Chapter One: Unexpected Visitor

Mo's P.O.V.

I tapped the end of my pencil against my desk in a rapid tempo, propping my chin on the heel of my hand and staring dazedly at the whiteboard in front of me. There were numerous equations written on it, but my eyes were having difficulty focusing on what they meant, or even said. I turned my head to the side and stared out the window, watching the pedestrians walking their dogs on the sidewalk outside the high school. It was a Friday, but I was in fifth period, meaning I still had three more classes to go.

God, I hate AP Chemistry, I thought to myself, sighing and trying not to let my eyes fall shut. Chemistry...

I thought of Stark and that horrible attempt at a pick-up line. Lord, it seemed like forever ago. Two Christmases ago, in fact. It just didn't seem possible that so much time could have passed since I saw them last. Several months, at least. The school year was almost over. I was a senior, ready for college come graduation, but I still had no idea what I wanted to be. After spending a year as a semi-dysfunctional superheroine, it felt weird to think I'd have to move on and continue with my education. If I didn't stay in town and continue working with the police force, that is. But it didn't seem so appealing to me.

I hastily scratched out little doodles on my assignment sheet with my pencil. Can't this class go by any faster?

"Miss Monet, are you even paying attention?" my teacher, Mr. Kenny, said harshly.

I looked up at him with heavy-lidded eyes. "No," I answered truthfully. "Don't worry about me though. Carry on." He huffed indignantly and turned back to the board.

I'd been able to get away with a lot more things since returning from New York. The teachers were made aware of the fact that I could get called out to apprehend a criminal at any moment, and they also realized that things had happened to me in the year that I was away, things that I never explained to them but they understood had changed me. Whether it was for the better, I had no way of knowing at the time.

I returned my attention to the scene outside the window. The high school was in a nice part of town, surrounded by cute middle class homes with perfectly manicured lawns and a park on the east side where students would go to hang out on the warm spring days during lunch. I was there today, for example, eating lunch with Brendon and Brayden on one of the park benches while Grace and Jenna sat in the grass in front of us. The cafeteria in the high school is usually overly crowded, so it was nice to get some fresh air. But it was back in the eight-hour prison, now.

I tapped my heel repeatedly against the tile floor, drumming my fingertips on my left hand against my desk as I continuously sketched out more haphazrd drawings in the margins of my paper. I was getting a few strange looks from people I never really talked to, but they were all ignored. I checked the clock. How is there still thirty minutes left? I thought desperately.

My earpiece beeped.

"Agent, are you there?" Sergeant Walker said in my ear.

I scowled, despite the fact that I was thrilled to have a distraction. "Sir, I'm in the middle of class," I whispered back. The students sitting closest to me looked over, kind of surprised but ultimately interested in if I was going to leave or not. It wasn't the first time I'd been called out in the middle of class. "What do you want?"

"Agent, I can't hear you very well. Can you speak up?"

"Miss Monet?" Mr. Kenny drew my attention back up to the front of the classroom. "Are you needing to leave?" I nodded stiffly with a slight shrug. "I'll have Mr. Masters bring you your homework, then. Good luck."

I grabbed my things and, finger still pressed against my inner ear, I left the class. The door swung shut behind me. "What do you want?" I repeated, louder now that I was in the hall. "You're calling me out of class again."

"There's been a disturbance in one of the old factories in the business district. One of the neighbors called and complained about hearing someone smashing things around inside."

I sighed and opened my locker. "And you want me to go over there and check it out? Isn't there anyone else on duty?"

I heard him chuckle. "I thought you'd be happy to have an excuse to leave class early, Mo."

I sighed again and dug my phone out of my pocket after throwing my books into my locker. I typed out a quick message to Brendon, asking him to leave his Spanish class and come out into the hall. "Yeah, yeah. Send me the address and I'll be right over," I said to Walker.

"We owe you one, Agent. Come by the station when you're done and I'll give you a cup of coffee." Stupid police station, thinking that coffee would win my over every time. It had so far.

I slipped off my tennis shoes and yanked my boots onto my feet. Brendon was striding down the hall toward me as I zipped my black jacket on over my t-shirt. "Leaving so soon?" he asked with a smile. He kissed my cheek and took my shoes from me, sticking them in my locker.

"Got a call about some guy hanging out where he shouldn't be." I adjusted the earpiece so it wouldn't fall out and smiled. "I should be home before you're out of class. As long as everything goes right."

"You seem pretty cheerful about it," he commented. I grinned and shrugged one shoulder. I was suddenly really excited to go out and see what was going on. Brendon laughed. "Why do I get the feeling you're not coming back?" His tone was light, letting me know he wasn't serious.

I smiled and kissed him quickly. "I'll be back shortly. Have fun in Spanish."

"Adiós," he called after me as I walked down the hall and out the door.

I cut across the lawn toward the parking lot. My car was parked toward the end, which was unfortunate, so I had to jog to get there in a timely fashion. Wrenching open the door, I jumped into the drivers seat and started the engine. Clicking my seatbelt into place as I backed out of the parking lot, I hummed a random Beatles song under my breath. My tires squealed a little as I tried to speed out of the lot and into the street as quickly as I could.

