Shadows (Sequel to Rip My Heart Out)

Chapter 2

"I guess I just assumed you knew, then." Steve said.

It was a flimsy excuse, and he knew that. He also knew that I was very sensitive about the fact that I couldn't completely control my shadows. I let out an exasperated breath, and gave him a pointed look. "Right, so we don't have to talk, because I'm always just spying on you, is that it? You know I can't control my powers fully yet, Steve. I do have better things to do than watch you all day."

"Em, you know I didn't mean it like that." Steve said.

"I used to always know what you meant." I said sadly. "And you always used to trust me."

"You think because you had one conversation with Bucky, suddenly you know what's best for him? I've known him a lot longer than you have, Emelia. What right do you have to tell me what is and isn't good for him?"

"You knew the old Bucky, Steve. He isn't the same person he used to be." I said, trying not to raise my voice. I was fully aware of everyone in the room looking our way.

"How would you know?" Steve seethed.

"Are you the same person you used to be?" I snapped. To make matters worse, my skin started to glow a faint blue,a side effect of my anger. Yet another aspect of my powers I hadn't learned to control yet.

Steve could hardly look at me. I shouldn't have come to him. Why did I? I could have just gone to Nat about training. That was stupid of me. Steve clearly wasn't ready to think clearly about this.

I teleported out of the room without a second thought, wanting more than anything to be away from the invasive glances of the agents. I teleported to the room that Pietro and I shared and only took the time to throw on some day clothes before teleporting again. As my feet left the ground, I didn't really know where I was going. I just wanted away from here.

My feet hit the ground again, and I felt the sun on my face. As I looked around, I immediately recognized my surroundings. I was in the Square, the memorial to the victims of the Battle of New York, and the place I had first met Steve.

Thankfully, no one had seen my hasty arrival here. Everyone was too preoccupied with their own lives to notice me. I put the hood on my sweatshirt up, and started walking. No one knew my face yet. Steve had decided it was best for Pietro and I to stay out of the press so that once we left, there were no questions about where we'd gone. I just didn't want anyone looking at me at all.

I walked until I reached a bench on the far side of the Square. The bench faced a wall that had all the names of the deceased from the battle engraved into it. I had stared at this wall for hours upon hours since I came into possession of the infinity stone in my chest. It was a painful reminder of what the power I hold can do in the wrong hands, with the wrong intentions.

The names of 74 civilians and another 42 National Guard, NYPD and firefighters were all engraved on the wall in front of me, and all I hear when I look at it are the screams of people dying that I could hear from my apartment building that day. I remember seeing the smoke rising over midtown and hearing buildings reduced to rubble.

In the battle of Sokovia, 177 people were killed by an artificial intelligence that was made possible in Tony's research by the Mind Stone. The stones could change the velocity of the human race in a day, and in fact, they made a habit of it. HYDRA was founded in search of the power of the stone in my chest. How many horrors have they caused during the war, or in the years since then?

"I thought I might find you here." Steve's voice startled me.

"Didn't we just have a conversation about not sneaking up on people?" I asked looking foward at the wall.