Channel 112
Fox News
"-Officials say that Jessica Stark has passed away since she has not been found yet, what do you think?"
"Well Bill, with all the toys that famous girl has, she's more than likely alive and doing just fine on her own. But it's been two months, and I can't help but think that maybe her disappearance is the product of a kidnapping. Maybe Captain America, or the Winter Soldier had something to do with it"
"You suspect that she was kidnapped? And that's why she hasn't returned?"
"That's right, Bill"
"We have a quote here from the Secretary of State, Thaddeus Ross. He said, and I quote 'Jessica Stark is an arrogant, reckless, two timing, pint sized vixen. But also has the intelligence of 50 scientists all rolled into one. She has a knack for slipping under the radar and avoiding capture from Officials', end quote... Mr. Dixon, what do you think of that quote?"
"I don't think I believe that Bill, I personally believe that Jessica Stark was kidnapped-"
***
"Turn that shit off" Someone ordered from the dark shadows of the cluttered room. A jittery man quickly grabbed the remote and switched the tv off. The person who ordered for the TV to be turned off leaned back into their chair lazily. They placed their hand against their cheek and thought long and hard about the words spoken from the television Maxwell?" The person asked quietly.
"Yes ma'am" the man stepped up closer to the chair where his superior sat. The two people were inside of an old apartment room. The only light in the living room was from the moon poking through the windows.
"A person like Jessica Stark cannot be kidnapped, especially if the Extremis is still inside of her body" the person, who we now know is a woman, ran her hand along her pale arm. Her veins also glowed orange from the extremis that is in her body as well.
"If anything, knowing her, she's hiding in plain sight" The woman stood up from the cushioned chair and crossed the room. She walked past the other man in the room and paused by the window. Outside the glass laid the city of Washington D.C. The Washington Monument could be seen poking over the buildings.
"Are we going to go find her?" The man asked, pouring himself a glass of vodka from the coffee table in front of the couch. He didn't sound too excited for the chase as he twisted the cap back onto the bottle.
"After what she did to me?" The woman scoffed, tracing her fingers along the scar across her eye "of course" she was a younger woman, probably no older than Jessi Stark.
She had dull dark eyes with a pale face, which was framed with fiery red haired. Her hair was once lush and full, but now it was trimmed short to a rather odd pixie cut.
"Are we going to tell the boss that we're going after her?" The man asked.
"No, Maxwell" The woman shook her head quickly, pulling the curtain back from the window to let in more light "he's busy pursuing the spider in New York. We'll take care of her".
She walked away from the window and picked up a black file from the coffee table next to the drinks "And we will start here... " she opened the file and pulled out a single photo.
The photo had a man on it, he was crossing the street, a grey jacket covered his body as a light drizzle was falling. He was glancing behind over his shoulder as if making sure that nobody was following him "at the last person who saw her before she disappeared... Agent Henry Morgan"
***
The feeling of the stinging plasma blast piercing my skin sent me back, smacking me forcefully against the metal wall. The only thing keeping me alive was the extremis that Aldrich Killian pumped into me three years ago prior to the Civil War.
It's orange liquid pulsed through my veins, shining through my heated skin. It regenerated my torn flesh, healing the physical wounds. I faintlyvremember seeing Steve Rogers preparing to smash his red, white, and blue shield on my Fathers face, the moment my whole world almost stopped.
Even though he hurt me, physically and emotionally, he was still my Father. The one who took me in even though he didn't want to. I still remember meeting him for the first time on that army base. He was so foreign then.
But later, the years went on and we grew increasingly closer. We were Father and Daughter, best friends. I was his whole world and he was mine. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way that all got ruined, the Civil War happened and our lives were torn apart at the seams. We didn't stand a chance.
I sat in the hotel bed that evening, Captain Americas shield rested beside me on the blanket. Steve dropped it after his battle with my Father, he basically told us that he was done being the Captain. There was no way that I could leave it behind. I took it with me.
The clock on the nightstand shined 6:50 in the evening. The old tv glowed on a random channel but I wasn't paying any attention. Through the thin walls of the hotel, I could here a couple fighting in the room beside me. Above me a kid was jumping on the bed, his thumps shook the walls of my room.
I was using a rag to clean the already polished surface of the shield. Three claw marks ran down the front of the shield where the Black Panther had attacked. I remembered that I had shot the King of Wakanda himself with plasma blasts. It was quite the spectacular moment, one that could have costed me everything. However, T'Challa didn't seem to worked up over it when we spoke together at the laboratory in his home country.
