A/N - Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and God Jul! Hope all is well. I'll be a little short on my notes, but still, a heartfelt thanks to Practically An Avenger and X-MenOverAvengers for their reviews. Hope this gets you through the slow parts of your Christmas day!
Chapter 104 - Sitting In The Aftermath
Belatedly, Scott finally realized how much of a mess there was for the two Avengers to stumble into, though he hadn't had time to process all that had happened much less to think about his appearance. "That was fast," he said and tried to wipe his face with his least-injured hand, realizing Viper had been too close to him when she'd died.
"You're bleeding," Wanda said, looking upset as she rushed to put pressure on his wounds. "Don't touch that."
"I'm fine," Scott said automatically.
"You are definitely not fine," Wanda argued. "You're bleeding badly." She looked up at Steve. "I can take him to the tower now. Are you coming or staying?"
"Staying. I'll get SHIELD in here. Secure the scene," Steve said, though he was clearly in shock, too.
"No, you need to finish the job," Scott argued, blatantly ignoring Wanda.
"Which job would you like me to finish?" Wanda asked.
Scott jerked his head in Viper's direction. "If anyone gets hold of her body, we're going to be doing this again in no time. We've dealt with that before, and James does not need to find out she's back with the kind of return she likes to pull."
Wanda blinked at him for a moment as she took in what he was saying, and with little more than a second to consider his words, she looked over to Steve. "I hope you've gotten enough to file your papers," she said before she concentrated on Viper's body and disintegrated it. "I don't believe even the Hand can work without the body. And I don't want to have to call them in to bring you back, so we are going to the tower. All of us."
"It's not that bad," Scott argued - which would have been more effective if he couldn't taste blood and if whatever he'd been poisoned with wasn't spreading into his shoulder and chest.
Wanda held his gaze and put a little more pressure on the wound as she raised one eyebrow and he let out a sound of sheer pain. "Are you sure? Did you want to walk it off? That would require you stand up first, you know."
"Dammit all, Wanda," he said through his teeth.
"Then we're in agreement. You have a date with Dr. McCoy, who I am sure will be perfectly surprised to see you in such a state," Wanda said before she worked a fast spell to get them to the top of the tower and right into the medical suite.
As soon as Scott heard Hank bounding his way and swearing, he shook his head. "I'm fine, Hank."
"One day you may find the good people of Webster's agreeing with you, but for this moment in time, and for all of time before this moment, you, my dear friend, are horribly mistaken," Hank said as Wanda crossed her arms over her chest and took a step back. "People who are fine do not find themselves hemorrhaging all over my floor."
"You should see the other guy."
"I can see bits of the other guy," Hank said dryly. "And smell them. What on earth possessed you to approach Ophelia Sarkissian without a tank?"
"She was in James's bedroom, and I got mad," Scott said, leaning back in the gurney purely because he was exhausted. He wasn't going to admit it, but he had been hurt badly enough that he'd seen the end as an option, so he wasn't exactly operating well.
"As upsetting as it would be to find a woman of that advanced age and ill intentions in your son's room, I do believe you still should have requested back up," Hank said.
"Sure," Scott said with his eyes closed. "Just as soon as you tell me why Captain America and Wanda smell like gunpowder and ozone. They were busy, Hank. I saw Crossbones skulking near the college myself."
"Yes. Well. Hydra mounted an attack as well. Right in Midtown. The good Captain deduced that it was a distraction and our friend in armor introduced your son to his newest creation. Purely as a means of protection." He looked over the top of his glasses. "And Tyler is here to repair the damage you've sustained."
"James is where, then?" Scott tried to sit up better.
"When he arrives, the plan is to sequester him to his lab. The moment there was any indication of an actual threat, Tony arranged for him to be brought here for his protection. From what I've gathered over the comm system, your middle child is not exactly happy with Tony's methods." Hank leaned toward Scott with a smirk. "Your lovely Miss Hale, however was highly entertained with the live news footage. I don't believe James actually saw the yellow and black paint job on the armor Tony sent after him before it wrapped around him and rocketed him out of school."
"Annie's here?" Scott raised both eyebrows - not at all realizing how quickly he'd switched from concerned about James to concerned about Annie seeing him the second he heard Tony had sent armor after James. "She can't-"
"She isn't here yet. She was texting with Jan - and I promise, Annie won't see you until you're clean and healed - and Tyler will help with half of that. I'm afraid the other half you'll have to suffer through on your own."
"You're hilarious," Scott said dryly.
"Be that as it may, you have exceeded expectations on how thoroughly you've elected to announce your non-support status on the team. It truly is as if you never left," Hank said dryly as he pulled over a blood draw kit. "And I'll require a sample to see what, if any medications I can give you since I am very sure you could use a painkiller at the bare minimum."
"I never said I was -"
"All evidence to the contrary," Hank said.
"Look, I was just keeping James safe-"
"Gathering up all of your bumps and bruises you neglected to acquire in the past decade all in one day is over achieving, ol' fearless. Just not in the manner you're used to doing."
