Love in Emerald Eyes have Shadows | Marvel Avengers |

Chapter 2

"What are you doing?"

I turned around to find Maria looking at me.

"Cooking breakfast." I replied.

"It's four in the morning, Eve. It's far too early to be cooking. If I didn't have to go to the office, I wouldn't be up at all." She said.

"Well, I'm awake. And I just saved you a trip to the cafe to grab breakfast." I said, flipping the bacon sizzling in the pan.

"Where'd you even get breakfast from?" She asked, eyeing the spread on the table. "Your fridge was definitely empty last night."

I placed the plate of bacon on the table alongside the toast, waffles and grapes.

Glancing from the food to me, Maria shook her head. "I don't think shops are open this early in the morning."

I rolled my eyes. "Just sit down and have your breakfast." I said, giving her a slight shove in the direction of a chair.

Sighing, she complied, piling a plate with toast and bacon. "Who did you have to threaten to get all these?"

I looked at her in mock-surprise. "Why Maria. To think that you have such a low opinion of me."

She shot me a glare and I smirked. "I have my own charm." I said with a wink.

She threw a piece of toast at me. Laughing, I caught it and ate it.

"I'm dropping by the office first." I told her between mouthfuls of toast. "I want to check if the director has any extra orders or not."

Maria made a face. "I wonder how his temper is today. You're lucky that you get to take a road trip to Wisconsin."

"Hardly a road trip. I'll probably take a Quinjet."

She nodded and the rest of breakfast passed in silence.

When we reached the office, Maria and I parted ways.

"Good luck, Agent Seventeen." She said, her voice all business again.

"Good luck, Agent Hill." I said, echoing her sentiment.

When I went into my office cubicle, I found Ellowyn there depositing yet more files and more reports.

"I'm going to be out today." I informed her. "Deal with everything that needs to be done today please."

"Rarely do you get a mission out." She commented. "Nonetheless, a lot of these are for your eyes only."

"Do they have copies that I can access from my holo-file?"

"I'll request it." She said, pulling out her own holo-file and typing into it. "Reason?"

"Tell them to go ask the director if they want. Put it under 'Classified'."

"Got it. Good luck." She gave me a smile.

I smiled in response, leaving the office in search of the director.

"Director?" I called, knocking on the door.

"Come in." Nick Fury said.

'At least he sounds calm.' I thought. "Director, I'm leaving for Wisconsin in an hour. Is there anything else I should do along the same lines as that?"

Director Fury spun his chair around to face me. "Good that you should ask." He said. "We've got a change of destination."

"Change of destination?" I asked. "Where am I to escort the doctor to now?"

"Helicarrier Two." The director replied. "Helicarrier Three is currently under upgrading work and Helicarrier One still has another month to go."

Suddenly, my mind flashed to a scene. The surroundings were blurry but it seemed to be a room of some kind. Then, I heard voices conversing.

"Humans are stronger than you give them credit for."

Although I couldn't see who the speaker was, there was no mistaking the voice of Director Fury.

"And yet you kneel before me."

This was a new voice. The voice was female and it gave me shivers. The voice spoke volumes about malice. The voice also sounded familiar, as though I had heard the person before. However, I couldn't quite recall it off the top of my head.

"The last time someone tried to take over this world, he ended up losing quite badly." This was Fury again.

I caught a glimpse of Fury standing next to an overturned table in the vision but before I could see who the other speaker was, I was dragged out of the vision.

"Agent Seventeen?"

I blinked. Director Fury sat directly across from me.

"Director?" I said, feeling slightly uncomfortable at having just missed whatever he said.

"I asked if you have decided your mode of transport yet."

"I'll probably take a Quinjet, sir." I replied.

He shook his head. "Take a commercial flight. We don't want to scare the doctor, do we?"

"Yes sir." I knew better than to argue.

"It'll be slower but we have some time." He said.

I nodded in response, not knowing what to say. I had been caught zoning out when speaking to the director, showing great unprofessionalism.

Fury sighed deeply. "Did you sleep well, agent?"

I was shocked. Director Nick Fury asking after an agent's well being? Never had I seen it before.

Before I could reply, he continued. "You zoned out of there just now. That's unprofessional, even if we don't speak of the disastrous consequences if this were in a battle zone."

"I apologize, sir. This will not happen again." I said clearly, knowing mumbling would only invoke his wrath. Nonetheless, my face flared red with uncomfort and embarrassment.

He nodded, accepting my apology. "Make sure it does not happen again. Any other orders will be sent to you via holo-file. Dismissed."

I gave a brief nod and turned to leave. However, I turned my head and blurted out "Sir? How long did I zone out for?"

In my head, I estimated I was seeing and hearing the vision for about a good half a minute, although I heard a lot more than I saw. Half of the time, the vision had been blurry and unclear.

The director frowned. "For about three seconds, why?"

Three seconds? It was obvious that the unknown conversation itself had been much longer than that.

"To reprimand myself, sir." I fabricated an excuse as fast as I could. It was not the best explanation ever, but I wasn't about to tell him that I was hallucinating.

He eyed me speculatively and said "It happens to everyone sometimes. Don't be too harsh on yourself. But don't let it happen again."

I muttered a "Yes, sir." and let myself out of his office. As I closed his door behind me, I recalled the vision and my heart clenched. Whatever that was, it meant bad news.

Pressing my earpiece, it connected straight away to Ellowyn.

"Agent Seventeen?" She responded immediately.

"Get someone to get me a flight ticket to Wisconsin. Commercial flight only. Preferably one that leaves in the next three hours." I ordered.

"Commercial flight? Not the Quinjet?" Her voice was confused, although I knew she would be signaling someone to get my orders done right away.

"Director's orders." I said. "I'm headed to the airport right now. Send me the details to get the ticket there."

I went into the office and picked up the duffel bag that I had packed for the trip.

"Understood. Good luck, ma'am."

"Seventeen out." I said, cutting off the connection. The blasted hallucination would have to wait. I had orders to execute and something in my gut told me that escorting Doctor Banner would not be as simple as it seemed to be.

Swapping out my earpiece for the hearing-aid disguised one, I scanned my badge and left the building. The morning was cold and crisp, showing the beginnings of fall. Behind me, the Triskelion reflected sunlight off its windows, the building standing tall and proud. The Triskelion was S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in Washington D.C. that controlled much of S.H.I.E.L.D. throughout the world.

I hailed a cab and got in. "Airport." I said curtly.

On the trip to the airport, I tried not to fidget out of boredom. I picked at the loose thread on my jeans and pinched at my shirt, my fingers itching to be scrolling through my holo-file. However, with a driver who had no idea where I worked, I couldn't wear my uniform, nor could I read any classified information in front of civilians.

When I reached the airport, I secured my ticket and sait on a bench, waiting. I had two hours before my flight boarded and the airport was not a place I wanted to stay for long. I felt exposed with all the people rushing by me, despite the fact that my face and dress code was unassuming, just another traveler like them.

Pulling out my non-work phone, I messaged Maria.

'He said to take a commercial flight.' I sent.

Three seconds later, she replied. 'I heard.'

'Any way to pass through security? I don't feel like playing the flirting or 'damsel in distress' act right now.'

'You're in luck. We have a temporary agent working at security right now.' She sent back.

'How do I contact him?' I asked.

'Hang on.' She replied.

I frowned at my phone. 'I don't have time to hang on right now. My flight leaves in two hours. I don't think he will like it if I got arrested for bringing guns through the airport.'

'Why did he insist on a commercial flight?' She asked.

'Also, I'm working on contacting the agent. Hang on.' She continued.

'Why on earth do you have a temp agent at the airport right now? None of our agents normally use commercial flights out to missions.' I messaged, bored with all the waiting I had to do.

'Long story.'

'I've got plenty of time.'

'Something about a bomb threat. The rest of the story starts with the letter C.' Came the reply.

'Fine.' As this conversation was not encrypted, nothing classified could be discussed here. That included most of the stuff in S.H.I.E.L.D.. However, all the casual mentions of the guns and bombs were allowed since it usually didn't warrant much notice. Even the non-work phones provided by S.H.I.E.L.D. had far better protection than normal phones.

Two minutes later, I was still waiting for Maria to reply. Absently tapping my fingers on my knee, I surveyed the airport full of people. If a bomb were to really go off here or on a plane, it would be disastrous. The government would go haywire and Department Six, that is Disaster Control and Relief, will have some serious overtime to clear up the mess.

'Instructions. When you take your bag for checking, make sure you find our agent. Blond hair, blue eyes, about five feet tall. She'll be wearing their uniform, but there will be an eagle brooch pinned on her dress. She also has a gold ring on her right index finger. Locate her and she will deal with the rest.'

'Understood.' It was a lot of small details but I knew how to watch for the tiniest of details. I should have no trouble looking for the agent at all.

The rest of the time passed with me thinking about the agent here at the airport. Bomb threat probably meant that the agent was from Department Ten, Threat Determination and Reduction. I would have to devise a way to let the agent know who I was. I had no doubt that the agent knew that an Agent Seventeen would be passing through, but there would be no way for her to match my face with my identity.

Walking to get my bag checked, I scanned the crowd for the agent, the bag in my hand feeling heavy. If I was caught, I highly doubted that Fury would spare the time to bail me out. He probably would tell Maria to do it and Maria had more than enough work on her plate right now, what with covering for Phil Coulson too.

