"Are you even hearing yourself right now? This is why we believe you're fully competent for this initiative. Whatever you've gone through has been training you for these moments. You don't ever stop fighting, there's always another threat. A threat...
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I stared out of the glass front of the helicarrier, watching the grey clouds drift by with my dry eyes, perfectly matching the regret and sadness in my heart.
Fury gathered Cap, Stark, Hill and I in the briefing room. I sat with my arms crossed, numb with shock.
"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket. I guess he never got you to sign them," Fury said as something clattered against the table. I didn't look. "We're dead up in the air here," he continued. "Our communications. Banner. Thor." I heart wrenched even tighter at the unknown fate of my Asgardian friend, if it was even possible that my heart could feel more strain. "I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming."
He paused. "Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract." He said, causing me to finally tilt my neck around to face him. "I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something riskier. There was an idea called 'The Avengers 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 we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes."
Tony snapped out of his chair and walked off.
"Well, it's an old fashioned notion."
I never would have even mused the idea of joining this 'Avengers.' Why would I risk my life over something that doesn't concern me or my people. I had Olympus and Greece to worry about, I didn't need another layer of weight to be added into my shoulders, I didn't want to end up like Atlas, I couldn't handle it all. But after what Coulson said to me, I'd be letting him down if I refused and I couldn't let him down, not when it was his dying wish.
I didn't even realise everyone exit the room, leaving my tear-streaked face alone with my pulsing thoughts.
"Selene, are you in?" The Captain said to me, walking back into the room.
I thought of my dad, of Olympus, of Greece. I thought of all the things I could loose if I died fighting for this cause. I almost said no but through gritted teeth, I nodded my head and turned to face him.
"Good, suit up. It's time to go."
* * *
We soared through the air, heading towards Stark Tower. I gazed up through the clouds to see a glowing portal open up causing hundreds of this alien species to stream out to it, ready to ensue chaos across New York.
"Stark, we're on your three headed northeast," Natasha said into her headset.
"What'd you stop for drive-thru?" He teased. "I'm gonna lay it out for you."
Natasha unleashed the machine gun and began to fire at the Chitauri.
I looked down to see Loki still on Stark Tower as he shot a stream of blue light at the quinjet. I gritted my teeth and remembered Stuttgart and what he did to Coulson.
