Chapter 9
"-Thus creating that whirlpool of flux energy." Banner said as he wrote something new on his pad
"Exactly, and that is why the natural air of nature could be a good hiding place for someone like Loki if what the reports about him said were true, it is this energy trail that I have been trying to search for the past eight hours. However I do not understand the gamma radiation's own relation to the cube's, I studied the natural energy that came off of it, I am sure that Dr Selvig studied the other part."
"While your energy is unique, but like you said there are many areas in which you could hide the Tesseract in it, not to mention Loki himself. The gamma rays is unique to its surroundings, it doesn't need the air to travel and it's strong enough to reach space, this part will help In search of it."
"Come now Dr Banner, did you dumb down the explanation for me? I'm hurt, I can understand more complicated relative theories than that." Draco mock pouted making the other man snort.
"Sorry Malfoy, but your looks doesn't help. Every time I look at you it's like me back teaching in college." He said sheepishly, the teen smiling back at him. Draco being a Slytherin knew that the man was going to be tense, and knew how to calm him down by small talks. He used some topics at first to mark off any unwanted conversation and start talking about things the man might be interested in or is happy to discuss about.
They did end up talking about how their own research could help them in their search, and up till now there was no tint of green appearing in the room. If they chatted even more, they would have forgotten that they were in a Shield base trying to look for a man who is crazed and is trying to control earth.
Them writing in their own pace didn't help, it was as if they were only writing homework and not some important papers that will be debriefed about later. Their clothes didn't help as well, Banner was wearing a casual purple button up shirt with khaki pants, it looked formal with the jacket but without it and with the doctor brushing the sleeves upwards it was as if he was enjoying a Saturday off.
Draco's on the other hand, he was wearing the normal skinny black jeans he opted to wear for some time and his green hoodie and studded belt, not to mention the common converse sneakers that he was parading with. In all honesty, he created the poster of the normal teen trying to do school work.
That all broke down however when guards started walking in, reminding them of the fact that they were in a Shield base, writing important papers that will be debriefed over later, in search of a cube that has potential unlimited power source.
Draco stood up from his chair as he watches the guards with interest, he used his Legillimence and found the stray thought of one of the soldiers wanting to finish the escorting job immediately.
"They caught him. They're bringing him in and those two are just early to check the cells." Bruce nods as he goes back to his work.
"Looks like you'll help me more now that they caught Loki."
"Yeah sure let me do that, discard every single paper I have wrote on, physically and virtually to a dustbin electronically and forget the blood, sweat and tears I have shed in the past hours." He grumbles stacking the papers, Bruce chuckles at that, making space for Draco as he sets something else on the machine.
Five minutes later, Draco stops as he felt a large overpowering and magical aura. Oh the marvellous aura of another being who is close to you in essence, knowing you are not alone in this world, he knew there was another strong sorcerer in New York but they were both overwhelming, and he didn't meet the other man.
This one he can meet.
He stares up as the dozen guards move their prisoner; he can sense all the foreboding feelings of being chosen to escort a mental case. He felt the world slowdown in motion as the man in the green cloak raises his head upwards to meet Banner's eye, who incidentally was taking his glasses off after feeling compelled to do so.
Then the man with the smirk moves to look at him, his smirk then turns into a full broad grin reminding him that of the Cheshire cat. He felt something creep into his mind, a feeling, a compulsion… empathy control. He growls at him making the man look surprised but return to that grin as they finally left.
"That …"
"That man was playing with our minds." Draco growls, his Shield necklace produced a sudden sound of static.
"Drake, bring Dr Banner with you to the debriefing room." Coulson said and the static sound was gone. Drake looks at the doctor as he brandishes his glasses back on again, this made Draco push, why did he take them off the moment Loki looked at him?
"You heard the man, let's go." The older man nods and they both got out, not before Draco grabs his satchel and slings it over one arm. They moved through the halls that he was sure if it weren't for his photographic memory, he would have been lost long ago. Finally reaching to the area.
It wasn't really a private room, it was an extension of the main deck, it was a semi-debriefing room if anything.
He sits down and notices the others there as well, the captain was wearing his suit, it is as flashy as it was on Phil's notebooks that he found a few weeks ago. Black Widow was over the pad along with … Thor.
"Head count, we have an extra blonde here." he said making said blonde raise his head to stare at him, the man was frowning.
"I did not know that you let youngsters join your fights." Was the first thing the Asgardian thought, making Draco groan loudly, I am not a child!
