Thor
(The Crater)
I would never believe it possible, but Thor and Jane seemed to be growing just as close as they had originally, even with my interference. I suppose without me they still only had a couple days to get all lovey dovey, but it was a bit ridiculous that they were already star gazing together within a few hours of the interrogation. And then the next morning took both their breakfast and lunch together.
I mean, of course Jane was pumping Thor for all the information she could get out of him, the star gazing session was mostly her learning about the Nine Realms and the Bifrost, and the breakfast and lunch conversations were just as information based. But there was also a look of growing admiration in both of their eyes for one another. It seemed less and less likely I'd get a chance to seduce Jane for a bit of fun, but I suppose in the end I hadn't really put the required effort into it.
Oh well, you win some, you lose some. On a related note, I heard the sounds of our newest visitors long before anyone else. With a growing smile, I sped through the work site and confronted Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. They had been relatively stealthy as they approached the crater from a nearby hill that covered them beautifully, but not to my enhanced hearing.
As I appeared before them in a burst of speed however, they reacted less than admirably, drawing their weapons and letting out a sudden girly screech in the case of the larger one. We all took half a moment to stare at him, and he had the good grace to blush scarlet in embarrassment.
Smiling, I spoke, my eyes drifting from Sif to each of the male Warriors, "The Lady, the Fop, the Foreigner, and the Brute. You're trespassing."
As planned, my words have the desired effect of pissing off each of the four Asgardians before me in different ways but to much the same result. I had weapons leveled at me and in a biting tone Sif speaks up, "You will take us to Thor right now Midgardian."
I raise an eyebrow and clasp my hands behind me, leaning forward ever so slightly, "Counter offer. You surrender your weapons and come with me, and I'll see what I can do about visitation rights."
Fandral narrowed his eyes and stepped in with his rapier, clearly intending to attack me, "Asgardians do not surrender."
I smile even as I slide along the edge of the quick thrust he punctuates that sentence with, appearing behind him and slamming my fist into the back of his head and sending him sprawling, "I was hoping you'd say that."
He's not out for the count by a long shot, and I watch with interest as the other three take on a much more wary stance, even as he slowly gets to his feet. Raising my hands, I beckon them all forth with that same cocky grin still on my face.
I have to give them credit, beyond Fandral's initial misstep, all four warriors come at me as one, moving as a single cohesive unit with the sole purpose of bringing me down. Their blows are aimed at non vital areas and I'm surprised at their unwillingness to kill. I suppose they think they still need me for information of sorts.
The reason behind it doesn't matter, what matters is that I make use of the way they hold back to play with them for a few minutes so I can get a better idea of just what I'm dealing with. I'm dodging and deflecting mostly, unwilling to take a direct hit right away. I notice quickly though, that Hogun and Volstagg's weapons do not glow with the same magic that Sif's sword and Fandal's rapier do.
They're getting frustrated now, my speed making it seemingly impossible for them to land a blow on me and my self-satisfied smirk angering them. But I've seen enough now, and I know I won't have much longer with the amount of noise we've been making. From defensive to offensive in less than second, I come to a stop behind Volstagg as he rears back to swing a strike down at me from over his head, I grab the shaft of said axe and kick him square in the back with my full strength.
His weapon is wrenched from his grasp as he goes flying forward, tumbling head over heel and slamming into the ground with even more force than Fandral had. Holding the battle axe in one hand, I heft it a bit and look to the others with a smile, "Hm, I thought it'd be heavier."
An instant after that I'm behind Hogun and swinging the battle axe like a shovel, the flat of it swinging around at high speeds to slam into his head. To his credit, he was already beginning to turn when it connected, but even still it seemed he was not fast enough to react to my attack. He went down and stayed down, even as Volstagg began struggling to rise, starting to recover from his fall.
Hogun is unconscious, I'm sure of that, and Fandral and Sif are charging at me in a clear rage over how I'd just brained their friend. They still aren't fast enough though, and I drop the battle-axe to pick up Hogun's fallen mace, before flashing to Volstagg and slamming it into his leg, creating a satisfying crunch and forcing a scream of pain out of him as he falls to the ground. From the looks of things, he won't be walking for a while.
Stepping away from him and dropping Hogun's weapon as well, I take advantage of the lull in battle to speak, as both Fandral and Sif have frozen upon seeing their large friend in such pain, "Let's pause for a moment shall we? I don't think this is going very well for you, so let me be a gentleman enough to make things a bit more fair."
I lock eyes with Sif and a wicked grin spreads across my face as I make my offer idly, "My lady, you may have one free strike on my person, if your companion remains where he is."
A single look from Sif has Fandral standing down, as she approaches me cautiously, enchanted sword and shield held at the ready. I just smile, standing in a relaxed stance, and wait for her to come to me. I need to know what her sword can do, I need to know the pain and damage it could cause. So as she lunged forward, intent on skewering me through the chest with it, I let her.
As the blade flashed with magic and slid into my torso I let out a grunt, as the most intense pain I'd felt in a long time went through my body. Before she could do anything more my hand lashed out and grabbed the wrist of the hand holding her sword, locking her close to me and keeping her from dragging the sword out of me in any direction she might have wanted.
Her eyes widen and she swings her shield around to bash me across the face and force me to release her. I grab the lip of it with my other hand, stalling its movement and leaning in close as blood pools in my mouth, my eyes turning gold and black, my fangs sliding out, and my terrifying grin growing increasingly bloody, "That actually kind of hurts."
And then I slam my forehead into her temple sending her reeling. Releasing her wrist, I grab onto the handle of the blade she's holding instead and pull back, angling a rather high kick at her midsection. It slams home and she goes flying back, leaving both her shield in my grasp and her sword lodged in my stomach.
I stand there for a moment reveling in the sensation of actual pain for the first time in centuries, physical pain that I hadn't actually felt for so long. This… I could get addicted to this sort of feeling if I let it go too long again. Eventually though, Fandral draws my attention back to him, as he seems to finally find his resolve once more and prepares to attack me again.
I get ready to meet his attack and brutalize him as I have the others, when SHIELD agents finally swarm into the area, guns out and pointed at my four opponents and shouts on their lips demanding they stand down. Given that three out of four are already on the ground, though Sif was in the process of rising to her feet, Fandral is the only one to have to actually respond to the shouts.
Looking around at the number of men surrounding him and his comrades, along with the state of said comrades, he looks directly at me and drops his rapier to the ground before slowly raising his hands, "We surrender."
At that the fight goes out of Volstagg and Sif both, and the SHIELD Agents begin to move into secure them. Paramedics move towards me with wide eyes at my bloody appearance. Before they can even reach me though, I'm pulling Sif's sword out of my chest despite their vehement protests. I chuckle, which only results in me spitting blood onto the ground at their feet, and gesture to my torso for them to watch as the gaping hole in me closes up quickly with the foreign object lodged in it no longer.
That gets more eyes, from Sif and the Warriors three and my allies both, but I shrug that off and hand over Sif's equipment to a SHIELD Agent beside me, before walking to where Coulson stands without a care in the world.
"Status." Is the first thing he says to me, but oh what unspoken words I can hear in that single word. I've shown quite a bit of my hand here after all, and given SHIELD quite a lot to think about.
Still, appearances must be kept up, "Sir. I found these four scouting our perimeter for an unauthorized entrance into the site. I confronted them and they demanded to see Thor. I asked them to surrender their weapons before I take them to him, and they became… violent. As you can see, I dealt with the threat."
He looks at the four prisoners being carted off to the site below, Thor walking past them towards us, "And you didn't think to tell them that Thor was not a prisoner here?"
I smile pleasantly at that, even as Thor arrives, "They did not seem very inclined to listen sir. They were quite quick to anger or to action depend on how one looks at it."
That last bit is directed at Thor, and he does look a bit sheepish for a second, though it is quickly covered up by the anger he's feeling towards me for my manhandling of his friends. He ignores me in favor of looking to Coulson, "Son of Coul, I apologize for my friends. They believed me to be in danger and were just trying to find me."
Coulson doesn't even look at me as he takes control of the situation, "Understandable, but they will have to be detained until we have an idea of exactly why they're here. Did they tell you anything."
Thor looks sheepish again and shakes his head, "Only that they came to find me, but not why. I wished to speak with you as soon as possible."
That gets a nod from Phil, "Then go and find out exactly what they want. I'll be in soon and we'll discuss their stay on Earth."
With that Thor leaves and Coulson turns to me, an actual frown etched across his face now that we're alone, "You've been holding out on us. Fury isn't going to be happy that you were hiding this much from us."
