A/N: So, I am sooooo sorry for not updating in like a million and a half years- aka about three weeks... I just got back from visiting my family back in Florida and watching my brother graduate from high school. (A full author's note on that can be seen once I post the new chapter of Step-By-Step, which just got posted a bit ago)
As it is, I had this idea while I was between flights and decided to go ahead and type a chapter or so of it, while the idea was fresh.
Apologies also needed because I have joined the "let's pair an OC with Quicksilver" bandwagon... and I didn't mean to, I swear! I'm very particular about using OC only because I never want them to come off as a Mary Sue or a Gary Stu... Also, because when I plan an OC it ends up taking anywhere between two and three years for it to be planned out ENTIRELY. (For proof see my Harry Potter story which is like seven years in the making, and two re-writes in now...) But I was sort of ... Hit with this OC and ended up planning out her entire back story and idea in like two days.
So, the story will take place a bit before and then during Age of Ultron; and possibly after that? I'm kinda going in with no plan here, like with Step-By-Step... So if you guys like it, let me know, and if you don't well tell me anyway? I like reviews even when they have criticism or flames, because it means that someone has read my work.
In other news, I still don't own Marvel or any of the characters- it's a work in progress, you know? -just my plot! Enjoy!
You Didn't See That Coming
Chapter One: Friends
The first time he saw her, it was an accident; he was just out on a run- he got so cramped being hidden away in the hide out Strucker had picked out for them that he had to get out every once in awhile -and just happened to catch sigh of her. She was a pretty girl, tiny with delicate limbs and delicate features that reminded him of fairies or elves. Her golden hair was long, even in a loose braid down her back, but the front strands framed her heart -shaped face and accented her big thick lashed eyes. She was pretty in a way that many wouldn't notice, her eyes were just too dark blue, her tan just a little dark, and her cheeks and nose covered in just too many freckles, but this wasn't what the speedster noticed. It was the glowing green energy on her hands, and the rapidly growing tomato plants under the glowing energy. Seeing this made the speedster do something that he rarely did: stop short.
"How did you-"
He didn't finish the statement, but his words scared the girl and made her jump a good foot above the ground, and lose concentration on what she was doing. She turned her dark blue eyes on Pietro, her hands still glowing green.
"Where did you come from?" She asked, her voice a bit shaky.
To answer this, though, the speedster needed to know where it was he had stopped, so he glanced around. Behind them, about thirty or forty feet up a sloping hill, was a modest apartment complex. The patch that the girl was hovering over was only about five feet by five feet, but it was hidden in the underbrush of the beginnings of the forest behind the apartments.
"I was out for a run..." Pietro answered honestly," I... I noticed what you were doing and it surprised me into a stop... How do you-"
"Oh, this?" The girl gestured with her still glowing hands. Pietro nodded as answer and she chewed her lip thoughtfully." Could you hold that thought? It's really hard to hold onto Nature Aura for too long and my tomatoes really need the boost..."
Pietro had no clue what she was talking about, but he nodded and the girl turned her back to him. She let her hands hover over the small garden for a moment or two before the glow faded and the plants had grown another inch or two. Once finished, the girl turned back towards the silver haired speedster and gave him a curious glance.
"You have them too, don't you?" She asked." Powers, I mean... That's how you came out of nowhere... How I didn't see you jogging up the path or anything."
"Something like that," Pietro admitted. The girl nodded and played with a loose strand of blonde hair." What is it that you just did, exactly?"
"Oh that?" She asked, gesturing back towards her plants." Simple aura exchange... I can harness all types of aura, but Nature Aura is the easiest to find... I just take a little from the forest," She nodded towards the trees behind them," And put it into my garden. I use the food for myself and some of the other families here... Saves everyone some money that they don't have lately..."
Pietro still had a lot of questions, but it was getting dark, and he knew that someone would realize how long he had been gone, soon. The girl seemed just as preoccupied by the darkening sky and she turned towards him again.
"I have to get back..." She nodded at the apartments." I'm supposed to watch my neighbor's children tonight..."
She seemed unsure of how to move forward from this odd encounter so Pietro spoke up.
"What's your name?"
"Skyla DeMar... Yours?"
"Pietro..." He said, withholding his last name out of habit. Skyla nodded and then turned to leave. She had only walked a few feet before Pietro decided to speak again." Skyla?" She turned at her name and nodded for him to continue." Can I come back and see you?"