"Very funny, Hank," Scott said, though he was smirking as he leaned back.
"Oh, I forgot to levee in that which you brought home after that quick trip to Genosha. Yes, I'd say you've accomplished enough to be ahead of your own scale at this point."
"Both of those were… you know what, I'm not arguing this with you, because I'm not sorry about it," Scott muttered, one hand over his eyes.
"It's like deja vu, all over again," Hank said.
"Are you going to fix the poison or am I just going to die listening to you reminisce?"
"Hopefully you'll survive to be razzed another day," Hank said. "But I've been holding back a decade of sassy quips for just these occasions, so I'm afraid you'll have to contend with that angle of your overzealous collection of contusions."
"Missed you too," Scott said, smirking.
"You need not go to such lengths to catch my attention," Hank said as he brought the blood sample to his machinery. "I'll make sure you have some supplies to clean up as well. Or to let someone help you- oh, bother. That's not likely seeing as you're so fine."
"I am," Scott agreed - which really didn't work when he was tired enough to let his eyes drift shut until Hank's blood analysis was done and the ding jolted him back to reality. He did his best to look less like he'd fallen asleep, but Hank didn't look convinced as he administered some antivenom to what was, apparently, a spider venom.
When Tyler came in, though, Scott tried to make sure the kid didn't have any reason to freak out, toweling off what he could when it was already starting to dry. "You pulled the short straw, huh?"
"Not really a short straw when, you know … this is kind of my job now? But … jeez. You're really a mess," Tyler said as he sat down next to Scott. "I won't ask what happened, okay?" He held his hand out to Scott and waited for Scott to reach out before he put his other hand over Scott's stab wound and started healing everything he could. "I'm going to leave the black eye and the split lip because they're really not that bad, but also, we have someone else in with a gunshot wound already."
Although Scott didn't know it, Hank had slipped him something along with the antivenom so that he wasn't hurt when Tyler healed him - since the healing itself would have been traumatic otherwise. So he wasn't entirely censoring himself as he asked, "Who is it? What happened? Is everyone okay?"
"Don't worry about that right now," Hank said. "They will be perfectly fine. It's not one of the kids."
"Oh, good," Scott said and leaned back again - though he didn't allow himself to drift off despite the sedation because he was too worried. But when he saw Johnny go into the other room with food and heard Bobby, he relaxed a little. Bobby deserved something good, and if things with Johnny were finally progressing, Scott wasn't going to step into the middle.
Which meant he wasn't expecting another person to come into the medical wing and had even closed his eyes before the door opened one last time.
"The hell happened to you?" James asked when he got into the lab, because he was not going to be stuck in his lab, even if Tony had reprogrammed the whole building to fight him on it. He'd just gotten in and pushed his way through the wall of Avengers trying to stop him from going anywhere but his lab.
"James, I'm fine. I just need a shower," Scott said, trying to sit up straighter but still dizzy.
James made his way over and helped to get Scott upright. "Dad. Come on. What happened? This day has been insane."
"Won a fight. Tell me about your day. Are you okay?" Scott asked.
"Well, I was in physics about twenty minutes ago, set to explain part of my last paper to the class when the armor came flying through the windows, attached itself to me and yanked me out," James said dryly. "Happens to everyone, right?"
Scott chuckled, leaning against James without meaning to. "Oh, all the time," he agreed.
"So, that ought to be fun to explain tomorrow," he continued.
"That's alright. When I was your age, I was getting kidnapped by cosmic beings. It happens."
"Yeah, well I was dealing with enough awkwardness in the classroom with everyone knowing that I'm supposed to take over for Tony, the whole Genosha … fiasco, all of it. The armor seemed a little bit like flaunting it. So I've already decided to rig his coffee maker to attack."
"Good call," Scott said.
"I'll help you get to where you're going," James told him quietly. "But you gotta tell me what happened."
"I just need to get cleaned up," Scott whispered back. "If you can point me at the showers…"
"Yeah, I noticed the mess," James said. "So what happened? You have gray matter on your shirt collar and a nasty bloodstain."
Scott looked down at himself, grimaced, and let out a long sigh. "It's fine, James. I'll be alright."
"Dad."
"Look," Scott said in a sigh, knowing if Hank had been able to scent out who was there, James definitely knew. "Viper was in your place in Cambridge."
"Okay. You didn't need to do this though," James said quietly, proving Scott right when he didn't react to the who. "You didn't need to get that close to her."
"James, you're my son; she wasn't getting to you as long as I was breathing," Scott said in a sharper tone than any he'd used with him. "I saw her, and I got the drop on her from the start. She got in a few good shots; that's all."
"Dad, you don't have to … I can take it."
"I don't ever want to hear you say that again," Scott said, his eyes narrowed. "'I can take it.' No. You shouldn't have to. You're a child."
James didn't argue with him, if nothing else, than because of his tone, even if he was convinced Scott was looking at it all wrong. When James didn't try to contradict Scott, his dad simply leaned on him and let James get him to the showers.
