Title: Of Fortunes and Dead Men
Author: Alysia
Category: Crossover between AOS and Avengers
Summary: Another version of Coulson coming face to face with some of the Avengers after his death. Set in season five of AOS, before the events in Avengers: Infinity War.
General Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to Marvel.
Chapter 1
(Note and disclaimer: I did use some Russian in this chapter. I apologize ahead of time if I completely murdered the language, I used google translate. I have the translations at the end of the chapter.)
"You know, when you decided to spring me out of the joint, I didn't have this in mind," Bucky said, referring to the group of men they'd just faced down. He'd been thrilled when Steve, Sam and Nat invited him to get away from Wakanda for a short while, but he'd been expecting a break, not a fight. He brushed debris off his clothes and looked around the area.
Sam Wilson snorted in amusement. "It wasn't exactly on our list of things to do today," he short back, looking over the field of unconscious men, spotting Steve standing close to an unknown woman.
"Oh, look, Steve found a fan," Natasha Romanoff said with a smirk on her face. Her two companions began giving commentary about the woman and the hold she had on Steve's arm. "Come on Laurel and Hardy, let's rescue him."
"Or…you know, find a way to tease Stevie about it," Bucky replied in a dramatic whisper to Sam.
Once they were close enough, they heard her heavily accented English. "Please, come inside."
Once he was reunited with his teammates and he was able to see they were all fine with his own two eyes, Steve Rogers raised a hand and rubbed the back of his neck. "That isn't necessary," he denied, growing uncomfortable by the look in her eyes.
It was the first time that Bucky'd had a chance to get away from Wakanda. That wasn't to say it was the first time he'd been invited, but it was the first time his friend felt comfortable enough to do so. As soon as his confrontation with Stark ended, they'd sought refuge from T'Challa in Wakanda, where Bucky had worked tirelessly in effort to get back to his old self. It was rough and often emotionally draining, but given the strives his friend made, he'd decided to reward Bucky by getting him out of Wakanda, even if it was only for a short time.
"You saved life," the unnamed woman said, batting her eyelashes at him.
Clearing his throat, he looked to the side, hoping that someone would say something in effort to deter the woman. However, his hopes were dashed when Sam and Bucky snickered and elbowed each other in amusement while Natasha smirked at him, not bothering to speak up.
"Really, I insist," the foreign woman said, locking her arm through his. "Your friends are welcome too," she tacked on, smiling at the two men, her expression turning neutral as it settled on the blonde woman, as if she was trying to size up her competition. "I would like my family to meet brave man that saved me."
While he allowed her to pull him along, he turned back to frown at all three of his friends, vowing retribution for their joy at his discomfort.
"You look uncomfortable. Relax, Stevie," Bucky said, chuckling.
Steve shook his head at his friend.
"Family will love you," the woman said, tightening her hold on his arm.
"Вся семья, да?" Natasha asked, paying no mind to the broken English.
"You speak Russian?" The woman asked.
"Да. "
The woman pulled Steve inside, making room for his friends. ""Я дома!" She called out for her family. "I brought guests."
"Svetlana."
Steve looked up to find an old woman peering from around the corner. He could only assume Svetlana was the woman's name given the chiding tone behind it. From the moment he met the older, at least in terms of physicality, woman's gaze, he felt uncomfortable. The woman appeared to look straight through him and he fought the urge to fidget.
"Отпусти мальчика. Он не твой, чтобы держат."
When Svetlana detangled herself from his arm, Steve wasted no time in stepping away from her. He wasn't sure what was said, but he was pretty sure it was about him. From behind him, he heard Nat and Bucky exchange words over it. He'd have to ask them what was said. However, the contemplative look on the redhead's face had him second guess that decision. He was pulled from his thoughts when a hand touched his. He looked up to find the old woman looking at him.
"Я долго ждал встречи с тобой, Стив Роджерс."
He remained stoic, not sure what the woman was saying.
«Столько потерь, столько грусти. Но не навсегда».
"Nat?" He asked then. "Care to translate?"
The former assassin considered it, if only just see his reaction. However, she'd learned through the course of her friendship with Steve that he'd long since given up on the idea of fate and wouldn't give an ounce of credit to it.