It was about a ten minute drive to the part of town where the call had come from. I parked my car a few blocks away and jogged the rest of the trip to the building. It rested almost on the outskirts of town with a large and empty field behind it. Slowing to a walk, I snuck along the side of the brick building and slipped in through the partially open door. Everything inside was dim, even though the sun was all the way up outside. It was silent as well, and I did my best to keep it that way as I crept across the dusty floor.

Breathing shallowly, I ran my hand along the wall so I wouldn't get lost. The building was huge; back in the day, almost half the town worked there. But that was decades ago. Now, it rested in near ruin. Who would want to hang around here? I asked myself.

Something clattered to the ground and there was the sound of a few muffled curses. I froze. Swallowing once, I tiptoed forward and peered around the corner of a doorway. There was a set of stairs leading up to a rotted second floor; from where I stood, I could see several holes permeating it. If I could get up there and not fall through, I could gain a height advantage over whoever was in there. Jump on their back, maybe...

Without giving myself time to question my plan, I darted forward and ran up the stairs before they could break beneath my weight. Now on the second floor, it was harder to mask my footsteps. Hopefully the intruder would hear me approaching and come out into the open. Either that, or they'd bolt. I would be okay with either option.

There was movement down below me; I could see it through the gaping holes in the floor. It was a large shadow that was moving, and I realized that whoever it was may be too big for me to take down on my own. I was breathing hard, trying to mask the sound as I crept ever closer to where they stood, unaware of my presence.

I was fortunate enough to discover a hole directly above them. Without a moment's hesitation, I jumped down the hole and landed with a thud on the person's back. Immediately, my arms went around their neck in an effort to strangle them. "Don't move," I hissed in their ear. "It'll make it easier for you."

"Mo?"

The deep, booming voice caught me off guard and I dropped to the ground. My ass stung from the impact and the dust all around me became unsettled, but I wasn't paying any attention. "Thor?" I gasped, my jaw dropping open.

The god smiled down at me, his teeth glinting in the dimness of the factory. "Did you believe it to be someone else?"

I accepted his offer at a hand up and brushed the back of my pants off, sending dirt to coat the floor some more. "Well, yeah. I thought you were a drug dealer or a thief or something." I cleared my throat to get the dust out of it and raised my eyebrows at him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Thor's face grew serious. "We need you to come back, Mo."

That startled me. "Is it the aliens?"

"We're not sure."

I shake my head in confusion. "How are you 'not sure'? I mean, I know they look like normal people, but they have cat eyes. Have they been walking around? Has anyone been killed?"

"No, and no."

I sighed in exasperation, even though I'd secretly been missing the whole team. "Thor, I've got a good thing going here right now. What could you possibly need me for if it doesn't involve the aliens?"

Thor's gaze travels from my face and down to the dirty floor. "Barton."

"What about him?"

"He was kidnapped."

I ran a hand through my hair and nearly cried out in frustration. "Jesus Christ, can't you people keep anyone safe?" I was on borderline hysterics and the news had only just been delivered. "Did you - did you try to get him back?" I was hyperventilating. My chest was rising and falling too quickly, and it looked like Thor was about to ask me how I was.

He nodded vigorously. "Yes, we did. Almost immediately after he was taken. He is on the helicarrier now, actually. But he is...different. He is a changed man."

"Did they torture him?" I gasped out, horrified at the thought.

Thor shook his head. "We do not know. He will not speak about what happened."

My heart throbbed uncomfortably in my chest and I felt like I was going to vomit. "What do you need me to do?" I choked out, clutching the fabric of my shirt in both my hands.

"Come back to the ship with me. It is waiting in the field behind this building. We will return to the helicarrier and you can try to fix our friend."

I nodded weakly as my earpiece beeped. "Mo, are you all right? You've been gone for quite a while," Sergeant Walker said.

I pressed my finger to it, growing tired of having to communicate this way all the time. "I'm fine. It's just Thor." That statement would probably be weird to anyone not knowing somewhat about my ordeal beforehand. "I'm going with him. Thanks for all the fun. I'll be back eventually."

"All right. Thank you for your service. The streets are safer becaue of you."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I sighed, letting go of the button and pulling out my phone. I quickly sent a message to Brendon. It's Thor.

He was quick to respond, even though I was pretty sure he was in his Trigonometry class by then. You're leaving, aren't you?

Something's up with Barton. They want me to fix it. I sent back as Thor led me out of the factory toward the field.

But you are leaving? Right now?

I have to. He's my friend.

I know. Be careful. Don't get hurt, all right?

I won't. I promise. I'll be back home to you, safe and sound, once this is all over. I just don't know when that'll be.

That's all right. I'll wait. It won't be the first time.

I smiled as I saw the sleek black jet waiting patiently in the center of the grassy field, feeling as though it was only yesterday I was aboard it. It was almost crazy how much I missed being an agent with people I cared so deeply about. I sent Brendon another message as Thor and I waited for the ramp to drop down. You're the best, Bren. I'll see you soon.

