Freedom of the purest kind, lavished the spirit of Cyntrina in her orbit around Earth. Loki's essence, proved to be more than sustenance, it took away the burden from her body completely, for the first time in 500 years, she felt no heat, not even when she stretched into the rays of Earth's sun. Joy smeared blissfully on her face, during her dance over John Crichton's birth country. The only boundary she faced, during this weightless state was the planet, rotating peacefully in front of her ravenous eyes. The mental leakage from humanity felt like an added bonus, tickling her insatiable appetite for essence, and emotion. She looked down on the puny humans, dispersed over the land masses, breading like pests, undoubtedly a feast that could last for a few hundred years.
"Heavy breeders, mingling between the walls of their own history they still fail to understand. This is going to be easy, no refined understanding of gravity, no particular deep space traveling abilities; it's like the Sebacean colonies all over again. But now, I get all the glory"
The mind of the spirit, conjured thoughts of pleasure, from the value of her prey, wafting through the vacuum of space, with a smile resembling a bear trap, the delicate feminine silhouette found the perfect place, where to strike. A city, in Crichton motherland, yielding more than eight million humans, a jewel in the crown of this civilization, just what she needed, the perfect place to turn humans into her next meal. So many times, had she dreamed of this moment, and now it was finally upon her, just waiting for her hand, to reach and grab it, take vengeance against her mother's killers, and then bask in the glory, the heads of John, Aeryn, D'Argo, Chiana and Stark would bring her.
During her quest for knowledge about humanity, their hopes, fears, beliefs, she failed to notice a dim flare of light, extending to Earth under a veil of transparency. Loki's magic worked perfectly, the enraged spirit didn't catch on to their arrival on Earth. Astounded by the planet's aura, she continued her exploration, until a slight disturbance in its balance caught her attention. Scrambled energy of a Stykera, disturbed by a cunning frost giant, she thought for dead, summoned her to what humans tired to use as a prison, before she broke out on Thor's back.
But before noticing these disturbances, she toyed with the planet's aura, all the while when the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. stood with their jaws glued to the floor, to the sight of the aliens Thor brought on their ship. They recognized only two of them, John and Aeryn – the ones who looked human, the others seemed strange, similar to them, but in the same time so different, scales, tentacles, gray skin, crazy ramblings – all, things that confused the humans even more. Long stares, gaining in intensity, from the fear of the unknown species, standing in the middle of the control room of the Helicarrier. Not a single word escaped any of the agents, only their breaths rushed in, and out of their lungs, tension claimed even their director, as he stood before the Luxan, with his fist clenched in a tight grip. Realizing the humans had no reason to fear them, John, finally decided to break the rift between them, thus striking a conversation:
John: "Weird, right?"
The director let out a few words, doused in arrogance, masking his fear of the unknown.
Fury: "Oh, I've seen weird, this is way beyond that…"
The half circle of humans tightened, as a few heavy steps on behalf of the one man, with enough curiosity to let one, of the thousands questions out of his lungs, came closer to John.
Tony Stark: "Do they… how do you communicate with them?"
The engineer sparked a subtle reaction between the aliens, particularly in the species whose brain was free of translator microbes. Sikozu learned English rather quickly, faster than anyone on Moya. That trait of hers, mindboggling intelligence, was what made her impatient, even arrogant in some situations. Faced with humans, again, asking questions for what they thought to be a first time, her temper couldn't resist replying, without even looking at her crewmates:
Sikozu: "We open our mouths and words come out. We are, familiar with your language"
A sentence, in English, coming out of her lips perfectly, like a symphony of notes played by the most talented pianist, carried on a soft and smooth sound of her voice. But her eyes told a different story, one of annoyance, wrongfully taken for anger by the solider, aching for answers, with his heart throbbing in his neck.
Captain Rogers: "What are you?"
The one person, who almost always took data literally, recognizing another soldier's trembling, but firm at the same time tone, gave a quick, direct answer concerning her species:
Aeryn: "Sebacean, species related to yours"
Immediately after his best friend's wife, the warrior's grunting answer, followed by two equally unknown replies, confused the humans even more:
D'Argo: "Luxan, race of warriors"
Sikozu, feeling the need to point out her superiority, spoke while her brow elevated on the scaled face:
Sikozu: "Kalish, race evolved beyond any human measure of intelligence"
Chiana: "Nebari, the crazy one is a Banic, Stykera to be exact"
Tony Stark, Captain Rogers, Natasha, Barton, Banner and Fury all seemed to be listening to the way their native language rolled down the alien tongues, and came out of their strange colored lips. But none of them were actually hearing to what they were saying. As a scientist, faced with a problem he couldn't even begin to comprehend, Bruce Banner didn't even notice his thought melting into a sentence he pronounced out loud, as his head made a slight nod, from left to right.
Banner: "I didn't get any of that…"
Sensing their ignorance was becoming intolerable, Aeryn tried explaining to the humans what, where, and who they were. Careful not to give away too much, reminded by the sharp look in the blue eyes of her husband, her words, and those of the arrogant Sikozu, made dread and anger sink their claws even deeper into the human guts.
Aeryn: "Look, we come from a very distant, very different place, where many races come into contact with each other constantly…"
Sikozu: "We realize, that is not the case with your race"
Words, that wounded the pride of the man whose ego wasn't shying away behind the fear of the unknown; naturally, he took a defensive posture, both in the way his chest filled with air, and the way his voice struck two questions to the smug Kalish face:
Tony Stark: "What is that supposed to mean? You consider us under evolved?"
The Luxan beast gave away his answer, with a slight nod of the oval head, and words that brought a taste of a bitter insult into their mouths:
D'Argo: "Well, in comparison to each of our home worlds…"
Knowing the sentence was going to end with a Luxan remark as to how ignorant humans are, John's palm seemed puny in front of D'Argo's chest, calling attention to the black general tattoos that had little meaning in this universe. The strayed human knew a conflict was in the making, so he made an attempt to avoid anything that would sound rude in the ears of his fellow race members, lifting the look off the floor, into Tony Stark's eyes:
John: "We don't have time for this…"
But Tony wouldn't back off, just because some washed up astronaut wouldn't let the alien finish. The interest, as to how humans compared to other species tickled his curiosity, not in a hostile manner, not yet anyway.
Tony: "Let him finish"
He mumbled, during the long stare at the bronze giant, crossing his hands like two wooden logs, wrapped in blood red cloth.
John: "No, D, don't"
The astronaut begged his friend not to finish the sentence, but a few seconds later, the wild Nebari loosened her tongue, like a judge carrying out a life sentence verdict, cynically, vengefully. The words from the tape Pilot gave Crichton after their last visit to this backward planet, echoed in her head, disturbed, bad influence, troubled, outrageous, disgusting; that is what they had to say about her. Who were they to judge? What did they know about her? How could a species, so ignorant, with give or take 10 000 years of "modern" history, judge anyone? Chiana couldn't hold her frustration any longer, tightening her jaw; the black gloves came close to the pulse pistol, behind the delicate waist coveted in leather, constricting her chest, almost interrupting her voice from coming out:
Chiana: "What he means to say is, well, you never had any contact, with another race but yours"
Noticing an opening to express her opinion on humanity, Sikozu's lips couldn't resist adding a remark, despite the way Crichton squeezed both his eyes and fist in disapproval to what Chiana said. What she said only made it worse:
Sikozu: "Both your mythology, and science consider humans the crown of creation on this planet. A notion some of our cultures never had."
