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fakeasain56) wrote2012-06-19 08:49 pm
Everyone/Everyone (polyramory) "Running together" Chapter 7/?
Previous Chapter
Chapter One
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The road to trust was a long one, filled with being woken up at two in the morning, installing a thin mattress in the ceiling, agreeing that the television was unnecessary after Bruce put his fist through it, that a horse was a fine steed indeed but no he couldn’t have one, no Loki he couldn’t have a snake, and Natasha put down that gun and eat-
Anyways- it was a long road, marked with a steady refusal to go anywhere near a SHIELD base, no matter how much Coulson nudged them. Instead they drifted in and out of his apartment, like they owned it.
Judging by the fact his landlord had changed sometime, he had a feeling they really did own the building. Coulson sighed as he walked into his apartment, a heavy briefcase of new missions carefully filed away for now, ready for his single crack team to pick and choose.
He took one look around, and turned to the single sane member.
“Steve, please get your team under control.”
“Hmm?” Steve looked up where Bruce and Tony crowded over a laptop, trying to create a mini-GLADOS; Loki and Natasha were having a face-off, sniping and yelling at each other; Thor and Clint butted heads over whether an arrow or a hammer would be the best to catch a person off guard and kill them.
Steve looked around them, eyeing them for a minute, before shrugging. “They’re all having fun.”
Oh joy.
Steve glanced at the full briefcase. “Is it just me, or are they sending us more jobs?”
“You’re the team that’s lasted the longest.” Sad, but true. Most teams fell apart after having to work so intimately together, and the ones that already were that close fell apart after awhile as inner jealousies arose, and-
Natasha was snogging Loki. Clint was smiling as he paused to drop a kiss on her cheek. Thor looked a little put out, but perked up when Clint nudged him and whispered something in his ear, nodding eagerly. Tony was edging far too close to Bruce, arm snaking around his waist.
Steve blinked at the expression on Coulson’s face. “If I didn’t know you better Coulson, I would think you surprised.”
“Not quite,” Coulson replied duly, shifting slightly to look directly at Steve. “So here’s your assignments, which one-“
“Do you have a preference?”
It was a very, very good thing that Steve wasn’t watching him. Otherwise he’d see the agent gaping like a fish. “I-“
“Also, would you like to come with us on our next mission?”
Blown. Away. Completely.
“Do you need help with it?” He questioned softly, almost worriedly (but he wasn’t because he wasn’t attached no matter what Fury said) and Steve shook his head.
“No. We simply wanted to show you what the team could do.” It sounded an awful lot like a boy coming to his parents, proud and happy of what he had done.
A lot.
No.
No, no, no.
They didn’t-
Coulson turned to see Loki and Natasha on each others laps, smiling softly, and Tony pressing a tender kiss to Bruce’s cheek. “Kids. Play safe.”
Bruce and Tony exchanged significant looks, before Natasha drawled lazily, “Yes father.”
There it was. The last nail in his coffin.
They were going to be the death of him.
------------
“Did you see that! The look on that man’s face!” Tony laughed as he spun in a little circle, chest puffed out, and cocky smile plastered on. Bruce trailed after him, silently padding along the cold hallway, eyes uneasily flickering from side to side, but content to let Tony lead and catch everyone’s attention.
Steve held the right position, quietly and studiously understated in his plain clothing, but holding the duffle bag close to his chest, one hand casually slipped inside in case he needed to grab the weapons stored within. Next to him, Loki smiled as he was a half-step behind Bruce, hiding within the thick muscle walls of his teammates, staff tapping on the ground.
Holding the left position was Thor, his blond hair falling back and practically glittering, just as flashy as Tony without even having to speak- he was dressed in ceremonial armor, complete with a red cape.
Behind them flowed Clint and Natasha, both of them smiling without any meaning, both of them wound tense as a wire, ready to attack at the slightest hint of danger.
