A/N: We have 8 chapters left of this book! I can't believe it, we've come this far together! Thank you for being apart of it. This Avengers story is probably the most fun I've had with this book, Jessi being able to meet the Avengers is an idea I've been waiting to write about since I started. We have many more stories to come guys, thanks for everything.
I've lost people before. It feels like a band-aid being peeled off extra slowly. My heart took awhile to heal from the loss of my Mother, but it was almost complete. My heart was almost whole again, but then Coulson died.
The same knife struck my heart, causing it shatter apart once again. Who knows if it will heal this time. No less then thirty minutes ago he was alive and walking me down to Loki's cell. He was right there with me. I smiled at him and he smiled at me. Now he's gone.
The Doctors carried his body away and out of sight. He was gone for real this time. This isn't one of those times when he disappears for a year and then shows up at my house out of nowhere. He's not coming back this time, he's not showing up at my door step anymore.
Phil is gone, dead. There's a blood stain on the metal wall where he last was to prove it. I was sitting right there with him. I could have done something, I should have done something! I should have found him before going to the control room. Maybe if I was there, he wouldn't have died. He was all alone.
It's just like Mom. I wasn't there for her when she left. I was in school. That morning before school was the last time I would ever see her alive. I failed.
December 16, 2008
"Jessi! Hurry up kiddo!" A blonde haired woman stood in the sunny kitchen, dicing up tomatoes for dinner later that night. Of course it wasn't any normal blonde women, it was my Mom. She had her hair tied up in a loose bun, looking like some kind of supermodel.
I poked my head around the corner and peered in to the kitchen, a Nerf-gun was clutched tightly in my hand. I studied her as she cut the tomatoes, she was always good with a knife. Every food she ever cut looked perfect "Jessi! Where are you?" She called, not taking her eyes off the fruit.
"Haha!" I jumped out from the hallway and landed in the kitchen. The Nerf gun was held out in front of me "gotchu! Say your prayers Hook!" I fired the foam ammo right at her exposed arm. The suction materiel on the end stuck to her elbow.
"Very funny Jessi" Mom set the knife down and removed her apron. Her bright blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders and her bangs covered her blue eyes which were similar to mine "but" her arm disappeared behind her back "I believe that it is I that has got you!" She laughed evilly, pulling out a small pocket sized Nerf-gun and fired directly at my head.
I didn't have time to duck, the foam bullet hit me dead in between the eyes. Her aim was perfect! How does she always do that?! "Looks like I win"
She blew on the barrel of the gun and placed her hand on his hip.
"Next time" I pouted and put the gun down on the kitchen table "How did you get so good at that?" I asked, taking a bite of my cereal.
"Momma's got a a lot of training" she joked, or it sounded like she joked.
"Really?" I raised an eyebrow, amusement filled my blue eyes "are you some kind of Super Spy or something?" I laughed out loud.
Mom chuckled and turned back to her tomato. The knife cut each slice perfectly. Mom always jokes about stuff like that. All she is, is a flower shop worker "something like that"
***
Present day
Agent Hill walked slowly down the hallway with her fingers looped in her belt. She had spoken nothing about Coulson and his death. I hadn't said a word as well. One of my friends was gone forever. It isn't fair. He had so much going for him, he could have been so much more.
Agent Hill walked in through the sliding doors to the main control rooms. I followed silent, keeping my eyes on the floor. I felt her hand rest on my shoulder. She nodded her head to me.
Dad and Steve sat at the round table, staring at the floor. Dad instantly stood up from the seat when he saw me. I thought I would feel relieved when I saw him. I thought that everything would be okay. But, Coulson's... gone, Loki has disappeared and our little super team is now split up.
Dad wrapped me in his embrace, I leaned my head against his chest, feeling the electromagnet on my cheek. I didn't care that all these other Agents saw me hugging my Dad, who cares if they think I'm a small child, that's what I am anyway. I hid my face in his 'Black Sabbath' t-shirt, my bottom lip trembled but I didn't cry. For some reason, I physically couldn't.
"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket" Mr. Fury spoke once we were all sitting at the round table. It was just Steve, Dad and I. Agent Hill stood off to the side. When she saw those bloody cards hit the table, a look of shock mixed with devastation filled her face. That was the first time I'd seen her give any emotion.
That's never the kind of look I'd ever want to see "Guess he never did get you to sign them." Fury spoke directly to Steve. Steve picked up one of the cards with blood stains on the edges. The card was of him. The whole collection was of Captain America "We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, location of the cube Banner, Thor. I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye" Fury stared down at the table with his one eye.
I knew that he was talking about Coulson. That was the first time I'd seen him sad "Maybe I had that coming"
My head was leaning against Dads shoulder and his arm was wrapped around my shoulders. He was staring down at the floor, looking numb "Yes" Nick breathed "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 even riskier"
He placed his hands on one of the seats and began to explain "There was an idea, Stark knows this, called THE AVENGERS INITIATIVE" I looked up to the Director with tired eyes "The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes."
That one little speech changed everything.
That's when Dad stood up, pulling his arm to his side. He was unable to listen to this anymore and walked off. I didn't say anything, neither did Steve "Well" Nick was the only one to speak "It's an old fashion notion"
I placed my elbows on the table and picked up one of the vintage trading cards. He really kept these in good condition. The room fell silent around Steve and I. We must have sat there for five minutes before he spoke first "How long had you known him?" He asked, not looking at me, he kept his blue eyes on the card. He was talking about Coulson.
"Since I was nine" I answered quietly. Nick had left the room and so had most of the other Agents "He found me just after my Mom died. He took me from my old life and brought me to this one." I swallowed, not knowing how to finish "I'm... I'm forever grateful to him"
"He was a good man"
"Yea" I nodded, smiling a little bit "he was good. He has always been... amazing for as long as I've known him. He helped me transition to the upper class life of a Stark. And he was so helpful when we first found out that I had Stark DNA in my blood"
"Wait" Steve furrowed his dirty blonde eyebrows together "So, SHIELD found you... before they knew you were related to Stark?"
"Right after my Mother died. And a few weeks later we found out who my Father was"
"Why?" Steve asked. I didn't understand his question "Why did SHIELD come for you before they even knew that Tony was your Father? How did they even know that you existed?"
"Because-" my voice faded. I didn't know the answer. I hadn't even thought about it until right now. Phil Coulson showed up at my school and brought me to the SHIELD base. I stayed with them for a few weeks, and after blood testing it turned out that Tony Stark was my Father. Why would SHIELD keep me there in the first place?
I noticed that Director Fury had returned in the room and was standing by the door. He was staring at me, waiting to hear my answer "I don't know" I shook my head "I really don't know" Then I remembered that Nick was in charge of SHIELD, so he's probably the one who sent Coulson "Sir" I turned in my chair to look at him "Why did you guys come to me before we even knew that I was a Stark?"
Nick was leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed. His eye was staring directly at the floor when I asked him. I didn't think he'd answer but he took a deep breath "That's... that's a question for another time Jessica"
Another time? He obviously knows something that I don't. SHIELD must have known about me before Tony Stark was actually my Dad. His name wasn't even on my birth certificate. Nobody knew that we were related, nobody. Besides my Mom of course. Is it possible that Coulson knew my Mom? Nah, my Mom was just a simple Flower shop worker... right?
A/N: What do you all think? 🤔