It had all caught up to him. For a man that had previously had a finger in every pie, an eye in every room, he was spent. There was no fight left, his bones were weary. In a brief pause, he looked at Talos who was reeling with the loss of his family, which left him reflecting on his own losses. Natasha, Maria, Stark. He was in over his head with nowhere left to go. Half-heartedly he wished he’d never left Saber, maybe Hill had been right, he wasn’t prepared for this.
A cacophony of footsteps clattered into the square with them, drawing both Fury and Talos to attention. A dense Skrull army filed in. As they readied their weapons, the old friend shared one last look. This was it. Their last stand. Their opponents charged. Fury let off a few shots, but there was too many of them. Talos cried out on his left hand side and he turned to see him clutching a bloodied shoulder. The enemies were advancing. It was over.
One Skrull took a swing at him, which he dodged, only to fall to his knees when they caught him. He saw the attack coming and in that moment accepted that this was his place. But it never came.
The ground rumbled beneath him and he leant closer to the ground, glancing around to see the Skrulls thrown back away from him. Talos half sat up, trying to make sense of what was happening.
Twisting his body, Nick looked round to see a familiar face disembarking a Quinjet, one stamped with the SHIELD logo on one side.
“New girl?” He asked. “Still causing trouble I see?”
“Sorry Fury, did I not just save your ass?” Daisy fired back, sarcasm dripping from her tone. “Thought you might appreciate some help from some old friends.” She stepped aside to let him get a good look at the small crew disembarking the Quinjet.
A handful of agents he didn’t recognise in full SHIELD tactical gear including one with eyes that glowed. Wouldn’t be the first time he’d encounter someone that possessed similar powers, but he filed it away for later when he saw the two people bringing up the rear of the group.
His heart thudded in his chest when he caught sight of them, stalking towards him, like a mirage his exhausted mind had made up. Like a flashback from the past, Hill offered him a hand to get him off his ass. Coulson took his other one and they both pulled him to his feet.
“Thought you might appreciate a little help boss. If you need us.”
Fury was well aware Coulson had been running around as an LMD for a few years, but seeing him was jarring after so long. But Hill… He refused to let go of her hand.
“I’m alright boss, won’t even scar thanks to Fitzsimmons tech.” She joked, but was caught by the look on Nick’s face. A tear rolled down his cheek before he tugged her into his arms.
He whispered apologies over and over again, that he was sorry that he’d left her in the square, that he’d left her on Earth without his help, that he’d put her in this position for all these years. He apologised for not being there when they lost Natasha, when they’d been put through hell.
She clung to him for the duration of it, letting his words burrow into her heart. They’d been through a hell of a lot. She pulled back in his arms. “Nick, it’s what we signed up to do. I forgive you okay? I forgive you.” Something released in his chest, a tension finally giving, allowing him to breathe. “But we’ve got a job to do right?”
The older man nodded before turning his attention to the movement around them. The Shield agents had spread out, creating a barrier between them and the Skrulls who were reassembled around the edge of the square. His eye caught on the man that was standing chatting to Daisy.
“Is that Daniel Sousa?” His overly loud question caught the attention of the man in question.
Daisy was the one that piped up first. “Coulson didn’t tell you about this? Thought you had eyes everywhere Fury.”
Daniel rolled his eyes fondly at his girlfriend before striding forward and offering his hand.
“It’s good to meet you Sir. I’ve heard a lot about you.” He greeted the previous SHIELD director.
“I’m lucky I can say the same.” Daniel’s face flashed with confusion. “I was trained by Director Carter. She talked about you, used you as an example of an exemplary agent. And friend.”
“She was a wonderful woman, I’m lucky to have known her as long as I did.”
“I need a full debrief on this whole situation at some point.” He pointed between Sousa and Daisy who nodded in agreement. “Good.” Fury turned on his heel, facing Hill and Coulson once again. Just like old times.
“Ready to get back to work?”