Tite: The Sound Of Silence
Rating: T
Warnings / Tags: Eventual Frostiron, Major Character Death, Temporary Character Death, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Isle of Silence, Slow Burn, Dream Walking, Fix-It of Sorts, Odin's A+ Parenting, Loki-Centric, Loki's Kids, Thor Is Not Stupid, Thor's A Good Bro, Infinity Gems, Infinity War, Families of Choice
Summary: Loki puts her foot down, Tony puts his foot in his mouth, Amora infiltrates SHIELD, and Bruce Banner gets mad.
Chapter 6: Fights
When Amora and Hela get back to the apartment, the Enchantress makes a beeline straight for Loki's room and deposits her on the bed. Loki sags into the plush green blankets with a sigh of relief and blinks as Amora lays a hand on her forehead.
"You're burning up." Amora tells her and turns to Hela. "Go get the box from under my bed."
"How ironic." Loki comments with a chuckle and Hela pauses to look at her with worry painted plain across her face before doing as she's told. She returns moments later, carrying a wooden coffer with intricate designs carved into its sides and Amora takes it from her, sitting down on the bed beside the exhausted goddess.
"Will she be okay?" Hela asks as Amora whispers a spell to unlock it and begins digging through it.
"In time." Amora makes a noise of triumph and pulls out a glowing gold gem. "She used up the last drop of the magic that she had, like an idiot." She gives Loki a pointed look. "But, I can work on restoring some of it from my own spare reserves. It won't last for long, but it'll have to do until we can find a magic user that's attuned more to Midgard's particular brand of Power."
"Then you shouldn't be wasting your time here, Amora." Loki objects and when the Enchantress looks at her with outrage in her eyes, she smiles. "I can assure you that I know how to use a power crystal. Hela and I can work on restoring my powers, but I need you in SHIELD. They have an extensive database; I'm sure there will be a note on a powerful mage here on Midgard somewhere in their systems."
Amora studies her for a moment, ivy green eyes searching emerald, before she finally nods. "You will contact me if anything happens." She orders as she stands and Loki dips her head in assurance. Giving her one final calculating look, Amora gathers her magic around herself and vanishes in a flash of green.
Hela looks after her for a moment before turning to Loki. "What's the real reason that you wanted her to leave?" She asks.
"Who says that wasn't the real reason?" Loki replies and Hela crosses her arms. "If it makes you feel any better, I want you to leave too."
The Queen of Helheim gapes at her, eyes going wide. "Are you serious? Why?!"
"Because you are a Queen and you have spent too much time away from your Realm and your subjects." Loki tells her and Hela's face goes red in anger.
"You cannot order me around like a child! I need to be here." Her daughter snaps back.
"You do not need to, you want to, Hela, there is a difference." Loki says sternly and Hela's face falls. "I do not say these to hurt you. When Odin installed you upon Helheim's throne he meant it as a punishment, as a way to keep you out of sight. You grew into your title in spite of that and I will not have you throw all of that progress away now."
"I'm not throwing anything away! If the All-Father wanted me out of sight on Helheim, why are you trying to trap me there?" She demands, hurt, and Loki's eyes widen in stunned anger.
"Do not compare me to him, Hela," She growls, fingers clenching into the blanket under her. "We are nothing alike. All I have ever wanted for you was safety and happiness, which I cannot give you if you insist on getting caught up in my battles."
"You are my mother!" Her daughter exclaims. "I would gladly get caught up in all of your battles if it meant that I could stay by your side."
"I know you would," Loki sighs and pulls her close, brushing the hair back from the young queen's face. "Which is why I wish you to go. If something were to happen to you, because of me, I would never be able to forgive myself." She murmurs and Hela sniffs, blinking quickly to fend off any unwanted tears.
"I will not leave until your magic is restored." She says into her mother's shoulder and Loki seems to think about it for a moment before nodding.
"Fair enough. Now hand me all of Amora's spare crystals." She instructs and Hela grabs the box and does as she's told.
...
When Tony's jet lands at the Avenger's Mansion, Steve is waiting for him and Thor in the hangar with a disapproving look. "You couldn't have just driven?" He asks as Tony walks down the lowered stairs and the inventor gives him a smug look.
