DISCLAIMER: I do not own the film MARVEL'S The Avengers, nor any of its events or characters – I am just borrowing them for play.
Enlightening Nuances
-~S~-
Chapter Three: Magnification
"Thanos," Thor began, "is one of the Eternals from Titan-"
"Alright, you're going to have to go a bit slower for us," Tony interrupted. "What is an Eternal – 'cause I would assume it equalled 'Immortal', but then you are that and you've never referred to yourself as Eternal – and where is Titan? We talking some place that the Titans of Greek mythology chilled and is actually inspired by these people on this place, or are we talking someplace named Titan? Because the only 'Titan' I know is orbiting Saturn."
Loki sneered, "The Titans that the Hellenes spoke of were sealed away in Tartaros by the Olympians – they have no location that has taken their name."
"You know the Greek myths?" Natasha said skeptically.
"Isn't that, um…" Steve began only to trail off with an embarrassed flush.
"-sacrilege?" Tony snickered, finishing the thought.
Loki raised his eyebrow. "I think you severely underestimate the number of centuries we've lived."
"That doesn't particularly mean that you were visiting Earth that whole time," Bruce defended. "And even if you were, considering where you're worshipped we aren't going to automatically assume you wandered to a variety of places."
"We're getting off-topic here," Coulson interjected.
"I shall be clearer, my friends," Thor proclaimed with a grin, the banter between his brother and his team warming his heart. "The Eternals were once human, but the Celestials (beings of indescribable cosmic power) selected a variety and experimented on them. Those that survived the testing of the flexibility of their very make-up had as a result much longer lifespans and more profound powers than will ever occur naturally in your evolution, I think."
"There were quite a few civil wars between them," Loki carried, tone expressing his disinterest as he propped his chin up on the fist held by his right elbow resting on the surface of the table, "but eventually there was founded a colony on Titan, the moon of Saturn which you mentioned.
"Thanos was born misshapen, and, though I didn't lay eyes on him, I have no reason to disabuse this notion based on his keeping the company of those like the Chitauri. Word has spread continuously over time of his quest to gain power, going so far as to integrate cybernetic components into his body. He was exiled, for a reason I do not know, and evidently decided on conquering the Realms for some reason."
"Well, that reason's looking pretty important," Clint commented.
"Jarvis, could you transmit the recording of Thor and Loki's description of Thanos to my phone?" Coulson requested. "The information is critical to my report to Fury."
"Of course, Agent," the constantly surveying AI replied instantly.
"So it was Thanos that started all this?" Steve asked, seeking clarification.
"Yes," Loki answered. "The Other devoted his service to him, but isn't one to devise something of this magnitude. Grovelling waste of space."
Not one lacking in opinion, Tony remarked, "I'm sensing some dislike here…"
"I have no respect for cowardly weaklings," Loki huffed.
"Says the god who was forced to obey him."
Said god's glare could have incinerated his bones in a second if he had permitted his anger to allow the fire tearing through his veins freedom. He settled for a scathing retort, enlightening the mortal to his overwhelming inferiority when compared to the likes of him, "Perhaps I shall throw you to the abyss of Death and Chaos and all the forces that are intangible to your world that reside everywhere, and there between realms with only the heart in you to light the way watch as you try to claw your way through the infinite branches of Yggdrasil to some salvation without your senses to guide you.
"Then, maybe, we can speak of the control whatever insect that comes upon you has over you."
The silence that lay thick in the air held as steady as Loki's burning gaze, for he loathed the thought of any man thinking him less for the circumstances that he had found himself in.
Tony cast his eyes to the table, frozen in his seat. He needed to check his tongue more often, this wasn't the first time it had nearly gotten him killed. It was the first time he truly regretted his words, though. Without the details of the fractured portal they had all been thinking on how bad it might have been, but hearing a description, no matter how brief…
He was right – Tony couldn't understand it. Couldn't grasp the concept of Nothing or Death or Chaos, sense deprivation and hopelessness, surviving only by the skin of your teeth in an environment that valued – what? He didn't even know what qualities could have endured, nevermind were considered advantageous.
