Winter's Mystery

A Big Step Back

BUCKY'S POV

I heard a thud just behind me, I turned to see her on her knees, she was clutching her head and her face was twisted in pain. I knelt beside her and touched her shoulder. As soon as I made contact she grabbed my wrist, pulled me off balance, and had me pinned beneath her. I was caught way off guard by the immense strength she had. Her knee was digging into my chest as she looked at me with an intense fear, more than when she woke up in the medical bay, and I thought I saw flecks of bright yellow mixed into the dark brown of her eyes.

Before I could react she grabbed her head again and fell to the floor beside me, I sat up and was about to reach for her again, ready this time. When she let out a blood curdling scream, in a pitch that should not have been humanly possible. I held my ears as the scream continued, I could feel the floor vibrating.

Finally the scream ended and she was clawing at the floor grunting and...growling? I let go of my ears and reached for her, she swiped a hand...no... that was definitely a claw! I was now freaking out as she started crawling away, she slammed herself into the wall and I heard fabric tear as a long tail with short black fur hit me across the face.

When I looked back at her the sweatpants and tshirt were in shreds on the floor and a large panther looking creature with huge bat like wings was tripping and falling as it tried to gain traction on the smooth marble floors. I got up and went after it, her. I was grateful most everyone was gone on a mission, I had no way to explain what was happening.

I watched this large winged panther finally reach the carpeting of the main entrance and booked it towards the door. I called after her, "Serena!" The big cat looked back at me, then slammed into Peter who had come running inside.

Peter let out a yell as Serena, still in winged panther form tumbled over him and hit the wall right beside the door, leaving a sizeable dent. "It's Serena!" I yelled as I got to Peter, Serena looked at me, then bolted out the door. I stopped next to Peter to make sure he was okay, "That's Serena?!" He gasped, I nodded, "Yes, I need to stop her, you check for any damage that scream might have done." Without another word I took off after Serena, she was running for the woods.

She made it to the tree line before I did and disappeared into the trees, I kept after her, "Serena!" I shouted as I followed the direction she had gone. I could no longer hear her crashing through the woods, I stopped and tried to listen for her...or see her...but nothing, all had gone quiet. I continued my search, yelling her name as I did. Before long my phone rang, it was Peter.

"What?" I said as I answered, still looking around for any sign of her, Peter's voice was a bit concerned, "Well there are a few windows that shattered, and some stuff fell off shelves, but thats it." I could feel myself becoming more frustrated, "Okay, we can deal with that later, come help me find her. She ran into the woods." Peter replied, "Okay, be right there."

A few moments later I could hear Peter yelling somewhere in the woods for Serena, I prayed we would find her soon, and hoped with everything I had that she didn't get too far. This new power, it was a lot to take in and my ears were still ringing from her scream. That isn't a sound I was going to forget any time soon.

SERENA'S POV

We were walking back to the room, I finally had a name for my new owner, Mr. James Barnes. It was a comforting thought, when he told me I almost let my emotions slip, but managed to keep them under control. We were getting close to the room he was keeping me in when I felt a surge in my chest go up into my head...oh no...it was about to happen, my worst fear...the powers I couldn't control...

I hit the ground and held my head, begging the surge to go away as it clouded my head. I felt a hand touch my shoulder, and in blind reflex I couldn't control I grabbed it and pulled its owner underneath me, pinning him with my knee with a strength I knew came from the power surge coursing through me..it was my owner. I was terrified as I saw the look on his face, this wasn't going to end well for me.