Ellie's first non conspiracy theory thought was that SHIELD Headquarters was huge.
So huge that she and Clint had been walking for twenty odd minutes and they still seemed no closer to their destination. She had thought a few times about trying to start up a conversation with him, but he was walking with this awful sense of purpose, like he was just about to launch into a jog, and she didn't want to knock him off his stride. So many computers, so many people, blurring into one.
Ellie was so busy looking around while trying to match Clint's pace she didn't realise he had stopped until her nose was mushed into his back.
"Ouch." she hissed, rubbing her nose and peering around Clint's body.
"Ellie Gray, this is Mr Nick Fury, the man who requested to meet you" Clint gestured towards the man in what seemed to be a deserted room. Importance seemed to ooze out of Nick Fury in waves. He was tall, wearing a a black long coat and had an intriguing eye patch. He cast an evaluative eye over Ellie as she stepped out from behind Clint. Ellie tilted her head up defiantly, refusing to be intimidated by this very intimidating man and this very intimidating situation.
"Miss Gray," Fury started simply, holding out his hand for her to shake. Ellie tentatively moved forward and shook it firmly.
"Mr Fury." She replied, looking back at Clint, who had silently disappeared from the room.
"I suppose you're wondering what this is all about? I suppose you're also quite upset with us for scaring your friend earlier."
"Yes."
"Did you notice how I didn't say "for scaring *you* and your friend, Ellie? And did you mean to slip up when you didn't correct me on that and just answered with a simple yes?" Fury started to circle the small girl, who stood stock still, but Fury could tell by the set of her jaw that she was mentally berating herself for the mistake.
"You did... scare me"
"I find that hard to believe, Miss Gray, I find it hard to believe that anyone like you, with your talent, with your... gift, could be afraid of anything."
"I don't know what you mean, Mr Fury. All I know is that your overgrown bullies jumped me and my friend and scared us both to death and..."
"Don't toy with me, Miss Gray. I saw you, last summer, crawling out from a ton of brick and concrete that should have crushed you. Don't play innocent with me, don't lie to me and don't treat me as if I am a fool. These are the only three things I will ask of you while you are working here."
"Working... here? What?" Ellie's eyebrows drew together in a face that was so confused, it would have been comical to Fury if the situation wasn't so serious.
"We have need of you, of your skill, here at SHIELD"
"I don't understand what use you would have for me..."
"We have a person in custody who... does not play well with others."
"Still, not getting how I come into this?"
"We need someone to go in there and talk to him. Everyone we have sent in so far has been... hurt."
"Woah, hang on a minute..."
"Miss Gray, this would make a lot more sense if I showed you what I meant."
Nick Fury and Ellie Gray entered into a huge room, in the middle of the huge room was what looked like a glass chamber. In the glass chamber was a very pissed off looking man. He had black shoulder length hair, he was very tall and looked lean but muscular, however, as Ellie noted, that could have been the armour he was wearing that made him appear that way.
"Meet Loki." Fury gestured towards the glass chamber.
"Huh, I had a cat called Loki, we named him after the..."
"God of mischief?"
"Yeah. Um... " Ellie looked at Fury, and he nodded at her and looked back at the chamber.
"..Wha? You're not trying to imply that this is..."
"Loki, the God of mischief? Yes, yes I am"
At the mention of his name, Loki looked up, fixing his gaze on the small girl standing next to Fury. She didn't look like one of SHIELD. She looked like a child.
"Ahhh... You brought me a snack?" Loki's grin was like a slit throat, awful, frightening but completely captivating at the same time.
"Ummm", Ellie looked everywhere except straight into his eyes.
