Numb.
Freya feels completely numb. She doesn't remember getting to her feet or how she got from the engine back to the bridge. But she's now sitting at the head of the conference table. Her dad on her left while Steve sits on her right. Fury is standing at the side of the table that is opposite of her looking at something in his hands.
Her sobs have finally ceased, leaving the four to sit in complete silence. Her wounds have healed quite a bit, but her reaction to losing Coulson seemed to slow down the healing process momentarily. She now only feels a strong, dull ache from them. Her hands are folded in her lap as she stares at them. All she can picture is Phil's face, knowing she'll never see him again. She'll never get to hug him again or see his eyes light up when he smiles. Never again will she hear his laugh or his corny jokes. All because he was trying to do his job. All because he was trying to make sure Loki didn't get away.
Loki.
Her birth father.
He had killed Phil. Murdered him.
She can feel the bile rise in her throat when she thinks about it. Freya had felt him die. She had felt the life leave his body. Felt him take his last breath. It had momentarily crippled her, bringing her to her knees. She's never felt anything like it before. It's left her physically weak and emotionally drained. She isn't sure if it's an ability or a curse. Knowing when someone that she cares about dies. Fury finally breaks the silence.
"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket." He pauses momentarily before looking up at Steve. "I guess he never did get you to sign them."
Fury tosses Phil's Captain America trading cards onto the table in front of Steve. Phil's own blood covering them. Freya just stares at the cards, unable to look away from the blood. She watches Steve pick up one of the them and inspect it. Guilt, regret and sadness flash across his face as Fury continues to talk.
"We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, the location of the cube, Banner, Thor..."
Freya had been told that Loki had also gone after Thor. Tricking him in order to trap him in his own cell before he dropped the steel cage down the hatch. Thor presumably falling to his death.
Uncle Thor.
She had just met him, so she isn't sure if she would feel his death or not. She's completely clueless as to how this new ability even works. Banner, who had still been the Hulk at the time, had also fallen from the helicarrier. No where to be seen. He was the only one who saw the location of the Cube before the lab exploded. The only good news is that Natasha had been able to get Clint back. She's currently with him in the infirmary. Trying to level him out and clear Loki out of his head. Fury's voice pulls Freya from her thoughts.
"I got nothin' for you. Lost my one good eye... Maybe I had that comin'." He begins to slowly walk around the table. "Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number, though, because I was playing something even riskier." He stops, looking up at the three seated around the table before continuing. "There was an idea, the Starks know this, called the Avengers Initiative."
Freya can see Steve look up at her and her father from the corner of her eye as she stares down at her hands again. Fury makes his way over to Freya and stands behind her chair. He stops and rests his hands on it.
"The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, to see if they could become something more." Steve turns his attention to Freya and studies her. Leaning on her chair now, Fury continues. "To see if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could." Standing up straight, Fury looks over at Tony. "Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea." He shifts his gaze between Freya and Steve. "In heroes." Tony suddenly stands from his chair and walks out of the room. Fury watches him go and sighs. "Well, it's an old-fashioned notion." He slowly walks away, leaving Freya and Steve alone. Silence envelopes them again.
"Freya..."
Freya picks up her head and meets Steve's worry-filled gaze. His eyes scan over her and take in her appearance. Her eyes are bloodshot red and her cheeks are flushed from crying. Her overall look screams exhaustion.
"Please... Don't ask me if I'm okay." She pauses to tuck some hair behind her ear as she licks her lips. Her voice is raspy and weak. "Because I am so far from it." He nods, still watching her. "He died thinking that I was still angry with him." Her voice cracks at the end while her lower lip begins to tremble. Steve pushes himself out of his chair and steps over to her. Turning her chair to face him, he crouches down in front of her.
"Don't do that to yourself," he tells her. He reaches his left hand out and places it over her clasped ones. His right hand moves up to her chin. He tilts her face up to make her look at him, but she still won't meet his eyes. Her lip is still trembling.
