"Happy 10th birthday my beautiful flower." Mom says as she kisses the top of my head. I giggle, hugging her. She bends over to look at me eye level, and just like a magic show, pulls a brightly wrapped present from behind me as I clap my hands excitedly. I had been waiting since my last birthday for this birthday, I finally am ten. "Now darling, Mommy couldn't afford what you originally asked for, but as soon as I get enough money, I will buy you everything you ever wanted." She says pinching my cheeks. Mom places the present into my arms as I tear away at the paper. Underneath was a box of crayons and a small coloring book. I knew how hard mom must've worked to get me this. I set the presents on the table as I envelope her in a hug.
"Thanks Mommy. I love it." I giggle happily, pulling away I grab my coloring box, and opening the book.
A sound resembling a crack of thunder erupts from outside our apartment building, shaking the whole floor as our windows shatter, I drop the box of crayons looking to the windows frantically. Mom and I fall to the ground as my heart speeds up. "Ivy, come here!" Mom yells, I look back at her, crawling to the window, curiously looking outside. It was a gruesome scene. There was few blood splatters followed by a lot of limp bodies sprawled across the streets. I even recognized a few people as fears grew into my heart. There was a fire erupting from below in a car. Mom grabs at my arm, bringing me away from the window. We lived in a small town, who would want to hurt us? "Mom! What's happening?" I question, my voice sounding shaken. Mom pulls me to the door.
As she opens the door, a fire catches into the apartment, essentially trapping us. Mom tears open the clothes chute that travels to the bottom floor. She grabs at my face, needing me to focus. "Listen to Mommy, you need to get in the cozy cove, Alright." She says soothingly, helping me into the chute. Mom called it the cozy cove only because it was easy to hide in and it was warm and small. "What about you?" I ask frantically. Mom smiles, "I'll be just fine," She kisses my cheeks, "Now go."
Just as she shuts the flap, another explosion erupts from that very room. The impact causes the chute I was in to shake violently, throwing me back and forth. I reached for anything my fingers could grip, but they slide from the nervous sweat in my palms. I slam onto the bottom, rolling out onto a heap of trash. Dizzily, I stand, shaking my head. The room had a few bodies laying around, blood puddles forming around their heads and splatters all over the walls, and debris thrown here and there. This wasn't from the consistent explosions, someone took them out. Almost like an assassination. I cough due to the immense amount of dirt rising into my lungs. I cover my mouth with my shirt sleeve, navigating my way threw the fallen building pieces.
I make it outside, it was almost like a horror movie. That's when I saw the source of the explosions, bombs being dropped from a gigantic ship in the sky. Finally, there was one last explosion, that threw me at least ten feet into a car. I wasn't sure how I survived that. My body fell against the concrete as pained rushed into my side. I cried out as I looked all around. It was a war zone, a deserted war zone. My skin felt like it was on fire, I frantically stood, looking at my arms that glowed a deep green color underneath the skin. I didn't feel anymore pain. Was I dead?
"There she is!" A voice yelled from afar. I saw my mom dangling from our window. She then lost her grip, slamming against the ground. My heart stops, as my feet hit the ground, rushing to my mother's side. I bent, hands shaking. "Mom!" I call out, coughing violently as dust clouds us. "Mom, please get up, we need to go!" I yell frantically. Mom grabs my glowing green arms and as if by my touch, her whole body was enveloped in the same sickly green color, her eyes shot open as she screamed in horror, scratching at her skin. "Ivana, go! Run!" Her yelling voice was gurgling and horrific. "Mommy?! Stop!" I yell falling back, hard onto the concrete. A gunshot fills the air as Mom falls back down, limply. I stare, eyes wide, as everything goes silent. A few feet away gun smoke cleared. Crawling back to her, a tear falls down my reddened cheek.
She was blistered all around and her skin seemed to be singed, some bone was even prominent to see. She had a bullet wound right between her eyes, blood oozing from the wound as I could feel my own heart shatter.
"Mommy?" I was careful not to touch her again, not sure what would happen. "Mommy please! Wake up!" I begged. The footsteps behind me finally stop as a shadow stands over Mom and I.
"She's dead, sweetie. I'm so sorry." The voice was delicate, almost mother like. I stare at my limp mother as the shadow steps closer, bending towards me. "She never told you about us, I'm sure. But she knew this was coming." I swallowed hard, not wanting to face whoever was behind me. "Leave her alone." I growl. "I wouldn't think of touching her. I have no use for her," I spin around, seeing only a silhouette due to the sun beating down on us. The dust clouded the shadow like mist. It was a woman's voice, but a strong, almost burley figure.
"What do you want!" I yell as tears stream down my face. "I want you to join me." The voice cooed. I was perplexed, and opposed to anything the women wanted of me. "I'm nothing." I spat turning back around to my Mom. "Your mother sheltered you. You must know nothing about your powers." She states. "I have no powers!" I bark angrily. "Yes you do, Ivy." My name coming out of her mouth made my skin crawl. "How do you know me?" I beckoned. "Because you are harboring a great power within you, and your mother tried to oppress that, but we are here to show you how to control it." I shake my head, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. " Ivy, look at your mother's skin. You did that, only because you were in a situation of danger. Your powers, at the moment, can only arise in those specific moments. But we can help you control them, and use them whenever you want." I turn again, getting to my feet. "I did that?" I ask , pointing a shaking finger at my mother. "Yes, and that's why we shot her. We saved her from a slow painful death due to your unkempt powers. Her death isn't on you sweetie, it's on herself, for not letting us properly teach you to use them." I swallow hard as the silhouette bends over and I can finally see her face. Her hair was slicked back and long, a blood red color, but what really threw me for a loop was her tiger like skin color and features. "Put these on," She carefully hands me two gloves, with black ridges. I stare into her eyes as I put them on. "You are poisonous, Ivy. Come with us, and we'll make sure your powers will be of only good use. We'll make sure you will live up to your true potential." I stare down at my hands. The gloves started to glow a deep green color. "You killed my mother." I say stripping off the gloves throwing them to the ground. "I saved your mother, she would've suffered." I look down at my mother's mutilated body, heart swelling.
"Who are you?" "My name is Greer, but you can call me Tigra. All we want is to help, Ivy." I wasn't sure if going with her was a good idea, but I knew I had no one else in my life who could take care of me, and I indeed had powers I wasn't sure how to control. "What about my mom?" I question, my voice sounding scared and small. Tigra reaches out and grabs my hand, as I flinch. "I'm sorry sweetie, but she isn't coming back. But as long as you keep those gloves on, we can help you control those powers." Tigra bends over, grabbing the gloves, carefully sliding them back onto my shaking hands. "Now will you join us?" I swallow hard. I had no one. The only person I had ever known, dead on the ground beside me. What was I to say? I had nowhere to go. No friends, no family. I was alone. I shook my head. There was no way I'd be alone. I didn't know anything. I looked up to Tigra as a kind smile graced her lips. "If I join you, will you take care of me?" I ask, voice shaking. Tigra nodded, "Of course, you will never feel unloved." She said as she held out her hand. Hesitantly I grabbed her hand as she helped me to my feet. "Welcome to Hydra Ivy."
YOU ARE READING
Civil War
ActionA war between people who care about each other will never be right.