On one hand, he wanted to understand, but on the other, he never wanted to hear the concepts mentioned again. What would the knowledge, broken down and explained, add to him? It would likely break him, mortal, human, as he was.
He took a deep breath and lifted his eyes again, their regret and realization bared for the god who had put him in his place.
Loki narrowed his eyes, unwilling to forgive, but lifted his chin in the semblance of a nod before returning his attention to the screen.
The others in the room copied the shift in intent hesitantly, and after a second the images resumed their play.
A helicopter flew under the overcast night sky and over the ridge of a cliff, blades thrumming. On the other side of the formation a sprawling institution was revealed surrounded by dozens of satellite dishes sending and receiving information, the only lights piercing through the dim being the fluorescents that leaked through the clear window panes of the buildings and the bright headlights of the vehicles.
"All personnel, the evacuation order has been confirmed," an agent on the P.A. system informed as the helicopter soared low over the harried agents, his voice echoing throughout the compound. "Proceed to your designated vehicles for evacuation of the premises – immediately. This is not a drill…"
The agents and scientists weaved through each other in a state of organized disarray, running with papers, briefcases, and equipment in hand to their arranged modes of transport. Those armed carted trunks full of weapons as they drove off the grounds in their Humvees. A soldier directing others past stood in front of a plaque that read:
JOINT DARK ENERGY MISSION
Western Division
Project Pegasus
NASA Space Radiation Facility-
SHIELD Accelerator Test Facility SATF
-his body blocking some of the text.
"What do pegasi have to do with anything?" Thor questioned, turning to Coulson. "Are you trying to breed them?"
Natasha raised her eyebrows as Clint smirked, Coulson answering in amusement, "No, it's an acronym that stands for the Potential Energy Group, Alternative Sources, United States. It titles those assigned to the task of researching unusual forms of energy."
"Are you saying you've seen a Pegasus?" Bruce asked the Thunderer, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
Thor shrugged. "That is one name for them – but they are simply winged steeds, I don't understand how they came to be in your fantasy."
The helicopter's blades slowed as it lowered to a landing pad clear of agents, with the exception of one male who awaited the craft. Having donned sunglasses and dressed in a suit, Agent Coulson stood unruffled in the churning wind that resulted as the machine landed. Agent Hill slid the door aside and stepped out, closely followed by Director Fury.
He adjusted the tails of his leather jacket as he noted the agents' hurrying in the distance, then strode to Hill and faced Coulson with her to ask, "How bad is it?"
He removed his sunglasses and uttered, "That's the problem, sir – we don't know."
"Ah," Loki muttered, "this is my arrival, then."
"I hope you're ready to lose an eye," Clint said, the inevitability of seeing himself serving Loki setting him on edge. He monitored his breathing and reminded himself that Fury would kill him if he jeopardized SHIELD's agreement with the Trickster. The one deciding to taunt him with a smirk.
The three descended into the depths of the base by use of an elevator, Agent Coulson beginning, "Dr. Selvig read an energy surge from the Tesseract four hours ago."
"NASA didn't authorize Selvig to go to test phase," Fury objected, the scientists who still remained in the building working to cart out their equipment as their superiors strode purposefully through the disorder.
"He wasn't testing it," Coulson argued. "He wasn't even in the room. Spontaneous event."
"It just turned itself on?" Agent Hill questioned incredulously.
"Where are the energy levels now?"
"Climbing," he answered instantly. "When Selvig couldn't shut it down we ordered evac."
"How long to get everyone out?"
"Campus should be clear in the next half hour."
"Do better," Fury commanded. Coulson nodded in acceptance and turned to move back to the surface.
"Sir, evacuation may be futile," Hill said, following the Director down a stairwell that curved around the outside of a grand chamber.
"We should tell them to go back to sleep?" he suggested, tone thick with sarcasm.
"If we can't control the Tesseract's energy, there may not be a minimum safe distance."
"I need you to make sure the Phase 2 prototypes are shipped out," he ordered as they reached the landing.