"The last time I spoke to him, I addressed him with so much anger." She shakes her head, disappointed in herself. "I never got to apologize and tell him I didn't blame him for not telling me." She takes a deep breath, trying to hold herself together. "I never got to tell him goodbye. Never got to tell him how much he meant to me. That he was my family," she chokes out while her voice cracks again.
"Hey." Steve's hand moves to the side of her face and his thumb gently strokes it. "He knew, Freya. Coulson knew how much you loved him." He watches her intently as he continues. "You know, he told me how proud of you he was. Last night before we flew to Germany." Her eyes snap to his and she starts to tear up. He smiles sadly and nods. "He told me how he had known you since you joined S.H.I.E.L.D. How he watched you grow into the amazing woman you are today." A tear rolls down her face and Steve catches it with his thumb. She takes a deep, calming breath.
"When Fury recruited me, he was with him. I enjoy working for S.H.I.E.L.D. because I love helping people. But I joined because of Phil." A small smile forms on her lips. "I saw how much passion he had for the job and how much he cared. He was the reason why I became an agent."
Silence falls between them again as they look at each other. Steve finally stands and offers both hands out to her.
"Then let's go do what he would want us to. Let's make him proud."
Freya looks up at Steve before reaching out to take his hands. He tugs her to her feet and pulls her into a tight hug. Freya returns it as he subconsciously buries his face in her hair and takes a deep breath. Releasing each other after a few moments, Freya looks up at him.
"Cmon, let's go find my dad. I think I know where he is."
Steve nods and follows her as she walks out of the room. Freya eventually leads him to the detention center. The room where Loki had killed Phil and dropped Thor to his presumed death. When they walk in, they see Tony standing at the edge of one of the platforms. Staring at the empty space where the cell used to be. Steve walks up the stairs of an adjacent platform, leaning on the railing as he crosses his arms. Freya continues to walk, following the path that leads up to her father. Steve watches her as she walks up behind him and waits. After a few seconds, Tony turns around. He studies his daughter momentarily before stepping forward and pulling her into a hug.
"I'm sorry, Merky... For everything. For not telling you. For the stupid comments I made because I was angry. For being a bad father."
Her head snaps up to him as she leans back and looks him straight in the eyes.
"You are not a bad father. You are the best father that I could've ever asked for. I am so lucky and grateful to be your daughter, Dad. You have no idea how proud I am of you."
Tony's eyes start to water as he looks down at her.
"I'm so proud of you too, Freya. I know Phil was as well." He pulls her back into a hug and kisses the top of her head. "I love you, Merky. So, so much."
"I love you too, Dad."
Steve watches them with a small smile. Letting them have a moment before he interrupts it.
"Was he married?" he asks them. Freya and Tony look up at him and step away from each other. Tony is the one to respond.
"No. There was a, uh, cellist, I think."
Freya nods in confirmation. Steve continues to study them.
"I'm sorry," Steve nods. "He seemed like a good man."
"He was," Freya says.
"He was an idiot," Tony says at the same time. Freya looks up at her Dad and narrows her eyes. She's deeply confused, but decides to stay silent. Knowing that he's speaking from anger and grief.
"Why? For believing?" Steve questions.
"For taking on Loki alone," Tony answers before walking away from the edge of the platform.
"He was doing his job," Steve refutes.
"He was out of his league," Tony scoffs as he approaches the soldier. "He should have waited. He should have..." He shakes his head and exhales harshly. Steve walks down the stairs of his platform and turns to him.
"Sometimes there isn't a way out, Tony."
"Right, I've heard that before," Tony rolls his eyes and descends from his platform. Freya follows as she listens to the two of them.
"Is this the first time you lost a soldier?" Steve asks as Tony walks by him. Who angrily spins around to face Steve. His voice thick with emotion.
"We are not soldiers." He pauses to take a breath and glances over at Freya, who had stepped up next to Steve, before looking back at the other man. "I'm not marching to Fury's fife."
