Black Wolf in the Void

by WhiteWidowBlackWolf

Summary:

Genevieve Stark excels at keeping secrets and wearing carefully curated masks. After the deaths of her father, husband, and best friends, she has chosen to keep moving forward despite the heartache. She knows she must because if she doesn't, the weight of the world could quite literally crush her completely. After the 'incident' in Westview, New Jersey, it seems some people are actively praying for her downfall. But Evie Stark is undeniably Tony's daughter, and she refuses to lose in the game of life. After all, she has certain "responsibilities" that prevent her from simply throwing in the towel and giving up, even when every single day is an uphill battle against the world, her mind, and the constant threat of new emerging dangers.

Chapter 1: The Old There Before

 

 

 

Life after death is never an easy one. Throw in a feisty preteen girl with special abilities, and a pregnancy halfway through its final trimester due its accelerated timeframe, and hard starts to feel damn near impossible. 
 

It had been almost five weeks since the world ‘un-blipped’ and those lost to Thanos’ initial snap returned. That meant Evie had survived five weeks without her father, Tony Stark. Five weeks without talking to him. Five weeks where she woke everyday to crying, just to go back to bed later that night to cry herself to sleep. Everyday was a battle from sun up and at sundown. But no matter how much it hurt, the weight of the world trying to crush her, Evie fought relentlessly. Afterall she had people depending on her. And giving up was never an option. 
 

Today was no different. She woke with a gasp, unable to fill her lungs with air as yet another night was spent with vivid flashbacks to that fateful day. As her heart pounded against her chest, she forced herself to focus. To say outloud the names of three blue objects and then the names of three more. This time, white. 
 

“The walls…” her breathing was shaky, and her back was aching. “The painting…” Deep breaths. She needed to take deep breaths in between. “My pajamas.” She inhaled slowly through her nose, feeling how her heartbeat became normal with each passing second. “White, the curtains, the flowers, and the alarm clock.” There, the ritual was complete, and Evie was once again semi-stable. But as she swung her feet over the edge, the baby in her belly decided he still wanted some excitement. When her feet touched the cold wooden floors, a strong kick made her jump. Letting out an, “Omph! Christ baby, let mommy stand before assaulting my bladder.” 
 

Her rushed waddle across the room was prompted by her unborn son, who seemed to think that 4 AM was the perfect time to exercise his legs, repeatedly kicking her bladder like a soccer ball. After finishing her morning routine in the restroom, she moved to change into more professional attire. Once she had pulled her trousers up, she stared at her floor-length mirror, rubbing her hand over the large bump that prevented her from zipping her pants. She hummed contentedly. “Mister, you get harder to conceal every day…” A ripple of blue and black cascaded from her head down to her toes. As she glanced at her reflection, she saw that her stomach appeared smooth and flat once again. After getting dressed, she made her way downstairs, knocking on Laura’s door along the way. The breakfast she prepared was simple: a bowl of Fruit Loops with a side of orange slices for Laura, and a ginger green tea with a piece of toast for herself.

As she sipped from her mug, Evie was reviewing the day’s latest reports from Stark Industries, going over the details with Friday. “Ms. Stark, don’t forget you have that meeting with Ross today.” Laura looked up from her book to glance at her mother.

“Remind me again, is it Everett or Thaddeus?” Friday instantly replied with, “Thaddeus.” 

“Fuck…” Evie grumbled lowly. 

“That’s a dollar.”

“What honey?” 

“Eso es una mala palabra, ma. Curse word.” Evie lowered the screen from her face and smiled sheepishly at her daughter. “You’re absolutely right. Thank you for pointing that out.” She went to her purse and fished out a bill, promptly sticking it in the fishbowl at the corner of her kitchen’s marble countertop. “There, we’re square,” She glanced at her phone. “We’re also about to run late. Grab your coat and bag, and let’s get going.” 

When they stepped out into the chilly New York air, the girls caught sight of a minivan waiting by the curb.

Evie went to open the side door of the gold-colored Honda Odyssey for Laura. “Nice new wheels, Logan. But I gotta say I kinda miss the El Camino, even if it was a rolling pile of scrap metal.” The Wolverine huffed indignantly. “Stark, don’t get me started…” he said warningly. Evie chuckled, giving her daughter a peck on the crown. “Behave, okay? I’ll come get you Wednesday. Till then-”

“I need to listen and be on my best behavior. Brush my teeth, make my bed, and make sure my homework is done before I can watch cartoons. Yes, mami. I got the drill…” The girl looked exasperated, but Evie couldn’t help but giggle. “Well then, missy, if you’re all set. Logan.”

“Stark.”

Right before she could close the door completely, Laura caught it. “Ma, deveras tengo que ir a la escuela si nos vamos pronto?  Can’t I stay with you in case the baby decides to come early?” 

Evie pushed a lock of Laura’s hair behind her ear. “Sweetheart, we talked about this… if the baby decides to get here earlier than expected. Nana and Morgan will come to get you and meet me before he’s born. Now go, I’m sure your friends missed you. You’ve played hooky for a month now, and you need to be all caught up before the trip.” The little girl agreed, nodding her head and closing the door the rest of the way. Logan gave Evie a small wave, before pulling out and driving down the road.

With a final sigh, she turned to walk towards her awaiting black portal. 

 

 

Once in her office, Evie switched into business mode. Burying herself deeply into her work. That was till around lunchtime when Clara knocked at her door. “Got you some food, boss.” Distracted by the pages in her hands, Evie replied, “Great thanks, Clara just leave it on the coffee table.”

But her ever-loyal and faithful assistant knew if she did that, Evie wouldn’t taste a single bite till well past midnight. Especially since Laura was off to school for the next few days, unable to scold her mom for not taking better care of herself. “You got it, Evie. I got you the special at that Greek joint down the block. They stacked it high with beef and loaded with tzatziki sauce.” The mere mention of the yogurt-based topping was enough to make Evie gag.

If there was one thing that didn’t agree with her pregnancy, it was dairy and cucumbers. And tzatziki sauce had both. “Oh Clara, I’m so sorry.” She took a deep breath, trying to collect herself. Meanwhile, her friend was busy laughing. “I bet, now, please. Put down the paperwork and come eat.” Evie pouted, unhappy with the way Clara had gotten her attention. “It’s a delicious and nutritious pho soup. Lots of veggies and made from a really good bone broth.” Evie did as told and together they enjoyed their meal. But like always all good things come to an end. Just as Clara was letting her know that she was ready to cover her workload in her absence, Friday came over the intercoms. 

“Ms. Stark, your 1 o’clock is here and he’s not alone.”

“Great, just as I was starting to hope he’d cancel… Well fuck it, let’s get it over with.” Clara got to her feet and extended a hand to Evie, who took it gratefully. “Murdock should be here any minute now too, I’ll get them settled in the conference room. Make them sweat a little before you gotta go in there.” 

“That right there is why you're my favorite employee,” Evie said amusedly. 

“Boss, after all these years I'm pretty sure I'm that, your best friend, closest confidant, and at least three more titles I can’t think of off the top of my head.” Once again Evie was giggling, agreeing wholeheartedly with the other woman.

Just as Evie was getting ready to head to the meeting, her blind lawyer entered her office five minutes later, as if on cue. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him. “Matt!" 

“Angel, you don’t know how happy I was to get your message,” he said. She blinked away the moisture that gathered in the corners of her eyes, going around her desk and wrapped him in a tight hug. “It’s so good to actually see you. How have you been? How's Foggy?”

Matt held her at arm's length, admiring her and appreciating the sound of her voice. “We’re doing okay, just trying to find our footing after all the chaos,” he replied easily. He listened closely to her heart and lungs; they seemed to be working harder than usual, and she felt a few degrees warmer. “But enough about me. What about you?” He cupped her cheek, sensing her sigh as she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. “Well, I’ve certainly been better.” 

“I'm truly sorry about your dad, Evie.” Taking a step back after rubbing his arms, she gave him a small smile saying, “Yeah, well… Life happens, and we gotta keep moving forward.” 

“Still-” Evie placed a hand on his shoulder, her body language screaming that now wasn’t the moment she wanted to touch the subject. “I’m okay Matty, honestly. At least in that aspect. But currently, I kinda got the government breathing down my neck.” 

He nodded. “Yeah, of course. So what is it they’re saying?”

Evie grabbed her phone and took Murdock's hand, planting it on the crook of her arm to guide him towards the conference room. “Long story short, they’re here to cross-examine me with a fine-tooth comb.” 

“Why?” He questioned curiously. 

“Well… a former Avenger stepped out of line accidentally. It looks like grief got the best of her, and consequently, an entire town paid the price for it. But since the feds weren’t given their pound of flesh, they’re here to try and leach off of me.”

Matt took in the information, and right before they reached the glass doors of the conference room, he spoke. “In other words, they think that you might do the same. Go AWOL and fall into some sort of manic state of mind due to your recent loss and lash out because you’ve seemingly lost control of your powers.” 

“Right on the money as always, counselor.” 

He gave her a determined and leveled face. “Very well then, let’s show them they’re barking up the wrong tree.”

 

Inside the conference room, an oval table was already occupied by three men in suits and four armed private escorts. They all stood up as she entered.

“I was beginning to think you were going to ditch us. Glad to see you joined us, Stark,” Secretary Ross said with a hint of sarcasm. Evie responded with a condescending smile, “Now, why would I do such a thing? I’m far too professional to play games with you, Ross.” 

Ross glanced between the two, momentarily focusing on Matt’s cane and glasses. “Gentlemen, this is Matthew Murdock, my lawyer.” As he returned to his chair at the foot of the table, Ross introduced the members of his entourage. “These fine men are government-appointed officials who are here to oversee today’s meeting: Agent Clemmons and Agent Smith.” 

Evie exchanged firm handshakes with both agents, as did Matt before they took their seats at the table. She purposefully left a chair open for Clara to take once she arrived.

“And what about the muscle? Shouldn’t we get their names if they’re to be present?” Matt said in an even tone of voice. Evie quickly added, “Yeah, Ross, why are there armed men in my office? Don’t tell me you're expecting to be jumped. Or have you been getting nasty hate mail again?”

The whole time, Evie didn’t even look up to the man she was addressing. Instead, she was informing Clara via text that she could bring the refreshments whenever ready. Ross cleared his throat loudly. Clearly unhappy with the way she was so casual when holding such a high-level meeting. “Well, Stark, they’re here to ensure we keep the peace during this meeting. After all, you’re the one with powers in a building full of civilians.” 

The comment made her chuckle as she placed the phone down with a dull thud. “Funny, I’ve worked in a corporate setting for years and never once felt the need to showcase my abilities for any reason,” she said. Just as the old man was about to respond, Clara walked in, announced by the soft swish of the doors opening. She was accompanied by two young women carrying trays filled with fresh hot coffee, water, and chilled club sodas.

Once the trays were set and the assistants dismissed, Clara moved to the left of Evie, distributing a small stack of documents to those at the table. “Good evening, everyone. I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to review the files before you,” she said politely.

Ross and the others all looked over the paperwork. “What’s this sweetheart?” He said. Both women exchanged tired glances at the pet name thrown in. “It's a legal disclosure that all those present for this meeting are being monitored via video and audio recordings. After all, you did bring weapons into a building full of civilians. You must all sign if you wish to stay for the party we’re about to start.” Evie clasped her hands together, a smug grin on her lips. The men all looked to their leader, and after an indignant huff, he signed the dotted line. The rest promptly followed suit. With the last bit squared away, they officially started the meeting, with Evie speaking to the ever-present AI. 

"Friday?” 

“Yes, Ms. Stark.” 

“Please initiate privacy mode, and time stamp the commencement of this meeting at 1400 hours.” 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 2: Instigators

 

 

 

After getting the confirmation from Friday, Evie left the floor open to Secretary Ross. The gray-haired man rose to his feet and slowly began to pace the room. 

“As you all may know, today’s meeting was set to present Ms. Genevieve Stark with a proposal due to the recent events that took place in Westview, New Jersey.” He clicked a small remote in his hands and projected multiple images of a town encased in a red dome, taking over the north-facing wall. At the center, there was video footage of ground soldiers attempting to approach the hex.

“Three weeks after the Avengers fought and defeated the extraterrestrial known as Thanos, Wanda Maximoff took an entire small town hostage when she was unable to contain her emotions and lost her ability to control and manage her enhanced superpowers fully.” Evie remained cool under his scrutinous gaze. Unwavering as she held her chin high. “This was a cause for great concern to our national security. If one witch was able to do this without much to stop her, what were other people capable of?” With another click, the images of people running scared, and screaming flooded the senses of those present. 

Evie looked almost bored as she saw the screens show Wanda floating in the air, firing her scarlet bursts of magic at an unfocused assailant. She was on full display, dressed in red with a magnificent crown adorning her head. But Evie was unimpressed with Ross’ attempt to rattle her. With a swift wave of her hands, it all disappeared and everyone’s eyes fell on her.

“Thad, I can call you Thad, right?” He was glowering but opted not to say anything as Evie proceeded. “Anyways, let’s just skip over the dramatic theatrics and cut to the point here. After all, I'm sure we’d all like to be home in time for supper. Or in your case the early dinner specials at the steak house.” 

There was a slight twitch in his mustache, Ross had underestimated his tactics severely. Evie and Clara could practically see the steam starting to come out of his ears. Matt on the other had heart the uptick in his chest, the red hot rage simmering just below the surface.

“Fine, Genevieve, if that's how you wanna do it, let’s get straight to it then. You are what the government likes to call an ‘Alpha’ level threat.” Evie raised a brow, smirking as she got comfortable in her chair. “Others in the same classification level would be Ava Starr, aka Ghost, Black Panther, or the man known to the intelligence community as Wolverine. What we just saw on the screens was an Omega-level threat enforcing her will on an entire population of defenseless people. Others just like her would be Thor and Banner. Now we’ve been in a similar conversation before. Genevieve, you were present for that one too. Back then we came up with the Sokovia accords. But as we all know Thanos happened and they were soon after ratified. But with an incident like this…” He gestured to the space where Wanda’s pictures once were. “The United States needs to know we have a contingency plan in place for when the next enhanced individual decides to take a stroll on the dark side.”

Matt, calm and collected, interrupted Ross, saying, “So, in layman's terms, a leash. One that keeps the good guys in check and ready to eliminate only what you or the U.S. government deems necessary.”

Ross let out a displeased grunt as he adjusted his blazer. “This is all a necessity, Mr. Murdock. Who here would be capable of neutralizing Void if she decided to unleash her anger? You? A blind man with a walking cane? Or would it be her invaluable assistant, Ms. Miller? So far, Genevieve’s record shows she is nearly invulnerable to most weapons and is suspected to have several yet-to-be-charted abilities. How would you propose we defend ourselves against her if she decides to turn against us?”

Evie decided to take the lead from Ross after the harsh blow he had dealt. “If I'm such a threat to national security, then why am I still here talking to you?” She noted the resentment etched into every wrinkle on his face as he exhaled slowly through his nose. “Because I wanted to try a different approach. Instead of waiting for you to reveal your true colors, I thought I’d confront you head-on.”

Evie paused, pretending to think carefully for a moment. Meanwhile, Matt and Clara shared the same concern: she needed to tread carefully since Ross was clearly ready to press charges and arrest her at the slightest provocation.

“It’s all very simple. The goal is that if you agree, everyone else will too. We can work out the details later, but I’d like for you to turn yourself in. Publicly admit that you are cooperating for the sake of the greater good and all that. Once you’ve gotten all nice and cozy at the Raft, you’ll wear a power-dampening collar. If you try to step out of line, it will deliver a small electric shock. After some time, if you prove you can play ball, we’ll cut you loose, and you’ll have the full trust of the U.S. government.” 

The three of them were sitting with neutral faces. Unwilling to show the level of appall they’d reached at what they had just heard. But Matt, sensing the steady fire growing within Evie, spoke for them. “So you mean to tell us that you came here to deliver a sentence over a crime that has not been and never will be committed?”

Ross crossed his arms, and huffed, glancing over at his men expectantly. One of the Agents, Clemmons, cleared his throat nervously. “Well no, not exactly. It would be branded as a sort of ‘act of goodwill.’ Ms. Stark has had a rocky history with the people she’s publicly been associated with. From figures like Loki, who at one point tried to conquer Earth with an alien army, to aiding in the creation of Ultron…” His voice trailed off at the end, the cold gaze Evie was administering was making his skin crawl and his hands feel clammy.

So Ross, ever the bully, took over next. He placed his hand firmly on the table with a loud slap and stared her down. “In short, you can’t be trusted. And you won’t be until you can prove otherwise.” 

“So guilty till proven innocent… Mr. Murdock, correct me if I'm wrong here but isn't that almost unconstitutional?” Matt snickered as he leaned back in his chair. “Clara, you are absolutely right. The presumption of innocence is a fundamental principle of the US justice system. And what Secretary Ross is proposing is everything but justice. Nor legitimate for that matter.” Evie clapped her hands together loudly, making the boys in suits flinch and the private security jump a bit, one of them nearly reaching for his gun.

She got up, confidence radiating off her like rays from the sun. Ross straightened out and stood to his full height to tower over her when she got up close and personal. Another failed attempt at intimidation. “Thad, let’s not kid ourselves here simply because there are witnesses around.” She looked up, straight into his fury-lit eyes, not back down a single inch. “All this is just a dick-measuring contest that I quite frankly don’t have the fucking time nor patience for. What happened with Wanda was unfortunate and deeply terrible. But I’m not Wanda, nor am I Banner. Two people who slipped from your fingers when you tried to stomp them out. So now here you are, trying to bully me into submission. But I’ll have you know stronger men than you have tried, gods and demons alike, and they were wildly unsuccessful. So you can take your so-called proposal and shove it where you can already guess where. I am of sound mind and in total control over my powers. Besides, I think I’ve proven my intentions more than once by now and even bleed my fair share for the ‘greater good,’ wouldn’t you say so?”

The man stood at the brink of his patience, his steely eyes glaring into hers. "Very well, I see that you're not going to take the deal. But rest assured, this isn’t the last you'll hear from me, Stark."

"Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it. After all, you spent what? Five years, give or take, actively trying to capture Bruce Banner. Your entire rise in the military was built around that crusade." He simply exhaled sharply and turned to the men accompanying him, saying curtly, "Let’s go, men," before walking out the door.

Clara released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and hurried to Evie’s side. "You okay, boss?" Evie held her stern expression for about three seconds before relaxing enough to give her assistant a kind smile. "I’m okay, Clara, but I think that wrapped up my workday..." 

Matt approached her from the other side. "Mind if I walk you to your office?" Evie glanced at him quickly. He seemed to have something on his mind, and she wasn’t sure if she was ready to provide him with answers. But he had come without hesitation, so she couldn’t, in good conscience, be rude. "Um… yeah, sure. Let’s go."

 

 

The walk back to her corner office was a quiet but comfortable one.

Neither of them said a word, simply enjoying each other’s warmth and company. Once within the privacy of her office, Matt took her hand, catching her attention before she could put some distance between them and move to sit behind her desk. “I know you don’t want to talk about your dad, but I will ask how you are physically… And please, don’t try to dismiss me. I know you're keeping something from me, Evie.”

She gave him a bashful grin, she should’ve known better than to try and pull a fast one on the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.

But right as she was going to open her mouth, the baby in her womb decided it was the best time to see if ribs made noises like a xylophone. The strong kick knocked her hard enough that she gasped audibly. Clutching her side, Evie grabbed the back of a chair to keep steady as a slight giggle came after.

Matt instantly became more worried. He reached out to stabilize her and called out to Clara without hesitation.

“Matt, I’m okay.” 

“No, you’re not! You’re in pain, and you’re feverish. Your body is working harder than normal just to maintain a steady airflow.” Clara rushed in and paused when she noticed Matt's uneasiness, his hands at either side of Evie’s waist. “How long?” he asked.

“How long what?” Both women asked in unison. 

He sighed, unhappy with their laid-back attitude. “Okay you two, that’s enough… Evie, what’s wrong? You're sick. So what is it?” The two looked at each other sheepishly before Evie relented. She clicked her tongue and took a seat on the couch. Guiding Matt to come along with her while dismissing Clara.

“I’ve been sick, yes, but lately, it’s just certain things that trigger the nausea. But for the most part, it's the normal aches and pains.”

Matt scrunched his nose, not yet catching on to what she was hinting at. So without much else, she took his hand, and as the glamor spell broke, she laid it on the swell of her stomach. She watched with amusement how his Adam's apple bobbed when the picture came together in his head. There was a long pause where Evie could see the gears in his head come to a grinding halt.

Eventually, he muttered, “Oh.”

“Oh.” She copied, smirking brightly. He cleared his throat, shifting in his seat, keeping his hand still on her belly.

Just as he was going to ask another question, in came another kick. This time, it made Matt jump. A nervous laugh coming from the infamous Daredevil. “Oh wow, sure is strong… um…” He took a second to regroup his thoughts. “How, how far along are you?” Evie laid back, rubbing her tummy sweetly. “According to the healers in New Asgard and my own calculations, he’s due in six weeks.” 

“He?” 

“Yep. He.”

Matt smiled fondly, he was equal parts happy and concerned for his friend. “I’m guessing no one outside the ‘circle’ knows.”

Evie placed her feet on the coffee table. “That is correct, yes. And for obvious reasons.”

“Obvious indeed. Evie, if you don’t mind me asking-”

“Loki.” She interrupted. Matt froze. He tensed ever so slightly before forcing himself to regain his composure. “I-I am sorry…” She laughed humorlessly.

“What for, Matty? I keep hearing that. I’m sorry… But most people just say it out of obligation. But you never would. And you’ve never crossed me, so what do you have to be sorry for?” 

He was deep in thought, struggling to articulate what he wanted to say when their moment was suddenly interrupted by a commotion outside the door.

Clara could be heard yelling at someone to leave. “Ms. Stark is busy! You can’t just barge in here. You need an appointment to meet with her!”

Evie quickly planted her feet on the floor and, with Matt’s assistance, stood up. A cool, whispering sensation enveloped her, it was the only signal he got that she was once more in disguise. Without waiting for another second, Evie put on an apathetic mask and, with a wave of her hand, threw the doors wide open.

Standing there looking almost manic as she argued with Clara was none other than Special Agent of Homeland Security, Dinah Medani.

Everyone stopped and stared as the two women locked in on each other. No one dared to move, much less breathe too loudly.

“Medani.”

“Stark.”

 

 

 

Chapter 3: The Devil at the Crossroads

 

 

 

“Medani.” 

“Stark.” 

No one beside Clara knew why the air was suddenly thick with so much animosity. Evie gave her a cold smile, one that Dinah mimicked. “To what do I owe the pleasure of you darkening my doorstep?” Dinah smirked at Clara, pocketing her badge as she sauntered up to Evie. “I need to speak with you,” she glanced around them. “Privately.”

Evie looked to Clara before turning back to Matt then Dinah. After a deep breath, she conceded. “Give me a minute to wrap up here and I’ll be with you shortly.” 

Back behind closed doors Matt knew she was tabling their chat for later. A silence fell upon the room and he took a step towards her. “Are you okay?” 

“I know how to compartmentalize.” 

He tilted his head, his soft, unfocused gaze on her. “That’s not what I asked.” No. No she wasn’t fucking okay but... “Um—” Evie willed herself to look up at him. “Yeah! Yeah of course, I’m just…” The rest of the sentence got lost in her throat and she crossed her arms over her chest, shrugging. “I’m just tired,” she rasped out. “That’s it.”

“You do realize that no one would blame you if you’re not fine?” 

“I don’t have the time to not be fine,” she said with finality. Not then and apparently not ever. With Dinah present, Evie had already taken an educated guess as to what could be amiss there. Another thing piled atop her plate, another thing to juggle with arms full. “As you can see I have too many responsibilities to allow myself to break and crumble.” Gently she pressed two fingers to his temple. Sharing with Matt all about her children, and the life was aiming to build. 

A soft gasp left his lips as he saw all her carefully selected memories fly by in a beautiful technicolor vision. He chuckled when it came to pass. “Okay, but I’ll be coming around often now that I know.” 

“I wouldn’t have expected anything less from you, Murdock.” 

He placed a chast kiss to her cheek before retrieving the folded cane and heading for the exit. “Oh and, please make sure you eat. Drink plenty of water too, miss.” Evie rolled her eyes as she took a seat at her desk. 

“Whatever you say, mom!” 

Evie cleared her desk and instructed Friday to notify her guest that she was ready to receive her only after she was sure Matt was out far enough he couldn’t eavesdrop from ground level. Medani stepped in not two seconds later.

“I’m glad you didn’t slam the door in my face, what I’m about to tell you is of the utmost importance.” Evie once again had a hard poker face on. Giving nothing away and showing zero emotions as she closes the gap on Medani’s suspense. She studied the features of her face, Dinah had healed nicely from her near death experience. But as she poked the depth of her mind, it seemed the two were battling a similar unspoken war. Just on different fronts.

“Alrighty Medani, you have my full attention. What is so pressing that you-” 

“Billy is alive.” she blurted.

Evie laughed out once, a simple “ha!” Making the woman across from her frown, unhappy with the reaction. “Medani I knew that already. You and I were both unofficially there, remember? I saw firsthand how Castle left him alive to live with his scars and his guilt. Or whatever poetic bullshit he said that night.”

Dinah leaned forward, her eyes nearly pleading and desperate. “Genevieve, he escaped custody two days ago from a secure hospital here in the city where he had been getting treatment after he woke from his coma last year. Mandatory psych therapy sessions and everything. He’s been claiming amnesia. But I’ve seen him. Talked to him. And I don’t buy it, not for one second!” Stark searched her thoroughly. Medani was dead set in this belief that Billy Russo was faking memory loss for some unknown grand finale.

“Do you have any idea where he might go? Someplace he might have frequented when you two were…” She made a suggestive face, one that Evie didn’t appreciate. 

“No, Agent Madani, I do not. That night at the park I closed the book on Russo and buried that crap way, way down in a nice dark hole. I don’t give two shits about that man, and frankly, neither should you. You should be moving on, not obsessing over the guy who tried to kill you.” Evie leaned over the table, giving the agent a knowing look. “Dinah, take it from someone who has lived with ghosts for most of her life: Let. Him. Go... He’s the NYPD’s problem now. Focus on your career, find a guy or a girl—whatever. Just get Russo out of your head. Don’t let him have that kind of power over your life, because he’s not worth it.”

Medani took in her words, mulling them over for a while. But in the end, she had made her decision long ago concerning Billy. Seeing as there wasn’t much else to say, Medadi heaved a deep sigh and got to her feet while Evie went to show her the door. Just as she had placed a hand on the handle Medani halted, giving Evie a more sincere glance. “Listen, Stark… just keep both eyes open till I get this asshole.”

Evie smirked. “I am more than capable of handling Russo should he make the mistake and come knocking at my door. I'm also very well protected, so don’t worry your pretty little head over me.”

Medani fidgeted with the handle a bit more before clearing her throat. “Another thing… I never got the chance to thank you. That night, I saw straight down the barrel of that gun. He had it aimed between my eyes… If it hadn’t been for you-” 

“Call it girl code.” She interrupted dismissively. “We were both used by the same asshole, and you didn’t deserve to die that way… No one does.” 

 

 

Later that night Evie was putting the final touches on her grilled cheese and tomato soup as she listened to Laura who was on the other end of a video call. Her daughter was telling her all about the tiny fawn she and Logan had found in the woods when Evie picked up on a familiar presence creeping up on her front door. “Honey, hold that thought would you?” 

“Porque? You need to pee again?” 

“No!” Evie laughed. “But I think I got a late night visitor.” 

The door was knocked on three times, but Evie didn’t need to check the peep hole to know who was at the other side. 

It swung open to reveal a man dressed in all black with a hood pulled over his face. “Frank, come in.” He gave her a loop-sided grin and Evie instantly spotted the busted cheek and the taped over cast on his right hand. “Hey Stark, how's the apple pie life going? All rainbows and sunshine still?” Evie laughed, closing the door as he stepped inside. “Yeah, something like that.” She shrugged. “There’s days where I think I cut my slice a bit too big though…” He gave her a tight hug, mindful of the present belly. “How’s junior?” 

“Good, likes to use my bladder as a trampoline and my lungs as punching bags. But other than that it's been great! Been making arrangements for my,” she made air quotes, “vacation.” Frank smiled, taking her in with esteem. But Evie knew him better than to make unannounced casual house calls out of the blue. “So you here cause you could smell the grilled cheese or is this a business call.” 

Frank chuckled. “Nothin’ gets past you does it?” She smiled and motioned him to follow into the kitchen where Laura was waiting for her mom to return. Laura caught sight of him from the corner of the screen and shrieked out, “Uncle Frank!” 

“Hey, how’s my girl?!” 

The two shared greetings and he was just as gleeful to see her and the girl was to see him. But it was soon wrapped up when Evie checked the time and told Laura she needed to prepare for bed. She protested as usual, but eventually they all exchanged warm good nights and Evie promised Laura that she wouldn’t forget her prenatal vitamins. Making sure to chase them down with a glass of orange juice. The girl had been overly protective of her mother even though Evie always insisted that things were meant to be the other way around. But she knew the kid was just excited about her baby brother.

“How’s she been?” Castle said, jetting his chin towards the phone left propped on the counter.

“Everythings been good, quiet. Every now and then she takes little trips to see her friends at the school, which is where she’s at now. She's excited about the baby too, been counting down the days to meet her little brother.” He nodded, humming contently. “That’s good, I’m real happy for ya’ Stark, real happy. You deserve it.” Evie smiles, but then it falters.

She can feel that there's something worrying him.

As she cut her sandwich in two and poured a second bowl of soup, Frank took a seat at the kitchen island. He’d already helped himself to a beer from her last remaining case at the far back of the fridge when she slid over the humble meal.

“Frank, not that I don’t appreciate seeing your ugly mug, but I thought you were states away,” Evie said. He swallowed the bite of food in his mouth and replied, “Yeah, I was… but then Medani called.” She dipped her grilled cheese into the bowl, took a bite, and said, “Mm, that makes sense. She stopped by my office today too… She seemed rattled.”

Frank grunted as he devoured his food, eating as if he had never had a home-cooked meal. “Yeah, it seems she’s pulling out all the stops on this one.” They continued to eat in silence until Evie picked up their plates, and Frank stood up to help.
“You know, if you’d like, I don’t mind watching your back.” 

Evie huffed a bit. “I’m good Frank. I’m a big girl. Besides, I’m heading out at the end of the week.” He raised a brow.