The mere tone of Sikozu's voice brought a bitter, dull pain in the chest of the symbol of humanity, standing tall next to a woman whose impulsive reaction to the self important, alien looking doll, matched the turbulence inside Captain Rodgers. Gaping at the creature that brought a clear, superiority declaration, Black widow addressed both females. The absence of expression on the face brought her deep, defensive look to light, making her reply sound even more sinister:
Natasha: "Untrue, we did establish contact, with his race"
Her eyes strayed towards Thor, whose chin seemed as if it was glued to his thumb and index finger. He rested his head over the arch he made using his both hands, with the elbow from his right hand relying on the back of the hulking palm. He listened to the discussion, not wanting to meddle, keeping an eye on Stark, around whom he knew, Loki's interest had awakened. Natasha continued, standing tensely she replied venomously to Sikozu's remark:
Natasha: "And if you came here to lecture us, why don't you first look at what you, super evolved freaks brought to our doorsteps!"
John saw the fire she set inside his Luxan friend, struggling to stay on top of his rage, smirching a fake smile under the sharp hair of his moustaches, so in a last, desperate attempt to stir the conversation in a different direction, he spoke, supported by his wife:
John: "Easy on the insults, lady, we …"
Feeling the hostility in the air, Aeryn didn't let Crichton finish. Her voice stormed out of the tense body, taking a miniscule step toward the strange red headed human female, with caution:
Aeryn: "Nothing we said was meant to be offensive, I don't understand why you keep misinterpreting our words, and confronting us?"
Tired of listening how the aliens victimized themselves, Clint Barton didn't hold back his grudge to the female of the same species as the aggressor:
Barton: "I can give you one reason, a woman similar to you, and by similar I mean of your race, killed three, and left five humans deeply disturbed, in less than a day"
Fury: "One of which was senior IASA commander Jack Crichton, I think you were present to the spectacle she made here earlier. And we still have no idea how she did it, or what she is"
Words from the director that brought dread to Crichton, standing with a gigantic question mark slapped on his face, his hand slid down his lips, while they struggled with his worries to pronounce a few words:
John: "My father, is he..."
Fury: "Hospitalized, he got off with just a few bruises on his neck. The shock of seeing you alive, almost gave him a heart attack. He'll be fine"
D'Argo, as if to console his friend whose head span into a worrying frenzy, grabbed a hold of his shoulder, and whispered a few words, as softly as his brute voice allowed:
D'Argo: "She won't hurt him, now that we are here"
With a face frowned with guilt, John spoke back to the brown beast:
John: "And how does she know we are here? Because, we have no frelling idea where she is, or how to get to her!"
Captain Rogers: "What do you mean you don't know where she is? We thought she was with Thor?"
Sikozu, turning to the worried, confused and clueless humans:
"She escaped from his kingdom"
A few seconds passed before the statement from the arrogant female, sunk into their minds. Sikozu had a cruel way of unraveling things, something that in this situation brought dread both to Thor, and Crichton. Even Aeryn stared her down with a look full of resent, once she witnessed the reaction among the human faces. She recognized fear, crawling under their skins, as their eyes widened, barely retaining their postures, with a thought of a loose enemy that could strike at any moment. But before she could make a remark to the mean spirited Kalish, one man managed to impose his curiosity, costing Thor shame for the Asgardian failure to protect Earth.
Tony Stark: "Wait, what?"
Thor: "She insulted my father, and was awaiting execution, when …"
A grimace of doubt smeared his face, depicting his dilemma whether to tell the humans about Loki, that he was still alive, and that she used him to get back to Earth, or evade the notion completely. Seeing him, circling the puny creatures, with a sickening smile on his face, He continued, not letting his doubts on the cold surface:
Thor: "She escaped. We failed to notice it sooner, by now she could be anywhere"
Fury: "I assume you have a plan, to find and kill her?"
John, knowing Loki's presence was to remain a secret, rested his right hand slowly on the shoulder of the crazy mystic, squeezing it tightly with his fingers, overcoming Stark's delusion, invoking him into reality:
John: "Bait, and trap"
Banner: "You are going to use a lunatic as bait? What if she doesn't buy it?"
Tony Stark: "She's telepathic, she might see it coming"
Sikozu: "You cannot comprehend the concept of a Stykera…"
Natasha: "Than why don't you explain?"
Chiana: "All you need to know is he, we have what she wants. We'll set the bait, and then kill her. If you want to, you can help, if not stay out of the way!"
D'Argo: "Stark, can you feel her?"
Stark: "No, no, no, my side, your side, get it out of my head"
Feeling the pressure Loki imposed on his mind, in his attempts to learn more about him, so he could mimic the signature of his essence, when Cyntrina eventually, figured out their location, Stark kept losing control over his mind and body, both spiraling in countless directions.
Aeryn: "Great, just perfect. Every time he can be of any use, something throws him off balance"
Captain Rodgers: "I think your bait might be broken"
John: "Anyone got any better ideas?"
Just as John finished his sentence, a fragrance of incense filled the large Luxan nostrils, causing a sudden realization of her presence to sink on D'Argo's face, while his voice struggled to come out of the bronze chest:
D'Argo: "Ah … She… she's … here"
An hour glass figure, morphed behind the unsuspecting humans, leaving the aliens astounded, with their eyes frozen in fear and confusion. Finally corporeal, facing the pray she had been longing to meet for more than a decade, the eyes of the demon locked on Crichton, with a note of pleasure on her face, greeting them through the pearly white teeth of her smile, causing every single being to turn and stare at her, while a gut wrenching sensation clenched to their abdomens, squeezing tighter, with every word she said, with the sensual, feminine voice:
Cyntrina: "You have to do better than that, Johnny! Stark, seriously? A beaten up Scarran undertaker, against Maldis' apprentice?"
Looking at what was left of the little girl from the monastery, hearing the hostile mockery of his intentions; John tried to mask his guilt trough confrontation. He swallowed his remorse, and replied:
John: "Well I know the effect Zhaan had on him; I'm kind of hankering to see what he can do to you"
Taking a few steps toward the Stykera, drowning in his own tormented thoughts, a wide almost sincere smile, took over Cyntrina's face. She didn't consider Stark able to hold a thought, let alone the power and focus, necessary to destroy her. He possessed a great deal of energy, but something was draining him, obscuring his focus. Looking at the way his hands squeezed the head, where his remaining eye seemed as if it would pop out, disguised behind Stark's insanity, she found reminisce of a different, familiar being. Cold essence, dangling to the bits and pieces of the disturbed Banic; she recognized it immediately, it was him, the one that liberated her from the burden of her body, Loki pulled, probed, pushed Stark's buttons, desperately trying to hide from her, at least, that was what she thought. Opinion that led her to use, and abuse of Loki's weakness, falsely shifting her focus to Stark:
Cyntrina: "In the lack of a Delvian plant, the only thing Stark can do is amuse me, with his psychotic ramblings, I mean look at him? He's a disaster on his own, although something does seem different …"
Circling around the tormented Stykera, her scent lured Loki away from Stark's thoughts. Her movement stopped behind the crazed Banic. A chill down her torso, gave away the hand of the frost giant, in his struggle not to touch her, to stay hidden from the humans, from her. He couldn't resist the pull of desire, the effect he had on the body of the witch alone, intrigued him deeply. The way her breathing deepened, the accelerated pounding of her heart, to the mere thought he, might be there, caused a sigh in the frost giant standing behind her, swallowing her with his eyes, fighting not to give away his presence. But she already knew of his struggle, sinking in the abyss of her pull behind her, staring at her chest, with one hand hovering over her waist, his face inches away from her shoulder, where the cold sigh gave him away. His presence wasn't a surprise; it only brought intrigue, on the face in everyone's center of attention, they all watched as she twirled around Stark, and pulled Loki out of thin air by his neck:
Cyntrina: "I can make a habit out of this princess!"
Silence ruled over the room, where every single human face turned pale, to the sight of the being that orchestrated the last invasion, choked by a new enemy, holding him up in the air with the thin, pale arm, bashfully glaring out the crude, red half glove. She continued, clawing Loki's neck, pulling him closer, but careful not to fall into the temptation of his chilly essence, her look fell upon the mighty Thor, covering his face with his palm in shame:
Cyntrina: "You know, I wouldn't be standing here, if it wasn't for your little brother; he offered me a ride, and I jumped at the opportunity"
Barely able to breath, Loki found the strength to let out a few words:
Loki: "Do not listen to her, she tried to kill me!"
