Summary: After surviving a hit and run that should have killed her, Riley McLawson now has unusual powers from her near death experience. S.H.I.E.L.D sends the team to recruit her against a new enemy. Only along the way they learn that Riley isn't the enemy but someone else in the group is. Eventual Clint/OC, Steve/Darcy.
From The Shadows
Chapter Three
Song – Sick – By Evanescence
Embrace the silence
Cause there's nothing
That can change the way I feel
Taken all that you wanted
Now there's nothing
That can change the way I feel
Hold on, little girl
The end is soon to come
Sick of it all
Sick of it all
We will not follow
Sick of it all
Sick of it all
They don't understand how
Sick we are
Sick we are
Of this bottomless
Pit of lies
Behind closed eyes
The fly wasn't long, thanks to Tony's formidable inventing skills, making the plane faster. They landed quickly enough, and everyone departed from the plane, stretching their legs.
"So this is England?" Bruce said looking around the busy street.
Riley kept an eye out for Lily; she couldn't bring herself to call her mother.
"She's probably at some fancy hotel"
"There are a lot of fancy hotels." Tony pointed out smartly.
"Then you're all going to have to split up." Fury said, starting down the streets. Everyone else shrugged, and went their own way.
Riley nodded and walked down a street that was mostly cafes and vintage shops. She scanned the streets and froze when she saw a familiar blonde haired woman sitting in the outside part of a restaurant.
"I've got her". She said into her com, and strolled calmly to an alley way, where she hid from view.
The others arrived soon after, and they all huddled together to make a game plan. Trapping her could be harder than they thought.
"How do we do this?" Natasha asked sharply.
"I can lure her here". Riley offered.
"We don't want you getting hurt." Clint cut through, shooting a glance at the sacrificing woman.
"I'm not helpless; she likely has no idea of my powers and will underestimate me." Riley snapped back. She had a point, and the other Avengers agreed with her.
"Alright, you'll go, get her close enough to the rest of us, and we'll stun her."
Riley nodded in understanding and walked down to where Lily was her posture calm.
"Can we trust her?" Natasha asked quietly.
"Of course we can"
"Natasha, shut up for once in your life." Before she could yell back at the comment, Steve shushed all of them, glaring at Tony for the unnecessary comment, and Natasha for disrupting.
Riley walked cautiously over to her mothers, and stopped a couple feet away, took a deep breath, and walked up to her table.
"Hello mother."
Lily looked up startled at seeing the daughter she had abandoned after seven years.
"Riley?"
She gasped in shock, seeing Riley's violet eyes staring back at her coldly, her once dark auburn hair was now a black frame of curls, framing her pale face.
"What are you doing here, Riley?" Lily asked trying to stay calm. She hadn't seen her daughter after abandoning her in Chicago twenty years ago when Riley had been seven years old.
Riley looked at her back coldly "To see how you are alive after supposedly dying in a plane crash in Ohio?" She said softly.
Clint listened intently as Riley spoke to Lily, her voice was calm and even, no tremble in her voice as she spoke to the woman who had abandoned her.
She had guts.
"I'm leaving now, bye Lily" and Riley saw her wince at her using her name instead of calling her mother.
She walked away from the table and out of the restaurant as she saw Lily follow her at a distance. Her blue eyes following, her movements as she walked towards an alley.
She walked through the alley and nodded towards Clint and Steve to give the signal.
She tried to seem casual, relaxed, to not give away her position. Once she walked by the alley where the others hid, Lily had finally caught up to her, grabbing her arm to bring her to a halt.
But before she any word could come out of her mouth, black blurs surrounded them, and Clint was standing beside them, hands on Lily's shoulder.
He had handcuffs in his hand, and with a swift, practiced movement, attached them to her mother's wrist.
"What are you doing? Get your hands off me!" Lily screamed defiantly as Fury began bringing her to the car.
"Lily Eve Collins, you are under arrest for the murder of Senator Franklin De Roy, Linda Marie Evans, and Carter James Johnson" Fury said coldly.
