Avengers AU Chapter 8:
"We thought we should trust you more. But that doesn't mean we have no more questions. In fact your explanation only gave us more. Shall we begin?" Fury asked almost sweetly. Clara knew he was being genuine but she couldn't help being suspicious. Why would they suddenly trust her? "How did you get to this 'Doctor's' grave?" Fury asked, leaning closer. It wasn't possible he must be thinking. Well, he hasn't met the impossible girl, Clara thought.
No-one was in the room apart from her locked up in the cell. She waited for something to happen until she gave up and made her way back to the bed. She sat down and looked around leaning against the cold glass hoping to warm it up soon with her body warmth. Then she felt a flicker of energy and swore she saw someone, for a second, the outline of someone appearing in the cell. Clara felt hope kindle in her heart. Could it be the Doctor? But then it was gone, quickly as it came and the room was silent again apart from the patter of running feet. Clara knew the sound well, from her and the Doctor's and the moaning that normally accompanied it when Year 7 had P.E. Running and her were old friends.
Steve burst into the room followed by Natasha, Bruce and Clint. Steve saw her and smiled reassuringly. Bruce ran to the panel and opened the door to the cell while Steve ran in to Clara who was extremely confused. "Steve? What's going on? Why are you here?" Clara asked looking at all of the Avengers standing there.
"This used to be Loki's cell and he used a lot of magic in it so we thought he might have a connection to the cell. He might be able to contact the cell and you in it. We don't know much about magic but Thor went back to Asgard as soon as we realised to talk to Loki. Have you seen anything strange?" Steve asked.
"No, I haven't. But, there was something… I felt a flicker of energy and saw an outline of some shape. It looked like a man but it was gone too quickly for me to see it." Clara recounted, urged on by Steve's furrowed eyebrows. "I thought it was the Doctor, but maybe…" Clara trailed off, knowing now that it couldn't have been. The Doctor was the same sort of height as this man, but he didn't wear the same impending pose, looking down on everybody. The Doctor, leaned down to Clara, to share his excitement and wonder with her. It couldn't have been him.
"It was Loki." Steve finished in a murmur. "Dr. Banner?" Steve asked, turning his head, with a newly formed plan in mind.
"Hmm?" Bruce asked, preoccupied with the panel. Something was on it.
"Could we help her escape? Somehow get her out of the compound and get her to England or something?" Steve asked, explaining his plan in the worst, but truest, sense possible because before Bruce had even started the sentence, Clara interrupted.
"What? I'm not going to England! What am I supposed to do there? Just because of this Loki guy! I need the resources to fix my earpiece and I'm not going to find them in England. If I can somehow get on Fury's good side, then I can get what I need here! With Mia!" Clara shouted. What was he thinking? He couldn't just ship her off to England whenever he felt like it, just because it would be better for her safety. She needed to get back to her dimension!
"Clara, it would be safer for you there. You don't know Loki. He waged war on Earth and almost succeeded and he can trick anyone easily. He has magic and I don't think a cell, even and Asgardian one will stop him from contacting you!" Steve argued, trying to get Clara to see his point. He wouldn't let Loki's death toll rack up another number. Especially not Clara. She didn't deserve any of this and he wouldn't let her die! It seemed he had succeeded in persuading her with her silence but then she spoke.
"Look, I can ask to be moved. It might hurt my chances but I can. I don't have to stay in this cell, but I have to stay in this country. I can't leave Mia. I can't leave this place without getting any closer to getting home." Clara spoke, her voice calm. She understood Steve's concern but she'd fought off monsters worth twice this Loki guy, so she could take him. Manipulation wouldn't work on her. Steve fought between himself. Part wanted to take her away, to England where he was sure she could be safe. The other part wanted to be selfish and let her stay so he'd get to see her again and understand this mystery out with her.
"Ok, but you have to tell us whenever he appears again." Steve conditioned. "Bruce?" He asked. "Close the doors. I want to hear about what happened in the cafeteria. You said you had an idea. What was it?" He asked Clara before Clint came back and interrupted him.
"I've scoped out the place. There are cameras everywhere and it looks like the doors are conditioned with closing one at a time or all at once." He informed, bringing another dilemma.
