The sun shines bright and hot through the car windows as you speed along the off ramp, you merge with the other cars on the highway, an exultant grin on your face. That morning on your way to the car you'd playfully taken the keys out of Toms grip and told him that you're going to drive today. He grinned back at you, " Whatever you want Y/N."
Now you're both speeding down the highway flying past other cars, the city scape a blur. It's a beautiful day and the sky's a radiant blue dotted with fluffy white clouds," This car is amazing," you squeal, whilst overtaking a bus.
Tom chuckles, " Yeah, it's pretty awesome."
You shoot Tom a grin, this is the fastest car you've ever driven. Most expensive car I've driven too. You ease your foot off the gas pedal, realizing that if you so much as scratch this car you'll never be able to afford to pay off the damages.
" Why are you slowing down?"
You cringe, " I just thought about how expensive this car is and what would happen if I crashed it... "
" Well, we'd die if you crashed it," Tom snickers.
" Pffft, please. I'd magic us out of here in a heartbeat. I'd save your damsel ass in two seconds Tom."
He laughs, " You got me there. I could also swing us out of the wreck as well."
" Of course you would Spiderman," you grin cheekily at Tom. " No I was thinking about the expenses if I damaged the car."
" You could just magic out the damage right?"
You blink," Yes... I could. Geez I forget I can use my powers for other things besides life -saving situations."
" See what would you do without me?"
You playfully shove Tom and he looks down at his phone, " Hey I think we're nearly there, you just have to take this turn up ahead," Tom points to an exit that leads to the other side of Boston Harbor. You signal and follow it as it leads you through a part of the city you haven't been to before. The traffic thins, and crumbling old buildings dot the sidewalks covered in graffiti with smashed windows. The abandoned buildings and lack of people give the place an eerie feel.
Tom instructs you to take a left turn and you pull up to the dilapidated warehouse you'd found online, it looms over a large empty lot, with the harbor glistening behind it. Parking alongside the curb, you both step out of the car. The ocean air from the harbor is salty on your tongue, and the sun makes you squint as you survey the warehouse. A rusty chain link fence surrounds the perimeter with barbed wire atop it. " I can't see any cameras," Tom says, searching along the fence and the building. "Good, then breaking in will be easy," chaos magic ripples over you as you float yourself and Tom over the fence. It's getting easier and easier, each time you use the magic. Like second nature. Tom holds your hand as you both walk to the warehouse, footsteps echoing loudly in the empty lot. You step over weeds that grow through the asphalt as you warily check your surroundings.There's no boats down this end of the harbor, it's isolated which is exactly what you both wanted. No prying eyes will be able to interrupt your training session.
You enter the warehouse, nose wrinkling at the smell of rot and mildew, rusted sheeting hangs from the roof exposing decayed wooden beams, holes riddle the walls and there's littered cigarette butts and rubble on the floor. Your foot collides with an old beer bottle and it rolls along the floor, clinking harshly. There's puddles of rain from last nights storm and water trickles loudly from the holes in the roof. Grouped together in the middle of the warehouse is a bunch of rusted broken down forklifts, conveyor belts and other machines piled on top of each other. A steady stream of water flows over the machines from a hole in the roof and uncertainty builds in your belly as you follow the stream to the hole in the roof, " I don't know if we should be in here, the roof looks like it could cave at any minute..."
Tom looks at it thoughtfully, crossing his arms, " What if I make a web underneath, in case anything falls."
" Good idea."
Tom gets to work, shooting web until it forms a white thick canopy over the machines and the areas around it. He's even created a path of web from the entrance of the warehouse to the machines so you can both get out safely if the worst happens, the nervous butterflies ease in your belly as Tom finishes putting up the protective layer of web. Reluctantly you and Tom approach the machines, stepping over metal wires and broken, rusted parts. There's a forklift on its side and Tom stands next to it surveying it. Ants eat at your gut as you bite your lip nervously, " What if the machine is too heavy and it crushes you?"
" My reflexes are pretty quick now so I'll just jump out of the way, plus I have faith you'll save my damsel ass," Tom grins.
You snort, rubbing the back of your neck, " No pressure for me then, the knight in shining armor."
" None at all," Tom pauses, surveying the pile of machines. Then he stands back with a sigh, running a hand through his hair, " All this junk is piled on top of each other. If I lift this forklift it'll tilt that machine over there and it'll come pelting towards me."
"See that's what I mean," You stand next to Tom toeing the edge of the forklift wheel. You both stand there a minute, unsure about this exercise now. " Wait, what if I try and neaten up the machines with chaos magic? That way it might be more safer and I can test the chaos magic as well."
" Brilliant plan," Tom pecks you on the cheek and steps back as the chaos magic surges over your body, crackling like lightning. Waving your hands over the machines, you send the magic crawling over the pile until it glows. Taking a deep breath you lift your arms, and the machines float into the air, making you stumble back buckling under the strain, " Shit," You hiss as you push harder, teeth gritting with effort. This is harder than I thought. Out of your periphery you see Tom advance towards you, " Y/N are you okay?" You give a curt nod as you rearrange the machines in a line, chest heaving with the effort. As the last machine drops with a crash you slump to your knees, breathing hard, hot and sweaty.
Tom rushes over, " Are you alright Y/N?" His hands go to your shoulders as he checks you over, a worried look on his face.
