#Nick Fury x OC

[braveclementine]

He Knows

Warnings: None

Copyright: I do not own any Marvel characters or locations. However, I do own my OCs, which consist of Penny Fury, Elizabeth Nelson, Elijah Chan, Katya Venice, Violetta Moscow, Lan Le, Josh, Trang Tien, Ahni Jallow, Mai Ito, and Ghaida Kashual as well as other OCs that will come up throughout the story.

NGL, kind've was going to end the story with the last chapter, but then I realized I sort've wanted this story to continue. Like the cliffhanger would've been cool, but I also wanted to give closure. You guys should tell me which you think was better: Cliffhanger or more chapters

👩‍🎨👽 𝕊𝒽ｉᖴтƗηǤ 𝔱нι𝐑đ 卩σν 💨🤽‍♂️

Penny watched as Elizabeth's eyes fluttered, trying to open. She didn't seem like she was conscious. She was to still and silent, her chest barely moving either. 

The room was waiting, also seeming to hold their breath. Besides Heimdall, Wanda, and Ghaida at least. Elijah drifted closer, but Bucky seemed to shrink back into Steve, almost as though in fear. 

Her lips moved for a second, but nothing came from her voice. 

Elizabeth felt weird. Her mind was filled with thousands of memories. Most of them had faded already, the way they would have if she had grown up without losing any of them. But she remembered the basics. 

She was Asgardian, or half at least. Loki had tried raising her, but Heimdall had become something more of a father figure than anything else. She tried to sort out if she loved him like a father, but the thoughts of him fucking her were much higher in need and want. No, she loved him like a lover. 

Then there was Wong, a very young Wong, but Wong nonetheless. Magic and powers. Stephen had nothing to do with it, but it was still weird that Wong hadn't told her she was magic. Unless he still felt she was a danger to the dark side? 

Clint hadn't changed a bit. He was still comfortable. 

Bucky. . . 

The pain hit her like a truck. She was going to wake up and Bucky would be there. And he would be in love with her, but not the way that she was in love with him. Her love for him was in the very depths of her heart. More than anyone else she could ever have loved. 

She felt panic inside of her. She needed to forget. Quickly. Before she saw him again. Her breathing was changing, more labored. 

A metal arm. She had a metal arm. 

Everything and everyone else but Bucky faded. She whimpered. She needed to forget him. 

"Elizabeth?" Wanda asked nervously, looking at Heimdall. Penny realized she was digging her nails into her arms and shook her hands out, releasing her hold. 

Elizabeth didn't recognize the voice in the darkness. She was afraid who it was. Who it could be. She needed. . . she needed. 

Penny gave a start as Elizabeth choked out, "R-Rhodey. N-Nick." 

Her father and Rhodey were by her side in an instant. Penny saw Bucky lower his head out of the corner of her eye. She felt terrible for him. He probably had expected to be the one that Elizabeth wanted to see most. But Penny suspected that it was the opposite. Elizabeth wouldn't want to see him at all. 

Steve seemed to have come to the same conclusion because he gave a nervous look over at Elizabeth and then hugged Bucky and started whispering in his ear. But Bucky shook his head furiously, a set determination in his eyes. 

Elizabeth flickered her eyes open, seeing the two men above her. Their eyes full of concern and both were tinted red like they'd been crying. 

She wanted to look around the room, but she could feel how full it was, the water levels of every person. There was a chance Bucky was in the room, and she couldn't bear to see his face. The idea of it made her start to hyperventilate. 

"Babydoll, breathe." Nick ordered, cupping her face so that she couldn't see the rest of the room. Only him and Rhodey. "I know you're disoriented, but you need to breathe." 

"How long?" She asked in a whisper. 

"A good hour." Rhodey murmured, "But it's alright. We stayed with you through it. We. . ." He drifted off, looking over at someone. Whatever happened made Rhodey turn back and he said, "Heimdall had Wanda show us your memories as you got them back." 

It took her a second to realize what that meant, before she jolted upright, "NO!" 

"Elizabeth." Rhodey said, catching her. 

"No! He knows! He knows!" Elizabeth sobbed, hiding her face in her hands. Penny glanced over once more to see Bucky had staggered to his feet, looking conflicted. 

Bucky walked over, pushing Nick and Rhodey out of the way gently, sitting down in front of Elizabeth. He looked so nervous and lost, Penny's heart went out to him. 

"Elly." He whispered and Elizabeth's body stiffened. "Elly." He reached out, cupping her face, forcing her to look at him. 

Her body was shaking and Penny turned away, walking over so that she could sit down with Fandral and Scott. 

"I remember everything." Bucky whispered, leaning his forehead against hers, just like he would do when she was a little girl. 

"Don't lie." Elizabeth choked out, fear consuming her. "Just cause you saw-" 

"I got that ring from Katya's house." Bucky said, interrupting her. "I broke into the mansion to steal a couple of art pieces. I was in her room when I saw a jar of rings. That one stood out to me and I brought it back so I could propose to you with it. Until now, I didn't remember it. Didn't remember you or missions surrounding you. Now I do. I remember missions I didn't remember before. Ones where I took stuffed animals from little girls and boys rooms so that I could bring them back for you." 

"I remember when they switched you into wearing those dresses and you were the most gorgeous dame I had ever seen. I remember the bad things and the good things. . . just everything doll." Bucky whispered. 

Elizabeth finally looked into his eyes. There were tears there, but also truth and love. His flesh hand slid up, cupping her face, his metal hand gently wrapping around her. 

Elijah felt sick. He had known that his soulmate had a rough life, but this? He had never expected this. He longed to be Bucky at that moment, the one who would be able to comfort her. But he didn't have that background or that history with her. 

He still loved her, he knew that. But he wonder self-doubtedly if she loved him too. If she loved any of them anymore. He wondered if Steve and Sam and Penny were just as conflicted over Bucky. Looking over, Steve had a small smile on his face, with Sam leaning into him. Penny on the other hand looked worried, her teeth digging into her bottom lip. 

"Doll." Bucky whispered, closing his eyes. Elizabeth trembled under him and whispered. "I need to talk to the others first. I'll meet you in my room after. . . you can bring Steve and Sam if you want." 

Bucky pulled away slowly, nodding, "Okay." 

He gently pulled away completely and Elizabeth turned to face the rest of the group. 

She looked confused and she moved gingerly. Thor moved forwards slightly and looked at her, "May I check on the children?" 

Elizabeth froze and then nodded and Thor knelt before her. After a few seconds, he said, "They are all alright. And the pirates child is just as strong as the other two, as well. The magic seems to have balanced everything." 

Elizabeth swallowed, knowing what she had done. Thor titled his head, "Wait. . . I do not understand." Thor looked up at her and then at Ghaida, confusion written on his face. 

"Is something wrong?" T'Challa asked tersely. 

"No?" Thor asked, moving away, pondering something. 

"What? What happened?" Bucky asked frantically, immediately moving back to her side. 

"Part of the magic." Loki said in wonder, forgetting for a second that he had no idea where she stood. "Amazing." 

"What?" Half the room asked. 

"The babies. . ." Ghaida whispered. "The ones she lost when she died. They're. . . they're there." 

"Mine and Buckys?" Sam asked in a high-pitched voice. 

"She's carrying five children?" Bruce asked in a strangled voice, exchanging a look with Stephen. 

"Okay, okay. I'll be fine." Elizabeth replied quickly, looking at all of them, "I. . . I'll explain just. . . please don't lose your minds." 

They all settled back down, but she read worry on all of their faces. She breathed in and said, "When I was under. . . it wasn't just seeing my memories. Those all came at once, hitting me like a train. Everything. . . but some of it was choosing my new life. How I wanted things to be." She hesitated and then said, "I chose my old self. I didn't know it would include the babies. . . but it. . ." 

She looked down at her hands and then moved her left hand towards her right. She ran her fingers across her skin before it shimmered, becoming the metal arm with the red star that they had seen in her memories. 

She looked strange with it, Elijah thought. Something about it was unsettling. Perhaps because he had never seen her like that. 

It fit her well, almost beautiful, Penny thought as she watched the metal blend in with Elizabeth's skin. Elizabeth let her hand dangle by her side and Bucky approached her for a third time, this time kneeling at her feet, kissing her hand. 

"It. . . It doesn't change-" Her eyes darted around the room. 

"No baby." Tony said softly. "It changes nothing, for me." 

"Or me." All of the room said together, though there was some variation in the timing of which they said it. 

"It fits you." Penny added, hoping that it would reassure her. 

Elizabeth let a smile flicker for a second and then moved her fingers back up, letting it become the illusion of flesh again. She swallowed with a bit of difficulty, eyes flickering to Elijah, before looking back down at the carpet. She rest her chin on Bucky's head for a second, before addressing them once more. 

"I. . . obviously if you all saw everything, then I need to have conversations. And I think they should be done sooner rather than later." She breathed out. 

"First things first," T'Challa stepped forwards. "I would like you to know that Dora Milaje have the doctor in jail. I will be going back to Wakanda for her trial and we will decide her fate. If you would like to be a witness, that is reasonable, but Shuri and Okoye can advocate for you." 

"Okay." Elizabeth nodded. 

"Who first?" Clint asked, nervous. He kept flipping the sling ring in his fingers. He wondered if she saw him any differently now than before. 

Elizabeth looked at all of them, "The Gods." 

Loki stiffened a little, looking down at his feet. 

"And then Wong and Stephen." She nodded. "Clint I'll talk to you after. Bucky, like I said I'll meet you in my room. Steve, Sam, you're more than welcome to join. The rest of you. . . I don't think there's really anything. . . so I'll see you guys tomorrow." 

Penny noticed Elijah looked wounded at that. But he slowly started to leave the room after the others. Penny got up too as Rhodey held his hand out to her and she took it. 

"Elijah." Elizabeth followed him out, quivering a little. She looked up at him and he turned to face her, hesitation in his eyes. "I love you. I. . . I'll see if I can come find you after I'm done. But there's so many quest-" Her voice broke and she looked away, blinking tears. She shuddered, trying to breathe in. 

"Milady," Elijah whispered, "Take your time. I will go to Ghaida, Lan, and Katya tonight if you want to find me. You don't have to search." He smiled a little. "I love you too." 

She sighed, relieved and Elijah took note of it and hated himself for the insecurity of her not loving him. He dipped low, going to kiss her cheek, but she turned her head, capturing his lips. He hummed into the kiss, feeling her warmth. 

"I love you so much." Elizabeth whispered, burrowing into his warmth for a moment. He held her for a while until he slowly let her go. 

"Get your answers. I'll see you tomorrow." Elijah whispered and slowly backed away, before turning and leaving. 

And Elizabeth turned to face the Gods.

[nobody-zero3000]

Sneak Peak of DC X Marvel Fanfiction OC Fanfic Story

Beep. Beep.Beep.

"ha, Ha Ha HAHAHAHAHA!!!".......... "hurts more? A or B?"...........a boy, in his mid-teens, wearing a costume tied up, being beaten.............by a crowbar...........pain......hurt........anger.......sadness.....

..acceptance...........death.......................

more pain..............screaming, and green water............a man in a red helmet holding a gun to a clown's head?!

GIF by batboyzloverz

but this clown looks and feels............dangerous, insane, terrifying, sadistic.......evil. "IT'S HIM OR ME! You Have to Decide!......Him or ME! Decide!"

.............................another boy strapped down, struggling to get out..... chemicals, lab tools, pills, cigarettes, and other various stuff that she cannot or does not want to even think about how they are used on his poor defenseless boy....................it the clown..pushes the lever............... electricity running wild.................the boy screaming........................laughter.....she felt insanity. Still, she was more concerned about the pain, fear, and hopelessness. The boy is on his knees, laughing before crying............................

GIF by prissnukem

.......................another boy, wait it's not a boy, it's a man.....................he looked devasted, scared, alone, vulnerable, ............."my fault"......"I failed you."...........tears running down his face..............a woman is suddenly on top of him...........running her hands over him............."don't touch me"............"poisonous, numb.".............pain, betrayal, defeated, numb.................she won't stop even if he saying, pleading..............fighting monsters......... gets stabbed in the stomach....... then there's pain..............and insanity..............it's like he lost a big part of himself..............and something else entered him...

GIF by timohtydrake

........................a boy...... around the age of his late teens,........................ he is fighting a man......... he has strength and is doing well......until a girl with blonde hair throws a boulder his way......................... anger...pain... anger...but betrayal... sad.........the man is beating him up.........................

it's the young boy again, but much older........................ lasers come out of the creature's eyes............. zig-zagging....................... He steps in its path....................protecting another individual..................it hits him................extreme pain! being burned alive..............he yells out in pain..........................

AAAAAaaaaaahhhhhAAAaahhhhhhh!!! She screams out in agony, watery eyes widen (glowing white), and she is shaking, hands out in front of her, glowing.

Someone is running behind her, by her side, calling and yelling her name. But to her, it's like she's underwater, unable to hear a sound. It sounds like not one but many other voices calling out to her.

...Chiara...

..Chiara.

Chiara...

Chiara?

The voices are getting louder.

Chiara!

Chiara?!

"Chiara!!!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[jackiequick]

7 times they were better parents to Tony than Howard was | Agent Carter Fanfic

~ In other words, Elizabeth Stark and Jason Underwood being an married couple for 5 minutes straight

Pairing: Jason Underwood & Elizabeth Stark

Character mentioned/included: Tony Stark, Howard Stark, Maria Stark, Edwin Jarvis & Ana Jarvis, Hank Pym, The Avengers & Young Avengers, Peggy Carter, Nick Fury, Alexander Pierce, Justin Hammer and etc

Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe -> Agent Carter, Iron Man 1-3, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers Age Of Ultron

Summary: Sometimes the best things in life happen when you least expect, such as becoming loving parental figures to a billionaire genius with a cheeky grin.

Note: Jason’s nickname is JJ and Elizabeth’s nickname is Liz

Ship Name: JALIZZY

Slight Warning: A bit of angst but mostly fluff

Click here for the latest fic featuring this family

Click here to see where our leading man fits in the Marvel Universe timeline

—————

Both were asleep in bed, when little 7 year old Tony walked into the bedroom and climbing into their bed.

Jason woke up first rubbing his eyes and sighed, "Bubba what you doing? We built you a new big boy bed last week.."

"Bad dream.." Said little Tony balling up his fist and getting under the covers, "..and Daddy is out."

"Oh right Momma visiting Aunt Peg for the week.."

"I'm sorry..c-can I stay?"

That moment Elizabeth woke up ruffling her nephew's bed head and yawned, "Sure, Bambino. But you wanna talk about the bad dream first?"

Tony looked down holding his teddy bear and mumbled, "I was in a dark and scary cave with a dragon..and I could not fight him, I was running but there no way to go.."

"Aww sweetie, look it's okay not every dream is gonna be a good one but you're okay. Everything is okay, you hear me?"

" I know..it's okay, b-but I was lost and scared..I did not save the princess..I fail.."

"Oh no sweetie, you didn't fail anyone. It was just a bad dream, there are no dragons here to hurt you."

"But the princess?"

"Maybe you will save her in the next dream."

Jason added with a tired smile, "Or maybe the princess already saved herself? Like auntie Lizzie or auntie Peg. And she's now waiting for you in the dream."

"Really?" Tony asked with a small smile.

"Yeah, sometimes it's the little prince that needs to go on journey to find the princess waiting for him in the end."

"Okay, I am ready to sleep now..and meet the princess."

"Out of curiosity, who was the princess?"

"Her name was Molly."

"Ohh nice name."

Elizabeth cut in with a chuckle, "Yeah very nice! Now we can please go to sleep and save the kingdom tonight in this dream?"

The boys nodded with a smile, cuddling up in bed with the lady of the house.

------

Elizabeth blowing raspberries on Tony's tummy as his giggles filled up the house with laughter. Jason was building up rocking chair in the living room and walked into the kitchen.

Jarvis was making lunch for them.

"Hey babe." He said with a smile, kissing her forehead then gave his nephew one on the cheek.

"Hi dear." She replied with a smile bouncing their nephew in her lap who giggled brightly.

It was a running gag but a sweet one calling each other pet names since the day they met. It went beyond, just them calling each other nicknames Jason called Jarvis's wife, Ana, honey and doll all the time as a term of endearment.

"JJ!" Tony yelled in glee with a toothy grin, as both adults looked their eyes at his silliness.

Something that would carry on once Tony is older is that silly toothy grin of his, no matter what the situation is. Especially his giggles.

Jarvis set the table for them, as Jason rushed over to help him and cutting Elizabeth's food into smaller sizes. Ana joined them soon enough watching all of this in curiosity. However, it confused the British man, once they all sat down to eat.

"Why does Jason need to cut your food, Miss Stark?" Jarvis asked them as he ate.

"Just watch, dear." Ana added, curious knowing she will get an answer.

With Tony's booster seat resting between them. Ana grabs a glass of wine and sits next to her husband. Looking at the kid who are begin to eat but what caught Jarvis's eye was Tony’s other hand gripping Elizabeth’s left hand in a tight grip.

"Aww how adorable." Ana said with a smile eating her chicken.

"It is indeed but what exactly is happening? I might need an explanation." Jarvis questioned with a smile.

"Tony had this new habit where he only can eat if he holds Elizabeth or Maria’s hand. It started a few days ago." Jason explained chuckling as he ate.

"I don't mind it. It keeps him relaxed and allows me to make sure he's doing alright while eating." Elizabeth replied eating with her other hand.

"What happens if you remove your hand?" Ana asked, in love with the way Tony's happily eating.

Elizabeth lets go of Tony's hand and all of them looking at the youngest Stark who started fusing while chewing a piece of meat, one hand starts waving asking for his auntie’s hand.

Elizabeth just let Tony wrap his fingers with her own in the meantime as Ana chuckled and Jarvis snorted with a smile.

"Howard tried it yesterday, removing Tony's hand away from Maria and he just cried. Not pretty." Jason added chuckling.

"It was hilarious!" Elizabeth told them as she snickered, "My brother promised to let him sleep with their room last night, if he stopped. Howard was third wheeling."

------

“Will you please go to sleep now? You're a growing boy, come on please do it Uncle JJ.” Jason sighed and rubbed his own face with his palm.

“No way.” Tony runs “I wan Liz…”

“I give up.” Jason buried his face in the kid’s bed

Jason finally gets up and walks to the living room where his best girl is reading something from her notebook. Watching Tony just dive to her lap startling the woman.

“What the-?” Elizabeth jumped out of reflex “I-shouldn’t you be in bed and counting sheep?”

“I’m not sleepy.” Tony shakes his head.

“Well, I am.” Jason sighed and sat next to Elizabeth looking into her eyes hoping she understood the silent help signal, "No more kids, one is enough.."

That was when Hank Pym called as Elizabeth put him on the speaker and started talking with him as she tried to put her kid to sleep.

"Lizzie is this a bad time?" Hank asked while on the phone, hearing Tony mumbling in the background and Jason's voice muttering something.

"No, Hankie it's fine. Someone's allergic to sleep just like his father, I'll pay you 500 bucks if you can get him to sleep." Elizabeth replied jokingly.

"I'll see what I can do. Do you remember the equation use for invention you and Howard were making?"

"Actually, yeah I do. The one for that android prototype? Yeah I do."

"Good because I thinking we can use for this new formula I was creating."

Both scientists go to work, talking with the equipment and possible new investments they would make that month to present to the others. Laughing and gushing about their week as well.

Jason was napping when he was accidentally smack on the shoulder due to Elizabeth's excitement how on they can improve the formula for the shrink ray.

"Ow!" He shouted softly, being woken up.

"Oh, sorry JJ. I was just, you know." She replied trying to explain with a chuckle.

"I know let me take this little guy off your hands."

"Alright."

Both expected to find Tony still awake on his auntie's lap but he nodding off as they spoke. They chuckled quietly thanking Hank's believing their science talk tired him out or something.

He picked him up as Tony's head rested on his shoulder, his eyes were trying to stay open as he mumbled, "I'm not tired...no sleepy.."

"Oh yes you are, Bubba. Very sleepy." Jason said with a soft chuckle with sighed, "Say night night."

Elizabeth stood up cupping his little face mumbling sweet nothing into his ears as Tony hummed a soft, "..night night."

"Night, my little star." She replied with a soft smile, deciding to help tuck him in.

They tucked in their little boy, turning on the recording on Maria Stark's gentle singing voice as background noise for Tony.

Moments like that, they both wished Howard and Maria were not busy sometimes but they're more than happy to raise the little guy instead.

----

As much as he is their little boy, he is Howard's son and that being said he was a little rebellious at time. Especially in his early teens and his years as an adult..

"Anthony Edward Stark, where the hell you think your going?" Elizabeth asked with her arms crossed and tapped her foot with a glare.

"Out!" Repiled Tony, who was 12 years old at this point with a classic smirk.

"It's Monday afternoon on a school night!"

"So?"

"So you're not heading out to whatever your heading off to! I don't care what it is, Friday it's another thing, I allow it. But Monday, hell no!"

"You're not dad, auntie Liz!"

"And thank god I ain't. Be lucky it ain't Peggy either, why do you want to head out anyway? To act cool with your friends?"

Tony sighed in defeat dramatically dropping the smirk and crossed his arms, "Well no shit. All my friends are doing it."

Jason stepped in after returning home from an getting supplies hearing his nephew, "Please tell you didn't just curse in front of your aunt."

"I just said 'shit'! Relax.." Tony replied with a sigh thinking of something knowing who's the softer parent, "And aunt Liz won't let me go out."

"First off no cursing at your aunt. And second, out where?"

"An party..all my friends will be there!"

"Is it on Friday?"

"Yup! It's on Friday, it's a small party."

Elizabeth scoffed, "No! It's tonight, an silly little stupid party with his friends doing god knows what. God knows if the parents will be there!"

"She's lying! She doesn't want me to have fun this week and stay stuck in this house, only invite to Rhodey or something." Tony shouted.

"Enough!" Jason yelled raising his voice, "I know she ain't lying and that you're the one who is actually lying. You know the rules Tony, no parties or anything on school night like Monday. And something tells me those kids parents don't know they're going to that party."

"B-but that's not fair! I should be allow to go." Tony yelled.

"No you shouldn't and it is fair, she’s saving you for tomorrow. She knows that something off is going on if it's on a Monday, simple as that. Doesn't that sound a little weird to you?"

"...yeah..it does."

"We will talk about this later."

A few more words were said before Tony left to the living room. Liz was pissed off and so was Jason.

He sighed and told her, "You were doing the right thing."

"I know.." She sighed, "I know. I'm just trying to protect him. Something tells me this won't be the last argument."

"Cause it won't. But we just try to lead him down the right path.."

"You got that right. Protecting him and all that.."

----

Road trips with the three of them tend to be something else. Tony always making himself known with questions, annoying them on purpose and snickering afterwards.

"Where we going?" Tony asked in the backseat, playing with his jacket zipper.

"To meet Peggy and your parents in San Diego." Elizabeth replied like it was obvious with a smile.

"And why are you driving?"

"Because your uncle JJ has a bad history with driving."

Jason perked up, "I'm right here, you know?!

Tony snorted, "Okay what time we get there?"

"Midnight." Elizabeth said with sigh.

"What happens at midnight?"

"You're bedtime."

"Can I drive?"

Both shouted at the same time, "No!"

That resulted in Tony laughing at their response as both parents chuckled at his ridiculous way to make times like that a joke or two.

---

Sometimes Elizabeth tends to become a mama bear, as if she isn't already. Like when Tony started dating, Howard rolled his eyes chuckling at his sister and Maria gushed hoping her boy enjoys the dating scene.

Elizabeth on the other hand, she was so excited and sat beside Jason one afternoon while he was reading. He was reading a classic children's' book from the shelfs, 'The Giving Tree' when Elizabeth came with a grin.

"Yes my darling?" He asked looking up from the book with a laugh.

"Tony got a date!" She repiled with a smile.

"With who? I mean I'm not surprise our kid has been a cheeky little guy since the age of 3."

"You know that day Howard took Tony down to that event in Chicago? Well there was this nice girl there with her mother, Tony sneaked off to see her and now they met again due to her mother bringing her here for an clothing event. And according to Ana, he has a date."

"That's my boy. If he's not a gentleman, I'll ground him for life. Where to?"

"Ana said that caravel downtown this weekend. She was eavesdropping and I love her for it."

"Not bad for a first actually date with a girl he seems to like."

Elizabeth sigh assuming something, Jason knew that look on her face and ask her what's going on.

"I don't want to sound cheesy but he's growing up so fast, JJ! I mean where did the time go? It felt like I was helping him add 2 + 2 yesterday! Now a date? Damn..he's my baby." Elizabeth admitted with a sigh.

Jason opened his arms pulling her into an tight embrace as she was nuzzling comfortably against his neck. She pouted, it was a rare moment but she did. He chuckled rubbing her shoulder.

"Aw, Lizzie, darling. He's growing up, I don't like it. Hell I would rather stop time and let him stay the way he is now. But we can't. Before we know it, he's buying his own house or deciding to buy this one off his father." Jason joked with a smile.

Elizabeth chuckled, "He might as well do that. I'm not ready for him to keep growing up, what if he doesn't want hugs from his auntie anymore? What if he grows up hating the idea of living with us? I mean it's a packed a house, i don’t blame him."

"Hahaha no, honey he won't. I think he rather have a packed house than a quieter one. And he will always need his auntie, he's your baby. Tony knows it, hell he might make you an godmother one day."

"Oh god no, don't think that far hahaha! I want him live in the moment now, before he's old and gray. I'm still gonna baby him no matter how old he is! You know that right?"

"Oh I know. And he's gonna be annoyed but love you for it. No matter what you do, you will be there to protect him and stand up for him."

"You too!"

"Oh hell yeah I will!"

---

And they are right about that. Yeah sure, Lizzie was gone under the ice for years due to a freak accident thinking she was goner. Having Jason and Tony feeling down in the dumps for some time.

But when that girl returned, her mama bird side came with her. And the man who was her right hand was more than happy about that.

"He's insane!" Liz yelled with a sigh, pointing at her nephew, "You're insane."

"Hello?! Have you met me?" Tony replied with a chuckle, "I think Pepper would love a big bunny for an anniversary slash Christmas present."

"Okay I dealt the whole 'I'm Iron Man, I can do whatever the hell I want' thing. But your Tony Stark! My Tony Stark, use that head of yours is a big bunny a good idea?"

"JJ gets you big jewelry and spoils you! I blame him for my actions, the bunny stays."

"Oh jeez. Did you at least get dinner ready?"

"Yeah it's pizza tonight. Why are you acting so uptight lately?"

Elizabeth sighed, "I've been asleep for years in ice and I come back to find you as Iron Man. A superhero. I know it's been an year now, but a part of me is still scared your gonna blow it!"

Tony chuckled pulling his auntie into a hug, "Oh Liz, it's me we're talking about. Hell, JJ is still terrified for my life. And honestly, I've already it blew it last year, in New York. I am stressed but I will be fine.."

"I know about your late night snacking and sleepless night, Tony. I'm worried about you. We all are."

"I know you are..but if anything happens, I will tell you. I promise."

~~~

Last forward to Christmas time, once the house blew up and JARVIS announces Tony's anxiety problems to everyone after arriving at the snowy side of the U.S. before shutting off.

Soon enough, they're dragging themselves across the snow to find a safe house. Rei's suit is being dragged across the snow, as he decide to start helping his godfather.

Liz snaps, "Anything you want to tell me?!"

"Okay in my defense I was gonna tell you soon." Tony winced.

"When?!"

"I was gonna make you an omelette and tell you about it!"

"Oh my god!"

Jason sighed dragging the Iron Man suit with them across with snow as the night fall onto of them.

"You two knew about this?! This whole time and didn't think of telling me?!" Jason yelled.

"I thought you knew about this! Or that he told you!" Liz yelled back.

"Great, now Ma and Pops are fighting." Rei added sarcastically, "Good job, Dad!"

Tony turned look at his son, “I’m sorry, how is this my fault?”

“Isn’t everything?”

“This is unbelievable.”

----

Other times, Jason and Elizabeth would be protecting themselves or their kids presence even when the guy isn't nearby.

Such as 2014, when they were called by SHIELD when it came to Alexander Pierce wanting their signature onto the new helicarriers.

Jason was tired as he asked, "Okay Pierce, what the hell is this?"

Elizabeth was standing next to him and pressed, "Mr. Secertary, what he meant is there a reason you've asked us to come here?"

"Signature, Mr. Underwood and Miss Stark." Said Pierce holding out pens, "As well, I was hoping you ask your nephew to stop by my niece's birthday party as a favor for Nick."

"He's our nephew, not a party entertainer." Elizabeth said with a raise eyebrow.

"Unless it's for his own children, and at the moment he's not dealing with your favors." Jason added, "What's the favor you're doing for Nick?"

"That's classified information, sir." Pierce replied.

"Of course it is..you know, it was a pretty long day and I don't want to be here. Matter a fact, none of us want to be to here! So good night Alexander." Elizabeth said standing up from her chair.

Jason stood up following her, opening the door for the girl as he gave Pierce an odd look before walking out. However that didn’t stop Elizabeth Stark to get information later on that day, returning to Alexander Pierce’s office after cooling down to get any information needed.

——

Sometimes due to Jason and Elizabeth being so close to Tony, along with their godchildren they get mistaken for the actual parents. Hell, even for being a couple more than once.

Such as in the early to late 2010s, Justin Hammer once asked, “Are theses your parents, Stark? I thought they were dead..”

Tony would give an sarcastic smile and reply, “Aw Hammer, you’re jealous? Too bad not everyone was given 3 sets of parents.”

“Three?”

“Oh yeah, didn’t you hear? Or were you too busy washing yourself in that horrible 80s cologne?”

Justin scoffed, “Damn. But seriously, are they giving out set of parents for free or what?”

“No. They’re mine, you can’t have them.” Tony added with a smirk.

~~~

Or when Fury called Tony and The Avengers out a few times, he will tend to bring JJ and Liz names into conversation, using the term parents. Such as in 2015, when they are all in Clint’s Barn. Also known as The Safe House.

Everyone was in the kitchen, including the teens and kids. Some were at the table such as Natasha, Bruce, Rick, Ava, Rei and Rochelle. Others were surrounding the area near the sink and fridge across from the kitchen island, such as Tony, Clint and Steve with Liane and Luna.

Clint’s wife Laura was listening in as the younger kids were wondering around.

Elizabeth was drying dishes as Jason washed them, meanwhile Fury was finishing placing some orange slices on a plate.

Nat spoke up, “You know boss, when I was hoping I saw ya, you would have more than that.”

Fury replied, “I do. I have you. Back in the day, I had eyes everything, ears everywhere else. You kids have all the things you can dream to use, Stark’s parents didn’t have much to work with beforehand but they made do. Now here we are, back on earth with nothing but our wit and our willingness to do good.”

Jason added, “Just like old times, huh? Rehashing a plan during dinner, then collaborating in the morning to figure out what can be done..”

“Ain’t that the truth. Nothing but our strength to save the world and make a difference for others.” Elizabeth commented with a grin.

Fury gave them a half smile and continued his speech, “Ultron says The Avengers are the only thing between him and his mission. And weather or not he admits it, his mission is global destruction. All this lay in the grave. So stand, out with the platinum bastard.”

Natasha winked at Rick and Rochelle before saying with a smirk, “Steve doesn’t like that kinda talk.”

Steve gave her a humorous mock glare, “You know what, Romanoff?”

The teens and young adults in the room snorted and chuckled. The group kept talking, figuring out what will they all do next, with the young members of the team chiming into the conversations.

Even Jason mentioned, “You can try Pentagon's firewall, are they open this time?”

