Chapter |Twenty-One
Tony Stark was frustrated, he has been for the past few weeks. No matter what he did or who he tracked, there was no leads on Marinette, her location or even Lucas. The man had to be an evil genius, it was all that Tony could come up with. It seemed like Lucas was using a very heavily encrypted system if he was making moves. yet Tony couldn't really say because he hasn't had any movement on Lucas- not even within his company. He had someone standing in for him and making all the moves as the face of the company.
Smart. He was smart and he knew it and it was pissing Tony off. He tried to sleep but found it hard to not knowing where the teenaged guardian was. Tony knew Stephen was worried too, especially since he couldn't really make out Marinette's futures. The sorcerer supreme admitted to him that yes he has the ability to see the different outcomes of the future, given the time stone he had, but since Marinette was taken something happened where he couldn't predict the future with her in it. Like somehow she blocked him.
Tony just couldn't let go, not even a little bit when Pepper had come into his office one night to ask him to come to bed. He knew how it felt to lose both parents at the same time, how that greif can turn you into someone you weren't until you were ready to deal with the emotions. He knew that Marinette was emotionally vulnerable, impressionable and who the hell really knows what Lucas was capable of. Tony just knew he couldn't stop looking, but he had no where left to look.
"You look horrible." Steve says, leaning against the door to Tony's lab. "Have you even ate, or slept?"
Tony looked at him, "She's somewhere out there and god knows what they are doing to her."
Steve understood the worry, she was just a kid. A very important and powerful one at that, but she was still a kid nothing less. She didn't deserve half the things that had been thrown her way, but that's life. Life isn't fair to anyone, and some of them were just less lucky to be on the shorter end of the stick. The Avengers dedicate themselves to saving people and hero's work, and Steve knew that Marinette was like them in that way. She heart heart, like Peter.
"We'll find her Tony. She's is just off the grid right now, but people always come back from being off the grid." Steve reminds him, "He won't kill her, not when he had so many opportunities to do so-"
"He won't kill her." Tony cut him off, his brown eyes serious, "But he wanted to break her. He got close to her. He had to watch her from even before she left Paris, Natasha and Clint have proof of that. Then when she came here to New York on her internship, he was right there. He saw an opening, got close to her learned about her and took it away. He wanted to break her and that is always worse than death."
Steve knew Tony cared about Marinette, but it was until now he realized how much he did. Steve could understand why, it was because Tony saw his younger self in Marinette, and it was the same reason he had took to Peter. Steve doubt Tony even realized how much he cared for these kids.
"Peter.. I've never seen the kid so down and trying to keep it together." Tony continued, "His Aunt, May, she asked me to keep an eye on him. I guess sometimes at night when he thinks she's asleep, he'll sneak out and wander the city. Sometimes he'll end up at Marinette's old apartment trying to see if there were any clues left behind we might have missed."
"He loves her." Steve gave a sad smile, remembering his own first love and the pain he now that she was gone. Peggy had been an amazing woman, and Steve sometimes wished that he had that chance to be with her, but fate had different plans for both him and Bucky. "We just need to watch him and keep him busy. I think that Adrien kid already caught on to that, half the time he has Peter in the lab teaching him different things about quantum physics."
Tony nodded at that, knowing that yes Adrien Agreste was extremely smarter than he lead on and wanted to know more about quantum physics. Peter had made a friend out of the other teenager, but even then Tony knew they were all distracting themselves. They were all worried and trying to figure our what the next step was.
Steve's face took on a grim expression then as his phone went off, "Gina Dupain contacted Nat from Italy right now. Apparently there was an incident in Venice, involving Lucas and Marinette."
Tony frowned as he instantly used F.R.I.D.A.Y to play the news, and there it was in the headline Massacre of Italy General Salvatore and his personal security. "There was at least twenty people killed, Marinette would never kill another person. What does this had to do with her?"
To answer his question there was a footage played, very low quality security footage of an elevator camera but there and behold was Marinette standing right next to Lucas. Her hair was long and neatly combed, half pinned up and light makeup done on her face. She looked at ease next to Lucas. It was off, something was off with her expression and how blank it looked.
