Chapter 6: Reigniting the Flame
Silence.
That was all that remained after Wanda and Pietro left with Ultron.
Alex lay on the cold, metallic floor of his cell, his mind replaying the moment over and over—the kiss, her words, the promise in her voice.
"I will return for you."
For so long, he had been nothing but a prisoner—shackled, weak, broken. The pain, the torture, the endless cycle of suffering had stripped him of everything. But now, for the first time in years, something stirred inside him.
Hope.
Alex clenched his fists. The chains around his wrists rattled, but he barely noticed. The memory of Wanda's touch, the warmth of her lips, was like a fire rekindling in his frozen soul.
"No more waiting. No more weakness."
With a deep breath, he focused.
Ever since Hydra experimented on him, his body had changed. The injections, the Mind Stone exposure—he knew he wasn't human anymore. But he had never truly tested himself, too consumed by pain and self-doubt.
That ended now.
Gritting his teeth, Alex reached inward, searching for the power he had ignored for so long.
The response was immediate.
A searing pain tore through him, as if his very blood had turned to molten lava. His body convulsed, his vision blurred, and for a moment, he thought he would black out.
But he didn't stop.
"More."
He pushed harder.
The air around him stirred. A sudden whoosh of wind whipped through the cell, rustling his ragged clothes. The ground beneath him trembled, tiny cracks forming in the concrete floor.
Alex screamed.
It was unbearable—every nerve in his body felt like it was being burned alive. His bones, now laced with vibranium, felt like they were splitting apart under the strain.
And then—
A spark.
A flicker of power, raw and untamed.
The chains binding him glowed red-hot, the metal warping and twisting before shattering into molten fragments. Alex collapsed to the ground, panting, sweat dripping from his face.
He had done it.
A shaky laugh escaped his lips.
He wasn't powerless.
Slowly, he stood. His legs trembled, but he forced them to hold. He raised a hand and focused again. This time, the pain was still there, but he welcomed it. It meant he was alive.
Blue sparks crackled around his fingers, swirling and shifting like a living storm.
"Elemental control..."
He clenched his hand into a fist.
It was time to leave.
Escape
Alex moved through the base, his steps slow but determined. The corridors were eerily empty—Ultron's attack must have wiped out most of Hydra's forces.
Good.
As he neared the exit, two Hydra guards spotted him.
"Halt—"
Alex raised his hand.
The air around them shifted violently, and before they could react, a powerful gust of wind slammed them into the walls with bone-crushing force. They crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
He had no time to be amazed. He ran.
As he reached the surface, the night sky stretched endlessly above him. He took a shaky breath. The snow-covered ground reflected the moonlight, casting an eerie glow over the desolate landscape.
Snow.
His heart clenched. He had always loved snow—the way it fell silently, the way it blanketed the world in pure white, the way it made everything seem... peaceful.
But peace was a luxury he couldn't afford right now.
He needed to get away—far away.
Instinctively, he focused. He had felt it earlier, the strange sensation pulling at him, as if the air itself was waiting for his command.
"If I can control air..."
He closed his eyes.
Then, he jumped.
For a brief moment, nothing happened. Then—
The wind caught him.
His body shot upward, the cold air rushing past his face as he soared into the sky. His breath hitched. He wasn't falling.
He was flying.
A grin spread across his face.
For the first time since his awakening, since his suffering, since everything—Alex laughed.
He was free.
A New Beginning
As he flew over the vast, snowy mountains, a single thought echoed in his mind.
He needed to master his abilities. He needed to become stronger.
And then—
He would find Wanda again.