Chapter Twenty Seven
"Yeah in this wasteland where I'm livin', There is a crack in the door filled with light And it's all that I need to get by, Yeah in this wasteland where I'm livin' There is a crack in the door filled with light, And it's all that I need to shine, All of these people I meet It seems like they're fine,Yeah in some ways I hope that they're not And their hearts are like mine, It's wrong when it seems like work To belong all I feel is hurt..." - Wasteland, NEEDTOBREATHE
"The Tesseract was an energy source that we were trying to utilize," Coulson explained as they headed for their destination, "Fury believed that there was a way to use it as an energy source ten times greater than oil and electricity."
Ada frowned when she heard the disapproval in his voice. It was clear there was more going on than just a renewable source of energy. They'd started discussing the reason behind their flight to the Hellicarrier via helicopter. Knowing that the Tesseract was a powerful source of energy, it could also be weaponized. Which led her to guessing the real reason behind Fury's intentions on keeping the cube. She knew SHIELD wasn't above using the Tesseract as a weaponized object. If they had the power to convert energy into a powerful weapon, they would try.
"But, in the end, the Tesseract couldn't be controlled," she concluded, her frown deepening as she thought of how this had started in the first place. Pepper had left them for a meeting shortly after they reached the bottom floor of the Tower. Now, with Steve in tow, they were on their way to the Hellicarrier. "Why was SHIELD trying to control it? It sounds as if they were trying to use it as some kind of weapon."
That caught Steve's attention. From the files that she'd read on him, the Tesseract was a weapon that had been used during World War II. The Red Skull had learned how to harness its power and turn it again his enemies. Though, in the end, even he couldn't contain its energy for long.
What bothered Ada more than anything was the fact that SHIELD wanted to get into the energy business. Ever since Tony himself had changed his ways, it seemed like everyone else was trying to follow suit. The problem was, there was only so much one could do with that field of work.
Steve himself was reading the files that Coulson had given him. He hadn't been surprised when he saw Ada waiting with Coulson. Instead, he focused his attention on the files in front of him while they talked. Not that Ada couldn't blame him – the Avenger's Initiative was something that would have thoroughly confused anyone who wasn't familiar with SHIELD. The files that they managed to put together were based mostly on individuals they believed were best suited for the Avenger's Initiative. It still annoyed her that she wasn't on said database. Steve had asked why she wasn't on the files, but Coulson simply answered his question with a frown of his own.
"I'm afraid that isn't for me to answer," Coulson shook his head. Though, Ada hadn't missed the uneasiness in his voice. He'd sounded shaken enough as it was when he reached the Tower. Now, she knew something else was bothering him. "Power like that in the wrong hands is dangerous enough, let alone in the hands of a madman like Loki."
Ada glanced at Steve self-consciously when she noticed a video play out on the files he'd been scanning. She grimaced when she saw the labs where Banner had turned into the Hulk for the first time. It had been a long time since she last spoke with Banner. Seeing the video was just another reminder that they had worked together for a short time, and that she'd fought alongside the Hulk. Though the memories of fighting alongside him hadn't been all that pleasant, Banner had proven himself to be an invaluable friend in the end. She knew he didn't deserve the reputation that everyone had given him; all he wanted to do was help people.
"So, this Doctor Banner was trying to replicate the serum that was used on me?" Steve asked as the video finished playing.
"A lot of people were. You were the world's first superhero. Banner thought gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula," Coulson replied, glancing in Ada's direction.
She simply shrugged, knowing that she didn't have any say in the matter, as far as Banner was concerned. When they first met, she promised that she wouldn't give away too much information. Ada had maintained that promise, even after Fury asked whether or not she'd told Banner about SHIELD.
"Didn't really go his way, did it?" Steve asked, frowning when another video played out.
He made a face when Banner managed to Hulk out again, this time killing a dozen people in his way. Ada had to look away from the sight, realizing that while Banner hadn't been at fault for what happened, he often took the blame for those incidents.
"Not so much. When he's got that thing though, guy's like a Stephen Hawking."
She had to hide the grin that followed at the mention of Hawking. Even Tony admired Hawking's work, and he had often talked about him. Hell, Ada had seen the posture of geniuses like Albert Einstein on his wall in the lab. Try as he might, Tony was a fanboy when it came to world-famous scientists and geniuses.
"He's like a… really smart person," Coulson tried explaining, though, it sounded as if he was just setting himself up for further embarrassment.
