Chapter 40-Eye to Eye
Agent Maria Hill completely ignored the world roll by through the Helicarrier’s glass window. She was focused—even though there was so much more to focus on instead—currently on the screen resting in front of her, the image of the man staring at her with eyes almost as winded as her own posture.
Still, despite the constant noise from the bridge below her, despite the weariness creeping into her eyes and joints, Maria Hill made herself as presentable as possible, clearing her throat and crossing one arm over the other. She listened as the man’s image sighed greatly, his wrinkly palms rising to cover his face.
She closed her eyes, but still listened.
“They’re growing impatient,” the man muttered, his voice dry.
Hill opened her eyes, staring into his own. “Let them,” she replied. “We’re not finished here.”
“You know as well as I do that even I can’t hold them back after this,” the man replied, his hands remaining high, now wrapping together in front of him. “What happened in Sokovia—”
“We’re working on it, sir,” Hill interrupted, catching her breath after noticing the change in the man’s once calmed posture, now alert and stirring. “Colonel Rhodes is still searching for survivors as we speak. We have lifeboats, search teams, everything. Not a living soul on this carrier isn’t looking.”
The man on the screen scrunched his face together in thought, in processing, and then finally shook his head. He said, “Agent Hill, a piece of landmass, an entire city for God’s sake blew up…killing everyone on it. We can’t simply turn away from this any longer than you want us to. Congress is ready to send goddamn soldiers to Sokovia!”
Hill gulped, felt a bit lightheaded, but composed herself rather quickly. “Tell them there isn’t any need for that. Ultron is gone. There isn’t a single one of his soldiers left.”
She watched as the man’s demeanor shifted from fury to sorrow. The loss of character, the same, powerful character she had come to know him by, dealt a blow not only to her but the words he chose.
“I never said they wanted Ultron.”
Maria Hill was lightly dealt a blow to the gut. She held her chin up and said calmly, courteously, “We’re not the enemy here.”
“Then tell me who is,” he replied almost instantly, leaning forward in his chair. “Who’s responsible for this catastrophe? Ultron? The Avengers? Stark?”
“Does it really matter, sir?” Hill asked, arms tightening across her chest, a dreadful chill racing across her skin. “They’re all gone.”
The man paused, holding the Agent’s stare for longer than he intended. He sighed, leaning back into his chair. “So it’s true,” he murmured, anxiety filling his vocal cords. His eyes stared into her own, breaking through the soldier he knew and seeing the wounded human being. “You haven’t found anyone.”
Maria could only look down.
“Hill…” she brought her eyes to him once more, “you know I don’t want to put the blame on any of them, especially Stark after everything he’s done for me. But this issue must be addressed as soon as possible. The moment you get a read, you contact me, not a second after.”
Agent Hill nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“We appreciate all you’ve done so far… I appreciate what you’ve done,” the man told her, leaning forward. “The American public must be given the truth,” he chuckled a tad. “You know…I always wished they were meant for something better, just like Fury had once told me. Through it all, we’ve just ended up back to where we’ve started: A world in desperate need for help.”
Maria Hill didn’t respond, instead choosing to remain silent for the duration of the call. He didn’t blame her. After everything she’s been through, after everything they’ve been through…he was just glad to see her alive and still one piece. The same couldn’t be said for Sokovia…or Congress for that matter. But that was another problem to deal with for another time.
The man nodded to her, offering a weak smile. “I wish you the best of luck, Agent Hill.”
Maria nodded to him. “Thank you for your time, Mr. President.”
The screen faded away, and all Maria Hill could see was the man standing several yards in front of her, staring into the blinding clouds and endless blue sky. Below her, agents bustled about to and fro, speaking to the search parties beneath, laying coordinates, asking if there was anything alive down there. The dreaded silence on some ends of the comms was almost enough to push Maria over the edge. She held strong, though, and approached the man’s side.
She remained silent for quite some time, noticing that his stare was centered completely on the skies and nowhere near her. Hill cleared her throat, earning the man’s attention for the time given. She crossed her arms, asking, “Status report, or did you hear all of that?”
Nick Fury did hear all of it. Before he could answer, Hill took the moment to study his facial features. Just like her, like a mirror image of every other agent surrounding them, Fury looked absolutely exhausted, at a loss for life. She expected as much. None of them got much sleep since…
He asked, “I suppose Colonel Rhodes hasn’t found anyone yet?”
“Not yet, Director,” Maria replied, approaching an open computer console—surprisingly she found one that wasn’t taken—and began observing the recent findings. “Lifeboats are still scanning the waves…but nothing concrete.”
