A/N: *listening to This Day Aria* Hm, what? Oh! Right! *turns off music* Hahahahhaaaaaaaa... Awkward.
Lol. Anyway, I apologize for the long time between updates. I knew nothing about the main subject of this chapter, so I had to look it up. Ended up not needing anything I had researched, but such is life...
Also, I went back and read earlier chapters before writing this. I've gotten messages about my faulty mythology, my faulty curry, my failure to acknowledge canon in any form... But I haven't gotten any messages about me referring to Clint as an assassin even though it's not in his brief bio at the beginning. I'm surprised I was the one to catch that! But, for this story it will be true, and we will find out why in later chapters!
[Chapter 11]
The next morning was a Saturday. Loki expected to either have chores to do or just spend the whole day in the lab.
Instead, he was awakened by Tony bouncing excitedly by his bedside. Bruce was standing quietly by Loki's feet, and Thor was getting dressed on the other side of the room. Sounds of activity filtered into the room from the cracked doorway.
"What's going on?" Loki murmured, rubbing his eyes. His long hair was tangled and fluffy from sleep, and his body was still incredibly relaxed.
"It's Saturday?" Tony reminded, as though Loki knew what he meant. Bruce smacked the brunette upside the head again.
"He still doesn't know what that means," the other nine year old snapped lightly. He sighed and moved to pick clothes out from Loki's dresser.
"Fury thinks it's bad for us to practice our unique skills all the time. So we aren't allowed in the labs on Saturdays, and everyone else isn't allowed in the gym. And, because Natasha and Clint have some kind of assassin's code to work out every day, they joined this little soccer league thingy. Now, they have games every Saturday morning, and we have to get ready! Come on!" Tony explained and helped Loki sit up.
The brunette's stood next to each other and regarded him for a moment.
Then, in a flurry of fast, but gentle, activity, the nine year olds helped dress the seven year old. Somehow, his pajamas were neatly put away, his hair was brushed, and the special bandage-sock-things had been replaced. The older boys backed away to admire their work.
"Perfect!" They cried and high-fived. Loki looked down at the odd mix of red and chrome. He guessed it must be the soccer team's colors. Tony shoved a surprisingly large mechanical hand at him and Loki stared at him, wondering if he was insane.
"It's a much cooler version of a foam finger!" Tony enthused. The green eyed boy awkwardly tried to get it on his good hand and hold it up.
"It's too heavy," he dead-panned. Tony wilted slightly and took it back.
"Yeah, I've been working on it since they started the team..." The brunette trailed off and quietly looked to the side.
"What's the team mascot?" Loki asked, thinking about his abilities.
"The Falcon!" Thor answered, and the younger brother startled.
"Falcon? But why?" He asked.
"We're not sure, but the coach is a friend of Steve's! He's two years older, and he just got back from his first tour in the military!" Tony piped up. "He plans on running the team between tours!"
"Now come on! We gotta get breakfast or we'll be late!" Bruce admonished. Loki pulled himself into his wheelchair, and the four boys traveled to the dining room.
"Thank you boys for finally joining us. Again," Fury welcomed irritably. "Maybe I need to just strap a pager on you."
"I don't think that's smart, sir," Phil replied lightly. "They would just dismantle them."
"Or turn them into stun guns," Maria added. Fury visibly winced. Loki looked around the table, noticing everyone was wearing red and chrome. Natasha and Clint were in their uniforms, and the eleven year old's hair was braided.
Fury have the word, everyone gathered their food, and the group ate quietly throughout breakfast. They were either too tired to talk or simply couldn't think of anything worth breaking the calm atmosphere. When everyone was finished, they formed a line beside the time. Loki tried to maneuver in at the end, but one of the wheels got stuck against the table leg. Coulson helped him get in the line.
Fury stood in front of them with an unfamiliar tube.
