“Even if you don’t share the feeling, it’s nice to see you.”
Jim considered that, then dropped his head and nodded. All things considered, he was glad she was okay. If Ross had had any idea that Maria was preparing to open the door on him, she probably would have disappeared already. He took a seat at her bidding and folded his hands on top of the table in full view – a gesture of trust in what Maria had to say.
“I’m not here to yell,” he said. “I just need to know what’s going on that’s got you recommending a siege on the Raft. I thought the Thunderbolts and the Interface were hypotheticals?”
I’m not here to yell. Maria knew she deserved the harshest words, but it was relieving to hear she still had time to prepare for the hurricane. She let out a deep sigh, letting some of her tenseness subside.
“The Interface has two functions. It was started back when Loki’s scepter was in Shield’s custody. The first function is what Ross has been working on for years - basically mind control. The second he referred to as ‘Pleasant Hill’. The Interface can store people’s minds when they’re not ‘in use’, as he calls it. They can be connected together, and the Raft workers built a simulated world for these minds to interact in. They’ve been using the prisoners lives as playgrounds to do whatever they want to these people. To the prisoners, their lives inside the Interface feel very real.”
Maria finally looked up at James. “This is why I’m calling for a siege on the Raft. If he can’t control these people, he’s going to let the Interface kill them. He’s tortured these prisoners - our friends - into complete submission. If we don’t act then he will have the Thunderbolts up and running within the month and he will be unstoppable.”
Maria placed the binder on the table. “Here’s Ross’ paper trail. Please keep it safe - most of what’s in here was in the files I sent. No one but you has responded, but I do know that Tony received the e-mail because he was taken prisoner.”
Betty chuckled. “I would be horrified if I did. This is the man who thought human testing was appropriate. As far as I’m concerned Blonsky just proves that Ross is no better than Loki.” Granted, she came out better than Blonsky had. More refined less psychopathic. “Though I am curious about what was so important for you to protect. Something you had to sell all your friends out for.” She frowned, shaking her head. “We would have helped you with whatever the backlash was. You know, that right?” Betty leaned forward in her sear, shrugging.
“Honestly it is the same either way. I’ve already been given the "I’ll put you down like old yeller’ speech from him. But, ya know, have to glow up first. Though I am curious how you changed his mind in the first place” it had to be something particularly interesting for him to even listen in the first place. Much less change his mind. He was stubborn like that. The type of stubborn that lead to senseless wars and a mad grab for power.
Betty felt the other scream at his plans, letting a look of disgust cross her face. “Of course, he is. I swear I will kill him myself.” God what if he got ahold of any of the kids. They didn’t deserve to be studied. She would rather volunteer herself for that treatment than let them take it. She had to go and talk to Stark after this. There had to be places to hide them. Strange wasn’t answering after all. “I hope you don’t wait too long. Maria, what if he starts grabbing the babies off the street next. Before Stark or Xavier can get to them? Are you going to let him hurt kids as well?” She stood, crossing her arms. “Apparently not enough if he is still snatching people up and making them disappear right and left.
Betty scoffed at Maria’s final statement. “It was heat of the moment to destroy a chil-no some children’s life? To cause Thor such grief?” She rose from her seat, staring the other down. “What had you so up in a tizzy that you did not think of the consequences?” She shook her head. “Can keep her head straight when a nuke is heading to blow up New York but not when her precious little secrets might get it.”
What had you so up in a tizzy that you did not think of the consequences?
Maria thought back to that day, when she gave up all the names of the Rescuers. It wasn’t very long ago - the memories were still fresh. She remembered Ross’s threats, and she could feel in the pit of her stomach that Betty wasn’t going to understand. But she had to explain anyway.
“Your father has had his scientists working on replicating the Mutant Growth Hormone. It’s what gave me my power, and Hank McCoy is the only person who has made a stable formula. The day he brought me in for questioning, he said he had the mutant ‘cure’ with him, along with two other serums. One of them was his version of the mutant growth hormone.”
Maria stood up and stepped away from Betty.
“My biggest concern was getting those serums away from him. He owns the mutant ‘cure’, I can’t take that away, but I got his only semi-stable version of the growth hormone to date. He was so upset when I said your name he ran out of the room, and I was able to bring it to Dr. McCoy before your father had a chance to use it on someone.”
Betty’s anger was justified, but she didn’t and couldn’t understand the position Maria was in. There was so much more at stake than she knew.
“Your father has access to every piece of technology and program that was retrieved from Shield and Hydra. I was one of the highest ranking leaders of Shield, and I oversaw and catalogued most of the programs he is looking into utilising. I’m one of the few remaining experts of everything Shield used to do, and now I need to use that to make his life harder. Even if it means giving up a few names, I need him to trust me.”
The phone pinged in his ear before he could respond, but the efficiency suited him fine. A few seconds later, he received Maria’s text and Googled the address, expecting a hotel but finding a restaurant instead – not ideal, but he supposed Maria had her reasons for not wanting their rendezvous to be too private.
He inhaled deeply and held it as he exited the airport terminal to find a taxi. He’d had the flight over to think on it, and yes, he had plenty of reason to be suspicious based on her email alone, but not quite enough to go in angry or to wholly mistrust Maria. He still didn’t know what Maria thought she had to answer for or why she’d suddenly condone a prison break. Maybe the situation would be salvageable if she and Ross got an outsider opinion.
