The Soldier's Girl

Avengers Initiative

Fury had gathered Tony, Steve and I back into the briefing room, everyone there has a look as if their in a daze. A look of numb shock is shown on their devastated faces. I looked down in shame. I could have prevented this, but we shouldn't give up. Not yet. We still had a big chance to turn this around and we owed it to everyone. This was our job, what we signed up for.

I was still in slight pain sitting at the round table again. I had to keep shifting my weight side to side. Even as a Super Soldier I didn't always heal as fast as I'd like to but I didn't want to catch attention so I bit my lip slightly ignoring the throbbing pain where my new stitches are.

"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket. Guess he never did get you to sign them." Nick finally spoke up, throwing Coulson's Captain America Trading Cards on the table towards Steve. I watched Steve pick them up, you could clearly see the blood staining them. I looked away. Phil was my friend, I should have done more for his safety. But I shook my head, now was definitely not the time to go down the pity party lane.

"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. Maybe I had that coming. Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea, Smith knows this, called The Avengers Initiative." Nick speaks looking to me to carry on.

I let out a light sigh before continuing.
"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." I tell Steve and Tony hoping them would come around to the idea.
"Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes." Nick spoke making me look down and play with my thumbs.

All of a sudden Tony gets up and walks off, not wanting to hear it anymore. I sigh and stand up to follow him. I slightly wince and give a look to Nick asking him silently to speak with Steve.

I follow Tony down a corridor until we're back in the detention centre. I didn't dare look to where I knew the blood stained patch was. I focused on Tony's figure hunched over the railing looking to where the giant glass cage should be.

"Tony?" I ask softly.
He doesn't turn around so I step closer to him and finally seeing the glossy tears in his eyes I place a motherly hand on his shoulder in comfort.
"Don't blame yourself. None of us should. Nothing else could be done. It's over now. What matters is what we do next. We have the world to save and at stake. Not to peer pressure you or anything." I lightly joke making a small smile dance across his face and a airy chuckle escape his throat.

"I know. I just, I never asked for this. Did any of us? The whole world is relying on a bunch of messed up misfits to save them and they don't even know it." He tells me.
"I know. It's hard, and it's something I never even thought about for myself. But I wouldn't change it for the world. We make mistakes, the same as everyone else. But the love and passion we have for one another and what we do, that's what makes us win time and time again. We can do this. But we have to do this together." I softly speak to him.

He finally turns to face me and I drop my hand from his shoulder gazing into his brown eyes.
"I don't know if I can." He mutters sadly.
"Loki got into your head, he got into everyone's. But he's not the bigger fight. He's working for someone and we can figure that out later but right now he is heading somewhere on this earth and is going to strike. I need you with me and stood by my side and after this you can decide what's next for you. We all make choices Tony, it's time for you to make yours." I say.

He looks deep into my eyes before sighing and pulling me into a tight hug. It was desperate. I knew he was upset so I hugged him back just as hard. I rubbed his back softly. I was always a mother figure to Tony even though I now appeared younger than him. He always came to seek answers and comfort from me and I had no problem in doing either.

We heard footsteps approaching and I broke away from Tony and turned to see Steve. I smiled at him and he returned my smile. I looked back at Tony before speaking.
"I'll leave you two alone to talk. I'm going to check up on Clint."

I squeezed Tony's hand before walking out and towards the Med-bay where I new Clint and Nat would be. I looked in every room before finding them. Clint was now up from his bed and Nat sat next to him. They looked up at me as I walked in.
"Hey, how are you both feeling?" I smile reassuringly.

Again, Nat and Clint looked up to me. Even though I looked younger than everyone here I was the oldest and I knew the platform and responsibility I had. I had a great bond with Clint and Nat as I trained them up to be the agents they are. I cared a lot about them.

"I'm doing good now Ali, thanks for asking." Clint smiled and stood up to give me a hug, which I gladly returned.
"Good, you have us quite the scare." I smile at them both.

Just then Steve walked in. I looked to him to see a serious and determined look on his face. I'm guessing his talk with Tony went well.

"Time to go." He spoke.
"Go where?" Nat asked confused.
"I'll tell you on the way. Can you fly one of those jets?" He asked her.
"I can." Clint told him now stepping fully into view throwing his towel over his shoulder.

Steve looks at Natasha and myself asking for confirmation on how Clint was. When we nod our heads, Steve speaks again trusting our opinion.

"You got a suit?" He asks.
"Yeah." Clint nods.
"Then suit up." Steve says before walking out making me follow.

"You alright now? Can you fight?" He asks me still walking.
"Yeah I'm fine. I'll be a little rusty, but nothing a few punches won't warm up." I smiled cheekily up to him, making him smirk.
"Good. Don't want you holding up to team." He joked making me lightly slap him on the chest.

We end up in our rooms and I fix my uniform up, changing my chest plate. Before tying my hair up in a high pony along with a braid to ensure it stays out of my face. I load up my weapons and guns then attach them to my suit before walking back up to meet up with Steve and go get a jet.

Cap, Widow, Hawkeye and I all walk towards and into a Quinjet on top of the Helicarrier. A young SHIELD pilot looks up and stands in our way.

"You are not authorized to be here." He tells us but I can tell from his body language he is terrified to stand up to us.

"Son... just don't." Steve sighs sticking up his hand. I chuckle and get to work getting the jet started along with the others as the young pilot walks out, too smart to know not to pick a fight with us.
"You can take the old man out of the 40's but you can't take the 40's out of the old man." I tease making Nat and Clint chuckle under their breaths as I get a glare from Steve but he soon can't resist to smile.