Cyntrina: "I could say the same for you, but now that we are all here, your presence seems to stir up some grudges. But I don't suppose, Johnny knew about your previous scheme, trying to dominate Earth and all"
John: "What?"
Fury: "He invaded us a few years back"
Aeryn, striking a glance at Thor's face smothering in guilt:
"And you took him, with us?"
Thor, evading an answer, in a desperate attempt to retain control, once again turned the attention to her:
"He is not a threat at this time!"
Trough a hellish smile, staring at the frost giant, trapped into her grip, a lustful voice gave away her fascination:
Cyntrina: "Oh, he's not, but he is useful, for… other things"
Cold, firm voice, masking the disgust to the lust, oozing out of the eyes of the enemy for the frost giant, came out of the lips of the once Russian spy:
Natasha: "Why don't we just kill them both and be done with it?"
Cyntrina's dark locks cut through the air with uneasiness, sharp and quick, settling upon the pale skin, swallowing Natasha with a deep, contemptuous look:
"You can try, but the little "Avengers" freak show is not necessary at this time. I only want my Human, Luxan, Nebari, Sebacean and Stykera. Besides, you have no reason to meddle, unlike the last charade"
Thoughts of Fury's lies flooded the minds of the Avengers, thoughts that unveiled the secretive mind of the director, hiding behind a brick wall she wrecked with ease:
Cyntrina: "I see you have trust issues, well, some more than others"
Fury skillfully devised an attempt to avoid her trap, but his words meant nothing to a being that nested into his mind.
Fury: "Lady, we don't need to read minds to recognize a hidden agenda!"
Cyntrina: "Interesting, I say trust issues, and the one man that deceives his subjects on daily basis sticks his ugly head out"
A sarcastic tone depicting his aversion to secrecy, flew out of Tony Stark:
"How could she possibly know that about you?"
Fury: "At least I don't want to execute anyone!"
Cyntrina: "Is that how you justify slaying other humans in your little mind? You don't execute any one, you have them captured-killed whatever! But when it comes to negotiating, you follow strict policy: S.H.I.E.L.D does not negotiate!"
Fury: "You want to negotiate? OK, tell me what happens to Earth once you capture these aliens?"
Cyntrina: "I leave. They are the reason I am here! I only want their heads."
Stark, once his strength and focus synchronized, screamed from the top of his lungs:
"Noooo, you want more!"
Cyntrina's smile morphed into a frown, disgust and genuine confusion resided on her face as she replied:
"You know, I never could understand how, Banic mothers gave birth to these kinds of abominations. Able to bear the burden of thousands, but when it comes to self control or self preservation …"
Interrupting her rant, feeling the burn from her hand, as she pulled him closer, tightening around his neck, Loki finally exposed her plan before the wandering Avengers, through his incessant mumbling and shuddering in mid air:
Loki: "He is not the only one with the knowledge of your intentions! I saw what your dark heart truly desires, dominance over humanity, the glory of subduing Crichton's race, and finally vengeance!"
Cyntrina: "You know how to hide, but not everyone's mind works the way you sway it, princess!"
She slammed the frost giant abruptly on the floor, leaving him with his palm over the neck, where she left a lesion of red, burned skin. She strayed towards the humans, commencing a baleful walk, accompanied by a detailed analysis of their thoughts, and characters:
Cyntrina: "From all the lesser species, this is the only one where hope is blurred by delusion. I am in a room, with what humanity considers being the last hope for salvation: the Avengers! You must have done something right, for them to feel that way!"
Tony Stark: "We may have eliminated some threats once or twice, what's your point?"
Cyntrina: "Ah, the iron man. The one who gave me Earth; I never got the chance to thank you for that, by the way. Tell me, who will you trust? A puny God that invaded your precious little planet, or the woman that proved your sanity?"
Tony Stark: "Neither. And I never thought I was crazy!"
Cyntrina: "You actually believe that!"
John: "Cyntrina, just take us with you and stop this! They did nothing wrong, it's us you want"
Cyntrina, suspecting Odin shared something with his son and the aliens, since the Triad lurked behind John's hope for salvation, and Thor's mind conjured thoughts of battling them, she couldn't resist seeing the reactions on the human faces to the thought she wasn't alone:
Cyntrina: "Little innocent Johnny, since the old Asgardian hag of a king obviously foresaw something, let me enlighten you: your heads will meet the Triad's interests, but not mine! Your planet is the true trophy for my, appetites; vengeance, is just the added bonus!"
Banner: "Triad? There is someone else?"
Cyntrina: "Someone, times three; Blondie was going to tell you anyway"
Thor: "Must your every sentence be an insult?"
Cyntrina: "Only when faced with a noble fool, desperately trying to hide what daddy did!"
Fury: "Thor, what is she talking about?"
Cyntrina: "Go ahead, tell him! Tell him, about the veil of ignorance, humanity wears as a gift from Odin!"
D'Argo: "Why is that your concern?"
Cyntrina: "It's not, but I like the effect the truth has on humans. Look at them, quivering lumps of meat, trying to make sense of my words, afraid, secretive, paranoid, I could get used to this!"
John: "You are feeding on us!"
Cyntrina: "Good boy! You live up to you reputation, I wander, what would your race think of you, it they knew about the trail of bodies you left in the last 15 years"
John: "Don't…"
Cyntrina: "Don't slander you in front of the incarnation of the all American spirit? A soldier in tights? That is your idea of combat? Looking at him, a narl wouldn't believe he is the same species as you, the notorious John Crichton!"
Captain Rodgers: "What the hell is a narl?"
Tony Stark: "Notorious? You think he's the only, notorious human that ever lived?"
Cyntrina: "Have you stopped a war, by conjuring up a black hole doubling in size every few minutes, swallowing a battlefield, where two of the most feared races couldn't kill each other fast enough?"
Tony Stark: "He what?!"
D'Argo: "She's rambling; don't believe anything that comes out of her lips"
Cyntrina: "We both know that is a lie, Luxan. Just as I know you, are not the only one here with a severe hyper rage issues"
Glancing at Banner's direction, she made it clear her heightened senses brought that fact to light.
Banner: "Hyper rage? He's…"
Cyntrina: "A smaller version of you in my universe. The difference is, you screwed up an experiment while he, was born that way. To tell you the truth, I was skeptical when I learned a human, can take the amount of toxins a Luxan liver creates on daily basses, let alone during hyper rage. But seeing you, and as you call it, The Hulk, residing in one body, I wander if his rage is as intense as a Luxan's"
Banner: "Stick around, maybe you'll find out"
Fury: "You say Loki brought you here, didn't he let you know what happened when he went head to head with the Hulk?"
Looking at Loki, slowly pulling away from her, cautious not to fall in her grasp once again, a smile disturbed the symmetry of her face:
Cyntrina: "Fascinating, they still have no idea just how messed up you truly are!"
Loki, having an equally venomous insult on the top of his mind, took a slow, firm step toward Cyntrina:
Loki: "From you, I'll take that as a compliment"
Natasha, reaching for her gun with caution, fed up by the crazy talk finally decided to put an end to her gloating:
Natasha: "I've had enough of your rant!"
Cyntrina, knowing what the black widow wanted to do, concentrated on all the weapons covering her, and the other assassin, ready to back her up – Barton. A thought so intense, it brought a burning sensation to where their skin touched their weapons, while she melted every single metal fragment of their equipment. The smoke caused the assassins an instant reaction, throwing away the disfigured metal, turning their look away for a split second, and then back to the creature smiling gloatingly.
Barton: "You really shouldn't have done that"
Cyntrina: "I appreciate the hostility, you minions exude in abundance. However, you do have many things to talk about! A whole pantheon of Gods that ripped you off, and a hand full of aliens that managed to piss off three races! Now, let's make things interesting!"
