Caia sat in an uncomfortable hospital chair, waiting for the umpteenth time to hear how her mother's chemo treatments were going. None of the doctors ever seemed to have the answer and kept insisting that they run more tests. It didn't help that her mother was sick all the time and pumped so full of painkillers that she might as well have been dead.
The upbeat vibes of Caia's cell phone rang from her too small jean pockets. Leaning back in her chair, Caia fished out the sleek, black touch-screen and answered the call.
"Le Roux," she said in a falsely happy tone, knowing of only one person that would dare call when she was at the hospital.
"I hope you don't plan on keeping that attitude," came the uptight voice of Director Fury who always managed to see through her.
"No, sir," Caia stated in her best agent's voice, skipping any explanation. Fury knew, as he always did, exactly what was happening.
"I hate to ask this, but we need you on deck for transfer."
"Of course sir. What time?"
"Noon, be prepared, we've got a full house. I'll have someone pick you up," he said, pausing a moment before asking, "How's your mom doing?"
"I don't know sir, the doctors are still running tests."
She pictured him nodding before hanging up. They both knew the conversation was over, so there was no need for niceties. Shoving the phone back into her pocket, Caia let her head fall into her hands. What kind of daughter went to work while her cancer ridden mother waited to hear how much longer she had to live? The answer was painfully clear, and she sighed, slowly getting to her feet.
Slinging the diaper bag over her shoulder and marching slower than a funeral procession, Caia rehearsed how the conversation with her mom and her daughter would go. She fretted over the fact that it wouldn't end well and resigned herself to her unhappy fate. Her hand slowly turned the door handle and entered into the ugly atmosphere of the hospital room to find her mother and child sleeping soundly.
Smiling, Caia covered her mother with a blanket, dictated a note, and gently picked up Tyra. Stopping at the nurse's station, she quickly relayed instructions and hurried off. Soon enough, a cryptic text appeared on her phone, telling her to get her butt outside. Racing down, Caia barely made it in time to buckle her daughter and hop into the innocuous black car. The agent in the front seat raised her eyebrows and peeled out, leaving Caia no time to fasten her seat belt.
"You're bringing Tyra?"
Caia sighed. "I can't leave her at the hospital, and the last time I asked the Beeman's last minute-" she trailed off and shook her head.
Agent Maria Hill cocked an eyebrow, "Fury won't be happy."
Caia nodded, "I'll text them. So, what's with the early departure?"
"You haven't heard? We're tracking Loki. He's taken the tesseract, we're working on locating it now."
Caia rubbed her forehead, "Please tell me they're not bringing in Stark."
"Fury wants him working with Dr. Banner."
"So they've got the not so jolly, green giant working with the tin man, eh? I don't think that's a very pleasant idea."
Maria cocked a half smile, "I take it you skipped the coffee?"
"Yeah, Carr-my mom," she trailed off, turning her gaze to her hands.
Maria nodded. "How is she?"
Caia's jaw clenched. "She'd be better off dead at this point and probably will be soon."
They rode in silence for a long while before Maria quietly handed over a surprising small file for Caia to read.
"Is this really all we've got?"
Maria nodded. "For now anyways. I imagine that's why Fury wants you on board. You should probably study-"
"The schematics of a ship I helped design?"
Looking over to Caia, Maria smiled. "Right."
A coy smile spread across Caia's lips. "Did the portal's energy really cause backlash that bad?"
Maria's face became grim and fear crept through Caia, "It did."
When the two arrived on scene, Maria hurried off to the control room with Caia and Tyra in tow. Unsure of her orders, Caia stood uncomfortably, shifting under the weight of her bag and waiting for Fury relay instructions. She wasn't scheduled to return to active duty for two weeks, and people seemed to find her presence funny.
"Le Roux," Fury said, "it's good to have you back."
They shook hands, "It's good to be back sir. What are my orders?"
"Loki sitting. When we get him, we'll need you in the holding block."
"The one made for...well."
"That's the one."
She looked down, nodding as she did so.
"Look, I know it's not what you'd like, but you know more about these guys than anyone else on the team. You're the best qualified for the job, and right now, we can't afford to waste any assets."
"Yes sir." She wasted no time, and walked past Fury, heading straight for the belly of the beast.
"I take it you remember where the holding bay is kid?"
"Of course Popeye, I did design this boat."
Fury shook his head, she could tell the new nickname bugged him. "Just get to your post and drop her off at the break room. We don't need any more accidents."
Caia smiled, "Yes sir," and marched off.
She made an impromptu detour to her locker, pulling out the uniform she'd stashed there, just in case. Stepping off into a restroom, Caia shirked her casual clothes and donned the curve hugging suit. When she was done, she tossed the clothes into her locker and grabbed the diaper bag. She tossed out her toothbrush and other unnecessary items, shoving in a gun for the off chance she'd need it, before heading down to prep the holding block.
