Like Home
Title: Like Home, part two
Universe: something like the Marvel Universe, leaning mostly toward the Movie!Avengers branch.
Pairings: Miri/Phil, Alex/Clint
Rating: um... i'm going to have to say a solid R. mostly language. lots of language.
Warnings: language and violence.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters contained herein are the property of Marvel and whoever the hell else owns them. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. Miri belongs to dazzledfirestar and i'm only using her for the purpose of this fic.
Author's Notes: this is an... AU of the canon LCA 'verse. which is going to sound really weird when i say that it mirrors the events in the movie right up until the end. this story takes place after the fact and just throws some of the movie Sues into the mix.
~*~
It was the beeping drone of a high-pitched, computerized sound that brought Miri out of a light sleep that had, thankfully, not been plagued with dreams. She took a few seconds to get her bearings, then glanced at her laptop. A bright green dot was blinking on the screen, on a global map that was tied to the program she'd installed to track the unique frequencies given off by Asgardian magic. Or rather, in this case, by Jotun magic. She snarled and threw herself from the bed, already moving to put on clean clothes.
Fucking Loki. She'd known it was too good to be true when Thor had taken his sick as fuck brother back to Asgard. The fucker was slippery as a snake. She'd expected him back sooner or later, had started working on the program to track his magical signature almost from day one. And now... Now she was going to go treat him to the same kind of hell he'd put her through. She was going to corner the son of a bitch and pay him back for Phil.
If she didn't come back from it, so what? It wasn't like she had anyone waiting for her when she came in the door anymore.
For a few moments, she heard Clint's voice in her head, low and rough and filled with the emotion he'd never share with anyone else. If anyone in the world understood what she was feeling, it was Clint. Loki had taken from the man, just like he'd taken from Miri. She heard him asking her, not pleading or begging, but asking her to reconsider doing anything stupid. Maybe it should have mattered, what her taking on Loki by herself would mean to Clint and Alex and Mary Magdelaine. It didn't. It didn't make a shitting bit of difference in the long run. Phil was gone and Loki had to answer for that.
Everything she put on was black, right down to her underwear. She didn't want him to see her coming until it was too late. She wanted him to look at her and see Death. His death. Black t-shirt and fatigues. Her old combat boots. Black nylon holster for her guns and knives. A black knit hat to cover the bright spot that was her hair. At least until she was face to face with him. Then she'd tug the hat off and she'd let him see blood and death.
The green dot still blinked in the same place it had when she'd come awake. It didn't look like it had moved. Miri sat down on her couch and began typing, the keys clacking softly under her fingers. The coordinates that marked the spot where the dot blinked came up. She copied them down, then opened up a separate program that translated the coordinates into a physical address. When she saw where he was, she smiled an evil smile. "Got you, you fuck."
She took a few moments to collect her weapons, even though she knew logically that they probably wouldn't work well against the demi-god. He was fucking magical, after all. But she had to make the effort. For Phil.
For a brief moment, she heard his voice in her head, telling her that she was effectively committing suicide, that Loki would gun her down without batting an eyelash. She heard him tell her that she needed a better plan, that she needed the proper tools and equipment. That she needed someone to go along and back her up. She needed a team and partners. Miri shoved that away and tried to focus instead on what she would have to do before it was all said and done.
"I have to do this, Phil. I have to avenge you. He can't get away with what he did to you. He can't," Miri murmured into the empty apartment.
"I'm worried about you, Miri. Please. Just... Just talk to me." Alex's voice followed after Phil's. words heavily laden with concern and fear. Miri hated that she'd turned her best friend away from her the way she had, but she knew Alex too well. If she'd known that Miri had been planning this, she'd have done one of two things. She'd have either told Fury or someone and Miri would have been locked up faster than a stray cat at the pound. Or she'd have decided to go with Miri and help bring down Loki. And Miri wasn't going to be responsible for anyone getting hurt because she had fucked up priorities.
"I'm sorry, Alex. I wish I could have told you. But I won't risk you."
Not surprisingly, Clint came after Alex, his words laden with all of the emotions that he knew she'd understand. "I know it hurts like hell, Miri. And I know you figure there's nothing left for you. But Alex loves you. She'd never be the same if something happened to you. Promise me you'll think about that before you consider doing anything rash. Please." And she had thought about it. For a few minutes after he'd left. But she couldn't not do it. Loki had to fucking pay.
"Take care of Alex for me, Clint. You have no idea just how much she needs you to take care of her."
Miri let her gaze fall on a picture that rested on her bookshelf, breaking up a line of paperbacks. It was one that had been taken a long time ago, on a mission to somewhere in South America. Back before they'd been couples. There were honest smiles and laughter on her face, on Alex's face, on
Clint's face. There'd been a faint smirk on Phil's. It had been taken in a club where they'd ended up dancing to help keep their cover and further their mission. Some passing photographer trying to make a few bucks had snapped it. Alex had one just like it at home in her bedroom. Somewhere. "I'm sorry, guys. I wish things had been different. I really do."
Miri scooped up her keys, her cell phone, and the bag with the rest of her weapons and headed out the door. She had a meeting to keep.
~*~*~*~*~
Nick looked up from the stack of papers before him as a sharp knock resounded on his door. He sighed and sat back in his chair, careful to close the files and tuck them at the bottom of a pile resting on the right hand side of his desk. Exhaustion ate at him, but he pushed it back, rubbed his hands over his face and told himself that there was no going back. Only forward. There were times when he really hated this fucking job. Every time he had to tell a family that their loved one wasn't coming home, it took a little more of his heart. Every time he had to tell a person that their friend had gone over the wall, it ate a little more of his soul. "Enter!" he barked.
The door opened to show him the blank faces of Agents Quinn and Barton. He waved a hand at them, silently ordering them to step into his office and close the door. They came in, Barton pushing the door closed behind them, and moved to take a seat when he motioned toward the chairs waiting for them before his desk. He wasn't surprised when Barton more or less threw himself into a chair while Quinn remained standing, body in a deceptively limp stance that he'd seen before, only seconds before she'd thrown herself at a trio of HYDRA agents.
He shot her a raised brow, watched as she refused to be intimidated by him, and fought back a smile. "I'm sure you're both wondering why I've called you in here so early in the morning."
"The thought had crossed my mind, sir," Barton replied before Quinn could. No doubt she had a few choice words for him. Nick could live with that, so long as she remembered who he was and who she was and who gave her the orders.
"Loki has escaped from Asgard. We have it on good authority that he's back here on Earth."
"He's back, sir?" This from Quinn, who was still maintaining a blank look despite the fire burning in her eyes.
"He's back. We got confirmation of his arrival last night." Nick let his gaze shift to where Barton sat. The sniper wasn't pretending to hide how he felt about the news. There was a mix of emotions shining in his eyes and his mouth was downturned with displeasure. The tension in the man's shoulders suggested he was expecting the worst.
Well, he'd get it. Just not in the manner he expected.
"We also have confirmation that Agent Grant has gone to intercept Loki. Its highly likely that she plans on attempting an assassination."
Quinn broke, troubled eyes focusing on him. Her hands clenched into fists at her side, but not before Nick saw the slight tremor in them. "She's going to get herself killed."
"That's no doubt what she intends," Barton replied, voice soft. Nick looked at him and saw that the other man had seen this coming for some time because he sure as fuck wasn't as surprised by it as Quinn was. Then again, maybe it wasn't so surprising, given everything Barton had gone through. "If I may speak freely, sir?"
"When have I ever been able to stop you, Barton?" Nick asked. The other man flashed him a quick smile that was gone as quickly as it came. Then his eyes turned serious and he shot an apologetic look toward Quinn.
"I spoke with Agent Grant a few days ago, sir. I... may have seen this coming. She was engaged in cleaning every single weapon she owns. And may I say, it is quite impressive."
