Director Nick Fury was pissed.
He should have known better. He should have known that if Tony Stark was going to me more than he could handle, then a whole goddamn group of superheroes was going to be a catastrophe, let alone a super-villain.
He really was at a loss for words. His whole underground base was a pile of rubble, Agent Barton had been compromised, the Tesseract had been stolen, and he had a world-wide panic happening over all of the innocents that had been murdered. Eighty people in two days. All because of one man…or god. Whatever.
Needless to say, Director Fury was not going on his well-deserved vacation to Key West anytime soon.
However, there is a silver-lining in this disaster of a situation: Loki had been taken into custody.
It really shouldn't have been that easy. But honestly, Fury wasn't about to look a gift-horse in the mouth. He was just happy to get the murdering psychopath away from the civilians. If he had to take Loki aboard the helicarrier knowing that he probably wanted to be there anyway, then so be it.
One thing that he could do without, despite the situation, was Tony Stark's snarky ass bitching his way all over the helicarrier. Fury knew that he was probably hacking into SHIELD's firewalls at this very moment, and he knew that he was going to be questioned about Phase 2 at one point or another. Right now though, he didn't really have time for that. He needed he tesseract to be tracked. He knew its capabilities stretched as far as destroying worlds, and if it got into the wrong hands… The thought itself gave him a headache.
As of right now he was headed towards the room where the Hulk's cage was located. Loki will be contained inside of it until further notice.
Luckily, he had some semblance of stability in the forms of Agents Coulson and Romanoff. They, by some grace of god, managed to haul both Stark and Banner back to base. How Romanoff managed to grab Banner without causing him to shift is a miracle in itself, but Stark had been entirely independentlydouche-tastic the entire way through. Not only had he been an asshole to anyone except Banner, he was also purposefully picking fights with Captain Rogers and Thor. 'That is the last thing I need.' Fury thought with a shiver, 'A goddamn god from ancient myth reigning lightening down on my helicarrier.'
Before he could give himself more time to think about how disastrous the situation was probably going to be, he received word that Loki was finally secured in his cell. Without a second glance he handed control off to Agent Hill before making his way across the carrier to begin the interrogation.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
It had been nearly a week, and Brina had finally tracked the goddamn thing.
What it was? She wasn't sure. It looked like a flying battleship of some kind, mostly. For as ugly as it looked, it was absolutely massive. She would have to give the engineers of that monster props, because no way in hell could she make that thing stay afloat.
Now that she had found it, she could focus on her previous goal: to find the other people tracking it. Oh, no. This thing wasn't her objective. Finding those sneaky-ass Russians was her priority. And based on what she had found over the past week, they were getting into some shady shit indeed. According to a weasel of an agent that she persuaded into giving information, they were all in cahoots with some man, acting as his mercenaries. She had almost no interest in tracking him down, she just wanted to finally topple the organization that she had been running from her entire life. That specifically meant eliminating the Russians, otherwise remaining uninvolved. Apparently they had tracked her once again for the purpose of using her as a failsafe in the operation. As if.
Shaking away from her thoughts, she forced herself to ignore the deafening turbines of the massive ship and focus on the air surrounding it… It took only a minute to hone in on a smaller engine only a few miles away before she smirked, 'Gotcha.'
She disappeared off of the ship, reappearing a few miles away.
She hovered in mid air waiting for the jet to catch up, and briefly wondered who the hell controlled the ship they were trailing, 'Maybe it's the mafia.' she joked.
As the jet came into sight she took off higher into the atmosphere to avoid detection. Once she saw a safe place to land she dropped out of the sky.
The jet was fast, but she was faster.
She barreled on top of it, trying to avoid making as much noise as possible. Not that it would ruin her chances or anything, she just preferred to make it a little easier on herself.
Brina quickly found the opening where the drop-off happened to be and was met my two men in full gear. Needless to say they weren't exactly expecting anyone to drop in on them. Not to mention they were probably taken aback by her… interesting appearance. She had switched out her festival leather for something more suitable: leather pants, a leather jacket, and combat boots. It all made her platinum hair stand out in the most delicious way.
Their jaws went slack and she nearly laughed at their foolishness before taking each of them down, snapping their necks in the process.
Quickly and efficiently man after man was taken down. And she had to admit it, she missed this. Getting to watch as yet another man's life left his eyes because of her was satisfying. Christ, she nearly moaned when she got to rip someones esophagus right out of their throat.
She knew it was morbid and macabre in nature, but that's just the way she was. Can you pity a girl for feeling confidant?
Continuing on she made her way to the cockpit of the plane and discovered that while a majority of these men were completely in their right minds, someone wasn't.
She opened the door and quickly dodged an arrow shot her way. What was this shit, the Middle Ages? She mentally prepared herself, 'Yeah, this is probably going to hurt.' Without thinking twice she casually strode in, wincing as an arrow pierced through her right shoulder. She looked down and pulled it out before she stopped and stared at the man responsible, "Thanks a lot, dickwad."
For a moment she considered killing him regardless of his handsome looks and old school talent, then she noticed that his eyes had taken on a cloudy blue color like that of a blind man. After taking in his mechanical movement she decided, 'That looks about right.'
Carrying on as if she were taking a stroll in the park, she planted herself right in front of him before snatching his bow and snapping it in half. "Oops. My bad."
The (fairly attractive) man's lip curled before reaching for another weapon, "You fucking bitch. Who are you?"
Brina sighed, "Listen, I'm going to ignore the bitch comment for now. I already owe you one for shooting me, don't make me add to that already too-long list." Reading the confused look on his face she laughed wickedly, "And while you're asking me who I am, I'm only going to ask this: Who's piloting this jet? Not this guy." She flew over to the pilot, twisting his neck with a sickening crack. Watching him drop to the ground, she met the eyes of the archer, "Oops. My bad again. Who's gonna drive now?"
The man may have been under some influence, but his survival instincts were definitely still there. As the jet dipped dangerously and began to dive, he quickly gained control over it, glancing back at Brina every few seconds, "Why am I still alive?"
