Secrets, Shame and Plotting
There were a lot of people in medical. Tony, Pepper, Natasha, Clint, Thor, Steve and Bucky stood on the left side of the room.
Wanda and Vision stood over by the door and Sam, Rhodey, Peter and Bruce had positioned themselves on the right side of the room. Those who weren’t around when the shit had hit the fan, had been briefed and everyone looked at Darcy. She never felt this nervous. She looked at Tony. ‘Are you sure?’ He nodded. She was about to start her story when the door opened and Director Fury walked in. ‘Are you guys having a party without me?’
He was met with several stares. It was Steve who answered him. ‘We are here because Darcy has to tell us something. I would strongly advise you to hear her out and don’t get any ideas about testing her, or locking her up. You wanted the mightiest heroes and she is one of us, so we are with her. Am I making myself clear?’
With this, Alexis got tears in her eyes. Fury seemed to think about it before he shrugged and gestured for her to begin. She looked at her friends and family, took a deep breath raised her hand to her head, making the scar and her own eye color visible. Gone were the dull green eyes. Her eyes were bright green. The scar was in the shape of a lightning bolt. She looked around.
‘I will explain. My name is not…Darcy Lewis. I was not born in Arizona and……
She talked for hours, about everything, just as she had told Loki. She had to give it to them, they listened intently and almost never interrupted, save for a few questions. She had to stop a couple of times because the words couldn’t come out and she sobbed for some parts. She answered some questions about her world, about what she had seen and done. Loki remained quiet.
She talked about Voldemort, her scar, her parents, and that she looked so much like her father, but that she had her mother’s eyes, about Hogwarts, about Dumbledore and how he had sent her back to her aunt and uncle every summer. Even after she told him what really happened and how the man didn’t seem to care. Eventually came to the part of why she had left. That was the hard part. She really didn’t want to talk about what Vernon had done to her. She kept it vague and wanted to continue about something else before Natasha stood up.
‘You are holding out milaya, what aren’t you telling us?’ Tony stood from his chair. He did know what she was withholding and wanted to spare Alexis.
‘That’s enough. She doesn’t have to give you the details. She left, end of story.’ But Natasha shook her head. ‘No Tony, I am sorry. But keeping everything to herself has led her here.’ Sam nodded in agreement. He was one of the people who had helped Bucky and knew that bottling secrets up inside rarely meant the problems got away.
Natasha turned to Alexis and smiled. ‘I am not trying to hurt you. You know I like you very much and I think you are a brave person. A good person. But if you will not admit that it wasn’t this Voldemort that had you running, you will never be able to heal. You will not be able to move on, because this Vernon asshole has power over you.’
Alexis nodded and sobbed. Natasha walked over to the bed and sat down on it. ‘Do you really think we will think less of you? You have just told us you are a witch, that you come from a world we know nothing about. I think you are incredibly strong. Please don’t think we will no longer love you or will think any less of you if you admit why you left. We will help you, no matter what.’
With tears streaming down her face, Alexis whispered that Vernon had raped her repeatedly over the years she had lived under his roof. That it started when she was only six years old.
At that moment Bruce stood from his spot and left, apologizing to her. ‘I need to go before the big guy comes out.’
Alexis gave him a watery smile. She understood. She looked at the people in the room. Seeing them being angry on her behalf, and not angry at her, gave her the strength to carry on. She avoided Loki’s gaze upon her.
She continued her story. How she had come home after the fourth year, and she had nightmares about Cedric being murdered. About how Voldemort had come back, how he tortured her, and how she saw her parents again. Vernon was angry that she kept him up with her screaming and he had murdered her owl, Hedwig, in front of her in a fit of rage. After that he had raped her again, leaving her severely injured. ‘I couldn’t take it anymore. I called Dobby and asked him to help me. He did and we ended up in the United States.
Alexis was rocking back and forth, holding her legs so she could wrap her arms around them. ‘I’m a coward and I left. I’m so sorry…please don’t hate me.’
`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/
After assuring Alexis that they in fact didn’t hate her, still loved her and a heavy dose of sleeping medication, Alexis now slept. The room was still filled to the brim, apart from Bruce. Now that everyone knew about magic, Tony called Dobby. When he appeared, he was wearing a children’s size trench coat, a fedora hat and a diamond necklace. Several people opened their mouths at this. ‘Dobby, please watch over Alexis and come to me of she wakes up,’ Tony asked. Dobby nodded and at that the room emptied out. The group walked over to the huge living room and sat down.
