While Natasha talked with Clint, Noel had went to seek out Alex who was probably somewhere inside the tower. He figured Alanna would handle Evelyn and he can guess that Hawke might be with Evelyn to provide comfort for her. Noel entered the tower and decided to make his way back to the boys' dorm and see if he was there. Once he got off the elevator and made his way to the dorm he noticed it was quiet.
He tried the lock and it was open so he said, "Alex I'm coming in." He made his way inside to see Alex there. "Hey can I talk to you?"
Alex sat up straight when Noel suddenly entered the room and quickly threw his hands behind his back. He glanced at the other boy and gave him a sheepish smile, "Yes, leader, what is it?"
Noel smiled back, "Hey, just call me Noel. I just wanted to let you know that what had happened today was not normal. I mean Alanna is not like that usually and I'm sorry on behalf of her. Are you ok?" He asked.
Alex nodded and discretely discarded the pieces of the black box…er alarm clock…he had been trying to piece back together. "Alanna was really scary back there, I don't want to get on her bad side that's for sure. I'm fine. It was interesting to see what would happen between those two."
Noel sighed. "I will do everything I can to get them to be civil towards each other. I just want this team to work and I want you to be comfortable. Look Alanna is not a bad person she is pretty nice once she opens up to you, just please give her a chance and talk to her."
"I like Alanna, Leader, but I just wonder if she will kill Keira?" Alex asked jumping up from his bed with practiced ease and landing in front of Noel. Noel was a little taller then him.
Noel stepped back a little, "I like some personal space between us ok, as for Alanna she won't kill Keira though, her future with our jobs and working as Avengers would be on the line. I am here to keep her steady, I am her boyfriend and plus she has Natasha too since those two are real close. I wouldn't worry Alex."
"Hmm," Alex tilted his head, "Well if you say so." Alex was a little disappointed that they wouldn't be fighting to the death anytime soon. It would have been interesting to see who would have come out on top.
Meanwhile, Alanna decided to make a quick phone call to Kole and once it went through she got Kole's voicemail. "Hey Kole, just wanted to let you know that Evelyn was fine but I screwed up and the new members being here has created some tension. Noel is struggling to be the leader and I just wondered if Luke or Michael can talk to him. Talk to you soon." She hung up and made her way inside to the girls' dorm in which Evelyn might be there.
Once she got off the elevator she heard Evelyn in the room and regret filled her. "Evelyn, it's me, Alanna, can I talk to you?" She waited for her answer.
Evelyn sniffled from her spot under the covers and sat up with the covers wrapped around her body so only her head showed. "I don't mind."
Alanna entered and sat down next to Evelyn on her bed and pulled her into a hug. "Oh Evelyn I am so, so sorry that I had snapped at you. I wish I could take it all back now, you are a real friend and I know you probably hate me now." She said.
Evelyn returned the hug and fiercely shook her head, "No way. I'm sorry I told Keira all about your bloodline power. I let it slip for some reason," Evelyn told her with a frown. She loosened the hug and let herself out of the blanket cocoon she had enclosed herself in.
Alanna smiled. "Evelyn I had no reason to tell you what to do, you just wanted to make Keira feel welcome and part of the team. It's understandable that you just got excited and told her, I should not have snapped over something so stupid. She would have found out in battle if I decide to use it again in the future, you are not to blame."
"Really? Well thanks…do you hate Keira? I know you guys just had a big blow out, but I didn't think she had done anything bad. Unless you know something? I'm just really confused." Evelyn said.
Alanna sighed and stood up. "I just have this feeling that I had met her in the past somewhere and I felt threatened by her when she arrived yesterday. I think she's just using your kindness to turn you and everyone here against me, I don't trust her and she is hiding something, I will find out. Plus, I promised Kole to look after your well-being and just promise me Evelyn, that if she goes through my stuff to let me know ok?" She said with a smile.
"I promise…but is it okay to be friends with her? I promise I will be careful what I say to her from now on," Evelyn asked. She smiled back at Alanna feeling better now that she knew she was forgiven for being a blabber mouth.
Alanna smiled, "Sure you can Evelyn, tell you what you can be my spy in training and report to me anything suspicious." She hugged her friend again, she was happy that they had made up.
