Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel, Disney, ABC or the Avengers. Just Sera.
If the last month went by fast, the next three days dragged on and on. Training was excruciating the following day. Steve pushed us harder than ever, but Bucky and I had him pull back the reins slightly. Scott was an eager participant every morning, but that would wear off quick enough. The next day everyone was in the shooting range underneath the hangar, enjoying the newest ICER's and making comments on the weights.
"Brock can't get anytime to talk to us. Hydra has been trying to trace his calls and texts, but they aren't getting past any of my defenses. We have floor plans of the compound, and each team, superhero, mutant, Inhuman and military, have their points of entry and the maximum perimeter allowed." I explained to the teams over videoconference.
"Zephyr One is mobile command. We'll be taking four SUV's to set up a road block to the bridge, and air support controlled by ARSENAL." Steve said, as Lincoln raised his hand in confusion.
"Um, not to put a huge damper on the fun, but aren't we acting above the law on this?" He said after I nodded for him to talk.
"It's not above the law. We have the President's approval with this." I explained.
"The same President that had the ATCU formed to hunt down Inhumans." Mack said, confused defending our Inhuman friends.
"We had the ATCU figured wrong," Phil said, "They weren't meant to kill Inhumans, just observe and put them in stasis while they developed a cure. Turns out that Mailck was giving the Terrigen to as many people as possible to create Inhumans. That has since stopped."
"Bastard," Lincoln said, as we all smirked.
"Brock was able to inform me that Malick will be present for this, rally, that they are calling it. A call to arms for Hydra," I said, before adding, "I cashed in a favor with the President."
"Since when did he owe you a favor?" My Dad smirked.
"He owes you one too. How did that happen?" I asked sarcastically referring to the Christmas of 2013 diaster.
"When a psychotic Centipede soldier attacked the White House singlehandedly and was holding the President and his staff hostage," I started, "You run from the Capitol building without a second thought as to the heels you're wearing."
"That's why you came home late." Steve said, thinking back to the one day I was late from work.
"I had to shower at the gym so you wouldn't smell the gunpowder, or see the blood splatter." I said, rolling my eyes at how obvious it was.
"You weren't with SHIELD anymore, how did you know?" Daisy asked, confused.
"I was still a consultant for Phil's team, so I still got the alert on my phone about the sighting outside the White House. I was in a Senate meeting about SI tech and they tried to lockdown the Capitol building too. It's all linked, the Pentagon, the Capitol building and the White House, if one is under fire, you can bet the others will be next." I explained
"So we've established we have authority by the President to pull this off." Phil said, before we continued going over the plan.
"I want Inhumans within range of exits at all times. Do what you can to prevent them from escaping." Steve said, pointing to the five exit points.
"This island is big, and we don't know how many we will have coming, so we have military coming in by water, Brock's Navy SEAL friends and Uncle Rhodey's Air force buddies standing by with enough ammo to blow the place to kingdom come if needed."
"We are hoping to capture Hydra, not kill. Subdue and disarm, but unless you feel your life threatened, make sure they remain alive," Phil said.
"Malick is mine," I said, and everyone looked up in surprise.
"Why?" Bucky asked, confused.
"The man devoted his life to the organization I was hidden from, ran from and fought against. He made it very clear how much he despised me to Fury when SHIELD was still around. I don't plan on killing him, I just want him to watch was we bring Hydra down, piece by piece, and head by head." I smirked. They all smiled, and nodded.
"We've got Storm and Thor on keeping the Island hidden from civilians." Steve said as our teams listened in from across the continent.
"You need to swing by the SUV at the south end of the island. I've got comm systems and ICERS for everyone," Fitz said, as we tried to figure out who else was on perimeter duty.
"The anoculations will be distributed tomorrow at our meeting point on the other side of the city, as we've modified it to work for 72 hours against Tetrodetoxin B." Jemma said.
"Other than perimeters, everyone focus on putting them to sleep. We have cells waiting for them, and once they've surrendered or been put down, we worry about checking them over for weapons and bugs."
"Is there any questions?"
"None on our end," Sharon and her fellow CIA agents said.
"Not at all Captain. We look forward to a fruitful partnership." Professor Xavier said smiling at our team.
"If we finally get these bastards, I'll recommend you all for the Congressional Medal of Honor, and give SHIELD all the help it needs," General Talbot said nodding.
"I have one. Is there anything I can do?" A voice said behind the group and I just about screamed.