There! Blond hair, blue eyes, eagle pin. That was my lifeline right there. Walking up to her, she glanced at me and said "Good day. May I have your bag please."

I hefted up my bag but before I passed it to her, I asked. "What's the longest flight you've ever been on? Mine's seventeen hours."

I saw her eyes light up as she reached for my bag. Before she took it, she said "Mine's ten hours."

I nodded and she pursed her lips upon opening my bag. Tucked beneath a change of clothes and a book was a loaded pistol and several cases of bullets, not to mention the two throwing knives in the inside pockets.

"Okay. Please step through the metal detector."

I swallowed. I hoped she was smart enough to know that I was going to need her help with yet another bit of deception.

Sure enough, the metal detector beeped. She frowned at me.

"Do you have anything metallic on you?" She asked, glancing surreptitiously at the screen in front of her showing the weapon I had on me. Quickly, she pressed a button and the image disappeared from her screen.

"Yeah. I forgot about this." I said. Pulling out a set of keys, I jangled it and said "Oh and I have a safety pin on my jeans too. Blasted thing was too loose."

She gave a nod and said professionally. "I'm going to have to pat you down then."

I nodded and said cheerfully. "I would take it out, but my pants would fall down and it would be embarrassing wouldn't it?"

She gave a small smile as she worked to pat me down. When she reached my waist, she stiffened ever so imperceptibly before continuing her work.

"Okay you are clear to go." She said.

"Thank you." I said, taking the bag she handed me. She looked at me and mouthed 'good luck'. The corners of my mouth curled upwards and I blinked twice in response.

The flight to Wisconsin was boring. It took about two hours and in that time, I read a book about hand to hand combat. It was the type that you could find in bookstores. Nothing incriminating inside.

When I landed, I pulled out my work phone and looked through Doctor Banner's file. The facility was fairly close so I was going to walk there.

Twenty minutes later, I was standing in front of a receptionist who had a sour face on.

"You do not have clearance to enter this building, ma'am." She said, the use of the word ma'am sounding like mockery.

"I'm not asking to go inside the building." I said impatiently. I had been telling her this for the past five minutes now. "I just want you to call Doctor Banner for me. I want to see him."

"Do you have an appointment?" She asked acidly. "If I recall correctly, you've already told me that you don't have an appointment. No appointment, no visitation."

"I'm not trying to visit him in the office." I said, gritting my teeth in frustration. "I'm an acquaintance. I just want to talk to him for a bit."

"No can do." The receptionist said smugly. "Besides, most of the building is out on lunch break."

There was the sound of talking voices behind me and I whirled around to find Doctor Banner along with another balding man conversing. They walked past me and I hurriedly called out "Doctor Banner."

They both paused and the balding man looked at the doctor. "Are you expecting someone?" He asked mildly.

Doctor Banner looked confused and replied "No." before walking towards the receptionist desk where I was standing.

"Hello Janice." He greeted the receptionist. "Who's this?"

The receptionist, Janice, glared at me. "She said she was your acquaintance. Evidently, she's not. Should I call the guards to throw her off the premises?"

Before either of them could say anything, I cut in. "Doctor Banner, I'm representing our mutual acquaintance to speak with you right now. Is there some place we can talk privately?"

"Mutual acquaintance?" He asked, rumpling his hair.

Doctor Banner was a tired looking man sporting glasses. Dark hair and chocolate brown eyes, he looked like he could do with a good night's sleep.

"Someone who has been keeping an eye out for the Other Guy." I replied.

The doctor heaved a big sigh. "He said I was free to do whatever I wanted." He stated.

"He's also keeping an eye out for you." I said, glancing at Janice the receptionist. "Is there somewhere we can speak privately?"

He hesitated.

"Please, doctor." I said, letting some emotion bleed through my crisp voice.

"Fine." He said with a sigh. "Let's talk outside, shall we?"

He gestured to the doors of the building and turned towards his companion. After a few hurried murmurs, he walked towards the exit, not waiting for me.

"Doctor Banner." I said once we were outside the building in a corner of the street. There was no one around us. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Agent Seventeen."

I held my hand out. He didn't take it. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, I lowered my hand. After staring at me with an unreadable expression on his face, Doctor Banner finally said.

"What does Fury want now?" He demanded.

"Director Fury would like for you to visit a Helicarrier." I replied.

"Why?"

I grimaced slightly. "I'm afraid I have no idea, doctor. The director was rather tight-lipped about this whole thing."

"This whole thing?" The doctor asked.

I gave a slight smile. "I'm afraid it's Avengers Assemble all over again." I said. "Everyone is being recalled, even Barton and Romanoff, both of which were on active missions."

"I think you've got the wrong guy." He said, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"I believe I know who I'm talking to, doctor." I said lightly. "If you are indeed Doctor Bruce Banner, then I believe I am talking to the right person."

"Look." He said, sounding tired. "I'm not going to let the Other Guy out again. Not even if aliens attacked Earth again."

I shuddered involuntarily. "I sincerely hope that whatever happened in New York will not happen again. I do not like the idea of an Asgardian God running rampant on Midgard again."

"Puny god." Banner muttered under his breath.

"I'm sorry, what?" I said.

"Nothing." He hurriedly said. "Look, if Loki's here to terrorize Earth again, Thor and his Asgardian friends can deal with it. Besides, shouldn't Loki be under their custody?"

I winced everytime Loki's name was said. "Doctor, could I advise you to say that name as little as possible? I do not like being reminded of him"

The doctor looked slightly surprised. "I'm sorry. Did you lose someone to the attack?"

I shook my head. "No. I don't have any family to lose, at any rate."

"Oh." He seemed to be at a loss at what to say.

"Doctor, would you come with me to the Helicarrier?" I asked.

He bit his lip. "Are you aware of what I did to the last Helicarrier I was on?"

My lips twitched slightly. "I'm well aware, doctor, considering I was on that Helicarrier at that time."

"Well you should know why I cannot get on another one of those things!" He exclaimed.

"Director's orders, doctor. Besides, Helicarrier One is making great recovery. In another month, it'll be in ship shape." I said cheerily.

The doctor gave a breathy laugh that came out more like a huff. "You and Natasha could not have been any more different."

I raised my eyebrows at that. "Pardon?"

"The last time she convinced me to leave, she was half-threatening me. She also had a whole team of people behind her." He said. "That reminds me. Do you have a team surrounding us now that you should say 'Stand down' to?"

I pursed my lips. "Apparently the director cares less of my wellbeing as compared to Nat's. No, doctor. I don't have a team behind me that I need to order to 'Stand down'. It's just a one man army."

"You're familiar with Natasha?" He asked, surprised.

I gave a small smile. "You're not supposed to know that. But yes, I'm friends with her. Do help me keep this secret though."

He smiled this time. "Okay."

"So, doctor, are you willing to leave with me?" I asked.

"Well, I'm not entirely-" He was cut off by my phone ringing.

Upon recognizing that it was my work phone that rang, I immediately pressed my hearing-aid disguised earpiece and the call connected.

"Seventeen." I said briskly.

"Agent Seventeen." A deep voice said.

"Director Fury." I said, surprise evident in my voice.

Doctor Banner shot me a look which I ignored.

"Change of plans, Agent. You're not returning to Washington."

"Did you move the Helicarrier, sir? I received no news about that."

"No. You're taking Banner to Stark's Tower." He said.

"New York?" I exclaimed.

"Yes, agent. New York. Is there a problem?" Fury's voice sounded sarcastic.

"No sir." I said immediately.

"Good. Take a commercial flight. We're in a time crunch here."

"Sir, if we're tight on time, why are we taking a commercial flight?" I took a risk in asking him.

"Don't question orders, agent. Do you want to lose your job?" He barked.

"No sir." I said hurriedly.

"Good. Fury out."

With that, the connection was cut, leaving me staring at the doctor who was looking at me speculatively.

"Change of destination, doctor." I said grimly. "We're heading to New York instead."

"Any reason why?" The doctor asked.

"I'm afraid not. But it doesn't sound good." My heart clenched again. Whatever was going to happen did not give me good vibes at all.

"New York as in Stark Towers?" He asked.

I gave a tight smile. "You are a shrewd man, doctor. Stark Towers it is. Are you coming?"

He took one look at my face and said "Fine. But I might need to pick up some stuff before I leave."

I nodded. "I'll escort you to your home. Is it far?"

"Yeah, we need a car or a cab." He said. "I'll go tell the others. Wait here."

Before I could say anything, he had already turned away and returned to the building.

I glanced at him before pulling my phone out of my pocket.

Dialing a number, I said "This is Grace. I'm calling in my favor."

When Doctor Banner emerged from the building carrying a black backpack, I was scanning the street impatiently for what I was waiting for.

"Looking for someone?" He asked next to me.

I glanced at him. "He's so damn slow." I muttered. "Ah there it is."

A sleek black Toyota Camry parked right next to the pavement we were standing on. Doctor Banner looked at it with a bit of surprise.

The door to the driver's seat opened to reveal a man wearing a business suit.

"Hello." I said. "That was very slow. Maybe speed it up next time."

"That was only three minutes." The man protested. He had an accent that the doctor could not discern.

"Whatever." I said. "Get in." I told the doctor.

