Kapitel 71: Healing Natasha
[Present time]
Aron stood over Nebula's unconscious body, his eyes cold and unreadable. The vivid memories he had just witnessed filled him with a mixture of anger and urgency. He used his ice to put Nebula into an ice prison. Her breathing slowed as the cold seeped into her body, forcing her into a state of suspended animation.
"I'll deal with you later," he muttered coldly. His mind was consumed with one thought: Natasha.
Aron teleported to the edge of the cliff where Natasha had fallen. The icy wind cut through him, but he barely noticed as his eyes scanned the desolate landscape. Bloodstains in the snow told the story of her final struggle. He clenched his fists, his chest tightening with dread. His earlier scans had shown no signs of life, but something gnawed at him—a faint hope that he had missed something.
Standing at the edge of the frozen lake, he stared down into its depths. The water below was dark, the ice cracked and uneven. His breath came in shallow gasps as he knelt, pressing a hand to the frozen surface. He poured his ice power into the lake, willing it to spread and map out every crevice and depth. Tendrils of frost extended outward, searching, feeling, probing for anything that might hint at her presence.
The lake was vast, and the silence was deafening. Aron gritted his teeth, pushing his power further. The strain began to take its toll, his veins glowing faintly. Using his ice to find something on the surface was easy, but down there in the vast dark waters that stretched out for god knows how far and how deep, it was hard, even with his hydrokinesis. But no matter how far he reached, it wasn't enough. The underwater expanse was too great, too dark.
"Damn it!" he shouted, slamming his fist against the ice. Cracks radiated outward, but the lake remained silent, indifferent to his desperation.
He used his telepathy, but it was of no use.
Aron closed his eyes, his breathing unsteady. 'You can't hold back now,' he told himself. The Phoenix Force stirred within him, a volatile firestorm of power and potential that he had avoided tapping into since the last time it nearly brought him to Death's door. The memory of that searing pain and almost frying his brain, made his hands tremble. But the thought of losing Natasha, of her final moments spent in agony and despair, pushed him past his fear.
"Don't be a pussy. Let's do it," He said to himself with a forceful smile.
He took a deep breath and let go.
Golden flames erupted around him, licking at the icy air. The Phoenix Force surged through his veins. This time it was stable like when he fought with AFO. "Nice." He focused all of it on a singular purpose: "Find her."
The golden flames sank beneath the ice, illuminating the lake's depths like sunlight piercing through darkness. Aron's mind expanded, reaching into every crevice, every shadowy corner of the underwater expanse. He felt the cold, the emptiness, and then—a faint flicker.
A wisp of life. Fragile, faint, but undeniably there.
"Got you!" Using telekinesis, he lifted Natasha's unconscious body from the bottom of the lake and brought her back to the surface. Her body was badly injured and frozen. Thanks to her enhanced genetic modification and the Red Room's SSS, she was able to survive, but barely.
Aron took Natasha into his arms, cradling her close as he rose into the air. He used the Phoenix flames to encase her in a soft, golden glow, melting away the frost that had frozen her skin and restoring the warmth she had lost. He transferred his healing factor to her body. Her body twitched at first, the freezing cold slowly releasing its grip on her. The steady rhythm of her pulse gradually returned, each beat stronger than the last.
Her breath became more rhythmic, shallow at first, then deep and steady. As the healing factor mended her injuries, the severed arm that had once been lost began to grow back, tissues knitting together with unnatural speed, the formation of bones, blood, flesh, and skin was just like that Hollow Man movie when the guy was disappearing. It wasn't a pleasant view at all. Her wounds closed, and the deep fatigue that had once dragged her under slowly lifted.
"Hahaha..." Aron chuckled and sighed in relief. He had barely managed to pull her from the brink of death.
Natasha stirred slightly, her fingers twitching first before her eyes fluttered open. The initial disorientation gave way to recognition as her gaze focused on him, and for a fleeting moment, Aron thought he saw something like relief in her eyes.
"Yo," He smiled gently, his voice warm with emotion. "You are one reckless girl. I told you to be careful, didn't I?"
"Aron...?" Her voice was weak but steady as if she had been pulled from the deepest of slumbers. The pain and cold were no more. She looked at her severed arm and was surprised to see it back. She touched her shoulder where it had been severed. She could still feel a bit of pain but it was all in her mind. "Yeah, you did." She couldn't help but chuckle a bit, remembering the times when he saved her. "You healed me?"
"Yup!" Aron replied with a smile as he touched her tummy.
Her eyes widened when he touched her tummy. She looked at his hand and then back to his face.
Natasha's breath caught as she felt a warmth radiate from Aron's touch. She looked into his eyes, a mix of disbelief and hope clouding her expression. For a moment, she was silent, her lips parting as if to speak but no words came. She placed her hand over his, trembling.
"What… what did you do?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, laced with both curiosity and vulnerability.
Aron smiled softly. "I restored what was taken from you, Natasha. I didn't think it was fair that they robbed you of something so… precious."
Her heart raced as she realized what he meant. Memories of her time in the Red Room surfaced—cold, clinical procedures meant to strip away her humanity, her choices, her future as a mother. She had resigned herself to that loss long ago, burying the pain deep within her. But now… now it felt as though that wound had been undone.
"You… you gave it back?" Her voice wavered, tears welling up in her eyes. She clutched his hand tightly, almost afraid this moment wasn't real. "How? Why? No... You aren't joking, right? How did you even know about it?"
"I have powers, remember?" He lied to her. He couldn't possibly tell the truth about his past life.
"Right..." Natasha's breathing grew unsteady, her emotions overwhelming her. Aron could tell she was at a loss for words, so he pulled her close, holding her gently as if to reassure her that this was real. She just lay on his lap, looking at the clear bright sky, the endless snow, and the warmth that spread through her.
'Is it a dream?' She thought.
No. It was real. She knew it was. And for the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to cry.
"Thank you." She whispered as she clung to him. The warmth of his body, his heartbeat, his scent—it all made her feel safe, secure. A feeling she had long forgotten. "For everything..."
"Well, what can I say? I couldn't let you break your promise of our date."
Aron smirked playfully and chuckled. Natasha raised her head and looked into his eyes. She couldn't help but smile as he wiped her tears. His touch was gentle, his gaze warm and full of life. She had never seen him like this before, and it made her heart skip a beat. She couldn't stop thinking about the man in front of her—this young man who had given her so much without ever asking anything in return.
"I only remember a promise of lunch, not a date," She said softly, the playful tone of her voice making his smile grow wider.
"Well, who says we can't go on a date after lunch?" He winked at her. "As long as you're not too busy playing super spies or getting drowned in icy water at the North Pole. Oh, wait, you already did."
Natasha laughed. Her cheeks felt warm, and her heart was beating faster than usual. She didn't know why, but she liked this feeling. It was new and exciting, and she wanted more of it. But there was a lot to do about the alien she encountered.
"What about that alien girl?" She asked.
"Her... Well, you want the good news or bad?" He asked with a serious expression.
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