Of Authors and their lack of ability to write titles
Nat took the stairs three at a time.
She leapt up the final 5, landing on the linoleum floor of the hospital and barging her way through the doors.
She finally slowed when she reached Ava’s door, taking a deep breath before sliding silently into the room.
She stilled the air around her, muffling all sound from both her and the door, and stood there, watching.
She’d been the furthest away from the hospital, and so had been the last to arrive, when they’d gotten the call from Elena that Ava was awake.
Standing there now, her heart leapt into her mouth.
Her маленький. ((Little one)). Awake, alert… alive.
Dropping her enchantment, Nat took an audible step, alerting the others to her presence.
Ava was propped up in bed, pale face matching her hair, which was haloed around her head.
Sitting up, her frailness was evident, she had always been thin, but now she was practically skeletal, cheekbones protruding from her face in a way that made Nat’s heart ache.
And her eyes. Heavy with grief, and pain and numbness.
Eyes that were more suited to a prisoner of war than an 11 year old.
But she was awake, which was the most important thing, and alive.
Sitting on chairs either side of the bed, were Elena and Clint.
Fury and Phil had been in the middle of a meeting with the English Division and wouldn’t be back until the following week.
“Hiya маленький,”
Ava’s lips tugged up slightly, her eyes brightening.
“Hiya тетя Таша.” ((Aunt Tasha))
Her voice was a cracked whisper, scratchy from disuse.
“Heard you’ve stopped lazing around finally,” Nat teased, “If you wanted to get out of training you should’ve just said.”
“And you would’ve let me quit?”
Nat chuckled, sitting on the edge of the girl’s bed and ruffling her hair.
“No chance,” she whispered, as Ava leaned forwards slightly to grab her.
The assassin's arm slid round her waist, easily encircling her in a way she hadn’t since Ava was small. She was light, far too light, and delicate in a way she’d never been before. Ever since Ava had discovered the training rooms, she’d always been strong, muscles and calluses built through years of exercise and training.
They were gone now, wasted away by a year of inactivity.
Nat blinked back her tears. She couldn’t set off now.
“Cooper’s coming up this weekend with Laura and Lila,” said Clint, changing the subject rapidly. He’d always been able to read Nat like no other, and could see she was on the edge.
“He wanted to come straight away, but Laura managed to whittle him down to waiting a few days.”
Nat chuckled gently, “Sounds like Coop.”
“You know,” said Elena, stroking Ava’s hair, “Cooper actually applied to a school here -”
“Midtown.” finished Ava. “A STEM school.”
The adults in the room blinked, shock on their faces.
“O’, “ began Clint, “How did you - “
“He told me,” shrugged the girl.
“Do you… do you remember it all? Everything that happened while you were…”
“Not everything. Just… snippets. Voices. Mainly Cooper, with the CD’s he sent, but I remember some other stuff as well. You guys came pretty often.”
“Do you remember what we spoke about?”
“Not really, it’s kinda… blurry. I remember stuff about the Avengers, something about Mexico and Project Pegasaus. By the way, it’s really not a good idea to spill classified information in a public space. Grandpa Nick wouldn’t be happy.”
She tilted her head and curled her lips up in a trademark smirk.
Nat’s heart constricted tighter. She was trying. Trying so hard to be herself, the mischievous elfin girl they’d known. But Nat could tell.
Could see the pain, hidden under layers of sarcasm and wit. Could see how close Ava was to breaking, and that if she didn’t pretend, if she didn’t wear her mask, she would crumble. Forever.
So they played along. Everyone of them pretended that nothing had changed.
Cooper arrived the morning Ava was discharged, with instructions for bed-rest, and the pair of them spent the day lounging in Ava’s bedroom.
Cooper’s recordings had been thorough, and what Ava couldn’t remember he filled in for her.
They spoke about everything - training, weapons, the school Cooper would go to in the Fall. everything except last year.
In between missions and meetings, Nat, Clint and Elena took turns to sit with the girl. Talking, listening to music, reading to her when she was tired, and catching her up on school-work when she wasn’t.
After a week’s confinement, Ava was going stir crazy and begged to be allowed out just for a little bit.
Nat, who was her company for the day, agreed, and the pair wandered down the street, Ava leaning heavily on Nat’s arm.
She could feel her niece’s frustration at her ailing body. At the legs that betrayed her, the arms that couldn’t lift so much as a heavy book. More than that, she hated the looks people gave her. The pity, at the tiny, pale girl.
Nat had planned their walk carefully, and after half an hour, when she could see Ava was flagging, she suggested lunch.
The girl, clearly relieved at the idea of a break, accepted eagerly, and half-collapsed into a seat at a little cafe Hill had recommended the week before.