He looked a little puzzled. "Am I getting kidnapped?"

I let out a bark of laughter. "Doctor, if I wanted to kidnap you, I would have done it before you even saw me."

"That's not exactly reassuring." He muttered. Nonetheless, he opened the door to the backseat, throwing his bag in.

Meanwhile, the man in the tuxedo was saying "Mademoiselle Elyna, Monsieur is grateful for the opportunity to repay the debt owed to you. He hopes that you do well in your ventures in the future."

"Ooi." I said. "Tell Monsieur Aubert that I am grateful. Come pick up the car when I turn on the tracker."

"There is no tracker, Mademoiselle Elyna." The man said as though the thought of it was offensive.

The doctor stood by the car watching this exchange with a bit of curiosity.

I sighed. "You know there is."

The man lowered his head and said " Mes excuses, Mademoiselle. There indeed is a tracker connected to mon telephone. I will disconnect it now."

(Mes excuses- my apologies. Mon telephone- my phone)

"I'll switch it back on later. Don't forget to pick it up."

"Monsieur would be more than grateful to gift you the car, Mademoiselle. There is no need to return it." The man said.

I waved it aside. "I'm going to the airport. I can't bring it along with me can I? Count it as a last favor."

"Tres bien. Bonne chance Mademoiselle." The man gave a small bow.

(Very well. Good luck Miss)

I smiled. "Bonne chance aussi pour son entreprise d'art."

(Good luck with his art business too.)

The man smiled and walked off, leaving the doctor and I next to the car.

"Well?" I gave the doctor a sunny smile. "Get in, doctor. I'll need your address."

I threw my bag onto the passenger's seat as the doctor clambered into the seats behind. I started the car and punched in the doctor's address into the navigation system in my phone.

"Your name's Elina?" He asked suddenly.

I glanced at the rearview mirror. "It's a fake name."

"Ah." The doctor said. "How is it spelt?"

"E-L-Y-N-A" I said. "Why are you suddenly so curious with the spelling?"

The doctor shifted uncomfortably. "Well I don't speak French and I was curious."

"I see. Well in that case, Elyna is a derivative from the Greek word Elena which means shining light." I said. "Although normally the English version of this name is Helena."

"That's interesting." The doctor said.

The rest of the trip passed in silence. When we reached the front of his home, I parked the car and said "If you don't mind, doctor, I'll stay here. At any rate, I don't think you'll want me barging into your home."

"Okay." He said. "Although it's not much of a home. It's just a rented room."

"Oh." I said. The files had not specified that he rented the home he stayed in.

While waiting for him, I turned on the radio in the car.

"And where did I go wrong? I lost a friend, Somewhere along in the bitterness, And I would have stayed up with you all night, Had I known how to save a life." I sang. (The Fray - How to Save a Life)

The doctor tapped on the car window and I unlocked the door for him.

"Sorry." I said, once he was settled in the car. "I have a habit of locking the cars. Is that all?"

He only had an extra duffel bag and a backpack with him.

"If I told you this was considered a lot, would you believe me?" He said wryly. "I haven't moved since New York and stuff started piling up a bit so I needed another bag."

I pursed my lips. "Considering your past, I suppose that's not a lot. By haven't moved-" I swiveled around to face him. "Doctor, is that all your possessions?"

He shrugged. "Except for furniture, yes. All the equipment I work with are all in the labs anyway."

I bit my lip, turning back to start the car. "You should learn to relax a bit, doctor. You're not on the run anymore."

The next second, I realized what I had just said. "I'm sorry, doctor. I didn't mean to- I just-"

"It's fine." He said, laughing slightly. "It's a force of habit, living with very little. Just like how you lock your car even if you're in it."

I gave a brief grin. "I suppose so. We'll be heading to the airport now, since I can't drive to the nearest S.H.I.E.L.D. facility and get a Quinjet."

"I'm not certain it's a good idea to put me in a plane with civilians on it."

"I'm surprised you actually agreed to come with me." I commented.

He gestured helplessly. "I didn't exactly have a choice. Besides, your face didn't look good."

"My face?"

"You looked haunted. And stressed. Not the best combination."

"Ah." I didn't know that my face had looked that bad. Immediately after my call with the director, I remembered who the voice in my hallucination belonged to. And I did not like it one whit.

"Well, thank you for coming with me, doctor." I said.

"Let's hope nothing happens." He said with a sigh. "Also, you don't have to call me doctor all the time. Just call me Bruce."

"Technically, I'm at work. It's not common to call my superiors by their name."

"I'm not your superior." He said, looking puzzled.

I chuckled. "But your scientific works surely are superior."

"Well, thanks." He mumbled. "But I still feel uncomfortable with you calling me doctor. Especially when you say it so many times."

"Very well, Bruce." I said, testing the name.

From the rearview mirror, I saw that he gave a sad grin before looking out the window again.

"Ellowyn, I need two tickets to New York, fast." I said.

"Commercial flights again?" She asked over my earpiece.

"Yes. For me and the doctor." I replied.

"Understood. By the way, the director and Agent Hill left not long after you did."

"Left?" I asked, puzzled.

"Left the Triskelion." She clarified.

I felt my stomach tighten. "Why?"

"No idea. Just thought you should know. If both Agent Hill and the director leave, it usually means-"

"Means that there's trouble." I finished. "Okay, thanks Ellowyn. Send me the information for the tickets later."

"Trouble?" Bruce asked from behind.

"I don't know." I said haltingly.

"You're nervous about something." He said, with his eyes closed.

I let out a breath. "You sure do read people well."

He didn't say anything and the silence itself was enough to tell me that there was an unasked question hanging there. However, he didn't ask it aloud in case I was uncomfortable in replying. I appreciated it.

"My gut is telling me that something is very wrong." I said hesitatingly. "Over the years, I've learnt to trust it."

"Let's hope it's nothing." He murmured.

I didn't say anything. I already knew something was very, very wrong.

At the airport, I parked the car and fiddled with the buttons on the dashboard. Finding the correct button, I switched on the tracker.

"Who was that guy?" Bruce asked me.

I grabbed my bag before replying. "I helped Monsieur Aubert several years ago. It wasn't a mission. It was pure chance. I grabbed him from an exploding car. He thinks he's in debt with me. While I didn't know he was ridiculously rich when I saved him, the car did come in handy, didn't it?"

"Good things come to those who do good." Bruce mused.

I gave a sardonic grin. "I'm not exactly sure I'm doing good with this life. But that's a conversation for another time."

"What do you want?" I asked him. We were standing in a queue at a cafe at the airport. It was nearly lunch soon and I decided to grab something before we boarded the flight.

He shrugged. "I'm fine."

I looked at him skeptically. "I'll get you a coffee and a donut then."

"I really don't need it." He protested.

"Don't like donuts? How about a croissant instead?"

"Really." He said. "I don't want anything."

I gave an evil grin. "Too bad, doctor. My treat. Consider it an apology for dragging you onto a plane."

He gave a loud exhale. "I wish you didn't remind me about that."

Two minutes later, we were both seated at a low table in the cafe, a box of donuts and croissants in front of us.

"That's a lot that you got." He pointed out.

"All the more to share." I said. I meant it to come out as cheerful but it came out distractedly.

"Can I ask you something?"

I focused on him. "Hmm? What about?"

"I'm surprised you are wearing jeans and a rather bright t-shirt. I mean, Natasha wears black everywhere. It's literally her uniform." He said. "Don't you guys have to wear uniforms or anything?"

"Not out of office." I said, distracted again. "Besides, black is Nat's color. I prefer something more cheerful."

"I see. So do you get to wear uniforms outside? I've seen Agent Hill wear a uniform when she escorted me here-" He broke off when I reached under the shadow of the table to grip his wrist.

Shooting him a warning look, I picked up my cup of coffee. Just in time.

"Hello, Eve." A deep voice sounded behind me.

I made a show of nearly spilling my coffee.

"Jeez, Nick." I exclaimed. "Do you have to sneak up on me like that?"

Bruce looked stunned. Nick Fury moved to stand next to me, Maria nearby. The director was wearing his usual black overcoat, but Maria had on a casual denim shirt and knee-length leggings.

"Can't come to say goodbye to my sister and her boyfriend?" He said in a joking tone.

Bruce looked flabbergasted. I scooted so that I was nearer to him. "Just play along." I whispered as quietly as I could without moving my lips.

The director sat on a free chair opposite Bruce and Maria sat next to Bruce. I pulled my little stool so that I was closer to the director.

"Do you want some croissants, my dear brother?" I said in a slightly mocking tone. "Last I remember, you were allergic to anything French, including a pretty little golden haired Mademoiselle."

When I picked up the box of croissants, I started tapping my fingers.

'Where?' I tapped in Morse code.

When he took the box, he tapped 'Six.'

Six o'clock. Not good. That would mean somewhere behind us and I couldn't see them.

"Don't talk about that girl." He said with a shudder. "You always have to poke fun at me."

Maria gave a laugh. "You should be grateful that Bruce here took your sister away, no?" She said.

"Yeah." Bruce mumbled, not knowing what to say.

"Good riddance." Fury said. "I can't stand her mocking every day. I can't believe I'm related to anyone like her."

"You're adopted." I grumbled. "Maria, come on. Ditch your husband and go shopping with me before my flight leaves."