I smile slightly, "I suppose he won't be, but I promise you I am as dedicated to SHIELD as ever. I confess, it was the first time I'd met actual Asgardians and their weapons… I felt a certain urge to… test myself. I know neither you nor the Director have any reason to trust me, but all I can do is endeavor to change that over time."
I don't get a response to that, as he looks down at the large hole in my suit, "And are you fully recovered now?"
I bring a half smile, half grimace to my face at that, "I am healed, but weakened. I will need blood to build back to my full strength."
A partial lie of course, one sword through the chest and the amount of blood I'd lost barely weakened me. I could go for months without blood if I needed to these days, a byproduct of my age and the magic I'd been subjected to over thousands of years I supposed. Natural dessication would take quite a long time in my case.
Still, I receive a nod and he directs me to our medical center, where we have some blood bags on hand. I make sure to pass by Thor and his friends on the way, but I'm surprised to find that they don't stare me down, purposefully shying away from making eye contact with me. I wouldn't have expected such meek behavior from Asgardians, but perhaps Thor has warned them against picking anymore fights.
I get my blood bags, drink them in plain view of my new Asgardian friends and settle into wait in the medical area. It's only a couple hours before the Bifrost beam hits Earth again, this time only a hundred yards away from the crater that SHIELD had made their base around. The Destroyer stepped out of the beam and a moment later the Bifrost shut off and the metal monstrosity began walking slowly towards the crater.
Coulson came walking into the medbay and showed all of us a live feed of the Destroyer, "What is this?"
The Asgardians actually pale at the sight and Sif looks to Thor, "It is Loki. He has sent the Destroyer to silence us, to silence you."
Volstagg speaks up next, "We must stop it from reaching Thor." Of course he then tries to pull his broken leg off the table he's laid out on so he can stand, only to cry out in pain. Everyone looks at him with concern but I just stand and roll my eyes, looking to Coulson as I then roll my shoulders.
"This is the first taste Earth will have of interplanetary conflict. Frankly, you aren't ready. I'll do my best to stop this thing but I need you to give the order as well as promise me that you'll call for a retreat if the time comes."
Agent Phil Coulson looks at me for a long moment, as if slightly surprised by my serious façade and the fact that I'm stepping up to the plate. After a moment he nods, "Go." And I'm gone, zipping away. Behind me I hear the Asgardians I hadn't disabled demand to be allowed to help as well. Thus, when they come up behind me as I stand at the edge of SHIELD's camp watching the Destroyer approach, I'm not even slightly surprised.
I am a little surprised when Sif throws something at me, but I catch it easily from the air, looking at Volstagg's battleaxe with a raised eyebrow even as she explains, sounding as if she swallowed a bitter lemon as she spoke to me with actual courtesy, "Volstagg demanded that his weapon at least be used, if he could not do battle alongside us."
I chuckle at that but nod, curling my hand around the large battle-axe and holding it at my side to focus on the Destroyer even as Hogun, Fandral, and Sif prepare themselves for another battle. The Destroyer stops about fifty feet from us, and I take that moment to speak even though I know it is already preparing to attack once Loki finishes assessing his opponents.
So I address him directly, "Loki, Acting King of Asgard. You are trespassing on this planet by proxy. Call back your toy or I will be forced to break it."
There is a pause from everyone around me, as if no one can believe my audacity. Even the Destroyer freezes up for a moment with its head tilted to the side and I can imagine Loki sitting upon his throne staring at me in disbelief. And then the Destroyer opens its face and a beam of destructive energy fires out after a moment of charging.
It hits directly where I'd been standing, but of course I wasn't there anymore. With a sneer on my face and Volstagg's battle-axe in my hand I appeared at the Destroyer's side and swung into it with… well it would be quite epic to say all my might wouldn't it? But that would be a lie. I used half of my might, and found the Axe embedded deeply into the Destroyer, for all of the good that did.
At that moment, I knew that I could use both my speed and strength to swing this axe fast enough to cut the Destroyer into pieces. I wasn't honestly sure if it'd get back up from being put into fifty different chunks however, which is why I found myself holding back. I wanted Thor to become worthy here, I wanted him to return to Asgard and send Loki off of the broken edge of the Bifrost into the abyss below so that I could expect Loki at a relatively similar time frame as the Avengers.
Quite frankly, I wanted to insert myself onto the team when they were just getting started, so I could come off as the prickly and arrogant, yet reliable member of the team. Not to mention that I felt like becoming an Avenger was the best way to eventually move from SHIELD Agent to SHIELD Consultant without causing the spy organization to hunt me down and force me to dismantle them. After all, I wasn't sure if I really wanted SHIELD or Hydra over one or the other quite yet.
So, I held back as I'd been doing since I joined SHIELD, as I'd done even in the fight with the Asgardians. I let my eyes widen in surprise as the Destroyer turned to look at me, despite my clean strike on it using Volstagg's axe, and that fake surprise was the excuse I'd use if anyone asked how the Destroyer was able to backhand the shit out of me a moment after that.
I went flying but landed on my feet as my sneer transformed into a snarl and my face transformed from human to hybrid. The three Asgardians supposedly fighting with me moved in as one against the Destroyer as I was knocked away. They worked as a team to land blow after blow that staggered the metallic golem, pushing it back and even giving the façade of winning for a few brief moments.
And then they too were beaten back with beams of light forcing retreat and physical blows slamming them into the ground. Once again I leapt into the fray, this time quite literally as I landed on the Destroyer's back, slammed my palms into the approximate area where his shoulder blades would be and began to slowly claw into his hollow body.
I was only just beginning to pull apart the metal with my bare hands when his head spun around and the energy beam coalesced before striking me directly in the face. I turned ever so slightly that it wouldn't hit me straight on, wanting to keep my head intact for what came next. That didn't stop it from burning my face off even as it threw me clear.
All part of the plan of course, as I guided my own trajectory directly into the side of SHIELD's hastily constructed base, and right through the wall, coming to land in a heap besides Thor. He kneels beside me, not really sure what to do, but that's alright because I do. Reaching up I grab his collar and pull him down to my badly burned face to whisper accusatorily through nonexistent lips, "He's here… for you…"
I release him after that and slump backwards, closing my eyes and feigning unconsciousness. It's only a moment before Thor stands and leaves my body behind. If he'd stayed even a moment longer he might have noticed that my face had already started healing, but I've awakened purpose within him and he does not look back.
I listen on as Thor confronts the Destroyer, and through it his brother. I listen as he lays down his life and begs his brother to let everyone else live. I hear as Thor is presumably killed given the cries of horror and shock, and I watch as Mjolnir, glowing with barely restrained power shoots from its resting place to Thor's hand, coincidentally, flying right past me on the way.
I let a small smile grace my face as I slowly rise to my feet, pretending to still be weakened and relying on my destroyed clothing and the smoke and dirt covering my skin to sell that image. Making my way back to where the fighting is taking place, I arrive in time to watch Thor defeat the Destroyer and succeed in breaking one of Asgard's finer weapons.
The background is where I belong and where I stay for this next bit as Thor and Coulson talk and Thor promises that he won't forget SHIELD's generosity and that they can always count on him to defend Midgard. I watch as Thor and Jane exchange goodbyes as well, though surprisingly there are no promises of return or heartfelt cries of love.
A single kiss on the lips between them, a shared look of understanding, and then Thor is gone, leaving the warriors and Sif behind to drag Volstagg back with them. I'm intrigued by that, wondering just what damage I've done to Thor and Dr. Foster's relationship. I knew they'd grown close still, but it seemed they hadn't grown close enough to ignore the countless obstacles in the way of any potential happiness they might find together.
It seemed I'd made more practical people out of both of them, with my changes. My musings are interrupted by Coulson as he approaches, looking at me warily, "That was certainly… something. I have to say, I wasn't expecting you to get up again after that last strike."
I wince and run a hand over my newly healed face before lying to his face, "I might not have if not for my speed. That last attack was aiming to take my head clean off my shoulders, but I was able to move partially out of its way in time to keep my head at the cost of my face. Not an experience I ever hope to repeat sir."
He nods, "I can imagine not. I appreciate the effort you put in here. You were right back there in the medbay, we weren't ready to fight that thing. Fury will appreciate what you did as well."
I smile grimly, "I'm more interested in what he does about this, then his feelings about it. SHIELD isn't going to sit around doing nothing from here on out, is it? So what's the next step sir?"
Coulson actually smiles back at that, "We'll be moving out soon. I have to talk to the Director about all of this, but I expect he'll have our next assignment within the day. For now, babysit our newest scientists. They've had a bit of a scare after all."
I chuckle at that, but move away to leave Coulson to his call.