"He isn't, according to the director, he's a Shield ward. Someone's child." The captain answers making the teen wizard growl.
"You bunch of sods, I'm not a kid."
"He has a temper of a child as well." Widow said shutting everyone up including the implied child, he only glares daggers at her. Bruce on the other hand was trying to hide his chuckles but to no avail. Giving up on trying to convince them of his adulthood he looks at the screen to find director Fury going into Loki's cell.
Listening in into the conversation as Loki sometimes turns back to stare at the camera made him feel nauseating for some reason.
"Thor, what's his plan." The captain asks.
"He has an army called the chitauri, neither of Asgard nor of any world known." Well that was comforting to know, it's not like there are any less crazy here on earth.
"An army, from out of space." The captain said blankly, poor man waking up from sleep and found out that yes people can go to space and yes there are people from space that wants to come down here as well, Draco frowns for a moment. He already knew of other worlds, because he came from another universe. Already knew of other species, Veelas, Goblins, Vampire and werewolves are such. So that explains why he was okay with thought of an army from out of space.
Still, it felt odd being comfortable of the odd.
"- I don't think we should be focusing on Loki, that guy is a bag full of cats. You can smell crazy on him." Banner said loudly, thus bringing Draco back on the conversation.
"Take care of how you speak, Loki is beyond reason but he's of Asgard, and he's my brother." Thor threatens the already nervous prone man. Black Widow on the other hand decides to break his comment. "He killed 80 people in two days."
"He's adopted."
Draco whistles, and was received with annoyed frowns from virtually everyone in the room.
"Weak reply princeling." That comment caught the lord of thunder of guard, they both started glaring at each other. It seems that he has hit a nerve with that comment, he realizes as he watched the man's expression, the tightening of the jaws, the slight frown that is trying to keep the intimidation in them, not just pure anger.
"I have not been introduced to you youngling." Now this hit his nerves, he worked as a spy for the order against Voldemort and withstood many crucios to truly be called a youngling, he already knows the rules of war, already knew how to battle and protect himself.
He is not some snot nosed brat, not anymore.
"Introduction are given to those who are courteous, you did not introduce yourself to me, that means that you do not want to be associated with me. It should not be the other way around. However seeing the circumstances I am going to forget this and introduce myself." He stares coolly at the man, something was wrong here, he is starting to hate him even though he never met him before, already showing how much he loathes him.
It seems that Thor realized that as well as his frown deepens.
"I am known here as Drake Coulson."
"Well met, another son of Coul, I have already met your brother. I am Thor, prince of Asgard and future king and heir."
"I am not his brother, he's my uncle." He comments idly, everyone in the room looked surprised at this.
Banner whisper "Nephew?" at Widow, this receives a look from Widow as if she knew something all along, she might have been spectating who he was the whole time. Deciding to break the tension Bruce asks loudly.
"I think we need to break the mechanics, iridium, what did they need iridium for."
"It's a stabilizing agent." They all turn around to see the new visitor, there he was Tony Stark next to his uncle looking as smug as ever. He needs to learn from that man. "To stop the portal from collapsing on itself like it did to Shield." He then moves to Thor was standing menacingly in front of Draco and smirks at him.
"No hard feelings point break, you got a mean swing." He twirls around "Also, keeps the portal wide and open for as long as Loki wants." He takes another stride to take everything in and finds something interesting.
"That man's playing Galaga, he thought we wouldn't notice, but we did." Stark exclaims.
"So that was the name of the game?" Draco blurts out then blushes a deep pink when everyone turns around at him.
"You're kidding, you never played Galaga, right a teen, must be on Cod all the time."
"Like if, I hate shooting games." Draco sneers for a moment then suppresses it frowning. "Something's wrong here, for some reason I'm having a jumbling of emotions."
"Whoa kid, take it easy, you may be cute but you're not my type." Tony jokes only to be glared at by Coulson.
"Think of touching my nephew for one second Stark, and I swear I'll take up the offer of tazing you." Tony blinks and turns at Coulson, then back at … Coulson?
"I'm Drake Coulson." The teen answers the unasked question. "Also known as Dr Malfoy-Black-Coulson."
"Holy shit, you're that new guy that's been making that buzz Reed keeps talking about. So you're the one who's been jizzing everyone's pants."
"I … jizzing?" Draco tilts his head to look back at his uncle who still didn't show any emotion, though obvious that even he didn't know what Stark was on about.
"You know, you two have the same eyes now that you mention it." he said then leaves him as if he didn't just traumatize a sixteen year old but a few moments ago. Draco was gobsmacked but shuts his mouth realizing it was open and turns at Phil.