" I'm fine. It just feels like I did twenty rounds of HIIT at the gym," you groan, muscles sore as you stretch your arms over head. " That was really hard. Those were the heaviest things I've ever lifted with the chaos magic. Maybe if I practice more it won't be so hard eventually," you pant, wiping your forehead with the back of your hand.
" Yeah, but I think you should take it easy for now," Tom's eyes crease with worry as he brushes a sweaty lock of hair off your forehead.
" I don't think I can do anymore after that, anyway." You stand up with a wince, as you brush your jeans down. " Speaking of heavy lifting, time to see if you have any spidey strength," You gesture to the forklift and Tom looks at the pile nervously. He walks over to the machine and runs a hand through his hair, " This would be so anticlimactic if I can't lift it," He sighs, dawdling in front of the forklift.
" Quit stalling Holland. I want to see you lift," you smirk.
Tom raises his brows and shoots you a look that liquefies your belly, " I'll lift you if you keep heckling me."
" Not much of a punishment," you grin.
Tom chuckles and squats down grabbing the edge of the forklift. You hold your breath, the grin dying from your lips as you watch him anxiously. He starts to stand, arms straining from the effort, face red as a vein pulses in his neck. The forklift hasn't budged an inch.
Tom stops, his hands going to his knees, " Shit..." He pants.
" Are you okay?"
" Yeah," Tom paces, whilst taking deep breaths.
" Maybe we can go to the gym and find something lighter... I don't want you to hurt yourself," you walk over to Tom, concern fluttering in your chest. Toms face has a light sheen of sweat and his cheeks are pink.
" It's okay Y/N. I'll get the hang of it," He smiles.
" Okay," You step back chewing on your lip, unsure if he'll be able to do this.
Tom takes a deep breath and squats down again, gripping the side of the forklift. Your teeth clench nervously as you watch him try to lift again. Suddenly he stands up, lifting the forklift off the ground. Your mouth drops open as his hands pivot and he pushes the forklift so it flips and lands to the other side with an almighty crash.
" What the hell?" You gape, running over to Tom.
" Woohoo!" He cheers, " It was easier that time. All of a sudden it just felt lighter."
" That's amazing!" You crow, wrapping your arms around his neck and kissing him, his arms go around your waist and he holds you tight against his body. Toms T-shirt's damp with sweat but you don't mind, you can feel his pounding heart as he deepens the kiss. You part, grinning at each other when the sound of trickling water increases from the roof, a crack echoes loudly, just as a piece of wooden beam falls. Looking up you scream just as it hits the web, bouncing on it safely. The chaos magic's dancing along your hands and without even thinking about it the magic has formed a wide scarlet shield below Toms web. Your heart's racing as you drop your hands knowing that the beam is safe in the web, " Phew, lucky you made that web."
Toms looking at it eyes wide, " Yeah, that would've fallen on us..."
Casually, you wave your hand and the chaos magic crackles over the beam, disintegrating it into nothing. Tom whips his head toward you, " Wait... You've never done that before have you? Made something disappear."
You're staring at the scarlet lightning, crackling over your arms, as realization dawns on you,"No, I haven't..." you whisper.
" Scarlet Witch must be getting stronger..."
" Yeah, I didn't even have to think about it. It just came naturally."
Tom grins, " Then we're on the right path... Maybe we'll win against Dark Phoenix after all."
You nod, hope flaring in your chest as your earlier fatigue disappears, " Yeah, maybe we do stand a chance. The more I use the chaos magic the stronger she gets so I'll try lifting those machines and see if I can make more things disappear." You walk over to the other end of the lined up machines.
" I'll continue lifting these... and we can test my spidey sense again."
" Yes! I can throw the rubble at you."
You and Tom grin at each other, excitement bubbling in your chest at the hope of getting stronger and possibly winning against Dark Phoenix. There's an eager glint in Toms eye as you both set to work and start training.
***
The hours pass by and the warehouse becomes colder as the sky through the roof purples from the setting sun. Tom's managed to lift all the machines and dodged the flying rubble you pelted his way. He's even practiced climbing the walls of the warehouse and swung through the steel frames. You've lifted the machines with the chaos magic and even made one of them disintegrate into dust.
Now, you're both spent, splayed out on your backs on the cold hard concrete, panting hard after all the effort. Your whole body aches. " I want a hot bath and a nap so bad right now," you whimper.
Tom groans, sitting up on his elbows, " Me too... I'm so hungry I could eat fifty pizzas."
Your stomach growls at the thought of pizza and you gingerly stand up, wincing when a lance of pain shoots down your back, " I think I'm done for the day. But, I think I can fix us," you whisper as you call the chaos magic one more time. It takes all your strength but you direct it to heal you and Tom and it flows over your bodies, bathing you in a healing warm glow until every ache disappears.
" Whoa," Tom jumps to his feet with renewed energy, staring at his arms. " I didn't know you could do that."
You stand up as well, energized and pain free, " When I was kidnapped the chaos magic healed me when it broke through, so I've known since then it can heal."
" That's amazing Y/N." Tom grins and your cheeks heat under his praise, " Well now that we're all healed, can I take you to dinner?"
Your mouth waters at the thought of food, " Yes! I'm starving."
Tom loops his fingers through yours, pecking you on the lips " Okay, let's get out of here."