A/N: I know I'm updating a lot, it's just because it's the Christmas holidays and I'm allowed to sit on my laptop for hours on end wiritng stories and procrastinating without anybody nagging about homework etc...anyway, enjoy and have a wonderful day/night. Love, abbiemca x
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Chapter Seventeen - Hacking into SHIELD
Ava's View
I unlocked the door to my apartment using the spare key under the plant pot. Opening the door, I was greeted to a few letters at the foot of the entrance and a glare from my landlady.
"And where have you been Ms. Richards?" She asked me, she was a plump woman, who always wore a faded blue nightdress with a white dressing gown over, fluffy slippers to match. Her greying hair was tied back into a knot at the nape of her neck. She continued to glare at me, still awaiting my answer. I smiled sheepishly at her.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Mrs Green," I said, slowly edging my way to the stairs to escape her.
"Try me."
"I'd really rather not."
"Ava, I can easily evict you if you keep hiding things from me."
"Fine! I...um...stayed with my boyfriend for a few nights," I said, Mrs Green simply stared at me. One of her eyebrows then raised.
"You have a boyfriend?" She asked, a tone of surprise in her voice.
"I did tell you that you wouldn't believe me," I shrugged, before bounding up the stairs so she couldn't interrogate me further. I breathed a sigh of relief when I reached my living room. I threw my letters onto the coffee table and grabbed my black laptop from the desk.
This was a new apartment I'd rented after the big New York battle, it was roomier and a lot more modern and sophisticated. There was a clear glass coffee table, a black sofa that actually has working springs, a black dining table, a flat screen television and numerous shelves and bookcases.
The walls were black, with a white border along the top. The floor was made up of white, shining tiles that always cooled my feet as I walked across them.
My kitchen was fairly large, and it was the same colour scheme as the living room. There was every appliance I needed, even though I hardly ever had any food.
My bedroom was simple, with a small desk, a double bed, a slim wardrobe and the full length mirror from my previous accommodation. The walls in there were a deep purple colour, and I had black furniture and bed covers; they made a nice combination.
The bathroom in this apartment, thankfully, wasn't joined onto my bedroom. It was only small, with a toilet, sink and shower. It was tiled with mainly white, with splashes of blue and green here and there.
The apartment itself was immaculate, I'm not really a messy person. The only downside to this place is Mrs Green.
I sat down on the black couch, propping the laptop up on the coffee table. I opened its lid, entered my password and then opened up a programme Tony had installed on my computer, which allowed me to break into even the most secure databases. I smiled to myself as i entered all of SHIELD's data into the programme.
I sat back on the couch as I watched the little computer whir away and sift through SHIELDs highly encrypted documents as if they were All Access Word Documents.
Soon, Tony's programme had given me access to SHIELD's complete mainframe. I grinned as I entered "Titan" in the search box. There was a few related search results, but I knew the one that had 'TOP SECRET' plastered all over it would be the one I needed. I clicked on it, and let my little hacking programme break into all the barriers that were denying me access. It didn't take long to get into the document and when I took in all of the information, I was beginning to regret breaking in at all.
Operation Titan - Creating a bigger, better Tesseract like power source. Top Secret.
With the research collected before the Battle of New York, we are able to produce our very own Tesseract. A better Tesseract - the Titan. Once this is achieved, we will be able to use our new power to build weapons of mass destruction, in the case of another extra-terrestrial invasion from realms or otherwise. We can also use the Titan as an unparalleled, unlimited energy source which will be able to power or world for generations to come - all of being self-sustained.
The Tesseract will be just a patch on the Titan, the possibilities of weapons, abilities and power that could come of this operation are too good of opportunities to just pass by.
To create the Titan, we must have base material which we have; a sample of The Tesseract. Once we have that, we can build around it, make it bigger, better. By heating Titan to over one thousand Kelvin, anything can be added to it as reinforcements and power. Once it had been heated by Dr Banner and Mr Stark, we can then add an Iridium solution which will then give Titan so much power, that it will be unbreakable and maybe even dangerous.
However many benefits there is to the Titan, there are also disadvantages. The power which has begun to radiate from the Titan can be noticed form other worlds and realms that we do not know about; all of which will only see a source of power and will inevitably attack us for it. So, to prevent this, we must use the Titan as quickly as possible to create defence mechanisms for our own planet. Once the other realms know that we are unstoppable, there will be no more worries over our Titan.
Authorised Personnel on this Operation:
Director Nicholas Fury
Dr Bruce Banner
Dr Gregory Richards
Mr Anthony Stark
Ms Sylvie Banks
Agent Ava Richards - Currently Unauthorised, Void.