"That shouldn't be a priority," Steve protested, frowning at the remembrance of the weapons SHIELD had been developing.
"Sir, is that really a priority right now-"
Natasha smirked. "I think that's the third time someone's interrupted and parroted the coming lines." Steve flushed.
"Until such time as the world ends," Fury started, turning from where he had stepped onto a row of stairs leading into the testing chamber to face her, "we will act as though it intends to spin on." He continued up as he demanded, "Clear out the tech below – every piece of Phase 2 on a truck and gone."
"Yes, sir," she acquiesced softly as she walked past him, ordering the two armoured agents standing guard, "With me."
He gave her back a considering look before he turned and entered into the large open cavity. "Talk to me, Doctor."
Selvig stood from where he had been crouched behind an intricate device holding the Cube at its center, tubes and wiring connecting the heavy metal circle and vault lock to the hydraulic and monitoring devices that cluttered the area. The wall behind him displayed a couple of banners, boasting NASA and SHIELD's support and funding of the project. "Director," he welcomed, rushing over to his side.
"Wait, aren't you controlling him?" Bruce questioned carelessly.
Loki titled his head and narrowed his eyes as the others in the room froze. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly.
Bruce gulped and darted his gaze around the room, shrinking down into his chair at his reference to the previous images of Loki that they had seen. Tony interrupted with a forced tone of arrogance, "Well, I was creeping through SHIELD's cameras and rotating the lenses around the Tesseract, and there was this one time when Fury showed it to Selvig and he was giving off some magic. Similar to the readings I got from the security on my tower when he was brainwashed.
"So were you controlling him before?"
Loki's scrutiny did not waver, despite the convincing excuse. Because though his teammates and Coulson breathed easier after Stark's cover, it was obvious to Loki that it was a hurriedly constructed falsehood. The signature of the Mind Gem's control compared to that of his personal magic's slight persuasion, which is as of yet untraceable to human technology, are worlds apart. Nevermind that only the glaze over their eyes tells of the control caused by the former, as, again, their technology is unable to detect the frequency which the control resonates at within the host's body.
He answered honestly, "Nothing as complete as what I accomplished with the gem – merely whispered words and a signal so to track him and watch his progress," while musing on how to force the information from them. He could state outright his suspicions, but in their number they would likely rally so to keep the truth from him.
If he cornered one alone though, one he had leverage over… Loki's shrewd gaze leapt to Clint, whose eyebrow twitched in wariness of the god's thoughts.
"Is there anything we know for certain?"
"The Tesseract is misbehaving," he said as behind him one of the scientists moved to prod the aforementioned artefact, the Cube jolting the intruding slim instrument with azure energy and forcing it back, the man gasping at the reaction.
"Is that supposed to be funny?" Fury asked dryly.
"No, it's not funny at all. The Tesseract is not only active," he tried to explain as he met with Fury and walked with him back towards the Cube, "she's behaving."
"I assume you pulled the plug?"
"She's an energy source – we turn off the power, she turns it back on. If she reaches peak level-"
"We prepared for this, Doctor – harnessing energy from space," Fury stated.
Steve frowned once again.
"But we don't have the harness," Selvig retorted. "My calculations are far from complete." He moved around behind a computer that was charting the Tesseract's activity as Fury stood before him. "She's throwing off interference. Radiation. Nothing harmful – low levels of gamma radiation."
"That can be harmful," he muttered.
Bruce pretended not to notice the glances sent his way, admiring of SHIELD's admittance of his mistakes. He didn't want them trying to recreate the danger of what he was.
"Where's Agent Barton?"
Selvig scoffed and clarified, "The Hawk?" He jerked a thumb to point over his shoulder, answering, "Up in his nest as usual."
Clint was crouched on a long scaffolding in an upper corner of the space, arms crossed over the low rail as his sharp eyes took in the scene below. His earpiece crackled with Fury requesting, 'Agent Barton, report.' He placed his leather gloved hands on the bar, fingers uncovered and free for attack, and moved to obey.
