Do You Have Heart (Avengers/Loki fan-fiction)

Chapter Three - Visions

Alina's POV

The looks that the other agents shoot me as I walk towards my fate make me think that I'm more a criminal approaching the gallows than a girl approaching her old boss. It's like the entirety of SHIELD has forsaken my existence, despite the unbelievable amount of good work I did for them.

Only Nat seems to understand, reassuring me with quick glances and smiles as we near our destination: the main control room, which is where most of the agents are based.

As we enter the room, with its big glass windows and tiered interior, my stomach seems to drop: about three feet away from me, standing tall in his long black coat, is Director Fury. He hasn't changed; bald, dark head with that familiar eye patch wrapped around one side, covering one eye; his menacing stance, one riddled with authority, causing my heart to beat faster as I near him, anxiety overcoming every other emotion, until I am standing right behind him.

Taking a deep breath, and readying myself for the end, I say "Director Fury, I'm back."

He turns in one swift motion, black coat sweeping the floor, and his one dark eye comes to rest on my own chocolate brown ones. "Alina," he says, looking me up and down with no trace of emotion on his face, which causes a jolt of fear to run through me "it's been too long." And then, suddenly, a rare smile curves the corners of his mouth upwards, and he holds out his hand. I take it gratefully, shaking it, and smile back at him. "It's good to have to you back." he says, and I can't help but feel overjoyed: I have not been forgotten; SHIELD is where I belong.

After a big welcome back from some of my other old friends, including Maria Hill, who was my partner for missions at first (before Clint and I decided to stop trying to shoot each other in combat training class and actually focus our skills and see if we could work together; needless to say that it worked a lot better than a brawl every single afternoon that had half the other agents-in-training cowering against the walls while we hurled cusses and weapons alike at each other over the parquet flooring), I am on my way to the lab, where Dr. Banner is working. 

On the way there, however, Nat and I find ourselves detouring around the helicarrier, and almost getting lost, until I end up smashing straight into what feels like a brick wall. "Oh my god, I'm sorry!" I shout, as I look up and find a blonde guy staring down at me with a confused look on his face. I back away quickly, noticing the huge muscles bulging out of his shirt and reflexively reach into my pocket for my gun. But his reply makes me instantly reconsider that "No worry ma'am, it's okay." he says, holding out his hand "I don't believe we've met, Steve Rogers, ma'am." he shoots me a charming smile that I can't help but return. "And you are?"

"Nice to meet you Steve, I'm Alina, Alina Thornwell." I say, the politeness of the guy somehow transferring to my own reply. It's surprising, finding somebody that well mannered; he seems like a genuinely kind person. I like him already. "Well, Alina, I'm sure we both have things to do, I'll see you later." he smiles again, taking off in the opposite direction, before he turns back quickly, and shouts "You too, agent Romanoff." down the corridor.

As Nat and I continue on towards the lab, Nat begins to laugh to herself. "What's so funny?" I ask. She raises an eyebrow at me and laughs more. "Ali, did you seriously not recognize him? That was Captain America, as in the Captain America."

Oh shit! Did I seriously just walk straight into Captain America, and not even realise that it was him? Yes, yes I did, apparently. Steve Rogers; how could I forget.

Nat keeps on mocking me until we reach the lab, where Dr. Banner is working. "Dr. Banner, how's the lab?" asks Nat, and Banner looks up quickly from his computer screen, startled by our sudden presence. "It's great, I have everything I need, thank you agent Romanoff." he replies, not really paying attention to us but carrying on sorting things out on a large desk. I begin to take in all the things around me, all the scientific equipment and all the information on the screen around the room, and begin sorting it through my brain, reading through every little piece of information and trying to figure out more by piecing things together, like a puzzle. It's how my genius works.