A/N: Give me your thoughts on this one, I'm very interested in hearing what everyone thinks.
yeah, hope you enjoy this chapter but it is a bit of filler to get us to the Avengers while also having a bit more interaction with some of the folks Vali hasn't really gotten to see yet. Hope you enjoy!
A few days after the battle of Puente Antiguo
(SHIELD Base, location unknown)
"I've read the report but I want to hear your honest opinion. You're recommending our resident alien for unsupervised missions. Considering everything that was revealed over the course of this mission, I have to wonder if that's really a wise course of action."
"I believe what was revealed over the course of the mission makes him more than ready sir. And given what he went through in a battle that probably saved the lives of every SHIELD agent on base including mine, I believe we can afford to start trusting him. That's why I'm recommending him for Level Six, and yes that means I believe we should send him on unsupervised missions."
"I can see why we wouldn't want to waste his unique abilities on Level 5, but sending him out to do our dirty work… well I suppose part of me just doesn't want other agencies finding out we have what amounts to a damn vampire on the payroll."
"He'll dial it back if we tell him to Director. No fangs, no drinking from enemies or anyone else. So far he's seemed perfectly capable of sustaining himself with blood bags. All he'll be is another masked soldier of fortune moving around the world dealing with… issues."
"You're recommending a mask? Are we considering Agent Masters for the Avengers Initiative now?"
"Not at all sir, I wouldn't consider him Avenger material even at the best I've seen from him. Not unless we get truly desperate. No, I'm recommending not just the mask, but complete separation from SHIELD. I'm recommending the Agent for missions no normal human could do. Missions that are critical to the defense of SHIELD and of Earth."
"… And if we have to, we can disavow knowledge of any… unnatural beings working for us? The information we already have on him will have to be made Alpha level for this to work. There are already rumors about what happened at Puente Antiguo. Mostly focused on Thor and the Destroyer that attacked you, but I don't expect our agent's involvement and what he's capable of to stay secret for long."
"Exactly, which is why burying it now will allow us to use him to the full extent of his capabilities and hide his existence for a while longer."
"I suppose you're right. This all hinges on his approval though. He's not a normal agent as you well know. If he's not interested in becoming the black ops of black ops, he has the Council to back him and stop me from doing anything about it."
"Oh, I can't help but think he'll bite. It'll all be in how we phrase it."
XxScenebreakxX
Several Months After Thor
(Sochi, SHIELD Safehouse)
Of course I had been interested in the idea. A chance to get out and stretch my legs away from the constant supervision of Agent Coulson? Perfect! My allegiance to Hydra was already a secret held by their highest ranking members. It would seem my allegiance to SHIELD would be the same way. All they asked was that I keep from revealing the more vampiric aspects of my nature. I didn't of course, but what's a little nibble here and there on a target that's going to die anyways?
I was given resources as well as what I could only call a super suit. Form fitting and made of some combination of comfortable yet incredibly durable materials, the outfit covered me from head to toe. It could supposedly withstand knife strikes and possibly some small weapons fire, but anything larger than a pistol would probably penetrate.
I never got shot, so it didn't really come up as a problem. Ontop of the full body suit came the hood and the mask. The mask fit onto my face beautifully, covering everything from my hairline down to just under my chin. Of course, it had better fit, I'd had to sit through hours of them making molds to get the mask just right.
Altogether, I looked like a kickass ninja. I certainly wasn't complaining. And so I became SHIELD's dagger in the dark, dealing with threat after threat that might have turned into something the Earth wasn't ready to face. It was months of assassinations and data retrieval before I finally got something that at least closely resembled the timeline that I knew.
A call had me coming here, to Russia, to meet up once more with Coulson. He stood across from me now in a secure SHIELD safehouse, eyeing my get up with a strange look in his eye. I cocked my head to the side and broke the silence, "Well Phil? Why am I here?"
"… You've been making quite a name for yourself in the past few months. They're calling you Blur now I hear."
I chuckle at that, the sound coming out distorted because of the mask, "Well, when you masquerade as a Soldier of Fortune, you start to seem suspicious if you never take any of the jobs that people offer you. I had the free time, so I did some freelance work on the sides. Pulled a few hearts out of a few chests. I always did my homework, so I know they weren't people important to us. As for the title, I figure Blur is an identity we can kill off whenever we need to. Not like anyone alive has ever gotten a good look at me as it is."
Blur was the name I'd been saddled with after my few months of pretending to be a mercenary. I moved fast after all, too fast to be normal, to be human. Combine that with my ability to hear and smell better than any human ever could, and I didn't exactly leave many witnesses to my work. The most any survivors ever saw was a blur before I was gone. I wasn't too attached though, I'd probably be more than happy to discard the moniker when the time came.
Coulson grimaces but nods, "The Director already decided that your reasoning was sound. But this mission will be a bit different from what you've been up to of late. This is a retrieval mission only. One of our Agents broke contact and our job is to find her and support her."
I can't help but tilt my head at that, "Her? Who is this Agent? One of the good ones I hope, to rate my assistance on a task that's a bit more delicate than usual."
Coulson just looks at me for a long moment before nodding and continuing the briefing, "I don't believe you've met her but Agent Romanoff is one of our best. I want to remind you, you're under my command again for this one. That means you follow my orders."
I nod my head amicably as he can't see the grin on my covered face, "Of course sir. Have I ever not?"
He doesn't deign to answer that, we both know what he means. After a moment of silence he beckons with his fingers, "Let's go. We have a tentative last known location and I want our Agent located and secured by nightfall."
XxScenebreakxX
Several Months After Thor
(Sochi, Sport Hall)
When we arrived at the location Coulson had somehow managed to magic up, it was to find Natasha face down in ice cold water in the center of a broken hockey rink. Before Phil could do more than widen his eyes and take a step towards her body, I was in the water and hauling her out. It took only a moment for Phil to adjust to the suddenness of my actions and then he was at my side, looking her over.
I told him what I'd already discovered, "She's got the early stages of hypothermia, and she's not breathing. I can give her my blood now sir and it will heal her, but any later and she'll be too gone… she'll resurrect."
He doesn't even pause, "Do it now."
I nod and pull one of my gloves off to bite into the flesh between my thumb and index finger, before pressing it to Romanoff's lips. It seeps through and a moment later coloring is returning to her face and the water in her lungs is expelled forcibly by my blood's aggressive healing properties. Her eyes snap open even as I hear the faintest shuffling sound. I look at Coulson, "Sir, someone was watching us… I can still catch up to them."
Coulson nods again and gives a single order, "Bring them to me alive."
I grin ferally beneath my mask and flash away from the two SHIELD agents to chase after the human who was now fleeing with all the possible haste they could muster. I had to admit, they were good, but while there were humans who could probably kill normal vampires on their best days, there were no humans who could outrun me even on my worst.
Catching up to the little spy, I appeared in front of them and grabbed them by the arm and the throat, stopping all forward motion and just barely refraining from snapping their neck from the force that they ran into my palm with. Credit where credit is due, a moment later my new captive was firing round after round at point blank range into my chest.
I reached up and broke the petite wrist of the hand holding said gun, forcing a beautiful cry of pain from my quarry even as I caught the gun and held it to the forehead of the masked figure before me. They immediately froze, and beneath my own mask I smiled, "That's good. I've been told not to kill you, but I can break the rest of your bones and carry you back if need be."
Of course the immediate response to that was an attempted knee to my groin. I let it slam into the bullet proof cup I'd made part of my outfit months ago. Yeah, I could heal any injury including down there, but that didn't mean I wanted to. Letting out a put upon sigh, I spun my quarry around and applied a chokehold that left them unconscious within a few seconds.
As I carried them back, I checked and discovered my suspicions were correct and I was dealing with a woman. Truly disappointing that SHIELD was actually overseeing this mission for the first time in months. The fun I could have had with her, the negotiations alone would have been phenomenal… but alas, it was not meant to be.
I arrived with no other complications to find Phil and Natasha arguing heatedly. Natasha practically jumped out of her skin when I appeared in a burst of speed before them both, laying my prisoner out on the ground with her hood removed. The face seemed to shock the Black Widow even more and she stared down at it actually gaping for a long moment before she picked up on our superior's complete lack of surprise and looked to him.
"You hired the Blur to help track me down? Seriously?"
Coulson actually looks a bit amused at that, but doesn't answer her, instead asking a question of his own, "Who is she Natasha?"
That draws her attention away from me and she looks almost self-conscious, "She called herself Sofia. She wants to assume the Black Widow title."
I can't help chuckling at that, causing the current Black Widow to glance over at me as I speak up, "Fans in this line of work are always crazy and always a liability. You really should have killed her the moment she expressed admiration for your work."