"Jet." He says, pointing at his private plane, then back at himself. "Billionaire."
Steve lets out a sigh. "Then why did you drive last time?"
"Because I wanted to show off my new car and make Rhodey jealous." He replies and holds out his phone toward Cap. "Say 'Hello Friday'."
"Hello Friday." Steve says, voice resigned.
"Good evening, Capsicle." The AI replies and the super soldier glares as Tony gives him a shit eating grin.
"Very funny." He deadpans and grabs the phone before Tony can shove it back into his pocket. "Friday, call me sir, Steve or Captain Rogers, okay?"
"Of course, sir." She replies and Steve tosses the phone back to the inventor as he leads the way into the mansion. Tony catches it with curse and gives the super soldier a dirty look behind his back. They walk in silence until they reach the communal area where the others are lounging around. Wanda takes one look at Tony and rises from her seat before disappearing from the room.
"Do you think it would help if I apologized?" Tony asks the room at large and Natasha studies him for a long moment before smiling.
"I think she'd turn your brain into a pulp if you tried." She tells him and Tony wrinkles his nose in disgust.
"She is suffering from grief," Vision says, looking at the door she had disappeared through. "I do not think your presence helps much in that regard."
"You used to like me." Tony tells him and Vision turns to look at him with a blank expression. They stare at each other for a long moment before the inventor clears his throat and looks pointedly at a wall. Steve eyes him with sad disapproval but Stark ignores him.
"Not that I'm not glad you've decided to help us with training," The super soldier finally says. "But what changed your mind?"
"Divine intervention." Tony replies. "I'm starting to remember why I'm an atheist though."
"Your doing?" Natasha asks Thor and the god opens his mouth, then closes it, shooting Tony a pleading look. Tony resists the urge to drop his face in his hands, because can Thor be any more obvious if he tried?
"Of course it was his doing." He lies and Natasha narrows her eyes at him. "What? He came at me with all his nobility and honor stuff. The whole shebang, really. It was very convincing."
She looks at Thor and he nods, smiling that big godly smile of his, all teeth and honest blue eyes. Tony's half convinced it's a trait of godhood, because no matter how many times he tries that same look on Pepper, she just frowns at him and tells him to get back to signing paperwork. Then again, it might not be, because he never remembers Loki looking at him like that.
"Well then," Steve says into the ensuing quiet and Tony sends him a thankful look. "I guess we'll start training again at six if everyone's up to it."
Natasha nods and Vision and Falcon wander out, even if Sam does shoot them a questioning look over his shoulder. Thor tries to follow them but the red-headed assassin grabs his arm and looks him in the eye for a long moment. "You and Tony are terrible liars." She tells him. "What's really going on?"
"Who said anything was going on?" Tony shoots back and she glares at him. "Stop that, you don't get to look at me like that."
"Tony," Steve sighs and the inventor shoots him an annoyed look.
"Why does anything have to be going on for me to want to be a part of the team? I got bored at home and I can't stand my lab at the moment. Can you really blame me for wanting a change of scenery?" He asks and Steve immediately looks guilty even if Natasha doesn't. She lets go of Thor's arm though.
"What happened in Asgard?" Steve asks as Thor sits his hammer down on the coffee table, clearly switching the topic. All of them know it, even if no one makes the mistake of pointing it out.
"My father assured me that the visions were of no concern to neither I nor the Nine Realms." Thor tells him, sitting down on the couch that Sam had vacated. Tony stands there for a moment, contemplating whether or not to join him, then decides that he's not going to hear anything new and makes his way to the elevator. Natasha follows him with a determined look on her face, moving to lean against the rail as the doors slide shut behind them. Once they're below ground, she reaches out and presses the emergency stop button.
"You know those are only for emergencies." Tony tells her and Natasha gives him a stern look.
"What are you hiding Tony?" She asks, crossing her arms in a way that would be intimidating if he didn't know her so well. Or, well, scratch that, it was more intimidating for that exact reason.
"Who says I'm hiding anything?" He deflects and she sighs.
