Chapter Seven

All the brunette felt was sadness as she sat at her work station writing a new facial recognition software. As her fingers flew across the keyboard she felt the sensation begin to overtake her as her motions became more desperate. She pitied the man that stole away what family members she had left. She pitied him and his foolish error as her sadness grew into anger. Amelia was on a man hunt and nothing would stand in her way. She had made a promise to the God of Mischief and this was one that Amelia intended on keeping.

The agent didn't glance up as she felt someone stand behind her. She didn't have to take a guess to know it was Natasha. She could feel the anger radiating off of her. The assassin knew better than to pity Miss Amelia Nilson. Natasha knew what it was like to lose those which are held most dear. She wanted to help in any way she could, but for now she was focused on the wellbeing of her friend.

"We have Clint in custody. He is being held in a containment module."

Amelia looked up at Natasha and gave her a firm nod, "Call me as soon as he wakes."

Natasha said nothing else, knowing better than to push Amelia, and left without another word. Amelia could feel the eyes of her peers on her, but she ignored them. Instead she focused on finishing the algorithm with a quick press of a button. She then began uploading it to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database to use in helping to search for Loki.

The computer beeped back at her letting Amelia know it had started running the trace globally. She watched as images of multiple people fell past as they tried to identify key facial points of her target. She turned her head away as she tried to calm herself, before hearing the voices of Tony and Steve coming front the conference platform. She went to join them.

As soon as she entered a hushed silence fell over the two as their eyes fell on her. She squirmed slightly at Tony's face which showed only pity, but was taken aback by Steve's eyes. They showed no signs of pity, but that of empathy. It sets Amelia slightly at ease as she sits across from them and waits for Fury to join them. Amelia sees Fury flash her a look, but she can't quite decipher what it meant as he throws something onto the table.

"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket. Guess he never did get you to sign them."

Amelia leaned forward to see a couple of Coulson's Captain America Trading cards splayed out on the table, stained with blood. The sight caused Amelia to look away as fresh tears threatened to spill down her rosy cheeks. She had thought she could transfer her sadness into anger, but it seemed she was wrong. She looked back to see Steve pick one up and hold it gently in his large hands.

"We're dead in the air up here." Fury begins. "Our communications, location of the cube, Banner, and Thor. I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming."

Silence filled the air as Fury glanced over at Amelia, but she refused to meet his gaze, "Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier."

"You were playing with fire, Nick." Amelia spoke up, not bothering to hide her tears. "You played with fire and it wasn't you that paid the price. How many more of us must die for you to see that unknown power doesn't come with greatness, but with death? Harnessing raw and untamed power doesn't make you the best player on the board. It will only make the game that much harder to win. And you want to know why?"

Amelia could feel the eyes of everyone on her as she spoke. Everyone knew she was one of Director Nicholas J. Fury's biggest supporters and had every faith in the decisions he made. They were for the good of all. However, now she was questioning him unapologetically and publicly as she challenged his authority to make the right call.

"Because chaos doesn't win a war. People do."

The bridge fell silent at her statement. Fury knew many would agree with Amelia's view. He was starting to believe it himself. He could see Steve's gears turning as he looked at Amelia impressed and even Maria Hill seemed to agree with the brunette's sound logic. This mess began when he wanted to get ahead of the threat instead of seeing the threat that was right in front of him. He had formed this team as a back up to what science could never provide, the ultimate power.

"There was an idea, Stark and Nilson knew this, called THE AVENGERS INITIATIVE." Fury began slowly. "The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes."

Amelia stood up to look out at the clear sky on the bridge, not wanting to show that she was close to losing it. She could hear someone else leave as well and without evening having to look she knew it was Tony. He didn't like being acknowledged as a soldier and neither did she. There was a reason that she stayed behind a desk and Coulson's death was making her miss her office at the hub even more.

"Well, it's an old fashioned notion."

"Phil didn't die for an old fashioned notion," Amelia stated, causing Steve and Fury to look up at her. "He died knowing he had left his mark on the world."

Amelia wiped away a tear as she bowed her head in defeat. She had never felt more pathetic in her life as images of Coulson's body and Loki's deranged smile filled her head. She wanted more than anything to make them stop, but they plagued her like a bad movie playing on a loop. She couldn't take the stares any longer and hurried off the bridge. Her destination was Natasha and the medical ward in hopes of getting some good news for a change. She needed her siblings.

As Amelia made her way through the medical ward she was reminded of how much she hated the medical staff. Even now they tried to poke and prod at her with various instruments, but she avoided each nurse and doctor that came her way. It wasn't until she was just in reach of her destination that a blue lollipop was held in front of her face. It taunted her with feelings of innocence that she once possessed, but that was a different time.

