Isn't it lovely, all alone
Heart made of glass, my mind of stone
Tear me to pieces, skin to bone
Hello, welcome home
lovely; by Billie Eilish and Khalid
Moira McNamara was a mysterious person. That much was obvious. Somehow, regardless of location, she always seemed to know where a newly-transformed Inhuman was. Because of that, Moira would always travel great distances to persuade that new Inhuman to come with her. She'd promise help and support, she promised a safe haven and the chance to fully grasp the situation. Moira knew that people, regardless of circumstance, would wholeheartedly believe in someone who promised support and help. She exploited the vulnerability in those new Inhumans, but they didn't see it that way. The admired her for her devotion. They looked up to her because of her strength. They didn't know just how dark she could be. Not even Ava was aware of that, and Moira turned her into a trained killer. It was almost unbelievable, how easily Moira could manipulate other Inhumans. She knew exactly what to say, exactly which emotions to express. To some, it could be considered scary. But to the Inhumans, especially those having just experienced Terrigenesis for the first time, it's a relief. It's a breath of fresh air. In a time where they couldn't be more terrified, more confused, someone would come and give them the necessary reassurance about their current situation. That's how it went down for Ava, after her mother forced her into Terrigenesis. Moira claimed she'd be able to help Ava, that it was her job to do so. While Moira couldn't help with all the psychological damage that ensued, the assistance she could offer was better than nothing. In Ava's eyes, however, despite her mentor's mysteriousness, she looked up to the woman. Moira was dedicated, she did everything in her power to ensure the Inhumans in her care succeeded. Naturally, there were some who had trouble adapting and had to be let go, but new recruits were always brought in. Her ever-growing pool of candidates seemed never-ending.
"Our people need structure," Moira once said. "Newly-transformed Inhumans are unstable. They're incapable of taking care of themselves, so that's when I step in. Your pain is my pain. Your fear is my fear. I'll provide you a better life. I promise you that."
Those words rung in Ava's head like a bell. Moira promised to provide a better life to the Inhumans in her care. She offered to shoulder some of their pain. How many people would offer to do something like that? Having to deal with inexperienced, practically uncontrollable Inhumans seemed almost impossible; but Moira made it seem so easy. So many people wanted to know how she could be so calm, so persuasive. How could she possibly keep so many Inhumans under her care and not go crazy? Those questions, plus so many more, were asked over and over again, but the only response Moira would give was a smile. Whatever her reasoning, she'd keep it to herself. She didn't want to share her true intentions. She knew that if she did, she'd scare off everyone around her. Even when she was training her Inhumans to kill, to fight, she wouldn't answer anyone's questions. Moira didn't feel like it was any of their business, even if they were devoting their time, their lives, to her. All she'd give was a smile. The same smile she'd always give — warm but cold at the same time.
For Ava, though, she never once questioned Moira's motives. In her eyes, nothing could go wrong under Moira's guidance. Terrigenesis left the teen feeling confused and angry. It left her feeling unstable in too many ways. Being able to control her abilities and learn how to fight and kill was productive. It kept Ava busy, it kept her distracted. As long as she did what Moira wanted, then nothing could possibly go wrong. And when Ava managed to succeed in her mentor's training, that's when things started to really look up. Ava did well in everything. She was able to hold her own in fights, she could effectively use weapons when necessary, and she learned to use her abilities in fights if the time called for it. Ava had Moira to thank for that.
Once Ava's career as a vigilante started to evolve, to become bigger, she became even more grateful to Moira. Things were truly looking upward. Fear wasn't such a big part of Ava's life anymore. Sure, when the outbursts came, there were little moments of terror, but it was always short-lived. The outbursts went away, eventually, and so did the fear. It was something Ava learned to deal with. That was how her life turned out. But due to Moira's dedication, Ava was able to do something about her outbursts. She could keep herself focused enough so her violent tendencies didn't jump out as much. It was nice to be able to have that kind of control, that kind of stability.
And as Ava walked, her hands shoved in her pockets and her shoulders hunched over, she prayed she'd make it to her destination on time. Billie provided a very strict window of time, and it was never good to arrive late.
