Marian's left foot was in the bridge before the doors had fully opened. Finding her father in a deep conversation with Thor she stood idly by, listening in. As they were talking she looked over to the screen that they were staring at. There was Jane Foster's record, as she was a prominent SHIELD scientist Marian had become familiar with her.
"As soon as Loki took the doctor we moved Jane Foster. We've got an excellent observatory in Traunsee, she was asked to consult there very suddenly yesterday. Handsome fee, private plane, very remote. She'll be safe." As Coulson talked, Thor's eyes drifted from the monitor to the talking man.
"Thank you. It is no accident Loki taking Erik Selvig. I dread what he plans for him once he is done. Erik is a good man."
"He talks about you a lot. You changed his life. You changed everything around here."
"Things were better as they were. We pretend on Asgard that we're more advanced, but we... we come here battling like Bilchsteim."
"Like what?"
"Bilchsteim? You know; huge, scaly, big antlers. You don't' have those?"
"Don't think so."
"They are repulsive, and they trample everything in their path." Thor moved away from the monitor to the window causing the two Coulson's to follow, "When I first came to Earth, Loki's rage followed me here and your people paid the price. And now again. In my youth I courted war."
"War hasn't started yet." Director Fury marched onto the bridge, pushing past Marian, "You think you can make Loki tell us what the Tesseract is?"
"I do not know. Loki's mind is far afield, it's not just power he craves, it's vengeance upon me. There's no pain that would pry his need from him."
"A lot of guys think that, until the pain starts."
"What are you asking me to do?" The issue of torture had alarmed their visitor, but Marian was not around long before her father tapped her on the arm. This grabbed her attention, and she followed her father away from the conversation. In order to not have their conversation too closely observed the Coulsons moved off of the bridge and to a small closet office that was for her father. The room held a small desk, and chair in which he promptly sat down in his hands on the desk. While there were two other chairs that that sat in front of the desk Marian chose to stand at attention.
"You left your post. Why?" the commanding voice that overtook him was odd to Marian, but not at all unsurprising as he was her superior.
"I needed to talk to you." she answered with a hint of desperation in her voice.
"About what?" he asked, transforming into a concerned father.
"Mission 10031904, in Calcutta over a year ago."
"The Banner mission? Marian at a time like this is this mission truthfully all that important, we are at war and you are worried about something that happened over a year ago?"
"I am worried about what happened in that warehouse because it does pertain to certain aspects of what is happening now."
"Sit. Explain."
"Loki knows something about what happened, and about what happened in Calcutta." this she spoke all as she was making her way to a sitting position.
"He could have gotten that information from anyone who he used that scepter on."
"Yes, this is true, but I know something happen-"
"Yes something did happen. You got lucky, that's what happened."
"It's more than that. I would like to have access to the files."
"No it's not." He stood sharply, "Your request has been denied."
"Why? What harm could me looking at a few files do."
"You are not here to look at files, you are supposed to be guarding Loki. And more importantly because I said so."
"That's a shit answer!"
"Watch your mouth." his voice became fatherly for an instant, before opening the door to his closet office. As he went through the door Marian jumped up and followed him.
"How's the woman you've been seeing." taking a moment to find the woman's name in her memory, "Audrey Nathan? A cellist right?"
"She is doing wonderful." he answered pulling a paper from the inner breast pocket and held it out to her. Taking it with a look of consternation upon her face she glanced down to it, "Perhaps you should visit her some time. Until then return to your post."
"Yes Sir." With the paper in her hand she turned to walk away but was stopped by her father calling out to her.
"Marian."
"Yes Sir." she said once more, not turning around to see him. In his voice should could hear a world of secrets he wished to tell her.
"Nevermind, I'll see you soon."
Coming to Loki's cell, Marian had to deal with the two guards once more. As expected they gave her hell but let her through to guard Loki. As she marched closer to Loki's cage she heard voices, and decided to slow down letting herself creep till she could see the cage. Peaking around the corner she saw Romanoff speaking to Loki. Feeling as if Romanoff was in the middle of one of her schemes, Marian stayed in the shadows.
"I wanna know what you've done to Agent Barton." It seemed to Marian that what happened to Coulson was not what was most important thing, but then again she had been selfish only a moment ago and had left her post.
"I'd say I have expanded his mind." Loki smoothly responded to Natasha.
"And once you've won? Once you're king of the mountain? What happens to his mind?"
"Is this love, Agent Romanoff?" Holding back laughter Marian shook her head. Though she did see a possibility between the two, she did not think that Romanoff was interested in anyone. Or even if she had the ability as Marian had never seen the assassin show interest in another human, or at least any sexual attraction and had come to the conclusion that Romanoff was asexual. And besides the talented agent's lack of interest, Coulson had a family whom he loved more than anything.
"Love is for children. I owe him a debt." Making wide eyes at no one and thinking about how this response should have been expected, Marian peaked around the corner. The alien behind the glass had taken multiple steps back then lounged on the bench in the cell.
