Recruited - Chapter Ten
MAJOR SPOILERS FOR "AVENGERS (ASSEMBLE)" INSIDE
Avengers Dialogue / Scenes inside.
The office was a large room with wide glass windows and ivory-coloured sound-proofed walls. It housed an assortment of tracking and computer equipment, most noticeably the vast silver scanners and glass digital screens. Anna entered the room with an appreciative smile, slinking toward the glass displays. She dropped the iPod onto the silver painted desk, tucking the headphones underneath the music player. It was sweet of Tony, she realised, to have gifted her the device. But why an iPod? Tony had frequently mocked Apple Inc. and its merchandise, telling her it was ten to fifteen years behind in advancements when compared to Stark Industries' technology. What was the importance of the device? Surely Tony hadn't just been… nice?
Her thoughts flitted back their last conversation: "SHIELD is up to something. I don't know what, but I intend to find out what it is. I need you to keep your ear to the ground, Annie. Listen."
An ear to the ground.
Listen.
An ear to the ground.
Listen.
Anna snatched the iPod back from the smooth surface of the table and placed the earbuds in her ears again, switching the device on, listening to the first song. Tony knew Anna had been raised listening to classical music, and the two had often debated over which of Beethoven's symphonies was the greatest masterpiece: Stark had argued it was Symphony No. 9, whilst Anna vowed it was Symphony No. 3.
So why was Symphony No. 7, Op. 92, A Major playing and why was it incorrectly labelled as "Symphony No. 7, OS. 9023, ACPI"?
Her thoughts, though somewhat scrambled, automatically spied the computer abbreviations hidden inside the title. "You have got to be kidding me," she muttered, pushing back a loose copper curl as she studied the letters. She debated tying her hair into a tighter bun, but she realised it would only pull at her scalp, and the last thing she needed was more discomfort; the SHIELD uniform was uncomfortable enough.
The analyst moved over toward the first set of digital computer screens and was pleasantly surprised to find the words "Welcome Dr. Wellington" displayed on the screensaver. She tapped the display with three fingers and wiped the screensaver away, discovering SHIELD's collective interface. Anna moved around the computer system, wondering where the information feeder was located. She halted her movement when the door to the office opened, and Dr. Bruce Banner stepped inside.
The doctor greeted Anna with a polite wave of his hand, his brown hair speckled with grey strands. He was a slim man and seemingly harmless, but Anna had watched the footage Stark had prepared merely hours ago. "Hi," said Banner, a small smile on his face. "Fury said I could work in here. That OK with you?"
Anna nodded her head and backed away from the screens, interested to find out what Banner would be doing during his stay upon the helicarrier. "The company would be nice," said Anna, putting Tony's well-hidden schemes to the back of her mind for a few moments. "SHIELD's had me locked away for almost a week. The only company I've had is Agent Coulson and security cameras." And Captain America, she thought. Why had she omitted this information? She wasn't angry at Steve for withholding the information, just annoyed. She thought of Steve as an ally, another person caught up in SHIELD's schemes, but it turned out that Dr. Banner fit the description better than the war-hero.
He, too, looked disgruntled.
"You're kidding?"
"I wish," said Anna, shrugging her shoulders. "Their original tech was killed, so here I am." She gestured to the interior of the room, and to the other displays she had ignored. "What is it you're supposed to be doing?"
Banner cleared his throat and pulled a glass monitor toward him. "I'm looking for Loki and signals of the tesseract. We find the signals, we find Loki." He paused, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "Rogers said you work for Tony Stark?"
"I do," responded Anna, pulling at the material of her uniform with a frown. "Or did. I'm not sure how long I'll be with SHIELD. If I had any say in the matter, I wouldn't be here at all. I'm guessing you wouldn't be here either, Dr. Banner."
Banner smiled. "Call me Bruce."
The analyst smiled. "If I continue to call you Dr., you won't go all… green and mad on me, will you?"
The doctor laughed quietly and shook his head. "I promise."
Anna shrugged. "Good enough for me," she said, and she turned back to her monitors, wondering what the hell Tony wanted her to do with the numbers.
"Alright," said Banner, staring at his findings two and a half hours later.
