Instigators
After getting the confirmation from Friday, Evie left the floor open to Secretary Ross. The gray-haired man rose to his feet and slowly began to pace the room.
“As you all may know, today’s meeting was set to present Ms. Genevieve Stark with a proposal due to the recent events that took place in Westview, New Jersey.” He clicked a small remote in his hands and projected multiple images of a town encased in a red dome, taking over the north-facing wall. At the center, there was video footage of ground soldiers attempting to approach the hex.
“Three weeks after the Avengers fought and defeated the extraterrestrial known as Thanos, Wanda Maximoff took an entire small town hostage when she was unable to contain her emotions and lost her ability to control and manage her enhanced superpowers fully.” Evie remained cool under his scrutinous gaze. Unwavering as she held her chin high. “This was a cause for great concern to our national security. If one witch was able to do this without much to stop her, what were other people capable of?” With another click, the images of people running scared, and screaming flooded the senses of those present.
Evie looked almost bored as she saw the screens show Wanda floating in the air, firing her scarlet bursts of magic at an unfocused assailant. She was on full display, dressed in red with a magnificent crown adorning her head. But Evie was unimpressed with Ross’ attempt to rattle her. With a swift wave of her hands, it all disappeared and everyone’s eyes fell on her.
“Thad, I can call you Thad, right?” He was glowering but opted not to say anything as Evie proceeded. “Anyways, let’s just skip over the dramatic theatrics and cut to the point here. After all, I'm sure we’d all like to be home in time for supper. Or in your case the early dinner specials at the steak house.”
There was a slight twitch in his mustache, Ross had underestimated his tactics severely. Evie and Clara could practically see the steam starting to come out of his ears. Matt on the other had heart the uptick in his chest, the red hot rage simmering just below the surface.
“Fine, Genevieve, if that's how you wanna do it, let’s get straight to it then. You are what the government likes to call an ‘Alpha’ level threat.” Evie raised a brow, smirking as she got comfortable in her chair. “Others in the same classification level would be Ava Starr, aka Ghost, Black Panther, or the man known to the intelligence community as Wolverine. What we just saw on the screens was an Omega-level threat enforcing her will on an entire population of defenseless people. Others just like her would be Thor and Banner. Now we’ve been in a similar conversation before. Genevieve, you were present for that one too. Back then we came up with the Sokovia accords. But as we all know Thanos happened and they were soon after ratified. But with an incident like this…” He gestured to the space where Wanda’s pictures once were. “The United States needs to know we have a contingency plan in place for when the next enhanced individual decides to take a stroll on the dark side.”
Matt, calm and collected, interrupted Ross, saying, “So, in layman's terms, a leash. One that keeps the good guys in check and ready to eliminate only what you or the U.S. government deems necessary.”
Ross let out a displeased grunt as he adjusted his blazer. “This is all a necessity, Mr. Murdock. Who here would be capable of neutralizing Void if she decided to unleash her anger? You? A blind man with a walking cane? Or would it be her invaluable assistant, Ms. Miller? So far, Genevieve’s record shows she is nearly invulnerable to most weapons and is suspected to have several yet-to-be-charted abilities. How would you propose we defend ourselves against her if she decides to turn against us?”
Evie decided to take the lead from Ross after the harsh blow he had dealt. “If I'm such a threat to national security, then why am I still here talking to you?” She noted the resentment etched into every wrinkle on his face as he exhaled slowly through his nose. “Because I wanted to try a different approach. Instead of waiting for you to reveal your true colors, I thought I’d confront you head-on.”
Evie paused, pretending to think carefully for a moment. Meanwhile, Matt and Clara shared the same concern: she needed to tread carefully since Ross was clearly ready to press charges and arrest her at the slightest provocation.
“It’s all very simple. The goal is that if you agree, everyone else will too. We can work out the details later, but I’d like for you to turn yourself in. Publicly admit that you are cooperating for the sake of the greater good and all that. Once you’ve gotten all nice and cozy at the Raft, you’ll wear a power-dampening collar. If you try to step out of line, it will deliver a small electric shock. After some time, if you prove you can play ball, we’ll cut you loose, and you’ll have the full trust of the U.S. government.”
The three of them were sitting with neutral faces. Unwilling to show the level of appall they’d reached at what they had just heard. But Matt, sensing the steady fire growing within Evie, spoke for them. “So you mean to tell us that you came here to deliver a sentence over a crime that has not been and never will be committed?”
Ross crossed his arms, and huffed, glancing over at his men expectantly. One of the Agents, Clemmons, cleared his throat nervously. “Well no, not exactly. It would be branded as a sort of ‘act of goodwill.’ Ms. Stark has had a rocky history with the people she’s publicly been associated with. From figures like Loki, who at one point tried to conquer Earth with an alien army, to aiding in the creation of Ultron…” His voice trailed off at the end, the cold gaze Evie was administering was making his skin crawl and his hands feel clammy.
So Ross, ever the bully, took over next. He placed his hand firmly on the table with a loud slap and stared her down. “In short, you can’t be trusted. And you won’t be until you can prove otherwise.”
“So guilty till proven innocent… Mr. Murdock, correct me if I'm wrong here but isn't that almost unconstitutional?” Matt snickered as he leaned back in his chair. “Clara, you are absolutely right. The presumption of innocence is a fundamental principle of the US justice system. And what Secretary Ross is proposing is everything but justice. Nor legitimate for that matter.” Evie clapped her hands together loudly, making the boys in suits flinch and the private security jump a bit, one of them nearly reaching for his gun.