Jim frowned, staring at the window at the passing scenery without really seeing it. That was the problem, according to Sam: Jim had agreed to fall outside of the primary Raft oversight, to accept at face value that Ross would do right by the people Jim and Maria helped put in there. But Jim didn’t have access to the daily goings-on, didn’t actually know how the people inside were faring, and frankly hadn’t given it much thought. He’d done his job, and he knew the prison he’d helped design was humane and safe, but what had Maria done?
It took Jim almost forty minutes to get to the restaurant thanks to lunchtime traffic, so Maria was already there when the maître d’ led him to their private dining room. He didn’t smile or speak as he approached her, instead opting to raise his hands slightly, palms up, in a subtle what the hell? gesture that he expected would convey his opening thoughts just fine.
Maria called ahead to the restaurant, reserving the ‘usual room’. She went there every time Ross needed to present something to her without any cameras around. Whenever they went there, it meant she was about to sign off on something terrible.
The night she sent out the emails, she had finished making copies of the paper trail. She stashed it all in a binder in her office, which she made a note to grab on her way out. It would be safer with James than it would be with her, considering the circumstances. Ross trusted her enough not to sift through her belongings, but she couldn’t risk the questions. Not when she was so close to exposing him.
The moment she was seated, her leg started bouncing. The waitress set down two glasses of water and shut the door.
So many thoughts were racing through her head, she didn’t notice he walked in ten minutes late. She saw his gesture and glanced away.
In a tired, monotonous, almost robotic voice, she said: “Even if you don’t share the feeling, it’s nice to see you.”
It’s nice to see someone sane.
Maria continued, not looking up again. “I know you probably expected somewhere more discreet, but this is the only place close by where Ross can’t track what I’m doing. He knows I’m with you, and right now he’s discussing moving forward with the Thunderbolt program. His top scientists said they have finally found a way to get Stephen Strange to cooperate with the Interface. That’s just from this morning, so why don’t you take a seat instead of standing there trying to find a way to yell at me for lying?”
Jim took the first commercial flight out of New York to DC the morning after receiving Maria’s emails. He had barely left the terminal before he had his phone to his ear to call Maria.
“Hill. I just touched down at Dulles International. I’ll buy you lunch if you wanna tell me what the hell you and Ross did.”
“James,” Maria said quietly. She was in a meeting when her phone lit up, and she quickly dismissed herself. “I wish you told me you’d be coming.”
She looked over her shoulder and she kept getting curious glances from Ross. They were discussing the progress of Pleasant Hill.
“I’ll...meet you in 30. I’ll text you an address.” Maria didn’t wait for a response before hitting ‘end’. Any phone call longer than a minute felt suspicious.
“Colonel Rhodes is on his way here,” She said as she walked back in the room. “Surprise visit. Do you want me to distract him while you finish up this briefing?”
Ross looked pissed. “I thought I told him you would handle this office...yeah, keep him away. We have a lot to go over, I’ll let you know when he can come through.”
Maria nodded before grabbing her belongings and exiting the room. She texted James the address of a high-end restaurant - one with private rooms. They couldn’t risk eavesdroppers.
“Thank you.” Betty stepped inside the door and took a look around. Not much had changed since the last time she had been here dropping off files. Gods, that had been ages ago. Back when she was still scared of her own shadow. Not anymore though, with every day they became closer and soon the other would fade as a whisper, leaving only their abilities in place. Well, until she died anyway and they were put back into another host. Hopefully that would not be any time soon. She was not done living quite yet.
“Well I knew that much.” She smiled, wiggling a bit to settle more into the couch. It was comfy. “After all the great Agen-, my apologies, the great Maria Hill is too smart to be tricked into giving information.” She chuckled. “My father is a lot of things, but he is known more for his ruthlessness rather than his trickery. Especially as he ages.” She cocked her head to the side, patting the seat next to her on the couch. “This insight, however, I am interested in hearing. After all I am assuming there is a very excellent reason you put so many lives at stake. I am assuming there is a very good reason on why I cannot seem to contact some of my friends. Not to mention, I am really interested into why you gave out my name. It’s like with the accords my restraining order has become null and void and I have to attend a “family dinner” every Sunday with a gun pointed at my head. So please, do share your insight.” She crossed her legs, taking a deep breath.
The other one would not help in this situation.
“You know Maria, before you begin, I always knew you were a cold-hearted, part of your previous position really, but why Jane.” She cocked her head slightly, smile being replaced with a frown. “Why would you do that to her. She has kids. No kid should have to grow up without a loving parent. Honestly, I can understand forking me over ever so slightly, but, I don’t understand why you would give up Jane.”
Maria hesitated to sit; she wanted to collect her words first. Ross had been doing some terrible things, but everything was very early still. Nothing terrible was happening, but she could feel something looming over the horizon.
“I don’t think you really know the extent of what your fathers plans are,” She said as she leaned against the arm of the couch. “In reality, it was either I tell him, or he found out by force and you wouldn’t be sitting here if he had found out about your powers from anyone but me. You all have every right to be angry with me, but this...is safer.”
