Boom! How about THEM apples? Ok, so the reason this took so long is because... Well, you'll find out when you start scrolling, my dear reader. Yeah, it's really long. I'm quite proud. Oh no, wait, the last one was really long as well, so I'm not making up for anything. Darn. Well, sorry for not updating, been kinda busy lately, not that this isn't important but... School.

Also, forgot to mention last time but we made it to 100 followers! Yay me, yay you, yay , yay, yay, yay! Yes, as you can see, I am very happy. Anyway, enjoy...

Translations:

Je me sens douleur - I feel pain (French)

Gomen'nasai -Sorry (Japanese)

-san - Mr, Mrs or Miss (Japanese)

Désolé - Sorry (French)

Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel or its characters, but I do own my OCs, so that's something.

Chapter 22 - Some Plans and Some Surprises

Dr Santoya was tired. He had spent nearly all night with the pale and weak girl and she showed no improvement. Elliot returned, looking almost as sick as his sister, who had begun babbling manically due to the pain.

"She is becoming delirious," the doctor explained at Elliot's alarmed expression, "She cannot hear you. Tomorrow, she will drift in and out of consciousness. She won't survive the next few days unless you find her a cure. There is nothing here that can save her."

"Alright," the boy ran a hand through his hair.

For a moment, he spoke rapid French, discussing something privately with himself as Elise began to repeat "Je me sens douleur" over while laughing.

"Doctor, I think I must go somewhere," Elliot announced, his voice shaking slightly.

"Elliot, please don't follow your parents' path. Learn from their mistakes, stay here!"

"No, they made a mistake, but it was not leaving the Familia. I am going somewhere different this time."

"Elliot, I don't think-"

"I know what I am doing, Dr Santoya, this time, I will not let her die," Elliot finished firmly as, with one last sorrowful glance at his sister, he stormed out of the room.

"Bruce?" Paige murmured, opening her eyes slightly.

Her wrists and stomach felt sore and her ankles were numb. She heard a faint groan beside her and opened her eyes wide enough to examine her surroundings. She was hung from a wall in a dimly lit room that was empty of everything except herself, the body beside her and an iron table that sat before them. She was being held back by ropes around her wrists and a band around her stomach, both of which were attached to the wall behind her. She weakly turned her head to see Bruce and would've shrieked if she wasn't so weak.

"Bruce," she whispered hoarsely, "Can you hear me?"

The man was pale and barely conscious, his hair lank and his eyes sunken. He had a plastic tube in his arm that was forcing a thick, black liquid into his system. He was also tied back by restraints, though his were tighter and thicker. The door that was adjacent to them opened suddenly and Paige felt her eyes water as she saw who walked in.

"Dylan," she growled, though it was still a whimper from anyone else's view.

"Hello, Paige," he greeted solemnly, "I'm terribly sorry about all of this but you made your choice, after all."

"What are you doing to him?" she cried quietly, her voice breaking, "Why are you keeping us here?"

"Paige, I'm not about to tell you our plan when we haven't even held you for a full day yet!" Dylan laughed.

He had cleaned up since their last conversation. He wore his suits once again, his hair was neat and his skin looked healthy and fresh. He spoke with a composed manner and stood straight, his posture sophisticated.

"Why are you killing him?"

"Killing him?" the man spoke bitterly, "No, not yet. That monster won't let its host die yet."

"Then what are you doing to him? Why are we here?!"

"He deserves this!" Dylan bellowed, "We are controlling that... That thing inside of him before it gets out of control! When it's weak enough, we'll kill him."

"Isn't there a way to kill the Hulk without killing Bruce Banner?" Paige begged.

"If there is then I don't care!" he roared, "That man lets the monster out and he cannot be forgiven! He joined a band of so-called superheroes and uses his unnatural powers for destruction! The world would do better without him."

"Who's making you say this?" Paige sobbed, "What's happened to you?"

"It's none of your business who I work with," Dylan spat, "Just know that it will be Alexia next if she isn't careful."

"What do you mean someone beat me to it?" Maria snarled, standing in a backstreet with her phone to her ear.

