Thorn #3 (Sequel To Hawkgirl)

XLVII

"I know it's a lot to take in."

"Oh you've no idea."After the surprising events of meeting Phil Coulson,breathing and alive,they were all finally in the underground S.H.I.E.L.D. facility."I mean..."Valerie sighed as she paced around while running her hands through her hair."You died.On my hands.Right in front of me."she said in disbelief.

And yet the man she met years ago was smiling and standing patiently in front of her.And even that move was extremely difficult to believe.

"I know."he nodded."It's a long story but Fury brought me back.It was a project called T.A.H.I.T.I.,it was originally designed if one of the Avengers suddenly died."he shrugged lightly.That made a little bulb on her head go on.She had definitely heard it before.Or read it.Of course!It was a blue file,shut closed well enough with the word classified on top.Nick literally had a solution for everything.

Phil's demeanor was so much different than the one she knew all those years ago.He wasn't that sharp as he used to and he smiled more.

"That's..."Valerie let out a breath and stood still for a second."So much information for one day."she rubbed her forehead."Fury did warn me about being surprised.But I never thought...God he had everything planned didn't he?"she buried her face in her hands.She then placed them on her hips and looked back at him.He was still smiling softly.

The sudden mission and his approval of her actually going to the new S.H.I.E.L.D.He literally knew every step of the way before anyone even took it.Of course Nick knew that she felt guilty about Phil's death and it was probably time to actually tell her everything.Which even made her angrier that he knew he was alive and she didn't.

"Look at you."he finally spoke up."You've grown."

"And you've lost a hand."Valerie shot back with a grin,which was also a surprise to know that as well.From what he told her,she collected that he lost it or more likely someone chopped it on purpose to save him from a crystal of some kind,she didn't really pick that up.She was shocked still that he was alive with just a limb missing.

He chuckled before he got up from his spot in his chair and rounded his desk to sit in front of it.

"I mean you've changed a lot since New York."he nodded as he took a good look at her."You are a part of the greatest heroes,you got your own suit,your own super hero name."

"And I can finally hear."she smiled at him.This took him slightly by surprise and true to be told she never imagined his voice to have that kind of a tone.It was not heavy nor light but it had a scratched undertone.Like you knew this person had been through a lot."Stark."she added."You'd be surprised but he actually made a lot of upgrades on them.I practically have my own JARVIS."

"I never thought you'd grow so fast."he said in a kind of unreadable tone.It almost reminded her of her father."I mean it's been years.New York,then S.H.I.E.L.D. falling and now Sokovia."

"Yeah,the last one was...hard."Valerie said as she joined Phil on resting against his desk."Almost lost my dad."she shivered by just remembering how he tried to save that boy and then Pietro getting in the way to save him."People did die.I can't say the opposite.We even lost one of our own.Pietro Maximoff,funny lad."she nodded solemnly as she looked at the floor."But for now we all just need a break."

"You are lucky you have those too."Phil said as he also looked at the floor.Valerie laughed quietly at this as she nodded.

"Well,here's a heads up then,my dad is retired.Stark's on vacation.Thor's back on Asgard and the rest are training back at our new facility."she raised her gaze towards him with a smile."It's weird not having you around to tell me what to do sometimes."