Another arc where the ending changes everything. Also the final arc for this season.

Chapter 211: Pins & Knees Part One

SHIELD's Human Resources - 11:45 AM

James inhales the all-too-familiar scent of stale office air masked by caffeine and fresh laundry air freshener. He sits back across one of the many SHIELD's HR agents, watching as she finishes reading his two weeks notice. She had to go through it a few times, glancing at him after every few words, and then proceeds to type on her computer. James imagines a big memo to the Council saying that he, Dr. Pym, is finally leaving and he has plans.

And he has a big day ahead of him.

"You know the Council will be on your ass when I process this," the agent tells him.

A grin teasing her lips makes him guess that she wants to see this bomb go off on their holographic faces. Imagining that shitshow motivated him to finish writing that letter, which he did last night in bed as Angela slept beside him.

"Can't wait," James responds.

"And your supervisor?" The agent asks.

"You mean Prof Nine?"

"No. Well, yes, him but I mean ..."

James pauses before laughing a bit. Supervisor. "Oh you mean Xavier - er, Captain Rogers? Yeah, he's aware. Can't wait for him to sign this paperwork."

Again, another grin because Xavier hates doing paperwork.

Once James is dismissed, he heads out to his next stop for the day. He enters an elevator and takes out his phone as he heads up. He leans against the wall and pulls out his phone to text Angela.

James: We're celebrating once we're out of here.

Angela: First things first, Dr. Pym.

-o-

SHIELD Medical Wing - 12:48 PM

James sits in a sterile room with fluorescent lights, surrounded by posters of parts of the human body. Some note the bones, others display the nerves, the muscles, and the blood flow path. Then there are the ones that really make it a SHIELD's doctor's office with bullet wound diagrams and explosion survival rates.

He won't miss this place.

James looks up from his phone and puts it back in his pocket when his doctor walks it with his X-rays and puts them up on a backlight. He dims the light of the room itself so they could see. There are X-rays of both his knees to compare and it's very obvious which one is the fucked up one.

"And it's been hurting for how long?" His doctor asks.

"Uh…" James hesitates, unconsciously tapping his lousy knee to see if that would help. It doesn't. "Since I got the pins?"

His doctor stares at him. "That was nearly a year ago."

James shrugs. "I think it's fine. Look, when it recovered, it was fine. And then I forgot the pins were there for a bit. And then the pain kicked in again."

"You're in denial."

"I deny that I'm in it."

His doctor sighs as he turns the lights back on. "Dr. Pym, I'll need to keep you under observation."

James is about to argue until his phone rings. He glances at the screen and has never been happier to see Xavier texts him during work hours with a mission report to look at and where to meet.

"Duty calls," James says before standing. "I'll be back after."

"Dr. Pym."

James waves before flying out.

-o-

PNG Quinjet - 13:17 PM

James snuck in late to his team meeting, flying through the hallways and landing area. On the way, he had the EMP that he uses to talk to ants read him the mission report that Xavier sent him to look over.

All he retained was that their team is in charge of taking down a trio of SHIELD Helicarriers that were taken over by some extremist group controlling the airspace above vulnerable countries and nations in the Pacific Islands. SHIELD sent a strike team to deal with the base on land, blah blah. They just have to clean up the mess in the air.

James thought Xavier would've chewed him out for flying into their quinjet "late" and growing back behind Apollo to go unnoticed. He isn't sure if Xavier didn't catch him or he's letting him be because it's likely his last mission with SHIELD as an agent. Or because Emily's showing him something on a tablet and only has his full attention because Dr. Emily Stark-Banner requires nothing less.

"The Matriarch is good for a field run," Emily explains to him. "She's basically my bodyguard."

"Dear god…" Xavier mutters, looking at her diagram.

"It's great," Daniel adds. "I watched her plan and build it."

"You saying that because it's true, because I think it'll be a great asset, or are you agreeing because she's your wife?"

"Both, obviously. You and I know what it's like."

"Happy wife, happy life," Sigyn sings. She pokes her husband's waist as Emily keeps bothering him. "Happy spouse, happy house."

Iqadi stares at her. "That wears out."

"Coming from you," Angela retorts before patting Apollo's arm. Iqadi grins, shrugging. "That'll be you soon."

