Olympus's Avenger

Chapter 2

Sy

She leaned against the doorway of the gym. At least the first assignment was relatively easy, even if it was outside her job description. She had a feeling that this was the Director's way of testing her commitment to the team. Fury was calling in all sorts of 'unique individuals' to help fight his war. And this man, well he was the ultimate mortal soldier. And it was Sy's job to convince him to come help fight the new big bad.

Steve Rogers hadn't noticed her, simply pounding away at the punching bag in front of him. She didn't flinch when he broke the bag, and she kept waiting even when he hooked up a new one. But when he still hadn't taken in his surroundings, beginning to pound away at the new bag instead, she stepped forward.

"Having trouble sleeping?" Sy asked. She kept her voice neutral, pulling the it's usual musical quality out of it. This man, like her, had fought a long war. This choice will be his, and his alone, without the influence of her compulsion to soften his will. Sy refused to do it any other way no matter what Fury wanted from her. Steve Rogers hardly looked up even as she crossed the room towards him on silent feet.

"I slept for 70 years ma'am. Uh, Miss." He paused for a moment , thrown by how young she was. After a beat he continued.

"I think I've had my fill." She steadied the bag for him. He looked at her briefly before continuing to pound at the bag. Sy was unfazed by the amount of force he was putting into his blows, but also aware that he'd reigned in his strength. Curious blue eyes move away from his fists to meet hers.

"If you don't mind my asking, but who are you?"

"Director Fury called in a few favors to get me here. I've been, compelled, into representing the director tonight. And if you don't mind my asking, why are you in here? You could be out celebrating. You've done the one thing everyone always seems to want; see the future. You could be out there, seeing the world." He stepped away from the bag, unravelling the tape from his hands. The man had snorted softly at her clear distaste for Fury.

"When I went under, the world was at war. When I woke up they said we won. They never told me what we lost." Sy nodded. She understood what he meant. There was always a price to be paid, even for the winning side. And sometimes that price is hard to see until it comes time to pay.

"Well, the world has been making its' mistakes. Some very recently. That's why I'm here Mr. Rogers." He dropped his things into his bag and looked up at her.

"So you're here with a mission miss? Fury trying to get me back into the world?" He asked sardonically. Sy snorted.

"Actually, he's trying to save it." She followed the soldier over to his duffle bag, left on a bench nearby.

"This time." She added under her breath softly. She ignored the curious look she got for her last comment as she passed the super soldier a manila file on the Tesseract. She sat on the bench next to Steve Rogers while he looked over the file.

"HYDRA's secret weapon." He said plainly. She fidgeted nervously at the name of the mythical monster. She may be the child of a minor goddess, but names still have power. She hoped she wouldn't have to kill a monster tonight. Especially that one. Kayla, a daughter of Demeter, has a nasty scar on her side from the acid of one during the Giant War. Bye bye bikinis on public beaches.

"Howard Stark fished that out of the ocean when he was looking for you. He thought, what SHIELD thinks, is that the tesseract could be the key to unlimited sustainable energy. That's something the world sorely needs." She felt stupid, parroting propaganda while she could literally taste the lies Fury had fed her. But that was what she had been told, and she had no proof of the truth, whatever it may be, so that was what she said.

"Who took it from them?" He asked. Syrinx sighed. Steve Rogers, a catholic from the 1940's, would not take the gods conversation well. She purses her lips, before answering carefully.

"His name is Loki. He's, well, he's not really from around here. At least not anymore." She stood up, brushing non-existent dirt from her jeans.

"There is a lot to catch up on, if you decide to come. Your world has learned quite a few new things, strange things, since you went under." Steve gave her a small smile.

"I doubt things can get any stranger than they already have." Sy gave him a wry look, raising her eyebrow.

"Fury said you would say that. He also said to bet you ten dollars you're wrong. My advice? Don't take it." The super soldier stood up, taking his duffle bag with him. She knew he was taking Fury's bet.

'Men.'

"There is a debriefing packet in your apartment." The man lifted the punching bag down from it's hook. Sy was suddenly inspired.

'Thank you Mom. Or Auntie.' She offered her prayer to which ever muse had helped her.

"Anything I should know about that weapon?" She called after him. The grim reply made her heart sink.

"They should have left it in the ocean."