Behind them trailed Phil Coulson, nurse, nanny, and mother to this weird little group that he had finally convinced to officially come down to Shield Headquarters. He didn’t doubt for a second though they had scouted it out beforehand- there was a loose grill on one of the ducts, and a flicker of red hair on a security camera.
Tony Stark was good at erasing their presence, but the technology of Shield was advanced enough to notice someone had hacked, even if they didn’t know who had hacked. Well… Coulson did, but it wasn’t like he was going to tell.
“I saw it Tony.” Bruce murmured softly, feeding further into Tony, as Steve looked up sharply from where he assessed the passing agents.
Coulson had to admit, it couldn’t be better done. Thor and Tony would instantly catch everyone’s attention, pulling their eyes off of the real leader of the group. Bruce and Loki remained the two’s backup, watching their backs, even as Natasha and Clint guarded everyone’s back- but they were also ready to peel off on a single command and vanish among the corridors.
Steve remained the leader, watchful and wary, the central command post to tell everyone what to do.
“Come, my friend!” Thor boomed merrily, “Tell me more!”
“Okay, so there he was, standing there with a two-year-old, cheap, tasteless wine and smiling as if it were the hundred and fifty year old that I was drinking when-“
As Tony talked, they piled out into a big, open room where Coulson had told Fury he’d be bringing the rag-tag bunch of kids.
His first thought was wondering if he’d messed up the room or timing, because there were people inside.
His second thought was a brilliant, blinding burst to swear at the entire room.
The teens parents sat quietly around the table, staring at their children.
-------------------
Loki’s breath froze for a single pained second as he spotted his father. Odin. No, not his father. He was adopted, and this man was the one who had lied to him.
His chin jerked up defiantly, even as his hand groped sideways, seeking out Thor’s. The big, strong hand caught his and held, and he nearly melted in relief at the silent reassurance that his brother was with him. Thor took a half-step closer, pushing Loki back.
He slipped back almost willingly, before stopping, and elbowing his brother aside. He was seventeen, almost a legal adult, old enough not to cowed by his fake-father. Thor shot him a briefly surprised glance, that he ignored, willing his silver tongue that had helped out the team so often before to work it’s charm.
“Odin.” Not father. That was not his right anymore.
“Son.”
Loki nearly flinched, nearly begged Thor to take over, let him hide until life was once again right and it was only the seven of them on the open roads planning their next mark, but his lips pursed, as he forged on ahead, “What are you doing here?”
“I came here looking for my two wayward sons that had so foolishly run away.” Odin’s voice could fill an entire room, but Loki only now noticed with a spark of panic that it was only the three of them in the room- everyone else had disappeared.
“I don’t think you have any right to-“
“DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO CHILD!” Odin roared, and Loki really couldn’t help his flinch back, he wasn’t strong enough to do this-
Thor instantly stepped up to the plate, shielding him from his father’s wrath, “FATHER!” The two could yell at each other all day and never flinch. Barbarians.
“DON’T YOU DARE THOR! FOR YEARS FRIGGA HAS WEPT OVER YOU TWO, AND ONLY NOW DID I GET A CALL SAYING YOU ARE BOTH ALIVE AND WELL- BUT THIEVES!”
That was father all right, always speaking in tones designed to carry the furthest. Loki snarled from his place beside Thor, “No more a thief then you were!”
Odin stopped, and time seemed to hold still, “Our lineage, handed down, from vikings- the pillagers and stealers of olden days. Our father, the greatest stealer of them all- you stole the royal blood from right out of-“
“SILENCE!” Odin boomed, and Loki fell silent, hand still wrapped within Thor’s, desperately hurting for his teammates.
Natasha would be able to help him spin his tales, not let him get sidetracked. Tony would help Thor run interference, keep Odin silent. Clint would add in his own cutting remarks that went right down to the bone, and Bruce and Steve would be silent support, their quiet belief in their teammates enough to buoy the rest.
At least he had Thor.
Thor squeezed his hand, and Loki dared to peek up at his face- Thor was scared. Scared of father?