Of course, that was really the first time Scott had been alone long enough to think, so once he got himself decently clean, he ended up standing there for a long while, staring at the drain until it no longer looked pink. He still wasn't entirely sure what he'd heard when Viper had stabbed him, but he did know if he hadn't been having a moment of pain-fueled delusion, if he had heard Logan, he'd been too close to leaving his kids to be acceptable. He'd promised them never to do that again, and here he was - once again wrestling with the echoes from the other side.
Not to mention the example he'd set, killing Viper without a lick of remorse. It was bad enough that he'd gone in with the intent to murder her; he couldn't even muster up the sense to mourn the fact that there was no other option, the way he'd done with Erik. This wasn't what the professor had taught him. And all he could think about was the other Logan, the one who'd visited in an attempt to keep Scott with his kids, insisting that Scott wasn't a killer.
By the time Scott got himself dried off, his ears were ringing with the relative silence after the water had stopped echoing the space around him, and he barely registered the fact that Billy had come to find James to delightedly show him the now-viral footage of James being yanked out of class by brand-new Stark armor in yellow and black stripes. And he barely registered seeing Bobby high as a kite and teasing Johnny about how worried he'd been. He only focused on Wanda coming to check on him because she put a hand on his arm - and he automatically yanked it out of her grasp.
Wanda looked openly worried. "Do you want Ororo, Alex, or Annie? I know you don't want the kids yet."
Scott shook his head, his eyebrows knit together. "Not Annie - she doesn't need to be involved with anything to do with Viper," he said over the sound of Billy's laughter.
"I didn't think so, but I had to ask. So that leaves us with Genosha or Westchester." She watched him for a long moment, crossed her arms and made her decision, working up the spell before Scott could answer. "If you decide you want Alex, just say so and I'll get him there fast. I'm going to take over on the boys until you're ready for them."
"Wanda, I'm fine," Scott insisted, trying to get around her, but Wanda stood her ground.
"Then you can be fine with Ororo," she said. "You know I'll make sure they're safe."
Scott finally turned to face her properly, crossed his arms, and let out a breath. "All of them," he said. "She knew where to find him; she's been messing with his records. There's no telling what backup plans she had. And she was aware Billy and Kate were living there and planned to use them again."
"She'll have a hell of a time finding them in Genosha. Especially when she's dead," Wanda said, then sent him off to appear in Ororo's office before he could even attempt to argue with her.
Ororo absolutely wasn't prepared for Scott to show up in her office - as evidenced by the fact that she had been dressing down a student that had been playing a prank on Angel when Scott just … showed up. She looked between Scott and the student for a long moment, then pointed one finger at her. "You are incredibly lucky today," Ororo said. "But this is not over. We'll pick this up later. You are excused."
The girl was on her feet in a blink - literally - as if the air had shimmered in television snow for a second before she darted out of the room leaving Scott and Ororo alone.
"Scott, I cannot say that I was prepared for your secondary mutation to be anything like this," Ororo teased before she'd fully taken in the lost expression on his face. "What happened, my dear friend?" she took a hold of his arm and took him to the couch and sat down with him.
"I'm fine," Scott said automatically.
"You most certainly are not fine," Ororo said. "Every time you say that, you are less fine than before you let those words leave your mouth. What happened?"
Scott let out a breath, his hands tightly clasped in front of him as he tried to explain what had happened, even if he still hadn't fully processed it - and certainly hadn't even told Steve the full story. "Viper was in James' room," he said. He paused, somehow holding his hands tighter in his lap. "And, well, that's that."
"I don't understand," Ororo said. "Did she take him with her again? Or had she set up a trap? Where is she now - and what exactly did she want from him?"
"SHIELD is probably scrubbing his room right now," Scott said. "It was a trap, but James wasn't home. Stark got him out." He absently tapped his temple near his eyes. "James is fine, I promise. Really. She never had a real chance to get him again. Not with Stark fighting back too."
"Then why do you look as if you've got something new to carry on your shoulders like Atlas? What happened with Viper?"
Scott let out his breath and looked past her in the general direction of her desk. "She's dead, so once the room is scrubbed and the Avengers chase down anything else she might have left behind…"
Ororo reached over to cover his hand with hers. "Scott, what aren't you telling me? Nothing you've said so far warrants such a grim expression. Did someone helping you with this die?"
"What? No," Scott said quickly. "Really, it's fine. They're all fine."
"Then tell me how they managed to catch Viper in the act and end her," Ororo said. "I need to know that she can't find a way to come back."
"She won't," Scott swore. Then, seeing that Ororo wasn't going to accept that as an answer, he made a vague gesture with one hand. "I, ah, don't miss, 'Ro."
Ororo raised an eyebrow at that, holding his gaze for as long as he could keep it up. "I see. Did you get powder burns on your hand? Perhaps a sprained wrist from the kick back? Did you empty out every round?" She turned his hands over to see for herself. "Because I would have wanted to use every single bullet I had available."
Scott pulled his hand back and stared at her, honestly not expecting that reaction, especially since she had been running Charles' school this whole time. "I'm fine."