Rising through the air, Cyntrina disappeared just as fast as she appeared, in form of a mist, dispersing the body, and once again plunging into Earth's sky. All that was left to witness her presence, was the confusion on the faces of the ones, whose minds strayed into countless directions.
Doubt nibbled Fury's mind, like worms, the words of the creature reeking of incense twisted their way inside, raising even more questions than before. Staring at the estranged human, he posed a question with a ball of anger in his throat:
Fury: "I think it's about time you, and your alien friends, explained what the hell is going on?"
Banner: "Who the hell is this woman?"
Barton: "And why did you bring her here?"
Chiana: "You, just got screwed by the same fekkik for a second time! We didn't bring her here, you heard what she said, it was pretty boy's brother!"
Loki: "You have the audacity, to blame this on me?"
Aeryn: "She came to your kingdom on your brother's back, you must have known she needed mental energy to come back to Earth, and you brought her anyway!"
Thor: "Your escape depended of hers, brother!"
Loki: "And who imprisoned me on the first place?"
Thor: "You possessed our father!"
Loki: "He is your father!"
D'Argo: "This is getting interesting"
Sikozu: "An imminent threat, and they argue whose fault it is!"
Loki: "If you want to point fingers, blame the ones that slaughtered her colony!"
Thor: "Are you here to help, or sympathize with her?"
Loki: "Amazed she didn't kill me, that is what I am!"
Thor: "You gave her something, did you not? Stager to your presence evaded her completely!"
Loki: "Her instincts are stronger than I anticipated"
Thor: "What else did you fail to anticipate, while you traveled along her side?"
Loki: "Why does the fault always have to reside in me?"
Captain Rodgers: "Just shut up! I don't care who brought her here, I want to know who she is, and how the hell do we stop her?"
John: "She's … we … She's someone that came around, and bit me in my ass, that's who she is!"
Fury: "What did you do to her colony?"
John: "Nothing, at least not intentionally!"
Tony Stark: "Obviously, she doesn't think so"
John: "Tin man, you don't know the half of it"
Banner: "Everyone keeps saying that, but other than Loki, on this side of the universe we have no freaking idea what's going on whatsoever!?"
Sikozu: "In this universe, you mean? Apparently we do not share the same one"
Banner: "See what I mean? Every, single, word coming out of you people, is an enigma!"
Stark: "She'll kill, enslave, kill, enslave kill"
D'Argo's fist knocked out the panicky Banic, causing him to tumble down on the cruel, metal floor.
John: "All you need to know is…"
Tony Stark: "No, I don't wanna hear it, I'm sick and tired of people, telling me things selectively, you tell me everything, or she gets to play Xina, the warrior princess with your heads on steaks for her masters, and we take our chances alone!"
Aeryn: "You people are crazier than before! How can you make a threat like that, accuse us of something you don't even know if it's true?"
Natasha: "Why won't you tell us what happened?"
Aeryn: "She is a painful reminder of a tragic mistake!"
Tony Stark: "I, we wanna know! Heck, she even managed to piss Loki off, I'm liking our odds!"
Turning to John, Thor encouraged him to speak, and paint the complete picture of her beginnings. A picture, Loki was dying to see, he knew what happened to her mother, but how it all begun was unknown, both to Cyntrina and him:
Thor: "I suggest you speak, their will and strength do not fail to amaze me, even when all hope eludes, they will fight to the last breath"
Standing between his friends, his wife, and the humans urging for answers, his thumb slid down the full, hesitant lips. He didn't want to remember. That one, dreadful night, when all hell broke loose at Cyntrina's home planet. His eyes strayed in the distance, only to stop at the man, whose threats called for his memories. He finally started the story, that, even though D'Argo had already told Odin and Thor, now that he was the one retelling it, and reliving it, didn't seem any easier. If anything, it got harder, a lump constricted his throat, barely making out the words and sentences:
John: "Oh God, I lost count of how many times I've put these words together; I am John Crichton, an astronaut. Some time ago, circa 15 years, I got shot, through a wormhole in a distant part of the universe, or at least that's what I thought until "The Allfather" broke the news that I, was not anywhere near, the freaking Kansas neighborhood."
Even though he started with guilt, the characteristic energy he exuded, took over his voice and body, animating everyone watching him closely, arms up waving trough the air, bringing his words to life, and a face where insanity crept, every time his voice pitched higher:
"I ended up, on a living ship with escaped prisoners, my friends, and my wife. Searching for my way home, I made enemies powerful, dangerous, chasing my ass up and down, left and right through some galaxy you've never heard off, until finally, they left me alone, after some, dyer events"
Rudely interrupting the human, Loki made a point of what Cyntrina said previously:
Loki: "You mean after a war you ended, with a weapon of mass destruction?"
John: "Hey, you don't know the whole story pal, but if you want to, you can fill in for me, I ain't glad I'm taking a trip down this memory lane!"
Thor: "Proceed"
John: "Somewhere along the way, between the running for my life, and searching for Earth, things went sideways, and one of my friends, Zhaan, the woman Stark was in love with, died."
Stark, having awaken to the name of his love, squealed, to the painful memory of her death: "Zhaan, my beautiful"
John, ignoring his comment, continued:
"After that, we were visiting a peace memorial planet me, Stark, Aeryn, D'Argo and Jool. Once we got there, we saw these masks, like 3D glasses but bigger, that showed the very moment when a truce took place, between the Venek Horde, and a dozen nurses from the local monastery. Turns out, the Veneks were dying out of thirst, but the nurses not knowing that, signaled a passing Peacekeeper convoy. When the Veneks, short fused, dog faced humanoids by the way, learned about this, they attacked the monastery, killing all Peacekeepers, even the one who threw the message for the cease fire. The very night, the leading general, marched to the monastery, and accepted the offer, since no soldiers were left to fight, only women and children."
He paused, reaching the moment that changed everything. He looked at the Stykera, and proceeded, melancholically:
John: "So we gave Stark the mask. He is somewhat of an undertaker – a stykera, meaning he helps dying people to move on, so throughout the years and the "endless parade of death" he, accumulated a great deal of power. His mental energy, took us back in time; we got caught in a battle, so we fought against the Veneks. This, turned out to be a huge kick in the nuts, since the Venek general, the man in charge, the big dog, that should have accepted the peace treaty, got killed by Nurse Kelsa, Cyntrina's mother."
Between the words he forced out of his lungs, John's guilt, became evident, to the ones swallowing his every movement with their eyes. His friends, and his wife, knowing the story, only bowed down their heads, ashamed of their mingling in the timeline of a planet, even though accidental, it still ruined many lives, including Cyntrina's. The only one, that seemed amused by the way the story unraveled, was Loki. A spark in the green eyes, followed a slight parting of his lips, just enough so his teeth could peak from his intriguing smile. John continued, not even looking at the way the frost giant glared at him:
John: "Here's where the plot thickened. We ended up fighting with these – (pulling out his pulse pistol) since we couldn't go back, the portal Stark created opened, and closed, depending on the choices we made. Eventually, when we hoped we killed enough Veneks to send another, more convincing message for a ceasefire, the tear in time appeared. Hoping the Veneks would get the memo, and accept ceasefire, with us no longer there, we left. That didn't end well… The Horde killed the Nurses. "There has been too much Venek blood spilled" they said… Her mother died, screaming my name. Somehow she, survived and if the war wasn't enough, Maldis found her"
He stopped talking, with profound sadness, clenching his face, to the memories of the little girl that saved his life, when her mother was ready to kill him.
Interested in the name he heard among Cyntrina's thoughts, Loki couldn't help but ask:
Loki: "Who is, this Maldis?"