She got up, confidence radiating off her like rays from the sun. Ross straightened out and stood to his full height to tower over her when she got up close and personal. Another failed attempt at intimidation. “Thad, let’s not kid ourselves here simply because there are witnesses around.” She looked up, straight into his fury-lit eyes, not back down a single inch. “All this is just a dick-measuring contest that I quite frankly don’t have the fucking time nor patience for. What happened with Wanda was unfortunate and deeply terrible. But I’m not Wanda, nor am I Banner. Two people who slipped from your fingers when you tried to stomp them out. So now here you are, trying to bully me into submission. But I’ll have you know stronger men than you have tried, gods and demons alike, and they were wildly unsuccessful. So you can take your so-called proposal and shove it where you can already guess where. I am of sound mind and in total control over my powers. Besides, I think I’ve proven my intentions more than once by now and even bleed my fair share for the ‘greater good,’ wouldn’t you say so?”
The man stood at the brink of his patience, his steely eyes glaring into hers. "Very well, I see that you're not going to take the deal. But rest assured, this isn’t the last you'll hear from me, Stark."
"Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it. After all, you spent what? Five years, give or take, actively trying to capture Bruce Banner. Your entire rise in the military was built around that crusade." He simply exhaled sharply and turned to the men accompanying him, saying curtly, "Let’s go, men," before walking out the door.
Clara released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and hurried to Evie’s side. "You okay, boss?" Evie held her stern expression for about three seconds before relaxing enough to give her assistant a kind smile. "I’m okay, Clara, but I think that wrapped up my workday..."
Matt approached her from the other side. "Mind if I walk you to your office?" Evie glanced at him quickly. He seemed to have something on his mind, and she wasn’t sure if she was ready to provide him with answers. But he had come without hesitation, so she couldn’t, in good conscience, be rude. "Um… yeah, sure. Let’s go."
The walk back to her corner office was a quiet but comfortable one.
Neither of them said a word, simply enjoying each other’s warmth and company. Once within the privacy of her office, Matt took her hand, catching her attention before she could put some distance between them and move to sit behind her desk. “I know you don’t want to talk about your dad, but I will ask how you are physically… And please, don’t try to dismiss me. I know you're keeping something from me, Evie.”
She gave him a bashful grin, she should’ve known better than to try and pull a fast one on the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.
But right as she was going to open her mouth, the baby in her womb decided it was the best time to see if ribs made noises like a xylophone. The strong kick knocked her hard enough that she gasped audibly. Clutching her side, Evie grabbed the back of a chair to keep steady as a slight giggle came after.
Matt instantly became more worried. He reached out to stabilize her and called out to Clara without hesitation.
“Matt, I’m okay.”
“No, you’re not! You’re in pain, and you’re feverish. Your body is working harder than normal just to maintain a steady airflow.” Clara rushed in and paused when she noticed Matt's uneasiness, his hands at either side of Evie’s waist. “How long?” he asked.
“How long what?” Both women asked in unison.
He sighed, unhappy with their laid-back attitude. “Okay you two, that’s enough… Evie, what’s wrong? You're sick. So what is it?” The two looked at each other sheepishly before Evie relented. She clicked her tongue and took a seat on the couch. Guiding Matt to come along with her while dismissing Clara.
“I’ve been sick, yes, but lately, it’s just certain things that trigger the nausea. But for the most part, it's the normal aches and pains.”
Matt scrunched his nose, not yet catching on to what she was hinting at. So without much else, she took his hand, and as the glamor spell broke, she laid it on the swell of her stomach. She watched with amusement how his Adam's apple bobbed when the picture came together in his head. There was a long pause where Evie could see the gears in his head come to a grinding halt.
Eventually, he muttered, “Oh.”
“Oh.” She copied, smirking brightly. He cleared his throat, shifting in his seat, keeping his hand still on her belly.
Just as he was going to ask another question, in came another kick. This time, it made Matt jump. A nervous laugh coming from the infamous Daredevil. “Oh wow, sure is strong… um…” He took a second to regroup his thoughts. “How, how far along are you?” Evie laid back, rubbing her tummy sweetly. “According to the healers in New Asgard and my own calculations, he’s due in six weeks.”
“He?”
“Yep. He.”
Matt smiled fondly, he was equal parts happy and concerned for his friend. “I’m guessing no one outside the ‘circle’ knows.”
Evie placed her feet on the coffee table. “That is correct, yes. And for obvious reasons.”
“Obvious indeed. Evie, if you don’t mind me asking-”
“Loki.” She interrupted. Matt froze. He tensed ever so slightly before forcing himself to regain his composure. “I-I am sorry…” She laughed humorlessly.
“What for, Matty? I keep hearing that. I’m sorry… But most people just say it out of obligation. But you never would. And you’ve never crossed me, so what do you have to be sorry for?”
He was deep in thought, struggling to articulate what he wanted to say when their moment was suddenly interrupted by a commotion outside the door.
Clara could be heard yelling at someone to leave. “Ms. Stark is busy! You can’t just barge in here. You need an appointment to meet with her!”
Evie quickly planted her feet on the floor and, with Matt’s assistance, stood up. A cool, whispering sensation enveloped her, it was the only signal he got that she was once more in disguise. Without waiting for another second, Evie put on an apathetic mask and, with a wave of her hand, threw the doors wide open.
Standing there looking almost manic as she argued with Clara was none other than Special Agent of Homeland Security, Dinah Medani.
Everyone stopped and stared as the two women locked in on each other. No one dared to move, much less breathe too loudly.
“Medani.”
“Stark.”