"Neither are we," Steve gestures to himself and Freya. "He's got the same blood on his hands that Loki does. But right now, we gotta put that behind us and get this done. Now, Loki needs a power source. If we can put together a list-"
Freya is watching her dad intently. He had looked over to the spot on the wall that is stained with Phil's blood. Suddenly, he snaps his head back over to Steve and interrupts him.
"He made it personal."
Freya watches her father with wide eyes. Now understanding the meaning behind his words. Steve looks at him in confusion before giving a frustrated reply.
"That's not the point."
"That is the point." Steve turns at the sound of Freya's voice as she continues. "That's Loki's point."
"He hit us all right where we live," Tony nods. "Why?"
"To tear us apart," Steve guesses. Tony looks to his left into thin air as he thinks.
"Yeah, divide and conquer is great, but he knows he has to take us out to win, right? That's what he wants."
"He wants to beat us, he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience," Freya adds.
"Right. I caught his act in Stuttgart," Steve nods. Tony walks in between the other two, deep in thought. He begins to walk back up the stairs he had come down not too long ago.
"Yeah, that's just previews. This is opening night." He faces them when he gets to the top. "And Loki, he's a full-tilt diva, right? He wants flowers, he wants parades. He wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered-" Tony freezes and his eyes go wide. Freya's expression mirrors her father's. Having the exact same thought as him. Tony looks at his daughter and locks eyes, seeing that she has come to the same conclusion. "Son of a bitch." He jumps down the few stairs in front of him and runs out of the room.
"Did I miss something?" Steve asks Freya after Tony disappears through the door. She grabs his arm and starts leading him to the infirmary.
"He's at Stark Tower."
Steve jogs next to her as his eye go wide. Finally getting on the same page.
"The arc reactor..."
"Yup." Freya pops the "p".
Freya's stomach is in knots as she wonders if Clint is okay. Walking up to the door side-by-side, it automatically opens and reveals a familiar redhead. Natasha looks up and turns around to face the other two. Her eyes dart back and forth between the two blondes.
"Time to go."
"Go where?" she questions Steve.
"We'll tell you on the way. Can I get you or Frey to fly one of those jets?"
Freya glances around the room while the other two talk. Looking for any sign of Clint. The door to the bathroom suddenly opens.
"I can."
Freya looks over at the source of the voice and starts to tear up as she watches Clint step back into the room. The two blondes look back to Natasha for confirmation that he's okay. The redhead gives them a slight nod.
"You got a suit?" Steve asks.
"Yeah," Clint nods.
"Then suit up," Steve nods at Clint before looking down at Freya.
"I'll let you have a minute with them. Hurry out, okay?"
"Thank you."
She sends him a thankful smile and he gives her a small one in return before heading to the hangar. Freya sighs and shakily turns around and studies Clint. Who watches her wearily.
"Frey, I'm sorry I d- OOF!"
Clint doesn't get to finish his sentence as Freya runs across the room and throws herself at him. She quickly pulls him into a hug. His arms instantly wrap her up and squeeze as he leans his head against hers.
"Who even gives a shit anymore? I'm just so happy you're back." Her voice cracks as tears threaten to fall. She finally pulls back and he plants a kiss on her forehead.
"I've missed you, Kiddo."
"I've missed you too, Old Man," she sighs and wipes her eyes before any tears can fall.
"So I heard you can read minds now," Clint laughs and hugs her again.
"Yeah, let's talk about that later," Freya snorts. Stepping away from him, Freya turns around to face Natasha. The redhead studies the other woman as she tries to read her.
"Frey, I'm sorry. I should've told you."
Freya smiles and shakes her head as she pulls the other woman in for a hug. Natasha tightly hugs her back and breathes a sigh a relief.
"It doesn't matter anymore." Freya pulls away and smiles at her before turning to look at Clint. "You guys are my family."
He walks over to the two women and pulls them both in for a group hug. He presses a kiss to each of their foreheads.