She walked over and began to play with the man's bangs, "Well, sweetie. You're not really in your right mind, so it wouldn't be very fair to tear that pretty little face of unless you really deserve it."
Before he could question her further, she continued, "However, I'm still quite hurt over how you shot me with that arrow. What century do we live in now? Oh yeah, we are in a new fucking millennium, not fourteenth century England, Robin Hood."
He was quiet for a few moments before asking, "So what do you plan to do with me?"
Brina chuckled, "Oh, darling. Please believe me. I'll never do you no harm."
"You're gonna quote The Beatles right now? Really?"
"Hey, I was a Beatlemania girl. And well, it distracted you long enough, didn't it?"
"Wha—" Before he could finish, Brina knocked him out cold.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Well Rogers, I don't really know what to tell you. Fury is just as big, bad and sneaky as we say he is. If you don't believe me then it's really not my problem to make your tight, patriotic ass think otherwise." Damn, Tony was on a roll today.
"Enough, Stark! I don't necessarily care about what Director Fury's objective is. All I know is that we have our orders. We should follow them."
"I for one am not a soldier. I don't have to follow orders, and I do care about what Fury's objective is. For all we know he could be trying to achieve world domination!"
Steve shook his head, "I highly doubt that."
"Exactly!" Tony jumped in, "You doubt, but you don't know. That's basically all I'm concerned with at this point. We have Loki immobilized, we are tracking the tesseract. There shouldn't be anything more to do here." Tony took a breath—
"But I doubt Fury is trying to hide anything at all!" Steve was not quite visibly upset, but close to it, "Why can't you just focus on the task at hand?"
"That's what Tony is trying to explain, Captain." Both men looked over at Dr. Banner, who was trying his best to remain out of the conversation, "Though he could do it in a more… efficient way, " Tony scoffed at that, "We have everything taken care of on our end. Now we are just supposed to follow blindly? I mean, doesn't this smell a little fishy to you?"
Steve froze for a moment, thinking back to this from the past who followed blindly. 'Look where it got the world then." Steve thought before taking a breath, "Okay, so Fury might be hiding something. How do we figure out for sure?"
"Already on that!" Tony grinned, turned to his tablet and began moving codes and diagrams around frantically, "I've already bugged the systems with a virus, my own personal virus that is virtually undetectable. All we have to do now is wait for it to break down the firewalls, and…." Tony clapped his hands together, "Viola! All of Fury's dirty, nasty, and possibly perverted secrets will be available for all of us to see."
Bruce even looked a little surprised, "Already, Tony?"
"You're goddamn right. I'm not wasting any more time than I already have. Especially while Fury is preoccupied with Rock of Ages."
Tony's self appreciation was interrupted by Thor as he strode into the lab, biceps crossed, "Man of Iron, I am afraid I do not understand your insistent name-calling toward my brother."
"Well Pointbreak, I think that since he's caused us all so much grief I should have a special privilege that specifically entitles me to calling him whatever I so please." Tony finished with a cheeky grin.
Thor either let that comment go or he just didn't care enough to take all of it in because the next moment he turned toward Steve asking him about his shield and the properties it contained to hold out against his hammer.
Before Tony could try to annoy anyone else further a voice sounded over the intercom:
"Security breach at the west gate. I repeat, security breach at the west gate. Squadron five, investigate."
After about ten seconds of waiting Tony blurted out, "Are we seriously not going to talk about how the intercom just rhymed?" Bruce snorted but didn't look away from his tablet, Thor just looked confused and Steve was more focused on the potential danger than anything else.
Another two minutes went by with low chatter until they heard a call for a medic in the infirmary. Now they knew that someone was hurt.
The importance of the announcement had yet to be deliberated when Tony started to try and poke Bruce with is prod. Bruce's reaction was minor, and sort of endearing, but it obviously grated on Steve's last nerve, "Dammit Stark, why are you trying to egg Dr. Banner on? There is no need."
"Well, mein Captain, Bruce and I just so happen to be two consenting adults. And when two consenting adults get along really well—"
"Watch your mouth, Mr. Stark."
"Oh, I think I'm beginning to want you to make me." Before anyone could react they were both toe-to-toe in the middle of the room.
Bruce tried to cut in before anything serious happened, "Hey boys, I don't think that—"
"You humans are so petty! And tiny." Bruce took off his glasses before rubbing his eyes. As helpful as he was trying to be, Thor wasn't making anything easier.
However, just before things got out of hand Thor did in fact save the day, "That woman is not of the nine realms."
Tony couldn't process that as making logical sense, "I'm sorry, what was that buddy?"
"That woman making her way toward us, she is not of Midgard, nor Asgard, nor any of the nine realms." He pointed to the windows surrounding the lab, and sure enough, there was a woman.
And what a woman she was.
It seemed to happen in slow motion, really. The sheer power she exuded guaranteed that she would have their eyes on her the entire time it took her to pass. She was beautiful, they all thought. However, her beauty wasn't what made her appearance startling.
It was the blood.
She was literally covered in it. It spattered all along the front of her body, flecks of it seen all over her face. It actually contrasted nicely with her tan skin and nearly white pixie hair. Her cropped shirt and leather pants and jacket only added to the look by piling on the mystery. Obviously she didn't work for SHIELD… So who was she?
An interesting observation was that she was carrying Clint Barton— previously compromised Agent Clint Barton— bridal style with little to no effort at all.
Thor rumbled out respectfully, "She is a warrior."
With that statement the woman shifted her gaze and looked into the room, and that's what consequently scared the shit out of the three men aside from the Asgardian, to whom she bowed her head to as if in thanks. As for the others, she fucking smirked.
The most terrifying part of it was that her eyes were a pitch black, with dark veins spreading out to the rest of her face.
What this woman was capable of, they didn't know. What they did know was that she looked damn scary, and they continued to watch her as she strode down the hall.
It took about seven seconds for Tony to open his mouth, "I want one."
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Nick Fury was getting sick of this same old shit.
Loki was giving him virtually nothing to work with. He was mostly silent, and wouldn't budge in anything other than getting Fury to reveal more than he cared to share about the Avengers Initiative…. And of course saying anything to piss him off.
