Maya

I felt sick to my stomach.

Listen to them only made my suspicion more concrete.

Not only did Raza have more children but he locked them away. These kids were his backups in case Amir, Mimi, or I were ever compromised. A whole new army that could reap devastation.

Thanks the gods that none of them had been set down that path.

Well...almost none.

My gaze fell on Safia. She was still seated, small sparks of blue were dancing around her. Through her hair and between her fingertips. A living tesla coil.

She wasn't liked the other kids.

There was something hard and unyielding about her. Her edges were all cut glass and razors, made to maim. She was afraid but used everything in her personal arsenal to hide that.

I looked away, afraid that I might see my younger self in her. Raza wasn't kind to me. He probably wasn't kind to her either.

After all, what type of father puts his teenage daughter in cryosleep for three years?

I got up, ignoring Nat calling out for me.

I had to know.

The guards at the door shuffled their feet as they saw me stalking towards them. The expression on my face must've been dark or menacing enough because they unlocked the door and let me through.

I was breaking more than just protocol by being here.

Fury would have my head.

I didn't care.

I pulled out the chair and sat down in front of Safia. Her eyes widened in shock for a brief moment before narrowing at me.

"I'm Maya," I said bluntly. "I'm your sister."

"Half sister," Safia corrected.

I felt my right hand throb painfully. "Ah, so you know."

She shrugged, tossing her hair back. "Clearly not enough." She said. "Dad told me about you."

"He's not my—" I stop myself, squeezing my eyes shut as I count to ten and let out a deep breath slowly. "I'm sorry. He is not my—our—father."

Safia smirked at that. "Yeah, he was a dick."

"I'm glad we can agree on that." I glanced at the camera in the corner of the room. "I'll be blunt. They want to keep me away from you."

"I've been trying to find out what 'they' are." Safia chewed the inside of her cheek, glaring at the camera again.

"S.H.I.E.L.D."

"He disliked them."

I snort. "I'm well fucking aware."

"He warned me to stay away from them."

"What else did he say?" I ask.

She didn't meet my eyes. Safia looked down at her nails which were bitten. "He said that S.H.I.E.L.D. took you away from him. He also said you were his favorite and that I would have to work hard to become like you. He said a lot of things but most of it was bullshit."

I didn't know if I wanted to laugh or cry.

Probably both of I'm being honest.

Gods, I used to be made out of stronger stuff. Now look at me. Soft.

"Well...ain't that just great." I say, laughing a little.

Safia huffed, her lips pulled down into a scowl. "You probably think I'm brainwashed too. That stupid doctor thought I was suffering from some sort of...I don't know...trauma induced delusion. Whatever that means."

Gods, that's a lot to unpack.

Let's put a pin in that.

"For the record, I don't think you're brainwashed. Our elder siblings in the other hand definitely were."

Safia whipped her head around, a perplexed expression on her face. "There were others? What the fuck happened to them?"

"Oh." I smile but it feels hardly there. "They're dead."

The static in the room exploded.

Safia pointed her finger at me, small bold of blue lightening sprouted off the tip. Her eyes went white all the way, just like Miriam's, except there was a bluish tint in the corners. There were no pupils.

I heard the door to the room open but I quickly subdued the guards. They stood frozen as I held them in place without moving a muscle.

I smiled knowing that my eyes going full black was an unsettling. Pietro had once called it demonic and was too scared to come near me for a whole week.

"Are you going to kill me?" She asked, voice trembling slightly.

"I never said that I killed them."

"Doesn't matter. If you survived, that means you had to kill them." Safia spits out. A small bolt of lighting springs from her hands and brushes inches away from my face. "That means you're going to do the same to me."

I admire her bravery. If I truly wanted to I could wrench her arms to her side before she could shoot a bolt of electricity at me. I've taken down bigger and dangerous foes.

I shook my head. "No, Safia. I'm here to protect you."

"Funny," she said, narrowing her green eyes till they were slits. "He said that too. Then look what he did to me!"

"I killed them once. I killed them twice. I ensure that I wouldn't have to do it for a third time." I said, standing up. "Now calm down and listen to me."

"No!" She tossed a bolt at me. I moved out of the way as it brushed last my hair. "Get away from me."

Safia took a step back, eyes now wide in fear.

The room was covered in blue lightning. It bounced off the walls. I could feel it sink into me, it was an unpleasant buzz that ran through my veins.

I pushed through the lightning that gathered in her hands and pressed my palm against her forehead.