"You last logged into your workshop less than twelve hours ago, so I really don't think your whole 'I can't stand my lab' is all that true." She says and Tony turns to her, mouth set in a thin line. Seriously? That's her argument for practically jumping down his throat since he arrived?
"How are you going to assume to know anything about how I feel?" He snaps back and her arms lower in surprise. "Just because you have your little fingers in my systems -which I specifically told SHIELD not to do, might I add- doesn't mean that you have any idea what's going on in my head. I created a murderous robot that tried to wipe out the entire human species in that lab, I killed one of my best friends in that lab, so you can't stand there and tell me I'm lying about anything that has to do with it. I can't go in there alone, not without seeing some fucked up M.P Lovecraft horror story every time I see a shadow."
"Tony," Natasha tries, but Tony just glares at her because he's on a roll now. He's so sick and tired of them doubting him, especially if none of them have the courage to confront him about it. He's a part of the team too, but they all seem to insist on treating him like a money donor that likes to play hero. Natasha doesn't get to play that game with him, especially after all the shit she pulled when they first met.
"And what makes it even worse is the fact that you drove off my lab partner." He adds out loud. "The only person on this team that stayed down there and worked with me to try and create something great. The only other person that thought of Jarvis as an actual sentient being. The only person that understood what it felt like to create something horrible when all we wanted was to keep the people we love safe and you-"
Natasha slaps him. "That's enough." She snaps and Tony's eyes go wide, a hand going up to press against his cheek. "You think I don't know what it means to sacrifice for the people I love? To do something that keeps me up at night, even though it was necessary? You're not the only one with skeletons in there closet, Tony."
"Nat..." He sighs, but she pushes the elevator button again and looks resolutely at the wall. There's tension lining her shoulders, like she's expecting someone to crack a whip against her back. Then Tony realizes that he just did, even if it wasn't intentional. He swallows the lump of guilt burning in his chest and reaches out before letting his hand fall back to his side. "I'm sorry."
She doesn't reply, not even to call him on what a bastard he's being, and Tony spends the rest of the elevator ride feeling like a piece of shit.
...
When Amora walks into SHIELD, she's wearing the appearance of Jessica Drew like a second skin. She's met the female super hero enough times to know her movements, but she can't say she enjoys the ridiculous cascade of black hair that the woman has. Her own blonde locks are chest length at most, much thinner, and nowhere near as heavy in comparison. Despite that, she can't say she dislikes her current form. It's curvy and laced with lean muscles that she's had the option to appreciating first hand, if not in the way she sometimes thinks about, much to her disappointment.
Then again, she's not sure if she'll ever get the chance with how little Jessica visits as of late. "Where are you, little spider?" She wonders aloud as she makes her way to one of the lifts. She needs to get to the system server rooms without being noticed, but if she can make it in and out of this building full of mortal bloodhounds without incident, she'll gladly take the opportunity. Of course that means no teleporting while she's in view of cameras, but she's successfully worked her way around worse in the past.
Humming softly as she presses the button to the glass and metal elevator, she takes a moment to look at the building around her. There are agents milling around like ants everywhere she looks, coming and going on their own important missions. In the center of the lobby is a giant eagle effigy, black and commanding even as the elevator lowers from its view. It's familiar in a way that makes her think of battle crests, and she supposes that it's fitting in a way. SHIELD is an organization of covert warriors in their own way, trained for battle and loyal to their King. Or queen; she's not at all sure which it is.
The elevator doors open with a ding, depositing her on a floor far below the ground level of the building. She walks confidently, sending out tendrils of magic to locate what she's looking for until one of them lands in a room and sends a flare of power through her mind. The door has a keypad on it along with a retinal scanner, but her disguise and a quick spell get those obstacles out of the way quickly enough. Paying mind to not look at any cameras within the room, she fishes a USB from her pocket and connects it the main computer terminal for the servers. It lights up with a green flash, her magic sweeping through the systems in search of any files that might contain what she needs.
