A/N: Thanks you all so much for all the favorites, follows and reviews! They makes me super happy! And make me want to write more! I feel like I should reiterate that the bulk of this was written before The Avengers came out, so the plot line won't be the same as the movie. But still the same general concept. I'm really glad you guys like it so far and hope you continue too! And sorry it took so long to update, I'll try and make them sooner from now on.
Cleo nightingale: Thanks so much for your multiple reviews! And I do agree it's definitely a bit unlikely for SHIELD to give out the ID cards and such, but this is kinda a crack fic, and I guess I just wasn't really thinking too much about the inner details as I should have been! And your also right about Hill giving them a first name basis. I'm going to go back and change that, and from now on I'll have her referred to as Hill or Agent Hill! Thanks again for the constructive criticism, it's greatly appreciated! :D
mystic twilight princess: Thank you! I really appreciate it! I'm glad you like it! :D
Shadow Realm Triforce: Thanks for all your reviews! They make me so happy! I'm glad your enjoying it so far and I totally agree with you that I would be freaking out and asking for autographs left and right, if I didn't pass out first of course! And to address your question about none of the Thor plot line happening, I meant Thor coming to Earth in New Mexico and meeting Jane and getting all noble and gentlemanly. I needed him to be kinda a pompous dick like he was in the beginning of Thor for the sake of the story. Thor was still banished, it just happened somewhere else, upstate NY to be exact, and SHIELD found him right away, so the Asgard part of the story still happened, Loki finding out he's a frost giant and all that jazz so that's why he's trying to take over. As for Thor becoming worthy of Mjolnir again, I guess it would be for the same reasons as in Thor, him sacrificing his life for others and such when Loki sends down the destroyer. But he didn't need Jane to become a mature and noble person, I still kinda think that love story was highly unrealistic having that they only knew each other for like two days before he was willing to risk his life for her. I like the idea of him risking his life for Coulson and his other new SHIELD friends after being with them for a couple of weeks. That makes more sense to me I guess. I wasn't really clear at all in the story though so I apologize! Thanks again for the review and I hope you continue to read! :D
Ryle Culler: Thank you thank you thank you! 3 I'm so glad you like it!
Lyra: I am continuing it! :) Sorry for how long it took to update! I was just suffering a major writers block for this section of the story! Thank you so much for the review! I'm glad you like it! :D
Guest's: Thank you both for the reviews! I'm so happy you like it! It makes me want to write more! :D
Ok so here's chapter 4, hope you all like it. Sorry for any grammatical errors and such. Let me know if there's anything too bad!
Chapter 4: "Knight in Spangled Armor"
I'm sent home that night with a team of S.H.I.E.L.D agents to watch over me. Meaning they lurk outside my house in a large blacked out SUV and wait for danger that's never coming. Each one of my friends was given a watch dog service like my own. I guess I understand that they don't want Loki finding us or anything. But he has no idea we even exist. So I think it's pretty safe to say he's not coming for us anytime soon.
Agent Coulson told us we can go back to our normal lives but if we remember or somehow encounter more information we are to contact him at once. Also we are to report to the S.H.I.E.L.D head quarters once every weekend for a debriefing. When we get there we stay in the same rooms we used the first night we spent at S.H.I.E.L.D. I think this is a little over board if you ask me. But hey no one does, so it's not like it matters.
It's been two months since this whole debacle started. Thor has agreed to join The Avenger's and we still don't get along. Pretty much everything I do irks him to no end, which causes him to spit insults in old medieval English at me and sometimes I catch him staring or really more like glaring at me while everyone is gathered for Intel purposes. Fury and his lackeys have been trying to coerce Captain America to join the team since before all this started, he recently said yes but apparently the only reason was because now innocent kids were involved. I think he means me and my friends though I don't particularly like being called a kid by someone who's only physically six years older than me. Ok, maybe I'm being sensitive about that one because he's so gorgeous and I'm mad that he only thinks of me as a kid, but even if he didn't it's not like it'd matter either way. Other than that everything is running smoothly.