"He's been engaged for, like, a month, let him be." Merida looks at Emily's hologram of the Matriarch, spinning it around. "She looks badass."

Emily now bothers her with her diagram. Angela turns to reload her guns and faces James. He nods at her and she smiles.

"Are you good?" She mouths.

"I'm great," he mouths back, "I love you."

"Love you more."

"Okay," Xavier states, getting everyone's attention. Merida sits up front getting their quinjet in the air. "I'm assuming everyone except Apollo read the report. We don't have much time to plan so I'll make it simple. We have two quinjets docked onto ours so we'll be splitting up and taking a helicarrier each. All jets need a pilot and a flier."

"I'm both," James says.

Xavier points at him, smiling. Final mission and he's grinning through the resentment of paperwork to come when they get back. "Flier."

James nods. They're outnumbered in fliers anyways. It's himself, Apollo, Iqadi, and Stark. Someone will double on fliers. The pilots would be Xavier, Merida, and Angela. If he's lucky, and he will be by scooting closer to Angela, they could be on the same team.

Daniel looks at Sigyn. "Can you even fly?"

Sigyn shrugs as she walks over to her husband. "Let's assume I can."

Xavier grins at her. James can still sense his hatred for the oncoming storm of paperwork.

Merida puts their quinjet on autopilot as she turns around in her seat. As expected, her expression sours.

"I get to go with my girlfriend too," James states. It's his last mission too so he deserves it.

Iqadi smiles. "Can't believe we were teenagers a decade ago. Feels like it was only yesterday."

"A year on Asgard aged me two decades," Apollo mutters. He looks at Sigyn who's nodding.

"I don't want a couple on my team," Merida states. "Apollo, you're with me."

"Nice," Apollo says. "I wanted your team anyways."

Emily and Angela eye each other, looking at Iqadi. Iqadi raises a brow before walking towards Merida and sitting as co-pilot to join her team. Emily saunters over to Angela and James.

"Oh no…" Merida says, shaking her head. "I don't trust this."

Apollo puts his arm over Merida's pilot seat and leans down closer to her. "They think we'll talk about Freya and Blake so Iqadi will scope for information rather than ask herself. We're more likely to spill in front of her than Stark."

"Again, we were teenagers a decade ago or two if you're Apollo."

Sigyn looks at Daniel and grins snarky. "Can you even fly?"

"I hate you," Daniel says and Sigyn winks at him.

"Hey!" Apollo exclaims. "Only we're allowed to hate her." He points to himself and Merida.

"Iqadi, switch places with me so I can join the Hate Sigyn team."

Iqadi purses her lips. "Absolutely not."

-o-

United Shades of Green

Xavier centres his quinjet in the air and sets it to autopilot. Angela's quinjet is ahead and a few metres ahead and Merida's is on par with his own. He turns around to see Daniel slouching back and looking at the ceiling and Sigyn sits next to him. One leg's crossed over the other as she braids a strand of her hair. He smiles when she nudges Daniel to hold her braid in place as she starts another one on the other side of her head. When he pinches the ends, he looks at Xavier.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do here?" Daniel asks him.

"Muscle," Xavier responds.

Daniel stares in disbelief that Xavier was so straightforward. He grins when Sigyn starts laughing to herself. "... How long have you been waiting to say that?"

"Since you pointed a gun at your head to taunt yourself," Sigyn responds.

Daniel turns to face her, eyes wide, and she's smiling. "You weren't even there!"

"Xavier and I had a three-week honeymoon at Camp." She pinches her fingers on top of Daniel's. After a short glow of green magic, her braids have bands. "We had time to catch up."

"Since the helicarriers are overrun and we're heading there, they'll strike at us in the air first," Xavier says.

"So you're gonna make me jump head first," Daniel says, "into a helicarrier. Great plan."

Sigyn lights up her face and a laugh simmers. "I could launch you."

Xavier turns around when the three helicarriers come into sight within the clouds. Like the other two quinjets, they turn on their reflective panels and divert out of the way to circle the mission. He feels Sigyn and Daniel standing behind his seat and look out the window with him.

"Stark, shut it down remotely," Xavier orders through comms. "James, make sure we don't make a mess. Rest of us, let's have some fun."

Going in there without a concrete plan wasn't new or unprofessional. But they've been fighting together for years. They know each other's fighting abilities and could predict each other's moves.