Captain Steven Rogers
Agent Natasha Romanoff
Agent Clint Barton
Agent Maria Hill
My heart almost stopped once I had thoroughly read through SHIELD's plans. The Titan is simply another Tesseract, but bigger, better, and more dangerous. The amount of trouble The Tesseract caused...we can't put our World at danger simply because Fury wants weapons and more power! And as for the authorised personnel...'Currently Unauthorised'? 'Void'?! Void, I am not void. They're making me sound like an expired credit card!
We already had an attack from Loki and The Chitauri, we definitely don't need another one like it. I mean, how power-driven is Fury? He doesn't need any more power. He's arguably, one of the most powerful men in the world and yet he wants more? We don't need new weapons, we managed fine last year and there was only seven of us fighting. As for energy...alright, we do need some, but Tony's manufactured his Tower so that it will run itself for a year. If he can do that now, he can just build on it, he can expand it. Make himself even more money, create new ways of renewable, self-sustaining energy.
We do not need another Tesseract!
No wonder they kicked me off this operation, they clearly don't want any of my arguments. I shut off the hacking device on my laptop, and then closed the laptop lid, throwing myself back onto the couch. I thought for a moment, can I stop this? Can I stop them from endangering a whole planet?
Well, it's worth a try.
*
I jumped up from the couch, my ebony hair flying out behind me, I grabbed a leather jacket and keys as I jumped down the stairs two steps at a time, and due to all of the noise I was creating, I was faced by none other than Mrs Green.
"Where are you going now?" She asked sternly. My God, she acts like my mother or something!
"Back to work," I said, grabbing the door handle and attempting to shut it before she could ask me anymore questions. However, she jammed her foot, with fluffy slippers in the door before it shut. I groaned inwardly and opened the door again.
"You've just got back from work, young lady."
"Yes, well, they called me back in. I forgot my coat."
"You're wearing your coat."
"I mean my...hat."
"I don't think I've ever seen you wear a hat in the time that I've known you, Ms Richards."
"It's new."
"A present?"
"Um...yes. Listen, can I just leave now?" I asked, not seeing the point in this conversation anymore. Mrs Green just nodded and almost shoved me out of the door. What the hell!? I shook the whole incident off and then once I had gotten around the corner, I teleported to SHIELD, not wanting Mrs Green to see, because I knew she'd definitely be looking out of that bloody window.
I ran through the steely corridors of base, ignoring everybody who told me to stop running. I reached the lab and the only people still there was Tony, Bruce and my dad. Panting, I opened the door and almost fell through it.
"Hello again," I said in between heavy breathing. Bruce looked up at me from behind his glasses, my dad looked very confused but Tony, Tony just smirked. He'd obviously worked out what I'd done. "Thanks, Stark."
"I knew that would come in handy at some point," He replied, with another smirk. Bruce and my father looked utterly confused.
"Am I missing something here?" My dad said. I placed a hand on my hip.
"I know about Titan, I know that I was originally authorised to it, but now I'm void. I know everything."
"B-but, how?" my dad stuttered, I sighed.
"My dear friend, Anthony over here installed a top of the range hacking device onto my laptop. SHIELD's security isn't the best, trust me."
"You hacked into SHIELD's databases?" Bruce asked, his voice remaining steady. I nodded with a proud grin.
"I'm getting good, aren't I?" I said to them.
"We have taught you well, young Jedi," Tony said, in his best Yoda voice. He then took a bow, and Bruce followed suit. I bowed back to them and my dad stared at us all as if we belonged in a mental institute.
"But anyway, I didn't come back to show off my new found hacking skills. You all need to stop this operation. Can't you see what you are doing? You're all going to attract so many threats to this planet, and all you care about is the power. You need to stop it! You can't finish this operation, can't you see? You're putting the whole human race at risk!" I said, trying my best to spund convincing. My dad stepped forward to argue his points.
"An attack from another realm is very unlikely, Ava. Once they realise the power of Titan, they'll all cower away and will be too scared to attack."
"Or they could think the opposite, and see the power of Titan and come and take it for themselves."
"We will have built defences by then."
"Defences that we wouldn't need if you didn't create Titan."
"Ava, this is no place for you."
"Excuse me? My name is on that list."
"You're void, if I remember correctly."
"Who cares if I'm void? I'm part of SHIELD and my name is on that list."
"Currently unauthorised, I believe it states."
"Shut up!"
"And Ava, even if we were to be attacked, and we didn't have the defences we need, there's always The Avengers."
"You can't rely on us! For God's sake, Thor doesn't even live on Earth! How are you planning to get him to come down, eh?" I snapped, even though I could think of numerous solutions to the problem I'd just announced.
"We'll use you. You kind of live there too, you can tell Thor."
"Yeah, okay, you still expect seven people to fight off hordes of aliens?"
"You did it quite well last year."
"That was nothing compared to what Titan will bring! That was over the Tesseract, Titan is a hell of lot more powerful than the Tesseract, which means you're all going to attract more powerful enemies!"