D'Argo, knowing what went through the disturbed mind of his friend, seeing the emptiness of his look, answered his question:
"He was a malevolent being, somewhat of a vampire, that could strip the soul from the body, and then, feed on emotions such as anger, hate, fear and his main course – the souls of beings. We destroyed him twice, with help of the plant she mentioned, that was our friend Zhaan, a Delvian – evolved flora"
Even though they could see the tool, the story was taking on John, his fellow humans stood stiff, motionless, stoned in disbelief. Only their pupils, wiggled to the absurd movements and words coming out of him, trough out the whole time. It was as if he, was the crazy one, not the squirming, half faced alien. Unable to contain it, Tony's mistrust, broke the silence that swallowed the room, once John was done:
Tony Stark: "That is the most whacked out story I've ever heard. Time travel, and vampire vanquishing plants? You are going with that? You have got to be kidding me"
John, sensing his skepticism, replied with a growing tension in his voice:
John: "Hey, Mr. Personality, that's what happened; come to think of it, she is pissed because we got her mother killed, you can blame us, excommunicate us, I don't care, but she is here threatening everything you, your commando pals, know and love!"
Aeryn: "We didn't ask for any of this! We did all that we could, we tried to go back and fix the mess we made, but it wasn't enough."
The mind of the physicist, struggled with the concept of time travel, unable to relate it to one single creature, causing such portal, let alone figure out how it could possibly work. Entangled between his thoughts, and the improbability of the concept, he wanted to know more, so he could establish order in his own mind:
Banner: "Why? If you did it once, you should have been able to go back again, if you say this Stark is, was, powerful enough?"
Annoyed, by the question that reminded him of his own inability to understand the workings of the universe he accidentally ended up in, John replied:
John: "You think I know how he did it the first time? Dude, more than half the time I spent in their universe, I had no idea how the hell anything worked! We tried, but he was defective, got depressed, had a screw loose, I don't know, OK?"
Keeping as cool head as he could, Captain Rodgers stopped the increasing tension in the discussion between Banner and John:
Captain Rodgers: "Moving on Bruce, how do we stop her?"
D'Argo: "We don't know"
John: "We've seen Maldis' powers, and still, can't imagine hers. So if you are done with the time wasting questions, let's find out, before she gets the chance to bring even more, power greedy animals up on our asses"
Chiana: "Crichton, why do you justify your actions to these idiots?"
Natasha: "You do realize you said that in English?"
Chiana: "Yeah, and I am glad I did! You, and everyone here, make one backward, ignorant, stereotypical planet! It was bad enough the first time we were here, now you go straight to threatening us!"
Fury: "You were here before?"
John: "Pip, you really shouldn't have brought that up!"
Chiana: "What, she already ratted Odin out!"
Fury: "What does he have to do with anything?"
Loki: "He, took away your memories of their visit, weapons, deep space travel, everything! That, is the prime reason he, wanted to execute her"
Barton: "This is just too much…"
Aeryn: "And it's just the tip of the iceberg…"
Barton: "Thor, did you know about what your father did?"
Thor: "No, that has been revealed recently to me"
Loki: "If she, didn't face Odin, that secret would have never been brought to light"
Tony Stark: "Is it just me, or is the number of people with an agenda, against humanity growing by the second?"
Thor: "My father is not an enemy, he is a protector! If you developed that technology, there is no telling the damage you could have caused!"
Loki: "Even with your life on the line, you still defend him before the subjects he ripped off?!"
Thor: "He isn't the one who became her ally!"
Loki: "For the last time, I am not her ally!"
Stark: "You, you shared unity with her, the others gave her pain, you gave her desire!"
Chiana: "Unity? How are you not her ally, if you knocked her up?"
Thor: "Is this the truth? Did your greed for power, make you entangle between her loins?"
Loki: "I didn't … you know … think what you may, she is still a virgin!"
Tony Stark: "How could you possibly know that?"
Natasha: "If you say you didn't touch her?"
John: "Look, what astro and the princess mean by unity, is a uniting of two spirits, not the perverted image you all conjured up in your minds!"
Fury: "Oh, so that's how the Gods call it now?"
John: "Stark, why did you bring this up?"
Stark: "He's a liar!"
Tony Stark: "That's an understatement!"
John: "OK, here's how unity works: two minds, two spirits, combine in one mass, sharing thoughts, fears, feelings, emotions, the whole enchilada. It's like 10 years worth of good sex, but without, or very little actual physical contact."
Loki: "Not how I would describe it, but close"
Tony Stark: "I have to try that!"
D'Argo, pointing at Stark: "He's the expert"
Tony, confused by the twisted smile on Stark's face backed away a little: '
Tony Stark: "No, thanks I'll pass"
Hearing their absurd arguing over nonsense, the sapphire eyes rolled back on the face of the one person with a firm, calculated logic. She couldn't stand the human lack of sense for urgency, her fiery hair settled on her back, while her boots stepped in the middle of the half human, half alien circle, braking up their mindless fight with a high pitch tone:
Sikozu: "You people are unbelievable! A demon, witch, vampire, is threatening your planet, and the existence of your species, while you discuss sexual encounters, secrets of your mythological beings, and make threats we all know are not going to happen! Not to mention, the three other races, she could be bringing to this universe right now, as we speak, coming to slaughter, and enslave your "precious" blue little planet!"
Captain Rodgers followed up to the statement full of resentment, coming out the fiery red head, turning once again, to the crowd of confused, angry faces:
Captain Rodgers: "She has a point, look at what she caused just by being here? She made us turn on each other! Honestly, I don't give a damn what any aliens did, I want to defend my home, and I don't care who I have to work with to do that!"
Tony Stark: "You would work with the guy who planned the last invasion, just because he wanted a throne?"
Captain Rodgers: "What other choice do we have? We don't know where she is, how do we fight an enemy we can't see?"
Stark's face flinched with an idea, his thoughts came into order while he thought of his unity with Zhaan. The beautiful soul, that brought peace to his existence, even when they were not sharing a consciousness, she could still talk to him. Her voice was still echoing, between the walls of his hardened heart, even now, as a solution to the problem they were facing. He managed to dial down the memories, emerging from the abyss of loneliness inside of him, in form of ghosts from the past, and brought some light on the subject, that left an even greater bitterness towards the frost giant on their faces:
Stark: "Unity leaves a permanent mark, a link between two beings that can never be broken. He, he can find her, sense her essence, get close"
Words that poured even more oil in the burning fire of fear, doubt and denial in the command room of the Helicarrier. They actually needed Loki's help! The director's mind couldn't help but to think Earth was doomed, as a lump slowly went down his throat, swallowing his fear, he dared to ask:
Fury: "Why would Loki want to help?"
Loki: "Because, I seek revenge for the throne she took away from me!"
Thor, looking at the way Fury's lungs filled with air, to ask another question, interrupted him before any words eluded him:
Thor: "His motivation is irrelevant, he can and will help. He has no other choice!"
Stark, leaning closer to the frost giant, secretly whispered what he saw Cyntrina awakened, inside the deceiving heart.
Stark: "Relevance beyond revenge… her scent exudes in you…"
Seeing how Stark intruded Loki, John intervened before he could finish his sentence:
John: "Stark, tell us more"
Turning away from Loki, the Banic continued explaining:
Stark: "He knows her astral trace, the signature to her soul, she hides from my energy but he can find her!"
John: "Wait, isn't that a two end street? She might know he's looking"
Loki: "You, and the deranged mystic are right, I can find her, but my presence might alert her"
Thor: "You should have killed her, when you got the chance"
Loki: "It was not that easy, brother"
Thor: "What weakness does she hide?"
Loki: "Heat. Intense heat, that can bring her the ending you all desire"
Aeryn: "Makes sense, she is a Sebacean after all. How intense are we talking about? Molted lava heat, or vaporizing gas heat?"
Sikozu: "Finally, progress"
Loki: "Her tolerance is slightly above the temperature of molted lava"
Chiana: "Aeryn, how sure are we that she actually is a Sebacean?"
Tony Stark: "That's a lot of heat"
Captain Rodgers: "How much heat exactly?"