"Вы познакомитесь со старыми друзьями и откроете для себя новую любовь."
Nat's head swiveled from Steve the old woman. A new love? He'd find a new love? ""Когда?" And old friends? Would that mean Tony? Or maybe Thor? Or…she trailed off refusing to think on Bruce. Did she mean a new love from old friends? Could it…Maria? Maria Hill had never fawned over Steve like most women did upon meeting Captain America, but then, she'd never given him particular attention either. Maybe it wasn't. Hmm… Her interest was piqued.
«Она будет твоей равной, твоей парой во всех отношениях, и ты будешь счастливее, чем ты думал». She began to pat the top of Steve's hand. "Она будет твоей равной, твоей парой во всех отношениях, и ты будешь счастливее, чем ты думал."
"Really, Nat," Steve broke in, way past being uncomfortable.
"She's…I think she's a fortune teller. She is telling your future."
He immediately grew skeptical upon hearing the words. "Seriously?" He almost scoffed, but his mother raised him better than that. He knew he couldn't do so without the possibility of offending someone and the woman did appear in earnest…if not a little crazy.
"Seriously," Bucky chimed in, his amusement having faded when the woman began speaking. Normally, he would have enjoyed seeing his friend squirm a bit, but he could clearly see how unsettled Steve was growing.
"Tell her thank you," Steve said, feeling uncomfortable for thanking the woman for something he didn't even believe in. "But that we really should go. We have a train to catch."
Natasha turned to the woman. "Он говорит спасибо, но мы должны идти."
The old woman tilted her head and smiled sadly at the man before her, knowing he didn't believe her words.
"You leave?" Svetlana asked from a few feet away, pouting at the thought of the handsome man leaving.
Having taken enough pleasure in Steve's situation, Bucky nodded. "We have a train to catch," he told the young woman apologetically.
"Thank you for inviting us into your home," Steve said to the young woman before turning to her…grandmother? "Thank you," he offered, though he had no idea why. Giving both women a nod, he made his way towards the door, not bothering to wait for his friends.
Sam was the second person to excuse himself, quickly joining Steve.
"You didn't have to encourage her," Steve hissed at his friend. He'd hoped that Sam and Bucky would get along, but the pair of them seemed to be thick as thieves, which sometimes didn't bode well for him.
"We didn't," Sam replied with a shrug. They just hadn't discouraged her.
From the short distance away from the front door, Steve watched as Bucky reached for Svatlana's hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. When the blonde giggled, Steve couldn't help but roll his eyes and shake his head. Same old Bucky. He'd always been a sucker for pretty blondes. He watched as his friend strolled over to him, a proud smirk on his face before shrugging, as if to question 'what.' Once again, Steve shook his head. He felt a flash of relief to see his friend being so carefree. Since finding refuge in Wakanda, his friend had made great strides, but it was little moments like that when Steve felt resolute in his decision to defend Bucky…despite the things it'd cost him.
While Bucky quickly sidled up to Svetlana as they left, Natasha was stopped by the old woman.
"Он упрямый, нет?"
Steve stubborn? "У тебя нет идей."
"Цветы отрастают, даже после того, как на них наступили."
Natasha tilted her head at the woman, confused as to why she'd mention flowers after such a conversation, but smiled anyway. With one last parting word, she joined the boys.
"So, are we going to discuss what happened when we were in Russia?" Natasha broached. Days had passed since their meeting with Svetlana and her grandmother. Days, in which Steve hadn't bothered to mention anything about it. She looked from Steve to Bucky and then back to Steve.
Steve immediately shook his head in negative. "I don't want to know," he denied.
"You aren't just a little curious?" She returned, surprised by the conviction in his voice.
He shook his head in negative. "No. You know I don't believe in that."
"I know you don't, but it's just a bit of fun."
He shook his head in negative. "Not for me," he muttered. "Just…let it go," he said, offering his companion a small smile to negate the bite of his tone.
When she realized there'd be no pushing the issue, Natasha nodded in response.
Sensing the awkwardness growing between the pair, Sam stood up. "Steve, you want to hit the gym with me?" He asked, interrupting his friend from what he assumed would be a brooding session.
