A/N: Welp, I have no idea what happened to the original author's note for this chapter, so here it is, Destiny Part 2.
Disclaimer: This mine, Marvel not.
Chapter 10: Destiny pt. 2
Middle Central Park, Midtown, New York. Monday, September 15th, 2042. 12:13 pm.
Kassidy walks the concrete pathways carved out of nature, people meandering about. On her afternoon break, she makes her way to meet James at Stark Tower for lunch with Antonio. She's been considering all the ways she could tell Antonio her secret all morning. There's the plain and simple: I'm a vigilante named Eagle Eye and I've been lying to you to protect you. Then there's the dramatic ease in: There's a good reason I've been avoiding you. But, her favorite tactic is where she shows him her weapons and explains them piece by piece. Yep, that's the most fun way to go. But all her ideas will disappear as soon as she opens her mouth to talk to him. What's the point in trying to plan something to say? she asks herself.
There's no other way to say it, so I'll tell him the truth. I am Eagle Eye, Archer of Midtown, Heroine of East Side, and the best friend that's been lying to you about everything.
She chuckles aloud. "You have such a way with words, Barton." Her feet carry her to the northeast end of the park and she stops outside of the park gate. The traffic rolls by as she waits for a signal for her safe passage across the busy intersection. She taps her booted foot, a crowd now joining her for the wait. Her phone starts to buzz in her pocket from a text. Kassidy twists a lock of her wavy hair around her finger while she checks her device. It's from James.
'Pulling into Stark Tower parking garage now, I hope you're almost here too.'
Kassidy taps a reply, her fingers moving like lightning across the holographic screen. 'I'll have you know I'm three blocks away.' The crowd around her begins walking forward, so she follows, never once looking up. On the other side of the street, she shoves her phone and her hands in her jeans' pockets. Strolling down the sidewalk as a cool breeze blows reminds Kassidy how much she loves fall. She's always looks forward to September here in NYC. It's still warm out, but the air is cool enough for jeans and tall boots—all the fall fashion rage. Of course, she'd wear jeans and boots year-round if people didn't look at her funny in the summer. But the fact isn't that wearing jeans and boots is comfortable, it's also easy to wear on patrols. No changing necessary.
There you go again! she thinks. Everything goes back to heroing for you, doesn't it? Life would be so much easier if you were normal. Kassidy walks another block, mentally chastising herself with every step. She closes in on Stark Tower and the scene around her shifts. People running and screaming like something straight out of a disaster movie Hollywood. A flood of people rush towards her, hopping out of their cars and scrambling away. Kassidy almost gets trampled as a horde of frightened New Yorkers jet past her.
"What the heck?" she says. The girl weaves her way through the crowd and ends up on the hood of an abandoned taxi to see what's happening. But as soon as her eyes land on the source of the chaos, she watches her normal afternoon flush down the toilet.
A giant creature flies across the street, plowing into cars as it crashes into a building on the other side. It lies there, debris covering its body while another monster swoops down from the sky. A plum of black feathers fall around them as it lands on the other's chest. Kassidy, frozen in her place, realizes that the creature came from where Stark Tower's main gate is. And of all the actions going through her mind, the only one she can carry out is to call Marvel. She thanks whoever is listening she had enough sense to add his number to her contacts. She dials him, hoping to hear his voice.
The dial tone sounds, and Kassidy jumps off the taxi. She ignores people screaming at her to turn around as she navigates in the opposite direction. The two monsters are now in the middle of the road, tossing sedans and motorcycles at each other. Kassidy keeps her eyes on them as her boots hit the sidewalk, now running at top speed.
"Hello?" Mr. Marvel's voice finally answers.
"Marvel! This is Eagle Eye, I need you right now!" she yells. She jumps and twists through the crowd, finding herself in an empty alleyway. She moves her phone to the crook of her neck as she searches for a place to change.
"Well, this is kinda sudden, don'tcha think?"
"No, I mean I need your help! There are two monsters battling it out in front of Stark Tower and I'm gonna need you to get here, like, yesterday!"
"Wait, what?! Monsters? In New York? Okay, okay...okay, okay, okay! I'll be there faster than you can say Monsters in New York!" he says.
"I already did." She hangs up the phone and ducks behind a mountain of boxes stacked around the back entrance to an antique shop. Kassidy drops her backpack and pulls open the drawstrings. She grabs her hoodie and goggles, sliding them on. Next, she pulls out something folded up, but with the push of a button, it becomes a full-size recurve bow. She pulls the strings on her bag tight around a handful of arrows sticking out like a makeshift quiver. With her bag strapped across her chest and her bow in hand, Eagle Eye starts climbing up the building beside her. A birds-eye view of the monster mania below confirms how outnumbered she is.
Better Breakfast Diner, Upper East Side. 12:15 pm.
Markus shoves his phone in his pocket and ducks into the men's bathroom. His heart rate picks up, making it impossible to breathe like a normal person. Once the door closes behind him, he starts pacing in the one stall tile room. He needs a plan before he bails on his coworkers. Maybe if I say I'm taking a break and slip out the back, that might work? Or, I could wait until the panic ensues and duck out in the rush? Yeah…that sounds good. Markus blows out a puff of air before leaving the bathroom. He's met by the sounds of nervous people talking about the images on the small television mounted on the back wall.
"As you can see, Midtown is in utter panic as these two creatures carve a path of destruction outside Stark Tower," says a male reporter. "The NYPD is on the scene but say SHIELD won't arrive for several minutes."
Markus' emerald eyes widen. So much for having time for an inconspicuous exit. He unties his stained apron and leaves it on the bar, heading for the back door. He grabs his black jacket and reaches for the doorknob when a panicked voice stops him. David Estevez, Mario's younger brother, takes Markus by the arm and pulls him backwards.
"Where are you going, Marko? We need to stay here where it's safe," he says. His dark brown eyes fill with terror and the alarmed voices in the diner don't sound far from panic either. These people haven't seen something like this in years, and David is young. He's never seen creatures like this at all. He and so many others live in the peaceful bubble the Avengers created. But now, as Markus looks in David's eyes, he knows that peaceful bubble is about to pop.
Markus moves David's hand from his arm and squeezes it. "Stay here until your parents get back. Try to keep everyone inside and if things get bad, move them to the back of the building."
"What are you gonna do?" David asks.
Markus is now halfway out the door when he stops and smiles at the sixteen-year-old. He pulls his jacket on, feeling his mask in one of the pockets. "Don't worry about."
Stark Tower, Midtown. 12:17 pm.
As soon as James parks his bike, a slight vibration stops him in his place. Frozen, his eyes dart around the underground garage, hoping what he felt was his imagination screwing with him. He could believe that, since it's been doing that a lot lately. But after a moment, the garage is still. He shrugs it off and removes his helmet. His fingers comb through the mess his dark blonde hair has become. James swings his leg over his motorcycle and locks down his helmet. He straightens the wrinkles out of his white t-shirt and blue plaid button-up.
Halfway to the garage elevator, a loud crash echoes through the garage. Dust and bits of concrete fall from the vibrating ceiling. He stops, his blueberry eyes drifting towards the garage entrance. His heart begins to pound as a set of large shadows cover the opening, followed by a ground shaking roar.
Without a second thought, James bolts towards the stairs access. He swings open the door and runs up to the ground floor lobby, stopping when he sees a crowd of people running around. A steady flow of men and women run from the stair access across the lobby. Several security guards direct the variety of workers out the back. James stands, bewildered and searching for what to do. His phone vibrates in his pocket but before he see why, a guard meets him with an angered expression.
"Sir, I'm gonna need you to follow the crowd and go out the cargo exit in the back, we're trying to clear the building."
"What's happening?" James asks. The guard looks at him as if he's lost his mind.
