An Interesting Alliance (ON HOLD)

Chapter XVI

"You mustn't blame yourself. I know that you loved him. I tried to tell him so, but he wouldn't listen." Said Loki consolingly. "It was cruel to put the hammer within your reach, knowing you could never lift it."

"The burden of the throne has fallen to me now" he continued.

"Can I come home" asked Thor hopefully.

"The truce with Jotunheim is conditional upon your exile." Another lie.

"But couldn't we find a way to..."

Loki interrupted. "Mother has forbidden your return." Lie. "This is goodbye, brother. I'm so sorry." Truth.

"No, I'm sorry. Loki... thank you for coming here" said Thor, sounding grateful and a bit beaten at the same time.

"Nothing could have stopped me." Truth. "Fare well, brother."

"Good-bye."

I motion to Phil to enter and he complied. "Good-bye? I just got back."

I take a quick look inside the room and find that Loki-guy was gone.

"Now, where did we leave off?"

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"Sir... he's got a visitor." Coulson and I looked up from our quiet conversation of what just had occurred in the interrogation room.

Visitor?...

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"Donald Blake?" asked Coulson almost incredulously. I tried to contain my chortle.

"Doctor Donald Blake. He's part of our team." Corrected the one and only Erik Selvig.

"You have dangerous coworkers, Dr. Selvig." said Coulson with amusement in his eyes. Thank the gods it was dark or old Erik would have noticed that Phil was toying with him.

"Troubled, not dangerous. He was distraught when he found out that you'd taken all of our research... It was years of his life, gone! He got depressed, started drinking and... well, you know the rest."

"Uh-huh. You mind if we take a moment to verify his identity?" Said Phil not really asking.

"Certainly." Answered Selvig confidently. I raised my eyebrow. A Techie at a nearby computer ran the name.

"You can understand how a man could go off like that. I mean, a big, faceless organization like yours, coming in with their jack-booted thugs and stealing private property..." I coughed, hiding my laughter, Phil's lips barely twitching upwards at the corner of his mouth. "...is how he described it." Erik caught himself. I bit the insides of my mouth, drawing blood, trying to keep a straight face.

"That doesn't explain how he managed to tear through our security" said Coulson.

"Steroids. He's a bit of a fitness nut." Shrugged Selvig.

'SHIELD SECURITY ANALYSIS IN PROGRESS' appeared on the screen. Coulson eyed the screen. After a beat, he turned back to Selvig.

"It says here he's an M.D." said Phil suspiciously.

"He is. That is, he was. He switched careers and became a physicist. He's quite brilliant, really." Explained Erik quickly. "If you would just release him to me, I promise to keep an eye on him."

Coulson sized him up, trying to intimidate him... then he smiled.

He turned to a nearby agent. "Release Dr. Blake to Dr. Selvig here," then he turned to Dr. Erik, "Make sure he stays in town for the next few days in case we need to talk to him again."

Selvig shook his hand. "Thank you."

I escorted Selvig to the interrogation room where he burst into the room to find a seated Thor.

"Donny, Donny, Donny! There you are!" he pulled 'Donny' who looked unsure what the hell is gong on to his feet and gave him a warm hug. Again, the ability to have my blank face was challenged again.

"It's going to be all right, my friend. Come on, I'm taking you home" said Erik.

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Coulson, two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and I watched as Selvig walked with Thor away from the base to the SUV. I noticed with my nightvision Ms Foster's notebook inside Thor's pocket. Phil called to Selvig and said:

"Just keep him away from the bars."

"I will." was the answer. Lie.

"Follow them." Phil ordered the two agents, Garrett and Cale.

He looked at me and showed me the picture of a grinning Thor. "Nice, isn't it?"

"Very."

Tell me what you think...