England, 1996
Jared Collins smiled at the scene in front of him; the picture of happiness. His wife, Adelaide, was sitting with their daughter, watching her play the piano. Daphne had always had an unusual intelligence and understanding for her short eight years of life, so learning the piano was almost as easy as walking for her. He marvelled at the way in which she played; the ease at how her small fingers danced across the keys, playing soft, tinkling music that could bring tears to the eyes.
She was special. She had always been.
From her early years, Jared and Adelaide knew something was different about their child. Unexplainable things would happen around her - things that were unnatural and breath-taking - and unfortunately other people had noticed this too. Her so-called friends had shunned her, running away in fear when she drew near. Jared always suspected that their parents had told them to stay away from her; had scared them into submission with fantastical and terrifying stories of mutants. And so, they'd had to move from the bustling city to a more secluded area, where quietude could be achieved and Daphne could live her life without being villainised.
A tender smile adorned his lips as he watched them. The similarities between the two were stark and ever-present. They had the same soft, mahogany locks that shone auburn in the sunlight; the same deep, ice blue eyes, alight with life. She had her mother's caring nature and spirit, yet had his sharp tendencies, his wit, and his ability to say whatever ran through his head - with no regard for the consequences.
He was torn out of his reverie by the jarring sound of screeching. Thick eyebrows furrowed as he hurried into the kitchen and peered out of the window. Through the torrential rain and the rapidly darkening sky, he could make out two black SUV's wailing to a halt. A group of armed men began to spill out of them. Jared watched with bated breath as they distantly shouted commands to each other, before heading towards the house.
His thoughts flashed to his young daughter, happily playing and laughing in the next room. Adrenaline pumped through him and his head felt as though it was filled with a thousand wasps. Ears ringing, he rushed back to his wife and child, only thoughts of getting them safe in his head.
"Della," he called out, letting the urgency seep into his tone.
His wife turned immediately, blue eyes glistening with poorly-disguised concern. "What's wrong?"
"We need to go." His voice left no room for argument, and she quickly grabbed a befuddled Daphne. The muffled sounds of the men outside reached their ears. Shit. There was no time to run, and they didn't have a hope of fighting them all off.
"We need to hide her," Adelaide whispered, eyes darting quickly to Daphne. The young girl glanced between the two in confusion, a small crease between her eyebrows.
Jared swiftly led them to a broom closet, just outside the kitchen, and gently pushed Daphne inside. "Stay in here. No matter what you think you hear, do not leave this room."
"What's going on?" She whimpered quietly, glancing suspiciously at the dusty mops and cleaning supplies that filled the small space.
Her parents just exchanged glances, not knowing what to say about the situation. How could they burden their sweet, little child, with the cold truths of the world?
Adelaide knelt down next to her daughter, wincing at the sound of men entering their house. She considered placating Daphne with a lie, but quickly shook off the thought. While young, she wasn't stupid. "Daddy and I need to go check something," she murmured, tears burning her eyes. "But you must stay in here until we call out for you, okay?"
Daphne stared at her mother for a moment. "Okay..." She answered in a weak voice.
The heavy footsteps thundered through the living room, quickly heading towards them. Adelaide pulled her daughter in for a tight hug. "I love you," she choked out, kissing her forehead.
Jared bent to give his child a kiss, pouring all of his emotions into it. "Stay strong. We'll be back," he whispered.
They hurriedly, but quietly, closed the door and walked towards where the armed group made their way into the kitchen.
As soon as they caught sight of the parents, their weapons were aimed towards the couple. There were at least a dozen, all dressed in black uniform, armed to the teeth.
"Where's the kid?" The one in front demanded; his voice cold and callous.
"Safe," Jared spat out, never wavering in his response.
One of the men - possibly the leader of the group - shook his head, adjusting his grip on the rifle in his hands. "You tell us, we'll go easy on you and the girl."
"I doubt that," Adelaide muttered, piercing him with a glare.
