Ira awoke the next morning, sweating and nauseous, yesterday's fever all but forgotten. Glimpses from the dream plagued her thoughts; like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from. She got out of bed, and got dressed, putting on a simple blue shirt and jeans. She chained her pendant around her neck. She also decided to wear Pietro's jacket that he always left laying around either her room or his. She breathed in his comforting scent as she slipped on the familiar black jacket.

She left her room, lightly walking through the halls. It wasn't very early in the morning, and yet no one seemed to be awake except for a few people. She could hear Steve in the living room, probably getting ready for a run. Grunts and the sounds of fighting echoed from the training room as she walked past, and she could see Natasha battling a dummy though a crack in the doorway.

Ira continued to the living room, where Steve indeed was just leaving for a run. He nodded to her, said a quick 'good morning', and left, leaving Ira all alone in the living room with her thoughts.

She mindlessly wandered to the kitchen, making herself toast without even realizing it. As she placed the bread in the toaster and sat back down on the couch, she mulled over the dream. What did it mean? Was it a sign that something bad was going to happen? Or was it simply Ira's imagination, the toll of stress and late nights?

The images still flashed through her brain; her teammates, her family laying dead on the ground, the compound burning in the distance. And she, cursed to see it before succumbing to death herself. Was it a warning? Was something bad coming? She wasn't sure, but she knew that she wouldn't sleep well for the next few nights.

The toast suddenly popped, startling Ira. She jumped, and took a deep breath to calm herself. She got up, and grabbed the toast, subconsciously smearing jam over the crispy piece of bread. She sat back down, not even really realizing what she was doing. Still thinking about the dream, she didn't hear Natasha come into the room.

The redhead leaned against the doorway, unwrapping her wrapped hands. "Hey," she greeted, breaking Ira's train of thought.

"Oh, hey," she replied, still not really focused.

"Is something wrong?" Natasha asked, pushing herself off the doorway to come sit next to Ira on the couch.

Ira didn't reply, simply taking a bite of her toast and looking ahead, pointedly away from Natasha. "You can tell me," she pressed, looking intently at Ira.

She caved, and turned to face her. "I had a dream. Everyone was dead, and the compound was on fire. I was the last one alive, and I had to watch everyone dying until I finally died myself."

Natasha seemed startled by the intensity of what Ira was saying, but she still but her lip, trying to find an appropriate response. Instead, she told a story. "When I was in the Red Room, I always had nightmares. Similar to yours. Except it was just me dying. I was laying in a circle of all the girls I had known, even some of them that I considered friends almost. They were all just watching me. And after I woke up, I realized that I couldn't let that happen. So I worked even harder to prevent my death, and it worked." Ira listened to every word Natasha was saying, periodically taking bites of her toast.

"What I'm trying to say," Natasha summarized, "Is that sometimes we can learn things from our nightmares. We can work even harder to prevent our nightmares from becoming a reality. Take yours for example," she suggested. "You can use it as motivation to keep protecting us, and keeping us safe. And I promise, it will help."

"Thanks Nat," Ira murmured. "That really helps." Natasha smiled, and stood up, helping Ira up with her.

Natasha left, and Ira put her plate away. By that time, it was already nine, and everyone else was beginning to wake up. Steve had come back from his run, and Pietro, Clint, Sam, and Wanda had woken up, and were now chatting amiably on the couch. Pietro sped over to her, and pressed a kiss to her lips, pulling her close to him. She smiled up at him, and he sped back to the couch. She followed, sitting next to him and laying her head on his shoulder.

They talked amongst each other, and Ira was content, the dream not gone, but pushed far in the back of her mind.
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Ira left the living room at eleven o'clock, padding on sock-clad feet to her room, where she changed into yoga pants and an athletic shirt. She grabbed a bag, filling it with a water bottle and clothe bands to wrap her hands. She left quickly, and headed towards the training room.

She reached the door, and pulled it open. She was greeted by the sight of the empty training room, as everyone was still in the living room. She walked over to the special room, and left her bag by the door.

She went in, and stood in a low stance at the end of the room. She spread her feet, anchoring her weight, and allowed pure energy to flow into her hands. They glowed dark blue, and her normally bright eyes were now the color of the sky at midnight. She quickly hurled blasts of energy at the dummies set up at the end of the room, firing wave after wave in quick succession while barely breaking a sweat.

With each hit, her dream was pushed further and further back in her mind. It still looked over her like a storm cloud, but now, it didn't seem as threatening and ominous as before. While she pushed it back in her head, she hurled energy at the dummies, not even really realizing what she was doing until she was panting, her hair sticking to her face and neck, and the targets lay in pieces on the floor.

Ira slowed her breathing, calming herself down as she brushed strands of platinum hair away from her face. She left the room, notifying F.R.I.D.A.Y that the room had to be reequipped with targets and cleaned up. She waited for the affirmative answer, before grabbing her bag and heading back to her room.

She changed out of her clothes, and stepped into the shower. She turned the water on, feeling the cold drops hitting her back before they warmed up. She washed her hair, and scrubbed the sweat and dirt off her body. It was funny, really. All she wanted to do was forget about the dream, and yet, she seemed to find herself with too much time alone. Time that would bring her mind back to the threat plaguing her thoughts.

She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, clearing her mind. She told herself over and over that the dream was just a dream, and that there was nothing to worry about. Her teammates could protect themselves, and she didn't have to worry about them. She assured herself over and over until the water ran lukewarm and her skin was wrinkled.

Ira turned off the water, and stepped out of the shower, quickly wrapping a towel around herself. She walked into her room and grabbed a change of clothes, throwing on the leggings and t-shirt, before rubbing her hair dry. She hung the towel up, and hesitated, looking at Pietro's jacket, still laying on the bed where she left it. She decided to go for it, and grabbed the jacket, pulling the black cloth over her shoulders. She then slipped her necklace over her head, settling the pendant to rest on her collarbone.

She left the room, walking through the hall to find Pietro or Wanda. She found Pietro walking through the halls towards his bedroom, and fell into step next to him, although she was retracing the steps she just took. Pietro didn't didn't say anything, seemingly sensing that it wouldn't help. He opened his door for her, and she walked into his room in its familiar disarray.

She sat on the bed, and Pietro put a few things away before sitting next to her. He turned on the television, and wrapped his arm around her. She buried her face in the crook of his neck as they listened to the comforting sounds of their favorite shows.

Her turned to her after a while, seriousness in his bright blue eyes. "Are you okay?" He asked her.

She pondered it for a second, and then she smiled. "Yeah. Yeah I am." She turned back to the TV, and he pulled her closer, as she sought solace from his embrace.
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A/N:

I'm actually really proud of this chapter?? Like I think that this is one of the best written chapters I've had in a while, if not ever. This is kinda what I hope all the chapters turn out like after editing, mainly very descriptive and with a nice word flow.

Also, thank you guys so much for three hundred reads. I love you all ❤️. Feel free to message me anytime, if you want to ask something, or if you just want to talk.

I love you three thousand,

E l i z a b e t h