Beautiful Ruins

Chapter 112

*TRIGGER WARNING* There is thoughts of suicide and a suicide attempt in this chapter. Please don't read if you think it may trigger you. 

I stare at the forest in front of me. I have no idea how long I've been here; it could be mere minutes, or it could be hours. 'Loving you is a death sentence.' I think that sums up what it's like to know me perfectly. Who will die next? Henry? Peter? Charles?

If I was never born, everyone would be fine without me. Tony got hurt because he thought I was his child, Mystique almost killed his best friend, Clover and Scarlett died because they were loyal to me, because they decided to die to save me.

My heart aches when I think of Clover, tears stream down my face as I picture her white-blonde hair and green eyes, she was beautiful, and she was mine. If she had just let Zed kill me, or if she'd stayed with Victor and Susan, she'd be alive right now. But she's not, because she loved me, and loving me is a death sentence.

I close my eyes; nobody even needs me. Peter would be perfectly fine if I never entered his life and his aunt may still be alive, I'm friends with Milo but he's only known me for a while, he'd be fine if I never existed. My mind flickers to Henry, he's probably the one who would struggle the most, but my death could make him safer, Magneto is targeting me because he blames me for Mystique's death and because I left the x-men so quickly, as a result he is targeting Henry because Henry loves me. And loving me is a death sentence. Ashton, Scarlett, and Henry were my first friends and two of them are dead.

My eyes flicker to something on the ground, it's a black gun. I kneel down and pick it up, it has bullets. If I died right now, would anybody even mourn me? It's not a surprise I turned out this way, I killed my mother before my first birthday.

The wind starts picking up, I think it's my magic but I'm not sure. A single tear rolls down my face, I quickly brush it away. My death could help people, it might hurt them at the beginning, but in the end, it will help, it'll stop people from getting hurt because of me. I place the gun to the side of my head, closing my eyes. It's for the best, this world has been so cruel to me and as a result I've been cruel to everyone I've ever met, I've infected their lives like a deadly disease.

"Don't, kid" a voice says, I whirl around and see Tony, I glance down at the watch on my wrist. Of course, I really should've remembered my birthday gift. "Storm, please put down the gun." Natasha and Steve appear next to him, of course they're here.

I shake my head and take a step backwards, my fingers still on the trigger. I'm doing this for Tony, doesn't he understand? He's one of the people who has been affected because of me. Was that why Mystique named me Storm because all I bring is destruction? "If you come any closer, I'll do it" I threaten as Tony takes a step forward.

"You're sixteen, Storm, you have a whole life ahead of you" Steve says, I have the rest of my life to hurt everyone, to watch the people I love suffer simply because they love me.

"Everyone gets hurt because of me, and they'd be fine without me" I say, my voice cracking. I force myself not to look at any of them, I don't want to see the concern and sympathy in their eyes, I don't deserve it. "Take care of Henry, please, I know you don't owe me anything but he's good."

"Nobody is hurt because of you, people are hurt because of a war that started before you were born, there is always causalities in war and I'm truly sorry that some of them were your friends" Steve says, I hear the desperation in his tone, I don't lower the gun, as soon as I put it down Steve will probably say that Florence was right.

"Clover died saving me" I say, a tear rolling down my face. "Her, Ash, and Scarlett would be alive if I never existed, even Estella died because of me, how am I supposed to keep going? I killed my own mother."

"Ashton and Scarlett grew up in a terrible situation, you were all lied to by people you thought you could trust with anything. The only person to blame for their deaths is the x-men, you gave them hope, Storm, you proved that there was a way out. I know that you're sad and scared, but you aren't ruining people's lives, you're giving them hope. Clover and Estella loved you and they don't regret what happened, they'd do it again without hesitation" Tony says, he sounds so kind and genuine, he never stopped caring about me for a second.

"You are always trying to do the right thing, no one is hurt because of you, and nobody would be better off without you, if you kill yourself, none of us will ever really recover. There are so many people who love you" Natasha says, I hear a crack in her voice, and I force myself to look at her. Tears are streaming down her face, it's the most emotion I've ever seen from her.

"Give me the gun, I promise it's okay, we'll help you" Steve says softly, stepping forward. "We need you, Storm, the world needs people like you." He's right in front of me now with his arm outstretched.

I slowly hand Steve the gun and he sighs in relief, stepping back, probably afraid I'll change my mind and try to grab the gun. Tony rushes forward, embracing me tightly. "I'm so proud of you, kid." Tears stream down my face and my legs give out. Tony pulls my body towards his chest. My body shakes as I sob, and I cling to Tony like he's a lifeline.

"We've got her, she's safe" I hear Steve say. Natasha kneels down beside me, brushing my long wavy hair out of my face and placing her hand on my shoulder, two S.H.I.E.L.D agents come over, Natasha takes something from an agent and places it around my shoulders, I realise it's a blanket. 

*Author's Note* Thoughts? I feel so bad for Storm, and I love how Tony and Natasha are there for her, they might be not her biological parents, but they still love her as their own.