As soon as we got onto the Helicarrier I immediately grabbed Loki and was escorted by a dozen of S.H.I.E.L.D's security down to his cell. We passed the labs and I noticed Bruce stopped working briefly to stare at me dragging Loki through the corridor.
"Might wanna stop smirking." I tell the God in my arms.
"Hmm I'll think about." He continued to smile.
I knew he was planning something and I was going to figure it out. When we got down to the cell. I stood on the platform with him and engaged my electronic taser silently threatening him while I unlocked his cuffs.
I pushed his chest into the cell and he smiled widely at me as I watch the door close in front of him. I walk over to Fury who was by the control panel.
"In case Agent Smith made it unclear. You try to escape. You so much as scratch that glass." He started to which I pressed down on a button that opened up a large hatch under the cell. I watched Loki peer down but his smile never faded.
"Thirty thousand feet, straight down in a steel trap. You get how that works?" Nick asked.
I closed the hatch while Nick pointed to Loki.
"Ant. Boot." Nick finished with pointing at the button I just pressed.
"It's an impressive cage. Not built, I think, for me." My eyebrows furrowed in confusion and curiosity.
"Built for something a lot stronger than you." Nick told him.
"Oh, I've heard." He said smugly looking to the cameras.
I knew right away he was planning something to do with the Hulk. I would have to come back down here later to further interrogate him.
"The mindless beast, makes play he's still a man. How desperate are you, that you call upon such lost creatures to defend you?" He asked but it was more pointed to me than Nick. He knew I was one of the creators of S.H.I.E.L.D. He had definitely done his research. But that made me think he was working for someone else rather than on his own accord. I confirmed this when I noticed his body language more. He put on a fantastic act of confidence but every now and then his eyes would flicker to check over his shoulder. His knees would bounce as if he was waiting for action and he fiddled with his thumbs.
He was under strict orders. I needed to get through to him.
"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace and you kill 'cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did." Nick told him but Loki stared at me waiting for an answer, when I didn't give him one he replied to Nick.
"Ooh. It burns you to come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share, and then to be reminded what real power is."
"Well, you let me know if Real Power wants a magazine or something." Nick smiled before walking off I watched him go and spared one last look at Loki watching his smile falter before heading back to the control room with Nick.
Nick went to debrief with some guards while I headed straight to the meeting room. I walked in and saw everyone sat round the table apart from Tony. Steve perked up at my entrance. I smiled over to him briefly.
"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell crazy on him." Bruce spoke.
"I agree. He's nothing special, I think he's getting orders." I tell everyone.
"Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and he's my brother." Thor spoke up ignoring what I just said. I feel like the only person who heard what I said was Steve.
"He killed eighty people in two days." Nat and I say at the same time.
"He's adopted." Thor muttered making me scoff.
"I think it's about the mechanics. Iridium, what did they need the Iridium for?" I put my cards out on the table.
"It's a stabilizing agent. Means the portal won't collapse on itself, like it did at SHIELD." Tony announced walking in. I nodded in agreement.
"No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing." Tony claps Thor on the back.
"Also, it means the portal can open as wide, and stay open as long, as Loki wants." I tell everyone.
"Uh, raise the mid-mast, ship the top sails. That man is playing GALAGA! Thought we wouldn't notice. But we did. How does Fury do this?" Tony calls out a crew member making me roll my eyes while he covers one eyes and looks at the screens in front of him. He looks like a douche.
"He turns." I state bluntly.
"Well, that sounds exhausting. The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily." Tony told us.
"Only major component he still needs is a power source. A high energy density, something to kick start the cube." I continued.
"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Maria asked me.
"1949." I smirk.
Steve looked flabbergasted and had no clue what I was talking about neither did Thor or Nat but it was fun watching their confusion while we conversed.
"The packet, Selvig's notes, the Extraction Theory papers. Am I the only one who did the reading?" Tony asked.
"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve asked mainly directed at me.
"He's got to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier." Bruce answered.
"Unless, Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunnelling effect." I add.
"Well, if he could do that he could achieve Heavy Ion Fusion at any reactor on the planet."
"Finally, people who speak English." Tony grinned.
"Is that what just happened?" Steve asked making me bite my lip to try and hide my smile. He was cute when confused, especially in that uniform.
Tony and Banner shake hands.
"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Sunny talks about you a lot. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster." Tony admits making me smack my palm against my head, groaning internally.
"Thanks." Bruce muttered, looking down.
"Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube. I was hoping you might join him." Nick spoke finally walking in.