"My girls," he sighs with a warm smile. Not one for sentiment, Natasha is the first one to step away.
"All right, time to move. Don't wanna keep Cap waiting."
The three assassins grab their gear and head to the hangar to meet up with Steve. He now has his helmet on and the famous shield is on his arm.
"We can take that one," Clint points at one of the quinjets.
Nodding, Steve heads for it. Freya walks in step with him on his right. Clint and Natasha are right behind them. As they walk up the ramp, a young agent that happens to be in the jet approaches them.
"Hey, you guys aren't authorized to be in here-"
"Son, just don't," Steve interrupts him. The agent looks at Freya who raises an eyebrow at him. Daring him to challenge them.
"Uh, i-i-it's all yours," he stutters as he quickly makes his way off the jet.
Clint and Natasha strap themselves into the pilot seats as the jet powers up. They take off moments later as Tony flies past them in his Iron Man suit.
"I'll fly ahead and see if I can shut down the arc reactor. Plus, I kinda need a new suit," Tony informs them over comms.
"We'll see you in a bit, Dad. Stay safe."
"You too, Merky."
"You doin' okay?" Steve asks Freya as he stands next to her.
"Yeah," she nods. "The wounds are pretty much healed up. Just a bit sore now."
"Good, I'm glad," he smiles down at her.
"Thanks," she smiles back shyly.
As the helicarrier fades into the distance behind them, Freya steps up behind the other two assassins and looks out the front window. A sickening feeling begins to stir in her stomach. She releases a heavy sigh, catching the attention of Natasha.
"What?" Natasha asks.
"Now I've got a Budapest feeling," Freya tells her with a grim look. The redhead's face slightly pales at the information.
"Блядь." (Fuck)
Clint's jaw clenches as he continues to fly them into battle. The flight to New York doesn't take very long. As they come up on the city, the four of them can see the portal above the tower. The alien army is starting to pour out of it. Steve and Freya stand behind the two pilots, watching intently as explosions go off mid-air. Freya realizes her dad is already in the middle of the invaders. Flying up through them, he tries to take out as many as possible. Closing in on the tower, Natasha gets on comms.
"Stark, we're on your three, headed northeast."
"What? Did you stop for drive-thru? Swing up Park. I'm gonna lay 'em out for you."
Navigating his way through the buildings, Clint does as directed. Tony flies past them on the cross street ahead as he leads a group of Chitauri straight into their crossfire. Natasha releases the rail gun from the underbelly of the jet and begins to shred the aliens as they fly through the intersection. Clint pulls up and flies the jet around the side of Stark Tower. Natasha shoots down any Chitauri that cross their path. The right wing of the jet ends up taking a hit, but not much damage is done. Clint slows down and swings the jet around the corner of the top of the tower. On the patio of the tower's top floor, they can see Thor fighting Loki.
"Uncle Thor," Freya grins in relief.
"Nat?" Clint glances at his co-pilot.
"I see him."
Clint angles the jet around to face the two gods. Giving Natasha a clear shot as she fires the rail gun at Loki. After throwing Thor to the ground, Loki turns on the jet and fires the scepter at it. The left wing takes a direct hit. Causing the jet to violently shake. The engine fails and they begin to drop out of the sky. Freya tries to grab one of the overhead bars, but is too short to reach it. Before she's able to grab on to anything else, she ends up losing her balance as the jet tilts at steep angle. Steve quickly reaches out and catches her before she falls and pulls her to him. He grips roof of the jet with one hand as he holds Freya against his body with the other. Trying his best to keep them from tumbling to the ground as Clint crash lands the jet.
When they finally stop sliding, the quinjet comes to rest at an awkward angle. Steve slowly releases his hold on Freya as they both gain their footing. She looks up at him and says a quick "Thanks, Cap" as they wait for the back ramp to open. He gives her a small smile and nod in reply. The two pilots unbuckle their harnesses and quickly chase after Steve and Freya as they exit the jet. The four of them throw themselves into the chaos that has now taken over New York.
