Fury had been waiting for them when they returned to the Helicarrier. Unfortunately for them, Natasha had reported everything which had happened to the director, including the gruesome battle between Tony and Thor and Inertia's harsh reprimands on their actions. Like grounded children, Tony and the Asgardian arrived, having just lectured continuously by Natasha on their way back to the base.
"Tony, you are having such a good time to be alive, don't you?" Fury mocked, his frown never leaving his face.
"I know I shouldn't have freed you back there," Coulson said to Thor with a queer smile. The two merely glanced away. Inertia and Natasha sighed, watching Fury and Coulson applying silent detentions for the two. It was understandable after all which had just happened. First and foremost, they could have lost the most dangerous prisoner on Earth if not for Loki cunningly remaining stationary. Secondly, the eco-groups would certainly protest for the recent forestry damages they had just made.
"We are going to have a really long talk," Fury declared. "After… I settle the business with this Loki guy." Thor sighed audibly, clearly disagreeing his decision and the fact that he was forced to wait, but he did not say another word. Loki slyly formed a friendly smile when he met the Director's gaze. "And you, Asgardian, are going to have a talk with me."
Loki looked over Fury's shoulder, wondering if what Inertia had said was true, about the infamous interrogation. Inertia closed her eyes and turned away as he was shepherded away from her vicinity, much to her relief—not that she was utterly uncomfortable with his presence or anything, but Thor's constant murderous intent whenever Loki's around unsettled her.
"I think we better go to Banner, see if he has anything on the Tesseract or the sceptre," Inertia suggested to the Asgardian and Tony, out of benevolence to the poor sods. They shared the same look of agreement, sighing in relief once Fury disappeared from their sight. Coulson did not allot the same look, though he said nothing more.
"Fine, I'll leave the introductions to yourself," Coulson finally spoke. "Just to remind you, you are going to be a team in this one. Hopefully, you find a good chemistry with one another." Coulson pursed his lips at his last sentence before he left the two silently.
Natasha smirked and Inertia folded her arms, glaring at Tony and Thor. "Well? What are we waiting for?" quipped Tony, breaking the tense silence. He casually strolled away, whistling as if nothing in the world mattered. Steve watched the man with distaste.
"I should tell you, I don't think I will cooperate well with this man," Steve confessed to Inertia.
"Same," she whispered back. "But why are you telling me this, out of all people?" Inertia continued. Never had a person trusted her so quick in her life, neither had she. Steve shrugged.
"You keep your secrets well. I think you can keep others' better," Steve reasoned, rather out of context, before he followed Tony deeper into the base. Inertia stepped closer towards Thor.
"He's up to something," she whispered.
"He's always up to something," Thor replied, his voice strained. "That's why he's not safe in Midgard."
"This is mankind's problem. Whether fond of it or not, S.H.I.E.L.D. must handle it," she told him. "Afterwards, you can settle your problems with your brother. Anyway, what actually is that sceptre?" She pressured the last word.
"I've never seen him wielding it either," Thor answered. "He… fell into endless abyss, literally, during our last brotherly fight."
"I advise you to tell you two's story to me," Inertia said. Thor raised a brow.
"And why is that? You do not come as a woman overly curious of other's matters," Thor retorted.
"Oh really? So is it wrong to be curious over the possible reason behind all this mess?" Inertia snapped. "You see, the problem stems from Loki, your brother. Whatever happened, it appears your bickering hasn't ended since New Mexico." She took a deep breath and stopped walking. She grabbed Thor's shoulder and glared at him. "Thor, what exactly happened in Asgard when the New Mexico incident happened?" she asked slowly.
Thor's eyes moved any way from her. She waited.
"He found out who he actually is. He was quiet upset," he answered curtly, whirling away from her grasp. "He still is now. I suggest you keep your guard up. He is sly."
"I never let my guard down," she said, more of reminding herself to do so. She mused over Thor's short explanation as the Asgardian moved away from her. She tailed Steve to the lab, her steps echoing in worry. Even now, with a strong cage promised for Loki, Inertia felt apprehension gurgling in her stomach. The God of Mischief was known to play with the others' strengths—at the same time, weaknesses. She worried about the other operatives and her current comrades, including Thor, for they had not lived long enough or experienced enough to deal with Loki's clever masquerades. She had encountered many like him, though not as sly, and she had learnt enough.
