(Riley's POV)

"Riley, please, you have to eat."

"Riley, you should go to sleep."

"Riley, a shower would feel good."

Riley this, Riley that. It's nonstop, and I'm sick of it. As soon as the next person comes to my door, I slam it shut in their face. I hear Clint sigh, before his footsteps fade. I couldn't handle another glance filled with pity.

The only people that have been allowed in and out of my room are Pietro and Wanda. They know what it's like to lose your family. What you feel inside after that.

Except I don't feel empty, I feel the need for revenge.

After a few days of hiding in my room, I get up out of bed, leaving a sleeping Pietro, and head to the training room at two in the morning. No one should be up and training at this time, maybe Bucky but I pass his room and I can hear the snores.

Once I get to the training room, I walk over to the setting panel on the wall and pick out the scenario I want. Almost immediately, the lights dim and blue, human-like holograms appear on the floor. I dive behind a giant block set up in the room, and watch as holes open up in the floor and fill with water.

Quietly, I scale the side of the tall block in behind, and get to the top. Unfortunately, there's a sentry there, watching over the entire floor. I create a sword out of ice, and as I come up behind the hologram, I slice it in half, before jumping down from the block and doing a landing roll towards another hologram. It sees me automatically, but instead of cutting it down, I move water from the holes and create a wave to smash into it.

Suddenly I'm surrounded by them. I bring the water around me and form a circle, before creating tentacles to take down the holograms. For every one I take down, it seems that they multiply. "Great." I mutter to myself, a sweat forming on my body. My head is pounding, and my ears are ringing. I feel like I'm going to explode.

So I scream.

~

(Third Person POV)

Logan wakes up in a cold sweat. The sound of high pitched screaming rings in his ears. The one question running through his mind was if it was real. He throws off the covers, puts on a shirt, and leaves his room.

He wanders the building until he comes upon the training room. A small hurricane made of water has formed in the center of the room, and as if automatically, he rushes in to see what caused it. In the eye of the hurricane, he sees a girl. When their eyes connect, the girl's eyes narrow. "Shit."

The water lashes out at him, cutting his chest. As he tries to block the water with his claws, another whip hits his thigh, knocking him down in the process. "Who the hell are you?" The girl's voice is odd. It's as if it comes from underwater, but it also sounds like the hurricane that has now dissipated. "What do you want?"

It doesn't stop. The girl doesn't stop. Every inch of Logan is cut and bleeding, but slowly healing. "My name is Logan! I came here to help!"

"Get. Out." The girl snarls.

Suddenly, a blur comes in the room, and Pietro skids to a stop in front of Logan. "Riley! Riley stop!" Pietro screams desperately.

~

(Riley's POV)

The water drowning my mind clears, and so does the water surrounding me. The first thing that I see is Pietro with a cut across his face, and a strange man standing beside him with three times as many. I fall to my knees, but when Pietro comes to help me I shake my head. "Stay away from me."

"Роза." Pietro says, taking a few steps until he's right in front of me with his hands on the sides of my face. "It's okay."

"No it's not. Whoever you are, I'm sorry." I look towards the random man, who's wounds are completely gone, leaving dried blood behind. "I lost control."

"It's okay. You just need to-"

"Don't tell me what I need to do." I snap, turning away from Pietro for the first time. Immediately after seeing his reaction, my expression softens. "I'm sorry. I don't know what happened."

Bucky, Natasha, and Steve all come rushing in the room. The man who I hurt holds up his hand to stop them, before beginning to approach me. "Kid, there is nothing to apologize for. You didn't know me, to you I was some stranger in your home."

"I lost control." I reply, shaking my head. "I'm not usually like this."

"Riley, you lost your family." I turn to find Bucky right behind me. "No one blames you for the state you're in. Trust me, if anyone understands losing control, I do."

I slowly stand up and walk to hug him. "Thank you." I whisper, before pulling away and walking to the man. "Who are you?"

"The names Logan. Your friends the witch and the robot came to find me." He nods, sticking his hand out. I don't shake it. "I'm here to help against Magneto. My team has fought him many times."

"Well, I'm sorry for attacking you, but thank you for coming to help." I take Pietro's hand and look at him. "Let's go back to the room."

~

After Justin's death, my heart turned dark. I didn't want anything to do with my powers, and I never wanted to get close to anyone again. When Andrew started abusing me, it got worse. I never wanted another man's hands on me, ever again. I thought if I was a mutant, no one would love me the way I was. After all, who could love someone who had powers, but not enough to save their own damn brother's life? My heart was black, and the waves inside were crashing against the edges as if a storm were brewing.