Steve sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I could do a little sparring."
As the pair walked off, Natasha looked to Bucky for some clarification. "What was all that about?"
"Before the war, I was seeing a dame named Helen." He paused to reflect on the pretty young woman. Like his previous partners, she'd been beautiful, and he'd fallen swiftly. However, just like all the others that had come before her, he knew that she wasn't the one to make him decide to settle down. "The three of us went to a fair one night and she convinced us to visit the fortune teller traveling with it. Helen and I went first, it was the obligatory, you will marry and have…insert the number of children here," he rolled his eyes, "but she was different with Steve. The fortune teller told him that when he met his flower, they'd live a long and happy life together," Bucky shared.
Nat frowned. "And she said the word 'flower?'"
He nodded. "I don't think he put a lot of stock into it, all fun and games and what-not. It wasn't until he met his English Rose that he started to believe."
"English Ro-you mean Peggy?" She waited for him to acknowledge her words. "I guess that relationship didn't really work out," she tacked on. "Funny thing, the old woman mentioned flowers to me as well."
Bucky only shrugged his shoulders in response. "You can't tell me you believe in that stuff," he nearly scoffed.
"I don't know," Natasha shrugged. She never had before. "He's different than he used be to be, almost jaded. He takes everything on and…I just wish that he could be happy."
And she was looking for that through a fortune teller? "He is," Bucky replied. "He's got us and Sam. And maybe it's not a conventional sense of family, but we're together and happy." He shrugged. "Besides, it isn't exactly the best idea for him to be getting too deeply involved with anyone, what with being on the run." It had certainly put a strain on his relationship with Sharon Carter, which had crashed and burned just as quickly as it had started.
Natasha shook her head. "I still can't believe everything that happened." James Rhodes was still in physical therapy, Clint was on house arrest, Wanda had virtually disappeared, no one had heard from Bruce or Thor…as far as she knew, they were war criminals. Tony should never have forced Steve's hand. The two of them should have tried to find a way to work things out together… Unfortunately, Tony could be a bit of a hothead and Steve was stubborn. She looked to her companion, taking notice of the way he appeared to be avoiding looking in her direction. "It isn't your fault," she told him. "Steve would do anything for family."
"Isn't that what you guys used to be?" He asked, referring to the team of Avengers.
Natasha could only shrug her shoulders in reply. If it hadn't been for Fury, they never would have come together. They were all just…too different, her prior friendship with Clint aside. However, as different as they all were, they were brothers in arms and shared something that not many people did and bonded them.
"Hey, Nat?" Sam asked, approaching the pair. "Something's come across your feed and Steve's slightly worked up about it."
"I thought you were going to the gym?" Bucky asked.
Sam shrugged. "I don't think that's gonna happen now." By the time he'd emerged from his room ready to hit the gym, Steve had already been waiting for him. However, his friend had been staring blankly at the computer screen before he began talking to himself about Fury and his secrets.
"What did he find?" The redhead asked.
"The US Government has issued wanted posters."
Wanted posters? Of them? "Of us?" She questioned.
He shook his head in negative. "No, but he's worked into a tizzy about someone on it."
"Never a dull moment…" Bucky said, standing up and extending a hand for his companion. "Shall we see what has him so worked up?"
Natasha accepted the hand and stood up before disconnecting herself from him. "I suppose we should." The three made their way back towards the direction Sam left Steve in. "What's happened now?"
Steve stepped away from the front of the computer screen and her immediately fell on it. Her attention automatically fell on the man that wore her once mentor's face.
He watched her reaction, wondering if it was something that she'd already known about and just hadn't mentioned. However, she appeared to be just as surprised as he'd been. "Coulson did die, didn't he?"
Natasha returned the question with a flat look behind her eyes long enough for him to understand her before her attention returned to the page. Her eyes fell on every single picture, but the last one caused her to pause. Was that…Mel? She hadn't heard anything about the other woman. Until then, she'd assumed that May was among the first casualties when Hydra eliminated those they deemed the biggest threats during their attempt to take over. If they were both on the same poster, then that more than likely meant they'd been together. She'd seen chatter that SHIELD was back with someone she'd never met at the helm. Were they still with her former organization?