At least, not his past.
What really happened in New Mexico? She wondered, though at this rate her question would remain unanswered by the Asgardian, and the other person who knew what exactly happened was under the control of Loki himself. Her mind returned to the sceptre, which had bothered her since the beginning of all of this. It emanated a similar energy as the Tesseract, with a tinge of difference. To what extent was this sceptre capable of performing miracles?
Banner was waiting for them in the lab, his eyes glued on the single computer displaying the events inside the prison room. Tony appeared nonchalant whilst Steve frowned, standing next to each other as if the other was non-existent. Inertia placed herself next to Banner, her expression unreadable, as they watched the Director and Loki interact. The Doctor almost bit his lips, engrossed by the glass cell.
How could he not? The cell was originally dedicated for him. She glanced at the sceptre, untouched on Banner's desk, the energy wafting around its gemstone disturbing her.
Everything was falling too neatly in place.
"In case it's unclear. You try to escape, so much as scratch that glass," they heard Fury speaking, menacingly. From the screen, they saw Fury pressing a button which opened the hatch beneath Loki's prison, revealing an endless sky where nothing solid remained. Loki looked down, acting as if he was frightened. "Thirty thousand feet, straight down in a steel trap. You get how that works?" The director then pointed Loki. "Ant," he said before he directed his fingers to the button. "Boot."
"It's an impressive cage. Not built, I think, for me," Loki responded with a smirk.
"Built for something a lot stronger than you."
"Oh, I've heard," Loki muttered as he looked to the camera, seemingly staring at Banner directly. Banner shuddered, though his eyes did not leave the screen. "The mindless beast, makes play he's still a man. Perhaps the woman too, a being I know beyond all your understanding. How desperate are you, that you call upon such alien creatures to defend you?"
Inertia frowned, assuring herself that he had certainly not discovered her true identity. Banner looked at her in sympathy, apparently not as disturbed by those intimidations.
"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control—"
"Do you believe you can also control beings with powers beyond your imagination?" Loki shot back, grinning. "You are meddling with people who are able to break any moment. The beast locked in the man, the power hidden behind the woman. She might be able to control her powers, but that is what makes her dangerous. What would you do if she was to betray you?"
"Inertia won't betray me," Fury retorted surely. In the lab, all eyes were on Inertia.
"How are you so sure?" She doesn't even trust you. You don't even know her, am I correct? At least, that is what your agent told me," Loki explained. The statement pinned down Fury's arguments, and Inertia prepared herself to leave the room. "The archer told me even you don't know her past. What a reliable person to trust, isn't she?"
If you leave now, no one will ever believe in you. Elliot's words echoed in her head. Only now did she realise it was true. It was at moments like this was she really tempted to call him, to reach for his wisdom. She knew the others were wondering about her past as well. She didn't blame them, for she had been born not to be trusted.
No one would ever trust a monster.
Would it be wise to tell the truth now?
If so, why had she capped her past for so many years? Her efforts to remain covert would be useless.
If you reveal the truth, he shall see you with his ever-knowing eyes and you shall be judged like many of your people.
"If she wanted to betray us, she would have done that long ago," Fury answered, much to Inertia's surprise. "I don't believe a woman who has protected me many times and is willing to fight against a god is worth to be doubted."
Inertia widened her eyes in disbelief. For the first time in her knowing Nick Fury, a man who would resort to any means to accomplish his goals, she respected him as a comrade. There was no hesitance in his voice, only faith and the surety that she was also listening. "And when you're talking about being desperate, then yes I am. You've made me desperate. You might not be glad that you did, especially since I have such a woman backing me up."
Loki did not surrender his smile, but Inertia could see the colour drained from his face and irritation marring his features. Fury smirked and hovered his hand over the button for a moment before he whirled away, stepping out of the detention room with triumph over the Silver Tongue. Inertia let out a relieved sigh. Steve stepped next to her, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"That's quite a sight," Steve remarked as he turned off the screen. "And here I thought I am the only one who trusts you."
"Trust is very vulnerable," Inertia said flatly, brushing away Steve's hand. She turned to the others, studying their reactions. Natasha, as always, remained as cold as stone, and Tony nonchalant. Thor's expression, however, was unreadable—though she knew better that he would not trust his brother's words.