She pushed herself up and walked to the center of the room.
“Not that you care, but your father blackmailed me into helping him. At the time, I was too afraid for him to leak my secrets, but I don’t care anymore. I’ve seen what he’s been building in the Raft, and he’s forcing me to give secondary signatures and approvals. If I do that, I can keep a record of everything he’s doing and I will have his full trust and access to most of these facilities.”
Maria sighed. “He wants to torture powered individuals. He wants to figure out what causes certain abilities and use that to his advantage. He wants to form a super team completely under his control. By giving up all your names, if any one of you are arrested, then I can at least monitor what he does. Giving him your name hurt him the most and threw him off his game. I...I can’t justify giving up Jane. It was the heat of the moment.”
“Why?” She mimicked, a smile slipping on her lips. Why indeed. The other one was laughing. She could feel the amusement, deep down. It was twisted in a sense, kind of like how Loki use to be. “Just wanted to talk. Things been going down, you know how it goes. I like checking in on my friends occasionally. Especially in times like this.” Betty slipped her hood off, fluffing her hair out. She blew the strand that settled on her nose, before shrugging. “Besides Maria, the other one is getting a bit upset. I think she got used to doing mission reports. Creature of habit and all.”
“Actually, I also have some questions for ya. I would have called but you know where eyes and ears like to hide. Nothing private these days unfortunately. There is always gossip and media, cannot have a secret. And sure, sometimes that is a good thing, but other times it can destroy lives. Like being gay in the army all those years ago.” Her hands drifted back into her pocket. Normally the look on Maria’s face would have concerned her. It was like looking at a ghost, but on the other hand. On the other hand, the woman in front of her had wrapped the chain around her throat. Had made her his precious prize all over again. Something she had worked so hard to get away from.
For nothing apparently.
“So, yea, figured you hadn’t moved and figured I pop by. Sorry for the suddenness though, that was rather rude of me.” Betty opened her mouth to continue but stopped by the sound of the opening door from the end of the hallway. Eyes and ears, eyes and ears. “Mind if I come?” She gestured to the open door. “Bit more privacy that way.” Not that the other seemed to care about people’s privacy.
“No, I don’t...mind. Not at all. Come on in,” Maria said, pulling the door open.
Her blood was pumping like she was in danger - probably from Betty mentioning ‘the other one’. Part of her wanted to run from the apartment and hide somewhere, but she couldn’t. She faced Jane while she was behind solid glass, the least she could do is talk to Betty in person. The others had yet to come forward, but to her knowledge, the others hadn’t been bothered.
She shut the door after Betty stepped inside, and she locked the door. Not that it would make a difference to eavesdroppers, but she felt more secure. Maria walked from the door and stood in front of her couch, where she gestured Betty to sit.
There were a lot of explanations that needed to be done, and she had been formulating exactly what she would say to her former teammates for months. In the end she realised she couldn’t explain away her decision. She didn’t need to give away all the names - just the ones who registered could be enough. But Ross had a way of finding out information on his own, and if the names weren’t given willingly, his course of action could have been much more violent otherwise.
However, the others names she gave out for thoroughness...Betty’s she gave for smug satisfaction.
“Before you ask any questions, I just want to say I knew exactly what I was doing. I can’t make any excuses, but I can explain everything. It doesn’t make it right, but I can certainly give you some insight.”
These are the last email addresses I have for all of you. I’m sure you all know in varying degrees the damage the Registration Act has caused. There are many people who can take the blame for this - myself included. Bottom line is: General Ross needs to be stopped.
In two days, I will be holding a press conference in Washington around 9:00am EST. Ross has a meeting the morning with the president slated for the same time.
During the conference, all the security measures on the Raft will be lifted. If you know anyone still imprisoned, I suggest you all arrange a rescue team. There will be other ‘heroes’ stranded as well.
Spread this to whoever you trust.
Maria Hill
-- --
FROM: “Maria Hill” <HIDDEN ADDRESS>
TO: “James Rhodes” <HIDDEN ADDRESS>
Subject: [NO SUBJECT]
James,
I haven’t been entirely honest with you about everything General Ross and I have been doing. If you can’t make the conference, I’ll send you a copy of my speech before the event starts.
Maria Hill
-- --
FROM: “Maria Hill” <HIDDEN ADDRESS>
TO: “Tony Stark” <HIDDEN ADDRESS>
Subject: [NO SUBJECT]
ONE ATTACHMENT
Tony,
I apologise now if my upcoming actions are going to be a PR nightmare for the Avengers, and anyone else affiliated. I’ll try my best to deal with everything on the Washington front, but I know you’ll probably want to join in as well.
Attached is a file that will take you directly to a ‘hidden’ database where Ross was hiding all of his and Shield’s darkest secrets. I don’t know how much you know already, but this is the worst of it. Tread carefully.
Maria Hill
-- --
FROM: “Maria Hill” <HIDDEN ADDRESS>
TO: “Virginia Potts” <HIDDEN ADDRESS>
Subject: Letter of Resignation
Pepper,
I am resigning from Stark Industries effective immediately.