“That could work, they are still roughly open this time and hour.” Elizabeth comments.

“Should i know why you know that?”

“I had to message the Pentagon years ago to reach an barrier of systemic risks, for SHIELD’s locating tactics. And Tony did something he wasn’t supposed to..”

“Oh god, what was it this time?”

Fury ate his orange slice answering, “You’re boy cracked into SHIELD systemic burns, but beforehand he cracked their firewall.”

“That’s something, I do think I remember he did!” He replied chuckling, “We got mysterious calls afterwards for weeks.”

Tony chimed in with a grin sounding proud and said, “I cracked the Pentagon’s firewall in high school on a dare and got a sweet deal afterwards.”

Elizabeth grinned brightly, “That’s my boy! Definitely a win in my books.”

“And me? I cracked into SHIELD firewall too multiple times.” Rei added with a sly smile, as you could hear his godfather holding back his laughter in the background.

“I love you too, kiddo!” She replied to her sarcastic godson, “Both of you are the reasons for the facility's cyber-security sub-bar.”

——

Thanks for reading! Feel free to add any HCs or chat about what you liked about the fic 💻

Please like, share, comment and reblog for more like this

Tags: @gaminggirlsstuff @gcthvile @missstrawbs2001 @mallowbee4 @rooster-84 @rickb-chaos @starkleila @whitewiccan @infinetlyforgotten @meiramel @sherloquestea @missstrawbs2001 @djs8891 @buckysteveloki-me @yetanotherwells @savemewattpad and etc

[marvelsfavoriteuncle]

Home videos / Marvel Fanfic 📹

Summary: What if there was a bit of context? A small added perspective on the home video Tony watch of his father?

Timeline setting: Iron Man 2

Established uncle and nephew relationship: Tony Stark & Jason Underwood

Click theses two fanfics for more context on the stories referenced

-> Friends Over The Years

-> What If Jason Stay At Home Stark? (This fic started the AU Saga btw hehe 😉)

Note: This is the scene in Iron Man 2 where Tony looks at old footage and an deleted scene that was supposed to be in the movie 🎥

——

The last 48 hours have been a bust. From long hour drives to the whole wisecracking donut incident downtown in Miami.

After a small load speech from Fury and the tiny reverse side of how things were left, it was time to settle things down.

Jason knew Tony needed some home videos to have a breather, older footage in the storage closet in the basement and some given to by SHIELD themselves.

It was late. The two sat down comfortably on the couch downtown as the projector played a couple of old moments from their past. From black and white to living grainy color.

It flipped across footage that showed Jason dancing with Peggy at a Christmas party to Tony’s first birthday where he smashed cake into his face. Even footage of Jarvis and Maria in the living room painting a wall.

Plenty of things to choose from as the two smiled softly at the small fragments of the past as the tapes just kept on rolling.

There was one snippet of footage that caught the blondes eye as he raised an eyebrow at the date. Not exactly remembering it being filmed as the tape began to play.

It wasn’t until he noticed the background Howard was set in, as he looked away realizing the office turned lab had furniture removed from the screen. It was a huge mess before with paperwork, toolboxes and items scattered around the flooring.

Tony seemed to noticed his facial expression changed and nodded, “What happened? You’re usually pointing out certain things..”

He paused the footage and glanced over at his nephew, “Don’t need to. Just, uh, before video was filmed, it seemed like it was two days after I left..”

“Hm? Sorry, context for the child here.”

He scoffed at that comment and added, “For more than a few days, me and your father didn’t even bother to speak to one another. We had a fight, it was harshly ended by pure shock and anger..you’re father said a few things and so did I involving the context of our current state.. and uh, things happened.”

“Oh, t-that doesn’t sound like you and dad.” Tony scoffed as it sounded like a light joke, “You were buddies.”

“Well we fought long and hard that night.”

“Where was i during all of this?”

“In your room playing with your infamous racetrack.”

“I loved that racetrack, one of the best gifts I ever gotten. Uh, was this the same week you left to go on a trip for work?”

“Yeah, I sorta half lied to you about the trip being just for work since you were only 7 and didn’t know any better. But me and your father needed a small break from each other.”

Tony snorted, “Oh god.”

“What?” Jason reply with a raised eyebrow.

“You sound like you and dad were dating or something with that statement. It’s weird. What was the fight about?”

“You.”

“Me?”

“Well, our friends and family but you were mentioned a couple of times. Your father turned into a huge workaholic and a jerk, which pissed me off. And well, I pissed him off because I was trying to reason with him to cut the crap and focus on the bigger things in life.”

“Me huh?”

“Tony.”

“What? I’m surprised I was mentioned in the conversation. But I get it! Dad was more a work now, play later—or in his case, never kinda guy. I uh..I’ll just let the footage speak for itself.”

————

Tony pressed play as the projector kept the video rolling, he half glanced over at the footage since he was fumbling with an old notebook. Jason was laying down, turned sideways toward the screen listening to Howard talk.

He was introducing himself and Stark Industries as the camera tried to follow him. Howard was leaning against the table, looking over his shoulder and did a double take towards his young son, “Eh-Tony? What are you doing back there?”

It caused both young and older versions of him to face the man who said his name. Howard was telling Tony to put the item he had in his hand back where he got it from. All Jason could remember of a tiny Tony one afternoon telling him that dad seemed angry at him again as he hushed the boys worries. He shook his head at the thought, glancing at his nephew.

He watched the footage as Howard ushered his son off the screen and turning back to the camera man telling him a few things.

Tony looked at his uncle, “You sure you two had a fight? He doesn’t seem that annoyed.”

“It was two days ago after that fight he must’ve filmed this, so he could’ve just masked his anger and annoyance.” Jason tried to explain the best he could.

The footage skipped to a few other scenes of Howard having a small drink from talking nonsense to going off script. He wasn’t as focused, fumbling around with the trinkets on the table and blabbing onto the cameraman.

It was clearly being shown. The man was a bit of a mess.

Tony watched, noticing his father’s moments were similar to his own. He tends to blabber and ramble a lot, especially have his fingers fidget with something. Hell he was holding a old flip phone in his hand. He returned his eyes back to the old notebook with plenty of blank pages.

Jason took one the notebook’s from his lap, handing him the glass of ice cold soda, since he made a deal to cut down on daily drinks for the week. Sober him up a bit. He gave him a half smile in which he returned, glancing up at the footage.

Moments like this, it reminded him of Tony’s younger years where they watched old footage with his aunts and uncles on the couch. Just by the footage alone of Howard, there were flickers in his mind of the little boy who called him that same week he left asking when will he come back home.

Along with the thoughts of him in that very lab that Howard was standing in, where the fight broke out organically into a week long standing debate.

He knew it effected him not coming home after walking out of the house that week, because Howard didn’t expect for Jason to take that step. But he did.

Seeing Howard like this on the footage just spoke volumes itself.

He would never admit it but he was a fumbling mess, more than usual. Cracking lame jokes, pacing around the lab, muttering a couple of things and the way he glanced over at the door as if someone will magically appear.

As if Jason, Maria and or Elizabeth would magically appear to fix his issue and reset the clock for the time he wasted on footage. But neither one of them came, especially after it was clearly said by Howard to his friend to ‘Get out!’ before the blonde left.

It was as if Howard got reminded of those flashbacks from their fight and flipped the scripture of the video. As if he admitted to his mistakes and let the words Jason told him start to set into motion.

He said, “Tony. You’re too young to understand this right now, so I thought I would put it on film for you…I built this for you.”

All of that got Tony’s full attention, leaning into the edge of his seat, glancing between his uncle and father. It was as if the words hit home where Tony didn’t know they had to be.

Howard continued leaning against the table, “..and someday you’ll realize that it represents something a lot more than just people’s inventions. It represents my life’s work. This is the key to the future…I did not understand it at the time of building this but it is..”

The footage cut up a few small scale models of Stark Industries and The Expo as his voiceover was clear as day. He said he was limited by the technology of his time, which was very true, but knowing one day Tony will figure it out.

Because Tony shares a fraction of his father’s mind and his mother’s heart, in result he knows he will change the world. Tony was silent hearing this, glancing over at his uncle once again who softly smiled watching the tape as if it the message was very much becoming clear to Tony.

The fight he mentioned earlier that heavily mentioned him. Because a part of them knew his path would lead him somewhere they couldn’t imagine but fought onto wanting to share the knowledge with him.

Howard wasn’t sure if he was ready yet to know it all but Jason somehow was just making sure he got to spend time with him.

Howard spoke again facing the camera in all seriousness and smiles longingly, as a place of love came the next few words. He said, “What is and always will be, my greatest creation..is you.”

Jason softly nodded, blinking because his last breath to Howard before he walked out of the house was that Tony is his greatest creation.

His connections to his family and friends are the greatest creations he ever built, his legacy people will be talking about in his future.

“..he never told me about this..” The blonde muttered with a soft grin and nodded, “Not even after we made up..”

Tony looked at him with a gentle smile, “Really?”

“No. It never came up. That stinking idiot..but I’m actually kinda glad I never found out til now.”

“I didn’t know about this footage, period. I always thought dad was disappointed in me and just wanted me to stay away from his work..”

This time he met Tony’s eyes and chuckled, “Well to be fair, you were young and we were all kinda scared you would get hurt in the lab. Especially your aunt. But he wasn’t ever disappointed in you or wanted you to stay strictly away from it.”

“Yeah..?” Tony replies come out as a mere soft mutter.

“Yeah, he knew one day you’ll figure it out, understand why he did it to keep you as safe as possible. Let’s be real here, this lab always tends to be a bit of a fire hazard.”

“Tell me about. It’s why I have Dummy carry around a fire extinguisher.”

Both men chuckled and even snorted loudly at that comment.

Jason chuckled and sighed, “Exactly, there was always a part of him that wanted to share this work with you since before you were born but knew he had to wait or Lizzie would kill him.”

“Oh I know!” Tony replied with a smiled, “Mom and aunt Peg would’ve been furious too, if I was down there unsupervised or worse. I get it now cause I’m a adult but still. It bothered me.”

“And you have every right to feel that way.”

“Sometimes it felt like dad and I weren’t always on the same page either. He was a pain in the ass at time and sometimes I don’t know..”

“Yeah, we both know Howard wasn’t the best at showering people with grand affection but he did it his own way weather he showed it or not..”

“Dad never specified in saying ‘I love you’, he always just crack a joke about something or ruffle my hair and give me a nice squeeze..”

“He has always been like that with everyone.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah! He had his ways of tell something he cared for them. Like letting Jarvis and his wife stay at one of his houses, getting Peggy a new dress or your mother her favorite pair of pearl earrings.”

Tony smiled hearing that and nodded, “Or buying me a new toy! Now that sounds like something he would do. Hell I think I would do that for Pepper and my kids.”

“You see? He did care in his own way.” Jason added, “But he did love you, bubba. And he knew you would do something bigger with your life.”

The two kept talking, not realizing the footage kept running.

Tony grinned mid chat and glanced at the screen, noticing his father carrying his kid self in his arms affectionally rocking him back and forth a little, as he spoke to the camera. Patting his back as his small face was turned away from the camera in his pjs.

It seemed like he couldn’t fall asleep and went rushing to his father for comfort. His dad seemed more comfortable, having removed his suit jacket from earlier and stayed in a white button down and a loose tie.

He turned up the volume a bit to watch him in mid speech, leaning forward with a small smile.

“You’re the future.” Howard said, pointing to the camera then returned his hand onto to the son’s back rubbing small circles, “..you know i created so much in my lifetime. But you know what I’m most proud of? You. My son.”

Tony stayed silent looking down with a soft smile, glancing back at Jason who nodded watching the footage. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it once again.

Howard continued with a small grin, resting his head against Tony’s in a comforting way and said, “I know it said it already but you are my greatest inspiration and my greatest creation...don’t let your uncle hear this or he will know I sorta screwed up and that he was right..we both were about this. I just didn’t let it register in my brain yet that instead of just showing you everything, I gotta let you explore it as well. Come down to the lab more often than not and see what you can do..”

You can still tell that Howard was trying his best to format his wording where it makes sense and doesn’t sound like he’s rambling too much. Like he was figuring out the best way to say everything on his mind and the effort was clearly there.

Jason held back a chuckle at hearing that last part about himself and nodded, rolling his eyes as he glanced at Tony. His nephew smiled and shook his head hearing his father taking in everything he meant and more.

The man fell silent in a moment as if wanting the words to sink in. Howard nodded with a half smile and added, “I love you.” He glanced over at his son falling back asleep on his shoulder nodding, “Let’s get you back to bed.”

With that Howard walked off screen and the camera cut to black.

Tony blinked watching the vision of screen and the words that came out of his father’s own mouth. He wondered for a second if heard him correctly. Maybe he was wrong? His dad really did love people and his uncle was right that he has his own ways of showing it?

He was silent. He sinked back into his chair and took another sip of his drink, letting the whole footage register in his own head.

Have everything wrap around his own head all at once. It still didn’t all stay trapped in his head the words he just heard.

Then a small smile appeared on his lips as he murmured softly, “W-wow.”

Jason seemed to share the same sentiment as he scoffed, “Yeah. So, how are we feeling?”

“Sorta satisfied, if that makes sense?”

“That’s the way i would put it.”

“I didn’t know about this. A-are you sure you didn’t have knowledge about this video?”

“Nope. Just as surprised as you are.”

Jason just chuckled at that comment as Tony snickered. It was understandable how he didn’t know about the old footage and if he had to be honest, neither did he.

Maybe there was a reason why they both found the footage this time around?

Maybe it wasn’t random but yet fate cause there was a chance of something happening in their future?

Maybe there is something left behind in the past that was coming their way?

The two just had to wait and see.

——-

Ah that is all folks! Pls tell me know what you think 💭

Tags: @gaminggirlsstuff @gcthvile @cherrysft @missstrawbs2001 @mandylove1000 @eliohasmyheart @terry-perry @sherloquestea @superspookyjanelle @starkleila @buckysteveloki-me @parisparker269 @yetanotherwells @rickb-chaos @savemewattpad @lazywolfwiccan @daughter-of-melpomene @fototingobug @ocappreciation @ximehs @blueboirick

Other accounts — @ask-starrk @purpleprincessonfyre @wizzzardofoz z @thechoooooosenone @rickb-chaos @luna-d-marsh h @marvelsfavoriteuncle @elzabeth-stark @sci-fi-lexcon @meiramel @trulysummersprivate @savemewattpad and etc

[darknight3904]

Reunions and Lemonade

Masterlist / Main Masterlist

S.H.I.E.L.D.'S Helicarrier 2012

    "Hello, Astri. It's been a while hasn't it?" 

Astri didn't speak as she stepped closer to the glass that separated her from Loki. His hair was long, and greasier than usual. He seemed a bit paler than Astri had remembered but it could have been the harsh lightning that shone above him. He wore his usual gold armor and green leathers, it seemed slightly different and less ornate than the set he had when they last saw each other. He had also added a bit more leather on his shoulders, perhaps in a bid to look more intimidating?

   "I believe an apology is in order." She said once she was in front of him

   "For what? I do not regret killing those Midgardians. They are but mere steps on my path to greatness. I am burdened with glorious purpose, I don't expect anyone to understand how I-" 

   "No, you fool. You punched me so hard last time we saw each other, you broke my nose." Astri huffed, sitting down in a chair that was placed in front of the glass. 

Loki also took a seat on the bench that was in his cell, his eyes bore into Astri's as they both stared. 

   "Yes, well, for that I also feel no remorse," Loki said with a grin 

   "Yeah alright, you've become a terrible liar," Astri said 

   "And what of you? We reunite and you seem to have no intention of telling me about Aesir. Of how he won your affections so quickly in the markets." Loki seethed 

Was he jealous? He couldn't possibly be...right? 

   "Did Thor tell you? Or are you going through my mind? I could've sworn I learned how to block others years ago." Astri asked 

   "Oh my dear brother didn't spill your secrets and you did successfully lock me out of your mind in your little teaching sessions with my mother years ago. Your mental walls are strong but there are chinks in your armor, especially when you sleep." Loki explained 

   "So you were in my mind as I slept...wow you've turned into a real creep, Loki." Astri poked 

   "Maybe I have but that's not why you're here," Loki said 

   "And why am I here?" Astri asked observing how sweat seemed to be gathering on his face rather quickly

   "The Black Widow wants more information on me. Thor and that band of idiots want the Tesseract. And you've become their messenger because they think a familiar face I once found pretty will work on me." Loki said 

      "You think I'm pretty? How sweet, Loki." Astri smiled, she refused to let him get the best of her with that silver tongue of his. She knew his ploys, he'd try and insult her enough that she'd leave him alone. 

   "If you want to know, I am here for all those reasons but I'm also here for myself. Firstly, I want an apology about my nose, I spent a full 3 days not being able to use it to breathe. Secondly, I want you to call off this army I'm hearing about." Astri said 

   "You'll be leaving this room disappointed." Loki said, "I won't be giving you either." 

   "I figured you'd say something like that." Astri sighed "Let's talk about something else other than my desires." 

Loki eyed her suspiciously, Astri could tell his mind was dancing, trying to figure out how to get her to stop whatever game she might have started. 

     "What do think the people of Midgard will think when you tear open their skies and rain an alien army down on them? Do you think they'll bow to you the way Asgard bows to your father?" She asked 

   "He's not my father," Loki mumbled, barely audible 

   "What was that? Speak up, that punch you gave me a year ago messed with my ears." She joked 

   "HE'S NOT MY FATHER!" Loki yelled, suddenly getting up and crossing his cage to stand in front of her 

   "Your rage is going to rip you apart," Astri said calmly, not flinching at Loki's outburst

   "What I do with my rage should not concern you. The humans will bow to me by the time I am done laying waste to New York."  Loki said oddly calm

   "And then?" Astri asked 

   "And then I rule. As I was born to." He said 

   "What? Is that the glorious purpose you speak of?" She teased 

   "Yes. I will have my throne." He said harshly

Loki seemed very passionate about this throne he was owed. Astri knew it was due to years of being lied to and his life in Thor's shadow. Time for another subject change. 

   "Do you remember when we danced at the winter solstice? I had a blue dress on and you said I was stunning in it?" She asked 

   "I do," Loki said, unsure of where she was going 

   "I don't know what you were thinking then but do you want to know what was going through my mind?" Astri asked 

She was met with silence as Loki held eye contact. 

   "I wished for the moment to never end." She admitted 

   "Is that supposed to convince me to tell you I'll stop my army and go back to Asgard with you?" Loki sneered 

   "No, it's not. I was just wondering if you ever wanted to make memories like that again. Even now when I think about it I feel more peaceful. Don't you wish for peace like that again?" She asked 

   "Silence is not peace, Astri." Loki pointed out 

   "I'm aware." She responded 

Silence enveloped the pair as Astri's gaze fell to the floor. She could feel Loki's eyes on her. Her eyes shot up to the thing Natasha had said would allow everyone else to be able to see and hear them. Her hand glowed and the soft beeping from the device indicated she had disabled whatever it was. She stood, walking towards Loki who was still at the glass. Astri took a deep breath and focused. She stepped carefully through the glass, finally close to Loki. 

   "You're not truly here?" Loki asked reaching his hand out so it brushed hers 

   "No. I'm surprised you didn't notice earlier. I learned a new form of astral projection that can travel over longer distances and allow me to interact with objects around me." She explained, "I wasn't expecting to be able to get through the glass so easily though."

Loki didn't say anything as she rested her forehead on his chest and took his hand in hers. 

   "This doesn't change anything." Loki whispered "You should go. You took their equipment out, they'll be here soon." 

   "I know..." Astri sighed "Come home...come home to me, I swear to you we'll make everything right." 

   "I can't." Loki said, "I have duties here, and returning home would be bringing dishonor to you and my mother. I am an outcast, a monster, you said it yourself." 

   "You're not a monster, you're not, I never meant it." Astri said, raising her head to look at Loki again, " I don't care about dishonor or duties, I just care about you." 

A loud bang on the door started Astri and Loki as they jumped apart. Astri's magic was swirling, holding the door shut as she heard angry shouts from Thor and the Midgardians. 

   "Tell me where the Tesseract is...I swear on my life you will go home without a mark on you." Astri begged 

Loki's eyes looked at the door where sparks were flying, Tony Stark must be cutting the door down. 

   "You should take your leave, Astri." He advised stepping back, "I'll send you word once I have conquered this planet."

The sound of the door being kicked in had Astri's guard up. She made eye contact with Thor briefly before Stark's mechanic voice ordered her to step away from Loki. 

   "Loki, please..." She pleaded, tears escaping from her eyes.

The angry shout of Fury rang in her ears once more and she opened her eyes to find the ceiling of her chamber staring back at her She was home again, without Loki, and she felt emptier than ever. 

   "Don't you think the Rock of Ages looks a little upset?" Stark asked from outside of the cage, whatever technology he wore, he was able to use it to repair the camera without even stepping inside his cage.

   "Astri and Loki have a special bond, they've always been very close. I can not imagine what she said to him with that device off, but I'm sure he is thinking deeply about it." His "brother" explained, looking at him

   "By special bond you mean relationship? Because those two seemed head over heels for each other before she cut the camera." The spangled man said 

   "You all ought to stop speaking on matters you know nothing about," Loki interjected 

His comment was ignored as the Midgardians and Thor left him alone once more. Loki couldn't still couldn't believe how ethereal Astri had looked when she spoke to him. Her new style of armor had glittered wonderfully when she passed through the glass that had separated them. With the golden accents she had chosen, Loki couldn't help but wonder if they were for him. Astri's hair was the same as Loki remembered, long and slightly wavy. His mind kept replaying his interaction with Astri. They hadn't seen each other in a year and one of the first things she did was call him a fool. Perhaps she was right, maybe he was a fool a fool who would prove his worth soon enough. Her opinion wouldn't matter once he had his throne.

   ⋆⭒˚｡⋆

Asgard 2012

"So it's over?" Astri asked

   "Yes, Thor has Loki and the Tesseract. They plan to return shortly, the one who calls himself Iron Man is taking them to eat at a Midgardian place. I can summon you when the moment they return." Heimdall responded, "Although I do think Odin will want words with Loki first."

   "Don't trouble yourself, I'll see Loki when I feel like it. If you could send Thor to me that would be appreciated." Astri said

   "Of course, my lady." Heimdall nodded

   "Thank you for everything, Heimdall." Astri smiled before mounting her horse and heading back to the castle.

She and Heimdall had just spent the last few hours together. Heimdall was watching Thor and Loki on Midgard and Astri listened to his explanations, awaiting some form of good news. The best news she had gotten was that Loki had been stopped and attacked by some green thing that called its self Hulk. Heimdall had described the scene and it ended with Loki incapacitated on the ground. Astri never wanted to meet the creature that could do that much damage to Loki who normally had a million backup plans and tricks up his sleeve to avoid such treatment.

A heavy-handed knock at her door pulled her from her thoughts.

   "Special delivery." Thor's voice sang as he pushed the door open "Heimdall said you wanted to see me."

   "Yes, I did. What is in your hand?" Astri asked looking at the brown paper bag that Thor was holding

   "Oh, when we were done beating Loki up we went to this Midgardian food place. Stark called it Shawarma, it was so good I got some to bring back to you, and a wonderful drink that's a bit sour, Steve, he's the one in red and blue said it's called lemonade." Thor said handing her the still-warm bag.

They sat on Astri's balcony as Thor eagerly awaited Astri's opinion on the food and drink he had brought back.

   "So what do you think?" Thor asked

   "It's quite wonderful. I like the drink's sweetness." Astri said truthfully.

   "Of course you do! I offered some to Loki but he got angry, started cursing at me, and then he called me fat so I had to put his muzzle back on." Thor sighed

    "You put what on him?" Astri asked nearly choking on her food

   " After we defeated him, he decided to mock Steve and wouldn't stop his rude comments so I put this on him," Thor explained pulling a silver muzzle from his belt.

   "Oh." Astri smiled, at least he was still himself.

They sat in silence as Astri finished her food and sipped from the paper cup.

    "Do you know what will happen to him?" Astri asked when she was done.

   "No, I wish I did...Father will sentence him after the winter solstice has passed but I doubt his prospects are any good. I hope my Mother will be able to lessen whatever punishment is dealt out." Thor said

Astri slowly nodded, trying to absorb Thor's words.

   "Do you ever wish you could just...go back in time and stop all the bad things from happening?" She asked

   "All the time." Thor sighed 

End of Part One 

Tags: Comment below to join

@buttercupcookies-blog

@666-gothic-bat-666

@cyberwears

@vampire7595

@chronicallybubbly

@salty--bones

[poisonousmoonfics]

Chapter I.I.: Retrieved Archives from HYDRA

Name: Lola Last Name: Mendez Alias: The Martyr  Age: 19 Parents: Lucio Mendez (deceased), Morella Mendez (deceased) Sibling(s): Martín Mendez (deceased) Country of origin: Undefined Region of origin: Latin America  Ethnicity: Latina Sex: Female High: 1.60m Physical description: Tanned skin. Dark brown eyes. Black straight hair. Fine features. Average high.  Abilities acquisition: Unknown  Abilities: Necromancy. Umbrakinesis. Umbramimicry. Umbraportation. Reality deformation. Phasing & levitation. Darkness & energy absorption. Possession.  Power: 90% Physical strength: 65% Agility/Speed: 90% Damage: 100%+ Endurance: 90% Performance: Field killer. Espionage. Ability malfunction(s): Use of possession deteriorates the physical state of the host until it kills him. Resurrection testings have been unsuccessful. Summoning souls tires the summoner after a while. Hallucination. Personality and behavior: Depressive state. Docile. Unstable. DO NOT PROVOKE OR HANDLE WITHOUT SUPERVISION. Weakness: Mental and physical deterioration. Medical records: High immune system. Malnutrition caused by starvation. Anxiety, fatigue and decreased physical performance due to lack of sleep. Deteriorated skin and hair. Wounds and bruises from experimentation and combat. Strange, deep and incurable cuts on both palms of the hands. Mentally ill. Personal records: Undefined (Lost) Observations: Refuses to reveal source of power. Turns aggressive or depressive when testing for too long. Withstands mind control. Outstanding results during combat against other subjects (see Winter Soldier files).

Chapter II

[earth-18104]

Earth-18104 - 1940s

List of events that happened during 1940 on Earth-18104. Most of these events happening here are taken by other medias, like the movies and the comics, but doesn't follow Marvel Canon or the time-line established so faithfully. Some of these events are my own interpretation and also focus on my OCs. This is more for my own entertainment than to anything else.

The (N) after names indicate characters' birth, and the numbers indicate their ages.

List of Events of Earth-18104 (Resume)

Tw: Mentions of death, violence, cannibalism and n*zism (happens during WWII)

1940 -

• In Los Angeles, Howard Stark (23) demonstrates the properties of Vibranium, a metal found by Stark Industries in Africa. Later that night, Stark is attacked by HYDRA assassins.

• He then accepts Colonel Chester Phillips' proposal to join the Strategic Scientific Reserve.

• Far from his creator, Torch began to gain a reputation as a defender of justice.

• After Hitler's rise to power, Max Eisenhardt (7) and his family fled to Poland, where they were captured during the German invasion of Poland and sent to the Ghetto.

• Eventually they managed to escape, only to be betrayed and captured again.

• His family was executed and buried in a mass grave, but Max survived, possibly due to the manifestation of his powers. He ends up being captured once again and sent to Auschwitz.

• At her work in Bletchley Park, England, Peggy Carter's (19) received a letter with a offer to work as an SOE field agent, which she accepted.

• She then enlists in the British counter-intelligence and security agency MI5 and calls off her wedding. As an MI5 agent, Carter is loaned to the American agency Strategic Scientific Reserve, becoming an advisor.

• (November)

• At Castle Kaufmann in the Bavarian Alps, Abraham Erskine injects Johann Schmidt with his Super Soldier Serum, but the serum horribly transforms Schmidt, transforming him into the Red Skull.

• At some point, Abraham Erskine is rescued by Peggy Carter, who has infiltrated the complex disguised as a maid. Carter takes Erskine to the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) so he can produce America's Super Soldier with the help of Howard Stark.

• Fred Raymond's house was invaded by a costumed criminal called the Asbestos Lady and her gang, who intended to force Raymond to develop new means by which she could use asbestos for crime.

• The Torch, who was watching the Raymonds' house, suspecting that the criminal would come into contact with such a notable authority on asbestos, broke in and captured the gang.

• The Asbestos Lady, however, escaped. Learning about Thomas's (10) immunity to fire, Torch set out, deciding to keep an eye on the Raymond family in case they were terrorized by the Asbestos Lady again.

1941 -

• (EVENT - Castle Rock Tower Destruction)

• Johann Schmidt, Discovering that Tønsberg, Norway, is the resting place of the Tesseract, leads a group of soldiers there in search of it. He orders his men to search the city, then arrives at Castle Rock Tower, finding a Church Guardian guarding it.

• Schmidt kills him and orders his men to open fire on the city after finding the Tesseract. He refers to it as "the jewel of Odin's Treasure Room" before taking it for himself.

• In the summer, Nora Jones' health worsened and she died, while Thomas Raymond's (11) powers began to manifest themselves in the ability to generate flames, but the boy had little control.

• When the Torch came to visit them unannounced, Fred Raymomd kicked the Torch before his son could see him and blamed him for being somehow responsible for his son's condition.

• Torch told Raymond that he could teach Thomas how to control his flames and managed to convince him to let Thomas train with him. After that, Torch became the boy's guardian, who was renamed Toro; so the two became a crime-fighting duo.

• While growing up on the streets of London, Eric Brooks (12) encountered veteran American vampire hunter Jamal Afari and saved him from being killed by vampires.

• Afari soon learned about Eric and his origins and decided to take him under his wing, becoming his mentor and adoptive father and helping him control his powers.

• He taught Eric everything he knew about hunting, fighting, and killing vampires.

• December 7 - The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor leads the United States of America to enter World War II.

• President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt declares that the United States will build fifty thousand planes to combat the armies of Hirohito and Adolf Hitler.

• Stark Industries begins producing planes for the war effort after the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Howard Stark's innovations earned him a spot on the Manhattan Project.

• Steve Rogers (21) visits the US Recruiting and Induction Center in New York, but is classified 4F and rejected from service. He goes on to be rejected four more times in four different cities.

• The Strategic Scientific Reserve team in New York City completes the Renaissance Chamber Project. Howard Stark comments that it should be called the Brooklyn Project in response to J. Robert Oppenheimer's work at Los Alamos.

• At Camp Lehigh, New Jersey, Abraham Erskine rejects candidates selected by Chester Phillips for the Renaissance Project.

• Clara Creed (121) tells Tereza Márquez (126) OCs about the army recruiting "freaks" and suggests she join. She herself moves into a hidden shelter for mutants, preferring not to get involved in the conflict.

1942 -

• Steve Rogers (22) goes to a recruiting office in New York City but is turned away due to his numerous health problems.

• Tereza Márquez (127), Victor Creed (123) and James Howlett (57) go to the World Exhibition of Tomorrow. Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes (17) are also present. They all witness Howard Stark's presentation about a possible flying car.

• During the performance, Rogers goes to another recruiting office and is witnessed by Abraham Erskine, who asks him if he wants to kill Nazis. Steve responds that he doesn't want to kill anyone and that he doesn't like bullies.

• This impresses Erskine, who offers him a chance at military service through the Renaissance Project.

• Johann Schmidt and Arnim Zola experiment with the Tesseract inside HYDRA headquarters. Zola notes that his discoveries will change the war.