"A security camera caught three masked figures scaling the building and break in. They must have been faster," Mr Kurosawa sighed from the other end, "Gomen'nasai, Albertelli-san."

Maria growled for a moment as she glowered at the brick wall that was caked in graffiti.

"Fine," she said finally, "Is there any way to track them? Or identify them, at least?"

"We have already tried. There is no way," the man answered, "We can scower the streets of New York for them-"

"No," Maria replied flatly, "No, I will just have to beat them to the next one. They will notice that someone else is stealing their job and they will come to me."

"Who is next, then?"

"Oh, I think I have a good idea."
She ended the phone call and turned, meeting the ugly face of a larger man with rippling muscles and a grubby shirt.

"I don't think you should be hanging round these parts, lady," he smirked, "Might find yourself in a spot of trouble."

"Well it's thankful that I was just leaving then," Maria raised an eyebrow, "Move, you oaf!"

The man's expression turned from confident to enraged and he threw a tight fist at her cheek. She swiftly sidestepped and glared at him.

"You're slowing me down! If you continue then I'll have no choice but to kill you," she barked coldly.

"Yeah right!" he guffawed, "I'd like to see you try."

Maria sighed irritably and lunged smoothly at the man's throat, catching it in an inescapable grasp and squeezing with her nails. Blood trailed from his neck as he gasped for breath. The woman pushed him against the wall and leaned forward before letting go and stepping back. The man dropped to the ground, clutching at the puncture wounds and purple skin. Maria didn't sat anything, she only scowled at him and marched away. She emerged onto a street and rolled her eyes as she caught sight of two familiar figures coming her way. Unfortunately, they had spotted her as well and sped into a sprint.

"We know your real name, Albertelli!" Barton yelled, dodging passers by as Maria began to run as well.

"Then you'll know that I have powerful friends," Maria retorted loudly, "Give up, Signor!"

Natasha was silent as they followed the woman up the emergency stairs of a building and into one of the labyrinths of corridors. Maria dissapeared and the redhead grabbed her gun as her partner reached for his bow, listening cautiously for footsteps as they inched down the hall. Suddenly, they heard the click of heels against lino and spun around to the corner it was eminating from as it got closer. Clint returned his bow and pulled out a single arrow. As a flash of burgundy approached, Clint flung his free hand out and grabbed the woman's wrist. There was an ear-shattering shriek.

"Sorry! We thought you were someone else!" Barton let go hastily as the woman whom he had captured - an auburn-haired office-worker with a dark red blazer and pale skin - crumpled to the floor at the sight of the guns.

"Please don't hurt me," she whimpered.

"Excuse him, ma'am," Natasha glared at her partner, "It's just that someone ran in here-"

The woman, who had looked up at the cool voice to see that they had returned their guns and moved back, stood up again, clinging to the wall for support, as her face hardened.

"Who do you think you are? Bringing guns in here! I'm calling the police, you know! You won't get away with this," she exclaimed, panicking.

"No, please, ma'am, we're just looking for-"

"Get out!" she demanded, though she eyed their guns and bow warily.

"We're members of a government organization known as-"

"OUT OUT OUT!" the woman screamed, ushering them with shaking hands.

Defeated, Clint turned and grumpily trudged towards the exit. Natasha pulled him back from his upper arm. She opened her mouth to say something when the woman fell to the floor again, now with a syringe in her neck.

"Don't you just love chemical weapons? So efficient and they definitely get the job done! Nothing like a good old pistola, though." Maria smirked, holding a pistol in one hand and reaching for a knife with the other whilst gesturing to the woman on the floor, "Did you miss me?"

"Guess," Natasha hissed, raising her own weapon.

"You never did like me much, did you, Romanoff? I suppose you have better instincts than I initially expected."

"We're not here to talk, Albertelli!" Clint interrupted fiercely.

"Oh, I know that, Barton, but it's such a pleasure to see you again."

Natasha fired a shot at Maria's arm, but she dodged behind the corner and began to run. Clint followed at a faster speed than the redhead and found the blonde slipping into an elevator. He barely made it as he dived in after her.