While she's sure Loki expected her to play the long game and try to infiltrate SHIELD in a personal way, she has to admit that she likes this method much more. There's no room for human error here, no way for others to mess up her plans before she can get anything of use. She watches the computer screen, eyes intent on the documents that flash by at lightening pace. She has no doubt that SHIELD set up fail safes to keep their files secure but she's also completely sure that they didn't anticipate interference from magic when they set up those countermeasures. It's stunningly easy to get the information she's looking for, but not easy enough to make her suspicious of foul play. How these mortals survive without the most basic inkling of how to use the Power that the Norns graced their world with, she doesn't know, but she can't help but feel pity for them because of it.
Removing the USB, she vanishes it to a pocket of space for later retrieval and leaves the room. "Hello Jess." A voice says from her right and she turns to spy a woman with short brown hair and sharp blue eyes.
"Agent." She replies, walking past her and the woman quickly falls into step beside her.
"I have to say I wasn't expecting you back so soon." The agent tells her, clearly speaking of an event in Jessica's life that the sorceress has no knowledge of. Maybe that's why her neighbor had been so scarce as of late, she thinks, and Amora's magic flares in warning. Ignoring it, she smiles down at the woman warmly.
"What can I say? I work fast." She replies as the elevator arrives. The woman watches her with a frown as the doors begin to open.
"Good to hear," The agent says, smiling back before she whips out a gun. Amora's eyes widen just before a current of electricity jolts through her with a stunning amount of pain. Letting out a snarl of rage, Amora collects her magic around her but the agent pushes another button and she collapses, her illusion of Jessica fading away as she lays twitching on the floor. "The thing is, I work faster."
...
Maria stares at the woman she electrocuted through a pane of two-way glass with a frown on her face. She can't help but feel that the magic user can see her, especially when she looks her dead in the eye like she's doing now. One of her agents are interrogating her, but besides a blissful smile, the woman doesn't react to any of the questions she's asked. It's infuriating to say the least, and after an hour of it, the new SHIELD director is thoroughly fed up. Looking to the side, she notes the script running across the monitor there. The computer is transcribing everything that's said in the interrogation room, but there are still too many blanks there for her to feel anything other than dread.
Removing her gun from her hip, she sits it down on the table beside her, opens the door, and walks into the adjacent room, noting that the woman goes rigid, poison green eyes following her every movement.
"I was wondering when you'd turn up." She says as Maria grabs the file of photos on the table. They're all video stills of the woman's time in the Triskelion, starting from her entrance through the doors to the moment Maria tasered her in front of the elevator.
"I had other things to do." Hill replies and the woman laughs, sharp and bright in a way that grates on the director's nerves.
"Of course." She beams. "Standing in a room and glaring at me must be tedious work."
"I'm not sure that you should be smiling." Maria tells her, voice utterly calm and she receives a pout in return. Charming.
"I don't see why I should stop." The other woman replies and the SHIELD agent narrows her eyes at her.
"How about you just answer our questions?" She asks, crossing her arms atop the table as she leans on them.
The blonde smile only grows brighter as she leans forward, voice lowering into a seductive lilt. "And what? You'll let me go? Don't think you can fool me at this game."
"This isn't a game." Hill snaps back. "You broke into our base and stole our files. I want to know why."
"Sweety, when you've lived as long as I have, try telling me that your entire life isn't one big play at Clue. Until then," Her smile morphs into all teeth, wicked and dangerous in its beauty. "Don't assume that you have the upper hand on beings far more powerful than you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a friend in need of aid." Then she vanishes, leaving behind a scrap of paper with an elegant scrawl of words on it.
"My name is Amora the Enchantress, to answer one of your questions. P.S. Maybe next time you'll be faster, Director." Maria reads, looking down at the flowing green script. Then she lets out a curse and goes to make a call.
...
"Skurge," Amora calls as she appears not far from her old friend. "You'll never guess what a delight woman I just ran into."
"I'm a little busy at the moment, my lady." Skurge grunts as the huge green beast before him tries to crush him with one massive fist. Gripping his axe, he brings it around in a vicious arch but the Hulk bats it away with a roar and sweeps him through a tree. Stomping the ground, he lets out a bellow as Skurge picks himself back up, stepping over the remains of the old pine.
"Stay down, puny man!" He growls and Skurge lets out a rare laugh. It's a frightening sound, full of battle rage and blood lust as it is. Amora had missed it dearly.