Ororo frowned, knowing that Scott wasn't exactly lying, but he wasn't telling the truth either. Not entirely. "And I'm the queen of Genosha."
"Congratulations on your promotion."
Ororo scoffed. "Then if you're going to be stubborn, I'll have to dig out a bottle of whiskey." She raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I keep them around now for certain occasions."
Scott almost smirked but couldn't quite manage the expression. "There's nothing to be stubborn about," he said softly. "I killed her; that's that."
"Then in this case, we should toast to the end of a horrible era," Ororo said gently. "With all the misery that woman caused…"
"Yeah." Scott let out a long sigh but didn't say anything until Ororo had, in fact, gone to get them both something to drink. He watched her pour and then, finally, said, "It's a terrible example. Coming out of retirement twice, and both times to kill someone. I know we talked about me working with the team again, but if this is going to keep happening..."
Ororo let him take a moment to drink and to let it settle in the air between them. "Both times you were stopping someone intent on hatred and mass murder. As I understand it from my sources, both times also involved someone threatening to use your children."
"Still." Scott let out a long breath, still without touching his drink. "We were supposed to be better than this, 'Ro. I was supposed to-" He stopped. "I was the one to set the example."
Again, Ororo gave him time to breathe before she posed an important question. "Scott. Had you not intervened, what would have come of the children you were setting an example for? What would have become of you? Had you stood down - where would we be now? Where would they actually be now? And where would you be?"
"'Ro…" Scott shook his head.
"I can't speak for where we would be if things had been different with Erik. I can only see that we were headed for bigger trouble than what we had at our worst had he continued on… but if you look at today, where would our children be had Viper won today?"
"I know," Scott said without meeting her gaze. "I know. That's why I had Wanda destroy her body afterward. We can't risk her coming back or getting the kids. I know."
"Scott, I've learned through the years that sometimes, extreme actions must happen. This was one of those times. You've come out of retirement when the situation was at its most dire. That's all."
Scott was quiet for a long time, and Ororo let him come to his thoughts before he spoke again. "I'm a damn coward," he said in a quiet breath. "I can't face losing those kids, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to save them, but every damn time I think I can see the finish line, I can't wait to cross it, 'Ro."
"Did you cross it this time?" Ororo asked. "Or did you turn away?"
"I don't actually know," Scott said - and finally took a drink, throwing it back in a sharp movement.
"Then what can you tell me that you know for sure? Or nearly for sure?"
It was a mark of how much shock Scott was still in as well as how much he trusted Ororo that he paused, then actually admitted, "Could have sworn I heard Logan swearing at me. Which would have been par for the course, really."
"And what did our old friend have to say?"
"To get off my ass," Scott said with almost a smirk.
"And you listened. If that was him, you'll never live it down," she teased.
"Pretty sure that ship sailed if he saw me with the other Logan that visited," Scott pointed out, finally smiling.
"Good."
Scott shook his head at her and poured them both another drink. "So," he said. "Wouldn't be surprised if Craig pulls you in again. Seeing as I can't be trusted not to run right back where I left."
"If you need it, or want it, you know I'm here for you. Always."
"Thanks, 'Ro." Scott leaned back, closed his eyes, and let himself sit in his thoughts for some time before he got to his feet. "Alright. I should go find Annie," he said, and Ororo helped him to his feet.
"Let me send you with someone," she said, and he was too tired to argue it. "You've been through a lot and haven't truly rested. If you were to find yourself dying from a car accident at this point, you know Logan would never let you hear the end of it." She smiled, teasing slightly, but there was enough truth in it that Scott once again found himself more sober than before.
Wanda had taken a moment after sending Scott to Westchester. She needed to reevaluate everything her old team was currently dealing with in the moment. Oddly, Tony and Steve weren't fighting, though that might have had more to do with the fact that Steve was entirely thunderstruck while trying to come to terms with the fact that Hydra's leader was dead at the hands of a semi-retired X-Man while Tony was working the press over the attack from Hydra that had hit Midtown Manhattan. The team was scattered to the winds, chasing down Hydra leads that were part of both attacks, double and triple checking that the assets that the Avengers had a vested interest in were all safe and secure, and doing so with a smile on their faces for the cameras.
She had no idea how those boys weren't in shambles without her at their helm. Of course, they had Jan … and she was an amazing leader in her own right … especially when the boys quit acting like idiots and got out of her way.
She took a moment to look at everything on the holodeck to see who was where, what was going on, and who needed back up. She wasn't entirely surprised to find that Steve looked the most adrift as he took in the messy scene at James' place in Cambridge.
She let out a sigh and made her way to where James looked irritated and Billy still looked as if nothing could wreck his mood when his sweetheart was everywhere on the news - flying away from the school or landing at the tower in Wolverine-painted armor. Her little boy couldn't have been happier, so she was pretty sure they'd be okay for a little bit.
"Boys," she said, smiling in spite of herself. "I have to go help Steve. Don't go wandering. I'm sure Scott will be headed back this way soon."
"Don't worry," Billy said, a smile on his features and a laugh in his voice. "If we were to leave now, our jet-powered Wolverine would get mobbed. Pretty sure we're just going to stay in."
