Nocturnus | Marvel AU ✓

(36) - Boxes and Banter

NADiA'S POiNT OF ViEW

"This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize. He said, 'Peace wasn't an achievement, it was a responsibility.' See, it's stuff like this that gives me trust issues." Nick is pointing at a picture of a man that's marked; Alexander Pierce. That name sounds vaguely familiar. My dad might have mentioned him in the past but I can't recall anything sticking out.

"We have to stop the launch," Natasha states and Nick chuckles.

"Don't think the Council's accepting my calls anymore," As he says this he opens a case. Inside are three chip things and I raise an eyebrow in question.

"What's that?" Sam voices the question the four of us want to ask.

"Once the Helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponized." Isn't that pleasant... HYDRA has managed to hide inside S.H.I.E.L.D and now about to kill millions. "We have to replace their targeting blades with our own." Nick states and Maria nods.

"Except, one or two won't cut it. It will only work if we link all three; if even one ship remains operational... a whole lot of people are gonna die." I think the gravity of this entire situation has just hit me... it hit me faster than the whole 'I'm an Avenger' thing so that much is good.

"You are to assume everyone on those carries is HYDRA, we have to get past them, insert the blades. And maybe salvage what's left..." Nick says somewhat hopefully. Steve shakes his head no, he steps forward with motive.

"We're not salvaging anything. We're not just taking down the carriers, Nick, we're taking down S.H.I.E.L.D." Nick shakes his head now, "S.H.I.E.L.D had nothing to do with it," I raise my hand,

"You don't have to–" Nick starts but I cut him off.

I nod and lower my hand. "Yea, I know. Um, if I'm remembering correctly, which let me say, is highly unlikely with the number of times I have fainted in the past seventy-two hours." I begin.

"Um... If I remember correctly, HYDRA has been inside S.H.I.E.L.D for at least thirty years, give or take a decade. And you're trying to say S.H.I.E.L.D had nothing to do with it?" My voice is surprisingly strong as I stare right into Fury's brown eyes.

"You gave me this mission and I will end it here. You said S.H.I.E.L.D's been compromised and just as Nadia said, HYDRA grew right under your nose and nobody noticed." Steve's jaw is set, his voice is cold.

"Why do you think we're in a goddamn cave? I noticed."Steve shakes his head and turns away from Nick before looking at him again.

"And how many people paid the price before you did?" Fury sighs and runs a hand down his face as I pick at my nails.

The tension in the room between the two of them is thick. "I didn't know about Barnes." I lift my head up, who?

"Even if you have, would you have told me? Or would you have compartmentalized that too? S.H.I.E.L.D, HYDRA, it all goes." Steve leaves no room for discussion while I'm still confused as to what or who 'Barnes' is.

"He's right," Maria Hill says to Fury. He looks to Nat then shifts his gaze from me then to Sam.

Sam puts his hands up in mock surrender, "Hey, don't look at me. I do what he does, just a little slower," I snort and Sam narrows his eyes playfully at me.

"Looks like you're giving the orders now, Captain." Nick states and I nearly choked on the air as Nick gives up control so easily.

LATER

"I'll be right back," Nat raises an eyebrow in question and I sigh, "I'm gonna teleport to the Tower to get some more weapons since those assholes back there took mine." She nods,

"Watch your language, oh and be safe." I shake my head and close my eyes; the image of the weaponry in my mind, vivid. I feel the air shift and when I open my eyes I'm in the Tower.

I run to the back room and press my hand to the print scanner and the door swooshes open. I step inside and run my hand along the counter, I see my iPod and grab it. "Clint you bastard..." I mumble to myself and slip it into my pocket. There's a box with a note on it, "If this is a bomb, I'm gonna cry." I pick up the note hesitantly and unfold it.

Scrawled in Tony's handwriting is:

"Hey kid, uh... Peter came up with the idea of surprising you with an entirely new suit when you came back from Assgard or whatever it's called. Also your name? Every hero needs one: Nocturnus... it's Latin for Nocturnal. But I thought why not add in a bonus or two? I hope you like it :) Also, Widow helped out too... but remind her I did most of it. See ya soon Nadia :)"

I open the box and peek inside a bit slow and when I see it isn't a bomb or something else I smile. I just grab the box then teleport back so I can look inside in safety. Natasha is in the room and sees me sway, "Maybe shouldn't have done that..." I chuckle to myself and she takes the box from me.

"Sit down, are you alright?" I nod as she hands me the box once I sit down on one of the few chairs.

"What's that?" She asks.

"You probably know already." I open it and turn it toward her.

Nat smiles cunningly, "Well what are you waiting for? Permission to put it on?" I shake my head. "I'll be back when you're done." I nod as she closes the door behind her. I pull the suit out. It's lighter and less bulky than the first one. But I have a feeling it's made of stronger material. I hold it up and raise an eyebrow, it's like three bodies too small...

Weird... I stand up and set the box on the chair and begin to pull off my clothes. I slide my foot into the leg and for some reason, the suit moves. It grows around my leg, fitting perfectly. "What is this?" When the entire suit is on, it's skin-tight but not suffocating. The top half is dark green with black intertwined and the legs are primarily black with green at the joints.

I look in the box and see some more sticks and thank Tony in my head.

I grab them and see more buttons than before, I click one and it's a flashlight. Useful, if I couldn't see in the dark already... I grab the boots Nat gave me and slide them on, they're a bit big but that's fine. Better than being too small. I push the sticks into the side of my calves and see something shine in the box. New daggers?

The blades are black shiny metal with a sticky-note attached to one of them. "I found some more vibranium, please don't lose these." Please is underlined and I totally understand why, but where did he find it? I gape at the blades before carefully slipping them into their slots on my thighs. I see a new pair of glasses and slide them on but yelp when my face is covered in a mask.

There is something blocking the lenses, I pull off the sticky-note, "It's nano-tech :)" The handwriting is Peter's and I smile at the thought of my only friend who is my age. I pull off the glasses and slide them on the neck of the suit. A pair of gloves and another note is left.

"Mr. Stark is taking me, Aunt May, and Ned on vacation for like a month and said you might come back while we were gone so I wanted to say; welcome home and that I missed you.

-Peter"

I slide the note in my pocket and pull on the gloves.