Shadows and Secrets (A MCU FanFic)

Chapter 27: Aesthetic

Marjorie's POV

"You have weapons and metal stuff in your bag, right?" Marjorie asked.

"Oh," Sam said. "Yeah, plus all this other stuff Fury gave me. Fake IDs, etc. I totally didn't think about airport security."

Marjorie rolled her eyes. The first mission in months, and Fury paired her with a total noob. "I kinda expected you to be more experienced."

"I mostly do, like, combat missions–" Sam shifted uncomfortably– "not espionage."

Marjorie sighed. It wasn't Sam's fault that he had packed items that might be incriminating on a secret Avenger mission. "It's fine," she said cheerfully, "I got this. Give me your bag."

Marjorie snatched the offending luggage off of his shoulder and strode into the airport, Sam following.

Sam caught up to her, his shadow vapor worried. "How are you gonna get past security?"

"You'll see." Marjorie pushed past the door and started to weave around people. She tried to avoid touching anyone.

Sam was running to catch up with her. "Marjorie," he said, out of breath. "What are you doing?"

"Going on a plane?" she said innocently.

"You can't just walk past security!"

"Sure I can."

Marjorie had reached the end of the line for security, and strode purposely through the metal detector, setting off an awful, high-pitched beeping. Immediately, a security guard stepped in front of her, while the other two guards stopped the preceding of the line.

"Hi," Marjorie said to the flummoxed guard. "I think your metal detector is broken."

Marjorie reached out her shadow vapor and started to push the guard's shadow vapor into a calmer, less spiky, shape.

The guard's scowl faded into a confused frown. "I need to search your bag."

Sam ran up from behind her and started to say something, so Marjorie stepped on his foot.

"Sorry," Marjorie put on an apologetic face. "But I really need to hurry. My flight leaves in, like, three minutes."

She made the guard sympathetic. Marjorie was starting to get a headache from the shadow vapor editing. "I'm sorry," the guard apologized. "But I can't let you through."

Marjorie bit her lip, grateful for her non-threatening, innocent, appearance as a small, little girl. Ha. "Please? I really think that your metal detector is broken. Kind of embarrassing for you," she added, amplifying the twing of embarrassment he felt.

"I would get in serious trouble..." he wavered. Marjorie sensed victory. "Alright, go."

Marjorie beamed and dashed off with a quick "Thanks!" Sam ran after her, very confused.

"How did you do that?" Sam asked once they had rounded the corner.

Marjorie grimaced. Out of all of her powers, she hated shadow vapor manipulation the most. Well... second most. And she really didn't like explaining it to people. They tended not to trust her afterward. The exception being Bucky and Wade.

But she couldn't not explain. "I messed with his shadow vapor a little." A lot. "The effect is wearing off, so we might want to hurry." Mostly true. I let go of his shadow as soon as we walked around the corner. Shadow vapor manipulation was not like normal shadows, which easily responded to her every command. Shadow vapor resisted her, and was not flexible. As soon as she stopped pushing against it, it snapped back, like a rubber band.

Shadow vapor manipulation was meant for very subtle changes; making an emotion more or less significant. It was very difficult to manufacture a whole new emotion that wasn't already there.

"Oh, okay." Sam nodded thoughtfully. Marjorie eyed him from the corner of her vision. He looked fine, and his shadow vapor was relatively calm.

Maybe she had downplayed it enough?

He must not have understood her short explanation. At least not fully realized the implications of what she could do with it.

Her powers were too creepy and unnatural for Sam to take lightly, even with all the weird stuff he dealt with as an Avenger.

~

Marjorie watched as Sam threw himself onto one of the hotel room beds. With a sigh she plopped on the edge of the other. She was exhausted, but she didn't want to risk oversleeping. She needed a solid two hours to prepare for the mission.

Marjorie pulled out her phone. Technically, phones weren't allowed on stealth missions, but Marjorie had absolute confidence in her phone's added security.

She had three new texts. Two of them were from Wade.

Wade
r u busy right now

having a emotional break down

And one from Bucky.

Bucky
I know ur not supposed to have phone but i also know u don't care so text me as soon as u have wifi

Marjorie smiled. Bucky still hadn't figured out how to turn off auto-caps.

She responded to Wade first:

*an

whatsup bro

Wade didn't immediately respond so Marjorie answered Bucky.

have obtained wifi

Bucky
How was the flight

u still can't turn off auto caps can u

Bucky
...

it's in settings

Bucky
...

the flight was good

i found out sam is a fellow swiftie

Bucky
i can't believe i didn't know that

this is much better for the aesthetic

aesthetic is everything

Bucky
sam is a swiftie?

yesss

Bucky
at least you have something in common

gtg nat is doing something

bye ttyl

Marjorie sighed. She missed him, and they had been apart ten hours.

She wished Bucky and her were together on the same mission.

Speaking of, his mission with Nat and Clint should be done by now. Marjorie imagined that they had no trouble—the three could each easily take down a whole building full of enemies soldiers individually.

Especially Bucky. He was so good at combat, Marjorie couldn't even compete. Maybe she should ask him to teach her a few tricks.

Sparing would be different, though, with them dating. Marjorie had never really thought too deeply about it before, but sparing involved quite a lot of touching... She rolled on her side, blushing.