Dear Inkdrops, celebrating the Figure Skating/Ice Dance World Cup I created this universe. While the majority of the characters are Marvel of some kind (therefore fictional, unfortunately) most of the dates and institutions are as correct. I changed the evolution of jumps drastically though, but hey, this is still fiction right? Still, I am not a skater myself so sorry for any accidental mistakes.
I'd love to know what you think!
Disclaimer I don't own Marvel
Chapter 1: Going for Gold
2014 - N.Y. City
"And now, we see for the United States with her free skate to "Moulin Rouge" - Maria Hill! Trained by Nick Fury, she is the seven-times American champion, current world champion and second of the last Olympics, currently ranked second after her phenomenal short programme to the soundtrack of "Sweet Dreams"."
Grabbing the popcorn bowl tighter, I leaned back into the sofa cushions, my eyes glued to the screen as the young figure skater moved over the ice. She was captivating, expressive, sexy. One could see her love for the sport, the love she pourred into every movement, every perfectly clean jump. My heart ached - was it longing? Longing to be in her place, skate again? Hear the shouts of the audience, feel the rush of adrenaline in my veins, stand on the podium in the end? After a last triple jump, she came to a stop in the middle, falling to her knees in pure delight. It had been totally flawless! A slow grin spread over my face but I was still full of anticipacion, even as Hill recieved her incredibly high marks for technique and performance. She was hugging Nick tightly, tears in her eyes. I could understand her so well - Olympic Gold was basically in her reach. But there was still one obstacle to be overcome. An obstacle called Natalia Romanova.
"And here comes as last one, on home grounds at these Olympic Games in Sochi, Natalia Romanova! Eight-times Russian champion, current European champion and last Olympic Gold winner, she is only half a point before Hill after the short programme. Will this be enough to get her second Olympic gold medal today?"
Please make a mistake, please make a mistake! I was praying to all the Gods of Figure Skating, but apparently in vain. Romanova skated as perfectly as one could, not only doing triple jumps as the US contestants but one quadrouble toe loop too. A beautiful one to be precise. She was flying to some classical Russian piece of music I had never heard of and I would have thought gold to be lost for us - if there hadn't been the performance component. Sure, she gave the audience a show, but it didn't touch me. There wasn't the fire behind it that Maria had, I couldn't feel the passion, the power.
Apparently the judges felt the same way than I did - it was close, closer than I would have liked, but in the end gold went to Team Fury who lifted up his protégé, twirling her around. Showing so much affection was very very unsual for the one-eyed trainer and I must know - after all, I have been his star once. I have been America's star once. World champion and Olympic champion in single figure skating. World champion and Olympic champion in pair skating, too. Until I wasn't any more. The playing of the national anthem ripped me out of my thoughts and I saw the competitors stepping on the podium after hugging each other. Both bronze and silver were Russians, both from the same team, but only Romanova had done the quadrouble jumps. Belova had stuck to triples and had been outshone by the other two, easily. As usual, the two television comentators were giving a short resumé and replaying the highlights of the female figure skating before they would move on.
"So, what was your favourite free skate today?", one asked the other.
"Well Jackson, definitely "Moulin Rouge". But we knew that Nick Fury is a wizard when it comes to programmes and choreographies. Just think back to "Knocking on heaven's door", Melinda May's Olympia free skate 1992 in Albertville and her record short programme to a "James Bond medley". I think those will be my favourite. Forever. The first woman to jump a quad Lutz combined with a tripple toe loop. I have never seen the May-Combination ever since. And her expressive way of skating..."
"Someone has a crush!", the other reporter joked, "but you are right, she was wonderful. But also later in pair skating together with Phil Coulson. I have never seen a couple again with that kind of harmony. Summer and Grey come close, but they are ice dance and not figure skating, so it is hard to compare. But still, there have been some promising couples during the compitition the last few days! I think we can already get excited for next seaaon!"
"You are right! And I mean, like in the last years, Coulson was around as a trainer! Do you think May is going to join him tomorrow for the gala?"
"There is no official information about it, but we shall see. It would be a lovely gesture indeed!"
I huffed. Melinda May would definitely not join Coulson and his team tomorrow in Sochi. She would watch the show performances from home on TV and wonder why she tortured herself that way. Then she would get drunk and cry herself to sleep. I must know. After all, I was Melinda May.
The right thing to do now was probably to call Nick and Maria and congratulate them on her victory. I really didn't want to, the thought made me uneasy now and would make me feel even hollower afterwards. Nowadays I tried to avoid people from "before" as much as I could - especially my former partner, Phil. And my trainers, Nick Fury and Carol Danvers. Well, Carol wasn't that much of a problem. While I had stopped skating as such, I still was connected to it, working in administration for the American Figure Skating Association. Danvers however had turned her back to the rinks completely and broken off contact. No idea where she was. I am not sure anyone knew in 2014. That was probably the point if I think about it.
