Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Marvel's The Avengers. They belong to Stan Lee and the plot (except for my tweaks) belongs to Joss Whedon, the brilliant screenplay writer of The Avengers movie. I only own my OC: Kahlan "Redbird" Thomas. I'm going to put the disclaimer here so it doesn't distract from the flow of the story. Please enjoy.
Agent Kahlan Thomas, call sign "Redbird," looked up as the door of the helicopter slid open. Her fellow agent, Maria Hill, stepped out. Kahlan followed Hill and held the door open for Director Fury. The three SHIELD agents walked over to a man, who was standing well out of the range of the helicopter blades. Kahlan nodded at the impeccably dressed man.
"Agent Coulson," Kahlan acknowledged the man.
"Redbird." Agent Phil Coulson was the only SHIELD agent, besides two others, who addressed Kahlan with her call sign.
"Agent Coulson," Director Fury interrupted the agents' reunion. Hill looked annoyed at Kahlan and Coulson. Kahlan turned away from the other female agent, rolling her eyes at Coulson, who attempted to hide the smirk on his face. "How bad is it?"
Coulson removed his sunglasses. "That's the problem, sir, we don't know." Kahlan glanced at Coulson and then at Director Fury, his long black trench coat flying in the wind the helicopter blades were making. His black eye patch masked any emotion that might have crosses his face. "Follow me!"
Coulson led the way through the facility. Director Fury walked alongside Coulson, while Hill and Kahlan in identical navy blue SHIELD jumpsuit uniforms, followed a step behind. The wedged heels of Hill's boots clacked on the cement while Kahlan's black combat boots made hardly any sound whatsoever. The four SHIELD agents entered the elevator to descend to the laboratory where the problem in question resided.
"Dr. Selvig read an energy surge from the Tesseract four hours ago." Coulson reported to Fury as the agents made their way through the halls. Kahlan glanced around as men and women ran around carrying metal cases filled with SHIELD material.
"NASA didn't authorize Selvig to go to test phase." Fury commented looking over at Coulson.
"He wasn't testing it," Coulson replied. "He wasn't even in the room. Spontaneous event." Kahlan and Hill looked at one another in astonishment. This was not good.
"Wait, it just turned itself on?" Kahlan interrupted, stepping closer to Coulson. Hill glared at Kahlan. Kahlan shrugged. "It was a genuine question." Kahlan really did not like being aide to Director Fury, especially with Agent Hill. Kahlan and Hill just didn't get along very well.
"Where are the energy levels now?" Director Fury ignored the two women behind him and continued to question Coulson.
"Climbing," Coulson informed Fury. "When Selvig couldn't shut it down, we ordered evac." Kahlan nodded, knowing that there was one more SHIELD agent on the job.
"How long to get everyone out?" Fury inquired.
"Campus should be clear with the next half-hour." Coulson reported.
"Do better." Fury ordered. His face was serious and on the verge of frustration. Kahlan sighed and brushed her auburn bangs out of her green eyes. This was going to be a long night. Coulson nodded and turned to go help other SHIELD personnel with the multitude of metal cases.
Kahlan and Hill continued following Director Fury to where the Tesseract was being kept.
"Sir, evacuation may be futile." Hill commented, walking to be side by side with the director. As senior aide to Director Fury, serving SHIELD longer than Kahlan, Hill had more nerve to speak up to Director Fury.
"We should tell them to go back to sleep?" Fury countered. Kahlan smirked, but knew that Hill was right in a way.
"If we can't control the Tesseract's energy," Hill continued. "There may not be a minimum safe distance." Kahlan sighed. Again, Hill was probably right on this one.
"I need you to make sure the Phase 2 prototypes are shipped out." Fury ignored her, giving her a command that only the senior aide was trusted with. Kahlan looked at Hill. Hill was the only one of the two to actually see what Phase 2 prototypes looked like. Kahlan, who was lower on the chain of command, had clearance only for specific details about the Phase 2.
"Sir, is that really a priority right now?" Hill questioned. Kahlan's eyebrows rose. Yep, only Hill would question Director Fury.