"Tell me." It was no request, but an order to Romanoff to tell her of the debt.
"Before I worked for SHIELD, I uh….well, I made a name for myself." Natasha began to explain as she crouched down into a comfortable position, "I have a very specific skillset. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me, he made a different call."
"And what will you do if I vow to spare him?" with the voice that he used it seemed as if he truthfully was considering what Romanoff was asking for.
"Not let you out."
"Ah, I like this." Loki's laugh echoed through the metal halls, "Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man?"
"Regimes rise and fall every day. I tend not to weep over that, I'm Russian...or I was."
"What is it you want?"
"It's not really that complicated. I've got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out."
"Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? Drakov's daughter? São Paulo? The hospital fire? Barton told me everything. Your ledger is not dripping, it is gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything?" he stood sharply, seemingly enraged, "This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer…..PATHETIC! You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away."
BOOM!
Loki's fist collided with the glass of his cell and Natasha jerked back, "I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you! Slowly. Intimately. In every way he knows you fear! He'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams, I'll split his skull! This is my bargain, you mewling quim!"
"You're a monster." Natasha whimpered after she had turned away from his gaze letting Loki laugh once again.
"No," his word lingered, "you brought the monster." Marian's face split into a smile, finding this scheme of Natasha's to be some her best work as she had just out-lied the God of Lies. Natasha then broke character to face Loki with a straight face.
"So, Banner...that's your play." Loki's sneering was put to rest and replaced by confusion, while Romanoff messaged one of her commanders.
"What?" breathed Loki.
"Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, I'm on my way. Send Thor as well." her ever changing eyes went to Loki, "Thank you for your cooperation."
Marian emerged from the nook clapping while a smiled was tattooed on her face. Then she bowed at the waist to Romanoff as she passed chanting,
"I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy." This received only a slight raise of the eyebrow from Romanoff who was too worried about Banner to be considered with Marian's tomfoolery. As soon as Romanoff was gone Marian moved in front of the glass cage with a large smile on her face.
"Lying to a lie god. She is good." Loki's eyes burned with rage as he gazed upon her before going to sit on the far side of the cage, "Well then, pout."
"I do not pout." he stated.
"Then what do you call what you are doing right now?" silver eyes squinted her eyes and cocked her head to the left, "Sulking? Seething?"
"Thinking." the smooth answer flowed out of his pale lips. She rolled her eyes then took out the paper she had stuffed into her sports bra in order to avoid any questions from the guards. After she unfolded it she inspected what had been written upon it, which was an address written in her father's hand writing along with a small note,
'It's Audrey's address, I would like you to visit her. I know that you will love her."
"What kind of bulls-" she thought out loud. Having hopped this was some pass code to get into the files that she wished to get into. This disappointment was enough to make her through a tantrum. But she saved the paper all the same stuffing it in the deepest part of her bra, which drew odd looks from the locked up Loki, but she did not care about him. It was clear that her father was not going to help her, and she despised seeing those that she did not know. She murmured, "Well at least I'll have something to do after all this is done with."
The soft hum of the ship took over for about 15 minutes before Marian became deeply disturbed by Loki's senseless stare. Mock checking her left wrist for an imaginary watch before rolling her head in the direction of Loki.
"What's on your mind, Lucky Loki?" She questioned in a rat-tat-tat rhythm.
"I do believe that you know."
"Conquest?"
"Well, yes." he swaggered away from the bench, "Another, is you."
"Quite the charmer." she spoke lamley, "Must work on all of the ladies, or men."
"Never had much interest in ladies, but women. Women are lovely, while ladies have always seemed so very frivolous to me." It took a long moment for Marian a long moment to realize that he was talking about ladies of the court, which led her to wonder for a moment about what it was like on Asgard. Thought she had another question that seemed more important to her that it should have been,
"And men?"
"Aye, men are fine as well."
"I guess we do have something in common."
"What would that be."
"Two shared interests." huffing before she spoke another question, "Why didn't you tease me about what you plan for Barton? Ya know torment me with what's coming?"
"I know that he means much to you." His long legs took him over to the glass, "A father to you more than the one that you call father now. But he does not see you as a daughter and cares little for you and your hedonistic ways. "
"Well then-" she breathed, "I don't believe you."
"Then I shall make him tell you himself. I shall watch him break you with every truth that has not been told to you and then, I shall make you mine."
"Frist of all I find the whole 'mine' business offensive, secondly how will you make him do anything when you're trapped in that big, glass ca-"
Boom!
An explosion shook the ship sending Marian over the railing that lined the walkway to Loki's cell. Hanging by the tips of her fingers she swayed over a 50 foot drop. The Helicarrier were twisting all about preventing her from climbing back up to more solid ground. Still she tried to pull herself up, but her grip was not strong enough.
"I feel that soon I will be free of your prison dear Marian." Loki announced, his legs spread to keep his weight even as the ship flayed around. Spying upwards with rage she snarled,
"Do you mind?" With his hands raised in false submissiveness he spoke,
"Not at all, Marian."