Never Gonna Stop Me (Resilience Book 1) (Avengers Fan-fic) [COMPLETED]

Chapter 31

Bruce

Over the week after we had sent Freddie into RHOKA, I noticed that Sam slowly seemed to get more tired. She moved slower, she was lost in her thoughts more, she just seemed... off. It worried me. Maybe there was something else affecting her.

‘Bruce?’ she called, having suddenly appeared before me in the lab. I looked up at her, dazzled. She frowned and looked at me carefully.

‘Are you ok?’ she asked, setting a holopad down on the desk and giving me her full attention. I shook my head and smiled.

‘No, I’m fine. I was just...’ I trailed off, still lost in my thoughts. She frowned and pulled up a chair, sitting down, facing me.

‘Alright. You, my friend, are lost in your thoughts. What are you thinking about?’ she asked, looking at me intently, watching my eyes carefully. I couldn’t help but marvel at how old she was for someone so young. She looked every bit the twenty-two year-old that she was, but there was a wisdom that shone through her eyes, that only those who had lived long and full lives knew of. I sighed and leaned back, looking at her with concern.

‘Honestly?’ She nodded, her eyes softening. I nodded to myself before continuing.

‘How about this. I’ll tell you what’s bothering me, if you answer me truthfully.’ She rolled her eyes, smirking.

‘That’s your condition?’ I nodded and she smiled. ‘Sure. Shoot.’ I watched her carefully, to see any sort of hesitation in her eyes, posture, the way she acted. On seeing none, I just asked her, straight out.

‘Sam. Are you ok? You’ve seemed very tired and worn out lately, and it’s worrying me. You’d tell us if Alex was messing with your head, or if there was still some Cruci...’ I stopped short as she seemed to be trying to hold back a laugh. I frowned. It wasn’t exactly a funny subject.

‘I’m sorry. I just...’ She sighed and looked at me sheepishly, smiling. ‘Is that really what’s bothering you? Nothing else?’ she asked, a twinkle in her eyes. I nodded and she sighed, hunching over, before straightening up again almost immediately.

‘Ok. I’ll tell you. Just promise not to freak out, or get mad, or be disappointed or anything.’ she said, looking at me with playful eyes. I nodded once.

‘I promise.’ I was weary that this might be something that would set my heart racing, so I slowed my breathing slightly, just in case. I had a good reign on the H... the other guy, but I couldn’t afford to let it slip. A spark lit up in her eye and she smiled at me.

‘Ok, so... I’ve been experimenting.’ she whispered, like it was a secret. I frowned. Experimenting?

‘With what?’ I asked warily. She sighed and rolled her eyes before giving me ‘a look’. My mouth formed a small ‘o’ as it clicked with me. I frowned at her, still confused.

‘So... like what you did with the oxygen...?’ I asked, she shook her head, then looked unsure.

‘Well... kind of. Yes and no. I’ve realised something; it’s not air, or things. It’s atoms, all atoms. I can do almost anything with them. The other day; I ripped the electrons off a bunch of nitrogen atoms in the air and electrocuted a dummy.’ My eyebrows raised and my jaw dropped in disbelief. She scoffed, smiling.

‘I know! Impossible, right? Apparently not!’ She shook her head and grinned at me, before groaning.

‘But honestly?’ she began, I nodded for her to continue.

‘Even though practising, training, seems to keep me safe, keep me in control, I... It seems that the closer I get to control, the farther I am from sanity, and vice-versa.’ I nodded. I knew a little of what that was like. It seemed like that to me after the accident, but, I suppose, now, I have both. At least, sometimes. I looked up at her, interested to see how far she had come.