Chapter Text
She was stuck in the horde of people. Seriously, nobody moved, they just hung around in little groups to chatter away like gossiping teenagers.
This was supposed to be the future of the world? Max scoffed. They were all hopeless.
She could see Natasha and Maria ahead of her, elbowing their way through the crowd. But Max was short, and when the ranks of humans closed behind her mothers, she was left to play catch up.
She did not like it.
She didn’t like anything about it.
SHIELD academy was too big. Too loud. Perfect if she needed to disappear though. This was the exact right place to lose a tail. Not that any of these hopeless recruits would realize.
Max scoffed again. Idiots.
“I hear the Deputy Director is visiting today.”
Max stopped when she heard a young man whispering, loudly if she might say so, about her mom.
“I heard her kid is coming to the academy.” Another added.
“She doesn’t have a kid.” Someone said, “Besides, she’s only here because she’s planning to overthrow SHIELD. She wants to be the next Director.”
Max almost smacked that one over the head.
“I don’t think she can be Director. I heard she’s not from this world.”
“Duuuuuude! That is awesome! I’ve never seen an alien before. Does she have tentacles?”
The future of SHIELD. They were all fucked.
“I guess. But she probably hides them.”
“Don’t be stupid!” A girl butted in, and Max almost smiled, finally some common sense, “She’s not an alien. She’s a robot.”
The world was doomed.
Just the entire world.
The apocalypse should just happen now. If this group of nonsense-talking young adults was supposed to save them, well, they might as well just drop dead now.
“Max? Max, try to stick with us, yeah?” Natasha suddenly pulled on her arm, “Your mom was about to call the helicarrier to search for you.”
“Sorry, I was just… listening in on some conversations.” Max grinned sheepishly, allowing her mama to pull her along.
“Old habits die hard.” Natasha mused, and Max could see the hint of pride in her eyes, “What did you learn?”
“Learn?” Mom butted in, “This is the first day, they’re not going to learn anything yet, right?”
Maria was too worried for her own good. She didn’t want Max at SHIELD or just plain outside. She understood her mom’s worry, but still, it was a little overbearing.
“Heard some rumors.” Max shrugged, “Apparently, you’re half alien, half cyborg, completely terrifying.”
Maria smirked, “Well, at least they got one thing right.”
“And which one is that?” Natasha teased.
“You’ll never know.”
Natasha and Maria shared a laugh and Max grinned along. Though silently in her head, she disagreed. Of course Maria wasn’t an alien or a robot. But mom was not terrifying. Not in the least.
She was warm and soft and her voice was sweet. And she gave her coffee when Natasha wasn’t paying attention.
Mom ruled.
Mama too.
But mom ruled.
“You excited?” Natasha asked when Maria wasn’t paying attention.
“No. I want to go home.” Max said honestly, “There’s too many people here. Mom doesn’t want me to be here. I know you don’t like it either. I certainly don’t like it. I want to go home.”
Natasha’s hand was warm on her shoulder, and Max found herself craving more contact with her ma.
“Why don’t you like it here?” Natasha asked softly, the spy in her always making sure nobody would listen in on their conversations.
“They can’t teach me anything I don’t know.” Max shrugged, “And I… I’m nervous mama. What if they find out what I did?”
Natasha glanced at Maria, checking if she was still occupied with some teachers who couldn’t resist the opportunity to suck up to the deputy director.
“What if they found out?” Natasha pointed her own question back at her, “What do you think they’ll do?”
“Lock me away.”
Natasha shook her head, “You know they can’t Maxie, Fury gave you full immunity. There’s no consequences for you.”
It wasn’t true though and they both knew it. Sure, there was no active punishment, no cell, nothing like that. But Max felt the consequences of her actions every day, every night. She carried the guilt with her constantly.
Natasha had been woken up by her screams too many times already. Max was free now, but she’d never be able to escape what she did.
“Ma, I just really don’t think I should be here.” Max tried again, “Nobody is going to let me protect the world once they know what I am. I’m not good.”
“They let me do it.” Natasha smirked, “Hell, they asked me to do it. And you know my life isn’t any prettier than yours. You are not your past Max.”
“Everything okay here ladies?” Maria butted her head in, jittery, nervous energy pouring out of her, “We’re ready? Big day, huh? Don’t worry, it’ll be fine, right? You’ll do great.”
“Maria.” Natasha reached out to her wife, “Don’t forget to breath honey.”
