I'm force feeding you the actual ending. The reality of this entire series for what it is.

What do you think it is?

Misconduct

"Grey, get over here." The shifter snapped at the younger adopted hatchling whom wasn't a hatchling anymore. Still too young to leave her nest but not an infant.

"What?" The sixteen- (technically he's about four or five) year old asked in a snarky tone right back at her as he approached the agitated caretaker.

"I need to leave. You know I should have been gone over an hour ago. Get your shit together and get Basil ready. You need to be up in the next apartment in forty minutes and it's a fifty minute drive." She answered, voice hardly concealing a growl of agitation.

She wasn't over what had happened well over a year ago. Almost two... though in her defense neither was SHIELD. She was a rouge agent with enough power to level a city (world if she felt like it. Comes with being a spawn of death, though such a task would probably exhaust her existence). They couldn't allow her to run around without at least trying to put her underground. Peter wasn't exactly in the clear either, but Wade had them well covered. They didn't have to worry nearly as much. Max wasn't a tech genius or a hacker. She doesn't know how to position cameras away without drawing attention like Parker can. Her excuse remains that she isn't human and that's that.

"It's a two minute fly." Grey pointed out as he picked up his hatchling, small white wings catching the light of the moon outside. It was almost alarming how bright it was out tonight. A trick of the atmosphere but beautiful all the same.

"Go." The female urged, unamused with the adolescents Smart ass comments. She almost regretted the characteristics that the hatchling had picked up from her, but she also was proud of some of his clever comebacks. He was even able to prove himself worthy of keeping up with a Particular anti-hero's banter before the references where getting to old for them to even be insults he could understand. Peter had nearly died laughing at comment of Wade being a man out of time. The far past time.

"I know, I know, I'm going." Grey retorted as he slung a duffle bag over his shoulders. She double checked to see he had Basil in his arms before returning to her own task. She didn't say anymore as he stepped outside, silver wings unfolding before he took off.

"You can't keep him here forever."

Max glances over to the platinum blonde who she assumed had just entered the home. No, it's not a home. They don't have homes. Not anymore.

"I don't plan to." Max answered as she snapped a full magazine into place within a nine millimeter before placing it into a backpack.

"You're lying to yourself. You know you'll try and keep him for as long as he'll put up with staying at your side."

"I Know Vaughn." Max snapped, glaring up at him before zipping the pack shut. "I just don't see how it's fair that humans can keep them for so long and here he's hardly old enough to be in secondary school yet, but there he is, already ready to go off on his own. Only problem is that he can't. He can't go off because he's not human and doesn't have what he needs to start a life. He'll never be able to have any normal occupation he wants. He's going to live in the shadows for all of his life because of what S.H.E.I.L.D. has done. There's nothing normal I can offer him and I can't just let him go off into the world unprepared."

"You weren't prepared," The telepath pointed out as he took one of the two bags in front of Max.

"There wasn't anyone there who could be there for me. I didn't have the option. But now I have the chance to help someone and I'm just trying to do what I can. I didn't grow up in a world guarded so fiercely. It's insane, the documentation and necessity of proof to who you are that they have now days," Max points out as she slings her bag of weapons over her shoulder.

"You're afraid of being alone more than anything."

The female glowered at her friend in annoyance. "Am I at fault for that? Besides I have you don't I?"

"We both know I could be called back at any given moment. My time is limited and I won't be here forever. It's amazing i've been allowed to stay this long. "

"Have you told Percy that?" Max asked, tone changing to be less harsh as the sensitive subject is brought forward.

Vaughn sighs. "No."

Both shifters fell silent for a long minute, trying to once again ignore the elephant in the room that was brought up. Max knew she didn't want to even acknowledge the subject but she knew she would inevitably end up most likely explaining to the younger's mate why the blonde had dropped out of existence.

"You need to-" Vaughn starts to say.

"There's always Wade and Peter. They'll always be around." Max interrupts, knowing very well where Vaughn would be going with the few words he'd managed to say.

"They won't always be here Max. Peter-"

"I made Wade a promise. I'm not going to break it." She said, a clear warning in her tone challenging him to attempt to even try and argue with her.

"Are you doing it for him or are you just-" The telepath tried again.

"I'm just trying to make people happy! Is it at fault that it benefits me too?" She snarled angrily, the animalistic warning silenced the lower ranking dragon.

