Episode 5 fanfic title: Taken to the Big House and meeting the insect couple!
Previously in "ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴠᴇɴɢᴇʀ'ꜱ ʟɪᴀɪꜱᴏɴ"
Hulk versus the world chapter preview:
"Hey! STAND DOWN!?!" A shout came from above, interrupting the woman's thoughts. which caused her to jump and turn to look over her shoulder to be met with a couple of soldiers pointing their blasters and guns at her.
The SHIELD agents tightened their grip on their weapons, their fingers hovering near the triggers. "Don't move!" one barked, his voice sharp with authority. "Hands where we can see them—now!"
The woman's breath quickened, but she forced herself to stay still, her mind racing.
'Why can I see them so clearly? Am I wearing contact lenses?' She hadn't worn her contact lenses since she was in high school, yet every detail of the soldiers' gear was sharp—the matte black of their body armor, the faint scratches on their rifles, even the tension in their stances.
And then she saw it—the unmistakable eagle emblem stamped on their shoulders.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Her stomach dropped. 'This isn't just some kind of joke...right?'
Before she could speak, one of the agents shifted, one of their voices turned colder, "Last warning." Shifting their aim and ready to shoot her: "Identify yourself or we will fire." Her throat tightened, but she managed to keep her voice steady.
"I—I don't know how I got here. I just woke up, and—"
A sudden movement cut her off.
*Next scene changes to Mia listening to Hawkeye's explanation about her identity*
"From what I gathered after you...died." Using his fingers to make quotation marks, Hawkeye continues to explain her background to her, "Your name is Mia Lightwood, orphan. No family, no close contacts on record."
"You volunteered for a classified, off-the-books SHIELD gamma radiation experiment. Big payout, but..."
He trailed off, frowning.
His voice became faint as memories of her doppelganger download themselves into her mind, the pain sharp of seeing vivid images of herself or her 'other' self's upbringing by a nun, the lack of formal education, her self-education in libraries, and being sent to the giant cube lab.
*We then switch to Hawkeye talking to Bruce Banner in the CUBE*
"Let me guess," Bruce begins with a sarcastic scoff: "You thought that I'd be bigger?"
Mia silently stares behind.
"Funny." Hawkeye stares up at him, putting his hands behind his back, and walks towards him: "The Hulk...He's a monster, right? I mean, that's what they told us. That's what everyone thinks. Military and SHIELD have been chasing him for years, he's caused untold destruction, he's a monster."
Bruce narrowed his eyes at him, "What do you think?" "What did the Hulk save that ship? Could've just escaped..."
On cue, Mia had already taken the chance to sneak away.
*Scene changes once more to show Mia pouring out all the DNA samples from their small vials*
In an instant, Mia quickly snatched all the samples, opened them, and poured their contents onto the floor...
*Scene disappears to show Mia whispering to Bruce Banner*
"I destroyed them." Mia whispered into his ear, almost sounding like a villain, "All of them."
He gave her a quizzical look, but questions, "Destroyed what exactly?" "The DNA samples, of course.~" She chirpily tells him, hearing Bruce gasp in shock of disbelief, turns to her, where he earns a wide smile on her face.
"Yours, Leaders, Zzzax's—all of them in one go. No more experiments. No more weapons. Nada."
Bruce just stared at Mia, but then, slowly, relief flickered in his eyes. "You're...serious?"
Mia nodded happily, "Mhm! And poured every last drop onto the floor. Your buddy Leo, is that his name? Never mind, he's gonna have a real bad day when he finds out."
*same scene but different conversation*
"Wait!"
Mia turned back, confused: "What is it?" "There's a quick exit route near the lab where you can sneak yourself in one of SHIELD's trucks."
*Scene changes to show Mia sneaking inside the crates as Bruce Banner's voice continues*
"There, it can take you to New York. But it has to be tonight."
Mia blinked at him, taken aback. "Wait—you're helping me? Even chained up like this?" "You deserve a chance to start over..." Bruce continues, but Mia tilted her head at his words and pointed out, "You don't even know me."
"Doesn't matter." His voice was firm, yet it sounded like he was pleading, "No one should be a guinea pig. Especially someone so young as yourself, and believe me, after what they tried to do to you, I won't let you go through it again."
*Scene ends with Mia ending up at the park and hugging Stan Lee, where it was interrupted by a loud knock at the door, and Mia opens it to reveal Nick Fury.*
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NOW!!!!
(Mia's POV): In the new apartment...
'I'm so screwed.'
As Nick Fury entered the flat, tension filled the air. Stan Lee, sensing the unease, offered a smile.
"Ah, you must be here to take her somewhere, right?"Fury's gaze swept the small apartment, taking in every detail. He moved with a quiet authority, and from what I'm seeing, he couldn't help but soften a bit of guilt at the old man's words.
