R͟u͟t͟h͟l͟e͟s͟s͟ {Q͟u͟i͟c͟k͟s͟i͟l͟v͟e͟r͟/ A͟v͟e͟n͟g͟e͟r͟s͟}

Chapter 25: Haze

Irritation hit me like a stone as I tried once again to bring the purple light to my fingertips. What was I doing wrong?

"You're not focusing!" Pietro managed, frustrated.

"What do you mean 'I'm not focusing'?!" I demanded, "I am too!"

"You're too intent on your own frustration," Pietro said, gritting his teeth, "Bring it back. Focus on your inner self."

"Ugh, you sound like a guru," I rolled my eyes, annoyance coursing through me.

"What's a guru?" Pietro seemed unsure if he should be offended or proud.

I shook my head and took a deep breath. "Nevermind. Just..." I sighed, "If I focus on my heartbeat, all that happens is that I can hear all of your thoughts and my head hurts like you're slamming it with a metal bat. I don't know what else to do. Maybe that's all the power I have."

Pietro gave a slight half-smile that read, 'Well, suck it up because we kind of need you to save the world'. I've been getting that a lot lately. My eyes burned as the idea that I was in charge of saving everyone beat itself into my brain again. His face fell as he realized how much pressure this all was. "I'm sorry," He said affectionately, "I know this is a lot for you."

"That's an understatement," I muttered.

"But you have to keep practicing-"

"I have!" I said, my voice tense again, "I've been practicing for 2 days straight-"

"I was planning on leaving yesterday-" Tony broke in casually.

"Shut up Tony," I grumbled, "You're not helping."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Tony said curtly, "I'm just being supportive here."

"How in the world is that supportive?" I said incredulously.

"I'm hurrying up the process," Tony affirmed cockily.

I narrowed my eyes at the wall between us. He's such a... I don't even know. Can you be pessimistic and still positively narcissistic at the same time? Somehow, he makes it happen, and it's not exactly my favorite thing.

"Maybe someone will come rescue us," Banner jumped in wistfully.

"Imagine that," Tony drawled sarcastically, "Maybe someone will just walk in like, 'Hey, very dangerous people! How's it going down here? We came to get you out!"

I almost wished that a comedic movie moment would happen and somebody would walk in. At least some of the pressure on me would be released. But, alas, the door did not open.

Taking my eyes off the unmoving metal door, I glanced at the three other men in the corridor. "Why did they even make this place? It's so... cliche. I mean, if we were really uncontainable, these cells wouldn't hold us."

"Oh, this place is old. It hasn't been used in..." Tony drifted off to count, "Well, almost 50 years. It was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s first superhero prisons. They got funding cut off for it when it couldn't hold supervillains properly. Now we use the Negative Zone for really powerful people and a couple other prisons for the more minor ones."

"We?" I imitated mockingly, "You make it seem like you own S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Hey, I am kind of a big deal. I completely control their Special Weaponry division."

"Not anymore," I laughed at him. Tony made a small noise in protest, but didn't reply.

Nobody really knew what else I say. There was a long silence, and I knew everybody was waiting for me to start practicing again, because they were sick of sitting in this frustrating, cold, dark cell. But I didn't want to. I was tired of trying to wake up my powers. It was too hard. What happens if I give up? I wasn't a big deal earlier on in this stupid war. I'm sure they could figure something out without me.