Philophobia ➤ W.M.

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With Astrilde's POV

  The moment Iarund gave up, Astrilde saw. By no means had the man seemed hopeful when he first arrived, but she could tell that look from anywhere. It was the same look she had seen on Loki when she had visited him in his prison cell years ago. She just hadn't recognized it at the time.

  Just because Iarund gave up, didn't mean Astrilde would. She had heard Wanda yell her name, and she wasn't about to let the Sokovian fall into Ari's grasp. Yes, maybe Astrilde had fallen hard for the other brunette. Not that she would admit it. It was difficult enough trying to focus on her love powers, not to mention trying to sort out any romantic love she held for the other woman.

  Surprise echoed in Astrilde's body, and her eyes widened tremendously. She hadn't ever admitted to herself that she had fallen in love with Wanda. When had she fallen, though? It was before they had even gotten into that nightmare of an argument just a week or two ago. Perhaps it had been not long after Ultron had destroyed half of Sokovia.

  Astrilde clenched her fist in thought of that evil robot. She could rave on and on– wait... her fist is clenched. She shouldn't be able to move. Ari had ensured that with his powers, which she knew were still held over her. Instead of it feeling like she was stuck in concrete, it felt like she was in a pool of water (very easy to move, but she could still feel the tension).

  She stiffened, though barely. The newfound opportunity that she had come across was too good to pass up. Her restraint also stopped her from knocking Ari straight out. So many things could go wrong, and while he hadn't killed her yet, there was no evidence that he wouldn't if it was his only option.

  So, she stayed as still as she could, breathing calmly under Ari's grasp, and hoping that Iarund (the supposed brother of Ari) would notice her fingers twitching. While Iarund's motives were widely unknown, they had a common enemy, so maybe he would team up with her. It was stupidly hopeful, but she desperately reached out for eye contact. As soon as brown met brown, she knew he had noticed. His head tipped imperceptibly–a clear signal.

  "Let the princess go, Ari. You're a fugitive, and you need to be taken in. Nobody has to get hurt." Iarund's words were somewhat of an attempt to get Ari on the good side, but mostly to distract him so Astrilde could make her move. Tony's going to hate fixing this.

  Suddenly, everything turned. Iarund moved at a fast pace, zigzagging to avoid any explosions Ari could send his way. Just a second later, Astrilde slammed her elbow into Ari's gut, causing him to fall backwards. She didn't stop her momentum, jumping away from Ari while he was dazed. She ignored the aching pain, which faded with the rush of adrenaline running through her veins.

  She was breathing heavily, overwhelmed by the amount of magic she was using to keep her body moving, along with the sudden movements. Astrilde crouched behind broken concrete, watching Iarund while she recovered. He was quick, and his movements were calculated, even more so than Ari.

  A hard blow from Iarund's knee struck Ari's nose. Astrilde swore she could hear the crack of the cartilage breaking, but she was a bit dazed, so who knew. Still, Ari recovered almost immediately after he had reeled back, and grabbed Iarund's leg to throw him over his shoulder. Astrilde swore she could feel the impact as he slammed into the concrete, the surface breaking under the force.

  Before Ari could deal a finishing blow (or explode something) Astrilde moved to deal with him. While she wasn't sure that the man wouldn't use his powers on her, she had to risk it in order to take down Ari for good. She just hoped that he wanted this fight on an even playing field. With those overbearing thoughts in mind, she pushed past the pain and made a sweep for his legs. Ari easily dodged the move, which was expected, so she knew not to give him time to recover. A nicely aimed punch went hurtling toward his face, which he blocked. Their eyes met, and for a second she could tell he was trying to use his powers on her.