Chapter Six

Chaos seemed to erupt like a dormant volcano as agents scrambled to locate the breach in security. Amelia was the first in action, turning to help Fury up, being mindful of her ribs, and checking to make sure he was unharmed. The two watched in shock as the clouds outside rose to the left as the helicarrier began to tilt on its side. Amelia did her best to keep her superior upright and conscious as they made their way towards the door. When she finally got him coherent enough to stand on his own she turned to see if Steve and Tony were still in the room but both men had sprung into action.

Amelia took it as a sign that they would put their differences aside for now as she opened up her comm link, "Status report on the carrier now."

She only heard static for a moment before Maria Hill was updating her with the state of things ship wide. Amelia should have known that this was Loki's plan. He had practically screamed homing beacon the moment he stepped foot on the carrier. She felt stupid for not noticing the obvious, but even more so at not being able to stop it.

Amelia and Fury made it to the main control room where the woman immediately began ordering her IT team to get to work. They needed to get the ship in working order and find the breach in their system. Amelia worked furiously at her station trying to locate the threat only to receive a notification that there was movement in the detention center. She pulled the video feed up to see that somehow through all the chaos Loki was laughing. Her hatred for the man grew ever stronger as she tried not to punch something.

"Director!" Amelia shouted across the chaos. "I need someone to secure the detention center."

Fury looked over at her and saw her frantically writing code to make their firewalls virtually unreachable. Amelia shot him a lopsided smile as she continued to shout orders. She trusted her team to get everything done in a fast and orderly fashion. She had hand picked them herself and knew that if she didn't get through this alive that they would do right by her.

"Coulson!" Fury called out to the man. "Initiate official lock down in the detention section then get to the armory! Move Out!"

Coulson didn't need to be told twice as he hurried out the door. Amelia refocused her objective on getting the helicarrier in working order as she went from station to station. The more she reviewed the more concerned she got. It looked like they were down to only one working turbine left and if that failed they would plummet from the sky. That bit of knowledge didn't sit well with the brunette.

She felt a looming presence behind her and turned to find Fury looking above her, "What are our odds?"

"Not good, but not bad either."

Fury raised an eyebrow, "What do you need?"

Amelia maneuvered the computer and brought up a hologram of the helicarrier before turning on her comm to allow everyone to hear her, "We can't lose this turbine. Tony, I need you to get out there and repair it. Nick I need us over water in case Tony is unable to repair her in time-"

Tony interrupted, "You have so little faith Nilson."

"Just my personality Anthony."

She could hear Tony's chuckle as Fury carried out her plan, already one step ahead. Amelia focused back on the turbine before receiving a security alert. She pulled up the feed and was horrified to see Natasha running from a raging hulk. She immediately set to work trying to confuse the PhD wielding monster. She sent surges of electricity to all the lights making a sort of disco party in the cargo hold. It confused him just enough to let Natasha get the upper hand.

"Thank you, Mila."

"Anytime!"

Amelia continued to shout orders at her team until she heard Steve begin to shout at Tony through the comm link, "Stark, I'm here!"

"Good. Let's see what we got." Tony replied.

"Keep me in the loop, Tony," Amelia added. "I might be able to make her run smoother once you get her working again."

"That would be much appreciated, Amy."

Amelia stayed poised with her fingers itching to type on the keyboard. She listened to Steve and Tony go back and forth as they tried to work out how to get the turbine moving. It made her think back to her mission with Natasha and Clint. All they did was banter, but they did get the job done. Now, Amelia felt powerless as she waited to type in a simple code while her comrades did all the heavy duty.

"I gotta get this super conducting cooling system back online before I can access the rotors and work on dislodging the debris."

Amelia laughed, "Is that all?"

"No." Tony answered. "I need you to get to that engine control panel and tell me which relays are in overload position."

Amelia knew he meant Steve and she could only hope it wasn't too bad of a maze of wires. She didn't want to scare the vintage man from technology just yet. She brought up the security feed on the turbine and watched in astonishment as Tony lasered away the debris. She felt a presence behind her and looked to see Fury looking over her shoulder, his hand resting on the back of her chair.

"This better work."

"Have a little faith, Nick."

"What's it look like in there?" Tony asked.

"It seems to run on some form of electricity." Steve answered, confusion evident in his tone.

"Well, you're not wrong." Tony quipped. "Capsicle might need your help, Sunshine."

Amelia rolled her eyes, "Be nice, Tony. Steve, you're doing great, just tell me what you see and I'll help you where I can."

She saw Steve nod at the monitor and both of them watched as Tony finished clearing the debris from the rotor. The damage was sufficient, but it wasn't enough to take them entirely out of commission. Plus, Amelia didn't feel like plummeting out of the sky and to her death today.