He repelled from his vantage point down alongside the long banners, the font under the further SHIELD insignia listing the lead scientists for the project as, closer, there was dictated underneath the NASA logo:
MISSIONS
JOINT DARK ENERGY MISSION
Western Division
ADVANCED DARK ENERGY
PHYSICS TELESCOPE (ADEPT)
COSMIC INFLATION PROBE (CIP)
OR COSMIC EXPANSION PROBE (CEP)
DARK ENERGY SPACE
TELESCOPE (DESTINY)
SUPERNOVA ACCELERATION
PROBE-LENSING (SNAP-L)
J.D.E.M.
"What are all those things?" Steve asked.
Tony answered, "It's NASA, don't worry – SHIELD's the shady sector you've got to worry about. That was all their work around SHIELD's information on the Tesseract, integrating it into their watchful spacey things." Steve's expression still displayed his confusion, but that was probably in regards to the satellites in orbit that hadn't even been started at the time he was frozen. The history books Tony had stocked his room with should help with that.
"I gave you this detail so you could keep a close eye on things," Director Fury said once he had landed.
"Well, I see better from a distance," he replied as they walked across the floor.
"It's your eyes that got you your name?" Tony snarked. "'Cause I thought it was 'cause of your holing up in high places and diving off buildings mid-fight."
"Funny, 'cause I'd always thought 'Playboy' was too nice a term for 'Man-whore'," Clint retorted.
"We're in the middle of something," Steve reminded. "Why don't you two spar later?"
"You're not allowed the suit," Clint instantly commented.
"Bring it on – let's see you without your arrows, Robin Hood."
"Have you seen anything that might set this thing off?"
A blonde scientist warned, "Doctor, it's spiking again," as they ambled past. Selvig rushed to her side and observed the data on the screen with her.
"No one's come or gone, and Selvig's clean," Clint responded, Fury stepping onto the short platform in front of the Tesseract before he joined him, crossing his arms over his chest. "No contacts, no IMs – if there was any tampering, sir, it wasn't at this end."
"'At this end'?" Fury echoed.
Clint stared at him for a second before explaining, "Yeah – the Cube is a doorway to the other end of space, right?
"Doors open from both sides."
"Look at how intelligent you are," Loki praised mockingly.
"Shut it," Clint growled.
"Take the compliment, Barton," Coulson said. "Fury hadn't thought of it and neither did Selvig or the other scientists. We could have been more prepared if we were all on our toes anticipating someone else activating it."
Clint turned back to the screen.
Selvig's head was craned down close to the screen as he mumbled in panic, "Not yet," at the Tesseract abruptly beginning to hum. She started emitting crackling sparks and waves of visible blue energy, her actions jolting the very structure of the building and causing Fury and Clint to teeter before they were able to jerk back into balanced stances.
Above, Coulson was thrown slightly at the quake, his hand reaching back to steady himself on the metal pillar he was beside. In another sector, Agent Hill cast her gaze around in her wondering at the event.
The Cube gushed azure waves of bright light, sparking periodically with her radiation snapping around her as the scientists and agents in the room stood captivated in cautious anticipation. With a whir the energy swirled and focused before the Cube, gathering and building to initiate a horizontal vortex of thick threaded power from her position. Suddenly it congregated into a beam that shot forward, its rays halting at some point several yards away to begin blossoming outwards to form an ethereal, circular frame around a point that was dark and shining with stars present from another's world. The energy rang thick in the air as the portal gradually grew, a cobalt haze coiling around it in mimicry of heat.
Without warning the act collapsed and exploded, the energy thrown from its coalesced spot to pass harmlessly through the scientists gaping in awe and the armed agents who threw up their arms to shield their heads. The remains blazed along the floor and up the walls before dispersing into the air, the only visual evidence left being the power that crackled along the tile that led to, and where it was gathered in a vague form, where the portal had been.