"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" said Banner, apparently trying to divert the uncomfortable topic.
"Loki's gonna drag this out. So, Thor, what's his play?" Steve asked. Thor finally broke his eerie silence, walking down the stairs to join the circle.
"He has an army called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard or any world known," Thor started. "He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."
"An army? From outer space?" Steve asked. Thor nodded.
"You can use the Tesseract for wider purposes than energy supply if you're smart enough," Inertia added. "And judging from the incident previously in the research facility, he's going to build a portal for these creatures. Since he has Selvig and the other scientists. I suspect now he's smart enough."
Thor blinked when he heard the scientist's name. "Yes. Your friend Selvig has joined Loki's cause, by force, just like Barton and the rest of our scientists. I think the sceptre controls their minds, though what disturbs me more is why he surrenders so willingly. I expected greater resistance, but now everything seems to fall too neatly in place." She stole a glance to the sceptre, swallowing.
"I wanna know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here," Steve said in support with her argument.
"But I don't think we should be focusing on Loki," Banner reasoned otherwise. "That guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You could smell crazy on him."
"Don't insult my spirit anima," Inertia whispered. Natasha chuckled, breaking the sombre atmosphere for a while, but immediately returned to her solemn state.
"Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and he's my brother," Thor defended sternly. Natasha cleared her throat.
"He's killed eighty people in two days, and blasted Inertia many times with that sceptre," Natasha informed. "Just in case you don't know."
"He's adopted," Thor curtly said, rather nonchalantly. Inertia furrowed her brows, though after their previous conversation she did not bother to ask further. However interested she was of the cause of Loki's rebellion against his people and family, she knew too well one's past was not to be meddled with.
"What are his powers, besides his clever mind?" Inertia inquired slowly. Thor contemplated for a moment before he answered.
"He studies sorcery, as you may know, and likes to dabble in illusions," Thor told them. "He is also capable of healing, so don't expect him to fall just because of an injury."
"Quite the martial artist," Steve added. "Hundreds of years of training, I guess."
"Then again, you should all be wary of his words. There's a reason why he's called Silver Tongue."
"And his sceptre," Inertia continued, directing her words to Banner. "Whatever you do in studying that, do not get too deep. We don't know its capabilities yet." Abruptly, Fury's voice barked in her ears.
"Inertia?" You there?" Fury inquired.
"Yes, sir," she said surely, noticing again all the eyes watching her.
"I want you to keep an eye on that Loki guy. So far you are the only one capable of handling him. And consider it a favour after what I just did," he quickly said. "Don't let anyone in or out, except for me."
"Understood, sir," she answered, before Fury silenced his comms. She sighed flipping her staff and turning to the others who were trapped in bemusement.
"Where are you going?" asked Natasha, as sharp as always.
"Babysitting," Inertia answered with disinterest. Thor looked utterly dismayed once he understood her intentions.
"Why are you watching him instead of me? I am his brother," Thor protested.
"It's precisely because you're his brother that she needs to be in charge," Natasha argued. "Inertia is the best suited for provocative and intimating prisoners. Because no one dares to provoke her."
"Except for my brother," Thor added.
"I know you do not trust me that much," Inertia started. "But I have encountered many like him before. I can be deaf if I have to, and I am capable of handling him if things came to worse."
Sensing victory over Thor's protests, she simply bowed to the god and walked away from the lab, her face stern. Deep inside, however, she too was swimming in a sea of anxiety. It was not his provocative words which worried her, but the plans ongoing in the shadows as he stood there in the prison. Clint, now his underling, was no ordinary agent who could do merely field operations. He was equally cunning in strategy and deception. No doubt he was working on something behind their backs.
Yet with all those matters probing her mind, she had another mystery disturbing her conscience. Thor's simple two words had provided her a broader sight of Loki's reason in doing this. There was something more hidden behind those hateful eyes, a reason for all his actions. She sensed he had more reason to destroy Earth than just for fun. He was not a simple insane villain. He was like her, concealing a cause hidden behind another. A history hidden behind the eyes which had shown sadness back when he first arrived on Earth.
And she wanted to know what it was. She would know.
As Inertia walked out of the room, Thor watched her back furtively. "Do not worry. She can handle it," Natasha further assured him, though in her voice was an equal doubt. Thor shook his head, turning on the surveillance screen again.