"How's it looking?" Amelia asked.

"The relays are intact." Steve replied with a grunt. "What's our next move?"

Silence filled the comm as both Tony and Amelia thought of their next move. Amelia could send a signal to the turbine, but given the state it was in she was worried the wires would fry. All she could think of was doing it manually, but that came at a dangerous cost.

"Even if I clear the rotors, this thing won't re-engage without a jump." Tony stated. "I'm gonna have to get in there and push."

"I really don't like that idea Tony." Amelia said.

Steve agreed, "Well if that thing gets up to speed, you'll get shredded!"

"Then stay in the control unit and reverse polarity long enough to disengage mag-" Tony began, but was cut off by Steve.

"Speak English!"

Tony let out a huff of frustration, "See that red lever? It'll slow the rotors down long enough for me to get out. Stand by it, wait for my word."

Amelia watched as Steve jumped to the red lever, but jumped when she heard her name being called by Tony, "What?"

"Send the code now. It will help to boost the signal as I get it going."

"If you're sure."

Amelia finished her code for the turbine and sent it in. She looked at Fury and gave the man a thumbs up before proceeding to comb through the security feed to find the breach. She knew that Tony and Steve could handle things from there and she needed to know just where Clint was headed so there were no surprises. However, as she flickered past Loki's containment cell she noticed that it was empty. Dread immediately hit her like a ton of bricks as she stood up from her station and made her way toward the god of mischief.

Amelia raced to the armory where she picked up a standard black gun and knife before making her way towards the detention center. She could hear all the chaos going on around her through her open comm link, but it was eerily silent in her corridor. She felt a pulse of adrenaline course through her as pushed forward.

She had hoped to see other agents guarding Loki's cell, but in the chaos she knew the request was futile. The Hulk had gone on rampage as soon as she reached the armory and was currently fighting Thor. She knew that when the willing dropped that Natasha had landed beside Bruce, so she worried. Natasha always communicated with her superiors, but it seemed the agent had gone dark.

Amelia shook the terrible thoughts of Natasha's fate from her head and braced herself to face the god of mischief. She hoped in all the chaos that the cage would hold, but felt silly about doubting the design. Fury had told her that it was designed by a genius duo known to many as Fitz-Simmons. Amelia looked forward to meeting them one day as she admired their work greatly.

The brunette opened the compartment slowly and was relieved to see Loki still imprisoned. However, as she entered she was surprised to see him looking calm as he faced away from her. An eerie silence fell between them and Amelia knew that Loki was contemplating what to say. She was just glad that he know longer had the septal that seemed to have some hold on her.

"If it isn't Agent Nilson. Master of computers and lover of Disney."

Amelia's eyes widened in surprise at his knowledge of her, "I'm assuming you did your homework on me and didn't know all that because you're a stalker."

He smiled, "How is your burn mark?"

Amelia stiffened, but didn't let her guard down. She was uncomfortable that he knew about her wound. She had tried to forget it was there as she went about her business, but it seemed that her attempts were futile. Amelia could practically see the gears turning in his head as he waited for her reply. She wanted to say something witty, but she knew he was expecting that. So instead she did the opposite.

She answered honestly.

"I don't know what it means."

Loki seemed stunned by her honesty, but recovered by turning his back on her. Amelia could tell that he was debating on what to say next. It bought her some time to get to the controls, in order to guard them from the hijackers. She kept her eyes peeled for any movement from a far, due to Clint's incredible skills. She knew it was a long shot, but at least she knew some of his habits.

"Would you like to know more about what the mark symbolizes?"

It was Amelia's turn to stare at him dumbfounded. Part of her wanted to pull her agent mask back on but her heart searched for answers. Her episodes were beginning to scare her and the last thing she wanted was to put her team in danger. Especially if it could cause her to turn on them and give Loki vital information. Amelia decided that if Loki wanted to be serious, then she would too.

"What does it mean?"

Loki sighed as he walked over to the glass and leaned on it, "The tesseract and it's counterparts all have a life source that cannot sustain itself. When it finds a soul worthy of draining in order to rebuild its energy and thus its power, they latch on to it. We call it their 'host.' With me so far?"

Amelia nodded.

"Some of the hosts don't even know they've been chosen until it is too late. It seems you're one of the few that knows they have been chosen." Loki continued. "At first I thought it would choose me, but back in Germany it seemed to call for you. That shot of energy could have bounced anywhere and yet it made its way directly to you."

"Is there any way to get rid of it?"

Loki shrugged, "Not that I have seen. In my experience, each host deteriorated rather quickly and in the end there was nothing left. I wouldn't be surprised if you start to have difficulty in living your life very soon."

