"So you all are Siblings," Scott asked, his mouth filled with Chinese noodles. Tony rolled his eyes at the sight and sighed, pushing his sunglasses higher.
"Not all of us. Those are our cousins," Erik explained, pointing his chopsticks at Fenris and Magnus, who raised their hands.
Scott slowly nodded. "Ah, alright. I understand. And the person missing is..."
"...our sister, Katta." Arne impatiently tapped his fingers against the table. Since Katta had gotten captured, he'd completely lost his appetite. All he could feel in his stomach was an uneasy sensation.
"Hm, I understand. And you two are like the Avengers-couple...?" Scott motioned between Natasha and Erik, interest peeking in his eyes.
"Could we concentrate on the time-travel problem, Mister Lang?" Steve asked. Scott whipped his head around to Steve and quickly put down the food.
"Oh, sure, Captain A-America, Mister Rogers. Steve Rogers," Scott rambled. He clapped his hands and went over to the small living room table, spreading papers over the wooden surface.
"Steve is fine," Steve mumbled, motioning for Scott to proceed.
"That looks like a transporter. Why does your time-travel machine look like a transporter, Lang?" Tony asked after a brief look at the blueprints.
Scott opened his mouth and shrugged. "Seemed cool." He looked at Tony, who stared back at him. "Just kidding. This basically is no time machine. It is more the opportunity to shrink until you reach the quantum–"
"Come to the point where we can travel in time, man of small insects," Thor demanded. Scott flinched and glanced at Thor.
"What he tries to say," Clint interrupted, "is that we are not really interested in the technical lecture. We only want to use this machine. So, what is possible, Scott?"
Scott cleared his throat and nodded, rummaging into the papers until he found the one he was looking for. "Technically, it is possible to travel through time." Tony raised his eyebrow, exchanging a look with Natasha.
"I feel like there's a 'but'," she murmured. Scott nodded.
"Nobody has ever tried it before. There might be a mere risk we couldn't fix so far." Scott silenced and looked at the group of people who looked at him attentively.
"And?" Natasha asked.
"And what?" Scott glanced at her.
"The risk. Godamm Lang. If I didn't know better, I would say you're a goldfish - regarding your attention span," Tony hissed, getting nudged by Steve, who sent him an angered look.
"Right, the risk. Practically, you can only travel back in time. We didn't figure out how to return yet," Scott mumbled, rummaging in his papers.
"Wait. That does mean that we can travel back and get Katta. But once we have her, we can't return?" Arne asked, his voice getting a bit higher.
"Exactly. That is what I was trying to say," Scott answered, kneading his hands.
"Dritt," Erik cursed, looking over to Fenris, who frowned. "That means, when we travel to the wrong time, there is no coming back."
"That sums it up perfectly. Unless you have this magical stone thing, of course," Scott said, looking between the people. "And there is only enough energy to send five people."
"Only five," Magnus exclaimed, looking over to Fenris. "Sure thing then. Magnus, Erik, Arne, Olaf and I go," he stated, receiving nods.
"No way," Bucky intervened. Magnus looked at him and pressed his lips together.
"I also think that this is a bad idea," Arne said, directing all attention to him.
"What are you saying?" Olaf asked, looking at him in disbelief.
"Barnes needs to come," Arne muttered. "He is the one who managed to break Katta free from mind control the last time. He can do it again. Thor should come because he knows his brother best. We are good, that's for sure. But when fighting a god, we should use all advances we have."
"And I'm going with Bucky," Steve added, standing up.
"So it is Barnes, Rogers, Thor and two Harlovsens?" Sam asked. "I feel so unneeded."
"Sounds like a solid plan," Tony said.
"I go," Fenris stated, looking at Erik. "And you. From all of us, you know her best, fetter."
Erik scrunched his face and looked at Natasha, who observed him. "You're right. I know her best," he muttered.
"Erik, I don't think that–" Natasha started but got interrupted by him.
"Romanov, if I didn't know better, I would say you care for me." Erik tried a smirk, but Fenris could clearly see that he was more than tense. Natasha kept her lips pressed together and turned her gaze away.
"Next important question: When are Loki and Katta?" Sam asked, putting down a bowl of spring rolls.
"Good question. We thought about what Loki said to Thor when he first took Katta," Bruce said.
"I would be a fool if I left earth with only one stone," Thor quoted.
"So when exactly did Loki have the other stone?" Fenris asked, shooting Magnus a look.
"Must have been in 2012, but I have no exact date," Magnus answered, rubbing the back of his head.
"It was the time he had me under control," Clint said, his forehead scrunched. He still had flashbacks from time to time, which remembered him of what he had read about PTSD. It had appeared first when he'd returned home to Laura and the kids. From one second to another, Clint hadn't been able to move his body, feeling the same uneasiness as when Loki had controlled him.
Afterwards, he'd occasionally dealt with similar symptoms whenever somebody brought this subject up. Each point it occurred, it only lasted for a few seconds. Still, it scared the shit out of Clint.
"Let me talk to Fury to get the exact date," Clint proposed, picking out his phone.
"Won't there be like two Lokis in that time?" Steve asked.