That got a grimace, but whatever Natasha might have said was lost as the woman at our feet began to stir. Coulson pulls out some fancy restraints and before she can really get herself together her arms and legs are bound. She curses up a storm but Phil ignores her in favor of looking at Natasha, "We will talk about your comm silence later. For now, guard the prisoner."
Then he turns towards me and steps forward, pulling an envelope from his jacket and holding it out to me. I take it, even as he speaks directly to me, his eyes boring into my mask, "Your assistance was appreciated in this manner, but don't expect any more calls from SHIELD in the future. We have no more use for your… talents."
I raise an eyebrow beneath my mask as I step back. Now that was a code I wasn't expecting to hear so soon. Still, appearances must be kept and this scene had to be played out. Continuing to step back I chuckle darkly, "SHIELD and everyone else will always have a use for my talents. Next time you call, it better be for something exciting."
I turned to begin to walk away, and got a few yards before the package in my hands exploded. I let the force of the blast propel me to the ground, and pretended to lay there knocked out as Phil approached, took out a gun, and unloaded five rounds into my head.
"I can guarantee we won't be calling you again."
With that absolutely amazing one liner, he leaned down and pretended to check my pulse before standing and moving to the two shocked women. I listened in as he spoke to Natasha, probably while staring down at the bound Sofia, "Agent Romanoff, do you believe this… Sofia is a possible asset, as you turned out to be? Or is she a threat?"
There's a moment of silence before he gets a reply, and I imagine it's because Natasha is staring at the woman who just tried to kill her. A moment later I get to hear the verdict, "Threat sir. She's not SHIELD material."
Two more gunshots cut off a cry of denial, and then a body thumps to the ground and two sets of footsteps walk away. When I rise a few minutes later from my supposed death, it's to find Sofia dead with two bullet holes in her forehead. I just smile and strip off my armor before setting the charges I had on me to completely destroy the area and any evidence of what happened here.
Though I wasn't expecting it for another couple months, it appeared the time had come for me to retire my freelancer persona and rejoin the fold. I could only hope it would be something interesting, or I wouldn't be held accountable for what I did next. Turns out it was, they'd found Captain America, and they were taking no chances with his security. Which meant putting me on it.
XxScenebreakxX
A few months before Avengers
(SHIELD Base, Location Unknown)
"He really doesn't look like much, does he?"
Coulson directs a baleful glare my way and I just smile benignly back. I'm once again dressed in the SHIELD Agent's leather uniform, working alongside Coulson. I am apparently Level 7 now in terms of SHIELD Clearance, which I remembered being Clint and Natasha's rank as well. It seemed I was moving up in the world, not that it mattered. My Hydra connections gave me access to most SHIELD files that I may want to read, only certain things that Nick Fury himself kept a lid on were out of my reach.
Coulson and I stand at the foot of a large bed holding the comatose Captain America. I mostly made the comment because I knew how much Phil idolized him and I was enjoying needling the usually unflappable agent, who'd been acting giddy as a schoolboy since we were told that Steve had been found. Of course, Phil knew that all too well, and with a huff, chose the high road by ignoring my bait.
Steve Rogers, the first super hero this world has had. He's rather helpless at this moment. There are a number of things I could do to him right now that no one could stop, a number of terrible fates I could visit upon him. But I can't help wanting to give him at the very least a sporting chance. He'll never really have a fighting chance, not when I can make child's play of Asgardians, but he deserves to be on his feet and awake if I decide to help Hydra turn him into what they made of Bucky.
We stand in silence for a moment longer before Phil sighs, "Right, Fury's given me our next assignment. Guess we should head out."
I smirk a bit at the tone of Coulson's voice. I don't think he's ever wanted to disobey an order, reject an assignment more than he wants to right now. But this is Agent Coulson, the consummate SHIELD Agent. After a moment more of staring at the unconscious form of his childhood hero, he turns away and gets back to work. I let my gaze linger on the sleeping super soldier one more time as well, a small smirk on my face, before I follow him out.
XxScenebreakxX
Avengers
(Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility)
We had been assigned to Project PEGASUS shortly after they found Captain America, which while boring, was just fine with me. I was stuck on the surface though, as they felt that I would make a good first line of defense. Poor fools didn't even consider that the Tesseract was a gateway, but how could they went they were still thinking of it as a source of energy instead of the container for the Space Stone itself.
I was pretty sure I would completely destroy Loki at this point in time anyways, and then there would be no need for the Avengers, no Chitauri army to beat, and no floor of Stark Tower for me! I mostly wanted that floor, I definitely felt I deserved one. And if I got a chance to defile it with some lovely lady friends, all the better!
I was struck from my musings when the Tesseract finally started acting up. Still not fully suspecting what was coming, but knowing that it was becoming dangerous, the PEGASUS facility began evacuation, an evacuation I was assigned to help with. I did so gladly, letting the events below me play out even as I made sure people and equipment got to where it was meant to be.
I watched from afar as Loki escapes with the Tesseract, along with Selvig and Barton's allegiance. Ah well, whats a bit of mind control? I'm sure they would be fine, just need a bit of physical trauma to the head to knock it off.
When the dust settles, Coulson and I meet with Fury and Hill. Fury is of course… furious and scowling and I have to keep the smile off my face as he spits out orders. His first words are actually to me as soon as he sees me, "Agent Masters, you are hereby reassigned to the Avengers Initiative. You've been on the short list for a while now."
I raise an eyebrow and act surprised, but obedient as ever even as Fury hands me exactly what I want, "Yes sir!"
When he tells Phil to get Stark on board the Helicarrier by tomorrow though, I step in, "Sir, if we're reactivating the Avengers Initiative, perhaps it would be best to have Agent Coulson secure and brief Steve Rogers on the situation. You should send me to acquire Tony Stark, I think his curiosity in who I am will help us here."
It might be a bit risky here, but I make eye contact and use compulsion when I tell Fury to send me for Tony. A moment later he nods in agreement and relays those changed orders to Phil. If there's any suspicion from either of the other two agents in the room, they don't show it. Coulson for one seems ecstatic to be sent for Steve and to not have to deal with Tony, even throwing me a grateful nod once we're dismissed and exit the room.
I just smile and nod back, already heading towards a car. I have to make one stop along the way to Stark Tower, but after that… well the sky isn't really the limit anymore is it? We can go so much further.
A/N: As always, let me know what you think! AND! I actually don't know if anyone will get it right, but feel free to guess what the one stop Vali has to make on the way to Stark is! Its a very important stop after all 
Whoever figures it out first (if anyone does) hmmm, maybe I'll find a reward or something for it.
Alrighty guys here's the new chapter! In which Vali has a new look and he goes about getting Tony on board a bit differently than Coulson's method of attack.
Avengers
(Stark Tower)
I felt good. I felt complete. As I stood at the foot of Stark Tower and prepared to bully my way into the home of one of the world's most powerful men, I smile and it has nothing to do with the conversation I'm about to get to have. Reaching up slowly, I run my hands over my jacket.
It just feels so good to once again be wearing Kemiya. The clothes I'd worn when I left my world and thus had been wearing when I arrived on this world weren't the sort of thing a prospective Agent of SHIELD would wear. So I'd foregone them to avoid any potential mishaps where they were demanded of me. I would hate to have had to kill my way out of SHIELD so early to protect what was mine.
Now though, now was the time. Pieces of this outfit were almost as old as I was, and even the newest piece still had an age of around two thousand years. Enchantment upon enchantment layered on each piece of the ensemble, the entire outfit so steeped in the magic of my universe that even I could feel it now that it was laid against my skin.
SHIELD's leather outfit, the suit so similar to Coulson's, even the costume they'd given me to hide my identity while I ran around playing at mercenary… none could compare to this. I was Tony Stark in his best armor. I was Thor with Mjolnir. I was Steve with his Vibranium Shield. Only now was I ready to stand beside this world's greats… or against them.
With that appealing thought I stepped up to the doors and pressed the call button on the side. A moment later a distinctly British voice spoke, "Agent Masters. How can I be of assistance?"
I smiled at that and spoke in a jovial tone, "Greetings Jarvis. I'm here to speak with Mr. Stark. Is he in?"
There's a slight pause, "Mr. Stark is busy at the moment Agent Masters. Can I schedule a future consultation for SHIELD?"
I shake my head, knowing that Jarvis can see the action from the camera above me, "This cannot wait sadly. I'm a little disappointed though, I thought Tony would be curious enough about me to let me in, if only to conduct an interrogation on the many mysteries that he hasn't been able to crack about me yet."
"… He is currently occupied with something he considers more important."
