Healing

Chapter Eight-Dark and Light

*Percy's POV*

The park has been blocked off because of the strangeness, but that isn't a problem for a sixteen-year-old, a soldier, and an ex-assassin. Bucky, Steve, and I sneak in while the rest of the team does their best to blend into the surroundings around the other entrances. We make it to the center of the park where I was last night pretty easily. "Ready?" I ask them and Steve pulls his shield out of a tire cover with a nod.

"Careful, kiddo." Bucky knuckles under my chin before both men move over beside a tree and bend down with the shield in front of them. I start off just as I did last night with deep breaths and the pushing and pulling of the energy within me. It comes easier than ever before and soon I'm glowing along with the ground around me. I spare a moment to send a glowing thumbs up to my men behind the shield, then hover in place as my hair rises off my neck. I lift my hands and push the energy out. Green bursts around me almost instantaneously as everything returns to twice its former glory along with my wave of blue. I make the full circle until everything is restored, then pull the power back in and as the glow fades, I fall back onto my feet. Grinning wide, I look over at Bucky and Steve who are just now standing.

"Well. Goddamn, kid." Bucky breathes but seems more in awe than worried, so that's good.

"You did say she looked like a star before, Buck." Steve teases a bit shakily and tugs me close with an arm loose around my shoulders. "Now she's just more like a sun." He leans down and brushes his lips over my hair and I'm glad he seems to be taking this in his stride. Bucky's staring at me just like when I graduated high school. Like he's re-realizing that I'm not that nine-year-old girl he found on the street anymore.

"Dad?" I call and take his left hand. "You okay?" His hand grips mine and he drifts a bit closer.

"Yeah, baby doll, I'm fine. Shell-shocked, but fine. You really are...something else." I smile at what I think he means as a compliment and press a butterfly kiss to his hand to finally get a smile out of him. We all slip out of the park and drive away just as the news vans show up, but I swear I see a shadow lurking behind a tree as we leave. We get back to the facility and Tony immediately intercepts me.

"We could just barely see your glow from the street. Could you show me? Just a minute so I can get a reading?" He pleads with his hands held together like a prayer. I laugh as we come back from the garage and my eyes go to Bucky.

"Dad, could I show off a bit for Tony?" I ask and his eyes soften.

"You do whatever you want, Percy." He says and the words have more meaning than they seem to. Grinning happily, I step back from the group of people and hold my arms out from me. The blue glow encases me like a blue flame and I smile at everyone's face. It's hard to catch this group off guard.

"Wouldn't do that, Tony-" Natasha warns too late as Tony touches a hesitant finger to my hand. He shivers and jumps back as if shocked, then grins.

"Wow." He exclaims and I turn it off, dropping back onto my feet.

"Are you okay?" I ask concernedly and put a hand on his shoulder. His eyes are wide and excited.

"Exhilarated, little genius," Tony responds and blinks.

"Might've lost a few grey hairs there, Tony," Sam comments as Peter walks over and lends Tony a shoulder.

"Wouldn't mind that." He chuckles and looks back to me. "Might need another demonstration later with things to really get to the root of what's going on, but right now I think I actually need to sit down." Natasha comes close to his other side and we all follow them inside, but Tony doesn't seem weaker. Quite the opposite actually. He just seems unused to his newfound strength. Bucky comes close to me with a small smirk on his face as we head up the stairs.