"I am never going to Tony's parties..."
Helicarrier bridge. Day. Steve
Fury had gathered Steve, Daphne and Tony back into the briefing room, their faces ranging in emotions from sadness to anger to shock. Cap was sat next to Stark behind the long table while Daphne, paced around the room, staying silent. He could tell that she was trying to hold herself together for Phil.
The director threw down the Captain America trading cards onto the table, in front of Steve and Tony. "These were in Phil Coulson's jacket. Guess he never did get you to sign them."
The super-soldier tentatively picked up the cards, which were stained with blood.
Fury continued speaking. "We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, location of the cube, Banner, Thor. I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye." He then looked down and muttered. "Maybe I had that coming."
He paused for a moment, seeming to collect his thoughts. "Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract." He admitted. "I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea, Stark and Collins knows this, called 'The Avengers Initiative'. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes."
Tony apparently had enough with Fury's speech. He shoved the chair back roughly and stormed out of the room. Everyone watched as he went.
"Well, it's an old fashioned notion." And with that, the director left.
There was a long silence between the two remaining Avengers. Daphne stopped pacing and moved to lean against the briefing table, her back to Steve. He scoured his brain for something comforting to say, coming up blank. What could he say?
Her soft voice broke his thoughts. "What are we going to do? Bruce is gone and God-knows where Thor is."
"We fight," Cap answered firmly. "That's all we can do. We cannot leave the earth to defend itself against Loki, thousands of innocent people would die." He watched as she gradually turned to face him. Her face was blank, but her eyes were wide and expressive; showing determination tinged with sadness.
"Let's go and find Tony then."
He nodded and stood up, preparing to leave the room with her. She looked around then turned back to Steve. Daphne walked towards him, letting him know that she was ready to leave. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently, hoping to comfort her in any way he could. The Captain and the Mutant looked at each other for a second before exiting the room.
En route to Detention section. Day. Daphne
The walk through the Helicarrier was quiet, to say the least. Neither of the two Avengers knew what to say or do, so they mentally agreed to lapse into a calm silence. That was the best kind of silence, the ones where you can be comfortable. The ones where neither person feels the need to end it with irrelevant trivia. Where you can just sit in the silence with that person and feel like you're speaking a thousand words.
Despite the calm, Daphne's mind was constantly whirling. All of her thoughts revolved around the fact that, had she gotten to Phil earlier, he might still have been alive. He dedicated his life to protecting her, no matter the cost, and she couldn't even pay him the same courtesy. No doubt that would play on her conscience for the rest of her life. The 'what if's.
She didn't miss the concerned glances her way from Steve. Normally, she would be peppy and optimistic. She would laugh in the face of danger. But she didn't feel like that at that moment. Daphne was grateful that Steve cared enough to be worried about her, but she really didn't want anyone's pity.
They had soon found Tony inside the detention section. Daphne was reluctant to enter the very room where Loki had killed Phil, so she let Steve go inside first.
Taking in a deep breathe, she massaged her ears. "Woosah..." she whispered, remembering when her and Phil had watched Bad Boys 2. They had found Marcus' way of relaxing himself hilarious so they copied his example. It had become normal for them. The memory released a sharp pain in her chest, and she hurried into the room whilst pushing back her thoughts.
Steve moved closer to Tony, Daphne not far behind him. "Was he married?" Cap asked quietly.
The genius turned to face them. "No, there was a uh... cellist, I think."
"I'm sorry," Steve apologised sincerely, to both of the other two superheroes, looking between them. "He seemed like a good man."
"He was an idiot," Tony stated.
"Hey!" Daphne cried out, anger unfurling inside of her.
Steve intercepted before an argument could be initiated. "Why? For believing?"
"For taking on Loki alone," he clarified, shooting the mutant woman an apologetic look.
"He was doing his job," Cap reminded him.
"He was out of his league. He should have waited. He should have..."
"Sometimes there isn't a way out, Tony."
Daphne stayed quiet throughout the conversation, not knowing how to react.
The billionaire scoffed, walking away slightly. "Right. How did that work for him?"
Steve paused for a second. "Is this the first time you've lost a soldier?"
Something inside of Tony seemed to break. "We are not soldiers! I am not marching to Fury's fife!" He yelled at the Captain. Daph flinched at his tone.
