toxin | parker | book two

CHAPTER THREE

[STORMY SEAS AND HOPE]

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Natasha entered the meeting room, where the Avengers - and Mari - sat, waiting. She sat at the head of the table.

"I called this meeting because we're in a number of predicaments, and we need to sort it out."

She looked around the room at her colleagues' and friends' faces. She relaxed her tense shoulders.

"As you all know, Louis is in Maximum Security. However, Mister Zollas is being let out on bail. We either need to take shifts to keep an eye on him, or find more things to stack against him to get him back in, for good."

Mari nodded, as did some of the others.

"Next, Tony and I met with Misses Zollas to discuss Nina's abilities. Misses, originally, damned the idea altogether. She didn't want to risk losing another daughter - justly so. Tony, I haven't told you this part yet, but after Tony left, I gave Misses Zollas my personal information incase it would change her mind only having me to be on Nina's case."

She paused and took down a sip of water, holding them suspended in the air.

"Turns out, Nina really wants to get a handle on her abilities, so much so that Misses Zollas is willing to try training out. Obviously, we would never put Nina in the field, and never intentionally put her in danger. Even if we do, she will be the first to get to safety."

They all agreed.

Mari sat back. She had very, very mixed feelings about her sister in the Avengers' hands. Sure, they'd warmed up to her, especially since they're willing to help her a second time, but she knew how toxic relationships worked by now.

Ebb and Flow.

They were good, comforting, and welcoming. They opened their arms and home.

Then, floating on the calm seas, you get swept away and suddenly you're struggling to keep your head above water, and when everything is pulling you to dark ocean and to the depths below your aimless kicking—

They pull you into their boat again...

Mari didn't want her sister to be swept away as Mari had been, and maybe as Mari will be. She didn't want her sister's high opinion of them to shatter.

And then there was the fact that, my God, Mari was alive. Would she tell Nina? Would she stay in the background?

All these thoughts clashed and battled behind Mari's glasses and between her ears, so much and so loudly that she hadn't noticed the team was beginning to leave the room.

She stood, still in a clutter, and approached Natasha. When it was just the two of them, Mari said very clearly and very strongly:

"I'm beginning to trust you and the Avengers. I'm beginning to open my mind to the possibility that you bring more than just death and destruction. But I swear on my life, my mother's life, my sister's life... if you put Nina in any danger again, I will bring hell to this heaven."