Banner: "Up to 1200 °C, or 2192 °F"
Natasha: "Are you saying, the only way to destroy her, would be to throw her into Earth's heated core?"
Tony Stark: "It's one option"
D'Argo: "May be the only option, fighting her would be like fighting with our own thoughts"
Barton: "Yeah, but can she fight us all at the same time?"
Chiana: "He might have a point…"
Loki: "A side from her telepathy, she also yields the power to move objects with her mind. If you face her with weapons, such as arrows and guns, the only damage you will do, will be to yourselves."
Chiana: "And it's ruined"
Aeryn: "Than, what do you suggest we do?"
Loki: "She intended on bringing her allies, I assume that is why she went into hiding, to use the remaining power she stole from me, to summon them"
Sikozu: "Can you stop her before she does that?"
Loki: "I can try, but it might be too late"
Just as the spoke the last word of his sentence, a deep, disturbing note of surprise, mixed with fear eluded Coulson's lips. He spoke for the first time, after witnessing John Crichton and his aliens, arguing with the avengers, to the slanders Cyntrina made. Despite all of that, he managed to stay agile, and watch out for even more unusual activities. It wasn't long, before something caught his attention, a small irregularity over New York, negligible to the eyes of the other agents, but he saw the way it started gaining in intensity with every passing minute. With his eyes glued on the monitors, he watched, as the readings soon begun indicating a ridiculous amount of mass, growing and morphing, in the New York sky.
Coulson: "Guys, you might want to see this"
Fury, alarmed by the growing worries in Coulson's voice, turned to the monitors:
Furry: "Get me a visual, what are we looking at?"
Coulson: "Sir, it's similar to the last readings, but this time they seem to intensify faster…"
Chiana: "What are you rambling about?"
Loki, with a smug smile on his face, stated a fact that became obvious, with the frantic movements in the director's walk around the monitors:
Loki: "I believe time has run out"
John: "Guys, talk to me, what the hell's got you so freaked out?"
Frustrated by the lack of information given out by the director, John grew impatient, eyes staring at the way all the agents, desperately tried to gain visual on whatever went on. When he saw Tony and Banner, joining the director in the quest to figure out just what went on over the New York sky, John decided he had enough of the secrecy:
John: "Sputnik, check out what has them all paranoid!"
Sikozu didn't need to hear it twice, her walk stopped between Tony and Banner, intruding their attempts to make sense of the amount of energy generated out of thin air, over New York City.
Sikozu: "Excuse me…"
Tony Stark: "And you are capable to figure this out how?"
Banner: "Not to be a jerk, but how could you possibly know…"
Their egos couldn't stand by, while the alien forced them to move away. But the Kalish was not interested in their questions, she proceeded, figuring out how human technology progressed, from the last time she placed foot on Earth. The measurements of growing energy frowned her eyebrows, causing worries to her friends, and causing the two geniuses to feel inferior:
Tony Stark: "And now she knows how to work a control panel"
Banner: "And she's only been here what, half an hour?"
John: "You should have seen the way she learned English, in less than 10 freaking minutes, she's pretty smart!"
Sikozu: "How is this possible?"
John: "What?!"
Sikozu: "Even Scarrans don't have this kind of technology…"
D'Argo: "That's what you get, when you ask her for analysis"
John, pointing to the director and Coulson:
"Well, they don't tell me anything, besides she's useful in these kinds of situations"
Natasha: "Sir, what is going on?"
Fury: "We are picking up the same energy signature from when she got here, only this time it's 1000 times stronger, and we are getting no visual"
Coulson: "Satellite footage shows nothing, but we picked up a low frequency vibrations…"
Sikozu: "She's pulling them in this universe, somehow"
John: "Wait, how did she get here?"
Tony Stark pulled out the footage from her arrival:
"In this, she destroyed it with her voice, screaming out your name by the way"
Seeing the leviathan baby vessel, turned into a triad monstrosity, Moya's crew stood stoned to the screams emerging from the footage. Unable to contain them, Aeryn spoke her thoughts out loud, only to confuse the Humans and Asgardians even more:
Aeryn: "They converted a Leviathan into a deep space travel vessel…"
Thor: "That is a Leviathan, in your place of origin?"
Tony Stark: "What exactly is a Leviathan?"
D'Argo: "A biomechanoid, living ship, in this case a baby one… gutted for its skin"
Natasha: "A living ship?"
John: "Yes, they have the ability to starburst, meaning through their skin, they use dark matter as fuel to traverse large distances. It's a leap from point A to point B, for a decreased amount of time"
Sikozu: "But even then… it would take too much time… how did she manage to traverse so much space, without any age damage?"
Stark: "Halo! They doused the baby in center halo mist!"
D'Argo: "Stark, look at their faces! I have no idea what the frell you are talking about, and I've known you for some time now, let alone these humans!"
Stark: "The mist, the mist we were stuck in! Aeryn knows, she remembers!"
Aeryn: "Remember what exactly?"
Stark, crazed in his rant, turning from one friend to another, in hopes they remembered:
"John aged, your granddaughter, don't you remember?"
Aeryn: "I remember an old man, but…"
Stark: "No, no, no the mist, center halo, mist, center halo!"
Chiana, slapping her palm over the good side of Stark's face:
"Stark, focus!"
Stark: "I'm better now"
Tony Stark: "Interesting tactic"
Chiana: "I call it persuasive maintenance, for when he strays too far from sanity"
Stark: "An Ancient, scientist theorized about the existence of center halos, places in the universe, where all dimensions meet, and time does not exist! Remember, remember the mist, you wanted to hide from the peacekeepers, that was it!"
Aeryn, vaguely remembering the yellow cloud they once avoided on the council of both Stark and Zhaan, proceeded with confusion and uncertainty in her voice:
"How did they manage to exploit it? How did they even find it?"
Loki: "She has been following you for number of years; you led her straight to it"
Thor: "Anything else, you would like to share brother?"
Loki: "Only that the rules of this universe, do not apply to her existence!"
Banner: "I am going back to college if we survive this"
Tony Stark: "As a student, or as a professor?"
Barton: "What does all that mean? And how does it translate to the current situation?"
Sikozu: "It means she, can bring a whole armada of Triad battleships, even a full armed command center here, now, without causing any time damage to the individuals inside"
Captain Rodgers: "Let me get this straight, she is bringing them here?"
Sikozu: "Yes, she begun the process, maybe we could stop her…"
Loki: "That would be a waste of time"
Natasha: "Do you know something we don't, or do you secretly want her to succeed?"
Loki: "I seriously do not mind how you interpret my words, but if you must consider my nature, take them as a friendly advice"
Barton: "From the friend that already broke New York, once"
Natasha: "I think we'll take our chances"
Thor, looking at the red female, offering a glimpse of hope, they could still stop an invasion:
Thor: "Is it a chance worth taking?"
Sikozu: "Judging by the amount of energy, it isn't, whatever it is she is materializing, you could end up on a command center, surrounded by enemies"
John: "So what, we just wait for them to strike first?"
With the crazed mystic staring at him, Loki focused on the essence of the demon causing disturbances over Mitgard. It wasn't before long, he could see her; forging a triangle with the crystals on her palms and chest, gracefully floating over the planet's atmosphere, stirring up the power to conjure and materialize a full blown, gigantic alien, base operation ship. Stark watched his amazement, the way the green eyes closed in order to get close to her, with his mind, he knew of Loki's astonishment with Cyntrina, he knew the frost giant didn't want her dead. He could even hear a thought, eluding Loki's mind, giving away his envy, and lust for her powers:
"She is beautiful, so much power… "
He could see, hear and feel everything her senses grasped, a sensation only her dark soul could provide, since he left a crack in the psyche of the witch he hoped she wasn't aware off. With the eye of the mystic, following his every move, Loki broke the astral link he secretly planted into Cyntrina's essence, and proceeded with answering John's question:
Loki: "Yes, but we wait prepared…"
With a note of pleasure in his voice, Loki proceeded with what he saw trough the link, she took him with her, unknowingly, with her heels standing firmly on the solid metal, of the command center she finally, managed to materialize with her mind. Staring at her, three sets of eyes: The Nebari pride, pouring out of Uralus, secretively spawning lust, and satisfaction over the cold, smooth, gray face; doubt wrenched in lesions, resembling the worries of the strong female leader stabbing her in the gut, from the ugly Plokavian Xeracs; and genuine, Lukythian surprise, in the eyes of Enec, whose fear full shivers, intensified to the sight of her.
