Tony Stark stared at the secured tablet from S.H.I.E.L.D., Pepper Potts next to him, as Agent Coulson stood back. His hand spreads across the screen to shoot out the profiles in the supposed Avengers task force into projected files in the air ahead of him. Going through each one lightly, his eyes pausing at one that he thought was more familiar than the rest. He taps the Captain America file, seeing enhanced vintage videos of Steve Roger's fighting skills.
An adjacent file is attached to his, a photo showing Louise Grant's dark hair from the 40's. She had her own video; one of her easily attacking and using her mental powers to command men behind her. Tony continues his search as he clicks on redacted files of her off the books assignments for the government, backing out to find some connection to her and his father. Discovering that his father was part of the experiment that was used on her, also off the books. Tony goes back to her original file, staring at her face as he reads off her supposed classified powers.
-
Louise sat before Steve, silent as most days, Steve himself immersing in the debrief set by Fury. Her mind stayed moving, trying to understand as she focused on nothing and listened for it as well. Steve, himself, slowly begins to worry in silence at her difference in character. Her draining of life, if you will, seeing as she no longer could hold a real smile. Every reaction being empty or easily manipulated to seem normal.
Steve knew in their time they had returned neither really talked as hoped, knowing daily that new things separated them, new being a relative term. Louise, herself, no longer using her powers or at least trying to adapt.
"Have you decided what you want? Or at least in the moment?" Steve speaks up after a few hours of silence in his apartment. Louise slowly glances at him, their eyes connecting easily.
"On what to eat? What will the next day bring? On whether or not I want to fight again? What is it you mean, Steven?" She returns back; a fire simmering in her bones that has just released a small spark, evident in its meaning as Steve seems slightly taken back.
"Do you not want to fight?" Steve asks, never having realized her feelings, or noticing at least.
"Louise." He pushes after she doesn't answer, making her stare back at him again.
"I do not know, Steve. Something is different in the air for me, and I haven't decided if I would want to be in control once again." She responds, and she stands from his table to lean against it to face him fully.
"You're not going to be controlled, we both know you wouldn't let anyone do that." Steve replies, staring up at her from his couch.
"Steven, I was controlled the entire time I was in the military. Even with Dr. Erskine, though he wanted to help me. I was a government's pawn for years Steve, as you were, till we stood up." Louise pursues as he looks down and stares at the file.
"If you want to stay, be here. I will not stop you, I won't let anyone else either. It is your decision, Louise." Steve responds after a minute, looking back up to see her approaching him. She sits down next to him glancing over the debrief before connecting their eyes again.
"You know I wouldn't let you do anything without me. It's how I got here, Rogers." She jokes at the end, making him give a dry chuckle as they stare at the debrief.
"Another war, hmm? In a special way, I suppose." Louise speaks out as she stares over the picture pertaining to the short file of Loki, an attached file connecting to another man named Thor.
--
Wind breezed past the quinjet, as it flew towards a S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. Steve sat with a tablet in hand, watching footage of Bruce Banner or rather his alter ego, the Hulk. Hulk attacked army soldiers at a university some time ago.
"We're about forty minutes out from base, sir." The pilot says to Agent Coulson, who stands to approach Steve. Louise, herself, sitting a few seats away with her head resting back against the metal siding of the jet.
"So, this Doctor Banner was trying to replicate the serum that was used on me? Us?" Steve speaks to him, gesturing lightly with the tablet.
"A lot of people were. You were the world's first super heroes. Banner thought gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula." Coulson responds, as more footage shows Hulk roaring in fury and crushing a jeep into parts.
"Didn't really go his way, did it?" Louise quirks up with her eyes closed, making them glance at her. She opens her light eyes giving Coulson a dead panned stare that made him turn back to Steve.
"Not so much. When he's not that thing though, guy's like a Stephen Hawking." Coulson said to her while looking, making her chuckle under her breath as she stood. Steve stares up in confusion, making Coulson speak up.
"He's like a smart person." Louise passes them, stepping ahead to stand behind the pilot seats to stare out the glass.
"I gotta say, it's an honor to meet you both, officially." Steve gives Coulson a small smile at his statement, making Louise glance back.
"I sort of met you, I mean, I watched you while you were sleeping." Coulson continues on; Steve looks back to the tablet, setting it to the side and standing up to step towards Louise.
"I mean, I was... I was present while you were unconscious from the ice. You know, it's really, it's just a... just a huge honor to have you on board." Coulson finishes, with a light stumble as he joins Steve behind her.
"Well, I hope I'm the man for the job." Steve responds, Louise glancing back at his words.
"If you weren't Steven, then they'd certainly have a weak standing." She says, giving him a small boost of encouragement.
"Oh, you are. Absolutely. Uh... we've made some modifications to the uniforms. I had a little design input."
"The uniform? Aren't the stars and stripes a little... old fashioned?"
"With everything that's happening, the things that are about to come to light, people might just need a little old-fashioned." Coulson replies as Louise speaks up , still staring forward.
"To add on to the uniforms, I don't think many would find my old dress in use these days, Agent Coulson." She jokes with a small smirk, making the men chuckle as he nods in agreement.
"I had a thought to request Fury have it made, but I put it in the books for a rainy day. I had a crimson suit made to attend to your needs, we also have a black version." Coulson states proudly, making her chuckle again, which made Steve smile.
YOU ARE READING
Ardent || MCU
Fanfiction"Are you ever gonna let me save you?" "I'm not your typical damsel, James." Louise was a woman with many skills, baking, dancing, knife throwing, undercover ops, etc. Well, she learned the last two while her best friends fought in the second World...