"Well, Director. I must say that you have done a remarkably fabulous job if I do say so myself. You have managed to allow many innocents to die, and are trying desperately to make your pets behave. Bravo."
Fury settled his one-eyed gaze on the god before walking slowly over to a control panel, "You are probably the only Asgardian capable of sarcasm—"
"I am not of Asgard!" Loki seethed.
Acting as though he hadn't been interrupted Fury continued, "Well regardless of where you are from, I don't particularly give a shit. You have managed to piss off a lot of people in the past few days. As a result, I have taken it upon myself to personally make sure that you understand the full details of your detainment." He had reached the control panel, and pointed to a large button, "Do you know what this is? If I press this, then you and the container you're in falls over ten thousand feet to whatever it is we are currently flying over. Interesting isn't it? Now, I don't want to make you uncomfortable duringyour stay. However, if you don't shut the fuck up and tell me what I want to know my hand just might slip."
"I love your attitude, Director. Very—what is the term used?— … macho of you."
Fury was nearly at his wits end when he received word of a security breach, "What's happening, Hill?"
"Sir, a woman has just breached security at the west gate and is now making her way towards the infirmary."
"And why would she be visiting our infirmary? Not to browse equipment for hospitals, correct?"
"No, Sir."
"So would you care to inform me as to why she would be headed in that direction?"
"…She has Agent Barton with her, Sir. He is unconscious."
Fury almost couldn't believe it. And confirmed after a second glance that Loki couldn't believe it either, "Pull up the feed on the monitor."
"Yes, Sir." With that, an image of the mysterious woman was expanded onto a five foot projection.
Fury studied her for a moment. 'She certainly looks dangerous,' he figured, 'Deadly, even. Who is she?"
"Has anyone confirmed her identity yet?"
"I'm afraid not, Sir."
"Well, shit." Fury sighed, "After she drops Agent Barton off in the infirmary, have her escorted to an interrogation room. I will meet her there."
"Sir, should we have reason to suspect that she is armed and dangerous?"
Before Fury could answer he was interrupted by Loki, "Armed, no." He continued to stare at the screen with a look of sick admiration, "Dangerous… Absolutely." With that he grinned. The funny thing about it though was that Fury couldn't tell what type of grin it was; whether it was sickly or—god help him—happy.
He wasn't going to waste time finding out, "You two know each other?"
Loki spared him a glance before settling back onto the picture of the woman, his face softening, "… Not exactly."
"Well, that's all I really have time to hear right now, my apologies." Fury finished sarcastically, "Now if you don't mind, I have somewhere to be."
"Have fun with that one, Director. I guarantee it will be a splendid time."
Fury didn't respond as he stalked out of the room, leaving Loki in his thoughts.
Loki almost couldn't believe it. How did she manage to remain youthful? What had she hidden from him? 'How is it even possible? She was a human..' Loki felt his lips stretch into a grin before he began to chuckle, "At least she is still alive." His face softened into one of twisted affection
"…And still so beautiful."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Brina gently laid the archer down on the hospital bed, careful to watch his head. She really had hit him hard. After shooing away medics who tried to help clean her arrow wound she turned to the group of armed men expectantly.
"I have recovered your agent, my work here is finished."
A man stepped forward cautiously, "I'm afraid we have to escort you to an interrogation room, Miss. The Director would like to ask you about your involvement."
Brina knew that she could disappear off of the ship if she wanted to. Nevertheless, she found that she quite liked being back in action for the moment, and also knew that she should brief them on the archers particular condition, "Then by all means lead the way, gentlemen."
After winding down hallway after hallway, level after level, they finally reached the interrogation room. Like any other room of questioning, this one had a simple table and chairs, a security camera, and a one-way window on the opposite wall. Brina draped herself over a chair lazily and rested her feet up on the table. After a few minutes of silence she swiveled her head around to the agent standing in the open doorway, "Excuse me, when exactly will this Director be showing up? I understand that my appearance was sudden but I have places to be."
Fury took that moment to stride into the room "I appreciate your patience. I would also appreciate it if you could begin by letting me know how you happened to run into Agent Barton."
"You mean the archer? I hope you are aware that he had been trailing this monstrosity for a while. I found you, consequently finding him. He seems a little out of his mind. I'm not sure what exactly is wrong with him, but it seems to be the result of some form of brainwashing. I eliminated the crew of the aircraft he was on and brought him here." Fury gave her a look before she continued, "I had no idea he was yours, nor do I have any idea what your organization is. However, I am a little pissed that he shot me with that old school shit, so I took the liberty of knocking his ass out cold."
Meanwhile behind the one-way mirror the Avengers were listening to the conversation quietly. Tony laughed when the woman spoke of Barton, earning an elbow from Agent Romanoff, "What? She's funny and you cannot deny that."
Natasha simply stared ahead, "Just pay attention, Stark. We need to know if she is a threat or not. It's hard to tell."
Back in the interrogation room Fury chuckled darkly, "Yes well, Barton has always had his own method. It is extremely effective nonetheless. My name is Nick Fury, I am the Director of the intelligence organization SHIELD. This aircraft is our mobile base of operation. I would like to hear how you found us, and I would also like to know your name if you wouldn't mind."
"I found you because I was hunting the organization that is currently on your bad side for whatever reason. We have bad blood between us, so I am making it my mission to completely destroy all of those involved. They are Russians, so you know just how charming they can be." Brina paused, "My name is Brina."
"Do you have a last name?"
"I haven't used it in a very long time."
Fury probed further, "And how is that? You can't be any older than twenty."
"Twenty-five is my physical age, actually. And my past is not why I am being questioned by you director."
Fury nodded, "Tell me more about these Russians. Is it a government organization?"
"It used to be back under Soviet rule. Since the union fell they quickly adapted… They are mercenaries now more than anything. Though I do know that they are still hired by the Russian government every once in a while. This is not one of those times." At Fury's gesture to keep going she continued, "I am not sure who they are working for, that is not my objective. I do know that they were following the orders of the brainwashed agent of yours. He seems to be the second in command."