Cyntrina: "Your bounty, prime for the taking!"
She spoke, unaware of Loki's presence that was so vague, to the point that he seemed translucent behind her, soaking in her beauty and admiring her power. No creature could see the God of lies, caressing Cyntrina's back with his look, while her focus was at the thoughts of the three leaders in front of her. He too, could see them; He understood every word that followed; even with the language, unfamiliar to him, her thoughts were his, her body throbbing in heat, steadily taking in deep breaths, with hate slithering through the veins, as he carefully slipped into her mind, without leaving any trace. Anger, hate, betrayal, what he felt in the pit of her core to their words, greeting her with smiles drenched in hypocrisy, pretending to care:
Xeracs: "I always knew you'd succeed"
Enec: "You never fail to amaze, child"
Uralus: "Welcome home, sweet Cyntrina"
Cyntrina hid her disgust behind a smile, forced upon her lips. It managed to fool the leaders, but Loki could feel her stomach, as it revolted, to the thoughts she knew plagued the ones claiming to be glad to see her. He had never felt so restless, almost trapped in the heart of the woman he yearned to tame. He continued listening to what she had to say, moving along with her, while the red silk mingled between her legs, as she mounted the stairs leading to the thrones of the leaders, rising above her.
Cyntrina: "I am glad, my actions are to your liking, but there is something you should know about this planet"
Xeracs: "What is it? Is there some weapon they posses, able to revoke us?"
Cyntrina: "No, that, I guarantee they do not have"
Enec: "Then what is it?"
Cyntrina: "They have something, that even I cannot take away alone, something repellent and dreadfully annoying – hope"
Uralus: "Well, that didn't stop you before, with the Sebaceans, Scorvians or the last dozen of our enemies, why is it a problem now?"
Cyntrina: "It is not a problem, but a glitch, a tiny detail that can be handled, with your collaboration"
Uralus: "Anything"
Cyntrina: "I will need eight squadrons, attacking simultaneously in eight points, over the most populated city of Crichton's motherland"
Enec: "Why? Can't you use the seismic disruptors?"
Cyntrina: "I want to harvest the planet, not turn it into a dead core of dust"
Xeracs: "It is alright, Enec, she deserves some entertainment after 10 cycles of service"
Enec: "There is more, what are you not telling us?"
Cyntrina: "Crichton, Aeryn, Chiana, Stark, D'Argo and the Kalish bioloid are all on the planet…"
Enec: "The leviathan?"
Uralus: "Unimportant, proceed"
Cyntrina: "What stands as hope for the race, are two aliens, together with five humans with diverse talents"
Xeracs: "Talents? What do you mean by that?"
Cyntrina: "An engineer, two well trained spies, a mutant, and a solider with admirable strength. They call themselves the Avengers; they, stand between me and the ones you wish to behead"
Enec: "And the aliens? What race are they?"
Cyntrina: "None, you, have heard of. They do not worry me"
Uralus: "Nor should they, I trust your ability of annihilating anyone that stands in your way"
Cyntrina: "So you will give me my squadron?"
Xeracs: "Yes, you may have the squadron, what else do you require? I assume our soldiers will serve you as a distraction?"
Cyntrina: "While their protectors are scattered, defending their planet, I will deliver your prisoners, but not before initiating a dense novatron attack"
Uralus: "How dense?"
Cyntrina: "Just enough to cut the population in half"
Enec: "Huh, why not give us the criminals first, then proceed with your plans? I, want to be the one, to deliver my dear, brother's assassin to face trial, before the Lukythian council, I do not wish to see her perish along with the humans!"
Cyntrina: "You will get your chance, righteous one! As soon as the capsule touches Earth's soil, I will bring you all, your trophies! Not a microt before that!"
Uralus: "Cyntrina, youngling, we do not need to take rigid positions over such details… I am sure you understand, the value the criminals have…"
Cyntrina: "Oh, I do understand! That is why things have to go the way I planned them!"
Xeracs: "We will provide what you need anyway, why must you have so little faith in our intentions?"
Cyntrina: "Because I know, what power does! I have seen entire dynasties crumble, for less than this! I appreciate my memories inside my head, not in some of your containers!"
Uralus: "Very well, our squadron will follow your instructions"
Enec: "The capsule needs to be calibrated to a location"
Cyntrina: "I will insert coordinates"
Xeracs: "Just know this, those crystals can be used in reverse. Should anything go wrong, we can hull your pretty little behind back here!"
Cyntrina: "That thought, is constantly on my mind, your eminence"
Before he could learn the coordinates, a thought inside her caught his attention. One of him, signaling she could notice his presence around her, reminding him she could become aware he was listening. Although time was running out, he couldn't help but to linger to hear what effect he had over her, intrigued by the spark he ignited, by the rattles in her stomach when seeing him again flew through her mind, somehow, he forced himself to break unity, knowing the lunacy of the mystic could detect his excitement over her emotions. With his eyes closed, surrounded by the looks of everyone, interested in knowing just what he was seeing, through the window he placed inside the hostile alien, he heard the voice of Nick fury, drifting to his ear, in search for clearance:
Fury: "She is attacking from eight; possibly more, points over New York… are you going to finish the sentence?"
Loki, finally opening his eyes, realized, time on the Helicarrier was much slower than along Cyntrina, and a deviant thought of evening the score between them crossed his mind:
"You are hiding in between, interesting…"
Seeing how they the anticipation brought restless, long stares, aimless pacing back and forward over the metal floor, even a frown of worry, upon everyone present, including his brother, he gave the long awaited answer.
Loki: "Yes, she will attack from eight different points, using one squadron of warriors"
Aeryn: "Squadron? Are you sure?"
Loki: "Yes, I believe I was clear the first time"
Natasha: "Why, you think we can't handle a few ships, possibly troops?"
Tony: "Last time we kicked ass, and he brought an army!"
Sikozu: "I don't know of your past battles, but the term squadron obviously has a different meaning to you"
Barton: "Well, what does it mean to you?"
Aeryn: "It means eight small armies, attacking in a synchronized trajectory, engaging land, and airborne fire"
Chiana: "They have to have targets, why would she bring them if not?"
D'Argo: "You are looking at the targets. She wants all of us out of the way for some reason"
Thor: "Loki, what are you not telling us?"
Loki: "Oh, she mentioned some novatron capsule, but since I have no idea what that is…"
John: "Oh great, that is just great"
Banner: "What is it?"
Chiana: "Should I tell them, or?"
Stark: "She will kill all of you! With a gas that eats its way from the inside out!"
John: "Why did we bring him? He's not helping!"
Chiana: "You said: he has one eye, but two hands"
Sikozu: "Undoubtedly, one of your many bad ideas!"
John: "Stay out of this, sputnik"
Captain Rodgers: "This dance around the data is getting us nowhere!"
Thor: "Your quarrels and ramblings have very little meaning; stop leaving us in the dark!"
Tony Stark: "It's one step forward, two steps back, you tell us a fraction of what's going on, and then pull away insulting each other! No wander she, they, everyone, wants to kill you"
John: "You think all of this is a game? You think you, and your band of Halloween costumes, can take on the Triad?"
Natasha: "Well obviously you can't! Ever since you placed a foot here, your panicky tap dance made a hole in the floor"
Fury: "I can't believe this, you are starting it again! Why don't we all just kill each other, and save her the trouble?"
