Shadows and Secrets (A MCU FanFic)

Chapter 4: Traps

Marjorie's POV

    It was a trap, obviously. She didn't think anyone didn't know that.

     People sometimes thought Steve was stupid, but he was unbelievably good at reading people. He was deceptively good at making plans of attack, which is why he was usually the leader on missions.

    And Clint? He knew Nat the best and could predict her moves accurately. He was also very experienced.

    Which lead Marjorie to Bucky.

    He was so quiet in groups, (the only time Marjorie could hold a real conversation with him was 1v1, he was very shy and uncomfortable in large groups due to what Hydra did to him, poor baby) but Marjorie knew he knew everything that went on in the tower. Nothing got past him; a hazard of being an ex-assassin.

    Marjorie giggled as she recalled his face when she had bopped him in the nose: a combination of surprised and flustered. Normally he hid his expression under a mask, and the most Marjorie could normally get was a half-smile/smirk.

    She knew he had a crush on her.

    Well, she was at least 90% sure.

    Marjorie often read his shadowvapor, and that had the side effect of knowing what emotions he was feeling. It wasn't exact, though. It was less like reading emotions and more like inferring emotions based on the patterns of one's mental darkness.

    Also, with supersoldiers it got dicey.

    Steve and Bucky felt everything much more strongly than normal humans; what was rage in a human was mild annoyance in a supersoldier.

    Which was why Marjorie had made a hobby of reading Bucky's shadowvapor. Since it was so reactive, she could easily read it, and use that as a means to practice her sensitivity to shadowvapor.

    She didn't mean to find out about his probably-crush, it had just happened.

    Marjorie wouldn't toy with him either, she liked him too, and would totally go out with him if he would just ask her. She wouldn't push him; until he was comfortable she would pretend to be oblivious.

    Marjorie watched from her hiding spot in the shadows as Nat crawled out of the vent and landed in a crouch in the middle of Marjorie's room.

    There was no way she had not done it to draw out Marjorie, with her teleportation, or "shadow travel," (Yes, Marjorie got her terms and creative inspiration from fictional book series. Yes, Marjorie was a hardcore Nico de Angelo fan and Solangelo shipper. Moving on.) she was the best equipped for this type of task.

    Marjorie had gone anyway because, one, she didn't want Nat snooping around in her room and breaking her stuff, two, Marjorie knew Nat knew that she knew that Nat knew she would come, three, she wanted to see if Nat had any new plans for getting Stony together, and four, Marjorie simply didn't care enough to not come.

     Also, this was a perfect situation for an Admiral Ackbar reference. MWA HA HA HA HA!

    "I know you're here somewhere, Marjorie." Nat was staring at a spot three inches from her right.

    "IT'S A TRAAAAAAAP!!!!!!" Marjorie shouted as she removed the shadows cloaking her. They moved back to their proper places in her dark room. Nat stared at her.

    "Was that really necessary?"

    Marjorie moved to turn the light on. Just because she could sense shadows, didn't mean she could see in the dark. Although... no. Normal people can't see in the dark. "Yes. When life gives thy a perfect opportunity for a reference, thy must make said reference," she said, with a touch of a Shakespearean accent.

    "Especially if said reference is a Star Wars reference?"

    "Most assuredly, my dear Natasha." Marjorie dropped the accent. "I hear you are planning a new prank, what does it entail?

    "That would be spoilers, and we wouldn't want that, would we?"

    "No, of course not! Spoilers are the worst crime imaginable!!" Marjorie had been using the excuse of talking to search Nat for the flag with her eyes. There was nothing to suggest any baggage on her skin-tight black gear, but Marjorie knew she was concealing at least five weapons. Marjorie still did not understand Nat's crazy ability at Tetris.

    "I suppose we fight now?" Nat suddenly had her twin daggers in her hands. How?!?!

    Marjorie let shadows form in her right hand to make a shortsword. It was pure black, completely solid, and 100% lethal.

    Nat didn't let her answer. She immediately charged, and Marjorie spun in a half-circle and slashed across Nat's torso, which she blocked with ease.

    Block. Sidestep. Attack. Parry.

    Nat and Marjorie were preforming a complicated dance of death strokes, and to an outsider, it would have looked like they were fighting to kill. They were both skilled, had both started training at a young age.

    But, Marjorie thought, Nat was trained to kill, and I was trained to survive.

    Stab. Block. Dodge.

    Nat's attacks were getting more frequent, and Marjorie was losing ground.

    I need a way out.

    She couldn't win this fight. Marjorie was good, really good, but Nat was better.

    She could if—no. She wouldn't hurt Nat.

    Her fear was irrational, but Marjorie couldn't do it.

    I'm not a monster.

    Marjorie broke away, and sent Nat's own shadow to cover her eyes, temporarily blinding her. As Nat stumbled back, Marjorie turned off the light (for dramatic effect), and teleported away, releasing her hold on Nat's shadow.