Royal Flush

Lady Countryrose

Ch. 3

When everyone had came back to the aircraft carrier in the sky. A few security forces went and escorted Sif to the holding cell that they had. Something that was made...for a different reason. Fury was pacing back and forth in the gathering area of where everyone was at.

Hermione spoke up from where she stood. "Allow Thor to talk to her...she might be able to talk to him. Since he is her prince and fellow warrior from where they live…"

Nick Fury turned his harsh eye towards the woman in question. She saw his anger at being told what to do, which she believed that it didn't happen often enough for the man. "And if that don't work, little miss...know-it-all?"

"Then I'll talk to her," she growled back. She really hated that nickname, causing her to glare towards Severus Snape. Which the man didn't even flinch. "I hate you for that…"

"Anytime...princess," he purred at her. Knowing that he could get under her skin.

Nick took that moment to wave Thor to follow him down the hollo halls of the flight carrier. Knowing it will take a while for them to get to the holding cell, Hermione turned to Tony Stark. Causing the man to look worried from the glance that she was giving him.

"Tony," she smiled at him, sounding way to sweet for most pleased to imagine her to sound.

"Yes," he gulped. He wiggled in his seat as Hermione made her way to him.

"Do you happen to remember Christmas of 1978, by any chance?"

"Christmas 1978 you say," he gave her a thoughtful look. Then he shook his head, "Nope. Nothing comes to mind, why?"

Her smile only had gotten bigger before bringing out a picture from thin air and placed it before him. The man raised his eyebrows before glancing into the photo. As his focused in the photo, his head whipped up to look at her. "Jean Grave's daughter?"

"Not just her daughter," she spoke sweetly.

"Shakespeare's...The Winter's Tale...Hermione," he spoke with wonder in his voice. "I had told Jean that it was my favorite play because of the name…" Tony gaped at her before looking into the photo again. Before looking towards Hermione. "Your birthday isn't September…?"

"September 19th of 1979," her lips pulled back into a smile. "Hi Daddy," her voice becoming more sweet than ever before.

Everyone within the room glanced at the two with shock on their faces. Other than Loki that was, because he had heard her talking with Nick Fury earlier.

"You got your mother's looks at least," stated Tony kindly. "But…," his voice gave a hinted question.

"I have your brains," answered Hermione with a kind smile. She then gave him a glare. "I wasn't pleased when mother finally told me who my father was. A man, who supported weapons of mass destruction…"

"Hey," he cried out. "It wasn't until I had gotten kidnapped that I had changed! I became Iron Man thank you very much!"

"I'm liking this," whispered Steve, who was sitting back in his seat.

"Only after the destruction with your own plant that is…" Tony looked dejected from being ridiculed by a little girl. "No, it was...slightly before…"

Hermione huffed, "Was that before or after you found out about your partner's dealings?" Her mother had collected anything that had dealt with Tony Stark, even while she was at Hogwarts. Just incase Hermione had asked questions that Jean hadn't known what to answer.

Steve Rogers sat back in his seat. He looked interested, by the look on his face. Like this was news to him. Then again, he was out of ice for the last couple of years and not know much.

"To be honest, he was my father's partner before I became of age to take over the business." He grumbled, like a small child being whipped for doing something wrong by his parents. "I was supposed to take over...but wanted to party more. So...he went unchecked for many years before I was taken to the desert."

Bruce Banner sighed, "Do we really need all this drama? Some of us would like to work and go home, today."

Tony sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry...I didn't know about you, kid." He opened his eyes for a moment. He then glanced towards Loki with a harsh glare. "You treat her right...or I will find away to entrap a God of Mischief."

Hermione saw the look in his eyes before walking towards him, hissing. "Don't think about answering that, especially your snide remark that you were going to say."

"What was I going to say, wife?" His green eyes flashed in amusement.

"That there is nothing in this world that would ever hold a god like you," she gave him a knowing look.

