Beautiful Ruins

Chapter 32

I open the file, trying to ignore the four pair of eyes on me. I skim through it, looking for anything important. A large part of it is just about my powers which I know about. I blink as I see a familiar name in there. I close my eyes; I knew I shouldn't have opened this.

Mystique wanted to create a mutant with powers similar to the original x-men 'Storm.' Mystique suggested using Natasha Romanoff's eggs so the child would have enhanced physical abilities. It was decided Tony Stark would father the child, who Mystique named after Storm.

When Storm was born, her powers were suppressed as they were uncontrollable. We discovered she was able to create lightning but couldn't control weather, however she could control the elements (fire, air, water and earth.)

Mystique stopped contacting us when Storm was ten months old, she said she would raise Storm at the x-men institute. Three men were killed trying to stop her from taking the infant.

I never questioned sharing a name with the original Storm, I didn't think anything of it. God, Mystique wanted me to be a copy of another x-men? I think she picked Natasha and Tony as my parents because she wanted to screw with the avengers, or maybe it was so if she was captured, she could exchange her freedom for information about their child.

Peter takes the file from me, glancing at it with Ned and MJ. Clover grabs my hand I turn to look at her. "Are you okay?" she asks quietly, I nod. I had realised that Mystique never loved me a while ago, it was just difficult to hear how planned everything had been.

Someone knocks on the door; MJ quickly places the file behind her back. The door opens and Bruce is standing outside along with Tony.

"Can we use this room to have a meeting?" Bruce asks, we all stand up and head out straight away. I can't see the file anywhere; it's great MJ is a quick thinker. I go to walk out but Tony places his hand in front of me, signalling for me to stop.

"Are you okay?" he asks me quietly, looking intensely at me. For the billionth time, I think about Tony really is everything I would want in a father, I don't think I could ask for a better father.

"Yeah" I say, placing my hand on Tony's wrist. "We'll talk later?" Tony nods so I step out of the room and walk over to Clover, Ned, MJ, and Peter.

"We might go back to Ned's place; did you want to come?" MJ asks, looking at Clover and then at me.

"I might stay here" I say, glancing at MJ. Hanging out and having fun is probably what I need but I think I just want to stay here for now.

"Alright, are you cool if we take the file?" Peter asks. I nod, the further away it is from me, the better. Peter can go throw it in a random rubbish bin if he wants, I honestly don't care.

"Want to hang out in my room?" Clover asks as we walk away. I nod, we probably should finish our conversation from earlier so we both know where we stand. I want to make sure we're on the same page.

We walk into Clover's room, and both sit down on her bed, leaning against her green pillow. Her room is clean, there's nothing lying on the ground and even her desk is neat, everything is in place. I like having a tidy room but it's never this tidy, I try not to leave things lying on the ground, but I will leave things on my desk.

"What are we?" I ask Clover, glancing over at her. Clover rolls onto her side to face me, so I do the same. I glance at Clover, once again surprised by how beautiful she is. Every time I look at her, she looks even prettier.

"Why don't we not put a label on it yet? We know we like each other; I think that's enough for now" Clover says, she grabs my hand and holds it.

"Okay" I say, we both know we like each other so that's enough for now. Clover likes me, I like her, and we both know the other isn't interested in anyone else. Hell, Clover said I was the only person she was sure she'd risk her life for.

"Can I ask you something?" Clover asks me, her tone turning serious. I nod and wait for her to ask her question. "Do you know much about Thor's brother, Loki?"

I blink. I wasn't expecting this question to come up, I have no idea why Clover is asking me about Loki. "I don't know that much, but I know the avengers aren't keen on him. He attacked New York once, Tony almost died flying a nuclear weapon into a wormhole." He also brainwashed Clint and apparently killed over eighty people in three days.

"So, he's evil?" Clover clarifies. I'm not exactly the greatest person to be answering this question, I think most people would say I was evil, I killed over a hundred people in one day.

"I think it depends, he's saved Thor's life before, but he's also tried to kill him, I think. All I know is he's intelligent and cunning, and I'm pretty sure he has magic" I answer, I haven't heard much about Loki, most of this is what I learnt from Mystique, not from the avengers. I've had no reason to bring it up with Tony or Natasha, and I've never had a conversation with Thor.

"Did he really mind control Hawkeye?" Clover asks, rolling onto her back but still maintaining eye contact with me.

"Apparently" I nod. "He's a trickster and great at manipulating people, but yeah, he used some kind of sceptre to brainwash people when he tried to overtake Earth." Loki always intrigued me when I heard stories about him, it seems like nobody really knows how evil or good he is. I think that's how he wants it though.

"I didn't know there was another x-men named Storm who died" Clover says, changing the subject. I'd always known but I hadn't thought much about it, I never imagined Mystique named me after her because she wanted someone with her powers on the team.

"I think her and Mystique were enemies, before Storm died" I reply, Mystique wouldn't have cared about that. Power is power to Mystique, and she would have done anything for it, she did whatever she wanted when she was alive if it meant she'd gain more power and influence over people.

"Do you miss Mystique?" Clover asks me. I close my eyes; I don't think I know the answer to this. I've lost track of all my feelings about Mystique and Scarlett, my feelings are constantly changing from sad to angry to confused and then back to sad again.

"I miss the Mystique I thought I knew" I say honestly. "But I was mourning her long before her actual death." People really can go from family to strangers. Scarlett and Mystique were the closest things to family I had growing up and now Mystique is dead, and I hardly recognise Scarlett.

"Sometimes I think about my parents" Clover admits. "I wonder why they had me if they didn't want to raise me. I don't even know if they're alive right now." I couldn't imagine growing up how Clover did, she had to seriously fight to survive. She was breaking into places so she could eat and sleep from such a young age.

"I'm sorry, no parents should abandon their kids" I say, it feels so weird to me how Clover's dad left one day and never returned, I couldn't imagine just leaving my young child.

"Even when my dad was there, I don't think he was present" Clover says, looking away from me. I grab her hand, squeezing it slightly.

"Should we look into your parents?" I ask Clover, I'll respect whatever choice she makes but I want her to know that I will help and support her if she wants to find them and try to form some kind of relationship.

"I'll let you know. Are you okay if I go train?" Clover asks, she's been boxing a lot since she started living here and she also likes running on the treadmill. She works hard to keep herself fit and strong, that is for sure. I train by practicing my powers and I do a little bit of strength and cardio in the gym, but Clover works a lot harder than I do.

"Sure" I say, Clover leans over and kisses me before leaving. I smile, my cheeks turning red yet again. I can't believe Clover likes me, she could get any girl or guy she wanted and yet she wants me. I smile at the thought.

*Author's Note* Storm doesn't realise how many people have had/ do have crushes on her.