Sixteen

The quinjet flew across the Atlantic Ocean at a speed only a quinjet could. It was one of the many reasons why Emily loved SHIELD so much – modern technology. While Starfleet opted for having the latest and greatest when involved with space-exploration, SHIELD was the complete opposite by holding some of the best tech in the world. She was lucky enough to work alongside some of the brains behind the tech, such as Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons. Those two were always working on some of the latest technology and bio-weapons for SHIELD.

It was awkwardly quiet in the quinjet with Coulson sitting on one side of the bench, and Steve on the other. Emily chose the neutral zone, as she liked to call it. In Starfleet standards, the Neutral Zone was where ships went for protection against the Klingons and Romulans… or any other Federation enemy. She quickly learned that there were many different phrases used throughout Starfleet that most people would use in today's language.

In her hands was a data PADD as she sat cross-legged on the floor. Coulson had gotten used to seeing her like this over years of raising her. As her adopted father and former handler, he was hardly surprised to see her in such a solemn mood. Losing Clint had hit her hard, though he knew that something else was on her mind. She had been distracted for the last couple of months, and he was beginning to suspect it had something to do with Starfleet.

He couldn't hide the sheepish smile that followed when he saw her open a picture of herself when she was younger. That had been the day when she finally came to realize that she was more than an assignment to him. He'd taken her in not because she was different, but because she needed someone who could treat her as a real kid. Coulson had hoped that love and affection would rub off on her one day. The day she finally opened up was when he realized his work had paid off.

It was also around that time when Coulson decided to celebrate the day he adopted her as her birthday rather than the day of her actual birth. At the time it seemed fitting since it was also around McCoy's birthday. It had been convenient when they were younger, because they could celebrate their birthdays together rather than have two separate birthdays. Not that anyone would've attended her birthday.

Another picture suddenly opened up. Emily sucked in a breath when she saw the only picture she was able to salvage from the Kelvin. It was a picture of Captain George Kirk sitting with her at the table in the rec room. Kirk was one of the few people on the ship who saw her as more than just another crew member fighting for what field she would eventually work in. Though she understood that his wife had been expecting at the time, and he was probably using her for practice, she found herself missing those days. Finally, she found another image of the Kelvin Command Crew standing together on the bridge.

"Is that the crew of the Kelvin?" Steve asked in surprise when he finally joined her.

Coulson had been watching them from the corner of his eyes when a thin line appeared along her lips. Emily knew that he wanted nothing more than to spend time with his favorite hero. After all, he was the one who watched Steve recover from the ice. She could already see him struggling to find the right words to start a conversation. But, it seemed as if he was either too anxious or he didn't know what to say by the time Steve wanted to talk.

The only thing she did know was that he was jealous over the fact that they had gotten along so well. Emily tried to shrink from where she was sitting to avoid his questioning gaze once the quinjet was put on autopilot. She knew he had more than a few questions to ask Steve, but finding the right words was always difficult for him. She had to admit, it was fun watching him squirm when it came to starting a conversation with his favorite hero.

"Yeah," she replied with a nod. She offered a small smile at the thought of how often the crew would argue over what field she would work in. If only they had known what the future held for her. "Kirk was one of the few who saw me as more than another crew member… Though I'm guessing that's because his wife had been expecting at the time."

"It's kind of ironic," Coulson started while rubbing his chin thoughtfully. When she told him about James Kirk and his constant determination to figure out who she was, Coulson had been almost amused. Though, he was more annoyed than anything else. That kind of persistence would only get the kid in trouble if he started snooping in the wrong places. "You'd think his son would have known about you."

Emily grimaced at the thought of Kirk actually recognizing who she really was. She had no doubt that Kirk would react just as badly as he did upon finding out that she worked for SHIELD. The worst part of it was that he kept sending her messages even after Loki's attack. Emily knew he wouldn't let it go until she had the chance to explain why she lied to him.

She had been dreading the moment when she would have to explain the truth to him. McCoy had accepted it fairly well, all things considered. Then again, he had known all along that she was working for SHIELD. That made it easier to explain some of the messes she had gotten herself into over the years before they met again. But she doubted that Kirk would accept that she worked for an agency known to spy on other organizations like Starfleet.

