Ion Heart

Chapter 22: Butterflies and Spaghetti

I breathe slowly, trying to lose the purple hue that clouds my vision. In. Out. Breathe. You're fine. 

Not wanting to be trapped inside, I decide to go for a walk. I find Dad and Steve chopping wood. 

'Hey honey, how are you feeling?' Dad smiles, stopping what he is doing to ruffle my hair. 

'Just... fine.' I reply, hiding my shaking fingers. 'Where is everyone?'

'Bruce and Nat are upstairs, Clint's with Laura and-'

'Thor disappeared.' Steve grumbles. I'm not surprised he's unhappy. He doesn't like secrets. I turn to dad who raises an eyebrow, making me snicker.

'You might want to try harder.' I laugh at dad. 'Steve's beating you.' 

'He's a supersolidier!' Dad exclaims. 'Maybe you could help?'

'I'm good thanks.' I smile sweetly. 

I watch the two for a while, adding the occasional sassy comment much to their annoyance but, at the back of my mind, something calls me. Colours flash through my mind. My breath hitches. I need space. I need air. I need answers. 

I'm walking again. And then I'm running. Where to, I don't know, but I find myself in a forest. I stop to catch my breath in an opening, breathing in the pine air. Blue flashes through my mind. What is wrong with me? 

I jump back as my ion energy sparks from my fingers into flames. My lightning is invisible. I try to focus my breathing. I don't have time for magic.

"Katy? Katy?"

I look around. No one is here. 

"Trust no one."

"How do we do this?"

"Anyone can betray anyone."

I try to scramble away, to escape this torment. Blue clouds my vision. I'm trapped in the nightmare. 

"Stark."

"Agent Carter."

"Katy."

Coulson's hand touches my face. I watch him die. Bullets. More red. Ash and dust sifting through the air. 

Blue. Blue. Blue. 

"I can do this all day."

"Say what you see."

"Play the game."

A red figure swinging past. A ring of sparkles. A spaceship.

"She's strong."

"Fearless."

"Powerful."

Black lightning. A cracked helmet. A broken shield. Clouds turn into storms. Smoke turns into fire. Rain turns into tears.

"Katy?"

"Where are you Katy?"

"I need you Katy!"

So much crying and screaming. So much anger and hate. Loneliness. Loss. Decay. Darkness. 

A whisper. 

"Rise."

My hand shoots out. An eruption of blue flames flare from my fingers, vaporising a tree.
I fall to the ground, gasping for air.