The hallways grew emptier as Allea made her way to the holding room which contained Loki of Asgard, as if the other people aboard the helicarrier knew what was being restrained in that room and wanted to be far from it. Deep down, she couldn't find herself disagreeing with the notion of avoiding the room, and of avoiding him. She'd had her fair share of dealing with dangerous, deadly criminals, sure, even before working for S.H.E.I.L.D. But there was something inherently more perilous about Loki. He was clever, he had magic, and he was incredibly manipulative, from what Allea had heard and understood. Asgardians were not to be underestimated, especially this Asgardian, and even more so considering he had Jotunn blood in him.
Allea could already tell this assignment would undoubtedly be pushing her comfort level.
As she turned the last corner to the hall which led to the holding room, the young woman noted that Director Fury was already waiting for her outside the door. Making her strides wider to pick up the pace, she advanced with an air of duty hanging around her, despite the way her eyes betrayingly shone with the private thoughts and doubts she had about the situation.
Approaching the door to the holding room, the young woman nodded in greeting. "Director Fury."
"Agent Church." Fury stepped forward to meet her. "I trust Agent Coulson debriefed you?"
"Yes, sir." Allea halted her steps and shifted her weight, contemplating for a moment how much leeway the director would allow her before deciding to take a liberty. She felt she needed to know how much trust Fury had in her with this assignment, and from that information she could conclude what had driven him to give her such an important assignment that was, very clearly, a task that was unsuitable for most agents, whether mediocre, good, or great. Speaking somewhat out of turn, Allea clasped her wrist in front of her and stood in a respectful yet eased stance before carefully voicing her concerns. "With all due respect, sir, why did you assign me to this? Why not Barton or Romanoff? Surely they are more qualified…?"
Fury crossed his arms, eyeing the younger agent carefully. "I chose you because of your experience with prisoners, not to mention your skill set and your record. Every assignment you've been given you've completed with passing colors. There's no need to be humble, Church, you're one of our best. As for Romanoff and Barton, they have other matters to attend to." His hard gaze bore into hers, adding, "Are you doubting my judgement of you?"
"No," Allea responded quickly, "of course not sir. I was simply curious."
The tall man grunted. "Best to remember to keep your curiosity in check around him," he gestured to the holding room.
"Yes, sir."
Turning towards the door, Fury strode towards the keypad lock, his boots making soft thuds against the metal floor. Without another word, Allea trailed immediately behind, eyeing the keypad as he gave her the code in a hushed tone. "You'll remember that?" He asked, glancing back at her. Allea nodded, eyes trained on the keypad a moment longer to sear the memory of the numbers in her head before meeting the director's gaze.
"Yes, sir. Will there be another agent here with me?"
"Agent Brigham will be assisting you. You and he will be switching between monitoring in the camera room and monitoring inside the holding room."
The young woman's brows furrowed. "Inside, sir?"
"Loki is known for his illusions and tricks, as I'm sure you're aware." Stepping away from the keypad, Fury faced Allea directly, gaze boring into hers. "Someone will be watching him on the monitor at all times, but I also want someone watching him in person. If he tries to trick one of you, hopefully the other will catch it. And if the agent inside has an issue, we'll know immediately." Leaning forward slightly, he added, "I trust the cameras, but having someone physically inside serves as not just an extra pair of eyes, but a constant warning. I want someone in person to be watching him at all times."
A pause the length of a breath thickened in the hallway as Allea processed her orders. This
"Understood, sir."
"You and Brigham will switch off every two hours. Meals will be served to Loki at 9:00, 12:00, and 19:00 sharp. At 20:00 I or Coulson will alert you to take your leave, other agents will take your place during this time, and your shift will start again at 10:00, with Brigham starting inside and you starting in the monitor room. Other agents will switch on a different shift to guard the door. You're to avoid instituting conversations with the prisoner." Fury paused, his tone shifting to one coated exasperation and, perhaps, tease. "And Church, try to avoid responding to him. It only encourages him."
The tips of Allea's lips pulled upwards slightly, eyes twinkling with silent amusement. "I'll try, sir."
Humming thoughtfully, Fury eyed the young woman a moment more before striding past Allea and down the hall, his tall figure shrinking the further away he went. "Brigham is already in the monitor room; your first shift starts inside," he hesitated in his steps, throwing a look at her over his shoulder to add again, "Don't encourage him."
"Wouldn't dream of it, sir."
The tall man continued down the hallway, disappearing down another corridor seconds later. Heaving in a breath, Allea swallowed, considering how she was going to go about this as she spun around on her heel to face the door. Her blue gaze was the only thing that betrayed her reluctance to entering as she reached out to the keypad. Fingers flickering over the keypad like a brush of air, she stepped back slightly as the door clicked and slid open, welcoming her into its threshold.
With no further hesitation visible, the young agent stepped inside, the door slipping closed with a small thump behind her.
Author's Note: I just wanted to take a moment and thank you all so for reading my story! I really appreciate the follows and favorites I've gotten, I wasn't expecting any so soon to be honest. Thank you so much! In the next chapter I'll finally be introducing Allea to Loki, so stay tuned :D ~Bookkittie