It's better not to dwell on it, she reminded herself. She was just grateful that McCoy was willing to put up with her, in spite of his concerns over what she went through. When she told him about what happened at the base he had been horrified. Eventually she was able to reassure him that the wound was already cleaned and treated properly. It would barely scar over if at all thanks to the work the medical team pulled off, though she knew he wouldn't feel much better until he saw the injury for himself.

'We've taken Kirk and McCoy into custody,' — Agent Hill

Emily's brows furrowed together as she read the message sent to her com. Her heart sank when she realized this was what the agency had been planning. It went against protocol – whenever there was a security breach the suspect was usually taken to a nearby base. She had a feeling with the Avenger's Initiative being in play, that changed things up. It meant their lives would be in danger from the moment they were brought to the Hellicarrier.

'Just remember that Leonard hates being in anything that flies,' — Coulson

McCoy was going to have a fit the moment he recognized where he was. As a safety protocol the suspects were usually given blindfolds to prevent them from guessing where they were being held. She silently prayed that was the case, because she could already feel his emotions beginning to stir. Though she suspected that was also because of why they were being taken in.

"He's also brave enough to take the kind of risks his father did," she finally said out loud. She thought back to all the classes she and Kirk had taken together. Throughout the first year she could see his father in him. Not only was he brave enough to take the same risks that George Kirk made, but he also cared about the people he considered close friends. "If there's one thing I've learned about him, it's the fact that once you're friends with him, you're friends for life."

She almost smirked upon thinking of what McCoy told her about Kirk's tenacity. Oh, he'd complained the moment Kirk started following him around like a love-sick puppy. He'd even complained about the nickname Kirk gave him. Despite his attempts at pushing Kirk away and at least trying to change the nickname, they both stuck to him like glue. Then there was the fact that Kirk had been so persistent in getting to know her. She knew the only reason he'd done that was because she and McCoy had been so close, even from the beginning.

"He must have been a good person," Steve mused thoughtfully, referring to George rather than his son.

She glanced at Steve self-consciously when she realized what he meant by that. Her thoughts suddenly drifted back to their earlier conversation about McCoy. She knew in the back of her mind that McCoy would likely never forgive her for lying to him for so long. Yet everything she had done was to protect herself and everyone around her. The more she thought about it, the guiltier she felt for everything she had done.

"He was," she finally nodded in agreement.

Her thoughts drifted back towards the images she flicked through on the data PADD. Numerous pictures of herself with McCoy showed up. Emily couldn't help but smile as she noticed how happy they were as kids. She had her arms wrapped around his neck in one picture from behind. Another of when they'd gone hiking with his father in the mountains.

She hadn't realized until then how much they did together when they were younger. Then came their prom picture nearly ten years. She didn't miss the fact that Steve had seen the picture as well. Heat immediately rose to his cheeks when he realized that the man in the picture was also the same man she'd talked about earlier.

She let out a quiet sigh as she went back to the research that Director Fury sent her. He wanted her to get more invested in the people she would be forced to work with if his theory came to light. He had been talking about getting a band of people with abilities similar to hers together, and this had been the perfect opportunity. Because of her abilities and the fact that she was trained to deal with any situation, he thought she made a good fit for the team as well. Though, she still had her doubts on the matter.

'How are you holding up?' She decided to distract herself by checking in with McCoy. She could feel his anxiety spiking with each passing second, telling her everything she needed to know. She almost smirked as she imagined his knee jerking up every few seconds while he tried to calm himself down. 'At least they provided blindfolds this time.'

'Doesn't make what's happening any better,' McCoy complained. 'I'm not sure why I had to be dragged into this mess when Kirk's the idiot who caused the problem.'

'I wish I knew the answer to that problem,' she replied after chewing the bottom of her lip. She felt guilty over the fact that he was dragged into this mess. Both of them didn't deserve to face the threats that the rest of the agency would face. 'I want you and Jim to be safe.'

'Darlin', sometimes I have to question the fact that you don't worry about your own safety,' McCoy snorted in annoyance.

