Chapter 2
The reunion with Jane is a bit awkward.
There’s tears (Jane), hugging (both), yelling (Jane), swearing (Jane), pop-tarts (Darcy), happy tears (Jane over the pop-tarts) unnecessary musical interludes (Tony), more yelling (Jane at Tony), more hugging (not you Tony!), explaining (Darcy), more tears (both), self-blaming (Jane), more explaining (Darcy), more swearing (both) and finally some quiet.
“I’m sorry”
“For what Jane? It’s not your fault. We just agreed. Stupid fucking octopus Nazis remember?”
“Yes. But…”
“No buts. It happened, and now we deal. No more to it. Now tell me, how goes the Science!?”
Jane happily starts talking about all the Science! that she’s been working on, gushing about the equipment and genuinely being happy. Darcy agrees and hums and lets her talk. This is good. Not the same as New Mexico, but they will make it work.
She spends the next few days getting to know the labs, reacquaint herself with Jane's research, avoiding the Avengers and trying to find her place.
Dr. Banner spends a few days a week at the labs with Jane, working in perfect silence and harmony. Unless Tony barges in, which happens a lot. Darcy figures it’s her job now to handle him, so she wrangles him out of the lab unless the Science! he needs to tell Bruce or Jane about seems legitimately urgent. Most of the time it’s not.
Darcy makes systems for dealing with all the Science! that’s happening and all the fires and explosions that follows. She sorts through notes scribbled on napkins and wrappers, and puts them in their appropriate folders. She fills out forms, requests and applications, making the people in HR and Finance love her.
She never sees the other Avengers, and after mourning the loss of all the eye candy, she gets on with her work. Their one and only official meeting during the debrief didn't go very well, and she is keen to keep out of the way of people with super powers who don't think much of her. Even if they didn't say anything, Darcy could Feel the Judgement. Hmm, that would be cool to have on a t-shirt...
Just then something near Jane gives a high-pitched shriek, something it is not definitely absolutely not supposed to do. Squaring her shoulders, Darcy yanks Jane out of the way and starts salvaging what she can near the shrieking machine, awaiting it's imminent explosion.
Feel the Judgement indeed.