𝐁𝐀𝐃 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆━︎━︎T. Stark ✓︎

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞

CHAPTER FIVE:
❝︎It's Not My Fault❞︎

THEODORA WAS TRYING NOT TO WORRY. She knew that Eloise could take care of herself. But then again, every person that had ever been taken by HYDRA, never got the chance to take care of themselves before something terrible happened. All the woman could think about was her daughter, what Avery was forced to be put through. She knew the teenager didn't talk to her about it, because she didn't want Theodora to worry, but she had nightmares. Everything that happened to her, she constantly relived every time she went to sleep, yet she always insisted the she was fine.

She was trying to think of a way in which she could convince Tony that Eloise was going to be okay. But she didn't know how to convince him of that fact when she herself wasn't even sure that he was going to be alright. The older woman stood in the Avengers facility, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched the agents train, not noticing her daughter carefully make her way towards her mother.

Avery stood there for a moment, looking at her mother and noticing the worry that was covering her face. Theodora had informed Avery of what happened, how Eloise had suddenly went missing and they assumed that it was HYDRA that had taken her. Avery wanted to comfort her mother, but she didn't know how. All she did know was that she knew exactly what it was that Eloise was about to go through. And knowing that fact, Avery knew that there wasn't a way she could convince her mother that Eloise would be okay, because she wasn't.

Trauma always seemed to follow when one was taken by HYDRA. The angel, Celeste would tell you all about it if she were allowed back on earth. Avery knew the stories, she knew the process, and it was not a fun one. It was something that she would never wish on even the cruelest person alive. HYDRA was awful, it was filled with awful power hungry people that would do anything to get what they wanted, no matter who was hurt in the end.

"Mom?" Avery carefully made her way towards her mother, causing the dark haired woman to turn her head to look at her child, giving her the best smile that she could muster. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just thinking that's all."

Avery nodded, pursing her lips as the two stood there, looking at the training agents before Avery inhaled and then spoke. "It's about Eloise, isn't it? You're worried about her, because of HYDRA." Theodora looked down to the ground. "I wish there was a way that I could comfort you, and let you know that she was going to be okay. But truthfully, she isn't. HYDRA is ruthless. They torture, they cause you nothing but pain, and the treatment is awful. If she's put through anything that I was put through, she's not going to be okay. She's going to be far from it. People change when HYDRA takes them, you should know that."

Theodora looked at her daughter, meeting Avery's eyes. She would never forgive herself for allowing HYDRA to get their hands on her child. That was something that she would always blame herself for, no matter how many times someone tried to convince her it wasn't her fault. Tears glossed over her eyes. "I'm sorry for what they did to you."

"Mom. . ."

"Please don't say it's not my fault, because it is. It really is." She shook her head, clenching her jaw for a moment. "I let them get to you. I wasn't there to protect you, and I'm so sorry. And now they've taken my best friend, and I have no clue where she is, or what to tell Tony. He knows just as much as I do how cruel HYDRA can be, and I don't know how to keep him from spiraling into a panic attack. Eloise was always better at that than I ever was."

"Listen to me." Avery sternly told her mother, grabbing her hand and forcing her to look at her. "We will find her, okay? Maybe we won't find her in time to keep her from being tortured, but we will find her. And we will bring her home. Just like you and dad did for me. So, don't give up on her, alright?"

Theodora smiled down at her daughter. "How did you become so incredibly smart?"

"Well, I sure as hell didn't get it from dad." Avery scoffed, and Theodora managed a small chuckle at this, immediately making the girl smile. "Eloise has an entire family that want her to come home. And we will make sure to bring her back, no matter what version of Eloise stares back at us. Sound like a plan?"

"I feel like the roles should be switched here." Theodora pointed out.

Avery smiled before pulling her mother along with her. "Let's go find Tony, talk to him, and get the others together in order to form a plan and find out where they took her."

Theodora only nodded her head before saying, "Lead the way."