"I can shut off the cameras but the doors I'll need help with. Tony Stark isn't the only smart one around." Bruce muttered to himself, making Natasha smile.
"Well, then shut the cameras. Natasha can help with the doors. Be quick before they come back." Steve informed. They all got to work while Steve looked at Clara telling her to begin. He was curious and if Clara was reading it right, worried, almost as if he was protective of her. Clara felt her breath hitch in her throat. She felt protective over him as well. Him and Mia even though she knew he could protect himself she couldn't help it. Now she had to talk about all of this as well? Clara sat down. She needed tea. It was her perfect remedy but she wasn't in her flat she remembered. She was in a cell in a strange place in a parallel dimension.
"But, there was an energy signature before we came in like Clara was saying but it hasn't completely faded. He could come back at any second." Bruce warned bringing up the readings for them all to see. Clara watched them and shuddered. She had thought that this guy was the Doctor. What if Steve hadn't have come? Would she be gone with him to wherever? Would she have trusted him? Clara really didn't know. She looked at Steve's steely face. He was concentrating on the readings and Clara smiled, she didn't think they were taught how to read futuristic readings in the 40's. "There is a panel on the top of the door can you break it off, Natasha?" Bruce asked, turning to Natasha, who nodded and turned towards the door jumping off the side and kicking it off with her leg in some complex move Clara didn't know. Her leg went up while her fists in front of her in a protective stance and she landed back on the ground while the panel landed beside her. Bruce carried on giving out instructions and followed them, using multiple kicks and jumps. Clint went to keep a look out for agents and Clara was looking at the readings.
"Something's wrong." Clara stated, looking at the hologram. She was much better with technology now she had met the Doctor and had the extra knowledge from the spoonheads. That apparently meant this tech as well, Clara thought. "I recognise these readings. They are the same as something else I remember. But, I've never met Loki. It can't be him. It must be someone else." Clara remembered seeing the same readings on the TARDIS, but she couldn't remember who it was. Then she concentrated. "I'm going to try and do the same thing I did in the cafeteria. It might help." Clara insisted, seeing their sceptical looks. She left out the detail that it could be lethal to her health. It was only a theory anyway.
She carried on before anyone could say anything and concentrated. What did she do in the cafeteria? She concentrated and felt the same energy take her over. It was a warm tingling that felt like alcohol. She felt it take over and Clara worried. What if it took her over completely? The thought consumed her and she couldn't remember anything. She was an empty shell with no memories or soul. It lasted only a few moments and she opened her eyes to find Steve staring at her confused. She couldn't remember what she had said like before. When she used it knowingly, she couldn't remember but when it was accidental like in the cafeteria, she remembered. "What did I say?" Clara asked, waiting for an answer.
"The Great Intelligence. What is that?" Steve asked, confused. What was that? He was so confused. He had lost track of everything, nothing was under his control and he felt powerless. Clara had begun to panic. How was he here? Was it because she was? Did he get here before her? Was it him that was in the cell, not Loki? Clara felt violated and put a hand on her heart remembering the Whisper Men's cold touch leaving black spots dancing in her vision. Clara's throat went dry and she swallowed frantically and felt her heartbeat to remind herself of the beats that carried on. "Clara? Clara, look at me!" Steve raised his voice, panicking with her and grabbing her arms to keep her still and looking at him. "What is it?" He asked again, anchoring Clara away from her thoughts, consuming her.
"He's the alien I told you about." After Clara mentioned this, Steve remembered. He was the hostile alien, the one who controlled the Whisper Men and had tried to kill Clara by suffocation. Steve's jaw tightened and he looked at Clara for more information. "He must've got here before I did and set something up. He heard about me getting here somehow and tried to visit me but he couldn't get here properly for some reason." Clara wondered, speaking mostly to herself and then it flashed in her mind. That pose, it wasn't the Doctor's but it wasn't Loki's either.
It was Dr. Simeon's. His proud stance with the same cold, unfeeling gaze piercing through the soul. He had plagued Clara throughout her travels. First as a Victorian Nanny, then with the Spoonheads controlling that poor woman. Then at the Doctor's grave and now. Again. He would never go would he? He'd always be there, Clara realised with a sickening gulp and turned to look at Steve again. "But, why? And how did he survive?" Clara asked. He wasn't human, just had the appearance of one. And he had accepted completely that he would die stepping into the Doctor's timestream, meaning he must already have been weak. How did he survive?
