Chapter 5
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It has been four days since Melinda and Steve went out to have coffee, tea and pie together and in that time the residences of the Avengers Facility have gotten quiet used to Melinda's presence and Melinda and Steve have had spent more time together, but to the amusement of Natasha and Tony, who has also been staying at the facility, they still only call each other Agent May and Captain.
It is about two pm and Melinda, Steve, Natasha, Clint, Wanda, Pietro, Maria, Fury, Sam, Tony, and Rhodey are in in the Action Centre talking about the Intel for the newest mission.
"It's just a small Hydra cell, there is no point everyone going." Fury tells the others.
"I agree with you there." Steve admits, "Natasha, Maria, Clint, Sam, Agent May, are you up for this?" Steve asks, as it would be keeping things pretty basic but at the same time the six of them would be able to handle things if there turns out to be more Hydra agents than they were expecting.
"Sure, Captain." Sam says and the others nod.
"Good. Meet in the hanger in ten." Steve instructs, everyone nods, and Melinda, Sam, Natasha, Clint and Maria leave.
"You wouldn't be using this mission as an excuse to spend more time with a certain agent, would you Captain?" Tony asks with a smirk.
"Monitor things form here, let us know if anything changes." Steve tells Fury before leaving, completely ignoring Tony.
"I'd take that as a yes." Tony says amused as Steve leaves.
"Needing a gun or taking one?" Natasha asks curious after she and Melinda have changed into their tactical gear and are gearing up.
"Taking one I think." Melinda says and Natasha hands over a gun, "Thanks."
"You two ready?" Clint asks, having walked over to Natasha and Melinda, with Maria.
"Yep." Both Natasha and Melinda say as they both holster their guns and Natasha zips up her jacket while Melinda zips up the leather vest she wears.
"Then let's move." Maria says and the group of four head over to the Quinjet.
Forty minutes later Steve, Melinda, Natasha, Clint, Maria and Sam are in the Quinjet and almost at the location and because of that fact Melinda switches the plane to autopilot and heads to the back of the plane.
"We're almost at the location, how are we going to do this, Captain?" Melinda asks.
"Keep us cloaked, in stealth mode and land us to the side." Steve instructs, "Once we land Natasha, Agent May, you're with me and we'll take the front." Steve instructs, "Clint, Maria, and Sam you'll take the back."
"Yes, Captain." Everyone says and Melinda heads back to the cockpit.
Five minutes later Melinda has landed the plane and is walking back into the main part of the jet. As she does she and Steve exchange looks and nod.
"Let's move out." Steve instructs once everyone has their weapons and the group of six leave the plane.
Once they have excited the plane Natasha, Melinda and Steve head in one direction while Maria, Clint and Sam head in the other. Because they don't want to risk being heard before they are ready Natasha, Melinda and Steve walk to the front entrance of the building in complete silence.
When they arrive at the front of the building Natasha, Melinda and Steve exchange nods and then Steve uses his shield to basically destroy the door and together they enter. Once they are inside the building Natasha, Steve and Melinda find about five Hydra agents, and so they quickly start fighting.
"Well, if it isn't The Cavalry." One of the Hydra agents, the one who Melinda approached, says when he sees her.
"Don't ever call me that." Melinda says before she attacks, she manages to subdue within two blows, but Melinda keeps attacking even after he stops fighting back.
"AGENT MAY." Steve yells confused about what is going on and trying to get Melinda to stop what she is doing, while he knocks out two Hydra Agents, but before he can even move towards Melinda Natasha has knocked out another two of the Hydra Agents, and has rushed over to Melinda, pulling her off the person she is pummelling in seconds.
"MEL!" Natasha calls as she rushed over, trying to snap Melinda out of what she is doing but after the last few weeks, after everything Natasha knows, she isn't surprised when her words have no effect on her friend, on her sister, "保持你的头，梅尔。关注我。 " (Keep your head, Mel. Focus on me.) Natasha says as she pulls Melinda off the Agent, "请注意你的周围，地面自己，梅尔。一切都没事，你没事" (Notice your surroundings, ground yourself, Mel. Everything's okay, you're okay.) Natasha says, being sure not to let Melinda go.