By now, Ada was smothering a fit of laughter as she watched his excitement get the better of him. Coulson was a huge fan of Captain America. Getting to work with him had been a dream come true, for Coulson. Hearing him stutter was making it impossible to hold back her laughter.
"I gotta say, it's an honor to meet you, officially. I sort of met you, I mean, I watched you while you were sleeping."
Her cheeks were beginning to burn after biting the for so long. By the time she finally lost it, she was gasping for air after holding her laughter in for so long. Coulson threw her an incredulous look when he noticed that she was laughing at him. Steve just looked between the two of them in amusement, albeit he was a little put off with Coulson's behavior.
"Is he always like this?" he asked, voice dropping to a whisper.
"Not usually," she whispered back, struggling to hold back her laughter.
She really wished she had a camera with her. It would have made for some perfect blackmail. Considering how stoic Coulson usually was, Ada found it almost comical that he tried hiding his embarrassment. He made it painfully obvious that he was a fanboy, whether he wanted to admit it out loud or not. She had never seen Coulson act that way around anyone.
"I mean, I was… I was present while you were unconscious from the ice. You know, it's really, it's just a… just a huge honor to have you on board," he babbled on, ignoring the fact that both Ada and Steve were just offering their best smiles.
With Coulson struggling to maintain his composure around Steve, Ada thought back to how SHIELD had gotten its hands on the Tesseract in the first place. She had a feeling that the Tesseract itself had been with Steve, at the time. Which meant SHIELD likely held it under lock and key until finding a need to utilize its energy.
It wasn't until feeling a hand on her shoulder that Ada glanced at Steve in surprise. She knew that they hadn't talked much since their encounter at the cafe. But, their conversation had led to a surprise that Ada hadn't expected. Fury's idea of her teaching him the use of modern technology was something that left her feeling worried, especially when she already knew she wasn't a good teacher to begin with.
"You alright?" he asked curiously.
"I'll be fine once we get the Tesseract out of Loki's hands," she replied with a shrug.
Along with getting Clint back on their side. Hearing that he'd been taken by Loki was enough to leave her fists clenching with outrage. The archer had been her teacher prior to switching over to Natasha. Knowing that he had been taken only drove her to find Loki and end everything before it got worse.
Relief swept through her when the helicopter reached the Hellicarrier. The sudden jolt that followed caused Ada to lurch forward as she reached for the nearest railing. She was ready to hop out after Steve when Coulson suddenly stopped her, pulling her aside.
"Ada, wait. I was… kind of hoping that you could get Captain America to sign the trading card collection I have," he admitted, sounding more embarrassed than ever.
Ada rose an eyebrow at his sudden request. She'd suspected that he wanted those trading cards signed. What she wasn't expecting was for him to flat-out ask if she could get them signed. Steve was already likely put off enough with Coulson's admiration.
"Why trust me with that request?" she asked, feeling embarrassed herself with the idea of getting them signed.
"Because he trusts you, as far as I can tell," Coulson replied without missing a beat, "And I'm… I'd rather not be seen as the guy who creeped Captain America out."
That was enough for Ada to smirk in amusement.
"I think you've gotten past that, already," she retorted, ignoring the incredulous look that followed, "But, I'll see what I can do."
She'd never seen Coulson act like that, before. It was strange, and it unnerved her to the point where she tried to slip away before he could ask her to do anything else. Her shoulders sagged in relief when she spotted someone familiar standing on the airstrip.
"Agent Stark." Ada ducked her head at the sound of Natasha's voice as the redhead approached her. Curt and to the point as always, Ada wasn't surprised with her lack of emotions. "It's good to see you again."
"You too, though, I wish it was under better circumstances," Ada nodded in agreement. Though Natasha had her reasons for keeping secrets and her lack of trust in people, there were the rare occasions when they would open up to each other. "How are you coping?"
"I'm coping," she replied with a shrug.
She left it at that, and she turned to watch as Steve tried taking everything in at once.
The Hellicarrier was an amazing airship. It was like a floating city, with dozens of levels inside. On four sides were the blades that carried the Hellicarrier through the sky. The ship itself was designed in a way that it could float in the sky for days on end without the need to refuel.
"It was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice. I thought Coulson was gonna swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards, yet?" Natasha asked when she reached Steve.
She almost laughed at Steve's expression when Natasha mentioned the trading cards. The fact that Coulson trusted her enough to ask Steve if he could sign them said something. She had a feeling Tony would have gotten a kick out of seeing Coulson act that way, if he was given the chance.