"Monsters, that's what happening. Now follow those people," he says, pointing towards the crowd. The man runs off to assist three other guards at the front desks. A roll-down gate activates to secure the entrance from whatever is happening outside.
James finally looks down at his phone and reads a text from Antonio. 'Get out of garage. Find Dad in B-wing. Look for the Vault.' He shakes his head. The Vault? "I don't even know where the Vault is…" James mumbles, looking around.
Security doesn't pay James any more attention after that. And with everyone else is busy evacuating the building, his next actions go unseen. Among the crowd, a bright red shirt catches his eyes. Standing at the back wall with his gaze focused out the front doors is a lone teen. He isn't following the crowd to safety, he stands there, frozen. James looks around. He wonders why none of the guards have told him to scram, but they're all preoccupied with other jobs. The soldier takes steps toward the teen and halfway to him, he locks eyes with James. Something chilling about his expression tells James this kid knows something. So, he takes it upon himself to find out what.
"Hey kid, why aren't you leaving? The building needs clearing," James says. But the kid—short and scrawny with a messy fluff of curly brown hair—remains silent. He looks back outside and watches as metal walls roll down to cover the Tower's glass entrance.
"I know one of them," he says. His voice is quiet, even with James' super hearing. "I saw it all happen. All. I was waiting for my dad when he...he changed."
James follows his gaze outside. He tries to imagine what it was like to see a human shift into a terrifying creature, and none of the images are pretty. "Where is your dad now?"
The teen shakes his head. "I don't know exactly…he was with Mr. Stark."
James sighs in relief, putting his hands on the kid's shoulders to focus his wandering eyes. "I'm looking for Mr. Stark too, but I don't know how to get to the Vault from here."
The teen meets James' eyes. "The Vault? I-I don't know where it is...but I know it's past the main security room in the B-wing. I can take you there—I think."
"Can you try?" The kid nods. "Good, my name is James," he offers his hand for the teen to shake.
The teen takes James' hand. "Blake," he half smiles. They walk toward a corridor where the sections of the building connect. With all the focus and effort on securing the perimeter of the building, all the doors unlock on their own. And James and Blake slip into the B-Wing unnoticed. They start down a long, dark hallway but the whole walk, James catches Blake staring at him. After a leading down a few more corridors, Blake finally says something.
"Do I know you from somewhere?"
"I don't think so," James says. Blake shrugs. The conversation dissipates as soon as they stop in the doorway of the main security room. The dark room is void of life with most of the monitors either offline or in standby mode. Security is down throughout the whole Tower, so there's no way of knowing what's happening outside. Aside from the occasional screech tearing through the building, nothing's getting through. And the more James thinks about it, the more unsettled he gets.
"I think the Vault is down this hallway," Blake says, pointing. His voice snaps James from his wandering thoughts. They continue down the hall, but the soldier can't shake the nagging paranoia eating at him. I need to have eyes on the enemy, I can't go running around blind with a lost kid looking for his dad. The deeper they go into the bowels of Stark Tower, the darker the hallways seem to get. It's as if they figured they'd have less snoops if they dimmed the lights enough. And it's not the lights, but the colors of the hallways start to darken, more black and dark gray paint cover the walls. And the sounds, or lack thereof, make the quiet eerie. Guess the B-wing is as close to "creepy-haunted-hallway-of-doom" as they can get it.
Blake snaps his fingers, causing a reverb through the corridor. Startled, James' reflexes kick in and he grabs the teen's arm. "Why did you do that?"
Blake flinches, pulling away. "I realized I saw you outside earlier, right? You were riding that ancient motorcycle?" he asks.
James sighs and releases his grip. "Yeah, that was me…and my motorcycle isn't 'ancient,' it's vintage." His use of air quotations forces Blake to chuckle.
"Vintage, right." They continue to make their way in the direction they assume the Vault is in. But without a Stark to guide the way, there's no way to know. Yet, they spot a string of lit sconces leading to a garage like door, the boys smile at each other. They run to a wall terminal beside the door, but haven't the faintest clue how to open it.
"Maybe it's a code thing?" Blake suggests.
"I think it requires a key card…" James says. He looks over the terminal, but gives up within minutes. Technology has never been his strong suit. Luckily for him, the door begins to split down the middle and roll back into the wall without any help from him.
"Wow! How you do it, James?" Blake asks. Rogers searches for a reply as the doors slide back, opening the Vault for their curious eyes to behold. The place is dark and dank, crowded and cluttered with boxes stacked higher than James. But at the back of the room, a lit case mounted to the wall cracks open and the gleaming gold and red suit of armor opens up.
A familiar voice rings in James' ears. "I've already opened the door, so there's no going back, Bruce."
"Uncle Tony?" James calls. Blake jets past him into the Vault, calling after his dad. The soldier jogs behind him and finds the teen colliding with an older man who favors him. The man, familiar but not yet placed in James' mind, squeezes Blake in his arms. He checks him over, both tearing up at the sight of each other. James stops short of them, not wanting to interrupt, but hears his name called. Tony Stark stands with Blake's somehow familiar father. The Stark's eyes land on his self-claimed nephew, his scowling face shifting to relief.
"James! You made it," he says. James approaches and Tony pulls him into a hug.
"Antonio texted me to come find you," James says. He steps back to get a look at his uncle. Still tall, dark and ageless, if a bit tired looking.
"Howie told me you were in the parking garage when whatever happened…well happened. I worried you got trapped down there," Tony says. He has a tone in his voice, one James can't place, but the look in his eyes tells the soldier everything he needs to know. Whatever is happening, it's serious.
"I'm fine," he assures. "I got out in time…but I saw them."
"I saw them too." Blake's voice is low and shaky, as if afraid to share what he saw. His father, still gripping his shoulders, looks Blake in the eyes, staring at him in disbelief.
Moments pass as they gaze at each other. He finally asks in a hesitant voice, "What happened?"
Blake backs away from his father and the three men surround him in wait. He looks at Tony, then at his dad again before speaking. "I…I was waiting for you when Rick walked out of the Tower. We were talking about him and things were normal, then he's knocking me to the ground. I heard a shot fired and the next thing I know, I see Rick go down—but it wasn't a bullet. I was like a…a tranquilizer, only it had this green stuff in a tiny tube sticking out of a disc-thingy."
As the teen recalls the event, his eyes drop and shift in every possible direction. James recalls the first casualty he saw happen, and the first time is always the hardest to talk about. It was a private. A bullet penetrated his stomach and he kept bleeding until he died. James and two others tried to stop the blood, but it kept flowing. He was dead within a minute. James swore he'd never forget it, but, then again, things like that aren't hard to remember. James' blueberry eyes, though deep in thought, catch on Tony's expression. He and Blake's dad exchange worried glances as the teen talks. After Blake finishes explaining the details of what he saw, silence falls on the circle of men.
"Bruce…" Tony starts.
"I know," he finishes.
Wait…Bruce…Bruce… James thinks for a moment, scanning the man's features. His honey gold eyes darkened by purple circles under them, his strong nose, his dark, wild hair. It can't be, he thinks. But it is. This man—this is Bruce Banner. And this kid? This kid is Bruce Banner's son. Embarrassment flushes his cheeks. James knows this isn't the right time to bring it up, but he can't help but he's honored to be in Bruce Banner's presence. One of the few Avengers he hasn't had the pleasure of meeting. Until now, that is. He only wishes it was under different circumstances.
"What? What is it? Dad," Blake says. He looks to his father with worry ensnaring his features.
Bruce Banner offers a thoughtful glance, but looks back to Tony for support. "Blake," he starts. "What you're describing is a Gamma Mutation, now I need you to tell me what happened next. What did you see exactly?"
