The Pheonix

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Part 1

- 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨: 𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 - 𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐠 -

Present day 6/26/2023

"I just don't understand why I'm here, I told you I'm okay," Aurora told her therapist, the same thing she had said in all of her past sessions. "You keep saying that, I think you know why you're here though. Aurora you are a smart girl, a very very smart girl so why do you keep on pushing away the people who are trying to help you?"

Aurora didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to talk about anything, partially because she just didn't want to and she was stubborn, but also because she didn't know what to say. "Why don't we start from the beginning? Tell me about the last time you remember being happy, that should be easy enough." Aurora's therapist spoke while cleaning his glasses. It wasn't, but Aurora tried her best to answer the question.

"Okay, let me think...

Maybe 2013? I was in Sokovia, a town in Europe. It was a new space. I was scared and alone until I met Pietro- and Wanda. Even though it wasn't the best of circumstances, I was happy, I think. They were my family, it was something I hadn't felt in a while. They were nice to me, really nice. Pietro saw I was scared, alone, confused, and he took me in. Well, Sorta? He told me he thought my powers were cool, 'but not cooler than his.' This is what began our friendship. Pietro and Wanda took care of me, trained with me, and worked with me, they were my equals." Aurora looked down and fidgeted with her hands, she didn't want to be here right now. Everything about therapy just seemed like 'too much' for her, she didn't know how to do therapy the correct way.

"You mentioned family," Aurora's eyes looked up as the old man started his sentence. "Tell me about yours. What happened?" The old man returned his glasses to his face. "What do you need to know, my mom is dead, my dad is- was an asshole. I don't know what else there is to say." The girl deflected the question, Aurora hadn't spoken about her mom in a while. She and Tony usually didn't talk about the hard stuff and when they did, it wasn't about her mom. "Tell me about your mom, when was the last time you saw her?"

"Um okay, well..."

"-right before Christmas, I think I was 12? We were at the AIM base in Tennessee where I had grown up. Mom had told me she was going away for a while so she gave me my present early, it was a necklace. At the time I remember being so excited, I was just so special Santa sent in my present early, I couldn't believe it." Aurora bounced her legs as she looked anywhere but at her therapist, who was staring right at her. "The next day Mom left to go on a 'business trip,' at least that's what he told me."

"Wait, who's he? Killian?" The old man looked through old files while asking. "Yes, him- "

"- while she was away I would usually beg to call her, to see her, to know when she'd be back. He never answered. Most of the time he would tell me, 'When you're stronger you can go with her,' 'When you listen you can see her,' 'When you are smart enough you can help her.' What did he mean by 'help her?" Aurora thought aloud. Tear droplets started to form in her eyes. 'Stop it, stop it, stop crying' she thought to herself. The old man noticed her pause and spoke while sliding a box of tissues across the table. "You don't have to continue, but I can only work with what you give me." Aurora looked up at him, took a deep breath and used one of the tissues to wipe her tears. "I just don't understand how I was supposed to help her, like what could I have done to help her? I don't understand why they chose me. Other doctors there had children, why was I special? Why was I the one they decided to test Extremis on?" Aurora paused again, except this time not because she was crying. She looked at her therapist again. This time not on his forehead or in between his eyes to avoid eye contact, this time she looked him in the eyes. "I haven't seen my mom since. Aldrich told me Tony Stark was the one that did it, I hated him. I was told that I was going to be staying with Mr. Killian for a while and I was so excited. I stayed with him a week before he sent me to HYDRA, Tony killed him too. I hated him."