"Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab. I'm on my way." Fury hears the voice of Natasha Romanoff in his ear piece. The one-eyed man walks into the lab as Arselia, Bruce, and Tony are all waiting to get more information about his plans and the location of the Tesseract.
Upon hearing the heavy footsteps of Fury, Arselia's gaze comes up. "What are you doing, Mr. Stark?"
"Uh, kind of been wondering the same thing about you." Tony snaps back. "You're supposed to be locating the location of the Tesseract." "We are, the model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile." The man in the purple shirt explains. "Yeah, then you get your cube back. No muss, no fuss." Stark states.
"What is "Phase 2"?"
The goddess watches as the humans confront one another silently, just like her aunt Ajak says, sometimes it is better not to interfere with human affairs.
"Phase 2 is S.H.I.E.L.D. uses the cube to make weapons. Sorry, the computer was moving a little slow for me." Steve explains. A small smirk spreads upon Arselia's face as she realizes that Steve believed them.
"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean we're making-" "I'm sorry, Nick." The billionaire cuts the spy off. "What were you lying?" Tony says as he turns around the screen showcasing a weapon.
"I was wrong, Director. The world hasn't changed a bit." The Captain states as Thor and Natasha walk in.
"Did you know about this?" Banner asks the red head. "You want to think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?" "I was in Calcutta. I was pretty well removed." "Loki is manipulating you." "And you've been doing what, exactly?"
As the scientist and the spy argue back and forth, Arselia walks to where her brother stands. "What happened?" Thor asks in a whisper to his youngest sibling. "It seems the director lied about his true intentions." Arselia whispers back as her and Steve lock eyes.
"I'd like to know why S.H.I.E.L.D. Is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction."
"Because of them." Fury says, pointing to Thor and Arselia. "Us?" The god and goddess question at the same time.
"Last year, Earth had visitors from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned.
"My people want nothing but peace with your planet." Thor exclaims.
"We have always protected your planet. Our family has always protected your planet. We could have allowed millions of threats harm you and your people, but because the human-race was underdeveloped we stepped in and ensured that your people were safe." Arselia explains as a feeling of anger washes over her.
"That is exactly it. Your people are not the only people out there, are you? You said it yourself, your highness. You are not the only threat out there. What happens when you aren't there to protect us from these other threats?" Fury questions.
"It wouldn't ever happen." Arselia states. "How do you know that?" "I know because I wouldn't ever allow it."
Fury shakes his head. "The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, that can't be controlled." "Like you controlled the Cube?" Steve snaps.
"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies. It is a signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war." Thor states.
"A higher form?" Steve questions. "You forced our hand. We had to come up with something-" "A nuclear deterrent. Because that always calms everything right down." "Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark."
"I'm sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck-deep-" Steve adds. "Hold on. How is this now about me?" "I'm sorry, isn't everything?"
"I thought humans were more evolved that this." Thor states. "Excuse me, did we come to your planet and blow stuff up?" Fury questions. "You treat your champions with such mistrust."
"Are you boys really that naive? S.H.I.E.L.D monitors potential threats." Natasha states. "Agent Romanoff you have no place to talk when you work for an organization that would rather arm their people with otherworldly weapons than learn to maintain peace." Arselia says to the spy.
"We are arming our people so that they can be safe from yours." "My people are ones of peace, not of war. They know better than to attack Earth." "They clearly don't know enough if they came down with you and destroyed an entire town."
"Back track, Captain America's on threat watch?" Banner questions. "We all are."
Gods, spies, scientists, and heroes argue as a mind controlled Clint Barton prepares to retrieve the scepter.
"No, we're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're a time bomb." Bruce explains.
"You need to step away."
"Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?" Tony questions while putting his hand on Steve's shoulder. "Stark, quit it." Arselia states. The Captain slaps his hand away. "You know damn well why. Back off." Steve exclaims.
"I'm starting to want you to make me." Tony says, eyeing down Steve. The man in red, white, and blue inches closer to the billionaire. "Yeah. Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?" "Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."
"I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."
Arselia was quite taken back by Steve's harsh words. Time truly does change a person.