She glared at Riley with a look of pure hate that made everyone tense.
"I should have killed you".
"Well you didn't, so it's your problem." Riley snapped back, hiding her sudden sadness behind a mask of defiance. "Now have fun in jail, mother." She spun around with a clipped movement, and stalked away, not wanting to see the despicable woman another moment longer.
Lily looked around her to see aside from Natasha who looked unemotional, all of the others looked pissed.
Especially Thor and Tony.
"That's your daughter; don't you give a damn about her?" Tony demanded.
"Why do you think I left her?" Lily hissed back, spittle escaping her grimace shaped mouth. "Bitch should have-" She got cut off by a fist to her face. Clint's chest moved with his angered breaths, knuckle bloody from the split lip Lily suffered almost immediately after the punch.
"Shut your mouth or you'll get something much more unpleasant than that." He snarled, massaging his soon to be bruised fist.
Lily sneered "Why are you of all people defending her? Do you know who she is? Who her father is?" She questioned them.
"Who you're parents are doesn't make you who you are. Its, you who makes the choices". Thor growled.
"And don't forget, you're the one who slept with the asshole. I say that's a fraction worse than being born from him, a deed Riley didn't choose." Tony added, fingers tapping madly at his forearm.
"You won't get away with this. Do you know who I am? What I can do to you?"
"We know everything that we need to bring you and your little friend down."
Lily scoffed at them "Then you are really pathetic, he will crush all of you". She said with a twisted smile.
Natasha rolled her eyes "Heard that before". She said bored.
"And you don't even know who we are." Tony pointed out. Lily sneered.
"I don't have too; you're all dead by the end of this."
Fury had heard enough, "Get her out of here!". He ordered and Steve and Natasha shoved her into the car.
He turned to look at the others "Stark when we get back to the base, get everything on Collins and Kosovo, Barton you and Romanoff question Collins, I'll have McLawson and Banner search for any stolen nuclear weapons. Thor get in touch with Mrs Foster and her team, I have a feeling this is going to turn into a shit storm".
"Yes sir." And they were off.
The plane ride was silent and strained, nobody knew what to say. Once back at base, Tony ran off to do what was ordered of him, and the others were left to stare at each other.
Riley hadn't said anything on the plane and she could feel Natasha staring at her with those judgemental bright blue eyes.
Probably, thinking that she was going to turn out like her father and mother.
Her life was fucked up, that was for sure.
Tony was on his computer looking everything up on Lily Collins and Viktor Kosovo, the guy was bad news that was for sure. Aside from being a murderer, he was also responsible for the terrorist attacks in Iraq.
Lily Collins however was a different story.
She had been a child prodigy, but got kicked out of her house when her parents found out she was pregnant, with who was now Riley. A teenage pregnancy was a scandal at her small hometown. This must have been the beginning of her rebellion.
Later, she had begun with small things, mysterious occurrences happened unnaturally around her. Accidents, disasters, and horrifying catastrophes.
Then in the late autumn of October the 31st, Halloween Lily had given birth to a healthy daughter Riley Makayla McLawson in the year 1993.
Things had been calm then slowly Lily had begun physically and emotionally abusing Riley with horrifying consequences.
She would tell her horrible things, make her watch some of the mutations she did to innocent people. Brought down her self-esteem with affronting insults and physically hurt her at every small misstep.
Then came the turning point, Lily had began using Riley in child prostitution, child porn all of it. Then Lily had allowed a boyfriend of hers to quite literally beat the shit out of her while Lily video recorded it on film.
Sick bitch.
"I wonder if Riley remembers any of this or if she pushed it to the back of her mind until it became none existent." Tony mussed to himself, horrified and disgusted.
That was directly before Lily had left her in the world, alone.
Lily had left Riley who had just turned five years old on the night of November the ninth, after two days of being left alone. A concerned neighbour went to check on her only to be met with a horrifying sight.