The pair were well into their gossip session, Nat catching her up the weekly office drama, when the waitress tottered over on her high heels.
“Hi folks, I’m Cindy and I’ll be your server - Oh honeybunch! Are you okay?”
Where Ava would’ve once bristled and glared, she now ducked back into her coat, face flushing with embarrassment and anger.
Nat smiled cooly, “She’s fine, thanks. Now, can we have - “
The blonde glared at the redhead, turning to Ava, “Oh honey, you look like you haven’t eaten in a month! You poor lamb. What can I get you?”
“Two glasses of water please, and two plain chicken chargrills, with chips please.”
“No wonder she’s so small,” she said snootily, “That’s no kind of meal for a child! How does a milkshake and a burger sound, sweetie.” she simpered the last part at Ava.
“No thank you.” whispered Ava, “I want the chicken please.”
“But - “ the woman’s protestations were cut off by a death glare from Nat. She went pale under her fake tan, and tottered off again, jotting the orders down on a pad.
“I hate this.” muttered Ava, “Why can’t people mind their own business? I feel like enough of a freak already.”
“I know маленький. ((Little one)),” Nat wrapped an arm around the girl leaning against her, “It won’t be forever. You’re strong, just give it a little time.”
“But I don’t want to wait, I want to be better now. If only we can stop having to deal with annoying waitresses. And I can actually drink milkshakes again. Doctors are stupid”
Nat chuckled softly, “A debatable point, but in this case they're probably right.”
Ava sighed and tucked her hand under her chin, “Moot point. Anyway, you were telling me about the helicarrier thing.”
And they began again.
o0o0o0o0
45 minutes later, well-fed and tucked arm in arm, they began the walk back to the house.
Ava was quiet, contemplative, and Nat let her be. If she wanted to tell her, she would.
They had reached the house and had just opened the apartment, when Ava stopped.
“He’s gone, you know” she said, nonchalantly, as if she wasn’t breaking the taboo that they’d held since she’d awakened.
Nat turned to look at her, a mask of blankness carefully adorned.
“Who is?”
Ava walked on again, and for a moment, Nat thought she wouldn’t answer.
But just as she turned the corner, a single word slipped her lips.
“Loki.”
And then she was gone.
---------------------
4 days later
Clint perched on the platform, dangling his legs over the side. From up here he had a full view of the facility, not an eyeroll or nosepick passed him by.
A commotion at the entrance, and a trio of familiar figures approached.
Clint watched as Nick approached Selvig, engaging him in conversation. As Selvig presumably explained what had been going on, the lines between the Director’s brow furrowed.
There was a sudden crackle in his headpiece.
“Agent Barton, report.”
Clint sighed and stretched, before rappelling down off the walkway and landing neatly in front of Fury, who started walking away from prying ears.
“I gave you this detail so you could keep a close eye on things.”
Clint almost rolled his eyes. Nick was such a drama queen when it came to ascertaining his Director-ness.
Maintaining a professional facade, he replied,
“Well, I see better from a distance.”
Nick knew this, of course. Clint had been working for SHIELD for over a decade now, having been hand-picked by Nick himself. This banter was merely for show at this point, a demonstration to the other agents in the room.
“Are you seeing anything that might set this thing off?”
Coded, of course. Regarding both the environment, and the loyalty of their agents. Moles were like fleas in an agency - attaching to the main body, leaching information and data, and almost impossible to purge. Take one down, another would replace it.
Before he could reply, another voice cam from across the room.
“Doctor, it's spiking again.”
“No one's come or gone. It's oven is clean. No contacts, no I.M.'s. If there was any tampering, sir, it wasn't at this end.”
This caught Nick’s attention.
“At this end?”
“Yeah, the cube is a doorway to the other end of space, right? The doors open from both sides.”
One of the scientists turned to give him an impressed look. Clint shrugged internally - Nick sure as hell didn’t keep him around for his looks.
Suddenly, a rumble shook through the room, sending everyone off balance. Clint drew his gun, keeping it tucked at his side. Something was happening.
One of the scientists cried out, pointing towards the centre of the room, where the tesseract had begun to flare, waves of light rippling out. It focussed into some kind of beam, which hit the platform in a maelstrom. In a thunder-clap, the storm shot out a burst of energy, reminding Clint of a weapon being fired.
A vortex appeared, in the centre, air whipping around the room. Clint squinted, peering into the light. From beyond the cloud, he could see some sort of… tear, in the world, a gleam of space showing through like bone in a wound.
He raised his weapon, ready to fire at whatever approached, when a gust of blue energy burst through the room, throwing them down. Silence.
Then, from the swirl of mist, a familiar figure knelt, one Clint had not seen for a long time. One that chilled his heart to the core.