Though, Fury said with a curt nod, turning to me. "I apologize for bothering you at this hour, but right now, I need to have a little chat with your 'caregiver', in private if you don't mind." Stan Lee, understanding immediately, clapped his hands together, a twinkle in his eye like he always does.
"Alrighty then! I'll just pop out for a cup of coffee in the kitchen and head to my office. You two have fun now, and remember to always look on the bright side!"
With a wink, he shuffled toward the kitchen, leaving me alone with the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. in what had become Stan Lee's temporary sanctuary. The office door clicked shut, and a suffocating silence stretched as I swallowed, masking my emotions with a cold facade.
Meeting Fury face-to-face left me with an uneasy yet comfortable feeling.
I silently gestured for him to take a seat on the couch. He nodded curtly, walked past me, and sat down. I followed and sat across from him: "So," I started, trying for a casual tone, "to what do I owe the pleasure, Nick Fury?"
He didn't smile.
He didn't even blink.
Like a damn robot.
"Let's cut the pleasantries, Miss Lightwood. We both know why I'm here." He paused, letting his words sink in, "Survivor of a Gamma radiation experiment, spilling DNA of every villain and monster needed, and an unscheduled departure from a secure S.H.I.E.L.D. crate."
My stomach did backflips.
"Ring any bells?" Nick Fury finished.
Under every aspect of my new life, I actually felt nervous, my heart couldn't stop beating, my palms were sweating, but my composure was kept calm and collected like a pro. "I don't know what you're talking about."
I pretended that I didn't know anything about it with a shrug.
When in reality...In this naive world of a children's show, he and the others could easily be tricked into revealing what they'd do with a witness like me, but in the end, it's always the witness that wins the fight.
Fury raised a skeptical eyebrow.
"Don't play coy with me. We have you on camera." He glared, as if ready to order his men to knock me down, 'Okay, at least he doesn't know that I talked to Bruce before leaving, that's good.' Mentally relieved about it, I continue to listen to his words:
"And destroying those samples was the wrong move. Care to explain why you did it?"
I decided to stick to a simplified version of the truth, hoping it would be enough, but then again, he is Director Nick Fury; He'll find a way to get the truth out of me. Not even having any ounce of resistance to my straightforward words, I began to put out the facts about his job.
"You and your S.H.I.E.L.D. agents don't just use well-crafted weapons," I start, "You take STAR INDUSTRIES weapons, intending to weaponize them as things that can kill a man, and those scientists, wanting to create a better place is bullshit."
Nick Fury widened his eyes, but I didn't stop there.
"You are allowing humans to turn other humans into monsters," I said, my glare unwavering with determination. "I can't allow that to happen. As a director connected to the government, you should have stopped it."
Fury's gaze was unreadable: "And you believed destroying the samples was the only solution?"
"It was the only way." I retorted, calmly feeling my blood boiling in frustration, "And yes, I did get experimented on just for the money, so I could get away from the orphanage. But after I died and woke up in the ditch, I realized that your men did nothing but threaten to end me."
"To eliminate any witnesses, they tried to kill me, but Hawkeye rescued me from the ditch and led me to the Hulk's cell so I wouldn't have done if I were him, but he did anyway because I didn't remember my past—"
"You put yourself in a very dangerous position, Miss Lightwood." He cuts him off, leaning in closer, gaze intensifying at me, hands clasped and elbows resting on his knees to continue what he was going to tell me, "You interfered with a top-secret S.H.I.E.L.D. operation. That has serious consequences."
I raise an eyebrow, clearly unamused by his words.
'Here it comes,' I thought, bracing myself. 'This is where they haul me back to the CUBE.'
"However," Fury continued, sounding very stern about it, "I'm also aware of how you managed to lay low in just a few weeks, which leaves me with one option."
A glimmer of hope flickered within me as I watched Fury turn away after getting up from the couch, to pace around the small flat to where he made it to the window behind me, "But that depends on you, Miss Lightwood."
I grew confused by that and waited after he stopped talking, as a way of silencing himself for me to process the words he's told me. After watching and researching my doppelganger's personality for the last few weeks, I realize that if she were here.
Right now, instead of me controlling her body, the 'real' Mia would have gotten hesitant and run like a coward, but since I'm not her...
I took the chance to stay put and ask.
After all, I am a gentlewoman with manners.
"Are you..." He looks at me through the window's reflection, curious gaze now landing on me, I already face his back with my brown eyes full of hesitation, but with a mix of determination, "Going to take me back to the CUBE?"
Expecting his response to be his usual, however, that wasn't the case: "No, I'll be sending you to a far more comfortable place to imprison you in." He paused, letting the offer hang in the tense air.
My heart was pounding so fast!
This was it!
Getting closer to meeting the Avengers was my chance to change everything in the story!
But...
Could they let me go after peace is made?