"I thought you might want the distraction." Christine said, offering the girl a small smile.

"Thank you, Doctor."

Amelia let out a tight lipped smile that she hoped was convincing. She knew Dr. Benson was just trying to be supportive. Even now she could feel her cell going off with concerned phone calls from Indra Hernandez, but she ignored them. She didn't need to be coddled like a child. She wanted to catch the man responsible for killing her remaining family. Amelia was on a mission and she needed help if she was to succeed.

"Excuse me."

Amelia pushed her way past the doctor while simultaneously swiping the sucker from her hand. She unwrapped the sweet candy and began to suck on it as she entered the containment module. The brunette stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the scene before her. Clint laid on one of the hospital gurneys with restraints wrapped around him to keep him from escaping. Natasha sat at his side, her eyes trained solely on him.

"Has he said anything?" Amelia asked, taking a seat beside Natasha.

"Not unless you count grunting and moaning." Natasha said, letting out a frustrated sigh.

Amelia scoffed, "That's something at least."

"Clint, you're gonna be alright." Natasha states firmly.

"You know that? Is that what you know?" Clint said looking over at the two women he considered his sisters. "I got...I gotta go in though. I gotta flush him out."

"You have to give me a location!" Amelia yelled and almost rushed at Clint, but Natasha held her back.

"We don't have that long, but it's gonna take time." Natasha said.

Amelia pulled away not seeing the look of shock on Natasha's face and look of confusion on Clint's. Natasha worried for her mental health and how she was coping after losing Coulson. It was evident that she wasn't trying to deal with the pain, but rather was trying to turn it into anger. Natasha remembered vividly doing the same thing herself, but the more she suppressed her sadness the more she would explode.

Amelia was a ticking time bomb holding a blue sucker.

"I don't understand." Clint said after a brief silence. "Have you ever had someone take your brain and play? Pull you out and send something else in? Do you know what it's like to be unmade?"

Amelia turned to look at him feeling guilty as Natasha said, "You know that I do."

"Why am I back? How did you get him out?"

"Cognitive recalibration." Amelia stated, biting down on the candy with a resounding crack!

Clint looked at Natasha for a translation, "I hit you really hard on the head."

"Thanks."

Amelia let out a hint of a smile at Clint's slight quip. She knew that he would repay the favor to one of them, most likely Natasha, sometime in the future. She was already regretting any upcoming training sessions with him. Amelia sat down next to Clint and began to untie his restraints. She could tell that if he was willing to be funny then he had some control over his emotions, especially as his face morphed into one of self pity.

"Tasha, how many agents?"

"Don't. Don't do that to yourself, Clint." Natasha said. "This is Loki. This is monsters and magic and nothing we were ever trained for."

"But we should have been trained for it." Amelia said, causing Clint and Natasha to look over at her. "This isn't our first encounter with the unknown. Look at Thor! He's living proof that there are extraterrestrials out there. If we knew this a year ago then why weren't upper level agents trained for it?"

"Loki, he got away?"

"And killed Coulson to do it." Amelia said as she threw the chewed down stick into the trash.

That bit of information struck a chord in Clint as he finally looked at Amelia in a different light. He could tell something was off by her actions, but to know that she was now suffering. It pained him to know that he may have had a hand in it. He moved to sit next to his baby sister and wrapped his arms around her in a loving hug. He could feel her body stiffen, but that just made him hold on tighter.

Amelia felt fresh tears fall down her cheeks as she buried her head into Clint's shoulder. She knew this could be construed as weak, but she didn't care. In the path of trying to save one family member she had lost another and that loss had devastated her. Amelia could see the image of Coulson standing beside his vintage car, Lola, with a quirky smile and an adventure lined up. It was because of him that she had joined the organization that her parents had so proudly served.

"I'm so sorry Ace."

Amelia shook his head, "I promised the next time I saw him I would end him."

"Can I help with that?" Clint asked. "I want to at least wipe that smirk off his face."

"Yeah. I don't suppose you know where he is?" Natasha said, trying to get them back on track.

"I didn't need to know. I didn't ask. He's gonna make his play soon though. Today." Clint said.

"We gotta stop him."

"Yeah?" Clint asked. "Who's we?"

"I don't know. Whoever's left."

"I know Steve will help." Amelia stated. "And I'm sure Tony is up for a little ass whooping."

"Well, if I put an arrow in Loki's eye socket, I'd sleep better I suppose."

Natasha laughed, "Now you sound like you."