Pietro's face comes into view, and instantly, the darkness disappears. My heart becomes golden again, with waves of blue moving calmly. His voice soothes my soul, brings it back from the dust, and makes it new again... makes it whole. I suddenly understand the song inside of my mind. The song that has been playing through it my whole life. Without the boy standing before me, the song would be nothing but a scratched record, repeating itself over and over again without end. But with Pietro, the end is light and happiness and love. This new life has introduced me to all that, and why would anything ruin me, and bring back the darkness, when I have that kind of love and warmth in my life to chase it all away?

I don't just fight every day for the boy who's soul I saved, the one who loves me more than anyone. I don't just fight for this team, who has taken me in and treated me as family. No, I fight for much more than that.

I fight for the brother, who saw who I was since the day I was born. The brother who believed I put the water in the oceans, and made them move. The one who wouldn't let me believe I was anything less than that beautiful moon in the sky every night. Justin. I fight for Justin, and I'll be damned if I let him down.

I'm no less than the moon. I make the oceans move. I will be who Justin always believed I would be, and I will not let that darkness back in my soul when I have the light of the moon, the light of my Pietro, the light of my brother, and the light of my team to keep it at bay. Never again will I become the scared little girl who couldn't save her brother, or let a man hurt her. I will become the woman who saved the soul of the boy she loves, the girl who fights every time there's trouble to save many more.

~

In the morning, I wake up to find Pietro gone, and Wanda sleeping soundly in his spot. Confused, I start to sit up and look around for the speedster, stirring Wanda in the process. "спаситель, my brother asked me to stay with you for the night to calm you." She sits up with me, and wraps her arms around my shoulders. "Would you like some tea?"

I no, and we both get out of bed to go to the kitchen. "Where is Pietro?" I ask, looking around at the couch that has been untouched. Pulling on a sweater, I check the time and see its a little past noon. "How long have I been asleep?"

"You were restless all night, but once I calmed you, you slept like a baby and so did I." Wanda chuckles, opening my door and leading me out. "Pietro went to run an errand this morning, I'm surprised you did not wake up at his absence."

"Well, someone had control of my mind." For the first time since the day that... since that day, I crack a joke. Both of us snicker at my comment, but when I hear someone else laughing with us I turn to find Clint. "I hate it when assassins sneak up and eavesdrop."

"I haven't heard your laugh in a while, sue me." Clint grins, lazily throwing an arm around my shoulder. I notice that he's in his training clothes, and I remember the man named Logan who is supposed to be helping.

"When can I have some time to train with Logan?"

Automatically, Clint gives me a look that makes me seem crazy. "Riles, you don't have to worry about training yet. Take some time."

"I've taken time. If I take anymore, I think the next time I break it'll end worse than it did the other night." I explain, twiddling my thumbs in front of me. "I just don't want it to happen again."

"It's okay, Riley." Wanda murmurs, putting an arm around my waist. "Everyone breaks sometimes, it's normal."

"There's my sweet heart!" I hear the infamous Bucky Barnes exclaim when we walk into the kitchen. He gets up from his seat, walks over to me, and picks me up in a big bear hug. "How you doin' honey?"

"Hey Barney." I mutter, closing my eyes and letting him hug me. Hopefully, the hug will bring some joy into my heart. Bucky is one of my closest friends, one who understands me almost just as much as Pietro. We have both been to some dark places in our lives. "I'm better."

"Good, I hated seeing you sad." Bucky whispers, and I know he's smiling. "Want some coffee?"

"Hell yeah." I grin when he pulls away, walking over to the coffee pot and grabbing a mug before pouring myself a cup. I notice that Wanda and Natasha are talking intently next to the bar, and I catch the words Logan, strain, and too fast. "So who's training with Logan right now and can I join?"

"P'yetro is with him and Rogers at this moment, but maybe you should rest today and wait till tomorrow." Wanda looks at me with a small frown, almost trying to convince me that I shouldn't. For a second, I'm not entirely positive that she wouldn't refrain from mind control just to keep me from going down there.

"I'm training today. I have to Wanda." I tell her, before looking at everyone else in the room. "These past few days have been hard, yes. Losing the last member of my blood family at the hands of Magneto put me through hell. But we have all lost people, haven't we? Wanda, you lost your parents and your brother at one time; you're still here and still fighting the good fight. I won't do much less than just that. I can't."

"No one is expecting you just to sit by and do nothing, Jensen." Bucky places his hand on my shoulder and gives me a slight nudge. "I'll go kick some ass in the training with you. C'mon."

Before anyone else can say anything, he pulls me from the room and starts to walk down the hallway with me. "Thanks for that." I say quietly, then laugh. "I'm not fragile, I swear."

"You? Fragile?" Bucky's face screams shock and confusion, making me laugh harder than I was before. "I've seen you take down someone who can shoot fire with a scream and a tidal wave. You're not fragile, you're damn concrete kid."

