Special Agent Loki Laufeyson

Chapter 48

The small, stout building that housed the Lunar Project looked regular enough from the outside. Gibbs, after instructing Rogers and Stark to follow his lead, led the way into the building.

The reception room had the bare minimum in décor. There was a desk and a clean bulletin board, a young woman working behind the desk. She looked up as the group came in.

"Yes?" she said. "May I help you?"

"We'd like to ask you some questions about one of the employees here," Gibbs said, walking over to the desk and showing his badge. McGhee did the same as Gibbs continued, "Special Agents Gibbs and McGhee, NCIS. Captain Rogers and Mr. Stark are lending their services.

The receptionist glanced up at the two Avengers. "I thought I'd seen you before, Mr. Stark."

"Can you identity this woman?" McGhee held his phone out with the picture of Clare Leopard centered on the screen.

"That's Miss Clare Leopard," the receptionist said, glancing up at Gibbs warily. "Is something wrong?"

"We just have a few questions," McGhee answered. "What is her position here?"

"She's our head engineer," the receptionist said.

"Engineer on what?" Stark butted in.

"Our technology," the receptionist answered vaguely.

"What type of technology?" Gibbs pressed.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm not at liberty to disclose that. Why do you need to know?"

Stark offered half a grin as Gibbs returned the conversation to Leopard. "Is she here? We'd like to speak to her."

"I'm sorry, but she's not in right now," the receptionist said. "She's been taking some personal time."

"May we see where she works?" Gibbs asked. "She's a suspect in an ongoing murder investigation."

The receptionist's eyes widened. "Oh, dear. Clare killed somebody?"

"We're not sure yet," McGhee said. "We'd like to see where she works, see if we can find anything."

"Of course," the receptionist said, looking freaked out. "I can allow the three of you to see her office."

Stark frowned. "There are four of us, by the way."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Stark," the receptionist said, biting her lip. "I can't take the risk of you stealing any of our technology. Since we are competitors and all."

"You've got to be kidding me," Stark declared.

"Stark, wait for us here," Rogers said as he followed the two agents to the door leading into the rest of the building.

"Fine," Stark grumbled as the receptionist showed them through the door.

"Her office is at the end of this hallway, on the left. I'll have someone meet you there to open it."

And the receptionist stepped out, closing the door behind her. Gibbs glanced to his right, where the hallway railing blocked them from the sunken floor below, where a huge machine sat. In the center of the machine was an oblong device that stuck out from the rest of the structure. As he was observing this, a door at the other end of the hallway opened and a man trotted out of it.

"Welcome!" he chirped. "I am Stanley; I'll be showing you Miss Leopard's office. But I assure you, she had nothing to do with this murder you speak of."

Gibbs lifted his eyebrow. There was something about the guy's eyes; they were strangely blue. Too blue. It was unnatural. As was his assurance over Leopard's innocence.

"Just show us her office," Gibbs requested.

Stanley shrugged and led the way to Leopard's office door, unlocking it. It was the one the receptionist had indicated. "Here you are," he said.

Gibbs glanced inside. It looked like an office, all right, but his gut was telling him it wasn't. "Where's her real office?"

Stanley looked confused. "Sir?"

Gibbs moved, striking the man in the chest and sending him flying backwards. McGhee drew his gun and Rogers got into a defensive stance, but Stanley had been thoroughly knocked out.

"Well, well, Agent Gibbs," a voice boomed out from behind them. "I didn't expect to meet you so soon."

The three turned to see a figure floating in the center of the office, his cloak rippling out behind him. A hood covered his head, concealing his identity and given form by the helmet he wore.

"No wonder he wants you dead," the figure said, walking through the air towards them. "You're smart. It's unfortunate, really, that you have shown yourself to be a hero."

Raising his hand, Rogers, Gibbs, and McGhee shot up into the air, suddenly weightless. The figure chuckled softly, obviously relishing holding them in his power. "I can't allow you to continue poking your nose where it doesn't belong, Agent Gibbs. Your investigating career is over."

McGhee moved his arm up and fired.

The bullet struck the man in the chest, propelling him backwards. The three dropped to the floor, gravity working like normal again.

"Go!" Gibbs shouted, drawing his gun and firing at the figure. He heard glass shatter as McGhee streaked out towards the reception office. But Rogers didn't go.

"I'm staying!" he told Gibbs.

The figure stood up and thrust his arm out. Gibbs and Rogers fell to the ground, pulled by a sudden force.

"You...dare to confront me!" the figure shouted, his hood slipping off of his head. The helmet he had been wearing had broken, leaving the scar that split his face visible.

"Who are you?" Rogers asked.

"I am the Space Walker," the figure said. "And you will die before you share that name with anyone else."

Gibbs and Rogers both tried to struggle, but the grip on them was too strong.

"I will win," the figure promised. "I have tools, I have weapons. I will win."

Just as he descended to stand before Gibbs and Rogers, smiling with victory, the wall closest to the reception room exploded inward and the suit of armor that had caused the explosion punched the Space Walker in the side of the head and sent him flying across the room.

"Yeah," Iron Man stated, hovering a few feet above the ground. "I don't think so."

Rogers and Gibbs catapulted to their feet as McGhee came through the door, panting. "I thought you might need help," he said.

"Thanks," Rogers said. Gibbs nodded his appreciation.

"I'll be back," the Space Walker warned, getting to his feet. As Gibbs raised his gun and Stark raised his hands, the figure lifted his own and crashed through the floor, disappearing from sight. When Rogers checked the hole, there was no one in sight.

"Well, that was unexpected," he said.

"Uh, Boss?" McGhee called. "I think you'd like to see this."

Gibbs headed out into the hallway, where McGhee was now standing. He gestured down into the pit where the main piece of technology had been standing.

And most of it was still there, although it was missing the crate sized device that had been located in the center of the machine.

There was a pit in the floor that matched the size of the object.

/**/

Iron Man to the rescue! I could just imagine AC/DC playing while he flew in.

So what'd you think of that chapter? What about the Space Walker and the missing tech? Any suspicions?

Thanks for reading! Please, comment and vote!

Skylar Wittenborn