I Thought You Were Different: Part 6

Blame

Joyous moments weren't meant to last, at least not in your family. It had come to be expected after so many of them had found their way to you, so even though you had just heard the news of your son's engagement that made Steve smile genuinely for the first time in days, the feeling couldn't last through the slamming door and heavy feet of two of your best friends entering your room in a rage.

"Who in the hell thought it would be a good idea to talk about what's going on without making sure that Becca couldn't hear?" Bucky snapped, looking to everyone in the room. "She thinks it's her fault now and wants to move to Xavier's."

"What?" you asked in surprise. "Why would she think this is her fault?"

"She overheard Banner and Cho talking to Wanda and Vision."

"And just because her powers go a little wonky it doesn't automatically mean it's her," Sam added, only creating even more confused stares. "Where's Bruce anyway? I think we need to have a little talk with that guy."

Steve already had his phone out to send a fast text to the doctor, nervously typing as quickly as he could despite the shake in his fingers. He didn't want this to be put on Becca; she was so young, and she would take this personally and definitely to heart when it was something she couldn't control, if it really was her creating the problem with him and Buck. It only stung at Steve's heart that much more when he imagined the pain they both felt, being fathers and daughter, and having this be something that could change their lives forever and not in a good way. He had felt the pain of loss of a child in his life himself, and he wouldn't wish that on anyone, even if only loss by distance.

"Hey doc," you greeted Bruce as he came into the room, "Buck and Sam want to know what you said to Wanda and Viz. Becca overheard the conversation and now she's convinced that this is all because of her."

Bruce stopped and looked at the pair, the two of them glaring at him as if they could attack at any second if he so much as thought the wrong words before even saying them. He carefully took off his glasses out of pure habit, and maybe a little bit of safety if anyone took a swing at him, slipping them into his pocket with one hand as he rubbed the fatigue and regret from his eyes with the other. "Well," he began, "I'm really sorry that she overheard what we were saying. We should've spoken in private."

"Damn right," Bucky interjected.

"Also...she's right. It is her."

"Hold up, so what she heard about the Iridium stuff is true?"

"I'm sorry, Sam, but yes. Her ferrokinesis has grown considerably stronger since she was at Xavier's. So strong that she's pulling your blood apart with the Iridium used to make the serum."

"Why would they use-" Steve tried, but you cut him off.

"To stabilize your body's reaction to the serum...shit, Shuri was right," you groaned, turning away as you thought. "It was used to stabilize the portal from the Tesseract, remember?"

"Which is why she's reacting," Bruce added, taking slow steps across the room to stand at your side. He lowered his voice some, but it didn't matter when Bucky and Sam were quick to join him. "(Y/N), Becca is different from the other kids. She was born...after..."

"After what?"

"After..." he started over, "after Thanos."

"So?" Bucky shrugged, looking to Sam to add his own confusion, but he stood steady and listened for more.

"You were the only one that the Gauntlet touched," Bruce went on. "We think that she has traces of energy from each infinity stone within her. The Iridium that was used on the Tesseract left a specific signature behind with it, and her power is drawn to it now. Unfortunately...we have no way to stop it. Even if we gave Steve and Bucky the new formula that you took, it wouldn't remove the metal from their bloodstreams."