"Neither are we! He's got the same blood on his hands as Loki does. Right now we've got to put that aside and get this done." Steve took a breath. "Now, Loki needs a power source. If we can put together a list-"
"He made it personal," Tony interrupted, staring at the bloodstained wall.
"That's not the point."
"Yes it is," Daphne corrected softly.
"That is the point," Stark started, agreeing with the female. "That's Loki's point. He hit us all right where we live. Why?"
"To tear us apart," Steve realised.
"Destroy the team completely. Get us out of the way." Daph added solemnly.
"He had to conquer his greed, but he knows he has to take us out to win, right? That's what he wants. He wants to beat us and he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience."
"No way, I didn't notice that," the brunette said sarcastically, though a hint of a smile was present on her face.
"Right, I caught his act at Stuttgart," Steve informed with less sass.
"Yeah. That's just a preview, this is opening night. Loki's a full-tilt diva. He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a monument built in the skies with his name plastered-" Tony cut himself off.
Daphne gaped in awareness. 'Monument built to the skies with his name plastered on it'. Stark Tower.
"Son of a bitch!" Stark cursed.
Helicarrier medical room. Day. Steve
Steve and Daphne strode through the ship, fully kitted in their uniforms, finding Natasha sat on a bed inside the medical room.
"Time to go," he informed the red head.
"Go where?" The assassin asked, confused.
"I'll tell you on the way. Can you fly one of those jets? "
Clint Barton came out of the bathroom then. "I can," he assured. His eyes widened slightly when he noticed Daphne by the door.
"Clint!" The mutant woman practically squealed, running over to the archer and squeezing him in a tight hug. "Oh my God, are you okay?" She fussed over him like a protective mother.
"Yeah, but... All of those people-" His voice became muffled as Daphne had pulled back and covered his mouth with her hand.
"No. You do not blame yourself. Loki did this," she told him firmly.
Clint could only nod, seeming to realise that he could not sway her decision on him.
Steve eyed him suspiciously, for a moment, wondering if he was over Loki's mind control. His indecision, on the agent, diminished when Daph's eyes silently pleaded with him. She trusted Barton. He trusted her.
"You got a suit?" Cap questioned.
"Yeah."
"Then suit up," he said with finality.
Hawkeye nodded at Steve in confirmation.
They all started to prepare for departure. Occasionally, Steve would glance towards the young mutant woman in concern. She was too quiet for his liking, though he knew that it was understandable. She looked up and met his gaze, as if feeling his eyes on her. She gave him a smile, albeit a small one and walked towards him.
"Ready?" She asked him in a quiet voice.
"Just about," Steve replied. "How are you?" Worry laced his tone.
"I'm fine... Well, as fine as anyone can be with a God planning to take over the Earth with the intention of enslaving all of humanity. Other than that, I'm peachy." Daphne smirked at him.
He breathed out a laugh. There was the attitude that was missing.
"Sounds reasonable," he chuckled.
The brunette sent him another smile, before making her way to the other side of the room. She took out her weapons and placed them on the table, inspecting them.
Steve slid his suit helmet over his head and held up his shield.
"Ready to go, Cap." Agent Romanoff's voice sounded in his head.
He cast a look over the three agents before him. They all returned his look with a similar look of determination etched onto their features.
"Let's go."
"And kick some Chitauri butt!" Daphne chimed in helpfully.
Steve laughed silently.
Quinjet. Day. Daphne
The four Avengers walked towards a nearby quinjet, about to board it when a young pilot stood in their way, arms crossed and his face in a confused scowl.
"You're not authorised to be here-" he started.
"Son, just don't." Steve interrupted, full-on 'Captain America' mode.
The young man stuttered under Steve's unrelenting stare, moving out of his way slightly.
The group immediately entered the quinjet, going to their respective places. Clint taking the pilot's seat with Nat sat next to him, being co-pilot. Daphne lowered herself onto one of the benches, Steve standing in the middle of the jet.
They took off smoothly, silence stretching out between them all. Somewhere during the journey Cap started giving instructions or reassurances. Daph wasn't sure of which one as she had zoned out completely.
She worried about what would come from the battle. How many innocent people would die because of one God's lust for power? Would they be able to defeat Loki's army? Just the seven of them?