Banner: "I think someone is enjoying this a little bit too much"
With his look glued to the malicious grin of the God of lies, Banner made a point that shifted the focus, away from John's defensive chest, rising in an attempt to reply, to Loki. He didn't hide the fact that the heating quarrel amused him, even with their annoying questions, and accusations toward him. But one thing, got to the heart of ice, Thor, sided with the humans, offending him, and accusing him of treason, even before he got the chance to do anything:
Stark: "He, he knows! She showed him how, she showed him where!"
Natasha: "What exactly did she show you?"
Tony Stark: "And what's the deal with you and the psycho? Why does he go off anytime we mention you, or your new girlfriend?"
Loki: "She is not my girlfriend"
Aeryn: "Stark is sensitive to their link, he sees what they share, to a point, but still"
Tony Stark: "Eh, that's like spying on …"
Natasha: "Stark, if you finish the sentence, I will strangle you!"
Barton: "Where is she attacking Loki? If you want to kill her, you wouldn't hide that from us!"
Loki: "I couldn't see where! She would have felt my presence if I lingered any longer!"
Thor: "Do you speak truth, or does betrayal already descended upon my fate?"
Loki: "For the last time, I did not see her attack plan! I'm telling you everything I saw!"
Chiana: "What if he's not lying? What if she attacks at random?"
D'Argo: "Scatter us, while she inserts the capsule?"
Aeryn: "That seems credible, but that would mean she'll be coming after us first…"
With the last word barely making out of her lips, Aeryn froze to the fragrance of incense that filled the room once again. Colliding with a surprise that shook agent Coulson to his core, staring at the monitors, finally able to take in the sight of a gigantic alien vessel, orbiting Earth. Its mass seemed impossible to comprehend, let alone move. It appeared suddenly, out of nowhere, pulled in by a green light, lavished in some kind of a yellow mist, that gave away the presence of the dark surface for a few seconds, just enough time for a short glimpse, to leave a shadow of terror on Coulson's face. His voice, reached out to the director, and while Nick Fury's boots left the circle of angry humans and aliens, Cyntrina materialized in front of Loki, as if to defend him, but what she really wanted, was to rub the fact she knew about what he tried to do in his face, and make him look like a traitor before his brother:
Cyntrina: "What's the matter princess, the mortals giving you trouble?"
Loki: "I can handle a few insults, free your mind of worries about me"
Cyntrina: "Oh, even your big brother thinks you have a crush on me"
Natasha: "Is that why you're back? To make it official?"
Cyntrina: "No"
The sharp locks flew through the air, as she turned to the seemingly confused frost giant, proceeding with her anger, peaking from her tone:
Cyntrina: "Someone, was spying on me, and I don't like being cornered"
Loki: "And I thought you liked being in the center of my attention!"
Cyntrina, turning to Thor, cutting his heart with her words:
Cyntrina: "The one time, your little brother was actually honest, and you accused him of treason! Glad I never had a sibling!"
Thor: "How do I know he, is not manipulating you to say that?"
Cyntrina: "Maybe that's his hobby on you, but I wouldn't know about your link, if he didn't try to insert himself upon me!"
Loki: "I did succeed!"
Stark: "He did, you are not aware"
Cyntrina: "Can someone get rid of this freak once and for all!"
Loki: "He speaks truth, your plan is scattered, they know what you want from this planet!"
Cyntrina, coming close to him, running her fingers through his hair, sinking into his eyes, feeling his cold heart so close to hers, her lungs almost ceased functioning, to the sight of his Adam's apple, slightly dropping down, she could feel the euphoria she caused inside him, combined with her own desire, it became too much of a temptation. She swung her arm, rendering him before her, kneeling, waiting, wanting her, desiring more of her, filling his mind with filthy fantasies, kinds of things his eyes begged her to do. Somehow, with strength beyond her reasoning, she managed to pull away from him:
Cyntrina: "Did you really think my mind is that easy to penetrate?"
Loki: "It was fun trying"
Cyntrina: "It was a cheap shot! One thing you need to know though: for more than 400 hundred years I've been shackled to a monster, hundreds of times more powerful, and more devious, sickening and disturbing than you. I've been a slave; I've been a queen, your fingers touched but a fraction of my memories. Besides, your drooling over my lowest carnal, desires made you easy to detect"
Loki, subdued under her grip, starred at the face where contempt twisted the exotic lips, while the dark eyes were gushing with satisfaction from seeing him, humiliated on his knees. But what she thought was humiliation, he saw as an opportunity to strike back to the petite ball of hate, combing through his hair with the soft palm, resting just below his jaw line.
Loki: "You are stalling, and overestimate yourself"
Cyntrina: "I thought my confidence, to be what you found most appealing?"
Loki: "Not when your nails are a risk to my throat"
Barton: "She has a weird thing for him"
Tony Stark: "I wander if either of them ever considered dating?"
Banner: "Should we do something or …"
Natasha: "Let's just see how this plays out"
Cyntrina: "Here's how it ends, with me, feeding off humanity, and all of you dealing with plan B"
Her hand parted from Loki's neck, leaving him motionless with a deep, frisky stare in his eyes. She turned her attention to the beings observing the way she went after Loki, taking a slight amount of pleasure, in seeing him brought down by a woman, whose head barely reached his shoulder. She exuded confidence, to the point where, to some tactical experts like agent Romanov and Barton, it crossed the line of bold and plain, moronic move. Eager to point it out, Natasha, watching her circles among them like a caged animal, prey they could easily kill:
Natasha: "Plan A didn't work out for you, I can't wait to see what plan b is. I mean, you can barely keep your clothes on when Loki's around, let alone your thoughts"
Chiana: "He told us everything, the Triad squadron, the Novatrin capsule, all of it! We even know how to kill you!"
Sikozu: "Sebacean flaw, heat regulation defect, can lead to severe damage, and eventually death"
Aeryn: "Take John's offer from before, take us with you and leave this planet alone!"
John: "There is no need for more people to die"
D'Argo: "You have nothing to prove, or claim, had this been a Luxan colony you would have never even landed!"
Cyntrina: "Jealous, Luxan?! Don't be, your race acquires a more delicate approach, one I plan on taking on, after finishing with this useless atrocity of a race"
Fury, yielding a tight clench between his teeth, let out a few words, while he approached the arrogant alien: "When will that be?"
Cyntrina: "Depends, how long you will last! You see, I don't want power, a throne or even subjects, those kinds of things bore me very quickly; as Johnny and his gloomy bunch know, one rule applies to my, personality – always plan for the long-term"
John: "You want to become a Maldis? That's what all this is about? Ditching your physical body?"
Stark: "Freedom, no weaknesses!"
Cyntrina: "Maybe…"
Aeryn: "But then, why go through all of this, why stalk us, why is the Triad here?"
Cyntrina: "Because I wanted to be the one, standing here! Not some dripping Plokavian, short tempered Nebari or a useless Lukythian! Just like Pantheon, where the Jocacean monastery burned in hellish flames, down to the last column!"
John: "The Veneks burned down the monastery?"
Cyntrina: "What did you think they'd do? Plant flowers and raise pigeons?"
D'Argo: "What happened to the Veneks? Why have they gone extinct?"
Cyntrina: "Maldis happened, robbing me of my childish innocence, and forcing my hand into killing every last one of them. I regret nothing now, unlike their monarch, who died with sorrow for not leaving me in the shallow grave I dug up for myself, when I tried to get away from that monster!"
Coulson, haunted by tremor in his voice, daring to interrupt her, to bring a piece of what went on, down on Earth, during her twirling around the circle of beings she united with her stalling:
Coulson: "Sir, it has begun"
Fury, turning the bald head towards the monitors, almost betrayed by his knees as he stood across Cyntrina, was faced with a sight straight from his nightmares, unraveling before his eye…
