The Avengers

Chapter 9: Assembling a Team

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Tony and Steve sat at a table with Fury. The two of them had managed to get the engine that had blown up working again, keeping them up in the air.

Unfortunately, it didn't take away from the fact that Phil was gone.

Fury held up some cards and placed them on the table. "These were in Phil Coulson's jacket. Guess he never did get you to sign them."

They were trading cards of various people. One in particular had Steve on it, except the corner had blood on it.

"We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, the location of the Cube, Banner, Thor, (Y/n). I got nothing for you. I lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming." He shrugged.

"Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the Avengers Initiative." Fury revealed.

"The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, to see if they could become something more. To 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."

Tony suddenly stood up and exited the room. Fury watched him go.

"Well, it's an old-fashioned notion."

...

Clint Barton was lying on a table, strapped down. Natasha had mange's to take him out and was sitting by his side until he wasn't under Loki's control anymore.

"You're gonna be alright, Clint." She reassured him.

Barton chuckled. "You know that? Is that what you know? I've...I've got no window. I've gotta flush him out." He whispered.

"You gotta level out. It's gotta take time." Natasha told him.

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

Natasha glanced at him. "You know that I do."

"Why am I back? How's you get him out?" He asked.

"Cognitive recalibration. I hit you really hard on the head." She summed up.

"Thanks...Natasha...how many agents did I...?"

"Don't." Natasha interrupted. "Don't do that to yourself Clint. This is Loki. This is monsters and magic and l thing we were ever trained for."

"Loki, did he get away?"

"Yeah. Don't suppose you know where?" She asked as she unhooked him.

"No. Didn't need to know. Didn't ask. He's gonna make his play soon though. Today." Barton informed.

"He gotta stop him."

"Yeah? Who's 'we'?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Whoever's left."