The Light that Shines Within

I Argue "Fury-ously"

"I talked to Fury..." My uncle said the next day at breakfast. ( His dinner, my breakfast. ) My eyebrow instantly went up, along with my own version of a Spidey-Sense. There was going to be hell to pay in Tony's future, I assumed, guessing by that guilty look on his face. "Oh yeah?" I said, calmly sipping my coffee. He played with his watch before looking at me right in the eyes with concern. "I told him at least one of us should go with you to this convention thing of yours... to help with keeping an eye on Loki and everything." I nearly spit out my coffee in disbelief. Now he thought I was too weak or naïve to watch the God Of Mischief on my own in a public setting? What were the men in this Tower drinking these days? I loved my uncle and the leader of our group looking out for me and all, but come on! I was the Mistress of Darkness, for crying out loud! Loki was no match for my full strength or power. So why all the concern? Of all people who have seen me use my full abilities, Tony should have the utmost confidence in me and what I could do. But going to Fury?! Seriously?!

"What?! Why would you do that, Uncle T?" I asked, a little hurt. He sighed and took my hand from across the table. "Because kid, if I let you out of here without protection of our choosing, you know Nick would have had a whole hoard of agents out there, just waiting for Loki to sneeze the wrong way before grabbing him. And you know that is right." He was making sense here. Not that I would ever say that to his face or anything.

I nodded. "True. But you telling him without me, Tony? You could have at least told me you were going to assign someone to be on security detail for me. I would have made the call myself to that wannabe pirate." I saw my uncle smirk at me and shake his head at what I said. So now one of the others was going with us? Great, just great. "But who are you planning on sending with us?" 

"I was thinking it should be Captain Rogers, Agent Smith," a voice said behind me and I cringed, knowing I had been caught saying the words 'wannabe pirate'.

 I turned in my seat to see Nick Fury standing there, in his usual knockoff Matrix coat and eye patch. I laughed acting as if I wasn't totally mortified right now. "Uh, no. It's not going to be Steve. No dice sunshine," I said immediately. Nick rose his own eyebrow at me in surprise. "And why not, may I ask?" I nodded. "Sure, let me count the ways." I held up one finger. "One, he has no idea what Pax is." I put up another finger. "He doesn't know how to handle Loki when he's in one of his angsty moods." Another finger going up. "Three. Steve is so well known. What about me here? I'm the only Avenger whose identity is still unknown. Hell, most people don't even consider me an Avenger at all." I made my point looking him right in the eyes.

Or, eye. Whoops...

"Cass has got some points there, Nick. Steve would be totally wrong for this job. He's too good and kind to be a big, burly bodyguard." Tony teased behind me and I tried not to smirk at his way of backing me up to the Director. "And, he's got this condition." Fury looked at my relative. "Condition? What kind of condition?" I turned my chair so I was able to see both men at the same time. Tony was calm as a cucumber as he got up and grabbed a donut off the counter, munching thoughtfully. 

"Well, it's like this, Nick. He hardly sleeps, he hardly eats." He took another bite, holding it out to the director a second. "You want one? They are fantastic!" When Fury did nothing but stare, my uncle went back to his explanation. "He's watching girly romance movies, sighing a whole lot, he's lost in thought on missions. He even plays those horror games and sighs to himself like those killer bears are the sexiest chicks he's ever laid his eyes on! What do you propose, director, what's wrong with our Spangled Man with a Plan?" It took both me and Fury a moment to process what he was suggesting. 

"You're saying he's in love?" 

My uncle shrugged and gave me a wink. Oh, sweet Jesus, I prayed I wasn't blushing out of pure discomfort! That would give everyone the wrong ideas for sure about my feelings for Steve. "That's exactly what I'm saying here, Nickey boy. Why else would he have even come to me about going in the first place? To keep an eye on Loki? Sure. But I also think he could have some... ulterior motives..." Tony finished with a glance to me. I shook my head at him, trying to keep my cool. 

Why were they discussing this?! 