I hope that the King is making his way in the world. From the first moment that I met him, I knew he would do alright. From there, my wanderlust mind took my thoughts back to the boy whom I met at the cafe. His deep brown eyes were plastered everywhere now. Thinking about him wasn't good, it's that girlish side of me that still clings to love as if it's a necessity.
A sharp longing to return home suddenly came over me, nearly bringing me to tears. The thought of never seeing my family again, my friends. It practically eats me alive every second. I imagined standing in the living room of my home in New York.
A sparkling party filled with laughter and light surrounds me. Natasha Romanoff stands with Bruce Banner at the cocktail bar, giggling with him about something that I can't hear. In the corner by the piano, Pepper and Dad are dancing together cheerfully. Steve is sitting on the white L-shaped couch with Clint, probably talking about today's technology or politics.
There are more people around enjoying the celebration, but their faces are all blurry from the glistening diamonds of wine glasses. This little daydream felt real. Like I could reach out and touch it. Even the smell of freshly cooked seasoned food loomed in the air.
I wanted to fall into the dream and never come back, but a sudden knock on my hotel room door startled me. The shield slipped from my hand and clattered to the floor, giving off a loud clank. I cringed at the noise and shoved it under the bed. Someone knocked on the door again, louder this time. It could be the CIA, or a Government Agent, or that Pizza guy I called a few minutes ago.
I stood up from the floor and walked quietly towards the door, catching a glimpse of my blonde-haired self in the mirror. I peered through the peep hole of the hotel door, spying someone with dark sunglasses and thick brown hair "Who the...?" I carefully unlocked the door and opened it slowly "um... Quién es? No hablo ingles"
"Open the door Jes" a familiar British voice spoke, his arms crossed over his chest.
I sighed in relief "aye de mí Henry, why do you have to scare me like that?!" I groaned, opening up the door a bit wider so that he could enter. He removed his sunglasses and set them down on the bed "I thought you were the police, or worse... my Dad. By the way, you wouldn't have happened to see a pizza guy out there, would ya?"
Henry Morgan didn't bother to start catching up, he took a deep breath and got right down to business "You're coming with me, Jes. There's a safe house that you can live in until things calm down... or until you feel like returning home"
"I can't go with you" I spun away from him and sat down on the small cushioned chair in the corner of the room. The air conditioner attached the the window coughed to life and started blowing cool air into the room "You told me to lay low, that's what I'm doing. And my name isn't 'Jes' anymore, it's Maddox"
I corrected him, crossing one leg over the other. The jeans I was wearing were baggy and longer than my actual legs, they were rolled up on the bottom.
"I know" Henry pulled some papers from his jacket "Here are some important documents that you will need" I tilted my head to the side in confusion, but took the papers "Your birth certificate, drivers license, ID, and more" I laid the papers out on the table, reading the new name and description of me. I was 5'5, blonde hair, brown eyes, 140lbs-
"Do I really weigh 140 LBS?" I asked with wide eyes.
"You mean pounds?"
"Same thing" I shrugged, accepting my new weight.
"Listen" Henry placed his palms on the table and leaned forward, closing his eyes for a moment "I'm trying to help you Jessi, I'm practically handing you a brand new life. And if you won't accept the fact that you weigh 140 pounds, then I will literally stuff you in a box and mail you back to Stark Tower"
I was grateful, honestly. I'm just bad a processing things as extreme as this. From this moment on, I'm not Jessi Stark. I'm Maddox. I looked back to the birth certificate and read the name.
"Maddox Lee.... Barton" my brown eyes snapped up to Henry "Barton" I repeated "Barton?!" I stood up, taking the paper with me "Why do I have Clint's last name, Henry?" I asked, spinning the paper around so that he could see it.
"Well, you see..." he ran his fingers through his hair awkwardly "I wanted to put you somewhere safe. And the safest place I could think of was Laura Barton's home"
"L-Laura Barton? But that's-!"
"Director Fury kept Clints family and home location under SHIELDS radar, if they don't know about it, then the government doesn't either. Nobody will suspect that you are living with her, and you will be safe" Henry assured, I watched him as he reached under the bed pulled out the circular vibranium shield. He spun it around slowly in his hands, taking in every detail "But carrying this thing around, you're bound to get some attention"
"I never take it in public" I sat back down in the chair, taking a look at my small drivers license card. It has my picture on it, my brown eyed, blonde haired self "how did you get all this stuff?" I asked him.
"I'm a spy"
"Oh yea"
"Now, Maddox. Gather your things, it's time that we get going"
I stood up from the chair, taking my new papers with me "To where?"
Henry looked over to me with the shield in his hands and a smile on his face "Your new home"