WARNING! Slight mention of self-inflicted death. Mentioned once in dialogue and never again throughout the chapter.
*
One thing Nina had always been really bad at was packing. She had a habit of forgetting the most important things and remembering them when she was too close to her destination to turn back. It was something she'd gotten from her dad, Jairo Ramos being the type of man to take his family all the way to the airport only to find out he didn't bring the passports.
It was a very annoying trait for her to have, which was why she enlisted the help of a certain scientist for the task of the morning.
"So the last thing on your list is..." Fitz trailed off as he looked down at the piece of paper, reading the words beside an unchecked box, "your books."
"I got 'em," Wren smiled widely, gesturing to his open bag. Inside were about 25 titles, all given to him by various agents that had noticed his love for books and gifted him with their favourite ones. Most of them had been bought by Fitz and Nina, as the pair had been quick to fall in love with his wide smile every time he was handed a new paperback.
"That's you done then, Wren," Fitz smiled back, he reached out to zip up the bag and helped the teen pull in onto his back. Nina watched the scene from her position leaned up against the door frame, giving the two a moment because Fitz had been as much Wren's carer as she had, "I'm gonna miss you kid."
"I won't be gone forever," Wren responded, turning Fitz's frown into a smile with his fingertips, "just until I'm 18 and can properly decide if SHIELD is where I want to be. Then we can save the world together instead of everyone protecting me."
Fitz couldn't help but smile at the innocence in the teen's face as he uttered those words, part of him wished for Wren to change his mind about joining SHIELD. He'd grown up abnormally already, he deserved a normalish life. He shared that sentiment with Nina.
She was only a year older than Wren when she'd joined SHIELD, and she'd looked at him every day afraid that he'd make the same mistake. Nina loved her work and she'd never regret the choices that brought her to where she was now, but SHIELD was no place for a child to grow up.
She knew that better than anyone.
"Alright, kid," Fitz smiled as he adjusted the black straps of his bag, "I'll try not to miss you too much then."
"I'll call you every day Mister Fitz," Wren said as he threw his arms around the scientist. Fitz tensed slightly at the action, this being the first time the teen had ever hugged him, before relaxing into the gesture, "I promise."
"Leo," Fitz corrected the boy as he pulled out of the embrace, "or just Fitz. We're a little too close for all those formalities."
Wren nodded excitedly at that. The adults around him called everyone by their names without the Miss or Mister he'd grown attached to, and he was happy that he'd made Fitz see him as a close enough person to do the same.
Nina wanted to give the two males a few more minutes but Bobbi's text ringing through her phone prevented it. With a loving gaze, she pushed off the door frame and spoke.
"Hey, Wren, why don't you go say bye to the others? The jet's almost ready for us," she told him and Wren nodded. He grabbed, the sole book that didn't fit in his back and waved one last time to Fitz before exiting the room.
"He's a really good kid," Fitz said quietly as he was left alone with Nina, "makes me want a family."
Nina looked away from the door to Fitz. She wasn't surprised to see his eyes locked on her, a hopeful look in them accompanying his comment. Her lips parted as the unsaid meaning of his words rattled her slightly before she nodded and whispered back.
"Yeah, me too," the widening in Fitz's eyes at her agreement made her quickly change the topic with a loud clear of her throat, "how's um... Skye doing?"
"Oh, er... same as before," Fitz answered as Nina almost died of embarrassment. She'd already asked Skye how she felt about the whole powers thing this morning like she did every morning since they developed, and she was aware Fitz knew that, "and you? A-any new visitors since T-trip?"
"None that I can see," Nina answered honestly, "they talk a lot but it's hard to tell what's real and not a dream. My nightmares have always been quite... realistic."
"I can have a few machine guns brought to your bunk," Fitz suggested. He elaborated when Nina gave him a look, "I know you like to tear them apart and build them back together after a nightmare. Helps you cope."
"Oh, yeah. I didn't know I told you that," she responded, laughing softly as she tucked the strands of her hair, not in its ponytail, behind her ear, "I thought you were just subtly telling me to put a bullet in my head."
"W-what!" Fitz exclaimed, shaking his head and waving his hands around rapidly, "I'd never... oh God, I didn't... that wasn't my intention!"
"I know. It's alright Leo," Nina smiled, the wide gesture calming the scientist down.