"Clara, forget about him. We can find him later." Steve confirmed, it wasn't a question to him. They could this alien and punch him for hurting Clara in this way. And Steve would be first in line. "But right now you need to tell us what happened in the cafeteria, and what that gold tint in your eyes was." Steve commanded. The way to bring someone out of shock was either a warm drink or anchoring them with a command and giving them something to do.
"Wait, what about the interrogation? Don't you want to know about that first?" Clara asked, wondering how they even remembered the cafeteria when the interrogation was the bigger deal here.
"We already know about that. Bruce hacked into the cameras with Tony's 'hacking programs' as he put it." Steve answered, remembering Clara's pointing tongue and narrowed eyes, biting his tongue to stop his laughter. Clara seemed to remember the same thing because she instantly turned red and groaned.
"How much did you see?" She asked, dreading the answer.
"We saw your inventive face, if that's what you mean." Steve confirmed, smiling and allowing a chuckle at her next groan and covering her face with her hands. At this, Clara's head snapped up and smiled at him before tapping him on the arm light-heartedly.
"Not funny." She stated with a smile on her face betraying her words. Steve smiled and let go of Clara's arms. They both instantly felt the cold and Steve intertwined his hands and Clara pulled the thin jumper she'd managed to put on before leaving over her body closer to generate more warmth. "Anyway," Clara dragged out, showing that they were moving on and never talking about this again before carrying on. "I think that it is the same as the 9th regeneration of the Doctor and his companion at the time, Rose Tyler. They were on the Game Station and the Daleks were about to attack. The Doctor faked having a brilliant idea leaving Rose in the TARDIS, for him to control remotely and use it to take her home leaving him with no chance of escape or a goodbye. The TARDIS was set to shut down as soon as she landed which she did. Rose was left on Earth as the Doctor rigged the entire Game Station to blow killing as many Daleks as possible. Rose was heartbroken and remembered about the heart of the TARDIS, which listened to a person's desire." Clara explained, remembering the Slitheen woman. Thor came into the room, but everyone ignored him, too busy focusing on what they were doing and trying to listen to Clara at the same time. He was confused and tried to speak but Natasha slapped him on the arm and shushed him. Thor knew better than to disobey Lady Natasha's order so he kept quiet and Clara carried on.
"She managed to use her mother's contacts to get a crane and use it to open the panel and look into the heart of the TARDIS. It listened to her and got her to the Game Station where she erased the Daleks and brought Captain Jack Harkness back to life. He was a friend of theirs and had been killed in the Dalek attack. But she couldn't control the power and brought him back to life permanently. She saved the day but the time vortex was in her and it was killing her. The human body couldn't take it and the Doctor saved her with a kiss. It transferred all of the energy to him and he transferred that back to the TARDIS. But that in turn killed him, causing him to regenerate." Clara finished, remembering watching sadly as the 9th regeneration ended so quickly. She couldn't interfere at all in that as it was a pivotal point in his life and she had to fall past it. She hated it, watching Rose dying and then the Doctor dying but she remembered her time with the 10th regeneration and smiled a little. She had her own human Doctor in her universe. She had all of her problems solved and lived happily ever after as some would put it. It made Clara think for a moment. What if they were in this universe as well? Could she contact them and get their help?
"I think it was the same as that. She could see the entirety of time and space in her mind and her eyes turned gold like mine. But I can't see the whole of time and space. Just, my other lives." Clara finished, seeing Steve's eyes widen and his jaw tense. She almost felt apprehensive calling his name but remembered it was only her Steve when he snapped out of it and smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I also saw something else. My other copies can do this as well, just at the end of their lives. I saw another one of my copies, living in the 40's with you. She was an army nurse in the war and died in service but she had memories of you, or I did." Clara mentioned hesitantly. She wasn't sure how he'd react.