He and Anna had spent the better half of the time in the lab working on their own projects. Anna idly searched the computers for information relating to the tesseract, using her mathematical background to dissect the data. She scoured the internet for all information relating to Norse mythology, and the Cube's history. It was a long-winded task, and the information often contrasted with other sources. Upon hearing Banner's slight cry of triumph, the analyst lifted her head.
"Did you find something?"
Banner nodded his head, taking off his glasses and hooking the arm beneath the collar of his shirt. "I need to find Fury," he explained. "I've been looking for signs of the tesseract, and I think I located it. It's not this side of the ocean, we have to take the carrier to Europe." He shot the analyst a short smile before exiting the room, leaving Anna to her thoughts and research.
"Fantastic," muttered the analyst through a scowl, "the first time I go to Europe, I'm trapped on a government plane." She grabbed the iPod from behind her and glanced back down at the title. "OK, Tony. Let's see what you have planned. And then maybe I'll take you up on that vacation offer." Anna swiped the interface clean and looked back down at the song title. "Number seven," she murmured, looking around the display for her data input screen.
She hit the operating system button with her finger and moved it along to view the seventh slide of the OS. Glancing back down at the numbers and then back up at the screen, Anna was surprised to find a key-code password needed: eight characters in total.
"Well, here goes nothing," murmured the young woman, typing in the characters 9-0-2-3-A-C-P-I. She hit the enter button and waited.
Nothing happened.
"That was a bust," she muttered, trying to hide her disappointment. Maybe Tony hadn't sent her a hidden message, maybe he was lazy and didn't know how to label songs correctly. Maybe he had had Happy do it. That would make sense, she conceded.
And then a picture of a jet lit up the screen, its outline coloured in a gleaming white in contrast to the burnt orange text.
Dozens of thoughts flooded her mind, the most obvious being: what would Tony need with a jet?
The image changed, and bold red lettering flashed on the monitor.
"OVERRIDE IN PROGRESS".
Anna cursed and watched as the monitor flashed red. But she had no time to contemplate what the hell she had just done as the screen faded to black, and a typing cursor flickered on and off.
_ _ _ _ Thanks for the info, Annie. _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ Hide all . I'm running this system now. _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ I'll be there soon. _ _ _ _
The woman hastily wiped away the screen, deleting the footprints she had made.
And before she could stop the sound from leaving her mouth, Anna laughed. Stark Industries +1, SHIELD 0.
When the sky fell dark, Banner returned to the lab. The carrier had changed course, crossing the Atlantic ocean with such speed it made Anna feel decidedly nauseated. Banner's inclination about Europe had been right, and Fury was thankful to have found a trace of Loki and the tesseract.
Anna rubbed her eyes and yawned, the day taking its toll on her. How long had it been since she had slept? She cleared her glass screen, the graphs and data fading to nothing. She stretched her arms out in front of her and pushed the glass display back into its holding position high above her head. Dr. Banner was focusing on his research, his eyes glossed over in thought. Trying not to interrupt his work, Anna slipped out of the research lab and moved across the third level, making her way to the SHIELD base.
She walked along the upper level, finding Steve Rogers, Coulson and Fury conversing in hushed tones. Behind them, the twenty SHIELD agents and engineers studied the earlier energy traces of the tesseract.
As she came closer to them, Coulson inclined his head to her in greeting. "Dr. Wellington," said the Agent.
Fury stared at her, his gaze unblinking. "How is the research coming, Doc?"
Anna stopped before them, accepting Steve's gaze with a slight smile. "It's going OK. I'm waiting for your systems to analyse the data. It's a lot of information. It might take some time."
"And what will it tell us?" asked Fury.
"With the information that Dr. Banner has provided me with, it should pinpoint the exact location of the tesseract and its energy. The scan should be finished in twenty minutes." Anna glanced at the round table with a furtive look, and she was thankful when Coulson gestured for her to take a seat. She felt as though she'd been on her feet for days. She sank into the chair, liking the feel of the plush grey padding. She rested her head in her hand, the elbow propped on the table, when a shadow passed over her.
"Uh, hi," greeted Steve, towering above the female.
Anna looked up at him; his boyish face exhibited a sheepish smile. "Hey, Steve," replied Anna, keeping her voice even.
Steve let out a breath of hot air, and he stumbled for words. "I'm sorry," he said after a minute of silence; Fury and Coulson listened to the ongoing conversation with interest. "I should've told you who I was from the beginning. And I'm sorry."