Billie said that the target will be in an apartment building, Ava thought, her brows furrowing a little. All I have to do is break in, take down the targets, and get out.
Letting out a shaky sigh, Ava tried to keep her mind clear. Jobs were usually easy for her - in and out without much trouble. Sure, a handful of targets liked to think they could put up a fight, but Ava was quick to show them she really meant business. Anytime her weapons didn't work, her abilities sure did. After a couple more minutes of walking, the designated apartment building came into view. It was tall, like all buildings seemed to be in New York, and had an older vibe to it. From what Ava could tell, the building was probably used for a lot of illegal activity, which was probably why Billie told her about it.
Stopping for a moment, Ava took the chance to not only observe the apartment building, but to take in the surroundings. New York was extremely lively, Ava was very aware of that, but she had to keep in mind her own safety and wellbeing if she planned on carrying out the hit. Taking out her phone, she dialed Billie's number, to give confirmation on her location. After a few rings, there was an answer.
"Good, you made it there on time." Billie's voice came out stern and unwavering. She had been a loyal worker of Moira's for decades, serving plenty of successors over the years. Billie was, undoubtedly, one of the closest people in Moira's life. "Your target's on the fifth floor; room 5B."
"Anyone else?" Ava asked.
"No, you're lucky. But a phone call was transmitted from the room fifteen minutes ago. Guests are coming, make it quick."
"Thanks." Hanging up the phone, Ava took a deep breath and went inside. She'd been told all the information about her target beforehand, which was a miracle. Billie was very good at keeping her clients informed.
-O-
"Tell me, Billie, do you think she'll do it?" Moira stood behind her friend, glancing at the computer screen curiously. She'd been watching Ava's progression closely, keeping note of everything the young woman did. Ava was very important to Moira, due to her dedication to the cause. It was heartwarming in a way, but also very pathetic. Ava had been in a dark place, so it was easy to manipulate her.
"I don't know, ma'am." Billie glanced up at Moira, a look of uncertainty on her face. "I'd like to say she succeeds; but I can't say for sure."
"Ava has been very good in what she does. What makes you think she'll fail now?"
"Ma'am, this is S.H.I.E.L.D.," Billie said. "They'd figure her out before she even knows what's happening."
A hint of a smirk came across Moira's face. "This isn't just S.H.I.E.L.D.," she said. "Their informants. They have valuable information. I'd like to see if they're willing to share."
"Killing one of their own isn't the way to go about it."
"Since when were you so concerned about Ava's jobs?" Moira hummed, looking down at her friend coldly. "You've never expressed any second-thoughts before."
"I think you're carrying this too far, Moira. One of these days, Ava will fail a job and it'll be on your head."
"Don't worry. Ava's loyal to us - to me. She'd never give us away."
Looking at her computer screen, Billie let out a heavy sigh. While she didn't consider Ava a friend, she did consider her an acquaintance. One who was easy to manipulate and easy to please. It was, in Billie's opinion, heartbreaking to see such an aspiring young woman kill so freely under Moira's control. In Ava's mind, she thought it was for the greater good. She didn't know Moira's true intentions. Billie had known Moira for a longer period of time, she knew what her friend was capable of. The last thing Billie wanted was for Ava to be hurt or killed in some way because of Moira's jobs.
"Let's hope you're right."
(A/N):
First things first - I'm so, so sorry you guys had to wait so long for this chapter. I've been so overwhelmed with school and work that this story completely slipped from my mind. Not to mention this chapter isn't even good. So, I'm letting you guys tell me what you think can be improved in this chapter. For me, constructive criticism not only helps the story improve, but it helps me improve as a writer. So please tell me what you think can be done better. That would help me a lot.
Second, nothing in the MCU belongs to me. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and complete exhaustion from this week. If you've got ideas for OCs, subplots, or anything like that, don't hesitate to PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.
Like I said before, constructive criticism will help the story improve and it'll help me as a writer. Give it where you think it's necessary. I won't be able to make this story better if I don't know what could be improved.
If you want, leave a random fact in the review section.
Have a splendid day, my friends!
Skye Dominguez