"Yes, well … I know you both have clothes here. Take a few minutes to help your sweetie pack. When I get back, we're going to Genosha."
"I could just wish us there now," Billy offered.
"No, wait. I told your brother we were going to meet up here first - and I promised Tony I wouldn't sweep you out before he could talk to James," Wanda smiled warmly at both of them before she turned to leave. "I'll be back before you know it. Be good."
"Yes, Mom," Billy sang out, then fell into another delighted laugh when he pulled James over to kiss him silly. "Your mentor must be insane to think you need flight."
"I think it was more about the giant game of keep away," James argued, though he wasn't going to rain on Billy's parade when he was that amused.
"Let's get you packed to go. I guess Mom thinks you need more than a variety of swimwear while you're in Genosha."
James laughed as they headed toward his room, especially since that had been their running joke - that he was studying to be Dr. Cabana-consort.
They were partway through picking out a few things for James to bring along when they were interrupted first by the delighted laugh of Annie Hale when she arrived fresh from school … she had been on the way out when the news hit, so she tried to rush to the tower, knowing that she'd find Scott there, eventually.
James and Billy shared a look and stepped out to greet her, knowing both that she would do best if she had someone to commiserate with while she waited and that there really weren't too many other people around while they were busy elsewhere.
"There you are!" Annie said with a laugh, though she stopped short of the hug she wanted to give James and Billy both. "Yellow looks good on you."
"Thanks, Miss Hale," James said, smirking. "But that wasn't my idea."
"That's a shame," she said, smiling warmly. "I think it suits you."
"So do I," Billy agreed.
"Tell me about your flight!" Annie said. "And what prompted it? I barely heard what was goin' on, but it sure sounded like you were bein' pulled into some serious Avengers' daring-do."
James and Billy shared a look and James' hand went to the back of his neck. "Ah … well, it's complicated…" James looked past Annie with a frown as he heard someone from down the hall near the elevator walking with a determined meter. It didn't sound like anyone he knew by the rhythm of the footfalls, and they echoed ever so slightly in the slick hallway. And while Annie looked perfectly ready to hear a good story, James was waiting to see who it was only to stifle a growl when Maria Hill turned the corner.
"Mr. Howlett," Hill said, prompting Annie to spin in place with a deep frown. "You must be feeling more like yourself."
Annie simply wasn't used to hearing James being called by his name like that. Even the reporters that swamped the building called him by his first name, and even though Annie knew that was his name, she thought of him as a Summers first, so to hear the different surname was enough to throw her off and instantly color Agent Hill as someone she'd rather not know.
James kept his glare steady - it was too late to try and pretend like he didn't care about her. Especially when he was trying so hard to keep from growling. "What do you want, Agent Hill? Too late to help as usual?"
Hill smiled as pleasantly as she could manage. "That remains to be seen. If you would, Mr. Howlett, it's long past time we had a little chat." She gestured to the men flanking her with obvious - and not so obvious - weapons in their hands. "This will all go easier if you come along peacefully."
"What is it you think I did this time?" James asked. "Because I know I haven't committed any crimes."
"No one said you were a criminal, James," Hill replied. "But you were in the vicinity of two major Hydra figures this afternoon and we never did get that debrief. You now owe me two, and I'm not taking any chances on being interrupted." She gestured over her shoulder. "The flight is short. Don't worry."
"How can I owe you two when I had nothing to do with whatever happened today?" James asked.
When he didn't move right away, Hill lifted one eyebrow. "If you're going to be stubborn, this can get ugly."
"No," James said almost in a sigh. "You don't have to act that threatened." He turned toward Billy and gave his hand a squeeze. "Let Tony know what's going on, okay? I don't want to upset my dad anymore than he already is. The Avengers can deal with it when they get a minute."
"Are you sure?" Annie said, her brows drawn together. "He'll want to know."
"Yeah, I'm sure. Billy can fill you in," James told her softly enough that she had to strain to hear it - and neither Hill nor her lackeys could catch it. "It's fine." He kissed Billy's cheek, then turned to go with Hill, though it wasn't very reassuring when the agents with her made a point to shift from flanking Hill to taking up positions on either side of James as they hit the elevator and went up to the roof.
As soon as they were in the quinjet to head up to the helicarrier, the security measures began and one of the men did a thorough search while the other scanned James for devices. He took his cell phone and panic button, then looked utterly confused when he couldn't figure out how to get the little cuff off of James that had been what called the armor to him. "You need to remove this," the agent said.
"Absolutely not," James very calmly refused.
"We'll let him have his security blanket for now," Hill said, an obvious jab that wasn't gaining her any points with James.
"Technically, I can't remove it," James said easily, though he was tensed up and ready to spring.
"I didn't realize Stark had such a good leash for you," Hill said, though that only had James narrowing his eyes and ready to hit her. Which, he realized was likely what she was after.
"Can't be near as short as the one Fury has on you," James shot back calmly, which had one of the guards staring and the other trying not to smile.