"You dick!" Quinn snapped, fist flying out to hit right in the meat of the man's arm. Barton looked up at her and took hold of the offending hand. "You went to see Miri and you didn't tell me?"
"You were so concerned about her. And everything you told me suggested that there was something going on. So I went over to check up on her. I was right. She was planning even then to go after Loki if she got the chance. She pushed you away because she didn't want you involved," Barton told the woman. She frowned and tugged her hand free of his hold.
"You should have told me that you suspected something was going on!" she insisted.
"Why? So that you could stop her? Or so you could join her in her lunacy? She was protecting you because she knew if she told you, you'd insist on going along with her. Then you'd both get yourself killed and where would that leave me?"
"You had no right to keep this from me. I've a good mind to go home and cook for you because that's how much of a shit you're being," she snarled. Barton's face slipped into lines of distress. Nick felt sorry for him because he'd heard just how horrible Quinn's cooking abilities were.
"Children. I think that's enough for the day," he said, rising from his seat to walk around the desk. Both of his agents fell silent, watching him as he moved to stand in front of his desk. He propped his ass against the edge and stretched his legs out in front of them. Crossed his arms over his chest. Drew their full attention his way. "Very good. Now that we've got that out of our system, maybe you'll both shut the fuck up and let me talk."
Quinn stepped away from Barton and resumed her deceptively casual pose. "Yes, sir," she nodded.
He let his gaze slip between them, eye dark with warning while checking to make sure this wasn't going to be a problem. He was well aware how volatile Quinn and Barton's relationship could be. He was also aware how quickly they made up. There wasn't anything that happened within his agency that he didn't know about. "Can I continue?"
"Please," Barton nodded.
Nick pointed his hand at the large flat screen and clicked a button on the remote in his hand. The screen came to life with bright color, a satellite map of the tri-state area. There was a blinking green dot on the screen, located directly in the middle of New York City. "Immediately after receiving the news about Agent Coulson, Agent Grant began putting together a program that she could use to track the unique qualities of our Asgardian visitor's magic. Her program is based on one I had our tech guys start working on shortly after the New Mexico incident. Up until recently, we haven't needed it. After the attack on New York, we were able to get the technology working correctly. So I had the tech boys set it up. Agent Grant borrowed some of it for her program."
"How do you know?" Quinn asked, voice all business.
"Because I've been keeping my eye on her. Ever since I delivered the news."
Quinn opened her mouth, likely to make a comment that could see her landed in hot water. Nick shot her a look that quelled any sense of rebellion in her. She closed her mouth and turned her attention back to the screen. "That's Loki's location?" she asked quietly.
"Yes. He's been there for roughly an hour." He stared at them both for a few moments before continuing. "Agent Grant left for his location only moments ago. I have men covering her and his location. Reports indicate that she hasn't arrived yet. But she will get there soon. And she's going to need back up. I'm sending you two after her. I'd like to have my agent back. And I'd like to have Loki in custody. That son of a bitch needs to answer for the things he's done."
"You're sending Hawkeye and I in against Loki?" Quinn asked. And though there was nothing in her voice that would give away what she was thinking, Nick could tell it was there. Quinn was worried about what would happen if Barton got anywhere near Loki again. Before he could answer her, though, the door to his office opened without warning and a member of the medical staff just barged right into his office.
"Director Fury, sir," the woman breathed out his name, suggesting she'd run up to his office from the medical wing.
"Excuse the hell out of you! Can't you see that I'm in the middle of a meeting? Did my secretary not tell you that I wasn't to be disturbed? What the hell is so important that you have to interrupt my meeting?" he snapped at the woman. She gave him wild eyes before her gaze took in both Agents Barton and Quinn.
"I'm sorry, sir. But its important. I was told to-- "
"You tell whoever told you to come disturb me that I will personally chew their ass out after I get done here. Now get out of my office before I throw you out," he ordered.
"But Director! Agent Coulson is awake and is demanding to speak to you. Right now," the woman blurted out before turning and fast stepping out of his office. The door had barely closed behind her when both Barton and Quinn turned to look at him. While Barton looked less inclined to commit murder, Nick was kind of glad that Quinn didn't have a wrench in her hand.
"What did she mean, Agent Coulson is awake?" Quinn asked, voice low and laced with a fine, trembling edge of danger. "What the hell is going on here, sir?" She paused for all of two seconds before she spoke again. This time, her voice was a little heavier. A little firmer. A little deadlier. "Are you telling me that Agent Coulson is alive and you lied to me? You lied to Miri about his death? You looked her in the eye and told her that the man she's over the moon for is dead? What the ever loving fuck were you thinking?"
"Agent Quinn!" he snapped with enough force to see her blinking up at him. "I'll thank you to remember just who you're speaking to. I made a judgement call and I do not have to justify my actions to you."
"You don't? Tell me that when I bring Miri's body back. Because she sees this as a suicide mission, sir. She went to get herself killed."
"She won't get herself killed if you stop trying to chew my ass and go back her up!" he retorted.
"Yes, sir!" Quinn snarled, snapping off a salute that held all the sarcasm she could put into an action.
"Stop by R&D. There are a few supplies you're going to need. I'll call down and tell them to have everything ready for you. Now get your ass out of my office." He made sure to shoot her a disgusted look. It didn't phase her.
"You can bet your ass that you and I will sure as shit be talking about this when I get back. Sir." Quinn turned and stomped from his office without another word. Barton stood and looked at him, then turned and followed the other agent out. The door closed quietly behind him, leaving Fury alone in his office.
Nick sagged against the edge of his desk and heaved a sigh. Well, shit. Wasn't that a conversation he could live without?
~*~*~*~*~
Miri stared at Thor's brother and waited for the anger to take her. Waited for the rage to fill her veins. Waited for something to spark inside of her and make her feel something, anything, again. But there was nothing. Not even in the face of Loki's mocking smile and his shrewd eyes as they raked over her frame. "I should be offended that you are the only one who has come to put a stop to my nefarious plans," he grinned at her. All she heard were the words of a mad man.
She shrugged, not bothering to respond. He didn't need to know that there wasn't anyone else coming, that she was the only one who knew that he was there. He didn't need to know that she didn't care what his nefarious plans were.
Loki stood in one place, center of the floor of a large and sprawling abandoned warehouse. The gates were chained shut, as were the doors. She'd had to use bolt cutters to get inside. The black bag with all of her weapons rested beside her feet, the length of her trench coat hiding the weapons she'd strapped to her person before leaving the apartment. She watched as he studied her, his gaze seemingly seeing straight through her. "You're not the first one to attempt to capture me. The last one who tried found himself impaled on my sceptre. What makes you more capable than him?"
Her fingers curled into her palms, hands fisting at her sides. He spotted it, his smile growing when he did. "Did he die? He was pathetic. A mouse of man. Did he pass from this world into the next? Do you come to avenge his death?"
"You aren't allowed to talk about him," she snarled quietly. One hand inched closer to her holster and the butt of the Glock that rested there.
"I would suggest you stop the movement of your hands unless you wish to feel the bite of my magic," Loki warned, eyes fixed on her hand.
"You can suggest all you like. That doesn't mean I'll listen." She hadn't even finished her sentence when the Glock rested heavy and secure in her hand.
"I see. You have come to avenge the little man. Who was he to you? Friend? Colleague? Lover?" Her hand tightened on the grip with the last word, bringing a knowing smile to his face. "Ah. So he was a lover. Tell me, mortal. How does it feel to know that he died for nothing? That his sacrifice was made in vain because I will destroy you and I will take this puny planet as my own."
"One more comment about him and I'll see to it that you have an eye in the center of your forehead," she whispered, voice tight and thick. Loki's smile grew until it looked as if his head would split in two.
