The Chronicles of Captain Carter - The First Avenger

15.

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Chapter Fifteen - WARNING: Provoking a God may lead to Defenestration...

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Peggy and Tony were sitting at the command table. Nick Fury stood at the head and Hill was at the side. There was a heavy silence as they mourned Phil Coulson. 

Eventually, Nick worked up the nerve to speak. "These... were in Coulson's jacket. I guess he never did get you to sign them." He threw the trading cards Coulson was well known for collecting onto the glass table, stained with blood. Peggy looked at them, a grim expression as she held one with Steve, genuinely smiling.

He didn't deserve this.

"We're dead in the air here." Fury continued. " Our communications, the location of the cube, Banner, Thor... I got nothing for you. I lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming."

There was a pause, as Fury started to pace.

"Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something riskier. There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, to see if they could become something more. To see if they could work together when we needed them too, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea. In heroes. "

It had become too much for Tony, as he abruptly got up and left the room, leaving only Peggy seated.

"Well, it's an old-fashioned notion."

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Clint breathed heavily as he fought what was left of the sceptre's influence on his mind. Natasha sat next to him, watching. "Clint, you're going to be alright." His arms struggled against the restraints as he groaned in pain. 

"You know that? Is that what you know?" 

Natasha got up and poured him a glass of water. "You gotta level out. It's going to take time."

"You don't understand. have you ever had someone take your brain and play? Pull you out and put something else in? Do you know what it's like to be unmade?" He spoke quietly, the relief trickling in slowly. 

"You know that I do." She replied quietly. He sat up slowly, as if seeing her for the first time. "Why am I back? How'd you get him out?" She smirked. 

"Cognitive recalibration. I hit you really hard on the head. " 

"Thanks... Natasha."

She unbuckled his restraints, releasing him. 

"How many agents did I..." He trailed off, not able to finish the sentence. 

"Don't. Don't do that to yourself, Clint. This is Loki. This is monsters and magic, and nothing we were ever trained for." She reassured him. 

He looked grateful. "Loki, did he get away?" He asked. 

"Yeah. I don't suppose you know where?" She asked. 

He shook his head. "I didn't need to know. I didn't ask. He's gonna make his play soon, though. Today. "

"We gotta stop him." Natasha turned around from where she was standing. 

"Yeah? Who's 'we'?" Clint asked sceptically. 

 "I don't know. Whoever's left."

"Well. If I put an arrow through Loki's eye socket, I'd sleep better I suppose." Clint chuckled slightly. Natasha sat down next to him.