Chapter 11

"And you're sure you haven't had any new effects?" Bruce asked, turning away from her to analyse the vial of blood he held in his hand, now tinged slightly bluer in colour. Andrea glanced back at Tony who answered before she could.

"No, nothing new."

"But the pain's gone," he stated plainly, turning to look at her and she nodded. He pursed his lips.

"That's odd." The words were muttered to himself so softly that the other two had to strain to hear him. He seemed lost in thought for a moment before his head snapped up and he looked around Andrea to stare at Tony pointedly. The latter crossed his arms over his chest as he was addressed by the scientist. "If there was no pain, or any new effect, how did you know that the change had restarted?"

Andrea shifted uncomfortably but Tony didn't so much a twitch in discomfort. With a very convincing sigh of boredom, he walked forward, grabbed Bruce's hand and pressed it to Andrea's neck. She tried to move away from the contact, as did Bruce, but the billionaire held them both in place, turning his eyes to Bruce. "Her skin is freezing, I was suspicious."

Bruce pulled away and stared at them both for a long while before glaring at Tony harshly; so harshly that instinctively, Tony back away, worried about the other guy being long overdue for a play day. Noticing his friends obvious worry, he took a deep breath, removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes before speaking, his voice laced with exhausted irritation. "Tony, I need to know what you saw."

"I don't understand," Tony said, standing behind Andrea. "I told you her skin-"

"STOP LYING TO ME!" His sudden burst of anger mixed with him slamming his fists on the table caused Andrea to jump, afraid by his sudden change in temperament. Tony's eyes widened a little but he made no move.

"You think you can frighten me into telling you something that wasn't there?" Andrea looked up to see Bruce instantly relax. Clearly his acting ability was far above what she believed it to be. She watched the two men stare at each other until she couldn't take anymore and she rolled up her sleeve, revealing her arm, still a pale blue. Bruce's eyes snapped to it and he pressed his hand against her skin, jumping back when he felt how cold the area was to touch. Tony laced his fingers in his hair and let out a sigh. Bruce wasn't paying him any attention, his focus completely on her.

"When did this appear?"

"This morning," she answered honestly and he let go turning back to his computer. Andrea shifted a little, unsure if she should tell him the full truth. Finally, she decided it might be better for her to do so. She sat up straight and said, a little too loudly, "There's more."

The doctor turned quickly but Tony reacted faster. He hurried forward and pressed a hand to her shoulder, squeezing so tightly it was almost painful. "Andrea, stop."

"No, don't." The trio turned to see Clint, Natasha, Thor, who had recently returned, and Steve all standing in the door of the lab. Steve stalked forward and flicked Tony's hand off Andrea. "You don't control her, Stark."

"If I don't, then Loki well. Tell me, which of us is better?"

"At the moment, with the way you're acting, probably Loki." This was the closest the Captain had ever come to just being cruel and everyone was stunned into silence, including Tony who for the first time in his life didn't have a comeback. Taking advantage of the silence, Steve walked around so he was standing in front of Andrea with his back to everyone else. He smiled at her slightly and took her hand kindly. She looked at him as he asked, "What else is there?"

Andrea looked at Tony who shook his head at her, silently begging her to stop, but she knew it was for everyone's benefit that she told the truth. She took a deep breath before standing up, ignoring everyone and walking over to Tony. He looked at her sadly but, on seeing what she wanted him to do in her eyes, he nodded. She smiled a little and took a step back, noticing how everyone else did as well. They watched in anticipation and Tony and Andrea began.

A few seconds passed in which there was a complete silence before the genius suddenly lunged at Andrea, malice in his eyes. Faster than anyone could react, Andrea raised her hand in front of her, as if she was touching a glass wall, and a bolt of green energy shot from her hand. Tony flew backwards into the wall and everyone stood, stunned by what they had witnessed. The dark green magic crackled around Andrea's hands and she balled them into fists quickly before sinking down to the floor, feeling drained. Tony stood up slowly and walked over to her. Then with the help of the Captain, they got her to stand and lead her back to the chair she had previously occupied. She smiled at them weakly.

"Tada," she whispered, trying to make light of the situation but on receiving no encouragement she stopped. There was silence around the room for a long while before Bruce spoke, his voice tired.