• At Camp Lehigh, New Jersey, Steve Rogers and several other volunteers begin their training under the supervision of Erskine, Peggy Carter (21), and Colonel Chester Phillips.

• Creed, Márquez and Howlett went to war, joining a special division of mutants, or "freaks" as they were called.

• At some point, Tereza was taken away from Creed and Howlett and chosen as a possible candidate for the Rebirth Project because of her powers. However, she was soon discarded because she was a black and hispanic woman.

• Dr. Cornelius Truett decided to keep her and the feral men close, wanting to study their mutations.

• (The first Avenger)

• (June)

• At Camp Lehigh, while Rogers was doing push-ups with the other recruits, Chester Phillips threw a fake grenade at them; Steve threw himself at the grenade, ready to sacrifice his life to save his comrades.

• That night, Erskine explained the effects of the Super Soldier Serum to Rogers, telling him that he was chosen because of his good heart and compassion. Rogers promised Erskine that he will never change who he is and that he will continue to be a good man.

• Steve went through initial tests and met project member Cynthia Glass who was, unbeknownst to him, a Nazi spy. When the Nazis attempted to attack the secret base, Steve was protected by Tereza Márquez, Victor Creed and Dominic Fortune, a soldier of fortune who was originally a candidate for the project but was turned down due to his questionable lifestyle

• July 4th - The mutant Jason Wyngarde, later known as Mastermind, is born. (N)

• A while later, Steve was escorted by Peggy Carter to the Brooklyn Strategic Scientific Reserve Facility in preparation for Project Rebirth.

• He was injected and made to ingest Erskine's formula and was then bathed in Vita Rays, which caused his body to transform into the peak of human perfection.

• By this time, the project had been infiltrated by Nazi agent Heinz Kruger, who fatally shot Erskine, and was himself killed by the newly empowered Steve Rogers.

• With no complete copy of the super-soldier formula available in writing, Steve Rogers was the only man to receive the full treatment at that time, but there would be others eventually. Due to Rogers being the only Super Soldier, Phillips refused to let him serve in the war.

• Phineas Horton (37) was working for the United States government when he was targeted by Hitler, who had the Python broken into Alcatraz to use Horton to destroy or control the Torch.

• To this end, Python forced Horton to lead the Torch into a trap in which the hero was trapped in the cylinder in which he was created. Exposing him to the device caused the Torch to become a huge flame creature loyal to Python.

• Horton helped Torch's sidekick, Toro (12), stop Python and restore the synthezoid to normal.

• Mexico declares war on the Axis powers.

• In August, Brazil declares war on the Axis powers.

• Refusing to be held for research, Steve joined the USO and went on a morale-boosting tour of the United States of America.

• Under the name 'Captain America' he became a national celebrity, appearing in films, comic books and card collections and establishing himself as a symbol of America's participation in the war.

• The Western Allies' bombing offensive scores massive successes as targets in Nazi satellite states are destroyed.

1943 -

• Kriegsmarine U-boats torpedo a ship off the coast of Virginia.

• After a highly successful campaign in North Africa and the invasion of Sicily, the Western Allies landed in mainland Italy.

• American bombers hit Italian warships thirty-five times.

• An RAF attack destroys several vital German dams.

• Wreckage of a submarine is discovered off the east coast of the USA by residents.

• Another wave of bombers targeting Nazi satellite states destroys their objectives.

• At Camp Leigh, Steve Rogers (23) met and quickly became friends with company mascot James "Bucky" Barnes (18).

• When James discovered Steve's dual identity, the military authorized James to be Captain America's costumed sidekick, Bucky, as a foil to the Youth in Nazi Germany.

• Cap was sent on a solo mission to the nation of Madripoor to investigate sightings of Nazi agent Baron Strucker in the area, Captain America stumbled upon a deal being made between Strucker and the group of ninjas known as the Hand. Cap worked closely with the adventurer Canadian Logan (58).

• Soon, Captain America was sent on a mission to Djbera, Africa, in order to see the surrender of Nazi defector Major Hans Guetterez.

• Unknown to him, Bucky has been ordered to investigate sightings of Baron Strucker in the area and assassinate him. His plane was shot down and crashed in the desert, leaving them open to enemy attack.

• They were rescued by a squad of British SAS and accompanied by Logan, who revealed Bucky's true mission and that Logan had come to learn what he could about Captain America to Romulus, who tried to take Cap up on his previous offer of partnership, earning Bucky's ire.

• Attacking the Nazi base on Djbera and accepting Guetterez's surrender, Captain America went after Bucky after he slipped away in battle followed by Logan.

• Working with Logan, Cap tracked down Strucker who had just founded the first incarnation of the terrorist organization known as Hydra. When Bucky was brought in to be executed, he eliminated who he thought was Strucker, prompting Hydra agents to attack. Cap and Logan came to his rescue and were helped by the SAS.

• In the aftermath of the battle, they discovered that the man Bucky had killed was a Strucker impersonator and they all set out to find the real Baron Strucker.

• Logan and Bucky later found Strucker and took him prisoner. Cap was unaware that Logan's orders had changed and he was supposed to make sure Strucker remained free.

• When Bucky tried to warn Cap about this while they were flying, they were shot from the sky by Nazi agents led by Baron Zemo and with Logan's help, helped free Strucker. Furious at this betrayal, Captain America fought Logan until Bucky managed to force the Nazis to retreat with covering fire.

• During the shootout, Logan took a blast to the chest and was left for dead, however, he would eventually survive and cross paths with Captain America many times in the future

• At some point, Cap met with the Human Torch and his partner Toro.

• (Battle of Azzano)

• The 107th Infantry Regiment suffers heavy casualties fighting the German Army and HYDRA, which openly fires at German troops, severing ties with Nazi Germany.

• Uprising at the Austrian HYDRA Weapons Facility: A group of soldiers meet for the first time. As prisoners, they are used to make weapons for HYDRA.

• They come together, at first, to get revenge on one of their captors who violently beat Bucky Barnes.

• In November, Peggy Carter (22) tells Steve Rogers (22) that the 107th Regiment has been captured by HYDRA.

• Determined, Steve leaves for Austria with the help of Carter and Howard Stark (26). At HYDRA headquarters, prisoners of war are forced to begin assembling a large plane, known as the Valkyrie.

• Rogers sneaks into the HYDRA Weapons Facility in search of Allied prisoners. During his search, he memorizes a map of HYDRA facility locations and obtains a sample of the power source HYDRA was using.

• He soon finds the prisoners and frees them; together, the Allies face HYDRA and escape the Facility.

• While trying to evacuate, Barnes and Rogers encounter Schmidt, who notes that he has always been Abraham Erskine's biggest success, removing his prosthetic mask. Schmidt and Zola evacuate the building after initiating the self-destruct sequence.

• Steve Rogers is presumed dead, but soon arrives with hundreds of soldiers he saved from the HYDRA facility. Rogers gathers some of the men he saved at the HYDRA base and creates a team that will eventually be known as the Howling Commandos.

• Howard Stark examines a sample of HYDRA's power, which will help him develop a framework to synthesize a new element. Rogers meets with Stark, being equipped with his new uniform and a Vibranium shield.

• August 29 - Gabrielle Haller is born. (N)

1944 -

• January 1 - Isaiah Bradley, the man who would one day be known as Black Captain America, is born, one of the only survivors of the Super Soldier Project. (N)

• Master Wong Kan, future Sorcerer Supreme, is born. (N)

• Wong was a descendant and lookalike of Kan, a Tibetan monk who lived about a thousand years ago and was a student of the occult. In the ten generations before Wong, the firstborn of her lineage served the Elder.

• A member of the Ten Rings, undercover in London, detonates an explosive planted inside a government building.

• Attack on HYDRA facilities: Captain America and his Howling Commandos (which includes Logan and Marquis) invade and destroy a HYDRA facility in France.

• Maybelle Reilly is born, later she would be Maybelle Parker. (N)

• As her family was very poor, her parents constantly argued and blamed May for their financial problems, always telling her how difficult their lives were because of her. A few years later, her father left home and May was left alone with her abusive mother.

• November 2nd - Dr. Stephen Strange was born in Philadelphia, when his parents were on vacation. (N)

1945 -

• A battalion of troops was immobilized by HYDRA troops due to a blizzard on the outskirts of Stalingrad. Among the soldiers is Tereza Márquez (130) OC.

• During the three months they were imprisoned, Tereza used her fire powers to keep the other soldiers warm; however, the constant use of her mutation, plus the stress she suffered every day due to being in enemy territory, took a lot of energy from her and she was in danger of burning herself alive.

• At some point, when one of the soldiers in her battalion died, Tereza mocked her colleague for trying to "save dead weight", which earned her the distrust of her comrades.

• Three months later, they were rescued by the Howling Commandos led by Steve Rogers (24).

• Upon hearing of Tereza's abilities, Rogers invited her to join the Howling Commandos, even though the other soldiers in his battalion had told him that Tereza was unreliable, calling her "El Diablo".

• Tereza, who was still resentful and angry that Rogers was chosen by Erskine, denied his offer.

• The Howling Commandos board a HYDRA train on a mission to capture Arnim Zola.

• Once inside, the group split up, Rogers and Barnes enter the train and find many HYDRA agents using Tesseract-powered weapons.

• During the conflict, Rogers uses his shield to block an explosion, creating a hole in the side of the train. Before Rogers can grab him, Barnes falls from the train and is presumed dead.

• Jones, who was sneaking around the top of the train, catches up to Zola and captures him.

• Bucky Barnes (19) lands at the bottom of the valley, surviving due to Zola's experiments. He is later found by the Soviet Armed Forces and is imprisoned until 1950.

• Arnim Zola is interrogated in London by Chester Phillips.

• Red Skull promises his HYDRA army that their plan to launch the Valkyrie against the United States of America will end in victory.

• Steve, mourning the death of Bucky Barnes in the ruins of Whip & Fiddle, vows to defeat HYDRA and the Red Skull.

• (The disappearance of Captain America)

• Some time later, Captain America attacks HYDRA headquarters alone on his motorcycle, which he uses to blow up the base's doors. He has a quick fight before being surrounded and captured by HYDRA forces.

• He is taken before the Red Skull, but before he can be executed, members of the Howling Commandos enter through the window while Colonel Chester Phillips attacks the main gate.

• Red Skull retreats to the hangar, followed by Rogers, Phillips and Carter, he boards the Valkyrie, trying to enact his plan. Phillips and Carter drive Schmidt's Coupe, giving Rogers a ride, Carter gives Rogers a kiss, before he jumps into the plane, seconds before takeoff.

• Once aboard the plane, Captain America discovers the bombs and is attacked by several HYDRA agents Rogers quickly dispatches the agents before they can board the bombs and take off with them.

• He confronts the Red Skull in the control room, during the battle, the Valkyrie's controls are damaged.

• Red Skull laments to Rogers that he has seen the future, and it has no flags, Rogers responds that this is not the case in his future. Red Skull takes the Tesseract in an attempt to use its power, but is overpowered by the celestial object and presumed dead.

• Rogers quickly takes control of the plane, calling Carter, telling her that her only option to stop the bombs is to shoot down the plane, due to the autopilot sending it to New York City.

• Carter plans a meeting with Rogers for next Saturday as he puts the plane on the ground, where it would remain frozen for nearly 40 years. Rogers' radio cuts out, which brings Carter to tears.

• The United States Armed Forces begin the invasion of Iwo Jima.

• Logan (60) and the Devil's Brigade were tasked with infiltrating Germany to put an end to the German Super Soldier program, but the entire unit was decimated during an air raid. Only Logan survived.

• During Walpurgis Night, Logan finally infiltrated the Nazi facility and discovered that several soldiers had been transformed into werewolves by General Wolfram. Logan managed to defeat them, but before he could kill Wolfram, he was stopped by Nick Fury Sr. (37).

• Despite Logan's protests against letting Wolfram live after killing his entire unit, Fury explained that Wolfram could be useful in the upcoming war against the USSR.

• He also revealed that both Captain America and Bucky Barnes were killed by Baron Zemo and that the the main scientist in charge of the US Super Soldier program had also died, to that end Fury and the US needed Wolfram as part of this new program they had created: The Weapon Plus Program

• Later, Dr. Abraham Cornelius Hudson (32) met with Nick Fury Sr, in recent months he became interested in Victor Creed and Tereza Márquez's abilities and discovered more about their families.

• They discussed the possibility of the two soldiers being part of the Weapon X project.

• Hudson, knowing it would probably be difficult to get them to cooperate, sends a squad after Creed and Márquez to bring them to the Ravencroft Institute.

• When Hudson's men attacked Márquez alone, she managed to kill more than half of them, before being fatally shot by one of them. She was saved by Creed (128) and they both deserted the army.

• Werner Reinhardt attempts to evacuate the HYDRA Research Center in Austria and escape with several mysterious artifacts that HYDRA has collected over the years.

• His base is attacked by SSR troops led by Peggy Carter, Dum Dum Dugan and Jim Morita. Reinhardt and his men are arrested and all artifacts are confiscated by the SSR.

• Steve Rogers' disappearance is publicly revealed.

• Allied nations celebrate Victory in Europe Day. The Howling Commandos gather to celebrate Captain America's sacrifice.

• German Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel signs the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany at Soviet headquarters in Berlin.

• The United States begins Operation Overcast, later renamed Operation Paperclip, an effort to recruit former Nazi scientists to work for the United States.

• An atomic bomb is dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

• Soon, an atomic bomb is dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki.

• Japan agrees to surrender after the dropping of two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

• The Japanese Instrument of Surrender is signed, formally marking the end of World War II.

• The Tuskegee Airmen return home after fighting in the war.

• Peggy Carter (23) is honored with an SSR medal.

1946 -

• Arnim Zola and some former HYDRA agents track down Bucky Barnes (20) who survived the fall and was taken into custody by the Soviet Armed Forces.

• Since that moment, they have kept Barnes frozen and alive, but without an arm. Once he is found by Zola and his agents, they take him into custody.

• As SHIELD is founded, Zola begins to rebuild HYDRA from within the agency.

• Bucky Barnes' memory is erased and he receives a metal prosthetic and is kept cryogenically frozen, he becomes a HYDRA assassin known as the Winter Soldier.

• Dr. Xavier died in an accident and Sharon moved into her ancestral mansion in Westchester after marrying her late husband's former colleague, Kurt Marko, in hopes of maintaining a well-structured family for Charles.

• However, Marko married her for her wealth and due to Xavier's jealousy.

• Charles (9) faced problems with his new family when Marko brought his teenage son, Cain Marko (15), who constantly bullied him.

• To make matters worse, Dr. Marko violently abused Sharon. With his growing telepathic powers, Charles tried to ease her pain by sharing it with himself.

• However, Charles was unable to prevent his mother's ruin, as she succumbed to alcoholism and died of a broken heart.

• After the war, Logan (61) met and fell in love with Itsu and soon she became pregnant with his son Akihiro.

• Stephen Strange's younger sister, Donna, was born on the family farm in Nebraska. (N)

1947 -

• (March)

• Canada's Department K and the remnants of Operation: Rebirth pooled their resources to become Project: Sentinel, yet another foolish attempt to not only recreate the Super Soldier Serum, but in post-war hubris, amplify its effects a hundred thousand times more.

• (Itsu and Logan)

• Just days before his son was born, Logan (62) was proving himself worthy of being a father in combat, but accidentally stabbed a villager with his claws.

• As a result, he was banished from the village, but before leaving he wanted to say goodbye to Itsu for the last time. Returning to his built home, Logan found Itsu murdered by the Winter Soldier (22), who was following orders from the mysterious Romulus.

• After Itsu's death, Logan disappeared for a month, during that time he went to see the demon Muramasa to help him "kill them all".

• Muramasa accepted and promised to forge him a "mighty blade against which all...even someone as great as you...will fall" using a piece of Wolverine's soul.

• While awaiting further orders, the Winter Soldier saw that Muramasa's subordinates were transporting a still unconscious Logan after Muramasa extracted a piece of his soul.

• Barnes decided to ignore his orders and killed Muramasa's men, Logan was then extracted 8 hours later.

• Unknown to Logan, Romulus took the child from Itsu's womb, and he was born safely and adopted by a Japanese couple. This child was called Akihiro, but ended up adopting the name "Daken", which means "Mestizo".

• Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross is born. (N)

• SHIELD Agent Phill "Cheese" Coulson is born. (N)

• The Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-1948 begins as a result of the confusion left by Britain's decolonization of India.

• Olivia Octavius, future scientist, ​​was born in Schenectady, New York, to a lower-class family. (N)

• An only child, Olivia was raised by a neglectful and alcoholic mother. At school, she was bullied by other students, but excelled academically.

• At some point she befriended Maybelle Reilly; the two became close because they shared the same family problems, which made them best friends.

• Adrian Toomes, the first Vulture, is born. (N)

1948 -

• Stephen Strange's brother, Victor was born. (N)

• When Wong Khan was four years old his father introduced him to the Ancient One and sent him to Kama-Taj, Nepal, to receive training and become a sorcerer.

• Since he as was the firstborn son of Hamir the Hermit, and therefore his life was dedicated to the Ancient One from early childhood.

• Years later he became the librarian of the Masters of the Mystic Arts.

• (Blade)

• Determined to avenge his mother's death, Eric Brooks (19) turned into a vampire hunter and called himself Blade, after the sharp weapons with which he used to kill vampires.

• (Marcus Jonhson)

• CIA Agent Nia Jones worked with Colonel Nick Fury (40) on a mission to take down a Hydra base in Czechoslovakia. They became romantically involved and the affair resulted in Nia's pregnancy.

• Wanting to protect their son from his enemies, Fury convinced Mia to abandon her life as an agent. Although reluctant, Nia agreed to protect her baby and adopted the new identity of Nia Johnson and moved to Atlanta, Georgia.

• November 9th - Months later, her son, Nick Fury Jr, was born, who she named Marcus Johnson. (N)

1949 -

• (Cyttorak)

• When Cain Marko tried to extort money from his father, a fight broke out, causing some of the lab equipment to explode. Dr. Marko was mortally wounded, but managed to drag Cain and Charles to safety before dying.

• From then on, orphans Charles (12) and Cain (18) lived as enemies under the same roof when Charles realized the potential of his mutant powers.

• Due to his telepathy, Charles excelled in most of the activities he was involved in, causing Cain's jealousy to increase to the point of causing Charles to get into a car accident, seriously injuring him and causing him to separate from his half-brother.

• Heather McNail Hudson, member of Alpha Fligt known as Vindicator, is born. (N)

• Howard Stark (31) restarts his plans for SHIELD, this time with the help of Chester Phillips. Peggy Carter (27) ends her work at the Scientific Strategy Reserve, and becomes one of the founders of SHIELD.

• Yondu Udonta is born on the planet Centauri-IV. (N)

[unseededtoast]

Rectify | Bucky Barnes

Part 1/37 | Part Two

Summary: I've lived every day for the past five years looking over my shoulder. I knew they'd come for me, it was inevitable. I was foolish to think I could outrun my past. It's followed me everywhere I go, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Never would I have anticipated that the shadows would lead me to the light.

Bucky Barnes x OC

Series Warnings: Discussion of human trafficking, alcohol consumption, graphic depictions of violence, sexual content, discussion of suicidal thoughts.

a/n: Hi everyone, thank you for checking this out, I appreciate any and all support! This series is also posted on Ao3 and Wattpad if you prefer those formats/platforms! This is a completed series, and it's going to take some time for me to transfer it to Tumblr, so please bear with me!

Memory is fragile. It can be corrupted, suppressed, removed from the subconscious. Memory is what makes us, us, in a way. One day when you're old memories are all you will have left, if you're lucky. Sometimes people aren't fortunate enough to retain those memories, be it from disease, or trauma, or deliberation.

I look at the clock hanging on the wall in my office and close my laptop with a soft click. Tucking the laptop between my torso and arm, I grab my keys so I can lock my office behind me. My heels click on the polished tile floor as I head to my next class, the last one of the day. I should be relieved that the day is almost over with, but this is the class I dread the most. The majority of the students seem uninterested and it's discouraging because I believe it's one of the most fascinating topics.

Fighting back the pessimistic thoughts, I walk into the classroom and start setting up the lecture powerpoint as the students file in and take their seats. It's a Friday afternoon and I already know I don't want to be here any longer than my students, it'll be a short lecture today. I walk to the center of the room and look at my students. Half are looking back with tired expressions, others are clicking their pen, and very few look like they actually want to be here. I lick my lips and shift my weight to one foot.

"So, who actually did the reading I assigned on Wednesday?" Maybe five of the thirty students raise their hand. I nod and pick on one of them,

"Can you tell me, Sarah, which part of the brain is responsible for memory?" Sarah was always the quiet one of the class, yet she's so brilliant. I wish she had more confidence in herself, I've been trying all semester to show her how smart she is; yet she continues to shy away.

"Um, I believe the part of the brain responsible for memory is the prefrontal cortex?" She states as a question. I know she's capable of a deeper answer, an answer more well-rounded than the other students can provide. I nod with a smile on my face,

"Yes, you're right, the prefrontal cortex is one of the parts associated with memory. Can you tell the class the specific part that's associated with episodic and recognition memory?" I know she knows this.

"Is it the hippocampus?" I nod once again and turn my attention to the rest of the students.

"The hippocampus is right. There are four main areas of the brain that are related to memory. As Sarah said, the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus are two. The others are the amygdala, which is related to fear and fear memories and the cerebellum, which deals with routines or procedural memories." The students still look bored and uninterested. I bite the inside of my cheek in frustration. Why did they bother signing up for this class if they're not going to pay attention? I take a deep breath and push that thought away, wanting to get through this class and go home to drink a glass of wine on my couch and watch trashy reality tv.

"Memory is fragile. It can be corrupted, suppressed, removed from the subconscious. Memory is what makes us, us, in a way. One day when you're old memories are all you will have left, if you're lucky. Sometimes people aren't fortunate enough to retain those memories, be it from disease, or trauma, or deliberation." I click to the next slide which shows a brain afflicted with Alzheimer's. I watch as some students jot down what I'm saying, the few who are paying attention.

"There's current research being done trying to figure out if Alzheimer's is reversible if caught early enough. Alzheimer's is unique because as you can see, the disease destroys the brain, and takes the memories along with it. Unfortunately, at this time, people diagnosed with Alzheimer's typically only live four to eight years after their diagnosis. But we remain hopeful that a cure, or treatment, is found. With advancing technology it is likely that within the next decade some answer will be discovered. As you may know, I have received funding in order to research the possibility of a treatment, and I'm still hoping that one or two students will join, it will be phenomenal experience to add onto your resumé. " I click to the next slide and see the back door of the classroom open. A man sits down in the corner seat, he looks too old to be a student, and he didn't bring anything with him. I turn my focus back to the class and lose my train of thought.

"Does anyone have any questions at this point?" I ask, not remembering what I was going to say next. Someone's hand goes up and I nod for them to ask their question.

"How likely do you think it is for someone to regain their memory after a traumatic experience?" One of my students ask and I see the man in the corner lean forward in his seat, he seems to be intensely listening. His presence is unnerving for no particular reason, but I don't want to seem rude if he's a faculty member or a potential research sponsor.

"Well, it may take some therapy and counseling to unearth the suppressed memories. Typically when people are introduced to a traumatic experience at a young age their subconscious tends to bury that memory in order to protect them. I can't say with absolute certainty that someone with suppressed memories can ever get them back. I'm not sure they would want to remember what their mind deemed unfitting. But it's also not entirely impossible, this is usually a case-by-case basis." I answer the question in what I hope was a satisfactory way. The student nods, and once again the man in the back stirs in his seat. My stomach twists with anxiety and I feel like my shirt's collar is choking me. I tug at the collar to get it away from my skin and decide class is over.

"Okay, well, I think I'm going to cut it short here. Please if you didn't already read what I had assigned on Wednesday, do it. It will be on the quiz." I say and walk over to the podium and grab my laptop.

I hope my anxiety is acting up, and the man is merely an observer or potential sponsor. Maybe I was under evaluation. If that's the case I surely failed. But something just isn't sitting right with me about the man. I make a direct line for my car, fumbling with my keys. My palms are sweaty and I just need to get home.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry? Got a hot date or something?" A voice calls out to me. I look up and see the man from class walking towards me, hands in his pockets. I swallow and try to force a smile, hiding any signs of being anxious about his presence.

"Actually, I'm just headed out to meet my husband. He's expecting me for dinner." I say with false confidence, hoping he doesn't see through my lie. He reaches my car, looks me up and down and raises an eyebrow. I don't think he bought what I was selling him.

"A husband? Hm, I guess they forgot to mention that part to me. But I digress, that was a very insightful lecture, professor Averina." My heart freezes on the spot and I feel like my blood is running cold. My name isn't on the outside of the lecture hall, he knows I'm lying about my marital status. I push the anxiety back and continue with the aura of false confidence.

"Thank you, I'm very passionate about my work. And if you don't mind me inquiring, were you asking around about me?" I question him, looking around the empty parking lot for anyone else but seeing nobody. I don't have a weapon on me and I'm not confident that this man is here for my wellbeing. He laughs and shakes his head,

"Oh no I wasn't asking around about you. Some old friends who haven't seen you in a while told me all about you and what you're up to these days. They're curious if you're enjoying your vacation abroad. They miss you, they sent me to see if you're okay. Oh, and they also wanted me to tell you that you've got a one way plane ticket with your name on it. Hope you still have a winter coat." I adjust the keys in my hand, the pointy end sticking out from my palm. I nod my head as he finishes speaking,

"Well, you can tell those old friends that I'm not going back, and I got rid of my winter coat." Quickly, I slash the man's face with the key. He grunts and holds his hand to his cheek where there's now a jagged bleeding line. His eyes go dark with anger, and I know I have to get out of here fast.

I get in my car hastily and weave through traffic, needing to get home quickly. Of course the traffic is congested when I don't have the luxury of time to wait. I know the man is likely behind me, I just don't know where. I need to get home and pack, I need to get out of here. I'm no longer safe. I continue pushing my way through the traffic and pull into my driveway with a small squeal. I leave my car running as I rush to the house. Flinging the front door open, I head straight for my bedroom and grab the book from my nightstand. I find a bag underneath my bed and stuff the book in there. Rapidly, I pull open some drawers and shove handfuls of clothes in there as well and swing the bag onto my shoulder as I turn to leave. As I turn into the living room I freeze in my tracks, my breath catches in my throat.

The man is standing in the main doorway of the house, angrily staring at me with blood dripping down his jaw. I drop the bag, knowing he's not going to let me leave here without a fight. He lunges at me and I dodge it, thankfully. He's being fueled by adrenaline and rage. I grab a lamp from an accent table nearby and smash it against his head, disorienting him. I shove past him, grab the bag and go to my kitchen to get a knife. This is the only way I'm getting out of here. The man comes back to his senses and follows me to the kitchen, where I'm pointing the knife at him.

"You can't kill me. You need me alive." My voice wavers as he wipes blood from the hole in his cheek and smiles sinisterly. My hands are shaking and I know I'm not intimidating to this man.

"We don't need you, we are way past that point. However, we need what you have to finish our newest project." He says and eyes my bag. Any leverage I thought I had is gone. He lunges at me again, and I unskillfully thrust the knife forward. His weight knocks me over as he dodges the attack and we're both on the kitchen floor. My eyes dart around for the knife that flew from my hands, I know I have to act fast. I fumble for the knife and manage to grip the wooden handle as the man grabs my calf and pulls me toward him.

I kick my feet frantically and he loses his grip on my leg. I use the momentum from my kick and manage to stand. As the man tries to rise to his feet, I kick his ribs which sends him right back to the floor. I use my foot to roll him over so his back flush against the floor. In the blink of an eye, the man pulls a gun on me as I plunge the knife into his chest, just below his sternum. It's surprisingly easy to cut through the flesh.

With adrenaline coursing through my veins, I pull the knife out of his chest and stab the man in the neck which sends blood spurting everywhere. I stumble back from the dying man and push the hair from my face as I turn and grab the bag that slid across the floor and run to my car.

The blood on my hands makes it difficult to grip my door handle and the steering wheel, it's being smeared over everything. With shaking hands and a racing mind I pull back out onto the road and know I've run out of options. There's only one place I can think of that can offer me the level of protection I need. As I speed towards the only chance of safety I have, my breathing becomes erratic and I hold back sobs.

I just killed a man, I plunged a knife into his jugular. I feel sickness rise in my throat but manage to choke it down. I'm not even sure that the traffic lights are green as I speed down the metropolitan roads, but I don't care I just need to reach safety.

[demonangelsworld]

Saved by an Alpha

✨Pairing: Alpha!Ari Levinson x Omega!OC (Secret Agent A/B/O AU)

✨Summary: If you look up the definition of a workaholic, you will find Ari Levinson's picture right next to it. Ari is on a mission to save all the omegas and alphas kidnapped by the Red Room. An organization that takes young alphas to train them into the perfect soldiers and young omegas to be drilled into the epitome of what their biology has deemed them to be. Ari has saved thousands over the years, but he still doesn't consider that enough. Some say he's running from a dark past; others say he has a savior complex.

Eloise can't remember a life outside the complex known to its residents as the 'care center.' She's always been in these concrete walls, servicing alphas when called upon, taking heavy heat suppressants, and acting as a caretaker for the new little girls. Her life may not be entirely happy, but it's all she's ever known. Plus, she cares deeply for each of the girls who come into her care, no matter the length of time. They give her glimpses of sunshine in her dark world. Soon her world will be turned upside down when a stranger that smells like tobacco and the ocean comes to 'save' them.

✨Warnings: A/B/O dynamics, feral behavior, violence, injury, crying, self-harm in the form of battling a door, self-loathing, mentions of child trafficking, death of a side character, and drugs

✨W/C: 6.9k 

✨A/N: Hey, guys! So yeah…it’s been a minute, life has been crazy, and this chapter has literally been rewritten four times. But I hope you all enjoy it! Let me know if I missed any warning tags or if you want more! 

< Previous Next > Masterlist

Chapter Two: Self-Control

When Sammy injects Eloise with the tranquilizers, Ari goes feral. He snaps and growls at the poor beta man, scaring all the children. The young girls all cry and shriek in fear, trying to further hide behind the cot barrier Eloise helped them make. The eldest three hold their place in the front, May puts Julia behind her, who screams for Eloise. 

Ari ignores the crying girls. He lifts Eloise and holds her close to his chest, using his big arms to shield her from anyone who dares to get near them. Ari pushes the hair back from her face and gently prods near her eyes, trying to get her to open them again. As he focuses on the omega in his arms, he completely forgets about the open wound on his leg, which is currently bleeding through his tactical gear. 

Sammy darts his eyes between the screaming children and the suddenly feral alpha in front of him. He’s never seen Ari like this before. Ari’s eyes are dilated to the point that his iris nearly swallows the whites. His gaze is stormy and focused on the woman he’s holding. Confused whines and grunts leave Ari’s lips as he tries to get Eloise to wake back up. Like that of a confused wild animal. Sammy has never seen an alpha snap into a feral state so quickly; if an alpha goes feral, it’s usually from a slow descent to madness or a severely traumatizing experience. Nothing like what’s happening right now. He tries to wrack his brain for a possible explanation but soon realizes the lack of time to do so. Ari turns to leave with the girl in his arms, and Sammy jumps in front of the door to stop him. 

Ari snarls, and the girls scream again. Sammy quickly lifts his hands, palms up and out, to try and show he’s not a threat to him. He speaks softly and slowly, knowing that Ari is closer to a beast than a man. Sammy just hopes the conscious part of him is still lingering in the background. 