The pair were sequestered to a comfortable silence, while they waited for Wren to return. It was, however, broken moments later when Fitz spluttered out a few words.
"Can I ask a weird question?" he said and Nina looked to him before nodding statically, "i-if you ever had a son... what would you name him?"
Nina rose an eyebrow at the question. She'd be lying if she said that the thought of being a mother hadn't crossed her mind lately. Where she still strongly believed she wouldn't be a great one, not having any proper role models, she wasn't completely repulsed by the idea. She was in no rush to have a child but every time she looked at Wren, it was hard to avoid the fact that she already did.
Though answering Fitz's question with zero hesitation did freak her out slightly.
"Finley," she said. Her answer resulted in a wide smile taking over Fitz's face while she questioned why she had an answer ready, "w-why?"
"N-no reason," he responded, with a proud smile at the stutter. Nina wasn't able to press him as her phone buzzed again, this time with a text from Bobbi saying the jet was ready attached with a picture of Wren in the pilot's seat with a cheeky grin.
"I've got to go," she said showing Fitz the picture. The scientist laughed slightly at the sight and Nina found herself admiring the sound, "you sure you don't want to come?"
"I'm sure," Fitz nodded before absentmindedly adding, "I don't want the first time you introduce me to Stark to be as a friend."
Nina froze at the confidence in Fitz's words before the scientist freaked out, realising what he said. He waved his hands in front of his face, trying to explain himself and shouting apology after apology. Nina, however, just laughed not bothering to hide her pink cheeks as she leaned forward, placing a kiss on his cheek.
Her action caused Fitz to freeze in place and she ignored the backflip in her stomach at the instinctive decision.
"Neither do I," she purred slightly as she moved back but remained close enough for him to see the shine in her blue eyes. Nina focused on him for a moment, noting the surprise in his eyes at her action but the sense of normality in it. Before she could even acknowledge what she was doing she spoke once more, "let's have dinner when I get back, okay? I really want to cook for you."
"O-okay," Fitz stuttered, shocked and surprised by the request. Nina grinned before repeating the action of kissing his cheek, this time a lot closer to the corner of his mouth to be considered friendly.
"I'll see you later, Leo," she whispered, before leaning back and walking out of the room. Fitz watched her leave, feeling very flustered, but unable to shake the wide smile on his face because she'd kissed him.
And God, how he'd missed the butterflies that took over his body every time her lips brushed against his skin.
*
Walking through Faro, Portugal with May by his side elicited one thought in Coulson's mind, Nina would like it here. The director had almost asked her to accompany them when he'd gotten the call about the stray Asgardian but he didn't, knowing that if he had Nina would've postponed going home and taking Wren with her.
Coulson strongly believed that it would do the boy well, having a life that wasn't in SHIELD and that Nina would benefit from seeing Tony again.
"Thank you for watching her," Coulson said as he walked towards the desk of a police station. The guard behind it merely shrugged, sparing May a look before speaking.
"I hear from the Prime Minister's office I'm to hold this crazy lady here for you, I hold this crazy lady," he said, a thick accent tainting his words.
"How did you subdue her and get her to wait?"
"No subduing," the man answered, "she stayed willingly once I told her I'd found Kava and he was on his way to meet her."
"But I'm not Kava," Coulson said confused and the man simply shrugged, pointing to the second floor above them.
"I'm glad I'm not the one who has to tell her that," May and Coulson followed the man's finger until they saw Lady Sif standing by the railing, looking off into the distance, "pick up her sword from booking before you go."
Coulson gave a tight smile as he nodded, he turned to walk up the stairs with May following beside him.
"Sif is not that easy to lie to," May said as they climbed to the second floor, "something's going on here."
"I agree," Coulson responded before quietly deciding how to break the news to the Asgardian that he wasn't the man she was looking for. Lucky enough it didn't take more than a simple sentence for that message to be understood.
"So you are not Kava," Sif said.
"No. But I'm a friend, son of Coul. See?" Coulson pressed a few buttons on his tablet and pulled up an old picture of him and the warrior, "we've worked together before."
"I apologise," Sif said as he flicked through some more pictures, "I do not remember."
"You have no memory of who you are?" Coulson asked, silently questioning if this was going to be the year of amnesia.