Amelia felt her whole body go numb as she heard what her fate was. Her fragile human body was at the mercy of an unknown substance from space and it seemed it would win in the end. Her breathing became erratic as she tried to process everything. If Loki was to be trusted, which she had doubts he could be, she was dying and she had to tell her family.

She could only imagine how her grandfather would react. He had already lost so much and now he would be forced to lose her to the grave as well. Coulson and Fury wouldn't let her go without a fight, while Natasha and Clint refused to acknowledge it as set in stone. Then she thought of her teammates. Of Tony and Bruce and their antics in the lab. Of Thor and his wonderfully medieval way of looking at the war.

Then there was Steve. Coulson had been right in telling her she would like him. She just didn't know how much she would. He was a little strange with his old fashion style and limited knowledge, but he had charm. He was kind and went out of his way to help people he didn't even know. She thought about their little 'date' and how he had just been looking for companionship. He wanted a friend and now that friend was dying.

Amelia snapped out of her self pity and pointed her gun directly at Loki, "I won't let an ice cube define my ending. If I die then it will be saving Earth from your radical ideals. There is no version of this where you come out on top."

"And here I was thinking you would look good in a crown."

Amelia smirked, "Oh I don't need you to give me a crown. I already own one."

Amelia heard footsteps behind her and turned to see one of Loki's minions come bounding in with his weapon drawn. Amelia couldn't get a clear shot and proceeded to fight him in close quarters. He was physically stronger than her, but she was agile. She slipped in between his punches until one smashed into the back of her head sending her spiraling forward in pain.

When she looked up her eyes widened in horror as the minion released Loki from his cage. The door slid open slowly and was like watching a scene from a horror movie. Amelia scooted back as far as she could, but her head felt like it had been split in two. She placed her hand on the back of her head and pulled away to see it covered in red. She let out a sharp intake as she felt someone pull her up and cover mouth.

She knew it was Loki and began to struggle, but noticed an illusion of him still standing in the cage. She fought harder, but he held her tighter and shushed her. Amelia could hardly breathe as her eyes began to blur from the pain of being jerked around. The two remained still as Amelia took deep breaths as she watched the God of Thunder fall for another one of Loki's tricks.

"No!"

"Thor, it's a trap!"

Amelia watched helplessly as Thor charged at the illusion only to launch at air. The illusion crouched as if to greet him only to dissipate as Thor landed in the cage. Amelia let out a cry of pain as Loki led her toward the cage before setting her down next to the control panel. Amelia put pressure on the back of her head in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Her vision was going, but she tried to focus as Loki walked towards his brother.

"Are you ever not going to fall for that?" Loki asked, looking at Thor in fake confusion.

Thor banged his hammer against the glass cell in an attempt to break free, but only a crack was made for his efforts. Amelia looked around as the ship shook violently as a result and tried to steady herself and get her bearings. She blinked away the pain and looked to see her black handgun lying a little ways away. She began to crawl towards it slowly, trying to remain undetected.

Loki smiled not realizing Amelia's plan as he continued, "The humans think us immortal. Should we test that?"

Amelia was almost to her handgun when she felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder. She looked up fully expecting it to be Loki and his joker-like smile, but was relieved to see Coulson. The man looked less than pleased at the state she was in. Amelia tried to offer a thankful smile, but it came out more as a grimace. Coulson put her behind him and turned to fire the prototype weapon at the man that had touched his daughter.

"Move away, please."

Loki moved away from the switch, but his smile never left his face. Amelia looked him directly in the eye as he glanced at her. It was as if they made a silent promise to each other. The next time they met one of them would end up dead and Amelia would make sure it was him. Coulson moved his body so that he had a better shot at the god.

"You like this?" He asked. "We started working on the prototype after you sent the destroyer. Even I don't know what it does. Do you wanna find out?"

Amelia blinked and suddenly she was back in Loki's arms and was watching as her father was impaled through the heart. No words left her lips as she let out a loud scream of pain. She let her body weight sink to the floor. She could hear Thor scream as well, but she felt numb as Loki kept her pressed against him. It didn't even register when Thor was dropped in the container.

All her memories of Coulson came flooding back to her in large waves. It felt as if she was reliving each moment vividly. Her eyes never once left Coulson's as his breathing became ragged. Finally, Loki released her and she crawled over to his side. She placed her hand on his chest and applied pressure, but blood seeped through her fingers. He was going to die and she couldn't stop it.

Coulson placed his hand on hers before looking at Loki, "You're going to lose."

"Am I?" Loki asked, holding his scepter that Amelia noticed he now possessed.

"It's in your nature." Coulson finished.

"Your heroes are scattered," Loki began as he pointed his scepter at them. "Your floating fortress falls from the sky, and your daughter is binded to my will. Tell me, where is my disadvantage?"

"You lack conviction."