"You're sure you want to start this with hostility?" Hill said, sounding incredibly irritated.
"I'm not the one that showed up with an armed escort," James replied.
"You sound just like your father."
"Which one?" James asked, finally gaining a little control over his reactions in time for them to circle in at the helicarrier, which wasn't more than a few minutes out from the tower. Yet, James wasn't naive enough to think that they weren't going to head out as soon as he was on deck.
Hill didn't answer, and the transport fell into silence that disappeared as soon as they landed on deck. The engines were loud outside of the quinjet and the two agents closest to James had no trouble taking a hold of his arms to help him find his way across the open flight deck. He hadn't seen the helicarrier up close before, and he was pretty sure as he looked around that he could have done without a bit longer.
He also was very sure he could have done without the layer upon layer of security clearances the deeper into the helicarrier they got - the screenings and photos taken as if he was a criminal … all of these things made him more nervous the further they went. At least until he very suddenly found himself in the stereotypical small, dark room with one mirrored wall - deep within the belly of the bureaucratic beast full of secrets and lies.
The guards fell back after Hill gestured for James to step into the room, which he grudgingly did. He fully expected Hill to step in after him, but was disappointed when she simply closed the door behind him and left him alone to stew, he was sure.
The little table at the center of the room had two chairs - both of which appeared to be bolted to the floor, and the table too. There was a pitcher of water and a glass … both of which James was sure were collection methods for finger prints and DNA, and when he thought about it, he wouldn't have been surprised to find that the chairs were rigged for something too. So, instead of following convention, James took a look around the room and made his way over to the corner just beyond the mirror to sit down facing the door, tucked into the corner. He was careful not to touch anything, even if they already had his finger prints. He just didn't see any reason to trust them at all.
He pulled his knees up toward his chest simply to rest his crossed arms on and waited, wondering how long Hill really thought she could keep him there. But he wasn't curled in on himself in the corner for more than five minutes before the door opened and James held his breath as the SHIELD director stepped in.
"You're making a lot of waves for such a young man." Fury watched James, who only glared back at him. "We gave you a little leeway for everything your father did both for us, and to keep your mother at bay … but my patience has officially run out. Thought we might have lost you after Viper got her hooks in-"
"Was that a disappointment?" James asked, cutting him off.
"Excuse me?"
"You said you thought you lost me. Were you disappointed when I wasn't killed? It's a pretty simple question."
Fury drew in a deep breath, quiet and calculating as he watched James glare at him. "Whatever impression you have-"
"It's not an impression," James said, cutting him off. "You - or your people - knew Viper was doing what she was doing to me. You knew she was going to grab me - and you let it happen without so much as a warning. Whatever you think you're entitled to? You can go to hell."
"It was a calculated risk-"
"I don't care. I wasn't warned and I sure as hell wasn't trained for it."
"You're not a kid anymore, James. Sometimes the risk of one outweighs the risk applied to many. Your parents understood that."
"My parents were shoehorned into doing whatever you thought was best under threat. You didn't give them much of an option to choose anything."
"We didn't have that luxury - not then and not now. So cut the angry teenage crap and get with the program."
"I'm not talking to you ab-"
"Good. I already know what happened with Viper. I know what she did to your friends and I know what she and her daughter did to you. I know all of it. I don't need you to tell me what I already know. That'd just be a waste of my time." Fury had raised his voice almost to the point of shouting, but still, James hadn't moved. "This isn't about that. This is about laying down the ground rules from here on out, making sure you understand your role in this system we've built."
But at that, James simply started laughing. There was no joy in his laugh, and he was so frustrated he could have screamed instead. "I'm not doing anything for you."
"You're an Avenger, James. You work for us."
"No, I work for Tony Stark."
"Who also works for us."
"Then I'll tender my resignation immediately. I'm sure he'll understand."
Fury looked incredibly frustrated. "This is about your future. It's about moving forward. This is about how your actions have consequences. Your ideas have consequences. The company you keep has consequences, too. Hell, the way the press talks, what you pick up at the coffee shop on a Tuesday afternoon has consequences. You've seen both sides of how this works already. You've seen doors opened for you because of Stark and you've had to pick up stakes and run away when someone got too close to who you really are. Now you know, that was always in the cards because of your genetics, and more specifically, who your parents were. And now that you've met Viper and her special brand of insanity, you know how easy it is for someone like her to decide you'd be better suited as their personal lap dog. Considering how easy you caved for her, you probably already know it's just a matter of time before someone tries it again - and don't say it can't happen. I lost count of how many times your father had his brain scrambled."
James hadn't blinked as he watched Fury build, but it was clear the man was looking for a response. And when James opened his mouth, his mother's spirit seemed to bubble out. "So is this a threat against me, my family, my teams, or my boyfriend and his family? I'm not sure which way you're trying to leverage so that you can use me."
Fury very nearly smirked, though he wasn't stupid enough to deny that he wanted James in his pocket. "Like it or not, you need SHIELD to keep you safe - just like everyone else does."
"Wait. Keep me safe? When did you do that?"