“That so? Where to?”

With the kitchen squared away, she grabbed her glass of water and leaned against the countertop. “Far... New Asgard, the king has requested we stay there till the baby comes. She’s insisting on it, says it's better that way since the baby is technically only half-human. Plus, it helps keep everything under wraps. My mom and the girls are coming too.”

He polished off the last of his beer, chucking the bottle in the bin before standing opposite to her. “Listen Stark, I know you’re the big bad wolf n’ all, but I’m gonna make sure you don’t get dragged into this whole Billy shit… I’m sticking around for now, so I’m close by in case you need anything. And I mean it. Anything at all!” She giggled, saying, “Does that include midnight runs for pickles and ice cream?” 

He laughed, coming in for a hug. One that she relished. Enjoying the sound of another steady heartbeat in the big, quiet house.

“Yeah, I remember those nights. Maria, she uh… She used to crave donuts with fried chicken when she was pregnant. I could never see her actually eat it, but I always made sure she got whatever she wanted.” Evie beamed brightly at him. “Thanks, Frank, but honestly. We’re all good here. I’m okay.” He held her at arm's length. He pulled his brows together, his gaze focused intently on her. “Do people usually believe that if you repeat it enough?”

Evie paused for a moment and tried to smile, her throat forming a lump. He’d caught her off guard for once. “Please don’t do that.” She said in a smaller voice.

“Do what?”

“That dude thing.”

“What dude thing?” 

“You know, that whole…” She motioned at him. “I see you thing. I’m so fucking over it, these past few weeks it’s all I keep hearing. The same thing with different words and—” She had to stop herself and took a deep breath. “I’m coping in my own way. You more than anyone should understand.”

He nodded slowly, slinging an arm over her shoulder as they went towards the front foyer. “That I do…” He said with profound sympathy. He let her go and as he slipped out the door he said, “Well Stark, it’s been a pleasure like always. Thanks for the meal, it was delicious as always.” 

 

 

That night, Evie tossed and turned in her sleep. It was a strange dream she was having. For once, it wasn’t a nightmare, but it wasn’t a pleasant vision either. She walked aimlessly through a vast dark space, her bare feet prodding in shallow water. There was no light as far as her eyes could see and her agitation was slowly growing, creeping up her spine. Then the faintest of noise caught her ears. She turned in every direction, only to see more darkness. Evie then hears Frank's voice mixed with another man’s agonizing screams. It was enough that she had to cover her ears, but still, they rang out louder than church bells. Suddenly, her own voice came through, spoken right into the shell of her ear. It startled her to the point that she tripped over her own feet and fell on her butt. 

“I’m nothing like you!”

“Dying's easy. You're gonna learn about pain!” It was Frank, sneering with hate and fury. But it was the sound of glass smashing accompanied by another outcry that clicked the puzzle pieces together for her. This was an old memory buried deep. Or at least it once was. “You’re gonna learn about loss!” The sound of glass breaking echoed everywhere and suddenly she realized it was not water she was standing in, but thick sticky blood. It had stained her clothing, drenching the fabric and coating her arms, legs, and hands.

Her eyes dilated as she began hyperventilating. Unable to gain a lungful of air as the pained bellows continued to assault her ears, the near sinister sound of someone shouting her name from afar trapped her in a suspended state of adrenaline and anxiety.

And just as she swore her head was going to burst, the sound of her alarm woke her with a jump. 

She opened her eyes to stare up at her ceiling, her chest rising and falling rapidly. The deep navy blue allowed the gold star decals to really pop in a beautiful contrast against one another. When she first decorated her room, she loved seeing the tiny constellations. But now, it was just there. Staring blankly back at her while she peeled off the bed. Evie found herself drenched in a sheen of sweat trying to decipher what the hell was the meaning behind her dream.

As Evie got her day started, she was completely unaware that somewhere hiding in the dark, dirty back alleys of the city was Billy Russo. It seemed she wasn’t the only one who had unwillingly relived moments of the past.

The amnesia diagnosis was one hundred percent genuine.

After surfacing from his coma, Russo couldn’t remember hardly anything past his service in the military. He had no recollection of his betrayal of his best friend. Nor anything that happened with Madani. And certainly not about what happened that led up to Castle nearly killing him at the carousel in Central Park. Especially that key detail; that it had been Frank who made him a vegetable for so long.

But there was one thing that stood out to him in the blurry, muddled mess that was his mind. 

Billy still believed he was involved with Genevieve Stark on some romantic level; if he could even call it that.

However, Stark Tower was no longer Stark Tower. It had undergone major renovations and was rebranded as the Baxter Building. He had attempted to gain entry and find out more information but was met with a rather sassy robot who was fast to inform him of that bit of information. Insisting that if he didn’t leave soon, he’d have security escort him out of the building. The threat was enough to scare off Russo.

Yet, not enough to deter him from his search for the only person his mind had some clarity about. 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 4: Uninvited Guests

 

 

 

Working at Stark Industries was dull for Evie. She was truly there out of pure obligation, and most days the staff didn’t even notice her presence. Always operating behind closed doors with Clara managing the day-to-day operations. Oddly enough, it was Peter who once mentioned that Clara reminded him of what Pepper had been to Tony. That was years ago, before the blip, but the thought still made Evie chuckle whenever it crossed her mind.

Today, she was drowning in mundane paperwork, bored as she tackled the pile of documents on her desk. Murdock had meant to join her; but at last, the Devil had work of his own.

Evie had taken on the task of investigating a particular board member who had caught her attention. He was slimy, often making misogynistic jokes and remarks. The man had always been suspected of having less-than-honorable intentions, and recently someone had approached Clara with an anonymous letter raising several allegations against him.

So here Evie was, meticulously combing through each and every single one of his records, searching for anything to substantiate the claims when Friday came over the comms system. 

“Ms. Stark, you have a message. It seems urgent.”

Evie creased her brows, “Urgent? Friday I rarely get direct messages. Everything gets filtered through Clara or mom first. Urgent doesn't make it important. Just dismiss it.” She said casually. As she stretched out her limbs, the AI decided to press the matter further.

“True, but this was encrypted. Sent to you directly through me, not the company or the Avengers.”

That made her perk up. Direct contact was something not easily obtained. Hell even Secretary Ross had to jump through multiple hurdles before Evie even gave him the time of day for that ridiculous meeting they had. She had made it a point to be unreachable. Elusive to the point where some tabloids speculated she no longer lived on earth and had instead disappeared alongside Captain America. Two secret lovers in the wind . A hair-brained, idiotic, theory that further served her reasoning to be detached from the world. 

“Who sent it?” 

“A Doctor Reed Richards, the man who purchased the tower from your father.”

Evie made a confused face. “Um… okay? Well what's the message?” What would a former client want with her that could be considered urgent? It made no sense why he’d be reaching out years after his purchase.

“He wants to meet with you as soon as possible. It seems he has important information to deliver. He’s quite adamant that it’s of a sensitive nature.” Again, Friday’s response only served to further purplex Evie. “He’d like to meet you today if possible at the Baxter building.” Evie sighed deeply, at this point she was convinced it would be easier for pigs to fly than for her to catch a break. But then again, that was life. “How would you like me to respond?”

Evie got up and grabbed her coat and phone. “Don’t, I’ll just pop in. Let Clara know I'm gone for the day. I’m too tired to try and finish everything in one go. Who knew making babies could be so exhausting.” She chuckled to herself, lovingly caressing her belly before walking towards a shadowy corner of her office to traverse the dark.

Evie snuck into the Baxter building.

To be honest it hadn’t been hard. The pristine building was seriously lacking in the security department.

When Tony had first sold the tower, Evie had never bothered to learn who had been the buyer nor for what purpose they had acquired it. It was Peter who had told her all about Reed Richards. A well known and respected scientist who had mastered just about all the sciences including, aerospace engineering, electronics, chemistry, physics, and biology. Or at least that’s what the overly excited teen had said during his little fan girl moment. He had yapped on about it to the point where Tony had to threaten to take back the suit if he didn’t pipedown. 

As she admired the use of ivory painted walls against the cool grays and blues, Evie became increasingly curious as to why Richards had all but vanished from the public eye with his colleagues, Ben Grimm and the Storm siblings, Susan and Jonathan.

They had openly boasted their plans for space travel and exploration, with social media aiding their widespread campaign. It made Evie wonder what had gone wrong for them to all become hermits. Walking down its corridors, she quickly realized it was nearly deserted. The only forms of life she was detecting were coming from the top floors. The ones that previously housed the Avengers.

Eventually, when she stopped to admire a wedding photo, the whirring of an electric engine came around the corner. Evie turned to see a three foot tall silver robot frozen at the sight of an intruder. It had the word H.E.R.B.I.E. etched on its top right side in bright blue lettering. 

“Intruder alert!” It squealed, raising its arms up and flailing them dramatically as its little mettle claws clipped when they snapped shut. “Intruder alert!”

Evie held her hands up saying, “whoa there bud, not an intruder! Well actually… Nevermind, I was invited!” The robot stopped doing little circles to face her with its ocular lens. “Friday,” Evie said out loud, hands still in the air. “Please show Herbie here the invitation we received earlier today.” There were a few clicks and deeps from Herbie at the mention of Friday. 

“Hello Herbie, I received your message sent from Dr. Richards.”

Herbie tilted his little head to the side like a lost puppy. “Well why didn’t you just use the front door like a normal person?!”

Evie laughed, even with the electronic voice Herbie’s sas was evident. “My bad little man, I used to live here. Plus, there wasn’t anyone down there.” He beeped twice before getting closer to Evie, who bent down and swiped up on her wrist watch. A hologram of a bright magenta orb came on display. “I'm Genevieve Stark and this is Friday, but you two already met…” 

Herbie reversed, using his little claws to motion for her to follow. “Very well, come along the team is this way.” 

Everything about the top floor labs and penthouses had been completely changed and rearranged. Evie no longer recognized the space where she had spent so many years of her life sharing countless memories with her friends and family. It was strange being there. When they reached a more open area with a large section couch and two people conversing quietly to themselves Herbie beeped loudly. “Hey boss man, the lady you called over is here.” A man who sported gray hair and a woman with lovely long blonde locks turned to see them. 

“Hi,” Evie said, giving them a small wave. “I got a message from Dr. Richards, I’m assuming it's you?” 

The two got up and went to greet her. The woman spoke first. “Hello, we’re sorry we didn’t come down to meet you. We didn’t know you had arrived.” She said, giving the robot a pointed look.

“Stark here let herself in. Said she used to own the joint.” 

“Herbie.” The man said in a reprimanding voice.

Evie laughed nervously. “Sorry he’s right, I didn’t sense anyone on the first twenty floors so…”

Richard brushed her off. “Apologies Ms. Stark, we’ve been operating with a skeleton crew, but mostly it's just us. Dr. Richards by the way. This is my wife, Sue.” 

“Nice to meet you both, so... I hear you have something important to tell me.”

The couple shared a knowing and concerned glance before inviting Evie to sit with them. Sue was a wonderful host, leaving them to fetch a couple glasses of water while Richards got a bit more acquainted with Stark. “It must be weird being back here and seeing all the changes.”

Evie nodded, “yeah. But I like what you’ve done with the place. Fits the whole astronaut aesthetic vibe.” He chuckled, “well that was our goal here. Space exploration…”

When Sue returned Evie thanked her for the drink before turning on her business side when she felt their concern again. “We’re glad you were able to stop by Geneveive, we honestly didn’t know if Herbie was able to reach you since we didn’t get a response.” The robot beeped in annoyance as Evie went to reply.

“Yeah sorry about that too, but the way I got it, it just seemed better to get here and find out what was happening as soon as possible. So what seems to be the problem?”

Before anyone else could speak, a tall blond man with short, shaggy hair walked in, dressed only in a low-hanging towel. He was preoccupied with drying his hair and hadn’t noticed the guest.

“Alright gang, let me just get dressed, and we can go to dinner,” he said. Then he paused and yelled, “Oh wait! That’s right, we don’t do that anymore!” His tone was accusatory and irritated. But when he turned to scowl at Sue and Richard, he did a double take. Instantly his mood improved and he lit up. His eyes raked over Evie who looked extremely unimpressed by him. “Guys!” he said, flashing her a charming smile. “Why didn’t anyone tell me we had a celebrity in the house?”

Sue looked ready to wring her brother’s neck and Reed sighed deeply, scrubbing his face with his hand. “Johnny, why are you naked in the living room?!” 

The other Storm sibling ignored his sister as he walked right up to Evie, wiping his hand off on the towel before offering it to her. “It is an absolute pleasure Ms. Stark, I’m Johnny Storm. But you can call me whatever you like, Void.” She giggled, it was crystal clear the man was a relentless flirt. Mischievous as he was charismatic. 

Evie shook his hand, a smirk still on her lips. “That line doesn’t actually work for you does it?”

He raised a brow, taking her comment as a silent challenge. “I dunno, is it working on you?”

“Johnny!” Sue scolded, getting to her feet. “For the love of god, go put clothes on!” The woman proceeded to try and shove him out of the room, while Richards turned to Evie apologizing profusely for his brother-in-law.

“It’s okay, not the first hotshot who tried his luck. Won’t be the last.” 

Johnny leaned over his sister, smiling so wide you could see all his pearly white teeth. “Oh so you think I’m hot?” Just as her eyes landed on him, Evie watched how steam started to come off his body as the air around him grew hotter. Her amused smile dropped instantly as she stared back. Husband and wife were completely outraged and… embarrassed? Surely what her senses were picking up was wrong, right? But Evie didn’t linger too long on that thought as she jumped off the couch in defence mode.

What the fuck is going on here?!

“What the hell, Johnny! We told you not to do that in front of people!” Richards exclaimed as he rushed to help Sue scold her brother while also trying to get him out of Evie’s sight.

In the chaos, Evie noticed another man approaching, but she never felt genuinely threatened. Despite that, the confusion of the situation kept her on edge, preventing her from letting her guard down in case things took a turn for the worse. Then she heard the hurried, heavy footsteps of someone large. Whoever this newcomer was, he had to be massive. It didn’t take long for her to get confirmation of her suspicion.

Enter, Ben Grimm.

As he approached from behind her, Evie quickly spun around to look up at the big guy. She was surprised, of course, but it didn’t make her recoil at the sight of a man made of stone. After all, she had met someone similar—Korg—and he had been a lot of fun to be around.

“What the fu—” The words faltered as the man nearly ran into Stark. He took a step back, and Evie sensed he was preparing for the inevitable scream. He expected her to either flee or fight, terrified by the monster before her.

However, Evie sized him up, picking up on his cruel thoughts about himself and feeling a wave of sympathy. It finally clicked: the question from earlier about why they hadn’t been in the public eye for the past eight months.

The four of them waited with bated breath, eager to see Evie’s reaction. They were increasingly unnerved by her calm demeanor. Then she did something that left the rock man in a state of astonished confusion.

“If they’re the Storm siblings and Richards, I take it you’re Grimm?” She said with a warm smile, exuding a sense of safe tranquility. This feeling had an immediate effect on Grimm, who instinctively released the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Evie extended her hand and added, “I’m Evie. I assume this wasn’t the plan when I was called here, was it?” The man made of stone took her hand gently but remained stunned into silence, his mind struggling to keep up with the unfolding events.

There was a collective sigh of relief from the others, which made her giggle. Sue spoke up first, breaking the near-awkward silence that had settled over the room.

“Ben, I think it’s safe to let go of her hand now,” she said gently.

“Huh? Oh right, my bad…” If he could blush, Evie was sure he’d be rosy all over.

Sue approached them and added, “You’re handling this surprisingly well.”

Johnny was smirking like the cat that got the cream. From what Stark was observing, it seemed like this was what he had been advocating for: revealing their newly acquired enhancements. Evie then gave the team a bright smile. “Well, this isn’t exactly the first time I’ve encountered a situation like this.”

“Avengers, man… God, this is so cool!” Johnny boasted. “See, guys! I told you that getting powers wasn’t such a bad thing!” 

“Shut up, Johnny!” The three of them yelled back at the yet-to-be-dressed man poking his head around the corner.

Richards then took a seat, feeling a bit defeated and self-conscious. “No, it was not,” he said. “But it looks like the cat's out of the bag at this point. To make things simpler, we called you because there was an incident here, and we felt it was important enough to tell you in person, especially since we don’t all feel fully ready to be outed yet.” The severity of his tone was enough for Evie to nod slowly as she reclaimed her spot on the couch.

“Um, okay. I get it. Baby steps—not everyone is eager to join the capes and tights business.” She threw a knowing glance at Johnny, who replied with a wink before dodging a bottle of water thrown by Ben, who had seen the action. 

“Respect the lady!” Ben shouted. “Go get some god-damn pants on!” 

Evie had to stifle her laughter and hide her grin behind her hand. She quickly recovered and cleared her throat, gaining everyone’s attention. “Alrighty, let’s get to the nitty-gritty. What happened?” 

“Herbie, bring up the security breach from yesterday.” The little bot did as told by putting a video feed on their tv, and Richards proceeded once the image of a man in baggie dark clothing was up. “There's a city wide APB for a man named William Russo, goes by-” 

“Billy…” Evie interrupted. 

Reeds snapped to meet her unamused gaze. “Yeah, I take it you've seen the news?” 

“Something like that…” 

It would be Sue who would recognize that look of disdain Evie held, but she kept it to herself. “Well Russo came into the building, Herbie here was able to intercept him. He seemed confused. Kept asking what had happened to Stark Tower which is surprising since the building was more commonly known as the Avengers Tower. He also seemed extremely agitated, and kept asking about you. If Herbie knew how to get in contact with you since you’ve been rarely seen since 2018.” Evie leaned forward, a stern look in her eyes. 

“What did you tell him?”

“Well…” Sue said anxiously. “Herbie here isn’t much for common sense. Unfortunately we weren’t alerted about this till after Russo left. Herbie told us that he informed him about the new location of Stark Industries within the city. In his defence, it is public knowledge.” 

Evie couldn’t be upset, matter of fact, she wasn’t.

Yet, that didn’t stop her from getting concerned over the fact that Billy was actively trying to find her of all people. And after they’re last encounter, she wasn’t sure what exactly he wanted with her. But if what Medani said was true and he had faked his amnesia, then it made sense he'd go after the people present that night at the painted ponies. So she inhaled sharply and got to her feet giving them a grateful tight lipped smile. “Alright. Thank you for letting me know. I’ll handle it from here.” She left before any of them could say anything but as she neared the doors that led towards the elevators, Johnny came rushing out.

Struggling to get his jeans zipped up and button as he darted towards them. “Wait! Wait, you can’t leave yet!” They all turned and looked at him confused.

“Why not?” Sue asked, already crossing her arms with a disapproving scowl on her face.

“Cause that guys a psycho! We can’t let her go home alone. It’s not safe.” He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Everyone gave him an incredulous look, with Evie being the first to counter his argument. “Thank you for the concern, but I think I'm more than capable of handling a nut-case like Russo.” 

“True… but common, at least let me escort you home. Make sure you don’t have troubles along the way.” Ben was already fed up with his attempts to woo their guest.

“Can it, flamebrain! Ms. Stark isn’t gonna fall for that pretend nobleman bullshit you’re trying to spin!”

Johnny clutched at his chest, fringing being appalled by the accusation. “I’m just trying to show concern for our new friend! Get your head out of the gutter, Pebbles!”

That remark set off Ben, who already had a short temper when it came to the other guy. He began to stomp over, but suddenly Dr. Richards showcased his newly acquired ability. “Hey, hey, hey!” he exclaimed, unconsciously extending his hand beyond its natural human length. “Cool it down, you two; we still have company!” 

Then Johnny did something truly unexpected by Evie. As Reed blocked Ben, Johnny threw a literal ball of flame straight at Grimm’s face. Evie covered her mouth with both hands, as Sue took a stance before her little brother and as he proceeded to spontaneously combust into flames, she projected a nearly translucent bubble that quickly encased him. Smothering the flames as it barely left him with space to move, muchless breathe. 

Now Evie was stunned. Her curiosity peaked. “Okay, I wasn’t going to ask. But what the hell did you guys do? How does a group of space explorers from California get powered up without anyone knowing?” 

They all once more froze, perplexed by how okay she seemed with the thing they had all been struggling to cope with and accept. Well some more than others…

Ben rubbed the back of his neck, bashfully saying. “That is the question of the year isn’t it?”

But Johnny jumped at the opportunity, as soon as Sue dropped the force field he was at Evie’s left in two seconds flat. “Funny you should ask, sweetheart.” He threw his arm over her shoulder, and she cocked a brow staring at his hand now grasping her bicep. “As I’m sure you know, we all thought we were so cool trying to be the first space explorers after learning of life outside of earth…”

As he walked her back towards the center of the room with the others he told her a brief story of how they had planned and executed a trip to space. However, things got hairy when their rocket passed through a storm of cosmic radiation. Although prepared for it, the ship was met with an unexpected intensity from the radiation and its shielding couldn't contain it. The craft soon after crashed back down to Earth. Emerging from the ruins of the spaceship, they discovered the radiation had mutated their bodies and had given them remarkable new abilities.

 

 

 

Chapter 5: Jigsaw Pieces

 

 

 

“Clara, seriously, I was just tired. Besides, I left to meet with some potential partners. Yes, I am almost home and got dinner along the way-Joe’s. So relax, and stop mother hen-ing me, okay? Will do, scouts honor… Goodnight.”

After deciding to take it easy for the rest of the day, Evie stopped by for pizza on her way home from the Baxter Building. A cool breeze floated through the night, making it a pleasant evening for a stroll. The only thing dampening the mood was the presence of someone lingering close enough for Evie to know she had been followed for the last five blocks. 

Her instincts told her it was someone familiar, yet something felt off. Evie knew exactly who was tailing her, but their mind seemed to be broken, a hollow shell compared to who he had been before. Despite this, it didn’t change anything.

She had seen this coming the moment Richards showed her the video footage of Russo entering the building. In fact, she had been formulating a plan since. She just didn’t expect everything to unfold so quickly.

Evie had to give him credit; Billy might have been hit hard enough to knock out what Frank wanted him to live with, yet he remained a sharp thinker.

Once inside her home, she purposefully disabled the alarm and instructed Friday to deactivate, saying, “take the night off, I’m not throwing any parties. It’s a quiet night for us.” If she was about to take out Billy Russo during a home invasion, she didn’t want to have evidence it was possibly ‘premeditated’ or whatever else excuse Secretary Ross or the government might use to incarcerate her and throw away the key. Evie placed her pizza on the counter and served herself a glass of grape juice, grabbing a bottle of wine to sit at her table.

About ten minutes later, from the shadows of the hallway, Billy entered the dimly lit dining room. 

“William… I figured you’d come looking for me eventually.” She took a sip from her wine glass, enjoying the sweetness of the juice.

“Smart as always, baby. Nothin’ ever got past you, huh?” He hesitates with his words for a minute. Long enough to really take in the small details of her face. The ones that his broken memory wouldn’t allow him to recall completely. “I just needed to know some things.” 

As Evie gets a good look at the painted mask, she smirks. “Information, that’s it? And here I was ready for a fight. I’m quite disappointed, William." Her voice was kittenish but with a serious edge to it. One that Billy recognized, it meant she wasn’t here to mess around. It made him falter, he had never been at the receiving end of her anger. Not that he could remember at least. 

“Why, why do you call me William and not Billy like everyone else? Or, cowboy? You used to call me that all the time when we were… together.”

She laughed coldly, “That’s the key detail here, isn’t it? ‘ When we we’re’ , it’s all past tense. Like you once were.” She chuckled, cocking her gun and placing her aim right at Billy’s forehead. “You really should have stayed in your hole, Russo.”

Billy doesn’t budge, doesn’t even flinch. Just stared back in disbelief. “Yeah, we used to be together, but now we’re not and… I don’t know why.” He sniffles as if holding back tears, pulling himself a chair to sit on. “I-I looked you up, but it’s like you fell off the map after some big shit show in Lagos. Honestly, I’m surprised you’re still livin’ here…” He chuckled dryly, glancing around the room. “I’m pretty sure you know this already, but my brain got all scrambled and somehow your address became crystal clear to me. Everything else is foggy. Shattered. But you’re not. Little by little, you became whole. Complete. You were all I could see, even if it was still a little fuzzy around the edges. It’s like… it all cleared up and revealed you. No fractures, no cracks, no breaks. Then I knew I had to find you.”

She bit back with, “How do you know you can trust that? You said it yourself, you got your head cracked like an egg.” 

He laughs mirthlessly before moving his mask from his face to the top of his head. “After I woke up from that coma, lawyers told me what happened… said that I did a bunch of awful stuff, and every time I’d ask about you, they’d laugh and say Genevieve Stark wasn't a part of any of it. That apparently, you weren’t even in the country at the time. But I know,” He jumped up, taking several steps closer, and Evie flipped the safety off. 

“I know you were, cause everytime I sleep all I have is the same damn nightmare. Your voice echos in my head with that damn skull, that bloody fucking skull that's trying to kill me. It’s like a divine confirmation that at least that part is true, even though everyone is telling me it's not…” Billy gulped down a big breath, settling just a tiny bit. “I wanted to call you. I did, actually. Several times, but the line was disconnected. You completely disappeared from my life at a point when I was certain we were finally gonna settle down together. But I just kept calling, kept dialing the same number. Even though I don’t know what it was that separated us… I figured it had to have been something I did.” He huffed, using his free hand to scrub his severely scarred face. “A screw up on my part and I just wanted to- I just wanted to say I’m sorry… Do you believe me? When I say that I really am sorry, even with the gaps in my memory covering the reason why?”

“Sorry enough to pay your debt to society?” Evie said incredulously, eyeing his every movement closely. 

He scuffs pointing towards his face. “Look at me baby, I think I paid enough already. Don’t you think?” He became more agitated as the conversation continued, bouncing from one foot to the other. “I’m never going back, Evie! Ever… So you tell anyone who comes at me, it will be all or nothin’, do you hear me?!” He settles down for just a moment, taking a deep slow breath through his nose. “Rumor has it you moved on... Got with some space god with magical powers, but in here,” he took out his right hand that had been hiding in his coat pocket, pointing to his head with a gun.

Evie tensed, ready to shoot at the slightest twitch of his fingers.

“In here, me and you… We’re still together, in fact I’m pretty sure we were at a point where I kept asking you to move in and marry me, so…” He chuckles, lifting his hands and shrugging. With the mask now out of the way she saw the tears brimming in his eyes. “So all of this.. All this? This is hard for me, you know?!” His voice was slow and shaky as was his breathing. With measured steps he came closer. “I knew I had to find you, so you could tell me who did this to me. Now I need you to tell me how this happened?” She scuffed, looking away as a smirk played at her lips. The anger resurfaced, this time with more bite, and he screams, “HOW DID THIS HAPPEN TO ME?!” He backed off instantly seeing her flex around the gun she had pointed at him. “J-just, just tell me. Who did this to me, baby?”

Evie tried to reach into his mind but found nothing more than scattered memories, desolation, and desperation. Yet beneath it all, she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. At least not today. 

“I dunno William…” she said with false sympathy.

“Again with the William…” he muttered under his breath.

“You came for information. Information on something I didn’t have any part of.”

Billy couldn’t see any indications of deceptions and Evie even decocked her pistol, placing it on the table to further sell her story. He follows suit, stuffing his gun in the back of his waistband, giving her a remorseful look. “I was never gonna use it… Never gonna hurt you, ya’ know. Believe it or not I still care about you. Still love you…”

She scuffed picking up her glass. “You could never love anyone more than you love yourself. Now get out before I regret showing you mercy.”

As soon as Billy had left the vicinity, Evie jumped to grab her phone, dialing the only person who needed to know what just occurred. As soon as he picked up she calmly said, “He came to my house, Frank. I just thought you’d want to know. He’s looking for you, but doesn't even know it.” She heard a displeased grunt before his voice came through.

“I can’t have you involved-” 

“I know, Frank.” She said, cutting him off. “He came, asked some questions and then left.” There was a brief pause on the other end of the line.

“You could have kept him there. Maybe even killed him.” Behind that statement, she knows he’s asking why she didn’t. But she doesn't miss a beat saying, “I couldn’t take that away from you.” She stops but then adds, “oh and, he’s armed.”

Frank huffs and she hears a slight shuffle. “Just adds to the fun.” He hangs up and she puts the phone down. Taking a moment to just breathe and relieve the stress that she'd been feeling. 

 

 

Unable to fall asleep, or more accurately not wanting to, Evie decides to stay in her living room and watch TV. However, she eventually dozes off and finds herself dreaming of being back in that dark place with nothing for miles. 

She wandered aimlessly, waiting for something to happen, until she slowly notices the silhouette of a man appearing in the distance. At first, she thinks it might be her dad, and her heart skips a beat. Her mind was whispering it was a known person, so she ran towards him, shouting, ‘Dad!” Yet whoever it was, can’t hear her. But as the figure becomes clearer, she realizes that it is not him and slows her pace. The man appears lost and confused, as if he can’t find his way out of the darkness either. But it was only momentary, just as she's making her way closer he stills. He seems to be calm, too calm in fact. Evie called out to him, asking if he needed help, but just as before, it's falling on deaf ears. When she’s finally about to reach him to see who he is, the sound of knocking startled her.

Her eyes flew open to realize it was her front door being pounded on. Her body instantly tensed, preparing to defend herself at all cost.

“Stark?” It’s Frank’s voice and she sighs in relief. “Can you open the door?” 

Evie starts to get up, her magic no longer hiding her pregnancy. At this stage, it's more challenging for her to do certain things, like rolling off the couch. And it seems her delay isn’t helping Frank either.

“Please open the door, I need to make sure you’re okay.” She’s trying to move faster, but with her body heavy with sleep and the round belly, she’s instead waddling at a snail's pace. “I’ll kick it in, sweetheart. You know I will.”

She scuffs, and just as she’s about to yell out that it's a 12,000-dollar custom-built mahogany door, she accidentally knocks over a flower vase. It's safe to say that Evie still wasn’t used to her size when the belly was exposed.

Without a second thought, Frank puts a boot to the door after hearing the commotion, and Evie gives up entirely on trying to halt him as a rather painful cramp takes over. Leaving her grunting and groaning as she cradled her back and stomach. With another thud, his foot strikes the door. “Why did you have to get such a big fuckin’ door?” he grumbled. After kicking it two more times, it finally comes loose. “Evie?” he calls out, panic rising in his voice. “Shit!” He rushes over to her, only to find her standing over a puddle of water. “What happened? Is the baby coming?” He’s frantic, scanning her for any signs of distress. 