"I don't know who should I fear for," Thor murmured, observing Inertia's figure passing the hallway. "For my brother, or for him."
oOo
Loki sat silently in his glass prison, contemplating the plan in motion. Those who were opposing him were oblivious of what's coming to them. They were fools for capturing him and taking him straight to their headquarters. Soon, the archer and his men would overthrow this vain fortress and retrieve him and the sceptre, which now he presumed lay unguarded somewhere in one of the labs.
They assumed they knew so much, yet they saw so little. They trusted each other too much, relying solely on trust in their operations. He had learnt much during his exile and he had learnt to be trusted, not to trust.
A stung from his abdomen reminded him such results had come with a cost. He had not the time to heal the injuries attained from the previous battle, in which the woman had gained a great victory from him. She was the first of her kind he had ever seen. Unlike the man who concealed the monster within, she had a firm control over her powers—which perhaps could provide her an equal standing against a god. Loki smirked, allocating his energies into healing his wounds whilst he contemplated the woman's true identity.
Just then the door to the room slid open. Loki remained fixed on the floor and glanced at his visitor. She was the same woman whom not long ago was doubted by his comrades just by his silly words. But it appeared that she could not as easily be deceived as the others.
"And here I thought you have had enough of my existence," Loki said, closing his eyes and pretending to meditate. He heard the woman sitting on a chair, perhaps next to the control pad which could plunge him to death in a split second. A faint clang suggested she had laid her weapon against the control pad. "What importance do you have here with me?"
"I am here to watch you," she replied. "And to talk about several things which have disrupted my mind for a while."
Upon hearing her second reason, he opened his eyes, and without hesitance greeted his visitor. Now that they were face to face, at least not in the midst of darkness or battle, he took a moment to assess her wholly. She was wearing the same attire as they first encounter, though it was stained with dust and blood. Her hair was pale blonde, almost white. Sharp bronze eyes stared back, accompanied by skin so pale she almost looked like a corpse.
After assessing his opponent, who wasn't bother by his observation, he finally spoke. "There is rarely anyone who wants to engage with a willing conversation with me."
"Then consider me one of a kind," she retorted. Loki chuckled, pulling himself to his feet and walking closer to the glass. His gaze lingered on the control pad. The woman, as if understanding his conditions, tapped the control pad several times.
"I have activated the surveillance for repetition. Our conversation shall not be heard, nor shall I reveal it to anyone," she said.
"How can I trust you?"
"You can't."
Loki furrowed his brows, but there was no doubt in her eyes. Perhaps she was used to lying to everyone, he didn't know. "Now, would you talk to me?" she asked again.
Loki narrowed his eyes. He was interested with her curiosity, yet he needed to be careful. He must not divulge any important information. "Inertia, isn't it?" he started. "How about… we make an exchange? I shall ask you a question and in turn you may ask me one. It seems more interesting that way."
He expected her to threaten him with her capability to drop him to the earth, but much to his surprise she did not. "Farewell," she said with a sigh. Loki flinched.
What is her intention? If she doesn't want this conversation to be heard, then it is certainly not the orders from her superiors.
"Since you're the one who asked for this favour, I'll be the one starting," Loki said. "What made you think I was tortured before I came here?" Loki asked playfully, though his mind remained keen and attentive.
"Your face is very pale, as if you haven't seen sunlight for a long time," she answered. "And by pale, it is rather unusual pale. Dark eyes and exhausted face suggested lack of sleep, though I am truly capable of differentiating an insomniac person from a depressed one. And you are neither."
"Clever," praised Loki. This woman was smarter than he thought. "Your turn."
"Why are you surrendering so willingly?" she instantly asked.
"I won't answer that," he said as he held out a finger to silent any of her protests. "I did not say I will answer every question willingly. Give me another."
He saw she knew he was buying time for something, particularly for the archer to arrive, but she did not act against his intentions. "Then who tortured you before you arrived here?" she asked calmly.
This question was unexpected, but he could answer it without any problem. "The same man who transported me here."
"In other words, the man who gave you the sceptre," she deduced. "You're conspiring with a being stronger than you."
Her statement stung him with shame, though he did not deny it. Embarrassment was only another step to achieve his goals. "I told you I've made it too far to go back. Next question," Loki said, walking around the cell. He had intended to play with her further, but now sensing her increasing sharpness, he decided to turn the tables. "Who are you, actually? You appear yet act as if you are not a human."