Second Thoughts and Second Chances (Maria & Natasha) | 15 October 2016
@furyslefteye
Natasha Romanoff did not often request a private, off-the-record meeting with Maria Hill, whether to share clandestine information or as a girl’s night out. Whenever they did meet outside of SHIELD property, however, they tended to favor the seedier sorts of places, where no one but the occasional unlucky man would bother them. It was to such an establishment that Natasha had invited Maria today. Things were getting hotter, more nervewracking, with the SRA. Arrests and prosecution would begin in two days, for those who hadn’t already been arrested, and everyone, for or against the SRA, was feeling the pressure.
For her part, Natasha was feeling two kinds of pressure – on one hand, from the government, to implement the law that she had openly approved through her own registration. On the other hand, from her own conscience, to mitigate its worst effects (and maybe, Natasha thought, all its effects).
More and more lately, she felt the consequences of her choices closing in on her like a vice. Like a spider’s web, trapping her more thoroughly the more she struggled. Was there a way out of this mess? A few months ago, Natasha would have said certainly; of course there was a way out. She could wriggle her way free of anything.
Now, she wasn’t so sure, and Maria had to feel it too. And Natasha had heard the rumors – more news than rumors, really – of a secret prison in the open ocean, a technological marvel (horror), and of the woman behind its creation: Maria Hill.
“Thanks for coming,” she said, looking at her glass – whiskey, neat; she wasn’t so predictably Russian to drink vodka all the time, and this bar would undoubtedly have something cheap and second rate. She ran her finger around the rim as if she was lost in thought, rather than focusing intently on the woman next to her. “I was worried you’d be too busy.” She flicked her eyes up to meet Maria’s gaze. “How are you?”
Maria was on edge. The General had been using old Shield files to reconstruct a prison she once oversaw. Actually, her name was attached to many plans to revamp prisons across all US territories, but none were as prominent or important as The Raft.
Day in and day out, she was hounded and questioned by Ross and his cronies. They wanted information on all the Avengers, but she wouldn’t budge. The CIA and FBI had Shield files and those had more than enough info.
She did, however, regret giving the names of the Rescuers. Nothing terrible had happened yet, but it definitely struck a blow to the General’s confidence. However, the incident was what prompted her to order the strongest drink available. It was rum, straight up.
Above all else, she wanted to stay an ally. Every horrid plan in place needed a failsafe - the Avengers needed someone on the inside. She had never been a spy, but when Natasha asked to talk, she knew no one better to question.
“Thank you for inviting me. I’m never too busy for friends,” Maria responded coolly. She sat across from the redhead and pressed her drink to her lips. Boy, even the scent made her nose burn. She took a small sip and placed the glass back down.
Maria was sure Natasha had seen the news. She had a high place in the General’s court - she should be on cloud nine. Of course, how she got the position was why she felt rotten. “I’m…doing the best I can. I can only assume that’s why you called.” She paused. “What about you? How is…everyone?“
Betty fluffed up her coat, glancing back and forth as she crossed the street. Things had been done, her hand had been forced, now time to face those responsible. She gritted her teeth, trying to hold back the other from going in and just killing. After all, they were supposed to be allies. They were supposed to protect each other and do what the Avengers couldn’t. But, loyalty this day was just filled with fairy tales. Now she had been branded. She had been marked so that when anyone looked at her files they knew the secret she hid. They would fear her without getting to know her.
The only good thing is she could slightly understand Bruce better now.
She slipped inside the building, keeping her head low and her hood up. The other wouldn’t have left here. Not after spending so much time vetting it. Well, that and she was probably figuring out how controlling the General was. Always had to know what all his little pieces were doing. Always had to know where they were. Less chance of betrayal he said, that one night she had been invited in to sit on the big “meeting” with him and Stark. He was right, in a way, but even the most watched person could stab everyone else in the back.
How many other names had Maria given up? How many were given the choice between family or jail? How was she even sleeping at night? Betty could feel her gut twist at government officials in their shiny offices knowing that she could be used. That she was just no longer an object for their lust, but for their bloodlust as well. She scratched lightly at her arm before pausing in front of a door. After this was gotten off her chest she could go into hiding. Try to find a way to reverse what Maria had done. Her hand raised, pausing for only a moment before she knocked.
The knock at her door was startling. Maria had fallen asleep at the kitchen table, and her face had just barely missed the bowl of cold soup she heated up who knows how long ago. It took her a few seconds to come back to reality. Her vision was a little hazy and she rubbed her eyes as she walked to the front door. She glanced over at the clock, which read just past 2pm, before opening the door a crack.
Her tired washed away instantly and her eyes opened wide when she saw Betty standing before her.
“Betty,” Maria whispered in shock. “What...uh...why? What brings you here?”
She could feel all the color leave her face. She knew it was only a matter of time before Ross had gotten to each of the Rescuers - the group she used to call her team. Those days had long passed since she gave out all their names. She remembered seeing Jane in her wet floored cell in the Raft, because she was deemed too dangerous for the ones on land.
Guilt hung high in her throat and she let the door slide open a bit more to seem at least a little welcoming.
At first, Jane didn’t want to misdirect her anger at Maria like so many were doing to Tony. But as soon as the woman admitted that she was working with Ross, she knew that this was most likely a direct result of their collaboration.
“Oh, so should I be thanking you for this nice little cell?” she grimaced, kicking a bit more water and then turning away from Maria.
