Would love to hear what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to the Avengers or any of the characters.


Chapter 6: Hill

It was Monday again. She had been able to take that long bath after dropping Bruce and Steve at the Headquarters and had spent most of the weekend sleeping and eating.

She moved the curtains to let the light in, it was dim and small snowflakes were filling the glass outside. The street was mildly white and she thought of child games with snowballs back in Queens. She had to get back to the office, no rest for the wicked.

By the time she got to the Headquarters, the snow was covering the windshield and it was hard to see. She parked in her usual spot, came through security and heard an annoying beep. "You need to see Agent Hill immediately." She hadn't sent anyone to escort her. Attempt at Good will, like she was gonna fall for that. She sighed heavily and took the elevator to the top floor.

She didn't enjoy standing at that door, made her feel like she was heading for detention after a long chat with a careless principal. She knocked and a rough female voice asked her to come in.

Hill was sitting at her desk, shuffling some papers and documents on her screens. She knew what this was about already and so did Hill, but she still wanted to make it obvious… recorded call, Betty's record, her phones records, all there to display.

Hill was now in a position to bitch her about this and was more than happy to do so. "What stunt were you trying to pull? Pier 17? Calling Dr. Ross? You wanted civilian casualties?" Her line was cut due to coughing. Oh, Hill could get sick, good.

"You should see a doctor about that cold" they measured each other "I'm seeing one now and I'm not impressed." Penny rolled her eyes and laid back a bit in the comfy armchair. "Ouch!" She was being as annoying as Stark.

"I'm waiting" Penny raised an eyebrow with mild disdain "I'm waiting for a reason not to get you off these premises permanently, Dr. Morse"

She snorted. "You're not high enough in the food chain to make that call." "Yet" Penny lift her eyebrow "Oh, you're playing that game now?"
"What game?"
"Well, you've managed to sit on Coulson's office. The next is what... Fury? Do you really think you can take him down?"

Hill had got up and was now sitting on her desk, arms crossed over her chest and ignored her implications "You really think that after the stunt you pulled in the hellicarrier you'll be active again?" She came closer to Penny, "If you don't stop risking everyone with your little boundary experiments on this team, I'll make damn sure that not only you never see yourself in an agent suit again but your otherexperiment gets shut down."

Penny breathed heavily. "Which one? I have so many you hadn't even heard of. If you mean the formula, Fury already beat you to it. But I guess that's what he always does: being one step ahead of you."

They got interrupted by a loud knock on the door "Oh, your partner in crime. Come on in." Bruce walked in battered but still had a shy smile for Penny, sitting on the armchair by her.

Calling Ross had been her idea, Bruce had said no and did in fact started having an episode that he had been able to control. But it was the second in the same day, at least that she had seen. Maybe there had been more. She had to do the right thing, after all, he was her patient. "Dr. Ross has been helping with the Vita Rays container." Suddenly she found herself being cooperative. "Why didn't you ask Stark for that? His father created the first one."

Bruce wanted to talk but the female banter wouldn't allow someone cutting in. "His father left no records, just vague blueprints. If there were better ones, they were destroyed. And Stark has bigger fish to fry in LA right now."

"And why would you call Dr. Ross on a Friday night?" She looked baffled "I work late hours! So does she!"

"I called her. I knew Pen- Dr. Morse had been talking to her and I took her phone when she was getting food. You don't need to cover for me Doc. I take full responsibility." Penny looked at him. He was right. He was ultimately the Hulk, everyone in that building knew better than pissing him off.

"Dr. Banner, you are very well aware that this Agency has boundaries, specially with the military. I received a call from Gral. Ross at 3 AM. It wasn't pleasant."

Clearly, she hadn't got the "Don't piss Banner off" memo with green letters that Stark had sent everyone last April's fool's day.

"It won't happen again Agent Hill." She took a deep breath, as if trying to gain strength "You're hereby suspended from outside contact Dr. Banner. You'll be assigned a liaison agent whom will validate and have sole authority on what and who you can interact with. I'm sorry."

Bruce didn't complain. Actually, he didn't have time. "Did you not read his record lately? You can't shut him down! He's made so much progress hanging out with Stark and-" "and with you Dr. Morse? Sure, look where he got. Dismissed."

She was gonna go on with her ranting but Bruce grabbed her arm "It's ok Penny" she sighed "No it's not. No it's NOT Agent Hill! He's not a prisoner, he's a US citizen and a key member of this team and you wanna do what? Shackle him maybe and lock him up like you've been doing with Rogers? It doesn't work like that. They need to talk about what happens with someone that cares!"

"Yes, that's why they'll have a liaison. Someone other than you. You'll continue your functions as MD, don't worry. In fact, since you're such a good one, you're on call for the next 96 hours. Good day doctors."

They stormed out of the office and Bruce found himself checking her pupils for any signs of green lines... "It's ok Penny. I don't think they'll lock me up." A guard came closer to them and asked Bruce to follow him "Ok, well, we'll see about that. Oh Penny! Check my records, I've found a redundancy in your formula. If you clear it up, is sustainable." She got desperate "Officer, wait!".

"Work your magic kiddo, is on my records." The elevator door closed and she rushed to the stairs, putting her Bluetooth on her free ear "Brandon, did you catch that?"

"Yes Dr P., I'm transferring Dr. Banner's data to your pad now. Just in the nick of time if I may add." She smiled "You rock Bran."

She was so immersed in checking the files in her iPhone and couldn't really hear anything with the standard SHIELD comm in one ear and the Bluetooth in another that she missed that someone was coming up the stairs. She was startled and lost balance, and though he was able to ease up the fall for both by catching her, she still hit her head against the wall when the landed 3 steps down.

"Ouch" something weird was covering her eye "Good morning to you too sweetheart" She was slightly confused. "Hi handsome, sorry." She took off the Bluetooth and tried to get the hair of her eye. Only, it wasn't hair, it was blood. "Oh shit."

"Yeap, why don't I take you to another doctor, shall we?"

"Sure, just take your hand off my ass." He placed her between the wall and his body. She looked at him with one open eye. Her breath was slightly agitated and he had a pleased smirk when he saw her head tilt slightly and aim for his neck. He could feel her breath on his ear "I SAID HANDS OFF MY ASS BARTON."

He took a step back. "You're no fun." She grinned. Now half her face was bloody, bringing bad flashes to his head. "That's what exes are for sweetie."

She opened the floor door and decided to head for the elevator. Clint picked her phone, and decided to keep it for a while. She seemed confused enough not to remember it so he may as well take advantage of it. He rushed and caught her before she pushed the 10th. "Thanks by the way."

"For grabbing your ass?"

She snorted "You're never gonna change, are you?"

"Nope."


Hill's here. Yeah, I know, but a girl needs a antagonist, right?

Also, BAD BAD CLINT!