"Well, this is a little more private," Maria remarked flirtatiously.

Clint did not reply, but stuck the arrow that he was still holding into her shoulder. Or , he would've done had she not snatched the weapon from his grasp and dug it into his leg. The man groaned as she yanked it out again and aimed for his chest. Ignoring the agonizing pain, Barton began to wrestle the arrow from her grip and ended up being thrown aside. Maria growled under her breath and dug into her pocket to find a small, sharp knife. He slapped her arm away from it and it dropped to the floor as he kneed her stomach.

She fell back and slammed against the metal wall, before leaping forward and punching him in the jaw. Just then, the door opened to the roof. Maria grabbed the agent's shoulders and threw him onto the concrete ground, kicking him as he thudded against it. Natasha burst onto the scene from the staircase and sprinted to defend her bleeding and weakened partner. From the floor, he had grabbed another arrow and stabbed the woman through her shoe and into her foot. She screeched with pain as she thrust her knife into his side and pulled it out.

"Clint!" Natasha bellowed, sliding across the floor to shield him from any more harm.

Maria was hobbling towards the edge of the building, searching desperately into the bag that hung from her shoulder. Natasha raced after the spy and swung wildly at her. It seemed that the woman had found what she wanted, however, and retrieved a grappling hook. The redhead snatched her arm as she stepped painfully onto the edge.

"You should take better care of your partners, Signorina," Maria smirked as she pressed onto the trigger.

Natasha watched as the hook flew through the air to the building opposite them and had no time to so much as tug on her arm before the woman was speeding after it, climbing the side of the wall before heaving herself onto the roof and running jaggedly towards the building behind it.

"Nat," Clint breathed from his position on the ground.

"Oh my God, Clint, what the hell have you done?" she whispered, skidding to his side, "I'm calling SHIELD."

"That's probably a good idea," he chuckled weakly as he motioned with his head to the arm covering his bloody wound and then again to his damp and scarlet trouser leg.

"I'm sorry, I should have been there," she frowned angrily.

"Don't blame yourself. It would have helped, sure, but-" he was interrupted by his own cough. Natasha gave a watery smile.

Maria ran and jumped and ran and jumped, not daring to stop as she put as much distance and as many buildings between herself and the two SHIELD agents. She didn't care about the agony that seared in her leg or the limp that slowed her sprint. Finally, panting heavily and her face tinged red, Maria stopped and slumped onto the ground, inspecting the painful injury that her leg had suffered. It was pretty bad and the woman wondered how much further she could take her plan without help. She grabbed her phone and taped in a few numbers before letting it ring.

"Dux Prioris? I need some help," she heaved.

"Maria? What has happened? Are you hurt?"

"A little. It's not... Fatal but it will slow me down. Send in the experiments, I cannot do this alone."

"Bene," the man sighed, "They're on the way. Also, Elliot has asked permission of the Dux to visit America in search of a cure for Elise. He will be in the USA and may visit your area."

"Grazie," Maria replied, "I trust he will not be in my way?"

"The Dux has refrained from telling me the boy's plans," Antonio grumbled, "I suggest you keep an eye out, for his sake as much as yours."

"You, sir, definitely know how to have a good time," Lexy laughed as she ran a towel through her drenched hair and her date leant against his car.

"Well, I'm good at pleasing people," Tony shrugged, a grin evident on his face.

"I wouldn't say that," Alexia joked, "You never seem to please anyone else."

"Well, maybe it's just you then."

Lexy giggled and threw the towel over her shoulders, climbing into the convertible as he walked around to the other side, wearing a pair of dark trunks and a loose grey tank top. After spending the afternoon on the beach, swimming, eating and chatting, the pair had finally retreated to Tony's car for a ride back to his house (although Alexia would've referred to it as more of a mansion). The sun was hitting the horizon as Stark revved the engine.

"Thank you so much, Tony," Lexy smiled, "I had a lot of fun."

"I think you might be repeating yourself there," Tony smirked.