"I-I know I am from Asgard," she answered with a shake of her head, "but I do not remember my home there. You tell me my name is Lady Sif, but... why I left Asgard, what brought me here to Midgard... why I wear these hides instead of armour... a mystery."
"One I'll help you solve," Coulson told her and she nodded her thanks, "I'm sure a clue will turn up somewhere."
"Twitter," May announced as she walked towards the pair. Coulson looked to her confused as she ended a call on her phone, "Skye found it."
The answer cleared up some of Coulson's confusion and he handed his tablet to may. She pressed a few buttons and handed it back, a video playing. It was of Sif, fighting against an unknown man and at the sight of it, her confusion grew.
"That's me but I don't remember this," she said as the man was kicked hard, crashing into a chair and table, "I'm a decent fighter."
"This guy can hold his own against you. Impressive," May stated.
"Last time you were here you came to collect a rogue Asgardian," Coulson told her, "that would explain his strength."
"Regardless, she travelled across the universe to find him," May told him, "he's dangerous."
In the video still playing, they watched as Sif struck the man with a sword yet no blood was drawn. In response to the attack, the man brought some sort of mallet to her abdomen. Her hand trailed up to where she'd been touched, growing weary, as he effortlessly lifted her up and threw her off the pier into the water below.
"Make that more than dangerous. We know you were after him. Question is, what's he after?"
Coulson stepped away from the women, leaving May to retrieve the sword with the Asgardian and he pulled out his phone to call Nina. He hated to cut her mini-vacation shorter than it was meant to be, but he was going to need her on this job.
*
"Honey, I'm home!" Nina announced as she strolled out of the elevator. Jarvis had been quick to let her up into the Tower, speaking the moment she'd appeared outside the building and completely freaking out Wren.
The teen had jumped a few feet in the air before grabbing Nina's arm and planning to run away, she'd stopped him when she felt him about to take off and had spent the elevator ride explaining what an AI was.
Needless to say, Wren and Jarvis were now the best of friends.
"I thought Fitz was still at SHIELD," Wren said confused as he tugged on her sleeve. Nina's eyes widened at his words but chose to ignore him as she focused on the billionaire and the pretty woman under his arm with auburn hair.
"I think she means me," Tony said with a surprised smile, he pulled away from the woman by his side, "you didn't tell me you were stopping by."
"I called you, didn't I?" Nina questioned as Tony walked up to her and pulled her into a tight hug. She returned the action, sinking into his soft embrace. There was a similar sense of safety in his arms as there was in Fitz's, and Nina was reluctant to let go.
Tony, being the good carer he was, sensed that and didn't pull away until Nina did.
"Last week but you usually call the day before as well," Tony told her as they separated, he smiled down at her. As he did so he noticed two things, her eyes were a darker blue than usual but she seemed genuinely happy. Neither things were something he commented on, "who's this?"
Instead, Tony focused on the teenager beside her. Wren had watched them hug with an intrigued look because Nina didn't let most people at the Playground even touch her and this was the first time he'd seen her relaxed in someone's grasp.
"I'm Wren," the teen announced. He'd been shy with most of the adults he'd might recently, but he decided that the man in front of him had to be extra special for Nina to be so comfortable around him.
For that, Wren instantly trusted him.
"Nice to meet you, Wren," Tony grinned as he crouched down slightly to look the boy in his eyes, "I'm Tony Stark."
"Remember how I told you that my dad's former boss' sone took me in?" Nina questioned and Wren nodded, recalling their conversation in the diner all those weeks ago, "this is him."
Wren stared at Tony, his name ringing a bell. He repeated it over and over again in his head until the memories attached to that last name resurfaced.
"You killed their parents," Wren stated. His confession caused Tony's eyebrow to raise confused and Nina to look down at the boy with wide eyes. The auburn-haired woman, who'd Nina had just identified as Pepper Potts, joined Tony by his side.
"I what?" he asked confused, standing to his full height. Granted it wasn't much different from his crouched one.
"You ran a weapons business," Pepper told Tony, not even looking at him as she did, "I'm sure a lot of people have the notion that your last name killed their parents."
"I... can't even argue with that," Tony pouted under Wren's indifferent gaze and Nina's amused one. She'd never properly met Ms Potts, and she'd immediately appreciated that the woman spoke to Tony in a similar way that she did.
