Chapter 5

Loki withdrew into himself. It was like watching a man turn to stone. The whole plane ride Ava wanted to go over to him, hit him, scream at him, kiss him – do something to stop whatever he was doing to himself. But instead she sat. Quietly. And waited.

She had expected them to land somewhere on earth but instead their craft climbed higher and higher through the clouds. The young woman stared out the front window as they approached an enormous vessel that was nearly invisible in the sky. It was phenomenally huge – such a thing…Ava had not realised that humans had this sort of technology, that they had the ability to make castles fly.

Parts of the main deck were lit up and in them stood groups of armoured men holding human weapons. With them was a man the same colour as Heimdall with a patch over his eye like Odin, though not quite so glorious as either it was conceivable that he could command the same power.

Their plane, now a tiny insect on the face of the floating fortress, landed and grew quiet. Natasha stood up and made her way to the opening back ramp of the craft. She climbed out and approached the man who joined her in returning to the plane.

"I see we have some stowaways." He started in a strong, slightly lilting voice. "I don't like stowaways."

"I do not believe we have met." Thor approached the man and offered his hand. "I am Thor Odinson, of Asgard."

"I know who you are." He replied. "You're the kind of stowaway I can use. Not so sure about the other one though."

"She's been rather cooperative, sir." Steve Rodgers stepped up. Ava remained seated and listened, her eyes constantly on Loki. He was listening too, a small smile playing at his mouth. It was unnerving.

"So far." He added. The man stepped in and stood in front of Ava. "Young lady, I am Director Fury and I have a few questions." He glanced at Loki. "More than I have for him." Fury turned to the man who seemed to be such a willing captive and allowed his voice to become touched with a threatening tone. "So, Loki of Asgard, where can I find the Tesseract?"

Loki smiled. "I have absolutely no idea, Mr Fury." He said the name's name in a condescending tone.

"We'll see." The Director nodded to some men outside the plane. One climbed on board and unstrapped the Asgardian from his seat and led him into the middle of a formidable formation of armed men.

Fury glanced at Ava. "Will we need an armed escort for you too?"

The young woman met his eye. "No, sir. I think you'll find that I am exceptionally disinterested in this fight for the Tesseract."

"Oh?"

"I just want to take Loki home. I want to know what happened to him."

He nodded. "Well, good luck with that."

0.0.0

Ava had never really felt awkward around other people before. Not until she climbed into that ship where no one knew if she was good or bad. The whole fortress hummed and rode smoothly through the clouds.

Natasha Romanov led the blonde through the hallways with their glass walls and their state of the art scientific facilities. Thor had been taken with Nick Fury but it seemed that Ava had to go through some sort of security before they allowed her anywhere near anything. They had already confiscated her weapons.

"You okay, Banner?" Natasha paused at an open door.

"I'm fine, Natasha." He paused awkwardly. "So that was Loki, was it? He doesn't look so formidable."

"Yeah, and that's the weirdest part of all."

Banner pointed his glasses at the woman. "Yes it is." Another awkward pause. He looked to Ava. "Sorry, I'm being rude. You must be Ava."

The young woman nodded.

"Well…" He seemed uncomfortable with her silence. "Its nice to meet you."

"And you." She replied.

Natasha indicated for the girl to continue on. They moved into a room with a giant window that overlooked the night below. There was a single table and two chairs placed inside. The red head closed the door and stepped toward the table while Ava wandered to the window.

"You need to know if I'm going to blow anything up, don't you?" The Asgardian spoke gently.

"We need to know whose side you're on. Once we know that I don't think you'll get a chance to blow anything up."

"I just want to take Loki home." Ava turned around. "This isn't him at all. I hate that this is the person you're seeing because its not…him."

"Then who is it?" Natasha pursed her already bee stung lips as she waited for a reply.

"I don't know." The blonde twisted her head so she could see the clouds below them. "But he is in there. Somewhere." She exhaled. "I do not want to cause trouble or anything – I just want him to come out of this darkness."

"And if that means you have to take a side? Cause trouble?"

"Then I will do what I have to."

Natasha nodded. "Then you need to understand one thing; if you do anything to put this mission or its people in jeopardy you will have to answer to me. To S.H.I.E.L.D."

Ava turned her back to the woman. "You do not need to threaten me."

"We don't know that yet."

"My priority is Loki."

"You really love him, don't you?"

Ava swallowed. "I do."

"How did you meet?"

"At a party. My mother wanted me to fall in love with Thor."

"It never works out like our mother's want it to, does it?"

"No." The young woman turned around. "And this wont either."

"I don't know what you mean." Natasha stood tall and proud and human.

Ava gave her a knowing look. "This is an interrogation and you are very good at it. But we are both women who have lived in the shadows and I think we understand more about each other than we realise. Just as me outright if you want to know something."