I cleared my throat to get their attention. "Boys, if I may?" They were silent and I took it as a go-ahead. "You're sitting here, debating whether or not our leader has a crush when I thought the whole point of this meeting was about seeing an Avenger as an unwanted and unneeded bodyguard to my vacation?" I looked at both of them and Fury shook his head at me. "It's already been processed through the system, Agent Smith. Whether you want him around, Captain Rogers will be going with you to this... convention... of yours. He accepted the mission and it's loaded into our database where he will be. Unless there is some higher profile mission he could be used at, the captain will be expected to check-in at the gates. As well as you." 

I rolled my eyes and shook my head, getting angry. "You're saying I have to work on vacation?" Fury nodded once and I groaned, getting up for more coffee. This royally sucked eggs. Now I was going to have to deal with Steve's affection, plus Loki's behavior being kept in check? Greeeeeaaatttt.

"You guys see just how unfair this is, right?" I said, showing my anger through with a calm tone. "This is totally unfair to me. Clint gets to go on vacation to God Knows Where, without a bodyguard and SHIELD personnel breathing down his neck, did he? Nope!" I waved a hand in the air. "Thor gets to go home without bodyguards! Why can't I go to California by myself? Without a bodyguard?"

"Because you're taking the man who destroyed New York City with you," Nick responded.

I scoffed. "Uh, no, that was his scepter controlling him. I'm certain it was. I mean, look at the footage, guys! His eyes were as blue as the Tesseract when we were fighting him. Get the scepter away and his eyes are green. Riddle me THAT, huh? " I glared at both of the men and waited for a reaction from one of them. I sighed after a minute. "Fine, I know you guys think that just because I'm a woman, I need a man by my side. But need I remind you both that SHIELD was founded by a woman, not a man. Did she need someone to babysit her or did she still manage to save the world on several occasions​​​​​​? Without superpowers, super suits, and certainly not her supersoldier. 'Cause he was too busy napping on ice if I remember those days correctly. Oh wait, I do. Because I was there..." They both looked at me in surprise. 

"Agent Smith, no one is doubting your abilities here. We are simply looking out for the civilian population there. Just in case Loki does try something-" Fury began and I cut him off with a hand. "And I'm not saying its not a good idea to have someone else with me, but I'd like to be included in that discussion next time. It's my vacation. I should at the very least get to choose the person going with me, you know?" He nodded and looked at my uncle. "You fine with that arrangement, Stark?" Tony shrugged, finishing his donut. "Sure. Seems good to me, as long as my niece is cool with it. I'm good." Then he turned back to me all business. "So you are fine with Captain Rogers going with you, correct, Agent Smith?" I thought a moment, just to annoy him a bit before he left to do other stuff... in secret places... I don't fight fair.  (If you got that quote, please say you did!)

I sighed deeply like this was a massive burden. Because, in all reality, it was a huge burden to me to take Steve along to PAX. He was going to need a crash course in all things YouTube for starters, then understanding references when spewed out. Oh boy, was there work ahead of me today... "Fine, I will take him with me. But you are paying our ways, as well as anything I purchase there. Including my food, hotel and souvenirs. Expences all paid." Fury looked at me with the most deadpan look I'd ever seen for a minute before nodding once. "Agreed. Now, if you don't mind, I have to go. Agents Smith, Stark." Tony smiled at me when he was gone. 

"Did you just get Nick Fury to pay for your whole vacation?" He said, incredulous. I nodded, a smirk developing on my own face, looking at the door the Director just went through.

"Yeah, Tony. I think I did." He chuckled, shaking his head. "That's pretty dope." I cringed with a laugh. "Please, please don't ever say that again, Uncle T." He looked up at me. "What? Dope?" He teased and I laughed again. "Yes! Now stop before I go over there and call your girlfriend about where you are." He coughed. "You knew she was looking for me? How did you know?" I gestured to him in his chair. " You only hang out in here when you're hiding from Pepper." 

"Oh, well, I better get moving then, huh? " I nodded with a secret smirk. "Yeah, especially since I just texted her." His eyes went wide and he looked at me in disbelief. "You didn't!" I laughed with a shrug. "You said I wouldn't. So I did." Soon after, there was the sound of his girlfriend's heels clicking on the floor outside the kitchen. Tony went out the back way, swearing revenge with me later. I just laughed, shook my head, and went about my day.

Come what may, I was ready.