Hi! Thank you for the reviews:
TheOnyxDragon12: (Me, I hate Twilight, but anyways-) Thank you for the pointers. ;-)
BowTies23: XD I'm glad you liked it! I'm not sure if I was too descriptive or not descriptive enough... what do you think?
Hamster1000: Sis, why don't you use your account to review? Anyways, thank you. =)
leggo lover 99: I looked all over the web, trying to figure that out, but I couldn't. So I just gave up and did what I liked with him. XD Don't apologize, it's not going to be light and happy forever (muhaha)...
DISCALIMER: I own only my OC's Emmaline, Flame, Ore, Abby, Ali, & Jacob, the idea, & any poetry- NOTHING else, not even Ultimate Spider-Man or the quote(s).
Chapter 14: Dreams
"The art of being happy lies in the power
Of extracting happiness from common things."
-Henry Ward Beecher
I love the rhythm that my life is settling into. There are ups and downs, but that's considered normal, and the downs make the ups seem twice as high. Danny is so sweet to me, and we both enjoy spending time together. We've gone out quite a few times over the past few weeks, and each time my heart soars. Ava teases me sometimes about Danny now- she's become like the sister that I never bothered to know.
The missions are sometimes hard, sometimes easy. Ava told me the other day that none of the major villains have made a move within the past few months- basically since I came to S.H.I.E.L.D., which we both agree is rather suspicious. She told me about Dr. Doom, and how he tried to destroy the Helicarrier (before it was blown up anyway by another bad guy) when they brought him to HQ (she didn't say why they had brought him there in the first place though, if he was so dangerous).
Nick says that everybody has to go to college as 'cover'. He's forcing us to all go to the same college, and so that's the way it'll be, I guess. I haven't really thought about what degree I'll go for, but I was thinking maybe a doctor. Then I could help people. Ava confided to me that she wants to be an archaeologist. At least we don't have to get jobs- I'm planning on staying with S.H.I.E.L.D. as my career.
I like this novel feeling- being able to control my life. I can make my own choices, and their consequences are my responsibility; only mine. I've never had freedom like this to spread my wings and fly, and I love every moment of it. It's as if I'm just learning what it feels like to live with the sole purpose of living; I feel unbelievably happy and alive. If anybody who knew me a year ago saw me on the street, they wouldn't be able to recognize me, not for a million dollars.
I have a family; my teammates. I have a home; the Tricarrier. My life isn't perfect, but it is to me, if that makes any sense.
Today's my birthday; I'm eighteen now, and I'm casting away the chains of my younger years that have bound me for over a decade. They're what have been keeping me from giving up at points, but they're also what have made me miserable time and time again. I remember my siblings, I remember my parents, but I don't know them anymore. I don't know what kind of people they are- I haven't even bothered to find out if they're still alive. If they had died, I'd like to think that I'd know, that somebody would have at least told me, but that's just wishful thinking.
I'm moving on. Whatever happens to them from here on isn't my fault, I left my family to protect them. They likely have long forgotten me and moved on years ago. I have a real family now, one that I'd die for.
Stretching, I swing my legs over the side of my bed, done thinking. Once I'm dressed, I go to the kitchen and fix myself a simple breakfast. None of my friends know that it's my birthday, but that's fine; I'd rather just spend time with them like I usually do anyways. I don't ever celebrate my birthdays, not that I can remember anyhow.
Ava soon walks in, followed by the remainder of my teammates. Yawning and bleary-eyed with sleep, they drowsily fix themselves their usual meals. Ava sits down next to me, eating her eggs and toast. As Danny passes by me to get a cup, he leans down and whispers in my ear, "Happy birthday," as he walks away. I grin at him, my heart swelling that he knows.
After breakfast, I walk into the living room, and Ava suggests that we play a game. Everybody agrees, grateful for something to do. Sam and Ava bicker over what game to play for a few minutes, before (finally) deciding on Monopoly.
Halfway through the game, I'm losing badly, Luke's already broke, Ava's stuck in jail, Sam's starting to mortgage, and Danny owns ninety percent of the board. We're laughing, joking around like we usually do. After a couple of hours, the game ends (with Danny winning).
As Luke, Ava, and Sam stand up to leave, Danny puts a hand on my shoulder. "Would you like to go for a picnic?" he asks in an undertone. I nod, happy to get outside for a little while.
