"Director Fury," Eva said, sitting down. "It's nice to see you again." Inside, Eva was freaking out. He was one of the most powerful and intimidating men in the world… she knew from past experience.
"Do you know why you have been called in?" he asked, not beating around the bush. Almost immediately, Eva was acutely aware of how serious this was. Her hand found its way to her hair, playing with it as anxiety riddled her body. And suddenly, that 3 a.m. decision to dye the tips of her hair pink three weeks ago seemed wildly inappropriate.
"No sir," Eva said, pulling her hand down to her lap. "But I was told that I would be briefed once I got here?"
"Yes," Fury said, motioning to Coulson. "Agent Coulson?"
"Sir," Coulson said, nodding as he stepped forward.
"Ms. Ackerman," Coulson said, using her last name as a formality, "What you are about to learn is extremely confidential and is not to be repeated outside of this Helicarrier facility, understood?"
"Yes," Eva said, ignoring the urge to sink into her chair.
"Yesterday at 2200 hours," Coulson said, "an enemy acquired a dangerous object from a SHIELD facility, turning agents and a consultant in the process… Erik Selvig, I believe you have met him before?
"Yeah," Eva said, "we consulted on that one case in Greenland… the one with the chemist student?"
"Right," Coulson said, clearing his throat. "As a result of this incident, we have since activated the Avengers Initiative."
"Okay? What is that?" Eva asked, shaking her head. "And what does this have to do with me? I mean, I'm just a consultant."
"You," Coulson said, "are included in this initiative."
"What?" Eva asked as Coulson handed her a file. Flipping through it, Eva was shocked at the profiles included in it. "Iron Man, Doctor Banner, Captain America…" Her voice trailed off as she began to skim the information.
"There's a lot in those files you won't find anywhere else," Fury said.
"Why am I in here?" Eva asked, looking at the two men with concern. "I'm literally not like any of these people… Like Iron Man? He's a genius!"
"You are included," Coulson said, leaning against the wall, "because of your education background."
"I'm a nursing and chemistry consultant for SHIELD," Eva said plainly. "Don't you guys have tons of doctors who are more trained than I am?"
"Some members of the team are untrusting of organizations like ours… It was proposed that we have someone not working for SHIELD be there to treat any injuries… someone like you," Coulson said, before adding, "But, there is no contractual obligation for you to do this, although the circumstances are similar to the case in which you were first brought in for."
"But," Fury said, "we think you are the best for this job."
Eva thought about it for a moment. She could just go home and be with her dog and have a few days off… But at the same time, she knew what she had to do. But something was bugging her about the situation… They could bring in any medical personnel and they had chosen a low-level, relatively-new consultant.
"I'm in," she said, grasping the files tightly. "When do I start?"
"Now," Fury said. "Seeing as our world is on the very of being plunged into war, we need you to start reviewing medical histories and begin preliminary testing… we don't know what we are dealing with, so we need to have everything on file for every one so that we are prepared for the worst possible contingency."
"Got it," Eva said, standing up. "Is there somewhere I should be?"
"First," Fury said, "you're going to meet the rest of the team. Then you'll be shown to your lab."
"Great," Eva said, ignoring her sweaty palms as she wiped them on her leggings. "I'll just follow one of you?"
"Me," Coulson said, opening the door and motioning for her to leave.
"Um, thank you Director Fury," Eva said, turning to face the ever-intimidating man before she left. "I look forward to working closely with SHIELD on this assignment."
Fury merely nodded as the two exited his office.
"Coulson," Eva said, giving him a light smack on the arm, "what the hell?"
"The Avengers Initiative was scrapped a while ago," he said, "so, technically, there was no reason to tell you."
"I know I've only been a part of SHIELD for, like, a year," Eva said, "but I feel like I deserved to know?"
"It's really not that big of a deal… By the way, there's more information on the situation in that file, so I would review before we get there," Coulson said. Eva began to skim the pages of files.
"This Loki guy," Eva asked as they turned a corner, "he turned Barton? Like, the Clint Barton? Hawkeye?"
"Yeah," Coulson said, "using some Jedi-mind trick… stick thing."
"And we have this Loki guy in custody?" Eva clarified.
"Yeah, but we don't think he's going to talk," Coulson said.
"Do they usually?" Eva asked.
Coulson didn't reply, and, truthfully, Eva didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. She continued to skim the pages before they found themselves in what Eva assumed was the front of the Helicarrier, with open windows. Sitting around a table above multiple techs hard at work, was a table, lined with the people who Eva had just read about.