"Arms out!" He commanded. Each of the children (and Steve) put their arms out in front of them. Loki stared at them in confusion before eventually doing the same. Fury moved down the line, squeezing drops of the white cream on everyone's arms and legs. "Rub!" Everyone began to rub the cream into their skin.
Loki watched for a long moment. He eventually moved his eyes to the substance on his limbs.
"What is this?" He finally asked. The room slowly came to a halt.
"Um, sunscreen?" Clint answered. When Loki just raised an eyebrow, Bruce's eyes flashed green.
"It protects your skin from the sun, so you don't get burned," Tony hesitantly supplied, rubbing Bruce's arms lightly. The other nine year old closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Oh," Loki looked at the cream and carefully began to rub it in.
"Eyes and mouth closed," Fury ordered, his voice less bright than before. He carefully sprayed each kid on their face, rubbing it into the cheeks, foreheads and scalps.
"Alright! We have thirty minutes until pre-game practice begins," Coulson announced. "Everyone to the car." Tony and Bruce led Loki to the black minivan, and Fury began to count seats.
"We have an extra person," he sighed. "And Loki still needs a carseat." He looked around at the children. "We're getting another van."
"Yes! Finally!" Clint cheered.
"There'll be so much more space," Bruce smiled.
"But!" Fury interrupted the conversations that had broken out. "Until we get the new van and a carseat, Loki will have to sit in someone's lap."
"Um, sir," Steve cautiously piped up. "That's illegal."
"Well then I just have to hope none of you will tell the police," Fury grinned lightly. Natasha snorted. "And you can make sure Loki stays safe because he'll be in your lap."
"What?! Why?!" Tony demanded, hands on his hips. "I don't want Loki to catch Steve's... Steve-ness."
"Steve's the only one who's big enough, strong enough, and has the quickest reaction time. He can't sit in my lap because I'm the driver, and Coulson will be busy. Also, I make the rules and I said so," Fury explained impatiently. Tony stuck out his tongue but stayed quiet.
"Okay, okay!" Coulson clapped his hands. "Fury and I are still in the front; Natasha, Clint and Bruce have middle row-" Thor let out a mild sound of protest. "-and Loki, Steve, Thor, and Tony take the backseat."
"What about Miss Maria?" Loki raised his hand.
"She always stays home so she can make the post-game meal and pick up ice cream," Natasha whispered to him. The green eyed boy nodded.
"Does everybody have a jacket?" Fury called. Each child nodded. "Water-bottle?"
"No," Loki replied. Coulson held up a black cooler with the word 'Avengers' painted on the side. Steve beamed proudly, and Loki guessed he was the one to paint the letters.
"Does everyone have our phone numbers?" Fury asked, even as he put a lanyard around Loki's neck. The clear pouch at the end had an index card with Fury and Coulson's names and contact information.
When everyone responded positively, Coulson clapped his hands once more. "Everyone pile in! Steve, could you help Fury and I load Loki's wheelchair?" The other children climbed into the van and claimed their desired seats.
Outside, Coulson directed Steve to carry Loki, and the blonde carefully settled the seven year old against his hip. Fury attempted to fold the wheelchair, discretely checking it for any of Tony and Bruce's... "special improvements." Loki let out a quiet sigh of relief when he didn't find the hidden knives.
The wheelchair finally in the trunk, Steve settled in the backseat and Coulson helped him adjust Loki. The dark haired boy anxiously held onto the teenager's shirt, and Fury started the car.
"Play heavy metal!" Tony shouted. Coulson made his way around the car and got into the passenger's seat.
"It's Natasha's turn to pick," he replied. The redhead pondered it for a moment as Fury backed out of the garage.
"Classical," she announced. Tony, Thor and Clint let out exaggerated groans. Coulson switched to the appropriate station, and Mozart streamed through the vehicle. Bruce and Loki peacefully looked out the window, but the brunette's eyebrows pulled together.
"Look at the clouds. I hope it doesn't rain..." He murmured.