"She goes by the name Anya, according the the secretary who arranged a meeting with Lucas and the General in Venice." Steve continues as more information came to his phone, "Witnesses say there was a golden glow, and that it is believed that this Anya can be enhanced."
Tony looked at Steve quizzically as he took in what the super solider was saying, "You're thinking that-"
"That perhaps Lucas did something like they did to Bucky? Yes, maybe. Natasha thinks it might be something similar to how the Red Room worked too, but we aren't sure." Steve says, not liking the idea of another H.Y.D.R.A situation. Yet it was something they faced and could do so again, "But they were last seen in Venice, Italy and so far she's okay. Alive."
Tony nods as his determination was reignited. "F.R.I.D.A.Y, give me all security footage for Venice Italy, including airports, private ports and even ocean ports. I want all facial recognition programs to scan for both Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Lucas Valentino."
"Yes Mr. Stark." F.R.I.D.A.Y's voice says, running the program and keeping both Steve and Tony anticipated for anymore clues and answers.
"We'll find her Tony." Steve reassured, hoping it was sooner than later.
Luka never really traveled much outside of Paris, in fact he never really thought he would get to leave the city he called home to travel. He had dreams, yes, to be a guitar player but he had still been trying to figure that out and how to achieve that goal without any help. Yet New York was also a city filled with life and was a lot more different than Paris. It gave him a better sense on why Marinette would want to stay.
He didn't leave the tower much, and maybe that was because he wasn't sure what to do with his time. As much as he wanted to help with the search for Marinette, Luka also knew there wasn't much he could contribute to actually help- so he opted for staying out of the way and helping when asked to help. He wished he could do more, but even the kwami's couldn't get in touch with Tikki and that was saying a lot.
Most of the day Luka spent looking over books in the personal library of the tower, just reading things here and there to pass by the time. Kagami had taken up training with Nino in the training room, teaching the darker teenager how to fight. Then there was the occasional Avenger who helped the two train better. Nino wanted to train and learn to fight so he could be a better protector, with and without his miraculous. It was something noble of him, and still Luka wasn't sure why he didn't want to learn himself.
Luka wasn't sure if he should really be here, but every now and then Kagami would drag him out to train. Today was one of those days, and Nino happened to be there as well as Chloe. Adrien often trained with Peter after their day in the lab, and Alya seemed to keep her distance for now. Seeing the other two teens, Luka sighed softly.
"Don't be so happy to see us Couffaine." Chloe says, zipping up her training jacket and tying her hair into a higher ponytail.
"It's not that." Luka says, a half shrug being given. "Do I really need to train?"
Chloe gave him a look, "We probably should be training in the case we need to actually fight. It helps us with being in and out of the miraculous suit. Plus we have never really been training before we came to New York."
Luka knew she had a point, but it still didn't change the fact that this was all an adjustment for them all. It wasn't just a move for them, it was completely uprooting them from the city they knew and love to a city that was strange and different. It was the also the language barrier and the looks people gave when they realized you weren't from around here. It was something Luka hadn't really been too ready for, yet here he was.
"Enough chit-chat." Kagami commands the room with just her tone, "Natasha got pulled away on some last minute mission, but I have trained enough to teach you the basics so when she comes back you can hold your own somewhat against her."
Chloe raised an eyebrow, "You want me to go one on one against a trained assassin?" The look she gave the other girl was an incredulous one, "Do you want me to die early?"
"She won't kill you." Kagami corrected, shaking her head. "It's a training session for a reason Chloe. We are learning techniques. She's one of the best fighters here."
"You know what, she can kick my ass and I'll still be okay with it." Chloe says, more so to herself as she convinced herself to stay there. "Okay, show me what you got, Tsurugi."
Luka and Nino took a step back as Kagami went through the basic movements, and watched as Chloe went up against Kagami. Surprisingly the blonde was a decent fighter without Pollen's help. She ducked and rolled in time to dodge Kagami's punches, and she even threw some back.
"You surprise me Bourgeois." Kagami mutters as she rolls her shoulder, "You can pack a punch."
"It's the built up anger issues." Chloe honestly replies, a small shrug rolling from her shoulders as she flexed her hand were there was sure to be a bruise from where she made contact. She then tossed a look to the guys over her shoulder, "Are you two just going to sit around and watch all day or participate?"