"Nina Ramos," Nina said, extending her hand to the woman, "pleasure to finally meet you properly."
"Pepper Potts," the redhead responded, accepting the hand and shaking it firmly, "Tony talks a lot about you."
"You too. Mainly about how much he lov-"
"That's enough for that," Tony was quick to cut of Nina with a stern tone while she just gave him a cheeky smile. Pepper just smiled at the interaction, nothing Nina was about to say being new information to her. She sensed that the pair had something important to talk about and she focused on Wren.
"Hey, it took a while to get here right?" she asked him. Wren gave her a sheepish look before nodding, "why don't I make you something to eat?"
Wren's eyes widened at the idea and he turned to Nina. The specialist simply nodded and Wren beamed, he reached for Pepper's hand. The businesswoman allowed him to take it and the two walked towards the kitchen area in the corner.
Nina watched them leave and once they were out of the hearing zone, she spoke up.
"She's hot," she stated and Tony's hand instantly found the back of her head, "hey! What, she is."
"Hands off, bear," he warned her and Nina rolled her eyes.
"Calm down," she rubbed the area of her head he had hit, "I have no stepmom fantasies, that's gross."
"God," Tony cringed, "why are you like this?"
"Don't know," she shrugged with a childish grin, "you're the one who raised me."
It was now Tony's turn to roll his eyes before gesturing for the agent to take a seat. They sat on the sofa he'd previously been on with Pepper and after a moment of appreciating each other's company, Tony cut to the chase. Knowing better than anyone that Nina never had time that could be wasted.
"So that's Seven?" he asked and Nina nodded.
She'd told him about the teen that'd been her stalker the same day she'd returned to headquarters but had only gone into depth about his background in the call she'd made from her pod last week. She'd decided that if she was going to ask Tony to look after the kid, he deserved to know exactly who he was protecting and what from.
"Yeah, but he goes by Wren now," Nina answered, sparring a look to her kid who was watching Pepper fix him a sandwich, "SHIELD's getting too dangerous for him, he needs a normal home."
"And you chose a Tower in the middle of the city that gets more paparazzi camped outside of it than the Kardashians?" Tony questioned.
"Annoying old men with loud ass cameras aside, it's home to me," was Nina's answer as she looked around the room. She made out a dent in the wall and smiled softly when she'd recalled her head was what created it. Long story short, never skateboard indoors and always wear a helemt, "I figured it'd be his best bet at an actual life but I'd understand if it can't be. You've done a lot for me already and-"
"Shut up, bear," Tony cut her off, feigning anger, "you and I both know I'm taking the kid in even if you talk yourself out of the idea."
Nina looked up into Tony's brown eyes with a grateful smile. She loved him a lot, and she was forever thankful that their lives interlinked all those years ago.
"Thanks, Tones,"
"Yeah, yeah," he waved off her thanks, "so he was in Hydra right?"
"His dad was a scientist, he turned Wren into their experiment. The seventh one."
"And his mom?"
"Dead."
"So I'm gonna have to create his existence on paper, from scratch," Tony stated more than asked, not at all deterred by the mention of a dead parent, "make up the first 13 years of his life."
"Yeah. I've already started it but I keep getting pulled away so I haven't gotten too far. I'm up to age 4 right now."
"Send it to me, I'll finish it and get it legalised," Tony said. He caught Nina's look, asking him how and he simply shrugged before answering the non-verbal question, "I know a guy."
"Should I be concerned?" Nina rose an eyebrow.
"Probably," was the only answer Tony provided, "what's the name we're putting down for him?"
"Wren."
"Just Wren?" Tony questioned. When Nina just nodded, he sighed and turned his whole body to face her, "Nina if you want me to create an identity for the kid that won't raise unwanted questions and makes it harder for Hydra to get to him, he's gonna need a last name."
"Oh right?" Nina said, scratching the back of her neck in embarrassment. She'd thought about that already and had a conclusion to the problem but the idea of saying it out loud made her feel a little awkward, "er... you can give him mine."
The comical smile on Tony's face at Nina's decision caused her to blush heavily. She slapped her hands over her cheeks, trying to hide the red that took over them.
"Does this mean what I think it means?" Tony asked excitedly, bouncing up and down on the leather couch. His excitement flustered Nina even more and she looked away as she responded.