"Something's been transmitting signals to mess up with people's feelings." He said to his uncle who grimaces.
"I didn't notice any change on anybody."
"But something is."
"It must be the sceptre that was brought in, since you will be affected the most by it seeing as its of … magical nature." This stops Draco from over thinking and relaxes a bit. "Okay." Luckily no one heard … but the captain and Thor.
"How does Fury see all this." he turns back to look at Stark who was covering one eye. A woman appears answering "He turns."
"Sounds exhausting." He says then returns back to the old conversation. "The rest of the raw materials, agent Barton can get his hands on easily, only material he needs is a power source of high energy density something to … kick start the process."
"When did you become an expert in thermo-nuclear-astro-physics."
"Last night, packet, Selvig's notes, the extraction theory papers? Am I the only one who did the reading?"
"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?"
"The Tesseract. He needs to heat it up." Draco answers. "Up to a hundred and million kelvin." Bruce continues. "To break the Coulomb barrier." Draco adds in.
"Unless, Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the Quantum Coulomb affect."
"To do that he has to figure out how to stabilize any heavy reactor on the planet."
"Finally, some people who can speak English." Stark said all giddy now.
"Is that what just happens." The captain asks, frown evident on his face.
"It's good to meet you Dr Banner, I didn't know you look like a squirt Doctor Howser." Draco glares but Stark returns to banner. "Your papers are unparalleled but I'm a huge fan of how you turn yourself into a big green rage monster."
Was this man for real, he looks at his uncle who shrugs a bit, to think he might have idolized this man even for a bit.
"Thanks?"
"Doctor Banner is only here to track the cube, I was hoping you would help." The director appears making Draco want to curse, where do these people appear from, it's not like any of them are wizards or mutants.
"I would start with that stick of his, it may be magic but it works an awful lot like a hydra weapon." The captain interjected.
"That's why we have Dr Coulson here, and I would like it very much to understand how Loki used it to turn my best agents into his personal flying monkeys." That was a command if Draco ever heard of one.
"I don-" Thor was about to say something when the captain interrupts him
"I do, I understand that reference." Poor captain must be elated by that, Draco believed.
"Doctors, shall we play." Stark said.
"I'll lead the way." Bruce instantly offered. Draco looks at his uncle who gestures for him to follow them and so he did.
0o0o0
Not that he could be that helpful, he only gave slight comments and since he hasn't built a reputation yet as a brilliant researcher – reminded of a certain Muggleboren witch – he kept watching the feedback of Loki while the two worked at the back ground, Stark invited Banner to his tower saying that he has ten level worth of labs.
Banners of course refused saying he destroyed Harlem, Draco didn't know if that was a road, block or school. Stark promised a stress free environment. He snorts at that only for the sound to be masked by a loud yell from Banner.
He turns around and yells "Hey!" he was surprised that his yell was unified with a certain captain.
"You really got a lid on it don't you, what's your secret?" Stark ignored said captain.
"Is everything a joke to you. Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny." He implored, "No offence doc." He redirected that to Bruce.
"It's alright cap, I wouldn't have gotten aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things."
"Well I was forced to be here too, you're not the only one here suffering Banner." Draco drawled as he turned to the screen.
"You know, that's what I don't get. Why let a teen on board of a ship with a psycho master mind hell bent on ruling earth – and mentioned in some top secret files." This made Draco pause and turn around to look at them.
"What? I'm just a consultant." He said, surprised for once, he never heard of this – or rather never read it from someone's mind.
"It's in some files, Draco Black was your identity name on it though, trying to hide you. It was the worst attempt I have ever seen. I mean you publish research papers to the world by the name Malfoy-Black-Coulson, it was obvious from the start who you were." Stark said sounding offended by that, Draco on the other hand went gobsmacked.
"I'm just a consultant … and sixteen! What would they write about me?" He asks frowning, however grim realization started to settle making it obvious to everyone else.
"I should have known, I should have fucking known, Shield doesn't just do one thing for another, they give one thing while taking three." He mutters darkly.
"You honestly had no idea why you were in this?" Banner asked.
"Not a clue, I don't see why I'm in those files in the first place, I'm just a teen." He said, not mentioning that he was a genius wizard teen with about two masteries and on his way to his third, a spy and the youngest of his age group to cast an imperio.
"Who if given the right tools can create a portal to another world from what I gathered." Banner said as he zoomed onto some writing, it was one of his papers.