Tony didn't want to read anymore but he pushed himself to and felt sick to his stomach.
"Urgh! I don't know what to do." He exclaimed, rubbing his temple. "I don't want to tell her any of this." He moaned.
"Tell her what Tony?" Bruce called out as he walked over and froze when he saw Riley's picture on the screen.
"Jesus". He croaked unable to look anymore at the picture.
"If you think that's bad, look at her injuries". Natasha said coldly and looked at him for a moment "I'm telling her".
"Don't you dare Natasha!" Tony scolded. "She doesn't need to hear it from you. I'd rather have Clint do it."
Clint waked up from his reveries at his name. "Huh, me?"
"She trusts you the most man." Tony said softly. "You'll be the best to break the news."
He looked at Tony wearily "What news?" He asked.
"That her mother made her life a living hell from the moment she was born". Natasha answered icily.
Tony rolled his eyes at the redhead, but continued from where she left off. "She was abused, badly. We think you're the best to tell her."
Clint didn't look to happy with the idea, though who could blame him. "I don't think..."
"Believe us man, you're the one."
Clint nodded "Alright, I'll tell he-".
"Oh shit, Natasha's gone". Bruce yelled.
"Fuck" Tony cursed.
Riley was in her room, tracking down any missing nuclear weapons when there was a knock on the door.
Hesitantly, she crossed the room to open the door a crack, peering through. Once she noticed who it was, she glared, but opened the door wider.
"Yes?"
"I've just got something I'd like to tell you." Natasha said, a smirk peeking from the side of her mouth. "We found out some things about your mother."
Riley stiffened at the mention of her mother, "What about her?" She asked calmly.
"That she abused you as a child, allowed her boyfriends to abuse you, your mother beat you, locked you in a dark room with no light." She said slyly.
"Wha- how dare you come over here and-and tell me such things with that-"
"Don't talk to me like that Lawson." Natasha sneered back, not letting Riley finish her sentence. "Thought, you could take it bluntly. Turns out I was wrong."
"Nobody's, not as heartless as you bitch." Riley retorted. "Good for that too, I wonder what the world would look like with people like you ruling it."
"A better world actually, now you mention it." She said coldly.
"You are one twisted bitch, you know that?" Riley said disgusted.
Natasha smirked "Wanna know more?".
Riley was about to answer when the others came in "Natasha enough". Steve ordered.
"Your mother let her boyfriends sexually abuse you, Riley and video recorded it".
"SHUT UP!" Riley screeched, flinging herself at the other woman. Arms wrapped themselves around her waist mid-lunge. She scratched and seethed at the hold, wanting to reach the devilish redhead who DARED say that to her.
"Let go of me" She snarled at Clint, her body was heating up, her hair turning a dark red like blood while her eyes turned a dark purple.
"I'm not letting go". Clint said fiercely.
Clint could feel Riley hands warm the skin but it didn't hurt him.
"I'm not letting go." He repeated, then again. He could feel the heat scorching his skin, though it was becoming cooler, them it completely extinguished. Riley went limp in his grip, and he glanced down to see her passed out.
"Get out." He said quietly to Natasha, who only huffed and stood her ground.
"I'm not going anywhere, she's dangerous and this proves my point Clint. She can't be trusted". She said harshly.
"Only, because you fucking told her that her bitch of a fucking mother made her life a living hell". He snapped.
"Any of us would have reacted that way."
"You don't see what I see."
"That's because your eyesight is fucking horrible, get a life Natasha, and leave her the hell alone." Clint snarled anger and disgust in his tone.
Natasha looked furious "You're supposed to be on my side, not on hers Clint she's brainwashed you". She pleaded.
Clint glared at her "I'm not on anyone's side, Tash".
"What the hell?" Maria asked, standing in the doorway.
"What the hell is going on here?" Fury demanded.
No one was sure how to answer that but Pepper along with Thor behind her, ran to where Clint had Riley slumped against him.