They had been teammates. Maybe even friends, almost. Maybe not intimately so, but Maria knew enough of Jane to know the only person she was a threat to was herself with her powers. But even then, was that reason enough to rip her from her family, her two precious babies, and stick her in the middle of the ocean?
“If I took a walk around would I see a spider web cell, maybe something with a nice set of shackles for someone else? C’mon, we could get a team reunion going on here,” she sighed, moving closer to the glass. “What kind of cell are they planning for you? You did tell them, didn’t you?” Jane rested her forearm on the window, her head on her arm. The surveillance camera in the corner of her cell hummed softly as it followed her, just to be sure she wouldn’t try anything funny.
“Tell me, Maria, what did you mean to happen? Because something tells me they didn’t just happen to have an electricity-dampening cell waiting around here. I mean, they could have at least used heated water-I’m freezing in here,” she almost laughed. “I’m glad Thor signed. Someone has to watch the kids.”
Pulling away from the glass, Jane tugged on the grey sleeves of the issue uniform they gave each of the prisoners- or so she assumed, she didn’t see too many others when she was escorted in.
“But, hey. I have to give you credit, you didn’t know that I was pregnant, so that was a fun surprise for the medics who took my vitals. Thankfully they didn’t have time to prepare. I wouldn’t want to know what they would try to do about that…”
Oh, so should I be thanking you for this nice little cell?
Jane’s tone bit deeply. Maria couldn’t believe Ross...and she couldn’t believe herself for outing Jane. Hindsight is always 20/20.
“Of course they know about me,” She said softly. “Not only did I personally tell Ross, but I registered like I was supposed to. Of the six of us, only you and Betty refused.”
Maria pulled her hand away from the glass, letting it hang at her side. She felt a sting in her heart when Jane mentioned she was pregnant, again. It explained why she may have come back...she wasn’t well versed on how medicine worked in space, but human doctors could do more for a human than aliens, probably.
“I was hoping you’d stay on Asgard until we had this all sorted. You decided not to sign...you refused to listen...” She knew victim blaming wasn’t the way to go, but she knew the consequences of her inaction. Maria also, for some reason, trusted that they would be using humane ways to dampen prisoners powers.
She folded her arms across her chest and sighed. “The way the law is written, your kids are supposed to be registered, too. I know a fine is ‘peasant money’ for royalty, but if Ross is doing this to you, your kids are at risk no matter who is watching them.”
Jane was sitting, cross legged, on her stiff bed attached to the wall. The ‘sheets’ fitted around the sad excuse for a bed were all rubber, like the sort they sold for babies who were possible to wet themselves. Rubber also could not conduct electricity. This cell had been designed especially for her, under someone’s instruction.
Jane didn’t know the exact number of days, but knew that she had just spent over a week in this facility. The Raft, they called it. Well, her section of the Raft had taken on water. Two inches, all over the floor. Probably another preventative measure for her powers.
As she sat cross-legged, she examined her wrinkled feet, which were turning white from the cold water constantly soaking them except for when she was on the bed. Her toenail polish, which she had done at home before Halloween, was flaking away from the water. She had to be careful not to flake it all off, or else she’d have nothing to entertain herself with in the long hours. Jane wondered what Thor was doing right now, and how the twins were coping with her absence.
At first, she didn’t bother looking up when one of the guards came by her cell. This was standard by now, and she didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of her attention. It was only when she heard her name with that tone of concern- or was it pity?- that she looked up. Maria. Jane frowned.
“What? Is it not obvious?”
She swung her legs off the bed and put her almost-numb feet back in the water with a sloshing sound that the water made only after it had been undisturbed for a while. Jane approached Maria and sighed. Exhaustion was evident on her features, and her hair was tangled from not being brushed since her arrival. “I’m a prisoner. In a special cell, designed just for me,” she said, kicking some of the water.
“Why, what are they doing to you?”
What? Is it not obvious?
This wasn’t right. It was obvious what was happening, but this wasn’t standard protocol. High risk individuals would be given special cells and possibly power dampeners...
The cell was supposed to be protective of the people outside, not punish the person inside. Not that the former was the correct approach at all, but the water, the rubber everywhere...Jane wasn’t a danger to herself or others.
Why, what are they doing to you?
“I’m...”
Maria leaned back from the glass, though kept her hand firmly pressed against it. It was grounding her to reality because she honestly couldn’t believe what Ross was doing. Though in the back of her mind she knew it wasn’t entirely out of his wheelhouse, considering the measures they used to get herself involved.
However, blackmail wasn’t even on the same level as torture.
“...I’m working for Ross. Building...prisons.”
She warned Jane that this would happen - she warned all the Rescuers that this was a high possibility if they didn’t sign. She imagined Tony would have also had words, considering her file also mentioned she was taken from the Avengers Tower.
Guilt rose up in her chest. Despite the warnings that she may have given, no one would have known if it wasn’t for her. The moment she got cocky was when she wanted to hurt Ross with the information of Betty. Everyone else had already signed - and for a split second, she knew she could have left out Jane. She didn’t, but she certainly could have. Nothing in her mind could justify that after seeing one of her former teammates sitting alone in a jail cell in the middle of the goddamn ocean.