Blake shakes his head. "I don't know exactly. Rick got shot and his skin started turning blue and scaly. When I looked around for the shooter, I saw two guys up on the C-Wing roof fighting. One shot the other, he fell over the ledge and hit the driveway. The shooter disappeared, and I got dragged inside before the Tower locked down. I saw them change through the windows. Rick into the reptile thing and the man that fell into the bird."
Tony, now with more fear than concern in his eyes, locks his gaze with Bruce's. They have a wordless conversation only they understand, while Blake's legs look like giving out. James offers his arm to the dizzy teen. It seems the gravity of the situation hits him as he recalls one final detail. "I think…I think he was shooting at-at me."
"That's it," Tony says. He takes of his blazer and throws it on a nearby crate as he climbs into his suit.
"Uncle Tony, what the heck are you doing?" James asks. He hands Blake off to his father's care and stands at the base of the armor's case. The red and gold plating stays still as Tony barks commands to Jarvis, telling him to reboot this and start up that. The AI replies in techno-babble, but through the super technicality James doesn't understand, he makes out that a software update could keep his uncle grounded.
"I specifically designed my suits to update when not in use, so, what's the problem?" Tony asks.
"Well sir, for one, that was twenty-five years ago," his British voice sounds.
James sighs and taps his foot. "Which means you haven't flown this thing in over twenty-five years."
Tony scoffs and rolls his eyes. "It's like riding a bike, once you learn you can't forget."
As the words fall out of the Stark's mouth, his armor hums to life. The insides glow a soft blue as the armor plating rotates to fits Tony's body. Each piece interlocks with the next until the whole suit is in one piece again. The docking clamps unlock and release the man of iron from his glass case, his boots landing hard on the step down. James finds himself looking up at the glittering red and gold face of Iron Man, frozen in his place. The blue-lit eye slits and glowing unibeam core overwhelm him with a sense of dread. Something bad is about to go down, but he can't do a thing to stop it. A deep voice echoes from the mask.
"Bruce, did you get what I told you about? The box's label with the project name 'Man Down,' with a code about six digits long. It was a—"
"Small crate in the finished ideas section, yes. I got it while you were deciding if you were gonna involve yourself or not," Bruce finishes. He drags a set of three needled vials of white liquid from his pocket and hands them over to Tony's armored hand.
"You're not actually going to go out there and fight those monsters, are you?" James asks. Tony slips the vials into a compartment in his gauntlet and walks towards the Vault's exit. He stops along the way in search of something, ignoring James as he rants about Pepper and what she'd say.
"Well, I can't sit here and do nothing, besides…this is why I kept a set of armor. And if you're willing," he stops. Tony's armored hands hold out a small wooden box covered in dust and stained from age. James takes the box in hand, blowing the dirt off its surface. He cracks open the lid, drawing it back to reveal a metal cuff. Bigger than a leather armband but smaller than an armguard, the metal cuff shines like new. It has a round dot in the center, and a few buttons on the inside of the wrist. At first, James doesn't understand as he plucks it from its box. But as he eyes it, he realizes he knows exactly what it is he's holding.
"This…this is Dad's holo-Shield. The one he never used," James stops and looks to his uncle. "Why are you giving it to me?"
The face plate on Tony's mask retracts from all sides. "Because if you're up to it, I could use some help. You know, two heroes are better than one."
With a sly smile on his face and expectant looks from the Banner's, James glances around at them like they're crazy. "You can't be serious."
"Look," Tony takes the cuff and slips it over James right hand, locking it on his wrist. He points to the panel on the inner wrist. "This button enlarges it. This one shrinks it. This one shoots a laser on the top here, and this button recalls the shield. It's motion activated so all you have to do is move your arm down."
James looks at Tony dumbfounded and shaking his head. "I can't use this...I'm not a hero. I don't even know how to use a shield. That was Dad's department, not mine."
But Tony smiles at James. "We all gotta start somewhere, right? Now you two," he says, motioning to Blake and Bruce, "stay inside and away from windows. James, if you're coming with me, you better get moving."
Tony walks out of the Vault, but stops out of the doorway, staring back at James. The mask on his helmet closes and he waits. James looks down at the hard light shield cuff still on his wrist and knows one step either way will lead to regret. Regret if his stays behind, and regret if his steps into another war zone. But Tony was right, he can't stay here and do nothing when he has the tools to save lives. The soldier in him won't allow him to stand back like a coward. He pushes out a breath before jogging to meet Tony. The man of iron looks over at him an emotionless, metal face, silently judging him.
"What?" James says. "We can't just stand around. We've got people to save."
59th Floor, Stark Tower. 12:23 pm.
Antonio ushers out the last employee from the 59th floor down the stairs. He takes one last look around the tech department before he heads down the stairs himself. Taking three steps at a time, he rolls up the sleeves on his gray button-down as he goes. Antonio hits the landing and plows into the next room.
"Building wide evacuation! Everyone grab your things and go!" he yells.
There are few people left in the media networking floor, but the ones that are waste no time in doing what's asked of them. They each grab a few things then shuffle past Antonio and down the stairs. After they're out, he walks around the room. He makes sure nothing important got left behind like purses or phones. When the floor is clear, he heads out and onto the next floor. I'm going to be rolling down these stairs soon, he thinks, feeling exhaustion drag his heels down.
The next twenty or so floors blur together. He rushes through each one, telling people to grab their belongings and go. But with each floor, he slows down. Antonio can feel his knees grow weak. His legs start to feel a little like jello and not the delicious, fruity kind you eat mounds of as a kid. By the time he makes it to the 19th floor, he's not breathing normally. He reaches the stairs access door and stops, bending over and propping his hands on his knees to for a breather. I'm gonna kill myself like this, he thinks. Antonio's heart pounds in his chest on the verge of palpitating. His heart wasn't made to work like this, not after all the surgery he went through as a baby. I need to pace myself. He straightens his stance and continues to clear out the floor.
Only a few employees straggle behind in Legal, as most of the lower levels have already evacuated. The last of them snatch up their briefcases and run out of the open floor of desks and tables. Antonio steps towards the windows taking up the entire back wall. He scans the panes, now cracked from the ear-piercing shriek of the feathered freak. Tiny fissures form, creating a kaleidoscope on the glass. Antonio's curiosity drags him closer and as he gazes out, he can make out a blurred shadow through the cracks. But the shadow is growing bigger. And bigger.
"Oh crap," he whispers. Antonio rotates on his heels and runs for the exit as the bird-man crashes through the windows. Glass shards pelt him from behind. He looks back over his shoulder and realizes the glass is nothing compared to the hole in the floor. Antonio stands at the entrance to Legal, frozen on the edge of a precipice to the next floor down. The bird-man, now in clear view, lays in the rubble of desks and concrete for a moment, still and unmoving. Antonio watches, breath hitched as the creature stretches out misshapen red arms. A clawed hand at the end of each jet wing pushes itself up and back through the hole it made in the windows. It plummets out of sight—no doubt back to the fight below— leaving the Stark staring down. Past protruding rebar and broken concrete, a couple of cowering employees below him run to the exit. He grabs his chest to make sure his heart is still beating, then runs to the stairs.
"Dad's gonna be so ticked."
Midtown. 12:25 pm.
"We need to do something now!" Kassidy says. She leans on the ledge of the rooftop she and Marvel find themselves on. They watch as the bird man drags himself from the crater he made in the side of Stark Tower. If Kassidy were more confident in the number of trick-arrows in her bag, she'd go in, bow blazing. But even with her friend's added firepower, she's not sure they can take on these creatures alone.
"I know, but if we try to take them, we'll get squished, or pecked to death…your choice," Marvel offers. "I don't think we can do it alone."
Kassidy purses her lips under her hood, her aqua eyes scanning every inch of Stark Tower. But the sudden bird-like shriek grabs her attention. "Maybe we don't have to."