"We have the leader in custody at the moment. That is probably why they were following us. To try and rescue him, though I don't necessarily think he needs it. Interestingly enough, "Fury took the opportunity to probe at her, "He claims to know you."
"Impossible. He is not an agent nor a part of the organization. Unless he did extensive research, he could not know me."
Behind the glass Tony let out, "Exclusive isn't she?"
Bruce replied, "I want to know what she's hiding."
"I think Fury is getting around to that," Steve threw in his two cents as well.
Fury eyed her for a few seconds, "And you are sure you don't know who this man is?"
"As I have said before I have no interest in knowing who he is."
Fury pulled out a tablet and pulled in a live feed of Loki's prison cell, zooming in for a close-up, "This is him." Turning the tablet toward Brina it took her only moments to recognize him before she froze. "So you do know him."
Brina was lost in her thoughts and the video of him gently pacing around the wide glass cell. Then she opened her mouth without thinking, "How is he still alive?"
Fury looked confused, "I'm not sure what you mean. He came freely and frankly was very hard to corner. I don't think his life has at all been in danger the entire time he has been here." Which really frustrated the director.
Brina shook her head, "No, I haven't seen that man in nearly sixty years. This doesn't make sense—He should be long dead by now."
Fury's raised his eyebrows, "And how exactly could you have met this man sixty years ago?"
She looked trapped. She felt trapped. She wanted to bolt, but there was no way she would leave himbehind. Her best option was to play along and explain herself, "I guess I'll start off by giving you my full name. It is Brina Koshelev. Codename: the Reaper."
Behind the window Natasha gasped, which was a rare incident indeed, "I can't believe it."
"Can't believe what?" Bruce inquired. Tony, Thor and Steve looked curious as well.
"That woman is the most successful agent that Russia has ever had. She disappeared a few years after the Second World War without a trace. We always suspected she defected and took up a new identity like myself, but this is an interesting turn of events indeed."
Meanwhile Fury gave Brina a few moments to compose herself, "And how did you come to be the way you are now? How can over half a century go by and you not age a single day?"
"I was born in 1925, right after the rise of Stalin and Soviet control. There was still a lot of turmoil over the revolution and murder of the royal family. Not everything was quite set in stone. Stalin was ruthless, and soon created a special group of assassins to take out any threat or opponent he had. He found that just recruiting agents was a risk due to the infiltrations from other countries that were trying to gain influence. He soon discovered that the best way to create agents with absolute loyalty and obedience was to recruit children. He took them and raised them under strict regulations to ensure that they would be the trained in the highest quality. I was six years old when I was taken."
Tony was appalled, "I'm sorry, but how could her parents have let that happen?"
"The government was very powerful then. If you resisted then you were blacklisted." Natasha replied absently, still very fixed on the conversation happening on the other side of the glass.
Fury apparently had asked a similar question, because Brina's response was similar to Natasha's, "I lived in a small Siberian tribe. They didn't stand a chance. Anyways I grew up as a trained assassin, became a key agent during the the second World War, killed Nazis and such yada yada yada…."
The director wanted more, "Please continue."
"After the War ended tensions became very high between the allies, which accelerated the nuclear arms race within only a couple years of the atomic bombs being dropped on Japan. With the Soviets in the midst of it, experimentation was soon the cornerstone. It seems that the American's attempt at creating a super soldier had been a success—Hello by the way." She gave a quick wave to the window, obviously referring to Steve. And honestly he didn't really know what to do with this information.
"Anyways," She continued, "The Russians wanted to create one for themselves. But to attempt such a thing required research to determine who would be the best candidate. They took their best agents and put them through a series of tests to see how much they could handle; physical and mental boundaries were pushed to the limits. We were starved, made to fight one another, and were even tested with extreme temperatures. As I'm sure you have guessed, I was the agent eventually chosen for the experiment."
Honestly, Fury didn't have anything to say at this point, he just motioned for her to go on, "The Americans used the German scientist Dr. Erksine's serum. The Soviets decided to go nuclear. After I was selected, I was taken to meet officials who had given the order. I even met Stalin himself. He wasn't impressed. I'm glad I proved him wrong, pompous ass that he was."
"Go on."
"I had been taken to an unknown location in Siberia. It was an underground nuclear facility. I was placed in a dome and had nuclear radiation begin to fill the space. I'm still not exactly sure what happened, but something went incredibly wrong and the facility was destroyed. I remember wanting to die. I remember that something within me snapped, and to make a detailed explanation short I pretty much A-bombed the place. When I came to I had no memory of that night, and my abilities had for the moment gone dormant. I tried to return to my duties after a few days and soon found out I was being hunted for treason against the state. One thing led to another, my abilities and memories appeared and I was able to defend myself and run. From there on out that's pretty much all I have been doing. Running and laying low."
"What are your abilities?" Fury asked.
Brina grinned wickedly, "Well, I guess you can say that I can do anything. Literally anything. Whatever I want."
"That is a vague explanation if I have ever heard one."
"I don't want to go and just spill all of the beans, Director."
They were both taken out of the conversation when an agent walked into the room, looking to Fury, "Sir, Agent Barton is awake and is currently under restraints. I believe your presence will be needed."
Fury nodded, "I'll be right with you. As for you Miss Koshelev, feel free to meet with my team. If you'd like, I am sure we could have use for you here. As for Loki, I wouldn't recommend visiting him. I don't know what he was like when you knew him, but now he is a bit of a murderous bastard." With that he swept out of the room. As soon as he was gone, Brina snorted. Of course Loki would still be a murderous bastard. And fuck the advice, she was visiting him.
Her plans were interrupted when the group of people from behind the window decided to make an appearance. Soon the table was surrounded. A small man with glasses and a meek composure stepped forward and introduced himself, "My name is Dr. Bruce Banner. It is a pleasure. I actually have to get going to run some lab work, but I would love to discuss the nuclear experiment you had just described if that is alright. It would be purely for comparative research."
Brina shook his hand and nodded, "Brina, and I'm sure you would like to compare it to the similar experiment that was performed on yourself, Dr. Banner."
"How did you know that?"
"Intuition…. Just kidding, I can feel the power coming off of you in waves. I would love to have that discussion sometime soon as well, Doctor.