Nino scratched the back of his neck, "I feel like I'm about to get beaten up."
"Now this isn't really training." A voice called from the railing above them, gaining the attention of the four teens to see that Clint Barton was there watching them. "The beginning of training is the most brutal part. You are used to having magic by your side to help you, but this training is to start to teach you how to not depend on the magic in the event you can't use it.:
Clint knew these kids had potential, they just needed to be taught how to use said potential. They needed the chance to learn. Wanda knew how to fight after some training, just because sometimes her powers could be unpredictable. They had been more wild at first until they learned how to help her control them. This was the same situation in a way, just different people and issues. He wanted to make sure these kids knew how to fight and protect themselves without outing themselves at the same time.
"There are wraps in the lockers off to the side. Go put some on and we'll get started." Clint tells them, motioning to the said lockers and making his way down to wrap is own hands up as well. This would be something new to him, no one ever let him have the reigns in training to teach, but he was the one left to watch over the teens while the others went to track the one lead they got.
"Chat Noir and I are a team. If you take me on, you take Chat Noir on too."
"Unstoppable."
"We can do this. You have to trust me."
"Nobody can know who we are, not even us."
"Let's go back to what's always worked, a duo. It's you and me against the world M'lady."
"I don't know if I can do this. I can't imagine being Ladybug without him."
"Sound's like both you and I need cheering up tonight."
"I respect you, and sometimes I can get jealous of you. You're the girl everyone likes, and your parents are welcoming. A lot more than my own, and that life full of love and attention- I wish I had it sometimes."
"Go to New York with my mom, Mari."
"I believe you're capable of learning the mystic arts and all that it has to offer, and that it will help you become a greater Guardian of the Miraculous in the future. Perhaps even the best one yet."
"Be happy, sweetheart. All I want is your happiness."
"Aunt May would kill me if she found out I let a girl walk around lost. Especially someone from somewhere cool like Paris. I'm Peter Parker, by the way!"
"You're younger than what I was expecting for a Guardian of the Miraculous."
"I wasn't expecting a wizard to greet me either but here we are."
"There is a lot that Marinette is still learning as a Guardian in training. Master Fu hasn't told her about the Infinity Stones yet."
"You're so cute! Just like Peter mentioned!"
"Peter interns for Tony Stark- but more for the science aspect than fashion."
"You'll always have me mmm-Marinette."
"Who's Peter?"
"Who is he too you Mari?
You deserve to be happy, and you weren't happy here in Paris anymore. Not truly. You perfected the smile and the I'm fine's. I saw the signs, and now I can relax in knowing you're healing. You're okay and safe and have someone there for you who cares about you. You're an extraordinary young woman Marinette, you just need to believe in your abilities more."
"Want to help me build a lego Star Wars ships?"
"You like to make things, don't you?"
"Make things and building things are two different things dork. I usually sew and draw, not create lego sets."
"You can stay over one of these nights so we can watch them all. May won't mind, and you'll have access to limitless caffeine."
"Maybe there's more for you here in New York than Paris."
"I was having a hard time deciding what movie and so I called MJ and she said that you would probably like the movie, and it was something you might not have seen in Paris. It's an American classic."
"You won't ever be alone or left behind. Not while I'm around, I'm here to stay."
"I don't even have a home Peter. I lost my home the moment my parents died."
"I love you, and you could never be a burden Mari."
Her mind was hurting with the voices going on inside her head. She could feel the thudding in her head increase each second, yet she couldn't pry her eyes open. She knew if she could open her damn eyes then this pressure in her head would cease to exist, but it was as if someone had super glued her eyes shut so they would remained closed. These voices reiterated each sentence word for word, some of them were familiar but she couldn't place a name or face to the voices.
All she knew was that it hurt and that it was loud, and that she didn't like it. She couldn't even find it in herself to be curious about her situation at hand. She just wanted this to be over with and be out of this state of mind she was seemingly stuck in . Then the scene in her mind changed from a black void with screaming voices to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
She looked around her, took in how high up she was and for a way to get down. As beautiful this scene was, it made her nervous being so high up. Funny enough, she couldn't find a way down, not a single stair case or elevator shaft. Then how the hell did she get up here?
