When lightning always strikes, you know she's not far behind.
Kidnapped at a young age and recused seven years later, Avalyn Stark is forced to try to navigate a new world far from what she remembered. With threats around every corner, she was nev...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
F I V E Y E A R S L A T E R
N E W Y O RK
"HELP!"
Avalyn Stark shot up from her bed, her breath ragged and her heart pounding. The screaming had jolted her from the depths of sleep, and even before her mind could process, her body was already in motion. Trails of orange and yellow electricity crackled at her fingertips, lighting up the dark room as she tore through the corridor at lightning speed.
Her bare feet barely touched the cold floor as she rounded the corner, the hum of power surging through her veins. Behind her, the faint glow of a blue wisp flickered in the dim hall, matching her pace effortlessly. A flash of platinum white hair cut through the darkness.
"Mommy, look. Big spider.
Her pulse slowed down as Avalyn laid eyes on her daughter, looking at her with wide but scared eyes, hand pointing towards the small creature on the wall.
"Oh sweetheart, he's not going to hurt you," Avalyn breathed.
"I'll get it," Pietro Maximoff's voice cut through and in a blue whisp, the spider was gone. "Better?"
"Better," The little girl repeated.
"Anastasia Mamimoff, what have we told you about screaming 'help'?" Avalyn whispered, crouching down next to her bed.
"Big pro-problems only," Anastasio bit her lip. "Sorry, mommy."
The three-and-a-half-year-old gave her mother a sheepish smile. She didn't understand the problem of yelling 'help' and why it scared her mother so much. She was blissfully unaware of the trauma her mother had faced her entire life.
"If you see another spider, just come into our room, okay?" Pietro added, glancing at his wife besides him.