"If that's what you want..." Skyla said with a soft smile." I wouldn't be opposed to it so long as you can keep my powers a secret... I don't really want to be experimented on anymore."
It wasn't until he was halfway back to the base that he realized that she had said "anymore" and not simply that she didn't want to be experimented on.
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The next time that he saw her was only a week later; he had tried to wait as long as he could- long enough that Strucker wouldn't notice his absence and Wanda would be properly occupied for awhile, but he felt his natural curiosity weighing on his mind. He wanted to see Skyla again, ask her some of the questions he had compiled in his mind, and maybe get some answers. So, he timed his run for the same time as before, and he wasn't disappointed.
"You said you didn't want to be experimented on anymore," He said as he skidded to a stop beside the blonde woman," That means you've been experimented on before."
"Hello Pietro," Skyla said after a moment of catching her breath from the very unflattering squeak she had made upon his stop." Perhaps there will be a time that you don't scare the living crap out of me upon arrival..."
"You didn't answer me."
"You didn't ask a question," She pointed out," You merely made a statement, as true as that statement was."
"What's your story, Skyla?" Pietro asked, his mind jumbled, and his list of questions forgotten now that she was right in front of him. She sighed, playing with the leaves of one of her plants, as if thinking over her answer.
"Come sit," She said, gesturing to a crude stone bench off to the side of her garden. Pietro was hesitant to sit, but settled himself beside her as she sat and then waited." I was a part of some experiments, a trial run as far as I know. I was let go from the program because, even though my survival was a surprise, I gave them no definite results. It wasn't until later that any real effects of the experimentation began to show. I believe my first encounter was when I ran away from my foster family and was attacked by a man in an alley. I felt this crackling energy rolling off of the light posts, and it just came to me... The man was electrocuted by what seemed like this invisible force that I had caused. It was a very long road, coming from that scared seventeen year old girl, to the control I have now, a years later."
"So your powers were given to you, as well," Pietro said softly.
"I am to assume that means your powers were not natural?"
"My sister and I volunteered to be experimented on," Pietro admitted," We wanted to make a difference... Thought maybe if we had powers, we could do just that."
"Well I commend your bravery," Skyla said leaning back against the bench, playing with her hair." I was not given a choice... I was taken from the orphanage that I was in, at the time... I think I was eight, or nine? I know I was ten when they let me go and dumped me into a foster home. Not a bad one, but still not a place I wanted to be. Hence the running away part of my story."
"Don't you want more than this?" Pietro asked, gesturing at her garden, the apartments, and metaphorically Sokovia." Don't you want to do something bigger? Something good with all this bad?"
Skyla glanced around where his hands gestured, as if thinking over his every word. In the end she stayed silent for a long moment before standing up with a sigh.
"Yes, sometimes I do, Pietro... The problem is knowing what is truly good," She admitted. But then she was leaving him behind, with nothing but her tomatoes as company.
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The next time he saw her, he had to apologize.
"I'm sorry."
This time Skyla didn't flinch or jump at his arrival, rather she ignored him to finish what she was doing. He moved slowly- something he hated doing -over to her side to see what it was she was doing. Cradled in her hands was a small robin, young by the looks of it. Her hands were glowing golden this time, and the bird's wing- which was bent a little -was moving back into place as she concentrated. Her eyes were closed tight, and her brows were furrowed as she forced the aura outwards from herself and into the bird she was holding. Another moment of silence and the bird took off, its wing fixed.
"You don't have to apologize to me, Pietro," Skyla said glancing at him, now knelt down beside her at the edge of her tiny garden." It's not like we're friends having a fight."
"We could be," Pietro said hesitantly. Skyla didn't speak, looking at him curiously and waiting for him to elaborate." The only friend I've ever had is my sister... Maybe it would be okay to have another. And if I was going to pick someone to be my friend, you would be a good choice."
"Because I have powers?"
"Because you are honest, and I need that sometimes," Pietro corrected. Skyla nodded at this, thinking his words over and then meeting his blue eyes with her darker ones. Pietro was taken, once again, by how pretty she was; the problem was that it was the kind of pretty that many people would overlook because of small details. Her eyes were just too dark blue, or her features just too small set, and her cheeks covered in just too many freckles. She was, for all intents and purposes, beautiful; but the world would overlook that because of the minor details. Pietro knew the feeling of being looked over, of being invisible.