"I won't answer this question," she shot back. Loki noticed her clasping her hands tight. He stepped closer to the glass and stared at her.
"Why? Too afraid to reveal your past? The cause of the others' vulnerable trust for you?"
"I should say the same to you," she snapped. Loki widened his eyes. "You are not Thor's brother by blood. It is what makes you so angry."
"You don't know anything about me," Loki grumbled.
"I won't know until you tell me," Inertia said. "Your past is as dark as mine, such that Thor cannot even reveal it himself. You fear your history as much as I."
"You think so? Then you are a fool," Loki snapped, now glaring at her. He paced furiously and stopped an inch before the glass, the distance between them seemingly shrinking by the moment. "You don't know what it is like to be exiled from your homeland. You don't know what it feels to be lied upon your entire life. You don't know how it hurt me when I discovered my family is not even my own. You know nothing."
His desperate voice echoed in the detention room. Inertia gaped at his reaction, her expression unreadable. She did not move slightly despite his reaction now draining completely the colours of her face. Her staff lay stiff by her side, and she showed no signs of reaching it. Loki only realised then that he had lost control over his breathing.
She's the one who's playing with me, from the start, Loki realised.
"Enough," he curtly said as he turned his back away from her, regretting his decision to even talk to her. Whatever the outcome, she had won in this game of words. She had seen his weakness; his uncontrollable emotions which he had had meticulously hidden until now.
"You're wrong."
Her voice was cold yet soft, touching the painful parts of his soul. He slowly turned and faced her. She was now standing close to the glass, her face so clear and unclouded by doubt or dishonesty.
"What did you say?" Loki shot back.
"You're wrong to say I know nothing about that kind of life," Inertia said, almost speaking to herself. "You are correct, I am not a human. I do not belong here on Earth, or anywhere anyone can think of. A fool I may be indeed, to stay where I should not be."
She drew a deep breath and looked at him, sincerity embellishing her features. "I am a being born from two worlds, an abomination of both. They fear me and my powers, and I am forced to hide from the eyes of the watcher."
"The watcher?" Loki immediately asked. He stepped closer to the glass. Does she mean Heimdall, of Asgard? The Watcher of the Worlds? But it is impossible for her to know him, unless…
"Are you an Asgardian?" he hesitantly asked.
"I am not," she corrected. Loki blinked and pondered further, resorting to other possibilities.
"Then are you from other realms outside the Nine?" Loki asked again, though her knowledge was bothering him truly. Where did she get this information? From his observations, she was no good friend of Selvig, nor did she seem a scholar who studied myths and legends.
Inertia solemnly shook her head and smiled. "I told you I am not from anywhere, and no place to call home. For years I have wandered the lands alone, never knowing where my path ends. You have my answer."
She closed her eyes, as if she was about to weep, but she did not. Instead she waited, for his answer to her question. He was swallowed by silence. Those words were not a lie, too sincere to be false. Numerous questions which should have grown from her confession were extinguished by the sense of familiarity.
She has the same fate as I.
"You… are indeed a strange woman," he whispered, looking at his feet. "You are too sincere, too honest with things you want to utter. No wonder it is difficult to break the others' trust towards you."
For once, he uttered not a twisted fact, but an honest truth.
What am I doing? He asked himself, but his conscience told him to do something he had never thought about for a year now. He lifted his head and sighed. "Well, since you've answered my question, I shall now answer yours," he said, curving a smile.
Little did he know that for that brief moment, he forgot all his goals and his purpose on Earth, for better or for worse.
A/N: Hello friends! I am back from my two-week exams and am now posting another chapter on my June Hol-
Actually, no, it is not a holiday. The sad fact of being a student is that there is never a day called holiday, because homework and assignments always shadow you like an obsessive stalker. But at least I am able to sleep well these days and have more time to write this fic. I am not so sure with this chapter, but I hope you like it. As I am more free now, I can post more often and I promise you guys I'll get past the Avengers arc and probably enter Thor the Dark World arc by the time June Hols ends.
I really really thank you guys for reading this fic. I don't know how to express my thanks especially since it took me so long to update this. I hope you guys like it, and I'll see you in the next chapter :)