Vaughn didn't say anything, looking down at the floor rather make eye contact with the agitated female. It was wrong that Max was willing to do for Peter and his soulmate. Unfair really. Unfair to everyone, her, Peter, Vaughn. . . The world.

Max's glare lost its harshness as she comprehended her actions towards the omega before turning away. She couldn't undo what she did but the least she could do is turn away to allow him not to have to be forced to lower his gaze at her presence. The moment she no longer was facing him the other looked up at her like his eyes were being drawn to her like a magnet. He didn't speak, just stared up at her like a startled dog who desired to reproach his master because it didn't know any better than to love them... Only Max wasn't Vaughn's master, she didn't desire to be and most certainly didn't deserve to be.

"You need to call him back to you. You don't have the right to push him away," Vaughn said, slowly regaining his will to stand up straight as he spoke softly. He wanted Max to consider newest, most important person in her life. Jaden wasn't going to live forever.

"It didn't work Vaughn. We weren't made for each other. We aren't soulmates" Max responded, her tone flat as she glanced back at him but looked away again as Vaughn turned away from her. His reaction wasn't personal, just instinct.

"Then Make it work. That's what keeps a relationship going,"

"That's how you break things," She pointed out. She was good at breaking things. Forcing something to work almost always guaranteed its future demise.

"Everything must be broken before it can be fixed, Max."

________________________________________________________________________________

"Hey. Come here you little bugger." Max playfully growled as she scooped up the child from behind. Misha Squealed as he was brought up, small hands reaching up into the air in excitement.

Peter smiled as he watched the pair play. He'd never have considered the assassin to be good with kids.

"She's not good with kids. She's just good at playing." Vaughn said from where he leaned against the wall from where he watched with Peter. He seemed a little off today in Peter's opinion. He didn't bother to much with it because he knew if Vaughn wanted to share with Peter he would have when the arachnid first thought of it.

Peter gives the blonde an odd look. "What?"

"Seriously, she's awful." Vaughn giggled. "She wouldn't know what to do with a child if she was left to her own devices. Grey's only alive because of me."

"What makes her so bad? I've never seen her do anything wrong."

"Let's just leave it at she's more of a 'cool aunt' sort person." Vaughn smiled with a small shake of his head.

"It was one time," Max objected. When the two men looked over Misha was looking up at them from his upside down position the shifter was holding him in.

"Just one time," Misha confirmed, the toddler having no idea what he's talking about but defending her anyway.

Peter shook his head with a snort before walking over to take his child from the shifter. "Thanks for watching him. I know you're busy a good portion of the time."

"No, it's fine," Max said, passing the child over.

It's not like she was assigned missions
Anymore. She wasn't ready to turn around and sort out the shit with S.H.I.E.L.D. Like Peter and his husband had. Maybe someday but by no means was she ready to return to then after that treatment. Just, Fuck No. She just took up jobs she managed to come across from questionable sources. (She got rid of the too shady of clients after getting paid obviously. She's pretty confident she postponed World War III more then once)

It took her long enough to find Sister Margaret's. Wade obviously wasn't any help in offering info on where these people were getting gold tickets. She didn't blame him after her first experience there looking for a job. It was not a friendly surprise when one of the regulars tried to stick his hand down her pants when she was ever so politely trying to talk to the bartender. Let's just say one lucky man went home with four thousand in cash and a name was erased off the Dead pool board, or what ever it was called.

"You bid on who's going to die next?" She'd asked the bartender, Weasel curiously while the dead mercenary was being dragged away. (Hey, she can't say she tried to kill but can't say she didn't try to avoid it)

"Um yeah," The blonde had answered while trying to inch away as not to have to stand directly across from her. Max moved with him.

"So will you give me a ticket or will I have to possibly make a scene for that to happen too?" She asked once he couldn't move any farther to the side for the fact that a wall was in his way.

"No, no that perfectly fine." Weasel said, setting down the class he'd been cleaning to turn around and grab a ticket for her. "There's no need for that,"

"Awesome, so just bring it back when the job's done?" She asked, taking the card to read the name on its front before peering into the envelope that he'd handed over that contained some information.

"Prove that you did it and I'll pay you the same day," he assured. She wanted to chuckle at the way this man fidgeted around her, it was obvious he was in no manner used to females with the intention of business (merc biz mind you)... and probably wasn't any good with them either. "Just get out of here before you start something else."

"Nah, there won't be anything that'll start; Am I right Danny boy?" Max called over her shoulder to a man sitting at a table a ways away. He'd been standing next to his bud when the other man had made his last bad choice.

