Marked

Marked

Chapter 2—Fallout

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers. They belong to Marvel/Disney.

0800 and Rogers is riding up the elevator to the penthouse at Stark Tower. Tony isn't answering his phone, and he's probably passed out unconscious again. However, Rogers is resolved to drag him out of bed and back to SHIELD headquarters with him if he can find him, except it's Pepper who greets him once he's at the penthouse.

"Tony's not here," Pepper said as Rogers stepped off the elevator. "He flew back to Malibu last night. He said he needed to get away from here for a few days. What's going on?"

"I had something important to tell Tony, but maybe you can let him know," Rogers said. "I had a hell of a surprise last night. Pepper, you might want to sit down."

Pepper did as she was told.

"Fury called me last night," Rogers said. "Coulson is alive."

Pepper blinked. "What?"

"Coulson. He's alive. I saw him last night," Rogers said. "He'd just woken up."

If it were anyone else telling her what she'd just heard, Pepper would've considered it a cruel joke or a dream, but Steve Rogers didn't lie. Not like Fury, obviously. She stood, grabbing her jacket and purse.

"You're taking me to see him. Now," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," Rogers said, offering her his arm.

Twenty minutes later, Rogers is watching Pepper hugging Coulson, tears of joy and relief in her eyes.

"First Tony and now you," Pepper said. "My God, Phil, what were you thinking?"

"Just doing what had to be done," Coulson said, patting Pepper's hand.

"I can't tell Tony about this over the phone," Pepper said.

"Let me do it," Rogers said. "I've been trying. I've only been able to get a hold of Natasha, and she can't come until this afternoon."

"I have a better idea," Pepper said, getting out her cell, speed-dialing Stark, putting the device on speaker phone.

"Hey Pep," Stark said. "What's up?"

"I have someone with me who wants to speak with you," Pepper said.

"Make it quick, Pep. Rhodey and I are working on some armor upgrades," he said.

Pepper held the phone up to Coulson. "Good to hear you're working instead of goofing off," he said in the best agent tone he could muster considering his condition.

"Pep, that is not funny. Did you put Jarvis up to that?"
"Stark, this is Agent Coulson. I'm not as dead as you've been lead to believe," he said.

"Pepper, tell me I'm not hallucinating," Stark said.

"You're not," Pepper said. "Steve is here with me, and Phil is very much alive. He's been in a coma for the past two weeks."

She flinched when she heard the whoop on the other end of the line, Rhodey telling Stark to take his hands off him, and the sound of something breaking.

"Pepper, I'll be back tonight," Stark said, ending the call.

"Have you told the others?" Pepper asked.

"Clint and Bruce are on an op and I'm not sure how to get in touch with Thor," Rogers said.

Then Coulson's nurse was at the door, telling their time was up. Rogers blushed as Pepper kissed the agent, telling him she'd be back later.

Once outside the room and away from Coulson, she grabbed Rogers' arm, stopping him.

"I want to talk to Fury," she said.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Rogers said. "I already, ah, dealt with him last night."

"I still want to talk to him," Pepper said. "Fine. I'll just find him myself."

She took off, heading toward the elevator. Rogers ran to catch up with her, sighing. "Fine. I'll take you to him."

They find the SHIELD director in his office, and Pepper marches in like she owns the place. Fury is watching something on one of the screens on his wall, and turns when he hears them. And Pepper's introduction is something Fury is sure not to forget. She slaps him for all she's worth.

"You bastard," she said. "How could you do that to them?"

"Miss Potts," Fury said. "It had to be done."

"Like hell," she said. "Do anything like that again, and you'll have to answer to me."

Fury watched as she turned on her heel, walking from his office.

"Sir," Rogers said.

Fury nodded, watching him go.

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Later that day, Rogers is also witness to another female finding out the news Coulson is alive. He's sitting in the agent's room while he sleeps, unwilling to leave him alone after he's spent the past two weeks without anyone. He's been unaware, but it doesn't matter. Rogers is not going to let him wake up again without anyone there. Natasha has come and gone, and agrees, so with Pepper, they've worked out a schedule.

Rogers is half-dozing himself when the door opens, and he sees Coulson's nurse trying to remove a short, dark-haired girl.

"OK, Nurse Ratchet, hands off or I'll remove them for you," the girl snapped. "I have permission to be here. Call Fury if you don't believe me."

The nurse let her go, and she stepped into the room, where Coulson was now wide awake and looking sheepish.

"Damn it Phil, you really did it this time," the girl said, sitting down on the edge of his bed, throwing her arms around him, bursting into tears.

Rogers raised an eyebrow in question.

"It's all right," Coulson said.

"No, it's not. Fury is going to hear about this."

"He has, a couple of times already," Coulson said.

"I broke his nose last night," Rogers said. "If that helps. And he got slapped a while ago."

"I'm thinking about removing something more personal," the girl said.

"No offense, but who are you?" Rogers asked.

"Darcy Lewis, Phil's younger sister, well, half-sister," she said. "And you're Steve Rogers, Captain America. Did you sign his cards yet?"

"No," Rogers said.

"You better," Darcy said. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

She kissed her brother on the forehead, then looked back at Rogers. "Watch him for me, will you?"

Rogers nodded, sitting back down.

"She's a firecracker," he said.

Coulson snorted. "You have no idea," he said.

"Think she'll hurt Fury?"

"We'll find out," Coulson said. "I don't think he'll say too much, though. Darcy just joined SHIELD a few weeks ago. She's been in Norway with Jane Foster."

"Thor's dame?" Rogers asked.

"Yes," Coulson said. "Darcy's in training, and will be for quite some time, if she doesn't end up behind bars."

"Fury will be lucky if there's anything left when we're all done with him," Rogers said.

"He did what he thought was right," Coulson said.

"How can you defend him?"

"I've known him almost 20 years," Coulson said. "I trust him."

"Let's not discuss this now," Roger said. "You need to get some rest, all right? I'll be here when you wake up."