A manic grin stretched across his face, which was pallid and sickly, sweat beading up even in the chill. His eyes held the glint of madness within, his hands a glowing sceptre. He stood, slowly, with the grace of a predator, and for the first time in a year, Loki locked eyes with Clint.
“What the fuck “
------------------------------------
Silence reigned.
The majority of agents, and a fair percentage of the scientists as well, were intimately familiar with the figure in front of them. Loki had spent enough time in headquarters to have made quite the impression, and those who hadn’t met him in person had heard enough from their colleagues.
The guards that had been approaching the platform halted, looking back at Fury to assess their next move.
“Loki. Long time, no see. Mind putting down the spear?”
Loki cocked his head, confusion swirling his eyes.
His eyes.
Oh god.
“The eyes,” whispered Clint, barely moving his lips.
“I see them,” muttered Nick back, “That’s not Loki, is it.”
“Who are you to address me, mortal?”
Definitely not Loki.
“Director Fury. As you should know, agent.”
He laughed, with an edge of madness.
“You must be mistaken. I am no ones ‘agent’, certainly not yours.”
“Really? Because I’ve known you for 11 years now, and I’m pretty sure I’m not senile yet.”
As he spoke, Nick was getting steadily closer to the unstable god, Clint shadowing his feet.
Loki's face twisted in confusion, he shook his head slightly, as if trying to shake something off. Suddenly, his mouth twisted, eyes flaring and he thrust the spear out, a bolt of energy shooting from the tip.
Clint tackled Nick, both of them narrowly missing being hit.
The guard opened fire, training taking precedence over their confusion in regard to their enemy. Loki shrugged the bullets off,leaping up onto the platform, and knocking them over with energy blasts. They fell like bowling pins, unable to defend themselves against the attack.
Clint regained his feet, rolling up, as Loki paused in his attack. He brought a hand up, switching his gun for a taser, hoping to subdue his friend before he caused any more damage.
As he raised his hand, however, Loki grabbed it, twisting until he dropped the weapon.
“You have heart.” murmured the god, almost gentle in his violence.
“Loki,” said Clint, “You don’t have to do this, we can-”
Clint was cut off by a horrific pressure on his chest. It spread through his lungs, pressing down on him, crushing his bones, squeezing his lungs shut. He opened his mouth to scream, then…
Blue.
The blue shot through his system, trailing lazy tendrils around his mind. The world was still, and quiet and calm. He relaxed, eyes alighting on his commander.
Loki continued to release more of his fellow operatives, bringing them the peace Clint felt now in his mind. A sense of purpose, of duty, where before he’d been lost in his own freewill.
“Please don’t, I still need that.”
Clint turned to see Director Fury attempt to leave the room.
He turned to look at them, defiance still in his eyes.
“This doesn't have to get any messier.”
“ Of course it does. I've come too far for anything else. I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose.”
Selvig spoke up from here he’d been cowering in a corner, hiding behind a table. “Loki? Brother of Thor?”
Loki’s face twisted in a sneer, as Fury continued.
“We have never had a quarrel with you, Loki, and you’ve never had one with us. We can still solve this peacefully. We can help you, whatever has happened.”
“No quarrel? An ant has no quarrel with a boot.”
“Pretty metaphor, not sure I’m a fan of the implications of that. “
“I bring you no pain, only freedom.”
“Freedom? This doesn't look much like freedom to me.”
He didn't understand, thought Clint dimly. Didn’t realise the freedom Loki was offering.
“I offer you freedom from freedom itself. Once you accept that, in your heart…”
Loki spun suddenly, and blasted Selvig, the man having uncrouched from behind the desk. Foolish, but brave.
“You will know peace.”
“ Yeah, you say peace, I kind of think you mean the other thing.“
Suddenly, Clint became aware of a pressure above them.
“Sir, Director Fury is stalling. This place is about to blow. Drop a hundred feet of rock on us. He means to bury us”
“Like the Pharaohs of Old.”
“ He's right. The portal is collapsing in on itself. You got maybe two minutes before this goes critical.
“Well then, “ said Loki, looking at Clint. He understood what he had to do. Without hesitation, he raised his gun and fired. Fury collapsed to the floor.
He grabbed the briefcase, falling into step beside the god, with the SHIELD personnel following.
They emerged into the night out of the tunnel, walking up to Agent Hill.
Her face showed blank shock.
“...Loki? Oh my God. Where the hell have you been? We’ve all been worried sick. Ava said… Clint? What’s going on?”
“We don’t have time. We need the jeeps, I’ll explain later.”
Hill nodded, still looking at Loki.
“Have you told Elena? Or Nat?”