“Ari, listen to me. You’re not yourself right now. You can’t go running off with her; the building is in code red and unsafe. You’re bleeding and need medical attention, and all these girls need to get to the jets, her included.” Sammy nods to the unconscious omega in his arms, which Ari holds slightly tighter in response. 

“Move. I will protect her.” Ari steps closer, but Sammy stays firm in his stance. He knows letting them go will risk the omega he’s holding. If Ari gets alone with her and bonds with her, Sammy knows Ari will hate himself for the rest of his life. 

“No. Ari, you’re hurt, and we have a mission to complete. I’m not moving till you come back to your senses.” 

As Sammy stands there resolutely, he spots the growing aggression in the face of the alpha. A vein popped on his neck, and his eyes narrowed at him. Sammy cringes, knowing whatever is about to happen next won’t be pretty. He keeps his hands up but remembers the taser resting on a holster on his thigh. 

Ari glares darkly at the beta as he weighs his options. At first, the beta seemed like no threat, given his size and stature. Now, he stands in his way from taking his precious new omega to safety, something he can’t allow. She needs to be safe so she can become properly his. She is his precious girl that he found. Not the betas. He has half a mind to mark her now just to show the other man just that. But he knows time is short and danger’s approaching the building. 

“Well? Are we going to finish our mission?” Sammy asks calmly, his eyes wary as he glances at the children who watch them both carefully. 

In that brief moment, Ari makes his move. “Fuck the mission!” He barks, with one arm, he keeps Eloise close, and with the other, he elbows Sammy hard into the doorway. The beta man grunts as his head connects with the metal frame. He slumps to the floor as Ari runs off with Eloise. 

Sammy takes a couple steadying breaths as his vision swims for a moment. He checks the side of his head where it is connected with the metal and finds his fingers covered in crimson. Sammy curses and wipes his hand clean. He braces himself and carefully stands, only to hear a crunch. Looking under his boot, he spots the remnants of his comm, the only way he could have given his teammates a warning that Ari had turned feral and his heading right for them. 

Sammy sighs deeply; he hopes they can recognize the crazed look in Ari’s eye when he reaches them, and they’ll be able to detain him. Maybe, if he works fast enough with the girls, he’ll be able to get there in time to help. 

“Alright, kids, we have to go. I promise none of you are going to get hurt. My friend there was just, uh…grumpy…yeah, grumpy. Your caretaker will be fine. You can trust me.” Sammy offers them a tentative smile, hoping they’ll listen to his directions. 

The eldest girls look between themselves warily while the others watch them, waiting to follow in their lead. 

“What do we do, Nora?” Kairi whispers. 

“We listen to him. Eloise said we have to remember?” Nora looks back at the other girls, “we gotta remember what Eloise told us. We’ll be okay.” She gives them her best smile while May picks up Julia again.  They follow Sammy out of the building and into the quinjet waiting for them. 

“Is that all of them?” An agent asks Sammy as he gets the 13 girls settled into seats and strapped down with help from Max. 

“I think so. Have you seen Ari?” Sammy looks around, not seeing him or the omega anywhere. All he spots are children, their omegas, and other agents checking on them. He had a feeling Ari wouldn’t choose this location anyhow. It’s too crowded. 

“No, wasn’t he with you? Where is the children’s omega? Also, what happened to your head?” Max frowns as he finishes strapping in the little three-year-old. 

“He was with me, but he went feral. We have to find him, Max, before he hurts someone. He took the girl's omega somewhere.” Sammy quietly mutters to him. Not wanting to send the entire jet into a panic if they hear an unmated alpha has gone feral while so many unmated omegas are near. 

“What? Why didn’t you com that in?” Max demands as they both begin quickly walking to the hatch of the jet. 

“I couldn’t! He knocked it out of my ear when he slammed my head into a door to get me out of the way, then I stepped on it like an idiot. I had to focus on getting the girls out. Max, he’s completely dangerous right now. He won’t let anything or anyone get between him and the girl.” 

“You don’t think he’s going to try and bond her do you?” Max murmurs with wide eyes. 

“I don’t know.”  Sammy solemnly shakes his head, “which is why we have to hurry; com this to the rest of the team.” As they pick up the pace, they hear the jets beginning to hum. “Shit!” 

The jet starts to lift off, and the back hatch closes. “Put the jet back down! Open the hatch!” Max commands a nearby agent. The agent radios the request to the pilot and shakes his head. “Sorry, sir, the avengers are here. It’ll be too dangerous for us to land.” 

“Fuck!” Sammy huffs, running his hands through his hair, “radio the others, now. We have to know what plane he’s on!” 

“Right.” Max presses his com, “Jake, Rachel, have either of you seen Ari?” 

“No, I’m on the other jet with the girls. Wasn’t he with Sammy?” Jake comms back. 

“I just saw him a few minutes ago. He’s on our team’s plane. He had an unconscious omega in his arms, which was weird, but I figured the other jets were full.” Rachel hums as she answers Jake. She sets their team's jet to autopilot back to a shield safehouse, where they take the women and children. 

“We found him.” Max looks to Sammy, who grabs the comm out of Max’s ear. 

He puts it in his ear and distances himself from the other agent. “Rachel, it's Sammy. Listen, Ari’s gone feral-” he says as quietly as he can. 

“What?!” Rachel and Jake demand. Sam hisses for them both to be quiet. “When did that happen?” Rachel questions, already heading back to the bunkers where Ari took the girl. 

“Twenty minutes ago, I couldn’t say anything because my com broke. Listen, you must separate him from that omega before he does something both of them will regret.” Sammy urges, beginning to pace, thinking of everything that could have happened. 

“Already on it.” Rachel assures, “I’ll update you when the situation is taken care of.” 

“Be careful, Rach. Feral alphas are dangerous. He may not recognize you. Hell, even if he does, he still might hurt you.” Sammy warns. 

“I know. Don’t worry, I got this.” Her line goes silent, and Sammy lets out a breath. 

“Do you think she’ll be able to do it, Sam?” Jake asks. 

“I have no idea.” Sammy’s mouth sets in a grim line, hoping it’s not too late.

In the sleeping quarters, Ari has her lying on the bed he tried claiming for himself the night before. Her little stature fits perfectly into the small bunk; he crouches next to her watching her rest. His eyes drink her in now that he has her alone. They follow the curve of her face seeing a little button nose and full lips. His brows furrow as he reaches out and uses a finger to trace along one of her cheeks, finding them far too thin for his liking. He pictures them fuller and filled with color, her fuller, full of him. His eyes land on her flat stomach, and a growl slowly builds from his chest. 

He goes to reach out for her again, this time aiming for her shirt, when he’s interrupted by frantic knocking. A snarl rips through his throat, and he jumps up, shielding his omega’s body with his own. 

The knocking pauses, then a female voice calls out, “Ari, it’s Rachel. Open the door and let the girl go. You’re in a feral state, but I know you can pull yourself out of this!” 

Ari marches up to the door but doesn’t open it, his mind barely registering that it’s his teammate outside, but what he does know is that she’s armed. He can smell the gunpowder from the weapon she’s holding.

“Leave us!” 

The alpha command bellows strongly from him, so powerful that it causes the omega to whimper and whine out in her sleep. Ari holds back from rushing back to her side to soothe her, knowing that taking care of the immediate threat is more important. 

Rachel stiffens but doesn’t move. Alpha commands have no effect on betas. She’s surprised that Ari even tried doing so. She narrows her eyes and sighs. She didn’t want to have to say this. The topic is so forbidden in the team, but she can’t think of any other way to bring him out of this state.  

“Ari, do you think Sarah would want you to move on this way?” Rachel demands, keeping her voice harsh and tone firm to show he had no effect on her with his command. “Sarah always wished for your happiness, but not like this. Not by stealing some poor girl who has no idea who you even are!” 

The mention of Sarah causes a pause in Ari, Sarah…the name brings back the image of his dead omega. Her dark-haired curls, bright brown eyes, and beautiful smile. Flashes and images of the life he once lived with her force their way through the feral haze clouding his judgment. Meeting her for the first time after she was rescued from their first-ever red room operation, getting to know her after her recovery, gaining the courage to ask her out, bonding, marrying, her death… 

Ari nearly stumbles to the floor as his consciousness comes rushing back. His inner alpha snaps and growls at him as he puts the fucker back in its chains, using his Sarah as the anchor. He looks back at Eloise with wide eyes, disgust and shame flooding him. 

He’s never lost control like that, not even when he and Sarah bonded. He brings his fingers up, brushing against the faded scar on his neck. What was he about to do to that woman? He knows the danger of letting his alpha genes take over his mind. He saw it happen all too often with his father and the various omegas the man took throughout Ari’s life. 

People get hurt when an alpha allows his genes or instinct to take over. Anyone who is in the way of what a feral alpha desires often end up hospitalized or, worse, dead. Tranquilizers can even be considered useless to an alpha his size when feral. He’s  shocked Sammy even tried standing in his way. He could have killed him. 

Ari goes to take a deep breath to calm himself but quickly realizes his mistake as her honeyed scent overpowers him again. 

“Fuck.” Ari hisses. He scrambles to the hand scanner and quickly unlocks the door. 

As soon as it flies open, Rachel has her gun pointed straight at his head. “Don’t come closer. I will not hesitate to put you on the ground. Let me pass, Ari.”  

Ari puts his shaking hands in the air, his breaths leaving him in heavy bursts. His alpha snarls and claws at his mind. Defend Omega! Threat! Eliminate the threat! 

“It’s me, Rach. You brought me back for now.” Ari winces, and his teeth gnash at her.

Rachel’s eyes widen, and she keeps her gun up. She can see his struggle, but she can’t chance to give him sympathy when he could kill her at this moment. “Get away from the omega Ari, before someone gets hurt.” 

“I plan on it. Rachel, I need you to lock me in our cell bay. I can’t trust myself not to go feral again while we’re stuck on the plane with her.” Ari demands those cells can keep alphas twice his size locked away without a problem, but they can’t be locked from the inside. 

“Done.” Keeping the gun pointed at him, they walk to the holding cells in the back of the jet. Once Ari is inside the small space, Rachel locks the door and opens the small window that allows them to talk. Only then does she relax her stance and holster her gun. 

“Ari, what happened in there?” Rachel asks, seeing him slump onto the chair. Ari holds his head in his hands and rubs the mark on his neck. 

“I’m not sure.” He admits. “All I remember is getting to our last room of kids, and when I opened the door, that omega stabbed me-” 

“Stabbed you?!” Rachel’s eyes widen, and she peers inside more, finally seeing the blood running down his injured leg. “Shit, Ari! I’ll get you medical supplies.” 

“Thanks,” Ari mutters, not thinking he really deserves them, but also knows he’s no use to the team if he loses a leg from infection. “Anyway, I could already feel my control slipping when she got too close, then when Sammy tranqued her, I just lost it.” Ari shakes his head, all of it sounding nonsensical. 

“Was anyone hurt?” Rachel passes him a small trauma kit through the hole, which he grabs. 

“Sammy might be. I tossed him out of my way when he tried to stop me. Did you hear from him? Is he okay?” Ari’s brows furrow in concern when he realizes he has no idea if Sam even made it out before the Avengers showed up. 

“I heard from him. He sounded fine, just concerned about you. Are you okay?” Rachel sighs, watching Ari start to tend to his wound. 

“I’ll be fine, Rach. Just need some time to myself til we get back. Could you check on her for me? I didn’t…We’re not…” The word gets caught in Ari’s throat and stings far worse than the anti-bacterial spray. 

“I’ll check on her. You know Fury is going to have your ass for this, right? You might be suspended from the team or kicked out of the agency.” Rachel frowns. She doesn’t think Ari deserves either of those for what’s happened; it was clearly out of his control. 

“I’ll deal with Fury. And Rach…thanks for snapping me out of it.” 

“Of course.” Rachel gives him a small smile before walking off to do as asked. 

Ari sighs deeply as he finishes bandaging himself up. Despite the wound being closed, he can’t remember the last time he felt so raw and wide open. He has no idea why the girl caused him to react like he did, but he knows he’s staying the hell away from her. He can breathe easier now that he’s in the cell, her scent long gone. With his head clear, he tries to think through everything that happened repeatedly, but it never makes sense. Ari hopes that once they get back to the safe house, he’ll hear Fury’s judgment, and deal with the punishment, then everything can move on. He doesn’t want anything to change. Ari doesn’t need a new omega. He doesn’t need anyone or anything but his team and his job. 

If he has those, he’ll be alright. 

He doesn’t need her. 

Eloise slowly returns to consciousness, her mind hazy. She carefully opens her eyes, trying to adjust to the room’s brightness. She squints and licks her dry lips, her throat lightly aching. Eloise shifts and pauses. She’s not on her cot in her room. What she’s lying on is far too comfortable. Her breathing quickens, and all the events from before she blacked out come rushing back. 

Eloise sits up in a rush and immediately regrets it as her head swims. She pauses to place her head in her hands and takes slow, steadying breaths. The feelings are familiar. Whoever was with that alpha must have drugged her, something the Red Room has done to her many times over the years whenever she had to move buildings. Once she catches her bearings, she looks around her unfamiliar surroundings. The walls surrounding her are a beige color. There’s also a hardwood floor like an actual bedroom, not a concrete room. A real bed, something she hadn’t slept on since before she was 5, a time she barely remembers. Under better circumstances, she would have savored lying on the cotton and springs. Still, she’s in unfamiliar territory, the enemy's territory. 

Taking her time, Eloise carefully stands. Her legs feel weak, and she wonders how much time has passed since her kidnapping. She spots a pitcher of water with a glass resting nearby but decides not to drink, no matter how thirsty she is. Who knows what drugs or other things could be lacing the water? She’d rather not risk it. Not when she has to figure out where she is, where her children are, and how she will save them. 

Worry immediately begins bubbling in her chest when she thinks of her poor girls. Eloise hopes they’re safe and that whatever plans these people have for them are not malicious. Once she finds them, she will run far away from the Red Room and these people. Eloise has no idea how she’ll get the funds and space to care for 13 children, but she’ll figure it out. 

Eloise glances around again when she spots two doors and a window. She goes to walk over to the window when she suddenly stops and hisses in pain, feeling a tug at her calf. Looking down, she spots gauze wrapped around her leg. 

“What the hell?” She quietly murmurs to herself in fear of someone listening. She has no doubt they are monitoring her despite spotting no cameras around. Eloise reaches down and carefully runs her hand up the gauze. She hisses, feeling four stitches underneath the bandage. She doesn’t remember getting hurt during the kidnapping unless it happened while unconscious. 

She huffs a tad in annoyance, that will slow her down, and she doesn’t have time to wait for it to heal. Shaking her head, Eloise sits up and limps to the window. She’ll have to be careful with her leg until it’s time for the big escape. Any damage she does to it during or after, she’ll have to deal with later. 

Looking outside, she gasps, seeing she’s at least six stories up in the air. Below her are trees around whatever building she’s in, and in the distance is a lake. Just like in the care center, she’s utterly secluded from civilization, meaning escape just got ten times harder. “Damn it.” She mutters and glances at the window pane, which is also pretty thick. She tries lifting the window to no avail either, so escape out of the window is no option at all. 

Eloise hates how leaving is looking bleaker at the moment. Now her only option is to find some vehicle and hope she can learn to use it in whatever time she has before these people find her. 

Eloise hobbles over to the other door in the room and finds a small bathroom with a shower, toilet, and sink. A pair of clean clothes, a towel, and some toiletries rest next to the shower. She scoffs at them; yeah, right, like she’ll risk being vulnerable and bathing at a time like this. These people are crazy for thinking she would be. She decides to rinse some water over her face and drink from the tap, the cool water soothing her aching throat. Drugging tap water is more challenging unless they want to drug their entire building. 

Being in the Red Room didn’t teach her much about the ‘outside’ world. Eloise couldn’t tell you anything about how taxes, politics, or even major cultural norms. Other than the ones that taught her about an omega's place in society, of course, under an alpha. However, by listening to the alphas that guard her and the men she would service, Eloise, learned valuable skills in observing, learning, adapting, and surviving.

After another couple of mouthfuls of water, Eloise sits on the toilet and contemplates her next moves. She glances at the door leading out of her room and sees that it’s made of metal, assuming it’s locked. Maybe if she can catch a guard's attention, she can at least get some information. Ask about her children, where she is, and what they plan to do with her. If they don’t answer, then she can always wait for when they transport her, IF they do. For all Eloise knows, this place is no different from the Red Room, except now she doesn’t get her little lights. 

The thought makes Eloise cringe, and she shakes them off. She has to hope that’s not the case. The door doesn’t have a slot, so the guard has to open it to deliver her food unless they plan for her to starve. Food…her stomach growls, reminding her that she still hasn’t eaten. Maybe she should…no better not. They could slip something in the food too. Better to wait to see what these people want with her first. 

With her next course of action decided, Eloise gets up and hobbles over to the metal door. She knocks on it a few times, ensuring it’s hard enough for anyone nearby to hear her. 

“Hello?! I have some questions! Can I please speak to somebody?! Hello?!”

“Yes, Ms. Briggs?” A man a few inches taller than herself answers the door. He smiles down at her, which reaches his brown eyes. He runs a hand through his thinning brown hair and tugs at the jacket of the black suit he’s wearing. She spots an embroidery with an eagle emblem over the letters S.H.I.E.L.D. 

“Who?” Eloise looks at him in confusion. She’s never heard that last name in her entire life. 

“Ah, right. Sorry, you still haven’t had your debriefing. What can I help you with, Eloise?” 

That only confuses Eloise even more; debriefing? Like, someone is going to take off her clothes? Her eyes widen, and she steps back, ready to defend herself. The man looks at her in surprise and takes a step back, giving her a tentative smile. 

“Where am I? What’s going on? Who are you, and where are my kids?” Eloise demands, her fists tightening at her sides. 

“My name is Agent Coulson. You’re in an S.H.I.EL.D safe house to recuperate and learn your next steps to becoming a functioning member of society. There are just a few more people ahead of you before Agent Sitwell discusses your case with you.” 

“You didn’t answer my question about my kids.” Eloise’s eyes narrow at him. She’s never heard of Shield and has no idea what he means about rejoining society. However, her focus isn’t on those things; it’s her children and ensuring they’re safe. 

“The children you were overseeing are no longer your responsibility. They’re being taken care of.” Agent Coulson grabs the door as if to close it. 

Eloise quickly holds the door before he can, “what do you mean being taken care of?! Let me see them. I need to make sure they’re okay.” 

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I cannot do that. You no longer have to worry about them. That’s all I can tell you.” Coulson tries to reason with her, but Eloise gets more agitated the more she’s denied. 

She tries to pull the door open more, but the Agent is stronger than he looks and keeps the door barely open. 

“Let me out! Let me see my children right now! Damn it!” Eloise growls and pulls with all her might, her leg throbbing from her muscles tightening up. 

“Someone will be in to see you shortly. Please try and calm yourself before then. I understand you may have gained an emotional attachment, but it is for the better that you don’t see the children again.” Agent Coulson shuts the door, and Eloise hears the click of the lock. 

“NO! No damn it!” Bringing her fists back, Eloise pounds on the door with all her might. Tears prick her eyes, and her breathing becomes shallow as his words sink in. They won’t let her see them ever again! “No! No! I don’t accept this! Let me out! Let me see my children!” She sobs as she pounds on the metal, bruising her hands. 

She backs up, aiming her shoulder at the door she charges, putting all her strength into it. Eloise cries out in pain as her shoulder and injured leg hit the metal. She falls to the floor cradling her injuries for a moment. 

Agent Coulson sighs, hearing the distressed omega on the other side of the door. He will admit they’ve never had one have such a bad reaction to learning that the children in their care are no longer their worry. Most of them celebrate their freedom. The omega bangs on the door again, pleading to be let out and to see the children she watched over. He knows giving her another dose of the tranquilizer wouldn’t be a good idea, but he also doesn’t want her to beat herself to hell while they wait for Agent Sitwell. 

An idea comes to mind on how to calm her, and he figures he may as well give it a shot. Fury isn’t going to be happy with his decision, though. He taps his comm, “can someone please send Agent Levinson to room 626, please?” 

Ari’s breaths come in short pants. His muscles flex underneath the tight gray shirt he’s wearing as he does push-ups on the floor of the room designated to him in the Sheild safe house. 

With each breath he takes and every force of his muscles, he tries to push further back the one omega that entrapped him with her scent. The overly sweet mixture of peony flowers and honey. The mix made him feral and dangerous. She keeps resurfacing despite trying to shove her in the back of his mind. Like a song that keeps replaying in your head no matter how much other music you listen to. Ari pushes himself harder, trying to think of other people, places, and anything else. 

The beach. My beach house. Sammy. The mission. Finding her. Peonies and honey. Wait- 

“Fuck,” Ari growls as his cock swells in his shorts. It’s like he’s a horny teenager thinking about a crush. It’s annoying as hell. He sits back on his haunches, wiping the sweat from his brow. The omega hasn’t left his mind since he saved her, and it’s scaring the shit out of him. 

Ari shouldn’t be reacting to her like he is. He stands and grabs his water bottle, downing the contents. Ari remembers the last time an entrapped omega him as she did, which didn’t end well. He’s not planning for a repeat of last time. He has to stay away from her and hope the effects of her scent wear off on him. 

Ari sits on his bed and runs his fingers through his neck-length hair. So far, he’s been able to work his body through most of the cravings. Once they landed at the safe house, S.H.I.E.L.D’s medical staff grabbed her to remove her tracker and do a general health check-up. Ari was led off the jet in cuffs and a muzzle. All of his team yelled at Sitwell about how unnecessary it was, but Ari knew they were treating him like any rouge alpha. 

Only after a full psychological exam that took two hours was Ari deemed back in control, even though he already knew he was. Then they questioned him about what happened, what caused the snap, if it would happen again, and everything else Ari didn’t know the answer to. After hearing the story, Fury decided that Ari would be suspended for two months. Once this set of girls is off to the rehabilitation facility, Ari has to go to his house and stay there for leave. 

Ari agrees with the punishment. It’s fair enough. Gives him some time to think over everything, and hopefully, by the end of the two weeks, she won’t be playing in his head like a broken record. A record that repeats the memory of her saccharine sent, the feel of her soft skin under his rough fingertips. He groans, rubbing his head, a slight headache building. He’s unsure if it’s from his many workouts to control himself from running to find her or fighting his inner alpha about her. 

His alpha howls at him to search, to make sure she’s okay, and to soothe her when she wakes up somewhere unfamiliar. It’s making his body yearn for her. He can’t remember the last time he’s popped so many erections in three hours since he’s been back to his room. He won’t give in to the cravings, though. She should go through processing, leave the building, and never be around him again. His alpha may demand her as his new omega, but he refuses to do that to her. 

She’s finally free, and he’s too fucked in the head to take a new omega. 

Ari’s brooding is interrupted by a knock at the door. He doesn’t move from his spot on the floor and instead shouts out. 

“Yeah?!” 

“Ari, it’s Sam. Let me in.” Sammy calls back and rattles his locked doorknob. 

Ari curses and stands, unlocking the door before heading to his bathroom. He can sense the confusion and concern coming in waves off Sammy. He already knows the questions coming his way and the apologies he has to make. Sammy follows Ari as he goes into the bathroom to run water over his face and neck. 

“What the hell is going on with you, man? You really scared me back at that facility. I thought you were going to hurt someone. Are you okay?” Ari spots Sammy watching his reflection in the mirror with a frown on his face. He spots the bandage on Sammy’s head. He does his best to keep his demeanor calm and his mouth in a grim line. 

“The real question is if you’re okay.” Ari turns to him and looks him in the eyes, “I’m really sorry about what happened back there, Sam. I couldn’t control myself. Did I do that?” He points to the bandage. 

Sammy lightly runs his fingers over the gauze, “yeah, you did. But I’m fine, and so is the girl, if you’re wondering. I can see you regret what happened. We all can. Going feral was out of your control, though, Ari.” 

“I know that. It doesn’t make me feel any better. I don’t know what it was about that omega’s scent that’s causing—caused me to go feral. Not even Sarah did that to me.” Ari shakes his head and leans back against the porcelain sink. 

“I think I know.” Sammy says carefully, gauging Ari’s reaction, “she’s your singer.” 

“What? You mean, like my soulmate?” An incredulous laugh leaves Ari’s lips at the thought. There’s no way in hell she’s his soulmate. 

“Yeah, I mean, it all adds up.” Sammy begins pacing a bit like he always does when thinking hard about something. “When an alpha meets their singer omega, it causes an intense flood of pheromones and hormones to flood both parties. Which, in turn, causes a feral-like reaction from the alpha to claim their mate, and if the omega wasn’t unconscious, she might have had a breakthrough heat. However, the tranquilizers allowed her to bypass that part of the process. It explains your behavior and intense reaction, but your self-control must be extraordinary to not have claimed her.” 

“Wait, slow down.” Ari places a hand on his shoulder to stop him from moving, “Sammy, this sounds ridiculous. She’s not my singer, I’ve heard of those, and they’re extremely rare.” 

“It’s the only explanation, Ari. She’s your chance to move on-” 

“No!” The word immediately leaves Ari’s lips in a snarl, and he lets go of Sammy. He felt this was coming. Sammy was always trying to get him to leave Sarah behind. Using their team’s connections to try and set him up on dates. It always pissed him off. The thought of Sammy using this girl, the one who caused him to lose control completely, nearly makes him see red. 

“She’s not my singer or omega, and I am not her alpha! I had my omega, and you know I refuse to take another!” Ari barks. 

Sammy meets Ari head-on despite the anger and anguish rippling off the alpha. His gray-blue meeting Ari’s baby blue in a challenging stare. More often than not, Sammy isn’t afraid to challenge Ari and stand up to him, knocking him down a peg when his Alpha genes take over. It’s something Ari has always admired about him, but right now, it’s setting him on edge. 

“Ari, Sarah is dead-” 

“Sam!”

“She’s not coming back, and you’ve been punishing yourself too long.” Sam’s jaw sets, and the tension in the room skyrockets even further. Ari clenches his fists to keep from hauling off and punching the man in front of him. He doesn’t care how right he is; all he knows is that Sammy needs to shut the fuck up. 

“I’m not done with the mission,” Ari says, trying his best to keep the growl out of his voice. His inner alpha howls at him to put Sammy in his place and remind him of their designations, but he won’t do that to a concerned friend. 

“That’s the same excuse you’ve told me for six years. Ari, if she is your singer-” 

“Damn it, Sammy! She’s not!” Ari snaps again, his chest puffing out as he tries to make himself bigger. He steps closer in an attempt to intimidate him again. Sammy has none of it, keeping his stare and his fists tightening. 

“IF she is. Don’t push her away. Give this a chance is all I’m saying. You’ve beaten yourself for six years, trying to blame yourself for Sarah’s death. It wasn’t your fault, and if this girl could help you move on. Then it’s worth a shot, isn’t it?” 

“No,” Ari says, his voice unwavering as he shoulders Sammy out of his way and returns to his room. He throws open his window in an attempt to get some fresh air. Hoping that it’ll cool his head and the heat of anger swirling in him. 

“Why the hell not?!” Sammy scoffs, still following after him. 

“Maybe because she just got her fucking life back!” Ari snaps at him, “she just got saved from being controlled all her life by alphas. I’m sure she’ll love hearing that another is ready to step up and suffocate her again!” 

“That’s when you take it slow. Help her get through the program, let her have and understand her freedom. Get to know her and tell her about the tension between you two because I’m positive she will have no idea. Then let her decide. It’s not that hard, Ari. I’m not telling you to claim her. I’m telling you to keep her close and get to know her.” 

Ari goes silent at that. He knows what Sammy tells him isn’t a horrible idea. But he can’t trust himself. Ari can’t hurt her like he hurt Sarah. He shakes his head and lets out a deep sigh. 

“Sammy, I can’t go near her again. What if I go feral again, huh? I could bond with her and I doubt either of us want that. Or I could end up hurting someone like I hurt you.” 

“You won’t. The initial finding process has passed. You should be able to control yourself with no problem. Her scent may just be stronger, and make you a bit…ah…sexually frustrated since you haven’t claimed her.” 

“I’m not seeing her again. And that’s final.” Ari states. 

“Well, that’s too damn bad because they’re requesting your presence in her room.” 

“What? Why?” Ari’s head snaps up at that. Why the hell would they need him? He thought for sure Fury would want to keep his ass far away from her after what happened.

“I don’t know the specifics, just that she’s completely freaking out and banging against her door. They’re worried she’ll hurt herself. They can’t give her more tranquilizers because she still has the anesthesia from her tracking implant removal in her system.” 

“If they need an alpha to calm her, why not send one of the other agents?” Ari demands despite the immediate disapproval of another alpha laying a hand on her, ringing through his head. 

“Everyone knows what happened during the mission, and more than a few people have come to the same conclusion I did. Everyone knows she’s your singer.” Sammy sighs. 

“Well, it’s none of their fucking business,” Ari grumbles. For a secret agent facility, no one keeps any personal secrets around here. “Wait, does that mean Steve-?” 

“Yeah, your brother knows too. He wanted to come here before I did, but Fury pulled him away for debriefing.” 

“Shit,” Ari huffs. Steve is the last person he wants to talk with about all this. The last thing he needs is his brother lecturing him about becoming their father. In fact, if Steve even mentions their father, he’ll sock the fucker in the jaw. “What does her possibly being my singer have to do with me going up there?” 

“You’ll have the most immediate calming effect on her since she is your singer. Ari, if you are convinced she’s not, then prove it to yourself. If your presence doesn’t calm her, then she’ll have the same distress levels.” 

“If that’s true, how come she panicked when we saved her?” Ari questions him with narrowed eyes; he’s confident that proves she’s not it. 

“She hurt you. An omega hurting an alpha already triggers a fear response in them. An omega hurting their singer? It makes the response ten times worse. It also seemed she focused intensely on protecting the little ones in her charge, which would alter her response to you. Upstairs it will be just you and her. You’ll get your best answer there.” Sammy smirks, knowing he has Ari beat. The man has two doctorates, one in medicine and the other in designation studies; he knows his shit. 

Ari grunts and takes a moment to think. He knows Sammy’s right. He just hates that he is. She can’t be his singer. It would fuck up too much. It just has to be some weird reaction he had to her scent. He can feel his alpha tugging again as if in agreement with Sammy. He knows he can keep that fucker in his chains now. He’s going to be more prepared this time. 

“Fine.” Ari relents, and Sammy gives him a big victorious grin. “Wipe that look off your face before I do it for ya’ Sammy. I’m just doing it 'cause I hate the thought of the poor girl hurting herself in a panic.” 

“Whatever helps you sleep at night. Now get moving.” Sammy claps Ari on the back, pushing him towards the door. 

Ari huffs and goes straight to the stairs. Despite his reluctance, his feet begin moving quickly up the six flights. Hoping he gets there before she hurts herself too severely.

< Previous Next > Masterlist

Taglist! 

@queenofstarsanddarkness

Join here!

[blankdblank]

The White Dove Pt 40 - Hawkeye

The White Dove Masterlist

@devilishminx328​. @theincaprincess​, @lilith15000​, @jesevans​, @jiminapickle

“First Selvig, now Hawkeye,” you muttered to yourself feeling bees eased out of the pockets down the sides of your heavily pocketed black jeans that tucked into your knee high boots and thick socks to cover the holes down the front of your shins. Just off a bus to Washington and you adjusted the lay of your open flannel and vest over the stripe patterned sheer tank top you had on under the strap of your cross body whale shark shaped bag that from behind your shoulder hung to the back of your leg just under your knee. On the ride you had pulled your hair back into a long braid now littered with bees ready to help you disguise yourself. Back under the sun a straight shot for a more secluded part of town was your goal.