Bruce nodded with a small smile before quietly departing. As soon as he was gone the woman stepped forward, "I am Agent Romanov, one of the handlers of the Avengers Initiative."
Brina's raised her eyebrows, "Romanov? As in Natalia Romanova?" With the surprised look she flashed a cheeky grin, "Don't think I haven't heard of you. From what I have found out you are actually the best agent Russia has ever had, not me. If it is alright with you I would like to speak in our mother tongue sometime. There is so much that I have missed and frankly I have an ugly disposition for our people at this point."
Natasha was stunned, "I would be glad to. Director Fury has just informed me that you should stay in this room with supervision, apparently he does not want you venturing out just yet." And then she left.
Steve just stared for a moment before quickly taking off after her with a quiet, "Nice to meet you, Miss." on the way out. He had some thinking to do. There was someone who was in a very similar boat, born only a couple of years apart. He wanted to connect, but frankly needed more time to take everything in.
Tony looked around and laughed, "I guess that means Thor and I are going to keep you company kiddo. The name's Tony Stark—"
"I know who you are Tony, and I knew who your father was as well," Brina smirked, "I've been around this whole time you know, kiddo. And did you just call him Thor?" She gestured to the god and his Asgardian getup.
"God of thunder himself, lady. And that guy that you know, Loki? They're brothers."
"So you're telling me that the man in front of me is a god of nordic myth, probably over a thousand years old… This means Loki is—"
"Is exactly who you think he is, yes."
Thor spoke up, "Are you displeased by this, my lady? And I am over two thousand years old by Midgardian standards, Loki as well."
Brina shook her head, "No I am fine, it just explains a lot is all. If you are his brother, why are you keeping him locked away in that cage?"
Thor sighed dejectedly, "Loki has faced a great many truths recently. I am afraid he was lost for a time before appearing on Midgard suddenly. He has been reigning terror and murdering, hunting for the tesseract."
"Which is?"
Thor opened his mouth but Tony answered, "Basically it's an energy source that has the potential to both power worlds and destroy them. Loki is basically bat shit now and wants to use it to rule the human race."
Thor looked even sadder now after hearing Tony's words. Obviously he wanted to help his brother. This was good, Brina could use that. She was taken off guard when the god suddenly asked, "How is it that you know my brother? I was not aware of his journeys to Midgard, and he always has been very private." Tony looked very interested as well. If they were going to hear, then the rest of the goddamn ship certainly wasn't. Brina reach out and the security camera broke away from the wall to land in her hand, melting into a puddle quickly.
Thor looked impressed and Tony looked borderline maniacal, "After the accident I more or less defected from the Soviet Union, since they were hunting me down anyway. Having a particular set of skills I became a private mercenary and assassin for hire. Soon I was back on top, doing what I do best, which is killing people."
(FLASHBACK)
It was July 1952, and Brina was hunting. She hadn't been to Monaco in years, since she was sixteen actually. She had missed the palm trees and the seaside and the lavishness of it all.
She had just been hired by a wealthy french benefactor who insisted on remaining nameless. However, Brina had pulled some strings and found out it was in fact the daughter of Rene Flemene, the head minister of France at the time. Why she wanted this man dead? Brina assumed it was lovers scorn. Whatever serious or petty reason it was, she was still being paid 30,000, so she would obviously get the job done.
Unlike her other targets, this man had almost no evidence of existing other than a name given by the benefactor: Edward Langsley. She was told that he frequented the casinos in Monte Carlo, that was where she would find him.
She decided on Hotel de Monte Carlo based on its luxurious design. Only the extremely wealthy were seen in this location. It was semi-exclusive, and if you had money or were a beautiful woman then you were accepted without question.
Brina was sitting in the bar on the upper level of the hotel, where the ballroom happened to be. The low lighting made the gold inlay stand out, basking everything and everyone in a glow. It was a beautiful place, she would have to visit sometime for vacation purposes only. She was still wary of the Soviets finding her, so she had tried to stay as far way as possible. It was very hard considering Soviet power had extended to most of Germany and nearly all of Eastern Europe. She had gone to Asia, Africa, even the Americas to find work instead. Now she was back and near the German border. It did not comfort her in the slightest.
However she ignored that for now and focused on her mission. Her plan of attack would be through seduction, which would not be challenging considering her already stunning looks. It is partly the reason why she was so successful as an agent in the first place. Who would suspect someone like her at face value? And tonight she was going all of the way. Her hair had turned from dark brown to platinum after the experiment, so she worked with it. It was in wavy curls down to her shoulders, pinned on one side with a diamond beret. With that came matching earrings, a necklace and bracelet. She wore a ruby ring on her right hand that she had taken as payment from an American benefactor.
Her dress was black with sequins spread out, making it look like the night sky. It was sleeveless, and hugged her curves all the way down to the floor. With some blush and red lipstick it gave her an all-around sensuous look, turning heads wherever she went.
The bartender was attempting to make conversation, however Brina was not in the mood, "I would like a manhattan, rocks on the side." Dismissing him she went back to studying the ballroom, looking at all of the couples on the low-lit dance floor, swinging to the jazz music quietly playing in the background. She rarely pictured herself in situations other than her own, but at the moment she felt a pang of envy in knowing that she could never have that type of normalcy.
Her drink was placed in front of her, shaking her away from her thoughts. She took a sip and hummed in pleasure. This was a good drink. She glanced around the bar once more before settling her eyes on a man who was unabashedly staring. He had dark hair and strong features: high cheekbones, a straight nose, full lips, and extremely bright green eyes. Knowing that she had noticed, he refused to look away. They had a stare-down of sorts, the man looking hungry and Brina daring him to try anything. They were interrupted when another man crowded up next to her and the bar, "Hey there, darlin. I saw you from across the way and thought you might like to have a dance with me." An American. She turned her head and examined him.
He was tall, burly, and not attractive in the slightest. He wore his military uniform, and an arrogant expression. She really wasn't in the mood to deal with a stupid man at the moment, "No, thank you."