"I think I would just cut the wire." Tony says.
Steve smirks and looks around the room. "Always a way out. You know you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero." "A hero? Like you? You're a laboratory experiment, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle."
Something didn't feel right. Arselia could sense it. It was almost like something was warning her that a threat was coming.
"Put on the suit. Let's go a few rounds."
Thor laughs. "You people are so petty, and tiny." "Not the time, brother." Thor looks to his sister and notices a weird expression upon her face. The goddess looks to her brother. "Something's not right." She whispers. Thor looks at her, then gazes around the room checking for any threats.
"The cell was just in case-" "In case you needed to kill me. But you can't. I know, I tried. I got low. I didn't see an end. So, I put a bullet in my mouth, and the other guy spit it out."
Arselia knew what it was like to be at a low like that. She knew the feeling of being helpless and thinking there wasn't another way out.
The goddess noticed that Banner began to grab the scepter as he kept talking. Walking slowly in front of Thor, she prepared herself for a possible fight. She didn't want to harm Bruce, but she knew that she would protect everyone on the heliccarrier if he got out of hand.
"So I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was good. Until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk. You want to know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You want to know how I stay calm?" Bruce questions.
"Dr. Banner, put down the scepter." Steve says. Bruce glances towards his hand in confusion, realizing the scepter lays within in.
Monitors begin to beep as Bruce puts the weapon back on the lab table.
"Got it." Fury says. "Sorry kids, you don't get to see my party trick after all."
"You located the Tesseract?" Thor questions. "I could get there fastest." Stark states. "No you can't, I can teleport." Arselia says as she walks towards the monitors.
"The Tesseract belongs on Asgard. No human is a match for it." The god of thunder states as Arselia and Bruce begin looking at the computer, but something wasn't adding up. The screen said that the Tesseract was nearby, even though it was never on the ship.
"You're not going alone." "You're gonna stop me?" Tony challenges Steve. "Put on the suit, let's find out." "I'm not afraid to hit an old man." "Put on the suit."
"Oh my god." Bruce exclaims. Arselia looks up for a moment and gazes out the window squinting her eyes.
"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" The goddess exclaims. Just then, an explosion erupts in the middle of the room causing bodies to be thrown around, while Arselia uses her body to shield Bruce from getting hurt.
Banner, Natasha, and Arselia are all thrown out of the lab and onto the level below. The goddess gets up with a groan and flies back into the lab where Tony and Steve begin to get up. "Put on the suit." "Yeah."
Tony runs out of the room, while Steve waits for Arselia to make her way over to them. "You alright?" Steve says as the both of them begin running behind Tony. "I'm fine, and you?" "I'm ok."
After running for a bit and receiving orders from Fury the three came to a stop. "Engine three. I'll meet you there." The super soldier and goddess nod their heads as they run towards the engine that needed to be fixed.
The pair make it to a closed door where agents could be heard banging on it. Steve, using his super strength, opens the door and helps the agents in. "Stark! Stark, we're here!" The blonde exclaims as him and Arselia hold onto a railing to prevent them from falling into the sky.
"Good. Let's see what we've got. First, take this." Tony says to Arselia as he hands her an ear piece. The goddess places it in her ear and the man goes back to examining the blown up engine.
"I need you to get to that engine control panel and tell me which relays are in overload position." Stark states. Steve nods his head and Arselia looks to him holding out her hand. "It will be easier if I fly us over there." The goddess says.
The blonde grabs her hand and Arselia pulls him towards her. Putting her arm around his torso, Arselia makes sure she has a good grip on the man. The goddess begins to fly over to the engine control panel whilst making sure Steve doesn't fall out of her grip.
Once the pair make it over, Steve lets go and begins to examine the panel.
"What does it look like in there?" "It seems to run on some form of electricity." Steve states the obvious.
"Well, you're not wrong. Arselia, what do you see?"
Steve moves to the side and allows the goddess to take a look at the panel for herself. "It seems that the relays are intact. What do you want us to do next?" She says as Steve pushes the panel back into where it is meant to go.
"Even if I clear the rotors this thing won't re-engage without a jump. I'm going to have to get in there and push."
