So it goes with saying that only things I own with any connection to MARVEL I bought on Ebay or Etsy. MARVEL COMICS & MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE are their own creatures and I have nothing to do with either of them aside from the fact I enjoy reading or watching them, and am grateful for the ability to play in their world. I claim nothing, and I receive nothing for this, expect the pleasure of putting something out into the world.
You can also find this story on ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN under the same title and pen name along with a place to post suggestions.
Don't forget to check out the Photobucket album listed on my profile page too. (My apologies. I didn't realize FF removed the links. I have corrected the problem in what way I can, so for those who like the visual additions, feel free to check them out.)
DAY FOUR
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR
FRIDAY, MAY 4TH 2012
1110 HOURS
SHAWARMA PALACE
1674 BROADWAY NYC 10019
CLINT
"Clint No." Brainwashing, I survived. Being used in a manipulation plot that got me shot, I survived. Taking down the helicarrier, S.H.I.E.L.D survived. Fighting Natasha, I survived. Fighting Aliens, we survived. A damn NUKE was launched, we survived. I had him on his knees crawling in front of my arrow, he should not get to survive, let alone give me his back calmly as he walks away into S.H.I.E.L.D custody!
"Clint YES! " I fire back through gritted teeth, hating the fact that Natasha is actually blocking my path here. "Nat, she is still out there and we..."
"Will find her." She cuts in without the sentence missing a beat as she rests her hand on my shoulder, looking half like she wants to give me a hug, or more likely restrain me. "But you can't be the one to interrogate him, you know this. You were his victim, AND, he knows too much about you."
"Nat I'm so sorry, I tried not to." I can see it in her eyes as she tells me why no one would ever let me have a one on one with him again. I apologized before but I can see the 'he knew too much about me' there. I told him about Sao Paulo, the girl, the fire, all of it, the good and the bad, but the bad with the most detail. I tried biting my tongue off the whole time but it didn't work. I just had to keep listening to 'myself' betray my friend.
"I know." Her smile is genuine, and so is the hurt in it. I know Loki used it against her, and I know Natasha would never hold it against me. She was brainwashed too once, raised in the right environment of perfection and fear, an environment that they could take the clay of childhood, and remold it into a catastrophe in a cute skirt. She got to think that those choices were her's though, that she was helping her country, not the agendas of monsters. I knew it wasn't me the whole time, and I'm still the one who did it. I can't decide what's worse.
"She woke up Nat." Her eyes tell me she didn't know that. "She remembers, at least some of it." I didn't have time to ask her how much came back, I just know amnesia may start like an off switch, but it ends with the lights flicking back on. "She remembered having a kid."
"What?!" I shake my head a little at that and laugh.
"Yeah, that was my reaction too." Nothing in anyone's files said she mothered a child, but I'll trust her memories a lot more than any old HYDRA files. It makes sense though. She always got so happy and sad in the presence of children. "He's got her thinking its his." The way her jaw tightens as she turns her gaze to the echoes of Loki's footprints makes it pretty clear she just found new levels of hate for the bastard, and she doesn't believe it either.
FRIDAY, MAY 4TH 2012
1111 HOURS
SHAWARMA PALACE
1674 BROADWAY NYC 10019
STEVE
"We'll get her back... Won't we Captain?" I knew she was aware I was listening, and that I was just keeping my distance out of respect. She was a spy after all, and one that had proven her skills in that, as well as combat. She earned my respect even before we fought together, her actions during the helicarrier assault cemented it. She was injured but she still got up and single handedly took down one of S.H.I.E.L.D's best agents, and her best friend. Her nod of approval when he offered to fly the quinjet for us was all I needed.
I had some prior respect for him as well, or at least the idea of him. I knew Nora had a 'brother' but I'd never met him, only heard about him. A marksman, but not a sniper she said. And that he was rather unpopular among the staff despite the fact they respected his skill, it scared them at the same time because S.H.I.E.L.D used him as an assassin.
There was nothing but praise and love in her voice for him though. She said he was her hero.
FRIDAY, MAY 4TH 2012
1111 HOURS
SHAWARMA PALACE
1674 BROADWAY NYC 10019
CLINT
"Yes we will." When Nat said Captain that made my eyebrows raise a fraction. I figured she'd been busy, but I didn't think she went so far as to defy the World Council's orders kind of busy. Not that I mind, because I always wanted to tell them to go fuck themselves over it too.
He's still dressed in that terrible outfit as he holds his hand out for mine. Coulson was so proud of when he helped design. That memory is stained with his absence now as I shake the hand of iss hero. "Its nice to finally meet you Agent Barton, I've heard great things. But now I'd like to hear what happened to your sister."
"I'd like to know that too Captain, but your gonna have to forgive me, I haven't had real sleep or meals for almost four days now." Now that the adrenaline is fading, its revealing the shakyness in muscles and the lightheadedness distorting my senses. If I don't get some calories in me soon I'm going to end up napping on the concrete. "Let's talk over lunch." I got a few other people I'd like to get on board this search and rescue.
FRIDAY, MAY 4TH 2012
1112 HOURS
SHAWARMA PALACE
1674 BROADWAY NYC 10019
NATASHA
Captain America just reinserted himself in the public eye by now I imagine. S.H.I.E.L.D would try to suppress the videos, but New York just got attacked by aliens that came through a wormhole. I wish them luck with that. He just made Nora untouchable with that very fact.