Emily wanted to laugh at that, but she held back. The last thing she wanted was to explain that she and McCoy could talk to each other telepathically. Steve was already trying to wrap his head around their current situation. She didn't want to give him a reason to feel even more confused than he already was. She cut the conversation off when she noticed Coulson was struggling to figure out what to say next.

"You know, really… It's really a huge honor to have you on board," he said.

Steve looked from the tablet he'd grabbed and looked at Coulson in surprise. He had been doing his own research after she explained why he was asked to help find the Tesseract, and stop Loki. The problem was, Steve had no idea who he was joining during this mission. She compiled enough data to show him exactly what he was up against, and who he would be working with once it came to that.

Though, the whole thing was made that much more hilarious when Emily noticed how Coulson fumbled over his words. As someone who grew up with the man, Emily had never seen him act this way. She knew Coulson prided himself in keeping a straight face even during the most intense moments. Seeing him now only added to the awkwardness that filled the quinjet.

"Well, I hope I'm the right man for the job," Steve gave a nod, still feeling uncomfortable when he noticed how Coulson was admiring him from afar.

"Oh, you are," Coulson reassured him with a wide smile, "Absolutely. Uh, we made modifications to the uniform. I had a little design input."

More like you had a lot of design input, Emily nearly rolled her eyes in amusement.

When they talked about designing a new suit for Captain America, Coulson had been giddy with excitement. Emily could still remember that he would talk about the input for days. He made sure that the designers put every detail into the suit. He had been trying to make it look just like the original, with a few new details.

"The uniform?" Steve asked in surprise. "Aren't the stars and stripes a little… old fashioned?"

Emily frowned at that. She'd begun to notice that Coulson was one of the few people who enjoyed anything old-fashioned. Though, she also knew that McCoy was a stickler for old-fashioned stuff. He'd even complained about how technology today may have been improved, but it didn't matter depending on the person using it.

"With everything that's happening, the things that are about to come to light, the people today may just need a little old-fashion," Coulson pointed out.

There's no arguing with that notion, she thought after recalling what McCoy once told her.

Maybe Coulson was right about old-fashioned being a requirement.

.

.

"Welcome to the airstrip, Captain," Coulson said once they climbed out of the quinjet. Emily had already reached for her duffel bag and slung it over her shoulder as she followed them. She was hardly surprised to see the airstrip itself bustling with activity. Agents were prepping for takeoff, some of them lined into groups while others ran the mile-long run across the strip. Quinjets, planes and helicopters were also parked along the airstrip. "Agent Romanoff… Captain Rogers."

Coulson didn't bother keeping the pride from his voice when they reached Natasha. Emily rose an eyebrow when their eyes met. She knew Natasha was aware of what Maria had sent her – it had been a three-way conversation between them. She was just relieved that Natasha seemed indifferent with what had happened at Starfleet Academy. The only downside was knowing that Clint had been taken away from them. She had no idea what they were going to tell Laura, or if it was a good idea to share that information with his wife.

They both knew the risks when Clint had told her about SHIELD and what his job entailed. But Emily couldn't shake off the feeling that telling Laura would only put her life and their kids' lives in danger. The last thing she wanted was for Clint to live with the regret of putting his family's lives in danger.

"Ma'am," Steve gave Natasha a nod of his own.

"Hi," she greeted him before looking at Coulson, "We need you on the bridge, they're starting the phase trace."

With that said and done, Coulson nodded once more and turned to head for the bridge in question.

When asked whether one could compare a Hellicarrier to a Starship, Emily couldn't really explain. She loved the technology that the Hellicarrier provided. Yet, a Starship was something entirely different, with technology that spoke a thousand words and swept the Hellicarrier through the dust.

When it came to the engineering that made up both the Hellicarrier and a Starship, she would often get lost within a conversation with Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons. The two engineers had been some of the top agents in their class, and they were still attending the same classes to this day. She knew their insight in the Hellicarrier was what gave it such pomp and circumstance, despite how bulky and refined it looked.

Leonard is still going to have a fit when they arrive, she reminded herself with a knowing smirk.