"Well," Loki leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "I wouldn't mind testing his theory, at least." He let off a chuckle. "It would be amusing to find out the outcome of such...thing."

It was at that time that the screens on the table flared on. Showing Sif, just as Thor and Nick Fury had walked into the holding cell. He explained to the woman of what could happen if she were to become violent with the glass.

Thor looked unhappy, to see his fellow warrior in jail. "Why Sif, why did you take Loki's staff and used it again Midgardians?"

"I've told you that I was told to do it…"

"No," answered Thor with a shake of his head. "All the answer I had gotten was because of your blind since of love…" His blue eyes glared at the woman before him. "Tell ME that the one BEHIND all of THIS is someone that you CAN'T IGNORE! So tell me, who is HE?!"

"Thanos," she spoke in a whisper. Seeing her shiver in her cell, just as she spoke his name. "He is one to never ignore, Thor. He will bring everything to weist, once he has gathered enough power to do so."

"What else can you say about him," Thor asked as calmly as he could.

"He wanted your brother to join him, but since he found his wife." She spat out 'wife' like it was a bad word. "He came after me, knowing that it wanted revenge."

"Revenge for what, Sif? You really didn't say much on that."

"You found a mortal woman to love," the woman warrior hissed at him. "Even your own unloved brother had found someone. I was met to be QUEEN! I would have ruled our people into VICTORY!"

"No, Sif," Thor shook his head. "I learned my lesson about wanting war… There is more to life than being a warrior. There is also LOVE, HONOR and HUMANITY! Those are the things that I've learned...here on Midgard!"

"What will those things do against Thanos, when all he wants to see is everyone on their knees before him."

Bruce glanced around, "Thanos?"

Loki took a deep breath. "I've heard of him," his mood became dark. "He...gets into people's heads." He glanced around the room with sorrow in his eyes. "Before I met Hermione, I had heard his voice. From far distances of galaxies." He shook his head, as he fought a shiver. "He will stop at nothing to get what he wants."

"What does he want," asked Hermione.

"Power," his green eyes met her warm brown ones. "Ultimate power, which he can't find on his own. He'll stop at nothing...not until he gets…" He gave a deep thought before a couple words left his lips. "Infinity Stones…"

Thor and Nick Fury had heard Loki from the holding cell, causing Thor to growl at Sif. "What can you tell me about Infinity Stones?"

The woman glanced up with a shock in her eyes. "How did you hear about them?"

"It doesn't matter," glared Nick towards the woman. "Just answer the question!"

Loki spoke up for a moment, "Father had once said that, 'There are relics that predate the universe itself. An ancient force of infinite destruction.'"

Sif gave a heated look. "Before the Universe began, six singularities existed. Some time after the Universe exploded into existence, these were formed into the six Infinity Stones by the Cosmic Entities. Each stone represented a different aspect of the universe, which include Space, Mind, Reality, Power, Soul, and Time."

Hermione shivered from where she shoot. "This isn't good." She started pacing the room. "If this Thanos gets all of these stones...he'll be unstoppable. He will be force like no other...we either have these stones or destroy them."

"They can't be destroyed," stated Sif from her cage. "If one was to destroy them...then open for a supernova to end her life when it happens. Because a power like no other will occur when it happens… And not because of Thanos' own power will kill you as well."

Harry shook his head. "We have to make sure that none of the stone are found together. We will have better odds with they're not together." He glanced towards Loki. "Does Kind Ordin have many allies to rely on?"

Thor answered from where he stood. "No, not really." He glared towards the nearest wall, like he was thinking about something. "He doesn't trust that many people…"

"For good reason," stated Loki with a smirk on his face. "Our forefathers were not known to be...kind. Always going to war...taking what's believed to be theirs. Nope, hardly any time to make allies."

"Loki," growled Thor. "Not NOW!"

"Hey, you told me to be truthful and stop with the lies!"

"I regret it now," the blonde muscle man stated in a whisper.

