Make You Feel My Love
~Book III~

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers nor do I own the plot of Age of Ultron. All rights go to Marvel.
All I do own are my own characters and their stories.

~Chapter 2~
Daddy Dearest

"I have searched all the nine realms. It is gone."

"And you're sure that it's nowhere to be found? I mean… Maybe Loki is still out there and he's stolen it-" said Maria, though Thor interrupted her.

"Loki died."

She looked over at him from where she was seated next to him in the back of the car Tony was driving. She had offered to drive instead since Tony still was quite drunk, though he had insisted and simply pointed towards the car, mumbling the word Jarvis before sitting down in the driving seat.

The car Tony had chosen was a sports-car, of course. And although it was a cool car that most people got jealous off, there wasn't much room in the back for Maria to sit next to a broad shouldered Asgardian. As the arm that was pressed up against the car door started to get more and more numb, she wondered why she hadn't decided to sit in the front.

"Oh…" was her only reply to Thor's words before she offered him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry."

Thor only nodded, seeming to be just as uncomfortable as Maria where he was seated, Mjölnir resting on the floor of the car in between his feet.

"The sceptre harnesses a power that no mortal can understand. If it indeed has been stolen, then Midgard could be in danger," said Thor.

"Do you never just come to visit?" asked Tony from where he was seated. "You know, just a nice little visit to catch up with us and without bringing news of a potential apocalypse?"

Although it was a badly planned joke, Thor still smiled at Tony's words.

"Well… We should start with trying to figure out where it went missing," said Maria. "And then search for clues from there on."

"I believe that was before the battle against the Chitauri," said Thor.

Maria's eyes widened as Tony looked back at her through the rear-view mirror, the look on his face showing that he was thinking the same thing as her.

"The last time it was seen was at SHIELD's helicarrier," said Maria quietly.

"And we all now know who actually ran SHIELD," continued Tony.

"Hydra…"

Bruce, Tony and Thor were all in the kitchen. Tony was standing by the coffee machine, a cup of coffee in one hand and a PAD in his other, leaning against the counter. Thor and Bruce were both eating breakfast at the kitchen table, Bruce having made himself an omelette while Thor was eating a large sandwich he had made for himself. Tony had found it quite amusing to watch Thor make his own sandwich since it, apparently, had been his first ever try to make food on his own.

The comfortable silence hanging over the three heroes in the kitchen was interrupted by Maria bursting in through the doors. In her hands, she held a newspaper and her hair looked unruly. It was obvious that she had been outside just now because of the fact that she was still wearing her trench coat.

As all eyes were on her, she slammed the newspaper down on the kitchen table, causing Bruce to jump back, his plate in his hands as if to save his breakfast from Maria's rage.

"Have you seen this!?" she exclaimed, her eyes nearly seeming to burn with rage. "Have you!?"

Bruce leaned forwards, placing his plate back down on the table as he read the page that was turned upwards. His eyebrows knitted together as he did, Thor joining him in leaning forwards while Tony simply walked up to them.

"Oh…" said Bruce, carefully looking up at Maria.

"I do not understand," said Thor simply, looking at Bruce and Tony with confused eyes.

Tony leaned over Bruce's shoulder to read the newspaper's front page and he bit his lip.

"Mater Mortis!" exclaimed Maria before plopping down onto a chair next to Thor, crossing her arms over her chest. "That's what they're calling me…"

Her anger slowly disappeared as she sighed, leaning her head backwards and closing her eyes.

"Mater Mortis is Latin for mother death… It's the nickname the media has given her," explained Bruce to Thor who still looked as confused as ever.

"When SHIELD fell, all the information they had on all of us was let out to the public. Meaning, that my past was leaked as well," continued Maria. "Well, let's just say that my past isn't the most fairy-tale filled one out there and now they're calling me this."

"It is just a name," said Thor, making Maria look at him. "I am sure that there is no need for worry."

Maria smiled at his words, nodding her head.

"Besides, it gives the bad guys a nice fright," said Tony, pointing a finger at her to which she rolled her eyes. He sat down opposite of her, placing the PAD on the table before him along with his cup of coffee. "Jarvis is still searching for info about the sceptre."

"Good," replied Bruce as he folded the newspaper before letting it fall to the floor.

"Maybe that's not what we should be focusing on…" said Maria. "Maybe we should let Jarvis look for possible Hydra bases so that we can find the one that's the most possible to actual hold the sceptre… Like, a sciency base."

"Not bad," said Tony, nodding his head. "Jarvis, did you hear that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Are we going to do this on our own?" asked Thor to which the others all looked at him.

"Steve's on a mission," said Maria, shrugging. "I honestly don't know where Nat and Clint are."

"I'll contact them," said Tony, standing up once more, grabbing his cup of coffee though leaving the PAD behind. "Won't be hard to find them."

"Should we, though?" asked Bruce. "Like Maria said, Steve's on a mission. Who knows what Natasha and Barton are doing."

"Whatever they're doing, I think it can wait if this sceptre problem is as dangerous as Thor says," replied Tony simply before walking out of the kitchen.

