Disclaimer: Dont own Marvel IP.
Avengers Tower, New York
"Wow."
Giggling a little, a dainty hand smacked a muscled wide fair chest. Catching her hand, he caught his breath and gave it a peck and not letting go. "Look at us, living in sin at the Avengers Tower, having non-marriage sanctioned coitus."
Steve chuckled. "You are sinfully sensual."
"Steve, mi amor, you are going to make me self-combust from all these compliments." she hid her blushing cheeks in his neck, wrapping herself tighter around him.
"You know me, I don't like lying, especially to you. I love you, Dara."
"As I love you, Steve." Giving him sweet kisses up his neck and jaw to his mouth. She hummed when he rolled them over, trapping her to the bed.
"And it's not non-marriage sanctioned coitus." Steve reminded her, as he turned to look at her engagement ring he gave her tonight. The reason for this step in their physical relationship. "I fully intend to make you my wife, whether you an independent woman takes the mantle of Mrs Rogers is up to you."
"I'm not that feminist. Taking your name will make me feel more like we are one rather than just a ring. That is material to me. Beautiful though, but still just material." Dara traces the lines of his face, stroking back his dewy dark hair.
"Your idea of importance to substance over the physical is why I want you, milady."
They showed each other just how much they want to keep the other in their life.
Forest of Napa
Watching Hulk go through the exercises that Bruce and Betty came up with to help the meshing of the two beings in one body was special. Why? Because no one else besides Dara gets to see the peaceful effort Hulk puts into helping Bruce. It has to be about helping the other one, they cant be selfish. Anyone else hasn't seen the vulnerable side of the Green Titan.
It has been a long year since SHIELD had fallen, and her kidnapping. Other than nightmares, putting her family under the inconvenience of relocation to an unknown place with different identities, and a state lockdown for Dara, she was happy.
The reveal of HYDRA had resolved several issues Steve had with Clint and Natasha. Who had been going through their own betrayal from the organization. This doesn't mean that Steve missed out on the lesson that there are shared of orange, that people can change when they start bad. It was a tough lesson for him to learn. It could be mostly laid down on the research into Bucky. The amount of things HYDRA made him do, at least the amount they discovered from the drives Tony had Jarvis search.
That search had led to Dara making one startling discovery. She had called up a meeting to tell them about the scriptures.
-11 months ago-
The whole table was filled with light bantering between Tony and Clint. The billionaire was complaining about being taken away from a meeting with Pepper. Clint was saying he can postpone the ten minute meeting for later tonight. After the teasing and chuckles, Dara decided it was time to start.
"Jarvis could you please add my guests to the meeting?"
"Of course, Dara."
"Hey, how come you call her Dara and I'm still Sir." pointed out a tantrumatic Tony.
"Maybe its because Jarvis likes Dara more than you." Nat agitated Tony, which is her favorite activity.
"Actually, it is because Dara is the only one that learnt my base language."
"I created it for you!" "Dara has a power to learn languages!" "That's unfair." "Hey!"
"Alright, everyone leave Jarvis alone. He had a point, I learnt his language and taught him my personal one." Dara told them with a grin.
"Yes, we learnt yours too." Clint replied in her Daranese. "Does this mean this whole conversation will happen like this?"
"No, that would be exhausting for me if some of you forgets some words." she continued to speak as she didn't want any more egotistical talk from Tony about his memory and intelligence. "We will be joined by the ghosts of Phil Coulson and Nick Fury."
They came about on the screen as Hill entered the room. She got a smile from Dara, and Jarvis put on the anti-spy barrier.
"Hey you're looking rather flushed for a ghost Agent." Tony joked. Which opened it up for the others.
"Alright, enough shit, get started Ms Yates." Fury brought them back on topic. Steve had been joining in on the joking a little. Sam was enjoying himself, he didn't know Phil, but it was obvious that the team liked him.
"Thank you, Nick."
"Are you serious!" Tony complained one last time before Darcy smacked him over the head.
"Shut it, Stark, I want to be done enough time for the live YouTube interview so I can call up that hot Dutch YouTuber for a date." Darcy supplied, thus distracting all of them.
"The one that paints on plates?" Jemma asked curiously. Coulson gave her a look and she hid a grin.
"No, it's the one that sings while half naked." Jane said with an eye roll. Hill raised her brows and smiled, she knows which one this is and would like to see the interview as well.
"Good point, I don't want to miss that." Dara said.
"Dara!" Steve exclaimed. The others chuckled.
"As if she is not your exotic half naked singer when you two are alone." Rhodey joked before his best friend could, it would have been cruder then. Tony pouted, but was amused at the blush coming from Rogers.
"No…we.-"
"Steve, don't bother, it is not psychologically possible to change their minds right now." Dara warned him, she could already see the smiles and nods. Thor was not sure what is the appeal of a half-naked singing man. "Anyway, when I first looked at the scriptures I noticed that the one I saw wasn't native to Midgard." She showed the image. Thor looked at it before his eyes widened. "Yes Thor, it is the language native to the Kree."