"How very unfortunate for you because I have no intention of allowing you to put an end to my plans. So allow me to make this easy on you. Throw down your weapon and I'll kill you quickly. Then you'll be able to be with your little man again. If you believe that such a thing is possible."
"Enough of this, Loki. It all ends here. Now." Miri lifted the gun and aimed. Fired. The bullet flew straight and true, but Loki moved. Miri growled a few expletives and fired again. And again. And again. She pulled the trigger until the gun clicked empty. Loki stopped moving and laughed at her before launching a magical attack her way. She dodged, rolled across the dirty concrete floor, and came up with a second Glock on her hand.
"Poor, deluded child. Do you really think your simple weapons are a match for me? Even your pathetic little man had a weapon built from magic and it failed to harm me. But it amuses me to watch you try."
Miri ignored his latest batch of taunting and took aim. Almost as soon as the round left the chamber, Loki was firing his magic off at her again. She had to duck and roll and seek out hiding places in the empty warehouse. No matter how fast she moved, he moved faster. And she never hit him. At least she hadn't created any doubles for her to deal with. If he'd done that, this would have been over before it had even gotten started.
Loki kept her on the move, kept moving himself so she could never hit him. He kept spewing his filth, calling Phil pathetic and weak. Saying he deserved to die. Claiming that she'd never deserved Phil because she was a lousy shot and a poor agent. She knew he was trying to make her mad so that she'd slip up. And she did her best to let it roll off her back. But he wouldn't stop, kept throwing out his horrible vitriol. Eventually, it was more than she could stand.
The tight control she had on her emotions broke and she threw herself at him, pulled the trigger until her gun was empty before going for the next. And the next. And the next. He laughed her off, untouched and unharmed while her heart broke in her chest again. After a certain point, she ditched the effort to shoot him and launched herself at the ass.
He let her catch him, let her wrap a hand into the cloth of his garment and draw her other hand back to throw a punch. But before she could swing at him, he wrapped one hand around her throat and lifted her until her feet dangled above the floor by a good six inches. She had no choice but to wrap her hands around his wrist to keep him from choking her. Not that she didn't want to die. She just wanted to take him out with her. Her lungs squeezed down in an effort to find more air. but there was none. Her chest went tight and burned with the need to breathe.
"Stupid mortal. Did you really think you would be able to stop me on your own?" he snarled, the madness she'd heard in his voice shining in his eyes. "You're nothing to me. A gnat to be swatted and flicked aside. Forgotten. You can't kill me. I'm a god!"
"You're a fucking lunatic," she snarled and brought a booted foot out. It caught him dead in the groin. Loki made some kind of noise, but she didn't have time to decipher what it was because in the next heart beat, she was sailing across the room. Miri's hand found the knives strapped to her sides and pulled one of her blades. She didn't even have time to line it up properly. but it didn't matter. It was flying end over end toward its target when she slammed into a pile of old boxed. They collapsed beneath her weight and saw her crashing to the ground.
The impact knocked the breath from her and left her unable to move. Loki's laughter poured across the warehouse, slithering into her ears like deadly vines. "That was such a pathetic attempt, mortal! Come, surely you can offer me a better fight than this!" he snarled. "Let us see what you can accomplish when I take away your weapons hand."
There was a soft whirring noise only a moment before the blade of her own knife sank deep into her shoulder. It left her dominant hand useless, her arm numb from shoulder to finger tips. She bit down on her lip to stifle the scream that rose up her throat, but it still flowed out of her in a long whimper. She reached up with her other hand and wrapped her fingers around the grip, gave an experimental tug to see how deeply it was embedded. Pain radiated out from entry point, letting her know that removal would require lots of drugs and several other pairs of hands.
When she looked up, Loki was looming over her, He was leering, his eyes burning so brightly with his madness. "Can you do no more, little mortal? Is this the end of your fight? Will you die here, lying on your back and skewered by your own weapon? Will you die before you can seek vengeance for your fallen lover?"
"Suck this, mother fucker!" Miri snarled and rose up, her free hand curled around the grip of the blade she'd gotten in Wakanda. She ignored the shaft of pain and the way the blade in her shoulder shifted against her bones, ignored the way she wanted to just sink into the darkness and never come out. She screamed out her rage and frustration and hate and pain and sorrow as she buried the blade she'd pulled when he'd been sneering at her deep in his thigh. The hum of the blade vibrated up her arm, the song of the vibranium a soothing tune as it reacted to his magic and carved through it, as it parted flesh and bone to leave him screaming inarticulately in pain.
"Heartless bitch! You'll die for attacking my person!" he snarled, voice heavy with the agony of the knife in his leg. One hand reached under the layers of his clothing and armor to come away with a blade that would be big enough to end her life if he chose to drive it into her throat. She stared at him defiantly and waited for him to strike.
"Brother!" The roar echoed loudly through the empty warehouse. Loki's head jerked up and he stared toward the door. A moment later, there was a pulse of power and a wave of something washed over them. Loki staggered back, his eyes going wide. The knife fell from his hands and his gaze lowered to take them in. They trembled ever so slightly. "This madness is over!"
She glanced to her left to find that Thor stood only a handful of feet away. Alex and Clint were with him. She had an odd looking gun pointed at him and it was almost as big as she was. Loki must have looked at her because she grinned wickedly and tightened her grip on the trigger ever so slightly. "Remember this, big boy? I bet you do. Coulson used this to put your ass through a wall. Shall we see if we can recreate that?"
Clint was at Alex's side. Instead of his bow and arrow, he was holding a moderately sized weapon. The end of the short barrel glowed with pale blue light. It was pointed at Loki. And Clint was grinning. "Like that? This is something else we developed from Destroyer after your first visit. It just fucked up all of your magic. Guess that means you aren't saying goodbye to us just yet, doesn't it? Man, I owe the guys in R&D because this thing is fucking sweet. Maybe another blast will make you completely fucking normal. What would you do without your magic? Want to find out?"
Miri ignored her friends and dragged herself up to her feet, hand reaching out to grab hold of a nearby support pillar. When she thought she was steady on her feet, she reached up and grasped the handle of the blade buried in her shoulder. And pulled. It slid out with a scrape of metal on bone and an aborted shout of pain. Her head was swimming and she wanted nothing more than to collapse face first on the floor. But she had a mission to carry out first. Raising the blade, she took a lumbering step toward Loki. He was paying absolutely no intention what so ever, so he didn't see her coming for him.
"Miri, no!" Alex called. She tuned the woman out, tuned out the sound of Clint's voice. Of Thor's. Tuned them all out and made a lunge for Loki with the bloodied blade in her hand. She had a shot while his magic was down and she was going to take it.
"Agent Grant!" The voice crackled across the line of an old fashioned walkie talkie and it brought her up short. Miri blinked and turned to look over her shoulder. Clint had the squawk box in his hand. "Stand down! That's an order!"
Oh, god. She was going insane. She was hearing voices. Because that sure as hell sounded like Phil's voice. But Phil was dead and Loki was responsible. She couldn't let herself believe. She couldn't. It would hurt too much. "Sir. I don't think she believed you."
"Agent Grant! I order you to stand down now. Do not make me tell you again."
"I don't know who the fuck you think you are, but when I'm done with this waste of air, you're fucking next!" she snapped at the disembodied voice and turned to Loki one more time.
"Miri, our first date was the night of one of the infamous S.H.I.E.L.D. Christmas parties. Alex left with Clint, leaving you stranded. I offered you a ride home via a cup of coffee at Joe's Diner across the river in Jersey. Our waitress was named Dorothy."
Miri froze and turned to look back at Alex and Clint. Thor moved past her to take possession of his brother. He ignored her completely, escorting Loki a few feet away to leave the three of them more or less alone. "Phil?"