"I remember that too. Connie, but she looked exactly like you. We went on a date and then I became Captain America and we drifted apart as I went to the war. I never knew what happened to her. I dreamt about her and our first meeting and I didn't realise what it was. I think, meeting you, brought back memories." Steve spoke, just as hesitantly. He didn't realise he'd been speaking so eagerly. He just was excited that Clara had them too and it wasn't just him being crazy. But then he realised what he had said.
"We went on a date?" Clara questioned before she remembered about the relationship, she just forgot about the date. It made sense. Then she remembered Bucky and switching to Steve seeing him and loving him before she even knew. It was the cheesiest definition of 'love at first sight' that Clara had ever seen but it was cute. She'd only momentarily forgotten but it was enough to scare Steve, he started to rack his brain to see whether they had actually gone on a date or if he had imagined it. Clara saw this and decided to tease him. "I don't remember that. Maybe that was a dream?" Clara suggested with a laugh looking at him weirdly and savouring his mortified look before smiling and laughing, breaking the illusion. She couldn't hold it in and he was too cute. "I'm joking." She revealed, laughing at his relieved reaction. "Aw Steve, you're too cute. Your reaction was priceless." Clara laughed holding her stomach before she realised what she'd said. Her laughs slowed down to fake ones and she looked up to see Thor pursing his lips in fake confusion and Natasha doing the same next to him. Bruce couldn't really do it but he stood there with crossed arms like the rest of them and a judgemental look on his face. She instantly cursed under her breath.
"Language." Steve chided and Clara swatted at him, missing completely and getting his thigh instead. Clara almost cursed again before Clint came in.
"Why are you guys so silent?" Clint asked, looking around and seeing Clara's mortified look. He then saw Steve's face and chuckled. "Okay, what happened? I haven't seen that look since he made that bet with me about the guns." Clint laughed remembering the bet he'd made, ripping the Captain off when he'd just come out of the ice.
"Lady Clara, said the Captain is 'cute'." Thor spoke, dragging out 'Lady Clara'. Clint's face was a mask of shock and he looked at Clara before bursting into shocked laughter. He carried on for a few seconds before straightening and staring at Clara.
"Seriously?" Clint asked in disbelief. "You actually said that?" He said again, needing confirmation. He looked at Thor and smiled at Clara when Thor nodded smugly. The Avengers were all enjoying this way too much.
"Yeah, whatever. It just slipped out." Clara murmured trying to amend her mistake. Steve was cute, there was no denying that, but she didn't need to have it broadcast and she certainly didn't need it to be made a big deal out of. "Anyway, can we move on please?" Clara more commanded rather than asked. Steve was blushing along with her. The Avengers all looked at each other and had a private conference expressed entirely in looks. Bruce was sympathetic and wanted to move on. Thor was enjoying this greatly as well as Natasha and they didn't want to stop. Clint was impartial but he certainly didn't mind carrying on teasing Clara. But Bruce put his foot down, giving them all stern but smiling looks. "You've had your fun," he said "time to move on" Bruce ended it and Clara expressed her thanks.
"So, um, we dated in your other life, and um, you think this ability of yours came from you saving the Doctor?" Clara nodded, embarrassed at her awkwardness. Steve hadn't said anything throughout the entire event but had merely sat silently, smiling a little. It was kind of Clara to call him cute but he was a lot older than he looked. But, then again, so was Clara if you added all of her other lives. He found himself lost in his thoughts. But he was brought back easily by Clara's grateful 'Thanks' to Bruce. But then it clicked. "Wait, it was killing this Rose, could it kill you?" He asked, knowing the pain he felt at the idea was real. He couldn't lose someone else. Not after he'd just met them, and not after he'd just started to like them as something else. Steve couldn't place it. He didn't know if they were friends or something else. She'd called him cute so that had to compensate for something but what? But what he knew clear as day was that he couldn't let her die.
"Possibly. This is different so it may not kill me as quickly, but I think there is a high possibility it will, eventually." Clara confessed the knowledge that had been plaguing her for the entire day. Everyone was silent. The doors were close, the cameras switched off and the whirring of the machines was the only thing working. Everything else was still, unmoving and quiet. It was almost as if time had been stopped. Steve certainly felt as if his heart had stopped. No one breathed for fear of breaking the moment. Clara swallowed and placed both hands on the floor settling down. The thought was bad enough, but saying it. She felt like all energy had been sapped from her and she was an empty shell. She felt for the ground and needed stability, something to hold onto. Her breathing became heavy and she squeezed her eyes shut for fear of crying again. Weakness overtook her and she laid her head on the bed trying to fight the emotions and grief emptying her. She barely registered the arms around her comforting her from all direction.