I chuckle and let my smile take on a knowing angle, "Ah, he's with Ms. Potts is he? Well, if you could be so kind to inform him that Earth has just been the victim of an alien attack that might evolve into a full scale invasion, I would greatly appreciate it. You can confirm using those fancy satellites of yours to watch what just happened in the Mojave Desert a few hours ago. And make sure Ms. Potts hears for me if you could."
A few moments later the doors before me opened and I was ushered to the elevator that took me to the penthouse at the top of the grandiose tower. I kept the smile on my face as the elevator deposited me and I arrived to find Tony looking incredibly petulant and Pepper looking very worried. I direct my attention towards Pepper first, ignoring Tony entirely as I step forward and give a slight bow before holding out the data file containing the information SHIELD wanted Stark to have, "Ms. Potts, a pleasure to finally meet in person. Phil says nothing but good things about you and your capabilities. My name, if Mr. Stark has not already told you everything about me, is Vali Masters. You can call me Vali."
Pepper returns the smile and takes the digital file from me, opening her mouth to reply when Tony rudely interrupts, "You're out of uniform Agent."
Now that he's been forced to initiate the conversation with me I turn towards him with a smile, "Yes, I felt like it was time to shed that uniform and get back to my roots. This is the clothing I wore when I arrived on Earth after all."
Pepper isn't at all surprised by my admission to being not of this world and Tony just scowls at my casual info dump, his curiosity not at all sated as he steps closer to peer at my outfit, "And before you came to our planet, were you some sort of noble? Because that outfit screams money. That's actual gold in the designs in your jacket and those are very large gemstones in your belt"
I look at him with some amusement, "Yes Mr. Stark. The gold conducts very well and the gemstones are designed to store power."
He blinks at that, in full science mode now as he tries to figure my outfit out, "Conduct what? What sort of energy does the belt store?"
Instead of answering, I just bring my hands up and run them down the lines on my chest. A moment later a globe of golden energy bursts out from me and passes through both Tony and Pepper, who jump out of their skins. Tony is wide eyed as he checks himself over and then makes sure Pepper is alright before turning back to me, "What was that supposed to do?"
I chuckle, "It is meant to be a defense against most kinds of magic. Such as the device in your chest that keeps you alive."
Tony actually looks insulted and disappointed at that. He taps his arc reactor, "This? This isn't magic, its science. Guess I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up."
I chuckle, "Come now Mr. Stark, there is a very thin line between magic and science. If you can find it, you will only soar to greater heights. But it is clear you will not believe without a demonstration. I give you permission to test your Repulsor Technology on me."
He perks up at that and a moment later he's grabbing one of his gauntlets and attaching it to his arm. I just stand there as he brings it up and aims it at me. I snap my own hand up as he fires and plant my feet. The continuous beam hits the air right before my palm and a shimmer of energy is the only thing that shows my shield fighting it off.
We hold like that for several moments until I finally begin to feel a slight strain and flash out of the way, letting the repulsor beam hit Tony's wall for a moment before he shuts it off. Raising an eyebrow, I spread my arms wide, "Well now, I'm sure you got plenty of wonderful data from that Mr. Stark."
He's staring at me, clearly trying to reconcile the idea that my simple outfit, even inlaid with gold and studded with gems, is actually capable of standing up to one of his attacks. His musings are cut short by Pepper however, "Tony, you need to see this."
She's opened up the data file I gave her and began to read the information SHIELD wanted Stark given. He moves over to her side and looks over her shoulder for a long moment before grabbing the file and bringing up its contents on his own floating screens, showing the Avengers Initiative and its members in all of their glory, along with the current situation involving Loki and the Tesseract.
I speak up as he gets engrossed in what he's looking at, "SHIELD hopes to see you on the Helicarrier tomorrow morning Mr. Stark."
He nods absently waving dismissively in my direction, "I'll be around eventually. And it seems we're gonna be members of the same superhero team so call me Tony. Mr. Stark was my father."
I chuckle at that, noticing that his eyes have drifted to the video of me fighting the Asgardians and then the Destroyer, "Very well Tony. I'll see you tomorrow."
One more bow to Pepper, "Good evening Ms. Potts." And then I turn and leave. I make sure to look to the ceiling and give a lazy salute as I reach the exit doors, "Jarvis, thank you for your help. Greatly appreciated."
I leave Stark Tower with a wide smile on my face. My mission was complete and I'd given my armor a small test. The best part was the inaccurate readings Stark would probably have after that little display. After all, my outfit had been in storage for months and it was only with constant contact with nature, as vague as that sounds, that it could fully charge. It had not been even close to full power, which would hopefully give Stark an underestimation of its defensive abilities.
Part of me had always enjoyed just how upset it made those witches who chose me as their enemy, that their precious nature was what protected me, an abomination in their eyes. I was a bit of an asshole like that. Given a few days of sunlight and time spent around plant life, I would be completely topped off. I definitely felt like I would need all of the power I could get for the invasion.
XxScenebreakxX
Avengers
(SHIELD Helicarrier)
Arriving back on the Helicarrier drew stares, everyone wondering exactly what I was wearing now. Fury turned when I entered the command deck and did a literal double take, "What the hell are you wearing?"
I chuckle and settle into one of the chairs at the conference table situated behind Fury, "Good to see you too Director. Stark has been briefed and will hopefully be with us soon. As for what I'm wearing… well I didn't exactly show up wearing a SHIELD uniform when I arrived on Earth. This is the last thing I have of home. And it might prove useful in the upcoming days."
Fury scowls, seeming more annoyed by my casual admittance to being an alien in a room full of SHIELD techs than anything else. But I'm sending the message now, at the start of this thing, that SHIELD should consider my employment with them coming to an end. Fury doesn't know how bad it will get, and I'm sure he thinks he'll have to rein me in after this is over. But the Battle for New York will make everything very public.
He eventually nods before turning away from me and continuing the preparations for lifting the Helicarrier out of the water and into the air. More than a few techs have to take a moment to refocus on their stations, as they all turned to stare at me after my announcement.
As we get into the air three of my fellows enter the command deck. My eyes feast upon Natasha in tight jeans and a black jacket, before moving onto a twitchy Banner and an awed Rogers. Fury activates the Helicarrier's stealth systems and turns towards our guests. Steve hands him a ten and walks past him and I'm reminded of the little bet they'd have made earlier. Fury makes a bee line for Banner and they chat for a bit on how to best find the Tesseract.
I'm already moving towards Steve, coming to a stop beside him and smiling once I've caught his attention. I hold out my hand and he takes it with a firm shake as I introduce myself, "Mr. Rogers, a pleasure to meet you. My name is Vali and it is quite exciting to meet the original Superhero."
That gets a tentative smile as he shakes back, "Pleasure to meet you too Vali. Call me Steve. I gotta say, even for the future, you look a bit out of place."
I chuckle slightly at that as the handshake ends and I place my hands behind my back, "That would probably be because I am out of place. I'm an alien Steve. You can call Earth my adopted home, but myself and my clothing are not exactly from around here."
He doesn't really look like he knows what to say to that, but Coulson is more than happy to interrupt and begin monopolizing Steve's time. The awkward bumbling is almost adorable, but it's hard to reconcile the badass SHIELD agent with his current behavior, so I gladly fade into the background, content to spend my time observing the flight deck while subtly checking out Maria Hill's leather clad ass.
Coulson had just gotten around to asking Steve to sign his vintage Captain America trading cards when a tech spoke up and said they had a match for Loki. I rose from my feet even as Fury nodded to both Steve and me, "You're up. The Captain is in charge for this mission."
That last part was obviously directed at me, and I nod amicably as I follow Steve out, smiling on the inside at Fury's attempt at reasserting the control he thought he should have over me.
XxScenebreakxX
Avengers
(Stuttgart, Germany)
Natasha couldn't resist speaking up on the way to Germany, "So who are you supposed to be?"
I smile at that, "Vali. I suppose I'm supposed to be a member of your Avengers Initiative."
Steve is listening with interest, but Natasha just lets out a small hmm as she keeps her eyes forward, "Kinda strange how you came out of nowhere. Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk… if you're supposed to be on par with them, you'd think you'd have made more of an impact before now."
It's clear that she's needling me intentionally, pushing my buttons in an attempt to fish for information. Luckily for her, I have no problem giving her exactly what she wants. Chuckling, I respond with, "That hurts Agent Romanoff. I'd like to think I've made at least a personal impact on you."
That makes her confused but I'm clearly going somewhere with this so she pushes me for more, "What sort of impact would that be? We've never met before today."
"Oh how quickly you forget! I pulled you out of freezing cold water in Russia once. Healed you of hypothermia and saved your life."
That causes her to stiffen up and her face to pale, but she remains the consummate professional and keeps her eyes forward, speaking more shortly now, "Not possible. He's dead."