“Jane, I’m so sorry,” She said softly. “I never meant for this to happen.”
Maria stepped out of the helicopter as the raft sealed itself above her. It was a rainy day, so the helipad was slippery. She came here on her own to check things out - how many people were captured, and who was deemed ‘high risk’. She followed a soldier to the central station, where she could look at the list of everyone and check in on their conditions. The sight was dismal at best.
Everyone was in solitary chambers. The raft, so far, was pretty empty. One of the other max security prisons had finished being built, and they were cycling some lower-risk super-humans there. As she scrolled through the names, one of them stuck out like a sore thumb.
Foster, Jane. Arrested: November 1st, 2016. Cell Type: Classified.
Cell type...she tried punching in her access code, but it was denied. For everyone else, she had access to see what was going on in the room. Most of the prisoners had ‘solitary confinement’, but this one was being blocked. She checked the cell number and without a word, she left the central station and headed to find the room herself. Classified bothered her. Classified meant Ross was doing something, and she had to find out what.
Fortunately, her ID badge let her into the cell block where Jane was being kept. Her cell had a clear glass front with bars, like the others. However, when she stepped up to view, she noticed there was a solid two inches of water covering the bottom. Judging by the physical expression of Jane, it wasn’t a new inconvenience.
“Jane,” Maria said, placing her hand on the glass. There were numerous phrases that popped into her head that she could say, but none of them were appropriate or warranted. “God, what are they doing to you?”
Jim’s eyebrows rocketed toward his hairline. He didn’t know Maria particularly well, but he knew she wasn’t easily strong-armed. Ross must have had a hell of a load of dirt on her –
“I don’t know what you know, but right now the main place for holding anti-registration people is going to be The Raft. I know when I talked with the Secretary, I know he was looking into some other places as well. Old Shield facilities, mostly. They’re all cleared out now, and it’s a quick rebuild versus trying to fix up the prisons we already have…”
Jim nodded slowly.
“Yeah. I know the Raft is up and running, and I know Ross wants at least a couple more prisons so he’s not putting all his eggs in one basket. All supermax, all coming out of the military budget so price basically isn’t an object…”
Jim scoffed a laugh.
“I know he wants us to do the dirty work of neutralizing people who are, you know” – Jim leveled his gaze at Maria – “bodily enhanced. Mutants, magical people – folks you can’t just take a fun or a suit from.”
He sat up and leaned over the table toward Maria.
“Is that how Ross got you? ‘Cause if he’s holding something over you, I’ll do this myself and take all the heat for it. You have to be in this one hundred percent or we’re just proving people like Cap right about registration.”
I know he wants us to do the dirty work of neutralizing people who are, you know – bodily enhanced. Mutants, magical people – folks you can’t just take a fun or a suit from.
His eyes went right to Maria when he mentioned bodily enhancements. For a moment she felt uneasy, because all things considered, she had a choice to go back. But because she willingly enhanced herself, it would be unfair to ‘go back to normal’ just because of a threat. She has to deal with all the consequences of her actions. To a normal person that probably sounded stupid.
Is that how Ross got you?
“It wasn’t for my...enhancements. I owe him a few favors.” Her knuckles went white after balling her fists. A few was putting it lightly - she owed many people in the Government a number of favors. While this covered most of them, she wouldn’t have agreed for simply owing a favor. Her involvement was for much deeper reasons; at the current juncture, she felt James didn’t need to know that.
“I’m in this. You’re right, it’s not about us. It’s about containing the problem. These are our friends, and we have the advantage to make sure they’re comfortable. I know how far Ross is willing to go...but I also know Hank McCoy is pushing for revisions as quickly as possible, so hopefully things won’t get much worse.
“Call it what you want, Hill, but we need you on our side. You were quite the bitch of Shield, after all.”
Maria was glad this was a phone call, because her hands were shaking. She was told in January that everything was taken care of...and that she wouldn’t need to worry about this ever again. Once again her whole life was turning upside down, no matter how hard she tried staying out of the spotlight.
“You don’t have any right to ask this of me. I’ve kept this information under wraps for seven months, as instructed.”
“I’m the Secretary of Defense, and it’s my duty to protect the citizens however I can. You’ve worked with the Avengers since their conception, and you know them better than any of us do. Besides, everything we’ve acquired from Shield requires a code - one that you have.”
“Couldn’t you just hack it and leave me out of this?”
“Come on. You know Fury better than that. He wouldn’t let just anybody hack into his stuff, especially not us.”
“I don’t want to help you.”
“You know we have much more on you than just this one incident. If this has got you scared, why don’t I pull up something else? Say...some of the mutant testing trials you approved?”
“Don’t!” She shouted. “Please.”
She heard the secretary laughing from the other end. “Just say the words and I’ll make sure this stuff never sees the light of day.”
Maria bit her lower lip as it trembled. “Fine. I’ll help.”
-- --
October 18th
It wasn’t three months later, the day after the registration period had ended, when Maria found herself sitting face to face with Secretary Ross. He pretended to be lenient, but he was a General. Tough and unbending as ever. Maria refused to give up any information on a secret team they uncovered, the Rescuers. They discovered she was on the team because some found footage showed her using her powers. It was from the break-in at Shield to retrieve some of Betty’s files, hardly even a year prior.