I hope so. I love you, Mo.

My face went a little pink. He'd never said that before. We'd never said that to each other before. I wasn't completely sure what to say. I liked Brendon, obviously, and I was so happy to be with him, but I just... Something was holding me back. I didn't know what to respond, so I decided to pull a bitchy move and just slid my phone back into my pocket. I could deal with those three words some other time.

As the ramp dropped down, my heartbeat accelerated to an almost impossible tempo. Thor put his hand on the small of my back and grinned down at me. "We all missed you, Mo," he said.

I smiled back. "I missed you all, too."

The bottom of the ramp touched down on the grass. Automatically, I started up it. I was barely inside the jet before a flash of red jumped at me. "You're back!" Natasha screeched, very much out of character. "Thank God." She pulled back and smiled at me. "I missed you so much."

"The feeling is mutual," I chuckled. "It's good to see you."

She stepped back and a shy blonde took her place, wringing his hands a little in front of him. "Hello, Mo. How are you?" Rogers asked, looking up at me through his eyelashes.

"What're you so nervous for, stupid?" I asked good-naturedly, putting my hands on my hips. "I think we're past the formalities, aren't we?" He smiled, and I took that as an invitation to give him a bear hug.

"I missed you," he mumbled, seeming almost embarrassed.

I laughed. "Thank goodness. I was hoping the feeling wasn't one-sided."

He chuckled and let me go, allowing Banner to come forward next, his hair as messy as always as he hugged me also. "Tony hasn't shut up about you since you left, you know," he said with a humorous smile. "I think he missed you more than all of us."

"I heard that!" Stark's obnoxiously loud voice nearly shattered my eardrums, but I found myself grinning regardless. Banner stepped back and allowed the billionaire to approach me with his usual cocky air. "I didn't miss you at all, Mo. It would be pointless."

I folded my arms across my chest and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? How so?"

"I knew you'd be coming back to us eventually."

I pursed my lips. "Aw, Stark, ain't you just the cutest thing anyone ever did see?" I reached up and pinched his cheek with a sly grin.

He smacked my hand away and scoffed. "Stop it. I knew you couldn't stay away from us for long. It was only a matter of time before you came crawling back."

I smirk. "The way I understand it, it was you guys who came crawling to me. Can't fix your problems on your own, Starkie?"

"Not our Barton, problems, no," he said in a grim voice, his expression turning darker. "Natasha can't even figure out what's up with him, and she's the only other person as close with him."

My gaze turned hard, my jovial emotions sobering. "What exactly do I need to do?"

"As soon as we get to the helicarrier, we need you to talk to him," Rogers said. "Just talk. Try to get him to tell you about what happened when he was taken, because he won't tell us anything."

I nodded. "Has he just not been speaking at all?"

Banner shook his head. "He speaks. But he's cold, like he's angry with all of us. Sometimes he's more sarcastic than Stark is."

That was out of character for Barton. He was not a mean sort of person. Yes, he could be sarcastic, but it was never in a mean way like Stark on most occasions. I nodded stiffly. "I'll do what I can. How long until we reach the helicarrier?"

"We should be landing in a few minutes, Agent Mo," the pilot said, turning his head to look at me. I smiled in thanks and he turned back around.

When those few minutes had passed, I waited with the others for the ramp to be lowered so I could exit and find Barton. My boots clicked against the pavement as I joined them in striding inside the main part of the helicarrier. "Where is he?" I asked, addressing all of them.

Rogers looked briefly uncomfortable. "In the same room where we kept you after your surgery."

I raised my eyebrows. "Is he that bad?"

Natasha set a hand on my shoulder. "We're just worried about him. We're hoping he'll be nicer toward you. He likes you, you know?"

I frowned. "He likes all of you. Why should I make a difference?"

They all gave me a frustrated look that I didn't understand. "Just go talk to him while we call your parents and let them know you're with us again. We're heading back to New York shortly," Stark said in a bossy voice.

I scowled at him but obeyed, leaving the group to go see one of my best friends. Anxiety raged in my stomach, the acid within in it feeling as though it could come bursting up into my throat at any moment. I turned the last corner and out on a smile as I saw his back turned toward me, an inch of glass separating us.

My eyes traced over the familiar curve of his shoulders and the veins that stuck out a little from his forearms, visible because the sleeves on his black sweater were rolled up. Seeing him really brought home the fact that I was back with the team, ready to fight at any moment, ready to tease the life out of one the guys for doing something silly. But I missed Barton the most out of all of them.

I couldn't keep a smile off my face as I spoke. "Did you miss me?"

He turned to look at me. He'd grown his hair out a little, but it was the same old light brown color. His eyes were still the same blue, but something was different. They weren't filled with warmth like I remembered. They were cold and unforgiving, almost judgmental. His lips curled into a half smirk, but there was nothing humorous or snarky about it. It was filled with malice instead of folly.

He flashed his white teeth as his top lip curled into a disgusted snarl. "No."