Some of the waves were drawn upwards to the ceiling by the partially completed device that Selvig had managed, but the rest disappeared as a kneeing figure was revealed. He had come through the portal, the magic of it now sizzling as it evaporated off of his leather clothing and dark hair. Four nameless SHIELD agents raised their guns and approached carefully as he stood, scepter in hand with a small glowing orb set above the staff and between the blades.
"If they're planning on fighting you, they're going to lose," Tony commented, reclining in his chair. Loki hummed in agreement.
A delighted grin stretched Loki's mouth as he breathed shakily, sweat dampening his brow, before he was able to calm the feeling of his success. A few seconds passed as the shock abated in those around him, and then he realized their opposition and readied his weapon.
"Sir, please put down the spear," Fury called strongly.
Thor snorted as he stifled his laughter.
Loki cast a gaze to his scepter as if debating the request before his eyes darted to the Director and he thrust his arm forward to direct a shock of energy from the orb towards him. Clint tackled Fury out of the way and they grunted as they crashed to the grating of the floor. The agents began shooting from their automatic rifles but the bullets did not even penetrate his clothing as Loki leapt towards one and stabbed him in the chest, knocking another down. He threw knives at the two across the chamber and they yelled as the blades pierced their throats.
The female scientist cowering behind a computer was blasted by another beam from Loki's scepter as the downed agent raised a gun and had his chest swiftly sliced from the blades atop it. Two agents and Clint, from his position knelt on the floor, raised their guns and began firing. Loki did not react to these until a shot rebounded off his cheekbone, causing his head to jerk.
"You were just shot in the face," Natasha deadpanned.
"Yes," he agreed with a small smile. "Ӕsir skin is invulnerable to most of your bullets, the guns you've fashioned not yet able to propel the rounds with sufficient velocity so to pierce it."
Bruce physically bit his tongue to restrain himself from inquiring further, since Loki was not, in fact, one of the Ӕsir.
Loki noticed this of course, and even if he were to disregard the anonymous informant who provided information on his activities, Thor had stated several times that he was adopted and it was possible he had told them what he was.
He decided to reply to the unasked question. "When I shift my form takes on all of the physical qualities of the body I shift into."
"Oh good, shapeshifting's been broached," Tony said excitedly. "When you change into animals do you lose parts of yourself while you're in their bodies, since their brains and hormones don't have the capacity for all things human – or, you know, Asgardian or whatever? How is it that you can change back if that's the case? How much energy does it take? On a scale of illusions vs cloning, since those are my only points of reference."
"Stark," Coulson scolded after he had sighed. "There is an event that we're watching."
"Hey, magic's important to SHIELD," he argued.
"I shall be concise so to not upset Agent Coulson," Loki declared, "and after we are finished here you can analyze various forms of mine."
Bruce and Tony's expressions were blissful at the thought of demonstrations.
"You are correct in your deduction that an animal's body does not have the capacity to retain all of my knowledge and range of emotions, but I'm still able to have a firm grasp on my sense of self. This might be different if this ability occurred in a gifted mortal or a sorcerer less powerful, but with it being a magical process – though it is a talent one is blessed with at birth – and taking into account my extensive magical core, when I shift the awareness that my… 'natural' form is one superior and more powerful remains with me. My fundamental personality remains as well. My experiences while shifted add to my overall mental and emotional development, but the limited mentalities do not carry over to my regular form.
"If I were to give an example, when I shift into a wolf my mind is more pack-oriented, focused on things like territory and possession and I'm quite aggressive, but I do have the knowledge that this is not my native form and my rational thinking processes carry over. It is the body's natural hormones that want to fuel certain actions like… tearing out someone's throat for trespassing, but I'm able to will my reason over such instincts or I can succumb to them if I feel it will be beneficial – it is under my control, to a certain degree.
"It's the same situation if you were to step outside yourselves as humans. Most of the time it is your thoughts that give way to action, but under emotional duress it is the baser instincts that you comply with, disregarding the consequences."
"Fascinating," Bruce muttered. "So you have no issue shifting back into a humanoid form, then?"
"Not in regards to what was mentioned before, no," Loki answered. "I might chose to remain in whatever form I'm in if it aids me in combatting something afterwards, like injury or environment, but it is my choice, once again."