Over the past weeks all of my friends and I have begun to grow rather close to the majority of The Avenger's. I've found that Natasha is actually really nice despite her horrifyingly intimidating exterior and she clearly enjoys some girl company from Val, Britt and I. Tim and Mike have been spending most of their time following Tony and Clint around like lost puppies and Val and Clint like never stop flirting, ever. I have my suspicions that something's going on between the two of them that she's not telling me, but I can't know for sure. All I know is that the two of them have been known to both be absent from hangouts at the same time quite frequently.
Obviously Tony is hysterical but what surprises me is that Clint is too. He's not as loud and snarky as Tony but he has his moments of pure dry wit where you can't help but die laughing. Bruce is very quiet but he's got a kind way of talking to everyone. When he explains something to us it feels like I'm in school again. He speaks in a way that reminds me of a teacher trying to ease his students into a lesson. That and the fact that he's about 9 million times smarter than the rest of us makes him easy to trust.
No one has seen Captain America again except the important people, which me and my friends are decidedly not.
Today we are actually going into town. Tony had the brilliant idea to break us all out so we could go to lunch together at his favorite diner. And even more shockingly Clint actually convinced Captain America or excuse me, Steve, to grace us with his presence. The diner is called Scorpio's and it actually doesn't seem that bad. Tony asks for a table for twelve and the waiters push together 3 tables. Everyone takes there seat and I hang back and let them decide first. Bad choice. The only seat left is across from Thor.
"Fan-Fucking-Tastic" I mutter under my breath as I take my seat. At least he's not dressed in his stupid battle regalia. Tony convinced him to change his clothes because going out in chrome body armor and a billowing red cape would most likely draw unwanted attention to our already unconventional group. I sit next to Steve who sits next to Bruce and next to him are Tim, Britt and Mike. Diagonal from me sitting next to Thor is Natasha. Clint is sitting to her left and Val, Tony and Pepper come after that.
Everyone orders and I zone out not really paying attention to everyone's mini conversations. Over the past two months I've come to realize something about myself, and it's that I am absolutely horrendous at standing up for myself. Most people I know would rip Thor a new one for treating them the way he was treating me. Even if he was an intimidating Norse God of Thunder, but who cares when you have four out of six of the avengers on your side (Tony, Clint, Natasha and Bruce), one other pending (Steve).
It really was getting ridiculous how much I feared confrontation. I was fine when it came to standing up for other people. You mess with someone I care about and I'll rip out your jugular. But if someone cuts me down, nope, nothing, nada, zilch. I stand their like a kicked puppy and hope someone comes to my rescue. Which sometimes someone does...but not all the time. Let's just say that there has been plenty of times that I look like a pathetic baby who pouts when someone calls her a name or says something nasty to her. And I know it's ridiculous, but no matter how many times I tell myself I'll do better next time, I always end up standing there shaking, having an anxiety attack over what to say, only coming up with a good comeback hours later. More often than not when I'm tossing and turning in bed, agonizing over how I could have turned the fight around.
And not to say that any of my friends (both new and old) should have to stand up for me all the time, but it would be nice to get a supportive comment instead of raised eyebrows. Bruce and Tony were too wrapped up in their science world and Mike and Tim too wrapped up in Bruce and Tony to really even notice. Natasha very rarely spoke in large groups, Britt was honestly too naive to notice or care for that matter, Steve was never around, and Val and Clint were too caught up in each other. Which now that I think of it is even further proof that something was probably going on between them. At the thought of them I spare a glance up in their direction and see Clint smearing his steak sauce on her chicken parm. "Ew! Clint! Get your dead cow juice away from my plate!" Val giggles out and I almost snort. Boy has she got it bad. I uncross my legs and by accident brush my foot against Thor's under the table. "Sorry." I mutter, not really thinking much of it.
He slams his fist down on the table then, glaring at me with the glare of a thousand demons, and commanding the attention of pretty much everyone in the restaurant. See, this is why I didn't want to sit anywhere near him, nevermind across from the touchy lunatic. I briefly wonder if his hammer was giving him lead poisoning or something. I mean come on, normal people, or gods or whatever didn't act like this.
"Insincere apologies will no longer suffice for your constant farce mortal wench." Thor growls at me. Mike being the completely inappropriate person he is, starts laughing, until Pepper reaches over and smacks him upside the head. I just kinda sit there and stare at Thor. Unsure if this is a dream or not. I had been prone to dreaming about fighting with him. They were definitely in the nightmares category. I know it's pathetic but give me a break, Thor is scary as fuck.