A scream follows the sound of propulsor shots. Marvel's girlish squealing fades behind Kassidy as she inches to the edge of the roof. She waits for the sight of her Uncle Tony in a suit of shiny red and gold armor. And there he is. A blur of metal and blue lights shoots into the air, sending a barrage of warning shots to the creatures to keep them contained.
"Look! He's coming to us," she says.
Mr. Marvel stares at Kassidy through his mask. "I've never met an Avenger, what do I do?"
"Follow my lead!" The young man nods and they wait as he flies to them. The excitement of seeing Tony in his suit again is overcome by panic when she realizes what's happening. What am I doing? I can't let him see me! The girl shifts her body away as the man lands on the roof, keeping her face out of view.
"Just the two vigilante's I wanted to see," Iron Man says. His voice is deep and computerized, and they look at the old Avenger with raised brows. "Before you ask, yes, I know who both of you are."
"Do you have a plan, Iron Man?" she asks, deepening her voice. What the heck was that?
Tony's mask retracts. "I do, but I'm going to need both of you to make it happen."
"We're at your service, sir," Marvel says. Kassidy meets his half salute with an eye roll, but she keeps her gaze trained on the fight below.
"Flyboy, I need you to get down there and block off that end of the street. We need to set up a barricade until SHIELD can get here with a force-field generator," he explains. "Use any force necessary to keep it contained. And before you go, take one of these." The old Avenger twists a round piece of armor on his hip, forcing a storage compartment to jut out. He takes out two earpieces and hands them to each vigilante respectively. "We'll use these to coordinate."
Mr. Marvel takes an earpiece and nods, flying down to the end of the block. He takes a stance in front of the line of police cars gathered.
"What about the other end of the street?" Kassidy asks, slipping the earpiece over her lobe.
"I've already got a guy on it. Say hi, James."
His comment redirects Kassy's attention down to the street below. Her heart almost stops beating when James Rogers' voice carries over the comm. "I can't believe I'm doing this." He's at the other end of the block with nothing more than a helmet on his head and his old motorcycle underneath him. He sits in wait, far enough back that he's not in danger. But, he's close enough that if the creatures started chucking cars again, he'll get plowed into. The girl takes a deep breathe, afraid to ask what Tony wants her to do.
"What's my part in all this?"
A section of Iron Man's right gauntlet detaches and he pulls out three needled vials of something white from the compartment. "I need you to attach these to some arrows and when I give the signal, shoot them at the creatures." He extends his hand, the vials clinking against his armored palm. She blinks hard.
"You want me to do what?"
"The vials can attach to an arrow shaft, so all you have to do is screw them on," he explains. Kassidy arches a brow before she scoffs at the idea.
"Are you crazy? Not only will the weight be off on the arrows, but I'm not even sure I can hit a moving target!" Her head turns back to the fight below her, watching the bird take dives at the reptile. There's no way on earth she can hit them with these darts. "I can't do it."
Tony sighs before he speaks words Kassidy isn't prepared to hear. "Don't even go there, Kassidy."
Her breath hitches. What did he...did he just... "What did you say?"
Iron Man laughs. "Come on, Kassy. You didn't think you could fool me, did you? I've been in this game a long time and I know when someone's got a secret to hide." His hand still holds the vials out for her, but now she looks him in the eyes, aqua to amber. In hindsight, she never thought her identity might be obvious to people who know her. And even though his expression tells Kassy he's preoccupied with what's going on, he stops for just a moment. Just a second in time to remind her that she's important. "I need you to do this."
"Tony, I'm not good with moving targets, I'm not dad," she chokes out the words. She hates admitting she's not good at something. Especially when it concerns archery, but it's true. She's always struggled with moving targets, but a heavy hand on her shoulder drags her from her doubt.
"I know you're probably scared right now, but now is not the time to start doubting your skills. Besides, I don't need you to be your father. I need you to be you right now, Kassidy. And I know you can get this serum into those monsters. We'll try to keep them still long enough for you to shoot," Tony says, winking. "You've got this."
Kassidy stares at him a moment as her breath slows to normal. Her gaze shifts down to the monsters struggling against each other one more time. He's right. There's so much going through her head right now and even more going on around her. How can she not doubt herself in the face of such insurmountable danger? She hasn't faced anything like this before, but he's right. She can do this. She will do this. Right here, right now, she proves to all New York City who Eagle Eye is and what she can do. She only hopes she'll be able to explain all this to Antonio after it's said and done. Her gaze steels and she snatches the vials from Iron Man's hand. She pulls her bag from her back and begins removing arrowheads to fit the vials on three shafts. Tony smiles at her before his mask retracts and his feet lift off the roof. As she fits the pieces together, she keeps her eyes on her uncle. I wonder how Pepper is feeling about all this...I wonder if the news is even getting all this? she thinks.
The last vial finds its home at the end of a shaft as Iron Man flies towards the bird-man circling above the reptile. Kassidy refits her bag over her chest and zooms in on the scene with her goggles. Her sights adjust on the Avenger as he collides with the bird and pushes him to the ground.
"Tony!" she yells, but her voice gets lost in the crash. Bits of concrete and pavement scatter through the air. She nocks an arrow filled with white liquid sloshing down her sights, waiting for the dust to clear. The arrow trains down on the distracted reptile, but within a moment, the monster is going after James. "James, look out!"
"I see him," he says. Below, the soldier's bike roars to life under him as he makes a quick evasion, tires squealing on the road. But the towering reptilian monster pursues. And with the length of his strides, it doesn't take him long to trail James within a few yards. Without any warning, a blur of green shoots through the scene as Mr. Marvel pounds him with energy blasts. James takes advantage of the situation and rides to safety at the other end of the roadblock. James slides to a stop and whips around to see Marvel go at the monster with blast after blast. Unfortunately, his energy only seems to annoy the creature. With meaty, clawed hands, the monster swats at Marvel.
"Marvel, on your six!" James says. The hero avoids the slow-moving reptile by flying circles around him. But the creature isn't distracted by his fancy flying. The monster grabs his ankle and sends him hurtling through the air and plowing into the ground. Almost in unison, James and Kassidy call out for their temporary partner's safety. Silence over the comms. Seconds stretch into minutes. The monster moves in closer to Marvel's motionless body. Then, soft groaning carries over their earpieces.
"I'm ok-okay," Marvel moans.
James' mind buzzes with to what to do to protect Marvel, but the only option that sticks is the one around his wrist. He looks down at the holo-shield cuff, trying to remember what Tony told him to activate it. Was it a button, or was I supposed to move my arm…?
The soldier looks around for ideas, but his eyes ultimately land on Kassidy, who takes aim at the creature. "Wait!" he yells. "Don't shoot yet!"
"But I have a perfect shot, and if I don't do something now, he'll kill my partner," she explains.
"We need to get him away from your friend in case he falls over—he could crush him." James starts frantically pushing the buttons on his cuff as he jogs towards the creature. James pushes a button that sends a laser beam through the air.
"James, he's almost on him!" Kassidy says.
He fights the urge to curse as he pushes another button that does nothing. "Oh, come on!"
He slings his arms in frustration which activates the shield. He flinches as see-through red, white and blue lights up his forearm. The initial jump-scare subsides and James smiles in triumph. Now, let's see how bad I am at throwing this thing. The soldier takes aim at the creature less than one-hundred feet from him. It reaches down and picks a half-conscious Mr. Marvel up by the leg. James slings his arm in its direction and—much to his surprise—the hard-light shield hits the monster square in the chest. It knocks him off his balance and he drops Marvel on the ground as the shield returns. With the reptile reeling from the shock of the hit, an arrow whistles through the air. Its needled tip embeds itself in the creature's neck.
"Yes!" Kassidy yells over the comm. The monster tips over and plows into the ground. James runs over to Marvel while sounds of propulsor shots and angry caws urge him to get to safety. Marvel lays on the ground beside the now unconscious reptile, groaning.