"Its me, Miriam." And it was him. She could hear it in the steady, pleasant tone he used. There was also a hint of pain and slurring from the drugs that couldn't be faked. "Come back to base so we can talk. I'm so sorry about all of this."
"Oh, god," she moaned, the realization of what it all meant slamming into her and forcing her to her knees. The blade slipped from numb fingers and clattered loudly to the floor. "Oh, god."
And then the room was a whirl of activity as Alex shoved the weapon she held into Clint's hands. "Medic! Get the fucking medical team in here right fucking now! She's bleeding!" In an instant, Alex was at her side, slowly lowering her toward the floor. One hand guided her while the other pressed tight against her shoulder. Her eyes were wide, but there was no panic in them. Not yet. Miri tried not to flinch when she was finally on her back and Alex pressed the other hand over the stab wound. "You are out of your fucking mind and when this is all over and you're healthy again, I'm going to kick your fucking ass!"
Miri chuckled faintly, her body screaming at her for the unwanted pain, and reached up to settle one hand over Alex's. "You do that, if you think you can."
And then medical was there and there were good drugs and the whole world went away in a wash of white. But the sound of Phil's voice chased her down into the void and so did the pressure of Alex's hand curled around hers.
~*~*~*~*~
"You're an asshole for going along with this stupid shit," Clint told him, voice steady despite the emotion laying thick in the words. Phil glanced up from his hospital bed and studied the other man intently. Even though it had been two weeks since the near destruction of the helicarrier and the battle over Manhattan, he could tell that Barton was still carrying a heavy load of guilt. Phil might have tried to convince him that speaking to a superior was not in his best interests, but the man was still dealing with his own demons and it was better such things were said to Phil instead of Fury or Hill. He knew Clint was taking refuge in snark because the guilt and fear were doing their best to eat him alive. "Do you know what you've put the team through in the past two weeks? Hell, do you know what Miri's been through the past two weeks?"
"I didn't go along with anything, Agent Barton. The director made that call. I was unconscious at the time. Had I known he was going to announce to everyone that I'd died as a result of my injuries, I would have tried to stay awake longer," Phil replied levelly. Barton snorted and continued to give him a dark glare. Phil had yet to see the official reports that went along with the two incidents because Fury had sent out a memo to every single agent left in the organization that anyone caught sharing that information with Phil before his doctors cleared him for light duty, they'd personally have to fight both Fury and the Black Widow in hand to hand combat. In front of the rest of the staff. No one wanted to be caught between that rock and hard place.
Phil was sure that Barton was harboring his own sense of guilt in what had happened, laid blame for all of the deaths and injuries solely at his own feet. And that included Phil's death, yet not quite death. He wished he could find a way to tell the man it was okay without actually having to bring it all up. Sighing, his thoughts turned to Miri and he wondered just how badly she'd suffered. If her going after Loki was any indication, she'd suffered plenty. "And I can't imagine how difficult this has been for anyone. But there are other people we should focus our attentions on. As I don't happen to be dead, you can stop blaming yourself for that."
"I was the one who gave Loki-- " Barton's words were cut off abruptly at the sound of a knock on his room's door. Barton tensed, as if he expected Thor's brother to come through the door and finish the job. Phil looked up at him, shot him a look of reassurance, and nodded his head. The man's shoulders loosened slightly, but the tension didn't completely leak out of him.
"Come in," Phil called out pleasantly.
The door opened slowly, giving Phil a glimpse of Miri in a wheel chair, clad in a hospital gown and robe. One arm was up in a sling and she looked mad as hell. There was an extended pole rising up from the back of the chair, a bag of fluids hung from it. He had to wonder just how badly she'd been injured. When he'd asked Clint, the other man had shrugged and remarked that such information was off limits. Alex had one hand on the chair and one on the door, trying to keep the panel open while pushing the chair into the room. "Clint, I know you're in here. I can smell you. Open the fucking door for me like a gentleman and I might not cook dinner for you tonight," she snapped testily.
Clint grinned at Phil. "How can I resist an offer like that?" he asked cheerfully.
"Keep that up and I'll change my mind," she replied. Clint moved to the door and put one hand on it. Despite her surly nature, Alex flashed him a grateful smile and maneuvered the chair into the room. Phil noticed that Alex flicked her gaze toward Clint, her expression filled with warmth and love. It was a vast difference from the Alex Quinn he'd been working with for the past ten years. Except for that short span of time when she'd been dating Stevenson. A look at Clint showed him that the relationship seemed to have benefited both of them because some of the guilt and self-loathing had fled his gaze.
Then his eyes were on Miri and the other two people in the room faded into the background. Up until that moment, he'd never really put stock in the old adage 'a sight for sore eyes' but that's exactly what Miri was. She looked pale, though whether that was due to blood loss or what he assumed to have been her slow decline into suicidal madness wasn't something he could say. Even with the hospital issue gown and robe, he could see the thick padding at her shoulder and there were bruises on her legs. But the smile on her face made those things less important. He couldn't help the tender look he gave her. "You look like hell, Miri. What were you thinking, going after Loki on your own?"
"You were dead. He had to pay for that," she replied, as if it was really that simple. Likely it had been in her head.
"As you can see, I'm not quite dead."
"I noticed," her jaw hardened and a dark look passed through her eyes. "Fury has a lot to answer for."
"In his defense, I did actually die. Twice. Once before the medics arrived. And once on the operating room table. So he wasn't completely lying." Phil tried to make it light and joking, but she was having none of it. In fact, the news seemed to bring tears to her eyes. "I'm sorry, Miri. Please don't cry."
"I thought I'd lost you, Phil. What was I supposed to do?" she whispered.
"I'm sorry you had to go through this, Miri. I really am," he offered quietly. She reached out with her left hand, the good one, and took hold of his right. His good one. Her fingers squeezed his gently.
"You will be," she sniffed. "When you're cleared for duty, I am totally going to kick your ass for scaring ten years off my life."
Phil chuckled softly. "I look forward to it, Miri."
"Wow. Are those tears, Grant? Because I'd swear you had your tear ducts surgically removed when you joined S.H.I.E.L.D. Are you actually crying?" Clint asked. Phil heard a dull thud and the man 'oofed' out loud, letting Phil know that Quinn had likely slapped him in the chest. He'd heard from several sources that she had some serious upper body strength. Had to be that damned wrench she liked to drag around with her.
"One more word, Barton, and Alex will have to find a new boy toy because you'll be a eunuch," Miri told him without looking away from Phil.
"Then I'll have to kill my best friend because I like you as a not eunuch. Let's keep you intact. Say goodnight, Gracie." Alex didn't even bother to wait for Barton to speak. She just grabbed hold of his arm and physically dragged him toward the door. After pulling the panel open, she shoved him out into the hall before her and turned to wink at them over her shoulder. "Don't you two do anything I wouldn't do."
She was gone before the door even swung shut to give them their privacy.
"Remind me to send her something nice," Phil commented, watching as Miri shut the valve on her IV, then unscrewed the tube from the lead taped into her arm. He didn't know what she was doing until she climbed up onto the mattress and crawled forward on one hand and two knees. She settled down next to him, laying on her side so that she could rest her head on his good shoulder.
"I was really afraid I'd never see you again, Phil," Miri told him, tears sliding quietly from the corners of her eyes.
"I'm right here, Miri. I'm not going to leave you." He wrapped his good arm around her and tugged her closer. The two of them shifted around carefully until she was able to brush her lips against his. She tasted of tears and mint and welcome memories. "I love you, Miriam."
"I love you, too, Phil." she whispered. He pulled her in closer and gave her a real kiss this time, one that was all heat and tongue and languid lips. He would never grow tired of kissing her because she tasted so good.
She tasted like home.