"Why didn't you tell me? I'd have found out eventually."
The Captain scratched the back of his neck, and his face was flushed. "I guess I just wanted you to know the real me," answered Steve. He shook his head. "All anyone knows about me in this year is that I'm Captain America. I thought I'd introduce myself as Steve."
"From what I've heard about you," countered Anna, "the Captain is a part of you."
Steve smiled, a truthful small grin forming on his face. "You'd heard of me?" He asked.
"I'd read about you," clarified Anna. "I studied the Second World War in detail, and-" she paused and whipped around in her chair to stare at the two SHIELD employees. "And I now see why that would come in useful," she declared, shooting a glare at Coulson.
Steve blinked at the new information. "I thought you were a mathematician?"
"I am. History is an interest of mine. I took some classes."
"Classes?" repeated Steve.
Anna scratched her cheek. "A degree in it," she confirmed.
"That's impressive."
"Not really," said Anna, shrugging her shoulders. "The education system has changed a lot in the last seventy years. It's easier to achieve."
Coulson stepped forward, cutting off Steve's response. "She's being modest," said Coulson, shaking his head, looking up at the soldier. "Dr. Wellington has an impressive resume that extends five pages." He turned to face the brunette. "Prior to you coming on board with SHIELD, I read your thesis. Highly interesting modes of behaviour consisting to mathematics and formulae. And your report on the after effects of the war on its patrons was highly informative. I whole-heartedly supported your argument. It is one of the reasons why we chose you."
The twenty-seven-year-old blinked, thoroughly surprised. That was weird and oddly comforting, Anna told herself. The only people she knew who had read her dissertation were her NYU professors, her half-brother Patrick, and Stark. "Oh," she said, "thank you." I think.
Steve smiled. "Maybe I could read it sometime?"
"I don't have a copy with me, but sure," agreed Anna.
Director Fury left the group and relocated to his office, leaving Steve, Coulson and Anna to talk. The analyst zoned out of the conversation, resting her cheek in her hand. The past few days had blurred past her, and it was hard to believe she was now onboard a flying ship heading to mainland Europe. Had she been back in New York, she would be spending the day in her office, on her very own floor, eating take-out and working on the Clean Energy project Stark had concocted one night during a football game. He had called Anna out of a friend's birthday party to share his thoughts, leaving Anna excited about the project but also highly annoyed with his timing. But that was her job - on call whenever and wherever.
The job definitely had its plusses though - a fantastic seven-figure salary with the extra bonuses of a health plan, entrance to Stark's Malibou mansion whenever she wanted, access to the private jets, and an ever building friendship with Tony Stark.
She pulled herself out of her thoughts and focused back on the ongoing conversation.
"I mean, if it's not too much trouble-" said Coulson, his voice light and jovial, a hint of admiration in his voice.
Anna rose her brows. Who'd have thought Coulson was a Captain America fan?
"No," said Steve, folding his arms over his chest, staring straight ahead, "no, it's fine."
Coulson straightened his posture, and he followed the Captain's gaze. "It's a vintage set," he said, his voice proud. "It took me a couple of years to collect them all." An awkward silence. "You're mint," he added, smiling. It was the first non-grim smile of Coulson's Anna had seen. "Slight foxing around the edges, but-," he was interrupted by one of the techs.
The computers flashed, and the blinking orange lights signalled a trace. "We've got a hit," declared one of the agents, wheeling back in his desk chair to gesture to the computer screen. "Sixty-seven percent match."
At this, Fury, who had returned merely moments before, turned to face the agent, his one good eye viewing the monitor with interest.
"Wait," said the same Agent, furrowing his brows. "Cross-match. Seventy-nine percent." He tapped away at his keyboard, pulling up his findings.
Agent Coulson moved away from Steve, hurrying toward the row of computers. "Location?" he asked, staring at the new information.
The second agent zoomed in on the location, the red dot pin-pointing the location of Loki. "Stuttgart, Germany. 28 Konigstrasse. He's not exactly hiding."
From her seat behind Steve, Anna watched as Director Fury called to the soldier.
"Good work, Doctor Wellington," praised the Director, inclining his head toward her. "Captain," said Fury, his voice hard, his expression even-tempered. "You're up."