"I don't care," she continued, "I think you should learn to take a compliment."

"Most of the compliments I used to get weren't as innocent as that."

"Well, I'm glad you got rid of that lifestyle."

"Me, too," Tony agreed, his smile soft and light but his tone hinting at something more serious.

There was a comfortable silence in the car as they drove back up the hill, but Alexia realized something as they slowed. Where did Tony expect her to sleep? In Pepper's room? She hoped he had a little more tact than that. In his room? However much Lexy felt towards the billionaire, she wasn't prepared to sleep with him after only one proper date. She began to blush an obvious pink and attempted to hide it with her drying chestnut hair. Tony turned as he stopped the car and raised his eyebrow, amused.

"You ok there?"
Accepting that her curtain of hair was of no use, Lexy reappeared and smiled shyly.

"Where... Where am I sleeping?" she stammered, letting her eyes wander anywhere but his face.

"That's your choice, I suppose," he shrugged, "We certainly have enough rooms."

"So you don't... I just thought..." she finally let their eyes meet.

"You can sleep in my bed if you want to," he smirked shamelessly and she hit his arm, laughing slightly.

"Shut up! Fine, I'll let Jarvis pick," Lexy decided.

As they stepped in to the rounded hall, there was an unnerving silence.

"Jarvis?" Tony called.

"Y-yes, sirr?" Jarvis slurred.

"Are you... Are you alright?"

The AI was quiet again and Tony and Alexia shared a nervous glance. There was a shrill beep for a moment before the voice returned.

"I apologize, Mr Stark, it seems that my data from the Avengers Tower has possibly been hacked."

"Hacked?"

"There is a 20% chance that I was hacked, though this has the largest chance as other plausible occurences, and there are many, have a lower possibility."

"What happened?"

"I am still analysing the event."

"Should we be worried?" Lexy queried.

"So far, I suspect not, Miss Brookes. I believe it would be safe to sleep for now. I will alert you both if there are any troubling discoveries."

Alexia turned with wide eyes to the brunet, asking him silently for his opinion. He shrugged.

"If Jarvis doesn't think there's a problem, neither do I," he reasoned, "You should probably take the room opposite mine, though. Just in case anything odd is happening."

"I can protect myself, you know, and I don't need some metal suit to do it," Lexy teased, crossing her arms.

"Metal suit?" Tony faked shock as he grabbed his heart, "That hurt. I don't know if I'll ever recover from that one."

"Aw, poor little billionaire."

They spoke for a little while longer, mainly exchanging jokes and teases, before heading off to their rooms. Everything was quiet as they slept.

Not that they slept for long. At almost exactly 1AM, there were several loud buzzes ringing around the empty halls. It had started raining as they slept and, though this energized Lexy and soothed Tony, the stranger at the door was finding it a suitable representation of his desperation. Again he buzzed the button attached to the gates, clutching hopelessly at his dripping sleeves in an attempt to warm his arms, and, this time, a voice replied.

"Good evening, may I ask for your identity and reason for visiting Mr Stark at such an hour," it greeted amiably, though the way he said it suggested a little suspicion.

"D-désolé, Monsieur," he shivered, "I mean no harm to M-Monsieur Stark, I just want to save my sister."

"Your face is not recorded with any organizations that I can find, so there is a rather great chance that you could be an enemy, or have partook in plastic surgery."

"N-neither. S'il vous plais, have mercy!" Elliot cried.

"Unfortunately, I am an Artificial Intelligence, so I cannot feel mercy. You seem in distress, however, so I will alert Mr Stark to your presence."

Tony was asleep, dreaming of the woman he had spent the day with, when Jarvis' voice jolted him awake.

"Mr Stark, I'm glad you're awake."

"Because you had nothing to do with it," he grumbled.

"There is a young man at the gate who tells me that he wants to save his sister."

"Why should I care?"

"Because it is raining and I also woke up Miss Brookes."

At that moment, the door burst open and Alexia, wearing an oversized top and pyjama shorts. Her face was anxious.

"Tony, tell me you aren't planning to leave him out there!" she said fiercely.