They were in an interrogation room, one without cameras and soundproof. The only recording device was a pen and paper sitting in front of Ross. He was treating her like a criminal, and she wouldn’t show it in front of him, but she felt extremely guilty. Everything that had happened in the past few months were out of control, even if outwardly they tried to keep a calm appearance. The team she was part of was renovating prisons, and she hoped working with James would keep some of their ideas in check. He could only do so much, especially when their projects were being kept separate.
After a while, Maria wouldn’t talk to him, and she wouldn’t discuss what was going on in “her” projects. She was being shown torture chambers; places so isolated that one could hear their own heartbeat and blood pumping through veins. Cells that could protect the outside world at the cost of the person inside. She couldn’t approve these ideas on any moral level. The Raft should have been enough for the more ‘dangerous’ and high profile individuals. However, the US Government was expecting war and extreme backlash from the superhuman community, with good reason. They wanted to tempt refugees out of their hiding places, and provoke people who wanted to be left alone. They wanted to contain and store away every superhuman they could, and as she looked down at herself, she wondered when they would lock her away.
Sitting in that room with Ross, she felt like this would be her cage if she never talked. And at this point, she was ready to never say anything again.
In the back of her mind, she could hear Ward saying, “Isn’t it fun to sell out your friends?”
“Commander Hill,” Ross’s voice filled the empty room. “I think it’s time for you to talk.”
“You don’t want this information. Just leave them all alone. Anyone who hasn’t signed just wants to be at peace.”
“Tell that to Captain America.”
Steve was, frankly, an idiot. He somehow found a way to react horribly to the registration. She knew that the law had been twisted and contorted by the lawmakers to be persecutive of superhumans and anything that fell into their defined category. Nobody was ‘in the right’, but they had to deal with what they had until things were reasonable again.
“The government is giving him a reason to react. It’s giving everyone a reason to react. You can’t expect everyone to ‘come quietly’, that’s not how this works.”
Ross stared at her for a minute or so before leaning over and picking up a box off the ground. “Do you know what this is, Hill?”
Maria honestly couldn’t guess. It looked like an ordinary case, it could have anything inside. She shook her head ‘no’.
“Inside here we have three serums. One turned one of my best soldiers into a giant red monster. The second is what everyone is calling the Mutant Cure. And the third has the mutant growth hormone, the very same one that gave you your powers.”
She frowned. “You know we have you on record stating that you wanted to create an army of super-soldiers with the one used on Blonsky. Those were supposed to be destroyed.”
“They were taken by Shield, but when you unlocked all of their formulas, we managed to recreate it in only a few months.”
“I know what was in those files, I’m not stupid, Ross,” She paused. “How did you get the third one? Hank McCoy refused to release any of his formula.”
“Let’s just say the mutant testing gave us much more than Shield had ever hoped for.”
Maria felt her heart sink. They weren’t looking to create mutants, but they had samples for just about everything under the sun. She quietly took in a deep breath, trying not to let herself tense up. “What do you plan to do with this? What does this have to do with me?”
“As you said, there are plenty of people who oppose us. I’ve already stated that I would love an army of super-soldiers. Ones that will be loyal to us, no matter what, and ones that can be controlled. I doubt you want us to create more powered individuals, like yourself.”
She folded her arms against her chest. “You’re insane. This is against the law.”
“Then tell me who the Rescuers are, and I’ll lock these away where no-one can get to them. We’ll continue having the registered heroes fight for us instead.”
Maria could see the smug look on his face. Part of her thought he might be bluffing, at least about the mutant serum. The government wouldn’t risk creating more monsters like the Hulk, and it took one of the smartest men in the world to create the MGH serum. She didn’t want to hurt her friends by putting them in danger, but according to the law, he couldn’t do anything until they used their powers out in public. She had the power to destroy him.
“Alright. If you really want to know.”
Ross put the box back on the ground and picked up the pen.
“Excellent. I need names, and what they can do.”
“The first is me, whom you already know. I was injected with the mutant growth hormone, and I can create a shield. The next is Gwen Stacy, barely in her twenties. She was also injected with the mutant growth hormone, where she obtained spider-like abilities, similar to Spider-man. Currently her whereabouts are unknown.”
His eyebrow raised, but he didn’t say anything and she continued.
“Pepper Potts was on the team. She uses Stark Tech, but doesn’t have any bodily enhancements. The Peggy Carter clone is simply that - a clone of the original Peggy Carter. Both of them have signed.”
She stopped before the next name - Jane quit the team. She had twins, and had just gotten married in August. At one point Maria was invited, but she didn’t attend. She didn’t want to face any of her friends at the time, and after the meeting didn’t want to see them ever again. She took in a deep breath as Ross looked up for her to continue.
“The fifth person on the team is Jane Foster. She was forcibly enhanced against her will by AIM. I don’t know much about her power, but it’s like electricity. I do not know her stance on registration. And the last person...is Betty. Betty Ross.”
The smug grin left his face and the grip on his pen was so hard his knuckles were turning white. “What did you say?”
“Betty Ross. Your daughter. She was on the team with me.”
He set the pen down and slowly rose to his feet. “She would have told me.”