Black Widow AKA Natasha Romanov. Eva had read enough in her file to know that she was close with Clint, but her demeanor alone was majorly off-putting.
Doctor Bruce Banner AKA the Hulk. He had an incident with gamma radiation, trying to replicate the super soldier initiative, that resulted in the Hulk.
Thor AKA… Thor? He was the unexpected arrival on Earth years prior and his brother was Loki. Talk about family issues…
But it was the familiar blonde man that made Eva crack a smile.
Steve Rogers. She hadn't seen him since that initial consult a year ago.
All of their eyes were glued to tablets, as two voices could be made out.
"You threaten my world with war, you steal a force you can't hope to control, you talk about peace and you kill because it's fun… You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did," came the familiar voice of Director Fury.
"Oh, it burns you to have come so close, to have the Tesseract, to have power – unlimited power, and for what? A… warm light for all mankind to share?" the new voice asked, and doing a headcount, Eva figured it was Loki. "And then to be reminded what real power is."
"Well, let me know if 'real power' wants a magazine or something," Fury said, his tone showing that he was not happy.
"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Banner said, attempting to break the awkward silence that had overcome the room for a few seconds..
"Loki's going drag this out. So, Thor, what's his play?" Steve asked.
He has an army called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard nor any world known. He means to lead the against your people. They will win him the Earth, in return, I suspect, for the Tesseract," Thor said.
"An army, from outer space?" Steve asked.
"So, he's building another portal. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for," Banner said. Eva felt increased concern for older man. He had been one of the first people she had met through SHIELD and he had been kind and patient.
"Selvig?" Thor asked.
"He's an astrophysicist," Banner clarified, before Thor interrupted.
"He's a friend."
"Loki has them under some kind of spell… along with one of ours," Natasha said, and Eva immediately felt for her. She hadn't met Natasha before, but she knew that she and Barton worked on missions together frequently. She also knew that Barton had something to do with Natasha's employment with SHIELD.
"I want to know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here," Steve said.
"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats…you can small crazy on him," Banner said, and Eva found herself nodding.
"Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason but he is of Asgard, and he is my brother," Thor said, his voice warning.
"He killed eighty people in two days," Natasha said bluntly.
"He's adopted," Thor said, his voice sounding a tad embarrassed.
I think it's about the mechanics. Iridium, what do they need the Iridium for?" Banner asked. When no one spoke, Eva answered.
"It's a stabilizing agent," she said and all eyes turned to her. Before they could ask anything, a voice behind her spoke. She gave Steve a small wave, and he returned the sentiment.
"Means the portal wont collapse on itself like it did at SHIELD," the voice said as the man passed her, Eva recognized him. It was Tony Stark. "No hard feelings Point Break, you got a mean swing… Also, means the portal can open as wide and stay open as long as Loki wants…" Eva was about to add on, but he spoke out to the multiple techs below. "Ah, raise the mizzen mast, jib the topsails! That man is playing Galaga! Thought we wouldn't notice, but we did!"
"The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source of high energy density. Something to kick start the Cube," Eva said, interrupting Tony's antics as Hill said something about turning. "Are you an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?"
"As of last night. The packet, Selvig's notes, the extraction theory papers- am I the only one who did the reading?" Tony asked, before narrowing his eyes at the new arrival. "And you are?"
"I'm Evangeline Ackerman, but please call me Eva. I'm essentially the team medic and a general consultant on the sciences… I dabbled in thermonuclear astrophysics for a bit in college," Eva said, adding the last part at the glance that Tony gave her.
"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve asked.
"He'd have to heat the Cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier," Banner said.
"Unless, Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the Quantum Tunneling effect," Tony said.
"Well, if he could do that, he could achieve heavy-ion fusion at any reactor on the planet," Eva added.
"Finally. People who speak English," Tony said.
"Is that what just happened?" Steve mumbled.
"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on anti-electronic collisions is unparalleled," Tony said, shaking Banner's hand, before adding, "And I'm a huge fan of the way you- lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."
"Thanks," Banner said awkwardly.
"Doctor Banner is only here to track the Cube. I was hoping you might join him," Fury said, entering the room.
"I'd start with that stick of his. It may be magical but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon," Steve added.
"I don't know about that, but it is powered by the Cube. And I like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys," Fury said, crossing his arms.
"Monkeys? I do not understand?" Thor asked.
"I do!" Steve said, a little too excitedly, "I understood that reference."
"Shall we play?" Tony asked, and to Eva's surprise he seemed to be referring to both Banner and her.
"Ms. Ackerman," Coulson said, "is to start taking preliminary blood tests on you all… Her lab is right next to Banner's. Drop by, all of you, within the next hour."