"Well, if that thing gets up to speed you'll get shredded." "That stator control unit can reverse the polarity long enough to disengage maglev and that could-" "Speak English!"
Both Tony and Arselia unknowingly sigh at the same time.
"Look at the red lever over there." Arselia says while pointing to it. "That is what he is referring to." "I'm sorry, I'm still not fully understanding."
"The red lever will slow the rotors down long enough for me to get out. Stand by it and wait for my word." Tony says.
This time, Steve holds his hand out to Arselia and waits for her to grab him and fly him over. The goddess takes hold of the man and flies both of them over to the lever, waiting for the signal for them to pull it.
As the pair wait for the signal, they notice agents walk in with weapons in hand. An agent takes a bomb and throws it, but Steve jumps and hits it down before it could reach the red lever. The goddess jumps down from the platform and takes out the agents with Steve behind her.
Punching one in the gut she turns and passes him to Steve for Steve to throw him off the platform. Another agent begins shooting at them in the door way, but stops after four of Arselia's daggers are thrown into his chest.
Once the pair caught their breath, Steve jumps back to where the red lever is, with Arselia next to him. The helicarrier begins to shake and go down. Steve losing his balance begins to fall, but not before Arselia catches him and brings him close to her chest. The two look at each other with Arselia's hands holding Steve and keeping him steady on the platform. No matter what, she wouldn't let him fall.
Her eyes. Steve never knew that someone's eyes could be so gorgeous, yet so familiar. He felt as if he has gazed into those eyes before, even if they just met a few hours ago.
His eyes. Arselia could always get lost in his eyes. The beauty of them clawing at her and dragging her in. She could see that little sparkle that she loved within his eyes, even if it had dulled down over the years. She never thought she would look into those familiar eyes again, but now in this moment, she never wanted to look away from them.
"Are you ok?" The goddess asks. "Yes, thank you. Are you ok?" "Yes, I am."
"Guys, hit the lever." Tony orders, snapping Arselia and Steve out of their little reality. Arselia walks over and brings the red lever down. Tony comes back to the platform and crash lands on his back.
Steve and Arselia look to each other and sigh out in relief.
As Tony begins to bring himself up, the three can hear Fury talking through the comms. "Agent Coulson is down." "A medical team is on its way to your location." "They're here. They called it."
The room fills with a loud silence. The goddess bows her head down in respect for the fallen agent. May he rest in Valhalla. She prays in her head.
Steve, Tony, and Arselia later find themselves sitting around a large table.
Arselia can't help but feel guilt for the Son of Coul's death, even if she wasn't the one that killed him. She always did that, though. Took the burden of another person's murder and made it her own. Maybe it was a habit she gained since that horrible incident when she was a child, or maybe it's the universe deciding it wanted to cause her shoulders to be heavier than they already were.
The raven-haired goddess was snapped out of her thoughts as Fury approached the table. "These were in Phil Coulson's jacket. I guess he never did get you to sign them." The one-eyed man says as he throws the bloodied cards over to Steve, though Arselia felt as if something was off with Fury's words. As if he may have been lying.
"We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, the location of the cube, Banner, Thor. I got nothing for you. I lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming. Do you have any idea as to where either of your brother's could be, Arselia?"
"Thor crashed into a field in a place called Texas, but as for Loki, he used his magic to make sure I wouldn't be able to find him. I'm sorry, Director." Arselia says sadly.
The director sighs. "Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number, though, because I was playing something even riskier."
"There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the Avengers initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, to see if they could become something more. To see if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea. In heroes."
Tony suddenly stood up and walked away.
"Well, it's an old-fashioned notion." Fury says before he walks away. Steve thinks for a few moments before looking to Arselia. "We should go find Tony, see how he's doing." The man in the blue shirt says.
Arselia nods her head and gets up, following Steve. Steve being the gentleman that he is, holds out his arm for Arselia to wrap her's around. The action shocked the goddess a bit and reminded her of their past relationship.