"Nat?" Steve asked gathering her attention. "That is Coulson, isn't it?"
Natasha nodded, nibbling on her bottom lip. "I think so." She'd spent enough time with Phil Coulson over the years, she should know him.
"Okay, who's this Coulson?" Sam asked, wondering why both had reacted like that.
"He was a former handler of mine," Natasha replied, "mentor," she corrected. "He helped bring us all together when we dealt with the Battle in New York. Loki killed him."
"Are you sure this just isn't an old document?" Bucky asked then, leaning in to check the date. "I guess not."
"This has happened a lot since I met the two of you," Sam said, looking between Steve and Natasha. He was, of course referring to people coming back from the dead.
"I think it's time I give Maria a call," Natasha said, pulling out her phone. If she didn't know what was going on, then at least she'd be able to put Natasha into contact with Fury. Because even though Fury was no long active with SHIELD, she was sure he knew what was going on.
"Talk about cutting it close," Jemma Simmons panted running behind Fitz.
Following behind the others to make it to Flint in time, Daisy Johnson watched as her team ran inside the room, not wanting miss the short window they'd been provided in order to return home. From the moment that they'd found an opportunity to return to their time, she'd been flipping between deciding to return with them or to stay there. As selfish as she wanted to be and join the others, she thought back to the moment she'd seen the video of the events that happened…would happen. Despite the fact that they knew what was coming, that didn't mean they'd be able to prevent it. At least if she stayed behind, that would mean a solid solution. She listened to the voices of her teammates, committing them to memory.
Having noticed he was no longer being followed, Phil Coulson came to a stop. "What are you doing?" He asked, turning towards Daisy.
Hearing the question, Melinda May paused at the door and turned around to find Daisy standing several feet away while Coulson looked at her expectantly. May looked at her former rookie and recognized the distance Daisy had placed herself from them. There was no missing the intent behind her eyes.
Daisy tried to smile at him, but she knew it failed. She cleared her throat before speaking. "This is where we part ways."
"Daisy-"
She was already shaking her head in negative. "I can't go back."
"What are you talking about? Of course, you can."
"This is our chance to ensure that this," she gestured around them, "doesn't happen." She watched as he approached her and relaxed her arms, ready for him to embrace her.
Realizing how time sensitive the situation was, Coulson knew there'd be no time to break down her resolve. Thinking quickly, he used his metallic arm and knocked her unconscious, catching her body before she fell to the ground. Once she was secured in his arms, he turned towards May.
"She's going to furious when she wakes up," she told him.
He nodded. Probably. But he couldn't find it in himself to really care. "I really don't care. It'll be a cold day in hell before I leave her here." There was no way he would have been able to return home without her. How Daisy could possibly think otherwise, he didn't know.
"I didn't say I disagreed with you," she said, holding the door opened for him as they joined the others.
Mack, spying an unconscious Daisy looked to Coulson in alarm. "What happened?"
Coulson would only shake his head in negative.
Translations: "Вся семья, да?" "The whole family, huh?" | "Да. " Yes | "Я дома." "I'm Home." | "Отпусти мальчика. Он не твой, чтобы держат." "Let the boy go. He is not yours to hold." | «Я долго ждал встречи с тобой, Стив Роджерс». "I have waited a long time to meet you, Steve Rogers." |«Столько потерь, столько грусти. Но не навсегда». "So much loss, so much sadness. But not forever." | «Вы познакомитесь со старыми друзьями и откроете для себя новую любовь». "You will be reacquainted with old friends and discover a new love." | "Когда?" "When?" | «Она будет твоей равной, твоей парой во всех отношениях, и ты будешь счастливее, чем ты думал». "In the near future." | «Она будет твоей равной, твоей парой во всех отношениях, и ты будешь счастливее, чем ты думал». "She will be your equal, your match in every way and you will be happier than you thought possible." | «Он говорит спасибо, но мы должны идти». "He says thank you, but we need to be going." |"Он упрямый, нет?" "He is stubborn, no?" | "У тебя нет идей." "You have no idea." | «Цветы отрастают, даже после того, как на них наступили». "Flowers grow back, even after they've been stepped on."