I grin and move from my spot across from Steve to right behind Natasha in a moment. She reacts as fast as she can, her hand immediately moving to the gun holstered on her waist, but I am of course faster and my hand closes around her wrist before she can get halfway there. Slowly I bring her arm back up to the controls and she clasps them once more with both hands.
She's almost hyperventilating now and Steve is tensing up behind me so I ease off and release her before stepping back to leave both of them in my field of vision, smile still on my face, "Sorry, sorry. No need to worry Natasha. I'm on your side after all. I've always been on SHIELD's side. Maybe don't mention I let you know the whole secret though. I'm pretty sure it's above your clearance level."
I give a wink to Steve, who is looking upset with me at this point, and settle down into my seat once more. The rest of the ride to Germany passes in absolute awkward silence. I think we even arrive a bit faster with the speeds Natasha begins pushing.
When we arrived, it was to find Loki terrorizing a crowd of civilians. I'm pretty sure Steve wanted to make some sort of attack plan, but Loki was about to blast an old man who was standing up to him. Steve ended up jumping out early and I followed as he blasted Loki back with his own energy shot and then made some comparisons between Loki and Hitler.
As they squared off, everyone began to run away and I moved through the crowd to stand beside Captain America, playing needlessly with my cuff links as I did so. My appearance immediately caught Loki's attention and he sneered as he pointed his scepter in my direction, "You!"
I just smile in response, "Hello again Loki of Asgard. Once more, I find you trespassing. Is this going to become a common occurrence?"
Steve glances between us, "You two have met?"
I chuckle and shake my head, "Not in person. There was this whole thing in New Mexico, SHIELD has some recordings if you want to see them. Let's focus on this first though."
Loki is clearly feeling ignored, as he launches a blast of blue energy towards us. I'm already gone and Steve rolls out of the way before throwing his shield into Loki's midsection. As Steve closes in on the godling and they begin to duke it out, I provide support instead of taking the main role that would see Loki most likely defeated in seconds.
Still, I remember the original fight seeming to go more in Loki's favor, as even with his shield Steve had a hard time gaining an upper hand. Here and now with me helping, Loki is on the backfoot… and as I hear Iron Man blasting Shoot to Thrill from his speakers I find myself launching a kick at the back of Loki's head that he can't react to in time, my boot slamming into his skull and propelling him forward into the ground, his scepter flying from his hands as the wind is knocked out of him.
He comes to a stop and lays there as Tony comes flying up to land right in between Loki and his scepter, engaging all of his weapons and aiming them down at Loki just as the godling is raising his head to look up at this newest enemy, "Your move Reindeer games."
Loki's armor fades away as he surrenders and Tony disengages his weapons, "Good move."
I make a point of grabbing the staff even as Steve secures Loki, taking it in my hands and settling into the seat opposite of Loki as Tony and Steve move to the front of the ship and we take off. I can feel the Mind Stone reaching out to me even now, but I can also feel the connection between it and Loki, the power it gives him.
I can also feel it trying to affect me, attempting to incite negative emotion and affect my very thoughts. It's good to know that at the very least the enchantments on my Kemiya armor keep the mind stone from working on me as its even now working on Stark and Rogers. I push back and I can actually feel the stone's surprise at that, at my acknowledgment of it. Its next move is more tentative as it brushes against my presence and gets a better read of me. I brush back and share with it a greatest hits collection so to speak of my own playing with minds.
It's not overly impressed, not that I expected it to be given the difference between our capabilities. Stroking the blade that houses the stone itself one last time, I secure the Staff just as the thunderstorm outside starts. Until that moment Loki had been staring at me as I played with his weapon, but now we both look to the ceiling, both anticipating what is to come.
A moment later Thor lands on the top of our plane, rocking it, and I stand and open the rear doors before Tony can get to them. Thor lands on the boarding ramp and is stopped short at the sight of me, blinking. I smile and spread my arms, being as welcoming as I can be, "Thor of Asgard, how wonderful. Come in, it's gotten a bit violent out there."
My words throw Thor off balance, that much is clear. He narrows his eyes after a moment though, "I am here for Loki. Stand aside Vali."
I let the smile on my face turn frosty and stare Thor down, "How easily you forget your oath to SHIELD, your debt to them. You would attack those who gave you shelter, gave you a home in your exile?"
My words hit him hard and a moment later he deflates visibly, "… No." before stepping past me and settling into the seat I had occupied before, across from Loki. He pays no attention to Stark or Steve, but that's probably fine with them given that they're staring at me as I close the rear doors and turn back to them.
The entire plane is silent for the moment as we continue on our course to the Helicarrier but Tony does speak up as I walk past Thor and Loki, leaving them to their quiet conversation to join Tony and Steve at the front of the plane, "What the hell was that Goldie?"
I just chuckle at Tony's incessant need to come up with insulting nicknames and wave my hand dismissively, "There was this thing in New Mexico. All you need to know is Thor is on our side. No picking fights with our allies Tony, don't think I didn't notice you using me as cover to charge your repulsors."
He just gives me one of those looks, like he's not at all sorry. After that, it's smooth sailing back to base.
A/N: Vali is the glue holding this team together! Isn't that sad?
N: So this is a thing. I probably should have split this chapter into two around the point that it goes from "Avengers" to "Avengers Epilogue"... but fuck that have the whole thing. I was feeling inspired. Also the idea behind the last part of the chapter goes to dasstan who used his award to tell me it should be what happens!
I really hope you guys enjoy this. I feel like I poured my soul into this thing in order to write 8.5k words in 2 days.
Avengers
(Helicarrier, Command Deck)
We listen in from the Command Deck as Loki and Fury exchange banter and threats. Fury definitely comes away from the victor of that verbal exchange. 'Let me know if Real Power wants a magazine' was pure gold and I think everyone knew it. Then Stark walks onto the bridge and monopolizes everyone's attention. I watch on amused as he and Banner nerd out before departing for their lab.
Everyone goes their separate ways and I really don't have much to say to any of them right now, so I head towards the containment area. Seems even with my rebellious actions of late I'm still registered as a Level 7 SHIELD Agent and I'm allowed to enter the outer ring of the special prison they've constructed for the Hulk and dumped Loki into.
I blur into place outside the cage and it takes Loki a few moments to look up and see me. His eyes narrow dangerously and he stands up, walking a few steps towards me and allowing a small smile to grace his face as he looks to take control of the conversation, "I must say, I wasn't expecting you."
I smile at that, "Do you mean here and now, or at all Loki of Asgard? In their plans for the Tesseract and the Earth, did your masters even factor me in?"
He smirks wider at that even as I see the flash of anger in his eyes at the mention of his 'masters', "Not at all, despite your clearly high opinion of yourself, you mean nothing in the gran-"
I interrupt him, "You look terrible by the way."
He stops at the non-sequitur and looks confused at the concern in my tone, "What?"
My grin widens, "You hide it well enough Asgardian. Perhaps a touch of illusion to make yourself presentable, hmm? I can see the scars on your soul Loki of Asgard."
That gets to him and he approaches the glass of his tank with a snarl on his face, "You know nothing about me!"
I chuckle at that, "I have some experience in these matters my young friend. I know a victim of torture when I see one. Tell me Loki, how long did it take you to break?"
I step closer to the glass as well and continue as Loki slowly clenches his fists and grits his jaw, "Was it long before they were in your head and you were telling them everything they wanted to know? I can't imagine it was, if it only took them a year to turn you into their obedient little pet."
I punctuate each of those last three words with a tap on the glass of his cage. He doesn't like that, slamming his fist into the glass but not hard enough to crack it and roaring back at me, "I am Loki of Asgard! I am no one's pet!"
I take a step back and smile at his completely loss of control, "Of Asgard? How can you be of Asgard when you forsake your loving family for a hopeless chance at power that will inevitably slip right through your grasp? You may have been raised on Asgard, but all I see before me now is Jotun."
With those parting words I turn and begin to walk away. Loki isn't happy with that at all, screaming after me, "How dare you! Don't walk away from me! How?! How do you know so much?! We aren't done here yet!"
I turn and give him one last smile, "I think you'll find we're quite done."
And then I leave. I get down the corridor before Natasha grabs me suddenly and pulls me into what looks like an empty conference room. I blink at her forwardness, I had gotten the impression she was terrified of me after learning who I was but now she just looked angry and even a bit… lustful?
With a rather primal growl, she pushed against my chest and I let it make me stumble back into the wall, interested in what this was. Natasha definitely was not acting like herself. Finally she spoke, her teeth gritted, "What did you do to me?"