She couldn't be getting close to him again. She wouldn't get close to him again. After her and Thor stop Loki and bring him home, she would never cross paths with the captain again. If her father found out that she was even interacting with him right now, Odin would kill Steve in an instant.
Arselia doesn't know why she accepted Steve's arm and wrapped hers around his. She is screaming at herself in her mind to let go of him, to simply walk next to him without touching him. But, the little voice in her head tells her to let this happen. To allow herself to have this bit of happiness for once.
Steve walks with Arselia in a comfortable silence. This felt normal to Steve. Walking with Arselia, arm in arm, it felt familiar. Familiar. There's that feeling again. How? How can he be so comfortable around her now when earlier they were threatening each other? How can he feel like he has some sort of attachment to her?
None of it makes sense. Maybe they knew each other in a past life or maybe the goddess next to him is giving him the only sense of normalcy since he woke up in this modern world. A goddess next to him. The fact that that was normal to him nowadays was shocking to the man from Brooklyn. Gods and goddesses existing and him being alive. It was strange. Oh so strange for Steven Grant Rogers. Goodness, if only Peggy could see him now.
Peggy. The mesmerizing and confident Peggy Carter. Her red lips practically scars the cheeks of Steve as he revels in the memories between them. She was different. A good different. She saw him unlike how other people saw him. She believed him and he loved her for it. He loved many things about her from her believing in him, to how she presented herself, to her accent- Wait. Her accent. One that was so similar to Arselia's. Arselia. That was it. Steve felt so normal around the goddess because of his past love. From the way she presents herself to her accent. It all made sense to the man out of time now.
After walking for a bit, the two finally made it to where Tony was standing. Steve let go of Arselia's arm and leaned against the wall, while the goddess leaned against the railing.
"Was he married?" Steve asks Tony. "No. There was a cellist, I think." "I'm sorry." "As am I." Arselia says. "He seemed like a good man." "He was an idiot."
"Why? For believing?" "For taking on Loki alone." "He was doing his job." Tony scoffs. "He was out of his league. He should have waited. He should have-" "He was doing what he thought was right, Tony" Arselia says as she walks closer to the man.
"Sometimes there isn't a way out, Tony." "Right, I've heard that before." "Is this the first time you've lost a soldier?" "We are not soldiers." Tony angrily states. "I'm not marching to Fury's fife." "Neither am I. "Nor am I."
"He's got the same blood on his hands that Loki does. But right now, we got to put that behind us and get this done. Now, Loki needs a power source. If we can put together-"
"He made it personal." "That's not the point." "That's Loki's point." "He's right." The two men look to the woman. "I know my brother. He wanted to make it personal, so he took someone we have some kind of care for and killed him. He wanted to delay us. The explosion, making Banner lash out, Phil. He knew exactly how to get under our skins."
"Exactly. He knows he has to take us out to win, right? That's what he wants. He wants to be us he wants to be seen doing it."
"You're building." Arselia states. "My building?" Tony questions. "Stark you were boasting about your building before. How it has the most up to date technology, is one of the largest buildings in the city, has the big Stark industries logo on it. If he would want to be seen and be the drama queen that I know he is, then he would do it there. Also, you have the largest power source in the city." The goddess explains.
"Son of a bitch, my building." "Your building." The soldier, billionaire, and goddess all run out of the room.
Minutes later Arselia joins the group of Steve, Natasha, and Clint. "Agent Barton it is nice to finally meet you." The goddess says holding out her hand. The man takes it and shakes it. "You as well, your highness." "Arselia is just fine, thank you."
"Alright, everyone ready?" Steve asks the group. The agents and goddess nod their heads and Steve begins walking to the jet with the others following him.
Once in the jet, they are met with a confused agent. "Hey, you guys aren't authorized to be in here." "Son, just don't." The man then backs off and leaves the ship allowing the groups plan to go smoothly.
"Are you ready to kick your brother's ass, Arselia?" Natasha asks from one of the pilot seats. "Of course, it's not like it will be the first time it happens." Arselia says with a smirk.
𝐀𝐍:
𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐄! 𝐈 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈'𝐦 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐀𝐥𝐬𝐨, 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐈'𝐦 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠! 𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝. 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 <𝟑