╟╫╫╫╫╢

I opened the door to Banner's lab, looking around at all the fancy equipment and lit up computer screens.

"If we bypass their mainframe and direct a reroute to the Homer cluster, we can clock this around six hundred teraflops," Tony said to Bruce as he tapped away at a screen.

"All I packed was a toothbrush," Bruce responded jokingly.

Tony looked up as I entered, and pointed a finger at me.

"Little Al," he said, stepping around the computer screen, "You fit a small, right? You're what, thirty-two inches around the waist?"

"Thirty-one," I frowned, tilting my head, "Little Al? So is that sticking?"

"You're 5'4" kid, what did you expect?" He tousled my hair as he made for the door, "Be back in a jiff, doctor, don't miss me too much."

"I'm only like three inches shorter than him," I muttered defensively as I strode slowly over to Banner, eyeing Loki's sceptre.

It was long and gently curved, with a glowing blue stone at its head. The blue light reflected against the stark-white table like the sun over water.

"Banner... I'm sorry about what Loki said," I spoke slowly, and he looked up, his glasses low on his nose. "It's just, I get what it's like, not to be in control. I get what it's like for people to be afraid."

"Don't apologize," Banner waved his hand, "He made a play at you too."

I shrugged.

"So these... Abilities of yours. You can create fire at will?" He asked curiously, putting down the glowing tool he'd been operating.

I nodded, bringing a small flame to life in my hand. "I only just learned how. Before it was something I tried to suppress. As though if I didn't use it, it would just go away. But ignoring it—pushing it down—it..."

"It just makes it worse," Banner offered, "Harder to control when it does get the better of you."

I looked up at him, meeting his sincere eyes. I nodded softly.

"You've dealt with these your whole life," Banner said, sighing, "I couldn't imagine, kid."

"But practicing getting control of it... It doesn't just help me deal with my outbursts," I said quietly, searching for the right words, "It feels good. Brining the fire feels really, really good."

"I wish the other guy was something I could learn to control," he said, lowering his gaze to the staff, "Maybe it is. If so, I'd love to learn. Because keeping him down takes a lot out of me."

I was about to answer when the door to the lab opened again, announcing Stark's return.

"You know, you should come by Stark Towers sometime. Top ten floors, all R&D. You'd love it, it's Candy Land."

"Thanks, but the last time I was in New York I kind of broke..." He looked at me with a soft smile, "...Harlem."

"Well, I promise a stress free environment," Tony answered, "No tension. No surprises."

"Ow!" Banner yelped, and I noticed Tony had jabbed him in the side with a small electrical prod.

I chuckled.

"Nothing?" Tony asked.

"Hey, are you nuts?" Suddenly, the voice of Steve alerted the room to his presence. I hadn't even heard him walk in.

"Jury's out," Tony shot back, before looking back at Bruce, "You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz, bongo drums, huge bag of weed?"

"Is everything a joke to you?"

"Funny things are," Stark pointed the electrical prod at Steve.

"Steve, relax. Banner's fine." I folded my arms and glared.

I didn't like the way people acted around Bruce. It seemed Tony and I were the only ones to treat him with any ounce of normality. I could understand why everyone tip-toed. After all, pissing him off could be a death sentence.

But I thought back to the way some of the servants at the palace in Asgard had treated me after the accident. I thought back to how my own dad had always treated me. The way they walked on egg shells, like if they made one wrong move, I would explode. Like I wasn't even a conscious human being. Like I was just some killing machine that would explode if you pushed the wrong button.

"Stark's threatening the safety of everyone on this ship," he said to me, before looking to Bruce, "No offence, Doc."

"No it's alright," Bruce responded, "I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things."

He looked at me as he spoke, and I offered him a sympathetic smile.

"You're tip-toeing big man," Stark said as he padded across the lab, "You need to strut."

"And you need to focus on the problem, Mr. Stark," Steve cut in.

"You think I'm not?" Tony answered, "Why did Fury call us in? Why now? Why not before?"

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, frowning.

"I mean, there's someting he isn't telling us," Tony explained, as he began to dig through a bag of blueberries, "I can't do the equation unless I have all the variables."

Steve looked pointedly at Tony. "You think Fury's hiding something?"

"He's a spy," Tony nodded, "Captain, he's the spy. His secrets have secrets. It's bugging him too, isn't it?" Tony asked, gesturing at Bruce.

"Uh... I just want to finish my work here, and..."

The way he said it made my stomach twist a little. Bruce was suspicious too. The two smartest men aboard this ship thought Fury had something to hide.

"Doctor?" Steve prodded.

Bruce sighed, opening his mouth to respond. Before he could get anything out, the door to the lab opened again. I turned to see a head of short auburn curls.

"Nat?" I tilted my head, turning to face her.