‘Wow…that was…uhm…a lot to take in, but I so do wanna kill that uncle son of a bitch with my bare hands’ Bucky said. Some nodded in full agreement.
‘I take it that…well whatever the hell that was, was her House Elf, that got her out of there?’ Tony nodded at Fury. ‘Yes. He is a remarkable creature. He can get in anywhere, take what he needs, or wants, and disappear. You can only see him if he wants that. He is fiercely loyal to Alexis.’
‘The name will take some getting use to,’ Clint said. Everyone agreed.
‘We have to help her.’ Loki stood. ‘I have to help her. Some of us saw earlier that she is no longer in control. While I’m not sure why her magic reacts like this now, if I don’t help her to control this, she will be dangerous. And not just to us. She will perish if she doesn’t start using magic again.’
‘As much as this pains me to say, you are right,’ Tony walked over to Loki. ‘But if you hurt her, I will find a way to kill you, Reindeer Games.’
`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/
On the other side of the world, in London, Hermione rushed out of the Ministry and left for home. She received word that Tom had collapsed again. When she arrived at Riddle Manor, she found Tom sitting by the fire, sound asleep. Lucius and Severus greeted her. ‘What happened?’
‘The same thing. We think it’s Potter.’ Hermione looked at her old Potions professor. ‘Why would it be?’
The man explained to her why they believed Potter could be an Obscurial. This got Hermione thinking. It made sense. She cursed herself for not thinking about this herself. ‘I'm not allowed to tell anyone, so I need a vow of secrecy.’ She looked at the two men. They nodded and they woke up Tom, who greeted her with a smile. She quickly explained her plan and without hesitation, each of them vowed on their magic they would keep the secret and so Hermione started talking.
‘There is a way we can find her. In my Department, we have found a way to track young magical children who suffer from abuse and who are likely to develop an Obscurus. If what you say is true, and Alexis might be one, we should be able to track her.’
`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/`/
Vision looked at Wanda. ‘Her magic, is it like your powers?’ Wanda frowned. ‘I'm not sure Vis…could be. I only saw her with her black eyes and that black smoke I told you about. I always knew she was different, but I didn’t want to push. She is so sweet and never gave me any trouble about what I did to Tony and to Bruce.’ Feeling ashamed still, Wanda walked over to Vision and embraced him. ‘We will help her, yes?’ Vision smiled. ‘She is good, Wanda. She is one of us.’
`.`.`.`.`.`
Bucky flexed his metallic arm. ‘If I ever get my hands on that Vernon guy, I think I will suddenly forget I am no longer the Winter Soldier,’ he growled. He was pissed. Poor kid. Steve slapped him on the shoulder and nodded in agreement. He hated bullies and from what he heard, this man, that whole family, could expect a visit from the Avengers.
`.`.`.`.`.`
‘Do you think she will be okay?’ Pepper asked. Tony gave her a look. He hoped Loki could help her. He thought desperately about how he could help her himself. Since Alexis never used magic, only occasional wandless magic, he had never been able to test whether his suit was destined against spells. They'd never discussed it, even after she'd revealed to him what she was and why she was on the run. He gave Pepper a hug. ‘She will be fine, she’s got us.’
`.`.`.`.`.`
‘Do you think she poses a threat?’ Fury gave Natasha one of his glares. She looked back unmoved. She knew Fury well. ‘I think Loki can help her, but I don't think he should do that here. And no, I don't think she poses a threat. What I do find problematic is that there are people out there that may or may not pose a threat to us…Muggles…’
Clint snorted. ‘What I understand is that some of these wizards don't even know what modern technology is. So how can they pose a threat?’ ‘We cannot understand what we do not know. And if we can't understand it, then people start to fear it. That's how it always has been and that's how it always will be.’ She paused. ‘Why do you think Alexis never said anything before? It is illegal to tell us anything about her world. You heard her, if people from her world find out about this, our memories will be erased. What do you think happens to someone like Bucky, who without his memory might go back to what he knows? He maybe returns to being the Winter Soldier. I for one, think being ready is the smart move.’
`.`.`.`.`.`
‘I will take her to Asgard when she wakes up. I'm afraid if she uses her wand here, the building will collapse. Are you coming with me?’ To say Thor was surprised at Loki’s request was an understatement. ‘You want my company?’ He asked baffled.
Loki grinned. ‘She should be able to practice on someone, don’t you think brother?’ With those words Loki left, leaving Thor very worried.