It was later that day when Maria was down in the training room with Thor, sparring and simply enjoying some alone time together, that Tony called her up to his office. Sweaty and wearing her costume (apart from the mask) she arrived at the top floor. Tony's office was just a small room in a corner, close to the laboratory, and with a view over New York City that stunned Maria.

"I see why you chose to have your office here," said Maria, startling Tony who had been focused on his computer screen, not having noticed Maria arriving.

She rounded his desk, placing herself by the windows and looking down at the street below the tower, watching the people walk by it without knowing her looking down at them.

"Quite stunning," said Tony, joining her by the window. "It wouldn't have been if we hadn't created a team and saved New York City. Well… I mean I did most of the saving-"

"Hilarious," said Maria, gently brushing her shoulder against his upper arm in a playful gesture while she rolled her eyes at him.

"I didn't bring you up here to brag, though," said Tony, turning away from the window before he sat down at the desk again, gesturing to Maria to join him by his side. "I brought you here to show you something I found…"

Maria watched as Tony opened a file on the computer, smiling slightly at the beautiful picture of Pepper he had as his wallpaper. Though the smile disappeared when she saw what he had found.

"I remember you telling us that Fury wanted you to go through the files that had been uncovered from Hydra. Did you?" asked Tony, looking over at Maria who intently was reading what Tony was showing on his screen. "From the look on your face I guess not…"

"What is this?" asked Maria quietly.

"A report from someone who, apparently, followed your dear friend Artur around quite a bit," explained Tony, standing up to allow Maria the chair.

"But… This person – He talks about my father."

"I know. I think this is what Fury wanted you to see," said Tony softly.

"It doesn't make any sense…"

"I know," said Tony. "But I'm afraid it's true. He's not missing. He's not dead. He's working for Hydra."

"And he's working in a Hydra laboratory," said Maria, looking up at Tony.

The shock of it all hadn't quite gotten to her yet when she said this. The fact that her father was alive was unreal and it felt as though she was going to wake up from the dream she was currently in any time now. Though she didn't. And as Tony placed a hand on her shoulder, seeming to see her slowly paling face, she smiled. It was the strangest of reactions, really. Her heart felt heavy and she knew she had been lied to her entire life. Yet at the same time, something inside of her felt relieved. It felt as though she was finally going to get a second chance with her family. Of course, her mother was gone and so was everyone else that she had hold dear in her family, though her father was still alive. And if she could convince him to leave Hydra and go back with her, she would have a chance of a normal father-daughter relationship.

Hell's Kitchen

"Are you sure about this?"

Maria sighed, turning to the voice as she ran a hand through her hair.

"No. But I'm never certain about anything anymore in my life," said Maria, plopping down on the bed.

Matt walked over to her, sitting down on the bed without looking at her.

"He's my father… It's my second chance of a normal life. Well, as normal as it ever will get," she said. "He's not dead."

"But he's working for Hydra," said Matt, earning a glance from Maria. "And he still left you."

"Would you not have wanted to see your mother again?" asked Maria quietly to which Matt didn't reply.

They stayed on the bed for several minutes, a silence hanging over them that, from time to time, felt uncomfortable. Behind Maria, her bag was placed on the bed, packed with the few pieces of clothing and belongings she had had in Matt's apartment. Those belongings mostly existed of spare daggers and books she had been reading yet they were precious to her still and she wanted them with her during the mission.

"You're going to be careful, right?" asked Maria suddenly, breaking the silence.

Matt didn't respond immediately. Instead, he took a deep breath before placing a hand on her knee.

"You know me," was all he said.

Worry latched onto Maria's heart. New threats had appeared in Hell's Kitchen and although Maria truly wanted to stay with Matt and help him, her life with the Avengers prevented her from doing that. Even if she had had a choice, Matt would not have allowed her to stay. He thought her place was amongst the Avengers, seeing potential in her that Maria herself could not see.

Matt was not a careful person. Matt cared too much about other people to be a careful person. And these new threats could be too much for Matt to handle on his own. Something inside of Maria told her that Matt knew this. It was the way he barely had tried to reassure her that he would be alright that told her so.

"Okay," breathed Maria, standing up from the bed, grabbing her bag before walking towards the doorway leading to the living room/kitchen of Matt.

Before exiting, she turned back to Matt, seeing him still on his bed.

"I'll see you soon," said Maria quietly.

Once again, Matt didn't reply immediately. Instead, he stood up, walking over to her and quickly embracing her. She placed her face in the crook of his neck, relishing in the embrace of her closest friend, the one who had helped her through so much in her life, the one who basically was her brother. Her fingers curled around his shirt, not wanting to let him go. The worry in her heart for what was about to go down in Hell's Kitchen along with the uncertainty of her own mission made her want to simply stay where she was forever.

"Whenever we meet again… Just remember, you're never alone. And you're always only as strong as you want to be," said Matt before letting go of her.

"It feels like you're saying goodbye forever," said Maria quietly.

"In our profession, one can never know when the mission is over," said Matt.

With one last, quick, hug, Maria smiled at Matt before turning around, exiting Matt Murdock's apartment.

Steve and Maria will reunite in the next chapter! Woop! :D