After she came home, Serena sat down on her sofa and cried. She simply didn't know how to handle it. Not the attack, her „superpower" how Tony called it. He was staying for a few weeks in New York and agreed on helping her, even though she had no idea how and why he wanted to do that.
The next days, she had visited the Stark Tower, sitting with Tony and Pepper in his lab the whole day. `Now, try it again. Make her angry´Tony demanded. `But I'm not angry, it won't work. I told you, I can't control it.´she complained. `Serena, it can't be that difficult.´Tony sighed. `And you know that because..? she replied angrily. He was such a nag sometimes. `I know that it won't work if you don't stop complaining.´Tony said dryly. Serena took a deep breath and focused again. This time, she didn't try to make Pepper angry. She tried to reach her mind first. Suddenly she felt something, a burning sensation that she had felt the night of the attack. Carefully, Serena touched Pepper's ... mind? Spirit? Heart? It was a pool of emotions, swirling around, comparable to colours pulsating and blending together. Serena imagined it red and full of little storms, agitated and restless, like anger. And suddenly, Pepper stood up. `Tony, I've told you a HUNDRED OF TIMES I don't want to be your test subject for your experiments. I'VE TOLD YOU!´she yelled. Serena watched amazed, how the woman turned from relaxed to completely furious. `Great, Miss Jones, now please make her calm again.´Tony laughed. Serena focused and within a few seconds, Pepper calmed down and laughed too. Serena smiled proudly.
Serena looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was still the same person from the outside, but from the inside... well actually Serena didn't knew what exactly she was. It was easier, now that she managed to control her emotions. But still, her „powers" remained a mystery. With Tony's help, Serena had learned to accept this part of her. Her reflection looked as nervous as she felt. Taylor had a right to know the truth, Serena thought, she hoped he could handle it. After her parents' death, Taylor had temporary managed her father's company and she did her best to help him. What was she going to tell him? `Hey, I think I have some kind of superpower, it's creepy and dangerous, so please keep it a secret and try to not freak out about it´? Suddenly, she had an alarming thought. What if he thought she was crazy? What if he didn't believe her? Tony believed it immediately, but only because he had seen it with his own eyes and because he had an open mind for crazy things. How was she going to prove Taylor, that she was more than charismatic? And even if he believed her, would he treat her like a freak? An abomination? No one could trust his own feelings beside her, Serena realised. No. She had it under control. The reflection looked worried. `I'm just going to tell him the truth and see how he reacts. Sounds like an easy plan´Serena muttered to herself. She went in the bright living room and turned the stereo system on. Music was the best way to relax , and she had to wait until Taylor returned from a business meeting. She sat down on the leather sofa and listened to her favourite song. And it's hard to dance with the devil on your back, so shake him off.. he would come back in ten minutes. Ten minutes until she had to explain the craziest thing that ever happened to her. It's always darkest before the dawn Serena hoped so. There had been enough darkness in her life the past three months.
Suddenly the phone rang. Serena picked up. `Hello Miss Jones. My name is Agent Phil Coulson.´
I just had to include some Florence + The Machine lyrics, I absolutely love her music!
Her songs are the perfect soundtrack for the story if you need one ;)