92       

You deliberate for a minute before responding. “It’s too risky, Coulson.”

“They’re your colleagues,” he says, “and they’re all we have,” and he ends the communication.

Ten minutes later, there’s a gleaming silver monstrosity overhead, and its occupants are taking a nosedive out of it into the heat of battle. Well, all but one, who’s flying and the term ‘heat’ is literal for him, because - “Aw, man, Coulson, did you have to call the Fantastic Four?”

“I don’t recall your having had a better suggestion,” he replies mildly, and he’s right, so you shut up and get back to loading prisoners onto the next empty S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopter. Behind you, the sounds of fighting slowly die out until, when you can turn around again, you realize that the ground is littered with unmoving Hydra agents and Reed, Sue and Ben are helping your teammates back to the extraction point.

            Maybe the mutual assistance thing isn’t so bad after all.