"And how much magic does it take?" Tony asked. "I'm going to guess less than cloning yourself, 'cause it's only transforming your body – not making another one – and you don't have to split your consciousness and magic."
"You're correct."
"Booyah."
"You can continue this at a later time, Stark," Coulson said. "I have other responsibilities."
"Please, you can't even pretend you don't enjoy being here," Tony remarked. "No one's shooting at you, you don't have any paperwork, Fury can't boss you around – it's like a vacation!"
"None of my vacations would include you."
Tony pouted as Clint and Natasha snickered.
He fired one more beam into the fray, tossing the agents backward as Clint rolled out of the way. He kicked the cut agent at his side who had moved to get up again, his body slamming into the distant wall, and paused.
He panted as his eyes roved the area, all of the agents lying injured on the floor and smoke rising from where his scepter's blasts had burned through the machinery, sparks flying in spurts from the damage to the wiring. Clint lifted himself to all-fours before climbing to his feet, spinning quickly just as Loki approached him. He raised his gun but Loki harshly threw his own wrist to meet Clint's, the assassin's face contorting in pain at the sensation of the end of his radius being bruised so easily.
He maintained his grip on his gun and tried to adjust the angle so to enable him to shoot, but Loki grabbed the injured bone firmly. "You have heart," the god noted.
Fury got to his feet before the Tesseract as Loki raised his spear so the tip gently touched the center of Clint's chest. The gem embedded in the tip pulsed and deep blue energy ghosted over the blade and through the agent. Clint emitted a groaning sigh as the power visibly crackled over his skin and up his neck, surging to his eyes and curtaining them over with shadow. Bright azure suddenly swirled and gathered over his irises as he lifted his gaze to meet Loki's, an unnatural glaze settling over the pupil as he drew back with a sigh.
Clint stood before him as Loki waited, scepter still raised and hand outstretched, and then Clint holstered his firearm. Loki raised his chin in approval and tossed the staff into his other hand as he turned his back to his devotee and moved towards the other agents.
Clint's fists were clenched beneath the table as he focused on calming his breathing, not on the eyes of his teammates and handler (or would that be former handler, as he wasn't an assassin directly under SHIELD anymore – was there a liaison between the Avengers and SHIELD?), and most certainly not on the expression of the god whom he'd served. He could picture the smug expression on his face, and it wouldn't help his precarious situation with Fury if he killed his magical consultant.
Watching his behaviour like this separated him further from the feelings he experienced under Loki's control. And, unfortunately, he needed to confront the reality of them for him to come to terms with the Trickster as his ally. He needed to sort out his thoughts, and then confront Loki about what his plans for Clint are.
He was sure that if Loki had plans to regain control of his mind he'd tell him, taunt him with it, leave him hanging in suspense and fear, because any concerns that he brought to Fury would be dismissed in favour of the contract he'd signed. And even if they were informed, Loki would be able to get around their defenses. He always could. So asking him would prepare him for what stance he should take in his interactions with him. Loki would be straightforward.
And wasn't it sick that he trusted him in that?
Fury's brow furrowed in confusion at the interaction before he turned his attention to the Cube, reaching out to remove her from the large device she had been set in. He placed her with grit teeth, her fizzing power singeing his fingers, into the armoured briefcase she had been kept in before they had started testing her. He glanced towards where Loki stood converting the only other agent to survive the onslaught as he snapped the locks shut.
"Please don't," Loki uttered softly. He turned slowly to face towards where the Director had moved to exit. "I still need that."
"This doesn't have to get any messier," Fury offered over his shoulder.
"Of course it does – I've come too far for anything else." Fury cautiously came to face him directly as he proclaimed, "I am Loki, of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose."
"Loki," Selvig repeated, amazed as he stood from where he had crouched to check the pulse of one of the unconscious agents, "brother of Thor." Loki sent a brief glower his way, splotches of bruising now evident beneath his eyes in the faint lighting.
They noted them.