Despite her answer the man looked determined, "Now I know you are a catch, and I think I can reel you in if you'd take the bite—"
"If you're going to throw metaphors at me, I would prefer them not to be fishing one's. And the answer is still and will always be no."
Apparently the man didn't like rejection, because the next moment he grabbed her wrist and turned her to face him, "Now listen here, I'm just trying to be a gentleman. And I don't appreciate you being rude."
Brina scoffed, "I don't understand how you cannot process that I do not want your attention. Just because you are some heroic American, it doesn't mean anything. I am a lady, not an object for you to do with what you please. Now I will ask you one more time to leave my presence."
The man leaned in and grumbled, "You watch your mouth, young lady—" He let out quiet cry of pain when Brina grabbed his arm, pressing on a pressure point.
"Now, I know that it must feel painful, and if I keep pressing you will be unconscious on the floor within the next thirty seconds. I am not playing anymore, I can assure you. I wish for you to leave me be, and that is what you will do. Understand?" She finished quietly.
Before the man could answer there was a hand on his shoulder, "Now, now. I do not believe the lady wants your attention. It would be wise of you to back away. Leave the hotel. Leave Monaco. Do whatever you wish. She is done with you here." She turned and saw the dark-haired man steer the American away. "Get out of my sight."
The American appeared to be in a daze and turned to leave. The other man tsk'd, "Not without apologizing for your bad behavior."
The soldier turned to her and bowed his head, "My deepest apologies, ma'am. I will not bother you again." Then he turned and walked away out of the ballroom.
Brina turned to her new guest, "I was perfectly fine on my own. I didn't need your help." She stated.
The man laughed, grinning widely. He really was very handsome, "I am aware of that. However, I needed some excuse to come over and speak with you. You see, I am Edward Langsley." Brina went completely still before thinking that she had been trapped.
The man must have known because he quickly continued, "I assure you that you are in no danger. I have known that our mutual friend Victoire had sent someone after me."
"How did you know that? And how did you identify me?" Brina was growing anxious. She had never been outsmarted before, especially before even coming in contact with the target. It wasn't as though she really needed to worry about this man hurting her. No one could.
"I have my sources. In this case it being Victoire's private service that handles her paperwork. A big reward for the extermination of myself, yes?"
"…You are correct."
"30,000. Now that is a large sum of money. Although, I would be deeply disappointed if you did in fact try to assassinate me. You are something special alright. Tell you what… What if you decide to not kill me and we have a dance? I promise I am talented in that area." He was grinning again, speaking softly from the neighboring seat at the bar.
"Did you not just hear that I have no interest in dancing?"
"With a stupid, uneducated imbecile, no. With me? Well, I will leave that up to you." Then he sat there quietly after ordering a drink.
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Brina questioned, "Why are you not afraid for your life?"
"Because I am already aware of you. And I would not be lying if I said I was intrigued by you."
She scoffed, "Really. And what exactly was your relationship with the ministers daughter?"
The man sighed, "We were not close. I was her mercenary for hire for a short time. I grew bored, so I abandoned my post frequently. She apparently did not like it. I found out when she hired another man to have me tailed and brought back to her. I exacted my revenge by stealing her jewelry. Thus leading to the bounty on my head."
Brina was surprised, "And here I thought it would be lovers scorn. What did you do with the jewelry?"
"I sold it as soon as I left Paris."
She studied him for a moment, "So you only acted in retaliation?"
"Madame, I am not a brute. I only treat others as they treat me. You have respected me thus far, though you are guarded. But that is understandable. Now, will you do me the honor of having a dance? I promise there will be no tricks." He stood back, holding out his arm for her to take.
She eyed him questioningly, "What do you believe you will gain from this?"
He shook his head, "Nothing except the company of a lovely woman. Please." He then motioned toward the dance floor.
Brina took in her options. She could A: dance with the man and lure him to a private area where she could finish the job. B: ignore his request and leave. or C: Dance with him and enjoy herself for a while. She chose the latter.
"Fine. I do hope you are not a bad dancer." She took his arm and stood, realizing that he towered over her.
"You hurt me, miss. I am determined to change your negative disposition." He led her away toward the groups of couples dancing across the floor.
As they reached the center they faced one another, the man resting one hand on Brina's waist and delicately grasping her palm in the other, "I assume that you know the foxtrot?" He asked lightly.
Brina sneered, "Of course. Do you think that I live under a rock?" They began the first steps when the music jumped into a low rhythmic beat.
He raised a brow, "It was only a question. And a rock? No, but you certainly hail from deep within the shadows. You are dangerous. I like it. May I know your name?
"… Margaret."
He tsked while leading her through, "I do not believe that you are telling me the truth. I'll tell you what. You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine."
"Your name is not Edward?" She was a bit agitated that she hadn't figured it out earlier.
He chuckled, "I am afraid not. Will you agree?"
She slowly nodded, "My name is Brina."
The man grinned widely, "Now that is a unique name. I am Loki."
"… Are you putting me on?"
"No."
He didn't seem to be lying, "Are you Scandinavian?" It would certainly explain his off-British accent.
Loki smirked, "You could say that. As for you… Your accent is almost American, but there is a small inflection… I would guess you are from the east?"
"That is correct. I was once from Siberia."
"Once?"
"It is a long story."
"You would be surprised with how much time I have on my hands." Loki smiled coyly.
Brina's eyes sharpened, "No."
"Forgive me, I do not wish to intrude. But I am fascinated all the same." Brina snorted.
They silently studied each other for the next couple of minutes until the song ended and a new, slower one began. Instead of following steps they simply swayed to the velvety tune of the band, Loki's hand firmly on her waist. They locked eyes and had another heated staring contest, violet clashing with electric green. She noticed that his seemed to have an iridescence similar to emerald. The outsides crinkled whenever he smiled, which was often. He seemed to know what he was doing, despite her efforts he was actually very charming.
He ruined that thought a moment later when he stated, "Though I knew that she had sent someone after me, I was surprised that it would be a woman."
"You know, for someone who insists that he doesn't wish to insult me, you do it quite a lot. Thank you for the dance, but frankly I have heard quite enough." She turned and headed for the balcony, not caring to look behind her. She knew he would follow.