In Central Park, we spread out a large blanket on the grass, and Danny produces some fresh food from a paper bag. We eat, making small talk- except with Danny, 'small talk' is more of a philosophical conversation or debate that ends when both of us are laughing too hard to continue.
By the time we're back at HQ, it's sunset. Together, hand in hand, we watch the beautiful scene, drawing closer and closer, until by some slight of chance, our lips meet and we're kissing, more passionately than ever before. When we break away, I can't help but feel like this is the best thing that's ever happened to me.
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( ((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) )))))))))))))))))
The summer months fly by so quickly, and soon it's time to start college classes. I've been dreading this day for a while now, but I've been telling myself, "Oh, it's two months away," but that soon became, "Oh, it's still two weeks away," until, the day before, I forced myself to go to Nick and get my bag full of notebooks and pencils.
We all end up walking to the college itself together, but then we have to go our separate ways. The classes aren't like High School, though- the professor just talks, and I write down whatever I think is important. By the end of my first lecture, I've decided that college isn't so bad.
That night, I'm exhausted, and I fall asleep as soon as I lay down.
A girl in a hoodie walked across the street. This was New York City. Her name was long gone- she went by Flame, and for a very good reason, not just secrecy. Thanks to her genetics, she was born with a mutation that enabled her to control fire, as she had discovered at the age of eight. Now fifteen, Flame had left her weak parents behind soon after discovering her mutation, tired of trying to live a useless, mundane life.
She wasn't here without reason. Flame was here to kill that girl. Although she hadn't told Doom her connection with Emmaline Carlson, Flame knew that the villain had guessed it. There was a certain resemblance, that no matter what Flame did to herself, would always be there. They shared the same temper.
Flame had cut her hair short, right to her chin. The sole reason she hadn't cut it into a boy-cut was to hide her pixie-like pointed ears that she had hated ever since she could remember. Her eyes had once been brown, but when her mutation surfaced, the brown had faded to gray, along with her skin. Flame knew she had been considered beautiful when she was younger, but now she was so strange looking that nobody saw past their first glance.
It did make these jobs easier, though. Flame was a genius, and unafraid to show it to her prey, who quivered in fear-if they saw her. Although fire glowed bright, ashes were dark and concealed herself well.
Ore was trying to catch up with her now. "What do you want?!" she snapped at her brother.
He blinked. "You aren't really going to do this again, are you?"
"Of course I am! What would you expect? I've done this sort of thing before, and it's none of your business what I do with my life!"
"Yes, it is. I'm your brother, and-"
"No, Ore-"
"Quit calling me that! My name's Ian, for the last time, and your my sister, so duh, I love you and it is my business what you do!"
Flame shook her head. Ore was just putting himself in danger, like always, deaf to her warnings. "I'm going to kill her, and there's nothing you can do about it. Doom already tried this with Deadpool, and Deadpool actually thinks he killed her. Doom knows, though, that she's alive- the tracker that Deadpool put on her is still there, and if she'd been blown to smithereens, the tracker would've been too. Besides, even villains can watch the news or read the newspapers, and J.J.J. won't shut up about Spider-Man's new 'friend'."
Ore stared at her, wide-eyed. He always had a soft heart, but he loved his sister and would make Flame whatever weapon she needed. After all, he had followed her here all the way from Minnesota, like a lost puppy. He may have only been thirteen, but he was powerful.
Flame continued, "I'm killing her, but I want her to suffer. Ore, this girl is the cause of all our problems now- she abandoned us, you see, and left us to deal with this mess. She deserves to suffer. She found a new family- she even has a boyfriend."
"What have you been doing, stalking her?" Ore cried.
She ignored him. "I'm killing him first. She can watch him die. He is known as the Immortal Iron Fist, but the world will see just how mortal that boy is. Then I'll let her bleed, slowly, and she can helplessly watch as I kill her friends off one by one, and I'll make sure she's dead. I'm not going to blow her up- I know that will just make her stronger." Flame was speaking more to herself than her brother. "You can't kill her using energy. We're the most powerful mutant family to ever be born, and we'll be victorious over the world."
Ore stared at her. He thought her to be insane, Flame knew that much, but this boy would never lay a finger on his elder sister. It was a true love-hate relationship. Ore wouldn't stop her from killing that girl- nobody would, not even the girl herself. Because when that girl is your sister, no one has more right to her than yourself.