To procrastinate even more, I was watching all of the interviews the athletes and coaches were giving. That Russian lady who's girls had brought home silver and bronze was a real bitch, I was very sure she would give the skaters a very hard time. When they finally interviewed Maria, she showed the world again why she was nicknamed Ice Princess - not just because of her fabulous skills but also because of her sunny personality - that was not existent. At least to the public. She answered all questions matter of factly, but even though one could see her obvious delight, she kept her emotions quite at bay. It was such a difference to when she was skating, when she was pouring out her most intimate sentiments, touching souls. Some people gossiped that she was simply a very good actress, but I knew that the Miss Hill on ice was the real one. Why? Because I was so much the same. Or had been. Nowadays I didn't skate and nowadays I kept all my emotions carefully hidden. That didn't mean I didn't have any, far from it. I am not heartless and I wasn't back then - I was damaged. That is something different but most people don't seem to care.
"Miss Hill, I have heard there is something special about your skates!", the reporter mentioned, making her smile for the first time since she had started talking to the interviewer.
"Well yes", she said, suddenly seeming a bit like the young girl again that I had discovered at an public ice rink in Wisconsin ages ago. "They were Melinda May's. The one's she wore at the end of her solo career, for "Knocking on heaven's door". She said the "M" engraved in them could as well stand for my name, for the next Olympic Champion."
"Wow, this is quite a huge honour, coming from her!", the reporter said, clearly impressed, "so she is something like your idol?"
"For me, she is the best skater there has ever been and the one who influenced me the most. And without her I probably wouldn't be here."
Tears stung in my eyes at her praise and I was very happy that nobody could see me like this right now. But she was somehow right, without me she wouldn't have a medal around her neck now. After retiring, I had worked as a talent scout for a couple of years, simply because I needed the money. When I had found her, an ambitious, talented hobby skater, I had convinced her to give serious training a shot. And I had annoyed my former trainer so long until he agreed to at least see if he could make a champion out of her. Which he did. Which she became. Because of talent and discipline and love for the ice.
I had totally missed the rest of the interview and decided that now it was time for the call before they would start to party. I took out my phone and dialed Fury's number. It only rung once before I could hear is gruff voice, obvious delight in it thogh.
"May", he began, "so I guess you have heard the news."
"I guess so", I answered.
"Have you watched It? No, stupid question, I know you have. You are simply the best and biggest masochist I know."
Despite myself I had to smile a bit.
"I couldn't resist watching the duckling kick the Russians' asses. Also I wanted to know if she really would wear the skates."
Duckling was the nickname I had given Maria in the beginning, when she had still been kind of clumsy sometimes, and it had stuck. At least for Fury and me.
"Of course she was wearing the skates, stupid!", Nick chided me, "now, what do you think?"
"She has never been better. She is the Ice Queen. And Nick - I told you so", I couldn't resist adding.
"Just flatter yourself May", he huffed," but no, not the Queen. The Princess. The Queen is still you. So when are you going to claim back your fucking throne?"
"We had that topic. I am too old, I can't skate anymore, hell I haven't been on the ice for years, I don't have a partner, so fuck off. My time is over."
"Then tell me at least that girl- what do you make of the rest of the competition?", my ex-trainer changed topic, sounding somewhat defeated.
I considered the question for a moment.
"The Russians are in great shape, Romanova especially, she is technically the best, but as we have seen, lack of expression. Russian number two could become something. Hartley is retiring, rank 4 was great as a finish, the best she has ever done. Then there is the young Chinese kid. Daisy Johnson. Won everything in Asia but simply can't beat the Russians and Maria. She is too inexperienced but that will come, her technique will improve. Man, that girl will fly one day. She will jump quads we can't even imagine now, mark my words! But she skates as if she is afraid of herself, and that way she will never get the performance score that she needs for a medal. She is trained by her mother, Yiaying Johnson, you definitely remember her. Used to be one of my hardest competition. I think she got pretty bitter and is pushing the kid nearly as hard as the Russians are pushing their girls. This woman from Norway, Valkyrie Scrapper, she was great, too. So far behind after the short programm and then that. Nick, you should try get Romanova to the U.S. team. It sounds crazy, I know, but it would be worth a shot."
"You think?", he wanted to know, "why?"
"Because you want a challenge. Because she is great. Because she could be even better. I would say get Johnson and shape that little diamond, but you will never get her away from mommy. So Romanova it is."
I hadn't realized how much I had been talking, I simply had been carried away. I was definitely sending the wrong signals so I shut my mouth, waiting for Fury to go on.
"Melinda, you should train them, not me", he said laughingly, but I knew that bastard was only half joking.
Actually, I had considered it for a moment, but only for a moment. If watching competitions on TV was painful, training would rip my little heart out. Or what was left of it. No thanks!
"Get lost Nick and get ducky on the phone!", I just growled.
He sighed but obliged, I heard him call out in the background.
"May?", a female voice asked, "so you watched me?"
"Of course duckling, I simply enjoy being right", I answered, but I had to smile at her hopeful tone. "Right about the fact that you could be on top", I therefore added. "Maria... you were great", I added quietly. Saying more feeling-related stuff was definitely not possible for closed-off me.