I blink at that and frown, "I think we've already been over that Agent Romanoff. I pulled you out of the water and healed you. My blood has regenerative properties and Agent Coulson gave me the go ahead to save you."
She pales slightly but maintains her anger, "And what else does your blood do? Because simple regeneration doesn't explain why I've been feeling strange ever since."
I frown at that, considering the woman in front of me, as well as the only other woman I'd fed my blood to since arriving on this world. Darcy had seemed a bit different after our night together as well, she'd definitely been more adventurous and aggressive when I'd come onto her with her boss so close by. I was beginning to wonder if there was something going on that I didn't know about. Omnipotent me might be fucking with me somehow…
But such musings weren't really helping me with the angered woman in front of me. I shrug my shoulders and smile sheepishly, "If you'd died with it in your system, you'd have become like me. But I assure you, you did not die. We'd both know it, as I do have to sustain myself on the blood of others, much like you humans eat and drink food and water. How have you been feeling different?"
She frowns as she takes this information in before answering almost absently, clearly considering what I'm saying, "Some urges. Heightened senses. A bit more strength, a bit more speed."
I blink at that. Honestly its sounding more and more like I turned her into a werewolf… but there have been numerous full moons since I fed her my blood back in Russia, and I'm pretty sure she'd be a lot more upset with me if she was breaking every bone in her body once a month. Not to mention I'm sure SHIELD would know and be a lot more upset with me as well.
No… it sounded like she was getting some of the qualities of my werewolf side from my blood, but not all of them. Certainly not the bad ones. I clear my throat and distract her from her musings, "That doesn't sound so bad. I admit, you are only the second human I healed with my blood since arriving on your world. It is entirely possible, these are side effects I wasn't counting on."
She narrows her eyes at me, before seeming to have some sort of revelation, "When you say your blood has regenerative properties, what does that mean exactly?"
Shrugging again, I answer truthfully, "My blood does not target or pick a focus. A few drops of my blood is all it takes to fix any problems your body might be having. It merely brings you to the best possible health for a woman of your age."
Now Natasha is looking a bit like someone punched her in the gut. In fact, her hand unconsciously moves to abdomen, hovering over it. She looks like she wants to ask something else, before thinking better of it and shaking her head, turning to go, "I need to go. Need to interrogate the prisoner."
As she leaves I call after her one last time, "Might want to give it a tiny bit! I may have pissed him off a tad!" She doesn't react, but I figure she probably heard me.
I stand there for a moment staring after her. How very interesting, this seeming change to what my blood is capable of. After all of this is over, I'm going to have to do a bit of testing. With a wicked smile at the fun 'testing' promises, I leave the empty conference room behind and head for medical. I have time for a bit of a snack and while I'd prefer to take it from a pretty doctor's neck, I'll settle for blood bags if my seductive abilities fail to penetrate the cold SHIELD exterior of those medical professionals on board.
XxScenebreakxX
Avengers
(Helicarrier, Research Lab)
I walk into the lab still nursing a blood bag to find everyone else already here. I get some looks, but mostly everyone is happy to be arguing with one another. Eventually Bruce takes hold of one of the screens and points at it, "I'd like to know, why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction."
Fury responds by pointing at me, "Because of him."
I freeze like a deer in the headlights for a moment, still sipping my blood bag. Bringing it down from my bloodstained lips, I smile weakly which probably doesn't help given the current red on my teeth. I was kind of expecting to stay in the background of this conversation. Fury was supposed to single out Thor here. I guess I'd changed things.
I don't respond, but Fury seems content to continue, "Last year, he shows up and turns everything on its head. He gives us evidence that aliens have been coming to Earth for longer than humanity has known civilization. According to Agent Masters, we're a dumping ground for dangerous technology and dangerous artifacts, and now we're a target for those out there that want them. We have to defend ourselves and right now we are hopelessly, hilariously outgunned."
Everyone is actually… silent for a moment at that, as Thor can't exactly refute the truth of my claims and the others digest the fact that it's not a matter of if, but when aliens invade Earth. Stark can't resist opening his mouth though, "Because nuclear deterrents have worked so well in the past."
Fury responds with a crack about Tony's past weapons dealings and Steve takes the moment to jump down Tony's throat alongside him. Thor jumps in with a crack about humanity being unevolved and Natasha jumps in to call everyone naïve. The argument grows and grows for a few moments before I finally speak up, "That is enough!"
Everyone actually does stop talking for a moment. Tony opens his mouth to make another jab but I cut him off, "You're all being influenced by the scepter."
That fully stops everyone in their tracks and more than one turn to look at the glowing gem at the top of the weapon. Fury keeps his eyes on me though, "Are we now? What are you seeing?"
I smile at that, I knew Coulson would include my bullshit magical sight in his report, "What I am seeing Director, is the scepter reaching out to all of us. It is a wave of negative emotions designed to ferment discord, divide us… build anger."
I include that last part with a look at Banner. He just grimaces and takes a long step away from the scepter. Now Fury is looking to the magical artifact with pursed lips, "Then we need to remove this thing to a safe distance. How far is its reach?"
I shake my head, "It's not about reach, nowhere on this Helicarrier is exactly safe from the thing's influence. But if we can all engage in a little self-control until the Tesseract is found, we'll be fine. Just keep in mind that any negative thoughts are probably the work of the magical artifact in our midst, and get angry about everything later when you know you're no longer being influenced."
This causes Stark to scoff, "Right, of course the SHIELD stooge wouldn't want us to talk about what SHIELD has been using the Tesseract for."
Steve steps forward with a stormy expression, and it's clear they're both about to go at it again when Banner's computer suddenly beeps with the location of the Tesseract. He rushes over to it and after a moment blinks, "This can't be…"
Natasha steps up behind it, "What is it Doctor?"
Banner turns to look at Tony, "The Tesseract is at Stark Tower."
And of course that's the moment the room explodes and everyone is sent flying. I had been beginning to wonder when the attack on the Helicarrier would start. I was pretty sure I did not remember Banner getting a chance to reveal that knowledge in the original timeline. I alone still stood amongst the burning wreckage of the lab having weathered the blast, watching as Tony and Steve helped each other to their feet and rushed out.
I barely pay attention as Fury makes calls into his ear piece to get everyone moving. Thor runs off somewhere, and I'm left staring at the windows that Natasha and Bruce just went flying through. Down on the deck below, Natasha's leg is trapped under some wreckage, and Banner is losing control and becoming the Hulk right next to her.
I know in the original timeline, she's fine. She gets thrown once or twice, but considering she then manages to fight off an alien invasion and eat shawarma, I imagine that the Hulk can't possibly have done any permanent damage to her. So I should be perfectly in my rights to not go down there and save her. She'd be fine without me.
But then, I've changed things haven't I? Natasha Romanoff is not the same anymore. And while those changes were probably positive, it does mean the outcome can also change. She might die down there in those maintenance tunnels up against the great green monster. With one last forlorn look to the door that Stark and Rogers went through, I move to the window and jump down.
With casual ease I pull the pipe off of a panicking Romanoff. She immediately scrambles free, looking at me with wide eyes even as Banner continues to freak out in the background. I fling my arm out towards what I assume to be an exit, "Go! I've got Banner."
She doesn't need to be told twice, but then the Hulk definitely comes across as one of her greatest fears. And as I turn to Banner and find the snarling face of a green monster staring me down, I'm forced to admit it's with good reason. His first swipe misses me. As does his second. I flash around him from moment to moment, causing him to roar in aggravation at his inability to hit me.
Once I'm sure Natasha has fled successfully, I come to a stop and beckon the Hulk forward. With a bellowing roar, he leads where I follow like a good little beast. I'm always one step ahead of him as I guide him through the Helicarrier towards a point I know he can run off an edge and not be able to come back.
As we go, Fury's voice speaks up in my ear, "Agent Masters, what the hell are you doing?"
When I speak, it's even and calm, my tone matter-of-fact, not slightly winded or breathless in the least, "The Hulk will destroy the Helicarrier if allowed to rampage freely. I'm going to get him off the ship before he brings the whole thing down."
"… Very well, continue."
I just smile and shake my head at Fury's continued attempts at shows of control. Finally coming to a window that gives a nice large view of the open sky I stop and swipe at it, shattering the glass with ease even as I feel the Hulk coming at me from behind. Admittedly, the next part is my own hubris that gets me. As I feel the Hulk leap at me from behind, I know I could flash to the side easily and he'd jump right past. But I go for the cool guy move and duck down so he'll go right over my head.
Let it never be said that there is not intelligence behind that anger filled gaze. Even as the Hulk goes flying over my head, his large hand reaches out and scoops me, and a moment later I'm flying through the air with him as we both begin a fall of thirty thousand feet. He has a hold of me now, his large fingers wrapped partially around my body as he roars into my face and brings his free hand down in a fist directly on my chest.