"And if I refuse?" I narrowed my eyes at him.
Fury's gaze hardened.
"Then you'll be returned to The Cube, and the consequences will not...be negotiable."
He let that sink in before adding, "The choice is yours, Miss Lightwood. What's it going to be?"
The scene turns dark.
The next day: Here is where the episode starts!
Waking slowly, I was met by a large robot with a big blue mouth and piercing, shiny light blue optics, causing me to jump back immediately.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!!!!!!" I screamed so loud that I already threw a large chair at it, which caused it to break into pieces, whereas the robot stood motionless, a tray of what looked like synthetic pancakes hovering in its metal hand.
I stared at it until it spoke: "//Good morning, Miss Lightwood," it droned in a monotone voice. "Please enjoy your breakfast. Nutritional content optimized for post-gamma exposure recovery.//"
Heart hammering, I pressed against the headboard. The room was sci-fi-homey.
Definitely, with a comfortable-looking bed with no view.
But everything felt clean, too perfect. Like a five-star hotel designed by a robot.
"Where am I?" I asked, my voice shaky from the sudden encounter with the robot. It carefully placed the tray of food on the bed and stepped back, its presence still making me uneasy. "And what's your designation?"
The robot immediately replies, "This is the Big House, Miss Lightwood," Tilting its head slightly at my reaction, which is where I continue to stay still like my life depends on it: "And to answer your second question, I am ULTRON bot 5, your designated caretaker."
'Big House? Ultron bot 5?' A flashback revealed Nick Fury offering me a different prison to live in, and I, on the other hand, had accepted the offer.
--------------------FLASHBACK🔲
"And if I refuse?" I narrowed my eyes at him.
Fury's gaze hardened.
"Then you'll be returned to The Cube, and the consequences will not...be negotiable."
He let that sink in before adding, "The choice is yours, Miss Lightwood. What's it going to be?"
After thinking in deep thought, I sighed in defeat before standing up from my seat and turning to meet his one eye and completely nodding: "I accept them."
"Good."
"But I wasn't done, I have conditions."
Fury's eye narrowed slightly, but he gave a curt nod. "Conditions?"
Mia grinned, tapping a finger against her chin. "First," I began, "I want a sci-fi room. Not some dingy cell. A proper one—with a comfortable desk, decent lighting, and enough space that I don't feel like I'm in a shoebox."
Fury crossed his arms. "You're in no position to demand luxury."
"Oh, but I am," I countered smoothly with a head tilt, curving her lips into a dangerous smile, "Because if you stick me in some dark hole, I will find a way to make your life difficult. And trust me, Director, you don't want that, do you?~"
A beat of silence.
Then, Fury exhaled through his nose.
"Fine. What else?"
I went into deep thought until I snapped my fingers. "A TV. I need to keep track of time, and I will lose my mind if I'm stuck staring at a wall all day." His eyebrow twitched. "You realize this is a prison, not a hotel?"
"And yet, here we are," I shot back, waving a hand around Stan's cozy apartment. "Besides, it's not like I'm asking for a minibar. Just basic entertainment so I don't go stir-crazy or try to escape."
Fury pinched the bridge of his nose. "Anything else?"
"A shower," I added. "A real one. Not some rusty faucet in the corner." "Already standard," He grunts, causing me to smile happily at his words."Perfect!" I clap my hands together, "Then that's everything."
Just as he was about to walk away, I tilted my head and then asked: "So... are we heading to my new five-star prison now, or do I get a goodbye hug from Stan first?" Fury stares at me, unimpressed. "Pack your things."
On cue, Stan Lee shuffled out of his office, holding a box.
"Ah, hold on there, young lady!" he called, grinning. "You forgot something!" I turned—and my breath caught, cause inside this box were my brand-new art supplies that Stan Lee had just given me earlier.
My throat tightened.
Stan's smile softened. "Ya can't start your new adventure without these, can we?"
My vision blurred, and then—I tackle him into a bear crushing hug so tightly he let out a wheezy chuckle, "Thank you," she whispered, voice cracking. "For everything." Stan pats me in the back.
"Life's never completely without its challenges, kid. But you? You've got the spirit to handle 'em." Admiring his words, I pulled back, wiping my eyes with a shaky laugh. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."
Fury cleared his throat pointedly.
I squeezed Stan one last time before releasing him. "Guess this is goodbye." Stan winked. "Nah. Just 'see you later.'" I smiled, then turned to Fury, squaring my shoulders. "Alright, Director. Lead the way."
Fury studied me, his gaze unreadable. Then, with a curt nod, he motioned me toward the door. We headed downstairs to his van.
Once inside, I asked if they could gas me to sleep. Several agents froze, but Fury simply glanced at me in the rearview mirror, a nightly glare in his eyes, before complying. A few minutes later, gas erupted from the a/c, and I drifted off to sleep.