Fury turned to Hill. "Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on." Kahlan nodded and moved towards the door of the lab where the Tesseract was. "Clear out the tech below. Every piece of Phase 2 on a truck and gone." Hill walked past him towards the basement.
"Yes, sir." Her voice was flat, but the look on her face said that she did not think this was a good idea. Hill pointed to two SHIELD soldiers. "With me." Fury watched her go and then turned to Kahlan.
"Rendezvous with Agent Barton." Fury ordered.
Kahlan nodded and turned making her way up to the rafters and the catwalk where she was positive that Agent Clint Barton would be perched. Her combat boots barely made any noise as she walked nimbly on the metal walkway. The shadows on the walls cast a gloom on the room. Kahlan could make out a figure in black up ahead, hunched over the railing.
She could tell it was Agent Barton by the curve of his shoulders and the brown hair that stuck up in the front. Kahlan slid in beside Barton and looked over at the brooding man. He turned and looked at her. Kahlan's heart fluttered at the sight of his gray eyes, those gray eyes that she missed so much for the past three months.
"Redbird," Barton murmured. He stood up straight and wrapped an arm around Kahlan's shoulders, pulling her close into his chest. "Missed you!"
"Missed you too!" Kahlan smiled. "How's New Mexico treating you?"
"It's dry and hot and not like New York." Barton replied. "Watching this blue cube is not what I call a vacation." Kahlan laughed.
"Fury wants you to report." Kahlan told Barton.
"I'll go when he calls." Barton turned to Kahlan and put both hands on her shoulders. "Right now, I'm busy." He bent his head and kissed Kahlan full on the lips. Kahlan's eye fluttered shut. She had missed him so much these past few months. Her best friend, Natasha Romanoff, had gone off to Moscow on a mission and with Clint Barton gone to New Mexico to watch the Tesseract, Kahlan had little else to do but listen to Hill.
The couple pulled away and Barton rested his head on top of Kahlan's head. "It's good to see you!"
Kahlan laughed dryly. "Maybe this evac will make you come home to me." Barton grinned and looked down into the green eyes that captivated him every time he looked into them.
"Agent Barton, report." Fury's voice came over Barton's comm piece.
"Damn," Barton muttered. His soft facial expression was replaced with the brooding, serious look that inhabited that beautiful face more often. Kahlan disliked that look on Barton's face more than anything else. "C'mon, Redbird." They walked to where Barton's rope to his perch hung. Barton grabbed the robe with his gloved hand and slid down effortless lee. Kahlan grabbed the rope and followed Barton's example. Before she reached the bottom, Barton grabbed her waist and helped Kahlan down. Their relationship was not exactly public, but it was little things like that that made Director Fury, Hill, and Coulson suspicious of what was going on between Redbird and Hawkeye.
Barton walked up to Fury while Kahlan stood next Dr. Selvig. "I gave you this detail so you could keep a close eye on things." Fury reminded the brooding agent sternly.
"Well, I see better from a distance." Barton said plainly. Director Fury shook his head. They walked towards the Tesseract.
"Have you seen anything that might set this thing off?" Director Fury asked. A beeping sound from one of the computers caught Kahlan's attention.
"Doctor, it's spiking again," the female specialist in a white lab coat called from the console. Selvig and Kahlan ran over to the beeping computer.
"No one's come or gone." Barton continued his report as Director Fury climbed up next to the Tesseract holder and stared at the blue shimmering cube intently. "And Selvig's clean."
Kahlan could only hear this over her comm piece in her right ear. She patted the doctor's shoulder and walked over to Barton and Fury. Barton glanced at the red head and smiled softly. She winked in return and then became serious as Fury turned towards the two agents.
"No contacts, no IMs." Barton continued. "If there was any tampering, it wasn't at this end."
"'At this end?'" Fury asked, looking at his agent with astonishment. Kahlan raised her eyebrows. What was Barton going on about?