Director Fury exhaled through his nose, watching the sun dip lower and lower. “Well, we keep searching…and find them,” he explained. Hill turned his way, watching his palms intertwine behind his back. “Tell those boys back in Congress to kiss the blackest part of my ass.”
“We’re not ready for a full-scale war, Director Fury,” Hill chuckled, trying to ease the mood and failing at doing just that.
Fury didn’t chuckle with her. He didn’t do much of anything. He just stared into the falling sunset, watching Colonel Rhodes' exhaust trail fly across the Helicarrier.
“Well then…we keep searching,” Fury stated, his voice drowsy, lost even.
Hill caught on quickly, stopping in her actions and backing away from the computer. She turned to face the weary man, a soothing gentleness both in her eyes and tone. She began. “Listen…Nick…” already treading on thin ice, “I’m sorry, but…there isn’t any way they can still be alive. I…I-I don’t want it to be true but…”
“But you have to face facts,” Fury finished for her, breaking off his eye contact with the sunset to turn her way. He said, “We came this close to total annihilation. Now…” he paused, returning to the sunset, “…we’re still here…for one reason. Because of them. And if anyone thinks differently…”
“I’ll personally send them a request to kiss the blackest part of your ass,” Hill said, smiling up at him. Fury managed a weak, but very sad smile of his own. The sadness was consuming, ever-growing, and it overtook the Director’s features faster than he knew.
The clouds cleared, revealing the beauty of Sokovia. The lush forests stretching for miles on end. The towering peaks pockmarking the landscape. The strength of the sunset painting the land in a gorgeous orange blossom.
The crater where Novi Grad once laid.
The remains of the city…scattered.
He saw it all. The crater. He said, “And here I believed those bastards could get through anything.”
Hill turned to the direction he was facing, spotting the remains of the once populous city now just a hole in the Earth’s surface. She looked away, taking a short gasp, and licking her lips that suddenly became dry. He began to speak once again, and she faced him to hear what he had to say.
Nick Fury looked away from the sunset for once, staring at the floor recently cleaned after the incident with one of Ultron’s suicide bots.
He turned around, preparing his exit from the bridge. “Well, it’s an old-fashioned notion.”
Maria Hill contemplated, then ignored the doubts, and reached forward to place her hand on the man’s shoulder to stop him.
“Nick—”
Turns out, she didn’t even need to.
A heavy tremor rocked across the entirety of the Helicarrier’s bridge, knocking over several agents. Both Hill and Fury steadied themselves, scanning the computers, the glass window, searching for any signs of a threat. Hill tapped away at the nearest computer console, finding no such threat. Fury appeared by her side, steadying himself against a nearby console.
And then it stopped.
And then what sounded vaguely like…thunder came rolling by. Shaking everyone’s bones, electrifying everyone’s skin.
Of course, even with Fury scanning the skylines, he couldn’t prepare himself for the tower of golden sunlight showering right through the roof and landing within the bridge. Numerous agents fell backwards, covering their eyes or drawing their weapons. Fury held out his hand to them, using the other to shield his eyesight from the light.
Through the plethora of colors ranging from almost every color of the rainbow, the blinding light finally began to fade, leaving just three figures standing within the smoke. Again, Fury addressed the agents now fully standing, fully loaded, and ready to fire on the intruder.
“Hold your fire!” Director Fury ordered, his hand held out to the agents, the other now lowering down to his pistol. Just in case.
He eyed the three figures cautiously, waiting for a call, waiting for any sort of movement, any response. When he received none, Fury and Hill were the first to step forward, Hill with her pistol lowered and Fury with his at the ready. The remaining agents slowly moved in, waiting for their superiors to give the order when the time called for it.
Both Fury and Hill held their ground about ten feet away. They stopped the moment the smoke had settled and the three figures finally began walking forward.
The entirety of the Helicarrier’s bridge lowered their weapons, but dared not put them away. Hill controlled her breathing, her pistol only remaining in one hand. Nick Fury never moved; his hand was still at the ready. He waited, watched as an elderly man wielding a golden staff stepped forward.
The elderly man was covered in armor shockingly similar to that of a certain “God of Thunder” Fury knew personally. His flowing, white hair was joined only by his snow-colored beard, all leading up to the scars and golden patch covering his right eye. He was joined by two soldiers that looked like they belonged in a Greek display at the museum, a spear in each hand, a shield in the other.
Together, all three walked forward a few feet before stopping. The soldiers, that is. The elderly man continued on, approaching Director Fury slowly, cautiously. Fury could do the same, eyeing the man with each step he took, waiting for some kind of response. Something. Anything.