The red head nodded. "Alright. I will." She paused. "How far are you willing to go for Loki?"

"As far as I have to."

"And how do you feel about him being held prisoner here?"

"If this is what it takes then so be it but know he is a prisoner to something else already….and that he wants to be here."

"Why?"

"I do not know. It has been a long time since I saw him last."

"Will he tell us where the Tesseract is?"

"No. He does not know where it is. I believe that."

"Then what does he want?"

"Something else, I don't know what. The location of the Tesseract has nothing to do with why he wants to be here."

Why he wants to be here. He wanted to be prisoner. He wanted to lose. To fall. To be bound up and possibly even tortured. He wanted something here, something he could not obtain in freedom or captivity. This was a plan. This was part of the darkness that was consuming him.

It was like hearing about him falling into the void again only this time Ava could see it; see very painful moment in devastating clarity. She would go in after him if she had to. And she would hold his hand. And she would find him again.

"From the sounds of it you don't owe Loki anything, nor Thor. You don't have to be here to do this." Natasha stepped up beside Ava.

"Maybe not."

"Then why are you here?"

She looked up and the human was taken aback by the honesty in her eyes, by the dedication that came from them. "Because I just cannot let him down."

"He's let you down."

"Does that mean I should do it back to him?" Ava took a shallow breath. "No. He needs me and I want to need him. Have you ever been in love, Natasha?"

"That's a bit personal."

"It's all a bit personal, but that is why we go where we go and do what we do, is it not?"

The red head glanced at Ava and then back out the window at the world below. "I suppose it is."

0.0.0

The Asgardians were invited to the meeting that allowed the group assembled to retrieve the Tesseract to become introduced to Loki. The introduction was little more than a monitor with the captive on it. A captive in a glass case.

Ava felt uncomfortable watching with a group of strangers present. Thor was there and that was some comfort, and she had begun to warm to Natasha, but the others…Tony was not present, possibly because he and Steve seemed to clash; their differences and perspectives were on just the right angle for arguments. Bruce was nervous. Constantly. And Ava had no idea why.

Everyone seemed uncomfortable with her – they knew Thor had earth's best interests at heart; loved their planet and one on it. He was invested. They didn't know anything about her except that she and Loki had something between them. It was disconcerting – the atmosphere was tense and she felt everyone watching her.

The young woman started to pay attention to Fury's voice over the monitors.

"30,000 feet straight down in a steel trap, you get how that works?" He was talking about the cell they had Loki in. His hands motioned to Loki and then at the controls for the release on the cell. "Ant. Boot." The threat was clear enough.

Loki started to laugh. "It's an impressive cage. Not built, I think, for me."

"Built for something a lot stronger than you." Was the firm reply.

The man maintained a sinister grin. "Oh, I've heard. A mindless beast makes plays to the man."

Ava's brow knit together for a moment as she saw Natasha look up at Bruce. It was a look that one gives to comfort someone when something terrible has been said about them. Bruce Banner, a mindless beast? Tony had his metal suit, Steve was obviously augmented in some way, Thor was a god, and Bruce…was a monster. Ava looked over those working to keep the fortress flying – the teams of people that surrounded them and continued to diligently do their jobs.

Thor met Ava's eye as she glanced around. He was sad and pensive. The young woman stepped beside him and put a hand on his arm. He forced a smile and she dropped her touch and continued to listen and watch.

"How desperate are you?" Loki spoke in a humoured voice. "You call on such lost creatures to defend you."

"How desperate am I?" Fury always sounded like he was in charge. Like he could kill you in a moment if he wanted to. "You threaten my world with war, you steal a force you cant hope to control, you talk about peace, and you kill because its fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did."

Loki exhaled mockingly. "It burns you to have come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power. Unlimited power." He looked right into the camera monitoring him – he knew they were watching. He knew he was talking to them all. "And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share?"

Fury paused for a moment, undeterred. "Well let me know if Real Power wants a magazine or something." He walked out leaving Loki to stare at nothing but those watching him. The cameras were quickly cut.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Bruce said in his nervous, fidgety way.

Steve sat casually. "Loki's going to drag this out. So…Thor, what's his play?"

"He has an army. The Chitauri. They are not of Asgard or any world known to us. He means to lead them against your people and they will win him the earth, in return for the Tesseract."

"An army…from outer space." Steve was not convinced.

"They're building another portal." Banner added. "That's what they need Erik Selvig for."

"Selvig?" The god of thunder frowned.

"He's an astrophysicist."

"He's a friend." Thor was notably concerned.

"Loki has him under some kind of spell along with one of ours." Natasha seemed uncomfortable with the last part of her sentence.

"I want to know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here." Steve diverted back to business.