“With all due respect, sir, considering how you persecuted Banner a few years ago and are helping condemn an entire subset of people like Betty, I think it’s better she didn’t tell you anything.”
He grit his teeth and pressed his fingers down into the table. “Don’t think that this information gives you any sort of power.”
“I told you that you didn’t want to know.”
Ross was silent, he looked like his head was about to explode. “We’re done here,” He said as he swiftly turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
When nobody else walked in after him, she stood up and walked to the other side of the table. She bent down and picked up the box and clicked it open. Inside were three vials filled with different colored liquids. Yellow, clear, and blue. She looked at the table where his pad of paper was and picked that up as well. Before anyone else could come in, she rushed towards the door.
Maria had to get these vials to Hank as quickly as she could. If the government had truly figured out his formula, he needed to know as soon as possible.
“I was contacted by the Secretary of Defense. He asked me to help design prisons for our friends.”
Jim took a seat at the table, nodded slowly, and propped an elbow on the table and his temple in his hand. Their friends – and civilians, kids, mutants who had no say in being superhuman. It wasn’t ideal, but there was no getting around it.
“I was told you were contacted by Secretary Ross for the same thing. I just wanted to ask you why you agreed.”
Jim smiled wryly.
I’m a weapon’s specialist. That includes safe storage.
“Better the devil you know than the one you don’t,” Jim said. “If people we know are going to get arrested – and they are, we both know it – then I want to know exactly where they’re going and that they’re safe.”
Maria felt her stomach sink. His reasoning was so noble in comparison to hers. She didn’t want to agree because of her current standing as a powered being. It would draw too much attention, possibly to the Rescuers. Even if they weren’t all on agreeing terms, she wanted to protect them as much as she could. It was easier if she stayed out of the fight, but the Secretary of Defense wasn’t going to let her say no.
On some level, his reasoning made her feel a bit better about being on board, though. Having someone like James working with her instead of a bunch of jocks with no regard for the lives of the labeled ‘super-humans’ was reassuring that this wouldn’t be a complete disaster. He was very level-headed and had more pull than she did when it came to arguing for what was humane. Nothing so far about the plans they had drawn up sounded humane.
“I wasn’t exactly given a choice,” She quietly said.
“I don’t know what you know, but right now the main place for holding anti-registration people is going to be The Raft. I know when I talked with the Secretary, I know he was looking into some other places as well. Old Shield facilities, mostly. They’re all cleared out now, and it’s a quick rebuild versus trying to fix up the prisons we already have...”
Pepper moved smoothly back to Maria’s side, looking at the boxes around. “I’d suggest moving back from that. I’ll take care of it.” The suit would protect her from anything that came from that machine, but Maria would be too exposed for her own safety.
“What should we do with it? Disarm it? Bring it in? Detonate it?” Pepper asked, frowning. “I’d suggest letting me try a hand at disarming it if you can get everyone out of here. I don’t want anyone here in case I can’t get it taken care of properly.”
Pepper suggested disarming it, but Maria wasn’t so sure. Even with Stark Tech, her Shield instincts were telling her they needed to examine it first. In case it blew, she didn’t want to risk Pepper getting injured or losing a ton of evidence.
“I think we should bring it in. We might learn more about it while its armed than if it’s disarmed,” She explained. It looked like a huge spool of wires connected to a battery. It reminded her of a generator. “That’s assuming it’s an explosive at all. Still, I’d feel safer if we had backup before poking around further.”
[MESSAGE TO: Peggy Carter, Jane Foster, Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff, Betty Ross, Gwen Stacy]
June 19th
[17:48] I don’t think we should dismiss the idea right away, Betty.
[17:50] At the very least we should consider it. If nothing else we need to weigh the risks of the possibility that when/if these laws go into place and they find out that we’re enhanced.
[17:51] Besides. I can’t in good conscience refuse to make myself known if these go into play. I can’t risk the repercussions to the company like that. At the end of the day our choices don’t just affect us.
[MESSAGE TO: Peggy Carter, Jane Foster, Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff, Betty Ross, Gwen Stacy]
[17:55] Maria’s right. We need to register. Not all of us can pretend. Some of us have long-standing government records and affiliations to uphold. That has to mean something. I endorse the movement to sign sooner rather than later and amend as need be from within. Not every piece of legislature will be clean and neat. This certainly is not. That can change. What can’t change is wavering support in a time of crisis.
[MESSAGE TO: Peggy Carter, Jane Foster, Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff, Betty Ross, Gwen Stacy]
[18:03] As an affiliate of the Avengers who has done a good deal of work for the government, I have to agree with Maria and Peggy. I know that this bill is too harsh. I agree that it’s unnecessary for many of us. But if we sign now, we’ll at least have a chance to influence how this is going to turn out.
[18:05] It’s easier to work from the inside in these types of situations. Trust me on that.
[MESSAGE TO: Peggy Carter, Jane Foster, Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff, Betty Ross, Gwen Stacy]
[18:10] Betty - One way or another, they’ll find out. We can’t all hide our abilities forever. But by agreeing and signing now, we’re avoiding negative press. We can skate by unnoticed if everyone is registering en masse.
Jane Foster has left the group chat at 18:11
[18:12] I guess we all know her opinion on this...