The man eyed the couple carefully, his gaze calculating as he surveyed them. They knew what he was thinking. He didn't know if they were enhanced and was considering the best way of taking them both out. The parents had been proud of how long they'd managed to avoid them, but undoubtedly it left little room for patience or sympathy from the group who'd been chasing them.
"Search the place," he ordered, and the men slowly fanned out around the house.
Daphne's parents eyed each other. They knew that if the men searched the house, they would surely find her. They'd have to create a diversion; a distraction, and they would happily lay down their lives to protect their child. Jared took Adelaide's hand in a tight grip, watching as her blue eyes filled with determination. They knew what they had to do.
Jared lunged at the nearest mercenary with a swift right hook to the man's jaw, relishing when he heard a satisfying crunch. Adelaide stumbled towards a drawer and seized a carving knife. She waved it around frantically, making a deep gash on the cheek of the nearby agent. He spun back to face her with a yell of rage and pain. The knife was snatched from her hands and clattered to the floor as the man tried to restrain her. Taking advantage of the sudden proximity, she drove her knee up into his groin. He keeled over with a groan and Adelaide swiftly yanked his rifle away from his prone figure.
Unbeknownst to everyone, Daphne was secretly watching through a small gap in the door, watching the fight with wide, terrified eyes.
The mercenaries who had begun to search the house must have heard the commotion. They charged into the kitchen, guns raised - there was no hesitation in their posture. They would shoot to kill. Both parents clutched the weapons from the indisposed agents, and opened fire on the remaining mercenaries. In an ear-splitting blaze of gunfire, a handful of the men were felled almost instantly - the bullets tearing through their chests. The ones left standing ducked for cover and shot back at the parents.
Jared felt an incredible searing pain pulse through his chest. His hand instinctively clutched the wound as he tried to fire back one-handed. His dear, sweet Adelaide wasn't faring any better. Blood seeped from her right shoulder, gushing down the side of her body. She was incredibly pale - a faint sheen of sweat covered her forehead.
He managed to down a few more of the gunmen before the agony brought him to his knees. Quick gasps left his lips as he struggled for air. With every short breath he inhaled, he choked and spluttered - coughing up scarlet.
A faint thump sounded next to him. He painstakingly turned his head to see his wife splayed on the ground. Her eyes had already found him, however unfocused it was. He reached a hand out to her, lightly linking a finger around hers.
It drew one last faint smile from Adelaide's lips as her eyes glazed over.
"No," he tried to gurgle, but nothing came out. The kitchen started to blur and, in a terrifying finality, black spots slowly encompassed his vision. His last thoughts were of his daughter, praying that she would be alright.
The few remaining men - there were only four of them left - slowly crept out from their cover positions, guns pointed on the lifeless couple. The leader of the group knelt down between them, a finger placed on their throats. He waited a minute, feeling for the faintest flutter of a heartbeat. Finally, he nodded once, satisfied that they were both well and truly dead.
He motioned for them to keep searching the house.
Daphne had been staring in horror through the small gap in the closet. She listened as footsteps thundered upstairs, doors banging open as they called for her to come out.
She quickly opened the closet door fully, staggering towards the bodies of her parents. Her knees buckled and she stared at them numbly. Daphne leaned over and kissed their foreheads tenderly - clutching at the necklace that hung around her neck. Her parents had given it to her for her birthday. It was a simple silver chain with an infinity symbol on it; the word 'love' on the edge. Tears streaked down her face as she tore herself away from her parents and to the back door.
The rain was tumultuous; it was hard for her to see much through it. The clunk of heavy boots descended the staircase. She desperately ran outside, sprinting as fast as she could through the thick forests that surrounded the house. The thunder rumbled as the rain mixed with her tears, and she promised herself she wouldn't rest until she got justice for her parents.
A/N: Unfortunately, I don't own anything to do with Marvel - only my OC (and potentially others) and any unrecognisable plot points that may appear.
It's been a few years... That's my bad. But I recently felt like re-writing this little story... So here we go. I'm sorry to everyone who was looking forward to a new chapter years ago - but I'm back!