Laid out like a small theme park each building was linked to various endeavors. Almost overflowing with angles to be filmed just on the edge of the city, since out of a large crowd in projections your bees disguised you as Nick Fury, you felt the cameras hit your near to invisible self projecting an irritated assassin.

Past the gates with a recognizable face following the layout Chester was feeding you mentally crowds parted all the way to the first set of doors you had to get past to enter a marble and steel crafted building. Inside the elevator between your lips out of your pocket you eased a cube of flavorful gum as fake Nick were seen to lift the fake milkshake disguised in your left hand to sip on. The sugary treat he was known to love made another use as people who had taken notice of him would allow him past without need to disturb his snacking.

One hallway through bodies and a warning from Chuck, who was watching the people aimed your way on the security feed, had you round the corner mid ripple inside a gap of cameras to change your appearance as Natasha Romanoff. A single pop of a bubble and a disguise of a scowl named the mood that had bodies part to clear a way for you to the records room inside of SHIELD HQ. Right out of the door you needed Nick Fury exited and gave your shorter assassin disguised self a once over to another pop of her gum to match yours. “Thought you were off to shadow Stark on his satellite idea.”

“He needs some tape.” You said in an attempt to be vague only making him chuckle as you readied to blow another bubble.

“Not sure how Howard’s records could help him, but anything’s worth a shot.” His voice faded as he readied to turn the same corner you had come from, missing the plant of your hand on the door handle that in its press down your disguise turned back to Fury now sans milkshake. Fake Fury had the secretary inside what seemed to be a dead end of a black marble and polished silver windowless room look up at you with a curious smirk. The handle meant to have locked on the security system showed he accessed it again.

“Forget something?”

“Just occurred to me I did. Kick myself for wasting a trip back if I didn’t grab it now.”

Softly she chuckled as you walked right to a hidden single person sized elevator revealed when the door sank into the wall that closed behind you to drop you in a near weightless experience at the speed it took to travel the mile distance.

Inside the belly of the records room through a wide hallway you traveled to a thinner one to reach a hidden tile door on the wall that popped out when pushed to reveal a file cabinet. Names on files were flipped through to reach Clint Barton’s file, out of which seven travel alias paper packages were grouped. The one you chose was lifted behind your head. Inside the mouth pocket on your whale shark bag was unzipped to hold the package with your own papers then zipped again so you could put the file back and head back up again.

Where the real Fury went to check on other agents, back down and out the front entrance you walked with little notice or bother until back into civilian territory you dropped the disguise to walk off weirdly for the wilds.

Over three hours you walked following the pathway in your mind on the hiking trail until you found a lone black metal crate with an eyelet on the top of it. Confirmation of its sturdiness came with your sunset lit discovery of the lock on the side you opened to ease the door back to climb inside. Around you the bees lit the empty space as you closed the door and rotated the submarine wheel latch like lock. Back into the crate you centered yourself, pressing your back to one wall and feet to the other in a flash off Nigel’s back on the distance of the inbound shielded jet coming to fetch you.

Dozens of feet long a hook ended rod out the open belly of the jet on time was felt latching onto the eyelet beginning a jolt of a lift off the ground and into the air. Wind loudly slammed and screamed around the crate all the three minute long way up into the belly of the craft, that once sealed, granted the team of tactical gear clad men less interference to their music. All watching from seats around Deadpool, who gave the top of the crate a rhythm based knock.

“Hey there Starshine.” He said to your open of the door, making you giggle in the climb out. “Ooh, love the bag, new?”

“Well needed a bigger one to hold a change of clothes for Clint. Never tell you how much more space you need for pants when you’re tall. Never had that problem myself.”

Deadpool chuckled replying, “One of the unspoken perils of higher heights, that’s not even talking about the nightmare of anything foot related. Heels to flip flops you could fit three pairs in your bag I bet, have to line one of mine sideways to fit.”

“Found some sneakers that can push flat with decent soles for that.”

Straight to the seating area he led you to find snacks set up around their maps to show the spot they were being dropped at on the way to your drop zone.

.

Just beyond the mark zone you were warned by the open of the back hatch. Now ready in a wetsuit, waterproof cover for your bag and face shield to the hatch you walked muttering a quote to yourself before you would fling yourself out of the plane. Eyeing the timed different grids of power that in a rollout shut off in turns as you took a step closer to the edge of the hatch. Wind again whipped around you and the growing sound of waves was your goal.

A goal you hit hard and fast feet first to exhale through the pain and ease the breather you had in hand between your lips to begin kicking on a goal for shore. Miles out to sea and quietly in the dark you made it ashore to strip out of the one use waterproof layers you buried in the dirt you designed to break into seeds within a week to not leave a trace.

And again you were hiking to your goal in the dark with just your bees mentally sharing night vision a goal was in sight. Making good use of the window of no power for the city to slip inside its borders and blend into the confused masses lighting the streets on their own in various manners. This time however you had a soundtrack stuck in your head from the flight over playing on Deadpool’s boom box.

.

“Down here,” softly Yggdrasil spoke to you of another root you assumed and mentally murmured an apology that you did not have the time to explore the root connection today as disguised as one of the guards you simply passed through the multi layered bunker beneath a simple fish market. Tucked between a waterside town and rural stretches of farms out in Japan this hideaway laced with echoes of odd layered voices of those inside it to seem under a sort of daze.

Cells with shimmering walls showing the hall outside of it on those that glittered, compared to the mirrored effect the solid glowing barriers on some cells, lined to show disgruntled to bored prisoners with eyes not as bright as those you had passed clearly between lapses of mind control substances.

“Psst,” you said and clearly Clint had heard it before as he laid across the marble floor of his cell in just the towel he was given after his last ordered bathing session like the other naked or towel clad prisoners in wait for fresh clothes.

Deeply he sighed and said, “What do you want now Buffalo Bill? You gonna throw some lotion and a basket at me?”

“I have some lotion,” you said instantly turning his head to find a well over six foot man making his brows furrow to the movement of the mouth as you said in your own voice, “A basket might be a hard find.”

“What, did you, just say,” he said rolling onto his side to prop up on a hip to help his chilly goose bump riddled self sit up.

Your disguise dropped as did his jaw as you said, “I said I have lotion, but a basket would be a hard find.” Closer to the wall around the shimmering barrier you stepped now visually holding your bag in front of you with one hand to stick a round metal button on the wall that had his cell barrier flicker in timed intervals.

“How-,” he tried to speak but grabbed all you tossed to him so he could scramble to get dressed while you turned around with a hand raised over your eyes to give Clint privacy but not stare at the naked strutting man across from him showing off to himself on his mirrored barrier wall.

“One, two,” his shoes hitting the ground at your side signaled your turn to grin up at him mid reach for the button you pocketed. “Pluto,” softly he let out a breath of relief and asked, “What’s the plan?” Assuming there was some covert mission plan that got around the council having to approve his discovery then aided escape with the rest or part of the team or at least Misique and some of the Vigilantes waiting for him.

“We walk out,” off your hair the three bees that he smiled watching take flight to land on his head and those he didn’t see release your legs to latch onto his. Now in jeans a t shirt and the baggy flannel you had taken off to swap for a mint cardigan, with spare boots a bit big on him he drew in a breath and turned to stroll as casually as he could at your side, even while seeing he was a petite woman that almost had him crack up laughing.

From out in the fish markets to the bustling streets he noticed the bees split off subtly to latch onto you again then looked up at your glance up at him. “Just up over this hill,” you said in the split of the street from paved to dirt head off into the distance.

“Jet parked over there?”

“Jet?” you asked in another glance up at him.

“Pluto please tell me we’re meeting the team over that hill.”

“I’m sorry, were you waiting for the Avengers to find you? I can take you back until they do.”

Shaking his head in a disbelieving chuckle he replied, “No, I am not going back. I swear, when I’m not someone’s sock puppet it’s timed baths and nothing but fruit and nuts like I’m some kind of squirrel.”

“That’s actually a very poor diet for a squirrel,” you said making him smirk.

“You know what I mean. Then, Luke Cage? Um, that Cap, I think Elektra has a jet.”

“She’s actually out in Peru this time of year. Needed a break, but if you ask me I think it’s one of those classic novels going away to hide a pregnancy type trip. She was a bit mum on details of how long she’d be gone. Either that or she’s gotten a severe muscular injury and she needs to learn to function again tactically.”

“How’d you get here Pluto?”

“I swam.” You said making him huff. “I kind of promised I wouldn’t say. It’s a super secret craft and a super secret team that had a stop on the way here to Japan, so, I hitched a ride and jumped out to get ashore.”

Sharply he drew in a breath and asked, “You jumped out of a plane?”

“Well you sat by my bedside after Goblin snatched me and I might have taken that as a sign you wanted to be friends.” Making his brows lift up, “You wouldn’t jump out of a plane for a friend? I know you’ve done it for cash, and for Black Widow.”

“Pluto please don’t tell me you’re here alone and now we’re both stuck here in, is this Japan? Sounded like Japan, but that one Laos family was pretty big.” He asked with brows furrowed now in confusion to try and place where you were in the world.

“It’s Japan.”

“Pluto?”

“Question for a question,” you said making him sigh, “Where’s the nearest brook?”

“How am I supposed to know that?” he muttered to himself and looked around at the tall grass and grain filled fields around the road then back to you so he could shrug.

You pointed off one way saying, “Brook is that way.” Then another, “There’s berry bushes that way,” and at a farther distance ahead at the deer in the road you pointed for his eyes to fall upon, “And they’re asking each other if we are linked to the hunter who has a hidden hut beyond those rocky hills beyond the brook by an apparently foul smelling bush.”

That had his eyes narrow and lips part, “As friends, I can talk to plants and animals, all living things really, even insects and on the occasion solid steel craft who have a good deal of earth in them, but that’s more a feeling for if they have damage or are close to wearing thin.”

“What?” he asked softly as you looked down to avoid a lizard that crawled out of a hole in the road beside a small rock.

“No one ever asks me why my parents were taken from me and I was hidden. Someone saw me in our garden as a child. I’m special, the other girls weren’t, at least as far as I knew of. Everything, everywhere I go I can hear what it says. The trees, grass, animals, they all share where food is, danger, pathways,” up at him again you looked as he started to feel that realization set in for your powers. “I can find anyone, anything. Drop me anywhere. Imagine if one of the Widows could do that.”

“I would rather not.” He said softly making you giggle to yourself and look forward again. “It’s not cuz you were in the same boat,” he said to himself, “You and Misique can hear things we can’t.”

“The yin to my yang in some instances. I help with tech and meds, she brings the boom.” He nodded and you said, “She’s not here either. But we’ll catch a ride at the next town.”

“And that’s-,” he nodded and said with you, “Just over the hill.”

After a few minutes he asked, “So do you have to make animal noises? Or do you just talk normally?”

“Some animals are non verbal, so there’s a level of telepathy involved but most I can just talk to. The country and language they are used to does trouble some with verbal, an elephant in Africa once I had to get the dialect right before it would let us help it get unstuck.”

“This isn’t cutting into your summer plans, is it?”

“Oh no, Eddie had to take a work trip real quick and I’ll be back and finish packing before he gets back.”

“Did you tell him you were coming after me? He could report you missing!”

“He knows. Got a friend to help with the flight home.”

“So there is a plan! Good! Do I get to know the plan?”

“I’ve got a surprise planned for you,” you said with a grin up at him.

“Consider me surprised already, I’m out of that cage, spoil it, what’s the plan?”

“Your birthday is in five hours, if we count American time, I planned some fun stuff for you. Won’t take long, then you’ll be on your way home to your wife and babies.”

“How are you so calm?” he asked plainly making you giggle and look up at him.

“There are anomalies galore surrounding where you were taken on that mission Widow and Iron Man had you for backup on. Just like with Dr Selvig. Now, no promises you won’t be snatched up again but you don’t have to worry Hydra didn’t take you and from my alien contacts through Venom it is a lone entity who is shielding their efforts from mortal discovery.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“Chaos follows me. I am calm because when I panic, people die.”

“Like that Thane guy.”

“Just like that. Besides, even if it was Hydra their only card left is to play Bucky, aside from that new plan to turn Goblin into an android to save his ‘brilliant mind’ from further destruction.”

“Two things, Bucky’s their card?”

“They had Widow, you took her, Cooper, I took him, Bucky’s left. Honestly I don’t see why any of you are afraid of them, more like Team Rocket these days now their roster is lacking any real depth. I mean they have a few sharp shooters but so does anyone really these days so that isn’t anything to be afraid of. All they have now is the big ego to keep up the façade of intimidation.”

Blinking at that information he chose to ask, “How do you know about the Goblin thing?”

“Venom demands my safety so we’ve been keeping track of Goblin’s movements.”

“And, that, doesn’t scare you?”

“Oh he’s going to be met with a very unfortunate accident when he’s activated to leave the facility the first time. Long as he stays in captivity their little toy won’t blow up in their face. Therapist said I had to face the effect of his damage to the world in a means to get at me to find self peace but honestly I think Misique hacking a fail safe plan is more comforting to my self peace than sending him a letter SHIELD wouldn’t let him read anyways.”

“Why do you think they wouldn’t let him read it?”

“I’m sort of on the edge of being his hair trigger to harming people. I wouldn’t let him read anything from me.”

“You must have a very good therapist.”

“I think so. You?”

“Mine got shot, in between them right now till they get back to business.” He said matter of factly.

“Have you ever played hide and seek with a toddler?” you asked making him grin.

“It’s my favorite game.”

“Been seeing tons of feeds with kids hiding behind their hands or lamp poles, just a time of bliss such ignorance.” Making his smile widen as you started to ramble to help his still racing heartbeat slow down so he wouldn’t worry the people on the path ahead.

 *.*.*

“Where, is Barton?” Prince Loki asked, his hand pressed to his side having been forced to again extend some of his powers to a task at hand to keep his badly broken ribs from healing faster since being transported here with his mission by Thanos. All of his other minions were here, all ready to accept the fresh supply of clothes the Prince had retrieved for his team to keep them well handled and comfortably clean, fed and tailored while under his watch.

“He, was in his interim chamber after his bath like the others.” One of the guards said making the weary Prince with dark circles around his boldly glowing blue eyes jut out his lower jaw a moment in irritation and wonder for how this would affect his plan without Barton.

“Do you wish for us to track him?”

“No,” Loki all but growled in a stare at the empty cell using Asgardian tech meant to keep its prisoner in that none on this planet should be able to conquer. “No we are moving the plan ahead.”

“My Prince?” the original guard asked a bit afraid for his life at this epic mistake.

Loki replied, “Pack up, we are moving to New York. Whomever broke Barton from his cell cannot keep him hidden forever. We shall continue our work in the base I have established there.” Off alone he strode to find a secluded spot to lean against a wall in a fractured try to gain a pain free breath so he would not black out from the pain coursing through his battered and brutalized body from what felt like eons of torture prior to his escape with this plan to find a way to eventually kill his prior captor.

 *.*.*

 Sounds of a city grew closer until a truck was seen readying to carry supplies to a shop out in Tokyo from a workshop here in the country had you say, “We should probably talk about aliases and back story.” Making him look at you. “So your name is Benjamin, lovely name, though you think it’s a bit stuffy and reminds you of your overbearing grandfather who you were named after. So you go by Goober.”

“Goober,” he whispered in an amused tone.

“Just by me. You ran away and we adopted you and we just bonded right away, couldn’t separate us, and now we’re on summer holiday sightseeing but got dropped off rather rudely by some upper crust nuts who we failed to impress back in the fishing city off their luxury cruiser of a yacht and they took off on us.”

“Fine, but everyone else calls me Barker.”

“Figured you’ve have a soft spot for cannibals.” You said poking him in the arm making him roll his eyes.

“You were humming from the Sweeny Todd musical all the way through the markets.”

“Was I?” you asked in a glance up at him, “They had the soundtrack playing on the flight. Thought it was just in my head.”

“Not a bad one though. Ever seen it?”

“Live? No. Only ever got to see ballets or orchestras not actual musicals. Always did want to see a Phantom production though. That and The Little Mermaid, which I doubt plays often if at all anymore.”

Past a couple quaint city houses with people either at work in their gardens or off in the beginning of a walk of their own and to the workshop you strolled to find the curious workers there in the process of loading the truck of goods they were to sell stop to look you both over. Fluent in the language the back story was shared and with confirmation they were headed to Tokyo an agreement was struck to get the tourists back to reaching distance of their hotel or rental. Into the back of the truck you both climbed to ride with the duo who would help to unload the shipment.

.

 “Thank you,” you said, having from the bag now rested on one arm to hang in front of you hand over the pack of cigarettes, Clint internally wondered where you’d gotten them, and a couple bills to compensate them for the ride that let you out on the edge of the city.

“So, is a travel plan my birthday surprise?” He asked hopefully.

Around his arm your arms looped to say, “There is a plan, now I know a nice little place we can get something to eat and I can share the big surprise.”

“Just as long as it’s not sushi. Doesn’t sit well.”

“I don’t eat sushi, you like ramen?”

“Ramen is good.”

“Would take you some place fancier but that road block of cattle earlier put us a bit pinched for time to have a twenty minute wait for food. Plus servings is larger. They feed you well aside from the squirrel days?”

“Surprisingly from what I recall, ya. Baths twice a day, new clothes and shoes, several meals, but those were back and forth on quality.”

“Well we’ll be back before you know it.” Curiously for him he watched you in a fluid path to the ramen shop as if you’d been here a thousand times. Far from unnoticeable but no less a part of the crowd with numerous cheerful fellow teen females who complimented your bag and hair clips you tanked them for. At the back of the line you read the menu as he did, having confirmed for him that he knew Japanese and didn’t need translations.

Bowls the size able to hold melons were loaded up with veggies, slices of beef, noodles and broth in varied styles were filled as you stole a notice of the two familiar Sorcerers who were speaking with a young girl they clearly had paid for her meal. The pair of you smiled and thanked the older male and his son who traded the bowls for the folded bill you offered the teen girl from the register who had refilled the receipt roll. The top pink lined strip you held with receipt of the sale now pressed to the base of the bowl with the offered chopsticks and shallow spoon.

Right to an empty table you both walked and were met by the wife of the elderly man who brought you the teas you had ordered who promptly retreated to serve the group of teens in line behind you. Once in the chairs you asked him with a grin his way shrugging your bag to be laid across your lap, “Up for your gifts now to let your ramen cool?”

Upwards the corners of his mouth tugged, feeling again oddly happy in this wild adventure into his next year of life on a mysterious way to check in with his team. “Sure.”

And he watched you unzip the belly of the whale shark bag to bring out a shark wrapping paper wrapped bundle that he fought his smile in accepting hold of it from you. Quietly he opened the top of the bundle and chuckled in pulling out a smaller copy of your bag in navy with button eyes with a sturdy leather strap. “It’s a cooler version of a fanny pack.”

“Oh it is super cool,” he said squeezing it, “There’s stuff in it?” he asked looking up making you nod mid smile his way. The zipper in the mouth was opened and he chuckled to himself pulling out the yellow shirt he unfolded to see Garfield cuddling with Pooky under the dialog bubble that read, ‘I Hate Mondays.’ Underneath it had a yellow wallet to match, Pooky on the front was in a pirate costume he opened to find a few coupons in the card slots around a few ID cards that had his lips part in subtly bringing them out to find his fake name Benjamin Rheldes III he recognized as one of his SHIELD issued aliases. Closing the wallet he looked into the bag to find the rest of his alias travel papers inside the telling parchment pouch of the travel papers to match. The folded slip of paper beside that had him pull it out to read a slip from a spa.

“That’s our next stop, head to toe pampering session.” He looked up at you, and you said, “Flight home isn’t till tonight and they have a fruit based cleansing snack course that is supposed to be incredible.”

“You’re taking me to a spa?”

“Thought you might like some pampering after being locked up and all. Even if you haven’t gone there a good head massage can just change your outlook on the week ahead.”

“This says couple’s massage.”

“Oh I’ve been there with Bucky before, it is just a double bed massage room they call couple to make it simple.”

“What’s a hair treatment?” he asked.

“Scalp treatment, they use steam and wash your hair and even style it after a couple massaging treatments, even give you an eyebrow mask.” He blinked at you with an awkward grin splitting across his face at the odd distraction, “Much more comfortable than finding a hotel to wait in. Plus it’s a 13 hour flight back to New York so you would want to do the sleeping there.”

“Have you booked the flight?”

“I have an email confirmation ticket since they’re bought on miles from Eddie’s friend who wanted us to have a comfortable ride back.”

“Have you called Eddie since you got to Japan to check in?”

“Not him, but the friend booking the tickets to confirm I didn’t need to postpone the flight.” Off the napkin you lifted the chopsticks as he carefully folded his gifts into his bag he couldn’t help but smile at in laying it across his lap.

“Is he going to relay that to anyone?” He asked lifting his own chopsticks to start on his food.

“Not the way we roll. Best to get you back to New York quietly.”

“So I can be snatched black bag style you mean.”

After you finished chewing and swallowing your mouthful you said, “More fun for you to just stroll in on their cork board plan or however they plot adventures.” You said making him chuckle around his mouthful as you readied another grouping of ramen.

.

Full and content he strapped the bag around his waist and helped you to carry the dishes to the counter, gladly following you out onto the streets to head for the spa. Luxurious and peaceful the darkly painted waiting room filled with comfy overstuffed furniture and both dim white and colorful light fixtures to help set the mood. Behind the counter a cheerful duo of ladies bowed their heads in greeting and at the mention of your name confirmed they had sprayed to disinfect and ventilate the rooms to not have lavender in it even though it is in the area known for scent and product allergy clients.

Mention of the most camera friendly staff members and a basic set of rules for filming limitations had you clued into them expecting, as they mentioned your videos of travels before, to be featured in a video. Smiles spread on their faces in the lift of your bees when question came for who would be filming or where cameras would be placed.

Confirmation of the treatments ahead and times of when the food and tea courses were to be set, nice locker rooms were the next step, where the both of you stripped to your underwear. You to keep your bottoms on were welcome for your comfort, and with a plushy robe and slippers to put on your bra was left off as they confirmed modesty layers were always used for client and staff comfort. Trading grins you and Clint followed the staff member into the hair treatment room, finger combing your hair to release the braid after pocketing the keys for your lockers. “I think you’d look nice with green hair.” You said to Clint making him chuckle at the color options for hair even you thought to take a try at.

Single use combs were brought out first for the process for the duo of staff members who were adjusting to being encircled by the adorably filming bees. One that filmed the room and supplies as the others focused on the process both for one with long unruly curls and him with his shorter shaggy style that had grown a bit while he was away.

From the initial head scrub and massage to adding a bit of oil a foam and various soap filled hair scrub came next. Steam treatments and a slightly odd dome was placed over the washing bowl that from a tube on the side was filled with a sort of mist to have that soak in.

Once dried a trim for Clint came during your hair being colored with a new hair health and environment friendly semi permanent hair dye that should wash out over a fair bit of time that a spare staff member came to help work into your voluminous hair they assured they did for all clients with more hair or curlier textures like yours. While that sat and Clint’s own hair was being colored you sat back to allow the eyebrow mask to be applied. Washed again and dried the pair of you had mint hair. Once your hair was braided back again the pair of you thanked the ladies and were sat up for the simple neck and shoulder massage to follow that the women said was to help with the tension people felt during the washing and lather processes.

.

Now in the leather reclining chairs along the wall the manicure came first. Mint glittery nails for the both of you were chosen and filmed by the bees who angled themselves better for the start of the arm and hand massages. Including the bit where the bees stopped filming your décolletage portion of the massage. Clint already was melting into his seat after just the head massages and kept stealing a few glances your way ensuring you felt comfortable too. Tea and the meal came between trades of processes to have the process work internally as well as externally for the rest of the scheduled day.

Pedicures in darker glittery grey shades were picked to begin the foot and leg massages. The final room was readied and shown to the cushioned tables the facials with products and massages alike were had while laid on your backs.

To be followed by a sheet filled transfer to your bellies to remove the robes the ladies hung up once they ensured your sides and rear end were covered to only expose your back and part of your lower legs. Clint again to guess your own comfort stole a look your way before placing his head into the face rest and then came dangerously close to making some noises sure to make everyone else uncomfortable for how heavenly it felt compared to the hard floor he had been sleeping on in that interim cell. Knots galore for him and tense tired muscles from walking and swimming between the flight you had little sleep on and the ladies had their work cut out for them.

Unfortunately for you both the time would come to an end and back inside the locker rooms you changed back into your things to head back to the desk where they were so pleased to know you wanted a supply of the hair dye to take with you for when it washed out fully the claimed 30 washes from now. You, however would be buying more online and if you needed to light up then you could re-apply it with Eddie’s help until you wanted to go back to your natural shade to spare the extra task of maintaining it.

“Have to say, I think I like your rescue missions better.” He said on the street again making you giggle as he watched one of your bees adjust itself in your hair. “Are they always filming?”

“No, they do warn me if things pop up however. Helps with the anxiety.”

“I bet,” he said, knowing of at least three times you had been abducted since he’d known you.

Right to the edge of the street he saw you lift a hand and flag down a taxi that came to stop, rolling down its window, “Do you go to the airport?”

“Yes, yes, get in please,” the driver replied and watched you climb in. “No hotel first for your things?”

“No, sent those ahead.” You said and he nodded listening to the airline specifications and started the drive for the airport.

 *.*.* Hours prior *.*.*

 “Natasha, just checking in.” Fury said having called her to hear how Stark was coming along on his latest try to hunt for hints on where Selvig or Clint might be as the same anomalies were left behind both of them.

“No progress so far. Things got on a sort of tangent, now he and Banner are discussing an AI system to prevent crime.”

“Make any use of that film of Howard?”

“What film?” she asked, clearly tired, and huffed at the argument brewing, “I swear, I should have taken training duty with trainees over this bunch, all day since breakfast none of them can stay on topic. Gotta go, let me know about that film you found later.” She hung up the phone and with eyes narrowed Fury, still on the property went to his office. Bypassing the security log in through a back door to the surveillance footage he found the hall and time where he was seen clearly on camera speaking to no one. Tracking back on the different angles out to the front security check he had to huff at the sight of his name being shown on the authorization of identity the guards put in about their invisible visitor.

Back up to the same hall he followed the door he just left to see it open again and the woman inside clearly assume it was him. Pausing the image he zoomed in and ever so faintly in the close of the door caught sight of what could be a bee fly into the elevator. There was no telling what had been seen or taken from inside the records room and he merely had to subtly find his way down there to see if the same anomaly was traced there as well.

 *.*.* Current time *.*.*

.

“Do I wanna know how you got the travel papers?” he murmured to you lowly as you joined the line to the self printing ticket booth closest to where the taxi had let you out.

“I think it’d be more fun to hear about a really odd conversation Nat, probably already has had. Unless Mr Fury finds you a personal confidant, then you’ll have two really odd conversations to hear about.”

Smirking at you he asked with a chuckle, “Fair enough.” He said then cleared his throat at the sight of a little kid who stopped to stare at the both of you with shark bags and mint hair that had the boy turn to gesture at his penguin back pack that had Clint grin and wave as the smiling boy was led away towards a line to have bags checked. “I’ll have you paid back for the spa day.”

“That should be a lovely invoice to receive,” you said making him chuckle again.

“Well it certainly will be a first.”

When the people in front of you walked off with their tickets you brought out your phone to scan the barcode on the electronic confirmation that showed both tickets the machine printed. Out of his bag he brought his travel papers and accepted hold of his while you shrugged your bag in front of you to open the mouth where your papers were to keep your own ticket.

Security was first, a rather simple process as an attendant on the way there flashed you a big smile and helped you and Clint forward to a swifter security line for the seats you had that made you and Clint look at one another curiously for the so called ‘Suite’ classification. But the easy trip through and check of papers took enough time to have a security cart that came to take the two of you to your gate only heightening your curiosity on what sort of seats Riot’s Other had chosen for you. Alone in a private lounge you were left with confirmation someone would come to fetch you on time for your flight.

“Did they say suite?” he asked as you looked over the lavishly furnished lounge to see what it offered.

“They did. But I didn’t pick the seats, so no telling what we’re walking into.”

“Oh that’s comforting,” he muttered to himself following you over to the buffet like supply of food. A bowl of rice you loaded with spicy veggies and meat was joined by a bowl of both fruit and a warm bun was carried to the table he picked with a view of the planes on the tarmac, carrying both his drink and the one you wanted he topped with a plate holding a warm bun of his own.

When he sat down you said, “I can probably look up the airline on youtube if you want. Travel vloggers often do reviews of airlines, might give us a clue.”

Off the top of your drink he moved his plate to offer you your drink while you situated your bowls and lifted your bun to tear a piece off of it to press into the sauce on your spicy meat. “I think we’ll be fine. My wife is gonna go crazy hearing about this though. Last year we splurged and bought me some $40 boots.”

“If you have to say I took you hostage.” You said making him chuckle lifting his cup of tea. “Can I ask how you met?”

Widely his smile split in lowering his drink again. “Met in school. She asked me to pretend to go to a dance with her to piss off her ex. Just never said we were done pretending,” he said with a chuckle. “18, press of a button, she was not gonna let go. Besides, her dad loved me, and he was a nightmare to wear down for anybody else she introduced him to. Takes a bit of wild to get used to my work schedule, but it kind of works, she has patterns that drive me crazy so she sets those while I’m gone and she loves a good story when I get back.”

“Ever go anywhere nice?” You asked lifting your chopsticks from your napkin to sample a bite of the mixture.

“Doesn’t like to fly, she will, but she’s a bit too impatient, but loves a good train. Flew to Italy once and took trains all over Europe after high school. Almost came back married, but that’s a whole other thing with her mom and tears and she ‘had’ to wear the family dress,” he said making you giggle at the irritation in his voice making him chuckle and shake his head. “Did come back pregnant though, mom didn’t get her way anyways by the time we could book the church she wanted us in. But dad got the BBQ pit and it was fun.” After a few bites of your food he asked, “What was that you used on the glowing wall on my cell?”

“Um, frequency inhibiter. Would have used an EMP but the one that strong would have messed with your hearing implants.”

“Ya that would have been awful, last explosion had to have one replaced and it is a nightmare of a recovery for my balance.” Taking a bite of his roll he paused and asked, “How’d you know about my implants?”

Gesturing to the bees you said, “Part of the hologram is a refraction off the magnetic field bodies give off, takes a basic sort of sonar scan at the same time of the person inside and outwards. Senses implants of varying degrees on people around me.”

“Huh,” he said as you took another bite. “Most of the agents who find out I have implants seem shocked.”

“Probably because you have such pretty eyes,” you said making him chuckle again. “All goes down to ableism, can’t be pretty and impaired, some people’s brains just can’t handle it.”

“Thank you, for the compliment, sad to say I heard that as a kid. Before they had a sturdy implant to even consider.” A few moments as you continued to chew then took a sip of your drink he looked your face over and asked, “Any plans, when you are done with school?”

“Not a clue,” you said making him grin tearing at his roll again. “Have my parents’ notes so I want to keep their work alive, it was by chance I got into the Blackhowls. I study various trades my ancestors used to survive,” you shrugged, “I missed eight years of my life to try and find who I was going to be. I’ll figure it out.”

“Well I had a job as a beautician before all this, paying for school by cutting hair and doing makeup. Back home there’s no shortage of demand for beauticians. Figure if I ever have to leave this I have a leg to stand on.”

“Are you the one that does Nat’s hair then?” you asked making him chuckle again.

“On occasion. I do think they want to impress you on this flight. Heard more than one use your title.”