Clint swung into the truck, ignoring the woman as he started the engine. Ust as he was about to drive away, her comm buzzed.
“Hill? Do you copy? Loki and Barton are compromised. Repeat -”
Even as the agent pulled the trigger, Clint was already on his way out, firing as he went. Pursuit was fast after him, but he could take them.
“Hold on.” he called to the god sitting in the back of the bed.
It was gonna be rough.
----------------------------------
The Quinjet landed silently on the hangar on the Helicarrier, gliding smoothly down the runway. As Nat watched, a pair of familiar figures disembarked, Phil first, then the bulky frame of Steve Rogers.
“Agent Romanov,” greeted Phil, gesturing to the redhead, before pointing back at Steve, “Captain Rogers.”
“Ma’am.” greeted Steve, ever the 40’s gentleman.
“Hi,” said Nat, before looking at Phil, “They need you on the bridge, they’re starting the face-trace.”
“See you there.” Phil walked away, leaving the pair together. Nat led Steve towards the railing.
“It was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice. I thought Coulson was gonna swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?”
“Trading cards?”
“They’re vintage. He’s very proud.”
Nat’s heart tightened a little thinking of them. Phil had been collecting the cards for years, and it was a project Loki had gotten highly into. It wasn’t an uncommon sight to find the pair of them poring over the cards in detail, Loki scouring the internet to find every last card. They’d completed the set shortly before he’d disappeared.
As they continued walking, a second man appeared, awkwardly skirting around the bustling agents.
“Dr Banner,” greeted Steve, reaching down to shake the doctor’s hand.
“Oh, yeah. Hi. They told me you’d be coming”
“Word is you can find the cube.”
“Is that the only word on me?”
“Only word I care about.”
A strange expression flashed in Banner’s eyes, a mix of suspicion, sadness and a hint of relief. No wonder, thought Nat, it was rare to find someone who didn’t want to either use, control or kill him nowadays.
“It must be strange for you, all this,” mused Banner.
Steve looked across to the trainees and recruits, performing drills in a group.
“Well, this is actually kinda familiar,” He was referring to the war, of course, though Steve didn't exactly have the unusual introduction to the army, he still spent a couple of months in boot camp.
A voice buzzed on her comms.
“Romanoff, we’re heading up. Get the boys in.”
She tapped a code on the earpiece in response, as the mike wouldn’t be attached until they headed out.
“Gentlemen, you might want to take a step inside in a minute. It’s gonna get a little hard to breathe.”
She smiled slightly to herself as they men questioned the nature of the ship. She loved being cryptic. Added to her I’m-a-sneaky-spy look, as Ava had dubbed it. That and all the tight black leather she got to wear.
As the ship ascended into the sky, Nat watched with no little satisfaction as Steve’s mouth literally dropped open, which more than made up for Banner’s minimal reaction.
Opening the door, she led the pair into headquarters, where Nick, Maria and Phil were. Time to get this show on the road.
-------------------
Tony was not annoyed. At all. Of course not. Not like he had any plans for that evening anyway.
Okay, maybe he was slightly annoyed.
Thrusters at full power he zoomed through the night sky, JARVIS navigating him a flight path through the airspaces.
He’d been in the workshop when he’d gotten the call that they’d found Loki, tinkering with the next mark of the suit.
Now, zooming through the frigid air, he kinda wished he was back there. Or that he had more heaters at least.
“Approaching now Sir,” said JARVIS.
“In that case, iImplement Red Carpet protocol please J.”
“Yes Sir.” said JARVIS, sounding slightly resigned.
Faintly, from a distance, the sound of AC/DC burst into life through speakers.
“Agent Romanoff, miss me?” Tony quipped as he shot onto the scene, where Captain America appeared to be being beaten by some dude with reindeer horns. He shot a blast, knocking him down, before landing, and stalking towards the guy with a stalk he may or may not have spent hours practising.
Signalling with his eyes, he displayed just about every weapon he had, fanning them out above his shoulders.
“Make your move Reindeer Games.”
Suddenly the slightly panicked voice of Romanoff came through the speakers.
“Stark. We’re here to bring him in, not execute him.”
Tony almost dropped in shock. He’d never heard Natasha display any emotion beyond cool disinterest, let alone the fear that now tinged her voice. Surely a little blood didn’t faze her? Anyway, ever since Afghanistan, he’d treated killing as a last resort, not his first go-to.
“Little offended you’d suggest that agent, considering your history and all.”
Loki slowly raised his hands, the armour disappearing, a confused look in his eyes. Though Tony wasn’t really sure what was confusing about this situation.
“Good move.”
Captain America turned to him. “Mr Stark.”
“Captain.”