Finally, the man stopped just four feet away from Director Fury. He looked around, scanning the Helicarrier’s interior design, the agents accompanying it, and the man leading it. His presence alone offered some sort of righteous authority. It was a strange, mystic power that each agent could feel. Maria especially, who had long since placed her pistol back into its holster.
It felt like days before anyone could say anything. For Maria, she felt like she could stare into the mysterious eye of the elderly man, seeing tales of untold heroism, of unimaginable adventures, of great, powerful leadership. Unfortunately, Director Fury hadn’t held the same feelings of wonder as his fellow associate.
He couldn’t. His instincts told him otherwise. Even after the elderly man offered a smile to Fury, loosening the grip he held on his golden spear. Fury didn’t smile back. His hand remained on his pistol. Always ready. Always cautious. Never relaxed.
Even as he spoke.
Even as he smiled to Nick Fury and said:
“It is an honor to finally be speaking with you…eye to eye.”
Fury never lowered his guard. He asked, “What do you want?”
“The same thing you do,” Odin said, his smile finally fading. “Your allies are alive, as is my son.”
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Oh, Odin. Be careful, as to not tell Eyepatch any spoilers!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
memes.doublie.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/NfS-oh-shit.jpg
No freaking way!!!
Considering the actor who portrays Nick Fury I think this is appropriate:
Hhhmm, is it really Odin or Loki in Disguise like at the end of Thor: the Dark World
Oh, hai, Odin! ... Or Loki. Either way.
I like the viewpoint change to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Odin this chapter.
While the Avengers are stranded on Equestria. Back on Earth, the Sokovia incident has has left a huge mark on the world after the city's destruction killed everyone that was still on it and presumably (but very unlikely as we know it) the Avengers and Ultron. Nick Fury and Maria Hill had been searching the city remains along with War Machine helping out in hopes but all in vain of finding any survivors while being pressured by the US Congress over who's responsible for the disaster. No doubt this will give the government the excuse to file the Sokovia Accords (the Superhuman Registration Act and the prelude to Civil War) so that they can keep superhumans in check.
And then suddenly, the all-father king of Asgard Odin appears before Nick Fury one-eye to one-eye telling him that he knows where the Avengers are. However, we should know from the events of "Thor: The Dark World" that it is not actually the real Odin but rather Loki in disguise having taken his place leaving the former's fate ambiguous. Loki must be taking a big gamble having to personally come to Nick Fury about this. He knows his brother Thor and the Avengers are on Equestria but Heimdall can't seem to transport them off-world using the Bifrost. Perhaps the gateway to Equestria is sealed off from the Bifrost and Loki wants to know (presumably for his own agendas) why it is so and if there's a another way to get there and that's why he came to Nick Fury about it.
Kinda messed up with the president dialogue buddy, go fix it before the grammar nazis show up.
7098982 Someone needs to cover him up.
7099097 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
7099243 Yes freaking way!
7099246 Or perhaps, "English, mother*cker, do you speak it?!"
7099771 That's up for you to decide.
7101153 Thanks! I felt a certain change was in order.
7101157 I couldn't have said it better myself. Very well put.
7101219 Mind telling me where the errors are? I couldn't find them.
OHHHH, YEAH! The Gods have arrived! Boom-bam, baby! Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-huh!
...Wait...
That's gotta be...
LOKI!
7101966 No sweat.
7101966 Shit, i guess i misread it, sry.
It would be so AWESOME if the helicarrier went to equestria, the look on the ponies faces
7454760 I wish it would as well buddy.
I thought it was going to be the Princesses!
Oooooh.
Things seemingly aren't going any better back in The Avengers' dimension. With the destruction of that one country, the high authorities in government need someone to blame and their easiest scapegoats are the superheroes they enlisted to prevent this disaster. As if Nick Fury didn't have enough concerns on his plate. Now Odin, the all mighty God and Father of Thor, has come down to Earth with a message for the one-eyed agent. And if news is true that their allies (Along with Thor) are indeed alive, how to get The Avengers back on their part will have to be taken to immediate action.
Of course, even if they succeed and the Avengers do get back home... There's not going to be a ton of open arms to walk home to considering how angry everyone is. For all we know, they may decide they'd rather stay in Equestria.
Wow, I did not see any of this coming. Not only do we check up on Earth and see what Fury and Hill have been doing, we get a surprise appearance of Odin too! Although, considering the events of Thor: The Dark World, is that really Odin or Loki disguised as Odin?