"Hey man, are you all right?" James offers a hand down to the vigilante.
Mr. Marvel—covered in dust, pebbles and scrapes—takes his hand and hauls himself out of the whole he made in the crash.
Across from them at the foot of Stark Tower, Iron Man and the bird come into full view. The two exchange fruitless swings before the fight goes airborne. Tony struggles to keep his winged opponent from getting away. The creature soars into the sky, escaping Kassidy's range and leaving Iron Man behind. His boots explode with a burst of power that pushes him close enough to grab the monster's mangled claw. He drags it down and slings it to the ground not more than ten feet from the two young men. Gravel and bits of pavement pelt the two from the birds crash.
"Get out of the way, you two," Kassidy's voice sounds.
She trains an arrow on the bird as he gets up from his fall. But he recovers quicker than she expected and she releases one of the special arrows. The projectile flies behind him, smashing onto the pavement and shattering. The contents spill, but the arrow catches the attention of the monster. His dead eyes land on Kassidy, still perched on the building across from them.
"Uh oh." No sooner do the words escape her lips when a car comes hurtling towards her. She runs and jumps to the next roof as the airborne vehicle crashes into the ledge and sends chunks of concrete free-falling to the ground. She lands with a roll and pulls out the next arrow.
"Kassy," starts Tony's strained voice. "I don't have any extras!"
"Got it, no more missing," she huffs. Iron Man's shadow covers her as he hovers above and starts shooting little rockets at the bird-man. With one swift motion, the monster covers himself with his fluffy wings and blocks the volley of explosives. He jets into the air with Iron Man and Mr. Marvel hot on his trial of feathers. Kassidy loses track of the target as two new objects enter the warzone from the air, lucky for her, they're familiar.
Twin Quinn jets hover above the roadblocks on each end of the block. They drop two box-like devices from the air and activate a beam of light that shoots into the sky. It then falls back down in the form of a protective dome. The shield stops the bird-man in his tracks and sends him plummeting to the ground. Marvel and Tony take advantage and intercept as he falls. Marvel goes at him first, flying in close and sends a volley of energy blasts toward him. But the bird-man's wings sweep them away. He reaches out a claw of talons after Marvel, but on his midair pivot to escape, he grabs Marvel by the back of the head. The bird jets past Iron Man and plows into the side of the brick building below Kassidy. It drags Marvel's face across the bricks and drops him before whipping around and heading for Tony next.
"Marvel!" James yells. He runs to catch him before he hits the ground, but he's writhing on the sidewalk before he gets to him. James kneels beside him, checking over his injuries. The young man's face gets scraped from side to side from the bricks—his mask torn to shreds. He's wheezing as if he may have internal injuries. Surprised he's still awake, James helps him sit up, making it easier for him to breathe.
"It's just…just not my day, huh?" Marvel chuckles. The Quinn jets land behind the police barricades and unload two dozen agents. The agents rush in for both ends of the block to secure the monster knocked out cold in the middle of the road. The rest take aim at the one still flying above. Several medic agents run over to the guys and get Marvel on his feet. With an agent supporting one side and James on the other, they move the hero towards the jet closest to them.
"Tony, move!" Kassidy says. Her forceful voice sounds over the comms, forcing the guys look up to see what's happening now. With the shield generators blocking the bird-man from escaping, it directs its attacks at Iron Man. They wrestle back and forth, but they won't stay still long enough for the archer to get a good shot. Down the sights, Iron Man is in her view, but that begins to change with the bird in her line of aim. Come on…I need a clear shot! The bird has a hold on Iron Man's hands now and tries to wrestle him down, but Tony's voice comes over the comm with urgency.
"Get ready, Kassy," he says. A moment later his gauntlets shoot visible electricity into the bird's arms, frying the feathers off him. The bird-man lets go and plummets through the air. The needled tip of Kassidy's arrow follows the bird as his limp body falls. She takes in deep breaths, aiming for where he will be and praying she doesn't miss. With one final breath released, her fingers let go of the bowstring and launch the arrow forward. It cuts through the air and jams itself into the bird's side. The force of the arrow pushes the bird to the ground and it lands with a thud, a plume of feathers rising as it crashes. Once its body hits the pavement, the SHIELD agents surround its motionless shape.
"Way to go, Eagle," Marvel's says.
James steps down the ramp of the Quinn jet while Marvel is being tended to by a medic. He takes a quick survey of the scene. Agents examine the unconscious mutated bodies lying within twenty feet of each other. Tony picks up Eagle Eye off the roof and they land near the agents. The man of iron asks the agents for some space as he stoops down next to the mutants. His mask retracts, and he yanks the vial from the reptile's chest. Within an instant, his body begins to slowly shrink. The scales and spikes on his skin shrivel up and fall off. The deep teal skin fades to flesh as Rick Jones' naked body replaces the mutant lying there moments before. Tony does the same with the bird man and the result is the same. SHIELD medics storm the scene and cover the men. They lift them onto stretchers and load them into the jet Marvel's in. The light from the force field begins to disappear and leaves nothing but open sky. Chunks of pavement and concrete clutter the road. Not to mention the all the misplaced cars. The Banners and Antonio emerge from the damaged Stark Tower to meet the heroes in the rubble.
A hand wraps around James' own. "I'm going to check on Marvel," Kassidy whispers. James turns around to nod but she's already halfway to the Quinn jet—out of Antonio's sight.
"Are you guys okay?" Antonio asks. He and the Banners scan the area with dumbfounded expressions. Looking around themselves, the heroes wonder how the damage wasn't worse.
"Yeah, I think we're okay," Tony says. He looks from side to side for his fighting companions but finds only James.
"We saw everything from the security cameras. The guy with the bow and the glow dude, then James with the shield. It was like we were watching a clip from the Avengers historical files," Blake says.
"Girl with the bow," James mumbles. Tony shoots the soldier a raised brow, warning him tread lightly in front of Antonio.
"But you guys are all okay though, right?" Antonio's words ring with worry. James and Tony exchange glances before assuring everyone that they're fine. For the most part. "So, what now?"
"Now," James starts. "We let SHIELD and Damage Control handle it. I'm sure this is their mess anyway."
"I don't think so, I still think the shooter was aiming at me." Blake's preoccupied eyes dart around, checking his surroundings.
"We don't know that," Bruce says. He lays a hand on his son's shoulder, but Blake shakes it off.
"Rick wouldn't have pushed me down if that guy wasn't shooting at me! And now he's…" Blake gestures to his friend's unconscious body being carried via stretcher towards a Quinn jet. Him, along with another victim of whatever is going on. "I'm responsible."
Bruce shakes his head. "No, you are not responsible. We'll figure this out."
"Your dad's right, Sport. We'll figure out what's going on and keep you safe." As the words leave Tony's lips, the vibrating pow of a gunshot tears through the conversation.
"Blake, get down," Antonio yells. He whips around and grabs the teen, pushing him to the pavement, but his reaction isn't quick enough. A small tranq dart pierces Blake's shoulder and the green liquid inside sloshes down into his veins. He collapses in his father's arms and they lower his shivering body to the ground. An arrow flies in the direction of the shooter, and the Archer stands on the jet ramp, her bow at attention. Iron Man takes off to catch the shooter before he disappears. But all eyes turn to Blake as they wait for the inevitable, for the shift from human to mutant. But the change doesn't come. Instead, the teen's body shudders and gasps for air as though he's having an allergic reaction.
"Somebody…we need a medic!" Bruce's shaking voice calls out. A violent trembling takes over Blake while James yells and waves over two agents.
"What happened?" one asks, slipping on a pair of rubber gloves.
"I think he got shot with the same stuff that turned the other two," Antonio says.
