I'm back! Seeing as I said everything a few minutes ago, I'll keep this short: love you guys for waiting and being polite in your reviews, thanks for reading so far, hope this story isn't declining in quality.
Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or its characters, only my OCs.
Chapter 20 - The Start of a Date, the End of a Search and the Plot of a Villain
The Avengers, minus their courageous Captain, sat silently around a table, picking at their lunch halfheartedly. None of them seemed particularly enthusiastic about the meal.
"Has anyone seen Steve today?" Lexy asked hopefully.
Each teammate shook their head, staring sadly into the toasted baguette that they had yet to finish.
"No one's seen him since yesterday," Natasha muttered.
"Well, has anyone tried to contact him?" Alexia tried.
"I called him this morning, but he didn't answer," Tony sighed, "I suppose I'm not his favourite person right now."
"I can tell you who is," Clint muttered, causing harsh glares from Bruce and Natasha.
Steve had been laying motionless for hours on end. The little sleep he had been able to catch had been filled to the brim with nightmares and visions of Maria: betraying him, killing his friends, destroying his life. The soldier had been awoken by an energetic buzz and, with the little energy he could muster, the man could see his phone ringing on the coffee table. The screen was lit with the accept and decline options, with a certain billionaire playboy's face and name centered above them. Steve felt sick. After what he had said to the team, it was a wonder that Tony had even tried to contact him. His own stupidity and naïve ideas of happiness had led him into this mess and he doubted that Maria needed any more than a few days to complete her mission.
Paige arrived once the plates had been cleared away, most of the food still present on them. The woman had been just as affected as her best friend about the argument with Steve, but she was determined to continue with her job as usual. Bruce, Thor, Natasha and Clint had left, leaving only Tony and Alexia to remain.
"Tony, your jet's ready to leave. Maybe it'll brighten the mood a bit?" Paige informed.
"He'll be back soon, he wouldn't just leave us like that," Tony decided, probably persuading himself more than anyone.
"Let's go," Alexia smiled, "We'll call tonight to see if he's come back."
"You two have fun! I'll keep track of things here."
And with that, the two set off in a cream-coloured car, driven by Happy, to the airport, leaving their team to await Steve's return.
"Dux Prioris!" Strazio bellowed as he spotted the elder talking to Mr Akio Kurosawa.
At the shout, Antonio turned and smirked at his son. Elliot stood uncomfortably at the Dux's side, seemingly determined to avoid the others' stares.
"Ah, Dux, I have some news that you may want to-"
"I apologize, Akio, but I must talk to my father urgently. I'm sure that your discovery can wait, but Elise cannot," Strazio interrupted.
"How could I possibly help Elise? The poor girl will not survive, I am sorry, Elliot."
"But, Monsieur Sanguine, there is hope. My parents sent letters before they left and the cure to her illness may be within one of them! The only problem is that I cannot remember where the letters were put. If you have any idea, s'il vous plaît, help us," Elliot begged.
Mr Kurosawa's indignant scowl became a sympathetic frown. He left the hall, pulling off his mask as he went. Antonio sighed and squeezed his eyes shut.
"I honestly cannot remember where the letters were put. The only thing I can suggest is trying the Archives. Mr Ainsworth will lead you there and show you the records. I am sorry that I cannot do more, but it is the one place that the members of the Familia would think to hide such documents."
"Merci, Dux Prioris, merci beaucoup!" Elliot cried.
"I'm sorry, Elliot, but I must go now. Good luck, I hope you find what Elise needs," Strazio said sincerely.
"Thank you for your help, both of you! The Javier family is in your debt once again."
Maria was tired of being alone. All the blonde wanted to do was return home and usurp her spoilt cousin with the bravo she had maintained throughout her adulthood. However, returning without news of the Avengers' defeat would be shameful and the allies that Antonio Sanguine and herself had been able to gain would be lost. No. Maria was tired of being alone but she was not the kind of woman to leave a job half-finished.
The apartment that Captain America was currently 'residing' in was an obvious cover, but it had been her base of operations since the beginning. Sure, she owned La Volpe Rossa, but the employees that worked there were genuine and not a single one knew the truth. Now, without a home or a headquarters, Maria was forced onto the streets of New York with little but a disguised gun and a wad of cash in her purse.
"Miss, I'm sorry but you cannot wait in the lobby unless you are planning to rent a room," a scrawny young man in a Birch Hotel uniform declared weakly, speaking quietly so as not to disturb the other guests who relaxed within the small hall.
"How much does a room cost for a night?"
"The cheapest we offer is $75. I'm sorry, Miss, but you don't seem to have much on you."
Maria pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. He was obviously referring to the small purse she clutched and her day-old clothes. Flicking her ponytail as she stood up, the woman sighed.
"Fine, I'll take my leave."
The man nodded and shuffled out of the way as she marched to the entrance. Granted, picking the best looking hotel available to camp out in may not have been the best idea the Albertelli had produced, but it was better than spending the night in a dingy hostel like she had the night before. Out on the street again, the slightly ruffled woman began her search for somewhere to plot. Not that she needed to do more than add the finishing touches. Eventually, a fast food restaurant promising 24 hour service was settled for by the snooty blonde. It may not have been a first class table, but the disgusting smell of sizzling fat and bubbling grease could be coped with. Maria flattened a scrunched up piece of paper that had be stuffed into her pocket earlier that day and grabbed a pen from her purse. She scribbled on the already messy page before smirking and sitting straight.
What's Maria planning this time? I know, can you guess? Hint: it gets pretty violent. Anywho, please leave a review. What did you like? What didn't you like? Were you peeved by my absence or did you barely notice?
I actually need to go for another two weeks at least... Sorry! I'll update when I can, I promise!