The Agent soon found Harley speaking with Natasha while sitting at Tony's bar. The sound of the red-haired assassin laughing caused Harley to smile as he was able to make the tough woman laugh. Lucy quickly went to the kitchen and grabbed the ingredients for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before heading over to the bar. Harley spotted Lucy walking over and quickly went to help.
"Probably the first time I've heard a real laugh from you, Widow," Lucy stated giving Natasha a small smile. The assassin shyly smiled back.
"I hope it's not the only time," she answered watching the brunette make a sandwich with the twelve-year-old. The three sat around the bar and talked while sharing sandwiches. Natasha had given Lucy a drink of scotch during the time. It wasn't but an hour later that Steve and Bruce walked into the room and over to the bar; Steve to where Lucy and Harley sat, Bruce to the opposite end. The Captain quietly spoke with the Agent, but their conversation began to slowly cease as he began to eavesdrop on what Bruce and Natasha were saying.
"How'd a nice girl like you wind up working at a dump like this?" the doctor questioned as if they were in a movie scene.
Natasha placed a drink in front of him, "Fella done me wrong."
"You got a lousy taste in men, kid."
"This is like a cheesy romance movie," Harley whispered to Lucy. She snickered and ruffled his hair.
"If you think that," she began in a whisper, "then you haven't seen movies from the 30s."
"Well, he has a temper," Natasha continued as the three listened in. "Deep down he's all fluff. Fact is, he's not like anyone I've ever known. All my friends are fighters. And here comes this guy, spends his life avoiding the fight because he knows he'll win."
"Sounds amazing," Bruce spoke in a lethargic manner.
"He's also a huge dork."
"Chick's dig that."
"So do you think I should fight this? Or run with it?"
"Run with it, right? Or, did he, was he, what'd he do that was so... wrong to you?"
"Not a damn thing. But never say never." Lucy chuckled as Natasha left the bar leaving the good Doctor in thought. Harley ran off to find Thor leaving Lucy to finish her drink and Steve to speak to Bruce.
"It's nice," Steve said causing the doctor to look at him.
"What, what, what is?" the Doctor inquired sounding startled with the sudden statement.
"You and Romanoff."
"No, we haven't, that wasn't..."
"It's okay, nobody's breaking any by-laws. It's just, she's not the most... open person in the world. But with you, she seems very relaxed."
"No, Natasha, she.. she likes to flirt."
"I've seen her flirt, up close. This ain't that." The lone woman at the bar felt eyes on her as Steve began to speak again, "Look. As maybe the world's leading authority on 'waiting too long'... don't. You both deserve a win." The brunette downed the last of her drink before standing to walk off, Steve doing the same, but leaving in a different direction.
The last thing the two 'elders' heard from Bruce was, "What do you mean, 'up close'?"
Lucy made her way to the bedroom she and Steve shared and took off her sweatshirt, taking a good look at the marking on her arm; Two snakes eating their own tails. It confused her as to why it was connected with Loki and why exactly she obtained that certain mark, but the thought quickly disappeared as it went to the blue aura she had earlier. Holding her hand out, Lucy tried to concentrate. Five minutes passed - nothing. Ten minutes - nothing. Twenty - nothing. She groaned in annoyance and fell back onto the bed.
"What is wrong with me?" she quietly asked herself.
A sudden, familiar voice startled her, "It's a thing called 'developing powers.'" Lucy sat up and looked around until she was met with the sight of a familiar God wearing gold and green.
The brunette stood from the bed. "What the- How in the world did you-"
"Something you naïve Midgardians call 'magic'. I thought you knew about me? If you need a reintroduction-"
"I'm good, thanks." Loki merely shrugged. "Why are you here?"
"You think I'm going to hurt you, don't you? No. I'm here to help. We both don't have much time, but I will inform you - the powers you'll obtain are telekinesis and illusion manipulation and a slight case of psionics. Don't ask how I know, I just do. Now, if you'll follow me, I won't let you destroy your room because of this." Lucy's eyebrows knit together in confusion as Loki grasped her hand and pulled her along like he was in a rush.
Lucy tried to pull her hand from his grip, "How would you know what my powers will be? And why should I trust you?" The Asgardian stopped in the middle of the hall after walking out of the room and pulled the Agent close.
Loki's free hand grasped Lucy's chin. "Darling, I'm going to need you to trust me. In a way, filling you in with the story about your powers will have to wait." The corners of Lucy's mouth fell into a frown as Loki's blue-green eyes showed a spark of mischief. He smirked as the woman remained silent and walked on still keeping a grasp on her hand. After a while, his cold hand was gone and Lucy looked to see he had vanished as well. She began glancing around the hall afraid he had gone off somewhere until she felt a hand on the small of her back.
"Just keep walking," Loki whispered into her right ear. Lucy felt goosebumps form on her arms and did as Loki told. It wasn't until the sight of Steve walking down the hall opposite from her did she realize that was the reason to Loki's invisible act.
The blond walked past Lucy but stopped to grab her left arm, "Hey, Lucky. You look like you've seen a ghost. Everything okay?" Lucy quickly went to hide her arm but noticed that somehow her sweatshirt was now back on.
"E-Everything's alright," she stuttered quickly to prevent the Captain from becoming suspicious. "I'm fine. I was just heading to the training room, work out the ol' muscles a little."
"Mind if I join? I could walk down with y-"
"No!" Steve gave Lucy a look of confusion from the sudden outburst. Her eyes widened in shock. "I- No. I just kind of need some alone time and-"
"No, I understand." Lucy gave Steve a small smile. She stepped forward and gave him a peck on the lips before walking off with an invisible Loki.
"You really love him, don't you?" Loki, now visible, inquired. "More than any man you've loved in your life. Correct?" The thought made Lucy look down slightly as she walked.
"The only man," she slowly and quietly replied. "Except..." Loki turned his head to look at the woman he was escorting and noticed a somewhat dispirited look fall upon her face.
He decided not to pressure her. "You also have a dark past." Lucy looked at him with a slight glare.
"Is that your way of changing a subject?" She questioned in sarcastic astonishment. Loki smirked.
"I can tell. I've seen you fight and heard about your past - you don't back down. You're an assassin, a killer of man; enemy or innocent. All for what? You killed for people you thought you could trust. There's hatred in you. But yet, you care for others. You show them a motherly side, one which you obtained from never really having a mother. A side you show that boy, what's-his-name."
The two stepped into the training room, silence hanging between them. Lucy watched as Loki moved away from her.
"You don't know anything about me or my family, Loki," she began saying. The Asgardian turned to look at her, their eyes meeting.
"Like you do?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.
Lucy ignored him, "You're here because you want to help me. I'm here because I need help. I'm not here to form a relationship of sorts with you. If you help me, I don't want you to mention my family."
"Understood."
"Then let's get started."