EVERMORE ─ marvel ⁷

III. Aid

Chapter Three
Liam

"Mom, please calm down."

"Calm down? My baby is about to fight against an alien army and you're asking me to calm down?" She snaps.

"I'll be fine," I try to sound as convincing and reassuring as possible. "I'll be by Stevie's side the whole time, I'll have a suit to protect me, and I'll have my powers."

"Is Steve there with you now?" Dad asks, sounding as worried as Mom.

He is. We've been helping Shuri and her scientists pack up weapons for the battle in London and Beijing, the ones for D.C. have already been shipped. But I decided to take a moment to call my parents and tell them what's going on and make sure they both stay in California. I don't want them anywhere near the east coast.

I hand the phone to Stevie, who says in a cheery tone: "Rhoda, Adnan, how you doing?"

"Steven Barnes you promise me right now that you will protect my son during this battle."

All cheeriness fades from Stevie's face and tone as he replies: "I swear to you that I will protect him with my life. I won't let anything happen to him. I promise."

"We will hold you to that promise, Steven." Dad now chimes in.

I take the phone back from him and say: "I have to go, the others still need our help to prepare for the battle. I'll call you again when I have time."

"Okay, honey. Be careful." Mom says.

"We love you." Dad responds.

"I love you guys, too."

I end the call, slipping my phone back into my pocket. Stevie grabs onto my hands and pulls me towards him, enveloping me in an embrace. He holds onto my shoulder tightly, placing a kiss right above my collarbone, making my skin prickle with goosebumps.

"I'm sorry my parents were kind of harsh with you." I whisper against his shoulder.

I feel one of Stevie's hands leave my shoulder and rise up to the back of my head, his fingers sinking into my hair, which is currently pulled back in a ponytail. "I meant what I said to them, I won't let anything happen to you."

I slowly pull back from him, needing to see his face. His hands are now on my biceps, his head leaning against mine. "Your protectiveness is sweet...and kinda hot."

Stevie grins. "You shouldn't flirt with me like that, we have work to do."

I shrug. "Can't help saying what's true."

"Alright love birds, I need you over here for a second." Shuri says with a clearing of her throat.

Stevie and I reluctantly walk cross the lab to where the princess stands in front of what looks like a mannequin. On the mannequin is a forest green vibranium suit, with designs of vines snaking down the body, all stemming from the neckline. The suit covers everything except the head. When I step forward and touch it, I am shocked to feel plant life inside of it, I feel it's energy clear as day.

"I've been working on a suit for you for a while and I've just managed to figure it out thanks to Analiese. You asked her a few weeks ago to run some tests on you to find out answers about your powers and she never got back to you, it's because I hijacked her study and used the research to create your suit. Your powers are actually really fascinating. You basically have the power to create light."

"Light?"

"You can produce the same light energy the sun does, which allows you to manipulate photosynthesis, thus controlling plants. I embedded the suit with the minerals necessary to support plant life, then I added a few plants that you will be able to manipulate. As you could guess from the designs, I have a lot of vines loaded in this thing, I have been told it's your preferred plant to control. In the arms I put some rose thorns which can appear and retract at your will. I also installed some tree roots in the feet. What do you think?"