Sophie lent against James, who still had an arm wrapped around her. The soldiers had tranquillised him but had left her awake to glare at their leader. Loki Laufeyson, the man who forced her father to kill his fellow agents. If they hadn't taken her bow, the demigod would have an arrow through his eye by now.
'What did you do to my dad?'
He looked up and smirked. 'I'd say I've expanded his mind.'
She scowled. 'And when you win, what happens to his mind?'
He laughed, shaking his head slightly. 'You are very much like your mother, Miss Barton.'
Sophie smirked. 'Until you ruined things, no one knew I existed. Who else would I be like?'
Loki matched her smirk and stood. 'Actually, Miss Barton, I think you'll find several people knew you existed. Wake the others.'
He stood and walked away, headed for the front of the plane. Sophie turned and nudged James, who blinked awake and smiled at her. His eyes were red rimmed and his brown eyes had the smallest shade of green.
'You alright?' She whispered.
He nodded slightly. 'My dad is going to hate himself. He always blames himself if something happens to me.'
She nodded and hugged his chest. 'C'mon, help me wake the others.'
He smiled, nudging awake the girl in armour. Sophie headed for the other girl, shaking her awake. The girl glared up at her, obviously thinking she was in Loki's army.
'I'm Sophie Barton. James and I were kidnapped just after you.'
James, who was waking the boy now, waved. The boy, Howie Stark, was babbling as the two of them shuffled closer, introducing himself and talking about science, Dr Bruce Banner and all kinds of things. The armoured girl was walking over, the wolf standing at her side.
'Lizzie Rogers.'
'Captain America's granddaughter?' James asked. Lizzie nodded and Howie smiled.
'I'm Iron Man's son. I wish I had my suit, I could show off.'
'I have seen the suit, it is not so fantastic.' The armoured girl said. 'I am Kia Thordortir and this is my cousin, Fenrir Lokison.'
The plane landed and Loki walked out of the cockpit. Fenrir growled at him and shielded Kia. Loki merely smirked and clicked his fingers. Four soldiers came out, one each to Lizzie, Howie, James and Sophie. They held onto them while magic wrapped around the two Asgardians, the six children were marched out of the plane and into a huge building. They were in the top floor but only Kia, Fenrir and Loki stayed there. Lizzie and Howie went down one floor while James and Sophie went two floors down. Sophie glanced at James as she was lead away down another corridor. She was thrown into a room and the door locked.
'Hello Sophie.'
She turned, recognising the man with a start. Her mother had killed his daughter. Draikov glared at her and took a step towards her. She stepped back, wishing she had her bow or her knife or anything.
'So, Miss Barton, I understand you've been hiding for a while now.'
She nodded slowly. 'My parents didn't want me involved in killing people.'
He laughed and continued walking towards her. Three more men appeared out of the shadows as her back hit the wall. She breathed deeply, trying not to show how scared she was.
'You see Miss Barton-'
'Sophie.' Sophie froze as she said, not knowing what his reaction would be.
Draikov merely raised an eyebrow. 'Sophie. Your parents have annoyed a lot of people, killed a lot of people.' He leaned in, his lips centimetres away from her ear. 'Imagine how much money I could get if I sold you to them.'
Adrenaline kicked in and Sophie swept Draikov's feet out from under him, running for the door. One of the men grabbed her but she bit his hand, refusing to stop. She reached the door and grabbed the handle but it refused to open. Locked.
Two men grabbed her, staying away from her head. She struggled but they were too strong. More scared than she had ever been in her life, she did the one thing her parents always told her not to. She screamed.
'James!' Sophie shouted, hoping he would come but knowing he couldn't. 'James help me!'
Howie winked at Lizzie as they were separated. She rolled her eyes and poked her tongue out. The men pushing them sneered and shoved them into separate rooms. Howie stood against the locked door and looked around. The room was pitch black and the only light came from his chest. Instinctively, one hand went to his arc reactor, checking the warmth was still there and connecting Howie to his father.
'Hello, Howard.'
Howie turned, recognising the voice but not seeing the man. His leg, the arrow still lodged in it, flared in pain and he lifted it up, deciding to hop. 'Hello. I'm sorry, I didn't get your name.'
'No, I suppose not.' There was a pause. 'You remember me, yes?'
