AN: Story's Shadow and I are back. We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, but now we present to you another update for Vixens 3rd story.

I wanna give another shoutout to Story's Shadow's YouTube Channel: 'Lost in the Story with Jeremy Mize' I'd recommend everyone please check out his channel... maybe give him a like, comment and subscribe if possible ;)

Also wanna give out a shout to another talented Author: Redbat132. I'd recommend everyone check out her awesome stories and her DeviantArt page... both found on her author profile.

Also to Rushstar32: some of your questions from last chapter are going to be addressed in this one... you're gonna be really excited going forward, I guarantee it...

Unto the show my friends, see ya'll next time.

-S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ Medical Bay, The Next Day-

Doreen looked down at the tea in her cup. Steam rose from the liquid before her eyes, though her gaze moved back to her drink. She sighed as she brought the cup up to her lips and started drinking. Rayshaun and Riri shared a look with one another, the latter with an eyebrow raised. They turned back to their friend as she lowered her cup and sat it on the table beside her.

A doctor checked her temperature by crossing the device across her forehead. She grumbled a little but didn't turn her gaze to them as they went over the reading. Rayshaun sighed a little which made Doreen turn her gaze towards him.

"You say something?"

"You're a little quiet."

"Well...getting your ass kicked while trying to help your friends will do that to ya."

"We all lost that fight, it wasn't solely on your shoulders."

Doreen grumbled, nostrils flaring slightly.

"But I wasn't much help in that fight. The stupid sprain hampered my movement. Made me open to his attacks."

Riri smiled slightly.

"Hey, you did better than you think. You stood your ground."

"...And got myself injured worse."

"You can't think like that."

"How can't I?"

Doreen looked at her wrapped up leg, sneering slightly.

"I've got an all too familiar reminder of what he did."

Rayshaun sighed.

"He used a surprise attack. They're effective for a reason."

"But we're the Secret Warriors, we're supposed to be trained for this stuff."

"He was a lot stronger and faster than he looked."

"You're denying we got our butts kicked?"

Rayshaun sighed and chuckled lightly.

"No...we got our asses handed to us."

Riri sighed, nodding.

"My emergency nanotech didn't do much either. So, do you think he was one of his-?"

Rayshaun nodded.

"Oh yeah, given the circumstances...we were attacked by one of his hitmen."

Doreen grumbled more before she grabbed her cup and drank more of the tea. Rayshaun rubbed the back of his neck.

"Maybe we should go for a walk? Clear our heads?"

Riri nearly laughed.

"I don't think a short stroll through the building for a few minutes will keep her mind off things."

"And what about you?"

"Probably gonna pool my thoughts with Iron Man on plans to defend Earth from this invasion."

"It's a good idea. What's your big plan?"

"Upgrade my armor? Upgrade Mr. Stark's plans?"

Rayshaun laughed.

"He'll love that."

Riri smiled before she turned her gaze back to Doreen he put the cup down again.

"Maybe come up with some armor for you guys? That sound fun, Doreen?"

Doreen looked to her and sighed.

"Yeah, that could be good. What I want to do is find that jerk assassin and kick his tail!"

Her hands were clenched into fists as she seemed to stare off into space. Rayshaun smiled a little.

"We know you will. You just gotta heal up first."

Doreen groaned before nodding.

-Secret Warriors HQ, Common Room-

Vixen and Vulpine sat at the same table, quiet for a minute or so. The latter at times refrained from looking at her which made Vixen sigh. She moved one hand over to his, gently grasping it. Vulpine's ears popped up a little slow at this, his gaze turning to their hands. His gasp was soft yet it still cut through the silence of the room. Vixen sighed herself.

"We need to talk."

...What is there to talk about?..."

"There's...a lot."

Vulpine sighed, his ears dropped again as he avoided her gaze.

"Um...sure."

Vixen looked down at the table, their plates were untouched. She sighed.

"We can warm up our food later, neither of us seem to be hungry right now...let's go to my room, we can talk there."

"Ok."

-Vixen's Room, A Few Minutes Later-

The young Fox sighed as she closed the door behind her.

She turned to him.

"Are we gonna talk about this?"

Vulpine couldn't hold her gaze as he sat on her bed.

"What else is there to talk about?"

"About us."

"Us?"

"Yes, us."

"You mean on why you haven't killed me yet?"

Vixen frowned.

"What?"

"The only reason I'm still alive is because I can be used in the fight against Imperious."

Vixen shook her head.

"I'm not going to kill you. That's not what I'm talking about!"

Vulpine raised his head, barely able to meet her eyes.

"Than what?"

Vixen sat beside him, gently grasping one of his hands then she used her other hand to make him look her directly in the eyes. His eyes widened a little bit as she answered.

"About us, what we've become."

Vulpine's ears dropped, trying to avert his eyes from her gaze.

"...What of it?..."

Vixen sighed.

"There's a future for us."

Vulpine scoffed, frowning only at himself.

"How can there be? After what I've done? After what I tried to do?"

"Imperious had a grasp on your mind, you weren't yourself."

"Even if that was completely true, that doesn't excuse what I've done...what I did to Faunia...what I nearly did to this world...and what I did to the reputation and legacy of the real Vulpine."

Vixen shook her head.

"You might not be the original Vulpine yet that doesn't mean you aren't real."

Vulpine grasped her hands, meeting her gaze as tears welled in his eyes.

"How can I be? I was created by Imperious from his essence...I was only a tool of his design...nothing more."

"Nothing more? You are more than who you were, you helped me see things in a manner that I didn't know before you. You gave me my first moment to experience what passion our people embraced."

Vulpine smiled slightly before it vanished

"'What they embraced.' And now I sense you are conflicted about that night."