Her body stilled and the energy around me died down.

"Sorry about this." I said. "Please. I'm not him. I'm not going to hurt you."

Safia had fear in her eyes. "Do you want to know what else he said?"

"Enlighten me."

"He said that you were the most ruthless and dangerous one. He said you killed with ease. He said...you had no remorse."

I don't hide my laughter this time. "Tell me, Safia. If I were really any of those things, would you still be standing?" I lean in closer. I can see the flecks of blue in her green eyes. "I'm not enemy here. He's dead. I made sure of it. He can't hurt me or you or anyone else. Just...please, listen to me. I am begging you."

Safia whimpers, a crack in her otherwise tough exterior. "I don't want to live like this," she says. "I hate it here."

That's all I needed to hear.

—

I sit in Fury's office yet again.

I'm getting real sick of this place. I'm sure Fury is too.

I can hear him pacing behind me. He hasn't said a word to me and a part of me doesn't want him to.

The Avengers are outside in the hallway.

Clint is probably praying right now. Or maybe he's eating a bagful of vegan popcorn as he waits for me.

Fury finally stops pacing.

"Agent," he starts. I flinch. "Do you know the position that you have just put me in?"

Considering the fact that he paced a dent into that carpet, I'm sure it wasn't a good one.

I keep my smartass mouth shut.

"I'm aware, Sir." I respond.

"You should be in lockdown, Agent. Or stored in a black sight facility so damn remote that it can be called the lost city of Atlantis!" He hisses. "Maybe both because you don't think things through."

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"

He shoots me a bone chilling glare that snaps my mouth shut.

"This is your last chance." He informs me, rubbing his temple.

"I know," I say. "I'm willing to trade it in for them."

"That's out of the—"

"They're just kids!" I snap. "They were my age, Director! My father took them away and tried to force them into something they're not. They have nobody. There's no one to protect them or lookout for them. You've seen what he's done to my mother. Gods only know what Raza has don't to theirs!"

It's quiet in the office again.

I put my head in my hands.

My time at S.H.I.E.L.D. has been good. I've gained enough experience. But even I know that this is coming to an end. Espionage is the type of game that continues if you keep playing.

I don't know if I want to play anymore.

Maybe I need a break.

Nat and I had a discussion about this last year. We could take a quick trip to Bali and relax for a bit. No Avengers, no world needing saving, and no more fights.

Clearly that never happened.

"I'm sorry, Agent." He said. I'm sure he sounded sympathetic but I didn't look up to see if it was written all over his face. "The Council had made its decision. We won't release them into your custody."

"It's a stupid ass decision." I mutter.

Fury places a hand on my shoulder. I'm sure I could say something sarcastic or scathing but I don't think I can.

—

Bucky and Nat find me still in the chair hunched over.

"Maya," Nat calls my name. I feel her hand on my back, rubbing in circles.

Bucky pushes my hair back and hands me a handkerchief. I don't even realize that I'm crying silently.

It hurts.

It just fucking hurts that I can't help them.

I don't even like kids.

I didn't want to have any of my own because I was so scared of how they would turn out. I didn't want to be as helpless as my mother.

Why did I want this? Why did i want to protect them?

I vowed to end my bloodline but it was all for nothing.

"I'll go talk to him." Bucky says. "There's got to be something we can do."

I grab his arm, stopping him. I know no matter how much I grip onto him with my fingernails it won't hurt a single bit.

"Don't." I say. "I'll find a way."

Nat makes a sound. "They won't allow that."

"Who gives a shit about what they allow?!" I stand up, pushing the chair away. "They don't deserve this!"

"Maya, stop!"

"Not a chance in—"

Something sharp stabs into my neck. I whip my head around staring at Nat who stares down at her nails. A small needle sticks out from her nail.

I feel something in my blood. It's not enough to take me down but damn it worked fast.

Bucky must've seen the murderous look on my face because he took a step back, his arm raised in the air between us. "Now, listen. This isn't what it looks like—"

"Wrong fucking answer!" I hissed as I raised my leg up to kick him.

Nat attacked from the side, her arm wrapped around my shoulders. She had the second needle in my neck before I could even scream.

This time it works.

I go down like a sack of bricks. Bucky catches me and lowers me to the ground gently. His eyes are full of worry and I can tell this is his shitty way of apologising.

"Just trust us," he says, the words blurring. "It'll be okay."

I feel my eyes flutter shut. I blink once, and then twice, and then I'm gone.