'Of course. How could I forget?'
He chuckled. Howie twisted, breath catching as the voice came from a different part of the room. 'Your father appears to have forgotten. He never seems to mention us.'
'You scarred him for life. He doesn't really talk about stuff like that.
The man laughed again, a high, cold chuckle that sent shivers up Howie's spine. 'And what about you. Did we scar you?'
Without meaning to, Howie thought back. He remembered being kidnapped from his home, flown to Afghanistan and dumped into a cave, terrorists surrounding him. He remembered the explosion, the shrapnel lodged in his bloodstream, open heart surgery and hearing his father screaming. He remembered carrying the car battery around, replacing it with an arc reactor and then being taken from his father. He remembered being saved and clinging to the metal suit his father was in. He remembered having to lie about his identity and fake his death back in America, so nobody would know about him. He remembered being nine years old and terrified.
'Yes.' He finally replied. 'I suppose it did.'
'And yet.' Howie hopped away from the wall as the man's voice drew nearer. 'You were never given support.'
'Can't exactly walk into a therapist can I? I'm not supposed to exist.' He considered covering the arc reactor, because the man could see him but not the other way around.
'But your father could. He was treated for post traumatic stress but you weren't. Surely it was more traumatic for a child than an adult.'
Howie scowled. 'Dad helped me. He only went to those sessions to pass on the information to me.'
Another cold laugh. 'You father never helped you. He never loved you. He took you in because he had to, because he couldn't bear it if people found out. Why else would he lock you away?'
'He locks me away to keep me safe from people like you!' Howie shouted into the darkness.
There was a heavy pause, in which Howie couldn't hear anything. A hand touched his shoulder and he tried to run but the hand gripped hold of him and pulled him back, slamming him into a wall. One hand held his shoulders while the other traced the arc reactor in chest.
'Let's have a look at this shall we?'
The arc reactor was slipped out of his chest and he was dropped on the floor. The man turned the arc reactor in his hand, examining every inch of it and smirking. 'I could use this.'
'It stops working out of my chest.' Howie managed to wheeze out. It was a feature his dad had added, after Stane had taken the first arc reactor to power his suit. The idea was, anyone who took it, wasn't someone the Starks wanted with arc reactor technology.
'Useless then.' The man began walking away.
'Can I have it back?' Howie said, watching the light dimming and moving away. The man paused but didn't look back at him.
'Why would I give you something I cannot have myself?'
The man walked to the door, in the wall opposite Howie, and opened the door, dropping the arc reactor just inside the room. The second the door was closed, Howie began crawling towards the light, dragging himself along with the last of his strength. He collapsed in a heap about halfway there and pretty much gave up.
'Help!' He managed to call out with the last of his breath. 'Somebody help me!'
Kia and Fen glared at Loki as he paced the room, Ikkesett twirling in his hands. Magic still held them in their place but they were allowed to move into a more comfortable position; Fen laying down, Kia leaning on his side. Loki moved Ikkesett rom side to side, in all the same movements Kia would use but the winds refused to obey him. He was still completely visible and still unable to fly.
'Why isn't this working?' Loki snarled, glaring at them. Kia smiled and Fen chuckled. He enjoyed seeing the imposter, the man who was controlling his father, suffer.
'Ikkesett obeys the Goddess of the Winds. It does not bow to the God of Mischief or the one controlling him.'
Loki snarled and rose his sceptre towards the wolf. The God of Winter growled and a wall of ice surround Odin's grandchildren. It was circular shield, only open at the top. They could just about see Loki through the shield, pacing and glaring.
'So you know then?' Loki said, his voice distorted. 'You could tell it was not Loki talking to you.'
'Of course.' Kia laughed slightly. 'How could we not?'
'My father would never hurt me.' Fenrir added, his teeth glinting as he smirked.
Loki laughed. 'He killed his own father and tried to destroy his homeland. What would stop him attacking you?'
Fen snarled, jumping up and causing the ice to lash out at Loki. It solidified back into a wall but this time it had spikes. Kia stood as well, a hand placed on Fen's shoulder. She had to stretch up to reach him but it calmed him none the less.
'Thor was unable to tell Loki and I apart. How were you able to?' The controller said, an eyebrow raising in confusion.