"Let's go over the rules, everyone! Loki, pay attention," Fury called. "Coulson?"
"Clint, will you give us rule one?" The bright eyed man questioned.
"No incredible feats of speed, agility or strength!"
"Good. Natasha?"
"No killing or maiming of any persons or animals, no matter the circumstances," she grumbled.
"Correct. Thor?"
"No influencing the weather, atmosphere, or future events," the blonde recited gravely, as though this was a rule he'd been asked to repeat many times.
"Yes. Rule Number Four, Tony?"
"No building of anything destructive or above average."
"Remember it this time, Tony," Fury warned. "You won't be coming next time if you don't."
"Bruce? Will you give us Number Five?" Coulson continued after the nine year old made an irritated sound of agreement.
"Find you or Mr. Fury if we were having any kind of problem or someone is asking us strange questions."
"Perfect! You find either of us if you feel yourself going even a little bit green, okay? And Loki? If you're having any doubts or are concerned about something, find us immediately," Coulson requested. The magician nodded, and the light haired man offered a pleasant smile. "Steve, will you finish us up?"
"Don't talk to any strangers, wander off, or show off our powers in any form," the seventeen year old answered dutifully.
"Everybody got it?" Fury asked. Various forms of confirmation came back. "Alright, we're about five minutes out." The adults finally began to converse between themselves, and the kids took that as a sign they were free to do as they pleased. Clint and Natasha tossed a small ball back and forth between themselves, reciting the rules of little league soccer. Thor chatted with Steve, and Tony leaned onto the back of the seat in front of him to talk with Loki and Bruce.
Soon, their time was up and they arrived at the field. Natasha and Clint grabbed their duffle bags and raced to meet the other Falcons. Coulson chased after them in exasperation and belatedly called behind him for Steve to get Loki situated again. Fury unfolded the wheelchair again as Tony and Bruce patiently waited for their friend. Loki was set in the seat once more, and Thor kindly handed him the blue blanket to cover his legs.
"Come on, everyone," Fury directed. The five kids followed the spies and Coulson onto the field. "You okay on the grass, Loki?"
"N-not really-" the dark haired boy struggled to tug one of the wheels out of a small hole before trying to steer over a rock.
"Here," Fury sighed. He grabbed the handles and gave the chair an experimental push. It moved, and the man moved the wheelchair out onto the field. Loki watched the players practice further out on the field, his hands clasped gently in his lap. Fury maneuvered the wheelchair next to the bleachers. Bruce and Tony sat at the end nearest the seven year old. Steve sat on Tony's right, sketching the soccer players in their uniforms. Coulson was talking to the Falcons' coach, and Thor was pestering Fury for food.
"What team are they playing today?" Tony questioned, fiddling with a small device. Fury gave him a pointed look and he put it back in his pocket.
"The Wolverines?" Bruce guessed from the iconic yellow and blue uniforms.
"Ugh, I hate those guys," Tony complained.
"That's Mr. Xavier's team, right?" Steve asked, leaning forward so he could see past the brunette to Bruce.
"You means Charles?" Tony grumbled.
"It's rude to call adults by their first name, Tony," Steve frowned.
"Unless they tell you otherwise!" The nine year old stuck out his tongue.
"Don't make me come over there!" They heard Fury called.
"Sorry, Mr. Fury!" Tony and Steve called back automatically.
"I managed to negotiate hot dogs for the mid-day meal, my friends!" Thor announced as he made he way over. Loki rolled his eyes, but Tony exasperatedly threw both hands in the air.
"How many times do I have to tell you? It's called lunch!" He cried.
"I think the game's starting," Steve hushed them. Fury and Coulson took a seat, and a referee jogged out on to the field. Thor sat on the grass in front of Loki.
"So, what is soccer? How is it played?" Loki finally asked.
"Heck if I know," Tony shrugged.
"Language," Steve snapped.