My eyes shot warning looks at both Maria and Bruce. The message was clear. 'Leave.'

Bruce immediately grabbed his bags. "That's a good idea." He said, relief a bit too obvious on his face.

I cringed a little inside but said "Come on." I reached out a hand for my bag which thankfully he passed to me.

Dragging Maria with Bruce hot on my heels, I left the cafe with Fury trailing just behind me.

"Turn right." Maria murmured. "And left."

Both times, I complied. Soon we were in a deserted corridor right before the fire exit. There was a door to the janitor's closet some place on the right but other than that, all around us was completely silent and deserted.

"Good spot." I murmured to Maria.

Soon, they rounded the corridor. There were three of them, all wearing nondescript black clothing but holding knives. Judging by the way they stood, I knew they were trained to use those knives very well.

Fury turned to face them. He had been facing us at first.

"Now what do you boys want?" He asked condescendingly.

The three men did not answer. Suddenly, one of them lunged at Fury who was the closest. He dodged and Maria and I both leapt into action.

"Maria, get the cameras." I snapped.

I dodged underneath the slash of another knife before landing a well placed kick at my opponent's chest. The director let out an unfiltered curse as he didn't dodge in time and his overcoat suffered a slight scratch. I immediately leapt on top of his opponent from the back. Before he could react fast enough, I hit him between his shoulder blades hard and he fainted.

Spinning around, I kicked the arm of my other assailant and dodged yet another slash of his knife. Unfortunately for my hair which had been tied in a ponytail, a part of it got sliced off, leaving me with an unplanned trim. I punched him in the jaw hard enough that he staggered backwards, slightly dazed.

Fury had moved to engage the last assailant while Maria was furiously typing into her holo-file, presumably to hack the cameras. I backed away slightly from my assailant who brandished his knife in front of him. Suddenly without warning, his wrist flicked and the knife in his hand went sailing in my direction. My eyes widened fractionally thinking it would hit me. My mind raced for ways to block that blade if it flew towards my midsection or torso. However, my heart froze when I saw the trajectory the knife would take on. It was perfectly positioned to hit the doctor standing slightly to the left of my back.

Without thinking, I immediately threw myself backwards as hard as I could, as fast as I could. I crashed into the doctor, bringing us both toppling to the ground as the knife whizzed harmlessly above us. I vaguely heard Maria shout something but I had larger concerns. Such as the doctor sprawled on the floor beneath me. A doctor who was rapidly turning green.

Immediately, I turned around so that I was crouched next to him, almost on top of him. One of my legs pinned his legs down as another leg pinned his right arm to the floor. I struggled to hold down his other arm with my left hand and I clamped my right palm as hard as I could over his mouth. He struggled even harder, his neck turning green. I didn't release my hold on him.

"Snap out of it." I snarled, my voice hard. "You are the one in control. Not a monster you allow to run rampant."

I stared at him dead in the eyes, my gaze unflinching.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the green faded and the doctor seemed to regain control of his body. Looking at him, I judged that he wasn't in danger of letting the Other Guy out at any moment. I leapt off him and wheeled around to see that Fury was engaging the remaining two assailants on his own, Maria still working on her holo-file.

I vaulted towards the direction of the fight, latching on to one of the assailants' arms and wrenching it hard. I pulled hard on the arm and felt the arm tremble as his shoulder dislocated. The man snarled something unintelligible and moved to punch me. Swiftly, I blocked the punch, letting go of the arm I held in the progress. As my opponent moved to kick me, I jerked backwards, my right arm reaching instinctively towards the waistband of my jeans.

It was a move I had practiced and practiced until I had perfected it. With a slight 'Shing' sound, a knife slid out of the waistband of my jeans. The back of the waistband had been modified to become a sheath, the hilt of the knife looking like an accessory of the jeans, an ornament, nothing more.

Knife out, I moved to stab my opponent's shoulder when the director snapped "No mess."

I reversed my wrist just in time that just the hilt punched onto his already dislocated shoulder. Even without the blade, the punch was more than enough to send him teetering backwards. Taking advantage of his misstep, I sprung forward and brought the hilt of my knife hard onto his skull. He went out cold.

Panting slightly, I turned around to find that Fury had dispatched the last assailant onto the arms of whatever God or Goddess who was in charge of unconsciousness, if any.

"Maria?" I queried.

She bit her lip in concentration. "Got it."

Both the director and I looked at her impatiently.

"I looped the cameras. Security ID'd a car whose nameplate is not on any database. I hacked into their security system and issued orders for that car to be detained. I suspect that was their getaway car." She said.

"Good." The director said.

"What just happened?" A confused and slightly disheveled Bruce Banner stood up shakily and looked at the three of us.

"That's what I want to know as well." The director said. "How exactly did my agent prevent the Other Guy from showing up when you were clearly losing control?" He wheeled around to face me.

"First things first." I said. "Maria, are we off camera?"

"Yes. This whole wing is on loop." She replied, walking towards me.

I nodded. Walking towards Bruce, I picked up my bag which I had discarded when I started fighting. Unzipping the outside pocket, I produced two small bottles of what looked to be essential oils. I tossed the first one to Bruce who caught it.

"That will soothe the headache." I said. "Eucalyptus, Rosemary and Lavender. Strong but effective. Inhale it."

The director's piercing eyes bored into my skull. Bruce however, had opened the bottle and taken a careful breath. Unknowingly, he sighed as his pounding caused by the Other Guy raging in his head eased.

"As to this," I said, referring to the second bottle. "This is a sleeping agent. Quite powerful. Harmless though. That's how I subdued the doctor."

I tossed Fury the bottle who caught it and started examining it.

"But you weren't anywhere near the bags when you started fighting. How did you get to it in time?" Maria asked.

The director also looked up from his inspection of the bottle. Eyeing it warily, he cracked it open.

"Don't sniff it." I exclaimed. "Do you want to be knocked out for the rest of the day?"

The director gave me a glare but capped the bottle.

I sighed. "The tranquilizer works when it comes in contact and also when its fumes are inhaled. Doctor Banner came into contact and also inhaled it during the fight."

"When?" Bruce asked, puzzled.

I shifted on my feet, slightly uncomfortable. "When I crashed into you, I put my palm over your mouth. Contact and fumes both."

"You mean the tranquilizer was on your palm." The director didn't phrase it as a question.

I nodded.

"And you knew you would need it, how?" Director Fury asked, voice hard.

I shrugged. "I didn't know. I always have it on me."

"Always?" Bruce cut in. "Is it like a strip on your hand or something?"

I shook my head. "Not a strip. The sleeping agent itself is rubbed over my right palm. It usually lasts about a day before I have to rub on more."

"How come you're not asleep?" Maria asked, looking up from where she was turning the bottle between fingers. "Contact with the skin should cause you to fall asleep."

"I can't tell you that." I said, shaking my head.

Fury's glare intensified. "You don't have a choice, agent."

I lowered my head. After a long moment, I muttered "Mithridatism."

The doctor gave a sharp exhale. "And to think the only reason I'm not asleep is because of the Other Guy fighting."

"What?" The director asked, his voice sharp.

"The Other Guy has resistance towards these things, so I didn't get knocked out by it." Bruce explained. "Even then, it's powerful enough to knock him back enough that I can take back control."

"No, I think he meant 'what's Mithridatism'." Maria said, her discerning gaze settling on me.

"It's the practice of protecting oneself against a poison by gradually self-administering non-lethal amounts." I said, with a sigh.

"You did that?" The director asked me, his face unreadable.

I spread my hands helplessly. "It came in handy. I managed to snap the doctor out of it."

"And what if you hadn't?" Fury barked. "That was a big risk that you took, agent. We don't even know if it could have worked. What happens if it hadn't? The Hulk goes on a smashing spree, killing everyone on sight?"

Bruce flinched and suddenly, I found that I was furious.

"And what about the risk you took in leading those men here?" I retorted, fire in my voice. "The doctor is an untrained personnel right in the line of fire!"

"The doctor is more than capable of taking care of himself." The director said dismissively.

That made me even more mad. "By unleashing the Hulk? How is that called taking care of himself? The toll it takes on-"

"He will not unleash the Hulk." The director interrupted, his voice turning angry. "He knows the consequences of killing the whole airport full of people."

"I'm not sure I can control it." Bruce mumbled. "Not exactly the easiest to control."

"When it comes to that, we will contain it! Capture the Hulk until he turns back." The director's voice had taken on a dangerous edge.

I lost it.

"ALL YOU THINK ABOUT IS THE HULK!" I screamed. "WHAT ABOUT THE DOCTOR? THE DAMAGE DONE TO HIS EMOTIONS AND MIND ARE NOT TRIVIAL. ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS HOW THE GREATER GOOD GETS DONE. YOU DON'T STOP TO REALIZE THAT YOUR SOLDIERS ALSO HAVE FEELINGS TOO."

I took several deep breaths to calm down while everyone else had backed away several steps, including the director.

"I doubt the doctor enjoys turning into the Other Guy, director."I said with a modicum of calm. "The toll it takes on him not knowing whether he killed anyone or knowing that he did kill someone is not small. Your priority should not be in containing the Hulk, but instead ensuring that it does not need to make an appearance."

The director opened his mouth to snarl something but he was interrupted by the doctor.