"We have no quarrel with your people," Fury said in an attempt to pacify, a palm raised forward as if to calm the tension of the situation.
"An ant has no quarrel with a boot," Loki remarked succinctly.
"You planning to step on us?"
"I come with glad tidings-" he announced as he stepped over to Selvig before addressing Fury again, "-of a world made free."
"Free from what?" he asked.
"Freedom, freedom is life's great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart," he spun and touched Selvig with his scepter, the gem pulsing again to flood his eyes with black and then bright blue as he gasped. He finished, crooning, "you will know peace."
"Yeah, you say 'peace'… I kind of think you mean the other thing."
As Fury's reply sounded a hum issued from the energy that had been captured above, Clint's eyes darting up to observe the conglomeration of power.
"Sir, Director Fury is stalling," Clint informed, pacing over to his god with a vigilant glance sent once more onto Fury and the hand on his gun. "This place is about to blow and drop a hundred feet of rock on us." The energy swirled and shone brighter as it gained strength. "He means to bury us."
"Like the pharaohs of old," Fury confirmed.
"He's right, the portal is collapsing in on itself," Selvig reiterated. He summarized the data on the screen he had moved over to, one connected to the surveying equipment strategically placed around the area, "We've got maybe two minutes before this goes critical."
"Well then," Loki says decisively as he shares a glance with Clint. Without a word he draws his gun and shoots Fury in the chest, the Director thrown onto his back with a groan.
"Well shit," Tony mutters. Clint taps his fingers in a nervous rhythm against this thigh under the surface of the table.
The four walk from the room, Clint bending down to grab the briefcase as they march past Fury's prone form.
Selvig holds his hands out for the container and Clint hands it over, lengthening his stride in order to lead the group. Loki stumbles and bends over with a pained gasp before righting himself, the agent following placing a hand on the small of his back in support in case he falters again.
"Alright, what happened?" Tony sighed. "Make us feel bad for you so our guards are down when you slaughter us in our sleep."
Loki chuckled and gracefully shrugged. "I was weakened due to the magic required to connect to the Tesseract and stabilize the portal." It was plain that they did not believe him, but he was not one to call pity to himself or attention to his moments of weakness.
Clint ducked under a grating that cordoned off one of the underground garages as it raised, Selvig clutching the briefcase to his chest as he, Loki, and the additional agent followed. "I need these vehicles," Clint said as he gestured to the parked trucks.
The radio on Agent Hill's hip rustled with static as she asked, "Who's that?" referring to Loki climbing into the box of one of the trucks and crouching low as he panted. Selvig piled himself and the Tesseract into the front seat as the other agent chose the car beside them.
"They didn't tell me," Clint replied as he passed her and headed for the driver's seat, opening the door.
She turned away with wondering, furrowed brows. "Hill!" Fury's call came over the radio she held in her hand, causing Loki and Clint to whip their heads towards her. "Do you copy?"
In the other chamber he ripped the bullet out of his vest.
"Barton has turned." She moved to face said agent as he drew his gun and began firing shots at her, Hill rolling to the side and kneeling behind a wall as she grabbed her gun.
Clint fired a few more shots as he leapt to the side of the truck, diving in before slamming the door closed. The tires screeched as he spun and pulled the vehicle onto the exit ramp, Hill's shots bouncing off the doors of it and the car following.
The azure energy had collected into a large ball in the center of its growing influence on the ceiling of the space. Fury stumbled out, hunched over his radio as he braced himself on the frame of the exit for a second as he shouted, "They have the Tesseract – shut them down!"
Agent Hill threw her radio into the back of the jeep as she vaulted into the driver's seat, starting the engine and engaging in the pursuit ordered.
There were several cars with flashing yellow lights that tailed the vehicle Clint was steering, and as one got too close and allowed the agent in the front seat to lean out his window and open fire Loki braced himself and shot another devastating ray from his scepter. The top half of the car was mangled as it veered off to run up a row of stairs, flipping and sliding as the truck behind it mercilessly shoved it onwards.