--------------------End the FLASHBACK🔲
Remembering everything, I scoffed under my breath to hide my true reaction as I mentally reframed my mission.
"My caretaker's a robot capable of killing me in seconds." I cross my arms over my chest, and glare at it with a rage I've felt since I spilled the DNA viles of the super villains.
Now, in the present sadly, the audio receptors of a certain Ultron bot 5, predictably heard me and stated: "//I will not harm you, nor am I programmed to do so.//" Tensing with my arms still crossed, I didn't touch my food, nor dare move my spot: "//But I insist you eat-"
"I will eat," I cut it off sentence, "If you leave, like right now. So, I can eat in peace, and spare me of your robotic memory systems not listening to the words I'm saying, so leave." "//Of course, and enjoy your breakfast.//"
Motionless, it walks out through the exit and leaves me alone.
'Thank primus, that tin can is out of sight. Or I would've taken the metal tray and hit its helm without stopping.' Pushing myself off the wall, I swung my legs over the side of the bed to take notice of how I was wearing the same clothes from yesterday.
'Right, I should ask for a pair of new clothes and lead me to a shower after eating.' I glared dead at the robot's back after departing, before letting my mind finally at ease without their optics on me, I took the chance to glance down at my food and began to eat.
Time skip~Lunchtime...
While drawing a comic, I listened to MTV, enjoying a mix of unfamiliar songs and familiar hits like Tik Tok, Bad Romance, Just the Way You Are, Mr. Saxobeat, Right Round, California Girls, Stereo Love, and Rude Boy.
I swear, I could go on and on singing them like it was my mantra.
However, my peace didn't last long when Ultron bot 5 happened to show up at my cell, "//Dr. Pym will be bringing in a new prisoner," It announced, oblivious to my inner annoyance: "He will be available for consultation soon.//"
"Fine," I said, forcing a smile, "Now, please leave."
It nods and leaves.
With a sigh of relief, I continue to distract myself by taking a break from drawing, and change the channel to the news, where it shows the incident earlier:
"𝘽𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎! 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙙'𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙤𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙒𝙖𝙨𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙣𝙩-𝙢𝙖𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙮."
Leaning back with a satisfied smile, I muttered, "Took them long enough," then switched the channel back to MTV, and resumed drawing when I heard the doors slide open that it caught my attention.
I stood up to see if Whirlwind would appear, and as in the comics, he did, clearly enraged. I leaned closer to the electric exit door when I was suddenly electrocuted. The shock sent me stumbling back against my bed, where I groaned, anticipating a bruise.
"Oh, okay, I should have used the wall instead," I comment.
Finally, Two Ultron bots restrained a green-armored man whose helmet revealed only his blue eyes. They paraded him past a line of villains such as Mad Thinker, Grey Gargoyle drinking his tea, Mandrill, Constrictor, King Cobra, Griffin, and Red Ghost.
Each of them was in their respective cells, including me, which is where he reached Armin Zola's and Grey Gargoyle's. "Oh? You've got to be kidding me!" Whirlwind exclaimed in annoyance, observing the prisoner through his camera lens while engrossed in a video game.
Annoyed, he turned away, huffing.
"Well, now you've got me curious. I can't believe you're all sitting down for this. You've got powers, use them!"
I raised an eyebrow, "I don't have powers, and don't worry too much, Whirlwind," I said, grabbing his attention. His shock was evident. "You get used to it."
"And who do you think you are?" he questioned.
I shrugged, smiling innocently. "Just a girl who doesn't give anyone the privilege of knowing where I come from."
This was enough to rattle him up a bit, but the best part was coming till the last, "Vous êtes un idiot. (You are an idiot)" A male French accent spoke up, gravelly, "You don't know anything. You don't even know where you are, do you?~"
"Oui! On est toujours à New York!!" I proudly stated in French.
Now, I felt everyone's eyes turned to me in shock of disbelief.
"What? I watch the French TV shows." Grey French man next to me, paused mid-sip of his tea at my confession, a stony eyebrow raised in interest: "Your French is not bad, petite femme." "Aw, merci, monsieur." I beamed happily.
Whirlwind, still glowering, was now pissed.
"ARGHHHHH!!!!!!!!"
He yells angrily, causing havoc around the Big House, and I immediately took a chair to watch the scene unfold before me while I ate some popcorn, with a small grin crossing over my lips, I continued to watch how the Ultron bots were trying to control him.
To their dismay, they were failing.
"//Warning, prisoner: Conan, David." Ultron bot 1 starts, "This behavior is unacceptable. Perhaps you would like to talk about this.//"
I sarcastically roll my eyes, "Sure, keep dreaming, bot." I said, grinning like a Cheshire cat as Whirlwind used his powers to swiftly destroy their syntheoid bodies: "SHUT UP!" Out of breath, he triumphantly stares at the prisoner next to me, while the rest of the prisoners just stay quiet.
