NEFARIOUS [MOONKNIGHT]

NINE

 Wren was already fed and sat playing with her toys on the living room floor. The doorbell let out a loud chime and Elle opened the door, Vera Ivankov standing before her. She let out a soft smile and spoke, as she took in her appearance. Her once short red hair was just down to the small of her back.

"Vera, it's nice to see you again." She said and Vera bit her lip and gave her a curt nod. Elle moved out of the way and invited the young woman into her home.

"A lot has changed since we last saw each other. Wren- my daughter is just playing on the floor, you can have a seat on the couch." She said and Vera raised both of her eyebrows.

"Daughter?" She mumbled out and Elle smiled softly and looked down at the blonde haired child.

"Yeah, she's two." She said and Vera nodded and sat down on the couch slowly, as if it would blow up.

"Why did you send me a text?" Vera asked her Irish-Russian accent coming out.

Elle looked at the picture of all 6 of the Avengers on her TV stand and she spoke.

"Because I promised Nat I'd always look out for you, and Yelena." She said and Vera visibly stiffened.

"I don't need you to look out for me." She said and Elle gave her a nod and spoke.

"That might be true, but, I don't break my promises. Plus, it's been, what 7 years since we last saw each other?" She said and Vera shrugged and Elle spoke.

"Why don't you stay with us for a bit? I have a spare room and-" She said but Vera cut her off.

"I'm okay." She said and then looked at Wren on the floor and then looked at Elle.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to babysit me. I'm all good on my own." She said and Elle scoffed and raised an eyebrow.

"Yelena told me different." She said and Vera rolled her eyes and spoke.

"I haven't spoken to Yelena since after she blipped." She said and Elle flinched softly at that.

"I haven't spoken to most people since Thanos came and wiped out half of the universe. I haven't spoken to most people since Natasha died. It's just how I cope and I'm okay with that." She said and Elle looked down and spoke.

"She died for you. For Yelena, for the world." Elle said and Vera bit her lip and shrugged.

"I'm sure she did." She said and before Elle could say anything else Veronica, Elle's AI spoke.

"A message from Rhodey." Eleanor Stark's AI said and moments later, James Rhodes voice popped up.

"Elle, turn on the TV now." He said and Elle furrowed her brows inwards and grabbed the remote that was on the coffee table. She turned on the TV to the news channel and saw what was happening live.

"While we love heroes who put their lives on the line to defend Earth. We also need a hero to defend this country. We need a real person who embodies America's greatest values. We need someone to inspire us again, someone who can be a symbol to us all." The man said and Elle raised her eyebrows confused as to what was going on.

"So, on behalf of the Deportment of Defense and our Commander-in- Chief, it is with great honor that we announce here today, that the United States of America has a new hero. Join me in welcoming your new Captain America!" 

"Shit." Vera mumbled knowing that this was bad.

Elle jumped up from her spot on the couch and looked at Vera.

"I know this is totally last minute, but could you watch Wren?" She asked and Vera's eyes widened looking at the little girl that was sitting right before her.

"I've never-" She went to say and Elle stood up fast and spoke.

"Please, I have to deal with this. I'll pay you. Good amount too, please." She said and Vera sighed and nodded looking at the girl.

"Fine." She mumbled and watched as Elle teleported out from her living room. Vera looked at Wren who was sitting down on the floor and she glared at her. Wren looked at Vera and smiled brightly and rushed over to the woman, a smile on her face.

Wren stood and waddled over to Vera and smiled.

"What's your name?" The two year old babbled and Vera looked down at her and spoke.

"Vera." She said and Wren smiled and climbed up on the couch.

"My name is Wren!" She exclaimed and Vera sighed and watched the TV from her spot.

Layla straddled Steven's waist trying to wake him as Khonshu had just got imprisoned. The sight of Vera's bloodied head still in the back of her mind. She grabbed Steven's jacket and shook him hard, waiting for him to wake up.

"Steven! Marc!" She yelled but got no response. The sound of a car came from behind her and her heart dropped as she felt like she was going to die. Layla cursed and watched as a van came up to her and they began to shoot. She rushed to the car she previously rode in with Vera and Marc and hid under it, knowing whoever was in the van couldn't see her.

"Are these dead bodies?" One of the voices asked and Layla placed a hand over her mouth as one of the other men started talking.

"We blew her brains out." He said laughing and Layla closed her eyes tightly trying to get the image of Vera out of her mind.

Before anything else could happen one of the men gasped and the sound of them being beaten filled Layla's ears.

"Holy shit!" One of them yelled and got thrown across the sand. Silence filled Layla' ears and opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times. 

She moved her head and saw nothing but a pile of the two bodies of the men that came here. She furrowed her eyebrows inwards and stood, looking down at the men. She felt someone staring at her and she turned her body and saw Vera standing behind her.

Layla let out a scream and Vera furrowed her eyebrows inwards and Vera spoke looking at Layla.

"What?" She asked staring at the woman before her.