𝐆𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐄 | marvel

01. INTERROGATION

[TRIGGER WARNING - BRIEF MENTION OF RAPE]

"For a raging alcoholic, you're not much of a drinker."

Arlo clenched his teeth at Sharon's taunting. Here he was with one arm tied with a goddamn fucking chain - bit excessive, even for him - sitting in an office chair, with a small bar cart stalled to his right, a singular glass of whiskey poured out alongside a glass pitcher on top of it.

Sharon had been aimlessly pacing around the large open landing on the third floor of her ridiculous Madripoor mansion taunting him for the past half-hour, only a light from above the desk on the graffitied wall & the lights from the city shining through the wall entirely composed of glass to his right enabled him to see her.

Arlo took a breath & composed himself slightly. "Do you really think I'm that naive to drink something that's so obviously poisoned? I thought far better of you Agent Carter."

Sharon, who had had her back turned to him, snapped to attention at his words & did a complete U-turn & legged it over towards him, grabbed the glass and downed it all in one swoop before slamming it back down on the cart.

"Do you really think so little of me that I'd try to pull such a rookie move? I thought better of you, Stark."

He swallowed, annoyed. Of course she wouldn't. She had been in this game almost as long as him. "If I'm not here to be poisoned, then why am I?"

"If I wanted you dead right now I would've had you dead the second you stepped foot in this city after your last little visit to your niece & nephew in California, believe me - actually, I probably would've had you killed in California."

Arlo paused. Of course she fucking knew about him visiting Pepper, Morgan & Jack. Why wouldn't she? Sharon knew every single thing that went on in Madripoor. She probably knew all the breeds of rat that ran around in the damn sewers.

"I'm well aware. Hence my question. Why am I here? For the laugh? For your little group of pyschos' personal entertainment?"

Sharon slowly approached him again, bent down to his height & dug her knuckles hard into his knees.

Arlo tensed at the feeling of her many signet rings sinking into his legs, deducting they would most likely leave some sort of bruise or mark.

He was tempted to remark how most romance novelists would swoon at the scene & gawk about the apparent sexual tension, but then quickly remembered they were both gay so the "tension" was non-existent.

"Those "psychos" are the closest thing I have left to a fucking family," Sharon snarled. "Besides my son of course."

Then it clicked. Ian Carter. The three year-old son of the deceased Darcy Lewis & Darius Costa, who had been adopted by Sharon after Darius shot Darcy dead & in turn was beaten to death with a crowbar by Sharon.