"I guess I'll just follow you?" Eva said, following the two men down the maze of hallways.
"So, you're a nurse?" Banner asked. "And you're working with us?"
"Yeah," Eva said, "Just found out a little bit ago."
"Explains why your file was so small… didn't even have a picture," Tony said.
"I don't work for SHIELD exactly," Eva said. "I'm a consultant and one of the terms of my contract was that I have a minimal database presence…"
"Why you?" Tony asked. "You some kind of genius?"
"Hardly," Eva said, resisting the urge to snort, "apparently it's because of my knowledge of SHIELD but my separation for it… Makes you all trust me easier to treat you like people and not use you as lab rats. All of my test results are stored on a private server that SHIELD is legally not allowed to touch and has no way of accessing."
"How'd you swing that?" Banner asked. "SHIELD likes to get their hands in anything."
"Honestly," Eva said, "no idea… I was recruited based off of the word of a good agent, so I assume it had something to do with that glowing recommendation, and I made it clear that I wouldn't come work with them unless they could guarantee that."
"Interesting," Tony mused, looking at the woman next to him.
"Here's my lab," Banner said before pointing to the one next to his lab, "and I guess that's yours?"
"Guess so," Eva said, "don't assume either of you gentlemen would like to be poked first?"
"That's all you," Banner said, giving Tony a pat on the back before entering his lab.
"Shall we, Stark?" Eva asked, opening the door.
"We shall," he said, smirking as he entered the room.
"So," I said, "you're the Iron Man, huh?"
"That I am," he said. "Please don't tell me you're a fan."
"I'm more a fan of the man who's into renewable energy," Eva said. "Just sit right there."
"Environmental activist?"
"More of person who wants the world to be a better place," Eva said, grabbing a needle to get some blood. "Which arm?"
"Left," he said.
"So, how does that," Eva asked, motioning towards the glowing circle in his chest, "work?"
"That's a secret," he said.
"Okay," Eva said, wiping his arm with some rubbing alcohol to disinfect it, "but there's no chance it breaks during this stint, right?"
"No chance," he said.
"Good," Eva said, "because as much as I've studied, I don't think – this is going to pinch – that I would be much help if it breaks." She poked his vein with a needle and began to draw blood.
"Once you finish up with this for everyone," Tony said, "you should come help Banner and I… three minds are better than two."
"I just might…" Eva said, grinning.
They then reviewed Tony's medical history, and as Eva was sending him away, he turned to face her.
"I'll send Banner in?"
"Sounds great," Eva said, "Thanks."
"One question for you," he asked, leaning against the frame of the door.
"Shoot."
"Why did SHIELD want you to work for them?" he asked. "Do you have some amazing credentials?"
"Like I said," Eva said, preparing for Banner's tests, "I have no idea… Just woke up one day to Agent Coulson outside of my door and then before I knew it, I had signed a contract to work as a consultant… Also meant that I got to skip a residency and go straight into working, even if it's a combo of nursing and other sciences…."
"Huh," Tony said. "Well, I'll go get Banner."
"Thanks," Eva said.
One by one, every member of the team made their way to Eva's lab.
Banner.
Natasha.
Thor.
And finally, Steve.
"Is this a good time?" Steve asked from the doorway. Eva turned to face him.
"Yeah," she said, "I was going to go chase you down, if I didn't get you in here soon."
"I'm here now, so no worries ma'am."
"Ma'am?" Eva asked mockingly. "It's Eva, super soldier. Thought you'd remember that, Steve."
"Right," Steve said, "Eva."
"Just sit there," she said, fanning through his files. "Most of your stuff is up to date, so I think we shouldn't have to do to any tests… I know you don't like getting blood drawn."
"That's true."
"So how have you been?" Eva asked, checking some stuff on his forms. "You explored the world at all?"
"Not really," Steve confessed. "What about you? Temporary fix turned permanent, huh?"
"Life is crazy."
"So why were you brought on?"
"Apparently," Eva said, setting down the files, "they liked my insistence of patient confidentiality and figured others might appreciate the same thing… you're good to go."
"Thanks," he said. "I'll be seeing you around, I suppose."
"Assuming you don't jump into action before then," Eva said. "Bye Steve."
He left, giving Eva time to input the information into her computer. She grew bored after a few minutes after starting the blood tests and decided that she needed a change of scenery. She left her small lab and went next door.
Knocking lightly before opening the door, Eva was met with the gazes of Tony and Banner.
"Any more room at this testosterone party?" she asked, giving a small smile.