A Stark and a Demi

“Agent Coulson is down.” Fury said.
“A medical team is on its way to your location.” Someone said in reply.
“They’re already here; they called it.” Fury said. I felt my stomach clench at that and a lone tear slid down my cheek.
*
I was sat in one of the chairs at the conference table that overlooked the bridge. Stark was sat on my left, while Cpt. was on my right. Even though BW and Hawkeye were on board, BW was waiting in one of the rooms for Clint to wake up. Fury was stood facing us, with Kilah behind him on the left, and Maria slightly further back and on the right. The others could have been anywhere.
The atmosphere in the room was bleak. We had lost the cube. Not only that, but we had lost Phil. I know that this would certainly have hit Stark hard, just as it had me and Kilah. In fact, everyone would greatly feel his lose. He was a good agent and a dear friend to most of us.
“These were in Phil Coulson jacket; guess he never did get you to sign them.” Fury started after a long period of silence, throwing the cards towards Cpt. “We’re dead in the air up here. We’ve got no communications, we have no location of the cube; we’ve lost banner, Thor. I got nothing for you; lost my one good eye. Maybe I had it coming.
“Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract, but I never put all my chips on that number because I was playing with something riskier.” Fury paused, and then started walking around the table as he continued. “There was an idea; Stark knows this, called the Avenger Initiative. There was an idea to bring together a group of remarkable people 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” Fury said. Stark suddenly got up and left, Kilah followed just behind.
“Well, it’s an old fashioned notion.” Fury said. I got up, leaving Cpt. in his seat, and went over to see how Clint was doing. Looking back on it now, I can see what Fury was doing, but at the time I was too wrapped up in it to notice. Well, not that anyone can really blame me.
As I walked into the room, I straight away noticed that Clint had been tied to the bed with straps. He seemed to be still half unaware of where he was, but he was straining against his bonds. Natasha was sitting in a chair that she had dragged over. I went over and stood leaning against the wall behind her, looking to be the obedient student. I was in fact concerned; Kilah hadn’t been like this when I had sent an arrow her way.
“Clint, you’re gonna be alright.” I said, more to myself than anything else.
“You knew that. Is that what you know?” He muttered, not making too much sense. Natasha got up then to get some water. “I’ve got a window, I’m gonna have to flush him out.”
“It’s gonna take time.” Natasha said.
“Have you ever had someone take your brain and play, pull you out and stuff something else in?” He asked. “You know what it’s like to be unmade?”
Natasha paused and turned to him. “You know that I do.” She replied simply.
“Why am I back?” Clint asked as he seemed to calm down and return to his old self. “How’d you get him out?”
“Cognitive recalibration” she replied.
“She hit you really hard on the head.” I said, half laughing. “And if they had asked I could have told them to do that earlier.”
“Thanks” He said. “Natasha, how many agents...”
“Don’t. Don’t do that to yourself, Clint.” Natasha said as she unstrapped Clint. “This is Loki. This is monsters and magic and nothing we were ever trained for.”
“Speak for yourself.” I said earning a curious glance from Clint. “I’ll explain later.”
“Loki, did he get away?” He asked.
“Don’t suppose you know where?” Natasha asked, getting up and walking towards the door.
“Didn’t need to know.” He replied. “Didn’t ask. He’s gonna make his play soon that; today.”
“We’ve got to stop him.” Natasha said.
“Yeah, who’s we?” He asked.
“I don’t know; whoever’s left.” Natasha replied.
“Then we have more aid than you think.” I said.
“Well, if I put an arrow through Loki’s eye socket I’d sleep better I suppose.” He replied.
I laughed. “I loved to see that shot.”
“Now you sound like you.” Natasha commented.
“But you don’t. You’re a spy, not a soldier. Now you want to wade into a war; why?” He asked. “What did Loki do to you?”
“He didn’t, just…”
“Natasha,” Clint coxed.
“I’ve been compromised. I’ve got red on my ledger and I need to wipe it out.” She replied using the same old excuse. I do sometimes wonder what she was really hiding from, her past or herself.
“I’ll go and leave you two to it.” I said, moving towards the door.
“She not the only one who’s different. What’d I miss with you?” He asked.
“Um… well…” I muttered, feeling like a student under his gaze.
“You said you’d explain.” He stated.
“I’m…” I started, looking to Natasha for help. When I found none, I was forced to continue. “I’m sort of half Asgardian.”
“You’re what?”
“You know Thor?” I asked. He nodded, giving me a ‘Do I look that stupid look?’. “Well, my mother comes from the same world as him. Her name is Skadi. She was known to the Vikings as the goddess of hunting, winter and magic. She’s sort of the reason I can use a bow. She even gave me my bow and necklace when I was young. So, um… yeah.”
“Well, that explains a lot.” He said.
“Really?”
“No.” He replied, making me laugh. Clint got up then, leaving me and Natasha to sit there.
Just as I was going to call out and tell him I was going to go into a training room if he wanted to join me, Cpt. walked into the room.
“Time to go.” He said.
“Go where? Natasha asked.
“You found Loki?” I asked, one step ahead.
“I’ll tell you on the way. Can you fly one of those jets?” He asked.
“I can.” Clint said, coming back out.
“Do you have a suit?” Cpt. asked after a cautious glance at Natasha. Clint nodded. “Then suit up.” He left.
Clint glanced at me then. “Don’t even bother tried to tell me otherwise, I’m coming with you.” I said, earning a smile for him and a nod from Natasha. With that, I went off to get ‘suited up’.