"Hey, uh, look I appreciate you standing up for me but I don't think now's the time." Bruce said, looking uncomfortable.

Fury glared at him but I said "You're right, doctor. I apologize for my outburst."

"First problem." Maria said, attempting to change the topic. "Who are those guys? Who sent them?"

I stepped over one of the fallen bodies and rifled through their pockets. "Nothing. Wallet but no ID. Nothing personal either. Well trained assassins, by the looks of it."

"When we left the Triskelion, we were followed." Fury said. "Tried to get them off our trail so we took a flight to Wisconsin instead of California. They followed real tight."

"I'll look into it." Maris said. "But I think we should abandon the mission."

Fury nodded. "Seventeen can do it."

My eyes darted between Maria and the director. "Do what?" I demanded.

Maria gave a slight grimace. "We were going to drag Stark to New York."

"Now you can do it." Fury said. "Twenty-four hours. The Captain speeded up the mission and the Yorktown will return in fifteen hours. Pick them both up."

I looked at him as though he had gone mad. "I'm sure the Captain is more than capable of ordering a Quinjet to New York." I said.

"I don't think he can handle commercial flights on his own." The director retorted.

I closed my eyes and massaged my temples. "I don't suppose you want to tell me why you want all these commercial flights?"

"Secrecy. No one can know that they are assembled." Fury said. "I've taken care that nothing will indicate them assembling at all. All you need to do is to make sure that all of them get to New York without anyone else knowing about it."

I nodded. "Drag Stark and pick up the Captain. Understood, sir."

"Suddenly so respectful." He muttered. "Barton and Romanoff are heading towards California too. Pick them up from the airport."

"What?" I exclaimed.

Maria checked her watch. "No time. Your flight leaves soon."

"You booked me a flight without me knowing?" I asked incredulously.

"Just now. Last minute ticket." Maria replied.

"Take the doctor with you." The director ordered.

Bruce, who had been standing silently at the side, spluttered and said "I don't think I want to fly across half of America to pick up Tony and the others, director."

"You don't have a choice." The director said evenly. "We are being targeted so you cannot follow us back. You can only follow Seventeen."

"Do you even have two tickets?" I asked sarcastically.

"Yes." Maria grabbed the doctor's bag off the floor and passed it to him. "Get going"

I sheathed my knife and said "You are going to find a way to get me through security. I've got a gun in my bag and I'm too angry to flirt right now."

Fury snorted but Maria said "No problem. I'll help you pass the checks. But you have to leave now."

I glanced at Bruce who looked resigned. "Doctor? Are you alright with traveling with me?"

"Why even bother asking me?" He said in a defeated voice. "I have to go anyway."

I flinched. I knew what it was like to have no choice in anything. "If you are uncomfortable, I can arrange for something else."

Fury shot me a glare and Maria looked at me with a slightly worried expression on her face.

Bruce looked at me then at Fury who was staring pointedly at the back of my head. "Fine. I'll go with you." He said.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I'd already used up my quota of 'pissing the director off without getting killed' for the day. "We'll get going then."

Maria walked over with something long and thin in her hands. "Here." She said, thrusting an elaborate pin into my hands.

The end of the pin was wickedly sharp and made for a good weapon in dire situations. I grinned and stuck it into my ponytail. Another disguised weapon.

"Thanks." I said, giving her a hug.

The director cleared his throat and said "Move it, Agent Seventeen."

I nodded and left, the doctor trailing me.

"Secrecy, Seventeen." The director's voice ringing behind me, I made my way to where they checked our bags. Unlike the one in Washington, this was fully automated, meaning it was easy for Maria to hack into it.

Once we were on the plane, I sat next to the doctor who was rapidly turning pale.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Who thought it was a good idea to put me in a pressurized cabin flying several thousand feet in the air?" He asked.

"Do you still have my bottle?" I asked. He gave a short nod. "Inhale it." I ordered.

He did as I asked and soon calmed down enough that he attempted to talk to me.

"Not your preferred mode of transportation?" He asked. I had been shifting constantly in my seat for the past half an hour.

"I hate public transport." I muttered. "So many civilians when things go wrong."

"Do things go wrong often?" He said curiously.

I rolled my eyes. "Far more often than you think. If aliens and a rogue Asgardian God can invade the world once, what's to say that public transport doesn't get blown up on a daily basis somewhere in the world?"

He nodded. "Good point."

We lapsed into silence.

"Why did you say that back there?" He asked suddenly.

We were two hours into our flight and I was feeling slightly sleepy.

"Hmmm? Say what?" I asked.

"What you said to the director about the Other Guy and stuff." He replied, watching me with intelligent brown eyes.

I sighed. "That."

I didn't say anything else, but he waited patiently, his dark eyes always watching me. I looked away.

"Look, I know what it's like to lose control." I finally said. "And I know what it's like to accidentally hurt people. That can't weigh very well on your conscience. You're stressed, you're haunted, you're afraid. I'm not the only one who can read people, doctor. I don't like it when people treat a person with a problem as the problem itself. You're a good guy who just has a big green problem. That problem does not define you. It is not you."

When I finally stopped rambling, I risked a glance at him to find his head lowered. I cursed myself internally. Why did I always have to go say such stupid things?

"Thank you." He lifted his head. "Although I don't think Fury appreciated it, I do."

I gave a half-hearted smile. "I'm sorry if I said anything that made you upset. Sometimes I don't think before I speak."

He gave a smile at that.

When the plane landed, Bruce and I hurriedly left the airport amid throngs of people. However, when I saw something, I stopped so suddenly that Bruce crashed right into me.

"Sorry." He exclaimed but I was already moving away from him.

A man that looked to be around his sixties lounged against the metal rail. He was wearing a shirt with a cartoon eagle on it along with black running pants. His graying hair was styled and he kept fiddling with his watch.

"Hale." I shouted over the noise. His head snapped up.

"So you did manage to find me." He said conversationally. Bruce fought his way through the crowds while I slipped past people to stand in front of Hale.

"Who's this?" Bruce queried.

"This is -" I started.

"Lucifer Hale." The man said, sticking out his hand. Bruce shook his hand cautiously.

"I came to pick you up." Lucifer said. "That young punk ordered me to."

I snorted with laughter at his description.

"Who ordered you?" Asked Bruce.

"That young punk is his description of Fury." I said, still laughing.

"He is a young punk with no manners." Lucifer protested.

That just made me laugh harder. "I haven't seen you in so long, Lucifer. How's retirement treating you?"

Lucifer made a face. "My wife is just as grumpy as ever. But we should get going. Fury did say you were tight on time."

Lucifer reached to take my bag but I snatched it out of reach. "No touching. I've got dangerous stuff in there."

He just shrugged and offered to help Bruce carry his bags.

In the car towards Stark's house in Malibu which was quite some distance away, Bruce asked "Are you a friend of Fury's?"

"Obviously not or I wouldn't be here picking up this troublesome girl would I?" Lucifer said.

"Hey." I exclaimed. "What troublesome girl? Or did you forget how I saved you from that mountain of paperwork and the boss's wrath?"

"I used to be a Department Supervisor." Lucifer said over my exclamations. "Fury used to work with me but I retired and he got promoted.."

"Nine months after you left." I said.

"Ah." Bruce sat at the back of the car looking awkward as he observed the interaction between me and Lucifer. "How did the two of you meet?"

"I punched him in the face." I said. "Literally."

"She was a trainee when I was younger. That time I was looking for some more field agents and I offered the highest rank out of all the openings to those who could last the longest against me in hand-to-hand combat."

"And?" Bruce asked, slightly intrigued.

I gave a smirk. "I totally won that round in five minutes."

Lucifer looked annoyed. "So anyway, she followed me and when I got promoted, I continued looking out for her. Where in Malibu is Stark's house anyway?"

I recited the address. "10880 Malibu Point in Point Dume."

"That's far away." He grumbled.

"That's what you get for choosing this troublemaker girl back then." I joked.

Half an hour into the car ride, his phone rang.

"Help me pick it up." Lucifer ordered.

I gave him a flat look and said "You want me to pick up your phone? I'm not your secretary."

"Just put it on speaker." He retorted. "Not much work is it?"

Rolling my eyes, I swiped the phone and put the call on speaker.

"Hey dad?" A tired voice sounded out. Lucifer's son, Dylan. I met him once a long time ago. He was around his mid-thirties by now.

"Yeah? What's up?" Lucifer asked conversationally.

The line crackled as Dylan sighed over the phone. "Mum had a relapse. She's in the hospital. Last I heard was one of the nurses screaming that she was in something called a myocardial infarction. I don't know what it is. I can't think straight right now." His voice was getting hysterical.

I shot a worried look at Lucifer. His face was pale and he gripped the steering so hard that his knuckles went white.

"Pull over." I commanded. He did as I asked, pulling over the side of the road. There were a lot of stores and buildings around us and he parked next to one of them just off the main road.

"Dad?" Dylan did not sound good. He was in hysterics. Lucifer wasn't any better. He was still gripping the wheel, his face turning a sickly color.

"Dylan, this is Lavender. Do you remember who I am?" I said into the phone.

Before Dylan answered, I looked towards Bruce who was leaning forward in apprehension.

"He's in shock." I said, holding the phone as far away as I could so that Dylan didn't hear me.

