A Super-Soldier for the Modern World

Chapter

"I had a dream that he killed me," Amanda said into the receiver.

"I've had that dream," Natasha replied. "That's all it is: a dream. I wouldn't worry about it."

"You had a dream that Clint killed you?" Amanda asked.

"Job hazard, I think. We're spies; assassins, it comes with the territory," Nat replied. "It's not like he'd ever actually do it. And he wouldn't be the one left alive in the end anyway," Nat laughed.

"I just…"

"Don't worry about it, Manda," Nat told her. "It was just a dream. And don't go into any of that psychological bullshit with me. Dreams are just dreams."

"Thanks, Nat," Amanda said. "How's the vacation? Enjoying your time away from the cold? It looks like a blizzard here," she said as she glanced out of the window.

"Clint's still asleep…it's one p.m. our time. He's missed most of today."

"So, he's enjoying it. How about you?" Amanda asked.

"I'm happy to be here. It's warm and sunny and it's right on the beach. But I almost wish I were back in New York with you," she confessed. "I'm not meant to have vacation time. I'm definitely not the kind of person who can relax."

"Well, I hope you can pretend to relax. Because I'm pretty sure Steve and Coulson are onto something with HYDRA," Amanda said.

"I know something else is coming. I feel it."

"I do, too," Amanda said. "At least you went somewhere. I stayed and did laundry."

"With your boyfriend…Captain America," Nat said.

"You're not going to let me forget that, are you?" she asked.

"Nope. Not in my nature."

Amanda heard a groan on the other end of the phone, even though it sounded like it was some distance away.

"Who are you talking to?" Amanda recognized the voice as Clint's.

"Amanda."

"Hi Amanda!" he called.

"Tell Clint hey," she laughed.

"Manda says hi. And I say go put some pants on if you're going to come here in view of the beach."

Amanda laughed.

"I don't know the SHIELD protocols for agents flashing civilians," Amanda told Nat.

"I don't either, but I don't think it'll be pleasant," she told both Clint and Amanda. "I gotta go. Don't worry, okay?" She made her last statement a question, but she didn't mean it as a request.

"Right. Talk to you soon."

They both disconnected and Amanda walked around the corner in Steve's apartment. She was there alone and she took a minute to enjoy it. It smelled like his aftershave and it made her feel like he was there even though he'd left for SHIELD HQ a couple hours ago.

Amanda needed to be in to see Fury that day, too, but she was procrastinating. Something was up with Fury and Amanda needed to figure it out.

The last couple months had been…unorganized…and on top of everything, Steve had been working with Coulson on research about HYDRA and their potential, and likely, involvement with AIM. The name Aldrich Killian kept popping up, but they weren't sure how he figured into things.

There was also someone calling himself The Mandarin was blowing things and people up and not leaving any forensic evidence of how he was doing it. SHIELD was keeping its hands off the bombing much to most SHIELD agent's confusion. Fury seemed to be keeping SHIELD on a low profile since the incidents with the Chitauri just a few months ago.

Amanda started to pull her boot on to go out into the winter weather that was New York right now. With any luck, Amanda would have uninterrupted holidays in the city with Steve, but she wasn't going to hold her breath. Nothing had really been going right for the two of them and she was hoping that a couple days together for the holidays might help them out.

Her phone started to ring again and she dashed with one boot on to grab it.

"Hello," she smiled into the phone. She was delighted that it was this picture that showed up on her phone.

"Hey, kid," Tony replied.

"You haven't called me kid since I was ten years old," Amanda replied. "How is everything in California?"

"If you were Pepper, would you rather have a giant teddy bear or an iguana?"

"Are those my only choices?" Amanda asked.

"I hope you're going to say teddy bear, because I've already ordered it."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm good, I'm good," Tony replied.

"Are you serious about the giant teddy bear?"

"Uh…"

"Oh, geez. A giant teddy bear?"

"So, have you told the Captain what you want for Christmas? Or have you already found the package he has for you?" Tony laughed.

"Oh, Tony."

"What? You don't want to talk about Cap's other skills? I'll bet he was a virgin til he met you, wasn't he? Ya know, based on what my dad told me about how shy he was during the war…" Tony asked. "When are you just going to make it official and start popping out some Cap-lets?"

"I could ask the same of you," Amanda said. "Why haven't you had some babies of your own?"

"Do you really think the world is ready for a bunch of Baby Starks?" he asked.

"The world will never be ready," Amanda laughed. "I just imagined a bunch of mini-yous in tiny Iron Man suits. It was terrifying."

Tony said nothing. Normally, they'd continue their back and forth teasing, but now there was only silence on the line.