Evie laughs, leaning against the couch and placing a hand on her belly as giggles escape her lips. “No Castle, stand down. I just knocked over a vase. In case you didn’t know, it's a bit hard to move when you're this big.” He sighs in relief and takes a second to regain his composure before laughing along with her.

After helping her clean up the mess, Frank makes Evie sit at the kitchen island as he moves around fixing her a plate of fresh cut fruit. She knows he’s stalling, so she decides to be the one to break the silence.

“He wants to know who did that to his face.” He grunts, handing over the bowl. “I didn’t tell him anything, promise.”

Frank nods contemplating her words when he looks around, spotting her gun still at the table and frowns. “Did he hurt you, threaten you in any way?” She shook her head calmly. “Good.” He comes around to give her a side hug, squeezing her lightly. “You’re gonna be okay. I’ll make sure of it. So you just take care of yourself and be carefull.” 

“I should be telling you that.” She said, placing a hand over his and syphoning some of his aches and pains. He glanced at the wispy black lines snaking towards her elbow before closing his eyes and enjoying the relief. Then, after one last check through the entire house and repairing the door, Frank gives her the all clear before leaving her alone with her thoughts.

 

It would be roughly two days later when Evie was in the middle of packing when the tv started to spew reports of a firefight in the middle of the streets in broad daylight. She recognised Billy and Frank in a standoff with police quickly surrounding them. Still, it seems Russo was as resourceful as ever. A group of masked men pulled up in front of him, nearly dragging him into the car as the new crew lost sight of the Punisher.

With a deep sigh, she clicks the remote, turning the news off.

In the end, Frank had asked her not to get involved, so she was going to respect his decisions. Afterall, she had more pressing things at hand. Like preparing for her undisclosed maternity leave.

However, what Evie and Frank don’t know is that Billy had just clicked in the final puzzle pieces. In his clash with Castle, he had said something that Evie once phrased too. “You should’ve stayed in your hole, bill.” That along with his signature attire had forced Billy to remember who had mangled his face and cement the fact that Evie was there. Billy also remembered all about what he had planned for them, but ultimately she had rejected him.

Evie had been another person who in the end, left him. Abandoned him.

 

 

 

Chapter 6: Conversations With A Ghost

 

 

 

Just as she had suspected, by the time the sun had come down Frank was at her door. 

After rapping his knuckles against the wood, she opened it giving him a warm smile. He sauntered in, he was sporting busted knuckles and fresh cuts on his face. He didn’t say a word, just sauntered past her and waited for her to close the door.

Castle was drenched from head to toe, the sound of squeaky shoes followed her to the kitchen island where she had a cup of coffee waiting for him. He took it, yet remained mute. Simply staring down at the dark liquid. Evie thought it was best to let him speak first, so as she went across from him, she was emitting the feeling of safe tranquility. Eventually after about fifteen minutes, Frank huffed. Taking a long swing of black coffee. 

“You know when I saw Bill, he looked at me like…” His eyes darted around as he recalled the encounter. “Like nothing had changed, you know? Like we were still friends. I’m telling you, Evie, when I drew on him, he was shocked. He was… It was like he was hurt . He was all confused. Like-like I betrayed him.” There was a small contemplative pause before he kept going. “I looked at his face, and I saw Maria. I saw the kids… Saw how we always used to be together, you know? We were…” His voice dropped, low and gruff. Thick with emotions that Evie was registering as he spoke. “We were family, you know? I swear to god he saw it too.” 

Finally after getting that out, he turned to look her in the eye. His words just barely above a whisper. “I’m telling you right now, Evie, he does not know what he did. He doesn’t, I saw that… You know I had the shot… a-and I froze. It was just for a second, but then it was too late.” 

The more Frank delved deeper into his story, the more vivid it became in Evie’s mind. She saw, from his point of view how, Russo’s face contorted and twisted with fear, shock, and betrayal. Shouting, asking Frank if it had been he who mangled his face as he unloaded the magazine of his assault rifle. Billy also asked if Stark had been involved, if she had been there and did nothing to help him. And yet, there was more. She knew there was a tumultuous storm in his head, matching the rain pouring down outside. The words Billy had said that night at the carousel rattled in his head as he questioned himself. Pondering the question if the two of them were truly alike.

Frank was reaching a breaking point, unable to pull back from going too far down the road and becoming what he had so long despised. After allowing ample time for Frank to fully release the pent up frustration, Evie answered the question he hadn’t voiced out loud. 

“It’s not true, ya’ know…” His wary gaze snapped to hers. “What Billy said that night, about being unable to live a normal life because we were all just some assholes who couldn’t live without a war. That deep down, we simply aren’t good people. We’re nothing like him… You are nothing like him.” She caught his hand, and cupped his cheek. With their physical connection, Frank became linked to her in a way he hadn’t known was possible. As it became Evie’s turn to take the floor, her memories replayed like a movie behind his closed eyelids. 

“From the day I first met you at that bar with Maria, I knew you were a good man. At your core, was your family. And your desire to see them happy and healthy at all costs. And after everything happened and they were gone, underneath that rage-fueled desire for retribution… you were still a good man. Sure, you put down more than one degenerate, but you never went after the innocent. Matter of fact, you still upheld that core belief that they needed to be saved and protected, and you did just that.” She heaved a deep sigh, carefully curating what Frank was seeing. All the best parts of him that she admired. “You might not see it, but you’ve done so much good, and if that’s what bad guys do… pfft,” she blew a raspberry giggling a bit, causing a small uptick at the corners of Frank’s mouth. “Then I must be the worst of them all, with an exclusive place in hell just for myself. Especially if we go based on public opinion.” 

This time, Frank's composure broke, and he chuckled. Evie gently patted their joined hands, offering hope and comfort as he opened his eyes to meet her big brown ones, which were filled with admiration and appreciation. 

"The biggest difference between you and Billy," she said, "is that Billy was always empty on the inside. He spun his lies so well that even he believed them. But you, Frank, may do what you do, yet at the end of it all, you still give a shit about people, especially those you consider close. You have a conscience, and Billy never did. Ultimately, we are who we are, and we have been fortunate to find people who love us, regardless of our shortcomings. We are the select few who must operate in the gray areas, taking on that burden so the best of people won't have to." Just then, someone popped into Frank's head—a young girl, possibly a teenager, with long curly blonde hair whom he regarded with much esteem and care.

As he took a moment to mull over what she had just said, Evie asked tentatively, "So… who’s Amy?" 

He huffed a laugh, a small smile playing on his face. “Ah, nobody you need to be concerned with, she’s a kid I’m looking out for. Got some shit stuck on her foot, and I’m helping her clean up the mess…”

She nodded, understanding the meaning behind what he said. “Frank, about Billy…” The moment once more became more serious, a bit tense. “I don’t mind being the one to take him out of the equation. I got nothing on him. No ties, no emotions… just ancient history that got buried a long time ago.” 

“No,” he said instantly, curt even. “No, Billy is my responsibility. You need to just stay here where it’s safe. You got your kids and yourself to look after, not me or that piece of shit.” The worried look on her face made him regret how harsh his initial tone was. So as he got up, he enveloped her in a hug, kissing her temple. Wordlessly letting her know that although he appreciated her offer he truly didn’t want to drag Evie into the whole mess he had gotten wrapped up in. 

 

 

---

 

In a secluded and dark corner of the city, Billy had rounded up his little posey. After throwing them the bags of stolen money they’d successfully gotten away with, he delivered a rousing speech. One in which he promised them a vast fortune and a brotherhood established with trust and loyalty. He had grand plans to form an army, with weapons, money, and enough booze and drugs that they’d live like kings getting what they believed was rightfully theirs with brute violence and bloodshed. Billy had devised a well-thought-out strategy to get rich quickly, increase their numbers, and, if executed well, grant him a chance for revenge against both Castle and Stark.

 

---

 

 

By the end of the week, the five boroughs had the constant breaking news of a well armed group of mercenaries who had hit up every small-time drug dealer in the city. Accumulating millions in both laundered cash and hardcore narcotics. The situation had been so dicey, Evie had Laura sent straight to the cabin where she would remain with Pepper and Morgan till the time came that they all left for New Asgard. As she did the final check on their bags, Evie got a message from Clara. One that didn’t seem normal from her close friend. 

Hey boss, I have some reports that need your signature before you take off for that vacation. I’d bring them to you but it's a real funkytown we’ve been in lately and with how important they are, I’d feel better with you coming to me.

Three things were off with the way Clara had typed up the text. One; she addressed Evie as boss, something she only did when they were at the office or in public. Two, she was saying that she’d taken important documents home. Something highly restricted to Stark Industry personnel. Clara included. And three; she’d used the word ‘funkytown.’ There was a list of codewords Evie had disclosed with her close circle of friends and family. Funkytown just so happened to be on that list. If Clara had used it, it could only mean one thing. 

She's in trouble and a gun is pointed at her head. 

In a heartbeat, Evie dialed Frank as she rushed to her closet, digging for the locked safe hidden behind her clothes where she stashed her gear. Eventually, Frank’s voicemail picked up, and as she muttered a curse under her breath, she left him a brief message about her suspicions. Just as she pulled out the black box with a white wolf etched on the top, she hung up.

If Clara was in danger, it could only mean that Billy had decided to retaliate. He knew how to hit Evie where it would hurt, specifically since he wasn’t foolish enough to confront her with a direct attack. Russo was not above throwing cheap shots, and this was definitely a low blow. So, as she suited up, Evie mentally prepared for the worst.

But if Billy wanted to play dirty, so would she. 

Before she descended into the darkness to travel, Evie forced herself to pause and set her emotions aside. While casting both protection and glamour spells on herself, she steadied her mind, becoming cold and callous. When she looked into the mirror, all Evie saw was the Black Wolf staring back with its obsidian eyes.

 

 

At her arrival, Evie saw how the entrance had been forced. The hinges of the door have been shot clean off. If she had to guess, a shotgun had been used. Clara's small apartment was in disarray. Signs of a fight were evident everywhere.

Clara Miller may have never been a Shield agent nor part of the military but after Happy was attacked, Evie had ensured she had been thoroughly trained in how to defend herself should something like this happen. It was clear they didn’t expect resistance, but the bullet-riddled walls weren’t a comforting sight. Neither was the ransom note stuck to the wall with a bowie knife. 

I put the puzzle together baby, want your friend back? 

Bring me 10 Mill - cash only and no cops or hero friends. 

I'm sure you know what happens if I see any signs you called for backup.

Wait for my call.

“Fuck…” Evie closed her eyes trying to steady her heartbeat, and calm her mind. Acting impulsively wouldn’t help, Billy was running with a crew and even if she did run in there guns blazing she wouldn’t be able to keep eyes on everyone. And more than likely it’s what he’d be expecting. Just as she crouched down to pick a photo of Clara with Laura and herself, Evie’s phone rang. Without looking at whose name was on the screen, she answered curtly.

“What.” 

“Oh um… I’m sorry, is this a bad time?”

The woman’s voice at the other end of the line caught her off guard. Evie blinked twice before being able to place who it belonged to. “Karen?”

“Genevieve, hi yes it’s Karen. I’m really sorry if I caught you at a badti-”

“How did you get this number?” There was a brief pause before the woman spoke again, albeit with a lot more hesitation and wariness in response to Evie’s tone.

“Oh um, I hope you don’t mind but I got it from Matt. He wasn’t so sure but um…” Evie heard a deep sigh through the receiver. “We have another mutual friend who needs help and I think you’re the only one who can do that.”

Her mind began to race as she tried to determine whether Karen was referring to Foggy or; more likely, to the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. Murdock’s little side hustle under the cover of night. “And who would this mutual friend be? I doubt Foggy has gotten into any trouble that only I can help him with,” Evie said incredulously.

 

Page laughed nervously. “No, God no. Foggy is fine; it’s…” She cleared her throat and lowered her voice to a whisper. “It’s the Punisher, Frank Castle.” Evie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. No wonder he hadn’t answered or returned her calls. “He’s been arrested, but he was beaten within an inch of his life. He’s currently being treated here at Sacred Saints, but security is tight. There are police at every corner, entrance, and exit. No one is getting in or out without a thorough search. Apparently, there’s a five million dollar bounty on his head, and every hitman in the state wants a piece of the prize. Hello?”

Evie had hung up the phone. She’d heard more than enough and was just about to set off towards the hospital when once more her phone rang. 

“I got it!” She barked into the receiver.

“Oh, really? I’m guessing you saw the news then…” 

“Madani?” Evie made a mental note then, adding Karen and Dinah to her contacts was necessary, and stopped answering the phone assuming who the other person might be. Picking up to the wrong person was starting to grind her gears.

“Yes, this is Madani. We have a problem.”

“Yeah, I caught wind of it already.”

After hanging up once more, Stark slinked through the darkness and wholly focused on locating Frank. The normally thirty-minute drive took Evie roughly five minutes to traverse with magic.

True to her word, the hospital was crawling with police officers. From her vantage point in the shadows, Evie observed them, mentally noting their positions as well as all the cameras in the building.

Five floors above ground level, Frank was accompanied by Page, Dinah, and his newly acquired friend, Amy. Before approaching, Evie made sure she wouldn’t startle anyone or interrupt an important conversation. However, that concern vanished when she noticed a police officer knocked unconscious by Frank’s bed, where Castle was cuffed. 

With glassy eyes, Page looked at Frank and said, “But what if there’s a better way?”

Evie shattered their moment when she portaled in through a smokey doorway and Frank clenched his jaw at the sight of the Black Wolf emerging. “God damn it, how many more women need to be in this room?”

The blonde squeaked in shock at the sight of her dressed head to toe in all black with a bone white wolf mask concealing her face with only inky black orbs looking back. At the slight commotion, Dinah and Amy both ran in. The special agent even had her gun drawn with the safety off. With the swipe of her hand, Evie sent the gun clear across the room as she made her way over to Castle. Amy nearly screamed, about to tell Evie to stop when Frank held up a hand. Evie bent down and placed a hand on the cop's head, delving into his last thoughts. She confirmed the rumor about a bounty being put on him. It turned out that the man was a mercenary who had just attempted to take out Frank, but Amy had thwarted his plans.

“What the heck is this, Frank? Are you attracting supervillains now?!” The girl shouted as she positioned herself between Evie and the man still chained to the bed.

He grunted and shook his head. “Who called for help?”

Medani and Page gave him guilty eyes before looking at the stranger in their midst. Both stumbled over their words as they admitted that they had contacted the same person, Genevieve Stark.

“For fucks sake…” he muttered exasperated.

Evie was pissed; why had he let things get this bad without asking for help? She crossed her arms and shot him a pointed glare. “It looks like there wasn't enough female energy in the room, so they called me in for backup.  Something you should've done when shit looked a bit too much to handle.” Frank threw her a dirty look, while the others all became more confused.

“Wait, you two know each other? Who are you?” Karen asked as she retrieved the keys from the police officer’s pocket to start uncuffing Frank.

Evie ignored Karen's question and told Frank, “You look like shit.”

He responded, “Everyone, meet the Black Wolf. We worked together some time ago. She’s on our side… for now.”

“For now. What does that mean?” Dinah said, taking a step closer as Evie bucked up to her. And although she didn’t back down, Evie saw the flash of fear flicker across her face.

“It means,” she sneered angrily. “That next time the Punisher decides to take on the world alone, I might just let him.” She turned to face Frank, he once more clenched his jaw while flexing his hands as he got out of bed.

“Yeah, yeah. Save the sermon for someone who cares.” He said dismissively.

From a puff of smoke, Evie produced a pair of sweatpants and a sweater. Throwing it at his face. “Get dressed. I can see your ass.”

Amy very nearly laughed out loud. Never once had she seen anyone be so abrasive with Castle and not receive some sort of backlash. Instead, the big bad Punisher was doing as told without putting much opposition.

With the man now dressed, he looked over to the others. “All of you clear out and scatter. Amy, you go straight to Curtis, you hear me? No detours. We’ll handle this piece of shit.” 

Karen had pleading eyes, and Evie registered a strong sense of care and affection towards Frank. There was definitely something that the two refused to acknowledge for vastly different reasons. Frank didn’t say or do anything other than give her a look that expressed his sincere gratitude.

When the three of them left the room, Frank did quick work of stripping the dirty cop of his uniform to make it appear as if that was his way of escaping.

Soon after Evie grabbed his arm, and without a single word being said, the two made their way toward her house, where she would use witchcraft and moonlight to heal his injuries. 

Yet Frank remained as stubborn as ever. The minute he was able to walk without a hobble, he thanked her and once more told Evie to stay out of the fight. 

“I can’t.” She said through gritted teeth.

“Why the hell not? Just cause those two panicked and called the helpline, doesn't mean you-” 

“Billy took Clara!”

Frank’s eyes snapped to hers. “What? When?”

Evie sat down, her spell fizzling to reveal her swollen belly. “My guess, this morning when you were being admitted to the hospital. Note said he’d call but it hasn’t happened yet.”

Frank heaved a sigh, running his hands over his eyes before letting his head hang. After a long moment of silence where the two of them were doing some reflecting, Frank exhaled sharply through his nose before getting up. “Let me tie up a loose end, then we go after Billy. If he calls, just play along till we can get a location on him.” 

She gave him a condescending smile, “And what about Clara?” 

“Bill isn’t stupid, killing her would attract unwanted attention since she’s connected to an Avenger. She’s bait.” 

“BIlly might not be stupid, but he is crazy.”

Frank nodded, swallowing thickly as Evie got to her feet to look him in the eye. Guilt was starting to twist his insides as he glanced down at her pregnant belly.

“You have till midnight. If I don’t hear from you by then, I’ll go this alone. Got it?” He gave her a curt nod before heading to the door. As he reached the handle, she called out, “You got five hours, Frank.”

He looked over his shoulder and threw back, “Got it. Five hours. Midnight.”

 

 

 

Notes:

I absolutely love when you, the reader, leave comments or questions for me. I truely do love interacting with you all and getting to see the story from your point of view. It's especially fun to read your predictions. It lets me know you guy are enjoying reading as much as I do writing.

-WhiteWidowBlackWolf🖤🐺🕷️🖤

Chapter 7: Of Priests and Doctors

 

 

 

Dinah awoke with a start, mumbling almost incoherently about Russo, which startled the medic attending to her. It took Detective Brett Mahoney to talk her off the metaphorical ledge and regain her composure.

She had gone to see one, Dr. Krista Dumont at her apartment. It was no coincidence that Dumont had also been Billy’s psychotherapist before his suspicious escape from the coop. Medani had a nagging suspicion about the doctor, which was confirmed shortly after her arrival. When Krista excused herself to go to the restroom, Dinah sneaked around the apartment and discovered a woman gagged and bound in Krista's private study. The woman appeared to be heavily sedated, as even a firm slap on the cheek did not rouse her.

In her vulnerable position, Krista attacked Dinah with a pair of scissors. A struggle ensued, and the special agent for the US Department of Homeland Security ended up nearly throwing the doctor out the window.

And that's when Russo appeared to not only prevent Dumont from going out the third-story window, but to also take three gunshots to the gut before leaving Dinah for dead after attempting to choke the life out of her. 

The agent was nearing hysteria when she asked the detective how the hell was she alive. After going unconscious, the police arrived and Mahoney found her lying in a pool of blood. None of it Medani’s. There was a trail that led out the back and disappeared in an alleyway. It was clear he was severely injured and it didn’t help his case that he had to assist a beat-to-shit Krista in carrying an unconscious girl with them in their escape.

So as she promised the detective that she’d go check in at the nearest hospital, Dinah knew she needed to make an urgent phone call.

 

---

 

 

“Genevieve, steady girl… there’s thirty minutes left…” Evie was pacing her living room like a caged animal.

Every little sound, no matter how small, made her recoil. She was itching to move. To do something, anything, to ease the pent-up aggressive energy that had grown over the past hours. Frank had gone radio silent, and there still was no ransom call from Billy or his little pack of followers. The anticipation was eating her alive, but she knew better than to cave to her dark thoughts. 

In her womb lay a miracle she never thought possible. Her baby was growing strong and healthy. As she flexed her hands, clenching and unclenching them, Evie focused on his presence. He was sleeping, and she could hear the soft, muffled echo of Laura’s voice along with the soulful melodies of Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me." It was working to ease her racing mind. Evie paused to connect with his beautiful mind as it replayed what he was registered in his time within her belly, nestled safely there surrounded in love and magic. Currently, lots of magic surrounding them. Evie had cast at least three different types of protection spells.  Just as her breathing was stabilized and she sighed deeply, the sound of her phone ringing made her nearly jump out of her skin.

Void fully possessed her as her eyes and hair shifted to black, her skin going paper white in a heartbeat. Thin obsidian lines scribbled away from her sockets as she summoned the phone from the coffee table to her hands. 

“Frank?!” 

“No, Medani…” She swallowed thickly, whatever the special agent was about to say over the phone couldn’t possibly be good.  “Stark, they have your friend… the brunette from your office-” 

“Clara.” Evie said with snark. 

“Yeah well… his therapist is helping him, Krista Dumont. She’s been hiding him, throwing the cops off his trail. They had Clara stuffed in a broom closet drugged out of her mind to keep her passive.” 

Smoke was slowly wafting off Evie as her blood began to boil. “Anything else?”

She heard a raspy struggle for air as Medani shifted. “I put three bullets in him and he didn’t die. Not yet apparently. He’ll be looking for a back alley patch job since I'm pretty sure his little girlfriend isn't trained in first aid for a gunshot wound.” Medani heard a deranged laugh emanate from the other end of the phone. Once that made her shiver involuntarily. 

“Good. It’ll make the hunt that much more fun.” 

There was a click before the dial tone came through. 

 

---

 

 

Miles away in the middle of a junkyard in Queens, Frank sat with a heavy conscience. Guilt drove a blade painfully, twisting it in his guts as he looked down at the phone in his hands. When Evie arrived he was wallowing in his own self-loathing, feeling the walls caving in on him. A mirthless chuckle left his mouth when he landed on her silhouette in the dark corner of the far back room. 

“Ah, shit…” Castle rubbed his forehead and nodded. “It’s past midnight, isn’t it?” Evie didn’t come any closer. Instead, she stood there, a dark figure amidst the trashed trailer house. “What? You disappointed in me too?” Again, there was silence. Frank let out a heavy sigh and let his head hang. “Well, join the line; you’re not alone, apparently.” 

What Frank imagined as despondency and vexation directed at him was actually quite the opposite. Sure, it was true that Stark had arrived intending to kick his ass seven ways till Sunday before hunting down Russo solo. However, the moment she stepped into the cramped space and took in the wreckage, it made her halt in her tracks. The lingering feelings of fear mixed with distress and anxiety prompted her to gently probe Frank’s mind instead of forcing him to talk. Once Evie had gathered enough information, she dryly asked, “What’s the plan to get Amy back?”

He looked up in muted surprise. “How’d you-” 

“Not important.” She said, cutting him off with a firm tone. “He’s got your girl. What are you gonna do about it?” Evie took measured steps towards Castle, her trail of black fog dissipating as was her initial fury. He was forced to look up at her just as the ink in her gaze cleared. 

Frank clenched his jaw and blinked before being able to formulate words, “I ain’t got shit.”

Without breaking their intense eye contact, Evie settled onto the couch across from him, planting herself on the armrest. “Tell me everything. Leave no detail behind. I can't solve the equation unless I have all the variables. So spill.” He nodded reluctantly. Frank wasn’t stupid; he knew he was currently up shit’s creek with no waddle heading straight for the waterfall.

So, after taking a deep breath, he proceeded to recall the past week. Everything from the moment Amy was nearly murdered in some dive bar in Michigan to the massive shootout at the police station in Ohio where Madani picked him up. Yet the most important fact was that Amy was being hunted by a pair of rich assholes who were plotting to use their money and connections to get their son into the Oval Office. The problem was that Amy and her (now dead) friends had snapped photos of US Senator Schultz kissing another man. Something completely unacceptable by the deeply religious couple. And since they didn’t want their family name tarnished by such ‘unholy’ actions, they chose to zealously scrub all evidence with bloodshed. This is exactly how the man known as the Preacher came into the picture. He was their attack dog, and he had his sights on both Frank and Amy. After a gun fight in a hotel room, he ended up taking Amy hostage to force Castle into an exchange for the senator. 

With the last of his words, Frank let his head hang in defeat once more. Evie crossed her arms lazily over her chest, heaving a deep sigh. “You seriously need to learn to trust your friends more. This is a grade-A, shit show.” He bobbed his head before pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Yeah I got that Stark, but I can’t exactly rally the troops for a problem that’s all mine…” 

“True, I doubt Jake would be a great fit here, but you had me.” Frank shook his head adamantly. “And why the hell not, Castle?” He scuffed, giving her an incredulous glare. “What the baby? I can handle regular-ass human people. This Preacher guy is a damn walk in the park compared to the shit we faced last year.” With nothing to counter with, he opted to scowl at her. Evie leaned back, closed her eyes, and lifted her face to the ceiling, going over every possible scenario trying to formulate a plan. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes. “He still thinks you got his man, doesn’t he?” Frank grunted, and she took it as his agreement. “Great, it's simple then.” 

“Simple?”

“Yes, simple.” She deadpanned. “And he’s coming here which makes it that much easier. As soon as they roll up, you keep his focus and take him out from behind.”

“So an ambush.”

She nodded, “Yep, clean and simple.”

“No,” he snapped back, “not clean and simple, Stark. This is my fucking mess, I need to clean it up.”

Evie laughed mirthlessly saying, “Ok then Macho-Man, allow me to give you the mop and bucket. Suck it the fuck up, and think of something!" She nearly yelled back. After leveling Frank with a hard glare, she lowered her tone. "You don’t wanna follow my lead, fine. We go with yours, but I’m at your disposal here, because like it or not we’re in this together. We’re knee-deep, and we’re the only ones that can get us out. No one else thinks like us, Frank, and you know damn well you don’t ever have to worry about reproaches from me, regardless of what the situation is.” 

Something about her ass-chewing seemed to have brought sense to Castle, and he reluctantly reached the same conclusion. “Fine, fuck it.” He said, giving her a pointed look as a smug smirk stretched across her face. “We ambush, just not the way you’re thinking.” 

Evie Lifted a brow challengingly. “Then how?”

“I get him to hand over Amy, making him think I have Schultz tied up with bombs ready to blow if he doesn’t. Once Amy’s in the clear, you keep her safe. No matter what happens after. And that includes me dying, you hear me!?” Evie’s face fell. As she opened her mouth to protest, Frank cut her off. “No!" He barked. "We ain’t putting this up for discussion, Stark. That kid is more important than me, got it!? If I make it out, great. But if I don’t, your job is to make sure she keeps breathing. Use all the money and that big brain of yours to blow this whole shit wide open and expose those bastards. Every last one, making sure they don’t get their golden boy to the Presidency. Can you do that? Hm? Can I trust you to get that done?” Evie swallowed dryly. Only then did she understand that Amy had become to Frank what Laura was to her. So she blinked twice, clearing the sudden muteness to say, “Yeah, Frank. You got my word.” 

 

Less than an hour later, John Pilgrim had pulled in a black sedan with a terrified teenager being used as a bargaining chip with a gun pointed at her side. Frank approached with his arms outstretched, signaling he didn’t have anything other than the flip phone in his hand. The man then forced Amy to get to her knees while Evie discreetly watched from the shadows. 

“David’s in the trailer,” Frank said gruffly. “A pound of C-4 strapped to his head. I press the send button on this phone- we paint the walls red with him.” The air was tense, and Evie saw how the Preacher's jaw ticked, fingers flexing around the trigger. “You keep on coming, don’t you? So what is it with you… You sick?” Frank asked, probing the other guy for some sort of insight as to what his take was from everything. “You some kind of maniac? Or do you owe ‘em something?” 

There was a brief pause before the man spoke. “More like something they owe me.”

Curiosity was winning the best out of Evie, and she invaded the stranger's mind. Ensuring everything he was saying was truthful. Frank shook his head, glaring at the man. “This thing’s gone too far. You’re gonna end up a loose end. What, you think you can trust them?” The question hung heavy in the air as Amy looked up helplessly at Castle. But as Evie concentrated on the man, the image of two boys laughing and playing outdoors came through, as did a profound sense of guilt foreign to herself. Slowly, the words spilled out of John Pilgrim.

“They have my sons.” Frank stared at him blankly before turning to his left. From somewhere in the shadows, he received a silent confirmation. But the other man wasn’t done speaking. “I understand you didn’t have a chance to save your kids.” 

“Yeah, that’s right.” Frank rushed out in a low tone.

“If you had, what would you have done?” 

“I’d have done anything.” It came out instantly, with no hesitation. And just as quickly, the preacher said, “He we are.” His voice was condescending as he continued to hold the gun to the back of Amy’s head. 

“Here we are,” Frank repeated. He took a sharp inhale while darted his eyes around. “So ugh,” even though he knew he would never spot her, he wanted some sort of visual that Evie was still out there. That not everyone had left him. “You got a name?” As the preacher responded, saying his name was John, Castle noticed the shadows behind him creep in every so slowly. And although she still held tears in her eyes, Amy seemed a bit more at ease. Like some sort of spell had forced her to stay calm and level-headed.

“Okay, John, here’s the thing. That kid right there, the one whose head you got that gun on, you see, I’d do anything for her. Anything! So I want you to take that weapon- you point it at me.” As Frank continued to goad John into aiming at him instead, Evie ensured the words hit home. Flooding his mind with the images of his work with Amy’s friends and the sound of his wife’s and children's voices asking him to come home. To just be with them and leave the bloodshed behind. Evie knew it was wrong and that she would undoubtedly end up in a special place in hell for it.

But one thing was clear among the three adults: as parents, they were willing to set the world on fire or even sell their souls to Satan himself to ensure their children remained safe.

Eventually, John’s hand left Amy’s shoulder in favor of her elbow. Coaxing her wordlessly off the floor. The man remained quiet even as Frank told the girl, “Come on.” The second his hand left her arm, Evie created an invisible wall shielding her and Frank from the gunman. Taking those few steps towards him was all that was needed for the dam to shatter and for Amy to break into a sob with his name mumbled into his chest. Frank caught her in a tight embrace that made even Stark’s chest clench. He shushed her soothingly, letting her know she was okay before breaking the short-lived moment by pulling back to give her instructions. “Listen to me. You gotta walk away.” The kid was fast to oppose, telling him he didn’t have to do whatever it was he had planned. “Walk away-”

“Frank, don’t do this!”