"I think you just kick it, right?" The brown eyed boy ignored him. He looked to Bruce, who just shrugged as well.
"I couldn't tell you," he sighed. "We've come to every single one of their games, and I still can't figure out the rules."
"I know not the laws of the soccer game, either my friends!" Thor stated loudly.
"It's okay, guys. As long as we support them and are there for them, it doesn't matter," Steve smiled. He reached an arm around Tony to grab Bruce's shoulder and pull both boys in for a hug.
"Sap," Tony grumbled. The game started after that, and everyone directed their attention to the field.
"But when do we cheer?" Loki questioned further.
"When someone in red kicks the ball into the white box over there," Bruce pointed to the goal, and the seven year old nodded dutifully.
A few minutes into the game, Clint ducked around an opposing player, wove his way across the field, and delivered the ball into the goal. Half the people in the stands, including the Avengers, stood up and screamed their excitement. Loki looked up at the people towering over him for a moment before looking back to the field and cheering as loudly as he could. The crowd settled down after a moment, and Coulson began to pass out water bottles.
After a while, it was halftime and the players were going to take a break. The community cheer team ran out to do their routine, and Natasha and Clint came to the bleachers for water and snacks. The score was 5-5.
"You guys are doing great out there," Steve congratulated warmly. "Good job." Coulson handed each player a water bottle and a granola bar.
"Great?" Natasha echoed. Her voice was as controlled as ever, but Loki noticed a slight tenseness in her shoulders that made him think she was irritated. "We're tied. If anyone scores a point, they'll be in the lead."
"That's at least a 50% chance that you'll get in the lead and win," Bruce pointed out helpfully.
"That's also a 50% chance they'll score and we'll loose," Clint mumbled.
"Hey, hey, hey," Fury said. His face was warmed slightly by the smallest curling of his lips; it was an encouraging smile, Loki realized belatedly. "Any odds in your favor are good, and you should be thankful to have them. You guys are some of the best soccer players I know, and if you put in effort, what will you get out?"
"A win?" Clint answered hopefully.
"Maybe," Fury nodded. "But you have to keep trying."
"Thanks for the life lesson," Tony sighed and laid back against the bleachers behind him. "It's actually a scientific fact you know." He turned his head in Loki's direction. "The Law of Conservation of Matter. Works for Mass and energy too, I guess, but that's not the point. What goes in, must come out, basically. Like, if you have a big chunk of meat. It weighs a few pounds. You put it in the blender, and turn it into mush. It's still meat, technically, and it weighs the same. Apparently science applies to life. You put in the right amount of effort, you get some kind of reward."
"That's very thoughtful of you, Tony," Coulson complimented.
"Whatever, Agent," the nine year old snarked. Loki smiled and looked down to his brother.
"And you? What do you have to say? You always think something," he questioned. Thor turned to look up at him and beamed.
"Mr. Fury is very wise. He knows many values of life, and as the group father, it is his job to impart them to us as we need them," the blonde responded brightly.
"Group father?" Fury questioned from the other end of the group.
"Fury's not my dad," Tony stated. "He's nothing like Howard."
"H-he's not our father, Thor," Bruce fumbled, remembering his father. He quickly hurried over to Coulson and buried himself in his side.
"You know better, Thor," Steve reprimanded. "Mr. Fury is our caretaker, but he's definitely not our dad."
"That is not what I-" Thor started weakly. He cut himself off and looked away with a disheartened spirit.
"Thor didn't mean your literal dad," Loki finished for him. "As your caretaker, he acts very much like a father for all of you. He provides your meals, makes sure you bathe, checks for the things you would otherwise forget, provides an outlet where you had none, encourages you, helps you develop as a person... If that's not a father, I certainly have no idea what is."
Fury looked at Loki, and it felt like waves of gratitude were pouring off him. He seemed stoic and fierce, but he cared for them just as much as Coulson and Maria.
