Five years ago, Maura walked away from Hydra for good. She never imagined that, after everything, the Avengers would welcome her back as one of their own. But here she was.
She worked hard to rebuild a friendship with everyone on the team. She enjoyed spending time with Nat and Wanda when they were off duty, thanks to their shared histories with Hydra; she had even grown fond of Steve and Sam. The two had taken her under their wings like an older brother would a younger sister, despite her being a few years older than Sam. Her work in the lab provided plenty of opportunities to spend time with Tony and Bruce, too.
Maura’s relationship with Morgan grew as well. She watched her niece grow from a small girl into a teenager. They shared a lot of the same interests, both having similar personalities. It was easy for them to talk for hours, and sometimes they didn’t need words at all. When they needed it most, they could just hear each other speak.
Nothing could have prepared her, though, for the relationship she formed with James Barnes. Their connection was more profound than any she shared with the others. He was the only one who truly understood what she had gone through. As the weeks, months, even years went on, she and James grew closer each day.
Their relationship eventually took on an intimate nature, something Maura had not experienced before with anyone else. Sure, she had flings in the past, but they were never like this. There was never love involved, no romance, no feelings of passion, attraction, or anything. With Bucky, however, Maura found all those feelings and more. For the first time in her life, she felt safe. She felt loved. She felt wanted.
Sitting on the couch, the main room of the penthouse of the Avenger’s Tower aglow from the holiday decorations, surrounded by friends and family, Maura knew there was no place she’d rather be. Everything in her life, she now knew, had happened for a reason. It had happened to lead her to who she had become and to where she was now. To a place where she finally felt whole, complete, and free. Where she finally felt content.
Resting a hand on her growing belly, Maura looked around at everyone as they opened gifts, laughing and having fun together. This is where she belonged. This is where she is supposed to be. And she couldn’t be happier.
Maura sat at the conference table with Clint, Steve, Natasha, and Bucky. Tony stood at the head of the table in front of a large screen. The image shown was one Maura knew well.
“This is our next mission,” Tony stated. “Hydra seems to have acquired some information and is trying to replicate my technology.”
“What do we know about the location?” Nat asked.
“From what we can tell, it should be a fairly easy job. There are a few scientists and only about four guards protecting the entire location. Now, that doesn’t -”
“Your intel is wrong,” Maura cut in.
Tony looked over at her. “What?”
“Your intel is wrong,” she repeated.
“How do you know?” Steve questioned her.
“Because… I spent a fair share of my time there.” She glanced down for a moment, then up again. “I know the place inside and out. There are about half a dozen scientists at any given time, usually all working on the same project, but not always. The main lab alone has at least two guards. The small lab on the west side will typically only have one guard when it’s actually in use. You’ll find another dozen agents spread around the grounds and watching the main gate.” Maura looked around the table, meeting each of their gazes before continuing. “It’s not the most heavily guarded facility on Hydra’s roster, but it’s not as empty as your intel would lead you to believe.”
Five years ago, Maura walked away from Hydra for good. She never imagined that, after everything, the Avengers would welcome her back as one of their own. But here she was.
She worked hard to rebuild a friendship with everyone on the team. She enjoyed spending time with Nat and Wanda when they were off duty, thanks to their shared histories with Hydra; she had even grown fond of Steve and Sam. The two had taken her under their wings like an older brother would a younger sister, despite her being a few years older than Sam. Her work in the lab provided plenty of opportunities to spend time with Tony and Bruce, too.
Maura’s relationship with Morgan grew as well. She watched her niece grow from a small girl into a teenager. They shared a lot of the same interests, both having similar personalities. It was easy for them to talk for hours, and sometimes they didn’t need words at all. When they needed it most, they could just hear each other speak.
Nothing could have prepared her, though, for the relationship she formed with James Barnes. Their connection was more profound than any she shared with the others. He was the only one who truly understood what she had gone through. As the weeks, months, even years went on, she and James grew closer each day.
Their relationship eventually took on an intimate nature, something Maura had not experienced before with anyone else. Sure, she had flings in the past, but they were never like this. There was never love involved, no romance, no feelings of passion, attraction, or anything. With Bucky, however, Maura found all those feelings and more. For the first time in her life, she felt safe. She felt loved. She felt wanted.
Sitting on the couch, the main room of the penthouse of the Avenger’s Tower aglow from the holiday decorations, surrounded by friends and family, Maura knew there was no place she’d rather be. Everything in her life, she now knew, had happened for a reason. It had happened to lead her to who she had become and to where she was now. To a place where she finally felt whole, complete, and free. Where she finally felt content.
