(On Hold) Stepping Stones | Avengers FF

2 - Don't Be A Hero

RECAP

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"Go straight to your room and start your chores, I'll be up in a minute." She did as I said and when Mother went to reach for her I 'coincidentally' got in the way. Once Marlee had gone up the stairs I turned to Mother ready for however she was going to approach this.

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I shrunk under the glare of Mother's eyes, she was a mean thing to look at. A crooked nose like a vultures beak and a mustache any pre-adolescent boy would be jealous of. She motioned me to her office and stiffly turned around leading the way. I followed her quietly and obediently, I'm already in deep shit.

"What the hell do you think you're doing. First you are late, by five minutes no less, and then you allow your little friend to leave when I didn't give you permission!" She took a step closer as she said this and I matched it with a backwards step of my own.

"I want to take both punishments for myself," I could feel my hand trembling and Mother could see it judging by the pleased gleam in her eye.

"Well then, I accept your request. You will report back to me once your chores are done and then you will receive 10 strikes and spend the night in the cages." My eye widened with fear, the cages are the worst. I can handle pain but my fear of cages gives me flashbacks, it's crippling.

"T-the cages Ma'am?" my voice cracked even as I tried to keep it steady. I saw her arm swing at me from the corner of my left eye but I let it meet my cheek. I felt the stinging pain and my eyes began to water from the impact.

"That's Mother to you brat," she spat, "and yes, I know how much you love the cages so you will spend the night in there. Any objections will land you in there for the next week."

I nodded hurriedly, "yes Mother I will be back here once I complete my chores." With that I scurried out before she could do anything else. Too late I heard her yell my name and stopped,

"Pardon, Mother?" She poked her head out the door.

"I said, bring me the other one when she finishes her chores, she will be receiving 2 strikes as a reduced punishment but a punishment none the less." Shit. That wasn't the plan but her face left no room for argument, "Oh and Riley dear?"

"Yes Mother?"

"Don't try to be a hero, you'll just ruin more lives" With that her head retreated around the corner and I was left to go find Marlee. 'You'll just ruin more lives'? I guess she isn't wrong. I gave the whole vigilante thing one go. Ruined a lawyer firm building and set the press in chaos. Doesn't sound like a complete failure right? Yes, well, I also killed someone. I had been fighting some guys holding hostages and had got most people out, one of the guys were trying to grab a man's arm to use as a human shield so I shot a large rock at him, easy target simple job. But he tripped. A bloody professional criminal took that one moment to trip, like it wouldn't inconvenience someone. The rock smashed one of the beams and some of the roof fell down, it landed on both guys and killed them. It was my first kill since being away from Them.

"Marlee!" No answer.

"AVA!" What the hell? Where is everyone? I made my way upstairs to find the girls, still thinking about everything that happened in Mother's office.

The cages. I can't believe it. I was being put in the CAGES. The last time I was in there the flashbacks were so bad I almost lost controls of my powers, which trust me, is a hard thing to do. Every time it just goes back to my time with Them. I don't even know who They were.

I reached the top of the stairs and could hear crying.

"Mars?" I rounded a corner and headed into the next door to see Marlee curled up and sobbing into her knees.

"H-hey Riley" She looked up and I saw her puffy, red eyes. "Am... am I getting strikes?"

I sat down next to her and put my arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, we were two minutes late but I promise they will be over quickly and we will all be ready to help you," I stood up and held my hand out to her, "Mother wants you now so we better get going." God, I felt like I was leading someone to their death sentence, it was never easy to tell someone they are getting punished.

Marlee took my hand and wiped her eyes, "I guess I'd better go then..."

We walked down the hall and back down the stairs, all the girls were waiting at the bottom. The only way we survive is by supporting each other, a big family. I handed Marlee over to Charlie and Ava to go to Mother's office.

"I have to do my chores before it's my turn" I told them.

"Hey Riley?" Jayla was quiet and looking at me in the eye.

"Yeah?"

"I... I overheard you and Mother." She flicked her eyes to the other girls and they looked at me weirdly.

"Don't worry about that noth-" I was cut off by Charlie still with Marlee standing by her.

"No. What happened Jay, tell us."

"Well I heard them talking... and Ri took both her and Marlee's punishment, but they were really five minutes late so now Ri has ten strikes... and... and the cages."

"THE CAGES!? Riley no!" This time it was Iris. I looked down at her and gave her a sad smile.

"I wouldn't and can't change what happened. Now then Charlie, Ava you two take Marlee and everyone else get to work." With that I marched back up the stairs to my room and begun cleaning it for inspection.

I was mopping the floor when I heard Marlee cry out. I winced in sympathy, at least I was able to save her from three of her strikes. I was going past the mirror when I noticed the rock along my arm. That shouldn't be happening already. I had a transformation like last month or something. I pulled up my sleeve and saw that it spread all the way up my arm to a large spike on my shoulder.

When I don't mutate for a while my power starts pushing itself to the surface which starts morphing my skin into stone. If I let it continue it will fully break free and take over but it doesn't have that much warning, one time it happened in the bathroom at school. Problem this time is that I did it last month sometime and usually I get at least 2 months until I need to do it again. Hopefully it's a one-time thing, otherwise I'm screwed.

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Enjoy the second chapter!

Stay safe.

- C.O.W