G is for Gate

"She's coming out of it."

"You need to step away from her."

"You're going to upset her."

Voices assailed her ears. The comforting darkness began to break up and sensation came back to her. She could feel the rasp of the sheets and whatever she was wearing on her skin. Something stabbed at her arm. Her eyes blinked open.

A strange man in a white coat stood next to her.

She began to struggle away, flinching as he reached towards her.

"Darcy! Stop!"

She went still, her gaze darting over to see Jane rushing to her side. Thor came right behind her. He stepped up and put a firm hand on the stranger's shoulder. "Your presence is causing her distress. Step away." His eyes and voice were colder than Darcy had ever seen them.

"For that matter," came a new voice from the door, "step out." The guy started to protest, but Coulson just gave him an unimpressed stare. "You were told not to make the first contact; to allow her friends to do that. Furthermore, you were informed to leave the white jacket outside of the room." His eyes narrowed. "If you are unable to understand such simple directions, I do not want you near my people. Now go."

Darcy relaxed as the stranger left. She winced as Jane started to touch her.

Jane stopped.

"Still sensitive?" Coulson asked calmly as he stepped up to her other side.

She tried to clear her throat, and Jane slipped her some ice chips to help. After a moment, Darcy felt able to speak. "Even the sheets are scratchy." She frowned. "Something's stabbing my arm."

"It's the IV," Jane answered even as Darcy turned to look. "It's about empty, though. I'll get…" Her voice trailed off. Her eyes looked at the men helplessly.

"I shall request friend Banner's presence. He should be able to assist, yes?" Thor's voice rumbled, powerful, but unexpectedly comforting.

Darcy smiled, so Jane nodded. "Good idea."

"Miss Lewis?"

"Don't call me that!" Darcy snapped at Coulson. Her hands began to tremble.

He noticed, of course, and inclined his head. "Darcy." She nodded and he continued. "We need to debrief you."

"Can't it wait?" Jane blustered, glaring at him.

"The sooner we get the details, the sooner we can close the issue," Coulson replied calmly.

Darcy took a deep breath. "Not at SHIELD."

He lifted a brow, but nodded. "Stark Tower?"

"Better," she replied. Her voice hitched. "The team, Fury, Hill – no more." Jane shifted next to her and Darcy looked over. "You and Pepper are part of the team."

Jane smiled at her, but Coulson broke in. "Can you at least tell me why the extra precautions?"

"SHIELD's got an infestation problem."

Coulson blinked and tapped on his headset. "Coulson, authority Alpha Gamma Omega, lock down all files connected to Avengers Initiative – eyes only." He paused, nodded, and looked back to Darcy. He spoke once more into the headset. "Barton, report to the infirmary."

Darcy and Jane exchanged confused glances.

He caught it. "If there is a pest here at headquarters, none of you are to be left unprotected. I will remain until Barton gets here. He, Thor, and Banner will remain while I arrange to move Darcy back to the tower."

Clint strolled in. "You rang?"

"We've got a mole," Coulson informed him. "These two don't leave your sight until we get them back to the tower."

"You got it," Clint replied with a sloppy salute.

Coulson nodded and strode out.

"Goody," Darcy sighed. "Moving again."

"Still hurting, sweetheart?" Clint asked from his spot by the door. He glanced at her before scanning the hallway once more.

"Better not let Tasha hear you call me that," Darcy smiled as she tried to shift to a more comfortable position. Her breath hissed out as the movement caused the needle to move slightly. Both of them looked at her, but she shook her head. "Shouldn't have moved. Can't do anything about it."

"I see someone who can," Clint stated quietly.

Thor strode back into the room with Bruce right behind him. Clint snagged Thor's attention, but Bruce headed straight for Darcy.

She smiled at him. "Hey, Doc."

"Darcy." His shadowed eyes focused on her, doing a quick visual examination. "I know this is going to hurt, but I want to get the IV out, okay?"

"Yeah," she reluctantly agreed.

