EVERMORE ─ marvel ⁷

X. Directors

Chapter Ten
Soroya

"Are you sure you're ready?" Bucky asks us, glancing between the two of us. "No one will think less of you if you wait-"

"No more waiting," I protest, nodding towards Alex. "It's time."

Alex shrugs. "I got nothing else better to do today."

I woke up this morning with purpose, with drive. There's lot of work to do today, but it can all wait. My goal today, right now, is to shift. I haven't since I was kind controlled, and I've slowly been working up the courage to try. The biggest thing holding me back was fear of the Savage taking control again, but my fear and apprehension of her has greatly decreased since our meeting. I'm not afraid. I feel stronger than I ever have before. I told Alex as much and he seems to be on the same page. He came right over and said he wanted to do it together.

Everyone is here to watch. All the kids, including Zy, who held off a council meeting to come here to support us, are here. Bucky, Khari, Sam, Jade, T'Challa, Nakia, Shuri, Okoye, Everett, and Ana are all here, standing by the house, watching like they're spectators at a sporting event. Jo even has a bag of twizzlers to eat while she watches, and is passing the bag around to the other kids. Each take one, with Stevie snapping his in half and sticking them inside his upper lips to look like fangs. The sight makes Jo and Liam laugh and Livy and Zy roll their eyes.

Alex stretches his arms and shoulders, beginning to jump up and down, hyping himself up. I try to do the same, but I chose to slow my breathing and give myself words of encouragement to get myself prepared. I only feel a little bit of nerves, but nothing too serious. It won't stop me from trying, nothing will.

"What should we shift into? Wolf? Tiger? Bear?"

"How about something not deadly for our first time?"

"Dog?"

"Sure, what kind?"

"I want to be a poodle."

I raise an eyebrow my brother's way. "Have you given this thought or was that just off the top of your head?"

"I think if I were a dog I would be a poodle." He says in an obvious tone, shaking his head as if I've asked something completely ludicrous.

"Alright poodle it is," I reply with a slight smile. "Ready?"

He nods. "Lets do this."

We both take a deep breath and bend down onto all fours, our bodies immediately morphing into the animal form we desire, with no resistance or struggle. I try to keep the image of my brother in mind as I shift, as well as Bucky, my children, my family and friends. When I was teaching Alex how to control his shifting I told him to hold onto his humanity, the things that tether him to this life and this world. My family are who tether me, who make me human and not some wild beast. The Savage is proof that I could have been just that without the love and support of my family. I wrap myself in that love, in the warmth they bring me as I shift, hoping it will be enough to keep me in control.

I stare at Alex, who is now fully shifted, and tilt my head, wondering if I'm still gazing at my brother, or his alter ego. I don't think it's the Shifter. After all, I'm still in control, not the Savage, but I don't want to immediately jump to conclusions. I think the Savage can sense my anxiety regarding Alex, I can feel her present in the back of my mind like the hum of an electrical wire. It's comforting, which is odd. My powers flaring up have never been a source of comfort, but I think it's because I never thought of them as a living thing like I do now. I don't mind it though, I like it better this way.