The doctors ask call for a stretcher as the kneel to examine Blake. They rest their hands on him to calm his shaking, but it only worsens. He's choking now, but he's not changing. The heavier of the two medics pushes the group crowding him back, asking for space.
"That's my son," Bruce says. Trembling, Bruce struggles to keep it together as they lift Blake's frail body onto a stretcher. The medics take him to the jet with the other wounded.
"Go," James tells Bruce. The man runs after his only child, insisting they not remove the dart until they arrive at a hospital. Kassidy moves out of the way of the medics as she watches for Tony to return. Within second the jet begins to roar to life and lift into the air, blowing dust and debris at it ascends.
"Where are they taking him?" she calls. Her voice is almost audible over the hissing wind from the Quinn jet's engines. But her words must catch Antonio's attention. His stare tears from the jet disappearing into the sky and lands on the girl as she approaches he and James. Not paying attention to what she's doing, she walks up to them. Her hood is on and goggles still fashion her face. But in the daylight, it's hard to mistake someone you've known all your life for a guy.
"Kassy?" Antonio words shaken and riddled with fear of the girl's answer. But when she realizes what she's done, it's too late to try to hide her face, or mask her voice. It's too late to take back the lies and the excuses, too late to patch up their friendship by telling him the truth her way. This is how he finds out, in the middle of a battlefield by accident. Perfect.
She pulls back her hood and loosens her goggles so they hang around her neck. "Antonio, let me explain…"
"No…no, no, no," he says. His head shakes back and forth, pushing away the hand James offers for comfort. "And you knew, didn't you!"
James flinches at the sudden spike in volume. Kassidy shoots James a glance, asking him to give them a minute. "They only reason he knew was because I asked for advice about how to tell you. Don't blame him."
"You're right, you are absolutely right...I blame you! Howie's always the last one to know, right? Couldn't trust me, is that is?" Antonio wipes the tears forming in his electric eyes.
"It has nothing to do with you and everything to do with me wanting to protect you!" Kassidy explains. But from the expression his face has shifted to and the look in his eyes, she knows she'll lose any further words on him. "I didn't want it to be this way…"
"Too late," he says. And with that, he turns on his heels and walks towards his father as he lands across the yard, empty handed.
Kassidy, frozen in her place, swallows hard. James stands beside her once more, his arm around her shoulders as they slump. She looks at him with watering eyes. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this," she repeats.
He pulls her into a hug. "I know." James watches Antonio interacting with his father. Their conversation has turned into an argument. But the angry hand gestures halt when an agent approaches them and begins to tell them something. The agent jets past them and walks towards James and Kassidy. "Kassy," he says. She pulls away from him as the agent arrives in front of them.
"Director Johnson has called a meeting for everyone involved. Please make your way to the jet." His words come out dry and plain before he begins strutting back towards the jet. Both James and Kassidy furrow their brows before following him. As they near the small jet, the agent and Antonio begin arguing.
"I didn't even do anything! Why do I have to go when I wasn't a part of the fighting?" he says.
"Get in the plane, Howie," Tony says. "I'll meet you at the Helicarrier." Iron Man's facemask clinks back together and he jets into the sky, leaving his confused and hurt son behind. Antonio looks over at his friends before he trudges up the ramp. He makes sure to sit as far away from James and Kassidy as possible.
"He needs some space," James offers her as they follow.
They strap into the seats built into the inside the walls of the fourth generation Quinn jet. The agent with the orders climbs aboard as the ramp closes, taking his place in the cockpit. And the three friends prepare for the longest fight from one end of town to the other.
SHIELD Helicarrier. 12:47 pm.
As soon as the jet stops on the Helicarrier runway, Kassidy unclasps her seatbelt. The ramp lets down and she starts asking the agents for Marvel's location. When one gives her the answer she wants she dart across the landing strip and finds her way inside. After she disappears, James and Antonio to follow behind their escort. He weaves them through the traffic of scrambling agents inside to the quiet of an empty elevator. The elevator takes them down several levels, but the floor they get off on is empty. No busy agents running around, no orders yelled over an intercom. Only a silent hallway with dozens of doors to choose from on either side. The agent leads them to a room near a big window at the end of the hall. A room with a two-door entrance and keypad that locks behind them as soon as James and Antonio are thrust in.
Several floors above, Markus sits slumped over and eyes closed on a cold, metal table. Everything aches. His ankle, his ribcage, his face. It's all throbbing and bleeding and burning. He hasn't felt this bad since he blew up his high school science lab. His emerald eyes crack open, drifting down to his swelling ankle. He breathes in roughly and sighs, groaning at how painful it is to breathe. And to think he was just starting to heal from that gut-punch the other night. Of all the things he could've done today—worked, chilled at home after his shift or reorganizing his wall—he ended up in SHIELD's first aid waiting on some crazy doctor who keeps disappearing in a room behind him. But, no matter how much pain he's in, or the damage he may have caused during the fight, it was worth it. It was worth it to get rid of all that built up energy, worth it to work alongside freaking Iron Man. He shakes his head. As unbelievable today has been for Markus, he still can't rid his gut of the feeling of impending doom.
Markus flinches as the door to first aid shirks open, and his partner walks in. She stands in the doorway, looking beautiful, staring at his wounded body up for display on the table.
"Hi," she says. She walks towards him, never once taking her eyes off his face.
"Hi." The girl stands beside him, propping her hands on his shirt and leather jacket laid beside him. She runs her fingers over the fabric absentmindedly, as if searching for something to say. Markus helps her out by speaking first. "So, Kassidy huh?"
Her head snaps his way, offering a small smile after the shock subsides.
"Yeah. I guess you heard my name enough over the comms, right?"
Markus smirks through the pain. "I did," he pauses, holding out a hand. "Markus, nice to meet you."
She shakes his hand, a hint of a blush on her grimy cheeks. Eagle Eye, Kassidy, whatever her name is, Markus knows there's something special about her. In a moment of clarity, something clicks between them. Or at least he thinks something clicked. Everything got blurry after the doctor reappeared and started yelling about visitors.
"You haven't even been here ten minutes and you already have guests. Well, let me replaces those bandages and be gone, your highness." The doctor, a short man with wild, frizzy hair and reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose. He drops a small silver tray on the table next to Markus, arranging the items on it just so. Oversized bandages soak up the blood from his scratches, but they're caked and dried up. The doctor snatches the bandages from Markus' face. He takes cotton balls drenched in something off his tray to wipe on the cuts. It's cold and smells harsh but doesn't burn as it makes contact with his raw flesh. The cold is then replaced with cream and a large cotton patch.
"No more visitors while I'm gone," he says. The doc disappears again in the back room, leaving the heroes to laugh.
"What is he on?" Kassidy whispers.
"No idea." They snicker a moment more but Markus' attention stays on his partner. It's true he'd seen her before, her face. He'd even wondered who she was and who she was friends with. Or if they would be friends outside of their night jobs should the circumstances change. But now, only a few days after meeting her, he's involved in her life, and she in his. This was not how he imagined this partnership would go, but he wonders now if things will change after this. They've lost any barriers against trusting each other, but what if all this is more than the two of them? What if the situation has changed already, and he hasn't realized it. We are on a first name basis now…he thinks.
"What I'm about to do will be strange," says the doctor. He materializes in front of his unassuming patient with no tools or bandages, only his hands. He squats down at the hero's feet dangling off the table and wraps a hand around the sprained ankle.
"What are you doing?" Kassidy asks. The concern on her face draws a smirk from Markus. But when the tight muscles in his ankle start to loosen he looks down to see the doc's hands glowing.
"Hey, what the heck?"
"Hold still, I'm almost done," he says, stilling the man's nervous leg. The glowing continues for a minute longer, and the doc asks if his ankle is hurting anymore. With his answer being no, the doctor removes his hands and straightens.
