The Fall Of The Phoenix (Marvel/The Avengers)

Prologue - 30% and Rising

And when we first came here
we were cold and we were clear
With no colours in our skin
'Til we let the spectrum in

Say my name
And every colour illuminates
We are shining
And we will never be afraid again

Agent Barton sat at the bar a bottle of light beer in his hand, his one and only drink for the night and he had barely even touched it. The drink was just for show. He wasn’t there for leisure. He was there to work.

Her voice boomed through the speakers as she gripped hold of the mic, the spot light reflecting off her silver sequin halter neck top that left two inches of skin bare between the bottom of the shirt and the top of her black pants that tucked into black combat boots and were held up with a black belt. Long strawberry blonde locks tumbled over her shoulders and ended at her waist. Her hazel eyes and fair complexion were complemented with smoky eye shadow, thick dark lashes, and red lips.

She looked nothing like what he had been told she was. She didn’t look like someone S.H.I.E.L.D would be interested in, but that was her whole play. Facades. It had been a few days since he’d been assigned in Sydney, Australia. He had never gone this far out of his way before for a job, but Fury had said this was a special occasion and that he needed his best.

And when we come back we'll be dressed in black
And you'll scream my name aloud
And we won't eat and we won't sleep
We'll drag bodies from a ground

So say my name
And every colour illuminates
And we are shining
And we'll never be afraid again

Her performance continued. She had been on stage for almost half an hour now and this was her last song.

Her name was Alexis Jane Morgan. Born January 13th… 1924. The agency had been trying to find her since 1951 and had only just recently tracked her to Sydney Australia. She was almost 90 years old, yet didn’t look a day over 21. Barton didn’t know every detail, but apparently in 1945, right after the war had ended, Howard Stark had tried to recreate the serum used on Steve Rogers, only he created something entirely different.

Morgan became the only human being to our knowledge that has the capability of using up to 20% of her brains capacity. In 1951 she had fled the country and hadn’t been heard from since. Until now. S.H.I.E.L.D wasn’t positive that Morgan would exhibit prolonged life and it was believed that she more than likely had died of old age or close to it, but of course they kept looking for surety.

Say my name
We are shining
Say my name
Say my name
And we will never be afraid again.

She finished the song and the audience clapped and cheered before she introduced the next act and walked off stage, heading straight for the bar, and standing right next to the S.H.I.E.L.D Agent.

“Hey, Timmy.” She smiled at the barmen.

“Same as usual, Tara?” He asked her using the fake name she had given everyone.

“What else?” She said back before unexpectedly turning to Clint Barton and smiled, but not in a welcoming way. “Who are you?”

“Connor Brenton.” He replied, using the cover name Fury had given him.

“You’re American. What are you doing here?” She said in a perfected Australian accent.

“Just on a holiday. Why so curious?” He asked back with a flirtatious smile.

“On your own? Not a good way to spend a holiday.” She ignored his question and didn’t return the smile. Agent Barton was an attractive man. He was in his early 30s had light brown hair, blue eyes and had a very toned and well-built body that wasn’t easily concealed. “You’ve been here for five nights in a row now. Sitting at the bar, alone, you only have one light beer to drink each night and you leave the bottle on the bar only ever half empty at best.”