“Hey, stop it! You walk away. You go get in that car, ‘cause everything else has already been taken care of. You hear me?” He gave her a pointed look, and Amy knew it would be pointless to continue to try and persuade him. “Go now.” He leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead as he gently pushed her back, whispering his words once more. “Hey, go now. It's gonna be okay.”

The girl wasted no time in running towards the car and climbing back into the passenger seat. She was expecting to have a front-row seat to a brutal beatdown, where eventually, only one man was to come out victorious. However, the moment the door slammed shut, Amy found herself startled as the Black Wolf started the car and threw it in reverse. A small yelp escaped her, but they were already too far from the men for anyone but Evie to hear the high-pitched sound.

“God damn it girl, calm down. I’m a friend, remember?” Amy stopped trying to open her door and turned to look at the driver. Stark seemed entirely unamused, as Amy’s eyes were still wide with fear. When they finally came to a stop at the far end of the street, Evie tapped the horn three times. “What was that for?” Amy asked. Evie surveyed the scene and sighed, slumping back into her seat. “Giving Frank the signal.”

“Signal?” 

Evie turned the key, shutting off the engine and staring into the empty street corner. “Frank knows you’re safe now, that you're with me.”

Amy nodded slowly and pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them. Evie tried to block out the girl's emotions as she focused on Frank and John’s conversation, which was moments away from escalating into a fistfight. Suddenly, a small, broken voice disrupted her concentration.  “Frank isn’t coming out alive is he?”

She went to scrub her face, but her mask was in the way, so she instead reached for the side lever and laid her seat back. Staring at the car’s upholstered ceiling. “I don’t know… But he laid out a plan, and regardless of the outcome, we’re sticking to it.” 

“Regardless of the outcome?!” Amy shouted, outraged by her apparent lack of caring. “What kind of friend are you? You’re seriously gonna let him die instead of helping him?!” Evie closed her eyes. The two men were currently beating the dogshit out of each other, and it wasn’t looking too good for Frank, who had just gotten a metal chain wrapped around his neck.

“Yes.” It came out harsh, stunning Amy into silence. “Castle and I are not friends. We’re partners. He chose to go it alone, and I’m honoring the promise I made. So, as much as I’m itching to jump in there and end that vicious dogfight, I am to sit here and make sure you stay safe. And if it isn’t Castle who walks out after, I take out the preacher. From there, after stashing you away, I will bring to light every dirty little secret these people chasing you have. Afterward, I will personally pay them a visit. Where, after a lot of meticulous forethought, it will be breaking news that they blew their brains out before they were able to be arrested.” The kid was trembling slightly. No longer able to hold Stark’s intense obsidian gaze, she shifted her eyes to the dashboard. After releasing a shaky breath she asked, “then what?” Evie knew what she meant, but the words the two men were exchanging had taken her focus away. Prompting Amy to ask with more volume and wariness behind her words.

“And then what?”

Evie sat up and offered Amy her hand. The kid stared at it as if it would bite, so she further extended it. “Don’t you want to see for yourself?”

Amy was apprehensive at first, yet curiosity won over quickly. Once her fingertips grazed over Evie’s open palm, her eyes became clouded as a vision of sunny white beaches and beautiful blue oceans played in her head. Amy saw herself diving deep into the sea, searching for lost treasures as the vibrant colors of the reefs enveloped her in a way that almost whispered, ‘welcome home.’ By the time Amy came out of the trance, she was blissfully unaware that Frank had slipped into the backseat and was giving Evie his signature murder glare as he was completely unaware of what was transpiring between the two.

Stark took one look at his face and didn’t think twice to reach for him. Pressing two fingers to his forehead.

“What-what are you doing to him?” Amy asked, both intrigued and worried, as she saw how black lines snaked up Evie’s exposed forearms. As the dark veins slithered upward, she explained to the kid how she was draining his pain. It was made evident by how Frank’s shoulders slumped down, and roughly a minute later, he was sinking into the back seat, sighing deeply. “Let’s get you patched up. Then we think of our next move.”

All the girls heard was a grunt, which they took as a sign of acknowledgment. Stark then started up the car and started driving in the direction of Midtown Manhattan.

 

 

 

Chapter 8: The Whirlwind

 

 

 

They were driving in comfortable silence with the only noise coming from Frank’s soft snoring in the backseat. That was till Amy broke the tranquil moment.

“Are you some kind of witch?”

Evie side-eyed the kid to see the genuine interest clear as day all over her face regarding who the Black Wolf was and her ties to Frank, whom she deeply cared for.  “Yeah, something like that…” 

Amy narrowed her bright sea-green eyes. “Well, that’s vague… Frank said you two worked together, how did you guys meet?”

Evie heaved a heavy sigh, trying not to be rude, but preferring to forgo the interrogation from the teen. “That’s classified.” She grumbled curtly, hoping to end the question. But like most kids, this only spurred her on to ask more. 

“Okay… Did you two hook-up or something? Is that why he trusts you so much, even though you might drop him at any moment?” Evie furrowed her brows as she turned to frown at the kid.

“No,” she replied flatly. “We go back a few years, and right now we need each other to finish a job.” 

Amy sat back and crossed her arms while looking out the window. A few minutes passed, filled only with the low background noise of the radio and Frank's steady breathing, when the kid fired off another question.

“So…” she began, stretching out the word. 

“No, the mask isn't coming off. Yes, I have powers, and no, I’m not demonstrating them. I’m younger than Frank, but not by much. And to answer your last question: we're heading to a safe house."

Amy's mouth opened and closed repeatedly until she finally managed to process the initial shock and exclaimed, “You can read my mind?!”

“It’s not the only thing she can do, so I’d advise you to stay on her good side. You wouldn’t want to see her angry.” Frank quipped from the backseat. His voice was still heavy with sleep as he rubbed his eyes. Before the girl could dump out any more questions, he crammed in between the two. Leaning over the center console to rest his forehead on Evie’s shoulder.

She didn’t think twice to move her right hand off the steering wheel to cup his jaw gingerly. After the beating he’d taken, she knew he had to have a hairline fracture there, as well as some cracked ribs. And judging by the massive gash going from his left temple to his cheekbone, he’d need stitches since the moon wasn’t out anymore to do a quick spellcraft. They soon heard a pleased hum as Castle enjoyed the siphoning of pain radiating from everywhere, mostly his face. But the placid moment would be short-lived the instant Frank’s phone started buzzing. Evie promptly moved her hand so he could take the call.

“Curt.” He answered gruffly, leaning back in his seat to glare at the tips of his boots.

From his tone, Evie could tell he wasn’t happy with the man but wouldn't voice it. A tiny peek into his head told her he didn’t blame his friend for bailing on him. However, it was his next words that made her pull into their destination with more urgency than before. “Wait a minute Curt, whaddya mean Billy shot you? Where the hell did you find him? Yeah, you good? Alright, thanks, brother.” He looked up to see two sets of expectant eyes staring back. 

“Is Curtis okay?” Amy blurted as Evie also shot a question. “We got a location on Billy?”

Frank had to unclench his jaw to respond; whatever Curtis Hoyle had just said to him had Castle diffusing fury like a furnace would heat when set to max. “Yeah, Curtis was trying to get his meeting place ready for tomorrow’s session when he came across that asshole and his doctor.” He flickered his eyes between the two girls before continuing. “They still have Clara. Curt tried to get her out but was only able to add two more shots to the ones he already had, courtesy of Madani… It looks like the therapist was forcing her to stitch Billy up when Curt accidentally walked in on 'em.”

Seeing how they had already arrived at their destination, Evie withdrew a small tablet from a puff of smoke that emanated from her hand. After tapping against its screen a few times, she used her magic to force Amy to look straight at her while she snapped a photo. Before the kid could protest the violation, Evie shoved the device into her hands, giving her a stony look that left zero room for rebuttals or objections. “Go straight to the top floor, penthouse 3. Use this to get in and activate the 'ground security protocol.' Nothing will get in or out without your or my specific permission. Trust me not even a tank could breach those walls. You plant yourself inside and wait for us to get back. Do you understand?” It took the girl about three blinks to absorb the instructions and bob her head wordlessly. Yet, as she reached for the door handle, Amy looked back to Frank, who reassured her with a slight nod of approval. “Go kid. We’ll be back, don’t you worry.”

Seconds later, they’d hear her footfall getting further and further away from them, signaling she was following the instructions down to the T.

The two adults got out of the car, and Frank didn’t even need to look at Evie to know what steps next for them were. She produced a pair of M1911 pistols from nowhere and handed them over. Frank quickly checked their ammunition while Evie waited silently beside him. Once he finished, he stuffed them in his back waistband as she grabbed his shoulders. Turning him to face ahead before plumes of black smoke swallowed them whole.

Exactly one minute later, they were being spat out in the back alley of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church. The back door that led down to the basement was slightly ajar. There were sure signs of a firefight due to the large number of bullet casings littering the floor.

Evie tapped his shoulder once, wordlessly giving Frank the signal to take the lead and proceed. The two entered the building undetected while Evie gave him mental transmissions as to where she was detecting three other individuals. Just as they were closing in on the meeting room, they could hear the sounds of scurried shuffling and a woman's shaky voice giving reassurance. 

“It’s gonna be okay, Billy! She’s almost done just-” 

“Ah, fuck! Shut up! God damn it- It hurts!” 

From their vantage point, they could see Clara was covered up to her elbows in blood, duct-taping a gauze pad over a gushing wound on Billy's abdomen. Evie was trained on her friend while Castle pulled his gun out and stomped into the room. Frightening the occupants as the two stormed in. 

A loud gasp left Krista, and Billy immediately reached for the gun in the chair next to him. However, it was quickly shot to hell by Frank’s perfect aim. The doctor didn’t hesitate to grab a handful of Clara’s curly long locks, forcing her to become a human shield as Evie’s Black eyes bore a hole straight through Dumont since she was now holding a knife to her friend’s throat. They became locked in a standoff, and Billy had the nerve to laugh at the situation as he held his bleeding wound.

“You don’t look so good, Frank… Did you go twelve rounds with a crowbar?”

Evie finally broke the staring contest with the doctor to shift her murderous glare toward Billy, who only just then seemed to notice she was present. “And who's this, a new friend? What, couldn’t get the job done alone?” She had gone there fully intending to get the job done without practicing her craft, just relying on her Widow skills. So instead of launching the chairs available to neutralize both Russo and his therapist, Evie withdrew a custom-built Colt A1 with runes and sigils engraved slide and ivory grips. Removing her mask in the process. The smug smile on Billy’s face fell instantly as he took in how Evie’s face held nothing but a dark fury that rivaled that of Frank’s. His throat bobbed as he swallowed dryly at the sight of Stark holding a gun in Krista’s direction while her eyes were glued to his. “Evie?” The frail sound of her name off his lips made this doctor falter as she snapped to him, hissing his name, asking if he knew her.

A wicked smirk spread across her face as she tilted her head. “Oh, Billy, you didn’t tell her about me?” She clicked her tongue and turned to look at Krista. “The name is Genevieve Stark—formerly known as the Avenger, Void, and most notably, Billy Russo's last serious relationship.” Her twisted grin widened as she sensed the waves of jealousy and anger radiating from Krista, while Billy’s apprehension grew. “I’m sorry he didn’t mention me, but then again, you are a bit of a downgrade, aren’t you?”

Frank was about to ask Evie what the hell she was getting at when he turned to see Krista losing her composure. Bitterness and envy took root with each word Evie uttered.

“With how obsessed he was with me, I’m really shocked I never came up in conversation, especially since that's my assistant and best friend you're holding a knife to. That really sucks…" She said condescendingly. "He was just so enamored with me. Did you know he proposed at least three times? Practically begged on his knees.”

“SHUT UP!” 

The instant Krista shouted, pointing the blade in Evie’s direction, she felt an unseen force drag the woman in her grasp towards the floor as a sudden dark haze was the only signal that Evie had moved positions. Before anyone else knew it, Evie had the woman slamming against the wall. Knocking the knife from her hands and dishing out a series of hard blows to the midsection and face before she fell to the floor unconscious. During their scuffle, Billy had tried to rush Frank, aiming to snatch the gun from him when he got distracted by the woman. The tactic was futile as in a matter of seconds, Frank had retaliated with a devastating headbutt that sent Billy sprawling on his ass. Blood flowed from the now broken nose. There was fear present in his eyes as they darted between the gun and Frank’s cold and calculated scowl.

Evie turned to her friend, who was maneuvering to sit on her butt against the hardwood floors with her back against the wall. Clara had a dazed, far-off look in her red eyes, it was accompanied by dark circles and a bruise on her cheek as well as a scabbed-over lip. One peek into her mind told Evie her best friend was still under the effects of whatever the doc had been administering before halting them to get Clara’s brain to clear up enough to try and treat Billy’s gunshot wounds. She didn’t even bother to glance at the guys as she bent down to hold Clara’s face in her hands gently.

“Hey, can you walk?”

The poor girl nodded dumbly before Evie assisted her to her feet. Once she was sure she wouldn’t fall over, Evie instructed her to wait outside while she produced a blanket from seemingly nowhere to drape over Clara’s shoulders. With her friend now out of danger, Stark turned to aim her obsidian fury-laced gaze back at Russo. 

The man had enough decency not to open his mouth until that point. As far as his shambled memory served, never once had he been at the receiving end of Evie’s unmatched anger.

Sure, during their brief time together, she’d let him take a peek at how she worked her powers, but that person was dead. Had been for a long time now. Who Billy was staring back at was not Genevieve Stark, nor was it the Void. No, the person with murderous intent radiating off her body in small tufts of black smoke was the Black Wolf. And she did not grant small mercies to the undeserving.

“Evie, baby, you gotta let me explain,” his crazed eye darted between the gun in Frank’s hand to the darkness polluting her vision. “I was never gonna kill her... I just wanted to get you close. I needed to get your attention, and you were just so damn unreachable…” He was pouting. The look on his face screamed sorrow and trepidation. Russo was being honest, yet that did nothing to gain anything in his favor. The closer Stark got, the quicker he tried to get to his feet. Leaning heavily against the wall for support. This time it was her turn to speak.

“What a hollow, sad, pathetic thing you are, Russo. Did you really think any of this was gonna end well for you? Look at you, bleeding all over the floor, with nothing left but some clingy desperate whore who was stupid enough to believe you were capable of anything resembling love. You lost it all. Your money, your power, hell… You even lost your fucking mind.” Evie huffed a mirthless chuckle, looking up at Frank. “I say we sit back and watch him die slowly…”

Frank didn’t move, didn’t say a word, or even grunt in response like he usually did. He simply lowered his hand after the clock ticked by a beat, tucking the gun back behind his waistband.

As they slowly turned their backs on him, Billy became irate. Unable to handle the surge of emotions he was feeling. The man who was like a brother to him and the girl he had shared a profound sense of intimacy with were leaving him to die like a wild animal after getting struck by a car. He couldn’t-wouldn’t accept it. Frank Castle had been a brother in arms and life. Genevieve Stark was the only girl to genuinely see a glimpse of the real Billy and fully accept him without fear or reproach. Something even Krista hadn’t done. He simply couldn’t understand what he had done to deserve this. So he lashed out the only way he knew how, with spite and resentment. The ugly side of Russo rearing its head out into the light. Demanding to be seen and acknowledged.

“You think this is the end of Billy Russo?! Fuck you both! I’m not done, this isn’t how I go out, you hear me?!” He was screaming, attempting to take a few feeble steps forward before needing to latch onto a chair to stay upright. “You can’t just let me die like some gutter rat, we were family… I loved you, loved you both!” Seeing them get further away at an unhurried pace made him snap. “You two are screwing each other, aren't you?” His voice dropped to a low growl, each syllable seething with anger. Evie paused, and Frank didn't realize something was off until he noticed she hadn’t crossed the threshold of the door first. “I bet that's it, isn’t it? Since when have you two ever been this god-damn close, huh? Makes sense why you two are so eager for me to die, right? But guess what, baby? Frank will never get over his beloved Maria. You’ll just be an expensive knockoff taking her place when he's fucking you! He won’t ever understand you like I do—he won’t see the ugly beast you desperately hide. Scared that if it comes out, everyone will leave. Or worse, that they'll hate you."

Neither Billy nor Frank knew how Evie moved so fast. Before either of them could do or say anything, she threw a punch with such ferocity it shattered the left orbital bone, the fractured pieces puncturing Billy's eyeball. It couldn’t have been described in any other way other than it exploded the moment her right hand connected. His guttural scream of pain awoke the unconscious doctor, who with blurry vision, witnessed Evie pommel Billy with a brutal series of attacks. He received jab after jab till his face was a bloody mushy mess. Frank was utterly startled to see how the ‘Bucket of Rainbows’ had so swiftly turned into a feral bloodthirsty animal. Evie had tried to practice restraint, but Billy’s words had not only degraded her; it tarnished his wife’s memory and put a distasteful stain on their friendship. So, no matter how stunned he was, Frank was in no hurry to pull her off either. Not even when Billy's teeth scattered across the hardwood floors.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Evie let go to favor her lower abdomen. It was for just a split second, yet it was enough for Frank to step in. “Hey, you okay?”

Stark, still seeing red, shrugged him off. However, the moment Krista threw herself at her with the knife back in hand, Evie was swift to pull Frank’s pistol and put two shots in her heart and a third one right between her brows. When her body crumpled to the floor, Billy let loose another agonized bellow. “BITCH!” He tried lunging at her next, but a fast elbow to the sternum had him once more on the floor, with the back of his head bouncing off the wall as he slid down. “Why’d you have to kill her, you fucking monster!”

The gun was now aimed at him, and Billy was looking straight down the barrel as Evie's chest was heaving. Monster. Ugly beast. For the most part, words never affected her. She had grown up hearing harsh remarks and nasty names from the time she was bullied in school as a kid to even now as an adult. Corporate men unable to compete against her level of intellect or women who wished they could burn her with just their dirty looks out of sheer jealousy for one reason or another. But hearing them out from Russo’s mouth laced with such disgust, misery, and anger struck a chord Evie didn’t know someone could hit. She froze. Her finger was around the trigger, but Stark was unable to actually pull it back and release the bullet that would once and for all put an end to Billy Russo. It hit Evie like a ton of bricks, he truly, honest to god, had no idea what he had done to wrong them. Billy didn’t have the faintest of clues as to what he did to have the last two beings on Earth retaliate with such cold empty vengeance. All it took was one minuscule glimpse into his mind to cause her to falter.

Suddenly, he turned to Castle in a last-ditch hope to preserve his life. His one good eye was rimmed red and spilling tears like a waterfall. “Frankie,” he gasped out. “Frank… whatever I’ve done, I’m-” 

The sound of a gun going off made Evie flinch, something she never did when firing a weapon. Red droplets sprinkled across her face and clothing as she observed how Billy’s body went limp, his chest stained with fresh crimson seeping from the new wound above his heart. 

As Frank turned on his heels to walk out again, he pulled the pistol from her hand and ushered Evie out the door. They paused to collect Clara before summoning the darkness to transport them to the safe house. Moments later, they regrouped with Amy where hopefully, they could get Clara to a better, more stable state of mind and body. Both Castle and Stark went into full medic mode, working in synchronized silence to connect Clara to an IV drip and begin the tedious detox process.

 

It wasn’t till much later when Clara was in the clear and Amy was asleep, that Evie finally said anything. “I was gonna do it…” Her eyes were cast down, and her voice was low, yet Frank heard it clear as day.

“Yeah, but it wasn’t your job to finish Stark.” She snapped towards Frank, a strange fire in her eyes. Frank huffed, taking a second to choose his words carefully. “Stark, listen… you hesitated-” 

“I did not!” 

“YES, yes you did and guess what, it's not a bad thing!” 

“What?” Her face went from fierce and vexed to completely befuddled. 

“Evie, I saw you hesitate. Deny it all you want, but you did.” He glanced toward the hallway that led to the girls' rooms before grabbing her arm and pulling her toward the kitchen. “Stark, listen to me, and you listen good, ya hear?” She stood frozen, staring back at him blankly. “You got cold feet, and that means you still have a sense of morality—a soul worth keepin’! That means something to me... it means you're still a good person on the inside and not some cold, heartless killer who wouldn’t think twice to put down a piece of shit that's earned it, like me.” 

It resonated with her, and as chaos unfolded in her mind, Evie felt tears beginning to well in her eyes. She hesitated not because of Billy’s words, but because she saw a frightened man who didn't recognize the people he had hurt. In his mind, the people closest to him had turned against him and were now actively trying to destroy him. For a fleeting moment, Evie unknowingly considered the possibility that, in some strange way, Billy might be capable of redemption for the sins he no longer remembered. 

Frank, with his years of experience and duty, noticed the exact moment that realization flickered across her face. It served to solidify his decision to finish the job himself, to protect her good nature and caring soul. Evie thought those qualities had long been lost, and any small remnants she had left were focused solely on the people she held dear. Yet here she was, being told by the Punisher that she was still worth preserving and saving. Blinking away the moisture in her eyes, she simply gave him a curt nod before heading for the front door. 

After all, this was just the first half of the mission complete, they still had other matters to attend to.

 

 

 

Chapter 9: The Calm Before The Storm

 

 

 

Evie’s odyssey with Frank and Amy ended after a carefully planned road trip to the private residence owned by Anderson and Eliza Schultz.

It turns out John Pilgrim was a former assassin for the Aryan Brotherhood. After finding religion he tried to rebuild his life. But was unknowingly manipulated by the twisted couple into committing a series of murders to protect their son's image in the media under the false pretenses of being holy people. When Amy managed to escape Pilgrim's violent crusade, he was drawn deeper into darkness, Killing any witnesses that crossed his path. All the while, his past life had come back to haunt him. Following the tragic passing of his wife, the Schultzes then continued to extort him by holding his two sons hostage.

Pilgrim eventually found himself without hope for redemption and facing his potential demise until Frank spared his life in that junkyard in Queens. 

Once Castle had brought Evie up to date, it became clear that Pilgrim's sons needed to be rescued from the Schultzes, who were officially on borrowed time. As Frank and Amy set out to address their unfinished business with them, the Black Wolf used her magic to quickly retrieve the boys from the gaudy estate. She safely returned them to their father, who had been anxiously waiting by his getaway car. With the unexpected support of Stark and Castle, Pilgrim was gifted the opportunity to pursue a peaceful life with his sons, free from further violence. Something he was eternally grateful for.

Then, as quickly as it had begun, the story of Frank Castle and Amy Bendix’s unlikely kinship came to a bittersweet end.

Having ended the Schultz problem for good, Bendix and Castle accepted that it was time to go their separate ways. After Stark had driven them to the bus station, the two sat and spoke privately about Amy's one-way trip to Florida. But not with the kid giving Castle another chance to come with her, noting how well they worked together. Castle used the moment to point out that she was still just a kid and deserved to act like one for once. Making it clear that he couldn't have her on his conscience. This prompted Bendix to tease him by questioning if he was finally admitting that he actually cared for her, which Castle just laughed at.

It wasn't long after that Evie watched Frank fork over the wad of cash she'd helped him acquire and the contact of a mutual friend of his, who ran a dive school in Florida and would look after her. Evie had told Castle about her dreams of her career in marine salvage after poking around in her head when they first met.

As the bus arrived, Castle told Bendix that sometimes people find something that could change their entire life. When he struggled to get those words out, Amy jumped up and wrapped her arms around Castle, hugging him tightly. Something he reciprocated with just as much sentiment. As they held back their tears, Amy grabbed her bag and stepped onto the bus, but when she looked back for a final glance, Castle was gone.

Moments after her bus pulled out of the station, Evie dropped the illusion concealing her identity while at the same time her passenger side door was momentarily opened and closed. Frank sat quietly as Evie continued to watch the terminal. Observing the waves of strangers coming and going from the station. After a few pensive minutes passed Castle spoke in a gruff tone, voice still heavy with emotion. “We camping here all night?” 

Evie huffed, a small smile playing at her lips. “Nope,” she said, popping the ‘p.’ “Just giving you time in case you change-” 

“I ain’t changing my mind, Stark. Amy needs better than me.”

She turned to fully take him in, counting every bruise and cut that littered his face. “Yeah… I said the same when life threw Laura my way.”

He scuffed, adjusting himself in his seat. “Okay, sure. But we’re two completely different people, Evie. You’re an actual hero who still genuinely cares about the greater good and sees the best in even the worst of human filth. You can see their potential path to redemption. I don’t. Won’t. What I told you before still stands… I don’t mind keeping my hands filthy if it means the real heroes like you get to keep their souls clean. Evie, we’ve both gone through the shit and mud, there ain’t no denying it. But only a person as special and remarkable as you could manage to still make it out alright and even win. You got yourself a little girl and soon enough, a brand new baby boy. If I would’ve stuck with Amy or kept her with me…” He took in a slow, deep breath before releasing it through his nose. “Eventually, she would’ve ended up just like me or worse.” Frank effectively killed the conversation, leaving no room for Evie to try and tell him otherwise or attempt to convince him that he truly was more than how he perceived himself.

But at last, with how strongly she was picking up his emotions, she decided to let sleeping dogs lay and dropped the subject too, turning on the car and departing from the bus station. 

 

 

 

---

Weeks went by and soon enough the entire Stark family found themselves enjoying a lovely holiday in New Asgard as King Valkyrie's personal guests of honor.

The quaint sea-side village had grown exponentially as a bustling little tour site and merchant point. Although the community tried to be as self-sustaining as possible, it had been evident that with the sudden addition to its population, New Asgard struggled to provide sufficient resources. Much to Brunnhilde’s protest that no external aid was needed, Evie had invested much of her personal wealth to send aid and was an avid advocate for the Global Repatriation Council and other world organizations to get their shit together and help look out for those in need. However they’d simply clean their hands by stating that things were tough all over and New Asgard was no special exception.

So eventually, Evie had become their not so anonymous sponsor. When the news spread that the Starks would be staying with them for the upcoming holidays, the entire village band together to make them a humble but cozy cottage at the far end of the territory. It was built away from the touristy areas and well guarded per the king’s order, ensuring their safety and privacy as they prepared to welcome the newest member. 

It was a few days after Christmas, and Evie couldn’t be more content.

She was enjoying a mug of warm tea with Pepper while the girls played with their new toy swords alongside Valkyrie. In the kitchen, Magda occupied herself with making yet another sweet treat.

The charming old lady had been a loyal servant and one of the most trusted handmaids to the late Queen Friga. After she had rematerialized and acclimated to her new life on Earth, she was the first person King Valkyrie approached to share Evie’s secret—of course, with Evie’s consent. Since that day, Magda had been buzzing with joyful anticipation, eagerly awaiting the moment they arrived so she could personally look after Princess Genevieve of Midgard and her beautiful family. She had been adamant about this since she vowed to always care for the children of the royal family. After all, she had once been responsible for the care of the royal princes, Thor and Loki. And Magda was more than elated to care for Loki’s heir.

Although Evie had never requested to be addressed by her royal titles, it was constantly used by all Asgardians who they encountered. Even Valkyrie; the reigning sovereign of New Asgard, still addressed Evie as Lady Stark and when she was feeling especially giddy, my Princess. It was her playful jabs for Evie still calling her by her actual name instead of Valkyrie. 

“My lady, I do believe these fine young warriors shall make excellent additions to the Asgardian army when they become of age.” Both girls squealed in delight as Valkyrie took a seat at the dining table alongside Evie and Pepper. Taking a much needed break from the impromptu training session.

The two chuckled and Evie even shook her head a little. “Well your highness, these little ladies do stem from greatness. So whether it be as honorable warriors or even highly successful academics, these two have a bright future ahead of them.” Laura’s eyes were shining as she held her mother sweetly and Morgan rushed over to try and squeeze her big sister with a hug.

“You just say that cause you and daddy both have big brains and could kick a-”

A sharp ‘ahem’ and a pointed look from Pepper halted the kids' use of foul language. As much as she tried, Evie’s pirate mouth was rubbing off on them. Just then Magda appeared from the kitchen doorway with a tray of freshly baked ginger thins with almonds. The smell instantly made Evie’s mouth water and eyes widen.

“Ugh Magda, you're killing me with these!”

The sweet maid chuckled, patting her cheek lovingly. “Oh princess, you’re carrying a sweet baby boy in your tummy. A little treat here or there won’t do anyone any harm, especially yourself. I promise you once he’s here all the sugar and spice will make him a gentle and calm bundle of joy.” Pepp giggled as she reached for one of the cookies.

“Magda you really are spoiling us, and heavens knows I needed these when we were expecting Morgan.” Evie groaned, remembering the sleepless nights due to a fussy and highly active baby girl.

The kid in question furrowed her brows. “Hey! I wasn’t that bad was I?” As Evie sat down her mug, she propped her elbow on the table and held her head.

“Goober, you single handedly gave our old man gray hairs.” The kid rolled her eyes dramatically, making Evie feel proud seeing her antics.

“Okay, well I bet you are a cry baby too.” Evie and Pepper shared a knowing smirk before bursting into laughter. “What? What did I say?”

Even Laura seemed a bit confused as she and Morgan stared at how their moms chuckled at some missed joke. When they settled Pepp sighed before saying, “honey, mommy and daddy didn’t get sister when she was a baby. Just like Laura, we got Evie when she was about your age actually. We didn’t have a baby till you came along, and soon we’ll have our little prince with us.”

Evie was just about to add to what her mother had said when a sharp knock came at the door. It drew everyone's attention and Magda was quick to check the peephole. 

“Your majesty, it's one of your guards.” Valkyrie pointed to herself, and Magda quickly nodded her head in confirmation. Normally, this wasn’t much to fret over. However, the night before, they had gotten the meteorology alert of a massive storm brewing in the Norwegian Sea. At first, it had been predicted to pass nearby, and heavy rains were expected. Yet, with the arrival of the kingsmen, it seemed things may have taken a turn for the worse.

The maid opened the door as the king made her exit to speak privately. Evie got to her feet with a far off look in her eyes. Laura reached out and laced her fingers with her mother’s. She could see the concernment written on her face. “Todo bien, mama?” 

Pepper came to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Sweetie, are you alright?” 

It took roughly three blinks to get Evie back to the present. She gave them a small reassuring smile as one hand squeezed Laura’s and the other met her mom’s on her shoulder. “Yeah, it just looks like the weather is about to get choppy.” It was said with ease, yet Pepper knew her well and could see that it was actually a lot more grave than she was leading on. Just as she was going to prod her for more information Evie let out a sudden groan, bending over slightly and holding on to Pepper for support as she tried to regain some air.