"Yeah, the Cube is a doorway to the other end of space, right?" Barton explained his thinking. Fury raised his eyebrows waiting for Barton's explanation. "Doors open from both sides." Kahlan smiled. Even from a distance, Barton can make out the most simplest of explanations. Who said he was all brawn and no brains?
Suddenly the cube shot a tiny burst of energy out. Fury and Barton backed away from the cube. Kahlan moved closer to Barton, holding on to the back of his thick combat jacket. The energy surrounding the cube crackled and popped making the whole base vibrate. Kahlan looked down at Barton's hand, which rested gently on his handgun. The energy continued to move around and then suddenly shot a giant laser to the far end of the laboratory. Kahlan jumped back from Barton as his body stiffened into a defensive position. Kahlan's training kicked in and she slid her handgun out of its holster. Whatever was happening next was not going to be enjoyable for anyone in this room.
The giant blue laser created a portal and the energy surged out from that point, blowing past the SHIELD agents and the NASA specialists. Kahlan watched as the energy surged up the walls and collected in the dome of the laboratory. She looked back at the point where the laser had fired, brushing her auburn bangs out of her face. The SHIELD soldiers had their guns up and pointed at where the portal had opened up. Barton and Fury stared at that point. Squinting, Kahlan caught sight of someone or something crouched at the very point where the laser had fired.
The soldiers moved in on the figure, which slowly rose up amidst the smoke that surrounded him. Kahlan saw that his hair was dark and long, his skin was sweating and clammy, and he was clad in dark green robes that fell to the ground around his boots. He was definitely not of this world. In his hand, the figure held a long gold spear with a sphere of bright shimmering blue, similar to that of the Tesseract. The figure looked up and stared at the SHIELD agents. Kahlan couldn't help but shudder at the bright blue eyes that pierced her soul. A sly grin spread across the figure's face causing all in the room to realize that this was not going to end well. Fury was the first to speak.
"Sir, please put down the spear." Fury called to the figure who was now taller than the men in the room, Kahlan noticed. Kahlan slow brought her gun up so that if she needed to use it. Barton glanced back at Kahlan who nodded confidently. He turned back and watched as the figure looked at the spear, the energy around the blue globe swirling quickly. Kahlan watched as Barton shifted his weight so that he could be ready for anything. The figure looked up suddenly at the three agents and fired the energy from the spear directly at them.
"Redbird, get down!" Barton yelled as he pushed Director Fury out of the way of the energy.
Kahlan jumped away from the two agents, rolling on her back to an upright position on her knees, her handgun trained in on the figure and the energy spear. Kahlan watched as the figure launched himself at one of the soldiers, who was firing his machine gun. The spear pierced his chest, killing him instantly. Kahlan open fired on the figure. The figure whirled around. Kahlan instinctively dropped to the ground, covering her head with her hands. The two soldiers next to her grunted in pain as they fell with short sharp silver knives protruding from their throats. Kahlan looked up again as the figure shot another bolt of laser energy at the computer consoles where Selvig and the other specialists stood. The figure lashed out at another agent, slicing him with the spear edge.
Kahlan shot up, and open fired on the figure as did Barton and the two other agents still standing. The figure shot another bolt of energy right at Barton. Barton threw himself to the side, rolling on his back. Another agent dodged the bolt, but the other agent was not as lucky. Kahlan gasped as he disintegrated right before her eyes. Kahlan continued to open fire on the figure who glared at her. Her blood ran cold as their eyes met. The figure kicked an agent against the wall, instantly killing him and strode over to where Kahlan was shooting from.
Kahlan scrambled to her feet until she was against the wall and had no escape. The figure looked at her intently and hit the gun out of her hand. Kahlan gasped in pain as the spear hit her hand and then her stomach. Groaning in pain, she sunk to the ground, curling up in a ball. The figure brought down the spear butt to hit her shoulder. Kahlan reacted, swinging her legs around to his legs out from underneath him. Clutching her hand close to her chest, Kahlan jumped to her feet and backed away from the figure.