"See? It's not that hard, you—"
All of a sudden, on cue, a loud, slow break-in came into view, my eyes widened at the largest black-gloved finger that just stomped him right on the armored chest without any remorse.
Whirlwind groans in pain before he meets the one person I knew could turn large, and that is— "You really shouldn't insult the syntheoids, Mr. Cannon." Said Ant-Man. I glanced with whatever I could to catch a glimpse of him and his girlfriend: "They're just doing their job."
'OMG, THEY LOOK SO COOL IN PERSON!' I squealed in thought before hearing Wasp greeting him, "Hey, spin cycle, miss me?" She waves down at him, whereas I gasp in amazement at her iconic suit and quietly squealed.
But it ended real quick when I heard, "Dr. Pym." Knowing who it was, I prepared to listen to his lines as if from the TV show. "SHIELD thanks you for lending a hand in taking Whirlwind down." "Uh, well, I--" Hank's girlfriend interrupted him, nudging his leg with her hip to correct him.
I glance a bit to notice his reaction at how quickly he rephrased himself, "Well, actually, it was Jan who took him down."
Of course, Nick Fury seemed to notice it and chuckled: "Maybe you should come work for me, Ms. Van Dyne." Turning away to walk away while saying, "The Wasp, agent of SHIELD."
"I like it." Wasp happily grinned.
Only for Hank to whisper, "No."
"That was super cool!" My exclamation interrupted them, drawing their attention to me in their cells. I froze, realizing I'd fangirled at the worst possible moment, too late to stop myself. Both stood over, with faces written in shock and disbelief.
My cheeks burned as I realized what I'd just done.
'Oh no. Oh no, no, no—I just outed myself as a fangirl in front of the Wasp and Ant-Man. In prison.'
Hank Pym—Ant-Man—blinked down at me, putting on his helmet, he uses the special lenses to narrow slightly whereas beside him, Janet van Dyne—the Wasp—cocked her head, her wings fluttering in surprise.
"Wait a minute..." Janet shrinks down and floats closer to find my voice, and sure enough, the minute she caught me in the cell, I swear I could her the sharp edge voice of recognition in her. "I know you!"
My face clearly expressing confusion at her words, and I tilted my head, 'Huh? How? I don't even think my doppelganger's memories have caught sight of you or your boyfriend.' Hank frowned. "Jan? What is it?"
Janet pointed, indignation replacing shock.
"She was on the news! The girl who went missing after the orphanage fire! They said only the children survived. She was presumed dead!"
*Flashbacks of missing posters of her, later, it changes as the thought of being paid for volunteering for the CUBE experiments project flooded Mia's mind, without hesitation. It ends there.*
'Ohhhhh.' I widened my eyes, turning away, feigning deep thought, 'The *real* Mia Lightwood suspected the orphanage's fake concern, which is why she joined S.H.I.E.L.D.'s gamma projects...'
Panic flickered as my eyes darted around the cell.
"Oh boy..." I mumbled, avoiding eye contact.
Hank's gaze darkened. "She's a civilian," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "What is she doing in a supervillain holding facility?"
I opened my mouth, then hesitated. 'What could I say? "Oh, I destroyed classified S.H.I.E.L.D. experiment DNA samples, and Fury gave me a choice of which prison I could go to." That wouldn't go over well.'
Before I could even attempt an answer, Nick Fury comes back, and interrupts the couple's worry over me.
"Pym. Van Dyne." His single eye flicked between them, then landed on me. "You're both authorized to interact with this prisoner later, but I would like you both to come with me so I can show you the tour."
Janet whirled on him, her fists clenched: "Prisoner?! Fury, she's a kid! She shouldn't be in here with—" She gestured wildly at the surrounding villains, including a smirking Grey Gargoyle and a now-conscious Whirlwind.
Not wanting to correct her that I was an adult, I kept silent and listened.
Fury didn't flinch.
"This is a classified matter THAT I will discuss on the tour."
Hank stepped forward, "Classified or not, this is a breach of protocol. Civilians don't belong in the Big House." "She's not a civilian." Fury's tone left no room for argument: "She's a high-risk asset."
'High-risk asset?!' I almost laughed but pretended to be riled up about the words, and glared up at the ceiling where I'm pretty sure Nick Fury was watching me through his one eye: 'Excuse me?! Where did you come up with that, I wonder?'
Janet's wings buzzed angrily.
"You can't just lock people up without explanation!"
"I can, and I did." Fury's glare could've melted steel: "Now, unless you want to join her, I suggest you drop it." The threat hung in the air. Hank and Janet exchanged a look—frustration, worry, but also resignation.
They knew better than to push Fury too far.
Still, Janet shot me one last glance—sympathetic, almost guilty—before whispering, "We'll figure this out."