~*~
Like Home, part one
Universe: something like the Marvel Universe, leaning mostly toward the Movie!Avengers branch.
Pairings: Miri/Phil, Alex/Clint
Rating: um... i'm going to have to say a solid R. mostly language. lots of language.
Warnings: language and violence.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters contained herein are the property of Marvel and whoever the hell else owns them. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. Miri belongs to dazzledfirestar and i'm only using her for the purpose of this fic.
Author's Notes: this is an... AU of the canon LCA 'verse. which is going to sound really weird when i say that it mirrors the events in the movie right up until the end. this story takes place after the fact and just throws some of the movie Sues into the mix.
~*~
It was the beeping drone of a high-pitched, computerized sound that brought Miri out of a light sleep that had, thankfully, not been plagued with dreams. She took a few seconds to get her bearings, then glanced at her laptop. A bright green dot was blinking on the screen, on a global map that was tied to the program she'd installed to track the unique frequencies given off by Asgardian magic. Or rather, in this case, by Jotun magic. She snarled and threw herself from the bed, already moving to put on clean clothes.
Fucking Loki. She'd known it was too good to be true when Thor had taken his sick as fuck brother back to Asgard. The fucker was slippery as a snake. She'd expected him back sooner or later, had started working on the program to track his magical signature almost from day one. And now... Now she was going to go treat him to the same kind of hell he'd put her through. She was going to corner the son of a bitch and pay him back for Phil.
If she didn't come back from it, so what? It wasn't like she had anyone waiting for her when she came in the door anymore.
For a few moments, she heard Clint's voice in her head, low and rough and filled with the emotion he'd never share with anyone else. If anyone in the world understood what she was feeling, it was Clint. Loki had taken from the man, just like he'd taken from Miri. She heard him asking her, not pleading or begging, but asking her to reconsider doing anything stupid. Maybe it should have mattered, what her taking on Loki by herself would mean to Clint and Alex and Mary Magdelaine. It didn't. It didn't make a shitting bit of difference in the long run. Phil was gone and Loki had to answer for that.
Everything she put on was black, right down to her underwear. She didn't want him to see her coming until it was too late. She wanted him to look at her and see Death. His death. Black t-shirt and fatigues. Her old combat boots. Black nylon holster for her guns and knives. A black knit hat to cover the bright spot that was her hair. At least until she was face to face with him. Then she'd tug the hat off and she'd let him see blood and death.
The green dot still blinked in the same place it had when she'd come awake. It didn't look like it had moved. Miri sat down on her couch and began typing, the keys clacking softly under her fingers. The coordinates that marked the spot where the dot blinked came up. She copied them down, then opened up a separate program that translated the coordinates into a physical address. When she saw where he was, she smiled an evil smile. "Got you, you fuck."
She took a few moments to collect her weapons, even though she knew logically that they probably wouldn't work well against the demi-god. He was fucking magical, after all. But she had to make the effort. For Phil.
For a brief moment, she heard his voice in her head, telling her that she was effectively committing suicide, that Loki would gun her down without batting an eyelash. She heard him tell her that she needed a better plan, that she needed the proper tools and equipment. That she needed someone to go along and back her up. She needed a team and partners. Miri shoved that away and tried to focus instead on what she would have to do before it was all said and done.
"I have to do this, Phil. I have to avenge you. He can't get away with what he did to you. He can't," Miri murmured into the empty apartment.
"I'm worried about you, Miri. Please. Just... Just talk to me." Alex's voice followed after Phil's. words heavily laden with concern and fear. Miri hated that she'd turned her best friend away from her the way she had, but she knew Alex too well. If she'd known that Miri had been planning this, she'd have done one of two things. She'd have either told Fury or someone and Miri would have been locked up faster than a stray cat at the pound. Or she'd have decided to go with Miri and help bring down Loki. And Miri wasn't going to be responsible for anyone getting hurt because she had fucked up priorities.
"I'm sorry, Alex. I wish I could have told you. But I won't risk you."
Not surprisingly, Clint came after Alex, his words laden with all of the emotions that he knew she'd understand. "I know it hurts like hell, Miri. And I know you figure there's nothing left for you. But Alex loves you. She'd never be the same if something happened to you. Promise me you'll think about that before you consider doing anything rash. Please." And she had thought about it. For a few minutes after he'd left. But she couldn't not do it. Loki had to fucking pay.
"Take care of Alex for me, Clint. You have no idea just how much she needs you to take care of her."
Miri let her gaze fall on a picture that rested on her bookshelf, breaking up a line of paperbacks. It was one that had been taken a long time ago, on a mission to somewhere in South America. Back before they'd been couples. There were honest smiles and laughter on her face, on Alex's face, on
Clint's face. There'd been a faint smirk on Phil's. It had been taken in a club where they'd ended up dancing to help keep their cover and further their mission. Some passing photographer trying to make a few bucks had snapped it. Alex had one just like it at home in her bedroom. Somewhere. "I'm sorry, guys. I wish things had been different. I really do."
Miri scooped up her keys, her cell phone, and the bag with the rest of her weapons and headed out the door. She had a meeting to keep.
~*~*~*~*~
Nick looked up from the stack of papers before him as a sharp knock resounded on his door. He sighed and sat back in his chair, careful to close the files and tuck them at the bottom of a pile resting on the right hand side of his desk. Exhaustion ate at him, but he pushed it back, rubbed his hands over his face and told himself that there was no going back. Only forward. There were times when he really hated this fucking job. Every time he had to tell a family that their loved one wasn't coming home, it took a little more of his heart. Every time he had to tell a person that their friend had gone over the wall, it ate a little more of his soul. "Enter!" he barked.
The door opened to show him the blank faces of Agents Quinn and Barton. He waved a hand at them, silently ordering them to step into his office and close the door. They came in, Barton pushing the door closed behind them, and moved to take a seat when he motioned toward the chairs waiting for them before his desk. He wasn't surprised when Barton more or less threw himself into a chair while Quinn remained standing, body in a deceptively limp stance that he'd seen before, only seconds before she'd thrown herself at a trio of HYDRA agents.
He shot her a raised brow, watched as she refused to be intimidated by him, and fought back a smile. "I'm sure you're both wondering why I've called you in here so early in the morning."
"The thought had crossed my mind, sir," Barton replied before Quinn could. No doubt she had a few choice words for him. Nick could live with that, so long as she remembered who he was and who she was and who gave her the orders.
"Loki has escaped from Asgard. We have it on good authority that he's back here on Earth."
"He's back, sir?" This from Quinn, who was still maintaining a blank look despite the fire burning in her eyes.
"He's back. We got confirmation of his arrival last night." Nick let his gaze shift to where Barton sat. The sniper wasn't pretending to hide how he felt about the news. There was a mix of emotions shining in his eyes and his mouth was downturned with displeasure. The tension in the man's shoulders suggested he was expecting the worst.
Well, he'd get it. Just not in the manner he expected.
"We also have confirmation that Agent Grant has gone to intercept Loki. Its highly likely that she plans on attempting an assassination."
Quinn broke, troubled eyes focusing on him. Her hands clenched into fists at her side, but not before Nick saw the slight tremor in them. "She's going to get herself killed."
"That's no doubt what she intends," Barton replied, voice soft. Nick looked at him and saw that the other man had seen this coming for some time because he sure as fuck wasn't as surprised by it as Quinn was. Then again, maybe it wasn't so surprising, given everything Barton had gone through. "If I may speak freely, sir?"
"When have I ever been able to stop you, Barton?" Nick asked. The other man flashed him a quick smile that was gone as quickly as it came. Then his eyes turned serious and he shot an apologetic look toward Quinn.
"I spoke with Agent Grant a few days ago, sir. I... may have seen this coming. She was engaged in cleaning every single weapon she owns. And may I say, it is quite impressive."