Just like Steve, Bucky makes motivating speeches himself. I grin and say to myself, "I'm the moon."

"What?"

"Nothing."

~

(Third Person POV)

Pietro runs around the training room, dodging paint balls from the turrets that are jutting from the ground. When he's not paying attention, however, Logan steps out in front of him and clotheslines him. The force of hitting Logan's arm send Pietro into a flip, before landing on his back on the ground. "What the-"

"You were too busy paying attention to the gunfire. You need to focus on your surroundings more than dodging bullets, bub. Find a way to run on instinct, without thinking about it." Logan growls, shaking his head. He tries to run the tiredness and stress from his face, to no avail. If this team fails against Magneto... no. They have to prevail.

"This is ridiculous." Pietro sighs. Steve comes over to him and lends a hand to help him off the floor. "I'm fast, not invincible."

"You're going to need to be if we're going to defeat Magneto." Steve tells him. Worry washes his face when the door to the training room opens, and immediately he's walking over to tell Riley to leave. "What are you doing in here?"

"Training, what are you doing in here Steven?" Riley chuckles, but doesn't miss the look on Steve's face. "Listen. I'm not giving the whole 'I'm not fragile' speech again, so I'm just going to say this once: I'm fine."

Before Steve can object, Riley walks past him and to Pietro, who holds his hands up in the air. "I am not going to even try." A smile spreads on his face before he places a kiss on Riley's forehead. "I'll be here if you need me."

"Alright, let's make this a challenge kid." Logan walks over to the control panel, and turns to look at Riley. "No safe word."

~

(Riley's POV)

After destroying machine after machine, hologram after hologram, I realize how much it hurt to actually get knocked on my ass a few times. After about the 10th time, I was shooting daggers with my eyes at Logan. "Is this actual training or for your amusement? Maybe some kind of revenge after our first meeting?"

"No at all. You need to be ready, bub. Magneto won't hesitate to knock you down, even kill you. The difference between then and now, is that this is training, not life or death."

"Life or death is motivation." I mutter, but after all this training I also learned that Logan has heightened senses, so he heard that. "Please, don't make this life or death man. I'm tired. I want a break."

"Magneto doesn't give you breaks." Logan growls, grabbing a piece of metal paneling from one of the turrets and chucks it at me full force. I barely manage to cut it down the middle with a small ice sword before it hits me. "He's not weak."

"Neither am I." I huff, leaning forward. I know Logan won't let me sit down for one second, so I come up with an idea. "If I can beat you hand to hand, no powers or claws, can you let me stop training for today?"

A loud laugh echoes through the room as Bucky and Steve walk up to us. "You're funny Riles. You probably couldn't beat this man on your best day." Bucky jokes, patting me on my sweat-drenched back. He notices the moisture and cringes before wiping his hand on his pants.

"Let her try." Steve smirks, crossing his arms. I stick my tongue out at him and hit his arm. "Hey, I'm not the one you're fighting!"

"No, you are." I give Logan a confused look, but he crosses his arms. "They might not have my claws and healing abilities, but they're just as strong as me if not stronger thanks to the super soldier serum. They're a better match for you to fight, kid."

Bucky starts to chuckle, and then Steve joins in. "Let me grab some popcorn and a camera, please." I glare at the brunette and his smile disappears. "I-I mean... please don't freeze me again."

"Fine. C'mon Steven, lets fight." I grab some bandage and start to wrap my hands, and Steve does the same. Hopefully, he won't go all super soldier on my butt. Almost immediately, I'm dodging his giant fists. How huge can a man's hands be, I mean, come on! I try to throw an uppercut but he steps back, avoiding the move, but I step forward faster to land a solid blow to his gut, making him grunt. "Ha!"

My victory was short lived, however, because he sweeps his leg underneath me to knock me down. Before he can pin me down, and roll backwards to get back on my feet in enough time. "Get him Riles!" Bucky shouts, but I don't look in his direction. Instead, I side-kick Steve to try and counteract his advance, but he catches my leg and flips me. I land on my hands, and push off the ground to plant my feet firmly on his chest, sending him staggering backwards. As soon as I go to punch him, he hits me first.

God, that hurt. My jaw was stinging, but I couldn't blame him. This was training after all. I take a page out of Natasha's book, and decide to run at him. When he thinks I'm going to tackle him, I slide between his legs to get behind him and kick out his locked knees. Finally, he goes down long enough for me to hop onto his shoulders, wrap my legs around his neck, and hold on for dear life. Steve stands from the ground, and before I know it, he falls backwards hard enough to make me cry out in pain from the contact on my back... but I don't release my grip. He does the move again, and the second time I hear a faint crack. I still don't loosen up. The third time he stands up, I push off his back right as he's going down, so this time he feels the contact and not me. I shake my head to clear the black spots out of my vision, but I can still see him slowly standing back up.