"Think about what just happened, Lexy!" he argued exasperatedly, "We don't know anything about him."

"It doesn't matter. If he is an enemy, we can take him, if he isn't, we can help. What if he's completely innocent and we just leave him out there, let his sister die while he dies of pneumonia himself?"

They shared an intense glare before, finally, Tony sighed. Alexia smiled as he stood up.

"Jarvis, let him in," he mumbled.

"Yes, sir."

They waited at the hall as he ran up the driveway and to the door. Tony had picked up a towel and Lexy a blanket for him.

"B-bonjour, Monsieur, Madame."

"Um... Mademoiselle..." Alexia corrected awkwardly.

"Oh, I am-m sorry, I just guessed that..." he trailed away as he observed Tony, "My s-sister is dying of a disease that... Well, nobody knows what, but-"

"You can talk later, warm up first," Tony ordered softly.

They led him to a couch where Alexia sat him down. He was still shivering. She offered him a cup of hot chocolate which he politely accepted and she ran off to get it.

"So..." Tony started awkwardly, "What's your name?"

"Elliot, m-my sister's name is Elise."

"Your parents like alliteration or something?" he joked.

"My parents are dead," Elliot replied coldly.

"Oh... Um, if it helps, my-"

"Here you go," Lexy had returned and gently passed him mug.

"Merci."

"Why are you here?" Tony queried abruptly, causing the brunette to slap his arm lightly.

"My sister is dying and I have only a few days to find the c-cure. My parents were in India quite a few years ago, discovering a new one for my mother but Stark Industries found it first. I don't know what happened but by the end of it, my parents were dead and your company were walking a-away with the cure."

His face had turned from desperate to resentful as he spoke. Lexy looked at Tony with curiosity and the man looked away.

"A lot of things were happening in 2008," he answered delicately, "I had a... Partner back then who wasn't exactly interested in the good of the company."

"Why would they kill your parents, though? Even if the company was corrupt?" Alexia questioned gently.

There was a moment of silence as Elliot hesitated. Lexy and Tony shared a glance.

"My family belongs to the Familia de Superiores," he spoke quietly but as soon as he uttered the words, both superheroes stood up, "But I am not here on Familia business! My sister is in trouble, I come here as a neutral party!"

The woman before him was confused and frightened. If Elliot found out who she really was, how would he react? How had the Familia found her so quickly?

"We don't help enemies," Tony hissed, his hand outstretched as if waiting for something.

"Then we will leave the Familia, but Elise needs that cure and there is no other way to get it than through Stark Industries."

Tony glanced at Alexia and they had a silent conversation as she nodded her head violently and he shook his in return. Finally, he sighed and lowered his hand.

"Bring your sister to America and I'll see what I can do," he promised.

"That is impossible, Monsieur Stark!" Elliot exclaimed abruptly, "She is too weak. She will die within the next few days, I need to bring the cure back to her."

Lexy frowned as Tony began to think, which was almost never a good thing in these kinds of situations.

"Ok, here's the deal. You take a tracker back with you. You show us exactly where the Familia is hiding. We wait for you to leave, give you a bit of time to get out before we attack them at their base."

"Tony..." Lexy bit her lip.

"C'mon, this is a great idea!"

"You can't turn him against the people he's grown up around," she argued.

"No, no, it's alright," Elliot sighed, "I'll do it for Elise."

"Elliot, you really don't have to," Alexia countered gently, "I'm sure we can-"

"Lexy, he's already agreed," Tony interrupted, "I'll go and find a chip, I'm sure I have one somewhere downstairs."
He darted towards the staircase and began talking to Jarvis, leaving a frowning Lexy and a shivering Elliot.

"I'm sorry," Alexia murmured.

"I am sorry too," Elliot whispered.

The woman was silent, though she wondered what he meant by it. She also began to doubt Tony, who had been so certain that forcing a teen to betray his entire family was right that she shuddered to think of the lengths he would go to before considering something wrong.

Did you like it? Leading up to the big fight now. Not next chapter, but maybe the one after that? We'll have to wait and see...

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