I groan, tossing and turning.
The nightmares are back.
Angrily, I tear off the sheets, before the dream comes flooding back to me. It was a Memory again- something that already happened.
Someone wanted to kill me? That's all I can remember from the dream. Usually I remember my dreams all too vividly, but not tonight, thank goodness.
So, despite the fear gnawing me deep down, I dismiss it as a dream about Deadpool. I know Deadpool was mentioned in it, meaning it must have been Dr. Doom plotting with Deadpool, right? I remember Dr. Doom being involved too. Yes, that must have been it.
I turn back over and fall asleep again.
Ali lays in the corner of the schoolyard, her hands raw from being shoved into the sidewalk again. She is a bright, playful girl, but the other children don't know that, because Ali is too shy to show them. Instead they know her as The Mutant. The Mutant who controls dirt.
It doesn't sound grand, and it isn't. Her parents vanished when she was young, still a toddler. Ali had always felt so alone. There is a girl, a kind young woman who comes to her sometimes when she's sad, and listens to her troubles. Otherwise, the only family she still has is her younger brother Jacob. She can hardly believe that all her older sisters, her older brother too- that they had all left her. Ali loves them so much.
Jacob is only six, but everybody knows he's a mutant. The nurses always tell her that she is a miracle, that it's impossible to believe that every child in her family is a mutant, but Ali knows it's true.
There was a girl she can't remember. Who left before she was born. The girl was kind and generous, like Ali herself. Then there is Sofia, who played pranks on Ali before she ran away. Ian went with her, even though he and Sofia never got along. Abby is ten now, but she has been gone for nearly a year. She disappeared while they were swimming with their foster family, and everyone said she must have drowned, but Ali had seen her wave good-bye, as she swam away underwater.
The kind lady hasn't come for over a year. She stopped coming when Abby disappeared. Wait! Here she is! Wait, where is she going? Come back!
Ali felt the tears running down her face, and she let the warm earth embrace her, tired off all the people leaving, all the good-bye's. Good-bye to the kind lady now too. She wouldn't come back.
My alarm is ringing, and with a sudden burst of irritability, I smash it with my hand. I was in the middle of a sad dream again, and it comes back with complete clarity.
Sofia? Ian?
No, no. This is a living nightmare, here. Coming true. They can't still know me. I don't want to have a sister named Ali, a brother named Jacob. I want to let these people go on living, oblivious to my existence. I'm tired of this regret, the 'what-if's. I've had years of those, and it's time to let go. I'm finished with seeking truth where I won't find anything but black, twisted lies.
Somebody knocks on my door. "WHAT?!" I scream at whoever is there.
"Em? What's wrong? Can I come in?" Ava sounds concerned.
"How can we help you?" Danny's here too.
"You can't help me! Go away, get away from me! I don't want anyone else to die, I'm tired of people trying to kill my family," I sob at them. I can remember both of the dreams now, and it doesn't take an idiot to piece the two together.
Ava whispers to Danny, "We'd better get Fury." I can hear one pair of retreating footsteps.
"Emma... we are your friends. We can help," Danny murmurs softly.
I turn away. No. I can't get that girl's- Flame's- voice out of my head. I'm killing him first. She can watch him die. He is known as the Immortal Iron Fist, but the world will see just how mortal that boy is.
Her words echo through my mind, and I hate myself for trusting anybody. I don't deserve friends anymore. I should have seen this coming. It's my fault for not realizing that people don't forgive and forget very easily. Especially when they want revenge.
More knocking. I can hear them muttering amongst themselves, but Danny's voice is absent from the conversation. Is he even still there? What does it matter, anymore? These people aren't dying for me. I won't let it happen. Why are they even here? It's five in the morning. They should be asleep.
Did I scream in my sleep? Did I cry, did I talk? I don't know if this room is soundproof, but it occurs to me that Nick likely has cameras in every room of the Tricarrier.
Suddenly, a hissing sound comes from one of the vents. I sniff the air- what the-? Blackness.
B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B# B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B#B
:-) Sorry that this has taken me so long to get up. There should be another chapter up today. However, tomorrow is my brother's birthday so I'll do two chapters on Friday. :-)
Please review. ;-)
-FFS