"Good, the quicker I heal you the quicker you can get out of here and leave me in peace." The doctor places his hands on Markus' torso, and the glowing starts again. At first, there's only a tickle in his ribcage, but as seconds tick by the tickle gets replaced with a creepy feeling. He looks down at his ribs to see if what he feels is happening. His skin twists and rotates as if something under it is moving. "You've got two fractured ribs and you're bruised from you face to your toes, but bruises can heal. As soon as your ribs finish mending themselves, you may leave."
"Good," a fourth voice enters the scene. A young man, short yet lean, stands in the entrance tapping his wrist in a "pick-up-the-pace" fashion. "Director wants to see these two."
The doctor scoffs at his fellow SHIELD agent. "She'll see them when I'm done."
The agent rolls his dark eyes before backing out of the doorway. Markus assumes he's waiting outside for them. He's about to tell Kassidy to go on when the doc proclaims he's done and forces them out. Without being asked, Kassidy picks up his shirt and jacket. In the hallway, they ask for a minute for Markus to put his clothes back on and again, without asking, she helps him. He lifts his arms and she slides his t-shirt over his head, combing his thick jet hair with her fingers. He watches her every moment, and when their eyes meet, she smirks.
"You have to look decent if you're going to meet the Director."
"Thanks," he says. He slips on his jacket with a little more help, they follow behind the agent. Kassidy's hand supports his back as he limps down the hall with her.
Meeting Room, SHIELD Helicarriar. 12:59 pm.
The anger adds to the electricity in Antonio's eyes. Kassidy enters the room with her "friend" limping. Her arm is around his body, both of them dressed in ridiculous outfits. He can't stop staring at her as she offers a chair for the hero at the small table centering the room. James sits opposite of him, but he and Kassy exchange glances and cause Antonio to scoff even more.
How could she have told him and not me? he thinks. How could she not trust me with this…what was she thinking?! Why am I getting left out of everything lately? As his thoughts continue to make a downward spiral into the depths of the pity-pool, he catches a glimpse of Kassidy looking his way. Her eyes dart away, but his gaze stays on her long after she's turned her attention towards the men at the table. From across the room, Antonio sees dust and sweat that's become grim on her face. With matching smears on her jeans and hoodie. James looks dusty too, and Antonio can't even begin to describe how bad the other guy looks. But his focus never strays from his golden-haired friend for more than a minute. She's stiff and holds her frame in an awkward manner next to the table as they wait for the Director.
I don't even know why I'm here, I didn't do anything, he thinks. But as the seconds tick by, the stirring in his gut tells him something huge is about to happen. Bigger than stealing blueprints from the Vault. Bigger than Mutants tearing up Stark Tower. Even bigger than finding out your best friend is a vigilante. This situation is beyond his own comprehension but Antonio can think of one thing. Why does all the weird stuff always happen to me?
"Do you think we're in trouble?" A question directed at no one breaks the tension suffocating the room. Antonio looks at the man responsible for the obvious question. And before he realizes it, harsh words begin spilling from his mouth.
"What do you think? Of course we're in trouble! You guys trashed a whole block's length of road. Not to mention the damage to Stark Tower, and you're going to ask a stupid question like that?" Antonio says. His volume increases as his words stop, but he didn't expect them to come across so critical.
"Hey, leave him alone, okay? It's a valid question, you don't have to be a jerk to him because you're mad at me," Kassidy says. She jabs a finger his direction, a scowl consuming her features.
"And you didn't have to leave me out of one of the most important things in your life!" he combats.
"I didn't leave you out, I didn't know how to tell you!" she yells.
James stands and slams his hands on the table. "Stop it! Both of you. There are more important things going on right now."
"Easy for you to say, she told you the truth as soon as you got home," Antonio says. His hands outstretched in judgmental gesturing, James tethered to the table. They open their mouths to continue. But before the yelling begins, the entrance slides open and the woman they've been waiting for walks in.
Director Daisy Johnson stands by the doorway. Her piercing blue eyes watch it slide shut and lock behind her. She redirects her gaze at the four of them with their mouths hanging open. James gets over his stupor and salutes the woman. He stands straight and stiff until she returns the gesture. The vigilante tries to stand but she tells him to stay seated. Considering his current physical state, it's best he sit. Kassidy gives a halfhearted nod, but Antonio stares without a word—or even a sound—uttered. He scans her up and down, from her shiny black combat boots to her fitted black SHIELD uniform. The heavy armored gloves she wears grasp a small round device. Her face, framed by her short ebony hair, is thin and sharp. The very presence of her makes Antonio wonder even more why he's here. But his insecurities don't stop him from blurting out questions.
"What happened to Blake? Is he okay?"
Johnson isn't taken back by his urgent questioning. Her calm exterior sets the tone for the room, clearing out any question is to whether they're in trouble. "Mr. Banner is stable. They transported him to our Gamma Response Unit for proper care. But I'm sure with Doctor Banner leading his treatment, he'll be fine."
Kassidy's voice speaks up, quiet and soft. "Will you let us know if anything changes?"
"I will," Johnson nods.
"Sir," James starts. "What's happening here?"
"I promise we were only trying to help with the mutants!" the other guy says.
"At ease! None of you are in trouble, but what I'm about to discuss is sensitive information. It can't leave this room," says the Director. "Understood?"
Antonio nods in agreement with the others and the Director places the device in hand on the table. Small like a jewelry box, the device lights up with the press of a button. She motions for Kassidy and Antonio to come closer to see the presentation unfolding. The little box shoots a holographic file into the air and the Director taps it. It expands into pictures and reports that float above their heads. The group pushes through some of the items, but none of it makes sense.
"What is all this?" Antonio asks, looking around.
"That's a good question, Mr. Stark. In the past six months, some of my undercover agents have found that someone is buying a lot of illegal items. Including but not limited to guns, tech, armor and vehicles components," she says.
"Well, that doesn't sound so bad," the vigilante says.
Shows what you know, Antonio thinks.
"We didn't think so at first either, Mr. Marvel," Johnson continues. Antonio finds it difficult to focus on the Director. Mr. what's-his-name has grin plastered on his face after the Director's acknowledgment. "But when my agents investigated, they started finding more than a shopping spree. All transactions went back to an offshore account under several different aliases. Problem is, we can't trace who the aliases belong to."
The young Stark rolls his eyes at SHIELD's incompetence over a simple task. "I fail to see what any of that has to do with what happened today."
Kassidy's aqua eyes cut at Antonio's attitude, but her arguing eyes don't deter him. "If you'll stop asking questions for two seconds, she'll answer you."
"Oh, you'd love for me to stop asking questions, wouldn't you?" he combats. Kassidy, looking ready to deck him, curls her fists at her sides. Antonio holds his disapproving stare, making sure to look extra disapproving.
"Now I've had just about enough of this!" James says. He narrows his blueberry eyes at them—the blue glow from the display making them more intense. And after a few seconds of scorns, they stand down. "Go ahead, Director." James settles in his seat, shooting Antonio a glare.
"Thank you, Agent Rogers," Johnson says. She raises an ebony brow as she continues. "We made the connections you were asking about, Mr. Stark, when we started picking up radio chatter. There've been rumors amongst the street thugs too. They mention other criminals missing, or reappearing changed."
Marvel-boy turns his head back to meet Kassidy's gaze and the two have a quick and wordless exchange. "That would explain the weird guys Mark—Marvel and I have been running into this week. I mean, these guys had some serious kick but looked like normal guys."
Did-did she cover for his real name? So, they've been consorting long enough for them to be on a first name basis, great, Antonio thinks. One more to the list of people who know more about her than I do. "But that still doesn't explain what happened today. Why was someone after Blake?" Antonio adds.