No…
Loki squeezed back, pressing in against Thor’s side, staring at his father defiantly. It wasn’t just him, he had Thor at the very least, and they weren’t going to loose each other.
Odin looked at them, his one eye grave and dark. “Ah, I see. We will have to separate the two of you.”
Fear, dark, clawing, desperate, screamed through him. “No! You can’t! You can’t!”
Odin was bigger and stronger then them, and he was crafty as well. “Thor.”
Thor breathed in deep, and Loki felt fear and panic battle within. Thor had always wanted to go back- a quiet longing for home with the cold wind blowing, and reindeer bounded, where bears were plentiful and Thor could stand outside in a storm and be as wild as he wanted- someone else was always willing to join him. Thor was beloved of Odin- Loki was not.
“Brother.” Was that him speaking? So quiet and light, begging softly. He hadn’t called Thor that in a long, long time. Thor had been the one, but now- “Brother, please.”
Thor wrapped an arm around him, “I will not leave my brother’s side until he decides to return. On his own time.”
Odin sighed, almost sadly, “No, both of you will be returning home with me.”
Before Loki and Thor could protest, darkness swam up, and Loki realized with a start that Clint and Natasha weren’t protecting their backs. Where were they?
Where was everyone else?
------
Bruce was quite comfortably numb right now, thank you very much. He was floating in that weird place between complete and utter fear, and the feeling of helplessness. He should be growing violent- he knew this was the point where he normally went violent, but it went ignored for now, as he stared dead-eyed at his father.
Just his father. His mother wasn’t there. Where was mom?
A shoulder bumped against his, but he didn’t twitch, didn’t turn to look- instead his eyes were completely focused on his father, sitting at the table.
His father stood up slowly. “Bruce, why don’t we take this out of the room?”
Bruce twitched, he wanted to stay close, wanted to keep his back where it would be protected- but he couldn’t expect someone else to fight his battles.
Silently he padded after the man, tenseness beginning to wind up his shoulders. They made it out of the room, to where the man turned around, and Bruce’s back went ramrod straight.
He was alone. His father was in front of him, and-
“Time to come home son.”
Sharp, ragged nails dug into the flesh of his forearm, and Bruce couldn’t help the slight shiver that ran down his form, quiet and terrified.
He wanted to run back, but this was his fight- not anyone elses. The rest would be fine without him, right?
Bruce silently followed the man, certain he was going to his doom.
----------
Tony watched with wide eyes as Bruce followed his father docilely with wide eyes. He had never, ever seen Bruce look as… empty as that. Dead. Scared. He automatically attempted to follow, when a single arm thrust its way in front of him.
“Tony.”
His dad looked older now. Tony didn’t remember as many gray hairs, or as many lines around his eyes. “Tony.” Howard breathed, and Tony bristled.
“Hey Howard.” It might’ve been a slap to the face.
“Tony, I don’t know why you ran away-“
Tony took a step back, then a step forward because he wasn’t scared of the man. “You know why. I told you, and you simply said I needed to grow a backbone. So I did.”
“And ran away to become a thief? Do you have any idea how much money I had to spend to keep your name out of the papers? To keep you from being recognized as a thief?” Howard steered them out of the room as he spoke, deftly enough that even Tony had to admit he was good at it, “I’ve been searching for you for years. I’ve researched all about your little friends- Screw-ups, insanity, murderers-“
“Shut up. You have no idea about them, they’ve been a far better family then you and Maria ever were. They accept me-“
“They’re using you is what. You’re a genius Tony, smart. You could be doing so much better then them. Time to come back home and accept your destiny as being heir to Stark Enterprises.”
Tony considered it for a brief second- what would he find there?
Someone intellectual? Nobody could compare to when he and Bruce worked on their latest scheme.
Someone to drink and eat with? Thor had the best taste of all of them, and could always be counted on finding the best food.
Someone to beguile and match wits with? Loki totally owned any in that category- he’d charmed hundreds and the one, made it look easy too.