"I'm going to go talk to Loki," she said, "Figured I'd ask if you wanted to join me, seeing as how you knew him way back when."

I looked back at the three men in the room, all wearing faces of concern and suspicion. I turned back to Nat. "Yeah," I said, nodding slowly, "Yeah, okay."

I walked with Nat, a sick feeling in my throat at the thought of seeing Loki. Natasha seemed to notice my discomfort and stopped, placing a hand on my shoulder and turning me to face her.

"You're sure you're up for this?" she asked kindly, "It's alright if you don't want to see him."

"No, it's alright. I want to, really," I said, then sighed, "Okay, maybe that's a lie, but... I have to face him eventually."

She nodded. "If you're sure."

We carried on, making our way towards the detention centre of the ship. Outside, it was pitch dark, the stars completely clear above the clouds. I wrung my hands nervously as we ascended a flight of stairs. Nat looked at me and gave me an assuring nod, before quietly pushing open the door. I followed her in slowly, my arms folded across my chest.

His back was to us when we entered. I stayed behind Nat, who silently stepped up to the glass.

"There's not many people who can sneak up on me," Loki said slowly.

"But you figured I'd come," Nat responded, holding her ground and looking down her nose at him. I shifted uncomfortably behind her.

"After," Loki said, taking a step closer, "After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm. And I would cooperate."

When he'd come to stand directly across from her, a wicked smile curled his lips. He peered around her shoulders, down at me.

"I almost didn't notice you, cowering there," Loki said, his voice dripping with amusement, "Hiding from me, are you, pet?"

I scowled, but said nothing. I didn't want to admit it to myself, but he was right. I was hiding from him. I could hardly stand the thought of facing him. Which is why I was here. If I was going to fight him, I needed to know what I was up against.

"I want to know what you've done to Agent Barton," Nat said, stepping closer and shielding me from him.

"I would say I've expanded his mind," Loki responded, his voice low and smooth.

"And once you've won," Nat began, stalking closer to the glass, "Once you're King of the Mountain, what happens to his mind?"

"Oh," Loki said, eyes flicking briefly to me, "Is this love Agent Romanoff?"

Nat folded her arms. "Love is for children, I owe him a debt."

Loki backed up, raising his hands. "Tell me."

Nat sighed, looking down. She began to pace. "Before I worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. I, uh—Well, I made a name for myself."

She seated herself, and looked back at me. I couldn't read her expression. "I have a very specific skill set. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me. He made a different call."

I wanted to step forward. To place a hand on her shoulder and comfort her. And yet I found myself to afraid to take even a single step closer to the glass. And Loki knew it. I could tell in the way he smirked at me from behind the glass as he listened to Natasha.

"And what will you do if I vow to spare him?" Loki asked, looking up from where he was seated at the other end of his cell.

"Not let you out," Nat shot back.

"Oh, no, but I like this," Loki leaned forward with a wide grin, "Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man. Tell me, would you trade her for him?"

He didn't say my name but we both knew he was talking about me. We both knew it was outside his power to make such a trade happen. He'd only said it to get to me.

"Regimes fall every day," Nat said, ignoring his question, "I tend not to weep over that, I'm Russian. Or I was."

"And what are you now?"

"It's really not that complicated. I got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out," Nat answered him, standing.

"Can you?" he asked. "Can you wipe out that much red? Dreykov's daughter, Sao Paulo, the hospital fire? Barton told me everything." He paused, looking back at me, "Did she tell you of her past when the two of you made friends, my dear? You look at me that way, and yet you cower behind someone no better."

I looked slowly at Natasha, and then back at him, as he stood, coming closer to the glass. "Your ledger is dripping. It's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer. Pathetic."

My heart rate sped up as he neared Natasha, his voice lowering in anger. I had never, never, seen Loki speak like this. I gripped the railing in front of me, swallowing.

"You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers," Loki pressed on venomously, "You pretend to be separate, to have your own code. Something that makes up for the horrors. But they are part of you, and they will never go away."

My whole frame jolted as Loki slamed his fist against the glass, leaning down so that his gaze was level with Natasha's.

"I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you. Slowly, intimiately, in every way he knows you fear. And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams, I'll split his skull—"

"That's enough."

I fought the shakiness out of my voice, summoning a large flame that licked at my hand. Natasha turned from the glass., head lowered.

"My, perhaps not so cowardly after all," Loki said, leaning back.

I put out the flame, making for Natasha.

"You're a monster," she said to Loki, as I placed my hand on her shoulder.

Loki chuckled darkly, "Oh, no. You brought the monster."

Natasha and I looked up simultaneously. Oh.

Nat turned, her previous confliction vanished. "So, Banner. That's your play."

"What?" Loki frowned.

Nat lifted a hand to her ear piece. "Loki means to unleash the Hulk."

╟╫╫╫╫╢