"Not to mention all your papers on Botanical medicine could be used as a base to create a super soldier serum, I never noticed that before but with shield in mind I think that could be what they want."
"I … honestly didn't realize that." Draco said frowning darkly.
"Speaking of what they want, don't you think Fury's suspicious, why does he want the cube so badly?" Draco flitted their conversation out of his mind as he started to think, he was in some top secret files, he knew if given time that Stark will hack Shield to open up that file, and he needs that file to know what they were planning at.
He doesn't think he will be well perceived, if anything, those files might mention some potential experiments to be done on him.
And he was hiding, from whom or what he doesn't know, but he was. Even Phil was beginning to feel the need to hide him as well, that man's instincts were too sharp to not to listen to. From what he got from Shield, they don't really hide well, so having files about him is a potential to have information of him leaked.
"Just look for the cube." The captain demanded and left the room. Draco watched that and looks back at Stark. "That was the guy my dad keeps talking about, should've kept him in ice."
"He's a soldier, his very demeanour is to follow orders. Something I am sure you are not fond off." Draco mutters.
"That jab should be used on you, you're a teen, your very being should be about breaking orders."
"Oh I did, I did it so thoroughly that people want me dead." He grins at that and gets back to watch Loki on screen, not noticing the other two's surprised reaction.
Stark was talking about how the mini-arc reactor was a part of him now, and how it could be that the Hulk was a part of him too. Bruce disagreed, but the conversation turned somewhat to the conclusion that the hulk protected Bruce from the Gamma radiation. They were standing in front of each other only separated by the transparent screen.
The conversation was becoming tense and Draco decides it was time to break it by saying "That's a chick flick moment if I ever seen one." he drawled once more smirking at them, he uncrosses his hands and leaves the room in the same style as the captain did a few moments ago, messing the flustered reaction of Banner and Stark's chuckle.
He decides to visit someone. Seeing that no one gave him directions he closed his eyes and lets a waft of magic leave him and let it search for another powerful source of magic, knowing well that there aren't any magical users here but one. Latching on to it he follows it with too much eagerness.
When he was close he notes how guards were stationed, with that he casts a mild notice-me-not on himself. Finally going through many soldiers he stops in front of the two who were stationed in front of the door itself. He frowns, how was he able to go inside behind the door anyway.
That's when it hits him. He cast a confudus charm at them both glad the dazed look was now apparent on them.
"You two were about to open the door and let me in, then forget that I'm not authorized." He said with confidence they both nod and one of them opened the door with a card, it must by the employee's pass that Coulson mentioned once.
He went inside the room and found the man inside a large container pacing inside it. He stopped right at the front and looks at him, finally the man noticed he wasn't alone and turns smiling at him.
In a rather eerily fond way that is, this made Draco pause, why was he here anyways? This guy might as well be this world's version of the insane – though handsome – Voldemort. Didn't he swear to himself at some point of time that he wouldn't join any new conflict if that was possible?
"There's not many people who can sneak up on me." He said warmly, this is creeping Draco out.
"You were expecting someone, but not me."
"But not you, I assure you." The green clad sorcerer said smiling in that cold slytherin manner making him frown at him.
"Why did you let them take you?" he questioned, this took Loki off guard but narrowed his eyes.
"Whatever do you mean youngling?" he questioned after taking the suspicion away from it, too fast to not be practiced … for years.
"You're magic," Draco said bluntly, "You can teleport wherever you desire, whenever you want … to do whatever you need." He continued watching the man's form. The other smiled once more warmly at him, however there was some pleading hidden underneath those lips, this caught Draco by surprise, these symptoms seem familiar …what was wrong with him?
"I never denied it; I never mentioned it as well."
"You kept transporting over the globe, your ability was found out the moment you started, however I am confused," Draco leans over one of the pole that was used as the gate to the container. "It was like you wanted to be found, you were also buying time for yourself, or was it for us to find you. Everyone agrees that there is a reason for you here."
"And what is yours …" here Loki stops his pacing and leans in for a fraction of a second, his eyes widening but the blown out smile hid all that as he straightened his back. "Warlock."
"W-Warlock?"
"A magic user, usually inclined to the dark arts and is educated to the laws of war. You certainly have the aura, though surprisingly I didn't notice that you were magical until I concentrated on your voice, really child, using charm to get some information out of me, or was it allure." He grinned, Draco blinked. He didn't notice that he was using any melody magic at all. No he wasn't, he was sure of it.
"I didn't do anything?"