Someone to talk too? Steve had that part down pat, always lending an ear, adorable in his confusion over modern things.
Someone scary? Natasha could kill them while naked and her hands tied behind her back any day.
Someone to joke with? Clint could take anything and make it a mean, nasty joke that only the seven of them could ever understand.
Nope, nothing anyone could offer could possibly replace that. “Yeah, right. Give up my-“ family “-lovers and go back with you?”
He meant for the words to chase off Howard, he really did, but his own heart went a little cold and dark when Howard froze. Wrong words to choose, no matter how true they were. True, yet untrue, and he just wanted to run.
But Howard was suddenly right in front of him. “I think I made the right choice in separating you from them,” Howard murmured, and everything went black as the night when he had gotten separated and slept alone.
--------
Natasha had taken one look at the man across from her and flashed back to murders in cold snow, blood painted walls, and dark corridors.
Clint had taken one look at her, and the two of them were instantly hunting the man across the table, who seemed to flicker and disappear, the two chasing down the image.
She heard the bow sing its deadly news, felt her guns pick out their counterpart to that news, sharp retorts that held on the air as they ran down the hallway, but then there was a flash from the right, and Clint disappeared, and Natasha was alone, but she had to keep fighting and kill that man before he could kill what was hers.
Her lips pursed as she paused, balanced on top of a chair, as light as a bird, eyes flickering to the side- There was the sound of Clint being hit, and she almost turned to go after him, but she forced herself to be still.
She wouldn’t catch that man if she ran around uselessly with her head chopped off like some sort of chicken.
Natasha took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders back. Then, she copied Bruce’s breathing pattern, taking long, slow, deep breaths, nearly silent and instantly relaxing as she waited.
There was the babble of voices, the low stomps of feet marching towards her, and there, faintly, she caught it. The low whine of a machine trying to run interference.
A pen that had once laid discarded upon the table flew through the air swiftly, slamming directly into the weak point of the machine Tony had taught her. The machine crackled, failed, and her prey was before her. “Ah.” Natasha said dryly.
It was her old leader, the one that had taught her. The one she used to call father. Steve was a far better father, and he was much handsomer to boot.
“Natasha-“ The old man said, surprised, but then he smiled, “I’m glad to see that your training has not been in vain.”
She ducked to the side, letting tranquilizers bury themselves uselessly in wood, drawing a short knife. “I’m going to kill you.”
The two of them smiled grimly at the other- they were not family.
Not anymore.
Clint appeared at her side, bow humming softly, “Ready ‘Tash?”
“Yes.”
They spun, each charging for the other target- the fight was just beginning, and they had no intention of loosing.
---------
Steve looked helplessly around himself.
Bruce had disappeared. Tony had tried to go after him, but had gotten sidetracked. Thor and Loki were wrapped in their own little shouting match, and Clint and Natasha had gone after another guy with murderous intent.
There was just him, and Coulson.
No. I can’t loose them. I can’t loose them, not my family. Not again.
Again? When had he-
Steve shook his head, focusing determinedly on Coulson for now, by picking the smaller, older man off his feet by the shirtfront and slamming him against the wall. “What. Did. You. Do!?”
“This wasn’t any of my doing, I swear Steve.” Coulson was calm- but he wasn’t lying. “I have an idea who did.”
Steve’s eyes narrowed- “Take me to them. Now.”
“This way.” Coulson pointed off to the left, and Steve sent an agonized look across his shoulder.
Thor and Loki stood side-by-side, and even though Odin was yelling at them, they didn’t flinch. “Stay strong everyone, I’m going to fix this. I promise.”
Steve turned away, and with determination began walking down the hallway. He didn’t know what lay at the end, but he was certain he wasn’t going to like it. Coulson, as if reading his mind, said softly, “Director Fury- he’s the one in charge of everything- has to know what’s going on.”
