, you wouldn't stop until you did."
   It bothered me that he was right. "I suppose it's my time to go as well but you didn't win. You became exactly what we wanted you to be."

   I shake my head and wipe the blood with the back of my hand. "No. I'm not the weapon you wanted and I'm not the villain."

"Oh but you are Little Ivy." He smirks. "Because you will always remember the kills. You have the same amount of blood on your hands as I do, maybe even more. Do you honestly think the Avengers want a killer child who can't control her emotions? The entire world?"
He came over to me and placed his hand on my head. "You will never truly be a hero. So, yes, I win."

I laugh, the pain traveled through my body but I still laughed. "You know what the good thing about having multiple powers and a secret identity is?"
I created an illusion of us being sucked into pure blackness. "I can cover your death so easily, Mr. Dempsey."

"You've lost, Ivy!"

"I'm not done." I wipe the blood off the corner of my lip with my thumb.

Harris looks down to see snakes slithering towards him, he backs away until he meets his desk. He looks up at me scared, pure horror in his eyes.

"You fear snakes, right?" I ask innocently. "Quinn knew that because of mom's file. That's probably why she loved them, a family heirloom."

"They aren't real!" He yelled trying to step on them but they wrapped around his legs, slithering up his body as they wrapped around him.

"Aren't they?" I teleported next to him. "Are they not really squeezing your body? Is it not getting harder for you to breathe? No?"
His eyes widen as I open his mouth and one slowly goes in. "Is it an illusion? Your heart is racing so it must be real, your oxygen levels are dropping.
I win, Harris."

I walked onto the balcony opening multiple portals using vines and placing flowers on all the beds, taking them through the portal just as all the bombs went off. I turned to look inside as Harris tried to pull the vine out but he couldn't.
I walk over to him as the entire building shook, debris falling down, the explosions getting louder the closer they got. I lift him up to be face to face with me, my eyes glowing purple.

"It's Ivy Void." I teleported out of the building just as the bomb outside the office went off.

"Mel!" Demitri called looking around.

I landed in front of him, stumbling as I used the last bit of my power. He grabbed onto me as I fell onto my knees, finally allowing my body to give into everything, the weakness. I was breathing heavily, I also pulled my visor off only to feel Demitri grab my face.

"You're crazy! God! Are you an idiot?!" He yelled but smiled. "I thought you died!"

I looked at him to see he was also covered in blood and sweat, a new cut to add to his scarred face and a few undeveloped bruises.

"I'm sorry." I say chuckling.

He pulls me into a hug, I winced at the pain because of how tightly he held me. Tears welled up in my eyes as I began to feel bad at how much worry I caused him. I guess leaving at the very last moment wasn't the best idea.

"You did it." He whispers and pulls away to look at me with a smile. "I don't really get how, but you did it!"

"Your help." I smile back and close my eyes leaning my forehead into his as I start crying, my emotions getting the best of me. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, I'm okay." He chuckles and kisses my forehead.

I pull back and look at him, he held my chin and we both leaned in until our lips met. I felt a spark for a moment, all the pain I was feeling disappeared for those few seconds. I felt so at ease, like I hadn't done a thing.
His lips were chapped and dried but I didn't care because he was gently stroking my cheek with his calloused thumb. I melted before pulling away, unable to stop smiling.

"Very romantic." He whispers.

"A kiss in Rome? I think so." I whispered back. "Thank you... for the help not the kiss, not that the kiss wasn't nice, it was, very, comforting but I wouldn't thank you for a kiss. That's stupid. I'm not—"

He gave me another kiss and I stopped rambling, relaxing, allowing my heart to find its steady pace.

It was finally over.

↠ ↠ ↠

   I stepped through the portal, coming home. Tony stood there with Pepper, looking at me. I was surprised that he hadn't gone to Rome to look for me.

   "I'm not going to apologize." I say and quickly speak. "Because I'm not sorry, I know what I did was wrong on my part but I saved those kids and I promised Quinn and ... I was just so tired of this..
   I don't care if you pull me out of school, send me away because I deserve it, keep me locked up—"
I stopped as Tony hugged me, tears welled up in my eyes as I cried on his shoulder, Pepper joined in the hug and I held her hand tightly. "I am sorry that I put you both through all of this."

   "I've put you through shit too, Sprout." He says still hugging me tightly. "Next time, just let me know you made it out alive."

   I chuckled through the tears. "I will."

"There better not be a next time!" Pepper yells.