Bruce gave a nod and got down from the car. He opened the door to the driver's side and started talking to Lucifer but I didn't hear much. I had to talk to Dylan.

"Yeah I remember." He said, his voice breathy. "Dad's friend from work, right?"

"Yes." I said. "Dylan, can you tell me what happened to your mother?"

"She had a relapse so I called an ambulance. When we got to the hospital, the nurses started screaming that she had a myocardial infarction and pushed her away. I don't know what happened. I'm just waiting here right now." He started crying. "What's a myocardial infarction?"

I chewed on my lip. "Myocardial infarction is a heart attack." I replied.

"No!" He exclaimed. "She was doing fine for months. The doctor said she was clear!"

"Dylan, listen." I commanded. "Your dad is going to the hospital right now. It's the usual hospital, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Until your dad gets there, just hold the fort, okay? Your mother needs you."

"Okay."

"Hey Dylan. Dad here. I'm going to the hospital, okay? So just hang tight." Lucifer said.

His face was still pale but his expression was determined.

"Hurry up." Dylan whispered before he hung up.

Lucifer turned to face me with an apologetic look but before he could say anything, I said "It's fine. Just go."

"Can you call a cab?" He asked.

"It's fine. I'll deal with it. Bruce, can you get your bags please?" I said.

Bruce nodded. I grabbed mine and stepped outside the car.

"Look, I'm sorry" Lucifer said.

"Just call me. And drive safely." I said. "Now GO!"

Bruce and I watched as the car sped off.

"Sorry about our ride." I turned to face him.

"His wife needed him." Was all he said.

"So a cab is out of question and we have a long way to cover." I said, sighing.

"Why no cabs?"

"We're going to Stark's house." I said with a scowl. "If we took a cab all the way there, don't you think the media would be all over his house within the next four hours?"

"Oh right."

"I don't want the media poking around his house in case they do find anything S.H.I.E.L.D. related. Stark hacked into our systems before. I shudder to think if he's done it the second time."

"So we walk?"

"Let's see if I can rent a car." I said.

Ten minutes later, I did manage to rent a car and we were speeding our way towards Stark Mansion.

All I could say about his house was that it was huge. With only two people living inside it plus an A.I. system operating it, the house seemed extravagant. But who am I kidding. Anthony Stark was well known for his extravagance.

"How are we getting in?" Bruce asked, looking at the house in wonder.

I pulled out my phone. "If I know anything about Maria, Miss Potts should be expecting us."

I put a call through to the number I got from the S.H.I.E.L.D. files.

Soon, the front door opened and a voice said "Welcome, Doctor Banner and Unidentified Lady."

"Thanks, J.A.R.V.I.S." Bruce said.

I scowled. "Unidentified lady?"

"It just means J.A.R.V.I.S. doesn't know who you are." A slender and elegant lady walked towards us. Blond hair and blue eyes, her graceful stature was enchanting. I could understand why someone like Tony Stark would fall for her.

"Miss Potts." I said, holding out my hand. "Nice to meet you. I am Agent Seventeen."

"I'm Bruce." The doctor held up a hand in greeting.

"Nice to meet you both." She said, shaking my hand. "And please, call me Pepper."

I wondered why Virginia would turn into Pepper but didn't ask it out loud.

"Tony's in his workshop." She continued, walking towards a door. "I'll go and tell him to come upstairs."

"Thank you." I said warmly.

Pepper pursed her lips. "Don't thank me so soon. Knowing Tony, I won't be able to drag him out of his workshop. I'll leave the door unlocked so just come right in if I'm not up in a minute."

I gave a slight chuckle at that. "I don't think he'll like his workspace being invaded all of a sudden."

After a minute, I followed Pepper's route down to the workshop, Bruce looking around him all the while.

When I reached the glass paneled doors, I discovered that Pepper had indeed left it unlocked. Pressing a button on the keypad, the doors slid open.

"Security breach." A man in a goatee with a glowing circle in his chest looked up from a robotic arm he was tinkering on. Pepper hovered nearby, looking annoyed. Obviously she had tried to talk to her boyfriend with not much success.

"Really, J.A.R.V.I.S?" He continued. "Two security breaches in six months?"

"They were invited by Miss Potts, sir." J.A.R.V.I.S. said.

Anthony Stark looked up and scowled. "I have security measures for nothing then. I already said on the phone to that whiny girl that I'm not going anywhere."

"Hey, Tony." Bruce said, shuffling in from behind me. He had been examining the screens by the door, trying to figure out what security measures it held.

Stark's face lit up. "Hey! It's my fellow Englishman. Come look at my latest designs. You never visited me after New York."

I coughed lightly. "Mister Stark, I'm-" I didn't get any further than that.

"If you're one of those whose first name is also 'Agent', unless your last name is Coulson, which I doubt it is, I'm not going to talk to you." He said, not looking at me.

I closed my eyes for a moment, remembering Phil Coulson. He did manage to tell me the joke before he died. About Tony Stark thinking that his first name was 'Agent'. I missed Phil quite a bit. He had been a good friend. He had been everybody's friend.

"I'm afraid I'm not Coulson." I said. "I wish he could be standing here, but he can't so I'm here instead."

"I'm not getting on a Helicarrier again." He said, standing up and draping a hand over Pepper's shoulder.

Pepper pushed his arm away. "Tony, maybe-"

"I don't want to." He said, as though those words fixed everything.

"Mister Stark." I tried again. "Director Fury would like for you to go to New York. I'm here to escort you there."

"First off, don't call me Mister Stark. That's my father, not me. Secondly, what does Nicky boy want us for this time? I'm not dealing with aliens and Loki on a killing spree again."

The robotic arm he was working on sparked and another larger robotic arm sprayed extinguisher fumes all over the table, covering his entire desk in white powder.

"Damn it." Stark swore. "Dummy, for the last time, don't put out anything that isn't on fire!"

The robotic arm shook back and forth as though it was sorry.

"You named it Dummy?" Bruce asked.

"I need to upgrade it." Stark complained. "He keeps dousing me when I'm not on fire."

Pepper rapped him on the top of his head. "Pay attention to her." She chided.

I shot her a look of gratitude.

"Look. I'm not getting on another one of those Helicarriers." He said.

He abandoned the arm he was working on and plonked onto one of the couches nearby. Pepper and Bruce followed him. I just stood by the door.

"The last time I was on one, I had to restart one of the engines manually." He said producing a bottle of alcohol from gods knows where.

"Not that it wasn't fun, but I'm too lazy to do it again. Whiskey?" He asked, offering a glass to Bruce.

"No thanks." Bruce managed.

"Suit yourself." He muttered before downing the glass. Pepper and I both shook our heads in sync.

"Rendezvous with the director in New York is at Stark Towers." I said. "Your tower."

"I did say I would put in rooms for all of us, but that old man wasn't included in that list." He said, wagging a finger. "He's got no invite to my party."

I ground my teeth in frustration. "The director ordered everyone to New York. Barton, Romanoff, the doctor. They're all going. You need to go too."

Stark gave me a look. "Ah. It's Avengers Assemble, isn't it? Too bad. I'm not going. And what's a party without the great Iron Man, Tony Stark?"

"This is not a party, Stark." I snapped. "Things are bad. Real bad."

"Oh really?" He asked. "I really couldn't care less, but why don't you tell me."

"I can't." I replied. "Just know that things are bad. And know that I'm going to drag you all the way to New York if I have to."

"Well then I'm not going." He said.

Pepper looks at me, her face apologetic. "Tony, maybe you can go and check on the renovations of the tower. You haven't been there for a month."

He pours himself more whiskey and says "Someone else who's not so busy can do it."

Bruce sighs and said "Tony, maybe you should go. I'm going after all. The director's not one to call us for nothing."

"Nope. Not my problem" He said cockily.

Pepper glanced at me. "Do you know what they need to do this time?"

I looked at her before looking at Bruce and that infuriating man.

"Fine." I said. "The director didn't explicitly tell me what the problem is but I can guess. You're not supposed to know this but if it gets you moving then I'll deal with the director's wrath."

Bruce leaned forward in interest. Pepper had to slap her boyfriend on the shoulder because he had closed his eyes and looked to be falling asleep.

"Pay attention, please, Mister Stark." I snapped.

He cracked an eye open. "I told you don't call me that. That's my father. I'm just Tony."

"Very well then, Mister Just Tony." I said sarcastically.

He opened both eyes this time. "That's better. Now drop the Mister and you're good to go."

"I think not." I said. "Now pay attention because I'm not repeating myself. I suspect the director is recalling you because of HYDRA."

Tony groaned and put his head back. "Am I supposed to know what that is?"

I glared at him. He knew full well what HYDRA was, considering he hacked all our files on the Helicarrier One six months ago. HYDRA's files had been inside the systems and not stored in Archive because of Captain Roger's reappearance.

"HYDRA." Bruce mused. "That does ring a bell. Doesn't it have something to do with the Captain?"

I gave a curt nod. "At first we believed that Captain Rogers had indeed wiped them out during World War Two. Unfortunately like the Tesseract, HYDRA has resurfaced. We discovered that when they broke into a subdivision base in Kansas and stole some important records."

"What did they steal?" Bruce asked.

My lips compressed into a thin line. "They manage to take all the information we had about the experiment that turned Captain Rogers into a superhuman. That includes whatever we had on Doctor Erskine, the late Mister Stark and the Captain."