She was broken from her internal self-doubt by Steve kneeling in front of her, softly calling her name. He raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner.
No. They would win this. They had to.
"I'm fine." Was all she offered.
Before he had the chance to reply, Natasha's voice ran through the quinjet. "Stark, we're heading north-east."
They could all hear Tony through their earpieces. "What, did you stop for a drive-thru? Swing up Park, I'm gonna lay 'em out for you."
"Mm, God I could use a really fatty yet delicious drive-thru, right now," Daphne muttered.
The quinjet soared through the New York streets. Romanoff got a machine gun and started firing upon the Chitauri. Daphne double-checked that she had all of her weapons.
Guns? Check. Whips? Check. Swords? Check.
A blast of energy hit the quinjet hard, making Steve and Daphne stumble. She assumed Loki had conjured the blast. The jet quickly caught on fire, causing it to spin, dropping out of the air as it passed over buildings. It came closer and closer to the ground. The group braced for impact and they slammed into the street.
A quick glance at the others showed that no-one was injured in the crash. Clint and Tasha unfastened their seat-belts and opened the ramp. Steve and Daph made their way out of the jet, the other two hot on their heels. They all readied themselves with weapons.
They walked down the road, stopping at a four-way junction in the middle of the street. Daphne surveyed the once-thriving city, which was now, for the most part, covered in rubble and debris. She shuddered to think of how many people had been killed already.
The entire city lurched to a stand-still as a deep, primal roar bellowed out, sending tremors through the foundations of the buildings. A large shadow formed over the group.
They all looked up simultaneously, feeling out of their element. From all angles, Chitauri soldiers clung to the side of skyscrapers, sliding down towards them. Some had managed to smash their way into the buildings, firing upon the people that had taken cover inside.
"Stark, are you seeing this?" Steve questioned incredulously.
"I'm seeing. Still working on believing," Tony's voice appeared over the earpieces. "Where's Banner? Has he shown up yet?"
"Banner?"
"Just keep me posted."
The four Avengers ran onto the nearby bridge, behind some upturned taxis. They each glanced up and saw Loki leading some Chitauri down the street in these large flying chariots. He fired upon the buildings and people, causing multiple explosions to resonate through the area.
Captain looked down the bridge from back of the taxi. Daphne joined him and saw people screaming and running away from several Chitauri soldiers.
"Those people need assistance down there," Steve informed them.
Nat pulled out both of her guns and shot at the alien soldiers. She turned towards Cap. "We got this. It's good. Go!"
He nodded at her then maneuvered his gaze towards Clint. "You think you can hold them off?"
"Captain," Barton began determinedly, bow and arrow ready. "It would be my genuine pleasure."
"Daph, you're with me," Steve told the mutant woman. She took out a golden whip as a sign that she understood.
The archer shot an arrow into a Chitauri's head, buying a few seconds for the Captain and Agent to run down the bridge, dodging explosions as they went. They both raced over to the plaza, Steve ahead of Daphne.
I blame the serum. Or the brownies... Nope, definitely the serum.
Both of them approached a bunch of cops, who continuously shot at the flying chariots to no avail. A young-looking cop ran up to, what appeared to be, the police sergeant. Steve rushed up to them, jumping onto a car in front of them, interrupting their conversation. Both of the police men looked up at Steve incredulously, eyes scanning down his suit.
"I need men in these buildings," Steve told them in an authoritative voice. "There are people inside that can run into the line of fire. You take them through the basement or through the subway. You keep them off the streets. I need a perimeter as far back as 39th."
The two police officers looked like they were about to laugh. Daphne stepped up next to Steve, crossing her arms as if daring them to question them. The sergeant seemed to falter for a moment.
"Why the hell should I take orders from you?" He demanded of the super-soldier.
As soon as the words had left his mouth, an explosion occurred behind Steve and Daph and two Chitauri soldiers attacked them. The mutant woman unsheathed one of her translucent swords and turned towards the one nearest to her, while Cap battled the other.
The alien advanced towards her, pulling out a large gun and shooting blasts at her. She dodged the bursts of energy with ease, slashing out at the soldier as she did. The Chitauri lashed out at her with its weapon, roaring in anger. Daphne only laughed at it as she kicked off a nearby car and flipped over the alien, swiftly cutting its neck as she landed. It slumped to the ground, dead.