Resting a hand on her growing belly, Maura looked around at everyone as they opened gifts, laughing and having fun together. This is where she belonged. This is where she is supposed to be. And she couldn’t be happier.
Maura sat at the conference table with Clint, Steve, Natasha, and Bucky. Tony stood at the head of the table in front of a large screen. The image shown was one Maura knew well.
“This is our next mission,” Tony stated. “Hydra seems to have acquired some information and is trying to replicate my technology.”
“What do we know about the location?” Nat asked.
“From what we can tell, it should be a fairly easy job. There are a few scientists and only about four guards protecting the entire location. Now, that doesn’t -”
“Your intel is wrong,” Maura cut in.
Tony looked over at her. “What?”
“Your intel is wrong,” she repeated.
“How do you know?” Steve questioned her.
“Because… I spent a fair share of my time there.” She glanced down for a moment, then up again. “I know the place inside and out. There are about half a dozen scientists at any given time, usually all working on the same project, but not always. The main lab alone has at least two guards. The small lab on the west side will typically only have one guard when it’s actually in use. You’ll find another dozen agents spread around the grounds and watching the main gate.” Maura looked around the table, meeting each of their gazes before continuing. “It’s not the most heavily guarded facility on Hydra’s roster, but it’s not as empty as your intel would lead you to believe.”
A couple of months had passed since Maura made her return to the Tower. With the help of Natasha and Wanda, she had been able to begin slowly regaining the trust of those around her. After all that had happened, she knew it would take them some time to accept her again fully. That was okay, though; she could wait.
There was one person that welcomed her back with open arms, though as if she had never been gone a day. Morgan. Her niece stuck by her side every chance she could. Tony was, rightfully, reluctant about allowing his daughter to spend time with Maura, but Pepper convinced him to give it a chance.
“Maura has never done anything to Morgan that would give cause for concern, Tony. You can see how much she loves her aunt,” she tried to reason.
“She left her, Pepper. She gave no warning at all, just abandoned her.”
Maura looked at her reflection in the mirror. She hadn’t even been back a year yet, but each time she donned her Hydra uniform on, she felt a greater sense of discomfort than she had the time before. Hydra had been her home; she had worn the symbol proudly for so many years. She had been happy to do her part, fulfilling her duty to an organization that, in her mind, saved her life.
But now? Knowing what she now knew about her family, about S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra, she saw no reason at all to wear the symbol, nor to serve Hydra any longer. Maura had hoped that the feeling would fade the longer she spent back in the black, but it had grown stronger by the day. She now knew that to some extent, for better or worse, both Hydra and the Avengers had raised her. How could she help her friends if she failed to do what she felt was right?
She thought of her entry into Hydra after she was left in that hospice, alone, without any family to keep her grounded. They had taken her in, given her work and a sense of purpose. She had been a special ops agent, trained to a level only the best were allowed to reach. Intensive study under the likes of the Winter Soldier himself. She even taught young agents the ropes and how to be good spies. But that was all behind her now.
Maura looked at her reflection in the mirror. She hadn’t even been back a year yet, but each time she donned her Hydra uniform on, she felt a greater sense of discomfort than she had the time before. Hydra had been her home; she had worn the symbol proudly for so many years. She had been happy to do her part, fulfilling her duty to an organization that, in her mind, saved her life.
But now? Knowing what she now knew about her family, about S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra, she saw no reason at all to wear the symbol, nor to serve Hydra any longer. Maura had hoped that the feeling would fade the longer she spent back in the black, but it had grown stronger by the day. She now knew that to some extent, for better or worse, both Hydra and the Avengers had raised her. How could she help her friends if she failed to do what she felt was right?
She thought of her entry into Hydra after she was left in that hospice, alone, without any family to keep her grounded. They had taken her in, given her work and a sense of purpose. She had been a special ops agent, trained to a level only the best were allowed to reach. Intensive study under the likes of the Winter Soldier himself. She even taught young agents the ropes and how to be good spies. But that was all behind her now.
It had only been a couple of weeks since Maura left. Tony was taking it harder than the others. He’d tried to keep up his act of normalcy, but he wasn’t fooling anyone. Every time he thought about the events that went down, he questioned what he missed.
How could she do something like this? We were family. We are family. We’re blood. I welcome her into my home and onto the team, and this is how she repays me?
“Tony?” Pepper called from the door.
“Yeah?”
“Are-are you okay?” she stepped into the lab, walking toward where he sat slumped over at a table.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” he looked up from his hands, locking eyes with his wife.
