𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍 - 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐚 𝐋𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐳

prologue | the writing on the wall

-PROLOGUE-

December, 2024

•••
I should have seen it coming.
The writing on the wall was in blood.
•••

Christmas was coming closer, the spirit of the festive season hung around everywhere. Shazen, like every year, made it clear to Nicholas Fury that Christmas week, she was not picking up a single weapon, she was not stealing a single file.

And she sure as hell was not picking up that damned transparent tablet.

But when did Nick Fury ever listen?

She'd only just come home, a box under one arm, and a grocery bag full of things in another. Beside her stood a girl with exact same auburn hair and striking green eyes.

"Look, all I'm saying, is that Christmas is a way for companies to thrive off of consumerism," said the younger girl as she took the grocery bag from the older one.

Shazen rolled her eyes and put the box on the kitchen island, saying, "Okay, if you don't like consumerism then I'll just chuck your present in the trash, simple,"

"No, that's not what I mean," the girl laughed nervously. "Like, look at it this way, no one buys from big companies all year round because they get lazy with advertising, right?"

"Right," Shazen sighed, fed up of her sister's constant complaints against the marketing and business world.

"So, obviously, when the time of the year comes by when people are desperate to show off and buy shit, they get all excited and advertise stuff in such a way that they think it's Christmassy, but it's really just a blender," said the girl.

Shazen opened the fridge and sighed, "Want me to heat up last night's lasagna?"

"Yes," said the girl as she sat at the kitchen island, continuing to blabber about the same topic.

Shazen, as usual, let it fade into background noise, pretending to listen, when she really didn't want to. She felt her phone vibrate suddenly, and looked at it.

Incoming call
Captain Eyepatch

"Adeena, shut your ass up for two seconds, please," Shazen said, answering the call. She heard her sister roll her eyes and moved away, gesturing for her to finish heating the food.

"Nick, I have told you, I'm taking Christmas week off," she scowled and grumbled into the phone.

"Not my problem, Agent," said the gruff voice of her boss from the other end. "I'm not too happy with you, so keep your snark to yourself."

"Really? You're not happy with me?" She scoffed. "Can't your unhappiness stay cozy in a blanket, hibernating until after the 25th?"

"No," said Fury, sounding very annoyed. "You botched up your last job so damn bad, you got your name on the damn mob's hit list,"

"What did I botch up?" She scoffed, leaning against the wall to look out the window onto the streets below. "Damn body wasn't found. Never made it to the police or the news."