"Likely. But not what actually concerns me," Clint answered. "I was not myself when I worked for him, so be careful. Back then, my shooting was even better - I was a lot more agile."
Natasha smirked at his comment, raising an eyebrow. Clint noticed her and rolled his eyes. "What I mean is that you should pay attention."
"I must say the same thing. I'll also be there, or to be more concrete, my Loki-influenced-self. And to be honest, I'm not sure how it would react seeing you."
〰〰〰
Katta stood next to Loki, watching the building from afar. It looked like an average government institution: Grey, box-shaped, with lots of concrete. Only the fence surrounding the property gave away that it hid something not meant for everybody's eyes.
Loki inhaled, an expression of expectation never leaving his face. "This is where they protect the stone. Far under the surface, where the sun doesn't shine, and nobody asks questions," he explained.
Katta squinted her eyes. During the last 10 minutes they'd waited, five sentries had been visible. But that wasn't what concerned Katta. Visible sentries were only there to deter average persons. It was far more interesting what laid behind the fence.
"Last time, I used my power to enter the building. It was easy, yes. But this time, there is something else that I need, apart from the stone. And you will get it for me."
Katta listened to his words, nodding. Loki snapped his fingers, and within seconds, Katta's attire had changed for the same uniform the sentries wore.
"Choose your weapon," he said, looking down at her.
"Knife," Katta answered without thinking much. Sure, guns were deadlier - but also louder. And when she wanted to move unobtrusively, she needed to make sure that she worked silently.
"So shall it be." Loki reached behind his back emerged a blade that was wonderfully crafted. The handle was wrapped in greenish leather, and it was perfectly balanced. Katta took it and let it circle. It felt right.
She looked up and towards the Loki, whose eyes glinted mischievously. "Like it was made for you." He tilted his head, and his impressive green and golden armour changed for what almost looked like combat attire—only godlier?
"We must hurry if we don't want to have the stone snatched away from my younger self," he said, beginning to walk ahead. Katta let her head circle, and a few bones crack. It was time to get to work. By the time they reached the entrance, Katta walked towards the guard. He looked at her in surprise.
"Your identification card?" he asked. A rifle was leaning in his arm.
Katta reached into her pocket and pulled out her knife. The guards' eyes widened and he stepped back, pointing his gun towards Katta. In a quick motion, she lunged forwards and stabbed into his leg. The man yelled in pain and slumped down.
Katta went around him and placed the knife onto his throat, leaning forwards.
"Not a sound, understood?" She pulled onto his hair so that his head was leaned back. The guard nodded and let go of the rifle, which slid onto the floor.
"Now, hand me your identification card," she hissed, giving his hair another pull. The man shakily raised his right hand and reached into his pocket, pulling out a white card. Loki turned around a corner and grinned as he watched the situation. He came closer and bent down towards the man. He took the card and looked up at Katta.
"We don't want anybody revealing us, do we?" He stood up and took a step back. Katta didn't even look down as her blade slit over the man's throat. She pushed his head away and heard him falling to the ground. Katta curtly closed her eyes, listening to his gargling sounds.
Three minutes. That was how long it took an average person to bleed to death after being slit into the throat. It had been a while since she'd last heard it. The fight for life - choking on the own blood.
Katta opened her eyes and found Loki standing to her opposite. He looked at her like somebody looked at an insect he was about to crush - pure fascination.
"Let's move. It won't take the next guard more than two and a half minutes to control," Katta said. She wiped the knife onto her uniform.
Loki bent forwards and took a closer look at the guard. A slight shimmer went over his body as he changed into him. Katta walked away and towards the facility's metal door. Loki followed shorthand and slid the card through the scanner system. A green light blinked and the door opened with a hiss. Katta went through it and marched down the corridors. Loki walked shortly behind, murmuring directions from time to time.
They passed door after door, only a faint light shimmering through the corridors. Katta's eyes turned from left to right as she took in every detail that would guarantee her an advance in an eventual fight as a man crossed their ways.
Katta's eyes widened in surprise as she recognized him. He looked a few years younger but other than that, he looked like he did now.
"Agents," Coulson greeted, passing them. Katta only nodded, keeping her eyes forwards. She curtly made eye contact with Loki.
"He didn't remember me in the future," she uttered.
"I know," Loki smirked. "You would call it one of my little tricks. I'd say I'm a god, worthy of my magic."
〰〰〰
"Listen closely," Scott announced. He had a controller in his hand, his eyes nervously twitching from left to right.
"I'll bring you back to half an hour before Loki comes to steal the tesseract. This should give you a time advantage and you can wait for him. You need to get the Loki from now and the time stone to jump back into this time. Is that clear?"
Fenris and Erik exchanged a glance but nodded. They stood in front of Scott's van, bracing themselves to jump in time. Scott huddled around the Avengers and again checked if everything was being right.
"10 bucks he screws it up," Tony announced loud enough for Scott to hear it. He turned to Tony and tried a grin that came out more sour than he'd intended.
"I can't wait to lay my hands on Loki," Erik grumbled, letting his neck bones crack.
"I'll be the one to transport Loki back to the now-time," Thor answered. Erik looked at him but kept quiet.
"Ready?" Scott asked.
"Now hurry," Fenris barked. Scott flinched but nodded and pressed the button.