Double Agent

Chapter 4

Maura had been at the Tower with the Avengers for a total of three months. She was slowly but surely getting to know everyone and gaining the trust of each of the members. She was still struggling to crack the tough shell of others, but that was to be expected with some.

She had always been very interested in the people around her, even more so in those that stood alone. Being laid up in a hospital bed most of her life, she had little else in which she could excel.

Maura worked hard to learn as much as she could about each individual. Not only to build a relationship with each of them but to learn of each one's weakness. For each one, there was a piece of information that she aimed to find out; the tiniest of details always saved to memory. She trained herself to pick out every little nuance, details about their past, present, and even what they wanted for their future.

Since the first Avenger started coming out of their shadows, Maura worked to get a clearer picture of their original personalities. Who they had been before Hydra or S.H.I.E.L.D., and who they were now; the traits that had molded them.

Tony was a fairly open book. He warmed up to his sister being back and filled her in on all the details of the family she had missed out on. He had been eager to show her his different labs, facilities dedicated to researching and developing more advanced prototypes of things. Tony even introduced her to all the things he built and let her in on his plans for future endeavors. He told her of his wife and daughter, introducing her to Pepper only days after arriving. Maura had agreed to his terms on waiting to meet her niece. He didn't want his little girl to get attached to her aunt, only to have something happen where she needed to leave.

Wanda was easy enough to crack. Their small bond of Hydra past was enough to weasel her way in and get Wanda talking. There wasn't much she needed from her, but if the team saw each other being friendly, Maura hoped it would help her get those that were keeping themselves guarded to open up a bit easier.

Clint had taken some work, but she got his story eventually. Learning his past, his time before S.H.I.E.L.D., and she now knew of his family. It was easy to get a little friendship started from there.

Steve, however, was still very distant. He had opened up a bit, and she was hoping that he would tell her more. Something about him intrigued her. Whether it was the mystery he held, his story as a whole, or the future she saw for him, it was unclear, but there was something.

Thor was by far the easiest to get to open up. Despite his brother's antics, he was still a very trusting being. He told her of his youth in Asgard, growing up as the son of Odin, the fall of Asgard, his father's death, his time traveling the galaxies, even tales from his visits to what he called Midgard.

He told her all he thought was pertinent to know, even divulging some details about his fellow Avengers. She gathered all the emotions and memories he shared and tucked them away to use when she needed them.

The two members that were the most difficult to crack were Natasha and Bucky. Their pasts were the most secretive, at least to most. Hydra knew enough about them that they didn't need much more, but Maura saw them as a true challenge. One that could keep her mind sharp. She didn't mind the extra work at all. They would be the greatest challenge to close the puzzle over the team. She was determined to learn every attribute she could. If she was going to fight them and win, she would need to know what she was up against.

Maura was nothing, if not patient. It was always the subtlest of things that would reveal the most crucial detail. They would slip between words, expressions, subtle tones, or even a moment's hesitation. She could always tell when something was out of character.

As the weeks went on, Maura began to learn each member's weakness.

For Clint, it was his family and Natasha. Easily enough, it was the same for Romanoff; Clint and his family meant the most to her out of everyone.