'My father is blinded by the crimes Loki committed on Asgard. I see my uncle as he was and always will be.' Kia said, thinking to the times Loki had looked after her when she was a child. He had tried to teach her magic and she had picked up a few things, such as telling when someone was lying.
'Loki Laufeyson will never be released from my control. Even if he is, he will be punished for all those who died at his hand.' Loki's face twisted into a horrible, unfamiliar smirk.
Kia snarled. 'Loki Odinson is Asgardian royalty and has the protection Odin Borrson, Thor Odinson, the Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. You have crossed the wrong family.'
He laughed again, placing a hand on the ice. 'No, Thordortir, you have crossed the wrong man.'
The ice exploded, razor sharp icicles heading towards them. Fen knocked Kia down, leaping at his father.
The two faced each other as Kia pulled herself away and towards Ikkesett, discarded by the God of Mischief.
Fenrir leapt at his father again, trying to snap his teeth around the sceptre. Loki jumped backwards before charging, sweeping his sceptre towards his son. They danced around each other, neither landing a lethal blow but both gaining scars across their skin. Ice and magic built up around them, surrounding them in an almost unbreakable shield.
Almost.
A bolt of lightning shattered through it, hitting Loki and sending him toppling backwards. He ended up next to the window but a strong gust of wind caused him to fly through the window and down to the ground. The two cousins ran forward and reached the window in time to see Loki disappear and reappear on the ground.
Fen growled but didn't move. Kia wrapped an arm around his neck and he pressed his nose to her hair, like he had done since they were babies.
'We'll get your dad back, Fen.' She whispered, hugging him tightly. 'I swear it.'
Lizzie rolled her eyes as Howie winked at her. He didn't seem to be able to take anything seriously.
She instantly recognised the people waiting for her. Karla and Katarina Zola were the nieces of an old enemy of Grandad Steve's and Lizzie had suspected them of starting the fire that killed her parents.
Klara scowled. 'We thought we managed to kill you, Miss Rogers.'
'Along with the rest of your family.' Katarina added.
Lizzie's eyes widened at the admission. She froze slightly, trying to figure out how to react. Her father's voice filled her head, reminding her of the advice he had once given her.
'If you're ever in a situation where the other person has an advantage.' Steve Jr had said, kneeling down to press some ice to Lizzie face. She had just lost a fight and had a black eyes. 'You have three options. You run away and hope they don't catch you. You admit defeat and pray they accept. Or you play weak, let them underestimate you and wait for the right moment to strike.'
She took the third option. 'What?' She said, allowing her voice to break slightly. 'You k-killed my family.'
Katarina laughed. 'Oh yes. You didn't know?'
Lizzie shook her head, pressing herself up against the wall as they began walking towards her. Klara smirked.
'I thought Rogers were supposed to be tough.' They leaned in close, staring into her eyes. 'Looks like that skipped you.'
Lizzie turned her head to the side, pressing her ear to the door. She froze slightly when she heard the voice coming from the other room.
'Sorry.' She said, looking up at them with a smirk. 'I have to go.'
She kicked out, sending Katarina backwards. She turned in time to see Klara pull out a gun and raised her arm, her shield expanding and reflecting the bullet. The bullet hit Klara's shoulder and she went down. Katarina ran at her but Lizzie simply raised he shield, the vibranium easily knocking the woman to the ground. Turning to the door, Lizzie threw her shield and it went through, not just her door, but the one leading to Howie as well.
She expected to see him being attacked, or at least visibly wounded but he was just laying on the floor. She reached him quickly, trying to figure out why he was in pain.
'What's wrong?' She said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
'The arc reactor!' Howie gasped, pointing across the room. 'He pulled it out!'
She scrambled across the room, grabbing the blue thing and running towards Howie. She rolled him over and froze, looking at the hole in his chest.
'Lizzie.' He said, looking up at her. 'I need you to help me. If the arc reactor isn't reinserted, I'm going to die.'
She nodded and he took her hand, holding it just above his chest. 'See the wire?' Howie said, staring up at Lizzie. She just nodded, running on autopilot.
'That needs to go into my chest. There's a connector at the end, you'll know it when you touch it.'
She nodded holding the wire and putting it into the hole. It touched the edge and he started, gripping her hand tighter and causing her heart to miss a beat.