Amelia could feel her body responding to the scepter as she felt herself getting sucked in. It was exactly as Loki had stated. She felt her strength leaving her as she slumped against Coulson. It was as if she was being drained by everything she had left. The other times had been mild, but this was all at once. She took a deep breath and placed her head on Coulson's shoulder. She knew Coulson was worried but he didn't stop his speech. If anything he wanted to keep Loki's attention on him.

"I don't think I -" Loki was cut off by Coulson shooting him again.

The blast was enough to knock Loki back through the wall and away from Amelia. The distance was enough to stop the stone from draining Amelia as she let out a gasp. She took deep breaths as her strength slowly returned, but her focus wasn't on herself. She turned to Coulson who was staring directly back at her.

"So that's what it does."

Amelia let out a painful laugh, "How much do you want to bet Stark will have some improvements?"

"I'm smart enough not to bet when it comes to Stark and updating tech."

Amelia smiled at him as she continued to apply pressure. The pain in her head and body had become a distant memory as she kept her focus on Coulson. She couldn't bear to lose him. Not while he was young. He had his whole life ahead of him. There was even talk of him getting his own team.

"You can't die."

"You don't get to make that decision, Lili."

"The hell I don't."

Amelia could no longer hold in her tears as she continued to apply pressure. She heard people coming up behind her and was relieved to see Fury at her side. For the first time in 's history their director looked at a loss for words. There was his family and he couldn't stop the inevitable from happening.

"Sorry, boss." Coulson said, but his eyes never left Amelia's. "They got away."

"Just stay awake." Fury replied as he tapped his agent's face. "Eyes on me!"

"No. I'm clocked out here."

Amelia sobbed, "You can't, Dad. You can't leave me."

"Not an option." Fury added.

"It's okay, boss." Coulson said before turning his head to look at Amelia. "You are my everything Lili. You continue to fight for what is right. You stay alive and most importantly… live. I need you to live your life to the fullest. No matter what that may look like."

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you too."

Amelia couldn't contain herself anymore and let out another painful scream. Fury pulled her into his embrace and held her as she shook violently in his arms. Amelia had only broken down once like this before. At the death of her parents. This was another huge loss and Fury could do nothing to take away her pain. He closed his eyes as he rocked her gently.

Fury pulled her away from Phil's body in order to let the medical team pass. Amelia tried to fight him, but he held her closer. Amelia watched through her sorrow as they called time of death. It was a moment she would never forget as he laid their lifeless. The way they surrounded him made Amelia sick and she pushed herself away from her other dad. She walked away making her way to her safe place. All the while hearing four words that would change her life forever.

"Agent Coulson is down."

Amelia sat with her hands neatly folded on her lap as she stared at a photo album in front of her. The first page held a picture of a teenage Amelia smiling between a proud Phil Coulson and an annoyed Nick Fury. She was dressed in a cap and gown with high heels and a red dress on. It was one of her first memories where they were both there. One of her friends had mistaken them for her dads. None of them had corrected the person.

That was the day that they had unofficially become her parents. They would never replace her real ones, but they were what she needed. Coulson had encouraged her to continue on to MIT and Fury promised her a place at SHIELD when she was done. The two had been her biggest supporters.

Fury was the gruff dad that would rather gouge his good eye with a fork than cheer with a blow horn in the stands. On the other hand, Coulson, was the man wearing face paint and cheering the loudest of all the parents. He had made it his life goal to embarrass the hell out of her and he had succeeded.

Amelia turned to the next page and then the next before tears once again filled her eyes. It wasn't fair. Life was a cruel joke. Amelia threw the book across the room in a fit of rage before collapsing on her bed. She let herself succumb to her pain and sorrow. She knew that if she didn't let it out she wouldn't be able to focus on the task at hand.

If they were going to go after Loki then she would need to be focused and ruthless. However, she knew the last thing her dad would want was for her to lose herself to revenge. She laid in her bed and pulled the sheets close as if to wrap herself from the world. She heard a knock at the door and let out a muffled come in as she buried her head in the covers. She listened intently as the door to her room opened quietly before snapping closed. Amelia closed her eyes as she felt the side of her bed dip from the person's weight.

"I'm sorry Mimi."

Amelia turned to look Fury in the eye. It was rare when he used that nickname. It had slipped out once a long time and now he used it only for the smallest of moments. Amelia moved and soon found herself curled into his embrace as silent tears fell. He held her close and brushed his hand through her hair as he placed a gentle kiss on her head.

"Thank you, Nick."

They sat like that for what felt like an eternity. The silence between them was deafening, but also calming. They had lost a valued member of their family. Amelia had lost a father figure and Fury had lost his best man. They would deny this moment ever happened to anyone, but they would cherish it secretly together. Amelia only had a small amount of remaining family members and she would stop anyone that tried to take them from her.