Support and love came but she couldn't accept it. How could she? These people had done so much for her and she'd given them no reason to. No payment, no reward, no offer to help yet they just gave her unwavering help and support. She leaned into the arms and let herself drift, no thoughts just comfort and warmth. They held her and she opened her eyes glistening with tears as they ran down the side of her cheek and she gave a shaking smile to Steve, Thor, Clint, Natasha and Bruce who she saw around her. They were holding her up and she was grateful, but she'd had her moment of weakness and it was time to strengthen and work harder. She knew she had something to do now. She had to help and do whatever she could to save everyone around her. She might come across an antidote along the way but looking for one wouldn't be her priority. "Thanks guys." Clara smiled at them while they sat her up.
"We won't let you die. We'll find an antidote, we've got the best scientists in the world, trust me." Steve promised solemnly, looking into Clara's eyes so intently it made her heart clench.
"You won't be able to. Anyway I don't need it. I don't deserve it." She knew that only the Doctor could find an antidote if it was possible anyway but she nodded. They might be able to but there was a very slim possibility. And Clara had already accepted her death. Steve and the rest of the Avengers were about to argue she saw it but they were interrupted by Thor's steady voice.
"Lady Clara, do you know the tale of my trusty Mjolnir?" Thor asked, holding out his hand, calling to the hammer moving his hand sideways to avoid breaking the door. It came and he caught it happily throwing it up in the air.
"No. What is the tale?" Clara asked, to humour him. She didn't know and she really was interested but it seemed completely different to what they were talking about.
"It only calls to the most worthy. It will not be picked up by anyone else." Thor told her flipping the hammer again. He had a plan, and the rest of the Avengers knew it.
"Is that why it calls to you? Does it call to any of the other Avengers?" Clara asked, again humouring him, trying to get off the subject of her possible death.
"Yes, that is why it comes when I beckon. But, none of the others can pick it up. Lady Natasha did not try but Man of Birds couldn't. Captain couldn't. Man of Iron couldn't either and neither could Dr. Banner." Thor ticked off. Clara looked around with the ghost of a real smile gracing her face. She stared in disbelief at them and shared a knowing look with Natasha. "Would you like to try Lady Clara?" Thor asked, more as a real question than a mocking one like he told Tony.
Clara's eyes widened as she realised what he meant and she backed up into Steve, as if the hammer was pointed at her threateningly. "Oh, no no no no I couldn't. It wouldn't work anyway. If the Avengers can't do it, then how can I do it?" She protested as Thor looked at her with the same pursed lips look he had before. He didn't believe her.
"Just try. If it doesn't work then I will leave you alone and we won't talk of it." Thor conditioned and the Avengers agreed. Clara looked at all of them and agreed, waiting for the catch to jump out. But it didn't. So she reached out to take it from Thor. It was in his hand and he was passing it to Clara gently. She grasped it and felt its power before it fell to the ground. Her hand fell with it and she tried to pick it up again, but despite how light it was in Thor's hands she couldn't. She struggled and it shook but never lifted completely.
"See? It won't pick up when it's just me. I need you to hold it and then pass it to me." Clara pointed out wondering what the point of this was.
"Because not even the Captain, who you think is 'cute', could lift it." Thor added, enjoying her blush as did everyone else because Steve was the exact same behind her. "So, you are the same as him because it shook like him. I've understood it now. A visit to Loki cleared up many queries. It wasn't him who appeared in your cell. And Mjolnir shakes for those who can be worthy but have something blocking it. I don't know exactly what it could be but, I think it is because of your disbelief." Thor suggested gently, making Clara smile with watering eyes again.
"Thanks Thor." Clara breathed in a stronger voice than before. She smiled at him and gave no warning before wrapping her arms around his neck for a huge hug. He stumbled but stayed crouching before tentatively wrapping his arms around her too.