The room is silent as everyone waits for my response. It feels like an eternity has passed when Steve finally speaks up, but it's probably more like three seconds. "Thor...I think maybe you should take it easy, let's not make a scene ok?" Steve says in a calm voice, it reminds me of the voice teachers use on young kids when coercing them to behave the way they want.
Thor's eyes dart over to him and then back to me a few times. The muscle in his jaw jumps, with the force of him grinding his teeth. I can tell he's trying as hard as he can to obey the orders his team leader has given him. But if I can gather anything about Thor's personality, it's that he's not too keen on being bossed around. It must have to do with the the whole 'I'm an Asgardian Prince and Thunder God' complex he's been rocking since he got here.
"Captain, I ask of you to see my point..." Thor starts but Steve cuts him off. "Which is what? From what I saw a girl you, for reasons unbeknownst the rest of the world, absolutely despise, accidentally brushed her foot against your leg, while in close quarters mind you, and then proceeded to apologize politely. Despite how horrible you've been to her in the past...From where I'm sitting Thor, any argument you could possibly come up with is completely invalid." Steve snaps, leveling Thor with a glare I've only seen Cap use on bad guys, and well, Tony on occasion.
"Way to lay down the law, Gramps." Tony quips, an excited grin on his face. Steve sends Tony a withering glare. "Stark, stay outta this." Steve barks and Tony raises his hands in surrender. Thor huffs and puffs for a moment before almost growling at Steve. "Have a care how you speak to a prince of Asgard, Midgardian." Thor sneers.
This causes Steve to lean forward and quirk an eyebrow. "I don't know what it's like on Asgard, but here, your title doesn't matter. If you want to be a part of this team, that means following orders, soldier. I'm in charge here and I say, have a care how you speak to a lady, especially a lady who has done nothing wrong." Steve scowls.
"Steve, I-" I start, reaching my hand out and putting it on his arm lightly. I know I was just not five minutes ago internally ranting about no one defending me, but now I just feel bad. This is insane, he shouldn't have to put himself on the line for some random chick who wasn't even part of his team. I mean I know he's an old fashioned gentlemen and everything but this is taking it to an extreme.
"No, there's no need to say anything. This unacceptable behavior has gone on for too long. I will not have my team at odds with eachother, and I certainly won't accept this kind of attitude. I don't like bullies." He tells me all the while keeping his eyes on Thor. I gulp as Thor glares at him. With Thor's glare fixed elsewhere he's not nearly as intimidating, especially now that I know I have the Cap on my side. So my mouth decides to try and solve this problem before my brain gives it the ok.
"Thor, Listen," My voice is almost a beg. He turns to look at me and I almost pee myself. Intense glare is back on me now and I'm not quite sure what I was planning on saying before I actually got his attention. "Can we talk about this?" I ask and before Thor can answer me with, judging by his expression was probably going to be a nasty reply, Steve speaks up again.
"Good idea. You two...outside with me...now." Steve states, while pointing at Thor and I, and I feel like a kid being blamed for someone else bullying them in school. I send a desperate look down the table as everyone looks around with varying 'oh-shit' expressions, even Pepper doesn't look as professional as usual. I stand, grabbing my jacket and shrugging it on, since it's pretty cold outside as I wait for Steve to lead the way. Thor is doing the same on his side of the table except with no jacket, (Ooo tough guy). Steve gets up and pauses looking at the rest of the group sitting around. "We'll be right back, no one do anything stupid while I'm gone..." He warns and they all give a salute and mutter mixed versions of 'yes sirs and captains' and I'm pretty sure Tony says 'yes daddy', which luckily for him considering the mood this scene has put Steve in, said Captain didn't seem to hear it.
Steve walks past us and holds the door open, Thor walking through first and me skittering awkwardly under Steve's arm, shooting him a nervous glance to which he surprises me by giving me a small reassuring smile.