"Sure!" Evelyn exclaimed happy to accept the task.
Back outside Natasha had stopped at the edge of the walking path and turned to Clint. "I wanted to ask you if you knew why Alanna is suddenly hostile? I mean do you think Loki's influence is still taking affect?" She asked him in a concerned tone.
"It could be, but Alanna already broke his control over her and Loki's locked up in Asgard without the use of his magic I'm sure," Clint told her. "I just thought it was a girl thing."
Natasha sighed. "Honestly I thought it was Loki, it hasn't been that long since he possessed her and even though Noel broke the control on her, I'm just not sure anymore." She didn't know what to do about this situation. "I think Alanna could be right, they could had met back in the days she worked for the CIA and Keira is exacting vengeance on her for whatever reason. I noticed that she won't talk to me right now." She turned to meet his gaze.
Clint smirked and gently reached out to brush the hair away from her eyes. "Are you two having your first mother-daughter fight then?" He asked raising an eyebrow. He really couldn't resist teasing her.
Natasha gave him a look. "Seriously, Clint not funny. I have a feeling that she is breaking away from us because she thinks that she took advantage of us too many times and she feels upset about it. So she's closing herself off unless it was real important."
Clint coughed once he realized Natasha wasn't in the mood for jokes. "Well it might be a good thing that she's learning to trust other people besides just us? But we should let her know that we don't think she's taken advantage of us. That would be bad. We'll just have to let her know we're here if she wants to talk. Honestly I think this whole thing will blow over in a few days…"
Natasha nodded. "I don't know anyway, I was just guessing. But do you think Noel can bring the team together without Alanna thinking he betrayed her by siding with the team over her? This whole thing is like a test to their relationship and I'm not sure in the end they will stand together as a couple or it will end up in heartbreak." She said with a hint of concern.
Clint just sighed. "Well the team should always come first…even for us S.H.I.E.L.D comes before our relationship," he said even though he would rather not admit such things, "and if this is a test of their relationship we'll just have to see how it ends up. If they are meant to be then they'll be. If not, then they won't. It's up to them what happens. We can just watch and give them advice at some points."
Natasha knew he was right. "I don't know why I even thought that. They know in the end S.H.I.E.L.D will come first too, but are we going to be ok Clint?" She felt a little insecure at the moment. She knew one thing for sure is that she would still love him no matter what happened.
"Of course we will," he told her without hesitating in the slightest, "I promise." He smiled at her and then inclined his head back towards the institute changing the subject. "Do you think we should talk to Keira about what happened earlier with Alanna?"
Natasha sighed. "Actually, I was going to ask Noel to gather Keira and Alanna in the same room and make them apologize to each other." She led him back to the tower and once inside Natasha said, "Jarvis summon Noel, Alanna, and Keira here please."
Jarvis complied. "Yes Miss Natasha."
A few minutes later all three of them came off the elevator and Alanna turned to her friends. "So, what is it now?" Noel sighed and Keira just look uninterested on what they had to say.
"Ok I know this will be hard for the two of you, but do we all agree that the team comes before all petty arguments?" Clint asked looking between both Alanna and Keira levelly.
Alanna eyes grew wide. "Oh hell no, I am not apologizing first."
Keira smirked. "Well, I see the bitch side didn't leave yet. You need to grow up, Alanna."
Noel got in the middle just in case. "Alanna, Keira please just do this. I want all of us to be ok, what if we were under attack right now huh? Tell me either one of you won't save the other or help watch their back."
Alanna rolled her eyes. "Son of a bitch Noel, you know that no matter the differences we had, I would pull her ass of the fire. I mean I already saved everyone before and you know how reckless I am."
Noel nodded. "Keira would you?"
Keira nodded. "Of course, I would never allow her to be hurt either."
Noel sighed. "Well at least that is good news."
Natasha said, "Alanna, you do know that you don't have to lock people out of your life." Alanna was silent and Noel turned to Natasha.
"What do you mean Alanna locking people out?" Natasha sighed and turned to Clint.
Clint nodded for her to continue, "Don't worry I've got your back on this. Might as well get everything out into the open if we are going to function as a team," he told her.
