The S.H.I.E.L.D cafeteria was brimming. It was lunchtime, and all of the tables were occupied. Katta sat hunched between Thor and Clint, picking her food. Thor sniffed on his meal, a disgusted look on his face.
"This comes nowhere near the meals we have in Asgard. What shall this be?"
"Mac' N Cheese," Katta uttered. Tony took a seat on their opposite, placing his plate on the table. "One could really mean that the food would be better. I'm paying for it, after all," he said.
Katta looked at her plate without appetite. Seeing Fenris had puzzled her entirely. He wasn't supposed to be here after she had cancelled the mission to save her. Why was he here? Not going to lie. Katta was relieved he was. But there must be a reason.
She stood up, excusing herself to the bathroom. As soon as she had closed the toilet door behind her, she pulled Fenris' paper out of her sleeve and unfolded it. Quickly, she read through the information, feeling her heartbeat increase with every word.
The radiation Fenris wrote about must have been the same the wakandian tech-laboratories had recognized weeks ago.
"2012" - Battle of New York. The information raced through Katta's head as she tried to process them. Fenris wouldn't have appeared if that was just an eventuality. Something was coming, somewhat earlier than later. Katta scrambled the piece of paper and flushed it down the toilet before leaving the cabin to wash her hands.
Back in the cafeteria, she noticed Fenris sitting next to Agent Coulson, who chatted with him excitedly. His cousin shot her a quick glare before continuing his talk with the agent. Katta walked closer and took a seat at their table, grabbing something to drink.
"Hey, Coulson. I see we have a new face?" She nodded towards Fenris. He gazed back, grinning shyly. Coulson wiped his mouth and swallowed.
"Ah, yes, Miss Harlovsen. This is Dan Charleston, IT Expert. He'll help us improve our communication system after it broke down today again. You must have noticed," he said gleefully, nodding.
"IT-Expert," Katta smiled at Fenris, who lifted an eyebrow in return.
"Yes, ma'am, I'm specialized in security systems," he replied. Jesus. Fenris still was an excellent undercover agent. If Katta hadn't known him, he would have tricked her as well.
"Pleasure meeting you. Are you fine with Dan? It appears I'm not good at remembering surnames." She propped her chin on her elbow, bending a bit more forward.
He nodded, a smile tugging on his lips. "Dan is fine. It seems we're seeing each other more regularly now."
"Seems like it. To good cooperation. Coulson." Katta nodded, stood up and turned around to go back to her origin table. A few of the others had appeared meanwhile, leaving her no choice but to sit next to Sam.
"Seems like you're quite fond of that new agent," he remarked as she took the seat beside him. Katta felt a stare and looked up, seeing Barnes watching her from the other side of the table. She shrugged, grabbing a bottle of water.
"Things like that are not allowed here. Fraternization," Barnes stated, grabbing a bottle as well. Katta met his look and couldn't help but laugh.
"Do you sometimes listen to yourself, Barnes? I mean, fraternization," she snorted. "What's wrong with a little companionship?" Even meant as a joke, Katta cringed inwardly. It was her cousin they were talking about, though nobody else knew.
"This is no combination that I will ship Lady Katta. He is a weak man of technology," Thor said, slightly upset.
"Yeah," Bucky added.
"Good for me, I don't give a damn to your opinion then," Katta replied, looking at Thor, then at Barnes.
"A weak man of technologies," Tony repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Not how you are," Thor quickly said.
〰〰〰
"Dan Charleston. New member of our security system task force," Fury introduced Fenris to the Avengers, who sat in the conference room. Katta needed to suppress an amused smile above the fact that Fenris had managed to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D in just one day. It must be a new family record.
"It is an honour working with you," Fenris said, glancing shyly through the room. Katta heard somebody scoff and turned her head. Barnes sat a few seats apart, glaring at Fenris. Whatever his childish problem with her cousin was, it needed to end quick. Otherwise, it would become a problem.
"He will support Doctor Banner in the laboratories," Fury added, nodding towards Bruce. He smiled politely, taking his glasses off.
"I assume you performed the usual background check," Clint asked, looking closely at Fenris. Katta swallowed. Fenris hadn't been at the last family BBQ, so none of the Avengers had seen him before, except Clint. But it had been years, and Fenris had done an excellent job, changing his appearance.