Steve leads us down the side walk to a small wooded area, and I almost share a nervous glance with Thor, before we remember we're supposed to hate eachother. Mutual hate is slightly overshadowed though when your agitated team captain is leading you into the woods. Captain America wouldn't murder us for just an immature disagreement right? More importantly would Steve be able to take Thor? And if he couldn't who would stop Thor from taking a swing with his hammer of his at me then? Either way this didn't look to promising for me. Shut up brain. I almost say aloud. Steve is hear to help you, like a teacher or something. Just think of this as peer mediation I tell myself. Just because he could snap you in half like a twig without breaking a sweat doesn't mean he'd use that power to brutally murder you. And the same goes for Thor... I think. Well now that I think of it, considering the murderous glare he's sending me now I'm sure he wouldn't mind knocking me around a bit. I don't know many Asgardian customs but the death glare seems pretty universal.
"Alright." Steve huffs, turning back towards Thor and I, who are standing as far away from eachother as possible.
Steve pauses for a moment, looking between Thor and I, seemingly at a loss for words. I bite down on my lip and shift my foot nervously. "Does anyone wanna say something before we start?" Steve asks kinda awkwardly. It seems as if, now that he's got us both here he doesn't really know how to fix it. Thor opens his mouth and takes in a huge breath before starting to speak, but Steve interrupts him by holding up his hand. "Something that's not an insult." Steve adds and Thor pauses before closing his mouth with a 'hmph'.
Steve looked to me then and raised an eyebrow, like he was expecting me to start this conversation. I gulped and tried to wet my dry throat. "I ah...I guess I'd just want to say that I was sorry, for making you angry. I really didn't intend to do anything to offend you." I half whisper, barely even looking in the direction of Thor and only sparing a few glances at Steve while I look down at the ground. The uprooted vines have suddenly become extremely interesting.
I glance up one last time to see Steve's expression has softened considerably. And Thor has a confused and angry expression. After a moment of Thor not answering Steve's expression hardens again as he looks at Thor. "And what do you have to say for yourself?" He snaps.
Thor's nostrils flare dangerously and his jaw sets in a grim line. "I do not understand what the maiden is saying about. She touched Mjolnir and activated it, though she was unable to lift it. I of course have suspected some nefarious plot, how else could one explain a small child of a midgardian, female none the less, being able to do such a thing?! She must be part of my brother's scheme and she is not to be trusted!" Thor shouts. Steve raises an eyebrow and looks between Thor and I for a moment with a disbelieving expression.
My mouth opens and closes a couple of times, trying but failing to form words. What the fuck is he talking about? Me...work with Loki? Is he kidding me? He can't really be that stupid can he? How would his brother even manage to give me the power to do that? And if he could why wouldn't he just go straight ahead and give it to himself? I'm torn between shaking my head in disbelief and giving an epic face palm at what a huge dunce Thor is being and shaking him until he sees reason.
My mouth chooses a third option that I hadn't thought of and I turn to him almost on instinct. "Are you fucking kidding me?" I spit at him and I catch Steve almost gasp at my use of curse words out of the corner of my eye. Oh, right, from the 40s, he's not exactly used to women who swear like sailors. Woops, my bad.
Thor narrows his eyes at me and opens his mouth to reply but I keep going. "No hold on a second. You seriously think that me? The weakest and probably, actually no definitely, most useless to the entirety of S.H.I.E.L.D, despite my intel, is somehow in cahoots with your psychotic brother whose only doing any of this because of some daddy issues and his jealously of you?" I ask him skeptically, cocking my head to the side.
Thor's eyes scan my face and he seems to be mulling over what to say. "She's got a point Thor, it really doesn't make any sense." Steve adds cautiously, not wanting to further provoke the beast. Or poke the bear so to speak.
"Then how exactly did you go about doing what you did with Mjolnir?" Thor says in a low warning grumble. I take a deep breath and shrug. "Honestly, I have no idea! And it freaks me out too. I would much rather have no dealings with it what so ever. That's your business Your the thunder god not me, I'm not exactly qualified to do anything like that. As you can see." I finish lamely, gesturing vaguely to myself.
Thor breathes through his nose heavily and closes his eyes. When he opens them, they hold a lot less furiosity than before, which makes both Steve and I relax considerably.
"You truly have no odious motivations behind what has taken place here?" Thor asks much more calmly than before. I almost jump at the question, dying to redeem myself in his eyes. "No! Not at all! I hate fighting with anyone! Nevermind you. Trust me, I may not be Banner or Stark but I'm certainly not retarded. Going against you, when your someone like me is suicide. And plus...I never had any ill feelings towards you, I still don't. I just want you to stop hating me." I say meekly, almost feeling tears coming on. But I bite them back, now is not the time for tears! That's just pathetic. Though I guess it's not my fault really that my tear ducts were hot wired to any slight emotional spike. It's pretty embarrassing.