Steve took in a breath. He nodded his head and made to leave the base. Before she knew what she was doing, Anna had leapt from her seat and followed him out of the main room and along one of the many steel corridors upon the helicarrier.
"You're going after him alone?" asked Anna, finding it hard to keep up with Steve's strides. She hurried to match his pace, and she looked up at him with a disbelieving stare. "I've been doing research on Loki all afternoon. The guy is a God, Steve. He's powerful. And dangerous."
Steve shot her a glance, his features set. His decision made. "Then someone should stop him."
"Are you forgetting the part where I mentioned he's a God?"
"Dr. Wellington," said Steve, stopping in his tracks. He ran a hand through his hair, mussing the blonde strands. "You really don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine." A pause. "I promise."
Anna was incredulous. "Against a God?"
Steve smiled. "I only make promises I can keep," he said, and he marched along the corridor, away from Anna.
"I'll hold you to that," she called after him, her frown still in place.
The next two hours dragged on. Anna returned to the lab to face the rest of her research on the tesseract. She greeted Dr. Banner with a short smile, and filled him in on the events leading to Steve and Black Widow's departure.
Anna hauled a metallic stool over toward her monitors and sat back down, her eyes scanning through the new information her tests had conjured. It was boring work, she conceded, and her mathematical brain could only dissect so much. She had never been the brightest science student. It was no wonder why SHIELD wanted Tony Stark: his weaponry and genius was indispensable.
"Are you okay?" asked Banner, fifteen minutes into the first hour. "You look a little worried. Is it Rogers?"
The analyst ignored him, trying to analyse her thoughts.
Banner smiled and looked back at his monitors. "Are you two an item?"
Anna's head shot up, her stare affronted. "Excuse me?"
"It's just," began Banner, choosing his words slowly and carefully, "he seems to have this effect on you. When I mention his name, you get emotional."
"Emotional?" repeated Anna, her voice displaying her incredulity.
Banner bit his lip, an amused smirk on his face. "Maybe I've got it wrong," he conceded, turning back to his work, trying to keep his voice casual with a hint of teasing. "But earlier, when I mentioned him, you seemed annoyed. And now you're worried. Stressed almost. Are you worried for him?"
"He's going to fight a God."
"Steve is strong," commented Banner. "He's fast. And from what I've heard about his shield, it's pretty indestructible."
Anna sighed and ran a hand through her tangled hair. "Am I the only one on this ship that doesn't think Steve's going to win this fight alone? Super-soldier versus God. I have my money on the Asgardian."
The doctor merely shrugged his shoulders. "I guess we'll see."
Their conversation was halted by the sound of the public address system purring to life. The speakers buzzed with sound, and an AI's voice announced: "Hostile is on board. All security agents to escort Hostile to holding case."
"Looks like they got him," mused Banner, straightening his glasses, and the two doctors watched as Loki, a dark-haired man dressed in black and emerald was guided to what could only be the holding room.
Anna turned, disturbed at the sight of the God, and a surprised gasp left her mouth at the man standing before her.
"Hey, Annie," said Stark, his lilt teasing, a half-smirk cast upon his face, his dark suit immaculate. "Missed me?"
AN: Wow. Over 40 reviews on the last chapter. You guys are incredible.
I never expected this story to attract so much attention. I realised there was a huge lack of Steve/OC stories on here, so I thought I'd write my own. I never thought I'd hit over one-hundred reviews before posting the tenth chapter, let alone receiving 133 reviews. Again, wow.
Before you exit out of this page, I have a couple of questions for you:
1) What do you think of the length of this chapter? It's the longest chapter of this story, and I'll admit I found it really hard to write (I prefer writing my 1500 word chapters - keeping it short and to the point). Which do you prefer? If you prefer the longer chapters, I'll keep up with those (note: it may take a little longer to update).
2) What do you think of this chapter? A few hints toward their budding friendship and romance in this chapter. I found it fun to write. Steve is just so… Steve!
3) What would you like to see happen? I'm not making any promises, but I'd love to see some input.
Also, a few people have asked to know a little more about "me". And wanted a way to talk other than PMs/Reviews. If you're interested, you can follow me on Twitter (at)daisylovestea
So… Please Review!