'Just' Tony blinked at the mention of his father, his expression mildly displeased.

"I fail to see how this is my problem." He drawled.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "The director ordered an attack on all the HYDRA bases we have information on. Although the director didn't say anything, I suspect that HYDRA has indeed succeeded in creating superhumans. That may be why he needs you all."

"That's not good." Pepper murmured and Bruce nodded in agreement, his eyes thoughtful.

"Still not my problem."

I closed my eyes and took a calming breath. How exactly had Phil managed to deal with all these without screaming at anyone?

The man who was giving me the biggest headache, stood up and swirled his glass of whiskey. "I think you've been here long enough. Want a glass of whiskey before you go?"

"No thank you." I scoffed. "I'm not here to drink, just to drag you to New York."

He glanced at me and shrugged. "Your choice, imposter."

Everyone looked at him. "Imposter?" I asked.

"Romanoff is a triple imposter and you're not. So you're just a plain old imposter." He said, mockingly.

Pepper sighed. "I miss Natalie. She was so efficient."

I just rolled my eyes. "This imposter would like for you to get to New York."

Tony Stark walked towards one of his suits, ignoring me. "Hey Bruce. Check out the new stabilizers I installed."

Bruce sighed, threw me a glance and walked towards him.

Pepper walked over to me. "Sorry about that. He hasn't quite been himself since six months ago."

I gave a small smile. "PTSD? Not surprising if he does. Aliens and a rampant Asgardian God would give anyone nightmares."

"I don't know what to do." Pepper said, sighing. "I can't talk to him and he gets panic attacks. In all honesty, I don't know if he's fit to help Fury with whatever it is this time."

"I understand, Miss Potts. However, we might really need him."

"What did I say about calling me Miss Potts?" She scolded gently. "And I know that you need him. I just wish I could go and keep him in line."

"Why not?" I asked. "Mister Stark is the one who owns the Tower after all."

"Maybe." Pepper said, her eyes lighting up. "I can drag him to New York."

I beamed widely. "That's a good idea. Hopefully you have more success than I do."

Pepper got a steely look in her eyes. "Oh he will, or he's sleeping on the couch for a week."

I let out a bark of laughter, causing both men on the other side of the room to turn around.

"Done planning my life, ladies?" Stark asked.

I gave a lopsided grin. "You, sir, are going to New York. And you're not going to be able to argue."

"I'm not going." He said in a matter of fact way.

"It's either that, or sleep on the couch for a week." Pepper said.

"If you want your own bed, I can order a new one for you, you know. King size? Deluxe King size? Which one is big enough for you?"

Pepper glared at him. "I am going with you so don't you dare play any tricks on me." She said.

Stark addressed me all of a sudden. "I wonder how you managed to persuade her. She's normally very strong willed. Maybe you are a double imposter."

"Is everything a joke to you?" I snapped.

He clapped his hands. "That's Capsicles line. Don't steal it."

I groaned and started walking towards him. "Can you please pay attenti-" I stopped talking all of a sudden. My feet came to a halt and I felt a chill on my skin.

Another hallucination. There was no talking this time. Just a scene. The surroundings were blurry but there was one thing that was in full focus.

Tony Stark was lying on the floor, wearing a gray shirt. The area around his abdomen was rapidly turning red as blood flowed out of it. His eyes were glassy as he struggled to breathe. The wound was a large slash, fatal even if rescue could be done immediately.

I staggered backwards as the vision released me. I was breathing hard and my face was white.

"Are you okay?" Both Bruce and Pepper hovered near me.

"How long was that?" I croaked.

"About half a minute?" Bruce replied. "What happened?"

I shook my head hard. "Nothing. Nothing important."

A hand thrust a glass of alcohol under my nose. "Drink it." Tony Stark ordered.

Pepper was about to reprimand him when I accepted the glass and downed the whole thing. Protocol breach but I didn't care. I'd just seen the man in front of me dead.

"Doctor, I need to leave now." I said. "Stark, don't go to New York."

"What happened?" Bruce asked while Stark said "Now that just makes me want to go."

"Don't." I said harshly. "Thank you for your hospitality. I'm leaving."

Bruce looked at Stark. "What about Tony? Didn't the director say that he wanted Tony in New York?"

Abruptly Stark said. "I'll go."

Bruce nodded. "I'll go with you to pick up the Captain."

Stark clapped him on the back. "Good call. Pick me up in a few hours."

I glared at him. "I just told you not to go." I snarled.

"And I just said I'm going." He shot back. "Isn't that what Old Man Nick wants? That's good for you, isn't it?"

I stared at him. "Fine. I'll be back after I pick up the Captain. Let's see if you've changed your mind by then."

"I'll follow you." Bruce offered.

"There really is no need, Doctor. You must be exhausted from your journey. I am really sorry about dragging you all the way from Wisconsin to here. You should rest. I'm quite sure that Mister Stark is willing to offer you his hospitality for the next few hours"

"Maybe he should go with you." Pepper said suddenly from behind. She touched my arm, saying "You don't look so good. He can follow you and make sure you're okay. Besides, it's five o'clock at night now. It'll be dark soon. Not safe to travel on your own."

I flinched away from her touch. Would I be telling her soon that her boyfriend was dead because of me? A brief look of hurt flashed across her face when I moved away from her brush.

"I am well, thank you for your concern." I replied. "Now I must really be on my way."

I gave a nod in the general direction of Bruce and Stark before giving Pepper a half-hearted smile. Without another word, I strode out of the workshop and out to where I had parked the car on the side of the house.

"Wait." A certain doctor called out. A very persistent doctor, it seemed.

"There really is no need, doctor." I said. "Besides, it's a long journey."

"All the more I should follow you." Bruce countered.

I sighed and got in the car. He opened the door to the passenger's seat and sat there. "Where are we going?"

I sped the car down the ridiculously long driveway in front of Stark Mansion. "California subdivision base."

The drive was long. Bruce attempted conversation several times but I always shot it down quite fast.

"What happened back there?" He asked.

I focused on the road. "Nothing."

"That didn't look like nothing."

"PTSD is a thing, doctor." I said curtly.

He didn't say anything for a long time. Then after half an hour, he continued the conversation.

"How long have you had it?"

I sighed, tapping my slender fingers against the steering wheel. "It doesn't matter."

Two hours into the drive, I could feel the beginnings of a headache tugging at the strings.

"Any other symptoms besides PTSD?" Bruce asked.

At least he had the sense to space out his questions, preventing me from pulling over and strangling him. My nerves were that frayed.

"I don't know." I said. Thus far I had prevented myself from snapping at him by telling myself that he was just being nice. "I never tested for all those."

He didn't speak again for a long while.

Three hours into the drive, I pulled into a gas station and said "We're stopping for a while."

Ignoring the doctor, I slammed the door to the car and walked off to stretch my legs. Too late I remembered that the car was rented and was not supposed to leave Los Angeles. I was halfway to San Francisco at this point.

I got myself a coffee and hopped back in the car to find the doctor holding out a cup of coffee towards me. When he saw mine, he laughed a little self consciously.

"Looks like I should have told you I was getting you one." He said.

"Well, if you don't want it, I don't mind the second one." I said. "It's going to be a long drive."

"It's not good to drink so much coffee." He commented but passed me the second cup.

"Thanks." I said, taking it. "It's never too much coffee. I like my coffee as much as Stark likes his alcohol."

Bruce took a sip of his coffee. "I suppose coffee is far less harmful than Tony's addiction to alcohol."

I shrugged and turned back to the road.

Another three-and-a-half hours later, we arrived at a tall and sleek building.

"Doctor, would you like to follow me into the building?" I asked.

"I see you've reverted back to calling me doctor." He sighed. "Okay I'll follow you in if I'm allowed."

I nodded my head. "You are most certainly allowed."

When I stood outside the double doors, there was nothing there but an elevator and a few screens mounted on the wall. Much like the Triskelion, the design was to prevent anyone from entering the floors above without authorization.

I scanned my badge which I dug out from the inside of my bag and said "Agent Seventeen, Level Eight Clearance. Doctor Robert Bruce Banner, Level Four Clearance."

"Calibrating." A disembodied voice said.

Three seconds later, the robotic voice said "Face recognition accepted. Voice recognition of Agent Seventeen accepted. You are clear to proceed."

Bruce looked at the screen that showed my face and his. There were no names attached to the picture.

"Ermm." He said. "Do I need to say anything?"

Before I could reply, the computer said "Voice recognition of Doctor Robert Bruce Banner accepted."

In the elevator, I scanned my badge and the computer said "Weapons detected. Please state."

"One pistol with twelve rounds. Two throwing knives. One long dagger and one rather sharp pin."

Bruce looked a little uncomfortable with the amount of weapons I had on me. To be honest, this was considered little. When I was in uniform, I carried around a lot more. Even when I was in office.

"Cleared." The computer said.

"Mission and Report." I ordered.

"Doctor Robert Bruce Banner is not authorized to visit Mission and Report." The computer informed.

I didn't even blink.

"Override." I ordered. "Department Head, Agent Seventeen. Grant access for Doctor Robert Bruce Banner for Mission and Report."

"Access granted."

The elevator started moving upwards.

"I thought you said I was allowed in." Bruce murmured.