“Mama?!”

“Oh, okay honey, just breath.” 

Unable to answer just yet, Evie inhaled sharply as her mom guided her into her seat.

Upon hearing the common Magda rushed to her side, both she and Pepp knew what was going on. She gave the girls a kind smile after seeing shock mingle with fear. “Don’t fret children, the princess is just feeling the babe move around.” 

Morgan’s brows nearly met the ceiling and Laura had eyes as wide as dinner plates. “Is the baby coming?” They asked nearly at the same time. Magda chuckled and as Evie was starting to once again breathe normally. “Oh Norns no! He’s simply getting ready for his grand entrance but it’s still much too soon for the birth. We still have another moon cycle to go.” 

Evie threw her head back, eyes closed, and hands cradling her tummy as her mom rubbed her shoulders. “Ugh, do all fake contractions feel this bad?” Pepper giggled.

“Oh sweetheart, just wait till the real ones come around. If you hadn’t been there when Morgan was being born, I would’ve taken the epidural in a heartbeat.” This made the two share a laugh just as Valkyrie returned. “What did I miss here?” She asked curiously, clearly knowing she had missed something when she stepped out.

“Sissy’s baby is getting ready to bust out of her.” Morgan blurted, causing the whole room to roar with laughter and giggles. “What, he is, isn't he?”

Laura had tears in her eyes as she doubled over. Telling Morgan, “no silly. Mama is gonna use magic to get the baby out. He isn’t going to pop out of her like a chestburster!” This made Pepper give Evie a pointed look that she quickly recognized.

“What? She’s old enough for Aliens…” 

Pepper shook her head, unable to hold back a grin. “In any case you two don’t need to worry about how the baby arrives. Your job will be the best, most loving sister and auntie you can be.”

Both girls were quick to start bouncing, shouting out, “yes!” Morgan went and plucked one of her stuffed animals, holding it like an infant as she rocked it in her arms. “I’m going to be the best auntie ever! I’m gonna cuddle him, and love him, and give him lots of kisses!”

With a house full of women, the sounds of ‘awe’ and ‘oh’ filled the air and spurred them to keep going with the joyful topic of the soon to be born baby boy. And as usual, no matter how hard they all pressed, Evie was a tightly sealed box. Never once revealing her son’s name or even providing any clues to hint at it.

She wanted it to be a surprise, something special to celebrate his arrival. 

Later that evening at the dinner table Valkyrie finally broke the news of what she had been pulled aside for. “There’s been an update regarding the storm at sea.” They all stilled and waited patiently for her to continue. “Your midgardian weather wizards are advising us to take shelter and brace ourselves for a category five hurricane. Winds are estimated to surpass two hundred and fifty kilometers per hour and everyone near the coast line is being advised to move further inland due to flooding.”

The lively mood from before vanished as the adults looked towards the king with trepidation. After a few pensive moments passed, Evie cleared her throat. “Very well, what are your thoughts and opinions on the matter?” She saw her shoulders tense as Valkyrie held the heavy burden of the crown. Something she normally didn’t struggle with, yet with information like this, it was surprising to see how well she managed all of her duties and cared for her people. It would be easy to forget that this carefree and fearless woman was also the protector and ruler of New Asgard and all of its subjects. 

“The most pressing matter will be to evacuate the people closest to the flood zones, we can temporarily house them in the town hall. But that leaves the high winds and heavy rains to deal with. I’m not sure if our structures are capable of withstanding such forces. That also bring up the question of what to do with you all. I don’t think it would be very prudent to keep you here if you have a safer place to be in. Especially with the child so close to arriving.” 

Evie leaned back in her chair, her mother could see the gears turning as she went over countless options to see which would provide the best solution. “Well, I have faith in the buildings, but I do agree with everything. Yet, as an added security measure I’ll stay back and provide coverage. Mom and girls can head home.” There was an eruption of whines and protest, Evie very calmly held up her hands settling the noise. 

“Honey, she just said you’re too close to labor to stay during a massive hurricane.” 

“Mom, I’ll be fine. Valkyrie won’t let me do anything excessive. And I won’t be physically exerting myself, I’ll place a few strategic spells into positions to cast a protective barrier around the village.” Evie sounded confident and assertive.

Although Pepper didn’t fully relax, she did exhale a bit of the tension gathering in her shoulders. And since everyone present knew how headstrong Evie could be, no one spoke up to contradict her. Then Magda swooped in, adding, “to put everyone further at ease, I promise to personally force the princess to rest frequently. Ensuring she is still taking proper care of herself and the child. And should anything happen, I’ll have master Wong fetch you. In fact I’ll contact him early tomorrow morning. Everything will be Lady Stark, your daughter will be my utmost priority.” She held a bright and cheery smile. Evie reached out and held her warm hand. Giving them an affectionate squeeze. 

Pepper sighed, resigning herself. “Alright, only because I trust you’ll make sure this one listens to her body. If anyone can get her to listen, it’s you, Magda.”

The maid’s smile grew even brighter, if that were even possible. While Valkyrie and Evie continued to make arrangements, Pepper accompanied Magda. Together they went to pack a few items and prepare for the trip back to the cabin. 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 10: De Tenebris Vita

 

 

 

“Okay, the legion is done scanning the infrastructures of every single building of New Asgard. Each is in perfect condition, strong and sturdy-No surprise there. They’re also gonna be on standby should we need them for anything.” Evie’s voice was chirpy as she looked over the information displayed on her tablet. After a few weeks of lounging around consuming Magda’s homemade treats, she was ecstatic to be of service. 

“So, good news then, that's great! Well, Lady Stark, the items you requested are here. I’ve sent them straight to your cottage. Was there anything else?” 

Evie looked up, holding the device close to her chest. A grin was plastered across her face. “Nope, that should be everything. Thank you, your grace.” Evie executed a perfect curtsey, bowing her head in the process. 

It earned her an eye roll and a dismissive huff from Valkyrie. “Oh, norns, when are you going to stop that?” Evie giggled as one hand caressed her baby bump.

“When you quit treating me like a princess, I’ll stop treating you like the rightful ruler of the seven realms and protector of the Asgardian people.” The two locked eyes, entering a wordless staring contest till they both caved, and laughter bubbled up their chests. It wasn’t till Magda cleared her throat that they finally settled. As Evie held on to the king for support, Magda informed her that she was due for a break.

“You need to be off your feet promptly or they’ll swell. I have a cup of warm milk and honey waiting for you as we speak.” Evie heaved a heavy sigh, turning to look at her friend. “Looks like I gotta get inside,” she glanced down at her tablet. “Storm should be here by tomorrow evening, so I’ll place the spell at first sunlight.” 

After a quick hug goodbye, she followed Magda down the narrow path towards her homey little abode.

It was a beautiful hand-built cottage. The exterior was dark slate gray with a white trim and silvery shingles. The inside had been thoughtfully decorated by Magda herself. The birch wood flooring had been stained a warm, dark shade of brown. It reminded Evie of freshly brewed coffee. And the craftsmanship didn’t stop there. Exposed beams held up the ceiling, the wood a few shades lighter than the floor. The walls had been painted the color light sand, with seaglass windows casting pale white, green, and blue hues on the fluffy cream carpet carefully placed throughout the house. There was also a stone fireplace in the center of the living room, with built-in bookshelves on either side. With Pepper’s assistance, Magda and Valkyrie had furnished the place tastefully. And although it appeared to be small on the outside, it was deceptively spacious with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a large open kitchen. It had brought Evie to tears when she had first laid eyes on it. 

The living room had almost instantly become her favorite spot.

She spent most days there curled up with a good book, watching Laura and Morgan play as Pepper enjoyed the seaside breeze from the back porch and Magda whipped up delicious snacks in the kitchen Evie suspected she had heavily influenced to her own benefit. Not that she minded. Magda had been family for a long time, even when Evie had gone radio silent after Thanos’ first appearance on Earth. The woman held a special place in her heart for a vast majority of reasons. 

The two went on to have a relatively peaceful afternoon. Evie alternated her time between binding together herbs, roots, crystals, and other odds and ends to prepare the spell, and taking small stretch breaks to waddle towards the bathroom or take a lap around the house. Since she wasn’t at risk of being caught by the public’s eye, her pregnancy was in full view. Which also meant that she was dressed comfortably in a loose-fitting mid-sleeve linen dress. The deep burnt orange color with a touch of brown complemented her glowy skin. But since the air was quite nippy with it being the middle of winter and all, Magda insisted she wear fleece-lined leggings for added warmth. Not the cold arctic air ever bothered Evie. 

However, as Evie was putting the final touches and gathering all the leftover ingredients, Evie felt a drastic shift in the air. She perked up at the odd sensation, practically being able to taste the incoming storm.

Magda noticed her alert state and approached cautiously. “My lady, is everything alright?” Her eyes flickered to the woman, and right as she was about to respond, a sharp pain in her lower abdomen forced a hiss from her lips. Her hands flew to her belly, knocking over the glass of water that sat beside her on the kitchen table. “Norns! Just breathe, my lady, in and out slowly. Focus on your breathing.” 

She tried, forcing her mind to concentrate on the steady intake and release of air. And although Evie was no stranger to pain, this was different. It was new, and she found herself completely unprepared for it. All the maternity books and mommy blogs had done a shit job of truly describing what the female body would have to endure when it geared up to evict the small human it had been baking for months. Thankfully, after about a good minute, the pain subsided, and she instantly slouched against the chair, releasing a heavy sigh.

“Magda, I don’t think these are braxton hicks contractions anymore!”

The woman smiled sympathetically. “Oh my dear, it's much too soon, the babe still has a few more moons to go.” 

Evie shook her head, gripping the side of the table to get to her feet. “Yeah, but that would be for normal human babies, or even Asgardians…” The woman didn’t need her to finish the sentence to know what she was hinting at. Eir; Asgard’s master physician, had examined Evie throughout her pregnancy. She had been able to confirm the child was in good health as well as the mother, but her knowledge of Jotun physiology was extremely limited, as her only source had been treating Loki throughout his life. But the anatomy of a strong young man was vastly different than that of a growing fetus within an enhanced human woman. 

The maid nodded her head knowingly. “Yes, of course. I’ll go fetch Eir and let her know your suspicions. You, however, must remain here where it's safe.” She gave Evie a leveled look that told Evie she had no room to protest. If Evie tried to defy her, it would be futile. With a slow exhale through her nose, Stark conceded reluctantly.

“Yes, ma’am, but please do me a favor and tell the king to get an update on the weather reports. I can feel the storm rolling in sooner than expected.”

“I'll make sure of it, my lady. Now, please lie down on the couch.” She guided Evie to the living room, fluffing some cushions and propping them under her feet to elevate them. “I’ll be back soon with Eir.” Her instincts told her it wasn’t the right time to be left alone, and without thinking, she reached out and grabbed Magda’s hand, gripping it tightly. Magda must have noticed the apprehension in her eyes because she sat beside her to offer reassurance once more. “Princess, you are a strong and capable woman. I promise that a few moments of solitude won’t harm you. But you must stay put.” 

Evie swallowed hard, forcing herself to calm down. After all, what was childbirth to someone who had wielded powers, fought alongside the Avengers, and protected Earth from three attempted alien invasions? “You’re right; I'm being silly. Just... please try to come back quickly—I can feel the sky darkening as we speak.”

“Yes, dear. I’ll be as fast as lighting!” 

---

 

On the other end of the territory, Valkyrie was busy accommodating the influx of citizens seeking shelter at the town hall. Volunteers had reported for duty bright and early, and were currently showing people where they would be sleeping, where to find a hot dinner, and even which area had been designated as a children’s entertainment area. The king was delegating tasks, as well as distributing supplies like warm blankets and bottled water. Everything was running smoothly according to schedule, and with the port closed, they didn’t need to worry about any sailors out at sea.

Or so they thought.

Just when she was about to praise the norns for looking over them, blessing them with good fortune, two guards came bursting through the hall’s main doors. “Your Majesty!” The small smile playing at her lips fell when she heard the urgency in their voice. “What is it?” 

“Your Majesty, a few fishermen tried to venture out into the sea to gather more food, but were caught in the storm surge.” 

“And?” She said expectantly. Clearly, there was more unfortunate news.

“We were able to rescue them, but since their boat was smashed against the foot of the cliffs before we arrived, they've been severely injured and need immediate medical treatment. However, we haven’t been able to locate the last one.” 

Valkyrie gave them a curt nod before handing over her duties to go in search of the injured sailors and ready Eir for the incoming wave of patients in need of urgent attention, while also giving the command to prepare her winged horse along with a search party. 

---

 

Evie was pacing the wooden planks of the back porch, eyes scanning the horizon as her hands gently cradled her womb.

The sea was rough and choppy, huge angry waves crashing against the surfside in huge watery explosions. The wind was abrasive, on the verge of violently lashing out at anything that dared to be out in the exposed elements. Yet, no matter how bad it seemed outside, Evie was completely at ease and calm. She had to be. Evie needed to stay level-headed to complete the task at hand. Providing sufficient coverage from the hurricane looming ominously nearby.

It had been two hours since Magda left, and the sky was nearly devoid of all sunlight. Evie knew it was now or never to put the protective spells in place. So with one final glance at the front door, she placed a folded piece of paper on the kitchen table next to the vase holding fresh-cut foxgloves and grabbed her things, heading north to greet the storm head-on. After walking a few steps towards the end of the porch, she stepped through a dark, shadowy gateway of her own design.

She knew time was a precious commodity and not a single second was to be wasted. The hurricane was rolling in sooner than anticipated, and it wasn’t the only thing moving the time frames up. Apparently, someone was taking after their father.

The little troublemaker inside her belly had decided he didn’t want to wait any longer to see the outside world.

Evie’s contractions had grown in strength, lasting longer each time. 

---

 

To say Magda was not easily rattled was an understatement. But currently, she was a handful of nerves.

Anxiety gripped her heart as she eagerly waited for any signs of the king or the master physician. Somehow, they had both been called away, and she had been trying fruitlessly for hours to get hold of either of them to alert them to Evie’s situation. Yet, every time she approached a member of the guard, or anyone really, they told her the same thing. They had left to attend to dire matters, and no one had heard from them since.

So, against her better judgment, she continued to wait impatiently. Sending a prayer to the stars above.

“Allfathers, please, I implore you to watch over the princess and her child. Don’t let me fail in my duties as their caregiver.”

---

 

Evie had managed to make her way down into a secluded alcove despite the heavy rain and strong winds. She was completely drenched from her head to her toes. Her boots puddled as she set her things down on the rocky beach.

Just as she had knelt to start the hex, another strong contraction took over. As the large droplets of freezing water drummed against her back, Evie gritted her teeth. A low groan came from her chest as she dug her fingers into the sand and rocks with one hand, and the other went to clutch her stomach. In that moment, she was grateful for the icy waters pouring down on her body. It helped her mind focus on something other than the radiating pain emanating from her back to the front of her lower abdomen and pelvis.

Suddenly, all the small rocks and pebbles around her started to levitate, and a few black portals opened. Not that she noticed with her eyes screwed shut. 

When another minute or two passed, so did the contractions.

Evie knew she was running out of time. Her baby was coming, and the storm had arrived. Without hesitating a moment longer, she scavenged through the pot she used to transport the necessary ingredients and waved a hand above her head to provide coverage from the rain. As she started to chat in Old Norse, she meticulously went through each step of the spell. Suddenly, a bright blue flame ignited, and just when she was going to throw in the final element, another contraction sent a shooting ache through her body. A shout through her vocal cords, and she dropped the bundle of twigs and herbs.

A loud yell was quickly accompanied by a painful moan. Just a few feet away, a large boulder split without provocation, and a massive shockwave of azure and black magic rippled away from her crumpled form.

---

 

Valkyrie and her pegasus had just touched solid ground, and quickly she handed over the young fisherman to the people who swarmed her, promptly taking him to the infirmary to give him the necessary medical treatment to counteract the hypothermia and the battered leg. The second the king dismounted her noble steed, she was rushed by a frantic older woman. Her eyes widened at the sight of a disheveled and rained-on Magda. “Magda, where’s Evie? Why did you leave your post?!” 

“Thank the Norns you’re back! I’ve been waiting for hours, the princess thinks she’s close to birth, and I haven’t been able to find Eir.” Without a second thought, Valkyrie climbed onto her horse and offered the maid a hand.

“Let’s go!” 

---

 

“How long was she left alone?” Valkyrie shouted from the upstairs bedrooms where she was frantically searching for Evie.

“A few hours, I left mere moments before the storm broke. She sent me to find you, alerting you of the change, and to fetch the healer. But when I arrived at the village, you were nowhere to be found, and Eir was engrossed in surgeries.” Magda was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Her face was red and puffy as she held back tears. “I promised the princess I would return quickly. Oh, this is all my fault, I should’ve stayed!” She cried out, hands covering her eyes, and the waterworks began to spill. “Now she’s probably out there in the middle of this tempest, and her child is on the way!” 

The king descended the stairs three at a time and placed firm but reassuring hands on the maid’s shoulders. “Magda, absolutely none of this is your fault. Evie is her own woman; and if she deemed it necessary to leave, I’m sure she had her reasons. Now, listen to me very carefully.” Magda sniffled and bobbed her head. “I’ll go out there to look for her. In the meantime, prepare a basin with hot water and lots of towels. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes, my king, I shall not fail you!” 

---

 

With the rain still coming down hard, Evie took a deep sigh of momentary relief.

The spell lay long forgotten as she recovered from yet another contraction, which were occurring roughly every three to five minutes now. At some point, as she ventured further down the beach, her water had broken. She knew she was in active labor, and no matter how hard Evie tried to portal her way back to the cottage, her powers wouldn’t cooperate. The instant the sharp pains would pick up they would, quite literally, go haywire. Things around her would start floating in midair, get tossed aside, or even burst into bits. At one point, when her contractions caught her at the base of a dune, she opened her eyes to see the dune had vanished, and she was left standing in the middle of a small crater. 

Eventually, after three failed jumps, she gave up and was currently sitting in waist-deep water at the edge of the pebble beach that sat on the far east side of New Asgard. Something was wrong.

Her heart was racing as she tried to stay in tune with her son. She knew he was in some sort of affliction. Evie needed to get help fast. Although her powers were working sporadically, there was enough functioning properly for Evie to know her baby was in danger. When another cry fell from her lips, she called out for help once again, hoping against all hope that someone would hear her. But soon she was clenching her jaw shut, focusing on the cold water and her breathing. 

Suddenly, a small glimmer of golden light caught her attention. However, her vision was blurry. Rainwater and tears made it impossible to see what was happening. But the sound of hurried footsteps reached her ears, and for a split moment in time, she dared let her heart jump to an irrational conclusion. 

“Loki…?” Her voice was muffled by the raging sea and howling winds. 

Whoever it was that had arrived was tall and wore dark clothing. A long cape flapping wildly against the wind.

As if on instinct, Evie's powers once more flared without her permission. Driftwood and small stones began to lift from the earth. A dark, hazy dome formed around Evie as she let loose another pained yell. “Help, please! My baby is coming!” The person responded, but she could barely make out English words as the storm was relentless in its trajectory. With her brain informing her they were friendly, Evie attempted to drop the protective shield. Yet, the excruciating pain made it difficult to do anything other than stop and acknowledge its strength. 

The stranger began to wield magic, and she could see bright flashes of colored light through her hazy vision. Seconds later, strong hands were on her shoulders, and the voice of the last person on earth she ever expected to hear was close to her ear.

“Genevieve, how far apart are the contractions?!”

She was startled by the sudden voice of Dr. Strange at her side. And as much as she wanted to jerk out of his reach and disappear from his sight, she knew now was not the time to reject help of any kind. The instant she could recover some of her bearings, she latched onto Strange. Leaning heavily against him for support.

“Three, maybe four minutes apart. My water broke too!”

Without another word, he helped her stand from where she was half-submerged in the sea. “Where can we go?” 

 “My cottage,” she said tiredly, gingerly pressing her fingers to his temple to transmit its exact location.

---

 

Magda had her heart in her throat, worried eyes swimming in tears as she was glued to the front door, expecting Valkyrie to come in any moment with Evie. But the moment the king stepped in alone, she very nearly fell over. Valkyrie rushed to her side, holding her steady.

“It’s okay, we’ll find her!”

The woman was on the verge of hysteria when an amber spark appeared in the center of the living room. The king drew her sword, Dragonfang, and Magda was quick to grab her rolling pin. 

The cascade of golden light grew into a large circular portal. The two women dropped their weapons, running towards Dr. Strange and Evie, who was already grimacing as another contraction began crippling her basic motor functions. “The baby is almost here!” Strange shouted.  Valkyrie supported her from the other side, and she looked to Magda. “Clear the table! Is everything ready?” 

“Yes, your Grace. Everything!” She rushed out, clearing the dining table in one swipe, throwing everything on the floor.

Strange and Valkyrie hoisted Evie up and laid her carefully on the table as she bit down on the collar of her dress. Suppressing the urge to scream as her hands held onto the sorcerer's and the king’s rather painfully. Stephen used his free hand to fish his phone out of his pocket and instantly dialed a friend’s number. “Wong, get the Starks here-The baby is gonna be born any minute now!” He tossed it aside and saw the other two women looking to him for instruction. He took a deep breath and went into full doctor mode. “Your highness, I need you to remove her pants. Ma’am,” He turned to Magda next. “How fast can you prepare hot water and towels?” 

“Instantly!” She darted to the kitchen, returning with a basin full of steamy water and a stack of towels under her arm.

“Perfect, thank you. I’ll also need a pair of sharp scissors, sterilized.” He took the water, placed it nearby, and went to the kitchen next. Washing his hands vigorously when Valkyrie shouted out, “She’s ready to go from the looks of it!”

Evie would have been mortified to be this exposed, especially with a man present. Yet, due to the current circumstances, it was the last thing her brain could worry about.

“Strange,” she cried out. “Hurry, something's wrong. I can feel it!”

As soon as he was close, another strong contraction made her bare her teeth as everyone else suddenly felt the floor disappear from beneath them. They were all thrown in different directions while Evie was left grabbing the sides of the table with a white knuckle grip. Back on his feet, Strange stood before her, assessing the situation to the best of his medical knowledge. The king went to the right of him as Magda went to soothe Evie, brushing her wet hair away from her face.

“The child wasn’t due for another few weeks. Months even! And we know next to nothing about frost giant or enhanced human babies.” Valkyrie said, ducking when a random book was sent soaring through the air. 

Stephen placed his hands on Evie’s belly, feeling for the shape of the baby, and simultaneously binding her powers for the time being. The random objects floating in the air dropped like heavy rocks, and fragile items shattered upon impact. “I think I know the problem. It’s not just the accelerated timeline of Jotun gestational periods,” he looked up to see Evie’s eyes glued to him, hanging on to his every word. With a sharp exhale of his nose, he said, “The baby is breached-He’s coming feet first.”

“Oh god!” Another contraction started, and Strange began coaching Evie to push as Valkyrie gave her words of encouragement. Hoping to sound reassuring while she had zero clue what to do, childbirth was something she never thought she’d need to know as a warrior for Asgard or as a scraper back on Sakaar. 

Evie heard a slight commotion, and suddenly, a warm and calming presence was standing at her side. A loving arm cradled her head as honey-laced words told her to, “keep going! You got this, sweetheart.”

Two younger voices were also registered, but Valkyrie quickly guided the girls away from the chaos,  leading them upstairs towards the playroom. Telling them that Evie was currently in the middle of a great battle, and needed to concentrate so she could win her baby over from the Midgardian storks. As Strange assisted in the difficult delivery, he informed both Pepper and Wong about the current status of the baby and how he had found Evie by the seaside.

Her mother and Magda held her hands as she panted, supplying her lungs with oxygen before once more enduring the labor pains and working her body to deliver her son.

She eventually lost track of just how long the strenuous cycle had lasted when Strange announced that the baby was nearly out. “It’s just the top half now. One last big, strong push, Genevieve, and you get to meet your son!” He gave her a bright smile as she nodded weakly, a small grin on her lips. “Ready?”

“Yeah,” she replied breathlessly. 

When the pain picked up once more, she took a deep breath and used every ounce of strength left in her body to push. Suddenly, she felt a rush, a swift release in her lower body, and she slumped against the two women supporting her. Her head fell on Pepper’s shoulder as she waited to hear the sound of an infant crying. Meanwhile, Magda ran to drape a blanket over her, warming her now frigid body. 

But the sound didn’t come, instead hurried steps shuffled around the room and hushed voices spoke urgently amongst themselves. 

“Mom? Strange?” Her voice was strained as she attempted to sit up to see what was happening.

Valkyrie had returned unnoticed and seemed to be assisting Strange as Wong wiped the baby down. Evie could see a pair of discarded bloodied towels and the scissors he had requested earlier, smeared with a mix of bodily fluids. Evie was struggling to make out what the sorcerer was telling the king. Pepper rubbed her shoulders as Magda cleansed her face with a damp cloth.

“It’s okay, honey, they’re just cleaning him up,” Pepper said hopefully.

Yet, the slight wavering in her voice didn’t ease Evie’s racing heart. Her mind started to spiral, and she pushed herself closer to the edge of the table against her mother’s and Magda’s efforts to keep her still. 

“Let me see my baby.” 

Valkyrie’s watery eyes met her own, and her mom’s soft gasp reached her ears. Instantly, her heart sank to the lowest depths of her stomach. “Evie…” She said gently, trying to keep her emotions at bay for the friend’s sake. The maid’s grip tightened on her arm as they waited for the king to finish speaking. “He’s not breathing. The umbilical cord wrapped itself around his neck.”

Evie blinked away the moisture gathering at the corners of her vision. Once more she spoke, her voice faint and imploring.

“Lemme see him… Please!”

Strange didn’t halt his movements. While Wong and Valkyrie hesitated to answer, he continued to perform CPR on the small baby. His face was hard as he was determined to save the child against all odds. It was what he had vowed to do-To look after and protect them, each and every single one of the surviving Starks. After all, it’s what he felt he owed them after Tony’s immeasurable sacrifice. Pepper, sensing the impending chaos, stifled her whimpers, placing a hand over her mouth. The echo of children’s feet made her rush towards the staircase where she met the girls, holding them tightly as they all waited with bated breath to see what would happen next. 

“Evie,” Valkyrie started, taking measured steps towards the woman now shaking with a grim expression frozen on her face. “I don’t think that's a good idea to see-”

“GIVE ME MY SON!” She shouted.

Instantly a few windows cracked and everyone felt the powerful command behind her words.

The maid, who had been praying fervently for the infant to live, wiped the tears streaming down her face and approached Strange silently. She took the baby from his scarred hands and wrapped him tightly in a fresh, clean towel. No one dared to utter a single word as she crossed the small space to deliver the child to his mother. Evie extended her hands expectantly, and as the dam broke, a painful sob rose in her throat.

“I’m sorry… we tried. He was breached, and we didn’t know till after he was out that the umbilical cord was wrapped around him… I’m so sorry Evie.” Strange didn’t have the courage to look up from the floor, a heavy guilt forcing his head to stay bowed.

Looking down at her baby, Evie took in the deep blue hue of his skin. He held small rune-like markings embedded across his tiny forehead and cheeks. His little button nose was the first place she laid a sweet kiss. As she suppressed another cry, her free hand twitched before a flicker of cerulean magic sparked at her fingertips. A soft melody echoed as she gently caressed her son’s small face, the enchantment cascading over him in a steady but gentle flow. 

“Vargen ylar i nattens skog, han vill men kan inte sova.”

They all watched quietly as she began to sing in a delicate tune. Continuing to conjure her magic as the lullaby went on. 

“Hungern river hans vargabuk, och det är kallt i hans stova. Du varg, du varg, kom inte hit, ungen min får du aldrig.”

Laura was one of three to recognize the heartfelt melody. Evie would sing it softly to her on the nights she would have a nightmare. Cuddling close and soothing her back to sleep. Magda knew the words too, as did Valkyrie. The song spoke of a mother protecting her child from a starving wolf. Evie would frequently hear Loki singing the tune sweetly to his unborn son when they would be alone behind closed doors. He would lay his head close to her belly as Evie ran her fingers through his hair. She loved seeing how enamored he was with his child. From the moment they were expecting, Loki had become a loving and devoted father. 

“Vargen ylar i nattens skog, ylar av hunger och klagan. Men jag ska ge'n en grisasvans, sånt passar i vargamagar. Du varg, du varg, kom inte hit, ungen min får du aldrig.”

Strange didn’t understand the words, but one glance at the young mother, and he knew exactly what she was attempting to do even if she didn't. His feet trudged forwards slowly. Evie was still weak and recovering from the difficult birth and needed help. His help. But suddenly, Wong halted in his tracks by placing a firm hand on his bicep. “Strange,” he whispered warningly. “I don’t think what she’s doing is allowed by the sacred texts.” He was right. Strange knew Evie was undoubtedly messing with the natural order by unconsciously wielding her magic in a way she wasn’t quite grasping. Yet it was just tiptoeing on that fine line between rules. He didn’t care. Strange had failed her once-he wasn’t about to do it again, especially not now.

“Vargen ylar i nattens skog, och hittar sig inget byte. Men jag ska ge'n en tuppakam, att stoppa ner i sitt knyte. Du varg, du varg, kom inte hit, ungen min får du aldrig.”

When her pleading red-rimmed eyes met his, never once halting her efforts, Strange instantly joined her. Summoning the mystic arts to flow through him, golden sigils shining brightly in his hands.

“Sov, mitt barn, i bädden hos mor, låt vargen yla i natten. Men jag ska ge'n en hönsaskank, om ingen annan har tatt 'en.”

Together they worked as the lullaby went on, invoking a healing magic to shower the baby with bright notes of orange and blue energy pulsing over him. The others unconsciously gathered around them, observing how the beautiful display of love and spellcraft worked to transform the child’s sapphire skin to a healthy pinkish glow. Hope was welcomed as it crept in while the lines on his small face began to fade. 

“Du varg, du varg, kom inte hit, ungen min får du aldrig...”

A small gasp shocked the room, and small red eyes dimmed till only sparkling emerald green irises were looking back at Evie. Soon enough, his little sleepy face scrunched, a pout leading the way for a loud wail. The baby continued to cry as everyone else in the room cheered and shouted with triumph. Tears of sorrow instantly morphed into tears of rejoicing. Stephen took a subtle step back while Evie peppered the crying infant with thousands of kisses.

