Metallic Lights {Metallic Charms Book #3}

Chapter 24: Probation

Chapter 24: Probation

~~~~~~~~~~~{Noel’s Point of View}~~~~~~~~~~~

 

A day after Thor came clean; I was transported to the new S.H.I.E.L.D Headquarters in the middle of New York, around five blocks from the completely reconstructed, new and improved Stark Tower. Again, Tony didn’t make it very hard to spot with the massive ‘STARK’ written across the face of it. I rolled my eyes as I looked up at it from the window of the sleek black sedan driven by Maria Hill.

Natasha and Fury sat next to me so that I was stuck in the middle of them. I knew they’d done it on purpose to make sure I couldn’t try and escape. They hadn’t used any zip ties or hand cuffs on me since I was officially on probation until further notice. I got the feeling I’d never be off of probation. At the very most, I’d go back to my old job, serving the Avengers, Nick Fury and Maria Hill their coffees every morning, and tending to their every need.

I’d liked my old job, don’t get me wrong. But after briefly joining the Avengers and after my recent stint in Asgard, I’d seen what else the world –the universe- had to offer me, and I wasn’t about to settle.

“The new headquarters were opened while you were gone.” Natasha made an effort at small talk. “We house agents there who aren’t on missions or on the hellicarrier, this is where you’ll be staying for the foreseeable future.”

“So, no more cinderblocks as beds?” I replied dryly.

Natasha chuckled awkwardly, “No. No more cinderblocks.”

“And no Stark?” I said hopefully.

“He drops by every now and again, but never unannounced.” Natasha replied quickly. “Thor and Jane live at HQ, so does Starlie on occasion when she’s not out with us.”

That struck me like an arrow to the kneecap. ‘Not out with us?’ What was that supposed to mean? What –had she become part of the Avengers while I was gone? Replaced me? As far as I knew, nobody on the team even liked her –besides Bruce, of course. She was a great agent and great at what she did, but... I didn’t... I couldn’t understand how they could replace me like that.

“Us?” I rose an eyebrow sceptically.

“Yes,” Fury butted in. “Nine months after you left, Agent Banner decided to join our ranks. Iolar now works with Black Widow and Hawkeye.”

Iolar? I exclaimed in my mind. She’d even gotten a code name? After four months of being in the game! And she was working with my best friend and my brother.

Had I just been completely erased from my friends’ and brother’s lives while I was gone? Did they all just forget about me completely until I’d turned up in the middle of the New Mexican desert?

About five minutes after that, the car slowed to a halt and Maria Hill got out, silent and deadly as a python. She still made my skin crawl with detest. And from the looks of it, the feeling was still mutual.

Natasha and Fury escorted me over the footpath and into the lobby. Dozens of agents bustled about, a few gave me sympathetic looks, and others completely ignored me. And then there were the ones that gave me glares so hate filled that I thought I might implode or spontaneously combust.

I hung my head, but not in shame. I just needed to keep a low profile for a while –ha! Like that was possible. But I needed to try. I needed to keep off everyone’s radars, just until things blew over a little and people stopped cursing my soul to an eon of eternal damnation.