The figure turned and watched as Barton painfully got to his feet. The figure strode over to the agent. Barton turned and lashed out the figure trying to bring his gun up to shoot, but the figure blocked his attack as if it were nothing. Barton groaned in pain as the muscles in his arm protested. The figure gazed intently at Barton's face.
Kahlan crept over to where Nick Fury was crouched by the cube. She could see the panic in Barton's eyes.
"You have heart." The figure commented, smirking at Barton. Kahlan gasped as he touched the point of the spear in the middle of Barton's chest. Blue energy flowed from the point into Barton's chest. Kahlan could see the energy flow up his neck and into his eyes. Barton's pupils spread to cover the entire eye. Kahlan blinked and saw that the black had receded to show Barton's once beautiful eyes were replaced with a piercing blue, the same blue of the Tesseract and the end of the spear. Barton holstered his gun and stood at attention. Kahlan moved to go over to Barton.
Fury grabbed Kahlan's arm and shook his head. "I need you here." He whispered, carefully taking the Tesseract out of its device and into a secure metal case. The figure went over to the other surviving agent and repeated the process. Fury closed the case and motioned for Kahlan to follow him.
"Please don't!" the figure said, turning to the two SHIELD agents. "I still need that." Kahlan and Fury froze. Kahlan glanced over her shoulder, first at Barton and then at the figure.
"This doesn't have to get any messier." Fury warned.
"Of course it does," the figure said. "I've come too far for anything else." Kahlan turned and looked at the figure. His blue eyes were intent with some purpose but she couldn't exactly put her finger on it. Fury turned and looked at the figure with his one good eye. "I am Loki, of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose!" That would be the thing she could not put her finger on.
Selvig stood from where he was kneeling beside the dead specialist. "Loki, brother of Thor." Loki looked over at the astrophysicist. Kahlan heard the crackle of energy over their heads.
"We have no quarrel with your people." Fury tried to negotiate.
Loki looked at Fury with disdain. "An ant has no quarrel with a boot."
Fury looked at Loki as if he was crazy. "Are you planning to step on us?" Kahlan gazed over at Barton who was standing there as if made of stone. What had that crazy Loki done to her Barton?
"I come with glad tidings." Loki insisted, his silky voice making Kahlan almost believe that what he was saying was true. "Of a world made free."
"Free from what?" Fury asked, his voice short and as if Loki was spinning some story of a rainbow unicorn prancing through New York City.
"Freedom." Loki said plainly. "Freedom is life's great lie." Kahlan could not believe what this man or god or being was saying. It was utter nonsense. "Once you accept that, in your heart," Loki explained before turning to Selvig and touching his chest with the tip of his spear, putting Selvig under the same spell as Barton and the other agent. "You will know peace."
Kahlan looked closely at Loki from where she was standing beside Fury. Loki actually believed what he was saying. The true belief of his statements was obvious in his eyes.
"Yeah, you say 'peace,'" Fury quipped, not believing Loki for one moment. "I kind of think you're meaning the other thing." Kahlan saw Barton look up at the energy under the dome and then walk over to Loki.
"Sir, Director Fury is stalling. This place is about to blow and drop a hundred feet of rock on us. He means to bury us."
Kahlan looked up at the energy and then back at Loki. "Like the pharaohs of old." She said plainly, wincing a little as she saw Barton gaze right at her, burning a hole in her head with that piercing spell bound gaze.
"He's right," the doctor said. "The portal is collapsing in on itself." He turned to Loki. "We've got maybe two minutes before this goes critical." Loki looked at Barton.
"Well, then." Loki said as if giving Barton an order telepathically. Barton pulled his gun from his holster and open fired on Kahlan and Fury. Kahlan pushed Fury out of the way and took the one bullet in her chest. It hit the vest under her jacket, but it still stung and bruised, throwing her back against the director. They fell to the ground, dazed. Kahlan gazed up as Loki led the three others out. Barton grabbed the case from Fury's grip and handed it off to Selvig.
"Barton!" Kahlan yelled struggling to sit up. He didn't answer, he didn't even turn around. "Hawkeye!" Barton kept walking. "CLINT!" She cried, using his first name, which only she and one other person used. Fury sat up and looked Kahlan over. He grabbed the bullet and pulled it out of her vest. Kahlan grunted in pain, panting as she sat up.