“Hey there,” she cooed, a small peal of giggles escaping as she cleared her vision of salty water. “You gave everyone the fright of their life, son.” They all chuckled, circling the two as Strange finally allowed himself to take a deep breath and release the tension that had gripped his chest. Evie sniffled, attempting to stifle her tears, but her immense glee had overcome her, and everyone was sharing her emotions. “Welcome to Earth, honey... I’m your mama, and you are oh so very loved.”

Valkyrie scooped up both Morgan and Laura, granting them a better view of the new baby, who was suddenly mesmerized by his mother’s voice. Observing her with great intrigue as he gripped her forefinger tightly.

As the women continued to fawn over the little prince, Strange and Wong stepped away. The doctor got his shoulder clapped by his friend, Wong holding up a prideful grin as he stared at him. “You did good here, Stephen. I’m glad you didn’t give up on her.” 

“I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I did.” He countered with ease. 

With everyone basking in the merriment, Morgan took her chance to ask what they had all been pestering Evie about for months. “So, what's his name, sissy?” She questioned in a chirpy voice. Her big sister cupped her face, smiling brightly before her eyes wandered over to Steven. Gratitude and forgiveness poured out from her very soul. He gave her a small nod, and she turned her attention to Pepper, who was rubbing small circles on her back while kissing her daughter's crown. 

“Everyone, this is Anthony Steven Stark-Lokison. Or, Tj for short,” Evie announced.  

Pepper was momentarily stunned before embracing Evie tightly. A fresh stream of joyful tears fell as she told her daughter how happy her father would be for her. Another round of cheers erupted, startling the baby, who once again began wailing. Evie did her best to shush the baby, soothing him with her loving ministrations.

With the others distracted, the wizards move to quickly clean the small homestead, ensuring the mother and her son can get the proper care they need without having to worry about the mess created. Thanks to their magic, it takes no longer than a matter of seconds for the space to look pristine and picture perfect. Wong had even crafted a vase filled with beautiful fresh blue irises and a small fluffy white teddy bear. As they gathered their things, Wong opened a portal, and they prepared to make a discreet exit. But Evie called out at the last possible moment. 

“Stephen, wait!” She gave her son a peck to the forehead and passed him over to her mom. With Magda’s help, she was able to ease herself off the kitchen table, planting her feet on the floor as Stange came to lend a hand and keep her steady. 

“What can I do for you, Ms. Stark?”

Suddenly she felt very bashful, adjusting the sheet to wrap tightly across herself. “Strange… First of all I wanna apologize.” He looked down at her confused. “I want to apologize for all the shi-” She cuts herself off rethinking her words. “For all the stuff I told you after dad.. Y’know. Anyways, it’s not my proudest moment and I realize now, you were only looking out for the greater good.” He tried to wave her off, but she didn’t let him. Giving him a pointed look. “No, I mean it. You were just doing your job and I… Well I wasn’t in the best mindset. So thank you truely… If you hadn’t been here,” she pauses for a second to admire her baby. “Without you I wouldn’t have had my son here with me. And for that, I’m eternally grateful.” 

Strange delicately brushed away a tear. “You owe me nothing, kid. Just take good care of your family… I’m sure your father would be very proud of you, Genevieve.” 

“I know he would be,” Pepper chimed in, rocking the baby in her arms. “Your dad would be so proud of you, sweetheart. They all would be, because I know I am.” 

Evie placed her hand over the doctor’s face, and wordlessly, the two had a telepathic conversion. Forging not just a new friendship, but a renewed alliance as well.

 

 

 

Notes:

Evie's song is based from The Spirit Song by Jonna Jinton, highly recomend listening. 🖤🐺

Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpmeswMK7cY

Chapter 11: Memento Vivere

Summary:

With so many things changing and evolving, the time had come for Evie to start living life for what it was.

A gift every single day the sun came up.

 

 

 

Thor had been the very first person to visit the little prince. He had tried his best not to let his emotions get the best of him, but the moment he landed his sight on the small child with wispy, jet-black hair and gorgeous green eyes, swaddled in a blanket, his eyes began to water. He attempted to use humor to cover his suddenly overwhelmed heart, but the facade broke when Evie gave him the baby’s name. 

“I'm sure Loki would’ve been the happiest man in all the nine realms with his son.” 

She gave him a melancholic smile, crossing her arms over her chest. “He would’ve been over the moon with him. Never once putting him down... He was so excited to be a father. I’m just grateful he sent us this little bundle of joy after everything that’s happened.”

Thor patted her back sympathetically. He knew exactly how she felt—enjoying the bittersweet moments with a new appreciation for life. 

 

In the following days after the birth of little Tj, the small beachside cottage became inundated with gifts from every part of the galaxy. Exotic flowers, delectable treats, a plethora of toys, and an avalanche of the cutest clothes hand-stitched with affection and care kept pouring in endlessly.

The whole of New Asgard celebrated the newest addition to the royal family to the highest. As much as Evie had implored Valkyrie not to do anything grand, they very nearly threw a large-scale, extravagant festival. But they soon settled on a grand feast in his honor.

Pepper and the girls had gotten a full day of pampering from the village women. Meanwhile, the local blacksmiths and artisans had taken it upon themselves to band together and present the Starks with gifts. Pepper and Morgan received beautiful silver earrings and necklaces with bright, shiny rubies that glimmered with a lovely shade of red. They paired perfectly with their burgundy gowns. Laura had received a diadem decorated with citrines and tiny white crystals that sparkled like stars. Her handmade dress was black, featuring delicate, golden floral patterns and armor-like accessories that wrapped around her shoulders and torso, beautifully converging at her waist. What excited her most, however, was that the skirt layered over a pair of trousers, perfectly aligning with her style, as she had never been truly fond of frilly dresses. 

Evie had to reluctantly let Magda take Tj so he could be fitted for his own garments. The sweet maid had crafted his little robes by herself, using a silky dark green material that she embellished with black embroidery and tiny golden buttons. The draped fabric extended well past his little feet and was paired with the cutest leather booties, which made everyone coo in awe. He truly looked like his father’s son, which moved Evie to tears.

And she didn’t get overlooked either. In fact, she had been given a small army of ladies to assist her in preparing for the banquet. Evie had never felt such a profound level of acceptance and admiration from an entire community she could have never fathom to belong with. 

Asgardians were known for the grandeur of their culture. The beauty of their arts, the vast amount of knowledge they possessed, and their unyielding warrior’s spirit. Yet what most earthlings failed to realize was that they were a resilient bunch and were accepting of others with arms wide open. Evie had first experienced it during her wedding.

Whereas most would’ve thought the people would reject an outsider to become a part of their society, they never once spoke ill of her.

On the contrary, they had respected and admired the way she had stood up for them against Hela and her undead forces. And their appreciation for the new princess only grew tenfold when she very nearly sacrificed her own life to protect as many as possible when Thanos had invaded their refuge ship after escaping Ragnarok. That day, unbeknownst to her, Evie had cemented her place as a princess of Asgard. Earning her new people's unwavering loyalty and admiration.

Which is why when they had learned of her son, the entire nation vowed to keep her children a sacred, coveted secret that was to be guarded zealously. The Starks knew that New Asgard would be the one place on earth where they could be where they didn’t need to hide themselves from the prying eyes of the media. It was their haven, a sanctuary where they could come and seek shelter when everywhere else on the outside they were forced to live with shields up. 

 

Upon the girls' arrival at the town hall, each citizen stood and bowed before taking their seats. However, Evie had been asked to enter last, accompanied by Valkyrie, who held her godson proudly. She took a moment to calm her mind and admire the breathtaking dress she wore.

The gown was a deep navy blue, overlaid with sheer black organza speckled with hundreds of tiny silver stars that formed beautiful constellations across her body and down the back of the veiled cape draped over her shoulders. The neckline caressed her throat and extended down her left arm, transforming into a long sleeve that nearly reached her knees. Her only piece of jewelry was her very own crown. When Valkyrie unveiled a small wooden box, presenting Evie with a gift from the people, her heart swelled, and a soft gasp escaped her lips. Inside was an enchanting silver tiara adorned with blue sapphires and black gems that gave the jeweled headband an ethereal brilliance, stealing the breath from her lungs.

She has tried to refuse the gift, stating that it was simply too much. Valkyrie, however, did not accept her modesty, and with a pointed look, the king proceeded to place the tiara atop her impeccably braided chocolate hair.

Evie had fought the urge to cry when she was told that, “No matter how much you try to play the humble human, everyone here sees you for who you are. A princess of Asgard. Your family, every single member, is as much a part of us as they are of you. So just take this as a small token of our gratitude for all you have done for our people.”

When they had been announced, the crowd erupted in cheers and bellowing sounds of merriment. Valkyrie had very proudly presented Anthony Steven Stark-Lokison as the crown prince of Asgard as well as his big sister, Laura. The heirs to the Princess of Midgard. 

The hall was an endless fountain of ale, wine, delicious foods, and jubilation.

It had been so long since they had gotten a reason to celebrate anything that wasn’t survival that they truly did enjoy the feast. Evie felt how every person in attendance felt a bit lighter, hope for the future festering deep within, and great aspirations for themselves, daring to dream big. 

It was all thanks to the beautiful baby boy she held in her arms. His arrival meant so much to the Asgardians; it symbolized that anything truly was possible, especially since a child once lost to a cruel fate had made his way back from the great unknown. Thor was no longer the sole survivor of the royal family, and if this could be accomplished, what else could they achieve when united?

---

When the time came to return to New York, Magda had made it crystal clear that under no circumstances was she going to stay behind in New Asgard, separated from Evie and the children. Stating that, “It is my life’s purpose to always look after the young royals. Whether you like it or not Lady Stark, your children are to be in my care and protection. And I simply must come along.”

She left Evie with zero room to argue, and one glance at the king verified the maid was steadfast in her decision. 

And that’s how Evie found herself living with another adult in her home for the very first time since leaving the nest. Magda was a marvelous caretaker, yet as much as she objected to it, Evie had also planted herself firmly when it came to being a mother.

She was hands-on changing diapers, feeding, and bathing her son, regardless of how many times the sweet maid would offer to tend to the baby's necessities. It was so bizarre for Magda to see a person of high status occupy herself fully in her children when most nobles would never bother with a soiled nappy, much less actually deal with a wailing baby. But not Evie, she loved every minute of being with her children, and Magda soon adapted to her role within the Stark household.

Laura loved having her Granny Magda around, and Evie appreciated the extra set of helping hands. Not to mention that Murdock had also kept his word about coming around more often. He liked doing unexpected drop-ins to check in on them, bringing Laura sweets and fresh flowers for the dining table vase. But Evie had a suspicion it was his fascination with interacting with the baby, having never been around one before. Although Magda claimed it was Evie, he was more smitten with. And since he was an incorrigible flirt, it only served to further validate Magda’s theory.

Eventually, with so many things changing and evolving, the time had come to start living life for what it was. A gift every single day the sun came up.

Evie decided that although she settled for a seat with the board of directors of Stark Industries and retired from her life as an Avenger completely this time, she wouldn’t leave a trio of young aspiring heroes to find their way fumbling on their own.

 

---

 

 

One Sunday evening, Evie had set out to make a homemade dinner for two very special people. Laura had set the table and Magda was busy swaddling Tj as Evie went about the kitchen with different ingredients floating about. The pot on the stove was stirring on its own, and there was a salad getting tossed with light dressing by an unseen force on the island. Her hands were busy breading chicken in panko breadcrumbs before placing them in the pan with oil to turn golden and crisp. Moments before the main entree was done, there was a soft knock at the front door.

“Laura, honey, can you get the door?” Evie quickly washed her hands and toweled them off before heading to the sound of Harley and Peter’s voice.

“Um hi, is Ms. Stark here?” 

She popped into view, greeting them warmly. They each had their own warm tight embrace as Evie thanked them for coming. Laura however, seemed to have been transfixed by Parker and as he started to grow uneasy with her intense stare he leaned over to her saying, “Evie, why is Clara’s niece staring at me like that?” 

Evie perked up at the question and looked over to Laura who was suddenly turning cherry red. Oh my good god, she thought to herself. Clearing her own thoughts, she casually replied, “Laura isn’t Clara’s niece, she’s my daughter.” Putting her hands on her daughter’s shoulders, and rubbing them to pass on the soothing feeling of calm ease while she gave the boys a bright smile as they both shrieked out, “What?!” Making Laura turn even more bashful than she already was. Evie laughed, and Laura tucked herself under her mother’s arms to partly hide from the guests.

“Come on, make yourselves at home.”

Harley scrunched his face and said, “Whoa, wait a sec-” 

He was suddenly cut off by the restless cooing of a baby. Magda walked into the foyer holding Tj, who was seconds away from bursting into tears. Both boys froze and looked at the infant with eyes blown wide, causing Evie to release another giggle as she went to grab her son, thanking Magda and introducing her to their guests.

“I know you two have a million questions, but I promise I’ll explain everything over dinner. Come, let's all take a seat.” 

With everyone gathered around the dinner table, Evie bottle fed her son as the others passed around the platters of chicken parmesan, serving themselves a healthy amount before adding the salad to their plates. Cups were magically filled with everyone’s favorite beverage as they took a bite of the delicious food with an awkward silence settling in. Evie couldn’t care less, a grin was going from ear to ear as she fed her baby and herself. After nearly cleaning his plate in record time after second helpings, Peter spoke up. 

“So…” he said, glancing at the little girl across from him before turning to her fully. “Uh, what’s this about Evie? When did you- You know… have kids?” 

She took a sip of water and smiled nervously, suddenly realizing the significance of the moment they were sharing. “Well, Sparker, you sure did miss a whole lot of stuff during the Blip. Of those things, was me adopting Laura.”

Harley was giving off small waves of hurt and anger, so Evie wasn’t surprised at all by his harsh, gritted out, “And the baby?”

Giving Tj a quick peck on the cheek, she calmly said, “I can’t even begin to explain that one, after dad…” Her voice wavered a bit, but she quickly refined her composure, taking a deep breath and smiling. “I was pregnant when Thanos showed up the first time around. After Wakanda and the Blip, I thought I had lost that baby. But when it was undone, he was back… I literally woke up to a bun in the oven.” Peter seemed to accept the answer easily, but Harley was on a different page. Evie was a big sister to him. Ever since they met, he had always turned to her for everything, confiding in her and looking to her for advice and guidance. So naturally, he felt hurt that after everything went down, she all but vanished. Their interactions were strictly through text, and he rarely saw her, but at least now he knew why. 

“I can feel your emotions, Harley. Talk to me…” She urged gently.

Magda had noticed Tj had fallen asleep and took it as a chance to allow them some space to speak candidly. She took Tj from Evie, excusing herself from the table to put the baby down for the night.

With only the four of them remaining, Harley exhaled audibly, sinking into his chair. “Evie, we tell each other everything… Why, why did you hide this from me? Did you not think you could trust me?”  Her eyes stung as the air in the room got charged. Growing heavy with all things yet to be spoken.

“Harley, of course not! But after dad,” she started to pick at her nails. Peter could see the tension in her shoulders and how her lower lip quivered ever so slightly. “After he-you know… I just had so much on my plate all of a sudden. Still do...” She sighed deeply, closing her eyes and willing the moisture away. Now was not the time for tears. “You two are family, the boys my dad saw as his sons. My little brothers and I love you guys, which is why I set this all up. I know you two are only now getting to know one another, and I’m happy about that. We all need good friends now more than ever.”

“So is that why we’re here, just to get to know each other?” Peter asked skeptically.

She shook her head, a small giggle escaping. “No Peter, it’s just a good thing that makes me happy, that’s all.” 

“Then what is it? Just pull the band-aid already.” Harley grumbled.

Evie, unbothered by his tone, pulled out her phone and projected a halo image of Spider-Man in action for the boys and Laura to see. “Very well, I cut to the chase then. Harley, Peter here is Spider-Man.” Peter’s eyebrows nearly went to the ceiling, and Harley slowly turned his head to stare at Parker with shock written all over. “Evie wha-” She held up a hand, halting Peter’s avalanche of words.

The image then rippled and went to the security feeds of the labs at the Avenger’s compound. It showed Harley tinkering away with a metal body laid out on a workbench. The kid’s face drained of color when he realized he’d been caught red-handed. “I haven’t been the only one keeping secrets… And before you get your panties in a twist, I’m not mad, in fact, I sorta knew this day would come, which brings us to the heart of the matter. Peter, Harley, I am absolutely no one to tell you what to do with your lives. Much less, try to be the one who talks you out of the hero gig. So if you let me, I’d like to be the one to lend you guys a hand.” 

“Wha-what do you mean?” Peter questioned, brows furrowed. A face Harley was matching perfectly. 

“What I mean is that I want to be the one that Spider-Man and Metal-Boy go to when they need help. We’re already using the Stark internship as a cover for Pete, and obviously, you have too, junior.” He chuckled nervously, hearing the old nickname she had given him. It was her way of letting him know she truly was okay with what he had been doing behind their back. “It's Iron Lad, not Metal-Boy…” Evie shrugged, “potato-potahto, Keener. Point is, this is a tricky life to navigate, and I’d like to be the one to help you guys the way Dad would’ve wanted. I’m offering to help with suit upgrades, keeping covers intact, and of course, the whole of Stark Industries and its resources at your disposal.”

After remaining quiet for the entire conversation, Laura finally piped up and looked to her mother saying, “Y yo? What about me, Mama?” 

Evie reached for her hand, giving it a little squeeze. “I know I said no training, that your trips upstate are for you to enjoy being a kid, and not be cooped up here hiding behind these walls. I've talked it through with Logan and the professor. The old man helped me realize you are far better off being prepared for life than sheltered from it. So, next time you go see your friends, you're gonna officially start your training with Logan.” The girl lit up with excitement, jumping from her chair to hug her mom, repeating, “Thank you,” at least a dozen times before sitting again.

Peter was stunned to say the least, yet he managed to ask, “What’s the catch?” 

She leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms and giving them a warm smile. “No catch Sparker, all I ask is your permission. And-” 

“Of course there’s an ‘and’…” Harley deadpanned, interrupting Evie. 

“ And ,” she said with more sass. “I want you guys to leave anything major to the other guys. I don't want you three getting involved in any sort of world-ending cataclysmic events; no interfering with alien invasions, no going after the big boss for an endgame battle. There are people for that kind of stuff, and as kids, it isn't your responsibility to save the world.” 

They all fell silent as Evie tucked her phone away. It was an easy choice, however, it would be Peter who would surprise the table with how he responded. “Evie, I really don’t want to come off as ungrateful, or like I’m not appreciating this major opportunity, but I-I think I'm gonna say no…”

“No?” The others all questioned in unison.

He smiled nervously, a small chuckle escaping as he fiddled with his fork. Stabbing the last remnants of his meal. “Yeah, no… I-” He cleared his throat, looking around the table. “I kinda wanna just stick to my neighborhood and-and make my own way. I really do appreciate the opportunity, but I still don’t think I’m ready to go pro.” 

Evie heaved a sigh and got up from her chair. The legs scraped against the wooden floors before she made her way to Peter’s side. He looked up at her with a twinge of worry in his eyes, expecting some sort of scolding. Yet, she did no such thing, instead, she opened her arms and he stepped into the warm safe embrace she was offering. “That’s very mature of you, Sparker, and I respect your decision. Just remember if you ever do need help, please don’t think twice about calling me.” 

“So you’re not mad?”

“No,” she laughed, leaning back to cup his cheeks. Her radiant smile put him more at ease. “I could never be mad with you guys. Like I said, just promise you’ll call if you need help. I mean it! I don’t care how big or small it might seem. If you need me, I’ll be there.” Harley and Laura got up from their seats and came close to them. Keener jumped in next to give Evie a tight hug as Laura smiled bashfully at Peter, telling him she thought Spider-Man was, "really cool," a deep blush spreading over her cheeks and nose. 

“Well, I’m in! But I think I'm not ready to take to the skies yet, so for now, just let me work out the kinks, and for the love of god, let me work with you! I know you're notorious for wanting to do things solo, but I’d like to be there for you too, sis. Even with the kids, I don’t mind sitting here and there so you can go out and have some fun.” 

Evie grinned, messing up his shaggy hair. “I appreciate the offer, junior, but Magda has that covered. What you can do , is be my lab guy. With all the new corporate stuff, I got a list of projects a mile long that have been sitting on the back burner, and I’d love for them to see the light of day.” 

“I’m your guy then!” 

They all laughed at his enthusiastic response and shortly after splitting a New York cheesecake from Veniero's, they concluded their rollercoaster of an evening.

 

 

 

Chapter 12: Tadashi Is Here

 

 

 

Evie was so buried in her task at hand that she didn't hear when Clara came over the speakers letting her know she had a visitor. She did, however, sense when her assistant approached her lab with a friend in tow. After hearing the soft swish of the sliding glass door announce their arrival, Clara cleared her throat loudly. “Boss, your 10 AM is here.” She then spoke to the person on her left. “See told you she was just ignoring me,” she added with a cheeky undertone.

“Thank you Clara, I’ll be sure to remember that when it's time to hand out the Christmas bonuses.” Evie retorted sarcastically, finally looking up to greet her friends with a large grin. “Junior, give me a hand will ya?”

Harley didn’t wait to be told twice to make his way over to the table where Evie was messing with what looked like a little metal cardinal. The delicate little feathers had been painted a bright red, and the components in his tiny head were exposed displaying the inner mechanism. Clara made her silent exit, happy to see Evie interacting with someone other than herself outside of her house.

“What is this stuff?” He asked, eyes scanning the small wires and gears that made the bird. 

“It’s just a little something I had been thinking about and since you wanted in on the labs this is the first project I'm officially passing on to you. Now it should go without saying Junior, but you can not breathe a word of any of our projects to a single soul. Do you understand? These things are not for Stark Industries, they’re for us.” He bobbed his head in agreement, already giddy to be trusted with such things.

“Okay, well what's the first order of business sis?” Evie smiled brightly and pulled up the schematic to her latest brainchild. An inconspicuous, magic infused, home defense system that was to be piloted by a completely new AI. 

Together, they worked with Evie, alternating her time between the labs and the office. Most times, she would be there to greet him and share a quick lunch after he finished his college classes. In between eating and collaborating, bouncing new ideas off each other, they reconnected, further cementing that loving sibling bond.

On occasions, Peter would stop by to hang out and catch up on homework, and on others, either Harley or Evie would take off to give the local hero a ride home after school with his friend Ned.

It was during one such excursion that Evie got the delightful pleasure of meeting one Eugene "The Flash" Thompson. Peter had called asking for a lift to help get his science project home since the bus didn’t seem like a suitable means of transferring the delicate work. She pulled up to the curb at Midtown High just in time to catch Flash and a posse of jocks giving Peter a hard time. She honked her horn, hoping they’d get the message and just walk away, but then she heard what the boy was saying, and her mother-bear side emerged. 

“You really think I’m gonna believe you have an actual internship at Stark Industries, Penis Parker? That’s about as believable as Evie Stark going on a date with me!” He and his buddies belted out a belly laugh, and by the time they recovered, they nearly fell over when they saw who was stepping out of the blacked-out Audi Q8. Peter looked over his shoulder when Flash started fumbling his words and sputtering like a glitching TV signal.

“Oh, hey, Evie, you didn’t-” 

“Nonsense, Parker,” she said in a way too cheery voice, cutting him off. “I saw you being held up and wanted to see what the problem was.”

When she fluttered her gaze over to Flash, the kid had heart eyes. Very clearly starstruck. “No problem here, Ms. Stark. We were just chatting here with Pe-” He shook his head, correcting his vocabulary. “Peter! Peter Parker, we’re real good friends, aren’t we, Parker?” He threw an arm over his shoulder, giving Peter the world's most uncomfortable one-sided hug. Peter’s brows furrowed, and his brain was practically screaming to get out of the situation. But Evie had other ideas in mind.  She blinded the boys with her award-winning, flirty smile.

“That’s good, cause here I was thinking I'd heard some rather rude things fly out of your mouth, Eugene Thompson. And well, if there's one thing I truly detest, it's a bully. And that’s not you, right?” With a small wave of her hand, Flash’s feet were dragged forward as a whimper fell out of his mouth. Fear made his eyes go wide when he saw her smile turn menacing, accompanied by pitch black eyes staring straight into his very soul. 

“N-n-no ma’am, not at all!” He sputtered, frantically trying to wiggle out of her invisible grip.

“Good,” she quipped, dropping the kid and letting him fall back on his butt. “'Cause if I have to come back here, I’ll be sure to set any stray citizens back on the straight and narrow. You know what I mean? Now, off you go, finish your homework and clean your room like your mother has been asking since the weekend.” By the time he got up, Flash realized two things.

One, he was completely alone. His friends had booked it the second her eyes went dark.  And two, Genevieve Stark not only knew his name, but also that his mom had been nagging him to tidy the mess he had back home. Without stating it publicly, she had let him know that she knew who he was and how to find him should she deem it necessary. The kid jumped to his feet mumbling, “Yes, yes ma’am, right away!” Making a beeline straight for his dad’s convertible. Peter couldn’t hide the smirk as he shook his head.

“You didn’t have to do that.” Evie shrugged. “I know, but you would’ve done it for anyone else.” They laughed it off and went about getting Peter and his science project home safe and sound. 

 

---

A few days later, at her house, while everyone else had fallen asleep, Harley was diligently working on the cardinal and a few other small figurines. Meanwhile, Evie was busy preparing the new series of code for the AI that had yet to be unveiled. Once Keener was satisfied with his small collection of tiny drones on the kitchen island, he gave Evie a thumbs-up.

“Alright, E, plug ‘em in.”

She stared down at the blue chip in her hand. All she had to do was insert it into the awaiting port. Evie didn’t realize she had all but frozen till Harley was at her side, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You do know you just have to stick it in, right?” 

With a heavy sigh she looked up into his eyes. “I know that smartass, I was just admiring dad’s chicken scratch writing.”

Her fingers smoothed over the scribbled letters that spelled out the AI’s name. Although her dad was the one to create it, it was Evie who had come up with the idea after they had a Disney movie marathon. Then, without any further hesitation, she plugged in the chip.

Together they watched how the computer lit up as the AI uploaded into her private servers. Soon, the little woodland creatures came to life, their little bodies stirring as they synced up with their new programming. But what made Harley nearly jump out of his skin was when a black cat appeared from seemingly nowhere and jumped on the table to sit beside the screen. He was about to ask a question when suddenly the furball spoke, his robotic eyes taking them in with intrigue and awe. 

“Good evening boss.”

Evie had a pleased grin. “Good afternoon Tadashi. Friday will you catch our friend up to date with everything and hand over all the homestead protocols?”

“Of course, Ms. Stark, right away.” Said a female voice from the speakers above. The black cat’s yellow eyes flickered as the knowledge was transferred, and soon enough, his little ears stood to attention.

Harley’s eyes glimmered with wonder as they observed the feline bot. “So why did you give Tadashi a cat’s body?”

Evie giggled, reaching out to fit the little guy with a collar and personalized a name tag. Harley didn’t miss how the cat suddenly flickered with a sparkle of cobalt glistening down his body. “Most people still can’t get used to Friday’s disembodied voice. But since Tadashi is strictly for me and is completely off the records, I wanted the kids to have something physical they can associate with him, not just a voice coming through the speaker system.” The kid hummed in thought. Made sense to him.

“Well boss, how can I help today?” 

Evie pushed her chair back, giving him a clear view of the platoon of the mechanical birds, bunnies, and foxes all lined up awaiting instructions. “Tadashi, please activate ‘Sentry Mode’ and put our little guys into position.” The cat blinked once and replied with, “Right away, boss!” In a very enthusiastic voice that had the two of them smiling from ear to ear. Tadashi faced the small platoon of expertly crafted figures. “Alright, you guys heard the lady, get to work!”

Harley laughed. He hadn’t expected Evie to program the AI to be so casual and even a bit funny. 

Swiftly and gracefully, the tiny birds took flight, the small bunnies wrinkled their noses and flexed their ears before bouncing off the counter. They were quickly accompanied by the skulk of palm-sized foxes who wiggled their tails, unfurling from their slumber. In mere moments, they had abandoned the kitchen island and took off in several different directions.

The little birds found high perches on top of cabinets, bookshelves, and even on some of the hanging light fixtures. The little bunnies tucked themselves low in little nooks, behind potted plants, and at the bottom of stairs. The foxes had been designated to be more inconspicuous. Therefore, they took the little gaps between furniture and under couches or beds, tucking themselves back into tight little balls as they returned to their original statuesque position.

Although they appeared to be tastefully placed decor, Evie had designed them to be a home defense system. It was her own Iron Legion reimagined to appear discrete. Hidden in plain sight to appear like artful touches to her home, when in reality, the little critters were capable of guarding and protecting. And at the helm was the black tabby. Tadashi was now at the center of Evie’s operations, reserving Friday for the use of Stark Industries and whatever else Pepper wanted. 

“Friday looks like we’re all good here, thank you for everything.”

“It’s been a pleasure Ms. Stark, as always I’ll be at your disposal should you need me.” 

 

---

The days slipped by in a tranquil bliss, and although everything seemed okay, some days grief reared its ugly head through the door. Unannounced and uninvited.

On days like today, Magda could feel the heaviness in the air and would empathize with Evie. She would grant her a few hours in the morning to get through the motions and emerge from her room at her own pace.

But Evie was stubborn, and always too hard on herself. It was something Pepper and her friends found concerning, yet she refused to be seen as weak. As someone to pity or fawn over simply because she was mourning. She had made a promise to her father that no matter what, she would smile and keep moving forward. Evie felt it was her duty to remain steadfast and strong so her family could be afforded the time to cry, fall apart, and come back together. But not her, she had done it once after Loki and the Blip, but she had spiraled. Drowning in her agony. Her father was forced to rescue her from that darkness that, even years later, she still struggled with. It had been her children who alleviated that sorrow, but now that her rock was gone, and Evie felt that if she allowed herself to crumble a second time, she probably wouldn’t survive it.

Therefore, she did what she knew best, and shoved those feelings deep down into an already cramped box, plastered on a false mask of contentment, and moved forward.

Her days often felt sluggish, as if she were trudging through a sticky, syrupy substance. But Evie’s solace was in her kids, Pepper, and Morgan. Hearing them laugh, seeing their bright smiles, gave her the second wind she needed to get by with her days.

So today, when Magda returned from her morning walk with the kids, Evie was already up and ready to get the day started after a healthy dose of cuddles and kisses from her babies. Laura was smothered in a big hug as soon as she stepped through the door. She laughed as her mama swept her off her feet and twirled her around singing, “Good morning starshine, the earth says hello!”  

