Marvel Iron Age: Lady Deathstrike # 13
New Latveria:
Ngumi had been relocated to New Latveria with Kylie and Kiki Scmidt. The late Silver Sable’s kids. It was two days into the New Year and she already hated it. She discovered that the man backing her, Alan Bryce has been taken into custody, she has two children to take care of now and worst of all she is under house arrest at Carol Danvers old apartment!
<Damn that bitch queen!>Ngumi swore in Japanese. She sat in the middle of the living room, the furniture pushed away as to give her more space.
<Aunty Gumi!> Kiki shrieked from the back room.
<Yes Kikone?>Ngumi answered with a deep sigh.
“Don’t call me that! Come here!” Kiki yelled, her little voice booming through out the apartment.
Ngumi got up and did as the demanding child asked. She made a right at the short hallway and made her way to the girls’ room. They slept on a large bed, much to big for them. Ngumi turned the light on and saw the two silver haired girls huddled next to each other. They were crying.
“Whats all this?” Ngumi asked gently as she crawled in bed next to the girls. The both looked at the former Shield agent and tackled her, latching on to her arms.
“You weren’t here when we woke up!” Kiki sniffled.
“I was in the living room.” Ngumi said, freeing her arms from the girls and putting them around their shoulders. “I’m not going anywhere. Promise.”
She lied in bed with them for a while. She waited until they stopped crying before getting up and taking them out of bed. She set them down in the living room and made her way to the kitchen. “You two watch TV I’ll make something for us to eat.”
“What’s a TV?” Kylie whispered to Kiki.
Ngumi shook her head and went through the cabinets for food. She found instant ramen she was sure was fifty years old covered a fine layer of dust; the refrigerator was also full of booze. <Bitch Queen. > She muttered.
Castle Doom,
A day ago:
Ngumi was brought before Carol Danvers by Commander Holland. She was cuffed and chained from her neck to her ankles and stood before Carol at her throne. Both women glared at each other neither blinking. “Major Takada.” Carol said with a slight growl.
“Colonel.” Ngumi answered.
Danvers looked over to Holland and her face softened. “I see you made quite the show in bringing her here.”
The Queen looked at Ngumi and shot her an icy glare, ”I don’t like games, Ngumi. So I’m just going to cut to it. A week ago an Iron Army General was looking for information about you. Then a few days ago you were found in San Francisco at an Iron Hall.”
“To save the hostages there from a murderous psycho!” Ngumi answered. “Your point?”
“Don’t take offence. I just want to know what you were up to while you were absent. Andwhy that is so interesting to the Iron Army.” Carol said leaning over in her throne.
Ngumi rolled her eyes and sighed, “Honestly?”
“Honestly.” Carol answered with a hard edge to her voice.
“I went to Japan. Painted the town red a little. Got reunited with an old friend. Went to San Francisco and did some singing.” Ngumianswered with a slight smirk growing across her face.
Carol raised and eyebrow, “Alan Bryce you mean? He did report he ran into a former Shield agent while looking into something for me. Did you know he was taken into custody by the Supreme Commander himself?”
Ngumi’s eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped. “I didn’t know.”
“I don’t know that.” Carol said sharply. “This is the second time you’ve run out on Shield. To be perfectly honest I could court marshal you and lock you up in the deepest darkest hole I can find.”
Ngumi wanted to comment out loud about the circumstances of the Wide Awake incident months ago. How she had Ngumi and Holland kill Shield agents in New Latveria or that she knew an attack was about to occur and did nothing. Ngumi said nothing however and let the Carol continue. “But,” Carol sighed and slouched on her throne. “In light of your previous service I will offer you a pardon. There will be conditions however.”
“And those two little girls shouldn’t be without the only family they’ve got.”
Ngumi’s Apartment:
“Girls we’re going grocery shopping!” Ngumi shouted, slamming the refrigerator shut. “So get ready for me please.”
Ngumi looked over into the living room and saw Kiki and Kylie doing as she asked. They had a few cloths that Carol had dropped off for them last night so them getting dressed wasn’t a problem. They were easy they did everything Ngumi asked and they hadn’t complained once since moving here. “What am I doing?” Ngumi exhaled.
Ngumi walked to the back of one of the couches she moved and got down to her knees. She put her head down and closed her eyes. She began to think; what am I doing? These are Leann’s kids! Her babies. Who thought I would be the best choice for them? That’s right; Jess did for some odd reason. I kill people, blow things up and worst of all I get off on it! Terrible idea! I can’t be a mother to them! Leann what would you want me to do? I-I need you.
“Uh, aunty?” She heard Kylie say quietly.
Ngumi looked up and saw both girls dressed up in winter boots jeans and thick winter coats. Ngumi let herself smile at the sight. “Jeeze— that was really fast.”
“We didn’t mean to sneak up on you.” Kiki said in a soft voice.
“You were crying.” Kylie said.