Vixen's ear lowered slowly as she averted his gaze.

"I...I'm not certain."

Vulpine sighed.

"You can't be blamed...having learned who you have been with...who I truly am."

Vixen shook her head.

"Regardless, that doesn't mean I don't love you."

Vulpine shook his head.

"No...you can't...you shouldn't!"

"Vulpine-"

"I helped destroy Faunia! The world, her people, the gods, and all the beautiful wonders are gone! How can you possibly still claim to love me after all that destruction! All of that evil!"

Vixen's ears dropped lower.

"Y-You weren't-"

"I destroyed our home! I'm a monster, Vixen! How can you not see that?! If you do, how can you possibly forgive me for all of that horror! You shouldn't! You can't!"

Vixen's eyes widened, tears welling in her eyes. She cried as she opened the door and raced out of her room. Vulpine cursed himself, his head dropping.

"Now look what I've done...damned fool."

Kamala scrolled through her phone as she made her way into the rec room. She was reading an article about reports across the world of eyewitness sightings and stories of strange occurrences and creators across the globe.

"Hmm...gonna have to talk to the Wolf about this."

As she took one step into the rec room, sobbing caught her ears. Her gaze moved in the direction of its origin. All alone in the rec room in the farthest corner table sat Vixen. Her forehead was planted against the table with her arms wrapped around her head. Kamala's eyes widened a little at this. Then she put her phone in her backpack and walked towards her friend.

"Vixen?"

Vixen gasped, her head jumping up.

"S-Sorry...I didn't hear you."

"What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing."

Vixen didn't turn to meet her gaze, keeping her back towards Kamala. The young Inhuman walked over to her with a sympathetic sigh, though Vixen moved her head away from her.

"Vixen...tell me what's wrong."

"Please...I don't want to trouble you."

Kamala smiled a little as she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"You're alone and you're crying...it's ok...you can tell me what's going on."

"...You'll think it's stupid..."

Kamala sat down beside her.

"Being sad isn't stupid. You can tell me what's going on."

Vixen slowly turned to her. Kamala's eyes shook a little at seeing her friend's face streaming with tears. She gently wrapped an arm around her friend.

"It's ok, just tell me when you're ready."

Vixen sniffled a little, whimpering for a moment or two before she spoke.

"I-I...it's...it's about Vulpine..."

"What about him?"

"...A-Aren't you going to say: What did he do to you? Did he hurt you?"

Kamala chuckled a little.

"I don't think he'd win that fight."

Vixen scoffed though the tiniest smile was momentarily present on her face.

"C'mon girl, what do you really mean about him?"

Vixen's breath shook a little.

"Y-You know how I've felt about him...how I feel about him."

Kamala sighed.

"Yeah...I know...I'm just kinda surprised."

"By what?"

"...That you still love him..."

Vixen's ear dropped a little.

"I know...what he's done...I know though that so much of it was because of manipulation...Imperious controlled him through his subconscious."

"Yet he still chose to do what he did."

Vixen sighed.

"...I know...that doesn't mean I don't forgive him..."

The young Inhuman ran one hand through her hair, for a moment or so seemingly looking off into space. Her shoulders raised then fell slowly as she inhaled and exhaled.

"I won't lie to you...I think he should be imprisoned even though he is being of use to us...what he did regardless of whether or not he was manipulated...was vile...something many couldn't and wouldn't forgive...with you...and him...I guess that's the thing about love...you feel so strongly about and for someone despite the things about them you may feel uncertain about or dislike...even hate...you still love them."

"S-So you-?"

Kamala chuckled.

"He might be stubborn...but...you know where I'm going with this...with you and him...I'm not going to lie to you, I really don't like it...you could do far better than him...he doesn't deserve your love at all...why do you-?"

Vixen blushed severely as she looked away from her friend.

"I-I...we...we truly made something special...ever since I met him my whole life changed in so many ways...I just-"

Vixen expected her friend to insult Vulpine again or to try to convince her she was wrong. She didn't hear anything, so she turned back to her friend. Kamala's eyes were as wide and both hands were over her mouth. Vixen's head cocked to the side slightly.

"W-What's wrong?"

"...You...You two...You did, it!"

Vixen's eyes widened a little.

"Huh?"

"He was...the first other Fox you met...the only other Faunian...you fell in love...and you two...he really was your first in more than that!"

Vixen's eyes widened.

"H-How do you-?"

Kamala scratched her head.

"I...I wasn't expecting any of this. And now that you two are seriously, very seriously close...you've really fallen for him...whoa."

Vixen gulped slightly.

"H-He doesn't feel like there's a future for us because of what he's done and what he tried to do...and I still want that despite what he's done. He thinks he doesn't deserve to be with me."

Kamala exhaled loudly, her eyes moving around the room as her mind wandered. She sighed as her attention turned back to her friend.

"Vixen...I...honestly he knows rightly so he doesn't deserve to be with you...he shouldn't be walking around without being in a straight jacket and every chain imaginable to keep him from moving...he doesn't deserve to for you to love him so much."

"What are you saying?"

One hand ran down Kamala's face before she spoke.

"I'm not going to tell you who you can't or shouldn't love, Vixen. That wouldn't be right let alone fair for you...I do believe you should find and meet someone better than him...I just know you love him and I know you feel bad sad and alone about this...just know you're not alone and it's ok to feel sad."

She hugged her friend.

"You know I'm here and I'm always willing to help you, whether it's being a shoulder to cry on or for my more or less greater experience in boy problems."

Vixen laughed a little as she hugged her back, smiling.

"Thank you, Kamala."

AN: What do you all think? Is it admirable for Vixen to still love Vulpine, or do you think Vulpine and Kamala are right in saying that Vixen should move on? Please let us know ;)