"Let's start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon." Steve spoke. I looked over to him and saw the nerves within him.
"I don't know about that, but it is powered by the cube. And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys." Nick spoke.
"Monkeys? I do not understand." Thor asked confused.
"I do! I understood that reference." Steve spoke loudly making me laugh. The Wizard of Oz had always been his favourite film.
Tony rolls his eyes, while Steve looks proud of himself.
"Shall we play, doctor?" Tony asked Bruce.
"Let's play some." Bruce replied.
The two then walked out and I made my own way out wanting to speak with Loki again. However, I was stopped by hearing familiar footsteps behind me.
I turn round to see Steve.
"You alright?" I ask.
"Yeah. Just finding it weird and confusing fitting in." He admitted.
"Don't worry, I still get confused when I talk to Tony and Nick." I joke.
I notice a worried look in his eye.
"Steve what's wrong?" I ask him.
"That looked a lot like a HYDRA weapon Ali. I don't trust Fury. I know this company is yours and I trust you more than anything but I think you need to watch your back Ali. Fury didn't tell you about me. People are whispering on this plane. Just...stay safe."
I listened to Steve carefully. I knew he meant well but I trusted Nick with my life. HYDRA wasn't involved in any way with S.H.I.E.L.D. But I still took his advice. I did need to watch my back more.
"I will I promise." I spoke softly leaning in to kiss him. He returned it.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"Down to Loki's cell. I need answers." I told him truthfully.
He looked worried again as he gazed down at me.
"Do you want me to come with you?" He asked.
"No. Don't worry about me. Get some rest, I'll come in to see you after ok?"
He nods in agreement and kisses my head before walking off most likely to his room.
I sigh and decide to freshen up before I see Loki. I took a quick shower but put my suit back on and braided my hair.
I then made my way down to Loki's cell, to investigate what was going on with the God.
I watch as Loki walks back and forth inside his glass cell. Suddenly, he stops and turns to look at me.
"There's not many people that can sneak up on me."
"But you figured I'd come." I speak to him calmly.
"After. After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm. And I would cooperate."
"Who are you working for Loki?" I ask him.
He immediately tenses up and looks to stare at me in the eyes intently.
"What are you talking about?" He spits at me.
"You don't have to pretend, not with me. My communicator is off, the guards are no longer here. So I ask you again, who are you working for?"
"They trust you. Why wouldn't they? A genius child born in Brooklyn New York in the 1920's. Grew up with two soldiers. One later becoming the first superhero the world had ever seen. After perfecting the super serum you injected it in yourself to save your precious little world. Then you create an organisation to keep everything in check. Let me ask you how that's going for you?" He was trying to get to me. To make an emotional connection with me and break me apart, bit by bit. I didn't let him get to me. It wasn't going to be that easy.
"You know something. And I know something too. You show up in New York through a portal opened on the other side. You were described to be looking half-dead when you arrived therefore, I know you weren't strong enough to open that portal. You've distanced yourself from everyone you've ever known. Trying to stay clear of your brother, terrified he would find out what was really going on because he knows you better than anyone else. But you've also distanced yourself from you. You don't know who you are anymore Loki. Or what you want. You constantly glance over your shoulder and your adrenaline hasn't shut off since you arrived here. You're scared and I want to help. But you have to tell me what's going on."
After I finished talking he didn't meet my gaze and let his guard down. I knew I got to him.
"Why-Why are you trying to help me?" He croaked.
"Because I believe in second chances." I told him.
He met my eyes again shocked at my kindness. His eyes burned with tears, he knew his act was over with me.
"I-I can't." He choked.
"You can. Let me help you." I persist.
"I can't. Or he's going to kill me. He'll do worse things than what I have originally planned." He almost cried over his stumbling words.
"What did he promise you?" I ask quietly stepping closer to the glass.
"I never wanted the throne. I never wanted power. I just wanted to be my brother's equal. But I will always be an outcast not only because my blood is different but because I make the wrong choices."
"You've only made the wrong choices because you've had no one to look to for the right ones." I tell him.
He meets my gaze again and I watch a single tear fall down his cheek.
"I can help you." I add again.
"I want to believe that. But it's yours and my word against all theirs. There's no way."
"There is. Thor loves you. And Steve was on the fence about you from the start. It will be easier to make amends now then after. If you explain what's happened, we can prepare for the bigger fight." I argue softly.
He didn't answer and stared at the floor.
"I'll come back in the morning. Think about it, ok?" I ask.
He nods and I watch him, his eyes never leaving the floor. I sigh and walk away leaving him to ponder his thoughts.