"Ah, I see what's going on here. You won't be able to use your charms to win the battles this time, seems as you're marrying the last enemy!" My dad yelled in my face. I stood astounded for a moment. How could he even say that? I fought fair and square in those battles against Loki and his army. I didn't use my charms to win! I fought, alongside Thor and Steve and Tony and...How dare he!
"How dare you! I fought fair and square during those battles, I didn't use my charms to win! Who do you think you are?!" I screamed back. Tony and Bruce said nothing, they just looked on at the scene.
"We're not aborting this operation because you have a soft spot for the vulnerable citizens," my dad stated.
"You need to think through your choice of words, dad. Vulnerable? How wonderful. You're actually using the general public's vulnerability against me."
"Listen, no matter what you say, this operation is going forward, whether you like it or not. All of your friends are involved in it, so when you disagree with the operation, you're disagreeing with them," Dad said, his grey eyes, identical to my own, were flickering with anger and compassion. I glared at him. Tony interrupted this time.
"Excuse me, guys. But I'm only in this mission because I want to self-sustaining energy for my towers. I don't want to make weapons of mass destruction, or fight off hordes of aliens, if I'm being honest..." Tony said, a glass of scotch somehow appearing in his hand.
"I'm only in this because I want to know what else the Iridium solution we're using can be used for. I'm doing a reading into Iridium and I want to see whether it will react with the compounds within Titan..." Bruce said quietly, pushing his glasses up. I smirked.
"See? They're not in it for the same reasons as you are. Tony wants energy for his tower, and Bruce wants scientific research. But you, you and Fury, you're turning into power-hungry dictators! Both of you are desperate to create something which you can control millions with. Something which you can scare people with. You don't care about the people, or even us, you only care about yourselves. And I'm sorry, but that's not what working as a team is about, dad," I snapped at him, he didn't have an answer for me this time. He simply gave me a glare, before putting down the empty pipette that was in his hand and sweeping from the laboratory, slamming the door behind him.
"I always love a good family argument," Tony said to himself. "Makes me feel a bit more normal."
"Shut it, Stark," I said to him, but I couldn't help but smirk. I propped myself up onto Stark's table and this time, nobody told me to get off it. "Anybody fancy giving me some information on Sylvie?"
"I think Steve is the man for that," Bruce said quietly.
"Steve? Why Steve?" I asked, clearly I've missed something.
"Because my dear little mind reader, Steven Rogers has been getting quite cosy with Miss Sylvie," Tony said, wiggling his eyebrows. I gasped in actual shock.
"Oh stop it, Tony. Ava, he's winding you up. Fury appointed Steve to look after Sylvie for the time being." Bruce said, giving Tony a pointed look.
"Was there a reason for that or is it simply a coincidence that Steve knows the most about me and he got paired up with Sylvie, the stripper who stole my job?"
"I don't believe in coincidences." Bruce said, giving me a knowing look. I sighed. This is SHIELD all over. I was just hoping that Steve wouldn't pour all of my secrets out to Sylvie anytime soon, surely he's not that stupid, is he?
*
The rest of the day went by pretty quick. I refused to speak to my dad, Sylvie or Fury, for obvious reasons. I didn't see much of Nat or Clint but when I did both of them gave me a hug and said goodbye for when I leave, as they were off on a mission and wouldn't be back for a few days. Unfortunately, I had steer clear of Steve too, seems as Sylvie was tagging along everywhere he went. Bruce and Tony, I believe, were all still a little bit intoxicated from earlier, even though Tony wasn't helping himself by drinking more and more scotch.
At the end of the day, I gave Tony, Bruce and Steve (when I finally got him on his own) a quick hug and a goodbye, because I was planning on going back to Asgard in the morning, I've had enough of SHIELD and their secrets already. And I didn't fancy arguing with my dad anymore, he was grating on my nerves.
I returned to my apartment and much to my delight, Mrs Green wasn't waiting up for me. I crept upstairs, being careful not to alert her and then quietly packed some things. I didn't really need anything, because I had most of my important belongings back on Asgard, including my purple headband. So, I just brought my hairbrush and some flat shoes for any future parties which I'm not wearing heels for.
It was pointless bringing mobile phones or laptops, because I wouldn't be able to use them on Asgard anyway. So I placed the hairbrush and shoes into a small bag and propped it up at the end of my bed. I grabbed my laptop and phone and hid them inside the wardrobe, under some t-shirts I never wear, just in case.
I quickly changed into pyjamas and climbed into my bed which felt so strange with Loki's absence. I was so used to his presence, just being there, both of us simply sleeping, but now it was just an empty space. I tried my best to ignore it, but it wasn't that simple.
After long moments of sleeplessness, my brain finally gave up and I fell into a dreamless slumber, eagerly awaiting the next morning.