Then, with one final glare at Fury, she and Hank turned and left to talk with him at the main station of operations of the helicarrier.
The moment they were gone, Fury leaned in and turned to me, "You just made this a lot more complicated, Lightwood." I crossed my arms, refusing to back down. "And whose fault is that? You're the one who gave me a choice, and I chose to be stuck in a prison."
Fury didn't answer.
Instead, he turned to the nearest Ultron bot.
"Double her surveillance."
The bot nodded. "//Understood, Director.//"
As Fury strode away, I slumped back onto my bed, my mind racing.
'Well... that could've gone better.' But then, a slow smirk crept onto my face.'Then again... if Wasp and Ant-Man are questioning Fury about me... that means they care**. And if they care...'
I glanced at the security camera in the corner, my grin widening.
-------
INSIDE THE HELICARRIER...
"Hey, I think I can see my penthouse from here."
"We appreciate the tour, Director." Hank continues, "But I'd like to get a status report on the Big House Facility. I'm a little concerned, frankly. Specifically about the citizen you said 'high-assest risk'."
The mention of Mia being the top topic of both the insect couple, made Nick Fury want to frown but he changes the subject and keeps his composure with a smile: "The Big House is secure, Doctor. Everything is fine."
But Dr. Hank Pym couldn't help but dig deeper into the conversation.
"I created it to help people whose genetics have been altered." He explains further, "They need cures, and criminals need rehabilitation. Not punishment. I can't help but notice that not a single person has been discharged yet."
The director of S.H.I.E.L.D. held a firm smile, as if forced: "This is what SHIELD does. You have to trust us." Noticing and remembering how Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) was the one who took down Whirlwind gave him a way to put the conversation to rest:
"We know what these guys are capable of, but I would much rather talk about the two of you. SHIELD could use a team like you." He tells them, sure enough, his plan to divert the 'Mia topic' being mentioned in the conversation was successful.
Janet instantly brightens up: "You want to recruit us? For real?" She asked excitedly, which gives him the chance to encourage the idea further, "What you've done, Dr. Pym, given yourself and Janet powers—"
Nick Fury was cut off by the scientist's abrupt halt.
"Stop." He raised a hand at him to stop and pointed out, "If you're just interested in having your own superhuman soldiers, the answer is no."
"Look, Antman—"
Hank didn't stop there.
"I agreed to work with SHIELD to help people like Whirlwind, not to do more fighting. I'm not going to make weapons for you. You've already got Tony Stark for that."
Sensing how this could not convince the scientist, Nick Fury did a different tactic, "What's it like living in your own little science world, Pym?" He taunts him, "You guys played hero. Took down Whirlwind. Did you even bother to ask what he stole?"
As he walked away, Janet mumbled an "I did," which Hank acknowledged with a glance over his shoulder. Meanwhile, Nick Fury activated the console, displaying a holographic picture of the antenna-looking weapon.
"A sonic disrupter." He answers for the couple, "Whirlwind was working for this guy." Clicking once more on the console to showcase a holographic picture of a man by the name of, "Klaw." Hank narrowed his eyes at this new information.
Janet can't help but widen her eyes a bit before understanding the situation, as Nick Fury starts explaining to them, "You saw what he did with the small amount of Vibranium he got his hands on. And he's still out there."
"So you two go home and think about how you want to help super-villains have comfier jail cells. Because we'll still be here making the world safer." As soon as the conversation had ended, Janet was the first to say, before leaving, "Sorry" to him.
With that being said, the insect couple went out the door.
"Director Fury," A shield agent called him. Nick Fury moved over to listen to what he had to say, and the agent explained: "We just got back DNA testing on Whirlwind. The power dampeners are having a hard time with him, and now we know why. He's a mutant."
"Double the power on his collar. Then contact the Mutant Response Division." Nick Fury ordered, "Let the MRD's handle mutants."
While the couple was about to leave, Janet was the first one to speak up, "Hank...can we talk?"
"Oh? Sure, what is it?" Hank smiled at her, but the minute he looked at her face, the smile vanished, and he understood what she was about to say, "No. We're not going to join S.H.I.E.L.D."
Janet, feeling shocked by his assumption, shakes her head and tells him: "O-Oh, nonono! That's not—"
"Janet...the answer is no." Hank sighed tiredly, but his girlfriend rolled her eyes in annoyance before getting in his face, which caused him to stop and almost back up, "I wasn't going to talk about that, Hank! I was going to talk about the girl in the cell from earlier."
Realizing her words, he made an "Oh" sound and motioned for her to talk.
Crossing her arms, while feeling agitated about it, Janet started with: "Hank, that girl—Mia—she's not a criminal." She explains, "She's just a kid who got caught up in something. Did you see the way Fury avoided talking about her? That's not right."
