I just want to begin by saying I am new to the whole Bruce Banner/Hulk grouping…I've been reading so many stories that I had this idea pop up. I hope everyone enjoys it!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Avengers, Within Temptation or the iPod…besides my own. I just own Katy.
Updated: 7/22/12: I've decided to have Katy control fire, and took out her claustrophobia.
Name: Katy Beckett
Age: 27
Hair Color: Black with red streaks
Eye Color: Hazel
Height: 167.5 cm
Weight: 140 lbs.
Ability: Air and Wind manipulation and fire and heat manipulation; able to generate air, wind and fire in hands. Her powers manifested when she was ten and grew as she became older. Eyes turn white when using her powers.
Location: Unknown, last seen in Goa, India
Description: Former CIA agent confirmed KIA due to explosion, body was not found. No living relatives.
Fury read over the file with a scrutinizing eye and furrowed brow. The door to his office slid open as Agent Hill walked in and stood in front of his desk. He flipped the file closed and looked up at his second-in-command.
"We've located Beckett, sir. How would you like them to proceed?" she asked with her hands behind her back.
"Do not engage the target. We don't need her starting a tornado or wildfire around so many people. Tell them to follow her and relay any and all information back to me." Fury ordered.
Agent Hill nodded stiffly and turned on her heel leaving the room. Fury glanced at the closed folder on his desk and rubbed his chin in thought. A black gloved hand reached forward and opened the folder showing him a recent picture of a woman. Fury narrowed his eye and leaned forward on his elbows, chin resting on his hands.
"It's been a long time Beckett." Fury said with a smirk.
~Q~
A woman walked along the coast line of Arabian Sea. The wind whipped her black and red hair behind her as her hiking boots sunk into the sand. She was dressed in khaki utility shorts, white tank top and an unbuttoned light blue blouse; the sleeves of the blouse were rolled up passed her elbows. The sun shone down on her lightly tanned skin and reflected off of the water. The birds overheard and the sound of the sea had a calming effect on the woman as she made her way back to the hotel.
She glanced around at the people lounging on the beach and kids running around playing. Her eyes landed on a few oddly dressed people intermixed amongst the other beach goers. She kept glancing around at the odd people when she bumped into something firm.
"Katy Beckett? I need you to come with us." A voice said. Katy looked at the man sizing him up. He had brown hair and was dressed in a black suit and wearing a pair of sunglasses.
"Agent Coulson, it's been a while." Katy said gauging her surrounds. She was looking for an escape route back to the hotel. She wanted to grab her things and disappear, but from the looks of it escape was futile.
"I suggest you come quietly. I don't want to resort to force." A new voice said, deeper than Coulson's. Katy groaned upon hearing the familiar voice. Looking over, she saw none other than Nick Fury, the director of SHIELD. She glued her fiery hazel gaze on Fury and stood up straighter.
"This must be pretty damn important if you came yourself." Katy said. Fury stood with his hands behind his back and his eye narrowed. He walked forward so he was directly in front of the woman. They stared each other down with narrowed eyes until Katy sighed.
"Fine I'll go with you on one condition." Katy said raising her index finger. Fury stepped back and nodded for her to continue. "I can leave once my job is complete, no more ties to SHIELD, ever."
"Condition accepted, however I do not want you on as a SHIELD agent. I want you to be part of the Avengers Initiative." Fury said. Katy quirked an eyebrow up as she turned to Coulson; he shrugged his shoulders and didn't say a word. Katy opened her mouth to reply, but Fury held up a gloved hand silencing her.
"The only thing you need to know is you will be part of a team of superheroes. I'm sure you remember Tony Stark. He will be joining the team."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa back up. Tony Stark? The genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist who believes it's his job to tease me on a daily basis? You have got to be kidding me." Katy groaned hitting her palm to her face. Fury and Coulson smirked at the woman's reaction. They know the two made it their job to torment one another, but now they will have to work together.
"I seriously hope you know what you are doing Fury. When do we leave?" Katy said after a minute.
"You're the last one to arrive. Grab your stuff and we'll be off."
Katy nodded and headed for the hotel to grab her bag and change.
"You're allowed in the room ya know." Katy said walking out of the bathroom in a new pair of clothes. Coulson walked into the room and stood by the door taking in the woman's new attire. A pair of dark blue skinny jeans, slim fit tan tank top and a red plaid button up. Katy pulled on a pair of brown Zorrba boots and slung her bag over her shoulder.
"Ready Miss Beckett?" Coulson smirked. Katy smirked back at the only man in SHIELD who didn't annoy her.
"Let's just get this over with." Katy said walking to the lobby and handing in her keycard. Coulson led Katy outside to a black SUV where Fury stood waiting. They climbed in and headed for a nearby airfield where they took a SHIELD issued jet and headed for the helicarrier.
~Q~
The ride to the helicarrier was long and silent. Katy looked up from the floor when Coulson held something out to her. She grabbed it with a questioning look and turned it over. Her eye's widened at the familiar iPod touch case and she looked at Coulson and smiled.
"How did you get this? No one is allowed into Langley unless they work there." Katy said putting one of the ear buds in her ears.
"Never underestimate SHIELD." Coulson smirked. Katy smiled and turned on the iPod on shuffle and turned up the volume. Within Temptation's Shot in the Dark blared through the ear buds as Katy leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
The next thing Katy knew someone was shaking her awake. She sat up and pulled out the ear buds before tucking the iPod in her pocket. Coulson signaled for her to follow him and she jumped up grabbing her back and running after him. As Katy followed behind Coulson she couldn't help but look at her surroundings. All she could tell was they were in the middle of the ocean on what she could only presume was a ship.