Max received a glare and half hearted threat in response before she turned back to the bartender, "I didn't think so. Anyways I'll still let out of your too long, greasy hair."

Weasel had scoffed at her words as she walked out the door. She still didn't miss the way he'd self continually ran a hand through his hair.

"This is your subtle memo that the flashback is over," Vaughn said, giving you a side glance before frowning and turning to point at the readers. "No it's not lame this how you're getting the notification. It's better then just reading "end of flashback". You guys have to remember that this," he said gesturing to his head. "Is not limited to here, I know everything," The blonde looked satisfied, about to turn away but stops to grimace at one reader in particular. "Well now I do. Seriously T-M-I."

"Hunny Bunny, are you ready to go?" Max questioned her friend from where she stood in the door way, obviously having been standing for a while for the shifter to come back.

Vaughn blushed as he walked over, regretting the last thirty seconds of his life to follow the assassin. "Sorry, I'm coming."

"Really? Wow, Peter doesn't even come that easily. How does Percy get anything done?" Wade asked, entering through the window. He'd only heard the second part of the sentence but put it to good use. Vaughn only scurried out the door faster as Peter sent Wade a warning look that truly wasn't a threat.

Max smiled at the adorable pink Tone to Vaughn's cheeks before calling a final "Later," before leaving the small family to their own devices.

_______________________________________________________________________________

It was a week later that Max started to notice that Vaughn was acting a tad odd. He wasn't mopey, but he wasn't exactly himself.

"You all right?" She asked cautiously. She could only recall a few other times he'd acted the same way and the worst thing that had happened last time was his... his- Max's accident.

He looked up at her from the spot on the ground he'd been staring at. He wanted to come back to that coffee shop he'd first met Percy at so here they were. It was quiet and Vaughn seemed to love the warm smell of coffee. They had a fantastic Caramel latte apparently. Max just stuck to a smoothie.

"Percy met his soulmate," Vaughn admits.

The assassin pauses, staring at him in surprise. She'd never concidered that someone having yet to meet a soulmate could put a damper on an ongoing Relationship.
"And he just broke up?" Max asked, a dangerous look crossing over her features at the thought.

"Well no. I just... I don't know." Vaughn said, visibly defeated as his shoulders slump.

"When did this happen?" She demanded, leaning forward in her chair from across the younger shifter.

"I don't know... couple days ago?"

"And you've been keeping that to yourself for the past however long and you didn't tell me?" She accused, her drink forgotten as she moves it out of her way so she could give him an intense look.

"I didn't want you to kill him. . . Besides it's not his fault. He's just confused so I went away. He doesn't know what to do. He wants to stay with me but it's his soulmate. He won't have another chance to find them again. It's better this way. I'm not going to stay long anyway. We both know that." Vaughn defended, sitting back in his chair in hopes of escaping the harsh, fiery gaze of the powerful shifter across from him.

"No we don't." She said firmly.

"Max you can't keep denying that Darkfang isn't going to take me back, and besides you can't do anything about it."

"I'll do everything. I'm not going to let her lock you away again. It's not fair to you or her. I can keep you here." Max stated firmly, confidently.

"Darkfang can do what ever she wants. I'm at her mercy Max, I'm supposed to be dead-"

"Only because she made me kill you." Max snapped. You didn't have to be a mind reader to sense the guilt she held to the past act that wasn't entirely her fault either.

Vaughn dismissed the statement quickly. Sure, he was terrified of her for a few months after that but he'd been stuck in a realm as only a conscious so he'd come to terms with it while being stuck with her mind. He understood her feelings towards it when she'd finally remembered what she'd done. "She's litteraly and figuratively death, Max. There's nothing-"

"And I'm just as powerful as she is. More so if you consider the fact that I can hide Among the humans." Max argued. She was serious, and Vaughn wasn't sure if he believed her. He didn't know her limits. He'd honestly never seen her use her... power to any extant.  He wasn't even sure how it worked.  She'd killed single individuals from a distance if she couldn't get to the target in time. Vaughn could recall being highly disturbed by that. He hadn't even been able to tell how she'd directed the energy to take out the single individual. He still didn't understand when she killed spiders for him when she wasn't even on the same level in her apartment building as him. It made him question if the Spider or its sudden, unexpected death.

