Carmen here narrating.

"You... you know?"

"Of course. I kept traveling between universes after she died. Saw her when you did. I saw you, too."

"Did you see her daughter?"

Sharon burst out laughing. "See her? I was the one who took her."

My jaw dropped. "You... why?" Whatever my opinion of Ivy was, it was a horrible thing to do to anyone.

"Because HYDRA would have wanted me to. She was responsible for their fall – they were responsible for hers."

"She didn't fall."

"Not yet. You've been her friend for as long as anyone – what do you think could cause it?"

The realization was like being hit in the face with a sack of bricks. "Finding out about you."

"Exactly. She's loyal to the end, and expects the same from others. Maybe not consciously, but on some level. To say that she 'fell' when she finds this out... it wouldn't make her fall. It would utterly destroy her emotionally. She tried to commit suicide once. What do you think this would do?"

My eyes widened. "She did what?"

Sharon raised an eyebrow. "Oh, she never told you? There's a big scar on her throat to prove it."

Ivy had developed a liking for scarves in the last year or two... "How did you know about it?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D. knew, HYDRA had access to all of their files. She didn't even tell her parents. Or any of you."

To be honest, I wasn't particularly surprised – nor, surprisingly, did I feel angry. I wouldn't have told anyone either, in her position.

I stood up. "Sounds like she's been on the brink for a while. What if we were to give her a little push?"

"A push?"

"She'll be working against Ultron, of course. I don't like to do it – we're friends – but it would be for the best, wouldn't it? If she were to know about you, to know what you did... what do you think would happen?"

A smile split Sharon's face. "Of course. Yes. I didn't know you had that in you, Carmen."

"I don't like it. The idea sickens me. But what else can I do? I'm useless to him otherwise."

Sharon handed me her cell phone. "Here. Do you know her number?"

Ivy, I'm so sorry.

I dialed.

It rung for a minute.

"Who is this?" Ivy was slightly out of breath.

"It's Carmen."

"Oh, thank God! Just a second."

A dark figure stood in the sand, just within sight.

Whoops. I had never thought that she would be with them... searching for me, I supposed. Why would she be doing that? Weren't we enemies?

Why were we enemies again?

She took off at a run toward us.

"Sharon's here, Ivy."

"Great, I can get you both out at the same time."

"She's HYDRA, Ivy. She took your little girl. To hurt you."

The figure didn't stop coming closer. I could see her face now. Ivy had naturally porcelain white skin – it had become paler, if that even possible. "Is that so?"

Sharon turned white. "I'm out of here." She broke into a run, sprinting out of the plane.

Ivy completely ignored me, charging past the plane and after Sharon.

Sharon was an incredibly fast runner, but she was no match for Ivy in the mental state I'd just put her in.

Ivy tackled her to the ground, fists pounding against her head and face, using her superior weight to pin her. I'd seen Ivy fight before, but this was something entirely new, unusually brutal, and completely terrifying.

Sharon screamed and flipped Ivy off. Both rolled on the ground, hitting and scratching and kicking each other.

In retrospect, it seems likely Ivy wanted to kill her. And she would have too.

My reaction was to start screaming at them to stop and to run at Ivy.

She released her hold of the other girl's hair and rolled off, dropping into a defensive stance. Her chest heaved and her eyes went wide – until that moment, I don't think she'd realized exactly how violent she was being.

She blinked as if dazed. "Carmen..."

I screamed something at her in German and launched myself at her, attacking her myself.

I'm a dancer, okay? A ballerina. I'm in pretty good shape. Still, being in good shape only helps so much if you have no idea what you're doing when you attack someone. She sidestepped and caught my fist, twisting my arm behind my back.

I screamed, more from the surprise than the pain.

Ivy let go with a yell.

I spun around. Quicksilver stood over Ivy. "You didn't see that coming?"

"What on earth is wrong with you?" This was addressed to me.

"It's you that's wrong."

Her eyes bored into mine. "I see." Ivy flipped Quicksilver, sending him flying. She hit her watch and disppeared, reappearing about a hundred yards away. "I'll come and get you!" she shouted. "I won't give up just yet."

She vanished.

Ivy here.

I rematerialized on the Avengers' quinjet, my whole body shaking.

What had just happened? What had just happened? I had nearly murdered Sharon. Carmen was being mind controlled.

And Sharon knew what had happened to my little girl. My Natalia.

Dr. Banner was gone already. Good. I didn't need someone trying to help me right now. I needed to hit something, to scream, to make something hurt the way I was in that moment.

I drove my fist into the wall. Pain shot through my hand and several bones snapped.

My hands switched to hammerfists, hitting whatever was closest. A horrible scream reached my ears – my own voice.

My arms grew tired. My throat began to hurt. I sank down against the seat and cried.

I'd never been a crier. I could count the number of times I'd cried in the last few years on one hand. My crying was the quiet type, subdued, with tears trickling down my cheeks, me sobbing quietly.

This wasn't like those times. This was a completely undignified, half sobbing, half screaming. In that moment, if Sharon had come in, I don't think I would have noticed.

Fortunately, no one came in. Gradually, I became aware of the slowly fading daylight and the silence around me.

I wasn't staying or waiting for them. I needed to get out of here, now.

Of course, I couldn't go back to the tower. They wouldn't want to see me anymore.

I teleported back to the house, onto the front porch, and knocked.

Ryan opened the door immediately. "I thought you'd come back. You never could leave things well enough alone, could you? Of course not."

Ouch. "Look, I wanted to talk. Can I come in?"

He swung the door wide. "Be my guest. I suppose."

We both sat down in the living room. Him on the couch, me in the chair where guests would always sit.

A guest in my own home. I don't know what else I'd expected.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

I didn't have anything to say – but I had to say something. Otherwise, he'd just kick me out of the house again. That would be just too much for today. "I wanted to tell you that people are going to come after you soon. You need to get out of town as soon as possible. I'll send you directions to a safe house where you can hide."

"The same people with the robots?"

"Something like that."

"How long will I have to hide?"

"For a week, maybe two or three. Not long."

"How are you surviving now? Do you have a job?"

"I use my abilities to get information about different universes and sell it. I do alright."

Ryan said nothing, instead shifting his position on the couch and adjusting one of the brown cushions. "Where's my nephew?"

"At home. That doctor you met? His wife babysits for me, as part of a deal we made."

"I don't want to know about all of this. You're my little sister. The annoying little sister who always weirded out my girlfriends and who teased me about any girl I went near. The one who hated ballet and playing piano. You're not her anymore, are you?"

"Be honest, Ryan. I haven't been for a very long time, have I?"

He sighed. "You're right."

"We've never gotten along very well, Ryan. I'll be the first to admit it. There's a lot of regrets on my side. Things I never meant to happen. But you're the only family I have left. Can we at least try?"

He readjusted the pillow again, refusing to meet my eyes.

The only sound was the ticking clock on the mantelpiece.

"I see. Thank you. You should pack up and be ready to go. Be ready in ten minutes."

He got up and left. His feet made no sound on the carpet.

You know, to be perfectly honest, I kind of hate my life sometimes.