"Miss Beckett if you'll please follow me." Coulson called out from a doorway. Katy ran toward the door as the helicarrier started to lift.
"Please just call me Katy, Phil." She said following him down a few long and wide hallways. Phil glanced back at her and smirked before taking a sharp right turn. Katy faltered in her steps as she passed the hallway Phil went down. She backtracked and jogged after the man.
"A little warning next time you be nice." She mumbled. Phil led her to the command center of the ship/aircraft. The room was split into an upper and lower level. The lower level consisted of many computers in which SHIELD agents sat in front of while the upper level had a large black table with the SHIELD logo etched in the middle. Katy walked further into the room when she saw a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes sitting at it. Another man stood off to the side to which Katy took a closer inspection. He had brown curly graying hair and tan skin. He wore a purple button up shirt and brown pants along with a brown jacket. Katy pulled her gaze away and looked around the room when the man turned toward her. Her eyes landed on a red haired woman who sent her a small smile. Natasha Romanoff. Fury cleared his throat gaining everyone's attention.
"Doctor, thank you for coming. Along with you Agent Beckett." Fury said looking between the two. The man sitting at the table turned around and looked at the newcomer. Katy sent a glare at Fury and leaned against the wall with arms crossed.
"Thanks for asking nicely. So, uh…how long am I staying?" Dr. Banner replied.
"I'm no longer an agent or did you forget me supposedly being killed in action?" Katy said earning questioning looks. Fury ignored her and answered the doctors question.
"Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the clear. As for you Beckett, you'll be helping him." Fury responded in an even tone.
"Where are you with that?" Banner asked. Katy raised an eyebrow and looked at the doctor before turning her gaze back on Fury. Fury pointed over at Coulson as the man began to explain.
"We're sweeping every wireless accessible camera on the planet. Cell phones, laptops. If it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us."
Natasha was the next to speak up as Katy closed her mouth. "That's still not gonna find them in time."
Katy was about to speak again when she was once again cut off. She groaned and slumped against the wall and settled with listening.
"You have to narrow the field. How many spectrometers do you have access to?"
"How many are there?" Fury asked.
"Call every lab you know, tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. I'll rough out a tracking algorithm based on cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places. Do you have somewhere for me to work?"
Katy blinked as the doctor finished speaking. Needless to say she was lost and had no idea how she was supposed to help him. She turned to fury and was finally able to speak without being interrupted.
"I hope you are aware that I have no idea how to even begin to help. I'm more of the in the field type of person remember?" she said pushing away from the wall. Fury didn't as much as look at her. Katy threw her hands up in the air and rolled her eyes. The action didn't go unnoticed by the doctor as the corner of his mouth curled up into a small smile.
"Agent Romanoff, would you show Dr. Banner to his laboratory, please. Beckett you're to go with them." Fury announced turning away from the group. Katy glared at the directors back as she followed the two out of the room.
~Q~
Katy walked behind the doctor and assassin as they made their way down to the lab. She steered away from the elevator and headed for the stairs telling them she would meet them downstairs. Katy's last experience on a SHIELD elevator wasn't exactly fun; the power had went out and she was stuck in one with five other people. Katy made her way down the stairs just as Natasha and Banner walked out of the elevator. She quickened her pace and glided up next to Natasha. The redheaded woman turned to her and smirked.
"So how did Fury convince you to come back? If I remember correctly you said 'I'll never return to this hellhole.' Right?" Natasha asked.
Doctor Banner listened to the two woman's conversation and couldn't help but look at the one known as Beckett.
"Did I say that? I don't remember saying anything of the sort…oh alright enough with the look! I cut a deal with him. All ties to me being a part of SHIELD will be dropped. I am supposed to be dead after all." Katy said mumbling the last part. Banner raised an eyebrow at the last part but didn't say anything about it. It wasn't his business after all, but he was curious.
They stopped in front of a door as Natasha entered the access code. The door slid open revealing a giant lab. Multiple clear screens were placed around the room along with tables and a storage cabinet. The lab kind of reminded Katy of Dexter's Laboratory, but only better and not as big. She followed Dr. Banner into the lab and looked around at all the gadgets. Katy's gaze landed on Banner as he stood in front of one of the clear screens pulling up a few things.
"Uh…I'm not sure how useful I will be. Science isn't exactly my forte." Katy said looking at the ground.
"Don't worry about it…uh…how keen are you observation, uh reading skills?" Banner asked. Katy looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. She walked over to the other side of the table he was at and took a seat on the stool.
"What are you implying Doctor Banner?" She asked with an amused look.
"Sorry…I didn't mean to offend…" Katy raised her hand and cut him off.
"It's alright I was just teasing. I can read a book within thirty minutes. Does that answer your question?" She said with a grin. Doctor Banner looked over at her amused and nodded.
"I'll send you information to that screen. I want you to double check it and let me know of any abnormalities you find." He said pointing at the computer screen in front of her. Katy nodded and removed her bag from her shoulder. She rummaged through it and pulled out a worn notepad and pen. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out her iPod and headphones before looking up at Banner.
"It helps me concentrate." She said answering his unasked question. He nodded and went back to work. Katy placed the ear buds in and turned up the volume letting the music fill her ears as she opened the notepad and pulled the computer screen closer to her. She was unaware that Banner could hear her music. He shook his head and smiled glancing at her every so often.
~Q~
Alright first chapter down! Woo! Also this is most likely a terrible spot to end it, but oh well. I hope you all enjoy! Feedback would be wonderful. Oh and if anyone has/is reading/following Live to Rise I will be updating it tomorrow!