“I’ve known the man for not even a year.” And he shrugged with an amused grin. “Honestly people act like I should be carrying around a scepter or something. All people see are dollar signs following what I can do but they don’t know I have seven more years to wait for it and someone else bought my ticket for me.”

“Other people always buy my tickets. I’m just a guy with a bow. Or I would be, I’m gonna need a new bow when we get back.”

“I made you a bow,” you said making his brow arch up. “Nano tech, in the tail fin with 50 arrows that look like marbles. Lay them on your palm and flip it so it expands. Bit showy but it’ll do in a pinch till you learn how to do a flick with your fingers,” you said pinching two fingers and moving the hand to the side rapidly making him smirk. “You want tranquilizing rounds you grab the fins on the end and push them in, swaps out the tip to a more leggy one,” you said wiggling your fingers gaining a chuckle from him.

“I will be trying that out when we get back. Clearly, we are in an airport, or I would now.”

“Oh come on, cause a scandal,” you teased with a giggle. “Been a week without an Avenger scandal in the news, people are starting to get concerned, you might have actually turned it around on us all. Might not even need that muzzle after all.”

Talk of his plans when he got back with his kids for his birthday ended as you cleaned up and were approached by the gentleman sent to fetch you. One more security cart ride and past a glass wrapped lobby you walked to be fed into a side entrance for the upper level of the air bus where you and other apparent exclusive passengers were assigned. “Welcome, Viscountess, Hawkeye. Thank you for flying with us today. And you are welcome to film as you choose.”

Clint was the one to say, “Already on it, bees are cameras,”

“Oh, charming,” one of the ladies exclaimed and shifted aside to allow one of the other stewardesses to show you both to your assigned seats.

A double seated bench was inside the enclosed room of a suite, across from a flat screen tv on the same wall as a small hallway you were shown through by your own personal female butler to the door where your private bath and bedroom with a remarkably small double bed and a smaller flat screen tv.

Shows of features to adjust the temperature, lights and where to charge things was given before you were shown a sparkling cider bottle the butler popped and poured into a champagne glass to go with Clint’s champagne he thanked her for. Pre-flight checks came before a buckle into your seats for take off, alone in the taxying of the aircraft you muttered to Clint, “This is going to be a long ridiculous 13 hours.” Making him chuckle.

“Least it’s a night flight,” he muttered back, “Go by faster with a nap.”

.

Meals were set, and in solitude you came up with a few items you would trade off the menu to suit your own needs, like his tea sandwiches for your caviar you didn’t want. Before he tucked into his meal he gestured at the plate asking, “Can you hear this?” Only making you giggle at the possible reasoning behind your dislike of caviar.

“It’s a texture issue, not that,” you replied with another giggle calming him to taking his first bite. Three more courses came with more glasses and drinks until you both had to try the private bathroom out and finish off the second film you had chosen. The third was put on in the bedroom where you took off your boots to stretch out along the wall on the giggle worthy small bed while he laid on the free spot.

Hours and two meals later and buckled back into your seats you stole a glance his way patting his arm having heard his heart rate kick up a bit at the prospect of being one step closer to home.

With a hand on your arm he followed you out of the plane then took the lead in the way to the exit gate where you said, “Bus to the train is that way.”

“Starshine!” you heard called out from beside a taxi to your left making you giggle and turn your head to find Wade Wilson in sweats, a Hawaiian shirt and ugg boots sans red and black armor. Arms over his head he said, “Mint is so your color!”

“Okay,” Clint muttered, “Now the pieces are falling together,” following you to the taxi where Wade gave you a hug and then tugged Clint into a hug too.

“Hawkeykins, I have been dying to see you in pastels. Literally,” he said planting his hands on Clint’s shoulders making him smirk, “It has been killing me, those eyes! How dare you hide them in dark grey and maroon. I know Widow has her color scheme but you need some pizzazz!”

His head ticked to the side opening the door to the back for you with a wide smile, “Hop in and I will give you all the deets on what a fiasco our jet is now. Oh my gosh,” you climbed in and Clint behind you chuckled as he closed the door dramatically and dropped into the open front seat facing you both, closing his door behind him, “Never trap yourself inside a metal tube with seven men on a high protein diet after seven bottles of tequila. We hit turbulence, someone lied about being a nervous flier, there was an explosion of unnatural proportions imaginable for a human digestive system, and then the pity gagging, long story short we had to power wash it and now it’s still airing out on our secret island.”

The driver took off for Stark Tower first and you said, “Just be sure to net it off or you might have a pelican problem.”

“Oh there’s not risk of that. Gregory chose to stay behind with the plane and guard it.” Making you giggle.

“You drugged him and left a note?” you asked in a teasing tone.

“He ran into a pole trying to escape the stench.” Making you giggle to Clint’s chuckle, “He looked so peaceful didn’t want to wake him up. Lucky’s gonna check on him tomorrow.” He smiled at you, “Can’t wait to hear about your flight. What did the goop monster pick for you?”

“Apparently we were in the Suite,” he let out an impressed whistle, “Personal room, came with a butler, attached bath, with a shower and a bedroom with what they called a double bed.”

“It was small,” Clint said. “I did get her caviar and champagne though. Not to mention the tote bag for the free stuff. I got new jammies and slippers.”

“Sounds like fun, having a butler, go and pretend you’re Batman for an evening.” Wade said, “Though no one can touch Alfrid.”

Clint said, “Felt like they tried to impress, maybe a bit too much, but for a free flight not too shabby.”

Wade asked you, “So what are your plans? Packing?”

“Finish that up then I will head down to finish off the end of the mast that should have printed while I was gone. Been raring to get it done finally so I can give it a shot to lower it and raise it again.”

 *.*.*

Guest notifications at Stark Tower were brushed away on the monitor of the system currently running the latest scans for where Clint could be held prisoner and by whom. Choice after choice were named of tips from various agents around the world of odd encounters and behaviors of seedy figures who could be behind it. The air in the room was palpable and loaded with voices in argument over the best route to take, spotting through glass walls the man himself, Rhodey fell silent and crossed the room to the chair Clint sat on the arm of to leave his gifts on the cushion.

Smirking at his friend who was looking over his new hairdo especially Clint called out, “Check Japan yet?”

“Japan,” Bruce scoffed as he’d already shot down two tips from there as Nat recognizing the voice turned.

“Clint,” she said turning everyone’s focus to the man Rhodey poked and took hold of the closest shoulder to him to test if he was a hologram or not.

“Where have you been?” Rhodey asked.

“What happened to your hair?” Bruce asked.

“I was in Japan,” he said noticing Fury from the far seat in the room stand to come closer. Not having been part of the discussion, but at the post of a picture from your social page with a picture of you and Clint eating at a ramen place to warn of a video of a spa treatment series of videos to be posted over the next couple weeks, he had come directly here after checking you were not home and hadn’t been for a couple days now. Went to a spa there, had a great time. Deadpool says the mint makes my eyes pop,” and he said to Rhodey, “Personally I think it looks better on Pluto.”

Rhodey was about to speak only for Stark to cut him off, “What spa?” Clint named it, and he pointed at Clint, “Out of this world, what treatments you get?” Clint brought out the sheet from his bag luring Tony closer to take hold of it. “Ooh, you like the hair treatment? Heard it went a bit heavy on the lavender when I sent an ex there.”

“Kid’s allergic so we went with citrus. Really nice. Got ramen before that and had a long day of pampering, she got me some gifts and then had two tickets for a compartment called the Suite on the flight home.” Tony clicked his tongue at the name. “Brother’s friend surprised her, bought them off of miles, personally I wouldn’t have minded the back of the plane but two helpings of caviar when she didn’t want hers and champagne. Hell of a way to ring in a birthday I will say.”

Fury said, “Speaking of birthday, lets get you on the jet and you can brief us fully. Get you back home.” Clint nodded and gave the rest of the team brief hugs and pats on the arm to give them proof he was solid as well just leaving Nat, Rhodey and Fury to go with him to the jet on the overlook landing platform. Once sealed inside Fury set off a surveillance blocker he pulled from his pocket as well as a pop up pocket sized holographic map of Japan. “First off, what do you remember of where you were taken to?”

And once he answered that Clint said, “I’m lying on the ground in a towel after my bath waiting to be given new clothes and given another dose of whatever it was controlling me and I hear a ‘pst’, I try to tell the guard off when I hear Pluto’s voice come out of this over six foot guard.” Fury’s brow arched up and he said, “She has a hologram program that just disguises you as someone else. Said some of Venom’s connections said I was taken by someone who gave off Asgardian vibes, she had a button sized thing she put by the barrier that made it flicker so she could toss me these clothes and shoes and I could hop out.”

Fury, “And you just walked out?”

“Ya, right out, the place was under a fish market. Passed through the next town hitched a ride to Tokyo where she bought me ramen and gave me some birthday gifts. Spa after, then we flew back.”

Nat asked, “You said Deadpool complimented your hair, he went with you?”

“No, but he did drop Pluto on the way to get me.”

Rhodey asked, “And when you say dropped?”

“She jumped out of the jet,” parting his and Fury’s lips. “Said it’s what friends do, mentioned I sat by her bedside after she was taken and took that as a sign I wanted to be friends.” Making Nat smirk, “Made a pretty cute joke that if I wanted the Avengers to get me she could take me back. It makes absolutely no sense and to be honest, it was wild till we got to the ramen place. Having her show up to get me, but I was fed, and pampered and she gave me some cool gifts, not to mention Deadpool gave me this unicorn hoodie my kids are gonna love.”

“How’d she find you?” Nat asked.

“She wasn’t really specific, I took it as she got the tip through Venom and his connections.” He smirked a bit wider and asked, “I don’t get to hear about your conversation you and Nat had while I was gone?”

Nat asked, “What does that mean?” to Fury’s shift a bit taller on his seat in Clint’s reach into his whale shark bag to bring out the travel paper packet that had Fury’s lips part.

“She said you and Nat would have an odd conversation while I was gone about these.”

Lowly Fury chuckled and said as he accepted the travel packet. “I’ll put these back in your file.”

“What conversation?” Nat asked Fury.

“Someone who looked like me strolled right through SHIELD HQ, until they got to the hall where I was, I remember seeing you,” he said pointing to Nat whose lips parted, “Irritated and saying Tony needed some film from Howard Stark.”

“The film, you mentioned, you weren’t asking about what Tony had, you thought I was sent for film.”

Fury looked to Clint, “End of the hall when I’m gone they’re me again, get into the record room where the woman there greeted me and let me down to the vaults, where this clearly was taken before I left.”

Rhodey looked at him, “How are you not hung upside down right now? Anyone sees you on the film-,”

Fury cut him off, “Neither of us showed up on the film.” Parting the trio’s lips. “Film shows people talking to us, but no us. If she did it, if she loaned the tech out,”

Fury sighed and Clint said, “This isn’t some espionage thing,” making brows pop up his way, “Kid wanted to get me out.”

Fury, “She could have taken anything from down there.”

“If she had why would she need to do it this time?” Clint asked parting his lips, “She would have already done it, been down there millions of times, cleared the place out. Check it all, and I bet you all that was taken were those papers.”

Rhodey asked, “Where exactly did she drop in? Maybe we can clear that up at least, tie that down.”

“Ocean drop,” Clint said making Nat’s brows lift.

“Whoa,” Nat butt in, “I love you and I would second guess an ocean drop.”

Rhodey bumped his arm into Fury’s, “The coast that went dark,”

Fury nodded, “Blacked it out, drop out, swim ashore. Fits Deadpool’s style.”

“Honestly she didn’t even mention him, he was the one who picked us up from the airport. Talked a bit about their jet and they had to air it out because someone got sick in it. I don’t get their history, how it crosses over, they didn’t say, but he seems to care about her in a protective way, so it’s got to be something significant.”

Nat asked, “She didn’t seem scared at all?”

“Not really, but she said when she panics people die. She did say if I got into a hard time I could say she took me hostage,” he joked making them chuckle with him.

Rhodey said, “She does know how hard the rules are on us right now, could have just seen a tip and saw a spa she wanted to go to and helped out the team in a way that beyond the papers wouldn’t be linked to us. We didn’t blast his face on the news for all they know he was just a bodyguard for her or it actually was a birthday surprise.”

“Well I guess we owe her one then,” Fury said making Clint smirk.

“I did say we’d pay her back for the spa treatments,” throatily Fury chuckled accepting the sheet of treatments he took a picture of to look up and get a check to pay you back.

“That we can do,” Fury answered.

Pt 41

-just a side note, if you’ve made it 40 chapters without commenting please comment or reblog. Hearts don’t help to build motivation or spread the group of people that see writers stories. On average my chapters are ten pages long, it’s kind of disheartening to see streams of hearts on my longfics and that there is absolutely nothing in any of those ten pages to mention at all. Fanfic is a community and not sharing the love in words on it just hitting the heart button leaves writers stagnant with few people to interact with and causes writers to leave. Please help keep the community alive and give feedback in more than just kudos or hearts. If you don’t like to make comments at least every ten hearts or so please reblog to share the story with others. You don’t have to have a big following to help share stories. Please help keep the community alive and happy reading guys. :) -

[braveclementine]

Late

Warnings: 18+readersonly, heavy angst

Copyright: I do not own any Marvel characters or locations. However, I do own my OCs, which consist of Penny Fury, Elizabeth Nelson, Elijah Chan, Katya Venice, Violetta Moscow, Lan Le, Josh, Trang Tien, Ahni Jallow, Mai Ito, and Ghaida Kashual as well as other OCs that will come up throughout the story.

Just bear with it. I know it's long. I really went overboard with details on everything- sorry. 

Warning: 10.2K words

👺🤽‍♀️ 𝐬ⓣ𝐎ｒʸ ☃️⛽️

The memories after that faded in and out. Mostly just her hanging out with Violetta, Katya, Trang, and Ghaida. Ahni was sometimes there, but she was mostly Ghaida's friend than anything else. Josh and her hung out quite a bit too and it was obvious for some time, Josh had a huge crush on her. But she didn't even notice. 

The same year that she entered College apparently, was the year of the snap. She was on the Campus when it happened, walking to her car by herself. Suddenly, students around her started to turn to dust. 

"What-" Elizabeth whispered, backing up from the dust and then running for her car. 

Penny had been told that Elizabeth was the only one of the Ohioan group to be snapped. But now, watching this, clearly that hadn't been the case. 

Pulling up to her house, her mother was rushing out of it and hopped in the car. "Follow my instructions. Now." 

The urgency in her mother's voice kicked Elizabeth into following the instructions to a dirt field and then they took an airplane. 

They landed in Siberia and her mother led them urgently into the compound, while Elizabeth followed a little slower. Her mother marched straight to the chamber where the super soldiers were being kept in cryo. Elizabeth followed even slower, looking around at everything in confusion. 

"What is this place?" Elizabeth asked and then saw the super soldiers in the tanks. They had all been shot through the foreheads once with bullets. "Wha- who are they?" 

"Shit." Lucinda muttered. "They're dead. And what the hell is wrong with the cryo tank?" She was messing with the cryo tank at the end of it. 

Elizabeth looked at it. She ran her fingers over something, dust falling away for a name plate that said, 'Winter Soldier'. 

"'Winter Soldier'." Elizabeth repeated. "What is this place?" 

Lucinda sighed. "It's a compound, a base for an organization that I used to work for. We, used to work for. You don't remember any of it, do you. Or remember James? Well, you never called him James. You always called him Sebastian so per-" 

Elizabeth cried out, dropping to her knees, grabbing her head in her hands. 

"Yes, the remembering always hurts." Lucinda muttered, more worried about the cryo tank at the moment. 

"Where is he? What happened to him?" Elizabeth demanded immediately. 

"He escaped." Brocks' voice interrupted and Elizabeth sprang to her feet, glaring at him. "Took him a few years, but he managed it. At first, he was on his own. We got him tracked to Romania after a few years, but the Avengers got him first and the Avengers kept him." 

Elizabeth shifted on her feet as Rumlow came closer to her. "And he forgot all about you. Just like you forgot all about him. Except, he gets a happy ending. And you don't." He tossed something at her with a grin and walked a few feet away. 

It was a photograph, which Elizabeth held by the corners in both hands. Steve was in the middle, Bucky on his right and Sam on his left. The three of them were grinning at the cameras, all clearly happy and in love. 

"His soulmates?" Elizabeth asked softly. 

"Yep. 'Course, I get to see them sometimes too." Rumlow admitted. "They have no idea I worked for HYDRA." 

"We need to be careful." Lucinda said, coming back from the machine, not having paid attention to the conversation between her daughter and Rumlow. "Fury might have agents out looking at the abandoned HYDRA compounds. He might think we'll try regrouping with this. . . well whatever happened. Do you still have your source?" 

"Heck yeah." Rumlow grinned, "Penelope's a lovely girl. She tells me everything I ever want to know." 

Penny sank into Rhodey, ashamed of herself then. Rhodey squeezed her tightly, kissing the top of her head again in comfort. 

"Your soulmate?" Elizabeth questioned. 

"Nope. Daughter of Nick Fury." Rumlow chuckled. "Daddy shelters her to much so she's got the daddy issues. Gives me the perfect opening to exploit her." 

"Poor girl. Looks like she has bad taste if she chose you." Elizabeth snapped. 

"Says the girl who fell in love with a deranged murderer." Rumlow chuckled. "Steve's hotter. And a better fucker." 

Sam gritted his teeth, glaring at the memories. Bucky tucked his head into Steve's shoulder. 

"Whose Steve?" Elizabeth asked. 

"The blond one in the middle." Rumlow chuckled. 

"And he sleeps with you after everything you did to James?" Elizabeth sounded irate, shaking like she was going to murder him. 

"No, no no. See, that's the beauty of it." Rumlow smirked. "They have no idea. James doesn't remember me either. But he's happy. Happier than he ever was with you at any rate." 

Clearly, Rumlow was trying to goad her. Elizabeth just slipped the picture into her pocket. "Well, how can you even be happy with someone when you're locked up here anyways." 

She walked away and sat down in the chair. Rumlow joined Lucinda and Elizabeth took the picture out of her pocket again. She ran her finger over each of their faces and then pressed the photo to her chest and closed her eyes. 

The memory fizzed and Elizabeth was now laying in a room. It was scarce of anything besides a bed and a dresser. But Penny recognized it as Bucky's room when the compound had been bustling and full. 

"MECHANICS HERE!" Rumlow's voice cackled and Elizabeth sat up, padding out. She paused when she saw that it was Trang, who was already at work at the machine. 

"Trang?" Elizabeth asked in confusion but the Vietnamese girl didn't react to her name. Elizabeth walked around, kneeling in front of Trang, but her eyes were blank. Elizabeth's eyes flashed angrily and she stood up again. 

"What did you do to her?" Elizabeth demanded as her mother came into the room then. 

Her mother sighed, "It's like a hypnotic state, hijacking the hippocampus of the brain. She remembers everything, but after she's released from this state, she won't remember anything that happened. It was easier than constantly trying to give her memory pills. Your friend is a genius, Elizabeth, but her moral compass was to strong." 

"How did you do the surgery?  That woman from Wakanda?" Elizabeth questioned. 

"No, about. . . gosh a while now. But a few years back there was this neurosurgeon in New York. Best in the world from what I understand. Went by the name, Doctor Stephen Strange. Well, we threw a little money at him and he agreed to the experiment. Of course, we didn't risk anything. He was wiped after as well. But he blew so much money he probably didn't even notice it." 

"Geez." Stephen groaned, pushing his hands into his eyes. "I'm so sorry Trang." 

Trang looked horrified and then looked at Ghaida. "Was I- Does that mean I was the spy? That it was me all along?" 

Ghaida shook her head. "No, Trang. Lucinda only ever used it when she was with you personally. She never used it on you when you were in the tower. It is still active though. Shuri has the skill to remove it later if you'd like." 

"Of course." Shuri said immediately. Penny noticed then that Okoye was gone and T'Challa was on the phone in the corner of the room. They must be inquiring after the Wakandan doctor. 

"Shuri?" Penny asked softly. "Did that doctor, did she ever work on Bucky's arm too?" 

Shuri's eyes widened and she got up off the couch and approach Bucky. "I need your arm. I just want to make sure it's safe." 

Bucky nodded dully, his head resting on Steve's shoulder. Shuri carefully detached the arm and carried it over to the coffee table. "Trang!" 

Trang joined her at the table. 

"It's not fixable." Trang finally pushed back, her voice sounding robotic. "At least, not without a lot of expensive parts I don't have my hands on." 

"Thank you Trang." Lucinda said and looked at Rumlow. "E ages slowly anyways. We'll just keep her here until we find an excuse. You keep me in the loop with the Avengers." 

"Yep." Rumlow said, walking over and cupping Trang's face. "I'll take her home now." 

Tony snarled under his breath.

"As long as you don't take her home to bed." Lucinda snarked. "And I need you and Jackson to keep Elizabeth fed and everything. I have to get home to Paul and my sons." 

Elizabeth was ushered back to Bucky's room, the door closed and locked behind her. 

She spent days in that room, the food pushed through the slot the only interaction. Rumlow and Jackson never spoke to her. 

For her, she mostly just slept or stared at the photo she now had. Every time she touched one of their faces, she repeated their name, "James. Steve. Sam. Steve. James. Steve. Sam." 

Penny wasn't sure how many days passed, but it got to the point where Elizabeth even started hallucinating Bucky into her surroundings. A vague outline of him. He never touched her because then he'd disappear. But she would talk to him and he would just smile. It broke Penny's heart. 

The hallucinations got stronger. Bucky was speaking back to her. Telling her stories about Steve and Sam. Telling her things about Wakanda. And he always told her that he loved her. Over and over again until he was disappearing and fading. 

That was when the ghosts started to come. It was Howard first and Elizabeth blinked in surprise. "Hey kid." 

"Hey Howie." Elizabeth whispered softly. 

"And she talks." Howard grinned. "You wouldn't speak a word before. But, then again, it's been nearly fifty or so years." 

Elizabeth smiled a little. "How's the afterlife? Am I joining you any time soon?" 

Howard chuckled. "Nope. You still got a long life ahead of you kid. It'll turn out okay. You only have three more years ahead of you." 

"How many years have I been in here?" Elizabeth asked. 

"Two, roughly." Howard said. "I've been here for about a year now, but you haven't been able to see me until now." 

"I feel like I've been in here forever." Elizabeth whispered. "And it's so cold here." 

"I'll try and make the time a little better." Howard chuckled. "And I'll bring some friends along next time. I suppose you should probably meet my wife." 

And so other ghosts joined. Ghosts that were all friendly. Howard was the one there the most often, sometimes bringing Maria. Penny also recognized King T'Chaka. And sometimes the King brought other Wakandans and they thought her songs in their native language, which Elizabeth eventually picked up and sang along to. 

Elizabeth lived in a ghost world for a long time, spinning with the ghosts, singing and chanting in Wakandan. Or talking about fancy things with Howard, who was still spitting ideas from beyond the grave. 

"He's going to build a time machine." One of the conversations went, Howard sitting at the chair. He had ghostly mechanical parts in his hands, messing around with them. "I guess I must've raised him some sort of right for him to do that." 

"I'm sure you were a great dad." Elizabeth smiled. 

"Nope." Howard sighed, leaning his head back against the wall. "Never made enough time for my own kid. I was to busy, trying to find Steve Rogers in that ocean. Always thought I was closer each time. And when we found the Tesseract, I thought we'd found him too. They gave up the search, but I never did. I never found him either and I lost my son in return. So really, I just lost both of them." 

Elizabeth was looking at the picture, "He seems worth it." 

Howard looked at her. "I still like to believe that my endless searching led to his recovery. But even now, sometimes, even knowing the future because I'm dead, I wonder if maybe I should've just been with my family." 

"Maybe one day I'll meet him." Elizabeth laughed at herself. "And I'll tell him how much you love him. He probably won't believe me though. Only crazy people talk to ghosts, but then again, I think I'm probably a bit crazy." 

"Just a little." Howard chuckled fondly, ruffling her hair. 

The visions continued on until it reached another conversation. "Why can you touch me but not objects in this world?" Elizabeth asked. 

"Loki uniquely designed it so that only you had the power of interaction." Howard said thoughtfully. 

Elizabeth pushed the palms of her hands into her eyes in frustration. "I can't remember him well." 

"I just think it's funny he's mated to my son." Howard chuckled. "Three egotistical, narcissistic men who somehow get along. I think it's their brilliant, creative nature. But Loki doesn't show his creative side to them- well anyone." 

"I wonder why." Elizabeth said thoughtfully. 

Howard shrugged, "He has his reasons. Regardless, the trigger that he created means that you can interact with ghosts, but you can stop ghosts from interacting with you. So hypothetically, you could punch me in the face, but then change it so that I can't punch you back." 

"But I won't." Elizabeth replied, grinning. 

"Thank you." Howard chuckled. "Regardless, It's hard for me to understand the triggering method. It's mostly magic, which even as a ghost I don't understand. But it seems that you could push power into a soul and I could, hypothetically if it were to work, pick up this comforter." Howard said. 

"Can we try?" Elizabeth asked. "It might as well give me something to do." 

"Sure." Howard said. 

Steve suddenly stood up, walking over almost calmly to the wall, and then punched it so hard, brick and dust settled on the floor. "Steve?" Sam asked uncertainly. 

"I'm such an idiot. I know where this is going." Steve muttered, putting his head against the wall. 

Howard laughed suddenly as he became a bit more solid and then tapped on the dresser with his knuckles. Elizabeth looked exhausted, sliding to the floor. 

"Hold on." Howard grinned, popping out of disappearance. Elizabeth shivered until he suddenly popped back into existence holding a fluffy blanket, a package of oreos, and a bottle of coke. He dumped them on the bed and then knelt down, pushing the energy back into Elizabeth. 

"You okay?" 

"Yeah, it just was a lot." Elizabeth said, getting back on the bed. She smiled at what he had brought her. She put the food aside, wrapping herself in the blanket. "Thank you." 

"Of course kid." Howard said softly. "And don't eat that to fast or eat to much of it. You'll just throw it up. They're not feeding you enough." 

She did it again with Howard a few days later and he walked through the wall and brought back something in his hands. "He left this one, never got to give it to you." 

Elizabeth took it with shaking hands. It was a stuffed Okapi, but it looked like it had been sewn from cloth. There was a note pinned to it which read

: I made this one cause I didn't have time to find one. I love you doll. 

- Yours Always

"I miss him." Elizabeth sobbed, falling sideways on the bed. "I miss him so much. And I'm glad he's happy but I miss him. I wish he would come and find me." 

"He can't." Howard said softly. "He was snapped with the others. Only Steve made it. Sam and Bucky though. . . they're gone until the time machine is made." 

"Steve's all alone." Elizabeth whispered. 

A few days later- or maybe weeks- Elizabeth had a piece of paper in her hands. "I- I had an idea." 

"Yeah?" Howard asked. 

"If- If I put my power into you, then you can take this, and you can put it somewhere Steve can find it." Elizabeth said. "Right?" 

"Yes." Howard said, though he didn't look enthusiastic about it. 

"Then let's do it." Elizabeth said. 

Howard nodded and then warned her, "He might not come." 

"I know. But I'm willing to try, at least." Elizabeth said firmly. She pushed her power into Howard and then he was gone. 

Days later, her cell door was slammed open. She looked up, but it was Rumlow, rushing towards her. 

"What the hell did you do?" Rumlow snarled, but didn't give her time to answer, locking her wrists and ankles together. He locked the muzzle around her jaw and put a blindfold over her eyes, before shoving her under the bed. He put her up under it so that no one could see her. 

"Rumlow?" Steve's voice called through the compound. They watched Steve enter the room, frowning. "Did you find someone?" 

"Nah." Rumlow said calmly. "Not in this room." 

Steve stepped further inside and Penny's heart pounded. His eyes landed on the Okapi stuffed animal and he picked it up. He started to explore more of the room and found papers in one of the drawers. 

"This is Bucky's handwriting." Steve whispered, flipping through it. 

"Maybe this was his room?" Rumlow questioned, looking tense, but sounding nonchalant. 

"I can't read all of it, some of it's in Russian." Steve muttered. "He keeps talking about a 'doll'. But he never said. . ." 

Steve searched all the drawers and found a picture. It was a polaroid and old. It was of a really young Elizabeth, when she was a kid. Bucky had her on his shoulders. On the back, Bucky had written, 'Mine'. 

"C'mon Cap, we gotta search the rest of this place and then report back to Fury." Rumlow urged. 

"Right." Steve muttered, hesitating, and then putting the photo back in the drawer. 

Rumlow raised an eyebrow, "You're not taking it?" 

"It feels. . . wrong to." Steve murmured, but took the papers with him. "I'll ask Nat to translate these later." 

Rumlow nodded and Steve picked up his shield. "Do a deep search. If someone really is here and needs our help, I want to find them." 

"Sure thing Cap." Rumlow said and Steve exited the room. Rumlow's face immediately became one of rage. Making sure Steve was long gone he hissed, "You are in so much trouble when he's gone E. I don't know how you got that message to him, but you're going to pay for it." 

"She was right. There." Steve snarled, punching the wall again.

Penny finally moved, squeezing Rhodey's shoulder and moving over to hug Steve. "It's okay Stevie, it's okay." 

Steve wrapped his arms around her and sank down against the wall, holding her tightly to him. 

Elizabeth stayed under the bed for a while, Howard pacing the room. Rumlow walked straight through him, getting Elizabeth out from under the bed. He punched her across the face. "You stupid, stupid girl." 

Elizabeth cried out as he punched her in the stomach. 

"Almost ruined everything." Rumlow snarled. 

Howard knelt down, touching her head. A surge of power went through him from her and he slammed his fist up Rumlow's jaw. Rumlow's eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to the ground unconscious. 

"Yes! Go dad!" Tony cried out from the couch and then blushed as everyone stared at him. "Sorry." Stephen smiled just a little. 

Howard undid her bonds and then Elizabeth stumbled to her feet. She grabbed the Okapi and the note. She opened the drawer and made sure she had both pictures. Then she ran for it. 

She fled the compound, not even noticing how the snow seemed to avoid her, or that her feet didn't leave prints in it. Or that she wasn't cold. 

She ran and continued to run for a long time until she reached a small town. There, she stole a car and then drove further until she got to a larger town. There, she stowed away on a boat which took her to another country. 

She continued on and on, stealing and moving through the night. 

Finally, she reached New York. She looked exhausted and dirty, everyone on the streets was avoiding her. Howard popped up next to her. 

"Where do I find him?" She asked. 

"Try and keep up." Howard said and started leading her through the city until Howard turned into an alleyway. "He's over there." 

Elizabeth looked over, her excitement fading as she saw Rumlow was with Steve and Natasha. "Can I trust the red head?" 

"Yes." Howard said. "Her name is Natasha. She's very close with Steve. Now, let me see if I can provide a distraction. You need to work on how you're going to get Steve to trust you." 

Elizabeth nodded and Howard was gone. 

As Rumlow hopped out of his seat, said something to them, and rushed around the corner, Elizabeth darted across the street. 

She ran up behind Steve and grabbed his shirt sleeve. "Steve?" 

Steve spun and looked down at her, taking in everything he saw before him. "Uh-" 

She held up the picture that he had left in the drawer. His eyes widened and he looked angry. "Where did you get that?" 

"Where I asked you to come find me." Elizabeth whispered. 

Steve's eyes widened. "It was y-" 

Elizabeth saw Rumlow coming back and she ran away, weaving in and out of the crowd. She darted around buildings, crossing streets, taking alleyways. All the while, Steve was running behind her, shouting for her to stop. 

She didn't stop until she came to Central Park, disappearing into the trees, and crouching down behind a bush, panting. 

