Avengers/X-Men One Shots - The Blood/White Phoenix Saga

AOS 6: Valentina Allegra de Fontaine

Set at least a year after the previous AOS (after the events of TFATWS)

Adelaide Lehnsherr's POV

I sat at the coffee shop in rural Ohio, sipping the vanilla latte I had on the saucer in front of me, occasionally looking around for the woman that was supposed to be joining me for coffee. I heard the click of dress shoes and looked up to see a waitress standing there. 

'Will you be needing anything else, ma'am?' she asked politely in a sharp Southern accent. 

'No, thank you.' Her face grew sympathetic. 

'Guy stood you up, darlin'?' she replied. 

'No. It's all good. Just waiting for an acquaintance.' She smiled, her lipstick bright and radiant. 

'Let me know if you need anything.' 

'Thanks.' She walked away, and a second later, I heard the click of heels and I knew that my guest had come. Sharp heels. Like stilettos, but I wasn't sure. I heard a voice with a slight Southern twang, the one I had heard a year earlier at Natasha's grave. I looked up to see the middle-aged woman that I knew as Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine, swiping a lock of near-black hair out of her face, looking down at me with that stripe of blue hair on the left side of her head. 

'Adelaide Lehnsherr,' she said with pursed lips. 

'Valentina. Please. Sit. I got you coffee.' 

'When you said a confidential location,' she said, placing her bag on the seat, sitting down, smoothing out her dark blue-and-black jacket and meeting my eyes, 'I didn't think a coffee shop was on the table.' 

'Trust me, if I were to take you anywhere else, it would be to kill you. Or to keep you hostage. I hear in certain circles you're actually worth something to the criminal community, given your recent recruitments. Namely John Walker and Yelena Belova, although I'm led to believe that the latter was working for you long before you tasked her with killing Clint Barton. The coffee shop is calm. It's a natural place with which to discuss things. Also, I like coffee.' I leaned back, taking a sip of my vanilla latte. 

'What business do you have here that was so important that you had to make a coffee date to get it done?' 

'The matter of leverage, Valentina,' I said sharply. 'Which you will no longer hold over me after this discussion. I understand that Yelena has been sent to kill Clint Barton, using whatever means necessary, and as much as I don't like people capitalising on the death of a loved one to drive revenge, I understand wholly why she would want to undertake this. I'm also led to believe that John Walker will be wanting some sort of revenge upon the people who took back the shield from him, namely myself, Sam Wilson, and James Barnes, also known by the former alias of the Winter Soldier, now the White Wolf - also my husband. 

'I assume he also wants revenge upon the people that not only made him Captain America, but took it away from him. Your entire crusade with these lost souls seems to all be hinged on revenge, doesn't it? I've also gathered intelligence from certain... friends in high places that you may have spoken to Helmut Zemo, who is, as of now, locked securely in the Raft prison, where he may never return to actual society from. So now I have leverage over you. I've got friends in high places, Val. Places you will never reach.' 

'What of my leverage?' she asked. I let a small laugh slip, leaning back against the booth again and staring her in the eyes. 

'I'd assume you'll find a way to go after Bruce Banner next, after you've had Yelena Belova deal with him. I wouldn't be surprised. The old order of things is gone. Only what is left of the old and much of the new remains in its place. And after Bruce is dealt with, I'd assume that your last stop is me. Thor is off-world, untouchable except by what hand fate deals him in space. So then, in true fashion of trying to pick off the original Avengers, you would then go for me. And I'm okay with that.' 

'You're okay with that?' 

'Yes. I care about my family very, very much. Perhaps more than I care about my own life.' 

'So what's your deal?' 

'You can come after me. I'll run, I'll hide, but when it comes to it, I will stand and I will fight. Perhaps I will even die. But - if you come after my husband, my children, my parents or my siblings, I will hunt you down, hunt your team down, and make sure you all see the end of a bullet in your skulls. I don't care who you are, what you do, or what past affiliation I have with you. I will kill you. All of you. You can bet that if you go after my family, I will not be merciful to any of you.' I leaned back, watching Valentina soak my words in. 

'And if something should happen to your family in the crossfire?' she replied. 

'I will still kill you. This is between us, just us, and whoever else is affiliated directly with this situation. That includes what remains of the original seven Avengers, including myself, as well as whoever else is involved in fighting you and your team. I'll be keeping an eye on you, and if there is a need, we take this fight away from those who might get hurt. I think in the end, it'll be you, me, and your team. And we can solve this whichever way we want. Like I said, maybe I'll run and hide for a bit, but when push comes to shove, I will fight to end this quarrel. No one innocent need get involved. This is between you and me, to pay me back for all the times I've spoken to the people you've spoken to, tried to persuade them to not do what you've asked them to do, and all the times I will attempt to defend their victims, either now or in future.'

'I doubt your husband will agree with you.' 

'Such is the way of protective spouses,' I mused, taking a sip of my coffee. 'So what do you say? You accept my terms? I will allow you to instruct your team to complete their seperate missions, namely Ms. Belova in assassinating Clint Barton, but after that, anything regarding me is fair game. And I will get my affairs in order, so then you guys can come kill me. Or try to kill me.' 

'Most say that they can't kill you even if they tried,' Valentina said evenly, taking a sip of her coffee as well. 

'No. They can't. I've tried to kill myself over the past few years, some call it desperation, pain, post-traumatic stress, even I can't. I can't force myself to do it. And I don't think your team will go all the way with me.' I stood, slamming a couple dollar bills down onto the booth. 'You're welcome for the coffee.' I shoved my hands into my pockets and walked out of the diner, but before I did, I stopped, and without looking at Valentina I spoke. 'Remember what I said, Val. You mess with my family in this fight, you mess with me. Don't do it.' Then, I left, the bell above the cafe door ringing loudly to signal my exit as I went out, got on my motorcycle, and sped off into the distance.