“Well, you're certainly cheery this morning, Evie,” Magda commented as she crossed the threshold with Tj in his stroller.

She smiled all toothy as she set Laura back down. “Well, Magda, I have lots of reasons to be happy, don’t I? I got my kiddos, a great friend, and a good ol’ cup of coffee.” She swiped her mug off the counter and took a sip while Magda picked up Tj to hand him over.

“That is true, my lady. Many reasons to be joyous on this beautiful morning. It’s so good to see you in such happy spirits. Are you ready to head off to your duties?”

“Almost, I just need my little cuddlebug first.” She held out her arms, and the baby was promptly passed over. Evie wasted no time peppering little kisses all over his face before breathing in the soothing scent of lavender and sage that Tj always carried. A soft gasp left him as he sought her warmth. Evie went over to the couches, where she proceeded to nurse her son till he had his fill while Laura and Magda enjoyed the bowls of fresh-cut fruit and homemade French toast she had prepared in their absence.

With a full belly, Tj sighed contentedly as he settled into another slumber. Once Evie heard his soft snores, she gently placed him in his bassinet and grabbed her things. Stopping to give Laura another hug and kiss her crown before letting Magda know she’d be back later in the day. The sweet maid said her farewells and went to start the day’s routine with the children. 

Evie navigated the shadows till she arrived at the private garage that housed her small collection of vehicles at one of the few places listed as hers.

It was a beautiful four-bedroom, three-bath condo that boasted a stellar view of Central Park, massive floor-to-ceiling windows, and a pristine white interior. To the untrained eye, it was a lavish penthouse fit for a pampered rich kid. But upon closer inspection, the home was a front. Evie had purchased the place for a little under nine million for the sole purpose of serving as a guise. It was set to create the illusion that this was her home, where she lived, when in reality her home was nestled away in a quiet corner of Greenwich Village and she had never even spent a night there. 

As she climbed into her SUV, Evie held a conference call with Hope van Dyne about their upcoming collaboration where both the Stark and Pym van Dyne Foundations were to come together and join forces to provide affordable housing, create more sources of sustainable energy, and projects targeting reforestation. All of them were global efforts that Hope, Clara, Pepper, and Evie would tackle together. Proving that organizations like the Global Repatriation Council, or GRC as they were more commonly known, were simply dragging their feet when dispatching resources for those in need.

After arriving at the Stark Industries New York headquarters, she took the private elevators up to the top floor offices, where Clara greeted her with an itinerary and another hot cup of coffee.

By lunchtime, Evie had successfully combed through piles of paperwork and emails. Harley checked in with her not long after and went about his way towards the labs while Evie had a few more items to cross off her to-do list. In the afternoon, she carved out some time to join Harley in the labs, where Peter was also tinkering with his web shooters, giving Keener a personal demo on how they worked.

The three of them chatted and shared a pizza as Parker filled them in on his upcoming trip to Europe. He was excited and nervous, confiding in Evie that there was a certain person who had caught his eye, and he was hoping to make a good impression on her and possibly even confess his feelings. Together with Harley, they did some healthy teasing before she encouraged him to just go for it. Perhaps even surprise the lucky girl with something special.

“But nothing too cliche like a dozen roses, if she’s anything like how you describe her, she’s not gonna be impressed by the basics.” Evie summoned her wallet from a puff of black smoke and proceeded to fish out a black card. Both boys gaped at what she was doing. “Here,” she said, tossing it to Peter. “You’re hitting Venice as one of your stops, right?” 

Peter corked a brow, looking at her like she had sprouted a second head. “Um, yeah… But what is this?” He said, lifting the card in his hand.

Evie smiled, saying, “Just a little something so you can get some souvenirs on the trip. But pro tip, Venice has artisans who create literal art with glass.” Peter tried to open his mouth and protest, but Evie waved him off instantly. “Nope. Don’t even start, plus there’s only five hundred bucks on there. I talked to May, and that's what we agreed on. Apparently, two grand was too much and well…” She heaved a sigh, “Your aunt drives a hard bargain, Sparker… I like her.”

Harley whistled, “damn, you wanted to give him two thousand dollars for a week-long field trip to Europe?!”

“Shut it, Keener,” she countered instantly. “You got one too in senior year. It isn’t my fault your school didn’t do anything that exciting. Plus, if I remember correctly, you had a very luxurious prom.” She challenged him to argue with a leveled stare, but the kid knew better and just smiled sheepishly. “Besides, we went to Acapulco after graduation, mister party animal.” This made the three of them burst into a fit of laughter. 

 

Later that evening, Evie had let time slip past her. She rushed home in time for dinner and got the kids bathed and ready for bed. After lots of snuggles, two stories, and three lullabies, Laura and Tj were sound asleep. Magda retired to her room as well, leaving Evie to read undisturbed on the couch. Without noticing, sleep enveloped her, and she fell into a dark abyss. 

This wasn’t a new thing; in fact, it was a sort of recurring nightmare. And the fear it was inducing wasn’t hers. Evie had come to realize that for some strange reason, she was tapping into someone or something else.

A man she would often spot in the far-off distance but could never actually reach would appear. Echos of agonized screams would assault her ears, and foreign panic and anxiety would grip her chest. Every time it happened, she would try to sever the connection since it was useless to try to reach out to the stranger. Never once has she been able to make contact, much less see his face.

The man was eerie. It never failed to cause an uneasy shiver to race down her spine and goosebumps to blossom on her skin. He was always poised in a calm and controlled demeanor, regardless of the chaos that surrounded him in the near-total darkness.

Sometimes, if the dreams became too real and vivid, Evie could feel the ghostly touch of hundreds of hands reaching out, grasping, and pulling in every direction.

It’s what caused her to wake with a jolt. Her body bolted upright as she heaved for air. Although her mind was still groggy, barely coming into full consciousness, Evie could’ve sworn hearing the faintest of whispers brush against the shell of her ear. It made her jump, falling off the couch, ready to go on the defensive as if someone had been looming over her sleeping form. While she frantically scanned the room, Evie heard rushed footsteps descend the stairs. Looking up, she found Magda with a worried expression on her face.

“My lady, are you alright?” She questioned as she approached gingerly. Evie shook her head, chuckling at the absurdity of the situation.

“Yeah, Mags, I’m okay… just a bad dream. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up by falling off the couch.”

The older woman looked at her with mild confusion. “There was more than just a loud bump, princess. You were well…” She pressed her lips to a thin line, unsure of how to phrase the commotion she had heard moments earlier. “It sounded like you were struggling, unable to breathe. Like you were fighting someone.”

What Magda had just said hit her like a ton of bricks, and only then did she notice the little body standing slightly behind her, a worried look in her big brown eyes. Laura stepped out from behind the woman just as Evie got off the floor and opened her arms to her. She wasted no time jumping into her mother's embrace.

Her daughter buried her face in the crook of her neck, and Evie held her tightly, swaying gently on her feet. “Mama, are your dreams scary?” She glanced at the older woman, the two sharing a concerned look.

“Mama’s okay, baby girl, dreams can’t hurt us, remember?” She rubbed small circles on her back, and wordlessly, the three went to bed. Laura stayed with her, cuddling snuggly with her mom after taking a peek at Tj, ensuring he was still sound asleep in his bedside crib. Evie ran her fingers through her hair and kissed her crown before softly singing their lullaby. It worked not only to soothe the girl, but herself as well. A gentle reminder that sometimes her mind was her own self-sabotaging enemy.

Perhaps Magda was right… Maybe it was time to consult Doctor Strange about her dreams.

But then again, they were just bad dreams… Right?

 

 

 

Chapter 13: Bitch Move In Mysterious Ways

 

 

 

For roughly a week straight, Evie stayed away from distractions. No phones, no TV, and very little screen time in front of a computer. Limited solely for work-related obligations. 

She ended up calling a doctor, only it wasn’t Stephen Strange. She instead called Bruce Banner. After a brief summary of what was going on, he theorized that in light of ‘recent events,’ what Evie was experiencing was her brain reacting to stress and the sudden major changes she had faced. Although he was no therapist (and much less an actual psychologist), he recommended Evie give her mind a break from the blue lights. He also said she would probably benefit from mindful relaxation practices. Meditation was thrown around often during their call, as was yoga, deep breathing exercises, and avoiding stimulants like caffeine. She refused the last one instantly. She did, however, agree to give the other ideas a try.

To her dismay, Evie reluctantly forced herself to pump the brakes on most of her activities and make time to meditate. She wanted to clear her mind of the clutter and search for inner peace and clarity. However, by the fifth day, all that meditation had only driven her stir-crazy. 

When she finally arrived at her office after staying home for days, Clara nearly collided with Evie in her hurry. 

“Where the hell have you been?! You didn’t answer your phone! Tadashi said you were not to be disturbed unless the sky was falling!” Evie’s eyebrows shot up; her assistant and best friend was radiating worry. Clara seized her arm, practically dragging Evie into her office before instantly activating privacy mode. 

“Yes, those were my exact words, Clara. What’s going on? Why are you acting so weird? I've bailed from work before, this isn’t anything new…” 

“Get Tadashi back online, NOW!” She was nearly shrieking at this point. 

“Okay! Okay, Jesus Christ, relax!” She wriggled out of Clara’s grip and looked up to the ceiling with a dramatic sigh. “Tadashi,” she said, clapping her hands twice. “Mama’s home. Whatcha got for me?”

The AI promptly responded with a grim voice. “Ma’am, it seems Edith was brought online by Peter Parker.”

“WHAT?!” She screamed, causing Clara to jump a bit. “Why-How? Who the hell gave him the glasses?!” Her blood pressure spiked as her anger and outrage bloomed. Yet Tadashi and Clara weren’t done giving her bad news. The AI filled her in on all the current events she had missed.

A string of cataclysmic events had taken place in several different parts of the world, and it all hinted at some sort of coordinated attack. Tadashi had also intercepted a message from Nick Fury, but since Evie was on hiatus, he didn’t push it through. And to top things off, apparently, Parker had relinquished the Edith glasses over to a former employee of Stark Industries, Quentin Beck. A guy who was fired for being highly unstable. Accusing Tony of stealing credit for the creation of a holographic emitter capable of producing realistic illusions, which Stark named Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing. Or B.A.R.F. for short. (The name was still a working project.) Her brain was racing a million miles a minute. “How the fuck did Beck get control of Edith?!” 

“Sorry boss, I can’t answer that, but it does seem like controls were voluntarily passed over by Peter himself.”

Clara swore that at that moment she witnessed Evie’s eye twitch. The feelings of anger, frustration, and concealment were palpable in the air. She took a deep breath trying to ground herself. “Get me Parker on the line now.” It was said calmly, yet danger lay heavy among the words. Tadashi did as told while Evie marched over to her computer, firing away at her keyboard. 

“Whaddya doing, Evie?” 

She spared a glance at Clara before turning back to the screens. “I’m tapping into our satellites and getting an exact location of the glasses and whoever is operating them. Beck is a fucking maniac who wanted to weaponize the holographic emitters he produced using Dad’s schematics. But he’s also a conniving, heartless, son of a bitch... If Peter willingly gave him the glasses, I can’t do anything about it from my end. We have to get them back!”

“Boss, I can’t reach Peter…” Tadashi informed grimly.

Evie’s anxiety was starting to leak into the air as Clara’s face started to lose color. But a lightbulb went off for Stark. “Get Happy on the line!” Just as the words came out, her computer screens revealed that the tech was being used in London and that evidently, a fleet of drones was preparing to be dispatched for reasons she didn’t even want to dig into. 

Seconds later Happy’s face appeared alongside the satellite feed. “Evie, sweetheart, I was just about to call you-”

“Uncle Hap, please for the love of God tell me you’re still seeing Maybel Parker!” 

“What, why? Nevermind that-”

“HAPPY! Listen to me, I think Peter is in danger and I can’t get a hold of him!”

“Kid, that’s what I’m trying to tell you! I just picked him up from The Netherlands. We’re on our way to-”

“London?”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

“I'm in the satellite mainframes, how soon are you guys arriving?” 

“Umm… ETA thirty minutes.” 

“I’ll meet you there.” 

She didn’t even wait to get a response and hung up the call before making her way out the doors with her assistant hot on her tail. But before Stark could reach them, Clara grabbed her by the arm. “Evie, what are you doing? You can’t just go to London!” She exclaimed with urgency. Her friend nearly slammed with Evie as she spun around quickly to stare back. “Why the hell not Clara? Give me one good reason I shouldn’t be getting on the jet, and I’ll park my ass in this office.” 

Clara chewed on her lip before finally spitting out what she had on her mind. “If Secretary Ross gets wind of you doing anything remotely hero-like, he’ll bury you at the Raft. Then what? What good will you be behind bars? You can’t just storm into action, you have to think of the consequences! How is this going to affect you,” she stepped closer, and in a hushed tone, she rushed out, “How will this affect the kids if you’re gone?” Evie sucked in a lungful of air through her nose, her jaw clenching tightly. She looked around the office, trying to piece together a response. When she released the shaky breath, she took hold of Clara’s shoulders, giving her a leveled look. 

“If anything ever happens to me, I know my kids will be well looked after. But right now, Peter needs my help, and if what I saw on those screens is correct, his entire class is in danger too. And he has no backup…”

Her assistant was pleading with her eyes as they turned glassy. After what felt like an eternity (but in reality was only a few seconds,) Clara bobbed her head, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. “Fine, but ghost your way out so no one sees you leaving. I’ll have Tadashi work on a cover story.” Evie nodded curtly and went in for a hug. Clara held her tightly before pulling back and saying, “Go, Peter needs you!” 

She wasted no time conjuring a dark portal and traversing the shadows till she arrived at the rooftop landing pad. There, she engaged the jet’s stealth mode and took the metal bird into the sky, rocketing towards the Capital of England. 

After getting a text update on their plans, Evie informed Happy that she’d be reaching London in roughly forty minutes. As she waited impatiently to land, she geared up. Although she knew she was doing the right thing, Evie couldn’t help but feel guilty after Clara’s words settled. 

It’s not like she didn’t have complete faith in Peter to be able to save the day. But part of her secretly missed the chaos of a good fight. Her mind wanted peace, her heart sought joy, but her body yearned for the rush of adrenaline. Working this job was ingrained within her very being. It was like denying a part of herself that demanded to be acknowledged regardless of the consequences. So after a ripple of energy mixed in black and blue hues traversed across her body, Evie donned her signature all-black attire. As her hair darkened, her skin paled, and her eyes blacked out, she took a deep breath. Mentally preparing for the shit storm awaiting over the Tower Bridge. 

When Tadashi informed her they were hovering above the designated area, Evie placed the bone white wolf mask over her face and opened the floor hatch. As the wind whipped her hair wildly, she took a step forward and fell through. Her descent was fast as she zipped downwards towards the earth at neck-breaking speed. When she got about halfway through her trajectory, a black cloud swallowed her whole and spit her out on the ground level.

Overlooking the pandemonium from a nearby skyscraper, Maria Hill and Nick Fury spotted the newcomer falling from the sky before disappearing into the swirling mess of smoke, dirt, and fire. Nick instantly instructed Maria to, “Be ready for anything.” He had a feeling he wasn’t going to like the new addition to the fight.

There was mayhem everywhere you looked. People were fleeing the gigantic earth, water, wind, and lava-made monster that was taking a swing at some random guy flying around in green spandex, gold armor, and a red cape who could shoot green “magic” from his hands. It didn't take longer than thirty seconds for Evie to piece two and two together. Beck was using the illusion tech to craft a grandiose plan, pushing a fake narrative that he was a hero here to save everyone from an evil elemental creature. 

Just as she was gonna break into action, her senses flooded with the familiar jittery yet bright and bubbly aura that always encompassed Peter Parker. He vaulted himself over the barricade and out of the river Thames, landing just a few steps away from her.

“Whoa, who are you? Wait…” Evie instantly wielded her magic and protected Spider-Man from getting crushed by a car that had blown up thanks to a grenade going off. Thick smoke billowed off her body as she used it to create a cover, shielding them from getting touched by the charred metal and flames. “Oh my God, that’s cool!” He exclaimed, coming up to her right. “E-Evie? Is that you?” He muttered tentatively. 

Even from behind the mask, Peter could sense the heaviness of her glare. “You have some MAJOR explaining to do Spider-Man!” 

“I know! I know! But seriously now is not the time!”

“Of course it isn't!” 

“Just listen, I get that you're mad, but—Wait, did you really just agree with me?”

She rolled her eyes even though the black inky film masked it. As she waved her hands and brought down a few more drones, Evie looked over her shoulders at Parker. “Yes, now don’t make me regret it! What’s the plan?”

It took Peter a single lungful of air to catch her up to speed and point her towards the Tower of London, where Happy was currently seeking shelter in the queen’s vault along with some of his classmates. Before she could walk through her shadows, Spider-Man froze to yell out, “Hold up! What do I call you?” She paused only long enough to look back at him with a wicked smirk, placing a finger to her lips, shushing him. “Oh great, so we’re back to keeping secrets.” He grumbled before scrounging up some key parts to web together a swingable bomb.

Evie snaked her way into the tower using the darkness. Once inside she felt Happy, Ned, and three more behind the 8-foot thick stone walls. Peering inside the vault, she saw they were relatively okay, so she decided to take out the threat of imminent danger.

There were four drones currently trying to punch a hole through the solid steel doors with lasers and blast waves. Evie jumped down from the ceiling, pulling a small cylindrical tube from her shadow pocket. With the device registering her as its primary user, the light sword expanded from the hilt, covering her in the saber’s bright white glow. 

In a series of swift motions, the four bots were rendered trash. Becoming nothing more than a pile of shredded scrap on the floor. She then proceeded to use her powers to force the locks to comply and pry the doors open.

The four kids cowered behind Happy, who was scowling, ready for the worst to burst through. Yet, when his eyes landed on her, they went as wide as saucers. “Oh, thank God it's you!” He said, hands on his knees as he exhaled with relief. Releasing all the tension that had pent up in his body. The kids were instantly spooked by the sight and remained huddled behind her uncle. With a discreet press of a button on her watch, Evie activated a voice modulator. 

“Spider-Man sent me, I’m here to get you out. Let’s go.” She marched right up to Hogan, and although Evie wanted to crush him in a bear hug, she held out her hand. He knew exactly what she was doing and grasped it firmly. “Alright kids, hands in. Everyone.” 

“No way!” Flash squeaked. “How do we know we can trust whoever the heck she is!” Not willing to waste time arguing with a child, Evie threw her uncle an annoyed glance before pinching Flash’s shoulder, that small area at the base of his neck. Before Happy could tell her no, or protest in some form, the boy went slack. She easily caught him, throwing him over her shoulder while the others were instantly horrified. Doing as previously told. Within seconds, a black shroud of smoke covered them, dissipating just as fast with all of them safe and sound within the quinjet Evie had arrived in. Speechless, the kids went to marvel at the plane, and Evie threw the unconscious boy on an empty chair before telling Happy to fly out of the hot zone.

“But what about you?” He questioned, brow furrowing with worry.

She flashed him a wicked smile that sent an uneasy chill to race down his spine. “Don’t you worry about me. I’m about to have a world of fun.” She gave him a two finger mock salute and a mischievous wink before vanishing in a puff of black smoke. 

Evie followed her gut and made her way towards a nearby sky bridge, where she found Spider-Man mid-duel with Beck, who was controlling the sea of drones swarming around them like angry wasps.

The kid had done exceptionally well and had held his own, fighting off a small fleet. As a direct consequence of his bad judgment, Beck lay on the floor bleeding out from a gunshot wound. He was in the middle of telling Peter that his good nature and trusting personality were a weakness. It had been a source of disappointment since he had been hoping for a bigger fight, more resistance when he had been grooming Parker to hand over the Edith glasses without directly influencing him or taking it by force.

Staying occult in the smoke and shadows, Evie held back even when she knew Beck was projecting a mirage as a last-ditch effort to try and throw off Spider-Man. She had complete faith in him and never once doubted his instinct. Yet, her heart still skipped several beats when a gunshot echoed even though she knew in advance Peter’s ‘tingle,' had saved him. He had Beck’s wrist snatched and pointed away from him. As he applied pressure, forcing Quinten to drop the weapon, he reached over and snatched the glasses her father had crafted for his young protege. Parker's final words to the cowering scumbag being, “You can’t trick me anymore.” 

While the other guy fell to the floor, Peter instantly went to call off the attack and regain control over Edith. Meanwhile, Evie snaked out of the shadows, crawling her way up from the floorboards. But even in his dying moments, Quinten refused to accept the fact that Spider-Man had won. So, as she closed in on the two undetected, the man tried one last time to end Peter’s life. Evie lunged without a second thought the moment her senses were flooded with his deadly intent. 

As a secondary shot was fired, the boy jumped into the air, gripping onto the ceiling to dodge the bullet. Yet, there was nothing to avoid. Looking down, he saw Evie pressed against Beck’s quivering body. His eyes were dilated wide as he stared back at her in horror as if he were face to face with the reaper himself. Except, he wasn’t the only one bleeding now. The bullet had gone clean through Evie’s torso when she had driven a knife deep into his body. The blade pierced a lung as well as a few other organs when she forced it upwards.

She leaned close, sneering into his ear, “How could you do this?” When she pushed him off, he crumpled to the floor, falling in a heap. 

Spidey landed on his feet, dashing to her side as she held her wound. Beck, already fading quickly from the newly sustained injury, muttered bleakly, “You’ll see...” His breath was ragged as he heaved for oxygen. “People, they need to believe-” More panting, “they believe… They’ll believe anything.” His body stopped its shaky movement, and he stilled as his eyes lost focus, dimming out. Evie moved her gloved hand to see it coated in the sticky crimson substance, but the area affected looked untouched and completely healed. She wiped the blood off her blade with the side of her pants and sheathed it before crouching down to feel for a pulse. 

“Is he… Is this real?” 

Evie let out a heavy sigh, feeling the dark veins scribbling away from her dark eyes as her powers sensed his death. She then removed her mask and stared at the lifeless body on the floor, saying, “Yeah, man, it’s real. It’s over now.”

When they went to walk away, she saw his slight limp and didn’t hesitate to remove a glove and throw his arm over her shoulders to help him get his weight off the injured leg. He felt an instant wave of relief wash over him when her fingers pressed lightly against the exposed skin on his neck. Grateful, he said, “thanks, Evie… For everything, and don’t worry, I promise to tell you the whole story as soon as we’re clear of this mess.”

She chuckled as they stepped through a dark portal to reappear on the Tower Bridge. “Don’t sweat it, kid. Just promise never to re-gift a gift, got it?”

He laughed, his whole frame shaking. “Yeah, got it!” They took a few more steps till she felt the presence of a young girl quickly getting close. She released him, and when he looked up at her, Evie jetted her chin towards the girl everyone called MJ.

Before she could notice the two of them, Evie replaced her mask and nudged him towards the girl before disappearing to the clouds of smoke and ash still obscuring the landmark.

Stark went to find Happy who was in the middle of wrapping up a phone call with May Parker when he spotted not just Evie, but Hill and Fury too. “I gotta go.” He said, ending the call, Fury eyed her suspiciously as did Maria. Happy on the other hand, just smiled telling them, “I’m glad you’re alive. I guess the coded message worked.” 

Nick gave him an incredulous look with his one good eye. “Appearances can be deceiving. I’m surprised you didn’t just wink at the camera. You mind introducing us to Dark and Mysterious over here?” He nodded his head in her direction.

Hogan just grinned, ignoring the question to retort, “It worked.” 

“Only because I had serious doubts about Beck from the beginning.” 

“Not true.” Hill blurted. “He had zero doubts.” She stated matter-of-factly. It would have made Evie burst into laughter the way Nick whipped his head to scowl at his right-hand woman. But the low simmering anger was kicking up a notch. Fury then went back to her uncle, asking about Peter. That's when she stepped in, crowding his space and getting a gun pointed at her head, courtesy of Miss Hill. 

“You have some balls on you, Fury. But that’s on me thinking you were done trying to use people as your own personal toys for you to play with and discard. He’s a kid, Nick. A fucking kid.” She seethed, her words sharp like a whip and laced with venom. “And yet you threw him into the line of fire without a second thought. With no regards to the fact that maybe he wasn’t ready for this bullshit after everything that's happened.”

Fury looked her up and down, taking in the uniform. “So you’re the ghost everyone has been calling the Black Wolf. You’ve earned yourself quite the infamous reputation in the underworld.”

“How the hell did you get the glasses?” 

“Believe it or not, Tony Stark gave them to me instead of his wife or daughter so I could hand them off to Parker.”

“That’s bullshit!” She bit back. “He would’ve told Genevieve if that was his plan!” 

Nick placed his hand in his pockets, giving her a look of tired exasperation. “Well, like I said, whether you think it's true or not, that’s not up to me. But in my defense, we did try to contact her. That reminds me, what's your connection here anyway? You work for hire?”

“Once, asshole.” She stated dryly. 

Maria stepped in after putting her gun away and tried to placate the Black Wolf by reasoning with her. “Listen, it's true. We should’ve tried at least more than once to get a hold of Stark, but she’s been MIA for over five years. That was till recently, even then she’s unapproachable.” 

Happy placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping to help ease the tension in the air. If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve put money that Evie was liable to throw a punch at any given minute. “Come on, wolf. Let me treat you to a pint before you run off.” Reluctantly, she stepped back before fully turning away from them.

However, she still looked over her shoulder to say, “Spider-Man might still be an Avenger, but he’s off limits and the last person to call when shit hits the fan. Understood? Next time I won't be so nice.” Her uncle nudged her as they kept walking towards the jet. “That was you playing nice?”

Huffing a laugh, Evie just kept walking. “Yeah actually it is. I really wanted to throw a right hook.”

“Ah see, I knew it… Come on kiddo, let's get a beer.”

“Guinness?”

“You got it, kid.” 

For the next two days, everything seemed to have fallen back into their usual scheduled routine. Stark was back in the office, Peter was gearing up for his high school graduation, and Harley was preparing for midterms. 

Evie was currently discussing Laura’s next visit with Logan over the phone when the news broadcasting on her tv flickered with a breaking news headline from the controversial news website the Daily Bugle. It was none other than the head honcho of misinformation and slanders himself, J. Jonah Jameson. 

“Ladies and gentlemen we’re sorry for interrupting this live broadcast but we’re getting a live feed from someone who claims to have worked with Mysterio and has important and concerning information about his death.”  

Her skin crawled when she heard his voice. The man was notorious for throwing around fake news and smear campaigns against anyone who he didn’t seem fit to be worthy of being called heroes. Prime example, The Void. And in more recent times, Spider-Man. Often calling the web shooter a menace to society. She jumped her feet as Clara barged in. “Logan I gotta go!” He didn’t hesitate to cut the call for her after a quick, “Gotcha, catch you later, bub.” 

“What the hell does Jameson have?” Clara said, clutching her tablet like a lifeline.

Evie was glaring at the screen where the balding mustached man was. “I don’t know and I don’t care. Tadashi!” 

The AI’s voice came from the comms. “Yeah boss, what’s up?”

“Intercept the Bugal’s transmission and follow the video’s signal. We already know Beck wasn’t alone in his plans. This is how we’ll sniff them out.” 

“Right away boss!” 

Clara was already biting her nails when the screen jumped to a grainy distorted video footage of Beck on his side ducking for cover and proclaiming to have sent the Elemental back through a trans-dimensional rift, but that Spider-Man had suddenly chosen to attack him using an army of weaponized drones provided by Stark Industries.

If the footage were to be believed, it made it appear as if Spider-Man had placed a kill order on Mysterio. “Son of a BITCH!” Evie yelled, hands at her hips as she paced her office. “Damn it! Tadashi, where we at?!”

“Already there, killing the broadcast in three…” 

Suddenly the angles of the camera changed and Beck was pleading with the camera saying, “Spider-Man’s real-” Her heart dropped as the words came out. 

“Two…” 

“Spider-Man’s real name is-” 

“One.”

The screen went black, and everything froze.

Evie was on edge as she and Clara waited with bated breath for the next shoe to drop.

Then Tadashi was in their ear. “Job completed boss, hacked into their servers, killed the feed, destroyed the footage at the source, and followed its trail to the so-called anonymous sender. Whaddya wanna do next?” 

Evie released a breath she hadn’t noticed was trapped in her lungs and physically deflated. Clara rushed out an, “Oh thank God," slumming into the nearby desk chair, while Evie rubbed small circles over her chest with a closed fist. “Jesus fucking Christ, that was close.”

“Doesn’t mean we’re cleared, Beck name dropped us…”

“Fuck, you’re right, Evie. What’s next?” 

She paced the floors, racking her brain for possible solutions. “Well, we gotta get ahead of the game. After all, the best defense is a good offence. Tadashi, root out all those involved in sending that damn video. I want names and locations. We’re gonna crack this investigation wide open, and Clara.” She then looked to her friend. “Get Hill on the phone. Let her know what’s happened and tell her she and Nick are gonna help clean this shit up. I’ll call Nelson and Murdock, get them up to speed so we can be ready whenever Ross decides to drop the axe on us.”

Clara gave her a determined nod and started typing away at her tablet with one hand, while the other one brought her phone up to her ear.

They were officially in crisis containment mode. 

Just as she sat down to move around meetings and push back conference calls, the door leading out to the office suite patio slid open with a soft swish. Evie spun around in her chair and gave the person a cheeky grin.

“Hey Sparker, how was the first date?” She tried to sound casual, but it sounded fake even to her own ears. 

Peter rustled with his mask a bit as he took it off, while she activated privacy mode. He sounded a bit winded. Likely from his frantic swinging action to reach the office. “I take it you saw the news?”

She heaved a heavy sigh. “Yep. Listen, don't do anything rash. I got the situation under control. Just stay low for the time being and Peter…”

“Yeah?” He said warily. 

“Don’t beat yourself up over this. It was never supposed to be your job to deal with anyways. You did the best you could in light of everything that was happening. Understood?”

She heard some slight sniffling coming from him as he ducked his face, she knew how much pressure he’d been feeling from the public to fill her dad’s shoes. But that wasn’t what she wanted for him, neither did Tony. He wasn’t meant to be the next Iron Man, he was meant to grow as the one and only friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Eventually he said, “Yeah okay, Evie… Just-Just tell me if I can help with anything okay?”

“You got it, Sparker.” 

“Hey, Evie?” Peter asked in a small voice. She could hear in the way he said her name that today is hard on him. Brutal. With the barely dodged bullet and the unspoken topic of her dad still weighing heavily on his mind, Peter needed a bit of an emotional release and Evie knew it was her job as big sister to put on a brave face so Peter could have his moment. 