As Nick Fury and Thor were about to leave the room. Sif gasped out, "Thor. Don't leave."

"Sorry Sif, until I get my true warrior back. This is all you get to see." Thor turned around to see his old friend. "Goodbye, Sif." He then turned from the doorway and left.

"THOR!" The woman cried out before the screens were shut off from the holding cell.

Bruce shook his head. "Can someone take me to the lab? Might as well get some work done."

Tony jumped up from his seat. "I'll...come too." He glanced around for a moment, before following Bruce and Hawkeye down the hallway. Severus and Harry had gotten up to follow them, seeing that Severus wanted to see what was new in the modern world.

Hermione, Loki, and Steve were sitting around the table looking at each other. "Any other ideas," asked Steve Rogers with a sigh.

"No," Hermione shook her head. "I'm use to Dark Lords," as she glanced towards the windows. Seeing clouds flying by. "Dark relics, I'm also use to. But something like...the infinity stones. Those are nothing but stories of legends…." She shook her head even more. "Nothing more…"

Loki glared towards Hermione, which held to no heat in his eyes. "Do you realize that legends have a bit of truth in them? It was something that I've always studied. Even while I was a child."

"Sorry but legends were nothing more than Fairytales…" She closed her eyes. Trying to fight back the urge to let her anger go. "It's like the Chamber of Secrets all over again."

"At least you're not up against a killer snake," replied Loki with cheeky grin.

"Oh please," groaned Hermione as she had gotten to her feet. "Sometimes, I wonder how I'm alive." Before she left the room to find the lab that she heard about from Bruce before.

Loki and Steve glanced at each other before making their own way to lab. Where everyone had met up, starting to argue with one another. Nearly causing a power trip with one another. Hermione heard the undertones of humming and waved her wand towards the place that was coming from. Causing everyone to calm down...after the sound of humming had stopped.

"What happened," asked Nick Fury.

"I think," stated Hermione as she was making her way towards the staff. "That it has some kind of power behind it." She then glanced towards Severus. "Mind...magic…"

The dark wizard nodded. "Yes...mind magic."

Loki groaned, "Wasn't it one of those stones, mind?"

Nick turned to Severus with a raised eyebrow. "Is there away to silence it from allowing it to get into our minds?"

Severus shook his head, "Not really. But whatever Hermione had done, it's doing its job. At least for now…" He glanced towards the monitors that was hooked up to it. "It seems to have brain waves of its own…"

Hermione asked, "Why was it hooked up, anyway?"

Bruce answered, "We're trying to find away...since we found what kind of elements it was going to be used against. To see where they were heading...we're waiting on the computer for the answer."

A moment later the computer beeped. Tony and Bruce ran towards the screen, "Stark Tower!"

BOOM, an explosion rang out throughout the ship. Causing many to be tossed and thrown to many parts of the ship.

"Stark," Nick gasped out. "Anallious!"

Steve helped Tony onto his feet. "Suit up, Tony!" Before the two rushed out of the lab. "Right behind you," stated Tony as he ran off to another part of the ship.

Thor, Loki, and Bruce were under the lab. Hearing two gods yelling for Bruce to calm down, before a massive roar was heard.

Nick called out, "Severus, Harry! Go under and help them with the Hulk!" The two wizards glanced at each other before hopping into the hole and were gone. The one eyed leader glanced towards Hermione and Hawkeye. "You two, go and sweep the ship. I think we have company!"

The two rushed out of the lab. Running through hallway after hallway. Grabbing weapons and other things to head off the enemy that took over. When they had reached the holding cell of the ship, they found someone that Hermione wasn't expecting.

"Ron," she gasped. Seeing the ginger-haired male before her. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to get Sif out, what does it look like?!" Ron waved his wand, allowing the woman warrior to exit out of glass cell. "I don't know why else I would be here!"

"Ron, what have you done?"

Sif turned to the wizard next to her. "Thanks for picking me up, as you would say." She smirked at the man next to her.