"Is she ok?" Pepper asked worried.
Tony nodded at her "Riley's hands went on fire after Ginger Snaps told her some stuff about her mother... Then she pissed her off and Clint grabbed her hands, to calm her down and hell he didn't get burned, it was like they accepted him or some shit. Then Riley passed out Fury." Tony said glaring at Natasha.
Bruce felt Riley's forehead, it was cool, no longer hot and he checked her pulse.
Clint watched as he did feeling stunned at how he hadn't been burned by the fire.
"She's just passed out from all the stress today; she should wake up in a hour". He said quietly.
Clint gently placed Riley on the bed as Tom came running along, the cat rubbed against his shins in affection purring at them all aside from Natasha whom he growled at.
"Easy, boy I'm not gonna hurt her". He assured the cat who stared at him with narrow eyes.
"I'd be careful if I were you, Ginger Snaps". Tony warned amused.
"Let's give Riley some rest; I'm pretty sure finding out that her mom is a psycho isn't helping her with being with all of us". Steve interjected.
"Yes please!" Riley spoke up. "Get out of my room I need a nap." The others all smile sheepishly and shuffled out of her personal space, going off to do whatever they wanted to do.
"Maybe she can only burn people she wants to hurt." Clint mussed aloud, fingers stroking his chin, running through the light stub that began to grow on his face. "If so, that's fucking awesome."
Tony looked impressed "Damn that is so hot". He said grinning.
Fury looked at Clint then "Barton, Romanoff question Collins. Barton, Stark a word".
"That can't be good". Bruce said looking worried.
Tony glanced at all the present Avengers, and lastly at Fury, raising a curious eyebrow, but following the big man nonetheless.
"What do you want?" He asked once they were behind closed doors. "Something secret right, I love secrets!"
"It's not a good one; I can tell you that Stark." Fury said solemnly back.
Tony looked at him then "What is it?" He asked.
"I need to ask you straight, personal feelings aside Is Riley dangerous?"
Clint stared at him in shock.
"You should know as well as I do! And anyway, there is nothing, absolutely nothing that shows Riley being a threat." He said firmly.
Fury regarded him for a moment before nodding in approval "Good, because the council feel that Riley will be an asset to the team which means that when you train, I expect to see trust, respect and teamwork. Understood Stark, Barton?"
"Yes sir, you do not need to worry, however, I think who you should really be having this talk with is Romanov." Clint told him honestly, arms crossed over his broad chest.
"Agreed!" Tony added.
Fury sighed. "There's not much I can do with her. She's as stubborn as a mule, but I can try." Clint and Tony chuckled at the comparison.
They left the room as Tony looked at Clint with concern.
"Good luck with the mother from hell, Robin Hood". He said grimacing.
Clint sighed "Yeah".
"Go get her for me Barton, make sure not to cause problems, I don't want her in a bad mood." Fury called after Clint's departing back.
Clint muttered to himself glumly. "To bad she already is."
He found her in an empty room, sitting alone and looking like she'd been contemplating to herself.
"Fury wants to see you." Clint said, not beating around the bush.
"And, why should I go?" Natasha responded snottily. Clint could only sigh in frustration.
"Just fucking go, it's an order."
Natasha glared at Clint "What the hell has gotten into you?" She asked bitterly.
Clint looked back at her "Nothing has gotten into me Tash, just go and see Fury. I'll be waiting for you in the room where Collins is". He said tiredly.
Natasha silently walked towards Fury's office.
"Agent Romanoff" Fury said calmly.
"Yes sir." She responded curtly, taking a seat in the chair in front of him after he gestured for her too.
"I hear you have some problems with a certain teammate, care to enlighten me." A scowl that showed such a deep hate for two days knowing the girl flashed across her face, before softening out into her usual expressionless facade.
"I can just tell there's something about her." She mumbled, eyes not meeting those of Fury.
"Which is?" Fury asked calmly, not understanding how Natasha could hate Riley so quickly.