Bruce turned from the screen for a second as he imagined the remains of the agents who had been in that car.
The power above surged and gathered as it spun and pulsed. Fury ducked under the pipes and grating that fell from the ceiling and walls as he ran through the halls. A few agents carried a load of suitcases down the stairs when a shockwave shook the ground beneath their feet, knocking them down the flight of steps and sending their equipment tumbling. "Okay, let's go. No-No, leave it! Go!" Coulson ushered, forcing them from the area.
Agent Hill's jeep skid out from a passage that cut in front of Clint, and he frowned fiercely at the obstacle as she pulled the emergency brake to spin sharply around so to face his truck. He rammed into her front bumper and drove her back, dismissive of her brakes. She kept one hand on the steering wheel as she grabbed her gun, raising it to shoot through the windshield at them. Clint had his handgun held out the window as he returned fire.
"We're clear upstairs, sir," Coulson reported as he climbed into the back of a vehicle filled with half a dozen armed agents. "You need to go." The tall lamps encircling the open landing pad burst into sparks at the quakes tearing their wiring as Director Fury ran out to the awaiting helicopter. They lifted as he was seating himself, the SHIELD logo imprinted on the ground below them fracturing at the disturbance from beneath it.
Clint drew his gun in after Hill had to focus on her braking, and jerked his steering wheel from side to side. His front wheels followed the motions and Hill's jeep was spun and tossed to the side as they barreled past. She hurriedly regained control of the vehicle and sped after them.
The remaining energy of the portal condensed before exploding outwards, the ground above ballooning upwards before sinking abruptly. The campus collapsed in on itself as dictated by its distance from the origin, blasts igniting and smoking when machinery that had been left behind was impacted. The truck Coulson was seated in was jerked roughly when the lengthening radius reached them. Fury watched with wide eyes as all of the buildings were torn apart to gravel and pulled downwards.
Underground the tunnels were caving in onto the vehicles, the edge of the blast following Agent Hill's truck as she sped to escape it. Loki turned away from the falling rock and shooting sparks and towards the exit ahead. Above, Coulson gaped as all of SHIELD's satellites screeched as they were pulled down into the mammoth crater, the edge of destruction gaining on them before it halted.
The earth beneath fell heavily around Hill's truck and she was forced to stop, her head slamming forward into the dashboard as boulders piled around her. A headlight shone as a display of her being at the fringe, Clint left without pursuit as the automatic doors out of the tunnels slid open before him. Loki stood in the back and faced forward with his scepter in hand at the chopping of the blades of the helicopter.
"This is one intense car chase," Tony joked weakly.
Clint turned sharply when the aircraft descended onto them, then weaved over the dry terrain back around to face Fury once the helicopter had gained altitude again. Fury slid the door to the side and used his handgun to fire, the rounds piercing the glass of their truck and shooting into the front seats. Selvig ducked to the side as Clint flinched and used an arm to cover his eyes. The vehicle was held steady with determination, and Loki reeled back and shot a beam through the engine at the base of the chopper's tail. It burst into flames and began to spin as Clint drove underneath its fall, Fury jumping out of the side and grunting as he rolled upon landing.
The helicopter's blades continued to rotate and cut themselves into pieces against the ground, metal flying off with the momentum as the craft skid. Fury shot after Loki, but the god was out of range. Clint returned to the dirt road and drove on, Loki bracing himself on the roof as he stood, allowing an open-mouthed smile of victory as he exhaled heavily.
"Director?" Coulson inquired over the radio. "Director Fury do you copy?"
"The Tesseract is with a hostile force," he responded. "I have men down. Hill?"
"A lot of men still under-" she replied, levering herself out of the wreckage, "-I don't know how many survivors."
"Sound the general call," Fury ordered. "I want every living soul not working rescue out looking for that briefcase."
"Roger that," Hill murmured, voice filled with exhaustion.
"Coulson, get back to base – this is a Level 7. As of right now, we are at war."
"What do we do?" Coulson asked. Fury lowered his radio and stared off into the distance, options and their outcomes vying for attention within his mind.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
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