Heroes Are Made | A Tony Stark series (fan fiction)

Earth's Mightest Heroes

Monroe's pov

Rogers, Tony, and I were gathered in the briefing room. The three of us were trapped in a daze of devastation. 

"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket," Fury spoke out. "Guess he never did get you to sign them" He threw out Coulson's Captain America trading cards on the table. Rogers picked them up as blood coated his fingers. My eyes shifted to the cards cap held in his hands.

"We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, location of the cube, Banner, Thor. I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming," Fury continued. I brought my eyes down to my lap where Tony's hand was intertwined with mine. My thumb caressed his, but we both held blank stares. My throat grew sore from all the tears I was holding back. However, one finally trickled down my cheek.

"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. There was an idea, Stark and Monroe know this, called The Avenger Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes." With Fury's final phrase, Tony let his grip go of my hand and stood up. I looked up at Fury with furrowed eyebrows. Tony walked away, not wanting to hear it. "Well, it's an old fashioned notion."

Time Skip

Natasha watched me softly place my fingers on Barton's temples. He had been strapped down, still shaking off Loki's mind control. The use of my own mind-warping abilities helped rid of them.

"Clint, you're gonna be alright." She reassures. 

"You know that? Is that what you know?" Barton lowly chuckled. "I got- I gotta go in though. I gotta flush him out." Barton then brings his eyes up to mine and finds a glow within them. Slowly, his mind and body eased itself. I moved hands away and stepped back to leave room for Nat to pour him some water.

"You gotta level out, it's gonna take time," I inform. My hands hovered over his form, letting the energy course through him.

"I don't understand. Have you ever had someone take your brain and play? Pull you out and stuff something else in? Do you know what it's like to be unmade?"

Natasha stiffens, "you know that I do."

"Why am I back? How'd you get him out?"

"Cognitive recalibration. I hit you really hard on the head." As Barton thanked her, I loosened the restraints. While doing so, his eyes began to water. I felt his eyes on me when he asked...

"Jess, how many agents-"

"Don't," I interrupted. "Don't do that to yourself, Clint."

"Loki. He get away?"

"Yeah, don't suppose you know where." Nat assumes.

"Didn't need to know. Didn't ask. He's gonna make his play soon though. Today."

"We gotta stop him," I declare.

"Yeah, who's we?"

"I don't know. Whoever's left."

"Well, if I put an arrow in Loki's eye socket, I'd sleep better I suppose."

"Now you sound like you," Nat states with a small smile.

"But you don't." Clint catches. "You're a spy, not a soldier. Now you want to wade into a war. Why? What did Loki do to you?"

"He didn't, I just..."