Maura sat in the conference room of Hydra’s current headquarters, with three members of her command. It had been quite a while since she had sat around a Hydra table, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that something didn’t feel right about it any longer.
They discussed her time with S.H.I.E.L.D. and with the Avengers. She gave them all the information she had about the team, what their next targets were, as well as giving them all the details she managed to gather about Tony’s latest project. She set a flash drive on the table, “This is everything I was able to extract from his system about the suit. He hasn’t perfected it yet, but he’s getting close.”
Malick nodded his head once. “Very well then, I believe we are done here. Raven, you may go.”
Maura sat in the conference room of Hydra’s current headquarters, with three members of her command. It had been quite a while since she had sat around a Hydra table, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that something didn’t feel right about it any longer.
They discussed her time with S.H.I.E.L.D. and with the Avengers. She gave them all the information she had about the team, what their next targets were, as well as giving them all the details she managed to gather about Tony’s latest project. She set a flash drive on the table, “This is everything I was able to extract from his system about the suit. He hasn’t perfected it yet, but he’s getting close.”
Malick nodded his head once. “Very well then, I believe we are done here. Raven, you may go.”
Maura sat in the conference room of Hydra’s current headquarters, with three members of her command. It had been quite a while since she had sat around a Hydra table, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that something didn’t feel right about it any longer.
They discussed her time with S.H.I.E.L.D. and with the Avengers. She gave them all the information she had about the team, what their next targets were, as well as giving them all the details she managed to gather about Tony’s latest project. She set a flash drive on the table, “This is everything I was able to extract from his system about the suit. He hasn’t perfected it yet, but he’s getting close.”
Malick nodded his head once. “Very well then, I believe we are done here. Raven, you may go.”
So… I’ve been kind of buried in duties lately, and bitched about it a little on my other blog, and @silverstark had a great idea, which I’m going to (glacially) put into action.
I will be peeling off the Fic Finder and I’m In The Mood For A Fic aspects of @wangxianficrecs and giving them their own, whole, moddedblog@wangxianficfinder. Which you all should go follow immediately (and then be patient while I get it smoothly up and running).
I am currently transferring all the old Finder and Mood posts over there, for your browsing/archival pleasure. And I’ll spend a couple of months posting current ones on both sites, to give you all time to transition.
@wangxianficrecs will still be here, of course, but I’ll revert it back to just recs (and follower recs, and author announcement boosts). This way, I can share with mods all the work that goes into the Finder and Mood posts, and maybe be a little less overwhelmed by seeing 80 asks in my inbox every morning.
Also, I’ve been neglecting the reading/reccing/photoshopping hours that are the heart of this blog, and I miss it.
The only reason the Finder and Mood posts are so amazing and comprehensive is because of the sheer volumeandparticipation of all of you followers. The hive mind really started kicking in on this blog after, like, 3k of you joined in. (There are over 7k of you now, isn’t that AMAZING?)
I really do love you all. Thank you for working with me, and for being patient!
Snapril - Week 4: Nature - Ingredients and Blossoming
A big thank you to @reinekefoxart, who is incredibly well-versed in flowers. She helped me pick out which flowers would suit his character.
Bindweed: Is associated with perseverance and resiliency. Bindweed can survive in harsh environmental conditions. It is also a symbol of bondage - the bindweed winds and attaches itself to other plants, which can damage and suffocate their growth.
Fraxinella (Dictamnus): Also known as ‘burning bush’ because they are phototoxic - when hit by light, the flowers emit a vapour that can be ignited. Despite being very tricky to handle, fraxinella is utilised for medicinal purposes.
Achillea (Yarrow): Is named after Achilles, who used this flower to treat fallen soldiers during the Trojan war. Thus, the flower is a symbol of well-being and healing. It is also a symbol of enduring love. Achillea represents people who are deeply in love and are willing to do anything for their love.
Daisy: They symbolise new beginnings and rebirth, in addition to love, beauty, purity, and hope.
since Tumblr decided to abandon its NSFW/porn/-community I decided I’ll try Twitter for a while.
So if you wanna keep in touch try
@Mripppe
(Twitter decided that “there has been some unusual activity from this account”. I’ll decide if I want to add a telephone number or not to that to get the temporarily restriction away. So it could be me not posting anything on there for a few days.)
“No, no, no, it’s happening again – You opened up your heart and let somebody in.” - Hopelessness Has Done Nothing For Me, Johanna Warren, & Blighted Empire: Book II: Blight.