Banner piqued up again. "I don't think we should be focusing on Loki- that guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you can smell crazy on him."

Thor was watching Ava and saw how these words affected her. They hurt him too. "Have care how you speak; Loki is beyond reason but he is of Asgard. And he is my brother."

"He killed 80 people in 2 days." Natasha spoke flatly.

Thor paused. "He's…adopted."

Ava decided now was the time to step up to the plate. "He is not crazy nor is he beyond reason. I have spoken to him – there is more to this than we know."

"Then tell us. What can we expect from him?" Steve was relaxed, in control.

"I don't know. I couldn't tell you. He's very lost right now and he might take any turn he can to find his way out again."

"What does he want from earth?"

Ava hesitated. "Its...it is about power. He's always wanted to prove himself, to show that he is better than Thor in some way."

"So this is a child breaking another's toy because they're the youngest?" Natasha was not amused.

"No. Its more complicated than that."

"Can you reason with him?" Steve added.

The young woman paused. "I can try."

Bruce was quick to change the topic from personal to functional. "I think its about the mechanics. Iridium. What do they need Iridium for?"

"It's a stabilizing agent." Tony Stark's voice dominated the room. He was walking with a man in a suit, whispering to him in what must have been the tail end of an earlier conversation. "He needs it so the portal wont collapse on itself like it did at S.H.I.E.L.D." The man strode into the room and past Thor, petting him on the arm in a friendly way as he passed. "No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing."

Thor did not understand this at all.

"Also" Tony continued "it means the portal can open as wide and stay open as long as Loki wants." He mumbled a few things and the workers around him glanced up in anticipation. "That man is playing Gallaga! He thought we wouldn't notice but we did."

Ava was starting to realise that, brilliant as Stark was, he was also easily distracted. This was proved by how he covered his eye with one hand and asked Maria Hill, the Director's assistant, how he saw the screens.

"He turns." She replied in a non committal manner.

"Sounds exhausting. The rest of the raw materials Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily; the major component he still needs is a power source of high energy density – something to kick start the cube." And just like that he was right back on topic, even though he was curiously pushing buttons like an eager boy. Maybe there was a method to his madness – there had to be if he was as successful as he seemed.

"When did you become an expert in thermo-nuclear astrophysics?" Maria asked.

"Last night. Am I the only one who did the reading?"

Steve was obviously a bit annoyed by Tony's consistent fidgeting. "Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?"

Bruce replied in more scientific jargon that Ava could not understand, but Stark was obviously very enthused by the other man's knowledge. They went back and forth together for a bit while the others shifted in their chairs in a state of total mental blankness.

"Finally. Someone who speaks English." Tony warmly greeted Bruce. "Its good to meet you, Dr Banner. Your work on anti electron collisions is unparalleled…and I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."

Ava lifted an eyebrow at this. Bruce did not laugh it away. He just replied "Uhh…thanks." And became more awkward.

"Dr Banner is only here to track the cube." And just like that Nick Fury took complete control of the room. "I was hoping you might join him."

Obviously still wanting to be a productive part of where the conversation had headed Steve suggested that they start with Loki's staff. "It may be magical but it works an awful lot like a hydro weapon."

"I don't know about that, but it is powered by the cube." Fury was eager to get them going. "And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his own personal flying monkeys."

Ava opened her mouth to ask what monkeys were but Thor got there first. "Monkeys. I do not understand…"
"I do!" Steve pointed excitedly. "I understood that reference."

Tony rolled his eye and turned to Bruce. "Shall we play, Doctor?"

"Right this way."

They left the room. Ava stood awkwardly by Thor. She felt like a little girl on her first day at school. Steve was the guy who desperately wanted to do well but obviously missed some of the required curriculum, Tony and Bruce were equally as enthusiastic but knew what they were doing, and Natasha…was there to sail on through to whatever was on the other side.

The Asgardians stood out blatantly and were lost as to how to contribute.

Thor put his hands on Ava's shoulders and turned her to face him. "I was harsh with you earlier and I apologise for that. But you must not let Loki get to you – lets focus on the Tesseract. Once we have that we can get him home."

The young woman nodded. "Okay."

"Okay?"

She confirmed the nod with a small smile. "Okay."

"Good girl." Thor smiled and pinched her chin as a brother would to his sister. "Don't become like him in your quest to bring him home."

The god of thunder was pulled aside the man in the suit that Tony had been talking to earlier.

"Coulson." Thor spoke warmly.

"I have an update for you on Jane if you want to see it?"

"Of course. Thank you." Thor petted Ava on the arm as he stepped away to a console with the man.

The young woman took a cautious seat at the table Steve had just left. She didn't know what to do with herself so she just sat. If she could have been with her mind in private she would have done that; her head was reeling. All these new people, this new environment, the way things were progressing…

"You say Loki doesn't know where the Tesseract is. I don't believe that."