Two to the right, three to the left, down a gazillion stairs and I'm there, she thought, carefully tracing the path she would have to take. One of the old gods, huh. Still, better than Deadpool's incessant flirting. Apparently having a kid made her qualified to deal with any nutty superhero that might crop up.
"Oi, can you get the tank prepped for me," she hollered to the nearest guard.
"You do it, I have other-"
"I don't know if my clearance has been rebooted."
"Then ask-"
"You ask, I haven't been issued a com."
The guy grumbled, but did as she asked.
She gave herself a secret, inward smile, and prepared the area around the tank. If she was going to pull this off, and she would, she'd need all the help she could get. Deciding she may as well make the experience somewhat comfortable, she stole a chair from one the maintenance crew's geek rooms and stuck it in a nearby closet. After all, it wasn't like the chair had plans. Stashing her diaper bag, Caia noted the distinct lack of entertainment and wished she had something more than her notepad and Tyra's toys to fend off the boredom. With the wait, she decided to figure out her play.
Maybe I'll try the honest card that one usually works. She took a deep breath and-
"Hey Caia," Maria called, "You forgot your coffee."
Caia gratefully took the out held cup and took a generous sip. Pain flared on her tongue and scorched her throat. "MOTHER OF PEARL," she cursed, "Oh death, oh man that hurts! Holy cow, holy painful BUCKETS! Ok, ok, I'm good, I'm fine, just remind me to never, ever do that again."
Maria watched with a concerned grin, making sure Caia had calmed down enough to actually be ok. Caia nodded and was slowly rolling her tongue around trying to get the feeling back, and handed Maria the coffee. It was moments like these that Caia wondered why S.H.E.I.L.D. had recruited her. Regardless, Caia flicked away a loose strand of hair and squared her shoulders.
"Could you let Fury know the block is prepped and that I still need my clearance codes reactivated?"
"Sure. But why don't you just go to the control room? Stark and the Captain are bringing Loki in now and I'm sure Fury will want to have a word with him."
"Got it. Do you think it was Coulson who made the coffee?"
"Why?"
"Well, it's lacking."
The two smiled at each other, sharing the joke, before Hill continued. "I'm glad you're back."
Caia nudged her and headed toward the door. "Come on, I couldn't leave my best friend hanging."
Caia was making a fresh pot of coffee when Maria let her know that Loki was on board. With a disappointed sigh, she nodded, and stuck a note to the coffee machine before following Maria down the hall.
"What was that about?" Maria asked.
Caia gave a puzzled look.
"The coffee machine?"
"Oh, that. Someone didn't put another pot on."
"So, you did what, exactly? Make it so no one gets coffee?"
Mischief sparkled in Caia's eyes. "Nope, just reminding everyone why courtesy is a nice thing to have."
"What is it this time? A self-destructing piece of paper?"
Caia raised her eyebrows. "Why do you always assume these things are my idea?"
Maria smiled and walked off, leaving Caia to meander down to the holding block. A strange feeling came over as she walked, and, not for the first time, Caia wished she hadn't been called in on the project. Pushing her misgivings aside, she readied herself for the task ahead. With one final, calming breath, she walked into the holding block.
Loki's reaction wasn't what she expected; he seemed shocked at first, like he knew her from somewhere. He quickly recovered, however, and went back to pacing around the tank.
"You're not going to question me," he asked in a highly disbelieving voice.
"Nope, and even if I was, what would be the point?" She looked up at him with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Besides, it's much more fun letting you sweat it, and I'm sure Director Fury has something much less pleasant in mind for you."
Turning her back to Loki, she quickly typed in her access information. A blinking red light greeted her, and she cursed under her breath. Fishing out her cell, Caia phoned up to the control room.
"Hey, the system keeps kicking me out. Can you get me back online?" No response. "Great." She'd forgotten that only S.H.I.E.L.D. regulation coms worked in the helicarriers.
"Problems?"
Caia looked up at the haughty god and gave him a cool smile. "Nope. Everything's just peachy," pause, "You know, I've had a lot of time to think about your plan and none of it adds up."
"Really? I wonder why that is."
"Maybe the reason I have too much time is because I can't get a date. Besides, messing with people is your forte. What I don't get is why you'd allow yourself you to be captured so easily. Unless you wanted to be, which means that whatever it is you want is right on board. Am I right or am I right?"
He looked at her and said nothing, which she took to mean she was right. With an inward high-five, Caia dug through her overnight bag and pulled out a notepad and pen. She jotted down some notes and then flipped the page.
"Tic tack toe?" She showed him the neatly scribbled board.
"Why would I entertain the whims of such a pathetic mortal?"
"If you're gonna be that way, then your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries. So, until you decide it's time to make your move let's just pretend for the short period of time that we're stuck together that this will be fun, k?"