"Why are you staring at me, Pietro?"
He realized that he rather liked the sound of his name coming from her lips; it didn't have the same harsh tone that the scientists and soldiers did, but not the soft lilt from his sister's accent and loving tone, either. No, Skyla's voice was soft and careful, as if she was still unsure of what to do with him, or about him.
"You are rather beautiful Skyla," Pietro said with a soft smile," I am lucky to have a rather beautiful friend..."
Skyla blushed at this, the freckles over her nose and cheeks standing out against the deep pink, but smiled all the same.
"I haven't agreed to be your friend yet, Pietro," She said with a teasing lilt in her careful voice, this time. He smiled back at her, urging out the answer she knew he wanted." Alright... We can be friends... Dare I say I could use it too."
And so began their friendship.
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Skyla was accustomed to being alone; she had been alone since she was left at the orphanage at birth, and she was alone now as a young woman. She preferred to be alone because people sacred her. People made promises they didn't mean- "Of course we want to adopt you, Sky... but we just can't right now..." / "These trials won't hurt at all! You'll be helping your country make scientific breakthroughs!" / "You'll always be our favorite, we just can't keep you any longer..." / "You're progressing wonderfully in the trials! We have high hopes for you, Skyla!" -and they hurt her. People lied, and stole, and cheated everyone around them, sometimes even people they said they loved.
People were the reason that Skyla preferred to be alone.
And yet here she was, spending two or three hours every other day with a person; a person like her. Skyla wasn't stupid- actually she was rather smart -and she had put two and two together about Pietro's stories about his and his sister's powers, even if he hadn't yet realized the connection. They were the second set of trials that Skyla heard about; the trials that came after her own. He and his sister were the "success" that the doctors had had such "high hopes" for; hopes that had once been directed at her, as she sailed through their experiments.
Yes, people lied about and hurt everything. But Pietro didn't hurt.
"Here," His voice brushed against her neck, the warm breath sending shivers down her back as he shoved something into her hands. She glanced down at the package he had offered her and then up to his icy blue eyes.
"What is this, Pietro?" Skyla asked staring at the hastily wrapped box. She liked the feeling of his name rolling off of her tongue, the syllables matching nicely with the man in front of her.
"You have to open it to find out, don't you?" Pietro teased. His eyes always glazed over a bit when she said his name, and they were just coming back into focus now. She glanced down and started to carefully unwrap the paper, folding it neatly beside her as she took the lid off of the box. The box was only about the size of her palm, and as she opened it, she realized it didn't need to be big. Inside was a delicate, but strong, silver chain and at the end of the chain was a heavy silver locket.
"What is this?" She repeated, tracing a finger down the smooth surface of the locket- about the size of a half dollar with a thick hinge on one side. She felt wind whip around her as the necklace was taken from her fingers, and then clasped around her neck; Pietro returned in front of her, his movements too quick for her to argue.
"It's a locket..." He said, as if this was the most normal thing ever." I found it on one of my runs. It was in some wreckage of a really old building, I think it had been an antique or a jewelry parlor... Anyway, there was plenty I stashed away in my cache back at the base, but that..." His eyes met hers as she fingered the smooth surface of the locket once more." Well it looked like something that would be better around a neck than in my box of treasures..."
"You could have given it to your sister," Skyla argued, still playing with the locket.
"I found Wanda a garnet pendant too," Pietro argued- not mentioning that the necklace he had given his sister was from an entirely different raid and run." I just thought this would look better on you... It's simple, but beautiful, sort of like my dear friend Skyla."
He was like this very often; flirting and teasing her, trying to get her to loosen up a bit. She was never entirely sure how to deal with such attentions, especially the times when his smirk said he was kidding, but his eyes said he was speaking the truth. Every once and awhile he would bring up how he thought she was beautiful, and then he would chuckle, ruffling her hair in jest, but his eyes would linger over hers for a moment too long. Even a few months into this friendship of theirs, Skyla was uneasy about the feeling those gazes put in her gut; as if a flock of moths had been set free inside of her stomach.
"You didn't have to, Pietro..." Skyla said softly, her version of a thank you. Pietro smiled brilliantly, reading in her eyes that she liked the locket more than she was going to admit. He stepped forward and touched the silver locket, hanging against the hollow of her throat perfectly.