Even though she closed off their link for now, she could still feel his anxiety rushing back. Any time there was turbulence or something caused the quinjet to jolt, it caused further panic reaction. She supposed he was lucky not to face that situation alone. At least Kirk was with him, albeit they weren't there for the right reasons.

"There was quite a buzz around here, finding you in the ice," Natasha began once the three of them were alone. Emily couldn't hide the smirk that followed as Natasha looked at Steve knowingly, "I thought Coulson was gonna swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?"

"Trading cards?" Steve asked, furrowing his brows in confusion once more.

"They're vintage," Emily put in, placing her arms around her back as she noticed someone else standing on the airstrip, waiting for them, "He's very proud."

Amusement swept through her as she recalled the many times Coulson had shown the card collection off. He never let her touch them, but she'd shown the card collection to McCoy once when he was visiting them. The whole thing had been funny, especially when she saw how proud Coulson was to show them off.

The three of them turned to see the man wearing a gray suit pacing around the airstrip. The worry creasing his face was enough of a reminder they had a job to do. And while it was anything but an easy job, they would get it done. Her brows furrowed together with unease when she caught the wary look he was giving them when they slowly approached, though Steve put a bigger stride in his steps.

"Doctor Banner!" Steve approached him first, greeting him with a handshake.

"Oh, yeah… hi," Bruce took his hand, shaking it, "They told me you would be coming."

Steve nodded at that before looking self-consciously at Emily as she reached them. The look Bruce was giving her was one she'd seen a thousand times before. He didn't trust her. And, understandably so. Her brows furrowed together as she wondered how much he'd heard about her through Natasha or the files that were likely given to him. His lack of trust was just another reminder that her field of work was never easy for anyone.

"Agent Emily Coulson," she introduced herself, refusing to make eye contact as Bruce watched her curiously, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person, doctor."

"In person?" Bruce frowned for a moment.

"SHIELD's been keeping tabs on you for a while, now," she explained, ignoring the looks Natasha and Steve were giving her, "Managed to throw off a couple of unwanted intruders as well."

She offered a ghost of a smile before taking a step back towards Natasha. She knew that Bruce faced a lot of injustice for things he had no control over. The fact that he was still willing to help the very people who would sooner turn him in was what made him stand apart. The agency had been keeping an eye on him for those reasons.

She only heard of his work thanks to Tony constantly talking about it. The moment Coulson let it slip was when she started doing her own research on his background.

"Word is you can find the cube," Steve said once awkward silence set in.

"Is that the only word on me?" Bruce asked, glancing around cautiously while wringing his hands together.

"Only word I care about," Steve assured him, getting straight to the point.

As Emily and Natasha settled aside while Bruce and Steve talked, she noticed how easily Steve got along with the doctor. She was suddenly aware of how much easier it was for Steve to get along with just about everyone. And when he didn't he just didn't care. There were times when she wished she shared that same notion. To never care what others thought of her must have felt incredible.

"Maria told you what happened with Starfleet," Natasha guessed when she caught the distant look in Emily's eyes.

"Yeah…" Emily looked down at the floor, suddenly feeling embarrassed and sheepish for even thinking anything good would come out of Kirk discovering her secret.

"Was it McCoy who told him?" Natasha's eyes narrowed when Emily stared at her in disbelief.

"Of course not!" she quickly defended him. She knew McCoy wouldn't stoop that low. Not unless the situation demanded it. Though after finding out that she'd killed people might have changed that view. "He's kept his promise that he wouldn't tell a soul… Kirk hacked into SHIELD's database and found out through that."

Natasha frowned when realization dawned on her. It wasn't unheard of to hear that someone hacked into SHIELD's database. If anyone tried doing so, they were usually arrested and never heard from again. A shiver swept through Emily when she realized the same thing could happen to Kirk. His sheer stupidity and curiosity could very well be his undoing.

Instead of dwelling on the possibilities that something far worse would happen to Kirk, Emily tried focusing on the situation at hand. Bruce and Steve had begun wandering around the airstrip. Both men were curious about the ship's design and what possibilities it held. Unfortunately, they couldn't stay out for long. Most of the agents from earlier had already locked down the quinjets, planes and helicopters before slipping inside for safety.