"This is at least 10 millennia's old, Midgard time." Thor claimed. "It is an instruction manual. What for I do not understand."
"That is because it is one part, when you put all the collected ones together you understand more. But I can read a lot into just this one." She zoomed into it and said "I can see the words that made the larger words, it was a multilayered message."
"Incredible. We didn't notice this." Phil said.
"What does it say, Dara." Jemma asked excitedly.
Having an uncomfortable face Dara rubbed her hands. "That is what I didn't want to tell Calvin Zabo. This has instructions and listed ingredients, I would guess since I don't recognize them."
"To what?" Sam asked.
"HYDRA wants to awaken the dormant powers of Inhumans. That is a difrerent scripture which I am sure HYDRA knows. This one doesn't wake up that dormant power, it is what makes Inhumans."
Jemma gasped, she couldn't believe it. There were some other reactions. Some thought it was amazing discovery that will enhance any human. Others were worried that this would make a weapon. And some were thinking this is very dangerous in the hands of bad people that will only enhance people they can control.
"I wasn't finished." They stopped talking, she sounded a bit ominous. "This process is grotesque, I don't even know how the original Inhumans had survived it to the finish. Another part of it states that every successful Inhuman is to be controlled by a parasite that is controlled by the Kree."
It was a horrible revelation, but she still was not done.
"The thing is that they tested out the parasites in an Inhuman already. They put many in one called Hive." she put up another scripture.
"Its HYDRA!" Thor shouted as he jumped to his feet.
"What?" "Hive is HYDRA? That makes sense." "Hive is alive?"
"This scripture describes what Hive ended up looking like, the logo of HYDRA. His words were parasitic in convincing others of his message. But I don't think the Kree control Hive anymore. This…" she put up another scripture and pointed out one section that says "claims that the Kree left suddenly when they got called back for the war between them and the Skrulls. And did not return, thus letting the Inhuman Royals to rule the Inhumans to co-exist with the humans on Earth. They however had better technology and moved onto our moon, where they made their city Atilan."
Letting them take in all this information, she stepped back into a chair. The discussion was about what to do with this news against HYDRA. It was obvious to Phil that The Doctor will succeed in the plan to awaken Inhumans. Gemma said they were already only halfway in making the formula that allows this transition. The Avengers then shared a look. They didn't want the existing SHIELD to even try on making the Inhuman making experiment. Dara took it upon herself to suggest it.
"While that issue can be handled by Secret SHIELD, I believe the best action for the Inhuman making formula is to destroy it." She held up her hand when some looked to complain. "Since at this moment I am the only one that knows what it entails, until the Kree return, if they do, I will not be transcribing it. And after this meeting I wish to go ask Professor Xavier to manipulate this specific memory to a blocked space in my head. Then only he knows and he is a very powerful mutant who can keep it to himself. Is this option in agreement."
"Dara are you sure? About blocking this memory, if you are capture, they may try to force it from you." Steve asked worriedly.
"Yes, because no one on Midgard except me knows what is extra inside this scripture. HYRDA has been looking at theirs for a very long time and come up with nothing. Only those in this room are aware of its extent and I trust everyone of you to keep this secret. There cannot be a higher population of Inhumans, the Kree will come back, it is one more enemy out there that will come for this planet. We don't need that, do we?" She asked with some pleading in her tone.
"We don't." Said a resolute Tony. "I'll take to see Charles, and maybe he can secure this memory for me too." She gave him a grateful look. People were surprised it was Tony that stepped forwards in agreement. But then they remember, he has seen what had attacked New York in 2012, that treat is still out there. Nick knows the treat of the Kree, and even the Skrull. There have been enough so far, no need to add on it.
"Stark and Yates are right. Coulson lets contain the situation when The Doctor unleashes the formula. I would prefer it if the whole team had a lock down on this memory." Fury directed them.
"I wouldn't mind." Steve volunteered. The others easily did the same.
"Thank you. This is … really dangerous, I needed to let you all know what we would have been facing, or might in the future." whispered a now relieved Dara. Tony patted her shoulder from beside her.
"Good looking out, Dara." he said while staring out the window.
Now they continued with the planning, and her other scripture interpretation. They had agreed that if secret SHIELD knows the other scriptures then they would leave Dara and her family alone. It would give the idea that they know everything there is to know about awakening Inhumans. It's a ruse that will reduce the watch on Dara. She had agreed to a lockdown in New York, for her own safety. Her blood family was relocated.
The other topic she shared had been about Bucky. Steve and Sam would stop their search, even though Steve was reluctant. He wanted his best friend back. The hardest part of what others learnt from Barnes was revealed. Dara knew Steve was uncertain about sharing this with Tony, but he deserves to know. It was difficult to discern how Tony was taking the news that the Winter Soldier had been the one assigned to assassinate his parents, he had walked out of the room with Rhodey, Pepper and Happy following him. Steve stayed seated with Dara rubbing his shoulders to sooth him. It was painful to know that his best friend had involuntarily killed one of their friends.