"We have to find a picture for you to put in it..." He said, ignoring the quick intake of breath that she made when his fingers brushed against her throat." What do you want to put in it?"
"I don't have any family..." Skyla admitted, trying to control her voice." And I don't have a boyfriend or anything..."
"I could get a picture of me and my sister..."
"I don't know your sister, Pietro..."
"She knows you," Pietro said," I am not very good at keeping secrets from her... And she wishes she could come know you... I think you two would be quick friends."
"Of course, after she was done probing around in my head and messing with my inner fears," Skyla said a bit bitterly. Pietro shrugged, giving her a "what can you do?" look and a smile. Skyla thought about it for a moment and then touched the locket again." Just a picture of you will do."
"Careful," Pietro said ticking her chin with his forefinger," Someone might think we're more than friends if you go around wearing my picture..."
"Oh Pietro," Skyla smirked," That would only be possible if I dealt with any people besides you."
A few days later, when he brought her a small picture of him and put it into the locket before she could realize what was happening, she wondered if this had been a good idea.
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A few weeks later, Skyla knew something was wrong the minute Pietro arrived. He didn't meet at their usual time or place; instead he used the spare key she had given him- in case he needed her and it wasn't her gardening time -and entered her apartment early. She was half awake and wearing only a long t shirt when he sped into her room.
"Was-goin' on?" She slurred sleepily. Pietro remained quiet, pacing at a rather fast rate in front of her bed. She rubbed her dark blue eyes and tried to wake up faster." Pietro?"
He continued to pace, his steps slowing ever ten or twelve laps, but still he was going at what most people considered a jog. Skyla pushed the blankets off of herself and moved to the end of her bed, trying to catch his eye.
"Pietro, you're scaring me..."
This caught his attention, and he stopped mid lap in front of her. He studied her rumpled blonde curls, sleepy eyes, and attire before speaking.
"You were asleep..." He said flatly.
"It's only five a.m. Pietro..." She answered. He nodded, glancing at her clock to insure that she was right." Are you okay?"
"Someone has begun taking out Hydra facilities," Pietro said softly." Strucker managed to regain some footage from the last place they hit... It was the Avengers."
Skyla knew the tip of the iceberg when it came to Pietro and Wanda's hatred for all things Avenger related; more importantly, she understood his hatred for Tony Stark.
"He's coming for your base," Skyla said observantly. Pietro nodded and sat himself beside her on the bed." You know it's going to be okay, right? No matter what happens..."
"Skyla, would you still be my friend if I snapped Tony Stark's neck?" Pietro asked, his voice shaking like mad. Skyla thought long and hard on his words, letting him lean his head on her shoulder, and wrapping her arms around him as she thought.
"I will be your friend no matter what, Pietro," She said at last." I would just prefer that we stayed friends without you having to kill anyone..."
"That's why Struker made us," Pietro said, and for a moment Skyla had to remind herself that he meant himself and his sister." He wanted us to be weapons against all the real heroes... The anit-hero weapon..."
"You're not a weapon, and you are on one's pawn," Skyla said, words she had repeated and meant for him numerous times. Pietro's entire frame relaxed at her words, and he dug deeper itno her embrace as he relaxed.
"What would I do without you, Skyla?"
"You would be fine, you have Wanda," Skyla said, ignoring the wonderful warmth being pressed so close to him gave.
"You are not Wanda... You are different."
Skyla didn't answer that, too afraid of what her still half asleep mind would let slip. Instead she started humming to him, trying to calm him as much as possible. He stayed until late in the afternoon, neither of them going back to sleep, but neither of them speaking either.
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A/N: So I already have most of the second chapter typed and the rest of it planned. So I'm going to finish it now, and put it up in an hour or so. Normally my chapters are pretty long, but with this story I think I'm going to try and stay in the 3-5 page range per chapter... I don't know if that will stick- since we all know that if I get inspired I whip out like 11+ pages... but we'll see!
Anyway, this is a bit faster paced with Skyla and Pietro than I first planned, but there will be snag in their budding relationship coming up so that should cool things off some.
Hopefully someone likes Skyla, and if not I'd love to hear your opinions anyway. I don't really get mad at mean/critical reviews if only because they're so frequent. I just like hearing anything from readers c:
Next chapter up soon, entering AoU territory!
Ciao!