"我没事，纳特。你可以让我走。 "(I'm okay, Nat. You can let me go.) Melinda says as Steve finally manages to make his way over.
"What just happened?" Steve ask confused as Natasha let's Melinda go.
"We should go find the others, make sure they're okay." Melinda says, avoiding Steve's question as she really doesn't want to talk about it.
"Yeah, we should." Natasha says giving Steve a look which says, 'Don't question anymore.'
Confused and concerned as he hasn't seen Melinda lose control like that Steve gives a nod, realising that they've got a mission to focus on, and the three of them make their way through the rest of the building.
Ten minutes later the building is secure and Natasha, Melinda, Steve, Clint, Maria and Sam are back on the Quinjet, Melinda having shut herself in the cockpit as soon as she walked on board.
"What happened to Mel?" Maria asks as she, Clint and Natasha head to a corner of the Quinjet as from the second they saw Melinda when Steve, Melinda, and Natasha came to the back of the building, Clint and Maria knew that something was seriously wrong.
"One of the Hydra agents called her The Cavalry and she lost it." Natasha explains, "She would have killed him if I didn't pull her of him."
"Crap." Clint says angrily.
"After everything that's happened in the last few weeks, that's the last thing she needed." Maria says worried as while she still doesn't know what happened in Bahrain, she knows, thanks to Phil, that he and Skye do, and that Skye didn't reveal that information in the best or even kindest way.
"Yeah." Natasha confirms, as she notices Steve starting to move to the cockpit, "Oh no." Natasha says before sprinting across the cockpit, jumping over several things, and blocking Steve's path, "That's not a good idea." She tells Steve.
"Why? What happened back there?" Steve asks, it being clear that he is concerned.
"It's not my place to say." Natasha says, "But what I can say is that Mel needs some time, she wouldn't have locked herself in the cockpit if she didn't." Natasha explains, "Let her be, at least for now." Natasha tells Steve, it being clear that it's not a suggestion.
"But…" Steve starts to say but Natasha cuts him off.
"Look, Rogers, I'm asking you to trust me when I tell you not to go in there." Natasha says, "I'm asking you to leave Mel alone until we get back, please Steve." Natasha requests.
"Okay." Steve says, if he wasn't concerned before then the mere fact that Natasha said please would have caused him concerned.
"Thank you." Natasha says, knowing that Melinda having some time alone would help her.
After what feels like a very long forty five minutes to Steve, Natasha, Maria, and Clint, Melinda lands the Quinjet in the Hanger of the Avengers Facility. When the ramp of the Quinjet lowers everyone sees Fury waiting, or everyone except Steve, who is more interested in the door to the cockpit than the ramp.
When the door opens Steve stands, planning on talking to Melinda, but she walks across the Quinjet rather quickly.
"Agent May." Steve says as he rushes to catch up with her, but Melinda doesn't respond she just keeps walking, past where Fury, Maria, Clint and Natasha are.
"Now would have been a really good time to call her Melinda." Natasha informs Steve.
"What happened out there?" Fury asks confused, "What made May pummel the guy?" He asks as in over thirty years there have been very, very few times where he has seen Melinda completely lose control, at Fury's question Steve stops following Melinda in hopes of getting some answers about what is going on.
"He called her The Cavalry." Natasha explains.
"Damn it." Fury says angrily, "Are we thinking booze or beating?" He asks as he knows that Melinda is likely to either go drink a lot or shut herself in the gym were she will beat the punching bag until she can't anymore.
"Hard to say, beating probably." Natasha says as considering Melinda beat a Hydra agent to a bloody pulp it's the more likely option.
"What's going on?" Steve asks
"What are Steve and I missing?" Sam asks as Clint, Natasha, Maria, and Fury are clearly concerned, but he doesn't understand why.
"The name The Cavalry is the name that people started to call Mel after a mission in Bahrain." Clint explains.
"The mission that lead to Agent May leaving field work?" Steve asks, remembering what Maria told him.
"Yeah." Natasha confirms.
"Why would May leave field work?" Sam asks curious as he knows that someone with May's skill doesn't just leave field work, not without a very good reason.