'Sorry.' Howie said, his voice now barely above a whisper. He smiled slightly. 'Forgot to say, don't let it touch the side.'
Lizzie smiled back at him and restarted. She found the connector, grimacing at the pus. She briefly wondered where it came from but stopped that train of thought before it could gross her out. She reconnected the wire and Howie breathed a sigh of relief. He nodded, taking the actual reactor from her and putting it into his chest.
'Thank you.' He said, sitting up and pushing himself to his feet. The floor beneath them shook and Howie grabbed her hand, leading her out of the room.
'What was that?' She said as they walked out of the room.
'I don't know. But I'm sure Kia will.'
James glared at the man in front of him before schooling his features and smiling. He was always told to respect this man and he was going to keep his manners.
'Hello General Ross.' He said as the man glared at him.
Ross raised an eyebrow. 'You remember me then?'
James' brow furrowed and he tried to remember when he had met his grandfather before. He nodded when he realised, when he was six, his father had been kidnapped and he had been held in Ross' custody until the Hulk had saved him. 'Of course. Dad never stops talking about you.'
Ross scowled at the mention of Bruce but continued anyway. 'We were quite worried. We thought the beast would have killed you.'
James chuckled. 'Dad loves me. Even as the Hulk, he won't let anyone touch me.'
Ross glanced at one of the many soldiers lining the room. 'Write that down.' He turned back to James, who tilted his head.
'So, why am I here?' He said, genuinely curious. Why would Ross kidnap him if he was worried about him?
'We need to bait the beast.' Ross said, smirking. 'He needs to pay for what he's done, the deaths he's caused.'
'The deaths you caused.' James was shaking now but the Other Guy refused to rise. The tranquillisers hadn't worn off enough yet. 'If you just left him alone, most of those people would still be alive.'
'Really? What about my daughter? Elizabeth Ross, his fiancée. Did he tell you about her?' Ross was scowling now, eyes enraged.
James froze slightly. 'Elizabeth Ross was my mother. My dad was devastated when he found out he killed her.'
A strange expression came over Ross' face. 'Your mother? Your biological mother?'
'That's right, Grandpa Ross.' Without realising it, James and Ross were now directly in front of each other, the boy glaring up at his grandfather.
'So Banner is your biological father? You're not adopted?'
James shook his head, confused. Before he could ask, Ross clicked his fingers and soldiers grabbed hold of James, pulling him down and holding him to the ground. Ross pulled out a scalpel and held it above James chest.
'I was going to use his on your father. But I suppose you'll do.'
James instantly started struggling, trying to get away. The scalpel cut through his chest and into his skin but he still hadn't transformed. He focused, trying to change but unable to.
'James! James help me!'
Sophie!
He felt his skin rippling and expanding. The scalpel was useless as his skin turned green and he grew to the size of a full sized man. James stepped to the back of his mind, letting the Hulk take over. He roared, hitting the soldiers back before turning and crashing through the locked door. He burst into Sophie's room, knocking the men away from her and snarling. Something hit his shoulder and he turned, seeing Ross shooting at him. He was about to jump at the man but Sophie grabbed a gun from a fallen soldier and shot, causing Ross to fall to the ground.
'Thank you.' She said as he knelt down to her level. 'Do I call you James or...'
'I Hulk.' He said, hearing James chuckle in his mind. 'But I still James.'
'Nice to meet you Hulk. We need to get to the top floor.'
Hulk nodded, picking her up and jumping upwards. They burst through the ceiling and smiled and the other four.
'That.' Howie said. 'Was awesome.'
Hulk smiled and Sophie jumped down, heading towards the others. Hulk followed, like a body guard.
'What we gonna do?'
'We need to get to Stark Tower. My suit's there, so's Lizzie's sword. We have a few guns as well.'
'How are we getting there?' Fenrir growled out, shocking Sophie, Lizzie and Hulk.
'Well they left the plane, if any of you know how to fly it.' Lizzie finally replied.
Sophie looked at the metal bird and shrugged. 'I can hack the system but I can't drive it.'
Movement from behind her made them all turn. Their eyes widened when they saw James Banner stood there, very much human and almost naked.
'Right then.' He said, walking past them, holding onto his torn trousers. 'Let's go, I'll drive.'