"Not on your life, beast." The half-giant shouts back, running to his axe and drawing it back over his shoulder. He plants his feet into the grass beneath him and releases it and grins as it hits the green giant in the shoulder, sinking in as the massive being gives a cry of pain. Ripping it free, the Hulk tosses it aside again and charges at him with a ground shaking cry. Amora yawns and leans against a tree, watching as the two men dance around like vicious wolves before launching themselves at each other with battle cries
"Not that I don't love to see you fight, dear, but wouldn't it be easier to just knock him out." She drawls, distracting Skurge enough for the Hulk to grab him by his ankle and send him flying like a sack of grain. He lands with a force hard enough to send him plowing into the dirt not far from her until a tree slows him down. Its trunk splinters with a shriek and the whole thing falls with a mighty crash.
Glaring up at her, Skurge picks himself up and blinks the dirt from his eyes, ignoring the smears and cuts littering his body. "Be my guest, Enchantress." He welcomes and she smiles up at him as her hands glow green. Walking out from the treeline, she sends a burst of power at the enraged scientist. He turns to her with a snarl, like an angry bear and she merely grins in reply. Letting her magic bleed into the air around her, she directs it toward him, watching as his eyes begin to glow poison green before he slumps to the ground at her feet.
"That wasn't so hard." She calls toward Skurge and he snorts, coming forward to collect the now human-sized beast.
"You are a wicked woman." He tells her in reply, voice flat, and she lets out a peal of laughter, head thrown back as her shoulders shake with mirth. Checking to see that he has a firm hold on the unconscious scientist, she wraps a hand around her friend's arm and teleports them back to her apartment. Loki looks up at them from the book cradled in her lap, Hela fast asleep on the couch beside her, and cocks an eyebrow.
"It certainly seems like you had an eventful day." She says as Skurge drops Bruce into one of the overstuffed armchairs across from her.
"When don't we?" Amora asks and wanders into the kitchen in search of food. "I got the files we need, by the way."
Loki stares after her, blinking. "You were supposed to gain their trust and then get the files." She points out and Amora returns with a carton of strawberries cradled in one hand.
"I figured that my way would take a lot less time." She hums, biting into a berry with an expression of bliss. "We don't have much of it to spare, after all."
"We had enough." Loki tells her, grabbing a strawberry when Amora offers the carton over. It's sweet against her tongue and she nudges Hela awake to hand the rest of it over. Her daughter eats it with a yawn, before reaching out and snagging the rest of them from the blonde sorceress.
Amora turns to Skurge with a disapproving look. "Go take a shower and change. You're getting dirt all over my carpet." Skurge grumbles something vaguely insulting under his breath, but eventually he nods and leaves, tracking muddy footprints in his wake and the Enchantress sighs.
"So," Hela begins, looking at Bruce pointedly. "Who's the half naked guy over there?"
Loki studies the Avenger with a frown. "A potential ally." She tells her daughter and Hela nods, going back to the berries. A few minutes later, Bruce lets out a groan and sits up, hands pressing into his eyes before he looks around at his surroundings. Then he frowns, scrambling out his chair with a curse.
"Where am I? He asks, staring at Loki, even if he doesn't recognize her in this form. Then he looks at Amora and gapes. "What did you do?"
"I sent your beast to sleep before he could kill my friend." She tells him and he winces.
"Uh... Sorry?" He mumbles and the Enchantress smiles at him.
"There is no need to apologize, Bruce Banner. Skurge is more than capable of taking a few punches." Loki assures him and he frowns at her.
"Do I..." He shakes his head with a frustrated sound. "Do I know you?"
"Not in this form, but certainly by name." Loki replies. "You may remember me as a half-crazed god that opened a portal to space in New York around a year ago."
"Loki?" He blinks at her incredulously for a moment, then slumps back into unconsciousness. Loki turns to glare at Amora, who gives her an innocent smile in return.
"What? I saw green." She says and the Tricker lets out a long-suffering sigh.
A/N: Sorry that this update is so short! This was just one of those chapters that refused to be written. [Edit] I fixed some stuff.