"BRUCEY!" Dad said, running to hug Dr. Banner. Natasha was as pale as a ghost and didn't look up, while Steve concluded the video message.
"Thank you everyone. Tomorrow, at 1300 hours, Hydra ends for good." Steve said as they all ended the videoconference. We all turned to see Bruce looking sheepishly at our group.
"Well, this all seems… horrible." He said, and I could see Natasha fighting herself to not look up.
"Where the HELL have you been?" I asked, hand on my hips.
"I was-"
"No, don't tell me. You went to Sau Paulo, because you wanted to disappear again." I said, rounding on him, not even caring about my self-preservation asking me to pull back.
"Yes but-"
"You came back thinking we would just accept you back after you abandoned the cause."
"If you would just-"
"Bruce," I hissed, "You did the worst thing you could have done. And if it wasn't for the fact that I would like to live to see my children's 1st birthday, I think I might just slap you."
"Sera," My Dad said trying to pull us back.
"Nope, he doesn't just get to apologize. Just like Loki has, he has to prove it." It was at that point that Bruce saw the former God and I saw his eye twitch.
"A lot has happened," My Dad shrugged as Bruce looked for an answer in his eyes.
"A lot has happened since you left her, and I'm not about to let you break her heart again," I whispered in his ear threateningly.
"ARSENAL, please direct Dr. Banner to his quarters here, so that he knows where he will be sleeping." I said blankly, as the girls followed me out.
"Yes ma'am."
"Oh buddy, you just had to get on her bad side," I heard my Dad say as I took Natasha's hand. She was staring blankly ahead and I thought out loud, "We should have a movie night for the girls."
"We deserve a small break." Maria agreed.
"DISNEY!" Daisy, Wanda and Jemma screamed.
"Why the hell not?" Natasha smirked, and I felt my heart swell. She wasn't putting her walls up again, and I was thankful. It had taken me so long to tear them down when I first met her. I grabbed the kids, and got all sorts of snacks ready for our afternoon of Disney cinema.
"Oh, can we please make a sign for the door?" Bobby said, worried that the guys would sneak in.
"Okay! If you have an appendage between your legs, you are not invited in," I said, writing it in cursive for effect.
"That means Vision is okay to join," Wanda pointed out.
"Vision hasn't done anything stupid," Jemma said. She had been upset that Dr. Banner left because she enjoyed picking his brain.
"We have the kids, a whole library of Disney movies and enough junk food that Steve may get us to do an hour run tomorrow, but I don't care."
"I love it," Daisy and Wanda sang with a chuckle.
"Tangled or Mulan first?" I asked, confused.
"Mulan!" They all said.
"Let's get down to business, to defeat, the Huns," I sang, smirking to myself as I made dinner that night. We stopped watching for the hour, as some still had to work on their weapons training. Jemma and Fitz for example.
"BE A MAN," I sang in a deep voice.
"You sound like one," Loki laughed.
"I'm not allowed to talk to you." I said quietly, "But if I were, I'd ask you how your week was."
"Good. Ms Hill has been working with me." He smiled.
"Oooh, really now," I smiled.
"I find her fascinating." He blushed.
"She's an enigma that one. A woman of considerable passion, she is also a stickler for military correctness." I said, as contemplated Maria.
"She's trained me on how to use a gun, and even though I have far more knowledge of fighting and battle, I think she enjoys our time together."
"Maria isn't one to spend time working with just anyone," I smiled again as the timer went off on the oven.
"Now, I've got these two to feed as everyone races towards us." I said dishing out two serving for my twins and setting them aside. I pressed the dinner bell and a low rumble was heard from down the hallway.
" like how I said I wouldn't be cooking everyday, but now I do it because I'm a neurotic control freak," I joked, letting Loki dish up his dinner before everyone got to the kitchen. They all filtered in, looking ravenous. Except the girls who were still partly full from all the junk food we ate. Bruce came in and sat down at the end of the table with my father, as I fed the twins. I didn't have to look up to know he was shocked at how much the twins had grown.
"I wasn't gone that long, was I?"
"No they are growing at an accelerated rate. Simmons says they should look roughly a year older in 6 months." Dad explained.
"Girls, I have cookies for us," I said and they all groaned in delight.
"Which ones?" Dasiy asked with a dreamy look in her eyes.
"Nutella Caramel," I smirked as the guys all sighed. They knew that we weren't sharing.
"Those take like four hours to prepare though," Jemma asked.
