STARBORN: I -HAPPY ENDINGS
1975
The tall man made his way stealthily toward the end of the hall, at the very end was a room, not just any room. It belonged to a S.H.I.E.L.D agent's daughter, a beautiful baby girl. As the man reached the knob he pushed lightly the door, his eyes wandering around the room. The walls were painted light pink with small floral decorations here and there, on the left part of the room laid a white wardrobe, besides that wardrobe, there were some toys laying on the ground and huge horse toys. On the right of the room laid what mattered, the baby crib, so he approached and saw the baby girl wide awake. Staring at the ceiling, her small hand grabbed her foot as she tried to get it inside her mouth but it didn't seem to bother her the struggle.
The man placed his hands on the wood railings of the crib, the baby girl's big blue eyes darted to the figure beside her, and without fear, she smiled and kicked her small legs in excitement. The man's stoic face broke into a soft expression, a lazy but warm smile danced on his lips. He lean forward and rubbed his nose with her small one, the baby grabbed his face as if caressing it. The man smiles brightly before picking up the beautiful baby.
The baby clapped and squealed, and the man who was holding her stared at her. Completely mesmerized by the beauty and cuteness of his daughter, he knew right there he was never going to let anyone harm her. She was and will always be the center of his world, even though his world is slightly more complicated but it was something he had sworn to stay faithful even on the verge of death.
As the father of the girl stare into her blue eyes, he was oblivious to the presence of the other woman he had grown to love since the day he saved her. As cliche as that sounds, he fell in love with it even though he knew the price was too high but nonetheless he took a leap of faith. The woman who leaned on the door frame stared at her world with dreamy eyes and a soft smile, she felt happy, complete.
"Let her sleep, Jude." The man kissed his daughter on the forehead just as the baby laid her head on the crook of his neck.
He drew small circles with his hand on the back of his daughter to get her to sleep, as he did he turned around and winked at his wife. The woman walked toward him and the baby and carefully caress the baby's small fist with her fingertip before leaving a soft but loving kiss. "Amanda?"
Amanda looked up to meet her husband's blue eyes, she move a strand of blonde hair away from her face and behind her ear, "Mission report?"
Amanda sighed annoyingly, "Jude, I told you already. That's classified."
Jude tried not to look annoyed by his wife's loyalty toward S.H.I.E.L.D, but he was being pressured. Being in a relationship with the enemy and still playing the wild card got tougher and tougher each day, but just like her, he was loyal to H.Y.D.R.A. He felt his daughter shift and he started to rock her from side to side while humming softly.
"Why are you so hellbent on knowing?" Amanda asked him, he thought about the many lies he could feed her with but sometimes he grew tired of lying every day and about everything.
Excluding his love for her and his daughter, those were the only things he valued and genuinely felt. They were true. He was being sincere when he said he would protect their daughter at all costs. He was sincere when he confessed his love for his wife. He was honest. But as he weighs the options he knew Amanda wouldn't accept his proposal, she would be so mad and betrayed. And Jude didn't want to lose what they had, that was something that filled him with pure dread.
So he lied. "I'm just worried darling, I know it's part of the job to keep quiet about but who's going to answer me when something happens to you and I don't know where you are." Jude sighed, he actually meant it but again he needed to know what it was about so he could send the intel. "I can't help it. I'm sorry, but now I feel like it's my duty to protect the mother of our daughter. You two are all I have."
Amanda laid her hands around Jude, hugging him loosely as well as their sleeping daughter. She looked at Jude with her beautiful hazel eyes, Jude loved them because they reminded him of honey and the season of fall. She smiled fondly at him, the kind of smile someone gives when they try to show how touched they are by their worry for them and also to assure them everything will be fine.
"Ok," Amanda said, she really didn't want to tell him the actual truth of what that mission report contained because her director had specifically told her not to utter a word to her husband. She didn't know why since both of them were top agents but still, orders are orders. So instead she confides in him about the other part of the mission report, "It wasn't an actual Mission Report, I've decided to let our Director know about our baby girl's birth. He is the only one that can help us."
Jude could not believe his ears, he kissed the top of her daughter's head and placed her back on the crib carefully not to wake her up. Jude placed a hand on her stomach and pushed her gently out of the room, he walked her to their office which was far enough for them to talk and not disturb the baby.
"You did what?" Jude snapped, his voice coming off a bit too sharp.