"Sure, Barton. We're S.H.I.E.L.D if you have forgotten that," Fury sighed. Clint looked at Fenris a few moments more until he leaned back and nodded. Katta exhaled a breath she didn't know she'd held.
"You." Fury snipped in her direction. "Show the newbie around."
Katta nodded and got up.
"I don't think it's a good idea," Steve contradicted, glaring at her. She sighed.
"What am I supposed to do, Cap? Show him my secret passageways that I dug with my bare hands?"
"Enough," Fury interrupted. "You're dismissed."
Everybody got up and, one by one left the room. Katta casually explained the blueprints, guiding Fenris through different corridors until they were alone. Then, she finally looked up, meeting his eyes. He smiled back, curtly squeezing her hand.
"My my, Katta. You're good at manoeuvring yourself into trouble. Fortunately, we're as good in helping you out of it."
Katta laughed. They still had to mind the security cams. Then, she became serious again.
"So what is this message about?" she asked. He sighed, changing his briefcase into his other hand.
"In the last three days, not only the extraterrestrial rays had increased, but also four top assassins had gone missing from their assignments with clients. All at once and all of them in New York," Fenris muttered under his breath while smiling at her politely. For people watching them, it looked like they chatted about something trivial.
"We should leave as soon as possible," he added, holding open a door for her. Katta shook her head.
"I can't. They have recorded Arne, Olaf and Erik while they broke into the Stark tower. I agreed to stay, and they promised not to publish them," Katta said.
"Then, I suppose we have some work to do," Fenris answered. "Good for me that I work in the laboratories. Close to the computers."
He turned to her and stretched out his hand. "You have something in your hair."
His fingers went under her loose hair and straight to her left ear. Katta raised her hand and grabbed over his. She took the tiny earpiece from him and inserted it. To outsiders, it must have looked as if he just stroked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Kattalina Harlovsen, give your cousin one of your heartwarming smiles," Magnus's voice sounded through the earpiece. Katta looked up to the cameras and discreetly showed him her middle finger.
"Yes, I miss you too," he chuckled.
"Attention," Fenris said and nodded to her left. Steve walked in their direction and eyed Fenris suspiciously.
"No, Miss Harlovsen. That is no problem. I'll take care of that," Fenris quickly said before leaving her side. Steve came closer until they faced each other.
"He will take care of what?" Steve asked curiously.
"You may remember the chip in my arm, captain? It stings from time to time. I asked him to discuss that with Banner, so they can figure out what's wrong," Katta lied.
〰〰〰
"I want a vacation," Magnus grunted into Fenris's earpiece.
Fenris walked straight ahead. "When this whole thing is over, I'm covering up for you. Then, you can take a few days off."
"Grazie," Magnus mumbled, the clicking of his keyboard sounding in the background."There are no pictures or any other records from that night in their system," he stated.
Fenris contemplated. They would have never just deleted those pictures. They were too necessary leverage to keep Katta in place.
"There are not as dumb as I thought," Fenris sighed, walking through the corridors. The only way not to lose files by getting hacked was by storing them analogue as printed pictures. He would have to stay as long as he needed to find the pictures before he could take Katta to escape.
〰〰〰
The woman cursed as she watched the remains of her chai tee latte drip from his coat.
"Shit, I'm so sor--" she started, but he was quick to interrupt her.
"You dare talk to me, filthy little human," Loki said with a deep growl. The earthling looked up at him, her eyes widening—sweet, delicious fear.
Loki raised his hand, and one of his entourage stepped forwards, pushing her aside. They passed the woman, aiming towards the next building. It belonged to this very man who'd just made the woman step aside. Jaime Perez.
Loki had come to Midgard with nothing but a purpose. It had taken a long time, but eventually, he'd managed to sneak his way out of his Asgardian prison.
Now, he'd almost gathered enough warriors at his side. Midgardians weren't nearly as strong as his kind, but some were lethal enough to fight for his purpose. Like Jaime Perez, an agent for the Spanish secret service. Extraordinary weapon skills.
He was Loki Laufeyson of Asgard, burdened with a glorious purpose.