Hank adjusted his posture, his expression thoughtful.
"You're right. Fury's hiding something." He went in thought, "And if she's just a civilian, then SHIELD has no right keeping her locked up in the Big House." His jaw tightened, "Especially not with actual supervillains."
Janet nodded firmly. "Exactly. So...what do we do?"
Hank glanced back toward the helicarrier's exit, then at her.
"Fury said we were authorized to interact with her, right?" He smiled, "Then, let's go talk to her ourselves. If she's being held unfairly, we'll get answers—one way or another."
Janet grinned, buzzing excitedly. "Now that's the Hank Pym I know."
With that, the two turned and made their way back toward the Big House, determination in their steps.
BIG HOUSE PRISON
Two shield agents instinctively pointed their weapons at them, but upon recognizing Ant-Man and Wasp, they lowered their weapons while remaining cautious. "We're here to discuss the citizen being kept in the Big House. I want to ask her a few questions."
"Don't worry, it won't take long." With Wasp's cheerful charm, the shield agents look at each other and nod for them to pass, which earned them a "thank you" from them as they shrink down to enter the Big House through the front door, not before locking it.
(Mia's POV):
I was halfway through sketching a rough comic panel of my female speedster superhero taking down an ice man villain when I heard metal footsteps heading my way, and just as I was about to get a ruler to protect myself from the Ultron Bot 5.
Hearing its motionless robotic voice, I grew even more terrified:
"//Her name is Miss Mia Lightwood. She is in cell number #88//."
Confused when it spoke, until I heard a reply from a very familiar person, "Thank you, Ultron Bot 5."
As soon as I heard the metal footstep leaving, I waited to hear more until I got startled, to see the very heroes I'd just gotten their attention earlier.
They were Wasp and Ant-Man: Janet Van Dyne and Hank Pym standing in front of my electric cell.
"Uh... hi?" I said, quickly hiding my ruler behind my back, out of sheer humiliation.
Janet stepped forward, "Hey." Her expression softening, "We wanted to talk to you." "Fury wasn't exactly forthcoming about why you're here." Hank crossed his arms, his gaze fully serious, "Care to explain?"
"I'll answer," I said, my gaze darting to the Ultron Bot 5 behind them. "Only if you move that robot away from me."
Hank looked confused. "Why? He won't hurt you."
Playing on my fear (which wasn't entirely an act), I clutched my ruler, avoiding their eyes.
"I'm afraid of them," I tell him.
Janet frowned, noticing my discomfort. "He's just a security bot, Mia. He won't do anything unless we tell him to." "Still," I insisted, my voice wavering slightly, "please? I... I can't think straight with him staring at me."
Hank and Janet exchanged a look.
He sighed, relenting. "Alright, Ultron Bot 5, patrol the other cells. We'll call you back if we need you." The robot, without a word, turned and lumbered off, its metallic footsteps echoing down the corridor. I visibly relaxed, walking towards my bed and sitting with my legs crossed.
"Okay," Janet said gently, unlocking the cell as the couple entered, "better?"
I nodded, clutching the ruler a little less tightly. "Yeah, thanks. Sorry, I know it's probably silly..." "Not silly at all," Hank said gently, though his expression was still serious. "So, Mia... is it? What exactly are you doing in the Big House?"
I hesitated, chewing on my lip.
'Well, this is it. Do I lie? Do I tell the truth? Or do I just... wing it?'
Taking a deep breath, I met Hank's eyes.
'Yup, I'll just outright tell them, never mention Hawkeye, and lie about my isekai part.'
"Let's just say..." I took a long strand of my hair and began twirling it in one finger, not looking at them, "I chose to involve myself in SHIELD's top-secret experiments, and to be honest, it's... something I'm not at liberty to say."
Feeling the tension in the air around me, I waited for them to speak. Janet stared at me, softly shocked. "What do you mean?"
"What kind of experiments?" Hank asked, curious being the inevitable.
I looked up and answered, "The kind where I get experimented on with gamma radiation at the CUBE prison."
Their eyebrows shot up in unison.
"You what?"
Hank's eyes narrowed, disbelief hardening his voice. "Gamma radiation? At the CUBE? Janet, were you aware of this?" Janet shook her head, aghast. "No! Fury never mentioned gamma experiments, especially not involving a child!"
"I'm twenty-two," I corrected.
She turned to me, her expression a mixture of concern and anger. "Mia, are you saying S.H.I.E.L.D. is experimenting on you with gamma radiation?"
I nodded, fidgeting with the end of my hair.
"Mhm! First, I died, then I came back to life after... IDK a few hours or so."
I casually told them, which caused them to glance at each other in shock before returning back to me as I continued: "Then I managed to escape by sneaking into one of SHIELD's trucks where they had wooden boxes that kept secret weapons of STARK INDUSTRIES, made myself comfortable to sleep until I got to New York."
