I was sitting with Agent Barton in "The Nest", as the other agents called it. It was an observation deck that hung about 50 feet in the air over the testing room and was the usual sitting place of Agent Clint Barton, A.K.A "Hawkeye".
We're guarding the Tesseract, this glowing cube of light that held infinite energy. Or something like that. I never really got into what I was guarding, as long as it stayed protected.
I looked around the room, scanning for any hint of danger. Nothing. Just the normal scientists scurrying around like ants. I sighed loudly and closed my eyes, wishing nothing more than to be able to sleep right now. This wasn't exactly the most boring assignment I'd ever had, but it was definitely not the most exciting.
I opened my eyes quickly as I hear Director Fury walk in. I had always had enhanced hearing, something that I originally thought was cool until it landed me in the most boring surveillance jobs S.H.I.E.L.D. had to offer. These special jobs were called "High Risk" because the people who might be after the object we were guarding were usually lethally armed and knew what they were doing, but it was a rare occasion for
someone to actually try and attack us.
I glanced at Barton. His eyes were surveying the room, watching everything. I gave him a nudge. "Hey Clint," I said. He gave me a sideways glance, not taking his eyes completely off the room. He was always so serious like that.
"Still thinking about Romanoff? Scared she's going to find a really hot Russian dude to run off with?" I asked mischievously. His face turned a light pink and I laughed. Clint and I had been friends and training partners for six years and I always loved to mess around about his supposedly "secret" crush on Natasha Romanoff.
"No," he said defiantly. "I'm actually focused on our assignment, unlike
someone." He nudged me back playfully.
I just gave him a look. "Me, not focused on an assignment? Never!" I said, fake hurt in my voice.
We both knew I had issues focusing on missions. I always was messing around, or playing a small prank on one of my partners.
All of a sudden Fury's voice came on our earpieces. "Agent Barton, Agent Ward report." We stood up, looked at each other and nodded. We slid down a rope that stretched to the ground and walked towards Fury.
When we reached him he began walking. "I gave you this detail so you could keep a close eye on things." He almost scolded us.
"Well, I see better from a distance." Clint said. I laughed loudly and many scientists turned to give me a disapproving glare. "Yeah," I said, not caring about my volume level. "They don't call him Hawkeye for nothing."
Fury just looked at me, his one eye angry. I put my hands up in surrender. "Just a joke." I said. Fury continued. "Are you seeing anything that might set this thing off?" He asked.
A scientist yelled, "Dr. It's spiking again!"
"No one's come or gone." Clint said. "Selvig's clean. No contacts, no I.M's. If there was any tampering, sir, it wasn't on this end."
Fury looked at him, head tilted in curiosity. "At this end?" He repeated.
"Yeah." Clint said knowingly. "The cube is a doorway to the other end of space, right? Doors open from both sides."
Fury looked at me. "Did you think of this too?" Clint knew way more about this thing than me, but I played it anyways. "Uh, yes sir." I said. "Someone at the other end must be doing something with it. Maybe trying to open it." Fury nodded.
Out of nowhere, the cube started to spark, shaking the ground. It was glowing brighter and brighter until it shot out a beam halfway across the room.
I pulled out my gun from its holster on my thigh and held it up, pointing it towards the area the beam had stopped. That's when I saw what was there, what had came from the Tesseract.
A man, dressed in dark green robes and golden armor. He was kneeling down, his head ducked so I couldn't see his face, with menacing blue flames licking and floating off his body.
When he stood up, I saw his height; at least six foot, maybe a couple inches taller.
"Sir," Fury yelled. "Please put down the spear."
I hadn't even noticed the long spear, with a menacing blade and a glowing ball of light in the center. My eyes were glued on his face. He had an evil grin, long slicked back black hair and pale skin.
He was all too familiar.
The man looked down at his spear, as if amazed by it. Then he shot a blue beam out of the tip of the blade out of nowhere at the nearest guard, hitting him square in the chest. He jumped high and far, much farther than a mortal could, and stabbed another. Several gunshots hit him in the back and had no effect and the man retaliated by throwing small knives into each shooters neck.
He carried on, killing and stabbing, until only I, Clint, Director Fury, Dr. Selvig, an a couple other soldiers remained.
Clint, who was kneeling to avoid getting hit, stood up and turned around to punch the man. But the man was too fast and he grabbed Clint's wrist and twisted. "You have heart." he murmured after a moment of looking in Clint's eyes. Then he pressed his spear, which was more of a scepter, to Clint's chest.
His eyes turned black for a moment, before turning a radiant blue. He put his gun in its holster.
I looked at the man in horror, not daring to say a word in fear this violent being would see me. He began to walk around, pressing the tip of his scepter to other S.H.I.E.L.D personnel, while I rushed to Fury. He looked at me and nodded, then went to put the Tesseract into a briefcase.
"Please don't" The man said as we were walking away. "I still need that."
Fury looked at him and glared. "This doesn't have to get any messier." Fury told him.
"Of course it does." He said, "I've come too far for anything else. I am Loki, of Asgaurd, and I am burdened with glorious purpose."
My heart dropped. I was right. Loki had come to Earth.