Every muscle in my body ached as my recent encounter with Loki lingered as pain. My skin stung where I was slashed, resulting in new tears in my jacket. Luckily, hardly any blood was spilled, perhaps only a drop or two were able to escape.

Loki, on the other hand, managed to escape without so much as a scratch and showed no sign of weakness, other than surrendering once Stark gave him a good run in.

However, my instincts imagined there was something behind his choice. Loki didn't come across as the type to surrender.

We had him strapped into a seat, well harnessed to prevent any means of escape. Though he didn't appear so intimidating now in this state. His head hung low as he stared at his lap, making pretense he was forever discouraged of victory.

Thunder loomed overhead, adding to my aching head, as the sky flashed with every rumble.

"Said anything?" Director Fury's voice sounded over the radio.

"Not a word," Natasha replied.

"Just get him here," he ordered urgently. "We're low on time."

I lounged on a bench with my back against the wall, attempting to ease my aching limbs, my left leg propped up with the other resting flat just behind.

My mind raced furiously as it replayed the events of my first fight. Every swing I made. Every dodge. Every punch I threw, and the magic I used. And the one mistake I could not have made. All the mistakes I could not have made.

"I knew this was a mistake," Steve uttered to Tony.

"What?" Tony questioned. "Was the music too much? Too big of an entrance? Not the right music?"

"Having a kid handle a hero's job."

"And who decided to take a nap?" Stark fired in my defense.

"Yeah," I added in, "I don't recall the 'hero' doing all of the work."

"It wasn't by choice," he defended.

"I'd say she handled it pretty well. Even if she is just a kid, she's the one I'd call for a rescue."

While Steve rolled his eyes in this pursuit to discredit him, Stark flashed me a wink that said, I got you, kid. But even that couldn't sway the power of my thoughts.

There was only one mistake that flashed into mind. Again and again, it irked me.

I could still see it, as I stared down at my hand, watching it spark, sparking, unable to produce the flame I intended to conjure. Everything had moved too quickly at that moment for me to understand the reasons behind this.

Now the guilt was piling on all at once.

I started listing the possibilities for this unexpected occurrence. Perhaps I was distracted; maybe I was panicking; I was moving too fast; possibly the excitement was too much; whatever the case, it was no excuse.

There I went on rambling again, evaluating myself, deducting my being, just as my habit instructed.

I lay my head against the wall and closed my eyes for a five-second nap.

Just relax Jackie. The hard part is over, I said in comfort to myself. For now.

When I looked up from my nap, Stark was looking down at me, his worry lines slightly diminished.

"How are you feeling Jack?" he asked.

"I'm alive, aren't I? Isn't that a good sign?"

But his posture made it clear he was being sincere.

"Fine," I replied, refusing to look up. "Pain is mostly gone."

"You took a good beating, kid," Romanoff stated. "I'm proud."

I shrugged. "It was nothing. It's all part of the job."

"Don't worry Jack. Dr. Banner will fix you up good as new," Stark promised.

But I had nothing more to say. My eyes shifted upwards for a brief moment, catching Cap's eye. He had nothing to say, not that I took any surprise in that. I only took on Loki myself while he was on the ground, and I had to save his life, not to mention while he was unconscious.

I even snatched a glance towards Romanoff so as to read her expression and to predict her inner thoughts. But I found, upon a glance, she had given the first stare, then immediately turned away as I repaid the gesture.

Suspicion.

Odd... I thought to myself.

Steve crept close towards Tony, concern read in his eyes. "I don't like it," he murmured out of Loki's earshot.

"What?" Tony asked. "Rock of Ages giving up so easily?"

"I don't remember it being ever that easy."

Whoa! Hold up! Upon this accusation, my aching limbs screamed out in protest. I snapped my head up, glaring at his remark. Really? "That was easy?" I responded in a low voice. "This coming from the guy who was knocked out for half of the fight. You know I don't seek pity for the pain I endured, but-"

He ignored me. "This guy packs a wallop."

"I know. I took most of it."

Steve rolled his eyes and stared me down. "If I couldn't even handle him, what made you think you could?"

"Well, for one thing, I didn't end up unconscious."

His glare upon me being a claimed victory on my end.

Personally, I think my stepping in was an upgrade.

Tony winked at me, saying with his face He'll thank you later.

That'll be the day.

"Still," Stark continued, "you're pretty spry, for an older fellow."

A lot older.

"What's your thing? Pilates?"

"What?" Steve furrowed his brow.

I was barely able to suppress a snicker towards his ignorance of twenty-first-century events.

Stark was nice enough to explain with terms he understood. "It's like calisthenics. You might have missed a couple of things, you know-"

"Doing time as a capsicle," I interrupted, smirking with pride at my own remark.

"Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in," Steve informed me.

Of course not. "SHIELD is never short of secrets. Fury is no exception."

Stark decided to break up our little war zone. "Hey kid, why don't you watch reindeer games till we get back to the quinjet?"

"Why do I have to watch the murderer?"

"It'll be like a family reunion."

I cocked a single brow in a sudden state of confusion. But considering the thoughts scrambling my brain, I wasn't interested. "I'm not even gonna ask."

Slowly I rose to my feet, exhaustion mostly melted away as I transferred to the other end of the ship and sat across from Loki. Admittedly not the most comfortable of situations, considering the recent circumstances.

He dared not meet my gaze until I seated myself in my original position, staring furiously at my hand as I studied it, for further investigation in meaning to this unexpected occurrence.

"So," came a low, deep voice, "you're the wielder of fire."

My gaze rose to his, reflecting a mischievous glare into my blazing ones. "Yeah. What's it to you?"

"How desperate they must be. Such a small child to take on a god of ultimate power."

"Power has nothing to do with size," I returned his insult.

He merely smirked when his gaze diverted to my palm. "It's a shame really," he stated, referencing to my hand. "You were quite a challenge. At least, you were bigger than you let on. Not many are capable of deceiving me."

"Is this your way of insulting me? Through shallow flattery?"

That menacing smirk was all the reply he gave.