Ava looked up at Fury. "Why?"

"I think he has a motive and he intends for us to waste as much time as possible questioning him." The man sat down beside the girl. "Does that sound about right?"

"I think he will go to any length to obtain power and respect and recognition."

"He has the latter in abundance."

The girl looked at her hands. "What are you going to do to him?"

"Whatever it takes."

Ava felt her heart sink. "Please do not hurt him."

Fury's expression was compassionate. He saw how much she loved Loki. How he must have been something else once. His face hardened again. There was another possibility; either Loki had been someone who could be loved, or Ava was just as lost as he was.

"What do you suggest?" The Director asked.

"Talk to him. Let me listen. I know him; I know when he's saying something when he isn't saying anything at all."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I used to be." The young woman nodded. "Please let me try. The sooner this is all over the sooner we can return to Asgard."

"And then what?" Fury watched her face intensely.

"And then…" Ava paused. "And then we deal with whatever happens there."

"We?"

She nodded.

Fury stood so he could observe Thor and ask him how to deal with his brother. "I hope he loves you as much as you love him."

"I hope so too." She replied.

Ava remember vividly what it felt like to drown. She remembered the sudden peace that came when your body accepted it and just let you drift to your grave. This experience was fast becoming the moment before that; the terrifying, painful, airless, fighting moment.

The young woman noticed a couple of the workers glancing over at her. She swallowed and clenched her jaw. Maybe she should find Tony and Bruce and try to help them. But she knew she wouldn't be able to help them and that her presence might be noted as suspicious. She could go with Thor but he would be in deep with Fury making plans about what to do with Loki. Natasha…they might have got off on the right foot but there was no trust there.

The man in the suit sat beside the young woman. He had obviously finished with Thor. "Are you okay?"

Ava nearly started. The unexpected company was a surprise. "Yes." She smiled. The expression crumbled under man's gaze. He was humble and honest and kind and the young woman knew instantly that these traits to be truer in him than in any other man she had ever met before. "No…I'm not really alright."

"I don't know whose side you're on or anything but I do know you came all this way for one man. That says something about you. Something good."

Ava smiled. "I'm sorry but I do not know your name."

"Coulson. Well…Agent Coulson."

"Your first name is 'Agent?'"

The man laughed. "No. It's a title. Just call me Coulson."

The girl nodded and smiled. "If that is what you wish."

"And you're Ava?"

"Yes I am." She liked this man. He obviously had no agenda coming to her. He was that guy who saw a lonely kid on the playground and decided to share a sandwich with them. "You knew Thor?"

"I did. I was present last time Loki's vengeance followed him here."

The girl nodded. "It was a bit worse back in Asgard."

"Was it?"

"A whole town was not levelled but…that was when he started to really go. It was like watching a building fall over and knowing you could do nothing to stop it. You could get in the way and try to hold it up but it wouldn't matter – things had already started moving and nothing could halt them. It was…devastating."

"I am sure. What did you do?"

"I tried. I made promises to Loki and I did my best to keep them but…." Ava inhaled. "I don't know why I am telling you this." She smiled.

"I don't mind." Coulson returned the smile. "I had a few moments free."

"You're not using them to talk to the other people on the ship? Surely you have something to do?"

"I was on my way to get Steve to sign my Captain America trading cards but I've got a while."

"Captain America?"

"You haven't heard of Captain America?" Coulson's face lit up.

"I have not." Ava smiled. "Please, tell me. And if you have the time please tell me about the others because I'm very lost."

Coulson ran out of time before he even got to finish talking about Steve Rodgers but Ava was hugely appreciative of his time. Humans were curious beings, curious and tentative and slow to trust. But they were all different and all very special in their own ways.

Earth had many formidable opponents and many individuals who would be very missed should they ever fall

Everyone falls. Some sooner than others. Ava wondered how far Loki was into his plummet, how close she was in her leap after him. Her heart was quick to return to its lost anxiety, her head quick to grow back into sadness and worry. She inhaled slowly and closed her eyes. And then she pretended she was drowning.

I had actually included the "mewling quim" scene in here but I felt it fit better with the climax of the next chapter…you know…the big ass fight and Bruce going all Hulk in a confined space…Things are going to speed up quite fast from this point on. I apologise if things have been moving slowly for you. I also apologise for the flaws in the past chapter - I have taken all your reviews and suggestion into consideration and tried my best to reduce confusion in dialogue, improve grammar and punctuation, post faster, and allow for a smoother transition into the next chapter. I probably didnt get it all right but feel free to let me know what else you want to see done/improved.

I hope you're enjoying things so far. All the quotes and conversations from the film belong to Marvel and the makers of Avengers and in no way shape or form belong to me.

Blessings,
P.