"Are you sure about this?" Henry asks as we head into Stark towers. I wordlessly nod and glance over at Henry, giving him a supportive smile. I've already text Tony, Natasha, and Steve to inform them of what's happened, and none have replied, which means they aren't overly concerned about Henry coming to stay.
I glance around the lobby, it's empty. No one is sat behind the receptionist desk or in the chairs that are leant against the wall. The elevator door opens, and Tony comes out, he gives me a warm smile as he comes over.
"Hi Henry, I'm Tony, it's nice to meet you" Tony says, extending his hand. This is promising, this wasn't the welcome that Clover or Ashton got when I rocked up with them.
"You too" Henry says while shaking his hand. I wonder how Henry feels right now, meeting one of the people we were taught to hate and fear for our whole lives, we believed that the avengers wanted all mutants dead or locked up. Henry probably felt just as confused and miserable as I did when I find out it wasn't true.
"He's in the room across from yours, why don't you help him settle in?" Tony asks, I nod in agreement and head towards the elevator with Henry. I press the button and the doors shut; I glance at our reflections. Henry is looking at me with a mixture of curiosity and happiness, neither of us thought we'd become friends again.
"Why did you help me?" Henry asks me. I wasn't the one who turned against my old friends, I begged Scarlett to come with me in the forest.
"Why wouldn't I?" I ask, pulling my eyes away from our reflections and turning to look at Henry. "I never turned against any of you." Even when Scarlett tried to kill me, I never tried to get revenge. I brought Ashton here when I could have left him with the weird scientists. I also didn't have to jump in and help Henry, he would've easily won that fight. I helped Henry because I care about him, he was one of my closest friends for years, I've known him since I was four.
Henry looks uncomfortable. "I'm sorry" he says quietly, his green eyes showing the guilt he feels. "I should've known you didn't kill Scarlett." My mind flickers to Ashton, I should know that Clover wouldn't kill him, but I don't. A tiny part of me is terrified that soon the avengers will tell me Clover killed Ashton.
"It's ok" I answer, we were all manipulated by Magneto and Mystique. The elevator door opens, and we step onto the floor, Henry follows me. I stop in front of my door and open Henry's door, we both head into the room. There's a grey couch next to one of the white walls, a wooden desk with a laptop on it, a double bed with a dark green doona, and a wooden wardrobe against a wall. There's a mirror on the back of his door.
"Is Clover in the room next to yours?" Henry asks.
"She tried to kill Steve and then ran away" I answer, causing Henry to frown and glance at me, waiting for more information. "The avengers, mainly Steve, destroyed a bridge to stop the x-men from getting weapons, Clover's parents were on the bridge and died, so Clover befriended me so she could kill him."
Henry looks sympathetic, he comes and sits down next to me on the grey couch. "I'm sorry, I know she was important to you." Henry's right, but I need to accept the fact she isn't the girl I loved, the girl I fell in love with doesn't even exist, it was all an act.
"Ashton left with Clover, but I don't think she killed him, I think they probably separated once they were out of here" I inform Henry. Henry looks surprised but doesn't say anything, I can't tell if he agrees or disagrees with what I said.
The door opens and I look over, I blink in surprise as I see Peter standing at the door. Is he here to say hi to Henry or to yell at me?
"Have you revealed my identity to another person?" Peter snaps, crossing his arms and glaring at me.
"I already know about your spider powers. You literally turned up and showed everyone" Henry reminds Peter. God, that feels like a lifetime ago. Peter glares at Henry and then glances at me, I shrug in response. Peter turns and storms out of the room.
"I had to use my powers in front of a classmate when we were on a date, and Peter is worried he'll realise Peter is spider-man and tell everyone" I explain to Henry.
"You went on a date?" Henry asks, causing me to blush and look down at the ground. "Like an actual date?"
"Yes, with a boy named Flash, we went to an art gallery" I answer, unable to stop the uncomfortable smile that appears on my face. Henry laughs and I shove him off the couch.
"Hey! I'm happy for you, I'm just surprised" Henry says getting up and sitting on the couch again. He glances at me. "You deserve to be happy."
I smile at Henry, I'm so glad I ran into him today. If I hadn't, we could've gone the rest of our lives without speaking, I may never have found out he'd left the x-men. My phone goes off and I frown, it's an unknown number. My mouth goes dry as I read it.
We need to talk. Meet me at seven pm. – Clover
A second later an address comes through. I shouldn't meet up with Clover, it's probably a trap. Maybe she's hoping Steve will come in my place. But it's been almost three weeks since Clover fled after failing to kill Steve and she's only reaching out now. I think she might actually have to tell me something, it could be important.
"Are you going?" Henry asks, glancing at the message.
"Yes, but you can't tell anyone."
"Wasn't planning on it" Henry replies, I guess there's nobody in this building that he'd tell, he doesn't know anyone get. "You know I'll cover for you." I do, he has plenty of times before. The four of us always covered for each other when somebody needed it. Most of the time it was Henry and Scarlett needing covering because they were doing something stupid.
"Remember when Ash and I had to cover for you and Scarlett because you wanted to go a midnight swim in the lake?" I ask, a smile forming on my lips.
"Yes! You sucked at covering for us" Henry says, laughing slightly.
"Did you really think anybody would believe you hadn't snuck out together?" I defend myself, beginning to laugh too.
*Author's Note* Do you like seeing Storm with her childhood friend?
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Beautiful Ruins
Action"Maybe there was a fleeting moment where I wanted to be a hero and believed I could be one, but the truth is I'm not, I won't ever be. My past does define me, it made me a villain" - Storm. Fifteen-year-old Storm is the daughter of Black Widow and I...