"Tony?" Amanda asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm not sleeping. I haven't been able to sleep in weeks," he finally confided.

"Have you been checked out by a doctor and not by JARVIS? Can you talk to someone?" Amanda asked.

"Like who?"

"I don't know. Pepper? A doctor?" Amanda threw out ideas.

"You're a doctor."

"I'm also your God-daughter. And that's not my training."

"What? You aren't trained to deal with me?"

"No. No one could ever possibly be trained to deal with you. But it's unethical since we're basically family," Amanda replied. "And why can't you talk to Pepper?"

"She's mad at me," Tony said quietly.

"Shocker there," Amanda replied sarcastically.

"Thanks, kid," Tony replied.

"Tony, you know I love you and I'd do just about anything for you…"

"Just about anything?"

"I'm not getting in between you and Pepper. You're a big boy. Usually," Amanda told him. "What about Rhodey, can you talk to him?"

"He let them paint War Machine to look like your boyfriend."

"I heard. Iron Patriot," Amanda said.

"It's ridiculous. Cap should be the only one in a spangly suit. It fits his personality better."

"Well, did you hear the news about Coulson?" she asked.

"No," he groaned. He'd been trying to forget Coulson.

"He's back. Coulson lives." Amanda smiled into the phone.

"What?" Tony said. "You all figured that out without me?"

"We're just that good, Tony," Amanda replied.

There was more silence on the phone and Amanda resolved to call someone about Tony.

"Well, I should let you go, kid. Keep yourself outta trouble, okay?" he told her.

"Tony?"

"Yeah."

"Call me anytime, all right?" Amanda told him. "I miss you. Even though you did show up at Steve's apartment drunk and accusing him of cheating on me."

Tony finally chuckled and Amanda smiled.

"Come out to the west coast sometime and I'll show you what you're missing," he said. "You haven't even seen the house since I built it."

"I know," Amanda said. "I'll definitely make plans to come out there."

"Okay, MandyAnn. Bye."

"Bye."

The call was disconnected and she stared down at her phone.

First Nick Fury was acting weird…well, weirder. And now Tony was acting very unlike himself. He'd been different since the attack on New York, but this was extreme, even for Tony.

…

At SHIELD, she walked into a flurry of activity. She climbed in the elevator and went to the main SHIELD level and found most of the SHIELD staff running around in a panicked frenzy.

Amanda found Coulson and pulled him away from the TV screen that he was watching.

"What the hell is happening here?" she asked.

"Some kind of attack in LA," Coulson replied.

"LA?" Amanda said. "What's Fury doing about it? Don't you think it's time we stepped in and did something?" she asked.

"Fury is unreachable."

"He isn't here?" Amanda asked. "I was supposed to have a meeting with him.""

"If he is, he's hiding really well," Coulson said.

"I'm going to his office," Amanda said. "Have you tried calling him?"

Coulson gave her a look that she decided meant that he had attempting to call the director's cell phone.

"Okay, well…"

Amanda backed out of the room and headed for Fury's office.

She keyed in her personal access code and the door opened, but the room was empty, just as Coulson had told her. Where could Nick Fury be? Amanda wanted to know, but the possibilities were endless. As everyone always said, Nick Fury's "secrets have secrets" and even though she was second in command, there were things that she wasn't privy to.

Amanda headed for his desk to investigate what he'd left. There was nothing on the surface and Amanda started to look around on the floor, looking for any kinds of clues that he'd left in a big hurry.

Nothing.

She started to walk out of the room and if she hadn't kicked it across the floor, she would have missed it. She walked to where the piece of plastic had slid and picked it up. A USB drive.

Curiosity took over and she went back to Fury's computer and signed on to it using her pass code.

A video popped up on the memory stick and she began to play it.

Fury's face filled the video screen. "Agent Carter, I'm going to keep this short and sweet. You're in charge right now. Second-in-command is now the Director of SHIELD. I cannot tell you where I am or what I am doing. Just be careful."

The video quit playing and Amanda stared dumbfounded at it.

There was a knock on the door and Coulson appeared a moment later.

"Anything?" he asked her.

"Fury left me a message that I'm the acting-Director."

Coulson cocked his head, but didn't say anything.

"I don't know. He said in a video that he couldn't tell me what he was doing or where he was going, but that I'm in charge and to be careful," Amanda told Coulson.

She made sure to have Coulson watch the video and once it was over, he turned to her.

"Well, Director, Stark's security guy, Happy Hogan, was injured in the attack in LA. He's in a coma. And Stark just declared war on whoever the Mandarin is."

…

Okay, there ya go…let me know what you think.