Thor's expression softens considerably and his shoulders relax. "I do not hate you. I just did not trust your intentions before any of this came to light. I apologize for acting as I have." Thor says in a smaller voice than I've ever heard him use.
Steve exhales audibly and I glance over to see him grinning. "Great! Now...ah...shake hands?" Steve suggests awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and gesturing between the two of us with the other.
I huff out a laugh and extend my hand to Thor's. "I'm sorry too, friends?" I ask with a hopeful smile. Thor clasps my arm at the elbow and I almost back away shocked at the unorthodox handshake until I remember it's what Asgardians do. "Friends." He grins in his deep voice.
"Fantastic!" Steve chirps and I turn to him, a blush creeping on my cheeks at the two of them grinning at me. I'm not used to so much attention, especially the good kind, not to mention coming from two insanely gorgeous men. I slap myself internally at that thought and shake myself out of it.
"This is great guys, I'm really proud of both of you." Steve gushes like a father as we head out of the wooded area and back onto the side walk.
Thor laughs his deep and hearty laugh and I just smile and look down at my feet to make sure I don't trip over any of the roots or anything. When Thor stops laughing he calls my attention back to him again. "Lady Brooke, we must further look into your connection to Mjolnir when we return to the S.H.I.E.L.D, I am most intrigued to see what can be found." He tells me and I smile sheepishly. "Yea, sure...I think their working on some stuff now, but they haven't found anything yet." I tell him and he nods. We make it back to the restaurant then and Thor heads inside before Steve and I do. Steve holds the door open for me and as I try to give him a small thank you and a smile I trip on the lip of the door. I fall forward, and before I can even think about how my knees are gonna take a killer slamming from those steps, Steve catches me around my middle.
My cheeks flame as I look up at him blankly, stammering a little, trying to thank him. He blushes to at our close proximity. I notice then that my hands are on his chest and he's holding me to his body quite tightly.
My skin tingles where he's touching me which makes my face burn more. "Jeez, Cap! We leave you alone with the little princess for two seconds and your already making a move on her?! Wow, I didn't think you had it in ya!" Tony squawks from the doorway. I get confused as to why he's even there for a second when I realize that he probably came to check on us, after growing impatient for our return, especially now that Thor's back.
I quickly straighten myself, however awkward the transition from being held up by Steve to standing on my own is. Steve let's me go like I burned him once I'm on my own two feet again.
I look over to see Tony with an extremely excited grin. He loves making people embarrassed He's truly a shark for anything that will make anyone even mildly uncomfortable.
I brush past him and give him a 'please don't' look to which he seems shocked and offended. Though it always holds that sarcastic tone, as is natural for Tony.
"Are you her White Knight now? I like it, it's perfectly cliche, I don't know why I didn't think of it before. The little Disney princess over there with her Knight in spangled armor!" Tony cries out excitedly as we all walk back to the table. "Stark, just don't." Steve snaps back. "Oh touchy." Tony shudders and walks around to his seat again.
Everyone looks up from their food and conversations curiously and Steve shoots them a reassuring smile. "Everything's resolved, no need to worry." Steve tells them and I smile at Thor who has a mouth full of mashed potatoes now. He sends me a ridiculously dorky smile with his mouth full and I laugh a little under my breath.
"Steve saved Brooke from an ugly meeting with the stair case out there." Tony tells the table and I sigh heavily and roll my eyes. "Tony", "Stark." Both Steve and I say at the same time and everyone starts laughing.
"Look! There adorable! Even finishing each other's sentences!" Tony cries and Clint snorts, turning to him. "I know you think highly of yourself Stark, but your name is not exactly qualified as a sentence."
"Technicalities!" Tony shrugs it off, before sending me a wink. He really is lucky that I think he's an awesome human being 98% of the time, this being the remaining 2%, because otherwise I may just use my new found friendship in Thor and Steve against him. And if that makes Steve my Knight in Spangled Armor I'm not one to complain.
Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you liked it! :D
Please review if you can! Makes it easier for me to write!
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