"You dick!" Quinn snapped, fist flying out to hit right in the meat of the man's arm. Barton looked up at her and took hold of the offending hand. "You went to see Miri and you didn't tell me?"
"You were so concerned about her. And everything you told me suggested that there was something going on. So I went over to check up on her. I was right. She was planning even then to go after Loki if she got the chance. She pushed you away because she didn't want you involved," Barton told the woman. She frowned and tugged her hand free of his hold.
"You should have told me that you suspected something was going on!" she insisted.
"Why? So that you could stop her? Or so you could join her in her lunacy? She was protecting you because she knew if she told you, you'd insist on going along with her. Then you'd both get yourself killed and where would that leave me?"
"You had no right to keep this from me. I've a good mind to go home and cook for you because that's how much of a shit you're being," she snarled. Barton's face slipped into lines of distress. Nick felt sorry for him because he'd heard just how horrible Quinn's cooking abilities were.
"Children. I think that's enough for the day," he said, rising from his seat to walk around the desk. Both of his agents fell silent, watching him as he moved to stand in front of his desk. He propped his ass against the edge and stretched his legs out in front of them. Crossed his arms over his chest. Drew their full attention his way. "Very good. Now that we've got that out of our system, maybe you'll both shut the fuck up and let me talk."
Quinn stepped away from Barton and resumed her deceptively casual pose. "Yes, sir," she nodded.
He let his gaze slip between them, eye dark with warning while checking to make sure this wasn't going to be a problem. He was well aware how volatile Quinn and Barton's relationship could be. He was also aware how quickly they made up. There wasn't anything that happened within his agency that he didn't know about. "Can I continue?"
"Please," Barton nodded.
Nick pointed his hand at the large flat screen and clicked a button on the remote in his hand. The screen came to life with bright color, a satellite map of the tri-state area. There was a blinking green dot on the screen, located directly in the middle of New York City. "Immediately after receiving the news about Agent Coulson, Agent Grant began putting together a program that she could use to track the unique qualities of our Asgardian visitor's magic. Her program is based on one I had our tech guys start working on shortly after the New Mexico incident. Up until recently, we haven't needed it. After the attack on New York, we were able to get the technology working correctly. So I had the tech boys set it up. Agent Grant borrowed some of it for her program."
"How do you know?" Quinn asked, voice all business.
"Because I've been keeping my eye on her. Ever since I delivered the news."
Quinn opened her mouth, likely to make a comment that could see her landed in hot water. Nick shot her a look that quelled any sense of rebellion in her. She closed her mouth and turned her attention back to the screen. "That's Loki's location?" she asked quietly.
"Yes. He's been there for roughly an hour." He stared at them both for a few moments before continuing. "Agent Grant left for his location only moments ago. I have men covering her and his location. Reports indicate that she hasn't arrived yet. But she will get there soon. And she's going to need back up. I'm sending you two after her. I'd like to have my agent back. And I'd like to have Loki in custody. That son of a bitch needs to answer for the things he's done."
"You're sending Hawkeye and I in against Loki?" Quinn asked. And though there was nothing in her voice that would give away what she was thinking, Nick could tell it was there. Quinn was worried about what would happen if Barton got anywhere near Loki again. Before he could answer her, though, the door to his office opened without warning and a member of the medical staff just barged right into his office.
"Director Fury, sir," the woman breathed out his name, suggesting she'd run up to his office from the medical wing.
"Excuse the hell out of you! Can't you see that I'm in the middle of a meeting? Did my secretary not tell you that I wasn't to be disturbed? What the hell is so important that you have to interrupt my meeting?" he snapped at the woman. She gave him wild eyes before her gaze took in both Agents Barton and Quinn.
"I'm sorry, sir. But its important. I was told to-- "
"You tell whoever told you to come disturb me that I will personally chew their ass out after I get done here. Now get out of my office before I throw you out," he ordered.
"But Director! Agent Coulson is awake and is demanding to speak to you. Right now," the woman blurted out before turning and fast stepping out of his office. The door had barely closed behind her when both Barton and Quinn turned to look at him. While Barton looked less inclined to commit murder, Nick was kind of glad that Quinn didn't have a wrench in her hand.
"What did she mean, Agent Coulson is awake?" Quinn asked, voice low and laced with a fine, trembling edge of danger. "What the hell is going on here, sir?" She paused for all of two seconds before she spoke again. This time, her voice was a little heavier. A little firmer. A little deadlier. "Are you telling me that Agent Coulson is alive and you lied to me? You lied to Miri about his death? You looked her in the eye and told her that the man she's over the moon for is dead? What the ever loving fuck were you thinking?"
"Agent Quinn!" he snapped with enough force to see her blinking up at him. "I'll thank you to remember just who you're speaking to. I made a judgement call and I do not have to justify my actions to you."
"You don't? Tell me that when I bring Miri's body back. Because she sees this as a suicide mission, sir. She went to get herself killed."
"She won't get herself killed if you stop trying to chew my ass and go back her up!" he retorted.
"Yes, sir!" Quinn snarled, snapping off a salute that held all the sarcasm she could put into an action.
"Stop by R&D. There are a few supplies you're going to need. I'll call down and tell them to have everything ready for you. Now get your ass out of my office." He made sure to shoot her a disgusted look. It didn't phase her.
"You can bet your ass that you and I will sure as shit be talking about this when I get back. Sir." Quinn turned and stomped from his office without another word. Barton stood and looked at him, then turned and followed the other agent out. The door closed quietly behind him, leaving Fury alone in his office.
Nick sagged against the edge of his desk and heaved a sigh. Well, shit. Wasn't that a conversation he could live without?
~*~*~*~*~
Miri stared at Thor's brother and waited for the anger to take her. Waited for the rage to fill her veins. Waited for something to spark inside of her and make her feel something, anything, again. But there was nothing. Not even in the face of Loki's mocking smile and his shrewd eyes as they raked over her frame. "I should be offended that you are the only one who has come to put a stop to my nefarious plans," he grinned at her. All she heard were the words of a mad man.
She shrugged, not bothering to respond. He didn't need to know that there wasn't anyone else coming, that she was the only one who knew that he was there. He didn't need to know that she didn't care what his nefarious plans were.
Loki stood in one place, center of the floor of a large and sprawling abandoned warehouse. The gates were chained shut, as were the doors. She'd had to use bolt cutters to get inside. The black bag with all of her weapons rested beside her feet, the length of her trench coat hiding the weapons she'd strapped to her person before leaving the apartment. She watched as he studied her, his gaze seemingly seeing straight through her. "You're not the first one to attempt to capture me. The last one who tried found himself impaled on my sceptre. What makes you more capable than him?"
Her fingers curled into her palms, hands fisting at her sides. He spotted it, his smile growing when he did. "Did he die? He was pathetic. A mouse of man. Did he pass from this world into the next? Do you come to avenge his death?"
"You aren't allowed to talk about him," she snarled quietly. One hand inched closer to her holster and the butt of the Glock that rested there.
"I would suggest you stop the movement of your hands unless you wish to feel the bite of my magic," Loki warned, eyes fixed on her hand.
"You can suggest all you like. That doesn't mean I'll listen." She hadn't even finished her sentence when the Glock rested heavy and secure in her hand.
"I see. You have come to avenge the little man. Who was he to you? Friend? Colleague? Lover?" Her hand tightened on the grip with the last word, bringing a knowing smile to his face. "Ah. So he was a lover. Tell me, mortal. How does it feel to know that he died for nothing? That his sacrifice was made in vain because I will destroy you and I will take this puny planet as my own."
"One more comment about him and I'll see to it that you have an eye in the center of your forehead," she whispered, voice tight and thick. Loki's smile grew until it looked as if his head would split in two.
