The Black Cat

Chapter 4: Force

Fury hadn't sent me down to do work after training, which was strange seeing how he loved to pile me in endless amounts of work. So I decided to retreat to my quarters. There wasn't much I could do, but it was better than hanging around the control center. It was starnge because we had this whole group of people here that no one knew what to call them and some didn't even want to be here. I still wished Selvig was here, he was the only one I was willing to talk to. I couldn't talk to Loki, even if I wanted to because Natasha was down there right now talking to him. Sure, she was level 7, big deal. I was level 6, which meant I was only a few missions away from being promoted to level 7. But it still meant she was better than me. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Natasha in the least bit. In fact, she's really nice to me. I just hated the fact Fury gave every big job to her that other agents could do well at as well. That wasn't including me since I knew there were agents just like me who hated the fact they didn't get the big jobs thanks to Fury's obsession with her. She didn't even have to ask to be put on a mission sometimes, they would just automatically put her on one. I wondered if they even bothered to check if other agents were willing to go, because I knew they were many who would give up whatever they needed to even be considered. I got missions sometimes but not as often as I would like. The desk job gets boring after a while, you know. I wanted adventure. I craved for it.

 "Loki plans on unleasing the Hulk. Make sure Banner is secure."

Romanoff's voice ran through my earpiece, which inscintively, I sat up and left the room. I realized that maybe I could sway Loki into a different direction, possibly reconsider and tell me where the Tessaract is. And if I tried hard enough, to let me stay here. I wasn't sure how the hell I was going to achieve this, or how I was having the guts to even do this now, but I felt like I had to do something. I passed the lab where Fury, Banner and Stark were chatting. "Tell me Nick, what is level 2?" I cringe, just as Cap passes me from behind and walks into the room with one of the prototypes for phase 2. I quickly pass by, not wanting to get involved. How they even hacked into SHEILD was mystery enough, and I didn't even want to know how they found out about phase 2. I kept walking from there and went down a few floors before reaching the floor I needed. Before I could even think about where the cell was, an explosion rang out about me and instantly the alarms set off, signaling that we were being attacked. I quickly get my gun from my holster and hold it up as I walk, making sure I would be able to shoot if needed. For the first few minutes, everything seemed quiet, no one was even down here. I turn the corner and the front of my gun is right in front of Coulson's face, his arms up in surrender. "Sorry, Phil," I apologize, putting my gun back in my holster. "Tagan, what are you doing down here?" "Fury sent me." I wink and he nods. "What about you?" "Fury sent me too." He winks like I had done and I half smile.

"If we're both doing what I think we're doing, Jackie, let me go first. I think my tactic might be more effective than yours." He then holds up on of the largest guns I had ever seen. I raise an eyebrow. "The gun that we made after Puente Antiguo?" He nods a smile on his face. "That was a fun mission, wasn't it?" "You stole the intern's iPod," I remind him. "Sanders thought she had good music taste." I stifle a laugh before we walk to the doors to the containment area. "Wait here," he orders as he walks in with the gun. I hear him stab someone before walking in all the way. "Move away, please," He commands. "You like this? We started working on the prototype after you sent The Destroyer. ...Even I don't know what it does." I hear the gun start up as he says, "Want to find out?" After a few seconds of silence I hear something cut through somebody and Coulson yell out. Instantly,  rush into the room and see that Thor is in the cell, and Loki stabbing Coulson from behind as another Loki watches from the panel. Thor yells out as the Loki from the panel disappears into nothingness. Coulson falls to the ground, the wall holding him up. My mouth is gaping open, unsure of what to do. Loki begins walking toward the panel and motions the guard near him not to shoot me. "Jackie, how wonderful it is for you to join us." I say nothing, too shocked to comprehend what was going on. Loki gets to the panel and lifts the cover to the button, which would send Thor flying out the bottom of the helicarrier in the glass cell.

He looks at Thor while he opens the bottom of the floor and slowly, he presses the button and Thor is gone. He moves his hand from the panel and looks at me. "Are you coming, Jackie?" I bite my lip and look at Coulson who gives me a reassuring look and motions me to go with. I slowly walk up to Loki and accept that I had no other choice anyway. "You're going to lose," Coulson says behind us. Loki and I look back at him, tears slightly glazing my eyes. "Am I?" Loki retorts. "It's in your nature." "Your heroes scattered, your floating fortress falls from the sky," Loki goes on, "Where is my disadvantage?" Coulson voice grows huskier as he speaks, "You lack conviction." "I don't think I-" Before Loki can continue, the gun sparks off and sends him flying into the next room through a wall. I jump back and my hand covers my mouth, looking into the next room through the giant hole in the wall."So that's what it does," I hear Coulson say behind me. I look at Coulson, the tears still in my eyes. "Go," he says, "I know you have to." I nod and walk through the wall and help Loki up. He grins at me as we follow a guard to the ships. "It is wonderful seeing you again, Jackie. Especially since I know you're loyal to me. This is much better than sitting at one of those desks, right?" Before he could go on, I take my forearm and hold it to his neck while I throw him against the wall. "You don't a damn thing about me," I say angrily through gritted teeth. He only chuckles at my response. "I like this, I really do." I release him from my hold and throw him onto the ground where he only laughs harder as I walk with the guard to the ship. Eventually, Loki joins us and we all fly away to New York City.