"Where can I get me some of that super soldier serum?" I say, and then the world goes black.

~

My eyes are still closed, but that doesn't dull the pounding of my head and the ache in my back. "What the hell? She shouldn't have been training, much less going against Steve!" I hear someone shout.

"It was her decision, you know how Riley gets when she makes a choice. She sticks to it." Steve argues with someone, and I feel a cold hand on my bare arm. Not just cold, but metal.

"Then change her mind. We can't have a member down when Magneto is still at large. I'm powerless against someone who can turn my suits into crushed cans!" Tony. Tony's the other person in the room. "We need everyone at their strongest, and ready at a moment's notice."

"She's just a kid." Bucky growls, and I hear a chair get knocked to the floor when, I assume, he stands up abruptly. "Riley is too young for this."

"I'm sure you were around her age when you went to war."

"That was years ago, and things have changed. The world has changed, Tony." Steve explains. Before anymore words cans be said, I move enough to get their attention but not feel too much pain. "Riley?"

"Jensen, open your eyes." Bucky says, and now I feel both of his hands on my arm; the one with soft, warm skin, and the other with the rough, coolness of metal. "Please."

Weakly and slowly, I crack my eyes open to see the three of them standing around me. "Where... Where am I?" I ask, not wanting to look around. Just opening my eyes made my head pound.

"You're in the med-wing. You passed out during training." Bucky tells me, brushing my hair out of my face. "Pietro is waiting outside for you."

Pietro. Oh god... He's going to kill me.

"This is all my fault, Riley. I'm so sorry." Steve shakes his head before looking away from me.

"I was the one who wanted to train. I wanted to fight, even when you told me I shouldn't. You're not at fault here, Steve." I sigh and try to sit up slowly. Immediately, I know that I'm going to have bruises on my back. "Maybe it's best that I go back to my room and take it easy."

"I'll get Pietro." Bucky states and walks out of the room. Tony doesn't say a word to me or even look in my direction. After what happened the day we brought Bucky home, I don't want to talk to him either.

"Роза." I look up to see my boyfriend standing in the doorway, and almost immediately he's by my side and picking me. "I should not have let this happen."

"Don't start, Maximoff. Just take me to go rest and we'll be even." I joke, and he obliges. Before I know it, we're in my room and I'm sitting on the couch. "Babe..."

"No. I should have told you no when you wanted to train today. I should have known something would have happened. I knew-"

"I should, I should, I should. Pietro this is not your fault. I knew what I was getting myself into. It was my decision, and no matter how much I love you, I wouldn't have changed my mind. You have to understand that." I explain to him while placing a hand on his cheek. "I love you, but Pietro... I'm my own person. I was Riley Jensen, the stubborn, hard-headed girl before you came along, and I'm that same Riley Jensen now."

"And I love you, Riley Jensen." Pietro whispers before kissing me. It feels like forever since we have had a moment to ourselves, in our room, without worry of any interruptions. Just like always, his lips on mine spark something inside of me, and that spark urges me to move and sit on his lap. Before it can get heated, however, I find myself suddenly laughing as Pietro tickles me to death.

"Hey! T-That's no fair!" I stutter, laughing too hard to breathe fully. He lets me go and runs to the other side of the room. "I was distracted, you cheater!"

Pietro's attention remains on me, so he doesn't see that behind my back, I've used my powers to carry water from a filled up glass to hover over him. "All is fair in love and-"

"War." I finish his sentence before dropping the water on him. His eyes light up with mischief, causing me to regret my decision and put my hands up in surrender. "Pietro... Pietro please don't."

Suddenly, I'm picked up in his arms and whisked away to the bedroom, where he proceeds to continue to tickle me. "You used your powers, it's only fair!" He exclaims while laughing.

The room is filled with nothing but our laughter. It's a wonderful sound, one that I will carry with me forever and always replay. This moment is one of the most pure and happy moments in my life. I love him. More than anything in the world, because not only can he sit on the couch and cheer me up, but he gives me little moments like this. Ones that I never had in my hometown. This life, this world, this team... I love it more and more everyday. I'm grateful for them.

~
*******
Author's Note:
awwww happy Riletro ☺️ btw, does anyone else kind of ship Bucky and our lovely girl Riley? What would their ship name even be?

My story has reached 4K! For some, that's not a big deal, but to me it is 😊 thank you to everyone who has read all the chapters and added on to that number! And a special thanks to SaveTheBrooklynBoys  for being the most supportive friend I could have. You were a fan since the beginning, and I couldn't thank you enough for helping me deciding on covers, ideas, and actresses.

Also, Wattpad has been messing up so I don't know if what I changed worked or not, but I decided to make Claire Holt the new face of Riley Jensen.

Russian: Роза
English: Rose