"They really did a number on you huh?"
When she turned around, she took in the dark haired woman dressed in purple. She knew somehow that she's never met this woman, didn't know her at all. It caused a frown to appear on her face trying to place her face to a name. Hell, even to one of the voices in her head at this point.
"Do I know you?"
The woman gave a small laugh, "Oh hun, you don't even know who you are. Do you remember Marinette, who you are?"
Marinette.
The name sounded familiar. Oh, that was her name. She realized her name was Marinette, slowly but surely the pieces were falling into place.
"Do I know you?" Marinette repeats, her hand going up to scratch the back of her neck. It was movement she knew, but she wasn't sure if it was her own she usually did.
"Not at all, but I know all about you." The woman took a step closer to her, "You're basically a divinity. The Sorceress, and you let them do this to you? For what reason?"
Marinette's frowned deepened as she looked back out over the city, "I..I don't know. Why did I do that?" She looked back at the woman. "Do you know?"
"You have a caring heart, didn't want people to get hurt because of you. Yet that pain makes you stronger, and so does the anger Marinette. They took everything from you and made you their doll. Do you remember that?"
"You don't have to feel this hopeless feeling of greif and anger anymore. All the pain you've bottled up for so long, the weight of the world on your shoulders... I can make it all go away. Just like that."
"Then a will is something you won't have. Get her prepped."
"I think so?" Marinette put a hand to her head, it was pounding even harder and then she repeated, "Do I know you?"
"They are controlling you dear, you need to wake up now." The woman takes a step closer to Marinette, putting a hand to her cheek. "Agatha's the name hun, but lets wake you up the best we can. "
Marinette felt her body flare up in heat as she was thrown off the side of the Eiffel Tower, free falling until she hit the ground.
Marinette gasped awake in a cold sweat, her eye sight blurry for a moment before it cleared. Her chest was heaving as a pain flared through the back of her neck. She cried out as a thud went through her head. She saw memories flying through, some with people in Paris, some with Lucas and her, and then there were the memories of those she hurt. She wasn't sure what was real or fake anymore.
Alarms started from all around her, which caused Marinette to look up. She remembered the people she called parents being killed by Lucas, but she wanted to believe Lucas was her family and at the same time she felt the urge to hurt him as well as protect him. It left her confused, and frustrated beyond anything.
The doors of her room swung open, men with guns filled the room with Nadia following them in as they trained the guns on Marinette. Marinette's blue eyes snapped up towards Nadia who was approaching her as if she was an animal backed into a corner. Curiously, Marinette tilted her head to the side slightly as she watched Nadia silently.
"Anya, I need you to take a deep breath and calm down. We need to fix your pacemaker before you get seriously sick." Nadia tells her softly, deciding to try something to see if she could reactivate Anya. "There are three flowers in a vase, the third flower is blue."
Marinette's eyes rolled back as she fell to the floor, causing Nadia to rush to check on her project's pulse. Placing two fingers at her neck, Nadia was relieved when she felt a strong pulse. Looking down, Nadia was surprised to see Marinette looking back at her with golden eyes.
"My name is. not. Anya." Marinette hissed, her hands glowing golden as she shot Nadia back into the wall. Getting up quick, Marinette flicked her wrist down and felt a sense of satisfaction when another wave of energy shot the men through the walls and past a few rooms. Wincing at the pain in her head and neck, Marinette made a run for it.
The halls seemed like a maze, and the more turns she made the more restless to get out she became. It felt like she was running for hours, but realistically it had been minutes at most. Mildly, she became aware of the fact she hadn't seen another person for a while and yet the moment she took a sharp right she came to an abrupt halt seeing Lucas there with a barricade of armed men.
"Have you tried to channel magic of your own yet through the learnings?"
The voice rang through her mind loudly as did the kinesthetic memory of becoming one with the Mystic Arts. She could recall the weird feeling of magic she felt each time, of the magic rushing inside of her and redirecting her focus on where she wanted to go. This time she didn't need to close her eyes, not when she looked Lucas in the eyes as she willed that magic through her. She wanted to be anywhere but here, and so when the orange portal opened in front of her she didn't hesitate to jump through. The moment she was on the other side she snapped the portal closed, looking back when she heard a yell and saw a limb being clean cut on the floor.