"You are very strong Lady Clara." He complimented and Clara laughed breathily, over his shoulder and detached herself. She looked at him and took a breath, her strength renewed.
"As I've been told." She replied, in the same posh tone she used in 1920's London. She'd managed to convince them she was a Duchess and lived comfortably for a few months before finding the Doctor. "Thanks again. But, I think we have some visitors." Clara pointed out, and a second later, almost on cue, a large banging began on the door. Fury's voice rang out and they all stared at her.
"How did you know that?" They all asked at once, whether expressed in looks or words.
She replied simply by saying "I used my powers." It was the truth and these were meant for some reason. They had to be, so she used them.
"What if it kills you faster by using them?" Bruce wondered out loud before correcting himself and saying, "No, that wouldn't work because you'd be visibly weaker. Unless you gained some other powers as well." Bruce corrected, seeing Natasha's stern face and then debated again, making Natasha elbow him in the ribs and flick her head towards Steve's horrified look. "But Clara will be absolutely fine because an antidote will come soon." He corrected again, not adding anything else out loud, but carried on the debate in his head. Natasha rolled her eyes and Clara laughed, sharing a smile with Natasha.
"Come out!" Fury commanded. "Or at least let us in for God's sake, do something, you jackasses." Fury began again, realising his shouts wouldn't do anything. He had turned to one of his agents who began to try to shove his soldier in the 4 inch thick steel door and Fury sighed. "Yeah, they should be scared because you are suddenly going to have the strength of a super soldier, oh no wait. Our actual super soldier is in there!" Fury shouts at the agent who shrank under his gaze, terrified. "Get the electrics! Idiot." Fury muttered holding his head in his hand.
Clara and the entire team laughed for a few minutes at the rude remarks of Fury which came from time to time in the next 5 minutes. She smiled at them, laughing, letting out a light, graceful laugh while her hands held her stomach as if the expression 'splitting my sides' was actually happening to her. Steve was caught up looking at her and was brought away by Natasha poking him in the arm and giving him a look. They had to go now. If they left of their own accord then the punishment would be infinitely better. Fury might run a tight ship but he wasn't unreasonable. Clara looked at Steve when he was looking at Natasha and felt a sinking feeling. They were going to have to leave. She was going to be left alone again. She sighed, staring at his face before he went again. She wanted to memorise his face so she wouldn't be so alone. That sounded weird to Clara as she processed properly what she had said, but it was true. She wanted to stay like this, in the company without anything blocking or hanging over their heads like an unsteady axe. Whenever she was in his company she was always living in fear of being discovered by something, even if there was nothing to discover. He was a great friend and Clara would be sad to lose him in death or another dimension. Whatever would come. "You have to leave don't you?" Clara confirmed, quietening the room. "Inevitable, I know, but when will I even be able to see you guys next?" Clara asked, trying to lift the dark mood she'd involuntarily cloaked over the room.
"We don't know." Clint answered for Steve, who was having trouble forming a sentence. "They'll have measures placed against us now, and we don't know if Fury will believe you or not. Even then, we have no idea what will happen. Everything about your future is, uncertain." Clint explained trying to be as kind as possible, confirming all of Clara's fears. She took a deep breath and swallowed.
"Yeah, I knew, I just, couldn't process it." Clara spoke, her voice echoing off the walls and playing repeatedly in Steve's ears. He felt like everything was going in slow motion. "Guess goodbyes are in order right?" Clara said, looking up to see the sympathetic faces of every Avenger. "Don't look at me like that!" She said, laughing at them. "I'll be fine. If I can I will send a message to you, if I can't then Fury will have done something. Either way, don't come back without permission. I don't want you to get into more trouble." Clara conditioned, sternly staring down every Avenger until they nodded. "Steve?" She asked. He was the only one not looking or nodding. His eyes were cast at the ground. "Please, promise me." She asked, looking up into his eyes. He nodded reluctantly and she smiled.
"Alright, time to go." Clara watched, waiting for someone to move. She didn't want to, but she needed someone else to. She had to stay here. Wait and be patient for something to happen. In the meantime, get some more rest and make sense of everything she'd just worked out. In the words of her first Doctor, the 11th regeneration, Geronimo.
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