"Shut up, Tony," was what she decided to mutter, but he was quick to grab her chin and force her to face him.
"You are so cute," he teased, squeezing her cheeks. Nina slapped his hands off her before crossing her arms and huffing like the moody teenager Tony had seen years before.
"Whatever... how long's this going to take?"
"Not long. I had your lawyers draw up the papers the day you told me about the kid," Tony said, jumping up to his feet. He moved towards the TV stand, pulling out one of the draws and grabbing a brown envelope.
"I have lawyers?" Nina asked as he skipped back towards her, reoccupying the seat.
"Hmm? Oh yeah," Tony said with a smile, "they came with the foundation. How's that going by the way?"
"Good, I hired a Chief Operations Officer a few days ago. They deal with all the day to day stuff so I can focus on SHIELD without feeling guilty," Nina told him. She took the envelope from Tony, crossing her legs up on the couch and pulling out the papers inside of it. She read over them carefully before asking for a pen.
"I'm guessing work's been busy. Busy enough to need that," Tony pointed to the black brace around her knee with the pen she'd asked for. Nina silently cursed for forgetting to take it off in the jet.
"Yeah... busy," Nina said. She looked down to her hands for a moment, taking in her prominent (but not black) veins, before looking back at Tony, "it's just a small fracture. I'll be good in a few weeks."
"How'd you get it?"
"You know I can't tell you that," Nina answered but after receiving one of Tony's childish pouts she caved, "I was thrown into a stone wall then dropped a 100 feet into a dark cave."
"You were what!?"
"That's all you getting."
"Nina!" Tony snapped. His voice was stern and authoritative but upon hearing it Nina just shook her head.
"Nope. That voice might have worked on me when I was 12 but not anymore."
"I..." Tony sighed heavily, "just be careful, please."
"I'll try my best," she responded honestly, smiling warmly.
Tony mirrored the action, though he was more than aware that no matter how hard Nina tried, death and pain seemed to follow her like the plague. He was forever worried that the next time someone told him his little girl wasn't coming home, she truly wouldn't.
"Okay," was all he decided to say before gesturing to the teen eating a sandwich while talking to Pepper. The billionaire handed Nina the pen she'd asked for before speaking once more, "does he know what you're about to do?"
"No, I should probably tell him first. Right?" Nina asked as she grabbed the pen.
"You should."
Nina nodded, turning to look in the same direction as she called out, "Hey Wren!"
"Yes, Miss Nina," Wren asked with a mouth full of bread. He swallowed and smiled her way.
"Do you mind if I adopt you?"
Wren just stared at Nina, blinking for a few moments before the question made sense in his head. Once it did, he smiled widely and nodded.
"You'll be my mom?"
"Oh... um if you'll let me... yeah."
"I've always wanted a mom!" Wren exclaimed, somehow managing to smile brighter than before. He looked down at his hands bashfully, embarrassed by his excitement, before looking back into her dark blue eyes, "Mister Hunter said you were already my unofficial mom, now it'll be official."
"Mister Hunter... Amadeus joined SHIELD?" Tony asked surprised, Nina gave him a look that told him he knew better than to ask before motioning for Wren to come over.
The teen did exactly that, sitting beside her. He peered over her arm as she brought the pen to a dotted line and intricately signed her name. A wide smile spread over Nina and Wren's faces as their little relationship was given the official title of mother and son.
Though Nina savoured the joy the action brought her a little more than anyone else because a part of her heart was telling her, this would be the last genuine happy moment she'd have for a while.
But that was a problem for another time because the bright blue-eyed experiment with the ability to control mother nature and a forever changing eye colour was no longer a number but a human being.
Wren Ramos, her kid.
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And that is a wrap on Seven/Wren in An Executioner's Requiem. Don't worry to all those who fell in love with his innocence and power because he has his own book.
Young Monster follows the story of Wren Ramos, living with Tony and learning who he is without his powers defining him. He'll learn to interact with people his own age, that school isn't all that his books have cracked it up to be and how to love unconditionally.
And yes I said love because Wren has a love interest.
His book kinda starts off an original and then leads into Age of Ultron but don't worry we'll be getting plenty of Nina/Wren (maybe even Fitz/Wren) moments in Young Monster.
I'd love it if you checked out the beginning of the rest of Wren's story.
Thank you and I hope you enjoy it.