Getting up shaking, Marinette looked around her and took a deep breath. She was confused, having memories she didn't remember an hour ago about a life she also didn't remember until an hour ago with people she was barely remembering that she knew for a lifetime. Yet she had a life time of memories with Lucas and their parents. Then there were the flashes of her killing people with powers she was half way sure were real. Gripping her head with one hand, Marinette's other hand steadied herself on the alley wall she popped into. What was real? What was fake?
Taking a deep breath, Marinette began to walk out of the alley and tried to make sense of where she was. She was in a busy city, she could tell by the fact that she fell into a crowd of people the moment she stepped out of the alley she ended up in. Listening she didn't hear anyone speaking english or french. She was confused even more, and deep down a part of her started to panic. Moving wildly between the crowd, Marinette eventually stubbled into a blonde woman.
"Woah, woah there." She steadied Marinette up right.
"Where am I?" Marinette asked, surprising herself when a french accent slipped, then hoped by luck this woman understood her.
"Shanghai." She says, "Are you lost?"
The woman had her own accent, Russian maybe?
"I think I am." Marinette muttered, eyes drawn to the floor as she thought for a moment. She knew there was somewhere she needed to be. Paris? New York? Los Angeles? She wasn't sure but the one word that kept going through her head she was almost sure it was her name, "I think my name is Marinette."
The blonde woman stared at her for a moment, "Okay well Marinette, I'm Yelena. Do you um, have anyone out here that's looking for you?" Yelena found the girl in front of her a bit weird and off, but then again she experienced weirder things. Of course that included being a widow for the red room and being chemically subjected to her own mind.
Ever since parting ways with Natasha, Yelena had been doing exactly what she said she was going to do. She had taken it upon herself, and with some of the other freed widows to search the world for the remaining widows that had be subjected the same way she once was. Usually she had an instinctual feeling knowing who she needed to help, and as positive as she was this girl wasn't a widow she knew she needed help. There was something weird about her, how she was running in the crowds. She knew that run, it was one she did sometimes when she was a younger girl. It was running aways from something, someone.
Marinette shook her head, frowning. "I think they're dead. People I think I loved...I think I lost them."
Yelena took in the teenager in front of her, seriously really looking at her and the state she was in. Obviously this girl was off her rockers in the moment, unsure of who she was or what was going on around her. She was going through something she couldn't remember, and in good conscious Yelena couldn't walk away and leave her there without at least making sure she would be okay and not die out on the street. Maybe the memories would come back with time? Maybe the reason she had been running was because of the people who caused this.
Yelena frowns, "Are you injured? Did you hit your head?"
"Broken chip in my neck." Marinette admitted, "Making my head fuzzy.
Yelena hummed, and then clapped her hands. The was clearly something more going on here, and if Yelena were this girl she would want someone to help her. Hence she lived most her younger life in isolation as a widow without a family and then was chemically subjected. There was a moment, out there in Utah, that she had a family. She remembered that feeling of belonging before it was devastatingly ripped away from her. It was something she would never wish on anyone.
"Okay crazy pants. I can't leave you here so let's go and get that thing out of your neck. Maybe then you'll have some answers and I can let you be free again without feeling guilty to feel the urge to leave you alone."
"Okay?" Marinette mutters, unsure if Yelena was admitted she was helping for the sake of her own conscious or out of the goodness of her heart. "Can we get cookies though?"
"Cookies?" Yelena raised an eyebrow.
"After of course." Marinette says softly, "I just find comfort in cookies, or anything sweet really."
Yelena could understand that, so she nodded and lead the way between the crowd of people. She just really hoped she didn't bite off more than she could chew.
This was one of my favorite chapter to write so far because I finally got to bring in one of the best MCU characters that I fell in love with... Yelena 😭❤️ Like the havoc this woman can create and her commentary are top tier!
Anyways I hope you enjoyed this chapter! That you for the continuous support! I truly appreciate it!
Anyways I'm ready to write more Adrien and Peter interactions with the others and Yelena with Marinette 😂 Stay safe everyone!
