So this isn't my idea, not originally. Credit goes to janeturenne on tumblr for the headcanon that Phil Coulson was given super-soldier serum way back when.
LINK: peppertheband tumblr com [forward slash] post/26192271429/ask-jane-foster-erebusodora-goldenwatcher#notes
Disclaimer: Don't own. The Avengers is © Joss Whedon and Marvel Studios.
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The serum doesn't give him the super-powers that he dreamed of as a boy. Instead, it changes Coulson minutely on a cellular level. Higher metabolism, stronger moral compass, quicker reflexes, slowed aging, faster-than-average healing. All good things to have when you're working for an agency like SHIELD.
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Loki's scepter slides through his back, cutting cleanly through two ribs and punching a hole in his left lung. Without the serum, he would be dead already. As it is, he barely forces his fingers to squeeze the trigger. Coulson slips into unconsciousness, eyes going glossy and fluttering closed, chest stilling as he exhales one last time. The first medics on the scene manage to get his heart going again, but Nick Fury is informed that his best agent may never awaken from the coma.
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Once the Battle of Manhattan is over and our heroes have eaten, Fury reveals that Coulson still lives. The Avengers are various shades of pissed—especially Tony. They demand to be allowed to see him. For the next three weeks, the team (with the exception of Thor, who has returned to Asgard with Loki) takes turns waiting at Coulson's bedside. It is during Steve's shift that the agent finally regains consciousness.
"Hey," the Captain says, "You alright?"
Coulson nods. "Where am I?"
"Hospital," Rogers explains. An uncharacteristic smirk springs to his lips. "I've been watching you while you were sleeping."
Coulson would laugh, but it hurts too much. So he lets himself go back to sleep, resting more easily with his childhood hero beside him.
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Again, not mine. Hope you liked it.
over & out,
Pepper