Fury ignored the outburst. "The only difference is that Joe Blow in Yonkers isn't destined to be the head of the most successful weapons manufacturer in the world and he isn't acting as boy toy for mutant royalty."
"So it's both the Stark angle and pushing Genosha's buttons-"
"There are a lot of things we need to discuss and both Stark and Maximoff are toward the top."
"Then I guess I'll take a page out of my therapist's book and advise you to talk to them about concerns you might have," James said slowly, with an expression that clearly read how crazy he thought Fury was.
"That would be a fine plan if I didn't know that Viper has been in your head, or that she got a real foothold." Fury was relaxed as he headed over to take a seat, prompting James to realize that this was just the opener if Fury was just now getting comfortable. "Hill already told you that you're a liability. A big one. But what she didn't tell you, and what I am sure you already know, is that you're just as big of an asset. We want to be on your side, James. And if you're half as smart as they say you are, you'll want us there with you."
"Full offense, but if you were half as smart as your rep, you would have talked to me and warned me before letting Viper get her hooks in me."
"I already-"
"Yeah, you said it was for the greater good. I got that part. But your logic here is just lazy. If I was half as valuable to you as you say - if you knew I was valuable at all, you never would have let Viper near me," James said, still staying where he was with his back to the corner of the room. "Then again, maybe that was your plan all along. Let her screw with my head so I'd be easier to control. Is that why you already know what she did to me? Did you have a deal with her too?"
Fury turned to face him, propping his head up with his elbow on the table. "Is that Viper or Natasha talking?"
"You tell me."
Fury glared openly. "I know your adoptive father probably filled your head with all the same lies he was told when Xavier was alive. Regardless of what you think … we don't get to make our own way through life. There is such thing as destiny or whatever you want to call it. Now and again if we're lucky, we get to add our thoughts as it plays out, but you don't get to choose your path. You think you don't want to have anything to do with SHIELD. Fine. You're just putting your company, your boyfriend, and your family at risk by turning me down."
"No-"
"Yes. Choosing to turn your back on SHIELD is blindly accepting that Viper or someone like her will take over your mind. You have a target a mile wide and no one taking aim wants you for anything as pedestrian as a soldier or a scientist." Fury tapped the side of his head. "Your control over your own mind is temporary."
"So what? You want me to accept that you'll be pulling puppet strings?"
"Could be a hell of a lot worse. Don't get me wrong, son, you've impressed just about everyone who's ever known about your existence. But … all things considered, you would be wrong not to follow in your biological father's footsteps. Yes, he was an X-Man and an Avenger-"
"I have no plans to join Alpha Flight."
Finally Fury smirked, though he continued on, ignoring James' sass. "Logan knew that sometimes, you have to team up with people you don't agree with to make sure that people are safe. He didn't put himself ahead of the greater good-"
"Who determines that greater good, director?" James interjected. "The guy - or the team - that determined it was alright to leave a teenager in Viper's lab just because of his lineage? Or was it because of the mutation? The x-gene generally speaking or-"
Fury pulled a remote out of his coat pocket and turned on a monitor near by - one that was cued up to show James something he'd never expected to see on the helicarrier: Viper's footage of his torture - cued up to the moment when James agreed to whatever Viper wanted. The video was edited to show the most traumatizing parts, of course. And it stopped James in his tracks.
He wasn't quite ready to deal with that - and again, he absolutely wasn't prepared. "That's enough. You can turn it off," James said, his gaze on his hands as he shrunk in on himself once again.
"I don't think it is enough," Fury said, plowing through the fact that the kid in front of him was sick to his stomach knowing that SHIELD was well aware of everything that had happened to him, Kate, and Billy while in Viper's lair. "Do you even know what you agreed to?"
James opened his mouth, then closed it again, suddenly unsure of what he knew and what he didn't … and unable to focus on what Fury was saying when he could hear Viper and Katarina in the recording. All he could hear was his heartbeat in his ears as Fury pressed - he wasn't able to respond, and he wasn't able to argue anything, so he missed it at first when there was a flash of red light and Wanda crouched down in front of him.
"...James, sweetheart," Wanda said, finally cutting through the fog enough for him to look up and hold her gaze. "I think it's time you helped Billy finish packing."
James stared at her for a moment, then belatedly nodded. She pulled him to his feet, straightened him up, then rested her hand on his cheek as she gave him a warm smile - and sent him right back to the tower before rounding on Fury with her eyes and hands glowing red.
"Wanda-"
"Don't you dare try to Wanda me when you were just shoving that boy's trauma in his face," Wanda snarled in a shaky tone.
"I was pointing out that he doesn't remember-"
"You were seeing how far you could push him and what buttons you had available to you while you tried to manipulate him into doing the same crap you made Logan do!"
Fury started to argue, but Wanda waved a hand and silenced him.
"I'm sure you know full well that my son is deeply involved with James," Wanda said evenly. "And you know that I am already finding the lines in the sand with Tony and Scott. I don't mind sharing. I don't… but those are all relationships that James has chosen. I will not stand by while someone tries to make use of everything Viper did to him." She tipped her chin up as she floated a few inches higher off the ground. "Don't push me into anything you'll regret, director. Leave my family alone. All of them."