The crowd around them exploded in cheers, and the Avengers looked over to see Natasha had scored a goal. Instantly, everyone began screaming at the top of their lungs. Bruce's eyes were green, but a bright smile lit up his face as he yelled and laughed. Loki didn't even think as he threw his hands in the air and shouted his friends' names.
The game ended shortly after that, and the two teams exchanged encouragement. Eventually, Natasha and Clint ran over to their group.
"We won! We won!" Clint cheered excitedly. "Can we go out for ice cream?!"
"Maybe, after lunch," Fury conceded. "Steve, do you think your friend would like to come eat with us?"
"I'll go ask-" the blonde started, but was interrupted as thunder rumbled ominously across the sky.
"I knew it!" Bruce cried when buckets of rain were suddenly poured out over their heads. Cries of surprise and delight came from all over the field.
"Thank God, it waited until after the game was over," Steve sighed. "I'll go ask Sam." He jogged across the field to a dark skinned man in the Falcons' coach uniform.
"Hurry up, everyone!" Fury ordered, gathering their things. "Into the van! Go, go, go!" Giggling, the Avengers once again took their seats in the black van. Fury loaded Loki's wheelchair after the boy had been placed in his and Steve's seat. Just as Fury had gotten into the driver's seat and shut the door, Coulson's phone buzzed.
"Sam agreed to come to lunch with us. They're going to wait for all the kids to get picked up, then they'll meet us there. He just needs me to send him the address," the bright eyed man read.
"You know the address of the little place down the street from the Life Center? The one with the magic hamburgers," Fury clarified and leaned over to watch the smaller man text it out. "Okay, good."
"Is everybody buckled?" Coulson questioned and turned around to make sure.
"We're not five!" Tony huffed and crossed his arms.
"You are in a mood today," the man muttered with narrowed eyes and turned back around. "We're good to go, sir." Fury nodded, and the van pulled away from the parking lot.
"Whose turn is it?" Clint demanded. Coulson hummed for a moment.
"It's Bruce's," he remembered. "Same as always, Bruce?" The brunette nodded, and Coulson switched to one of the pre-set stations. Movie themes poured from the speakers.
At the restaurant, the place was alive with buzzing people, chatting and flitting to and fro. Two Wolverines and a Falcon had shown up with their parents, though they sat at different tables. Fury did a quick head count before he turned to the hostess.
"Eleven," he offered. She gave him a practiced smile and a welcoming 'Right this way,' and led the group to a large table at the back of the bustling restaurant. Menus were soon passed out, and Loki quickly decided on a hot dog with a side of fruit.
With the extra time before the waitress came, he observed the place around them. The walls were covered in clean white tiles, with the occasional red, yellow, or purple thrown in. The entire wall to the left of the door was a window, but it only let in gloomy, gray light since it was raining. The floors were white as well, but the linoleum tiles were speckled with the primary colors. All the tables and chairs were hard plastic. Oddly enough, the place seemed very friendly and homey.
Lunch was a loud affair. Everyone was talking, reminiscing about the game, cheering for their victory. When everyone finally finished eating, Fury ordered a round of milkshakes. The children slurped them up with gusto, and the teenagers watched on in quiet amusement.
After Tony finished his milkshake, he sneakily ducked under the table and made his way outside. Bruce rolled his eyes in exasperation and followed, Loki rolling along behind him. The two sensible children stayed under the awning as Tony frolicked around in the cool rain.
"You shouldn't do that, Tony!" Bruce called with his hands around his mouth to amplify the volume. "You're gonna get sick, and Mr. Fury'll be really mad!"
"I'll be fine!"
A/N: Famous last words.
QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: What is your most favoritest song in the whole wide world? I said Bullet by Hollywood Undead in my bio, but I'm leaning towards Summer Belongs to You from Phineas and Ferb, right now. Thoughts?
QUESTION (2): Does anyone have any predictions for next chapter? Predictions for character development? Any predictions at all?