Bruce worked quickly, arranging everything possible before he had to actually touch her. His touch, light as he tried to keep it, set off tiny explosions under her skin. She closed her eyes, trying to focus away from the pain, trying to hold it in. Her body broke into a fine sweat as small tremors ran through her. Tears seeped out as he finally got the needle removed and a cloth bandage in place.

"I'm sorry," he told her as he finished.

"Not your fault, doc," she murmured, forcing back the tears. "Any idea how long this will last?"

He sighed. "We don't know. We found some samples of the drugs we think they gave you, but we're still looking into them."

"Sorry to interrupt here," Clint spoke from the doorway. "We're ready to move out."

Darcy heaved a sigh. "Just the way I want to look leaving headquarters."

"Nobody is going to see anything," Clint assured her. "Quick trip down a private elevator, into one of Stark's obscenely luxurious trucks, and off to the tower. The others will meet us there and the ladies can help you find something to wear."

"Okay," she agreed, and things began happening rapidly. Their departure went along Clint's promises, word for word. Tasha and Pepper were waiting for them when they arrived. Darcy's legs were still not working properly, so she used the wheelchair Pepper provided. She didn't like it, but at least it had controls so she could direct herself without putting too much pressure on her hands.

Natasha helped her with a sponge bath, but it had to be quick as her skin could barely stand the sponge, though the water felt wonderful. Tasha told Pepper who made arrangements for the pool to be available at all times, provided Darcy took someone with her in case something unforeseen happened. They couldn't find anything in her own wardrobe, but Natasha had a dressing gown of green modal that Darcy's skin could handle and it covered her from neck to wrist to ankle.

They escorted her back down to the large conference room on the common level. Fury, Hill, Coulson, and the rest of the team were waiting. Darcy wheeled straight up to the table and pinned a gaze on Fury. "There's a leak at headquarters."

"So Coulson informs me," he responded. "What can you tell me?"

"They took me because of my link to the team, and Doctor Harland knew too much." She repressed a shudder at the thought of the man and focused on her words. "He knew Bucky had joined the team, and that Hulk would listen to me."

Fury's eye narrowed in consideration. Hill leaned forward, her lips folded in anger. "Did he say what he wanted to know?"

"They didn't get that far," Darcy replied. "He confirmed the drugs were working, and he must have gone to report the fact to someone on a phone. I could hear him talking, but I couldn't move. When he came back he mentioned additional orders."

"Like what?" Fury asked.

"He said…" Her voice trailed off. A tremor shook her frame. People shifted, and a couple of them started to rise, but Natasha reached her first. The red-head did not do much; she just moved her chair over, but it was close enough for Darcy to feel their shoulders brush lightly. She took a deep breath and continued. "He said that I was to be turned over to security as soon as the interrogation and drug experiments were finished."

"And then?" Hill prompted.

"We heard a crash," Darcy answered. "He went to check on it, and I couldn't see him anymore, but I heard the door fly open, someone cried out, and then Steve was there."

"We can get the rest of that information from Captain Rogers later," Coulson stated. "The scientist did indicate they wanted you for your access to the Avengers?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Like I said, he mentioned Bucky and Hulk, two things he should not have known about. He also mentioned Tony, Clint, and Tasha…something about them listening to me or talking to me or something. It was kind of hard to follow. I'd just woken up from being hit on the head at that point." She frowned as a realization hit her. "Oh, and he mentioned Phil."

"What about Coulson?" Fury asked.

"He talked about how Phil never needed an assistant, but hired me and made me…how'd he put it?" She concentrated. "Right, how Phil had made me the 'key contact for the team'."

"That's it then," Coulson sat back, eyes narrowing in consideration.

"What's it?" Tony demanded as the rest of the team leaned forward.

"Whoever this group is, whatever they want with the team, they went after Darcy because they think she's the gatekeeper," Coulson answered calmly. "They think she's their ticket to acquiring, stopping, or destroying you."

"Well, that's just lovely," Darcy muttered. "Babysitter to Bait- what a lovely career change."