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CHAPTER SEVEN THE AVENGERS
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After Phil Coulson's death was announced to everyone on the Helicarrier, things got quiet. It was unnerving, almost, to walk down the ruined halls of the biggest contraption anyone had ever been on and hear absolutely no one talking. There were other sounds—people repairing wires and walls, cleanup crews moving through the place, metal scraping against metal—but there weren't any words. Coulson hadn't been the only casualty in the attack, but he had been the one everyone knew. The one everyone liked. He had been a friend to everyone, in a way. Riley could remember the first time they had met, the first time Riley had ever been to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. Coulson had overwhelmed him then, rattling off facts about Riley's life as a weird sort of greeting before he had shaken Riley's hand and told him, "I can't wait to work with you!"
Riley felt a ball lodge itself in his throat as he sat in the medical wing, waiting for a doctor to come around and check on him. He was pretty sure he was fine. He hadn't sustained any major injuries during any of the fights, and he had almost been able to get away without a checkup before Tony idly mentioned—while getting checked nearby—that the explosion had sent Riley flying through the lab window and to the lower level. Riley had almost managed to talk his way out of that too, and then Steve had stepped in to mention that he had been with Bruce and Nat, and now there he was. Ordered to stay on the little cot until a doctor came around. He was glaring at Tony and Steve both now, using his irritation at their involvement to avoid thinking of Coulson. Sweet, fan-boy Coulson, who had been the first person outside of Nat and Fury to befriend him. Clint had come only a few minutes later, but still. Riley had never forgotten how friendly he was.
Riley hadn't been very accustomed to kindness at the time. It had left a huge impression on him. Now, he made an effort to be kind and friendly, too. There was no point putting more cruelty into the world, and he wasn't going to, not if he could help it.
"Don't give me that look, young man," Tony said mockingly, noticing Riley's bitter glare before Steve did, since he was talking to the nurse wrapping a bandage around his bicep. Tony even had to the nerve to wag his finger in Riley's direction, and Riley couldn't help scowling in embarrassment. He hated being treated like a child, especially when he had helped Tony and Steve not even thirty minutes ago. He tried to see the interaction as positive—because in a way it was, Tony wasn't being passive-aggressive toward him anymore—but he was too stressed about the damage, too worried about Clint, and too sad about Coulson. So instead of playing along like he normally would have, he felt his lip curl up in a sneer. It was an expression he hadn't worn since he had been an intern at Stark Industries. Or had pretended to be an intern.