Ngumi touched her face and felt a steady stream of tears come down her face. “Oh!” Ngumi exclaimed as she rubbed her face. She reached up and pulled both girls in to hug them. She squeezed them tight and they held on. “Sorry. I just— you two— your too“ Ngumi couldn’t speak when she tried she just stumbled over her words.
“You miss mommy.” Kylie said.
Ngumi squeezed them both tighter. She finally said, “So much!”
Later:
It was late when Ngumi came back. She took the girls out shopping, they went for lunch and dinner at some of the most expensive places Ngumi could find and now have something to stock the refrigerator and cabinets. All paid for of course by the New Latverian government. “Okay you two get the bath ready and hop in. I’ll be there in a second.” Ngumi said.
“We can wash our self’s aunty Gumi” Kylie said, giving her an I’m too old for that tone.
“And we don’t take baths together anymore.” Kiki added.
Ngumi half paid attention as her attention was divided between them and the kitchen. A chair at the table had been pulled out and the heel of someone’s boot poked out by the corner. “Uh huh. Just go back and take turns or something.” She said dropping the bags and scooting them out of the living room and to the back room.
When she turned around she headed straight for the kitchen. “Holland you’re loud!” She said through her teeth.
“You violated your house arrest.” Holland answered standing next to the fridge.
“Oops.” Ngumi said opening the fridge and taking out a bottle of rum. She popped the cap and chugged it down. It burned a bit to her at first, but then she ceased to care. Wanting to down herself in the bottle if she could.
“You’re done.” Holland ordered grabbing her wrist and snatching the half depleted bottle from Ngumi’s hands.
Ngumi wiped her mouth and slide against the refrigerator door. “Only you.” Ngumi said under her breath. “Only you talk to me like that.”
Holland sat next to her with the bottle in his hand. “Should I be lucky?” He said taking a swig from the bottle. “Doesn’t feel like it.”
“This is all f#$% up. I mean—“ Ngumi sighed. “Leann’s dead. I don’t have the first idea how to raise two little girls. I couldn’t even save my—“
“Don’t.” Holland tried to interrupt.
“Our son.” Ngumi whispered.
Holland took a longer swig from the bottle and closed his eyes. “An asset in Japan reported the Tokyo Iron Hall staged an attack on the Hand. Seemingly out of nowhere. Was that you?”
“I killed her. I know before you say it, yes I know. It was dumb. Revenge is for children who throw temper tantrums.” Ngumi said taking the bottle from Holland and downing a bit of its contents. “I wanted to die. Didn’t.”
“I’m glad.” Holland said looking at Ngumi as if she was a distant memory.
Ngumi looked back at him. Her eyes started to water, her throat was dry and it was hard to swallow. She touched his arm it was hard and muscular. She continued up his shoulder and stopped at his face.
“I just don’t know what to do!” Ngumi’s voice broke and the emotion she held back behind her eyes came rushing forth. She went in to embrace Holland, crashing into him and landing on top of him. She buried her face in the Commander’s chest. Holding herself to him while her cries went muffled.
Holland wrapped her arms around her and held her tight. Augustus Holland knew Ngumi better than anyone. For two hundred years they fought together and brought each other out of the fire only to get to the next battle. “I got no easy answer for you.” Holland said softly, “Only those to girls need a family and you are it.”
Ngumi looked up at the Commander his eyes were gentle and his embrace brought comfort. . He was warm. Hot to the touch it felt like. Ngumi wanted to feel that way to. She pulled herself out of Holland’s grip and brought her face up to meet Holland’s. She could feel her heart pound in her chest like a drum. She felt his; it was beating just as fast.
Holland tried to speak, “Ngumi we shoul—“only to be interrupted by a hard passionate kiss.
Ngumi felt warm. She was on fire! Holland’s hands glided down to her waist. Both of Ngumi’s hands held Holland’s face as she pushed her mouth into Holland’s. Holland backed off and gasped for air before kissing her back. Ngumi pulled at his shirt until she finally got it over his head and off across the floor.
Ngumi couldn’t stop. When she kissed him warmth flooded her body and she didn’t want it to stop. Her hands wondered down Holland’s chest and abs. She attempted to undo Holland’s belt when the Shield Commander grabbed her by the wrists and gasped, “Ngumi I can’t!”
Ngumi swallowed hard. She rolled off Holland and lied on the floor next to him. Her chest heaved up and down rapidly. “R-ight,” She panted. “I’m not wearing my blonde wig and black costume with the lightning bolt on my chest.”
“Not funny.” Holland grunted as he picked himself up off the floor and retrieved his shirt. “I should go.”
Ngumi rolled her eyes and got off the floor. “You’re good at that. I’m sure Carol knows it by now.”
Holland looked back and gave Ngumi a hard glare. Ngumi was unfazed. “I saw how she looked at you yesterday. She misses you.”
Holland said nothing as he put his shirt back on and walked out of the kitchen. If he had anything to say he didn’t share it. “F&$% I think I miss you to.” Ngumi whispered.
To be continued
Log in to comment