“Bruce, you’ve got to see these two. We’re going to have to invent a whole new scale of compatibility for them,” Tony said into his phone.
“Look, I don’t think you understand,” Nelson said. “I? Am not a fighter. I’d be useless out there!”
Tony made a frustrated noise. “You don’t need to be a fighter! That’s what he’s for! Just follow his lead!”
“Tony,” Bruce’s voice said from the phone in Tony’s hand. “Stop helping, okay?”
***
Neither one of them would commit to anything, but they promised to think about it.
Two weeks later, an attack destroyed the greater part of Tokyo before SHIELD managed to drop a Jaeger into the rubble.
Murdock called Steve that night and asked how soon someone could come and get them.
***
When they arrived at the Malibu facility, Murdock was tense and unhappy, and Nelson was obviously terrified. They cooperated with the battery of intake tests with good grace, but the first time either of them cracked a smile was when one of the doctors took Nelson to task for his eating habits.
“No more of those godawful cheese things?” Murdock said as the doctor sailed out of the room. “Maybe there’ll be some upsides to this after all.”
“And a fitness regimen,” Nelson moaned, waving the piece of paper the doctor had slapped into his hands. “Remind me why I talked you into this, again?”
Murdock grinned, shaky but true. “I’m not sure, but it’s seeming like a better idea all the time.”
***
“So, what are you going to call her?” Clint asked as he set his tray down beside Foggy and Matt in the canteen.
Foggy opened his mouth to answer, but Murdock cut him off. “No.”
“But it’s perfect!”
“Foggy, no.”
“Come on, Matt!” Foggy poked him lightly in the shoulder. “Can you think of anything better? No, you cannot. Because it’s perfect!”
“It’s ridiculous!” Matt protested, but he couldn’t entirely hide a smile.
“And it is…?” Clint drawled.
“Devil’s Advocate,” they replied in unison.
Clint laughed until he choked.
***
“Do you think they can actually do this?” Natasha asked quietly as Bruce ran Matt and Foggy through another simulation. “They test well, but that’s not a guarantee of how they’ll hold up in a real fight.”
Steve nodded without hesitation. “They’re not soldiers, but they’ll do just fine. Matt’s tough as hell, and Foggy’s scrappier than he realizes. And they’ll fight to keep each other safe, if nothing else.”
The console beeped cheerfully as the computer added another point to their kill tally.
***
“Foggy,” Matt’s voice echoed through the open hangar as the Malibu crew clustered around any screen they could find to watch Devil’s Advocate walk out to meet her first kaiju. “Please tell me that that is actually the ugliest thing you’ve ever seen.”
“Ugh, yes. Easily. Oh my God. Hurry up and punch it in the face so we can go look at - I don’t know - some sort of pretty scenery on our way back.”
“Gladly,” Matt said, as the Jaeger shifted its weight, one arm drawing back for a blow.
Foggy whooped as they charged forwards. “Nelson and Murdock for the defense, you jacked-up giant lizard!”
The sound of cheering almost drowned out Matt’s laughter as they sent the kaiju tumbling back into the water.
END
(Fun facts: I am the anon that was musing about a minifill upthread. This is neither a minifill nor the story I was planning on writing. Oops. I am also the anon that left the “NELSON AND MURDOCK FOR THE DEFENSE” comment upthread. And I cannot tell you how delighted I am to be able to work that into this thing. XD)
FILL: The Best Defense 3/3
“Look, I don’t think you understand,” Nelson said. “I? Am not a fighter. I’d be useless out there!”
Tony made a frustrated noise. “You don’t need to be a fighter! That’s what he’s for! Just follow his lead!”
“Tony,” Bruce’s voice said from the phone in Tony’s hand. “Stop helping, okay?”
***
Neither one of them would commit to anything, but they promised to think about it.
Two weeks later, an attack destroyed the greater part of Tokyo before SHIELD managed to drop a Jaeger into the rubble.
Murdock called Steve that night and asked how soon someone could come and get them.
***
When they arrived at the Malibu facility, Murdock was tense and unhappy, and Nelson was obviously terrified. They cooperated with the battery of intake tests with good grace, but the first time either of them cracked a smile was when one of the doctors took Nelson to task for his eating habits.
“No more of those godawful cheese things?” Murdock said as the doctor sailed out of the room. “Maybe there’ll be some upsides to this after all.”
“And a fitness regimen,” Nelson moaned, waving the piece of paper the doctor had slapped into his hands. “Remind me why I talked you into this, again?”
Murdock grinned, shaky but true. “I’m not sure, but it’s seeming like a better idea all the time.”
***
“So, what are you going to call her?” Clint asked as he set his tray down beside Foggy and Matt in the canteen.
Foggy opened his mouth to answer, but Murdock cut him off. “No.”
“But it’s perfect!”
“Foggy, no.”
“Come on, Matt!” Foggy poked him lightly in the shoulder. “Can you think of anything better? No, you cannot. Because it’s perfect!”
“It’s ridiculous!” Matt protested, but he couldn’t entirely hide a smile.
“And it is…?” Clint drawled.
“Devil’s Advocate,” they replied in unison.
Clint laughed until he choked.
***
“Do you think they can actually do this?” Natasha asked quietly as Bruce ran Matt and Foggy through another simulation. “They test well, but that’s not a guarantee of how they’ll hold up in a real fight.”
Steve nodded without hesitation. “They’re not soldiers, but they’ll do just fine. Matt’s tough as hell, and Foggy’s scrappier than he realizes. And they’ll fight to keep each other safe, if nothing else.”
The console beeped cheerfully as the computer added another point to their kill tally.
***
“Foggy,” Matt’s voice echoed through the open hangar as the Malibu crew clustered around any screen they could find to watch Devil’s Advocate walk out to meet her first kaiju. “Please tell me that that is actually the ugliest thing you’ve ever seen.”
“Ugh, yes. Easily. Oh my God. Hurry up and punch it in the face so we can go look at - I don’t know - some sort of pretty scenery on our way back.”
“Gladly,” Matt said, as the Jaeger shifted its weight, one arm drawing back for a blow.
Foggy whooped as they charged forwards. “Nelson and Murdock for the defense, you jacked-up giant lizard!”
The sound of cheering almost drowned out Matt’s laughter as they sent the kaiju tumbling back into the water.
END
(Fun facts: I am the anon that was musing about a minifill upthread. This is neither a minifill nor the story I was planning on writing. Oops. I am also the anon that left the “NELSON AND MURDOCK FOR THE DEFENSE” comment upthread. And I cannot tell you how delighted I am to be able to work that into this thing. XD)