Beautiful Ruins

Chapter 16

I walk out of the hospital room and raise an eyebrow as I see captain America waiting for me. I turn to look at Tony who looks just as puzzled as I do. He steps slightly in front of me, as if he feels he may need to protect me.

"What's going on, Steve?" Natasha asks, her voiced laced with suspicion. I glance at her; she doesn't think this will be good. Natasha gives me a reassuring smile and places her hand on my shoulder. It does little to reassure me.

"I think Storm's still with the x-men" Steve announces loudly, looking at me. I blink. What part of me getting my head basically spilt open made him believe I'm still working with the x-men? Scarlett wanted to kill me.

I've done nothing to give Steve that impression, nothing at all. I'm not with the x-men, why does he believe that? Scarlett tried to kill me because Mystique ordered it.

"What the actual fuck is wrong with you?" I say, out of all the possible answers swirling around in my head, I had to pick that one, didn't I? Steve raises an eyebrow; I look down at the ground. I don't look at Natasha or Tony, too scared to see if they believe him.

"Mystique is powerful and yet Storm was left alive today" Steve says, looking at Tony as if he'll be the hardest to convince. "We've both almost lost our lives to her, and we're supposed to believe Storm almost overpowered her and won?" I'm not sure if anyone bothered to tell Steve Scarlett rocked up as well.

"I didn't, I quite literally got my head bashed in, the only reason I'm standing here is because of Peter and my accelerated healing and the only reason Peter got there in time is because Mystique wanted Scarlett to be the one to kill me" I snap, if he's going to accuse me of being a traitor, at least get the facts right first.

I just got attacked and almost killed by my ex best friend, the last thing I want to deal with is stupid Steve Rogers and his stupid accusations. "Storm saved lives today at the risk of her own, do not accuse my daughter of this" Tony informs Steve, his voice as hard as steel.

Tony's defending me? He actually trusts me. I smile, despite the situation. I know I've done so many terrible things, but Tony trusting me makes me wonder if I can possibly redeem myself. It'll take a long time and be a difficult journey but maybe there is hope for me, no matter how dim.

"How did you know where Mystique would be?" Natasha asks me, my smile drops as quickly as it came. One parent trusts me, the other doesn't. I thought Natasha was moving past the fact I remind her a little too much of her old self. If I was working with Mystique, why would I go to a train station to attack her? I'd slip out of here and give her information at a time when no one would realise I was gone.

"Steve and Thor were discussing it" I answer defensively. Does it matter? Even if I tracked Mystique down, it would make sense. Today was a trap, Mystique wanted me to come to that stupid station and follow her into the bathroom. She let the avengers track her because she wanted me to come. The hairs on the back of my neck rise, suddenly everything being white feels blinding. I dig my nails into the palms of my hands, my eyes widen when I realise that I've drawn blood. I close my eyes, breathing in and out.

"Your resume speaks for itself. You bombed a building filled with civilisations, you've blindly followed Mystique your entire life and you've committed terrible, terrible acts without blinking or caring about the consequences. Even if you are no longer a threat, you will never be a hero" Steve snaps, stepping towards me. I look away, he might have a point. I'm still trying to figure out if I can erase the blood on my hands, it's a lot of blood. It would take a lot of good to erase that, I don't even know if you can erase it. Killing people can't be taken back, it's permanent.

I might not have known what I was doing but I have to hold myself responsible, people are dead, it doesn't really matter whether I knew or not.

"Mystique tried to kill Storm" Tony reminds Steve coldly. "As Storm said, the only reason she's alive is because Mystique wanted to hurt Storm even more by having Scarlett kill her, that doesn't sound like they're working together to me." At least Tony's not stupid enough to believe Steve, his theory doesn't make any sense.

"I know but we do need to consider the fact Steve might have a point" Natasha says uneasily, looking over at me. "Why would you follow Mystique? You know you can't beat her." I thought maybe I could overpower her if I was smart, but I realised the hard way she's much smarter than I am, she might be smarter than everyone. Tony's a genius but Mystique is a master manipulator, and she knows exactly what buttons to push to get people to do what she wants, they don't realise it's what she wants until it's too late.

"I was full of anger." It's a simple enough answer and it's the truth. The truth is it's easier to be angry at Mystique than to be angry at Scarlett or even myself.

"Why were you angry?" Steve asks curiously. I have no idea; I think I've felt every emotion there is since I woke up in Stark towers.

"Does it matter?" I ask, folding my arms. Why would I open up to Steve and Natasha after they accuse me of being a traitor? "I'm over this conversation."

I walk away from the three, ignoring Steve's order for me to come back. I push open the building door and two fireballs appear at my palms; I push myself up and begin to fly away.

Maybe I shouldn't have stayed here, I don't want Tony to be at odds with the avengers because of me. Steve believes I'm a traitor and Natasha seems to be considering the possibility it could be true. Maybe I don't belong anywhere. I'm not a x-men, not anymore, yet I'll never be an avenger. Is there a place in the world for someone like me?

*Author's Note* This is not canon Steve, but the plot must go on.