I raised my eyebrows. "You are. I just allowed you access in."

He shook his head and muttered "Is this what abuse of authority looks like?"

I snorted in amusement. "I have no idea where the Captain is located at the moment. What better way than to ask my colleagues?"

"It's midnight right now. Why are they here so late?"

"Every part of S.H.I.E.L.D. has people that run night shifts as well. If you're unlucky, it's your turn for the week. For the departments, all those who are not of management level go on roster for night shift duty." I replied.

"That sounds exhausting." He said.

I shrugged. "Not so bad. For me at least. I've got no family or anyone to bother me if I don't go home. Most of the time I bunk at the rest area anyway. So I often cover for whoever that cannot make it that day."

'Mission and Report." The computer voice said.

The doors of the elevator slid open and I strode out onto a large room with screens and desks everywhere. A few people paused in their work to look at me.

"Agent Seventeen!" A voice exclaimed.

"It's been a while, Agent Green." I said with a smile.

When Jessica Green said I was Agent Seventeen, all the people in the room immediately stood up.

"Continue your work, please." I said, still smiling.

"So what brings you here?" Agent Green asked.

"Work. Where's the Captain?"

"Captain?" She asked, frowning. She threw a look at Bruce who was standing behind me, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

"He's clear." I said. "I know the Yorktown arrived about two hours ago. I need to speak with the Captain immediately."

"He's with the boss." She said. "At least I think so."

I cocked an eyebrow. Before I could say anything, she hurriedly said "But what is the use of thinking? Knowing is always better. I'll find out."

Bruce coughed to hide a laugh when I said "Good that you still remember." Any bite in my words was taken away when I grinned widely.

"Do you know each and everyone in this building?" Bruce asked. "You seem to know so many people."

"No, actually. I don't know everyone. Especially not the agents. There are thousands of them. But I know most of those in Mission and Report. Agent Green is one that I handpicked to be subdivision head of Mission and Report."

"Okay so the Captain is with the boss." Agent Green said suddenly. "I was right about that."

I nodded. "I'm going to go talk to him. Take care of the doctor for now. Tea, coffee maybe. I don't think I'll be long."

"Doctor?" She asked, her eyes looked at Bruce up and down. "Rarely do doctors visit our floor."

To Bruce I said "I won't be long." before I went back to the elevator.

"Subdivision Director." I ordered.

"Identity confirmed. Agent Seventeen." The computer said.

Unlike the floor for Mission and Report, the floor where the Subdivision Director's office was had a corridor that ended in a Mahogany door.

I rapped on the door and heard the computer say to the occupants inside "Agent Seventeen, Head of Mission and Report."

"Enter." A male voice sounded.

There was a click as the lock was unlocked by the computer.

"Director." I said the moment I walked into the room.

The office could not have been more different from Director Fury's office. While Director Fury preferred practicality and simplicity, this office contained wallpaper and couches as well as a coffee table in the middle. It reminded me of an old fashioned study.

"Ah. Agent Seventeen." A man in his fifties stood up from the couches.

The blond man on his right also stood up. That would be Captain Rogers. I recognized his face from the pictures and his file.

The director stuck out his hand and I shook it. "Nice to meet you, Director Bones."

Yes his name was Bones. Don't laugh. I'd seen weirder names before.

He gestured towards the Captain. "Captain, this is Agent Seventeen. She's here on the director's orders."

I shook the Captain's hand and said "I assume you are aware of where our final destination is, Captain?"

He nodded. "Yes. I received orders from Fury."

"Good. We need to leave now, Captain, if it's alright."

He nodded again. "Let's go."

"Mission and Report." I said to the elevator.

He eyed me with a questioning look but didn't ask anything.

"The doctor is there." I said conversationally. "So how did the Yorktown situation go?"

The captain hesitated. I supposed it was a normal reaction. He didn't really know who I was. I highly doubted he was informed about who was coming to pick him up.

"I'm going to have to do the paperwork later anyway. Having a first hand account of it should make it easier for me." I said.

"You do the paperwork?" He asked surprised.

I snorted. "Did you really think the director did his own paperwork?" I asked wryly.

"I never thought that there was paperwork." He mumbled.

"Oh there is a lot, Captain." I told him. "Especially since I'm the head of Mission and Report. While I don't have to do the reports for lower level agents, I've had to do a lot of things for the Avengers Initiative since the director and Phil came up with that idea."

He nodded and the elevator doors opened.

"Doctor." I said, striding out.

Bruce turned and looked at me with wide eyes that clearly said 'Save me!'

I choked out a laugh. He was completely surrounded by all the members of Mission and Report that were currently on duty. They were plying him with tea, biscuits and cake. Amusedly, I noticed that their expression of rapt attention on him might have been caused by the fact that he accidentally spouted science stuff.

"Enjoying the science lecture, ladies and gentlemen?" I drawled.

Behind me, the captain took in the scene with a slight frown.

"Captain." Bruce said, hurriedly taking the opportunity to escape from them.

"We're going to leave now." I told him.

He nodded and both him and the captain walked towards the elevator conversing quietly.

I raised my eyebrows at the members of my department. "Well? Get back to work. Chop chop."

They all grinned good naturedly. "Bring more science geeks with ya when you come next, boss. Been a long time since we even heard a word about science." A bloke yelled out.

I shook my head with mirth and said "If you like them so much, go date a scientist."

There were several peals of laughter as I nodded to Agent Green.

"Good luck, Jessica." I said quietly. "Keep up the good work."

"When have I not?" She asked with raised eyebrows.

I shook my head and turned towards the elevator where the Captain and Bruce were waiting.

"Sorry about that, gentlemen." I said.

"They seem very friendly with you." The captain noted. "That seems rare."

I shrugged. "I was Subdivision Head for Mission and Report here before I got promoted to the Triskelion. I knew some of them."

They nodded in understanding.

"Is there anything else that you need to get before you go, Captain?" I asked. I noted that he was still in his uniform, his famous vibranium shield strapped to his back. "A change of clothes and other things perhaps?"

"No." He said haltingly. "I don't have other things."

"You need to change, Captain." I said. "Not to sound bossy or anything but wearing that suit is not going to help us go incognito."

"I don't have any." He stated uncomfortably.

I looked him over as I ushered them both into the elevator.

"Storage." I said.

Two questioning looks were thrown my way. I didn't reply.

When the elevator doors opened, I stepped out to a dim corridor and motioned for them to stay inside the elevator.

Before they could argue or follow me, I strode down the dark walkway and disappeared round a corner.

+-+-+

Bruce and his companion looked at each other in slight confusion.

"Is Natasha this bad?" Steve Rogers asked.

Bruce just shrugged in reply. "Natasha's a spy. This lady on the other hand, I have no idea what she does."

"Paperwork." Said Steve confidently.

"Given the way she can fight, I'd say it's more than paperwork." Bruce replied wryly.

"How do you know how she fights?" Steve asked, his brow furrowed.

"She beat the living hell of some people who were after Fury and Hill." Bruce glanced towards the shadowy corridor. "Fury lured some guys to us at the airport and he, Hill and her took them out."

Ever the person concerned for the safety of others, Steve worriedly asked him "What happened?"

"I was fine. Didn't even Hulk out. Somehow she got a sedative strong enough that controlled the Other Guy enough for me to take back control."

Before they could say more though, the lady they were talking about rounded the corner into their view.

As she strode back towards them, Bruce could have sworn he saw the corridor darken slightly behind her.

She tossed the stack of folded clothes toward the Captain. "There you go. Down the corridor turn right. Go change. We'll wait for you downstairs."

The captain barely had time to react before she marched towards the elevator.

"Come, doctor." She said imperiously.

Bruce complied and the elevator doors closed.

"Ground floor." She commanded.

Staring at the clothes in his hands, Steve wondered where she had gotten it from. Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he followed the instructions down the corridor.

Bruce observed his companion as the elevator descended towards the ground floor. Gone was the cheerful but professional young lady that he met. In its place, a cold presence exuded out of her. Her face was set in harsh lines, her mouth a grim slash as she fiddled with the pin in her hair. Bruce idly wondered if he should be worried about her killing him in the elevator.

She had started muttering to herself about something. All that Bruce caught was "Idiot- didn't think-". All else was lost in unintelligible mumbles.

When the elevator reached the ground floor, she turned to him and said "Can you please wait for the Captain? Take him to the car when he gets here. I'm going to go start the car."

Before waiting for a reply, she stalked out of the building towards the car. Bruce glanced after her, slightly perturbed about her new characteristics. However, he did as he was asked, patiently waiting for the Captain.

____________________________________________________________________________

I leaned my head on the steering wheel of the car. Stupid, idiotic thing to do. I had been pressed for time and I had done something that I shouldn't have done. I could have been discovered. I didn't disillusion myself for one moment that it was not possible for me to be caught. I was so careless, not thinking it through. But I couldn't dwell on it anymore. Nothing overly bad had happened yet and I was running short on time. Whatever I had done, was done. All I could do was focus on the future. Maybe, just maybe, I could find a way to save Anthony Stark from his demise. I hoped I could. I desperately wanted to pray, but I knew that the gods would not heed me, as they never had before.

So I took a deep breath and steeled myself for a long journey ahead. If I played my cards right, there was a chance that everything was maybe still salvageable.

Maybe.