"How very unfortunate for you because I have no intention of allowing you to put an end to my plans. So allow me to make this easy on you. Throw down your weapon and I'll kill you quickly. Then you'll be able to be with your little man again. If you believe that such a thing is possible."
"Enough of this, Loki. It all ends here. Now." Miri lifted the gun and aimed. Fired. The bullet flew straight and true, but Loki moved. Miri growled a few expletives and fired again. And again. And again. She pulled the trigger until the gun clicked empty. Loki stopped moving and laughed at her before launching a magical attack her way. She dodged, rolled across the dirty concrete floor, and came up with a second Glock on her hand.
"Poor, deluded child. Do you really think your simple weapons are a match for me? Even your pathetic little man had a weapon built from magic and it failed to harm me. But it amuses me to watch you try."
Miri ignored his latest batch of taunting and took aim. Almost as soon as the round left the chamber, Loki was firing his magic off at her again. She had to duck and roll and seek out hiding places in the empty warehouse. No matter how fast she moved, he moved faster. And she never hit him. At least she hadn't created any doubles for her to deal with. If he'd done that, this would have been over before it had even gotten started.
Loki kept her on the move, kept moving himself so she could never hit him. He kept spewing his filth, calling Phil pathetic and weak. Saying he deserved to die. Claiming that she'd never deserved Phil because she was a lousy shot and a poor agent. She knew he was trying to make her mad so that she'd slip up. And she did her best to let it roll off her back. But he wouldn't stop, kept throwing out his horrible vitriol. Eventually, it was more than she could stand.
The tight control she had on her emotions broke and she threw herself at him, pulled the trigger until her gun was empty before going for the next. And the next. And the next. He laughed her off, untouched and unharmed while her heart broke in her chest again. After a certain point, she ditched the effort to shoot him and launched herself at the ass.
He let her catch him, let her wrap a hand into the cloth of his garment and draw her other hand back to throw a punch. But before she could swing at him, he wrapped one hand around her throat and lifted her until her feet dangled above the floor by a good six inches. She had no choice but to wrap her hands around his wrist to keep him from choking her. Not that she didn't want to die. She just wanted to take him out with her. Her lungs squeezed down in an effort to find more air. but there was none. Her chest went tight and burned with the need to breathe.
"Stupid mortal. Did you really think you would be able to stop me on your own?" he snarled, the madness she'd heard in his voice shining in his eyes. "You're nothing to me. A gnat to be swatted and flicked aside. Forgotten. You can't kill me. I'm a god!"
"You're a fucking lunatic," she snarled and brought a booted foot out. It caught him dead in the groin. Loki made some kind of noise, but she didn't have time to decipher what it was because in the next heart beat, she was sailing across the room. Miri's hand found the knives strapped to her sides and pulled one of her blades. She didn't even have time to line it up properly. but it didn't matter. It was flying end over end toward its target when she slammed into a pile of old boxed. They collapsed beneath her weight and saw her crashing to the ground.
The impact knocked the breath from her and left her unable to move. Loki's laughter poured across the warehouse, slithering into her ears like deadly vines. "That was such a pathetic attempt, mortal! Come, surely you can offer me a better fight than this!" he snarled. "Let us see what you can accomplish when I take away your weapons hand."
There was a soft whirring noise only a moment before the blade of her own knife sank deep into her shoulder. It left her dominant hand useless, her arm numb from shoulder to finger tips. She bit down on her lip to stifle the scream that rose up her throat, but it still flowed out of her in a long whimper. She reached up with her other hand and wrapped her fingers around the grip, gave an experimental tug to see how deeply it was embedded. Pain radiated out from entry point, letting her know that removal would require lots of drugs and several other pairs of hands.
When she looked up, Loki was looming over her, He was leering, his eyes burning so brightly with his madness. "Can you do no more, little mortal? Is this the end of your fight? Will you die here, lying on your back and skewered by your own weapon? Will you die before you can seek vengeance for your fallen lover?"
"Suck this, mother fucker!" Miri snarled and rose up, her free hand curled around the grip of the blade she'd gotten in Wakanda. She ignored the shaft of pain and the way the blade in her shoulder shifted against her bones, ignored the way she wanted to just sink into the darkness and never come out. She screamed out her rage and frustration and hate and pain and sorrow as she buried the blade she'd pulled when he'd been sneering at her deep in his thigh. The hum of the blade vibrated up her arm, the song of the vibranium a soothing tune as it reacted to his magic and carved through it, as it parted flesh and bone to leave him screaming inarticulately in pain.
"Heartless bitch! You'll die for attacking my person!" he snarled, voice heavy with the agony of the knife in his leg. One hand reached under the layers of his clothing and armor to come away with a blade that would be big enough to end her life if he chose to drive it into her throat. She stared at him defiantly and waited for him to strike.
"Brother!" The roar echoed loudly through the empty warehouse. Loki's head jerked up and he stared toward the door. A moment later, there was a pulse of power and a wave of something washed over them. Loki staggered back, his eyes going wide. The knife fell from his hands and his gaze lowered to take them in. They trembled ever so slightly. "This madness is over!"
She glanced to her left to find that Thor stood only a handful of feet away. Alex and Clint were with him. She had an odd looking gun pointed at him and it was almost as big as she was. Loki must have looked at her because she grinned wickedly and tightened her grip on the trigger ever so slightly. "Remember this, big boy? I bet you do. Coulson used this to put your ass through a wall. Shall we see if we can recreate that?"
Clint was at Alex's side. Instead of his bow and arrow, he was holding a moderately sized weapon. The end of the short barrel glowed with pale blue light. It was pointed at Loki. And Clint was grinning. "Like that? This is something else we developed from Destroyer after your first visit. It just fucked up all of your magic. Guess that means you aren't saying goodbye to us just yet, doesn't it? Man, I owe the guys in R&D because this thing is fucking sweet. Maybe another blast will make you completely fucking normal. What would you do without your magic? Want to find out?"
Miri ignored her friends and dragged herself up to her feet, hand reaching out to grab hold of a nearby support pillar. When she thought she was steady on her feet, she reached up and grasped the handle of the blade buried in her shoulder. And pulled. It slid out with a scrape of metal on bone and an aborted shout of pain. Her head was swimming and she wanted nothing more than to collapse face first on the floor. But she had a mission to carry out first. Raising the blade, she took a lumbering step toward Loki. He was paying absolutely no intention what so ever, so he didn't see her coming for him.
"Miri, no!" Alex called. She tuned the woman out, tuned out the sound of Clint's voice. Of Thor's. Tuned them all out and made a lunge for Loki with the bloodied blade in her hand. She had a shot while his magic was down and she was going to take it.
"Agent Grant!" The voice crackled across the line of an old fashioned walkie talkie and it brought her up short. Miri blinked and turned to look over her shoulder. Clint had the squawk box in his hand. "Stand down! That's an order!"
Oh, god. She was going insane. She was hearing voices. Because that sure as hell sounded like Phil's voice. But Phil was dead and Loki was responsible. She couldn't let herself believe. She couldn't. It would hurt too much. "Sir. I don't think she believed you."
"Agent Grant! I order you to stand down now. Do not make me tell you again."
"I don't know who the fuck you think you are, but when I'm done with this waste of air, you're fucking next!" she snapped at the disembodied voice and turned to Loki one more time.
"Miri, our first date was the night of one of the infamous S.H.I.E.L.D. Christmas parties. Alex left with Clint, leaving you stranded. I offered you a ride home via a cup of coffee at Joe's Diner across the river in Jersey. Our waitress was named Dorothy."
Miri froze and turned to look back at Alex and Clint. Thor moved past her to take possession of his brother. He ignored her completely, escorting Loki a few feet away to leave the three of them more or less alone. "Phil?"