Hawkeye pulled his arrow back on his bow aiming at the two. "I'm not in the mood for this long talk." Before allowing the arrow to fly, causing a massive explosion. The two were gone in a swirl of a wand, after Ron had grabbed a hold of Sif.

"Ron," she asked the thin air around them. Before shaking her head and rushed out of the room. Hoping to help where it was needed. 'Why didn't I stop him? Even though he was my friend, why hadn't I stopped him?'

It had taken them, as a whole about thirty minutes to sweep the ship. Stopping whoever was trying to attack them. While doing so, they found that S.H.I.E.L.D. had withheld some information. Like massive energy weapons that could have been used against them. Including the community of wizards all over the world. Powered by the same energy source that was stolen from them.

Steve glared at Nick. "You're no better than Hydra during the war!" He was angry. "They wanted to rule the world of power that they had no right in knowing!"

"We had to make them," he then pointed towards Thor and Loki. "It's because of them that I had do make these."

"What does that suppose to mean? We didn't fight you," stated the two gods.

"No," Nick answered. "But it told us that we're not alone! Meaning we have to be ready for anything." He sounded like a defeated man, when he stated that.

"You know, this means you're ready for a higher war!" Grumbled Thor, as he glared towards the director.

While many within the room were yelling at each other. Hermione found herself next to Harry with sorrow in her eyes. She knew that she had to tell Harry. "They have Ron." She glanced down towards the floor.

"What do you mean, they have Ron, Hermione," he growled out.

She glanced up, looking into his emerald eyes. "Just that...they have Ron…" She waved her hand towards the screens. Where images of Ron were on, showing him running of with Sif at different parts of the ship.

Harry took a deep breath before looking towards Hermione. For the first time in all of her life, she couldn't read him. There was simply no emotion for her to read from his face. 'Has he been studying from Professor Snape enough to even...look like him?' She couldn't help but shiver from the look that he was giving her.

Loki came up to them after seeing Hermione looking odd and uncomfortable near her friend. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her next to him. It was when he felt her shiver. "What's going on," he asked with a deep sound of concern.

"Our friend," stated Harry with a hiss. "Is on the other team." He glanced up, two emerald eyes warring with one another. "How the HELL did she allow this to happen?"

"If I'm not mistaken, Harry." Loki purred out camly. "That you decided to stay on Asgard, while Hermione and I were on our Honeymoon…" Just like that, Harry calmed down.

Hermione took a deep breath. She knew from the sound of Loki's voice that he had used his 'Prince Tone'. Which means that he used his calm authority to get people to listen to him. He even used it against his own brother from the few times that she had heard his voice.

Severus sighed, "If I'm not mistaken." Causing Harry, Hermione and Loki to look at him. "Mr. Weasley has been...easy persuasive. Especially during your time with the Triwizard Tournament. When he had believed that you had put your own name in…"

"He also ran off during our manhunt, Harry." Hermione gave him a calm smile. "He is quiet rash…"

Loki nodded, "If I'm not mistaken Harry. Weren't you the one, who wanted to get away from all of that… All the backstabbing the Wizarding World."

"Yes," groaned Harry. He took a deep breath. "I guess, I had forgotten all the reasons why I wanted to leave." He shook his head. "I guess he wanted to be on the winning teams," he stated under his breath.

Bruce glanced at the room at large. After what looked like his brain was intaked once again. "Are we heading for Stark Tower and end this rat race?"

Tony nodded, "Yeah! I'm going to need the team to stop… Whatever this is going on."

Steve sighed, "Alright! Let's suit up and load up."

It was then that everyone had gotten together before Hawkeye led them to a quinjet. Where the group flew off towards New York, with Tony flying in his Iron Man machine. Everyone sat around the jet, getting their weapons together. Getting ready for whatever they will face.

Nick Fury called on the calms. "Tony, I need you to be my eyes."

"Got it!"

"Someone clean this mess up," the man in charge called out. "And someone...better get me my coffee!"