"You didn't hit your head this morning, did you?"

"No," he said honestly before explaining what really occurred earlier that day. They all listened in amazement and fascination to the true story. As he finished, Thor spoke up.

"This is most unusual," he boomed and they all turned to look at his as he explained. "Never has the magic of one passed into another in this way, for magic is something far too strong for most ordinary people to bear, let alone receive and use without their own immediate destruction."

Andrea sat and played with her hands, catching parts of the conversation carrying on around her but she was too distracted by the pain shooting through her. Looking down at her hands she watched them take on a slightly bluer tone as her blood seemed to freeze in her veins. She bit her lip to prevent herself letting out a groan of pain, but Clint and his ability to see all noticed and he stopped the conversation suddenly, turning attention to her in an instant.

"Where," he asked bluntly, but she knew what he was asking. She held up her hands in a prayer position.

"My hands. It feels like my blood is freezing. But it's not that bad." Before she could protest, Bruce grabbed her hands and looked down at them curiously. The other Avengers watched to see what conclusions he would make. Eventually he let out a sigh.

"It seems like the process is speed up by the use of your magic. Probably because of the energy it takes. What you're feeling is exactly what you described; your blood is…freezing." Andrea's only response was a sharp intake of breath and she let her hands fall into her lap, her head falling to look down at them. She could feel the other's pitying gaze but she didn't want it. She didn't need their pity. Before she could express this, Natasha stepped forward, still in her cat-suit from whatever mission she and Clint were on.

"Maybe Andrea should get some rest. Regain lost energy?" Bruce nodded, seconding her idea and then she was being lead upstairs by the red head and taken into her room. After she lay down, Natasha ensured her that she'd be just outside if she needed anything. Andrea knew she was there because she was a threat, a time bomb, a weapon, and there was nothing she could do about it.

-/-/-

It had been an hour since Andrea had retired and Natasha was still sitting on the other side of the door with a thick book written in Russian before her. She was turning another page when she heard a loud commotion coming towards her and she stood hastily, seeing Director Fury walking towards her, with the other following, except for Tony, who was walking backwards in front of the Director.

"You can't just take her!"

"It's for her own good."

"It's to cover your own ass!" Tony yelled and Fury stopped dead, glaring down at Tony with his good eye. Natasha ran forward to join the men, taking a battle stance.

"What's going on?" she asked Clint, hoping for an unbiased opinion but before he could give one, he was interrupted by the billionaire inventor.

"Our Director," he said the word with malice no insult could have given, "thinks that Andrea is a threat. And therefore he wants to take her and lock her away with all the other scientific mistakes."

"Stark, get in my way and I swear I'll-"

"You'll what?" The two men stood less than an inch from each other, glaring hatefully at each other. The Director bit back a remark before continuing down the corridor hastily, yelling back at the other following behind.

"Thor said when she changes, her mind is Loki's to control. Now not only is that a danger in itself, but it seems that she packs a serious punch, enough to kill any of us if she wants too," he stopped and turned to face them, "or if he asks her too."

By this point, he had reached her door and before anyone could object he opened it and stepped inside, everyone else following him into the room. Lying in the bed was a sleeping Andrea, clearly so exhausted by her excessive magic use that the noise outside hadn't woken her. Tony stood in front of the bed, blocking the path to her with his arms crossed over his chest.

"You're not taking her."

"Stark." The Director stepped forward. "Step aside."

"No," he said, shaking his head quickly. "You won't take her."

"Tony." They all turned to see Andrea sitting up in bed, look at the all with glassy eyes. His arms fell to his sides as she stood up, standing in front of him. "He's right."

She walked around him so that she was standing in front of Director Fury. She held out her wrists and immediately he clamped a tight pair of unusual handcuffs around them. The rest of the Avengers all realised with horror that they were the same ones used to retrain Loki. Andrea smiled sadly, looking down at them. "Submission is the art of giving someone who you are wholly and completely. Shame I don't get a choice."

The last thing she saw was all the faces looking at her with pity before a syringe was pressed to her arm and she felt the ground grow closer as she slipped into a drug induced sleep.