"Its me, Miriam." And it was him. She could hear it in the steady, pleasant tone he used. There was also a hint of pain and slurring from the drugs that couldn't be faked. "Come back to base so we can talk. I'm so sorry about all of this."
"Oh, god," she moaned, the realization of what it all meant slamming into her and forcing her to her knees. The blade slipped from numb fingers and clattered loudly to the floor. "Oh, god."
And then the room was a whirl of activity as Alex shoved the weapon she held into Clint's hands. "Medic! Get the fucking medical team in here right fucking now! She's bleeding!" In an instant, Alex was at her side, slowly lowering her toward the floor. One hand guided her while the other pressed tight against her shoulder. Her eyes were wide, but there was no panic in them. Not yet. Miri tried not to flinch when she was finally on her back and Alex pressed the other hand over the stab wound. "You are out of your fucking mind and when this is all over and you're healthy again, I'm going to kick your fucking ass!"
Miri chuckled faintly, her body screaming at her for the unwanted pain, and reached up to settle one hand over Alex's. "You do that, if you think you can."
And then medical was there and there were good drugs and the whole world went away in a wash of white. But the sound of Phil's voice chased her down into the void and so did the pressure of Alex's hand curled around hers.
~*~*~*~*~
"You're an asshole for going along with this stupid shit," Clint told him, voice steady despite the emotion laying thick in the words. Phil glanced up from his hospital bed and studied the other man intently. Even though it had been two weeks since the near destruction of the helicarrier and the battle over Manhattan, he could tell that Barton was still carrying a heavy load of guilt. Phil might have tried to convince him that speaking to a superior was not in his best interests, but the man was still dealing with his own demons and it was better such things were said to Phil instead of Fury or Hill. He knew Clint was taking refuge in snark because the guilt and fear were doing their best to eat him alive. "Do you know what you've put the team through in the past two weeks? Hell, do you know what Miri's been through the past two weeks?"
"I didn't go along with anything, Agent Barton. The director made that call. I was unconscious at the time. Had I known he was going to announce to everyone that I'd died as a result of my injuries, I would have tried to stay awake longer," Phil replied levelly. Barton snorted and continued to give him a dark glare. Phil had yet to see the official reports that went along with the two incidents because Fury had sent out a memo to every single agent left in the organization that anyone caught sharing that information with Phil before his doctors cleared him for light duty, they'd personally have to fight both Fury and the Black Widow in hand to hand combat. In front of the rest of the staff. No one wanted to be caught between that rock and hard place.
Phil was sure that Barton was harboring his own sense of guilt in what had happened, laid blame for all of the deaths and injuries solely at his own feet. And that included Phil's death, yet not quite death. He wished he could find a way to tell the man it was okay without actually having to bring it all up. Sighing, his thoughts turned to Miri and he wondered just how badly she'd suffered. If her going after Loki was any indication, she'd suffered plenty. "And I can't imagine how difficult this has been for anyone. But there are other people we should focus our attentions on. As I don't happen to be dead, you can stop blaming yourself for that."
"I was the one who gave Loki-- " Barton's words were cut off abruptly at the sound of a knock on his room's door. Barton tensed, as if he expected Thor's brother to come through the door and finish the job. Phil looked up at him, shot him a look of reassurance, and nodded his head. The man's shoulders loosened slightly, but the tension didn't completely leak out of him.
"Come in," Phil called out pleasantly.
The door opened slowly, giving Phil a glimpse of Miri in a wheel chair, clad in a hospital gown and robe. One arm was up in a sling and she looked mad as hell. There was an extended pole rising up from the back of the chair, a bag of fluids hung from it. He had to wonder just how badly she'd been injured. When he'd asked Clint, the other man had shrugged and remarked that such information was off limits. Alex had one hand on the chair and one on the door, trying to keep the panel open while pushing the chair into the room. "Clint, I know you're in here. I can smell you. Open the fucking door for me like a gentleman and I might not cook dinner for you tonight," she snapped testily.
Clint grinned at Phil. "How can I resist an offer like that?" he asked cheerfully.
"Keep that up and I'll change my mind," she replied. Clint moved to the door and put one hand on it. Despite her surly nature, Alex flashed him a grateful smile and maneuvered the chair into the room. Phil noticed that Alex flicked her gaze toward Clint, her expression filled with warmth and love. It was a vast difference from the Alex Quinn he'd been working with for the past ten years. Except for that short span of time when she'd been dating Stevenson. A look at Clint showed him that the relationship seemed to have benefited both of them because some of the guilt and self-loathing had fled his gaze.
Then his eyes were on Miri and the other two people in the room faded into the background. Up until that moment, he'd never really put stock in the old adage 'a sight for sore eyes' but that's exactly what Miri was. She looked pale, though whether that was due to blood loss or what he assumed to have been her slow decline into suicidal madness wasn't something he could say. Even with the hospital issue gown and robe, he could see the thick padding at her shoulder and there were bruises on her legs. But the smile on her face made those things less important. He couldn't help the tender look he gave her. "You look like hell, Miri. What were you thinking, going after Loki on your own?"
"You were dead. He had to pay for that," she replied, as if it was really that simple. Likely it had been in her head.
"As you can see, I'm not quite dead."
"I noticed," her jaw hardened and a dark look passed through her eyes. "Fury has a lot to answer for."
"In his defense, I did actually die. Twice. Once before the medics arrived. And once on the operating room table. So he wasn't completely lying." Phil tried to make it light and joking, but she was having none of it. In fact, the news seemed to bring tears to her eyes. "I'm sorry, Miri. Please don't cry."
"I thought I'd lost you, Phil. What was I supposed to do?" she whispered.
"I'm sorry you had to go through this, Miri. I really am," he offered quietly. She reached out with her left hand, the good one, and took hold of his right. His good one. Her fingers squeezed his gently.
"You will be," she sniffed. "When you're cleared for duty, I am totally going to kick your ass for scaring ten years off my life."
Phil chuckled softly. "I look forward to it, Miri."
"Wow. Are those tears, Grant? Because I'd swear you had your tear ducts surgically removed when you joined S.H.I.E.L.D. Are you actually crying?" Clint asked. Phil heard a dull thud and the man 'oofed' out loud, letting Phil know that Quinn had likely slapped him in the chest. He'd heard from several sources that she had some serious upper body strength. Had to be that damned wrench she liked to drag around with her.
"One more word, Barton, and Alex will have to find a new boy toy because you'll be a eunuch," Miri told him without looking away from Phil.
"Then I'll have to kill my best friend because I like you as a not eunuch. Let's keep you intact. Say goodnight, Gracie." Alex didn't even bother to wait for Barton to speak. She just grabbed hold of his arm and physically dragged him toward the door. After pulling the panel open, she shoved him out into the hall before her and turned to wink at them over her shoulder. "Don't you two do anything I wouldn't do."
She was gone before the door even swung shut to give them their privacy.
"Remind me to send her something nice," Phil commented, watching as Miri shut the valve on her IV, then unscrewed the tube from the lead taped into her arm. He didn't know what she was doing until she climbed up onto the mattress and crawled forward on one hand and two knees. She settled down next to him, laying on her side so that she could rest her head on his good shoulder.
"I was really afraid I'd never see you again, Phil," Miri told him, tears sliding quietly from the corners of her eyes.
"I'm right here, Miri. I'm not going to leave you." He wrapped his good arm around her and tugged her closer. The two of them shifted around carefully until she was able to brush her lips against his. She tasted of tears and mint and welcome memories. "I love you, Miriam."
"I love you, too, Phil." she whispered. He pulled her in closer and gave her a real kiss this time, one that was all heat and tongue and languid lips. He would never grow tired of kissing her because she tasted so good.
She tasted like home.
~*~
Like Home, part one