It was an hour or something later that Pepper came back with food for the group. She thanked Steve for telling them this fact, now Tony will deal with it. Tony didn't come back, but they expected this, its reasonable. The talk between Steve and Tony will happen when Tony is ready. Pepper had been able to remind Tony that Bucky really had no control over the task to kill his parents. It's a hard pill to swallow. Time can heal some wounds.
Charles Xavier had come to them that very evening. Dara had given him a call before the meeting. He was happy to help and will also keep the secret. His arrival was by teleporting, so his presence went unnoticed. The big surprise that came from his arrival was the person he brought with him. Logan Wolverine. Steve was shocked and then just so happy to see another old friend. Of course Logan doesn't remember him, so it was a little awkward. He didn't find it too difficult to accept that he had fought in the second world war with the Howling Commandos. Him and his brother Victor. Apparently he had a brother, something else to search in his history. It was a busy evening. Charles agreed to see Tony when he can come by on his own time.
-Forest of Napa-
"This is a nice holiday for me." she playful threw a ball at Hulk to distract him. She giggled at the look he gave her. "Sorry, its just I was stuck in New York for a whole year."
"Dara, be quiet." Hulk scolded her. She pursed her lips and zipped it.
Laying down on the grassy planes, she looked up at the blue sky peaking through the many branched leaves of the tall trees around her. Her she didn't just hear Hulk's breathing, she heard the animals talking in a buzz. If she concentrated she can hear the march song of the ants near her. They were going around her body. She could hear a flying sparrows shout in glee from the game they were playing. But when she doesn't concentrate, it's a buzz of sound, like locusts. In the city it was muted by the abundant sounds of humans.
Living with Steve in the tower was wonderful. They moved out of his DC apartment and her New York one as well. All for her security and it was easier to be around the other Avengers. They had a lot of HYDRA bases to track down, searching for the Scepter that Thor wants off Midgard ASAP. Other than Avenging, she got to have a live=in relationship with Steve. Go out in New York for dates. Some of them Brooklyn, visiting his old haunts that were still open. Those that were had been renovated. They had some fights, mostly about her messiness, some moral code issues she was trying to convince him were not supposed to be so rigid, the clothing style he liked and wont change, the Halloween costume disaster, she had realized that she had gained a bit of weight, he didn't say anything about it because he really didn't mind, liked her extra curves. It led to a fight where she was irrationally shouting at him and he was trying to make her feel better. After that she went back to the training Nat had let her skive off of since she was already locked in the tower most of the days in the week.
The fact that she worked in the tower made it impossible for her to have trips where her job usually required her to go. So her duties had been reduced some, most of them done via online presence. She was not a happy woman about that, and Steve had to deal with it when she comes to their floor in a pissy mood. He takes the hits, then he gets the hugs and kisses. Each fight he learns something new about Dara.
One thing was amusing, he knew how to deal with woman when they had their periods. Having been raised by just his mother, he had learnt from her why some months she can have mood swings and aches. The only difference between then and now was him needing to once be present when she needed to buy herself some tampons, massage the small of her back, let her use his hand as a hot pack for her cramps, and mostly change the temperature before she snaps angrily at him. Clint and Tony had a laugh about it when he came for some advice. They shared their own stories. Pepper can apparently be violent during her moods. Clint didn't share his wife's specific issues, just said one of his ex's.
The floor space in their apartment allowed for dance nights. Since neither of them were fans of modern style dancing, she was happy to teach and learn with him the classic ones, and those of his time. Tony made the mistake of showing Pepper the video that he had Jarvis show. He had to endure dance nights too then. At least it was private. He doesn't know that Clint is aware of the dance nights, because he likes sneaking around the ventilation systems.
Clint Barton is not the only one that has snuck around the Vents, Dara did too during one of their nerf gun fights. The teams left it to the two of them to fight it out inside the vents. Clint won because he was surprisingly very flexible and able to sneak through small spaces for his size. At least one every two weeks, there was girls night at the penthouse. That is when Tony had to bunk with Bruce, which turned into guys night out in NYC. They were several meals that everyone had together in the penthouse. Tony's kitchen didn't get used as much, it mostly came from Dara and Steve's kitchen since they made the food and brought it up. Tony keeps theirs stocked up.
They coexist like a family. Its pleasant and horrible depending on the day. So many different kinds of personalities, its unavoidable when they get into loud arguments, or overreact to certain things. Like when Steve was horrified by the Harry Potter movies. He didn't understand why his friends like the series, it was of school kids being used to fight enemies and training them to neutralize a dark lord. Dara had told him to not look at it as an adult, but a teenager who gets to have adventures and avenge his family. So she would warn him every time they would do these series binging. Its cute how invested he gets in those moments.
Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by the hard poke to her shoulder. Opening her eyes, she saw Hulk's large head staring down at her. He grunted and said "Hulk finished. Bruce say we play now."
"Awesome. How about some marco polo."
He gave a big grin and got started by making her cover her eyes. Laughing, she got on it and started counting down.
I know, it was more of a catchup chapter. I got kinda eager to move along.
Thanks for reading. If you have been following, favorited me or given me reviews, thank you soooo much, much love.