"Very few people know that." Fury says before anyone else can say anything, "And we're not going to share that because it's not our place." He says and without another word Steve walks away going in search of Melinda, wanting to make sure that she is okay.
"Steve, wait." Natasha once she manages to catch up with Steve about a minute after he left the hanger.
"Don't ask me to wait again Natasha." Steve requests, "I want to make sure Agent May is okay."
"I know." Natasha says as she knew that she wouldn't get Steve to stop for a second time, "I'm just going to give you some advice." She explains, doing so for both Melinda and Steve's sake, "Be patient; Mel probably won't talk about what happened, you can push, but you shouldn't expect results, and you need to know that if you push too hard then Mel is going to snap." Natasha tells Steve, knowing that for a fact, "Just be careful, Steve, she's not the Mel you've been getting to know right now, that's just the affect any mention of Bahrain or Mel being called The Cavalry has on her." Natasha explains, "Remember that, because you can't expect her to be that person, not right now." Natasha says as she is the one person who saw Melinda after Bahrain completely broke her, she saw Melinda in a way that not even Andrew or Phil did, because she wouldn't let them, so she knows better than anyone the affect mentioning Bahrain or Melinda being called The Cavalry has.
"I'll remember that, thanks Nat." Steve says, becoming even more concerned.
"Good luck." Natasha says, knowing that Steve is going to need it, "You should try the gym first." Natasha says, wondering if she is making the right choice but at the same time she has a feeling that Steve may just be able to help Melinda. In response Steve just gives a nod and heads towards the gym, is concern for Melinda growing.
When Steve arrives at the gym a few minutes later he finds Melinda completely pummelling on a punching bag, and because she is doing so without gloves it is clear that Melinda is starting to do damage to her hands.
Remembering Natasha's words Steve spends about a minute watching Melinda, trying to figure out what to say before he walks over.
"Agent May." Steve says once he is close to Melinda, though not to close, for a split second Melinda tenses, but then she goes back to hitting the bag,
"I'm not really in the mood for talking, Captain." Melinda says as she continues fight the bag, hitting it harder than she was.
"You don't have to talk, but maybe you should think about doing something else for the sake of your hands at least." Steve suggests.
"My hands are fine, I'm fine." Melinda says, completely lying.
"I see that." Steve says sarcastically, "How about sparing instead of beating the bag." Steve suggests as he has realised that if Melinda keeps hitting the bag then she is going to do damage to his hands where if she spars with him then he can at least try to make sure she doesn't hurt herself, which is the most important thing.
"Is that an offer?" Melinda asks, as she stops hitting the bag to look at Steve.
"Yeah, it is." Steve confirms.
"Then sure, Captain, I'll spar with you." Melinda say and they both move over to the mats. Steve thinking about what to say next while Melinda is just glad for the distraction.
As Melinda and Steve spar it becomes clear to Steve that Melinda is fighting harder than usual, and it takes him a little longer to realise that Melinda isn't fighting him, not really, she is fighting herself, her past.
For about half an hour Steve and Melinda have been sparing in silence. Steve has tried, several times to say something, but he hasn't been able to think of the right thing to say so instead he stops himself before he can say anything.
"What happened back there, Agent May?" Steve finally forces himself to say.
"I told you Captain, I don't want to talk." Melinda says as she ducks and lands several blows on Steve.
"That doesn't mean you don't need to." Steve says, being able to tell that Melinda is putting more force behind her attacks.
"What? Are you an expert now?" Melinda asks as she ducks Steve's swing.
"When it comes to hitting things instead of talking about them, you bet I am." Steve says, remembering all the time he hit or fought instead of dealing with something painful, "I want to help you."
"I can't be helped, Captain." Melinda says, believing that.
"I don't believe that." Steve says without hesitation.
"You don't know what I've done." Melinda informs Steve, stopping her attacks.
"You're right, I don't." Steve confirms, "But even if I did it wouldn't change what I think."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Melinda says, "I killed a kid, Captain, a little girl, and became a legend because of that. So don't say I can be helped because I can't, not after that." Melinda says, walking away before Steve can react, telling him what she did because Melinda honestly doesn't believe that she deserve Steve's help, or his friendship, so she might as well tell him the thing that she believes will end all of that now rather than waiting.