"Do you have your radio on you?" Fury asked.
"What?" Kahlan stuttered, looking at her boss dazed.
"Radio! Now!" Fury shouted. Kahlan fumbled for her radio in her jacket pocket and handed it to Fury. Fury turned the radio on.
"Hill!" Fury said, looking Kahlan over one more time. "Hill, do you copy? Barton has turned!" Kahlan gasped as the sound of gun fire came over the radio. "They have the Tesseract! Shut them down!" He grabbed Kahlan by the arm and pulled her up. Kahlan gasped as sore muscles protested. "C'mon, we gotta go, Thomas." The two agents ran out of the laboratory as the energy surged. They made their way through the halls, dodging falling ceilings, pipes and sparks.
Coulson's voice came over the radio. "We're clear upstairs, sir. You need to go."
Fury pushed Kahlan in front of him. "Run! Faster!" Kahlan sprinted for the exit, her sides burning in pain. With the ground cracking beneath them, they jumped into the helicopter. Fury slammed the sliding door shut and the helicopter took off from the landing pad as the ground fell through. The ground rippled as the last surge of energy blasted through the earth. Kahlan and Fury watched as the ground fell through collapsing in on itself creating a deep crater. Kahlan prayed that Coulson had made it off base. She even prayed that Hill got out of the rubble the crater was creating. More importantly, Kahlan prayed that Barton would make it out of this whole ordeal alive.
"There!" Fury yelled, pointing for the pilot to follow the truck with Loki in the back. "Barton and Selvig are probably in the cabin! Stop them!" The pilot changed directions to try and cut the truck off. "Open the door, Thomas! Open fire!" Kahlan pulled out an extra handgun from under the seat and slid the helicopter door. Both she and Fury open fired on the truck. Kahlan thanked the stars that Barton had the wits to duck as bullets came flying at him and Selvig. Kahlan saw Loki poise to fire an energy bolt at helicopter.
"Director!" Kahlan shouted the warning. The energy bolt hit the tail of the helicopter, causing the engine to stutter and the helicopter to lurch to the side, losing altitude quickly.
"Thomas, jump!" Fury ordered. Without hesitation, Kahlan exited the helicopter, landing on her feet and rolling, wincing as the hard New Mexico ground jolted her legs. She heard the director land a couple feet away from her. The helicopter crashed the blades still turning 20 feet away from Kahlan and Fury. Fury popped and aimed his handgun at the truck that was gunning at 80 miles an hour away from them, firing off a couple rounds at the retreating truck. In seconds, the truck, Loki, Barton, Selvig and the Tesseract were gone from sight.
"Director?" Coulson's voice came over the radio again. "Director Fury, do you copy? Agent Thomas? Do you copy?"
Fury pulled up his radio, looking at Kahlan as he spoke into the hand device. "The Tesseract is with a hostile force. Thomas and I have men down. Hill?"
"A lot of men still under." The woman reported over the radio. Kahlan had to congratulate Hill on being good at what she does. "I don't know how many survivors."
"Sound a general call." Fury instructed all three agents. "I want every living soul not working rescue looking for that briefcase." Kahlan nodded and relayed the message via email and text back to home base server.
"Roger that." Hill responded.
"Coulson, get back to base. Take Thomas with you. This is a Level Seven." Kahlan's mouth opened in astonishment. Never in all her time at SHIELD had there ever been a Level Seven. "As of right now, we are at war."
"What do we do?" Coulson asked the same question that was going through Kahlan's mind. Fury lowered the radio and looked at Kahlan and then off into the distance. Kahlan knew at that moment that Fury had no idea what they were going to do.
Fury turned to Kahlan. "Rendezvous with Coulson. I'll see you back at home base. Good work in there, Agent Thomas." Kahlan nodded and began to jog back to where Coulson sat in the truck with the scientists and SHIELD soldiers. This is a lovely start to the weekend, Kahlan thought.
