SOLARIS || MARVEL

27. NEVER IN VAIN

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"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket." Fury said, holding up those Captain America trading cards Coulson so loved. It pained me just looking at them, he could explain each card in a heartbeat. "Guess he never did get you to sign them." I pressed my lips into a firm line. Fighting back the sobs I wanted to let out. However, that didn't stop the tears from leaking out of my eyes. Fury and I reviewed the security tapes from Loki's cell before we called a meeting. Loki had trapped Thor in the cell, stabbed Coulson and dropped our brother a thousand feet below. I had been there for that part but watching the tape of Loki stabbing Coulson was like taking one myself. I couldn't believe he was gone.

Fury tosses the cards on the table and Steve picks them up, they are covered in blood.

"We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, location of the cube, Banner, Thor." Fury told us. I would say I could get Heimdall to find Banner and my brother for us. But I can't even move my lips to get the words out.

"I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming." I looked down, scratching some ruin off my sleeve. I had taken off the protective layers of my suit, I had to. They were all bloody. With Coulsons blood, they were currently getting washed. "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."

Oh, not this again. "There was an idea, Stark and Aurora know this, called the Avengers Initiative."

I almost chuckled, the name seemed so suitable now. "The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more."

I looked at Steve to see his reaction, he was looking down in intense thought. "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."

I'm sure he did. But what good did we do to save him?

Tony gets up and walks off, not wanting to hear it anymore. "Well, it's an old-fashioned notion." Fury muttered after him. I cleared my throat and stood up and without another word I walked away as well. I didn't want to be alone with my thoughts, so I went to the kitchen area of the ship, found a pitcher, filled it with water and went to where Clint was.

The doctors on the ship checked him out, did some scans, he was thankfully fine. Turns out when Nat banged his head on the railing it had set his brain right. I had to take my mind of my brother.

When I got to the room, he was restrained to his chair, so he didn't hurt himself or anyone else. His brain was set right but he was still trying to shake off Loki's mind control. "I brought some water." I set aside the pitcher and let Natasha pour herself some water. I sat in front of Clint, watching with guilt as he fought, he was sweating, looking withdrawn. "Clint, you're gonna be alright." I assured him.

"You know that? Is that what you know?" He questioned. "I got...I gotta no window. I gotta flush him out."

"You gotta level out, it's gonna take time." Natasha said from behind him.

"You don't understand. Have you ever had someone take your brain and play?" Clint asked. "Pull you out and send something else in? Do you know what it's like to be unmade?"

Natasha nodded, sitting next to Clint. "You know that I do." Natasha had been in a Russian program when she was a kid, they made her a killer. Clint was actually sent to kill her, it's how they met. He made a judgment call, now they were best friends. Nat doesn't like talking about her time in the program, Clint might be the only one she's fully open with about it.

"Why am I back?" Clint asked. "How did you get him out?"

"She hit you really hard." I told him, cracking a smile. I stare at his restraints; he didn't need them. Besides, if he did go mind controlled Nat and I were here to control him. I laser them off, making sure the lasers didn't come into contact with his skin. Clint rubs his wrists from having the restrains cut off his circulation. "How many agents?"

"Don't." I shook my head at him. "Don't do that to yourself, that is on me." Nat stared at us both in disbelief. "What is wrong with you two?"

"Nat it was our mission, and we failed." Clint reminded her and I nodded in agreement. It was the truth, our mission was to protect the Tesseract, and we let it slip from our fingers. 6 months is how long we were together on our mission, protecting it. And well we failed, should I feel somewhat glad that Clint is feeling the same guilt I am? Kind of feels nice not to be alone.

Nat shook her head at us. "No. This is Loki. This is monsters and magic and nothing we were ever trained for."

Clint and I exchanged glances, nothing she was ever trained for. Over the 6 months we were together he kept my training up with guns and such, how to prefect my aim and I taught him some Asgardian stuff. At the mention of Loki Clint asked about his status. "Loki, he got away?" I nod, picking at my fingers. I hated that he was gone, hiding from Heimdalls sight. "I don't suppose you know where?" Clint was with him for a while, he must know.

"I didn't need to know. I didn't ask." Clint told us, which lowered my hope of finding them. "He's gonna make his play soon though. Today." Well, we already knew that.

"We gotta stop him."

"Yeah?" Clint questioned. "Who's we?"

Nat shrugged. "I don't know. Whoever's left." Clint shrugged as well thinking it over. "Well, if I put an arrow in Loki's eye socket, I'd sleep better I suppose." I crack a smile. "Now you sound like you." Clint smiled and then looked at Nat.

"But you don't." Clint noted. "You're a spy, not a soldier. Now you want to wade into a war. Why? What did Loki do to you?"

Nat sighed. "He didn't, I just..." she paused. "Nat?" I nudged, I moved from my seat in front of Clint to move next to her. "I've been compromised." She finally said. "I got red in my ledger. I'd like to wipe it out."

"How are you going to find him?"

"It shouldn't be hard," I pulled out my amulet from my suits pocket. I grabbed it after reviewing the tapes with Fury. I need to find him soon. "Just have to call him." If he even answers. Although Erik is still with him. It wouldn't hurt to try him. But first I have to find Thor.

While Clint cleaned up in the bathroom, I took some time to call Heimdall, he told me that Thor was alive. He would have him go to where Loki was as soon as we had a location. Couldn't wait for that location sooner. The door to the room opened and Nat and I both looked to see Steve at the doorway, in full armor.

"Time to go." He told us. Nat and I exchanged confused looks. I stood, "Go where?"

"I'll tell you on the way." He looked at Nat. "Can you fly one of those jets?" Clint walked out of the restroom before she could answer. He looked at Steve. "I can."

Steve looks at Natasha and I, silently asking if we could trust him. We nod. Clint was fully back in control; he was on our side. "You got a suit?" Clint nods. "Yeah."

"Then suit up."

Which is exactly what we did. We changed into our suits and picked up our weapons. We had to steal a quinjet to get off the Helicarrier. Natasha and Clint piloted while Steve and I sat in the back. "Did you find Thor?" He asked me. I nod, "He'll meet us in the city." I told Heimdall to give my brother the location, so he would meet us there. I looked over to my friends. "Are we there yet!"

"Almost!"

Of frack it. I unbundled my belts and walked over to the ramp. "What are you doing!" Steve yelled. "I'm gonna go be a god." I hit the button to lower the ramp and once it was down, I flew out.