The Director spreads out contents of the holofile in the air. "I don't know, my assumption is they wanted to turn him Gamma, but failed. Whoever these people are, they're organized, direct and serious about causing trouble. We've been monitoring their radio frequencies and we knew something was going down—"
"Wait a minute, you knew what these people were planning?" Antonio asks.
"Now before you go bringing down the hammer of judgment on us, Mr. Stark," she points a finger his way. "We were unaware of any time, place or motive. All we knew is that they were planning something that was riling up the criminal community. We prepared as best we could under the circumstances."
"The circumstances? Why didn't you notify the police or the military or something!" Antonio spouts.
"We are the military, Mr. Stark," Johnson says. Her voice is calm and collected, but the underlying harshness is enough to shut Antonio up for now. This is not a woman he needs to make angry. "And what do you suppose we were to tell them? Hello NYPD? This is the Director of SHIELD calling about a possible terror threat we know nothing about. But, we do have intel that they're planning something, but not enough intel to give you any details. Work with that, thanks."
"She's right," James speaks up. "This isn't something you can take to the police. It takes months of surveillance and spying to get the kind of information you can go to the military or cops with."
Marvel looks clueless. But during his glancing around he asks an intelligent question for once. "So, what does this have to do with us?"
The question sets off something in the Director piercing blues, her expression shifting. To what, Antonio's not sure. The four, sitting and standing, watch her pull something from the back of the file emptied on the table top. Another folder floats towards the center of the mass of information, unopened. With nimble fingers, the Director shrinks down the rest and taps the folder open. Within it, she pulls out a profile of each person in the room—including Antonio. A detailed write up, with skills and physical attributes in nice organized, color-coded boxes. Personality types highlighted in different colors, even personal backgrounds in short summaries. All the while Antonio wants to know how they got this information. The things listed are out there for all SHIELD to have at their fingertips. This is why their parents insisted they stay away from SHIELD and heroing. They knew it would lead to this—an invasion of privacy. Yes, Kassidy and James gave up their privacy during their time in the SEET program and the Guard. But Antonio and Marvel-boy? They weren't anywhere near Barton and Rogers' level of submittance.
"What…what is all this?" Marvel asks. Bewilderment covering his injured face, he looks at his floating file. Marked with information about his life, or what little bit is on his profile compared to the others.
"We've been watching you kids. Waiting for the right moment to spring our idea on you," Johnson says. Her expression is hard to read, it's almost as if she's enjoying this moment, or dreading it.
"What idea?" Kassidy asks.
"If there was any other way, I'd take it. But there's not. So here it is." The Director huffs a weighted sigh, crossing her arms over her chest. She looks around the room as of checking for intruders, even though she said herself it's secure. "It's not that I don't have enough evidence to take to the government or even the police. It's that the World Security Council won't allow it." She cuts off her sentence, as if her words are blasphemy.
"They don't think that SHIELD has enough ground or proof that something's up to work proactively against it. They don't want to, oh how did they put it, 'alarm the public' with above average activity," she says. Her air quotations warrant puzzled glances.
"So, you mean to tell me, that the WSC is refusing to recognize this because they don't want to upset people?" Antonio asks. Johnson nods, and for the first time since they've been together, the four offer the same confused faces.
"I've pushed for more resources to investigate, but all I get is a bunch of talk. And the worst part, they've taken my people from me. I can't even trust any of my agents, except for a select few because of the authority imbalance. Which, Mr. Stark, is why you're all here. I'd like to assemble a team under the radar to look into all this. Because if I can't even trust my own agents, then the only ones I can trust are outside of SHIELD," the Director concludes.
Silence weighs down the room as the proposition hangs around the four like a dead duck. How are they supposed to respond? Even James looks as if he's struggling to swallow the idea. How could this be happening to them? To Antonio? There no easy way out of this one. No clever quip, or half-hearted excuse. This can't go away. It won't. Not until it's resolved. Even with the Director's vast array of resources, she asks four young people with lives, hopes, and goals of their own, to save the world. And save it before it knows it needs saving. Because that's what she's asking here. She doesn't want a team of investigators. She wants a team of heroes to stop whatever it is rising from the depths of the Criminal Underworld. And it scares the crap out of him.
"Guys, I know this is a lot to take in, but trust me, I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't the only option I had left. The world needs you, Blake needs you, and I need you," she says. Her added words don't make their decision any easier. But it wasn't as hard a decision as Antonio thought as all eyes turn to Kassidy, the first to speak.
"I'm sorry Director, but I'm not a team player and I'm not about to work for SHIELD. I've got enough problems of my own, I don't need to worry about yours too," she says.
Why did she look at me when she said problems? Antonio thinks. Johnson huffs a disappointed sigh but gestures to the door. She tells her to knock on the door when she wants to leave. Kassidy steps towards the door and knocks. The door slides to, but she looks around before she steps out.
"I'm sorry," she says as she leaves. She walks out, just like that. Like it was that easy to say no. Was it that easy for her to lie to me?
The Director shifts her attention to James. "Mr. Rogers?"
Panic toils in James' eyes. He closes them, takes a deep breath in and out, then stands from his chair. His eyes open again and his expression cuts off any emotion. "With all due respect, Director, I must decline. I just came out of a war, I don't want to go into another one." The soldier takes his leave. The Director watches James as he disappears through doorway. Her hands relax and her fingers intertwine as she turns back to the others.
"Looks like you two are all that's left. Marvel?"
The man struggles to stand from his chair, ascending to a stiff upright position. Antonio can almost hear his bones creaking. "You know, I'm really honored and stuff Ms. Director, but you can't have a team with two dudes, right? I would—in a heartbeat—but I don't think I can. I'm really sorry. But thank you for considering me."
"I wouldn't have chosen anyone else, Markus," she says. He smiles and she offers a hand to steady him as he hobbles to the open door where an agent takes him from there. Once he's out of view, the Director looks back at files still floating in the air. She presses a button on the side of the device and turns it off. Her body straightens with a knowing anticipation as she looks to Antonio. "Your answer, Mr. Stark?"
Antonio mulls over the question. He parts his lips several times to speak but stops himself as the right words escape him. Of all the things floating around in his head, one thought has plagued him all day—all week even—comes out. His head drops as he utters his question. "Why me?"
"Excuse me?" the Director says.
Antonio shrugs his shoulders and raises his head. "Why me? I mean, of all the people you could've asked, why me? Why not Dad, or any of the other Avengers still around? They have more to offer than I do, right?"
Johnson stares with at him an unmoving expression, but as their eyes lock, her features soften. "Do you think it was an accident that I chose you—or any of the others. Do you think I threw together your profiles or picked you by chance, or maybe for your last names? Antonio, I took time and considered each of your skills, talents, personalities. I knew you were the right kids for the job from the beginning. I need your technological expertise, your creativity and ideas. I don't need your father. He's done his part and he's tired, like the rest of the old Avengers. It's time for a new generation to take the initiative. I need each of you because whatever happened out there today isn't going to stop. These people had a reason for going after Blake Banner, and they won't stop until they do whatever they've come on scene to do. I can't sit by and let something like this go."
"I…" Antonio starts, unsure of where to go. She's right. She's doing the right thing here and as much as his mind is fighting with itself over what to do, he can't do this. His brain kicks into autopilot and words he prepared at the beginning of the conversation spill out. "I can't. I'm not the right guy for the job. I'm sorry Director, but you'll have to figure this out another way. I'm no hero."
The woman sighs, her piercing eyes closing for a long pause. When they open again she motions Antonio to the door, telling him to leave when he wants. Antonio watches her for a moment before he takes his leave of the room. He walks away, just like that. Leaving SHIELD and their problems behind.
A/N: WHAT? But like, wow. Leave your comments!
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Hey I just posted this...and this is crazy...but since you've read it...review it maybe?