Amanda's eyes widen slightly at his odd reaction, "I'm sorry I don't follow."
Jude chuckled dryly, he placed both of his hands on either side of his hips. "You don't follow? Okay, let me enlighten you. Let's start on how you told the Director about our daughter's special descendant without consulting me first?"
Amanda frowned, she raised a hand as if to tell him to calm down and to keep distance between them, "I didn't thi-"
"Oh! Of course, you didn't. Darling, you know what S.H.I.E.L.D does to those types of people, they use them, exploit their power!" Jude spread his arms wide to emphasize exploit.
Amanda arched an eyebrow, "No, Jude. S.H.I.E.L.D helps them. That definition you just gave is what H.Y.D.R.A does."
And without warning, without time, Jude slipped. "No, they don't!"
Amanda's eyes widen slightly and her breath hitched in her throat, she tried to keep her expression serene but shock and confusion filled her every inch. She backed away slowly until she hit the desk, she gripped the edge as if to have something to keep her together because she couldn't.
"Baby-"
"It was you. All this damn time it was you! All our classified information, all our moves, the intel we had of them, all those leaks... and the respondent lived with me." Amanda wanted to hit him, strangle him, and inflict pain on him so he knows how pained she felt inside.
But she was trained to be smarter than that, to analyze the problem, calculate her hit, and then strike. That was easy, it was automatic for her but nobody trained her for this kind of scenario. How is she supposed to eliminate the problem when the target was her husband.
"Amanda please listen to me first, let me explain okay?" Amanda shook
her head as tears flow down her cheeks, her face scrunching up and her jaw tightening to prevent herself from breaking down. "I know this came out wrong but I'm... tired. Okay? We can disappear, have a normal life and raise our daughter, together."
"I'm not going anywhere with you, Jude, and nor is my daughter." Amanda's voice came out strained but Jude knew she was serious.
"Then join me, I can promise you that H.Y.D.R.A will protect you, us. They can help us understand our child's future enhancements, but please don't break us up." Jude begged, his hands were together and he almost fell on his knees.
"I will not do such a thing. You are sociopaths! You believe power is through fear, you abuse of such thing, think yourself to be some sort of gods." Amanda spat, Jude's eyes turn watery because he knew in his heart that his wife would never choose them.
"Then what are you going to do?" Jude asked tiredly, his hand fell to the side in defeat.
Amanda took a deep breath before answering in her agent's voice, "You either turn yourself in, give us all the information you have on H.Y.D.R.A. and join us, or I'm going to have to eliminate you."
As much as both wanted to be together fate wouldn't allow it, she was loyal to SHIELD and Jude was loyal to HYDRA. As much as they dreamed of forming a happy family, it was time to choose a side.
It was time to lose their happiness, their future.
"You know I won't choose."
"Damnit, Jude! Think of your daughter, you have a choice! Why aren't you choosing us! Didn't you say a while ago you care about us? Or was that bullshit too?" Amanda screamed, completely losing herself with this revelation.
"Because just as you are loyal to SHIELD, I am loyal to HYDRA." Jude said with a shaky voice, he wished he would just say 'take me.' But it was much more complicated than that, HYDRA could kill him with a switch, and he wore an implant that would release a toxin in his body that will kill him.
"Jude-"
"I won't." He croaks out, "I'm sorry but I won't." Jude shook his head as a tear slipped from his eye.
Amanda turn around the desk and reach out below it, she felt the cool metal of the gun and she detaches it from its place before taking off the safety and pointing at him. Aiming for his head.
"Why are you still here?"
"Because I don't want to hurt you more, if you want to do what's right then do it." Jude took a deep breath and clear his throat, "Eliminate me, Agent Armstrong."
Amanda's index finger hesitate on the trigger, "Any last words?"
Jude gave her a smile, the smile that caused Amanda to feel at ease and happy. The same smile he wore when he looked at their daughter or when he looked at her, she begged him in her mind for him to say something that will make her change her mind because she wanted to, she just needed a push.
With one last breath, Jude said, "Hail HYDRA."
Bang!
✶ ┊사랑병 ˎˊ˗
↳ ScriveFiorella_ Note
A/N: Ello guys, so it took me about three months to finish this book. Seriously, I killed the old version and wrote a new one and I'm very pleased with how it's going. Since this book is part of my 'Bellator Series' there will be mentions of other characters. I hope you enjoy this version of Alora's story, leave a comment and some looooove.
Stay safe, take care💕