Steve skidded to a stop. 

"Did he follow?" Elizabeth asked. 

"Who?" 

"Rumlow. Did he follow?" Elizabeth asked. 

"You know him." Steve stated and his eyes widened with realization, "He's with HYDRA?" 

Elizabeth nodded. "He always has been. He was mine and Bucky's handler." 

"You knew Bucky." Steve murmured. 

Elizabeth nodded again. "He protected me. Kept me safe. Every time they put him in cryo, he would give me a stuffed animal so I wouldn't cry. I knew him since I was a kid." 

Steve smiled a bit sadly. "C'mon, let's get back to base. We can talk more there." 

Elizabeth nodded, standing up. The two of them started to move through the forest. 

"Were you the one he was always calling doll?" Steve asked. 

She nodded, "When I got older they started to think we should be paired together. Because he's a super soldier and I have this gene that's half- Asgardian. So they said our children would be powerful and immortal. A new race. But. . . Bucky and I. . . we fell in love without them. I still love him." Her eyes filled with tears and she took in a deep, shaky breath. "But he has you and Sam so he's okay. I only ever wanted him to be happy anyways. And he is with you." 

Steve squeezed her shoulder. He looked unable to tell her about Bucky and simply went and said, "I should introduce you to Tho-" 

Suddenly, Elizabeth seized up, blood starting to trickle from her ears and she fell flat on her face. Steve meanwhile, took another two steps and crashed into the ground as well. Blood also flowed from his ears. 

"A pain in my ass." Rumlow grumbled, holding up some sort of stick. "And you," He kicked Steve in the chest, before propping his body up against the tree. "have your boyfriend Tony to thank for this handy little tool. Short term paralysis. Ah, Stark." 

He left Steve there, kneeling in front of Elizabeth, releasing his anger on her, his fists hitting her again and again. Steve looked angrier than Penny thought she had ever seen him, but he couldn't move an inch, only able to watch. 

Rumlow sighed, letting Elizabeth go. "You know, I really ought to just gut you. To bad your mother loves you. And I need my paycheck." Then he was kneeling in front of Steve again. "I'll have to make you forget too. Good thing I brought so many pills with m-" 

He was tackled by someone with red hair and he grunted, dropping the short term paralysis device. Natasha and him fought on the ground and she finally got her leg around his neck, trying to pin him down. His arms were still free, which he used to both fight her, and try to grab the device. 

Steve's paralysis seemed to wear off quicker and he stumbled to Elizabeth's side. "Hey? Doll?" Her eyes fluttered open. 

"Get her out of here Steve." Natasha yelled. "Go!" 

Steve struggled, pulling her into his arms. He wasn't in a good condition, as he tried to get away. And then he seized up again, this time falling so that Elizabeth was trapped under him. 

Rumlow staggered to his feet, approaching Steve and Elizabeth, but he didn't make it far when an arrow hit him in the back. Rumlow cried out, falling to his knees and Clint hopped down from his tree. 

Rumlow clicked the short term paralysis but Clint just smirked. "Sorry, but your tool doesn't work on the hearing impaired." He kicked it out of his hands, stepping on his chest, pointing an arrow in his face. "You know, usually this is the part where Cap tells me to spare your life. But, I'm in a really bad mood, as I have been for the past four and a half years. So you get the longed privilege of saying a few words before I kill you." 

Rumlow grunted out, "You talk to much." 

A gunshot rang out, hitting Clint in the back. Rumlow turned in time, the arrow grazing his neck instead of killing him. 

More gunshots rang out, a second hitting Clint near the neck, but the third hit Pietro instead. "Clint!" Pietro shouted, trying to stop the bleeding. Rumlow struggled and then staggered over to Steve, Nat, Clint, and Pietro, shoving a pill into each of their mouths and they all dropped, unconscious. 

Jackson approached and Rumlow and him dragged Elizabeth out. Rumlow got her on her feet. "Are you happy? Did you get what you wanted?" He lifted his gun and hit her across the face and everything went black. 

Now she was in the cell again, but Lucinda suddenly rushed in. "Elizabeth, where are the pictures?" 

Looking confused, Elizabeth held up the polaroid and the other photo. Lucinda took them and put them in the drawer, grabbing Elizabeth's hand, "Hurry!" 

Elizabeth stumbled, letting her mother drag her to another room. Elizabeth dug her feet in, seeing the machine. "No! I'm not going in that!" 

"Brock!" Lucinda shouted desperately. The two Rumlow brothers man-handled Elizabeth into the machine. 

Bucky suddenly hopped up and ran out of the room. Penny wished that she could've followed, burying her head into Steve's shoulder instead as Elizabeth's screams filled the room once more. 

Elizabeth and Trang were walking down a sidewalk, Ghaida on the other side of Trang. Trang caught sight of something on a billboard and started grinning, wildly. 

"What?" Elizabeth asked, craning her neck to see the board and caught a glimpse of it before it changed. Ghaida and Trang exchanged an anxious look as Elizabeth asked, "Whose Tony Stark?" 

"Nobody." Trang and Ghaida answered together. 

Elizabeth nodded her head, "Right. . ." 

They went into the library and Elizabeth went up to the front desk. "You do it." Ghaida muttered. 

"Why me?" Trang complained. "I don't want to do it anymore." 

"Because I don't either." Ghaida grumbled. 

"Do what?" Vi asked, coming up behind them with Katya and Ahni in tow. 

"Elizabeth saw the name Tony Stark. . . again." Trang sighed. 

"Which was your fault probably." Katya snickered. 

"She's seen the name sixty- seven times this week." Vi rolled her eyes. "He's literally coming here. Just leave her be until he's gone. You'll just have to give her the pill thirty minutes from now again." 

They all clammed up as Elizabeth came over and started homework. 

The memory changed so that it was Trang and Elizabeth in an auditorium. Trang looked like a little kid inside a free candy shop, watching Tony Stark walk on stage. Elizabeth on the other hand, looked like she was falling asleep. 

Suddenly, the doors opened and kids started spilling out and Elizabeth jerked. "Is it over?" 

"Sadly." Trang said, standing up and stretching. 

"Thank God, I've never been more bored than when I was sitting in for that stupid philosophy exam." 

Trang shot her an annoyed look. "It's just cause you're not an engineer. You wouldn't understand it." 

"Why do you like him?" Elizabeth asked, grabbing her backpack and cracking her neck. 

"He's intelligent! And handsome." Trang grinned. "I mean, look at him. He's got great hands." 

Elizabeth just stared at Trang like she had two heads, "Hands?" 

"Well what do you like about a guy?" Trang asked defensively. "I've never seen you gush about a guy once."

Elizabeth was silent for a moment. "I don't really care how they look or what they have. I just want to be treated right. Like. . . I'm worth something. All of these guys here on campus are just idiots with no experience." 

"So daddy issues. You'd love Tony." Trang grinned and then that smile faded as she caught sight of Lucinda standing on the sidewalk on the other side of the street. 

"Mom?" Elizabeth asked, confused, "What are you doing here?" 

"I needed to talk to Trang." Lucinda said sweetly while Trang stared at her feet. "It'll only be a second. You can wait, if you'd like." 

Elizabeth stood to the side while Lucinda and Trang stepped away. Lucinda's face was kind but her words were harsh. "Having fun Trang?" 

"I- she- I-" Trang stuttered. 

Lucinda held her hand out, which contained a memory pill. "I could kill you. I'm angry enough to do so." Trang paled drastically, taking a step back. "Or you can take this pill." Trang's face became wary. "Trang, I know how much you admire Stark. If you bring my daughter to his stuff and I have to make her forget, then you get to forget as well." 

Trang reached out and took the pill, putting it in her mouth. She collapsed and Elizabeth rushed over, "Trang?!" 

Now, Elizabeth was in a car. Violetta was driving it across a bridge with Katya in the backseat. Elizabeth had her hands pressed to the sides, looking terrified at Violetta's driving. 

"Where the hell did you learn to fight like that?" Katya demanded. 

"Red Room. Italy." Vi said, weaving in and out of the cars. "Are they still following us?" 

Katya and Elizabeth both looked behind and through the windshield, they saw the aliens running through the cars as well. "Yes!" Elizabeth shouted, "What they hell are they?" 

"Aliens." Violetta answered, cursing as the traffic started to jam. "We might have to run on foot. Do you have a handgun?" 

"What?" Elizabeth asked in shock. 

The car was suddenly rammed from the side and all three of them screamed as the car went over the side of the bridge, plunging into the water below. Elizabeth shot her hands out and they all went quiet as a bubble surrounded them. 

"So." Katya finally said as they just sat there. "Wanna tell us when you got the ability to control water?" 

"I have no idea." Elizabeth whispered. 

The memory changed, this time the three girls were sitting in a Barnes and Noble, drinking Starbucks coffee and had psychology books on the table in front of them. 

"So you're telling me having superpowers is normal now?" Elizabeth asked skeptically. "That there are whole groups of them, and there are other planets besides the eight we learn in first grade? And all the while my so called friends shoved memory forgetting pills down my throat." 

"Yeah. Pretty much."  Katya sighed. 

"Look." Vi said. "I'm sorry. I figured they weren't really doing anything and it all seemed harmless enough. But it's gone to far. You're an adult now and your mom can't continue to make decisions for you. I got rid of my pills. I'm done." 

"Me too." Kat whispered. 

Elizabeth sighed, "So what now?" 

"We become superheroes, I thought that was obvious." Katya rolled her eyes. 

Violetta snorted, "Yeah right. I'm more of a villain." 

Kat frowned. "I don't get it. You've got fancy water powers, you can take people down with a wooden stick, and I can shoot a bow. And you don't think we have a chance of doing some good? We don't have to do large scale things. We can just do small things- like Spider-man." 

"I don't understand the reference." Elizabeth muttered. 

Vi huffed. "You don't know what I had to do, who I had to kill. I'm not cut out for hero work." 

It was silent after that and the memory fizzled away. 

Elizabeth was walking along a lake line by herself. She seemed lost in thought until she came upon a small shack that was sitting on the edge above the water. The roof had caved in and one of the windows was shattered. 

She hopped up the stairs and looked around, peeking her head inside. She stepped into the building and saw the hole in the floor. Everything around her was moldy and dusty and she winced a little. She poked around, finding small trinkets like seashells and what not, before looking down in the hole. 

She reached in and pulled out the trident, which was gleaming. It was silver in colour and seemed untainted by the surroundings. "What in the world?" She whispered. 

"I was wondering when you'd find that." A voice behind her said. 

She spun around, piercing the man behind her. But as he was a ghost, it went straight through him. He was a man who would've come up to Steve's shoulder. He had white hair and wore glasses on his nose. He wore a green sweater and tan jeans. He also had a huge white mustache and a big grin on his face. 

"Careful, careful. You'd hate to do that to a real person." The man chuckled. 

"Who are you?" Elizabeth asked, "What are you?" 

"A ghost. Sorry for scaring you. Sometimes I forget that you forget you can see us." The man chuckled. 

"Right." Elizabeth murmured, stepping backwards, flipping the trident in her hands. "I don't understand." 

"No, but you've got a friend who does." The man said. 

Elizabeth glanced up but he was already fading away. 

In the next memory, Elizabeth was striding after Trang, who was hurrying through the hallways of a large mansion. Trang stormed out into the backyard, which was huge and stretched for miles. Trang spun on her heel, "Elizabeth, I want nothing to do with this!" 

"Trang, please." Elizabeth sighed. "You're the only one I can trust with this." 

"Do you even know what your mom is going to do to me if she finds out?" Trang hissed, looking around. "She is going to kill me in my sleep! And that's not a joke!" 

"Hey E!" Vi shouted from the house and both Trang and Elizabeth turned to see the Italian hanging out the window. "Come see what I found." 

"No! Hey!" Trang shouted as Elizabeth used water to catapult herself up and into the room with Violetta. Clearly, it was Trang's bedroom and the walls were plastered with all sorts of posters of Iron Man and Tony Stark. 

Elizabeth looked around, "So Trang has a celebrity crush?" 

"Oh my God, this is so humiliating." Trang moaned, putting her hands over her face while Tony chuckled at her. 

"Oh, that's nothing new." Vi waved it away and went over to where there was a lamp. "And if I turn it this way and punch in a code. . ." 

"You can't just mess around in my room!" Trang yelped, bursting into the room, followed by Katya. It was to late though, the floor opening up to show a slide. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "Impressive." 

"God." Trang hissed, going over and pressing something. "I need to delete the footage, then re-edit it, you make my life so difficult Vi!" 

Vi hopped down the slide. After a few seconds, Elizabeth followed. 

They were thrown out into a huge lab which looked like any engineering kids dream. Penny didn't know what more than half the stuff in the lab was but Tony's eyes were wide. "Can I come visit?" Tony gasped. 

Trang giggled then, "You know you could build this yourself." 

"Yeah, but yours looks like more fun." Tony whined. 

"What is all this stuff?" Elizabeth asked, putting the trident down on an abandoned table. 

"Engineering things, clearly." Violetta said as Trang and Katya joined them. 

"Just don't touch anything." Trang growled, stalking through the room. 

"To late." Violetta said, opening up the a door which slid open, revealing the Iron Woman suit. Tony actually stood up and Trang put a hand over her face in embarrassment. Tony turned to Trang, "It doesn't look like this anymore. This is more high tech than mine!" 

"What is that?" Elizabeth asked, gaping. 

"An Iron Man suit." Katya answered, also looking shocked, "When did you build this? This looks cooler than the original one." 

"Miss Nyguen built it when she was catorce y medio." L.I.T.Z.Y. said over the intercom.  [Fourteen and a half]

Elizabeth jumped and looked around warily. "Who was that?" 

"Fourteen?" Vi asked, looking impressed. 

"I started it when I was Fourteen." Trang corrected. "I didn't finish it until after I was fifteen." 

"Still, impressive." Katya said. "What does it do?" 

"It flies and shoots, that's all we need it to do, right?" Violetta asked scathingly, hopping up on a counter to sit down. 

"I'm not joining your little superhero thing." Trang snapped. "I'm not that brave, yeesh." 

"Yeah well, I didn't kill two thousand people before the age of thirteen to become a superhero either." Violetta snapped back, "Yet, here we are." 

"Elizabeth?" Katya asked because she was looking at the wall, lost in thought. "What's wrong?" 

Elizabeth glanced away and stared directly at Trang. "Guess I'm just wondering what I don't know about Ghaida and Ahni too. I mean, what's next? Does Ahni have super strength or something? Is Ghaida an assassin warrior too?" 

Trang sighed, "E. . . It was never about hurting you or keeping anything from you. Do you even know how powerful your mother is? She has top contacts around the world. Presidents, Prime Ministers, Dictators, Generals. She even has first name basis with Nick Fury of frigging S.H.I.E.L.D. I wouldn't be surprised if she knew leaders of planets. When she tells us to do something, no matter what, we did  it. And so did you, so don't act like it was just us." 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Elizabeth asked defensively. 

Trang just shook her head. "You're just lucky. Cause you get to forget all the terrible shit you do. I have to live with it." 

Trang pushed away, storming through another door. Elizabeth glanced over at Vi and Kat. 

"She's got a point." Vi muttered. "I'd like to forget too. Start over with a clean slate. Not always have two thousand lives on my conscious. But we can't." 

"Well I'd like to remember." Elizabeth muttered. 

"I don't need a test to know that your weapon is made of Vibranium." Trang came back out of the room, restarting a different conversation. "It's blatantly obvious." 

"What's Vibranium?" Elizabeth asked. 

"A metal that can only be found one place on Earth: Wakanda. I'm not sure why guards haven't been sent after you to retrieve it." 

"I found it in an abandoned fishing shack." Elizabeth replied sarcastically. "Pretty sure they could've found it by now if they wanted it." 

"Or they can't touch it." Trang said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I've seen the videos. Anyone else who tries picking that up gets turned into ice. Except you." 

"Well I'm made of ice." Elizabeth said. "Maybe that's what it is." 

"Of course it is." Trang replied, rolling her eyes.

The memory faded and fizzled. 

They were back in Trang's lab and Trang had boxes set up. 

"You made this for us?" Elizabeth asked, taking the lid off of hers. She pulled out a uniform, along with several golden shurikens. 

"Figured I might as well put my genius to good use and protect you lot." Trang said. "But I'm having a lot of fun designing Katya's arrow heads." 

Katya grinned at all the labels on hers. 

"So, you ready for that trip to Hong Kong?" Trang asked Elizabeth. 

She shrugged, "I guess. I'm honestly surprised moms' even letting me go at this point. But, who knows, maybe it'll be fun." 

In the next memory, she was in a restaurant with the rest of the class. Elijah came over, speaking in fluent Chinese for their orders, before grinning and asking them again in perfect English. 

Elizabeth kept looking at him out of the corner of her eye and getting easily flustered when he spoke to her, even if it was just about the order. 

The next memory showed Elizabeth in her Frozaline outfit, standing ontop of a dome. Looking inside was a giant with indigo coloured skin. When he bared his teeth, each of his canine ones had a different coloured gem imbedded in them. 

"What'cha doing?" A voice came from behind Elizabeth. 

She spun around, her trident inches from Elijah's neck. He was wearing his own superhero outfit, but he wasn't wearing a mask. Elijah raised an eyebrow. "Are all Americans so unfriendly." 

"Only when we're snuck up on." Elizabeth snapped. "What the hell is wrong with you?" 

"I wasn't exactly quiet." Elijah started to smile. 

Elizabeth glared at him and moved away, opening up the top to the dome. Elijah followed her silently and Elizabeth seemed to ignore him. 

The memory faded once more and now Elizabeth was walking down the street of Hong Kong, until Elijah popped out of the alleyway of the restaurant he worked at. He leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed and said, "Hey Frozaline." 

Elizabeth glared at him, looking around, and hurried after him. "What's wrong with you?" She hissed. 

"Why are you acting like you're in a comic book?" Elijah asked, smirking. "Masks and stuff? Hiding your identity. Nobody does that anymore. It's all about the fame with superhero work. Iron Man. Tony Stark. Captain America. Steve Rogers." 

"Right, well maybe you do it for fame, but I just want to help." Elizabeth snapped. "And maybe if I knew who those people were, I could agree with you." 

"Anyone ever tell you that you're aggressive?" Elijah questioned. "You don't know Hong Kong like I do. I'm just offering help." 

"Well I like flying solo." Elizabeth said, turning around. Elijah reached out, grabbing her arm and as their skin touched, Elijah dropped to his knee, his hand flying to his chest. 

Elizabeth rolled her sleeve up to see the bright red bird sitting there, her face turning to concern. "I- I'm sorry." 

"It's alright." Elijah said, pulling his shirt up to look at the two tattoos sitting there. A cheetah, and an Okapi. "Two?" 

"Yay." Elizabeth muttered. 

"Hey." Elijah said, getting to his feet. "C'mon, let me introduce you to the others." 

"Others?" Elizabeth asked, but took his hand gingerly, letting him lead her down the sidewalk. He took her to a club, which was full of Asian superheroes. Penny saw Josh in the background, doing his DJ work. 

"Lan! Mai! Hey!" Elijah called, leading Elizabeth over to where Lan and Mai were sitting with some others. Mai was sitting in the lap of some female superhero and Lan was lounging on a chair. 

"Sup fireball?" Lan asked, throwing playing cards down. "Whose the cutie?" 

"My soulmate. Elizabeth, meet my best friends, Lan and Mai. Lan is a shape shifter. Mai is an elemental, much like yourself." Elijah said, introducing them. 

"Nice to meet you." Elizabeth said, sitting next to Elijah, looking around. 

"My superhero name is the Galactic Magician." Lan said grandly, introducing himself. "But, my names can vary, depending on the animal I change into. Like The Quick Tiger or Lord Marvelous Fox or Macho Moth or-" 

"Butt-scratching Baboon?" Mai deadpanned and Elijah chuckled. Elizabeth actually smiled. 

"CHAN!" Another voice boomed out and a much older Wong appeared. "You know, as head of this precinct, you should have better control on the people here." 

"Sorry Wong." Elijah rolled his eyes. "But they have to use their powers at some point, this is our only safe place." 

"And I've told you time and time again that the Sanctorum-" Wong cut off sharply when his eyes landed on Elizabeth, becoming temporarily speechless. 

Elijah immediately said, "This is Elizabeth. She's my soulmate." 

"Ah." Wong nodded as Elizabeth stood up and they shook hands. 

"You can just call me E." Elizabeth said softly. "Everyone else does." 

"And you, are welcome at the Sanctorum whenever you want." Wong said quickly. "We have four bases and I can sense a strong magic about you. If you ever want to learn." 

"What!" Lan and Mai complained loudly. 

Elizabeth smiled a little. "Like Harry Potter?" 

Wong chuckled, "Only if you get Strange. His Severus Snape impression is on point. And his own soulmate calls him 'Harry' as a joke." 

Elizabeth grinned full out at that. 

"I'm heading to the Kamar-Taj Sanctorum tonight." Wong warned Elijah. "Keep them all out of trouble." 

"Yes sir." Elijah saluted him cheekily and Wong rolled his eyes, heading off. 

"You knew who she was the minute you saw her." Elijah accused Wong as the memory faded. 

"More like, I recognized her magical aurora." Wong sighed. "It's very strong." 

"I've never sensed it." Stephen replied, clearly agitated. 

"Yes, you have." Wong nodded. "You'll know you have when you feel it again." 

Now they were fighting inside the dome. Kalabihiti was the last one left and everything around the place was on fire. Elizabeth was doing her best to defend Mai, whose lightning had enveloped the indigo giant. Elijah was flying above, hovering. 

Mai grabbed Elizabeth's arm and the water she'd been using shot back into her body. Elizabeth's entire body started to seize up in a fiery pain as Mai channeled her water. Elijah swooped down, separating them just as Elizabeth's vision went black. 

The memories were very fast after that, the Ohioan group becoming closer and closer until they were nearly inseparable. The fighting and bickering that had been prominent in the beginning ceased. Elizabeth became much happier and not as suspicious of anyone. Her and Elijah were also very sweet to watch together. Especially their wedding. 

In between the missions that they did, the memories became musical and there were lots of them at the same club, on different nights, dancing. It was well done and everyone knew they were the superheroes, so they always wore masks. They were brilliant dancers and singers and almost always won first place by a landslide.

There were memories of her in Epcot where a superhero ball was going on. She was chatting animatedly, looking absolutely ecstatic to be talking to Frozone, while Elijah smirked by her side. 

And then lots of fighting and Elizabeth discovering the use of her powers. A fight where she was taken captive and brought to Australia, but the brother of the sister that kidnapped her helped her come free. 

Now, they were in their superhero uniforms again, back in Florida. A hurricane was brewing on the surface. Trang was in her Iron Woman suit, her and Elijah flying through the city. The others trying to get as many people to safety as they could. 

Elizabeth stood on the edge of the shore. This is War by Matthew Raetzel was playing in the air. Elizabeth braced herself on the rock, eyes closed and her hands pushed outwards. The hurricane couldn't get past her. The waves seemed to crash straight up against an invisible wall. Elizabeth's foot started to slip on the rock, but she didn't back down. 

The music was only in her head, as though putting a sound track on her memories. She suddenly leapt off the rock, using the water, pulling herself out over the water. People had stopped on the streets, watching her pull the water back, creating a funnel out on the water. 

She was controlling it and Elijah was hovering, watching her, a proud look on his face. Her body was trembling as the music hit a crescendo and then Mai was there, helping her. Elijah landed on the beach and put up a huge fire shield so that any water was evaporated almost instantly if it got near. 

Elizabeth and Mai forced the water into the ocean, before Elizabeth dived into the water. She pulled the water down with her, forcing it down, further and further until it reached a barrier that no human could pass through because it was to cold. But Elizabeth went through it as the music started to slow. 

Elizabeth stared around her in shock as huge Megs swam past her and other huge, extinct creatures. She dodged out of the way and pushed herself back through the barrier, sealing it permanently and then swam back up, popping up through the surface as the music came to an end. 

Then, Elizabeth was stepping through the doorway of a house. The decorations inside were oriental and something Middle Eastern. "Ghaida?" She called out but no one answered. 

She walked around until she found a room upstairs. Ghaida was laying in the middle of the floor, unconscious and unmoving. Elizabeth ran, skidding to her knees, shaking Ghaida. As she rolled over, they could all see that her wrists were cut and bleeding. 

"GHAIDA?" Elizabeth cried out, fingers trembling as she tried to find a pulse. Then her hand was fumbling for her phone. "I have an emergency-" The memory faded out. 

Ghaida looked away from everyone else, but Loki got up, putting his arms around her, pulling her into a hug and murmured something into her ear. 

Then the memories slowed up to show Elizabeth hiding, looking down upon her mother and father. Paul had aged well, but he was getting old now, somewhere in his late sixties, early seventies. 

"You used them on me." Paul said aggressively. "That man- Sebastian. You have been HYDRA all along? You had control of the Winter Soldier?" 

Lucinda sighed, looking down. "Paul, I was doing work for humanity-" 

"HYDRA forced that man to kill hundreds. And what about Elizabeth? My daughter? I always thought it was strange that you were taking her off to God- knows where, but I was glad the two of you were bonding. And she was so happy wherever she went. Did you force her to kill too? How many people did you make her kill?" 

"I wanted nothing, but her safety." Lucinda hissed. "James Barnes kept her plenty safe there-" 

"Until she ended up in a hospital, shot in the chest. And she doesn't remember any of it!" Paul roared. "You've done all of this behind my back Lucy!" 

"I was keeping you safe too!" Lucinda yelled back, tears in her eyes. "and our daughter-" 

"No. My daughter. She was never yours." Paul shook his head, pushing past her. "You were protecting yourself. You're done with her. Elizabeth deserves to know-" 

The gunshot rang out as Lucinda sobbed and Paul fell to his knees. "She's mine." Lucinda cried. Elizabeth jerked, stumbling to her feet and running. She dashed into her bedroom, tears streaming down her face as she shoved random things into her backpack. She grabbed the Penguin Pillow pet and then something silver off her dresser. 

She ran down the stairs and then cursed, turning. The silver ring bounced across the floor, rolling underneath the vent. 

"E?" Her mothers' voice called through the house. "Are you home?" 

Elizabeth threw the door open and skidded past her mom. 

"E?" 

"Stay away from me." Elizabeth gasped. 

Lucinda sighed, but started to chant. "Desire. Fragile. Nine. Midnight. Icebox. Thirteen. Sergeant. Swimming. Sixteen. Sebastian." 

Elizabeth froze, hand on the door. "Ready to comply." She whispered. 

Lucinda sighed. "Let go of the door handle." 

Elizabeth's hand fell. Her head was hanging, but Penny knew that she was faking it. 

"Just stand there for ten minutes." Lucinda sighed, moving out through the doorway. 

Elizabeth stood there, but not for ten minutes, soon dashing out the door. Lucinda called behind her, but Elizabeth shot upwards, using the water from the sewers. 

The memory faded until it was all of them in a car, weaving in and out of traffic. Violetta was leaning out the window, shooting at something behind them while Elizabeth tried to keep a water shield up around them. 

"WE'RE NOT GOING TO LOSE THEM IF YOU KEEP DRIVING LIKE A PUSSY!" Violetta shouted at Lan, who was behind the wheel. 

"YOU AMERICANS DRIVE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD!" Lan shouted back. 

"I'M ITALIAN! FIGURE IT OUT!" Violetta shouted back, shooting. 

"Elizabeth, we need a plan." Trang said, holding her hands out against the seats, keeping herself steady. "I can maybe call in some drones, but-" 

"New York." Elizabeth ordered. "S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. We need to find Maria Hill, that is our only lead right now." 

"Elizabeth, they're on either side of us." Mai warned. Bullets shot through the car and they all hit the deck as the car went and was rammed towards the side. Ghaida flew forwards, smashing into the seat and fell, unconscious. Elijah pulled her into his arms, trying to provide care. 

"Elizabeth." Elijah whispered. Elizabeth looked at him and then nodded. 

"Hold them off." Elizabeth whispered. "Meet us in New York. Ahni, you need to take Ghaida." 

Ahni took Ghaida into her arms and they all left the car. Elijah set fire to the boys motorcycles and then started to hold them off. 

The memories faded again. Now, Elizabeth was standing with only Elijah and Katya in a room. Penny's father, Thor, and Loki were the only other three in the room. 

"Nelson, I told you to stay on that ship, no matter what." Fury said angrily. 

"Well then you need to do a better job of keeping my friends safe, or I'm going to do it for you." Elizabeth snapped, jabbing her finger at him. "And if you would just give me the information I need to find these HYDRA bases, then I can find Ahni, get back to the ship-" 

"And tell the Navy what?" Fury asked. "That you can magic yourself on and off the boat? There are HYDRA spies on that boat." 

"And you've turned me into a spy." Elizabeth snapped. "Which I've done in return for keeping my friends safe. You've failed. So don't be mad at me for failing to uphold my end after you failed to keep yours." 

It was silent for some time and then Loki stepped forwards, eyes twinkling with mischief. "If you pick that hammer up, I pledge my help." 

Elijah scoffed and Katya rolled her eyes. "C'mon, we'll get Trang to hack Starks' interface. This is no help." 

"Starks' interface is more secure than whatever you can throw at it." Thor rumbled.

"You would think considering Lucinda has turned Ahni into a super soldier, you'd be more apt to help." Katya said angrily. 

"Oh but they'd love another super soldier, wouldn't they." Elijah snarled. "Cause two just isn't enough."

"Can we go now?" Elizabeth's voice interrupted and they all looked over to see Elizabeth was annoyed- and holding Thor's hammer. "Here." She held it out towards Loki, who looked stunned. And then Loki swept into a bow. 

"Like I said, my Queen." 

"Knock it off brother." Thor said, seeming frustrated, taking the hammer from Elizabeth's hand. 

The next memory was of the Ohioans, Loki, Thor, and Clint heading into a HYDRA base. They could hear fighting up ahead and they readied themselves. But as they charged into the room, they were only met with Steve, Bucky, Natasha, and Sam. 

"Clint? Loki? What are you doing here?" Steve asked, looking between all of them while Elizabeth had frozen, staring at Bucky with wide eyes. "Who are they?" 

"We're looking for our friend." Mai interjected. "African America, female. Pretty tall. She was taken captive." 

"Not anymore." Bucky said. "They've turned her into a super soldier. Trigger words and everything. She's on a rampage." 

"Which direction?" Elizabeth asked, still unable to tear her eyes from Bucky. 

"That way." Sam answered, pointing. 

Elizabeth looked away finally and said, "We'll take it from here." 

"I think I'd like to know who you all are first." Steve frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"Nobody." Elizabeth replied. 

Suddenly, shots rang out and Elizabeth's water shields went up immediately. "Elijah, Lan, Mai, take the flanks. Now. Vi, Kat, I need you two up high." They went running and soon enough, they had taken Ahni down. 

"Yeah." Bucky scoffed, "A bunch of nobodies." 

"I have to get back." Elizabeth ignored Bucky, turning to Elijah. "Tell Nick to protect you all better. Thanks." 

She shot up with the water, landing herself in the ocean and took off back to the ship. 

The memories after that were mostly about the ship and how eventually she took it down, letting the ship explode. 

Then, joining the Avengers. 

Elizabeth mostly avoided them, spending a lot of time in the vents. Particularly in the vent in Steve, Bucky, and Sams' room. 

"She remembered me." Bucky whispered. "She remembered me and I couldn't remember her." 

"That's why she was so withdrawn at first." Pietro murmured. 

Finally, Clint found her in the vents. This time, she was just in them, not overseeing any room. "Hey, what are you doing up here?" 