"She's interconnected to all of the multi universes and dimensions. She exists at the source of where they all meet. She has more power simply because she has more reach. You could each possibly be of the same strength if she were restricted to the earth, but you don't have ability to access every corner of every existence."

"But you're connected to her, which means you're connected to her realm which also means you have the same ability to reach out anywhere. If I have you them I have the access." Max said.

"I don't see how I could be your portal, besides if I'm not always here then you don't have that option." Vaughn sighed. He didn't like this subject. Everything on her abilities in her mind was blocked out, protected by a silent barrier within her mind that radiated an eerie, sharp energy. It made him shift uncomfortably in his seat at the unnatural feel of it.

"I'll always have you," Max said, her tone serious, almost a warning. Vaughn  met her gaze and felt a chill run down his spine. She wasn't giving him an option and it was as endearing as it was unsettling. The thought of protecting him and keeping him away from the threat of being taken flooded his senses as he took in her meaning. "I won't let you go anywhere,"

Vaughn didn't respond as he glanced up to the person that stopped behind Max, a sense of anxiety twisting through the person's mind as they recognized her from behind. It only took a second for the shifter opposite of him to notice his attention had gone to something above her and so she turned to see what it was, already willing to come to his defence.

He could laugh at the way she internally deflates at who she realizes who she's looking at if it wasn't as depressing as it was. She was so confused on the subject of what she should have with her soulmate she just pushed him away because that way she didn't have to deal with her conflicting thoughts or their personal disagreements. It was... Sad.

"Max," Jaden greeted, surprise laced with anxiety evident in his voice.

"Hi." She answered, no less awkward.

'Say something better,' Vaughn mentally snapped at her.

She turned slowly to make a point of her 'excuse me.' expression before turning back to her soulmate. 'You planned this.' She didn't need to ask, she knew. Which was both a yes and a no. He came here in hopes Jaden would stop by, fate was generous so vaughn have the guy a small self esteem boost just big enough to give him the courage to want to acknowledge Max.

She wasn't pleased with him but she needed to accept this. She needed someone else. He wouldn't always be there even if she said she wouldn't let him go. If she wouldn't let go then he'd be ripped from her grasp and it would hurt the both of them more than he'd ever like to experience.

________________________________________________________________________________

"You have an outing with Jaden remember." Vaughn said as he ushered Grey to take Basil to take a needed bath.

"I what?" She asked in confusion as she cautiously avoided the substances on Basil's clothing as she tossed it into the washing machine. Vaughn was the one that took him outside to the roof to go stretch his wings. Max didn't want to know what that kid had gotten into but it was putrid. "I never set anything up. I don't think he even asked."

"That's because you asked," Vaughn responded from another room in the apartment. Before she could become to concerned over her memory state she heard Vaughn mutter, "At least after I sent a text asking him from your phone,"

It was humorous how he always forgot that she could hear him. He spent far too much time around humans.

"You what?"

She forced down a smile when she heard Vaughn scurry into the bathroom to argue with Grey over how to wash his child and pretend like he'd never mentioned it, rather than confront the Assassin. She started the wash cycle with a shake of her head before going to her phone to see what damage was done and to possibly change her passcode. (She knew it was a fruitless act to change it being Vaughn was a mind reader but it still felt comforting to pretend he didn't know it.)

An hour and a half later she was waiting outside Jaden's apartment building in her gear, casually leaning against the side of the brick building. She wasn't sure why she'd decided not to cancel the meeting but she had a job to get to in an hour so she could easily just leave if things went south. When Jaden finally came out she would be reluctant to admit that he scared her by being scared of her. Well, she didn't care if he was scared or not but the screech that was followed by "I don't have anything!" might have slightly burst her eardrums.

"What is your problem?" She asked after getting over almost tripping herself trying to get away from his alarmed yelling.

"I thought you were going to mug me!" He defended.

"For fucks sake. Do I look like I want your money?" She snapped before actually looking down to consider the weapons strapped to her body... Nope. She looked more like someone who popped out of the dauntless faction minus an abundance of tattoos and the addition of strong, scaled wings.

"You look like you want to kill someone." Jaden warily answered.

She gives a considerate nod. "Sounds right up my alley. Luckily you're not the one i'm dressed up for."

He doesn't reply, instead just giving her that look that led her to making the initial decision to break off ties. It was a wary expression that hinted that he really was scared, that he was uncomfortable with what she was.

"Come on. We have something we need to talk about." She sighed, a sinking feeling making its home in her chest.

TBC

in Part II