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Fury wasn’t startled when the door burst in, or when the young teen with blond hair began to yell at him, bristling and angry. “Why would you-“
“The question isn’t why would I- but what are you going to do about it. Your team is scattered now. Tony Stark should have been taken home. As well as Bruce Banner, and Thor and Loki Odinson. Clint and Natasha are separated, hunting down a KGB boss, completely on their own. And you have no way of getting in contact with any of them.”
Steve’s mouth opened, and then abruptly shut. Sharp eyes, far too old for him bored into Fury for a brief moment.
Then, the director was reminded why exactly Steve was the leader. “We aren’t separated. Not yet. We have relay points, and lines of communication that we’ve never told a soul about. And so long as I know of a way to get us back together, I will take it, even if I have to break into Stark Industries and kidnap every single last person.”
Steve leaned forward, “And do you know how I’m going to bring them all back together Director? I’m going to unite them against a common enemy.”
The young man didn’t flinch, didn’t turn away as he simply pointed at the director that had so many secret weapons at his disposal. “You.”
“Me? Sorry kiddo, but I don’t think you can take on a organization like mine.”
“You weren’t listening.” Steve snapped back, “I said you. Not the organization, but you personally. And while you may have the organizations tools at your disposal, nothing can last against us all the time.”
“And how do you plan on doing this Steve?” Fury asked reasonably enough- it wasn’t like he felt threatened by the man, or his team. Despite the miraculous scams they had pulled off, they couldn’t hope to go against Shield.
“Stark Industries. A multibillion company, that has every last new science toy you can think of, developer of weapons. Odin Company, another billionaire company, developer of communications. Natasha and Clint will be taking down that KGB boss, which means his underlings fall into our hands. Bruce Banner- the Banners are famous for their radiation research. Nuclear bombs and such. All of that is going to be under my command, very soon Fury.”
A cold chill flowed down Fury’s spine. He had underestimated Steve. He had thought Steve was a good kid, and the moral center of the rest- and he wasn’t wrong. It was just that Steve, while a good person, in a way most people weren’t these days, had no problem at all with using every last resource to crush what he considered a threat to his family.
Fury was a threat to Steve’s family.
Steve stared hard at Fury for a few moments, before turning sharply on his heel and storming out. “Better get ready, because when we come after you, there won’t be anywhere to hide.”
The door slammed shut behind the blond man, and Fury sat still, running a hand over his head. “That didn’t go well.”
“No sir, it did not.” Coulson pipped up from where he had been studiously silent, “If you had just asked me beforehand, I could have told you just how bad of an idea it was.”
“I had to put him through the last wringer Coulson, you knew that.”
“You don’t mean that you’re actually going to go through with this?” Coulson questioned gently, suddenly concerned. “The- Finding a successor shouldn’t mean you risk your life.”
“I need to know who will be ready to take over if I die, and this is the best way. The kids are serious, and that means I need to be serious as well. Shield can’t fall in the wrong hands, and I can keep a better eye on who is going to go rouge if everyone thinks I’m dead.”
Coulson hesitated for a few moments, “You do realize that if this happens, then I will probably be the new director, right?”
Fury snorted, “No, you’re not. I forbid you Coulson. I need you to be my one good eye. Like always.”
The man seemed to lean towards him, and for a brief, insane moment Fury wanted to do nothing more then reach out to touch him on the shoulder. Some kind of physical contact. “I still don’t think that this was right.”
“It’s a test for them as well Coulson. They haven’t been apart for more then three days since they’ve banded together- that kind of co-dependency isn’t good.” Fury turned away from his desk as he spoke, staring at the metal wall behind him.
He watched in the wall as Coulson’s face fell, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly, “Maybe if you learned to cooperate with someone, then it wouldn’t have come to this. Maybe you could’ve retired and let Maria take the helm, and we- or you could be somewhere warm.” And Coulson sounded so wistful, that Fury started to turn around, but it was too late.
The agent had disappeared, and Fury was left with nothing but questions.