She turned to check on Steve, seeing that he had also taken out a soldier without trouble. Both of the officers stared at the two Avengers in awe, having watched them take out the seemingly unbeatable aliens.
The sergeant turned his cop. "I need men in those buildings, lead the people down and away from the streets. I need a perimeter as far back as 39th."
Daphne turned to the Captain, both of them smiling smugly. They both took off in the direction of the other group members.
Bridge street. Day. Steve
They arrived to find Clint and Natasha battling several of Loki's Chitauri and instantly sprang into action. Steve used his shield to bash the oncoming aliens, sending them flying down the street, catching a glimpse of Daphne brandishing her whips. More and more soldiers appeared, almost overwhelming the group until multiple bolts of lightning struck the surrounding Chitauri. They were sent backwards in a massive shock-wave before convulsing and dropping to the floor.
Thor dropped to the ground, landing elegantly.
Steve walked up to him. "What's the story upstairs?"
"The powers surrounding the cube is impenetrable," the demi-god replied grimly.
Stark's voice sounded through the headsets. "Thor is right. We gotta deal with these guys."
"How do we do this?" Romanoff asked.
Steve looked over at the group, eyes landing on Daphne last. "As a team."
"I have unfinished business with Loki," Thor stated.
Hawkeye scoffed. "Yeah, get in line," he grumbled.
"Save it. Loki's gonna keep this fight focused on us and that's what we need. Without him these things could run wild. We got Stark up top, he's gonna need us-" Steve was cut off by the sound of a motorbike. The superheroes turned to see Bruce climbing off it, looking around at the city.
"So," he started casually. "This all seems horrible."
"I've seen worse," Black Widow told him, glancing at Daphne as if in a shared memory.
Banner looked down sheepishly. "Sorry."
"No. We could use a little worse."
The two held each other's gazes until Daphne coughed loudly. Everyone turned towards her as she laughed quietly. "Perhaps this isn't the time for any chick-flick moments. At least until I have popcorn with me."
The group smiled at her comment, relieved that she had somewhat alleviated the tension.
Steve placed his hand to his ear. "Stark? We got him."
"Banner?" Tony's voice crackled through.
"Just like you said," he confirmed.
"Then tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you."
They all glanced at each other, confused about what Tony had meant by that comment. Knowing Stark, Steve assumed that it wouldn't be a pleasant thing. As they pondered, Iron Man flew out from behind a building with a massive, flying, metal creature behind him. The rest of the Avengers looked up, getting into a defensive position.
"I... I don't see how that's a party," Romanoff stammered.
Steve heard Daph chuckle from next to him, though he could see flickers of fear on her face. "I am never going to Tony's parties."
"Aw, and miss out on all of the fun?" Tony quipped through the earpieces.
"I think I'll pass."
Steve laughed slightly, watching as Iron Man swooped down, speeding through the street. The Leviathan barreling after him, crashing through buildings as it went. Banner looked back at Steve before slowly walking in the direction of the Leviathan.
"Dr. Banner. Now might be a really good time for you to get angry," Steve told him worriedly.
Bruce turned to face him as he continued to walk. "That's my secret, Captain. I'm always angry."
The doctor's body started to swell and stretched, his skin quickly becoming green as his huge, muscled torso ripped his shirt. The Leviathan got closer and closer to the group. The Hulk faced the large, metal monster and smashed his fist into the creatures snout, causing it to flip over.
Iron Man flew closer, extended his arm and fired a rocket at the monster, hitting a soft spot. The Leviathan roared out as it exploded, pieces of debris and burning metal descending over the group. Daphne swiftly drew out her energy and formed a vast, golden shield, protecting them from the rubble. Once the threat has averted, they all stood up straight, seeing the Chitauri army staring at them from on top of the buildings.
Steve looked at his fellow teammates, glad that they had finally come together to form a unit. To face a threat that not one man or woman could defeat alone. A soft smile made it's way on to his face as he realised that there was a chance that they could win this battle. As long as they did it together.
I apologise that this took so long. I had work experience and an Italian GCSE exam that I'm sure that I failed! Yay, go life! This chapter's a bit longer than usual, and I hope that you enjoy it. I am planning to carry this on with my own plot once I finish the movie parts. Sorry if this is terrible.
Love you guys,
Jess xo