"But you don't." Clint pointed out and Amelia nodded. "You're a spy, not a soldier. Now you want to wade into a war. Why? What did Loki do to you?"

Natasha shifted underneath their gaze, "He didn't, I just…"

Silence filled the stale recycled air. Amelia knew that Natasha was strong, but she wasn't unbreakable. She knew when she went to retrieve information that she hadn't left unscathed. Everybody had a past and Natasha's was written in blood and death. It was only fair to assume that anyone that has come into contact with the jokester would have psychological issues but Natasha's would be worse. She would not only read into them, but would start believing in them. It only made sense that Natasha would be affected by his words, especially if he used the oldest trick in the book. He involved her found family.

"Natasha."

"Nat?"

Natasha let out a long sigh before proceeding to explain, "I've been compromised. I got red in my ledger. I'd like to wipe it out."

"You can't change your past, Nat." Amelia said, holding her hand out for Natasha to grasp with her own. "None of us can. All we can do is fight for a better future. If all we do is worry about what might have been then we forget what is going on in the present. And the future is the most precious gift of all."

"Did you find that on the internet?"

Amelia stuck her tongue out a Clint who had yelled the comment from inside the bathroom. She moved to sit down once more, not noticing the super soldier approaching until the sound of the door whisked open. Amelia's brown eyes met his blue ones and she could tell that he was conflicted on whether or not to say what he wanted in front of her. Amelia supposed it was a feeling she would have to get used to, until she was cleared by a shrink.

"Spit it out." She said, giving him a pointed look.

"Time to go." Steve said firmly to the group, although his gaze never left Amelia's.

"Go where?" Natasha asked.

"I'll tell you on the way. Can you fly one of those jets?" Steve asks.

Amelia turns to see Clint step out of the bathroom, "I can."

Steve looks skeptically between Natasha and Amelia as if to ask if Clint was cleared for work. Natasha nodded an affirmative, but Steve didn't seem to notice as he continued to stare at Amelia. He could tell she had been crying. Her cheeks were stained with the evidence and yet he could do nothing about it in a crowded room. Instead he switched focus onto Natasha and finally Clint as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned in the doorway.

"You got a suit?"

"Yeah."

"Then suit up."

Amelia sat quietly in her room looking down at her hands in deep thought. Deep down she knew that this would be the last time she sat in this room suiting up for a mission. This was it. The final battle. She had mixed feelings about being allowed to go into combat, but she knew her team needed her at her best. Loki was a flashy god and Amelia knew that to him this was the grand finale and she would do whatever it took to ruin it.

She stood and made her way over to where an old fashion phone hung on the wall. It was designed to make secure calls and Amelia needed it to make her final one. She slowly dialed in the numbers before holding the receiver to her ear. It rang for a few moments before a resounding click! Let her know the man was home.

"Liebe?"

Amelia let out a breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding, "Hi, Opa."

The sound of Theodore Nilson's voice caused Amelia's heart to tighten. It felt like a lifetime since she had last seen him. However, their german mission had been but a day ago. It made her miss him more. She wanted nothing more than to run from the throws of battle and into his loving arms. Yet, she knew she couldn't. Instead she settled for hearing his chuckle as she realized he had asked her a question multiple times now.

"Is everything alright?"

Amelia took a deep breath, "Everything is fine. I just wanted to hear your voice while I had the chance."

"You have the crazy man in custody right? Then you should be planning your trip with Phil to come visit me!" Theodore exclaimed with glee. "I already have both of your rooms made up, although perhaps Clint and Natasha want to stop by as well? In that case I'll have to make up the couch and grab a blow up bed. Will they be joining us? Oh! And I brought out all of your old Disney VHS tapes so that you could rewatch some of your favorites. Can you remind me which one we should start with so I can have it sitting on top?"

Amelia grimaced at her grandfather's excitement, "I'll have to ask them, but Phil won't be joining us."

"Oh?"

"Opa," She began letting out a breath to calm her nerves. "Phil died in the line of duty yesterday."

Silence rang from the other end as Theodore Nilson took in the news. Amelia had been completely against telling her grandfather about Coulson, due to the worry he might have for her and the rest of the team. However, Fury reminded her that this job was always dangerous and Theodore would always worry. He deserved to know what happened to his daughter's father figure and his good friend.

"I shall pray for your mission."

Amelia let out a sob at his response, "You're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad my darling? Death is a part of life and Phil lived a rare and beautiful one. It is rare for a man to leave this world a little better than he found it. He also left his mark on each person he met. I'll never forget the way you lit up when he would come stay with us for a week or two. It was the happiest you've been since your parents passed. He protected you when I couldn't and taught you things I never could. Phil was a good man and he died so that you could complete this mission."