Her warning laid out plainly, Wanda glared through the mirrored glass then disappeared in a swirl of red - intent on making sure whatever Fury had kicked up hadn't set James back too far. Especially when they should have been celebrating Scott's win .. not fixating on what Viper had done.
When Scott got back to the tower, he hadn't even gotten to the Avenger's levels before Hank intercepted him. James had gotten back already, and though Scott didn't yet know he'd been gone, Hank needed to make sure his oldest and dearest friend was getting back into his head after a nice chat with Ororo.
And besides, he didn't want to give Scott a whole new traumatic episode on returning when he found out that his son had just been interrogated and retraumatized by SHIELD. Nothing good could come of that just then, and as much as Hank knew Scott was a gifted strategist - throwing his kids into the mix was often times just enough to blow Scott's logistical mind straight into revenge rage.
As it was, Wanda was with Annie - assuring her that SHIELD didn't get what they wanted from James and that she would personally see to it that James didn't slip too far again. And there was the little matter of Steve …
Steve, who looked caught somewhere between shell-shocked and awed and had been a little bit aimless for the past half hour anyhow.
It was a perfect storm, really.
Scott was still half in his head, torn in how he felt when Steve walked into the room, looked around himself just long enough to take in who was there before he nodded his head and started toward Scott. He stopped in front of Scott, schooled his expression and squared up. Out of all of the Avengers in attendance, though - only Wanda didn't seem as if she was worried about a dressing down. Everyone else was just waiting for bad news. How could they not?
But then Steve saluted.
For too-long, Scott just stared at him, his lips slightly parted, completely at a loss as to why Steve would do something like that. "You - you don't have to - what -"
"Yes I do," Steve argued, though he didn't have a more concise counter argument. "Thank you."
Scott stared at him again and then lightly shook his head. "Just… looking out for my son," he said softly.
Finally, Wanda leaned over to peek around Steve at Scott. "I'm keeping your son, by the way. For now."
"Oh?" Scott was still too lost after Steve's attempt to convey gratitude or… something, he wasn't sure.
"Yes. I figure we should share equal time. You've had mine for oh … almost two school years. You can get James back when I've had two." Wanda grinned at him, knowing that should blink him out of his shock a little bit.
"You damn well can't have him that long," Scott grumbled her way. "Besides, Cambridge had him for most of this past year."
"Yes, but you were bonding with Billy … private driving lessons and all that."
"Not my fault you take the express everywhere," Scott shot back.
"That's not really a valid argument, Scott," Wanda said with a wave. "Besides, both of our boys are already at my house now. He is done with school, right?" She shrugged, but was clearly teasing. "Time for him to learn what he'll need to know in Genosha."
"That won't take two years," Scott said, shaking his head as he got to his feet - away from Hank. "So if you could just take me home…"
"No," Wanda said. "But I can take you to my home. At least until Steve and Natasha finish checking your house over. As I said… I've already got all your kids there."
"Alright," Scott said - purely because he did want to see his kids. And then possibly sleep.
"We'll take care of everything here," Steve promised.
"Thanks." Scott paused, then turned toward Steve a little more fully. "Really. This has been…"
"Horrifying and absolutely a relief all at once?"
"Yes." Scott let out a dry chuckle. "At least we can put it behind us now. Sorry to leave you stranded with my oldest friend trying to remember how to flirt," he added, tipping his head toward Bobby and Johnny.
Steve let out a sigh as he watched them for a moment. "Don't take this the wrong way, but between you and me, I don't think your oldest friend ever knew how to flirt. Not that I have a lot of high ground there …"
"Then I guess it's lucky he found someone who flirts like breathing," Scott said, smirking, finding it easier to talk about Bobby than about himself.
"Guess so. Looks like there's someone for just about everyone," Steve said with a muted smile. "But … seriously, Scott. Take a rest before you decide to solve the rest of the world's problems."
"Leave some for the Avengers, you mean?" Scott couldn't help but say.
"Yes. Yes, that … is exactly what I mean," Steve said in a self-depreciating tone, complete with a hollow laugh. "We've been doing so well, after all."
"You really have," Scott said, recognizing the tone for what it was. "To be honest, if the Avengers hadn't been there today, I'd have lost that fight. James would be with Viper." He didn't add that he'd have either been dead or detained for use against James, either, because he didn't like dwelling on that thought.
"At least we managed to avoid that," Steve said, then offered Scott his hand to shake. "See you when you get back."
"Keep an eye out while I'm gone; Annie let me know Emma's been doing a little detective work," Scott warned him.
"We all are carrying those little devices James worked up," Steve admitted.
"Good; I'd hate to see what she'd do with the Avengers at her beck and call."
"All due respect? I'd rather not think about it." Steve said as he took a few steps backward in a half hearted tease.
"Me neither," Scott agreed - and before he could turn toward Wanda, that was that - she had already sent him to Genosha with the rest of the family.