"I like it up here." Elizabeth whispered. 

"Yeah? Me too." Clint said, sitting next to her. They were silent for a long them before Clint said, "Did we piss you off somehow? We never see you?" 

"No." Elizabeth whispered. "I just have trust issues." 

Clint chuckled, "Yeah, I think we all do. You'll fit right in, in no time. Or at you upset about your soulmate being with the other girls?" 

"What? No." Elizabeth shook her head. "No, I said he could. But I just can't join in until I know I won't. . . get hurt." 

Clint nodded. "Yeah. I was the same way. So was Bucky. He could only be with Steve at first. Couldn't even really be with Sam. But he's pretty flirty now." 

Elizabeth nodded, eyes pricking with tears and she quickly looked away. "I noticed." 

"So, what do you like to do?" Clint questioned. 

Elizabeth looked at him, "I don't even know." 

Clint smiled sadly at that. "Want to shoot with me?" 

Elizabeth hesitated and then nodded. Clint took her down to the archery range with him. He taught her how to shoot and she was smiling in no time. And when she hit the middle, she actually turned around and kissed him on the cheek. 

Clint chuckled as the two of them walked out. "You're not a bad shot." 

"Thanks." Elizabeth said happily. "I'll see you later Clint." 

Clint grinned and said, "See you later little bird." 

Elizabeth was back in the vents, listening to them talk. "I don't know, I mean, she seems nice enough." Bucky was saying hesitantly. "But it's not like we know her." 

"She probably is dealing with memory issues like you Buck." Sam said gently. "If she had to deal with HYDRA." 

"Yeah, well, I just hope she isn't HYDRA." Bucky said and tears slid down Elizabeth's cheeks. "Maybe we could ask Wanda to search her mind." 

Elizabeth crawled away, sliding into her own bedroom. She sat on the bed, wrapping her arms around her legs, rocking back and forth. 

There was a knock on the door and she wiped her tears away. "Come in." 

It was Ghaida. The Indian girl just got on the bed and hugged her friend. Elizabeth burst into sobs, "He doesn't remember me!" 

"I know." Ghaida whispered. "It's okay Elizabeth." 

Elizabeth wiped her tears away, sniffling. "I don't know what to do. Every time I look at him. . . all I can remember is how much we loved each other. And It's not fair. I don't want to remember if he doesn't. I- And Elijah- how is it fair to Elijah? And it's so painful. Every time he looks at me there's nothing. Nothing. I- I don't- I can't." 

Ghaida hesitated and then held out her hand, which contained two pills. "Trang designed them especially for this since I've known for a little bit. She. . . she already took one so she forgets that you know Bucky. And I'll take one too so I forget too. And you can start over Elizabeth. You can learn to love him again, without the painful memories." 

Elizabeth picked up the pill and Ghaida continued, "You don't have to. It's your choice." And Ghaida took her own pill, falling unconscious. 

Elizabeth closed her eyes, crying again. She picked up the penguin pillow pet, hugging it to her chest. She raised the pill to her lips. "Sebastian." And she swallowed the pill. 

Penny saw how painful the next memories were. Elizabeth had done a complete one-eighty, becoming the radiant beam of sunshine that Penny had first known her as. She easily interacted with all of the others, becoming very close with Clint at first and then Sam. Her and Fury interacted together a lot as well. Then Loki and Thor along with Rhodey and Heimdall. Pietro and Steve and Bucky was some of the last ones. 

But there was nothing there between the two anymore. 

[lokiwaffles]

Here is a longer synopsis for one of my main four Marvel OCs!

Name: Holly Legrand

Age: Biologically 23

Birthday: May 16th 1918

Faction: Rouge/SHIELD

Current Occupation: Sleeper agent for SHIELD (2012), traitor (2013-2025)

Likes: Her space, a loyal friend, plants, old fantasy movies.

Dislikes: Cars (she will absolutely LOSE it if she sees one), large crowds, loud noises, music.

Powers: Mind reading (specifically thought hearing; she can’t go into people’s heads, she just kinda hears their thoughts as they happen).

Languages: ASL, Allspeak

Friends: Nick Fury, Iris, Hawkeye, Steve Rogers (when they were kids).

Belief: She believes the only truly trustworthy people are the transparent ones. That’s why she likes Iris; she perceives her to be shallow and easy to read. The only exception is Nick Fury.

Achilles Heel: She is near incapable in loud situations. She gets overstimulated quite easily.

Here is a drawing by RJ Peirce! The design is mine, but she really helped it come to life!

Excessive lore below the cut:

Plot Synopsis (p1):

Holly Legrand is the daughter of a Varient Asgardian sorcerer whose timeline was long since destroyed, and a blacklisted TVA agent. She has one sibling: Gray, her older brother, two years her senior. She was born in the early 1900s, and thanks to her dubious parentage, her biological aging is slow. She grows up on Earth, with little knowledge about her mother’s planet.

She is only eight (biologically) when the TVA catches wind of the anomalies hidden in this timeline, around the 1930s. Due to a car crash, she is, unfortunately, the victim of a large misunderstanding that leaves her in FBI custody(and later SHIELD, when it is formed) and believing her family is dead, and vice versa.

Due to injuries sustained due to the crash, she loses her voice. Her powers also surface then: she can now hear other people’s thoughts. However, no one bothers to teach her sign language, and she never hints towards her powers at all, so the FBI remains unaware.

She grows up in SHIELD custody for most of her life, basically abandoned in a bunker, as she is mostly left alone, excepting the occasional curious team of scientists every decade or so. Take note that at this time, they have no idea Asgardians exist, so she is pretty strange to them.

She is so classified that hardly anyone knows of her.

And then, in the 80s, she meets Nick Fury. He quickly becomes a friend and a huge advocate for releasing her from the cesspool of bureaucratic nonsense she is trapped in. He also teaches her sign language, and opens up a whole new world for the now 23-year-old. Unfortunately, his efforts are largely ignored by SHIELD even after he becomes the director, and it is only in 2012 that he can secure a deal: if Holly can undergo training and excel on certain missions, she can live as a sleeper agent in the civilian world. However, Holly struggles with various mental problems, as being left alone, without language or any real friends took a toll on her, and her trust only extends to Nick Fury, and, eventually, Iris.

A few months before the mission, undergoing some basic preliminary training, she meets Iris, another young agent around 20 years of age. They strike up a deep friendship that eventually results in the two of them being assigned to the New Mexico impact site, under the watchful eye of Phil Coulson.

Holly struggles with keeping her powers hidden (as it is a lot harder to focus with the thoughts of so many people around her), and adjusting to this suddenly huge new world.

She participates in a few mundane background tasks, and helps empty Jane Foster’s lab, witnessing the confrontation between Coulson and Foster. She later gets into an argument with Coulson over the ethics of stealing Foster’s work, but she is unable to convince him of anything.

She witnesses Thor break into the facility, and is rooting for him the whole way. When he fails, however, to lift the hammer, it’s the last straw.

She has a flashback triggered by a passing truck, and loses it, sprinting out of the site before anyone can stop her. She only stops running when she reaches a road, and considers, briefly, ending it, before she is stopped and talked down by Clint Barton. They have a heavy conversation dealing with if Holly will ever leave SHIELD’s grasp entirely, and Barton convinces her that there are, in fact, many people rooting for her, and that’s a reason to stick around.

Then, they return to the site, and Holly has to awkwardly explain about her powers to both Iris and Coulson, as they had grown suspicious of how unfortunately intuitive she was about the whole situation (she knew where Thor was heading, she knew random information on Foster that she wasn’t supposed to know, etc.). Iris feels betrayed, and eventually tells Holly that they are done being friends, and that she wants nothing to do with her.

Holly is really shattered, and returns to SHIELD soon after the confrontation. She is told that she did a tolerable job, and after one more year of training under Barton’s supervision, she can lead a civilian life. Unfortunately, now most important people in the organization know of her powers, and the World Security Council is probably plotting something nefarious for her.

I’ll work on part two and get it out soon! Loooots of lore on this one. :)

[jackiequick]

Behind The Layers / Marvel OC

A/N: Was this an small excuse to make another OC using the Once Upon A Time cast, like I did with Jennifer Morrison as an Top Gun OC? Yes. Yes, it is. Might use Lana Parrilla next.

Name: Adrian Clayton Everhart Richards

Nicknames: Rian, Clay, A.C.

Age: 28-33

Birthday: February 15th

Height: 5'10"

Relationship Status: Single

Appearance:

Charming and charismatic.

Striking ocean blue eyes.

Messy dark brown hair.

One pierced earlobe with a stud earring.

Has a tendency to wear a lot of black clothes

Job: Businessman, SHIELD Agent

Personality: He is a rich tapestry of creativity, independence, and principled honor. Stemming from his literary upbringing, Adrian's creative mindset and unique style mark him as an individual with a distinct flair. Preferring solitude and autonomy, he thrives when working on his own terms, reflecting a self-reliant and determined nature.

His unquenchable curiosity fuels a constant quest for understanding the world. Despite his persistent nature, Adrian grapples with moments of weariness and occasional irritation, especially when confronted with arrogance. His quiet demeanor and selective information-sharing contribute to an enigmatic persona, allowing him to navigate life on his own terms, staying in his own lane.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Background:

Born out of an affair between his mother, a young assistant, and his father, a wealthy businessman.

Raised in the Reed Richards family alongside his half-brother Reed, a scientist with a high IQ.

Father cared for his sons but imposed numerous expectations and rules on them.

Father was a wealthy businessman who slept around and made poor financial decisions.

Adrian's dating life was manipulated by his father for public relations, leading to less-than-pleasant experiences. Resulting in him not caring to date at all, not having any actual interest in anyone. But he is open to grabbing a friendly cup of coffee with a friend or two.

Emphasis on education: Reed excelled, while Adrian struggled with certain subjects but excelled in others.

After their father's death, Reed and Adrian had to navigate financial challenges and pick up the pieces.

Adrian tends to be one of the agents who scouts locations before striking, contributing to SHIELD's tactical approach.

Presents himself as a down-to-earth SHIELD agent who occasionally heads out to missions and parties to collect intelligence information. Even if he tends to very silent and stay within his own lane most of the time, resulting in people respecting him but curious onto what's going on in his mind.

But in reality, all Adrian wants to do get work done by the end of the day and head home to grab a bite. And possibly a nice bottle of beer afterwards.

Relationship with Reed was decent, despite their differences and Reed's ego. Their half-sibling dynamic involved comedic yet harsh fights over the years, resulting in the occasional broken lamp in moments of anger.

Despite their conflicts, they got along well in planning, with Adrian assisting Reed in matters like helping him win over his girlfriend Sue Storm.

Over the years, the brothers lost touch, going their separate ways to pursue their own paths.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Motivations and Conflicts:

Strives to prove his worth to his family and himself.

Balances corporate expectations with his secret life as a member of SHIELD's STRIKE team.

Deals with identity struggles being the result of an affair and the black sheep of the family.

Hobbies and Interests:

Music Enthusiast: Developed a love for music at a young age and played the guitar during his younger years. But stopped once he got a bit older.

Literary Pursuits: A avid reader and occasional writer, contributing to his creative mindset and unique sense of style.

Diverse Skill Set: Adrian's mother enrolled him in various classes, including waltz and photography, providing him with a diverse skill set that extends beyond his professional life.

Fitness Enthusiast: An advocate for a healthy lifestyle, Adrian is known to start his days with a morning jog in the park. During high school, he showcased his athletic side by participating in sports like soccer and baseball during gym class.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Key Moments:

Sibling Rivalry and Self-Discovery: Growing up alongside his brilliant half-brother Reed, Adrian faced moments of self-doubt and comparison. It became apparent that he would never match Reed's level of intellect or quick-wittedness.

Realization of Differences: As Reed exhibited a self-centered and correction-prone demeanor, Adrian began to notice the limitations of his own capabilities. He observed how Reed often overlooked the obvious and failed to appreciate what was right in front of him.

Confrontation with Reed: Frustration built up within Adrian, leading to a pivotal moment of confrontation. During a heated exchange, Adrian pointed out Reed's tendency to overthink and correct others, uttering the words, "Use your head, Reed!" This marked a turning point for Adrian as he acknowledged his own strengths and value, distinct from his brother's.

Embracing Individuality: Following this confrontation, Adrian embarked on a journey of self-discovery, realizing that while he might not possess Reed's genius, he had his own stretches of positive thinking and unique contributions. This realization allowed Adrian to embrace his individuality and break free from the constant comparison to his brother.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Strategic Operations Specialist:

Location Scouting: Adrian excels in scouting and analyzing locations before SHIELD missions. He assesses the terrain, identifies potential threats, and provides valuable intelligence to enhance the team's preparedness.

Intelligence Gathering: Beyond physical locations, Adrian is skilled in gathering intelligence from various sources. Whether it's monitoring communications, analyzing data, or infiltrating enemy networks, he contributes to SHIELD's information-gathering efforts.

Covert Operations: Adrian is adept at handling covert operations, ensuring that the STRIKE team can approach missions with discretion and precision. His strategic planning minimizes risks and maximizes the team's chances of success.

STRIKE Team Member:

Sniper Expertise: Adrian serves as the team's sniper, utilizing his sharpshooting skills to eliminate threats from a distance. His marksmanship is crucial in situations that require precision and stealth.

Financial Support: Beyond field operations, Adrian leverages his background in marketing and investments to provide financial support to SHIELD. He channels funds from his family's company and other sources to contribute to the organization's resources.

Adaptive Team Player: Adrian's ability to work both as a lone operative and as an integral part of the STRIKE team makes him an adaptive team player. He contributes not only through combat skills but also with strategic insights and financial backing.

Mission Planning: Collaborating with other team members, Adrian actively participates in mission planning. Despite being silent for most of the time. His knack for planning and coordination, honed from his relationship with Reed and their shared experiences, contributes to the team's overall success.

Key Event - 2014 HYDRA Takeover: In 2014, during the shocking HYDRA takeover of SHIELD, Adrian Clayton Everhart Richards faced a profound and unsettling revelation. Discovering that his STRIKE team, led by Rumlow, was covertly aligned with HYDRA, Adrian experienced a wave of betrayal and shame.

The very organization he had committed to fighting against had infiltrated his team, casting a shadow over his trust in those he worked alongside. In a moment of clarity and loyalty to SHIELD's true mission, Adrian took back his position as a member of the team and aligned himself with agents who remained loyal to the organization's original ideals.

Fueled by a determination to right the wrongs and protect his fellow agents, Adrian joined forces with Agent 13 and other supporters of Captain America's fight against HYDRA. In a proactive role, he engaged in shutting down financial support and investments that HYDRA exploited, aiming to sever their funding sources and hinder their nefarious activities. This pivotal event showcased Adrian's unwavering commitment to justice and his resilience in the face of betrayal.

Post-SHIELD Takeover: Following the dismantling of SHIELD due to his knowledge (thanks to Nick Fury's contingency plans), Adrian Clayton Everhart Richards retreated to his home, contemplating the uncertain path ahead. Determined to continue the fight against threats to humanity, Adrian redirected his efforts to support the remaining loyal members of SHIELD who adhered to the organization's original ideals.

Simultaneously, he strategically maneuvered within the corporate world, utilizing his financial acumen to bolster market shares for Stark Industries, where he heard Maria Hill had found a new home working for Tony Stark. This move not only served as a means of support for the genuine defenders but also facilitated his introduction to The Avengers and Young Avengers.

In his discreet endeavors, Adrian channeled both time and financial resources into the development and enhancement of necessary equipment for these burgeoning hero teams. His contributions played a vital role in fortifying their capabilities and ensuring their effectiveness in safeguarding the world. Despite his significant role in this realm, Adrian maintained his characteristic low profile, shying away from the limelight and avoiding unnecessary attention. Attending events with a subtle presence, he operated in the shadows, a silent force ensuring that the heroes had the tools they needed to face the challenges ahead.

~~~~~

~~~~~~~~

Anyways here is a new low-key oc! I might add more to his story later on, who know haha. What do you think of him? Any ideas for new OCs?

Tags: @gaminggirlsstuff @gcthvile @missstrawbs2001 @rooster-84 @djs8891 @starkleila @cherrysft @mandylove1000 @yetanotherwells @topgun-imagines @hardballoonlove @buckysteveloki-me @sherloquestea @nakiaswg @carellmcu @ximehs @sofia-falcon @savemewattpad and et

[author-jenaya-malloren]

Master Post of Forever and Always (OC x Loki) Chapters

Chapter 1- The Tesseract

Chapter 2- SHIELD's Hunt

Chapter 3- Meeting the Thunder

Chapter 4- The Talk

Chapter 5- The Talk (Loki POV)

[shamelessfaceless]

Navigation | Marvel Masterlist | Series Masterlist

1. The one and only Spider-Woman.

Pairings: WandaNat x F!Spidey!Polish!Reader, OC x Reader, Avengers x Reader (Platonic)

Summary: When your girlfriend cheated on you, you decided to finally accept Tony Stark's offer.

Warnings: Cheating with man, sad R, Homophobia

Wc: 1.2k

A/n: I will put my whole heart in this series😭 Next parts are gonna be longer.

You promised yourself you would always smile  while wearing your mask. For this reason your mask was showing the bottom of your face. It was your own project and it had a special place in your heart. You wanted to show people that nitatter what you are doing, and who you fight with, you will always smile, just be happy that you can protect innocent people. Another reason why you projected your mask like that, was the fact that you have fangs. It's not like you use them often, but they can be really helpful. One little bite, and can paralysis villains for a while. S.H.I.E.L.D knew about your existence, and wanted you to join avengers. They even send to you the one and only Tony Stark with Nick Fury. You decided to wait. It was your last month of school, and you had a girlfriend you didn’t want to leave alone.

You graduated with not so bad grades, and you passed all your exams with almost the best scores in your class. You hoped your girlfriend would be with you, but she texted you at the last minute that she needed to take care of her sick mother. You believed her. How could you not? She was almost the most important person in your life. So in the evening you decided to visit her, her mother knew you really well, and was happy her daughter had someone like you. Well, she didn’t know you were a couple, she was a typical homophobic christian, just like most people in your country. 

Only thing in her room you could see was how deep she was in kissing a guy. She didn’t even notice you opened the door to her room. Looking in her cold eyes made your stomach flip. You don't even know how... no, when this happened. You don't know when she met him, when he started being the reason she's smiling everyday, when she stopped caring about you. Only thing you can look at are her sky blue eyes you loved looking at. You were always finding your safe space in her, now the only thing you see in her eyes is how much she is disgusted in you. Her words were something you were expecting. You weren't enough. He is a man, of course she would want to be with him, how could she love a girl? You were just stupid thinking he was just her friend.You tried so much to not end up like before. But everything is always the same. You are trying your best, but they are always choosing someone else, someone who isn't so complicated, someone who is.. pure. The most important, they always will choose someone who will fuck with them after a week of dating. They don't understand why you care about romantic things, when you could just let them fuck you. They are animals chasing their own pleasure, don't giving fuck about true love. 

It was the first time when you put on your mask and did wear your bright smile. 

There was no reason for you to stay. Your friend moved out a long time ago, and for you, your online friends were enough. Your parents were dead. At least for you. Just like you were dead for them. They didn’t want a Lesbian daughter, and you hated them for all the traumas they gave you. You half lived on the street. Most of the time you were spending in school or saving your country. You showed up in your home only if you needed to take a shower or books for school. 

“What are you thinking about kiddo?” Tony asked, putting hand on your back.

“You know, just how my girlfriend cheated on me few hours ago, and now Im part of fucking Avengers” You didn’t even looked at him. You only look at changing numbers signaling that you were higher every second. 

After running away from your girlfriend's house, you called Tony. Only thing  you wanted was to leave as far away and as fast as you could. Break ups were always hard for you. You just wanted to feel loved, feel important for someone. Looking at the sunset on top of one of the buildings was your way to say goodbye to the country you truly love. You promised yourself, you will start a new and better life. No thinking about the past. You need to let it go, and life looking at the future. You knew it would be hard, but you also knew you needed to do this. There's too many open wounds, just because you couldn’t let go thinking about the past every night. 

Pretending to smile while meeting everyone was the hardest part. Pretending to be happy while in the back of your mind the only thing you could think of was your exs, and how you couldn’t be enough for them. Tony left you just when you walked out of the elevator. Steve introduced himself and his friend Bucky. You gave them a polite smile and mumbled your name. You just wanted to go to your room and sleep the rest of the day. Next people that introduced themselves were Clint, Bruce and Sam. Last person was Natasha Romanoff. You learned from her that her wife Wanda is on the mission with Thor. 

“I hear slavic accent.”

“Oh, yeah…  I'm Polish.”

“Tony was one hundred percent sure you're from Russia.” You hate when people mistake you for Russian. It's not even like your languages sound super alike. 

“Chuj.” You said to yourself. “Uhm, nevermind.”You looked at the floor when she looked at you. Natasha just laughed it off and you smiled. 

(Chuj - Dick)

“I'm guessing you don’t know where your room is?” When your eyes met her forest green ones, you felt like you couldn’t look away, but you needed to. You didn't want her to take you for a freak. 

“Yeah… Stark just left me here, and didn’t show me anything.” You rolled your eyes.

“Come with me. Tony decides that you will take Wanda's old room. We have lived together for the past few years, so her room stood empty. It's next to ours.” She said pointing at one of the doors. “So if you need something you can always knock.”

“So… It was nice to meet the famous black widow.” You opened the door to your room. 

“It was nice to meet another spider.” After you closed the door you looked around the room. You didn’t take many things with you, so there wasn’t a lot to unpack. Just some clothes and books. Just a few minutes and everything was in their places. You looked out the window and a few seconds later at mask in your hands. 

After a while you were jumping between buildings. It's late at night, so one would rather see you. When you get tired of jumping, running and half flying, you sit at the top of a skyscraper.

“So It will be my new life. The spider-woman saving the world.” You laughed to yourself. “It's almost unbelievable."

TAGLIST:

@marvelwomen-simp @andersonsprincess @leenasayeed @sapphic-simp4015 @taliiiaasteria

[poisonousmoonfics]

Chapter I: Shadows of the past

tw: mention of torture, isolation, starvation, mental illness, abuse and wounds. angst.

The sterile corridors of the HYDRA base echoed with the sounds of distant machinery and the flickering fluorescent lights. Lola sat huddled in the corner of her cell, her body bruised and battered from the daily and relentless torture and experimentation. She had lost count of the months since she was first captured by the organization's ruthless agents.

The sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the corridor outside, sending a shiver down Lola's spine. She braced herself for another round of training or worse. But to her surprise, the heavy metal door of her cell suddenly blasted open, revealing two figures clad in sleek, high-tech armor.

Before Romanoff and Stark arrived at the HYDRA research and experimentation center, their mission had been straightforward: infiltrate the facility, gather intel on HYDRA's future plans, and dismantle their key bases. 

As they breached the perimeter of the HYDRA facility, they quickly realized that something was amiss. Instead of encountering the heavily fortified stronghold they had expected, they found themselves facing what appeared to be a relatively nondescript research center.

"This doesn't add up," Natasha murmured, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.

Tony frowned behind the faceplate of his Iron Man suit, his mind racing through possible scenarios. "It's too quiet. HYDRA doesn't do quiet."

Their suspicions were confirmed as they encountered resistance from HYDRA guards and scientists within the facility. With efficiency, they fought their way through the opposition, determined to uncover the truth behind HYDRA's presence at the seemingly innocuous location.

Amidst the chaos of battle, Tony's keen intellect picked up on a subtle anomaly: a security camera feed that seemed to be recording footage of a hidden area within the laboratory.

"Nat, check this out.”, Tony called out, gesturing towards the monitor displaying the mysterious footage.

Natasha joined him, her eyes narrowing as she studied the feed. "A secret basement”, she remarked, her voice tinged with intrigue.

As Natasha and Tony descended into the depths of the laboratory, their senses on high alert for any potential threats, they stumbled upon a security cell hidden away in the shadows. Inside, they found a sight that chilled them to the core: a young girl, her form huddled in a corner, her eyes devoid of emotion.

She appeared to have endured unspeakable suffering, with bruises and wounds marring her delicate features. Dressed in a tattered hospital gown, she looked as though she hadn't slept or eaten in ages. Despite her ordeal, there was a sense of eerie calmness about her, as if she had resigned herself to her fate.

Natasha and Tony exchanged a glance, silently communicating their shock at the girl's serene demeanor. It was clear that the HYDRA scientists had subjected her to horrific experiments, stripping away her humanity in their relentless pursuit of power.

Without hesitation, Natasha stepped forward, her voice gentle yet firm. “We are getting you out of here." she said, her words echoing in the dimly lit cell. The girl's eyes flickered with a hint of recognition, but she remained silent, her gaze fixed on the floor.

Tony knelt beside her, his nonchalant heart aching at the sight of her suffering. “Don't be afraid, kid. We aren’t them,” he said, his voice tinged with compassion.

Slowly, hesitantly, the girl raised her head, meeting their gaze for the first time. As she doubtfully incorporated, Natasha and Tony saw a glimmer of hope flicker in her eyes—a spark of resilience amidst the darkness that had consumed her.

With a shared resolve, Natasha, and Tony set to work, dismantling the security measures that held the girl captive. As she incorporated and they guided her to safety.

A couple of hours later, Lola sat on the examination room, her eyes fixed on the window overlooking the S.H.I.E.L.D. compound. The room hummed with the soft whirring of futuristic equipment, monitors displaying vital signs and diagnostics as medics and healthcare specialists tended to her wounds. She was lost in her thoughts, her mind swirling with memories of her captivity and the horrors in comparison to the place she was right now.

Outside the room, Nick Fury, Tony, and Natasha gathered around a table piled with files retrieved from the HYDRA base. Agent Maria Hill stood nearby, her expression grave as she listened to their conversation. The atmosphere was tense, each of them grappling with the weight of the decision they were about to make.

Tony scanned through the files; his brow furrowed in concentration as he absorbed the details of Lola's abilities. “Her abilities are off the charts. Necromancy, umbra kinesis, reality deformation, energy absorption... She's the walking death.”, he remarked, his voice laced with awe.

Natasha nodded in agreement, her eyes flicking over the list of powers Lola possessed. “But she's just a kid, Tony. She didn't ask for any of this.” The redhead takes a moment, then proceeds: “Besides, I think the right training and treatment, she could be an invaluable asset to S.H.I.E.L.D., what do you guys think?” she suggests.

Fury's expression remained stoic. “She's also responsible for countless deaths while under HYDRA's control. We can't ignore that fact.”, he intervenes. "And what if she refuses to cooperate and becomes hostile?” he questioned, his voice judgmental.

Tony exchanged a glance with Natasha, their resolve unwavering. “Nah, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it," he replied carefree. "She was a victim, Fury. I’m with Romanoff on this one. The girl needs our help."

Fury shook his head in denial. “We don't know the full extent of her powers, or what she's capable of. If we bring her onto the team and she goes rogue…”

Natasha placed a hand on her superior’s shoulder, her expression determined. “We'll train her. We'll teach her how to control her abilities, how to use them for good. But we can't do it alone. We need to give her a chance, Fury. Otherwise, we're no better than the ones who exploited her.”

The man studied Natasha's unwavering gaze, a sense of resignation settling over him. He knew they were right—it was a risk they had to take. “Alright.”, he sighs out. “But she'll be under close watch at all times. We can't afford to let her slip through the cracks.”

With a shared understanding, the group turned their attention back to the files, their minds already racing with plans for Lola's future. Despite the risks and uncertainties ahead, they were united in their belief that everyone deserved a second chance.

After her examination, Lola remained seated by the window, her gaze fixed on the compound’s tranquil view. The room felt strangely quiet as Tony, Natasha, and Fury entered.

"Hey there," Tony began, his voice gentle as he approached her. "How are you holding up?"

Lola's response was slow to come, her voice barely above a whisper. "Reborn to die again," she murmured, her words weighted with sorrow.

Tony winced at her response, realizing the gravity of her situation. "Right, I forgot her file mentioned depression too, yikes," he muttered to Natasha, who shot him a stern look before turning her attention back to the black-haired girl.

"Hi, Lola," Natasha said softly, taking a seat beside her. "I'm Natasha, this is Tony and he’s our chief, Nick Fury. We just want to talk to you."

Lola's eyes flickered with recognition as she glanced at them, a shadow of resignation passing over her features. "I know who you are," she replied quietly. "You're HYDRA's enemy number one."

The three adults exchanged a glance, understanding the weight of Lola’s words. They had expected distrust, maybe even hostility, but her resigned acceptance caught them off guard.

"We won’t hurt you here,” Natasha reassured her, her voice steady. "We want to help you."

Lola’s obedient demeanor shifted suddenly, her expression clouding with anxiety. "You don't understand," she said, her voice trembling. “The pain and the death I carry with me… it's all my fault."

Fury stepped forward; his gaze steady as he met her eyes. "You were captured, Lola,” he said firmly. "You had no other choice."

Tony and Natasha nodded in agreement, their expressions sympathetic. 

"We see great potential in you," Tony added, his tone earnest. "With the right guidance, you can use your powers for good."

But Lola shook her head, her doubts weighing heavily on her shoulders. "You don't get it," she whispered. "My abilities are a curse I can’t escape. All I do is consume and destroy lives.”

As she spoke, a sense of hopelessness settled over the room, casting a shadow over their attempts to reach her. Despite their best intentions, Lola's belief in her own inherent darkness seemed insurmountable. And as they looked at her, Tony, Natasha, and Fury knew that their task would be far from easy—but they were determined to try.

The two Avengers exchanged a meaningful glance, silently reaffirming their commitment to the teen’s well-being. "We're not just going to train you like HYDRA did," Natasha said, her voice carrying a note of promise. "We're going to help you find acceptance and a purpose in your powers. You’ll prove yourself, and the world, that your abilities can become a gift to help others.”

Lola listened intently, the weight of their words sinking in. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, a glimmer of hope flickered within her. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for her.

With a mixture of uncertainty and resolve, the girl nodded slowly. “Fine, I’ll try," she said quietly, her voice tinged with newfound determination.

Fury stepped forward; his gaze unwavering as he addressed Lola once more. “So kid, are you taking the offer?”

She hesitated for a moment, her mind racing with doubts and fears. But then, she thought of her brother—her dear Martín, trapped in his wheelchair, his eyes filled with longing for a better world. And in that moment, she made her decision.

"Yes," she said, her voice steady. "I am.”

Tony couldn't resist adding a touch of levity to the moment. “HURRAY!”, he shouted. “But it's not like you had another option anyway," he quipped, earning himself a sharp slap on the back of the head from Natasha.

Lola couldn't help the corner of her lips to twitch into a faint smile. It was like a small glimmer of amusement breaking through the darkness that had clouded her heart for so long. Deep inside her, she felt the stirring of an old and long-lost emotion—hope.

As the days turned into weeks, and he weeks into months, Lola found herself immersed in a whirlwind of training, medical checkups, therapy sessions, and missions for S.H.I.E.L.D. With each passing day, she grew stronger, both physically and mentally, her once-darkened powers now tinged with a newfound confidence and control.

Under Natasha's watchful supervision and training, and the guidance of Tony, who became a father figure, Lola honed her skills and learned to harness her full potential for the greater good. She pushed herself to the limit, determined to prove to herself that she was more than the sum of her past mistakes.

Lola found solace in her newfound family. Even Fury, with his gruff exterior, became fond of her, offering support whenever she needed it.

The Avengers themselves, once distant enemies, became her closest friends. But amidst the newfound brightness of her life, she couldn't shake the lingering darkness that still clung to her powers.

Chapter I.I.