"Opa…"

"Go, my Liebe. Bring this man to justice and lay Phil to rest at peace. Come home to me my darling."

"I will. I love you so much Opa. I don't think you know just how much."

"Not as much as I do. Iche liebe dich."

"Iche liebe Dich."

Amelia hung up the phone with a resounding click. She felt renewed as she wiped her tears away. They weren't tears of sorrow, but tears of relief. She had decided to change her approach to the God of Mischief. She had made a promise to end him and that was exactly what she was going to do. As she finished adjusting her gear she didn't notice the shadow of somebody lurking in her doorway. When she turned she found Steve in all his glory.

The suit looked even better on him with the lights of her room brightening the red, white and blue. She could tell he was slightly uncomfortable in the suit or perhaps it was the fact that she was staring at him in the fabric. She moved to grab her hand gun on the bed before putting it in its rightful place. Her black suit seemed to contrast his patriotic one, but the eagle on her shoulder hid the tesseract symbol behind one of power. S.H.I.E.L.D. taught her that in order to make the world a better place she would have to be a part of something bigger than herself.

"Orders?"

"Wheels up in five. Barton and Romanoff will meet us at the hanger."

"Good."

Silence rang between the two as Amelia finished her weapons check for what felt like the last time. The words of Loki's warning rang through her head. The tesseract would most likely kill her during this next battle and yet she hadn't the heart to say anything. If she did then they would tell her to stay behind and that wouldn't sit well with Amelia. If it was being used for what Amelia thinks it's going to be used for then they needed her. Perhaps her sacrifice was what they needed to save humanity.

"Was that Theodore?"

She turned to look at him, "Yes."

"I'm assuming you told him about Agent Coulson."

Amelia knew this was a test. Part of her had hoped he was here to see her and check on her, but it was just a ploy to see if she was fit for combat. She couldn't blame him though. As an experienced agent she knew that the first thing that could get someone killed is a rogue agent. It's why she always checks the physical as well as mental capabilities of whoever she is going into battle with. He needed to know if she was stable and the sound of Coulson's name was the only trigger he had on her.

"I did. He took it better than I did."

"And are you fit for combat?"

Brown hues met blue depths with a sincere nod, "Following our lead Captain."

He seemed to take that as the best answer he would get as he walked into the room to stand in front of her. They were so close that if one were to lean forward their chest would brush the others. Amelia felt her breath hitch as she felt his breath mingle with hers. It sent shivers down her spine as she felt an overwhelming feeling of content flow through her. His actions seemed out of character for him, but at the same time she knew it was his way of trying to fit in.

She looked at him waiting for him to say anything that would identify his actions, but she was in for a surprise when his arms wrapped around her in a soft hug. She froze in place for only a second before wrapping her arms around his neck. She allowed her body to fall against his as he held her tightly. She knew this was a sympathy hug, but she didn't care. In the last twenty-four hours no one had even bothered to touch her let alone comfort her besides Fury. Now Steve had taken it upon himself to let her know she was not alone.

He released her after a couple moments and the two just stood in a comfortable silence. It seemed both of them were in want of a moment. A small moment before the world exploded around them and for some reason these moments happened around each other. Amelia looked up to find Steve already watching her. She could tell that he was nervous if he had over stepped, but she returned the favor. She stood on her tippy toes and placed a soft kiss to his cheek right underneath his helmet.

"Thank you. I really needed that."

"Amelia-" Steve began, but she cut him off.

"Mia."

His eyebrows furrowed together, "What?"

She smiled at his confusion, "In Germany you gave me a nickname, Mia, and I think you should continue to use it."

Steve raised his hand to scratch the back of his neck as a light blush dusted his cheeks, "You heard that?"

"My name is a mouthful, I was surprised you didn't use Amy."

"It seems everyone calls you that."

"And you're special?"

Steve seemed to pause at her question which wasn't really one. In his mind he had chosen that nickname because he felt an overwhelming want to protect the woman that had already lost so much. He knew she didn't need his protection, but instead needed some encouragement to take the right path. Amelia had been the first person since he had woken up that had not tried to belittle him nor had she set him on a pedestal. She had seen him human. As the man behind the serum and only one other person had been able to do that, but they had died falling off a train.

"I'm not special. I'm just a guy that doesn't like bullies."

Amelia smiled up at him, "Then let's teach this bully that earth doesn't take kindly to being given commands, but rather prefers to give them herself."

"After you, Mia."