"Thank you", she answered and I could easily imagine her smile right now.
Then suddenly Fury was back in the phone.
"I am sure you have watched the other competitions as well?", he rather stated than asked without further ado.
"Yeah, maybe. Why?" I had a feeling where this was going and I really wouldn't like it if I was right.
"Your honest thoughts about men's solo. Would you have predicted it?"
I rolled my eyes.
"Nick, do you really need a pat on the back? Of course your golden boy Rogers went and got first. And you were so lucky and you even got a medal with Barnes. Finally he stopped playing the drama queen and skated cleanly. Then that Norwegian guy with this L-name, Luke? No Loki! Only because he was disqualified there was this one spare place on the podium. I thought it would go to Japan right away. Or Germany could have made it as well, Kurt Wagner. His jumps are phenomenal!"
"What did you think about Clint Barton?"
"Barton?", I asked, yes, that was really dangerous territory. " Don't pretend, I know you are not only asking me this because he was the third U.S. contestant but also because he is Phil's. But to answer your question - lovely technique. Fit and strong. He has this emotional way of skating and that sells. And Phil was smart and used this in the choreography. But also, the hard truth, he still isn't as good as the rest. It is like...I don't know. The others are a bunch of super heroes and he is the guy from next door. Pretty talented but still kind of ordinary somehow. Don't get me wrong, I think he is good, really. But there is something missing, the pinch of salt kind of. 4th place at these Olympics was awesome for him but I am afraid he isn't podium material."
Phil had started training other skaters as soon as we stopped skating together and he got out of hospital, first as Fury's assistant. I guess it was like second nature to him. He simply had a way with people, to bring out the best in them. Like he had with me. Sure, Carol and then Fury had trained me, they had made me feel powerful. But Phil had been my partner, he had made me feel complete.
His skaters and couples had not been bad as such so far, but not the winners. This season, with Clint Barton in men's solo and Barbara Morse together with Grant Ward in pair figure skating he could have finally had a chance. If the others hadn't been in bestform. Ranks four and a bronze medal respectively for the members of his team at the last World Cup had made me hopeful . But as it had turned out during the last few days in vain, the competition had been hard and I still had serious concerns regarding the couple. He was good and she was good, really, but not together. The spark was missing. In my opinion. Also she was too tall to be a pair figure skater. That was everyone's opinion. Only Phil seemed to disagree, apparently.
"Phil could have had a shot with Ward/Morse. For Bronze. Gold would be going to the Canadians. That was clear from the beginning. Don't pretend, you hoped to win ice dance this year and you did. Wilson/Carter were in great shape. But honestly, it will be so awkward as Sharon Carter's aunt is training the British team that you just beat, isn't it?"
The Carter-Dilemma was one of the main topics in skating gossip these days: Peggy Carter, a very renown former ice dancer, was training one team, two very young skaters nicknamed Fitzsimmons. Her niece however had competed against them for the United States, trained by Nick Fury.
"Melinda, I really don't care about that! Carter's are both very professional", my former coach laughed, "and even though Morse and Ward weren't the best the US still got gold in the team akating event. But between us - Phil is thinking about quitting now. They didn't bring back an individual medal this year again, I don't know what he will do now."
For a moment I felt like I had been punched in the gut. That couldn't be! Phil wasn't a quitter. He wouldn't give up.
"You must be wrong!", I croaked.
"No, he told me himself. Listen, If, when, that happens.. May we are both realists we can see that it is on razor's edge. So in case he stops training, you know it will kill him. Slowly from inside."
Yes, I knew that, I knew him. He had loved skating as much as I did, and just look at me - I was already three parts dead inside. And still unable to pick myself up and do something about it.
"Girl, maybe you can't or don't want to help yourself. But promise me to help him when he needs you!"
How could I say no? There was basically nothing I wouldn't do for my former partner, even though we hadn't talked in so long.
"What so you want me to do?"
"Before he throws it away, he will ask you for help. He will try it one last time. Get your ass up and do it for fucks sake!"
Fury was probably right about that, so I just murmured an okay, despite hating myself for it. Then I hung up and turned off the TV. I was staring at the empty screen for the longest time, thinking about everything and about nothing. And in the end, I didn't even know what I was hoping for any more. That Phil would need me or that he wouldn't.
In reality, the first female quad toe loop in competition was performed at the Junior Grand Prix in Armenia 2018, not in Sochi 2014, by Alexandra Trenova (Russia).
The first quad Lutz was performed not 1992 but 2014 by Alexandra Trenova (Russia), I don't know if a combination with a triple toe loop is possible. Probably not.
Maria Hill's performances are inspired by "Moulin Rouge" and "Sweet Dreams" by Ashley Wagner (2016 and 2017 respectively). Yelena Belova's performance is meant to be a bit like Adelina Sotnikova's free skate 2014.
I imagine May to have skated a lot like Yuna Kim. I also imagine her short programme to "James Bond" nearly exactly like hers, simply with a quad Lutz instead of a triple Lutz in it before the first triple toe loop.