"It's the fact that no one seems to bother about the fact that she's killed people!" She suddenly exclaimed.
"How many have you killed Romanoff? More than her I'm sure." Fury said sharply at her.
"It's my JOB!" She shouted at him. "It's completely different-"
"And her life was in jeopardy, anyone would save themselves." Fury cut in, voice showing a hint of his anger.
"Here's an example Romanoff" and tossed a file towards her with large, bold red letters saying CONFIDENTIAL.
"Let's see how your opinion is then. Dismissed". He said curtly.
Natasha strolled out of the room; file clutched in her hand, her face grimaced. She went back to her empty room, frowning on her face, and sat down to read the papers.
She opened the file and read how Riley had been abducted in an empty car park five years ago. The Russian gang known to have ties to Viktor Kosovo, had kept her in a abandoned warehouse for a whole week as they beat, tortured and raped Riley. She had fought though.
Her powers had appeared then, at the brink of madness. She was able to escape, burning all living beings in the warehouse. So, Viktor was likely not there when the fire had begun.
After being in hospital for two weeks, Riley had discovered that she was pregnant with her son Caleb. He had been born on July the 17th 2005, two years later he had bee diagnosed with a heart problem that meant he would die before reaching eleven. Caleb had died in 2008 aged just nine years old; Riley had been twenty four when he had died.
She had lost a son, a child.
How was she still functioning so well? Certainly, when there was no mention of healing the mental wound of the lost. She had went on with her life, lost, not knowing anything about herself, and pretending to be okay near her sister, her family.
Riley had been adopted by the McLawson family after being found in abandoned in her house, Richard Thomas McLawson had worked in science engineering before becoming a lawyer specialising in child protection. Helen Christine McLawson was the daughter of a wealthy couple, the Blakes they had one biological daughter Jenney Emily McLawson. After adopting Riley she had been welcomed into a loving family; she had kept her adoptive surname instead of her mother's surname Rosewood.
She was happy there, they were nice, were supportive and were one of the best parents anyone could have. Her sister, Jenney, was one of her best-friends, they did everything together, and Riley was the first person Jenney called when she was in labour. Her life was normal back then, and it gave her the relief she needed after the abuse she suffered.
Then tragedy had struck, Riley had gone for her normal jog around the local park when a pick up truck had run her over, the driver had fled leaving a seriously injured Riley behind. A man who had witnessed the scene had called an ambulance and Riley had been rushed to hospital, suffering internal bleeding. Her skull had been fractured in several places and her spinal cord had snapped.
She was out for weeks, in a coma. Her sister and family were devastated, Jennie blaming herself for the accident.
Riley was in the in-between life, she didn't feel like she was a part of her body, and somebody kept on trying to talk to her. This was when her father showed up, Loki, and explained to her everything about her childhood, her true parentage and the powers she holds.
Then she had woken up from her coma, amazing the doctors, nurses and her family. But after that Riley had become a recluse.
Family.
Lilly Anne Collins - Biological Mother - (Alive)
Loki - Biological - Father - (Whereabouts Unknown)
Caleb Jamie McLawson - Son - (Deceased)
Richard Thomas McLawson - Adoptive Father - (Alive)
Helen Christine McLawson - Adoptive Mother -(Alive)
Jenney Emily McLawson - Adoptive Sister - (Alive)
Grant Craig Anderson - Brother - In - Law - (Alive)
Maria Katherine Anderson - Niece – Alive
Natasha was silent while she read, eyes going over the file once more before pushing it away, leaning back in her seat. Why should she feel sympathy for a stranger? Just because she's been through so much didn't mean she had to like her? And nothing gave her the feeling to not be wary of her either.
She left the folder on the table and left the room.
Riley slept for about four hours by what the clock said as it was now ten am , sighing she pulled on her black biker boots and headed towards the bathroom to have a decent shower.
She put the temperature on warm, pulled her t-shirt off along with her jeans, socks and underwear and stepped under the shower.