"Oh, I keep forgetting, you are young, still no holds on your magic at all. Asgardians can sense magic much faster than humans, you didn't notice that your hold on your magic wasn't as strong as you may have thought."
"I have a strong hold on my magic." Draco interrupted icily. "And at least I use it much more responsibly, I do not use it on defenceless humans. Unlike you, your actions seem to be a plea of attention, reading your story I understood why, are you that pathetic that you will try to concur a world just to get back to Thor." He might let any comment slide off of him like water does in a shower, but no one will have the right to insult him and his control over the magic he can use. Ever.
His comeback however, garnered a hostile reaction from the other man. Something morphed from him, it was subtle, very subtly and he couldn't put his hands on it.
"I am not pathetic you foolish adolescent, you may be a child of magic but you certainly are beneath me. Do not fool yourself of thinking that you have the upper hand here."
"Then enlighten me, oh good merciful prisoner." Draco aggravated, now he understood why Potter loved doing this to all the adults. Something changed in the man once more, this time he caught it, it was the eyes.
His brows raised high as he realized the prisoner's eyes waning from the acrylic blue to a forest green, only to flicker back to the too bright to be normal blue.
"Do you think that after all is said and done that they will leave you alone boy. Not at all, this organization does not let go of anyone, no matter how small you are to them. If you are useful, they will use you. I can sense your magic now, and what an oh so powerful, delectably dark magic you use." Draco's heart was starting to beat rapidly, the blue in the eyes of the mad man now getting brighter.
"You were trained to hide such powerful energy inside you, you were trained to fight as well. I can see it with your stance, you were groomed to walk in the shadows, the very moment you started so much as walking and they started to teach you." his heart was pounding faster and faster, every word the man said was true.
"No true love, only an object to be used, to serve whatever they wanted you to serve. It is the same to this SHIELD, they only see you as a weapon, or a will of knowledge to control. You were never meant as anything other than that, so why do you lower yourself to such beings."
"They're protecting me."
"Protecting you? You can protect yourself, you can bring this whole metal flying bird down in a whim. Oh don't look so surprised," he took a step back, Loki was just messing with him. "You can do many things on a whim, your blood pronounces it so blandly. I can feel it. What does it feel like to be birthed to torture, maim, control and kill with ease?"
"Stop it!"
"Disgustingly twist any other's mind. How about the blood curling anguished scream as the last breath was taking over your victim, did you thrive in it?"
"I. Said, STOP!" he yells, the lights were flickering now, the door behind them was unlocking and locking itself repeatedly, the electricity around them was going haywire and the room was heating up in the moment of anger and fear the youngster was feeling.
"I may have done everything you said, you may have described me, but NEVER in my life, have I killed someone!" That was the last straw, he didn't notice the surroundings as everything went to chaos, the much older man had bright eyes, smiling triumphal with this display of power. Draco finally getting a hold of himself notice the room and cursed, he calms himself and stares at the ground for a moment too long.
Damn that man, he egged him to lose control, he didn't notice because his Occlumency shields were slowly dwindling ever since that man walked across the hall, that was why he kept having these odd feelings since then. Getting riled up easily, this man was making everyone angrier, more susceptible to error, and only one person will have a disastrous affect with that.
"Agent Romanoff, he's planning on doing something to Banner." He said coolly, Loki blinks and turns around to find the red head nodding in agreement, when did she come here?
"Not many can sneak on you Loki, too bad Shield has most of them here."
"Loki means to unleash the hulk, keep banner locked. Coulson and I are on our way." She said in her com as she started moving, Draco following behind her smiling smugly at Loki, before closing the doors he said "Oh, Mr Lufeyson, it is an ignorant gesture to manipulate a Slytherin." He smirks evilly as the doors closed leaving Loki behind.
The boy was much more than he first imagined, the sorcerer thought with a smile.
AN: Sup. To the person who pointed out that Aikido is useless, I completely agree, that was the point. You see, it is useless in a sense as fighting or offense, but take it as a defence system? It's perfect.
Draco is skinny, a stick, thin as bones, and easily breakable. Can you imagine him punching an alien? Or men twice his size? Yes he is a seamless duellist, but that is only with magic. He also goes through everything by the text-book, now imagine a normal person like that and teach him offensive fighting style, I bet that person's hands will break by the first punch.
What I am trying to point out here is that even with his brains on his head he isn't perfect, we got to peg him a leg down too you know, I hate Mary–or Gary–Sues, unless it was after a very, very long series. And come on, I will never imagine Draco with muscles, just imagine it. *shivers*.