At that same moment, Evelyn heard a commotion in the main room and she stopped to listen what would happen along with Hawke and Alex who she had been hanging out with. They had just finished eating lunch, in Alex's case playing with his food more than eating it, and had been on their way to spar in the gym.
"What's up?" Hawke asked her confused and she held a finger up to her lips to silence him.
"I think Alanna and Keira are in there. I want to hear what happens," she whispered and Alex perked up at that and crouched at Evelyn's side to hear as well.
"Death match, death match!" He chanted under his breath and Hawke frowned at them both.
"It's not nice to eavesdrop," he said but Evelyn just rolled her eyes and tugged him next to them to listen as well. They all waited to hear what would happen.
Alanna waited for Natasha to continue. "Well, Alanna is it not true that you are pushing Clint and I away because you thought that you took advantage of us recently?"
Noel's eyes shot up in shock. "So, you feel guilty Alanna? You do know that they are here for us right?" Alanna sighed and Keira raised an eyebrow.
"So what is the deal with you and these two?"
Alanna felt cornered at that point and yelled. "Enough ok! Why is it that I have to bare my soul more? I don't owe anyone an explanation."
Noel turned to Keira. "Natasha and Clint are responsible for finding Alanna and I, Keira."
Keira nodded. "I see, so I guess that explains why she goes to them so much."
Noel nodded slightly. "I can't say that I haven't been a little jealous but I understand."
Alanna glared at him. "You know what you got me ok, yes I felt like I had been taking advantage of Natasha and Clint too much especially right after we came here. But you Noel pushed me to Natasha when you left with Clint, remember? I never knew that you were going on a suicide mission in DC and it destroyed me when you left."
Noel turned to Clint. "Did you know about Alanna's feelings?"
"Natasha noticed before I did…she's the one who told me Alanna might feel that way. Which makes sense since she has been closer to Alanna for longer," he told Noel and then turned to face Alanna, "Alanna, I'm sorry if you feel like we're ganging up on you here but we just want you to know that you shouldn't feel that way. We're here to help all of you and we encourage you to come to us if you need to talk. We don't see it as being 'taken advantage' of."
Alanna turned back to Noel. "You remember the date right?" Noel nodded and she continued, "You made me happy that night well up until we fought that huge battle here. But I just want you to be more open with me ok?"
Noel walked over and hugged her. "I am so, so sorry I made you upset while I was gone. I bet I was the reason you ended up in the medical ward too from exhaustion."
Alanna shook her head. "No Noel, that was my own doing, I trained like crazy while you were gone. But you saved my life back then, if not for your warning you know that nightmare I had, it would have happened."
Noel sighed. "We are going to be ok Alanna, just trust in me and I will help you out as much as possible and I promise to be more open with you." Alanna smiled and leaned closer and kissed him in which he returned to it.
"Thank you Noel." She turned back to Clint. "It's ok, I just felt bad because you guys done more for me than anyone else in my life and I can never repay it." Natasha smiled thinking of how she thought the same thing when Clint had saved her.
Keira rolled her eyes. "So, Alanna are you going to be nice now?" Alanna pulled away from Noel.
"Only if you are civil to me than I will try."
Keira nodded. "I will try ok."
Alanna nodded. "I guess I am kinda sorry for the slap earlier."
Keira nodded. "Appreciate it, but I know Evelyn wasn't kidding when she said that you were strong."
Alanna turned to Clint. "You ok with this?" Alanna thought in her head. 'I can tell that she just lied to me about being nice but I have a plan.'
Noel saw the look on her face and read what she was thinking. "Alanna..."
Alanna smiled. "Yes Noel?"
Noel just decided to give up. "Be careful," he whispered to her.
She nodded slightly. "It's the only way Noel, I must learn the truth."
Noel replied, "I will support you no matter what, just promise me you won't put me in a position that would ruin us all?"
Alanna gave him a tight smile. "I can't promise anything, but I will always support you Noel, I love you." She kissed him again in which he returned it.
Meanwhile, back upstairs Tony had watched the whole drama unfold through Jarvis.
"Well, looks like our new team has issues and Clint and Natasha have their hands full."
Steve gave him a look. "You know spying isn't right Star k."
