Bree Phoenix || An Avengers Fanfiction ✔

Chapter 10

Third-person

Fury approached Agent Coulson moments after Bree had left.

"Sorry, boss. The God rabbited." Phil said to Fury as he leaned down to him.

"Just stay awake," Fury ordered. "Eyes on me." Gently gripping Phil's jaw, he turned his face to him. Phil chuckled, "No, I'm clocking out here."

Fury clenched his jaw, not letting go of him. "Not an option."

Phil stared into his eyes as Fury lowered his hand. "Bree..." Phil spoke softly as Fury listened. "She went after him,"

Fury furrowed his eyebrows. "Why?"

"I told her to, boss." He admitted to him. "Fury, she's powerful. She can do good in this world. Don't..." He stuttered with his words, nearing the end. "Don't give up on her, find her, and keep her. She's a good kid." He stopped, feeling it coming, the light. Fury didn't want this and Phil could see it in his eyes.

"It's okay, boss," Phil said, his breathing becoming unsteady and heavier. "This was never going to work," he started, "if they didn't have something... to..." Phil's eyes went blank and now lifeless. As Fury stood up and let the paramedics take him away, he leaned against the railing. He was taken back by this moment of loss.

He brought his hand up as he spoke into his earpiece.

"Agent Coulson is down." He announced over the intercom.

*****

Steve, Tony, and Fury were all in the conference room, stunned by the news.

"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket," Fury said. "I guess he did never get you to sign them." Throwing the valuable collection of Captain America cards towards Steve. Some covered in his own blood. Steve reached out, grabbing ahold of one.

"We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, the location of the cube, Banner... Thor... Bree. I got nothing for you."

"Wait, what happened to Bree? Is she hurt?" Steve looked at Fury, worried for her.

Fury spoke softly. "I don't know, but Coulson had told me she went after Loki," He explained to Rogers. Tony looked over in interest.

"Does she have an earpiece? We could know where Loki is going-" Steve went on but had been stopped.

"Rogers, I don't think she does. I never gave her one," Fury's voice laced with irritation towards the topic.

Tony turned in his chair, now facing in the direction of the two. His hands stroking his goatee. "How could you not have given her an earpiece, Fury?"

Fury stood up straight, folding his arms. "Because Stark, she didn't need one at the time,"

Tony scoffs. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? We could know where Loki is right now. Isn't she on this mission too? She should have one-"

"Well, she doesn't, Stark. She's just..."

"A kid?" Steve spoke up. "Fury, she's more than that, you know. She should at least have an earpiece."

"For once, I'm agreeing with Rogers here. She should at least have an earpiece with her," Stark stated, leaning back in his seat. "Where'd you find her anyway?" He asked. And Fury paused. Steve looked up at him as well, curious about the answer.

"Now is not the time for this, Stark." Fury said, dismissing the question yet Tony continued. "She said her parents were diseased. What is she like fifteen? And what were you two arguing about earlier? Something about a deal?" Tony was pushing it.

"The deal is none of your concern, Stark," Fury stated.

"So there was a deal?"

Fury sighed loudly. There was a moment of silence before Fury continued what he was saying, Tony, let it go.

"I lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming." Fury began to walk slowly around the table. "Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number, though because I was playing something even riskier." He paused.

"There was an idea. Stark knows this, called the avengers initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people to see if they could become something more. To see if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson dies still believing in that idea." Fury looked over at Stark. "In heroes." Stark suddenly stood up and before long left the room. "Well, it's an old-fashioned notion."

*****

Tony had gone to the room where the cell used to be, peering down at the emptiness, Steve decided to join him.

"Was he married?" Steve asked. Tony didn't even blink. "No. There was a cellist, I think." He confirmed.

"I'm sorry. He seemed like a good man." Steve apologized as the sorrow filled the room.

Tony looked up at Steve. "He was an idiot." He said.

"Why? For believing?" Steve pressed.

"For taking on Loki alone," Tony said, walking down the steps as Steve did the same.

"He was doing his job."

Tony scoffs. "He was out of his league. He should have waited. He should have..."

Steve walked towards him. "Sometimes there isn't a way out, Tony,"

"Right, I've heard that before," Tony said, passing him.

"Is this the first time you lost a soldier?" Steve asked him yet this triggered Tony.

He turned back to him, in a cold-toned voice, he said through his clenched teeth. "We are not soldiers."

Steve looked at him, calmly.

"I'm not marching to Fury's fife," Tony admitted to him.

"Neither am I. He's got the same blood on his hands that Loki does. But right now we've got to put that behind us and get this done." Steve said as Tony looked off to the side, staring at the bloodstain on the wall where Phil was propped up. "Now Loki needs a power source if we can put together a list-"

"He made it personal," Tony interrupted.

"That's not the point-"

"That is the point. That is Loki's point. He hit us all right where we live. Why?"

"To tear us apart,"

"Yeah, divide and conquer, is great but he knows he has to take us out to win, right? That's what he wants. He wants to beat us, he wants to be seen doing it." Tony was connecting the dots, he paced around Steve.

"Hello, does anyone copy?"

A voice coming from their connected earpieces.

"Fury, are you there? I'm following Loki's ship. My chest hurts bad and I don't know what to do, I need you,"

The connection was choppy but Steve recognized the voice.

Steve and Tony both looked at each other, Steve tapped his earpiece. "Bree, this is Steve, I copy,"

Tony tapped his. "Kid, this is Stark, I copy. Where is Loki?"

"His ship dropped him off on this tall building that-"

Tony looked at Steve, "Bree, you there?"

"Stark Tower. He's at Stark Tower,"

Tony lowered his hand, "Son of a bitch," he walked out of the room with Steve following him.