"Then, after stealing clothes from the clothing store's donation box, barefooted mind you, I later met a sweet old man who asked me to become his roommate, and caregiver, as a way to earn money, and it lasted a few weeks until Nick Fury showed up and offered me two choices."
They both asked in their most serious voices I've ever heard, "What choices?"
(Janet's POV):
"That I either go with him, or go back to the CUBE prison, and the consequences will not... in his words, NOT be negotiable."
Hearing the whole story horrified Hank and me. Tears welled in my eyes, and my boyfriend noticed, turning to wipe them away. "You've must...must've been through so much." I start, "And what Nick Fury did is... this is unacceptable!"
Hank's jaw was clenched, his eyes blazing with anger.
"Unacceptable is an understatement, Janet." He stood up, "This is monstrous. Experimenting on a civilian with gamma radiation, threatening her—" Mia immediately cuts in: "Actually, they offered me money," She points out.
Which makes it worse.
"Offering someone money to do their experiments without my knowledge, what kind of organization is he and the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents even working for?" He turned back to Mia, his voice softening, though the steel in his gaze remained.
"Mia, what kind of effects did this gamma radiation have on you? Are you... Are you experiencing any powers?"
Mia twisted a strand of hair, her expression hesitant, a mix of confusion and curiosity.
"Nothing really," she said, pausing thoughtfully, "I'm not sure if I gained powers or not, so I don't know what else to tell you." Hank nodded, walking up to her. I watched him place a hand on her shoulder.
She tensed, then relaxed, meeting his gaze.
While offering a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, Mia," he gently tells her, I almost feel a rise of jealousy burning within me: "There's always a way to help someone like you. Which is why I'm going to do whatever I can to cure you."
"R-Really?" Mia, looking hopefully at us both.
I nodded happily, wrapping my boyfriend's arm protectively: "Uh-huh! Hank is a well-known scientist in New York!"
"Jan, please." Hank whines, slightly blushing at my actions: "Not now."
"Oh, c'mon, admit it, y'know you love me," I teased playfully, hoping to get a reaction out of him.
My lighthearted jab earned a giggle from Mia, who responded with a smile, a knowing grin dancing mischievously on her lips, as if she knew something we didn't. "I can totally see it," she continued, eyes twinkling with amusement, "I bet you two guys would end up getting married someday."
"HUH?/What?" Hank and I blurted out in unison, the unexpected comment catching us completely off guard.
A wave of heat rushed to our faces, our cheeks burning with embarrassment and perhaps a touch of something else neither of us wanted to acknowledge. "We—" we both started to protest, our voices syncing perfectly, as if we'd rehearsed the denial a thousand times.
"W-We've never seriously considered...anything like that, at least not right now," Hank stammered, the words tumbling out in a rush, a part of me wishing, against all logic and reason, that the denial wasn't entirely true.
The other part of me doubts it'll happen, leaving a cloud of what-ifs hanging between us.
"You should have eloped ages ago," she says, her hand gesturing as if used to blunt honesty. "You haven't even said 'I love you' yet, have you?"
I'd never met anyone as straightforward as Mia.
Hank cleared his throat. "Enough about us." He took a slight tear off her blanket before gently asking her if she could remove her sleeve so he could wrap it around her right arm, whereas he took out a vaccine from his utility belt and prepared her arm.
Mia, caught off guard, joked, "If you're taking my blood, at least use a baby needle."
"Why?" I asked.
She then, answers: "Because my veins are too thin, and I had already experienced large needles leaving me marks like this."
As soon as she removed her sleeve, I was shocked to see her arm riddled with fresh vaccine injection marks and fading bruises; Not only was I in shock, but so was Hank, he looked as if he wanted to end someone right now.
"No problem, I'll make sure you don't get hurt anymore. You can trust us, I promise," Hank reassured her before taking out a small needle, replacing it from the large needle being clipped in as he silently asks her permission if he could do it.
She nods, and he puts it in her forearm, she didn't flinch but did bite her lip, as Hank slowly draws out her blood: "This will be over soon," I comfort her, to which she smiles gently and says, "It's ok, Janet. I don't cry about needles anymore. I'm used to it."
Those words broke my heart.
*Scene changes and JANET and Hank left the Big House to head back to the lab*
"Let's analyze her DNA," Hank retrieved Mia's blood sample from his coat pocket, whereas I had already changed out of my suit into my normal clothes, but he went straight to work. I sighed and was about to walk away when I heard a crash.
I ran to his office to find him frozen, a look of disbelief on his face, "No way...it can't be."
"What is it, Hank?" I asked cautiously, but worried about him.
He showed me the vial, and I gasped in horror, "Is that her...?"
"Yes," Hank confirmed, "The gamma radiation...it seems to have turned her red blood... into blue blood."