"I really wish I could've saved him... I know you guys needed him more than anything. I'm so, so sorry! I-I just… God, I just messed up… And I keep messing up!" Peter finally said with a broken sob. She instantly pulled him into a bone-crushing hug and held him tightly as his tears stained her collar. His arms flying to wrap around her midsection with enough pressure to make her ribs ache.

"It's okay, Pete. It's not your fault. It was never your fault!"

"I. It-it feels like there's this part of me that's missing…” He mumbles into the crook of her neck. “And I-I don't know what to do. It hurts, Evie! It hurts so much!"

Shushing him gently, she continued to hold him firmly. "Listen. I know it can feel hopeless at times. God knows I feel the same way most days, but Dad made that sacrifice so we could all have a second chance.” She pulled back to cup his cheeks and wipe away the tears lingering on his face. “Peter, we never thought we'd see you again. Yet, here you are alive and well. He did that. Dad got you back to me, mom, Morgan, and the kids who love you so much.” He dipped back into her embrace, relishing the warm feeling of safety Evie was passing along.  “Just know that you're not alone. Okay? As long as I’m here, you’re never alone."

Unable to speak, Peter just nodded. Finally after she felt his heart rate settle and his emotion become more peaceful, he pulled away. Using the back of his sleeve to wipe his face and try to finish gathering himself again. 

After checking that he was good to; quite literally jump out her 95th floor windows, and they said their farewells, Evie sank into her chair running a hand over her face and through her chocolate hair. She needed to decompress and clear her head.

Evie had a sneaking suspicion that Ross was going to do more than just poke and prod Stark Industries for their alleged involvement in the death of Mysterio and the Elemental’s attacks around earth. As she took another deep breath, Evie reached for the bottom drawer of her desk, and after some digging, she found the small bag that contained what she had sworn never to touch again after breaking the habit.

“Fuck it, desperate times…” She muttered going to the balcony Peter had just leaped out of, letting the wind toss her soft curls with its gentle breeze. 

Clara was gonna chew her ear off as would Pepper, but right now she needed to unwind and going to Josie’s bar wouldn’t look good given their current circumstances. She took out the small carton and pulled a cigarette, nestling it between her lips. Just as she sparked the lighter and brought the flame to light her smoke, her phone pinged. Alerting her to a text message. While taking a long drag, she glanced at her watch seeing who had reached out. But the phone on her desk kept chiming, her wrist vibrating with each incoming message and soon enough phone calls were pouring in. Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, and a few others were all asking what was happening and if she had any updates.

She released the smoke along with another sigh.

It had been years since her last cigarette and the familiar burn in her lungs and taste of ash helped to settle her anxiety just a bit. The doors to her office slid with a soft swoosh sound that told Evie her assistant was back. And it got confirmed by the low groan she released when she spotted her on the balcony. 

“Oh god, we really are screwed if you’re this stressed out… Really, Evie, smoking again?”

Taking a final stretched out drag, she threw the bud on the floor before stomping out the flame. Simply responding with, “Let’s get to work, Clara.”

 

 

 

Notes:

In case clarification was needed, no Nick Fury and Maria Hill are not Skrulls. I felt the entire Skrulls secretly invading and posing as Hill and Fury was a bit messy and wouldn't truly add to the story I'm hoping to tell. However, that doesn't mean they've been discarded completely. I may use them for later events/projects.

Chapter 14: Downfall

 

 

 

Exactly three days passed without any new commotions getting thrown into the tumultuous mix that Evie and her small team attempted to mitigate. Pepper and Clara were diligently working to handle the avalanche of bad publicity. Evie, Matt, Foggy, and, much to her surprise, Karen Page were all on the task of tackling the legal side of the battle. The conference room was meltdown central. There was a never-ending string of phone calls being made, multiple screens keeping tabs on the frenzy the media had kicked up, and there were documents of different varieties scattered about every available surface. 

Pepper had rushed in as soon as her daughter missed the first three calls. After speaking with Evie and the lawyers, she felt confident enough to handle the chaos from behind the scenes. Karen turned out to be a breath of fresh air that Evie didn’t realize she needed.

Initially, she had hesitated when Matt and Foggy suggested bringing Karen on board, but given that it was an “all hands on deck” kind of situation, she eventually agreed. It turns out that any animosity between the two had faded long ago.

Although Karen wasn’t a traditional attorney, her skills and actions often resembled those of an investigative lawyer, making her a valuable asset to the firm and its efforts. Her fresh perspective helped them identify things they might have overlooked in their rush to prepare for the impending storm. Nelson provided the much-needed comedic relief, while Murdock was there to help Evie stay calm and collected, guiding her through the necessary steps and discussing possible options for when they inevitably had to go on the defensive, unknowingly being the fortress she needed amid the storm. But then again, their relationship had always been special, regardless if no one else understood it.

By midday, they had just taken a break for lunch, and Evie went to her office seeking solitude to drain her brain from all the stressful thoughts and emotions, hoping to ease the tension in her shoulders. But the impending legal dogfight wasn’t the only thing on her mind. It seems that she had missed more than initially thought when she had decided to take the impromptu break from the world. 

 

 

 

---

5 DAYS EARLIER… 

Evie had just made it home a little past midnight. The flight back was restless, and after meticulously scrubbing the internet of any traces that the Black Wolf had emerged thanks to Tadashi, Evie was ready to crash. Her body hadn’t had that much excitement since, well… A while to say the least. Everyone was peacefully sound asleep when she crept inside. Tadashi’s yellow eyes glowed dimly in the dark corner of the foyer from where she emerged. She kicked off her shoes and rubbed her neck. “Hey, you... The babies go to bed, alright?”

The black tabby stretched its mechanical body, the perfect imitation of an actual cat, and followed her as she padded towards the fridge. “Sure did, although Laura did ask why you weren’t the one putting them to bed. She missed you, Tj, too. He was fussy, but Magda was able to get them to rest after a few stories and some warm milk. Other than that, the house was A-O-Kay, boss.” Evie muttered a small thanks before cracking open a bottle of water. 

Just as she was about to head up to her room, Tadashi perked his little ears up, his eyes shining a bit brighter as he registered a shift in the atmosphere. She bent down and picked him up, scratching behind his ears. “Yeah, I felt it too,” she said, already moving towards the back door. She reopened the fridge, grabbed a second chilled bottle of water, and with all three things in her arms, Evie went to the back patio. It was a cozy, intimate place, renovated to provide privacy yet still allow ample amounts of sunlight or rain for the small garden it housed. Off to the side was a small round table with two chairs, and already seated on the one to the left was Dr. Stephen Strange. 

“I know you’re the master of mystic arts or whatever, but you do know that we have working cell phones, right?” 

He chuckled, eyeing the bizarre pet and accepting the offered beverage. “Thanks, and yes, I do know… But this isn’t a social visit, Stark.” Evie hummed, taking a seat, and began petting Tadashi with long, smooth strokes. He purred, the little bot even vibrated slightly with each low rumble from his chest. “Yeah, I figured since it’s the middle of the night, and well, I’m pretty sure you heard about London. So… what’s up? You reek of mild anxiety.” Strange exhaled a half-hearted laugh; Evie could sense he was either here to reprimand her for today's events or to dump a metaphorical bucket of cold water over her head. Whatever he was about to say, he was carefully choosing his words. It was the telltale signs of an unpleasant conversation about to unfold.

“Evie, have you heard from Wanda?” 

She creased her brows, taking a swig of water. Well, it really was about to be an uncomfortable chat. “Um, no… Not since the funeral, actually.” There was a small pause where she hesitated to continue. “To be honest, we barely even crossed words. At most, it was just an acknowledgment of each other’s presence. We were both in a rough place, and I didn’t feel like socializing more than necessary. So…”

He nodded slowly, taking in the information. He sat forward a bit, looking at her with a quiet intensity. “Did you catch wind of what happened in New Jersey?” 

“Yep…” She said solemnly. “I wanted to help, but there was too much red tape to legally try and help. Shit, to be honest, I wasn’t even able to recover Vis’ body. SWORD took over everything so fast… It was buried under a mountain of litigation and classified paperwork, and well, at the time, I only had half a brain to try and press harder. Maybe I should have... I know she wanted closure, but I was just stretched so thin ya’ know.” The last bit came out as more of a pained whisper, and Strange looked at her with sympathy. 

He knew she had one and a million things on her mind at any given point. Juggling a demanding career, family life, and the overbearing grief of her recent losses made life incredibly difficult. It was stressful and exhausting, especially in the aftermath of her father’s snap. Then again, there was a lot of that going around in the wake of the blip being undone. Stephen took a deep breath through his nose and exhaled slowly. He didn’t want to contribute to her sadness, but after his most recent venture, he knew someone had to inform Evie that yet another one of her friends was gone.

Stark could sense his internal turmoil, and after he had hesitated for a bit too long, she leaned in and placed a hand over his. Passing along the feeling of safety. She wasn’t sure if that was the right thing to emit, but it seemed to work since he nodded to himself before clearing his throat and proceeding to tell Evie all about Wanda, a multiversal traveling teenager named America Chaves, and a cursed book Evie herself had once sought out. The Darkhold, also known as the Book of Sins, the Book of Dark Spells, or the Book of the Damned.

It was a spell book containing transcribed dark magic based on ancient engravings carved by Chthon. A demonic entity who had prophesied the existence of the Scarlet Witch and carved his knowledge and foreshadowings onto the walls of the Darkhold Castle atop Mount Wundagore, which was then inscribed into the cursed book.

As he recollected all he had witnessed and learned, Stephen saw how her once apathetic face slowly melted into a deep frown. Learning about her friend's slow downward spiral due to the dark book’s corruption and manipulation of her grief was not an easy pill to swallow.

Eventually, after hearing how Maximoff had met her demise, a single tear fell from her eyes. Evie didn’t bother to wipe it away, resigning herself to etch yet another name to her list of fallen friends.

She felt a pang of guilt strike her heart, even voicing it to Strange once he had concluded his story. But he was compassionate, telling Evie it was out of her hands. The book had such a powerful hold over Wanda that she was beyond reasoning. Even if Stark had attempted to reach out or help her during her violent rampage to obtain what she desired—a second chance to be with her family, Vision, and their twin boys—Strange feared that Evie would have likely ended up severely injured or, worse, narrowly escaping death himself.

Both Evie and Wanda had experienced immense sorrow, leading them to retreat from the world. However, instead of seeking solace from each other, as Evie had once hoped, Wanda chose to distance herself from Stark upon learning of her pregnancy. Turns out, it was Maximoff who had informed Strange and Wong after the Battle of Earth that Evie was with child. She had discovered it accidentally when she was compelled to subdue Stark to contain her destructive outburst of power following Tony’s death on the battlefield.

 

---

PRESENT DAY…

A blaring alarm broke Evie from her thoughts. Her gut was telling her to brace herself, that a large number of people were currently seeking her out. Tadashi soon came over the speakers, saying that there was a small army of men storming the building and that none other than the mustached menace himself, Secretary Ross, was leading the crusade. 

Pepper, Clara, Matt, Foggy, and Karen all barged into her office, where she had already given Tadashi the directive to “Etch A Sketch!” Meaning the trusty AI was to take a French leave and erase any and all traces of himself and all his work with Evie. Effectively burning all traces that could potentially uncover her secret family and her alter ego, the Black Wolf.

Her mother ran to hug her as she tried to hold back tears. “Oh sweetie, they’re here!”

The distress was evident in more than just her voice. Evie gave her mom a reassuring smile, saying, “It’s okay! This is what we were expecting. We planned for this, remember?”

“Still, honey…” Her eyes transmitted what she wanted to say out loud. That she was worried for more than just her overall well-being, but that of her children waiting at home. 

Evie swallowed thickly, sure they had talked about what was to be done when this inevitably happened. But that didn’t mean it would make it any easier to be ripped away from her babies. She took a deep breath, exuding confidence so everyone could remain calm. “Clara, please make sure my mom makes it out of the building unnoticed and gets home right away. If we're getting swatted, I’m sure the press is right outside the doors, too.”

In her words were another set of instructions. Pepper and Clara knew they needed to get the kids out of the city and to a secure and secluded location. They were not to panic or give in to whatever the media was about to spin, making a circus of the whole ordeal. The main focus was that Morgan, Tj, and Laura were to be safe above all else. So by the time Pepper left her daughter reluctantly after another hug and several words of encouragement, Clara was preparing the entire Stark family to temporarily relocate to New Asgard. 

Karen volunteered to assist in getting Pepper out and helped Clara by redirecting attention away from the back exits they’d be using. Foggy and Matt chose to stay with Evie, since they had all agreed Ross shouldn’t be left alone with her for a plethora of reasons. The three of them took a seat, the lawyers at her fancy lounge area, and Evie behind her desk. At this point, Friday had taken the initiative to inform the building of what was occurring. Communicating to all personnel that they were to comply with the authorities, and if they felt higher clearance was needed for whatever they were requesting, not to be afraid to seek management for assistance. 

Mere moments after her mom and other women had whisked away discreetly, Ross bulldozed into her office with a smug grin on his face. Several armed men dressed in military raiding gear marched in after and surrounded her on all sides. Yet, much to his annoyance, Evie kept a cool and collected demeanor even after the men pointed guns at her friends and herself, demanding they all stand with their hands in the air.

She heaved a heavy sigh, completely bored with the situation unfolding. “Secretary Ross, what a surprise to see you again. Let me guess,” she sat back comfortably in her chair, even though she was encompassed by guns aimed at her head. “Here to deliver the message that I am to face a military tribunal courtesy of yours truly. Is that about right?” 

Ross panned around the luxurious room before taking a look out her windows and spotting several news choppers as well as the entire office staff with their phones out. He cleared his throat, gripping the paperwork in his hands more tightly before shoving it into Foggy’s chest, who let out a small noise of complaint with his forcefulness. “Now Ms. Stark, out of respect for your fath-” 

“Out of respect for my father?” She interrupted sharply. “Now that’s rich coming from you. I’m not the one lashing out with this witch hunt.” Although she was the embodiment of serenity, her tone was harsh and biting. 

“Is that a threat?” He sneered. 

“No, it's a fact. But seeing as we both have arms pointed at us, why don't we just get this shit over with? Hm?” Slowly, with her hands in the air, she got up. Matt would be the only person who would hear her heart stutter a bit when the barrel of a rifle was jabbed into her spine when she stood. Among the audience witnessing the arrest was none other than Maria Hill, who had come on Fury and SABER’s behalf to discuss several topics. One of them was the situation Stark Industries was currently under due to their fumble with Mysterio.

As one of the agents proceeded to read Evie her Miranda rights, a few others approached her. One kicking the back of her knees, throwing her to the floor. 

Matt took a step forward, yelling that excessive force was unnecessary since she was complying willingly. He instantly got silenced with a hard blow to the abdomen by the butt of a rifle, and his outcry landed on deaf ears since he too was shoved to the floor, accompanied by Foggy, as they were told to place their hand on their head and face down.

The next officer who cuffed Evie pressed his whole body weight against her ribcage, earning an involuntary gasp from Stark as a collar was strapped around her neck. This, in turn, caught Ross’s attention, who quickly barked at them to ease up on the woman. Evie was right after all, they both had weapons aimed at them, and his were vastly more dangerous on a deeper level than just a flesh wound. But it was too late, multiple cell phones had caught the aggressive nature of what was supposed to be a peaceful surrendering.

Not to mention, Friday had eyes and ears with multiple angles that were instantly being forwarded to the offices of Nelson and Murdock, as well as the company's own private servers. 

As Stark was being pushed past Ross, she gave him a mischievous little smile. Even when her livelihood was at stake, she refused to be seen as weak or vulnerable. Foggy shouted out after her, “Everything’s gonna be okay, Evie. Just do as they say!” 

Matt would use his ears to follow the path they were leading her down as they made their way towards the building’s main entrance. Furthering the spectacle of it all.

 

 

 

Chapter 15: 21st Century Witch Hunt

 

 

 

Outside the building, dozens of cameras flashed, reporters yelled out questions, and many pedestrians huddled around the block, attempting to catch a glimpse of the ex-Avenger turned hermit. Geneveive Stark hadn’t made this much noise in the media since they were fed her leaked videos confessing her romantic involvement with Loki.

Hell, not even in the wake of Tony’s death had they been given as much as an inch to work on. With many tabloids simply speculating that she had gone MIA alongside Steve Rogers. 

Within hours she had been processed, and was now sitting absentmindedly restrained by her hands and feet in a portable glass containment cell. One similarly used for the infamous Winter Soldier years ago after the UN bombing in Vienna. Evie was still wearing the thick leather collar that was administering a steady dose of electricity meant to keep her powers at bay. 

The media was having a field day, and sure enough as predicted, her face was plastered on every major news outlet. Even Jameson from the Bugle was cashing in on the misfortune. Using the spotlight to slander her name and advocate stronger policies against all heroes. It didn’t bother her however, as she never cared for their lies and idiotic tabloid headlines. 

What did surprise her was who her first visitor would be.

Evie had been expecting Matt, or even Foggy and Karen to come through first. But it was her uncle who stepped into the dark room where her little glass cube was buried. 

“Jesus Christ, pumpkin…” He uttered. “You okay in there?”

After meditating for the past hour, she peeled her eyes to see Rhodey standing outside the painted red line that set the allowed proximity perimeter around her box. He was in uniform, clearly pulling rank to gain access to his niece. He was disturbed by the state she was in.

Evie was shockingly alright though, giving her uncle a toothy smile as if her situation wasn’t serious and the two were meeting for ice cream at the beach like when she was a kid. 

“Uncle Roe, what are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? Baby, you really didn’t expect me to come see my niece when every screen in America is saying you’ve been arrested and dragged out of Stark Industries cuffed and collared like a serial killer?!”

She gave him a bashful smile, wiggling slightly in her discomfort. “Well honestly, no. I told mom to let you and Happy know I was fine. Besides you guys had been briefed on the situation and this was an expected outcome.”

He scuffed, unamused by her indifference. “You really are your father’s daughter, you know that? Only a Stark would be caught under lock and key as cool as a cucumber.”

She huffed, suppressing a small laugh. “Come on Uncle Roe, you can’t really think any of this actually holds any substance. Sure this looks bad, I mean I got bars holding me down more than those of a rollercoaster, but this is fine. Everything is being worked on diligently by the lawyers and honestly you gotta trust that I know exactly what I’m doing and everything is going down according to plan.”

Rhodey chuckled, but it lacked all humor. “Yeah if memory serves me right, Tony used to say that a lot too.” He was giving her a pointed look, and Evie was feeling the heat of shame creeping up her cheeks. In a smaller, much less cocky tone of voice she said, “I’m sorry uncle Roe, I know you're just worried but I promise I really do have a contingency plan set in place…”

He scrubbed his face, wishing to do nothing more than hug her tightly. “Okay, well they’re saying you're accountable for Stark tech being used in the murder of Quintin Beck, some dude who apparently was from another universe here to fight those earth, wind, and fire monsters.”

Evie chuckled, throwing her head back. Earning a confused look from Rhodey. “That’s a load of horseshit and they know it! He fed that crap to Fury and whatever is left of SHIELD slash SABER so that he could gain their trust. His main objective was to throw them off so he could then persuade Peter into handing over Edith and his access to Stark tech. It’s not gonna take much to have a jury see the truth and throw the whole case out the window.” 

Her dear uncle looked at her with longing. He had never realized how much he would hate seeing her imprisoned. Throughout his life, he had witnessed Tony getting cuffed after wild parties gone wrong or due to a few DUIs and speeding infractions, but Evie—his beloved little girl, the closest thing to a child he had ever had—was pulling tightly on his heartstrings painfully.

And it certainly didn’t help that he had seen both Morgan and Laura burst into tears when he came over to the cabin to see them off to New Asgard. When Pepper broke the news, it triggered a vivid flashback to when Potts had to inform a then twelve-year-old Evie that her father was missing after a well-coordinated attack in the desert.

It was a bit eerie how much Laura resembled Evie at that same age; she was just a few months shy of her own twelfth birthday. It broke his heart to see the big tears rolling down Laura's face as she rushed over to hug her baby brother tightly, gently shushing him despite his wailing, which continued regardless of how much attention Magda or Pepper provided. Even Rhodey had tried to calm the baby, but it was Laura who managed to turn his loud cries into muffled sobs. It was bizarre how the infant seemed to sense that his mother was missing. Then again, Evie did possess a strange kind of magic, so it made sense that her children would too. Laura looked like a mother hen as she carried the baby and held Morgan’s hand while they went up the ramp of the jet.

Before she could hide it, Rhodey saw a single glass droplet roll down her cheek. Evie's gaze seemed to be a million miles away even though their eyes were locked on each other. He knew then that she was not in her own head, but quite possibly, his. Although the new accessory adorning her neck was meant to prevent her from exercising her powers, there was a strong chance it wasn’t completely negating them. But he wasn’t about to divulge that information with anyone.

So, instead, he turned his head towards the solid metal door when they creaked open, new visitors pouring into the dark room.

“Colonel Rhodes,” Foggy said, extending a hand. “A pleasure to finally meet you in-person sir.” Karen was right behind him with Matt’s hand on the crook of her elbow. Both men sported briefcases, while Karen had her purse hanging off her right shoulder.

“I presume you three are Nelson, Murdock, and Page. The pleasure is all mine.” The two shook hands firmly before Rhodey went down the line to greet the other two in the same fashion. “Well pumpkin…” He sighed as he went to face Evie once more. “I leave you in good hands. I’ll swing by when I can, okay? And try not to work yourself up, kid. We’ll have you out in no time.”

She was looking down now, not willing to make eye contact, and simply bobbed her head in response. “Yeah uncle Roe, I know the drill… Thank you for stopping by, means a lot.”

His brows furrowed in both worry and heartache.

He really didn’t want to budge, however, he knew the lawyers needed to do their job. So after exchanging I love you’s, he took off to see what strings he could pull to help in the matter.

With her uncle gone and the other three staring back very much in the same manner as Rhodey, Evie started to feel like a fish stuck in a glass bowl. Matt heard the steady beating of her heart increase just a fraction, a clear indicator of her slow-growing unease and anxiety. And unfortunately they didn’t come bearing good news.

Foggy and Matt sat their cases down on the small available table as Evie held a blank face. Observing their every move with intrigue.

Karen was perplexed by how calm Stark was at the moment, unaware of the simmering turmoil she had on the back burner. She was the first to come up to the red line, her bright blue eyes almost electric under the fluorescent lights. “Hey Evie, you seem quite cozy in there…” 

The other girl laughed, the sound was high pitched. Ungenuine. “Well Karen, as far as jail cells go, I must say they spared no expenses. I’m quite flattered they thought so highly of me. But enough about that and for the love of god, nobody ask how I'm doing. I’m peachy, picture perfect, and in good health. All things considered, I'm great. So… what are the updates? How long I’m I gonna sit here in this snow globe?”

The men shared the same look of slight shame and general trepidation. But Karen’s sudden sulky face was enough indication for Evie to know she was about to have a spike in emotions. 

“How much pain are you in?” Matt’s voice broke the sudden quiet tension that had settled. Evie blew a raspberry, dismissing the question. “I can hear the current, Evie. It’s strong. And if I’m not wrong, I would bet money you even have a burn mark sizzling into your skin just below your left ear.”

Karen audibly gasped, her eyes wide in shock and Foggy had a hand fly to his mouth.

“Go on, tell me I’m wrong…” Matt challenged in a low tone, a red hot anger hidden behind the words. Evie squirmed under their intense gaze. She might not be at full charge thanks to the mild electrocution but there was enough for her to feel their plethora of emotions contaminating the stale air around them. She hated when people worried and fretted over her.

Foggy rushed out, “Is that true?!” Nearly crossing the red line if not for Page sticking out her arm at the last possible second. 

Evie exhaled sharply through her nose, an irritated look cementing into her face. “Really Matt? Is that what you wanna focus on right now? I know you have bad news so just out with it! Quit stalling by checking on my well-being. Like I said, I’m fine.” The words came with some bite to them, making Karen flinch a bit.

Matt knew it would irritate her to no end, but he hated how she was being treated. If it was up to her, Evie wouldn’t even bother to eat, much less sleep if it meant getting the job done. And at the moment he knew her current mission was getting this whole case done and over with. He stood alongside the others now, the three of them in a perfect line side by side all staring at the Stark exhibit on display.

“Evie,” he said more sternly. “We can’t even begin to do our part if you're being abused.” 

“Yeah Evie, you better than anyone should know that our primary objective is the safety and well-being of our client. And right now, that's you.” Foggy said after recuperating. Thankfully at least he was giving her bits of information. “If this is what they’re doing to you here at the city’s main precinct, I don’t even want to imagine what they’ll be doing behind closed doors at the Raft.” Matt was visibly displeased with Foggy's outburst, but he wasn’t able to stop him fast enough since Karen was separating the two. So he simply chastised him by calling his name curtly. “No Matt she needs to know! Evie, Secretary Ross has put in a request that due to your classification as an ‘Alpha’ level enhanced human. He’s arguing that they have a better, more secure E.S.H. facility that is better suited for someone with your capabilities.”

The woman in question had paled, Karen never thought she'd ever see the day Genevieve Stark would have anything resembling fear flicker across her face. Yet, here she was trapped in a glass box with a mortified look in her big brown eyes. “W-what?” She breathed out. However the scare didn’t last long as a bitter anger quickly replaced it. They saw how her eyes darkened and her jaw ticked, her teeth grating before she spoke again. “He wants me at the fucking Raft? And what the hell is E.S.H.?” They all felt the fire behind each syllable, especially Matt. He was reading her like an open book and was not liking what it contained. 

“Yes,” he replied calmly. “From the looks of it he’s going to get what he wants. And E.S.H. stands for enhanced security housing. Which is why he’s being so aggressive on your transfer. So I’ll ask again. How much pain are you in? Be clear with the specifics and spare no detail.”

Evie huffed, a smirk at her lips. She had already been in a bad mood since they pressed the full weight of a grown man on her ribcage and leashed her like a dog (hence her attempts at meditating), but now there was an icy fury in her veins. A cold calculating anger that Matt knew all too well. Karen and Foggy exchanged worried glances when she didn’t respond immediately.

“Evie,” he prodded with more firmness. “Talk to us, to me… We’re here to help, remember? You can’t punch or shoot your way out of this one, you said so yourself. We have to play by their rules and do everything by the book. So aside from the excessive force used at Stark headquarters and the constant tasing, what else have they done?” 

She closed her eyes, her head tipping back. After unclenching her jaw she spoke in an even and hollow voice. “After getting tossed in the back of the truck, they quickly put me in here. But not before stripping me of everything I had. Phone, jewelry, shoes, all of it. They sat me down, clicked the locks into place, and I’ve been here ever since we arrived. Yes the collar stings like a bitch, but since I heal, there won’t be any traces of the burn shortly after removing it. Other than that as you three can feel, it's absolutely freezing in here. But that shit doesn't bother me, so…” She shrugged as best she could with the clamp over her shoulders. When she returned her gaze to them, Matt had a displeased look on his face. Karen was accepting Foggy's coat, while he was giving Evie his best sad puppy eyes. She looked away, not wanting them to think her glare was directed for them. 

“Have you had a bathroom break or anything?” Karen asked, a sweet concern there. Stark, shook her head no. “Don’t need it anyway…” After a few beats she added, “When are they transporting me?”

Matt heard something in her voice and he immediately knew he needed to speak with her in private without Foggy or Karen since it was more of a personal nature. He weighed his options for a moment as the other two kept asking Evie if she needed anything like water or if she was hungry; all which were dismissed swiftly. “Foggy, Karen you guys mind seeing if the transfer has been approved? We need to know exactly when they plan on moving her, we also need to check the status of the appeal.” They both mumbled their agreements before moving towards the door where Foggy called for the guard to let them out. With them gone Matt breached the perimeter and got close to the glass box. 

“What’s wrong?”

She hesitated for a moment. Suddenly Matt was tasting the saltiness of tears and heard the ragged breathing Evie was attempting to contain. “I’m actually kinda scared, Matt… All my dad used to talk about when we first caught wind of that damn place was that I needed to avoid it at all cost.” There was a sniffle, Matt knew she hated crying in public. Hated small confined dark spaces, and hated being restricted of mobility. But above all else, she hated being away from her kids.

However, the worst part of it all was the looming uncertainty of when she’d see them again.

“Angel,” he said gently, his words soft and charged with emotion. “I know you heard this a million times over, but I promise everything is going to be okay. I’ll make sure you get home in no time at all, and all this will be another thing we’ll laugh about when we go out for drinks. I promise. I’ll even cover the tab and let you get wasted to celebrate properly. Hand to God!"

Evie rolled her eyes at the use of pet names even though Murdock couldn’t actually see it. “Why are you always so sweet to me, Matty?”

He chuckled, tilting his head a bit. “Cause I love you, and you’re one of my closest friends, Evie.”

She giggled, momentarily being relieved with her spirits lifting a bit. He was glad he was able to give her a distraction, drawing a smile. “Yeah, Murdock. Friends. That's the keyword, stop treating me like your girlfriend or Karen might start getting jealous of me again.”

“Why?” He said with a devilish smirk, “You liked being my girlfriend. Besides, Karen doesn’t care about me. She’s with Foggy. But seeing as you're in need of a reminder… We did make a pact back in college, remember it?” 

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “You’re joking right? We were wasted and high…”

He laughed as he adjusted his tie. “Absolutely not, princess. A deal’s a deal under the eyes of the law.” 

“Eyes of the law?” She repeated incredulously. “What law? The law of ‘pinky promises’?”

He snickered as he nodded. “Actually, yeah! Plus you’re the one who likes to pride herself on how she’s bound by her word. And, if we go based on technicalities, you are about two years past the mark. But I’m a patient man, angel, I can wait.” His words were as light as they were cocky.

“Well then get a chair Murdock, cause those legs of yours are gonna get tired of standing and holding up the weight of your over inflated head!”

They both shared a hearty laugh, after a good minute passed they settled with a long sigh.

Although they both knew the road ahead was gonna be rough, it was small moments like this that made them grateful to have one another in their lives.

They savored it fully, enjoying the commercial-like break from the fire threatening to consume Evie.

But eventually, when the hour had passed, she was promptly collected and stamped with an express jet ride to the Raft where only the fates knew what was being held in store for her.

 

 

 

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 14 of WOLF IN THE SHADOWS