"I made them yesterday after I snuck out of training. I was supposed to be upstairs dancing, but it wasn't clearing my head." I explained avoiding Steve and Bucky's eyes, as I finished feeding the kids. Natasha cleared her spot and nodded to me, leaving the room.
"Ladies," I said, standing, and taking my children from the kitchen, as well as the large box on the counter.
"There was a reason I left." Bruce said, running down the hallway to meet Natasha and me three minutes later. I didn't step in when she finally looked at him. He winced, seeing the coldness in them I remembered from years ago.
"I'm waiting," She said blankly.
"The kid, she got into my head, and what she showed me triggered the Hulk. It was you, exactly what happened to you. Being taken, but you were ripped apart by the Hulk because he was so angry. I couldn't control him, and when I realized what I'd done it was too late. Tony succeeded in making me angrier, and I couldn't bare to be the thing that destroyed you." He said softly, as I continued down the hall some ways to give them privacy.
"I've never given a man the ability to destroy me. It's been a close kept secret of mine since the Red Room. I have never given my heart so willingly to a man because that was the key. It would be the thing that destroys me." She said after staring at him a minute.
"You took that, and destroyed it Bruce. But I learned that I could live without my heart. So thank you, for showing me I am stronger than even I believed I could be. And thank you for reminding me why I don't let men in." She said in her quiet but deadly voice.
"Natasha," He said, eyes shining.
"Dr. Banner," She said, and I could practically hear his heart breaking.
"You are, the only reason I came back." He said, gesturing to the base.
"You, Natasha. Not the world, not Hydra, not even the chance to be a hero. It's been you since that day in Calcutta. You saw something in me, you triggered the change. You, the woman I betrayed because I was scared. The woman I loved enough to leave, so that she could have a better life without me." He said, and I closed my eyes as I listened.
"I came back because I realized how wrong I was the second I woke up as myself. Hulk, he- we tried to come back right away, but crashed the jet. And I walked, and slept in caves, and ran as fast as I could. I had no money, no extra clothes, and only whatever I could salvage from the jet. I spent every day of the last four months, fighting my way back to you." He said, approaching her slowly.
"You want this life?" He asked, and she said, "I do."
"Then I'm in. I'm not on the fence any longer about this. If this is what it takes for you to see, I will stay and fight and work everyday to earn the right to know you. Because if I can't have you, I at least want to be in your life," He said, as I looked up. I could see her eyes were wide with shock.
"You know, there's this fella, he did me wrong," She said softly.
"What did he do to you?" Bruce asked equally as soft.
"He broke my heart. But now he's trying to put me back together. I know it won't be the same, but I hope he knows that too." She said, before turning and walking away. I didn't say a word as I joined her, offering Elijah to her waiting hands. The minute we got to the movie room, she had a bottle of Vodka out of the cooler and was chugging it back like there was no tomorrow.
"Wow, easy," I said softly, taking the bottle from her. I grabbed shot glasses for her, and myself, sitting the kids in their playpen.
"Мужчины далеко не так хорошо, как водка" I said, toasting her. She smirked and tossed back her glass with me.
"Может эта водка дает нам силы для завтрашнего дня." She chuckled.
"Пусть люди, которые нам боль , наконец, знать, нашу боль," I said, pouring another shot.
"Oh, I didn't think we were drinking tonight," Daisy said entering the room with Wanda and Jemma. The three had become as thick as thieves since our collaboration with SHIELD.
"If you want a shot or two to clear your head, go right ahead. We just were toasting to the Vodka gods and the fact that tomorrow we are gonna win." I said, as I grabbed a selection of movies.
"Now we watched Mulan, Tangled and Frozen. Any takers for something not in the Disney princess category"
"Something with a lot of action," Jane said, taking two shots.
"Oh, I haven't seen this yet." I said, showing them the case for the latest Jurassic Park film.
"YES!" They yelled, and I smiled.
"Okay, so whoever this main guy is, he's smoking hot," Darcy said as we watched.
"Internet says his name is Chris Pratt," Natasha said, looking at her phone in the dark.
"Oooh, yum yum yummy," Daisy said, as we saw him in a thin shirt and straddling a motorcycle.
"The things I'd do to him if I wasn't married," I said, biting my lip.
Russian translation:
1. Мужчины далеко не так хорошо, как водка = Men are not nearly as good as Vodka.
2. Пусть эта водка дает нам силы для завтрашнего дня = May this Vodka give us strength for tomorrow
3. Пусть люди , которые нам боль , наконец, знать нашу боль = Let the people who hurt us, finally, know our pain.
