I'd Bleed for You

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

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Once we reached the hellicarrier Loki was immediately led off by at least a dozen SHIELD agents who were all armed. Tony went off to do who knows what while I followed Natasha, Steve, and Thor through the hellicarrier and into the main room we'd been taken to when Steve and Bruce had first arrived here. When we got there we found Bruce already seated at the large table and agents around the room, busy working at their computers. Natasha sat a few chairs down from Bruce while Steve sat opposite the table from the scientist and Thor stood in the back of the room. I looked around at all the seats before deciding to sit on the table a few seats down from Steve and Bruce, the opposite side that Natasha was on. At my seating choice they all gave me strange looks, but I just ignored them as the monitor in front of the table flashed on.

The screen showed Eyepatch talking with Loki, the Asgardian having been locked up in a large cylinder cage. I couldn't deny that the cage was impressive, though I was relieved that I wasn't the one locked inside of it. Throughout the conversation between the two men I paid little attention, only enough to hear him insult Bruce. At that I narrowed my eyes at the screen, able to feel the metal table heating up beneath me.

"Ow!" I heard Steve exclaim. We all looked at him and I saw his hands were red from where they'd been rested on the table. Luckily Bruce and Natasha hadn't been touching it so they were unhurt, just confused. I instantly focused and cooled the table back to its original temperature. Before anyone could question Steve, Bruce spoke up as the monitor went black, Eyepatch's interrogation with Loki having ended.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Bruce tried to joke but I could see the unease Loki's jab had caused him. 

"He's going to drag this thing out, what's his play?" Steve directed his question at Thor, the God being the only one who had any experience with his brother. The blonde Asgardian didn't say anything for a moment as he just stared at the blank monitor.

"He has an army called the Chiaturi, they're not of Asguard or any other known world." Thor furrowed his brows as he spoke, trying to figure out just what Loki had planned. "He will lead them against your people and they will win him Earth, most likely in exchange for the tesseract."

"An army from outer space?" Steve muttered to himself. I bet they didn't have this much shit happening back in the forties... you know, as long as you don't count that whole world war thing.

"He's making another portal. That's why he needs Erik Selvig." At Bruce's mention of Selvig Thor looked at us with an almost pained expression.

"Selvig?" He asks, as if to make sure he'd heard correctly.

"He's an astrophysicist," I looked up at the ceiling as I spoke. I could feel the others adverting their gazes to me, but I made no move return the gesture. "A damn good one at that."

"He's a friend." Thor informed us. I only nodded, remembering Thor's file and how he'd been in New Mexico where I knew Selvig was located for research.

"Loki has some sort of spell on him and one of our own." Natasha's voice only held one emotion that was clear as day to me, bitterness. I'd need to to remember to figure out what was going on between her and this Barton dude.

"I want to know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading any armies from in here." Steve shook his head, his army training shining through.

"I don't think we should worry much on what Loki's thinking. That guy's brain is a bag of cats." Bruce gave a small smile as we all looked over at him. I had to admit, he had a nice smile. "You can smell the crazy on him."

"I second that." I murmured softly, but apparently it was loud enough for Thor to hear because he sent me a small glare before sending one in Bruce's direction, too.

"Have care how you speak. Loki may be beyond reason but he is still of Asgard and my brother." Thor defended his brother and I couldn't help but smile at his clear devotion to family. He made me wish that I still had someone like him in my life, someone that would defend me to anyone who spoke against me.

"He killed eighty people in two days." Natasha spoke as though it were a common occurrence, the deaths of so many people at the hands of a single man who wasn't even of this world. We all looked at Thor again only to find him less sure of himself and his brother, almost nervous.

"He's adopted." The blonde reminded all of us, making me roll my eyes. I guess mass murder is where the family love ends, pity.

"I think it's about mechanics," Bruce seemed to be thinking aloud now, but I couldn't bring myself to pay attention to him. Though I did respect the scientist, I truly didn't care about any of this, I didn't belong in this fight.

I didn't say a word as I slipped off the table and then out of the room altogether, not caring if anyone saw me or what they thought. At the moment, all I needed was some peace and quiet, away from everyone else. I still didn't understand why SHIELD had dragged me along and trapped me on this hellicarrier and I doubted that I'd figure it out while talking with the others. Instead I found myself wandering the halls, not paying the slightest bit of attention to where I was going until I found myself standing in front of a set of large metal doors.

"Nichole?" I recognized Phil's voice calling my name from somewhere nearby, though I didn't see him anywhere in sight. I glanced around to make sure no one was watching me before I slipped through the set of doors and quickly closed them behind me. A sigh escaped me as I rested my forehead against the cool metal of the doors, relieved to finally be alone. However, that all shattered when I heard someone speak up behind me.

"Hello there."