Elemental {Avengers}

48. The art of tension

Maeve

I hit the ground on the forest floor, not badly injured, but still bruised, my body aching from the exertion of standing up, limping towards a tree to lean on. Even though my controlled body didn't feel pain, it seemed to be smart enough to not completely destroy it.

Frost coated the forest floor, the trees, the leaves. But Thor didn't seem bothered, he didn't even shiver. He just looked at my face, concerned and yet determined.

I flicked the switch in my soul, and fire burned around me, longing for a chance to show itself after so long caged up inside me. I felt me whole body burn brightly, and I channelled that energy to Thor, a whole dragon's breath of fire and smoke. Mjolnir swung in his hand, deflecting the fire. It lit up the whole clearing, like an enormous light, creating ominous shadows against the trees. 

I formed a ball of fire in my hand, shooting it at Thor, who dodged, walking towards me. I made another, then another and another, but he was too damn strong, dodging with ease, or deflecting them with Mjolnir.

I picked a fallen gun from the forest floor, shooting it at his face, the only unprotected part of his body. I then came at him, flipped and kicked him in the face, this time actually hitting him for once. He swung at me with Mjolnir, but I dodged, instead wrapping around his back and stabbing him in the Deltoid, where I knew it would hurt. His armour was thick, so it was a shallow cut, but he groaned out and took a step back, rallying his powers while I jumped off him, catching my breath.

He wielded the hammer, and I attacked with some icicle knives, a fast-paced dance, parrying and lunging, countermove after countermove. It got even more fast paced, and Thor wasn't even tired, compared to me, puffing and panting. The pace heightened, and there was an opening he left, and I took it, lunging my knife towards his chest, but it was a trap, and he stabbed me, right in the stomach. The world stopped for a few seconds.

I took a few steps back, the pain having not reached my brain yet, my breath coming out and in in white puffs. I would survive this. I had too. Right? I had too. I had no other choice. I could survive this. I could. I was the experiment, I was Maeve, I was Roza. This wouldn't be the end of me.

Ice again coated the trees and floor and everything, snow started falling, hitting my cheeks, thunder rolled and lighting crashed. Thor pausing before approaching, he flipped his hammer around in his hand and finally stepped towards me, as if nervous about attacking an injured person. I wasn't no Cap, that was for sure, I couldn't have survived a head on collision from Mjolnir, nor could I have survived a full in lightening strike. Yes, I might have been enhanced, well-trained, powered up, but I was still no match for Thor. Not by a long shot.

I even doubted my survival with Loki if he hadn't held back. Nat and Cap would have beat me in hand-to-hand combat, same went with Clint in long-distance shooting. Tony would have beat me in all fields, the Hulk as well. But one thing was for certain, I was their family now, they cared for me. I could use that against them. Even Thor, who already seemed uncertain as to how to approach the situation.

The controlled-me decided to attack him head-on, swiping out with an icicle, but he deflected easily. I tried again. And again, and again. Nothing worked. I knew nothing would work. I had known that all along. I was way too weak from the stabbing, the exertion of fighting. 

Nothing would work. Not even running away. Not even calling out for help. I was completely, utterly alone.

As I had been this whole time. Alone and afraid.

I had been alone in the Red Room, curled up in the corner of a cell.

I had been alone with Andrei, never able to escape his clutch.