The Flame (Avengers Fanfiction)

13-Rhiannon

I shut my eyes, the almost of silence of woods calming me. In front of me was a small house in the middle of a large clearing. A cute little quaint cottage that I had gotten when as soon as I could. It's small, a two bedroom, but it's mine. Leading to the house is a long gravel driveway, even though I never drive here. Flames flicker on my fingertips, waiting impatiently.

I'm halfway there when I stop, standing on the hard gravel leading to the house. The flame disappears for a moment and I take off my jacket, then my shirt. My pants and shoes follow suit, leaving me in my bra and panties. I kick my clothes away just before the flames appear once more, crawling up my legs. They needed out and I was going to give in to them.

It's something I rarely do, letting the flames fully take over. Sure during the Incident I let the flames crawl all over my body, but I was still me. This was different. So much different. I tilted my head back up the slightly grey sky as the flame climbed higher and higher. I am fire.

Clint hated when I let the flames do this. He hated the fire. The mere mention of this name makes the fire grow brighter and stronger. My underwear burns up as the flame crawls up my skin. I let myself float upwards a few feet off the ground. The gold and orange crawls up my stomach and then my chest, making my burning bra fall from my body. I manage to put it out before it hits the gravel. The fire crawls up my neck and I shut my eyes as it reaches my face. My body moves so it's laying down in the air, my arms laying on either side of me. It's like I'm laying in bed, instead I'm in the air and on fire-so it's a little different I guess.

I had told Tony what I would be doing today and he sent me upstate with a kiss on my forehead, a backpack filled with food, and keys. He knew that letting the fire do this takes a toll on my body and I would need time to recover. But he also know my powers weren't as strong if I didn't do this. So with a quick prayer to whoever was listening, I opened my eyes and mouth and let the flames take over.

-

Hours later I woke up, face pressed into the gravel. I had started before the sun had fully risen and it was now pitch black out. I winced and roll onto my back. I've never burned for that long-but that's not something I can exactly control. I stand up, wincing even more as the rocks dig into my skin. I gather my clothes and backpack, making my way to the house.  My skin was warm, even though I was naked and it was currently fall in New York State. The wind rustled the trees that were surrounding clearing.

I opened the door as soon as I reached it and dropped my clothes and snack filled bag. Last week I sent a trusted housekeeper to come clean up and paid her generously. She did more than just clean up. She also stocked the cottage with some food. God, I'm spoiled. The scent of clean linen enveloped me and I smiled. I locked the door behind me and I walked further into the house.

As I moved, lights switched on for me. My house purred as it woke up.  Of course JARVIS was hooked up in the cottage. Tony, when I first told him about the necessity of the burning, had this cottage built with JARVIS hooked up in it to keep an eye on me. Big Brother, always watching me. I walked into the bedroom and grabbed a red silk robe, slipping it on as I walked back to kitchen.

"J, let Anthony know I'm back." I say as I open the fridge door. I stand there for a moment before grabbing a water.

"Yes of course, Miss Stark. Shall I play your calming music?" JARVIS responds while I opened my water bottle and downed it. After I had explained to him what the Burning was, Banner thought it might be a good idea if I listened to calming music afterwards to fully bring me down. I promised him that I would do it and the smile he gave me afterwards made the promise worth it.

"Give me a "Rhiannon", J." I responded and within moments, Stevie Nicks' voice fills the cottage.

"Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night
And wouldn't you love to love her?
Takes to the sky like a bird in flight
And who will be her lover?"

I knew when my sleeping schedule started to get even more inconsistent that I needed to get out as soon as I could. When the mood swings started, I knew I wasn't moving fast enough. It wasn't until I accidentally burned a pillow that I knew I had to go.

"All your life you've never seen a woman
Taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you heaven?
Will you ever win?"

-

Peyton had been quiet since that day in Washington D.C. Clint was waiting for some cops to show up or for Laura to find out what he had done, but there had been nothing.  Peyton didn't contact him, nor did her lawyers. The trashy celebrity news that Laura occasionally watched didn't even speak of Peyton. If they were talking about a Stark, it was Tony, but it seemed like the news left him alone as well.

That was concerning.

The trashy celebrity news programs and magazines would never leave the Starks alone. There was always something to write about with those two. But now, there was nothing. It was like the calm before the storm.

And Clint was scared shitless.

-

Kill Bill Volume 2 was playing on the TV as I put together my dinner. I hummed to the tune of Rhiannon as I bustled around the kitchen. I was always starving after a Burning. At the moment, I felt as if I have never ever eaten before. So I piled food on top of my plate, setting it down on the counter. I was still wearing my red silk robe and I having the time of my life. I picked up my plate to walk over to the table when I caught the reflection of my face in the mirror.

The bruise was practically gone so I didn't bother to cover it up before I left. The skin where the bruise had been was still slightly sensitive. The flame inside of me purred slightly as I started to grow angry, but I turned my head away and continued my walk to the table. Just as I put the plate back down, there was knock on the door. My eyes widened slightly and my heart beat quickened. I reached under the table and grabbed the gun hidden there. No one knows about this place-only Tony. Breathe. Breathe. I took the safety off my gun and walked to the front door. There was another knock on the door and I looked through the little peephole. Behind the door was a little girl. I put the gun behind my back and opened the door.

"I-I need help! A-A bad guy took me!" The girl had tears running down her face and her clothes were torn. Her blond pigtails were messy and her face was bruised. I didn't let my guard down and looked behind the girl, trying to spot any human like shapes in the forest around the house. My eyes were narrowing on the figure of man walking out of the forest when I felt a sharp jab in my bare thigh. I jerked back as cold liquid flooded into my body. I looked down and saw a syringe in my thigh.

"Motherfucker!" I cried out, my lower half growing numb. The little girl smiled before shifting into a older woman, just as my legs gave out.  The numbness climbed up my body and I was helpless as the women leaned over and jammed another syringe in my neck. I looked up at her smirking face before my world turned black.