Tony stuck his tongue out at him. "You are no fun, Captain. I will be down in my lab." He left the room.
Back downstairs Alanna and the others waited for Clint's reaction. Natasha already knew that Alanna was up to something that required spying on Keira and she just had to watch her carefully.
"It'll do for now," Clint told Alanna and then he turned towards the entrance, "you three can come out now," he said and Evelyn and Alex stumbled forward with Hawke trailing behind shaking his head. Evelyn stuck out her tongue and Alex mimicked her.
"Busted," she said.
"We're sorry..." Hawke told him and Clint just shook his head.
"No it's good you were all here since we just had our first mission come down the pipeline and I had to brief you all anyways," he told them with a grin. He motioned for them all to take a seat while he explained.
"Okay, so this is just a small time thing, but Natasha and I need to get a feel for team dynamics. There was a break in at one of Rex Laboratories and it seems three scientists were taken hostage by a rebel group and are being forced to work for them. These scientists are experts in gamma radiation and we think this rebel group is trying to recreate the super solider serum even though that research has been forbidden. So we'll be splitting you off into teams to rescue them," Clint explained to them, "I want Alanna and Keira together on this one. Noel you can decide how to split the rest of the team."
Alanna eyes turned wide. "Shit you mean like Captain America and Bruce?"
Natasha nodded. "We will be guiding you to the area, but Noel has to take over as leader and the success of this mission depends on your team work and his leadership."
Noel felt nervous as Clint had put him in the spot light and all of the sudden he felt sick. He rushed to the nearest bathroom and shut the door.
Alanna knocked on the door. "Noel, you ok?"
Noel yelled, "Fine, just nerves. I'll be out in a few minutes." She stood across from the door in concern.
"Noel, you will be ok."
Noel stepped out than after washing up and nodded toward her. "I will be fine." She grabbed his hand and they returned to the group. Noel noticed Clint's worried expression the most and he knew he would ask first. "Ok, so I guess Clint already chose Alanna and Keira together, Hawke and Evelyn and I will take Alex." Noel waited for Clint's reaction.
Natasha nodded. "Guys, get ready to suit up. We leave in ten."
"Good choice Noel, I would have chosen the same teams," Clint told Noel and he almost patted his shoulder but stopped himself just in time. He couldn't coddle Noel here. He had to let Noel grow on his own. It didn't mean Clint wasn't panicking on the inside though. It was like watching his little brother go off on his own in war or something. He shot Noel a grin and nodded at him as the rest of the team got ready to head off in the jet. "If you need help just let me or Natasha know, you're in charge but we're here if things get too heavy," he told Noel.
Noel sighed in relief. "Thanks." He boarded the jet with the others and soon they left the tower. Inside the jet Keira and Alanna just ignored each other but they had already promised the rest of the team they can be professional and Noel still felt uneasy for his mind he was thinking of how this mission could go wrong. Alanna who was next to him leaned her head on his shoulder and took his hand trying to lend him some of her strength.
Noel smiled at the gesture. "So how far is the lab?" He asked Clint who was piloting. Keira knew this was a big deal and she understood on how Noel was feeling for this was a first time for her as well. She never did missions before, only killed bad guys who had done her family wrong.
But before Noel's question could be answered, Natasha said, "Alright guys remember we don't need S.H.I.E.L.D involved here so keep it under wraps as much as possible. Also we are here."
The jet landed and the novice team exited the jet while Clint and Natasha stayed inside. Natasha handed them their communicators. "Good luck and if you need us call." She turned to Clint to see if he had anything to add.
"Remember the key to this mission is stealth, be safe and work with each other as much as possible. When you rescue a scientist radio it and head back here. Everyone listen to Noel. Goodluck," Clint told them. He believed Noel would keep them together fine. The kid was a born leader he just didn't know it yet.
This would be the mission to make or break the new team. He just hoped Alanna and Keira would make good on their agreement to work together because their teamwork meant the success or failure of the new team.
Noel nodded at Clint. "Thanks man." Then he turned back to the members. "Alright we need this success and remember no huge risks guys and if one of us become injured we must help that member out along with those scientists. Let's move out." He smiled at them and led the way. He could only hope all of them make it out ok in the end.