Loki raised an eyebrow. "Is this meant to be amusing? You-"
"Before you call me a 'pathetic mortal' or some other derogatory term, let me explain, my thought process since you clearly have never seen Monty Python, and sadly, can't appreciate the joke. You're going to lose Earth to get to Asgard," an odd look from Loki, "I'm not an idiot, if you really think so little of us, then why choose to rule us? The only logical answer is because you know that in order to get what you really want, you need to lose here. More than likely, Thor will present you with some opportunity to get out of whatever prison they stick you in on Asgard. Let's be honest, you and I both know that he'll insist on taking to you with him. I should warn you though, all ambition comes with a cost. You might be willing to pay the price now because you don't know what it is. But let me be clear, it will break you more than whomever it is you've been forced to answer to could even attempt."
"And what makes you think I can be forced?"
It was Caia's turn to cock an eyebrow. "Because everyone has their breaking point, but every scheming shark will submit long before that point is reached. You're a schemer, I can practically see the wheels turning in your head. As for being broken, cocky smiles and swagger aren't signs of a broken man. Besides, you have a plan, and plans keep you alive. Yours must be working because you've looked worse."
"Is that so? I wonder what you're base for comparison is."
"The way you look now as compared to pictures from security footage of when you arrived. You seem pretty healthy to me. So far, the evidence says you were forced. Why take the beating if you don't have to? And, like I said before, you'll fail here so those who think they've mastered you will back off, not to mention the fact that Thor will insist you be moved to Asgard with the Tesseract."
A suspicious grin slipped onto Loki's face. "And who would listen to the theories of one such as you?"
Caia smiled, knowing she had him on the run. "Maybe someone who is already suspicious of you, or at the very least of your motives. Like Nick Fury, or the man pulling your strings."
"Perhaps I should just rid myself of you."
"You could, but I remind you of someone you care for, and love is, after all, the cruelest of motivators."
"Those are not your words."
"Perceptive, but Sherlock Holmes you are not. The problem is, I can't figure out what could be so important to you that you'd create this mess just to get back to it. Asgard couldn't have been particularly good to you, why go back?"
"Does it matter?"
"It does to me."
It was surprisingly difficult for Caia to ignore Loki when all he did was pace around the tank. Even more difficult was writing a report when the ever curious portion of her mind wanted to know what his plan to get off the boat was. It's got to have something to with that staff. If Dr. Banner and Stark are working with it…
Cursing under her breath Caia stood and jogged out of the holding cell. She could feel Loki watching her and a cold chill ran down her neck. Halfway up the stairs, she nearly ran into Agent Romanov.
"Sorry."
"Le Roux, I didn't think you knew I was coming."
"I didn't, I don't have my com. I need to-to pee."
"Ok, I'll just take over then."
"Have fun."
"Right."
Caia knew what the other agents thought of her, specifically Agent Romanov. She wasn't a highly trained fighter or very skilled with a gun, but that didn't make her completely useless...did it? Shaking her head, Caia wondered if S.H.E.I.L.D. had made their recruitment decision wisely. Still, she knew she was a valued member of the team regardless of her lack of training.
She sank onto the stairs and waited for Agent Romanov to finish; this wasn't the first time she'd been completely useless on a mission. Agent Romanov's feet appeared in front of Caia's face before she could blink, and she quickly stood, ready for a report.
"That was quick. You ok?"
"Yeah, just worried about Carr-my mom," she lied, assuming her insecurities had somehow leaked onto her face.
Sympathy (or was it pity?) filled Romanov's eyes. "He's all yours Le Roux."
Caia nodded and took a deep breath. She must have looked less put together than she wanted. One look at Loki and all she wanted to do was drop him out of the sky. This is going to harder than I ever anticipated.
"Could you please not look like you won the lottery," she asked.
Loki only smirked, "But where's the fun in that?"
"The 'fun' is that I won't be tempted to let you out so I can beat you to a bloody pulp."
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Caia walked over to where she'd concealed her bag. The fact that she couldn't see if Loki was going to pull something made her nervous. Regardless, she crouched and dug around in her bag until a gut wrenching lurch shook the ship.
She dropped the pen she'd been looking for as she slammed into a side railing, recovering slightly, she grabbed her gun. Slowly she stood and turned to face the tank, taking deliberate steps forward. Reaching the panel, Caia readied the tank to be dropped, glad that her codes had finally been activated, and managed to keep her gun pointed toward the entrance. Loki sat looking at his hands, grinning when the sound of Dr. Banner's alter ego echoed through the ship. Fear once again pushed through Caia's defenses.
"Well, this is entertaining," the god of mischief smirked.
Caia ignored him and looked down at the phone she'd pulled from her pocket. As she stared at the place where service bars usually were, a lump grew in her throat. Every thought that passed through her mind brought a new wave of images from her baby's life. What could be the last moments of her life, and she hadn't even been able to say a proper goodbye to her daughter.
"Don't kill this one," Loki commanded, walking toward the front of his prison.
Pain exploded at the back of Caia's skull and black dots spotted her vision. Fighting against the oncoming unconsciousness, Caia could barely register the sensation of being carried in someones arms before she lost consciousness.