He impacts the center of my mass, and the sound of a gong rings through the air as my wonderful Kemiya Armor holds for the time being and his fist is propelled backwards. Not inclined to take too many more of those punches, in his moment of confusion I grab his neck and pull him down to eye level with me, or more accurately I drag my eye level as close to his as I can, "Enough! You will cease attacking me this instant!"
The compulsion works and the Hulk immediately turns docile. I have to latch onto him though as part of him turning docile involves him releasing the grip he has on me. As we fall, I consider the fact that I really need to look into getting some form of personal flight if I'm going to commonly be on aircraft such as the Helicarrier, because though both the Hulk and I will survive this landing easily, I really don't want to ever repeat it.
Making sure the Hulk is beneath me to minimize any damage I or my clothing might take, I watch the ground approach fast, and moments later we crash through the ceiling of a large empty warehouse and make quite the mess. As I dismounted from the Hulk, he got up, still angry and looked around for long moments huffing and puffing. But even though his gaze fell on me more than once, he was unable to do anything about it.
An elderly man, probably maintenance of some sort came out of the woodworks once Banner had de-hulked, staring at both of us in shock. I wave a hand dismissively at him. Don't have time for the old coot, because of my own hubris I missed a ton of fun stuff back in the Helicarrier, and I'm rather upset about that now. As I begin walking towards the exit of the warehouse, I call back to the old guy, "Tell him to meet us in New York when he wakes up. He'll be needed."
I don't listen for a response, just zipping away towards New York City with all of my speed.
XxScenebreakxX
Avengers
(Stark Tower)
I don't bother with the door this time, my agility lets me jump up the side of the tower with little difficulty, so I use it, appearing behind Loki where he stands on the balcony. He whirls around in shock, eyes wide and scepter glowing with power in his hands, "You!"
Immediately after that he fires a blast of energy from the scepter, but I'm already gone, kicking him in the back. Only, it's an illusion of course, and I'm forced to zip away again as he tries to skewer me through my chest. We both find ourselves staring the other down for a long moment, so I take the time to speak, a cruel smile on my face, "Me."
Loki sneers at me, "You can't stop it. Nothing can. The Chitauri come regardless of your actions. In the end, you are as meaningless as I said Outsider."
I raise an eyebrow at that, "Do you think you insult me with such a title Asgardian? I suppose you get closer with it then anyone else has so far. You're right, I am an Outsider. I am beyond you little Asgardian. I am beyond the one who holds your leash and I am beyond his master as well. I am outside your realm of understanding."
I have to flash away again as he once more tries to sneak up on me and use the scepter. He actually looks a bit smug at that as we once more square off, and this time he's the one who restarts the conversation, "Yet you fear the touch of my weapon. You fear the possibility I might control your mind."
I just smile back again, "The weapon you hold is beyond you as well little prince. You have been sent here to secure the Tesseract. Did you think they thought you capable of doing so as you were? You have been handed a weapon that houses an artifact of equal power to the Tesseract. Yet you cannot make full use of its capabilities. Your mind is closed to the possibilities."
I chuckle as we circle Stark's penthouse staring each other down and continue, "You hold in your hands incomprehensible power, and you use it in the service of others because you cannot comprehend it."
I can hear Stark approaching from miles away, mostly because I've been listening for it. While I'm quite sure that Jarvis will inform Stark of my appearance eventually, I smile and hold a finger to my lips before leaving Loki behind in Stark tower. He and Tony have their own act to play out after all.
A few minutes later and the portal is opening above the tower. I watch from the ground with everyone else as the Chitauri fly through and Tony moves to meet them, doing his best to halt the assault but failing. Bringing my fingers to my lips, I whistle sharply and catch the attention of everyone nearby. I suspect I cut a strange figure in my Kemiya, but my words and immediate actions afterwards get their attention.
"Everyone start running!" And then I grab the nearest parked car and toss it straight at one of the Chitauri speeders racing down towards street level. God I've always wanted to do that. I spend the next while killing aliens and saving people directly, yelling a lot about running away from the fighting as I tear through the Chitauri ground forces like so much paper.
Eventually I come to a stop at the ramp of a crashed plane right as the Captain along with Hawkeye and Black Widow step out of it. I incline my head respectfully towards Steve, "Captain, I'm at your command."
Natasha can't resist snarking, I think possibly because of the bit of wolf my blood has left in her, "Where the hell have you been?"
I smile at that, "Falling from thirty thousand feet in the air in the grasp of a certain Hulk we know and love. More recently? I've been saving people."
Before Steve can give any orders we're all forced to look up at the sky as the first space whale comes bellowing through the portal.
After a moment of staring Steve turns and points at me, "Keep doing what you're doing. We'll support."
Inclining my head again, I get back to work. I could speed through this city and kill thousands of the ground forces in minutes if I moved at full speed, but I was only letting this happen for the publicity, so I held back long enough that civilian after civilian knew they had me to thank for their salvation. I may have scarred a few here and there, as they watched me bat heads off alien bodies, or plant my arm straight through alien chests.
I made sure to move back through where Clint and Natasha were fighting multiple times, taking out Chitauri that were trying to sneak up on them as I went. Eventually Thor came down to our level and I came to a stop with the rest as we took a moment to regroup. I take that moment to pull out the case of vials I'd stopped and made along the way to New York, each filled with my blood.
That causes a moment of confusion as I hold them out so I explain, "My blood can heal you, something Natasha can attest to. Given what we're in the middle of, a reset of your health back to prime condition will probably be crucial to keeping us all going for however long this invasion lasts. A few drops is all you need, so keep the vial safe and secure and you'll be able to use it multiple times."
I see Natasha glance at the alien armies around us, and she nods slowly before taking a vial, as Barton, Rogers, and Thor all do the same. It seems she's not going to voice concerns about what else my blood does, not in the current situation. How adorable, she considers the Chitauri a bigger problem than me right now.
And then Banner showed up as well. He gave me a strange look and I wondered for a moment how much he could remember from when he was transformed, but then he looks back at Steve, "So… this all seems horrible."
Natasha makes a quip about having seen worse and I roll my eyes, she hadn't even had to fight him thanks to me! And then Tony is bringing the fucking space whale right towards us, Banner is telling us he's always angry, and a moment later there's dead space whale guts everywhere and we're all standing in a circle looking up at the Chitauri armies.
A moment after that Stark speaks up, "Call it Captain."
Captain America is in full business mode now as he makes the calls, "Alright listen up. Until we can close that portal our biggest priority is containment."
"Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything, call out patterns."
"Stark, you've got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash."
Then he looks to me, "Vali, you've got more speed than any of us. There are still people trapped in the war zone. I want you doing your best to keep them safe and get them towards the perimeter."
I give him my best winning grin and nod before racing off, not really needing to stick around to hear the rest of the team's orders. After that it's more of the same as I save people and kill aliens left and right. I'd probably be coated in blood by now if it wasn't for the enchantments on my outfit keeping the whole thing relatively spotless.
It keeps me looking nice as I save the day personally for countless normal people trapped in this mess. This is exactly where I wanted to be for this battle. I could have ended this conflict before it began, I could have even stopped this whole thing at the point that Loki had come through the Tesseract in the first place. But this was what I wanted. I wanted this war, this battle. I wanted the spotlight and I wanted the world to see me as its champion, a hero that stood alongside the likes of Iron Man and Captain America and saved the nameless masses from harm.
Time went on, alien bodies piled up, buildings crumbled from the furious battle going on overhead, and I just kept saving people secure in the knowledge that others would end the actual battle. Eventually though I hear Natasha call out that she can close it, and then the fateful call from Stark as he talks of the missile that the World Security Council has sent at us. There are no Chitauri left in my vicinity, so I'm treated to a front row seat as Tony flies the missle right through the large portal in the sky. The Chitauri begin to fall over dead a few moments later as the nuke strikes the mothership on the other side.
A few moments after that Steve tells Nat to close it, and she does so, the large gaping rift beginning to grow smaller instantly. Then Tony is falling and I zip forward to arrive beside Thor as the Hulk drops the limp Iron Man suit to the ground and Thor rips off the faceplate. I watch as Steve believes Tony to be gone, the Hulk roars, and Tony opens his eyes wide gasping.
There are more quips all around and we head back to the tower to take Loki into custody. I'm only really half present, too happy to have finally made it to this point to really celebrate with the rest. Soon enough the group was heading out for Shawarma. I just smiled and made my excuses for why I couldn't come. I had something to do on the Helicarrier still after all.
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