𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍➳𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍

009. HOW CAN I BELIEVE THAT?

Still at the Barton's house, Max and El were forced to share a room. There was, unfortunately, only one bed in which they had to share it. 

El was sitting on the bed already washed up and clean. Max just finished her shower and changing and exited the bathroom. 

El was fiddling with the ring that she and Max both had. They were rings from Steve and Natasha. Promise rings. Promise that the girls would always be there for each other and protect each other even if Steve and Natasha didn't make it. 

Now, El sat.. deep in thought as the ring danced along her fingers. "Are you okay?" Max asked. The girls hadn't spoken a word to each other since the confrontation between the Avengers and Ultron and the twins.

El looked at her. "I have no choice but to believe him." El told her. "What?" Max asked. "Ultron said that your mother killed mine... I have to believe him." El said. "W-What? Why?" Max asked. "Because he literally has access to everything!" El exclaimed getting off the bed. 

"Everything SHIELD has on us... he has access to! Ultron is an idiot! He doesn't know what the hell is going on, he wouldn't make that up to tear us apart. He brought up a fact to prove his point." El said. 

Max glared at El. "Are you calling my mother a murderer?" Max asked. "I'm saying that she killed mine. I don't know what the circumstance was.. but I know it happened." El explained. "Wow." Max said. "Wow what?" El sighed. 

"After everything.. some AI tells you something and you believe it?" Max says walking out the room and El follows. "You're not giving me anything else to believe!" El said. "How about me? Believe me!" Max exclaimed and turned around to face her best friend.

"Believe me when I tell you that my mother was not a murderer." Max said. "Can you honestly tell me that with full confidence?" El asked. Max took a second before turning. Natasha and Bruce went into the hall.

"Max!" El called. Max went to the living room where Cooper, Lila, Laura, and Clint were. "You don't even believe me!" Max exclaimed. "How can I believe that?! You're saying that because YOU don't want to believe your mother did that." El said. 

"No, I know she didn't!" Max exclaimed. The Bartons looked at the duo who were arguing. "No you don't!" El cried. "Yes I do!" Max yelled. "YOU CAN'T KNOW THAT!" El retorted loudly. Max went outside and El followed. 

"After everything! Everything we've been through together, you can't believe me on this one thing?" Max asked. "I've spent the last 2 years with Steve and Sam looking for Bucky! A whole part of my PAST! I had this hope in my heart that maybe... just maybe he could tell me what happened to my mom." El explained.

Steve and Tony stopped what they were doing and looked at the two girls. Max looked at El. "Because maybe whatever the hell he's gotten himself into could somehow tie into the murder of my mother." El added. "And now, 2 years later, Tony and Bruce create a robot who has access to every single little damn piece of the world wide web... SHIELD classified or not... and it tells me that my mother was killed by yours... what am I supposed to believe?" El asked. 

Tears were streaming both of their faces. Max's because she saw that El was hurt... bad and she herself was in denial. El because her bestfriend was mad at her for being confused and not knowing what to do with the murder of her own mom. 

"Believe in me, then." Max said. "I do believe in you. I swear I do... but this is different. It was classified, who killed her, it was classified in the file so I went to Fury and asked him who killed my mom." El said. 

"He told me it was a HYDRA agent. Name unknown. Anything on them was unknown... but they were HYDRA." El said. Max exploded with fury and slapped El across the face.

Inside the house, Laura gasped. "Oh Goodness." Clint said. "Max!" Steve exclaimed. El blinked back her tears and took a deep breath. "I'm not gonna fight you... but I won't protect you anymore either." El said as she took her ring off the threw it on the ground and walked away.