For a few seconds after Melinda said what she said Steve is shocked, but then he comes to his sense and he runs after Melinda, blocking her path before she can leave the gym.
"Get out of my way, Captain." Melinda request.
"No." Steve says, standing is ground, "I'm not going anywhere Agent May. I want to help you."
"You can't." Melinda says, tears coming to her eyes, "I'm a monster, Captain." Melinda says, believing that, "She was a little girl and I killed her." Melinda explains, as the tears that formed in her eyes start to roll down her face, "She was an Inhuman who had been corrupted by the power she got, the power to control others with emotions and she was going to use that power to kill a lot of people, all the agents she was controlling, so I stopped her before she could" Melinda says, coming close to falling apart, "I became a legend because I killed a little girl, I'm a monster, I'm a monster." Melinda says, breaking down in tears.
"You're not a monster." Steve says, putting his arms around Melinda, hugging her, wanting to do something to help Melinda with her pain, "You're not a monster." Steve says, pulling her in close, "You're not a monster." Steve repeats in a whisper as Melinda cries into his chest.
Across the facility in the living room Tony, Natasha, Clint, Fury, Pietro, Sam, Rhodey and Wanda are sitting around, not really talking it being clear that they are all concerned about what is going on.
"I have news." Maria says walking into the room, "The guy Mel was beating is going to make it." She informs everyone, "He's going to be sore for a while, but he'll make it."
"Good, the last thing Mel needs is that on her conscience as well." Clint comments, "But I doubt that will help her guilt." He admits.
"Will someone please explain why May went to town on the guy?" Tony asks as he knows enough to be very confused.
"No." Clint, Maria and Fury say together.
"It's a long story and it's not our place to say." Maria explains.
"All you need to know is that in 2008 Melinda and Phil lead a mission in Bahrain, it went south. Mel got the nickname The Cavalry for her actions and she left field work not long after." Clint explains, being as vague as possible but at the same time wanting them to know some of the details so that they stop asking.
"Does anyone know what happened?" Rhodey asks.
"I do, and so does Natasha, and Melinda's ex-husband, but that's it." Fury tells everyone.
"Phil and Skye know now to." Maria reveals as she does Clint realises that his best friend has been very quiet.
"Go check on her." Clint and Natasha turns and has a look at Clint, "I know you Nat, and you're worried about Mel, go check on her. Go make sure she's okay." Clint suggests and after nodding Natasha gets up and heads towards the gym.
It has been about fifteen minutes since Melinda broke down in Steve's arms and ever since Steve has been holding May, not saying anything because he didn't know what to say.
As he holds Melinda Steve hears the door open and feels Melinda tense, and so he looks over his shoulder where he sees Natasha standing in the doorway. As he looks at Natasha the two of them lock eyes and exchange nods, before Natasha turns and walks out as even with how worried she is about Melinda Natasha knows that Steve has it handled and so she is okay with leaving.
About five minutes after Natasha came to the gym Melinda crying starts to the decrease and so she pulls herself together and pushes herself away from Steve.
"Thank you, Captain."
"You don't have to thank me, Agent May." Steve says reaching out and using his finger to wipe away the tears that are still on Melinda's face.
"Yes, I do." Melinda says as it has been a long time since she completely broke down, since she let herself break down, and so Steve comforting her means a lot.
"How about we get out of here for a while," Steve suggests, "head, into the city and have a nice dinner together." Steve says, a nervousness to her voice.
"Are you asking me out on a date, Captain?" Melinda asks, wanting to be sure.
"Why yes, Agent May, I am." Steve confirms, "What do you think?"
"I think that I would very much like to go out to dinner with you." Melinda informs Steve.
"Great." Steve says with a grin.
"I can be ready to go in half an hour, if that's okay with you." Melinda tells Steve, knowing that that will give her enough time to have a shower and get dressed.
"That would be great." Steve says, "I'll see you in half an hour." Steve says, running through everything that he needs to do in his head.
"See you then." Melinda says before leaving the gym, very much looking forward to the dinner.