He'd been living in secret here, and people living in secret have no voice. But an entire city, and most of the world news has seen his face by now, so his voice might be the biggest one in the room. Even the world council isn't stupid enough to hurt Nora now, not when her friend could turn entire countries against them for it.
We were all sitting around a table, one of the few big enough to seat all six of us, and Clint's got his leg on my chair, because he says it aches. Not that I mind.
I also don't mind that he has taken over most of the explanation. We both sort of communicated our one condition in silence. Yes, Nora has apparently remembered who she is, but we don't know how much. We also don't know the situation that put her on earth in the first place, so we're not mentioning she is an Asgardian. If we do, Thor will almost definitely drag her back to Asgard, and if she doesn't remember that place, it will be like a prison to her. Surrounded by strangers and trapped in the same giant cage as the man who abused her.
Clint choose the category of gifted instead, and then Tony went and opened his big mouth a little too far.
FRIDAY, MAY 4TH 2012
1112 HOURS
SHAWARMA PALACE
1674 BROADWAY NYC 10019
CLINT
I covered how Nora was basically my adopted sister. I covered how when Loki took me he made a side trip to kidnap her. I covered how Nora was once was a prisoner of HYDRA. I covered how despite looking young, she was at least older than Steve. I covered how we weren't quite sure why she didn't seem to age, but how the SSR found her frozen, so it might be similar to the Supersoldier serum. I covered how she had abilities which HYDRA wanted to give to their soldiers. Then lastly I covered how ever since she woke up there was no display of those abilities or her memory of them, but Loki took her because he wanted them too.
The story got responses from all over the emotional spectrum. Sympathy, anger, guilt, confusion, and then there was Tony. "Wait, so you're saying Cap could have pulled a Captain Kirk and I didn't even secure video rights?"
I'm pretty sure, yep, a quick check confirms it, everybody stopped chewing at that, even Thor and Steve who didn't get the reference. Thank god.
"You know,..." I know just what encounter he's talking about. He showed up on schedule after the congo incident, and Nora was on guide duty. She put her elbow through a god damned computer screen during that encounter, and I had to be formally ordered not to hurt Stark, or send someone to do it for me. Nobody's giving me that order now. "... No one will stop me from breaking your face right?"
He gets this cocky self assured smirk on his face as he relaxes in his chair and looks at Banner. The smirk fades as Banner lifts his hands and slides his chair. "Oh no, I will move." I like the doctor more already.
"Really, Banner." Now Stark just looks offended. "I thought we bonded, big green and all." And nervous, because Dr. Banner's responds with he's a pacifist.
He knows that Natasha and Captain arent his allies in this either, so his second option that he looks to for defense is Thor, and that goes just as well for him as asking Banner did. "I too side with Agent Barton 'Mister' Stark. I do not know what this 'Captain Kirk' means but you have obviously insulted his sister's honor as well as the Captains, as her brother it is his right to exact physical retribution." Woot for Asgardians letting me kick people's asses.
"Okay, fine. I submit that I am a completely insensitive ass, but volunteer my services to go rescue your probably is a alien sister, all in favor?" He holds out his hand like we're all going to do a group shake or something, and everyone leaves him hanging once I utter my next word.
"No, for a couple reasons. Last time she saw you, she needed stitches because you tried to kiss her." His look of fake confusion is really not helping my desire to punch him. "And two, don't call her an alien. She's gifted, it's not as unusual as you think. There's a fireproof man who uses that to wow crowds in street performances. You are a completely insensitive ass though, I will accept that one."
"And you." I say next as I turn my attention to Banner. "She is probably going to need medical attention, and S.H.I.E.L.D putting a shoot on sight order out on her isn't going to help those trust issues."
I turn my attention quickly to Captain Rogers after that sentence. "Loki brainwashed me at the drop of a hat, they had to assume he did that too her too."
"I'll help." I can see the unspoken 'I know what it's like to be scared of the government' in his eyes is he joins the team again. Banner signed on, okay good.
But then Thor tries too. "I too offer my help, as it was my brother who..."
"I appreciate the offer Thor, but no." He looks offended by the interruption, which I guess being a Prince makes sense, but I don't care. "It's nice you want to make up for his sins and all, but the sooner he leaves Earth, the sooner we can quit worrying about him making another escape. You want to help my sister, take that bastard somewhere he can never touch her again."
He agrees with a nod this time, and a look of deep respect.
"So then..." It's Steve who poses the next question. "So where do we start looking?"
And Natasha who starts offering the answers. "Well, she wasn't with him, so he must have placed her somewhere safe, but close by, and most likely with guards. There are several S.H.I.E.L.D supply caches and safe houses in the area, our best bet is to start with those."
"I can go with Steve?" He gives her his consent "Clint can cover enough ground on his own, if you'd like to go back to the tower Bruce? The building took a lot of hits, this will give you time to clean up the medical wing if you have too."
"Tony, you can help too, get that AI of yours involved. If you can hack into the camera, you might see in one of them, save us a lot of time."
Smart ass can't just say yes. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought I was benched this round. Well I guess if you need me..."