The warm water felt comforting to her as she washed herself with her favourite mint body wash; she rinsed off then began washing her dirty dark brown curls.
After rinsing the herbal essence it's a curl thing shampoo off, she began to condition it with the matching conditioner and combed through her long curls.
Riley rinsed off the conditioner and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a thick, white, fluffy towel as she dried herself and ruffled through her clothes to put something on.
She finally put on a pair of light blue jeans, purple shirt to match her fire, and decided on no jewellery or makeup, and left her room to find the cafeteria and eat her breakfast. After a bowl of cereal, some cheese on toast and a glass of juice, Riley felt much more energized, ready for the day that was likely going to be hell.
She met up with Clint who had just walked in to get his own food. He smiled when he saw her, and the look brought a bright blush to her cheeks, making her want to cover her face up. But she stood her ground and waved him over once he was done getting his food.
"Hello Riley, how was your sleep?" He asked conversationally.
She shrugged "It was ok, you?" She asked helping herself to some coffee.
Tony walked towards them then, his face cheerful "Morning" he said helping himself to the food.
"Morning, Tony". Riley answered as Bruce came towards them, his face worried.
"Hello Bruce!" Tony greeted his best friend, who sat down at their table warily and pressed his forehead to the cool plastic, and moaned.
"Everything has to be so complicated!" He muffled, voice blocked off by the furniture.
Riley exchanged a worried look with Clint "What's wrong Bruce?" She asked gently.
"That Viktor guy has stolen some top secret weapons". He said then added "Along with some sort of staff".
"Not from S.H.I.E.L.D!" Exclaimed, Tony. "Fuck that, Fury needs to be more careful of who he hires." Everyone else grumbled in agreement.
"For all the weapons he stole, now we need to make new ones, which can take some time."
"Not if I'm here!" Tony told them proudly, smile gracing his features. He was already standing and picking up his things from the table. "I'll be done with newer and better weapons in an hour." Then he was off.
Riley shook her head "Are you going to question Lily?" She asked Clint quietly.
Clint nodded "Yes" He admitted.
"Please be careful."
"I will, but I can't promise I won't knock some shit out of her if she gets out of line." Riley let loose a small laugh, smiling at the blonde.
"I won't hold it against you." She said teasingly.
Bruce looked at her sadly "She really hurt you, didn't she?" He asked softly.
Riley went quiet "I can't remember what happened to me while I was in there". She admitted.
"Probably, for the best". Steve offered as he and Natasha walked towards them.
"Ready?" Natasha asked Clint.
The archer pushed himself out of his chair, and rolled his shoulders back to get rid of the knots. "Yeah." He groaned, following the redhead out.
"It's only going to be me who's interviewing her Nat." He told her firmly. Natasha whipped her head around and stared, aghast, at him.
"We use to always to that stuff together." Her expression turned into a glare. "Ever since that little bitch-"
"That's why I don't want you with me." Clint raged, his true emotions towards the woman showing itself. "You're turning into a-a fucking annoying piece of shit!"
"How the hell, am I turning into a annoying bitch?" She snarled fury blazing in her sky blue eyes.
"By not giving everyone a chance Tash, ever since Bruce went hulk in the helicarrier you've treated him like a freak." He snapped back.
A stinging slap stung the left side of his face.
Oceans between us
And there's nothing
That can change the way I feel
I can still taste the poison
Of every fall,
Every breath,
Are ways to heal
Hold on, little girl
The end is soon to come
Sick of it all
Sick of it all
We will not follow
Sick of it all
Sick of it all
They don't understand how
Sick we are
Sick we are
Of this bottomless
Pit of lies
Behind closed eyes
Someday you'll know the place
Someday I will break through
And nothing you tell yourself
Will save us from the truth
Screaming out
Sick of it all
Sick of it all
We will not follow
Sick of it all
Sick of it all
They don't understand how
Sick we are
Sick we are
Of this bottomless
Pit of lies