“Right, breathing, I can do breathing. No problem-o. See, I’m breathing. I’m fine, you’re fine, the kid is fine.” Maria was almost bouncing of the walls, “Everybody is fine, right? Fine, fine, fine.”
“Mom!” Max chuckled, “Calm down. I got this.”
She purposely ignored the doubtful look Natasha send her. Maria was nervous enough as it was, she didn’t need to know how anxious Max was. Besides, the kid had no doubt Natasha would tell on her as soon as she turned her back.
Mothers just worried too much like that.
“You ready for your speech mom?”
Maria grimaced, “I don’t want to give a speech, I’m not good at speeches. We should have invited Rogers for that.”
“Too bad babe, you’ll have to rally the troops.”
Max scoffed, “And these kids need a lot of rallying.”
“Kids? They are all older than you, little miss.” Natasha teased and Max just stuck her tongue out.
“I’m not that little! I grew half an inch!”
“Did you?” Natasha’s eyes were sparkling, “So you’re what now? One inch tall?”
“Nat, leave her alone.” Maria chastised, “Just because you’re not the shortest for once doesn’t mean you get to tease her. Besides, give it a few months and she’ll be taller than you.”
“Yeah! I’ll be taller!”
Natasha just glared.
“All students requested in the auditorium!” The PA system blared over their heads.
“Well,” Maria sighed, “That’s my cue. I’ll see you guys after the speeches?”
“We’ll be cheering from the front row.” Natasha grinned.
“Oh please don’t cheer ma.”
“Do I embarrass you?”
“You have no idea.”
Natasha lead her through the big doors, her Black Widow glare ensuring they had those promised front row seats.
“Your mom hates speeches.”
“No kidding.”
Natasha shook her head, “Don’t get sassy with me. I was just going to say that you have to tell her she did great after, okay?”
“I thought I wasn’t supposed to go talk to mom after?” Max frowned.
The three of them had agreed that maybe it was better if nobody figured out she was the Commander’s child.
Max thought that maybe people would try and beat her up for it, being the youngest SHIELD student and the boss’s daughter just didn’t scream I got here on my own talents.
Maria and Natasha were just worried that other students might take advantage of their little girl.
“Maybe when we get home then.”
“Yeah, when we get home.”
Just because they agreed it was best, didn’t mean any of them had to like it.
There was a myriad of speeches by professors, students and some other people Max didn’t really listen to.
“And now, we have a very special guest with us. Please welcome Deputy Director of SHIELD, Commander Maria Hill.”
“Romanoff-Hill.” They both grumbled, but they clapped the loudest when Maria took the stage.
“Good morning to you all, agents, faculty, recruits. It’s a pleasure to be here.” Maria’s voice was a little shaky with nerves, but Max was certain she and Natasha were the only ones who realized.
“Today I would like to welcome you all, not just to SHIELD academy, but to SHIELD as a whole.” Maria didn’t really look at the two of them as she spoke, but Max was in awe of her mommy anyway, “You were all the best of the best of our applicants, and Director Fury and I have full faith that you will succeed at the academy and that you will turn into very fine agents.”
There was some mild applause when she paused.
“But that is the future, and today I would like to talk to you all about the past.” Maria paused, “You see, you aren’t here because you were the fastest in track or the strongest in gym. You were selected on your experiences as well. Some people say that our past haunts us. That bad experiences turn you into a bad person.”
Max felt a moment of dread when she realized Maria had maybe overheard her conversation with Natasha, but her mama placed a soft hand on her knee, anchoring her to her seat.
“I don’t believe this is true. I believe our past forms us, in ways we cannot fathom. I believe that the ones who think they maybe don’t belong here, who can’t believe that there is some good left inside, I believe that those people do not turn into our supervillains and bad guys. They turn out to be the most compassionate agents, capable of showing mercy where they haven’t known any.”
“That is what I want you all to learn here.” Maria continued, “Because SHIELD does not stand for fighting. We do not fight the villains, that is not our core value. SHIELD stands for protection. Protection of those who need it most. Don’t let your past define you, but use it to let it form you into a better agent, a better human. Thank you very much.”
The students applauded their Commander loudly.
“We don’t deserve her.” Natasha whispered through the noise.
“We really don’t.”
Max and Natasha kept their distance from Maria afterwards, when the Commander was shaking the necessary hands. They still followed her like the trained assassins they were, but nobody even realized their presence.
They were awesome like that.
“You guys done playing guard dog?” Maria quirked an eyebrow in their direction, “I’d like to head home. We did say we were going to put together that crib today.”