This is the second in the Revenge cluster and part of the 'more-than-she-seems' series. Darcy can not take the theft of one of her books laying down and Erik learns it is a very bad idea to piss off someone who is friends with the God of Mischief.

As I've said, these characters are not mine, I am simply using them to portray interesting and amusing situations for the enjoyment of myself and others without reciprication.

- Illusinia

Erik sighed as he entered his lab. He'd finally gotten around to actually sleeping in his rooms for the first time in almost a week, and his back was thanking him. Whistling slightly, he felt that good, Erik dropped his briefcase of papers on a desk and turned towards where the Odin cube was kept.

The cube was gone. Disappeared. Vamos. The case was empty. Completely, utterly empty.

Panic rose as Erik rushed towards where the cube was normally kept, lifting up the case to check under it, on the floor, glancing over the various tables, really searching for any sign of the pale blue-white glow. Nothing stood out. There was no sign of the power source which was possibly strong enough to take over the world.

Fury was going to kill him.

Racking his brain for any memory of the cube's former location or any notifications from Fury that the cube would be moved, Erik didn't hear the other person enter. Or approach him. In fact, he didn't notice that another living being was anywhere near him until Darcy's casual voice whispered right near his ear. "Loose something?"

Erik nearly jumped out of his skin, spinning around to look at the dark-haired intern with a critical eye. He'd see what had happened to Fury at the meeting, knew that Darcy had done something to the man. After discovering her calculations book, Erik had discretely asked both a colleague of his in the electrical engineering field and Fury about Darcy. He'd more asked his friend if he'd heard anything about her, suspecting she might not have started out in political science and a woman with her level of intelligence leaving the field would be big news. Fury would have a background check on Darcy and her life.

Fury had been stingy on information, not saying much except that Darcy received excellent grades and had been arrested three times for various minor violations as a teenager. His friend had been more helpful. Dr. Millins had been able tell Erik that Darcy was practically a protege in engineering of all kinds, though she specialized in data transfer and power supply work. She'd been recruited by several big name schools but turned them down. She was also supposed to have a high IQ, but no one had seen her tests and the results were confidential. However, she had qualified for an advanced program in New York for students with a genius-level IQ or just a little below if they had a clear subject strength.

Yet, her teachers and principle had thought the results were ridiculous. She was a prankster, often causing mischief and chaos through unique means. Certainly she was creative, but she never seemed any smarter than any other student in her classes. In addition, she'd also had a good friend with similar credentials who had been similarly recruited, but the girl in question had been killed in a laboratory accident in a chemistry class as a freshman in college. It was around the same time that Darcy had switched to political science. Previously, she'd been undeclared.

All of this information pointed to two things: Darcy was significantly more intelligent than she seemed and he had very possibly made a very dangerous enemy.

Careful to school his features to show no sign of his panic, Erik turned to face Darcy with his gentlest smile. "No, no, I haven't lost anything. Can I help you with something Darcy?"

Darcy snorted, standing straight and allowing a smirk ripe with mischief to cross her face. "You shouldn't steal stuff Erik."

Erik gulped slightly. "I have never stolen anything Darcy."

She laughed. "I beg to differ. If memory serves, you stole a book from me. Specifically, it was my book on power calculations. Which you proceeded to try to use."

Now Erik really did pale. Out of curiosity, he had attempted to use the modified calculations to create a device which could harness the energy of the Odin cube. He fully intended to give Darcy credit if it had worked, but the experiment had failed fantastically. So why was she coming after him now? Almost two months after he'd taken the book in the first place? Did she somehow know he'd tried to use her calculations?

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about Darcy," insisted Erik. "I borrowed a book that you intended to leave at the lab, but I never stole a book from you."

Darcy snorted. "Except to admit to owning that book would be on par with admitting to my own intelligence. Something I had no interest in doing at the time. Unfortunately, Stark has pretty much killed any chance I had to remaining completely anonymous but he hasn't actually spelled out what I can do nor does he know what I am capable of. I want to make sure things remain that way. Give me back my book, and I might be able to help you find the Odin Cube."

Erik felt himself nod rapidly and quickly retrieve her book, all thoughts of tricking her into admitting her intelligence or attempting to utilize her calculations (sense she apparently wasn't going to) gone from his head. The book was locked away safely in his briefcase, to ensure Darcy couldn't simply steal it back easily, and he was quick to hand over the thick volume.

Calmly, Darcy flipped open the book and fingered though some of the pages, looking for signs of fowl play. Apparently satisfied, she snapped her fingers and held out her palm, catching the Odin cube in her hand as it fell from the ceiling. Erik glanced up but could see no sign of how she'd actually gotten it to stay up there. The hand with the cube extended towards him casually, her eyes still on her book, and Erik was quick to take the cube and tuck it back into its case with a sigh of relief.

"I'm assuming you know better than to mention this book to anyone or this little event. It reflects very poorly on your capabilities. Alternatively, you should really lock that up better, anyone can walk in and take it as things are," advised Darcy as she headed towards the door, eyes still on her book.

"Wait!" exclaimed Erik frantically. Darcy paused and looked at him over her shoulder, apparently bored with the whole exchange. "How did you get in here to begin with?"

Again, the mischievous smile slid over Darcy's face and she winked at Erik casually as she walked out the door. "That's my little secret."

In the hallway, Darcy found Loki nearly doubled over with laughter, apparently enjoying her torture of Erik. She had to admit, her way was a lot more fun that what Loki had suggested. He simply wanted to slip in, grab the book, and replace it with a false one containing a living snake.

"You enjoyed that then?" questioned Darcy as Loki straightened himself.

"Very much," confirmed Loki. "Mr. Selvig looked ready to faint when he realized the cube was missing."

Darcy nodded with her own grin and started down the hall.

"Tell me though," continued Loki. "He seems to be getting off rather easy for having stolen something so precious from you. And why did you not simply stick the cube to the ceiling yourself? I know you are more than capable of such a feat."

The smirk which Darcy had previously abandoned returned with full force and she was quick to pull her little home-made iPod look alike from her pocket. Smiling at Loki, she pressed something on the screen. A series of loud crashes and a few choice curse words from Erik floated up the hallway from his lab.

"Now, my revenge is complete," assured Darcy.

Raising an eyebrow, Loki stuck his head through the wall beside him for a moment, before pulling it back out and proceeding to almost fall over from laughing. "That is priceless!"

Half an hour later, Jane walked calmly into Erik's lab, looking to ask him about one of the constellations they were examining for signs of worm-hole activity. The sight which greeted her had Jane torn between laughing manically and scrambling to help poor Erik.

"You pissed off Darcy, didn't you?" questioned Jane with a sigh as she stared up at the older man currently stuck to the ceiling. All with all of the equipment and furniture in his lab.

Erik nodded morosely, and sighed. "Jane, do me a favor please. I need you to go buy 3 lbs of Godiva..."

NowDarcyhashadherrevengeagainstasecondpersonwhomanagedtopissheroff.HopefullytheseguyswilllearnthatannoyingDarcywillbringthempain.TheGodivacommentattheendcamecourtesyofJannaKalderash whopointedoutthatDarcywouldprobablymakesomeonebegwithGodivabeforeshewouldforgivethem.