"Trading cards?" Steve asked as he tried to comprehend just how popular Captain America really was.
"They're vintage; he's very proud of them," Ada replied.
It was at that moment when Ada spotted another familiar face waiting for them. She couldn't hide the small smile that followed as she reached Banner. He may have looked uneasy, and was pacing around while constantly looking over his shoulder, but, he looked good for someone who had been on the run.
"Doctor Banner," Steve greeted him with a handshake.
"Oh, yeah. They told me you'd be coming," Banner replied, returning the gesture. He didn't look the least bit surprised when he spotted Ada standing beside Natasha. "Didn't know you were so comfortable around these types of people."
Ada only smirked at that as she gave him a welcoming hug, relieved to see that he was okay. She knew that Banner had been on the run from the military for some time. After the incident in Harlem, she couldn't necessarily blame him for wanting to stay undetected.
"You get used to it, after a while," she replied when he returned the gesture. "It's good to see you again, Bruce."
"You too, Ada."
She hadn't missed the looks written across Natasha or Steve's faces. Working alongside him had taught her that he shouldn't blame himself for what had happened. If anything, the military and Ross were to blame for what had happened. They were the ones who pushed him into developing the serum. They were the ones who wanted to control the Hulk, and weaponize him.
"Word is, you can find the cube," Steve cut in after recovering from his initial surprise.
"Is that the only word on me?" Banner asked warily.
She glanced at Steve nervously, knowing full-well what Banner meant by that.
"Only word I care about," Steve reassured him.
"Must be strange for you, all of this," Banner added, looking pointedly at all the technology scattered along the airstrip.
Steve wasn't necessarily focused on the tech, though. He was more interested in the agents who were currently being drilled. A few others were carrying rifles around their shoulders, preparing for the worst outcome. Ada could remember the days when she had been part of those drills herself. When she first joined the agency, it had been a huge shock to find herself being dragged into some of the regulation drills that older agents were forced to take.
"Well, this is actually kind of familiar," Steve remarked thoughtfully.
Suddenly, an announcement was made that the Hellicarrier was getting ready to launch. By now, the agents standing around the airstrip made a run for the nearest door. Launches were the best part of the Hellicarrier, though. Ada had been lucky enough to see the first launch, and had been awed by the power it took to get such a huge ship into the air.
"Gentlemen, you may wanna step inside in a minute," Natasha warned them, "It's gonna get a little hard to breathe."
The Hellicarrier began to shake violently just as she said that, causing Banner and Steve to lurch forward in surprise.
"Is this a submarine?" Steve asked, glancing at Natasha curiously.
"Really? They want me in a submerged pressurized metal container?" Banner put in. Ada had to admit, she missed Banner's sense of humor. She could understand why he was so uneasy, though. If he suddenly Hulked out while the Hellicarrier was in the air, the results could have been disastrous. He and Steve peered over the ledge, only to see that the Hellicarrier was actually rising, rather than sinking, "Oh, no. This is much worse."
As they headed inside the interior of the ship, Ada thought back to how this crazy adventure had started in the first place. She never would have considered SHIELD as part of her life until she was adopted by Tony. She wondered if things would have been any different, if she'd never left the orphanage.
All she ever wanted was to help people. SHIELD had given her that opportunity. Tony had given her an opportunity to have a family, and a somewhat normal life. She could never thank Tony or even Coulson enough for what they'd done for her.
Director Fury was already waiting for them when they reached the bridge. Agents were stationed at computers that were scanning various parts of the world for Loki or the Tesseract. Any sign of his location was better than nothing, as far as Ada was concerned.
"Gentlemen." Fury's curt greeting was enough for Ada to raise an eyebrow.
She rose an eyebrow when Steve passed Fury a ten dollar bill, looking more than awestruck with the sight of the bridge.
She had to admit, the place was impressive looking. As Ada took everything in, she noticed that panoramic windows overlooked the sky the Hellicarrier was soaring through. Above, she could see the communications office that overlooked the bridge. Again, agents were everywhere keeping an eye on their monitors and working on various tasks. Because of Loki's recent attack, everyone needed to remain alert and aware of their surroundings.
"Doctor, thank you for coming," Fury went on as Banner approached him cautiously.
"Thank you, for asking nicely," Banner replied with a curt nod. Ada didn't miss the sarcasm in his tone, suggesting that he had been dragged here against his will. "So, uh… how long am I staying?"
Ada tilted her head to one side as she looked at Fury, wondering the same thing. The sooner they found Loki and the Tesseract, the better off they were.
"Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the clear," Fury replied.
"Where are you with that?" Director Fury looked at Coulson to explain.
"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."
Coulson's explanation left Ada frowning. She knew from what the files read that the Tesseract ran on a unique energy pattern. Even with all of that technology, it would still be difficult to find the cube.
"That's still not going to be enough," she remarked.
"You have to narrow the field," Banner nodded in agreement, "How many spectrometers do you have access to?"
"How many are there?"
"Call every lab you know, tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. 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?"
Ada had a feeling Banner was going to love the lab they'd set up for him. It was installed with some of the latest technology. She just hoped that it was a stress free environment for him. Given his circumstance, the less stress, the better.
"Agent Romanoff, would you show Dr. Banner to his laboratory, please," Fury ordered.
"You're gonna love it, Doc. We got all the toys," Natasha told him as they walked past.
"I've seen the progress reports Romanoff left for you," Fury added before Ada could slip past. "You've been pushing yourself."
"Better than being treated like a third wheel," she muttered under her breath.
She knew he was right. As much as she hated to admit it, she had been pushing herself to the limits. It was more than just a distraction from the stress of finding out who she was. Her relationship with Tony had only been strained when they first met. Now, she didn't even know where she belonged. There was a time when she thought she knew. But now, it felt as if her search had never ended in the first place.
"Look, Ada, we can't have you passing out on us because you've reached your limit," Fury snapped after pinching the bridge of his nose. Even he knew how stubborn she could be, and, he was already at his wits' end with her. "The Council is already debating whether it's safe to have you in the agency or not."
That was enough for her blood to run cold. Ada had always known that there was tension between her agreement in joining SHIELD, and the Council. They never liked the idea that a kid had joined the agency. Now that they had proof that she wasn't capable of handling the stress, they'd just use that as an excuse to kick her out.
She let out a sigh, knowing full-well that was the last thing she wanted, "What exactly do you suggest I do, in the meantime?" she pressed.
If Fury wanted her to be part of the Avengers, she would have to do something. She hated feeling useless.
"Take a break. We'll call you when we need you," Fury replied, brushing off her concern, "Believe me, I won't let the Council take you off duty."
Ada gave a faint nod, aware that was the least she could do. She just hoped that he was right, about convincing the Council to let her stay. Otherwise, she didn't know what she would do with herself.
…
When she first agreed to sign up for SHIELD, Ada never expected her life to take a turn the way it did. She supposed she should have thanked Coulson for giving her a chance, along with Fury. Both men seemed to think she was fully capable of being part of the 'Avenger's Initiative'. Yet, she couldn't forget that she still had a mission of her own. To find out why the Aliquid, her people, fled to Earth and were hunted down like a pack of wild animals. None of that should have happened; from what she was able to gather, her people were peaceful and had only tried making a living on a strange planet filled with strange people.
"Agent Stark, your presence is requested on the bridge."
Ada frowned at the voice speaking through the com, and, held back a knowing sigh. With all eyes on the Tesseract and Loki, Ada knew it was only a matter of time before they found him. She just hoped that this didn't end in miserable failure. If Loki was anything like Thor had described him while she was in New Mexico, she suspected they were in for a nasty surprise. Anyone unprepared for the fight would find themselves a sitting target for Loki's attack.
She rose an eyebrow when she noticed that Director Fury was already waiting for her when she reached the bridge. Steve was standing nearby as well, frowning at whatever they had picked up from the scanners. Ada glanced at Fury in confusion when she caught the stern look he was giving her.
"I want you to go with Rogers down in Stuttgart," he explained. That was enough to catch Ada by surprise. She tilted her head to one side, not liking the idea of working alongside Steve already. She'd already overheard him judging her just because she shared the same last name as Tony. "We've already got an invitation set up for the main event."
She didn't even want to know how they were able to get an invitation. Knowing SHIELD, anything was possible. With that thought in mind, Ada quickly went off to get ready for the mission at hand, already aware of the dangers that lay ahead.
AN: Hopefully this won't be too confusing to readers; I do plan on adding a lot of changes that differ from the original in this part of the story. Also, I wanted to thank everyone for favoriting and following this story, so far! Your support means the world to me :) And, a shout out to ShinigamiLovesApples for reviewing!
ShinigamiLovesApples - I'm glad that you enjoyed it :) I'm hoping you'll enjoy this chapter; though for some reason I've got mixed feelings for it. Thanks again for reviewing!