The hotel faced the wide expanse of the Mediterranean, the terrace filled with potted plants and trees. Brina stalked over to the balcony edge and pulled out a knife. When he chose to show his face again he would regret it.
She hadn't heard him coming. In fact, he seemed to appear right next to her. Startled she attempted to quickly attack. He snatched her arm and held it above both of their heads, "After getting to know one another, you still wish to kill me?"
"You do not know me. I am not your friend, I am the assassin that has been sent to kill you. I had changed my mind, but should you continue to bother me that will change very quickly. I may be a woman, but you do not know what I am capable of. I suggest you keep your distance, sir." She shoved him back a few feet, still holding the knife toward him.
He did not appear to be concerned, but still raised his hands, "I do not wish to fight you, or for you to kill me. I daresay I like you, Brina. We now hold each other in dangerous positions."
"I do not understand how I could be possibly be in a dangerous position." Then she realized, he knew her name. "You will not go to anyone about me, do you understand? If I find out that my own safety has been compromised, you will pay."
"Now what could you be running from, my dear? You do not seem like the running type."
"If you knew, you would be running too. Do not test me, I don't have the patience."
Loki considered her words, "Seeing how we both have something to lose, why don't we have an agreement of sorts? I will keep your identity safe, and in exchange you will not make any other attempts on my life, directly or indirectly."
Brina weighed his words and decided to roll with it, "Fine, I will agree. But if I find that you have betrayed me, I will make it my life mission to hunt you down and destroy you. And do not misunderstand. I will not kill you, I will destroy you."
"Touchy, aren't we? And I am an honorable man, madame. Besides, I am much too fascinated with you to ruin the chances of us getting to know each other for something as petty as that. You are a woman of many means, and I am sure that you could accomplish whatever task you set out to." He finished with a sly smile.
"And you are a flatterer."
Loki laughed, "I will not be able to catch you off guard, will I?"
"You can try, but you will fail."
"At least admit that we could have loads of fun together. We could become comrades if you wish." With each sentence he took another step closer. "If I can prove myself to you, I would like to explore the possibility." He came to a standstill in front of her.
She tensed, "What are you implying?"
"Oh, I think that you know exactly what I am implying. You are a strong intelligent woman. I would be stupid to cross you, and I would like to be around someone that could keep up. As I am sure you are aware, most humans are not very stimulating at all."
She snorted, "Subpar at best."
"I am happy that you agree," He lifted his hand her face, barely brushing along her cheek, edging his face closer to hers, "I only wish to take you along for the ride."
He was surprised when a slow smirk spread across her face, "I would be lying if I said that you didn't intrigue me, Loki. And I would also be lying if I said that I wasn't interested in your proposal." She slowly brought her lips to his, stopping just so they could faintly brush together, "However, I am so much more than you could ever handle." Suddenly she was halfway across the terrace, gliding away from him, "I hope you procure yourself a new identity before Victoire finds out you weren't killed. I would hate to have to give back all of that money."
He chuckled darkly, "That will not be a problem."
"I should hope not."
"When will I see you again?"
She looked back and grinned, "What makes you think that will happen?" Then without warning she leapt over the railing, plunging to the ground nearly eighty feet below. Loki dashed over, peering over the edge. She was nowhere to be seen. He was curious to know how she could have disappeared so suddenly.
This woman had insisted on remaining mysterious. He wanted to know everything there was to know about her, and would search the whole realm for her if need be. They would meet again, that he was sure of. For now, Loki would wait. He had been away from Asgard for nearly half a Midgardian year, and knew that Odin would send for him if he did not return in haste. After deciding that this woman would appear when she wanted to, he glanced out into the night a final time before disappearing in a flash.
(END FLASHBACK)
Those in the interrogation room were silent for a bit, well, except for Tony, "Let me get this straight. You were hired to kill Loki, but decided not to after flirting with him a little?"
"I guess you could put it that way."
"And he just let you go after trying to pull something like that?"
Brina sharpened her gaze onto the billionaire, "He was not the one in control of the situation. We both had dirt on one another, so we came to an agreement. It's honestly not that hard to understand."
"But he is a god!"
"How was I supposed to know that? As far as I was aware, I was the only one with additional abilities. I could have easily overpowered him."
Thor decided to speak up, "Friend Tony is right, my lady. My brother would not have let you live after an attempt on his life unless there was something great to be had. As far as agreements go, I can tell you from experience that my brother is not an honorable man."
Brina became very hostile very quickly, "You should watch your tongue, God. I trust him, and will continue to do so until he proves otherwise."
"I mean no offense, ma'am. I only wish to warn you of his true nature."
She leant over the table slowly, placing her hands flat on the surface, "The only truth that I have seen so far is that he is being judged for crimes that have not been properly investigated."
Tony leapt in, "We did investigate. Loki was responsible for every death and terrorist attack that occurred in Europe and America within the last few days. He even admitted to it. That should be concrete enough for you."
"But did anyone look into his motives for doing so?"
He threw his hands into the air, "I thought that was obvious! He wants to rule the world, become supreme dictator, Fuhrer Loki!"
"I hardly think that it could be that simple."
Tony paused before studying her momentarily, "Did you see each other again after that night?" When she blushed and didn't reply he continued, "I thought so. I don't know what you two had going on exactly, but I have a pretty good idea. He is completely nanners now, sweetheart. You'll find out for yourself. I know that this can't be all that he has planned."
"He is correct. My brother is a master of deception. I only hope that you do not remain clouded in judgment. Humans will suffer at a great cost if he is not dealt with properly."
"I'm kind of freaked out that he's just sitting on this ship quietly, biding his time for whatever he has planned next. And frankly, I don't want to find out. That's why you are going to help us."
Brina stared at him, "What?"
"I want you to go and ask your boyfriend some questions. It's been a while since you've seen each other. Sixty years, was it? If he's still as into you as you are with him, then it shouldn't be an issue. He'll more than likely give something up."
"Why would I help you?"
"Because you already have, sweetheart. You recovered one of SHEILD's agents and prevented an attack on the ship. You have our best interests at heart." Tony crossed his arms smugly.