"Gentleman, you might wanna step inside for a minute," she informed them. "It's gonna get a little hard to breathe."

Steve and Bruce shared looks before walking towards the ledge.

Emily had to admit, it was humorous watching them. What Bruce and Steve thought they were standing on was the complete opposite. And one of the many reasons she loved SHIELD.

"Is this a submarine?" Steve asked.

"Really? They wanted me in a submerged pressurized metal container?" Bruce added as they reached the edge.

She couldn't hide the ghost of a smile as she thought of how much power the Hellicarrier brought to SHIELD. It was literally a floating fortress. And, unlike a Starship, they could disappear and reappear in any given country should it be necessary. That was what set SHIELD apart from Starfleet.

"Oh, no! This is much worse!" Bruce decided after realizing what they were standing on.

All four of them walked across the airstrip towards the bridge. It was the main hub where most agents were gathered and doing their work. For Emily, this was like her second home. She spent a lot of time up here when she was first starting out.

She explained in detail what they would be doing, and what the Hellicarrier was all about. It was some of SHIELD's greatest technology and secrets. And one of the reasons why she had kept mum about it when Steve kept asking where they were going.

Once inside, Steve and Bruce found themselves standing in the middle of a glass-window bridge.

The two of them were looking around in awe at what they saw before them. Rows of desk-filled computers made up the front half of the bridge that were capable of keeping the ship afloat. It was really quite something that Fury could manage to keep the thing from falling apart with just one eye.

"All engines operating," Maria announced from where she stood, "SHIELD emergency call 193.6 in effect. We're at level, sir."

She turned towards Fury, who stood at his post above the main hub of the bridge.

"Good," he nodded, "Lets vanish."

She watched as Steve walked around and tried taking everything in. He was clearly overwhelmed with everything he saw before him. Emily knew this was anything but easy for someone who was accustomed to the twentieth century.

"So, I take it this is your home at the moment?" he asked, glancing at her curiously.

"For now," she replied with a shrug. "At least until I am reassigned to a more suitable place."

Unease crawled through her as she found herself wondering what 'home' would be once this was over. She doubted Kirk would allow her anywhere near Starfleet Academy if he had his way. McCoy could try and convince him otherwise all he wanted, but Kirk was almost as stubborn as she was. Convincing Kirk was like trying to convince her to give up her work with the agency.

"Doctor, thank you for coming," Fury shook Bruce's hand when he approached.

"Thank you for asking nicely, so… uh…" He paused as he looked around cautiously before looking back at Fury, "How long am I staying?"

"Once we get our hands on the Tesseract," Fury assured him.

"Where are you with that?" Bruce asked.

Fury turned towards the stairs as Coulson joined them, crossing his arms over his chest, "We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. Cell phones, laptops. If it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us," he explained.

"Still not going to find them in time," Natasha shook her head doubtfully.

"You have to narrow the field. How many spectrometers do you have access to?" Bruce asked, turning to look between Fury and Coulson.

"How many are there?"

"Call every lab you know, tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays," Bruce replied, "I'll rough out a tracking algorithm based on cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places. Do you have somewhere for me to work?"

"Agent Romanoff?" Fury looked at Natasha, who had been watching Emily and Steve the whole time, "would you show Dr. Banner to his laboratory, please?"

"You're gonna love it, Doc. We got all the toys," Natasha replied while leading the way.

Once they left the bridge, Fury's eye landed on Emily. She knew he was waiting to inform her on the newcomers who were brought in. And she dreaded the moment when she would have to face Kirk. The only consolation she had was that she wouldn't have to face him alone.

"You've already been informed about the new arrivals," he remarked dryly, knowing full-well why they were brought in. "I want you to debrief them in what's happening. McCoy's already signed the agreement, but Kirk's gonna be more of a challenge."

Emily grimaced when she heard the biting edge in his voice. She could tell from how annoyed he sounded that he wanted her to talk more specifically to Kirk. Her heart sank even further as she imagined what Kirk would say once they confronted one another. Nothing good was going to come out of it. The only thing she could do at that point was hope Kirk was in a listening mood, and that he wouldn't try throttling her to much when this was said and done.