"And what are your interests?"
"To keep the citizens protected, avoid losing more lives, and of course keep Loki from becoming a dictator." Thor nodded in agreement.
Brina smirked, "So you believe that I knew about this before hand? I can tell you right now that is not true. I was protecting my interests. I was not aware of either Loki, or any of you before I appeared on this ship. I was helping the agent because he didn't deserve to die, and I was hunting the Russians. That's it. That's what I was doing." Brina threw her legs back on the table, "If you think that I am some kind of hero who wants to join your 'team' you can fucking think again. That is not my priority."
Tony leant forward and placed his hands on the table, "If that's the case, then why are you still here? How come you didn't just leave?"
"Because I know that I would be followed if I didn't comply with your boss. I want to make something perfectly clear though. He is not my boss. I am alone. So don't think that you can persuade me."
"Can I ask you a question?" When she didn't answer he continued, "Fuck it, I'm gonna ask anyway. Why are you after the Russians?"
"I already told you. They created me then wanted to kill me because their experiment backfired."
"But why? I mean, you are proof enough that the experiment didn't fail. In fact, you're a huge success. Why would you want to destroy the people who made you so powerful? You could be running the whole show if you wanted—" Before he could finish Brina was on the table right in his face.
"You have no idea what those fuckers did to me. I cannot believe that you have the balls to tell me that what I have is a gift. I was torn apart and put back together, made into the equivalent of a nuclear bomb with extra tricks up it's sleeve. I haven't aged a single day since that happened. Do you have any idea what that's like? To watch everyone around you grow old and die, but you can't? You are closer to death everyday, Tony Stark. I can feel what is going on inside your chest. You think that tinker toy will keep you alive forever?" She placed her hand on his chest, scratching her nails against the reactor.
He smacked her hand away, "I know damn well that I'm dying. But we're not talking about me right now. We are talking about you."
Brina interrupted him, "It's funny that you could ask such stupid questions when you have gone through a somewhat similar experience. I know what happened to you out in that desert." Tony's face paled, and she continued, "Just picture that, but on a much grander scale, and for a much longer period of time. Then you can gain an inkling of what I experienced. You have no right to question the motives of destroying the ones who created me, when you did the exact same thing."
That shut Tony up. She was right. He had gone and carried out his own justice, why couldn't she? "But why haven't you done that already?"
"Oh, I definitely killed those in charge of the experiment. I didn't go after the organization because many of my fellow agents were still active, and I couldn't bring myself to kill them. We were raised together. So I ran instead. It was easy to stay hidden. But with the rise of technology, it quickly became more difficult. I have an energy signature, and I only learned to conceal it within the last few decades. When I let my control slip, I am usually found very quickly."
"I'm guessing that happened within this past week?"
"You are correct. I was at a festival in the desert, and felt comfortable enough to play with my powers a bit. It was a mistake."
Tony racked his brain for a moment, "Wait, were you at Burning Man?"
"Yeah, why?"
He burst out laughing, "Oh, that's fantastic! Someone almost the same age as Capsicle, getting down with all the young people. Oh, that's rich."
"Shut up! I like it, and my friends invited me, it's not like I did it on my own."
"Are they alright?"
Brina nodded, "Fortunately they weren't detected. They did witness me killing the group that attempted to capture me, though. They should be home safe by now."
Tony let out a low whistle, "I bet that was a shock."
"With you being on the news along with the rest of your group, it's really not that far of a stretch."
She looked toward the door then back to Tony, "We have company, this conversation is over for now. I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about what we just discussed."
Thor placed a fist over his heart in promise, "You have our word, my lady." Tony nodded along with him before Fury opened the door and strode into the room.
He came to a stop next to the table, "Miss Koshelev, I will have you escorted to a private room where you are welcome to stay for the time being. You are not obligated to remain with us, but I believe that you would be a valuable asset to our team."
She eyed the director for a moment, "I'll stay the night, to rest. But once I'm ready, I will have to return to my mission. The rest of the organization must be taken down, director. I will not halt that to assist with defeating some super villain."
Fury eyed her suspiciously, "Fine, I will have to remind you again that Loki is off limits to everyone except for myself. Is this understood?"
"Yes, Director."
He nodded, "Good. Captain Rogers will assist you in finding your room. Have a nice day."
"You as well." She stood and nodded to both Tony and Thor before exiting to the hallway. Rogers was waiting, standing against the wall with his hands together behind his back. Perfect posture, ever the soldier. She smiled gently, "Please lead the way, Captain."
He nodded silently before turning and heading toward the north wing of the ship. They made their way in companionable silence. Steve kept peeking over at Brina while she kept her gaze trained ahead. She was aware that he was uncomfortable, and was waiting for him to make the first move.
He surprised her by offering her friendliness instead of questions, "I know that we have never met ma'am, but it is nice to finally meet someone who comes from the same time as myself." He shyly turned to her, shifting his gaze between her face and the corridor ahead.
"I agree, Mr. Rogers. I believe we were born only a couple years apart, yes?"
He smiled, "I'm five years older. You have no idea how relieving this is."
Brina chuckled, "Oh but I do, Captain. I have been here this whole time, living and running. If it isn't to forward to ask, where have you been? I heard about your disappearance, but no one knows what happened."
Steve looked slightly uncomfortable, "I had to crash a plane into the arctic. Hydra had a weapon of mass destruction, and I couldn't let them succeed. That's kind of where I've been since."
She raised her eyebrows, "You were frozen in ice? All of this time?"
"I'm afraid so."
She grabbed his arm and brought him around to face her, "I know that everyone is happy to have found you again, Captain. I don't believe that they truly understand the weight that you carried, or how lost the world would have been without your help. I just want you to hear it from someone who was actually there. Without you, we would have lost. I cannot express my gratitude enough. We would have all been exterminated. So thank you."
She had apparently taken him off guard because all he could do was nod and stutter a quick, "You're welcome."
She smiled, "Please, lets get going. Fury will probably have a fit if he find out I'm not where I'm supposed to be.
Steve nodded and smiled in return, "We're almost there. Right this way."
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