chapter 37
Transport Boat - Off the Coast of California
Georgiana 'Georgie' Petersburg, an unfortunate moniker derived from her mother's love for classic romantic literature, was the senior security officer at the land side access point for the USNS Condor, a jointly overseen civilian research vessel supplied by the Navy and manned by S.H.I.E.L.D security and PEGASUS scientists. Having multiple organizations in the mix was a pain, but at the end of the day she answered to S.H.I.E.L.D. and by extension Agent Phil Coulson. He'd briefly asked for a rundown of the facility as they boarded the small boat to make for the USNS Condor. Her only condition was that the civilians stayed behind with the rest of her team. She wasn't sure how the elderly couple figured into his arrival, but based off of their brief ramblings she was under the impression Agent Coulson's vehicle was out of commission so he thumbed a ride. It was odd that he nabbed a moving truck, but the roads in the area didn't exactly see much traffic. When they finally broke through the last wave and hit open water she told him that the entire operation was off the grid. The coast line was privately purchased through a holding company and the stretch of ocean where the USNS Condor set anchor was declared a reef reclamation zone. Radio silence was maintained to avoid civilian and military scanners. As far as the world was concerned they didn't exist. Occasionally the USNS Condor set out deeper into the Pacific Ocean as part of their experiments and like clockwork there were also scheduled resupplies. All-in-all it was a boring post, but given the sensitive nature of the assignment she had a golden ticket to transfer to any position she wanted after her term was up, assuming she didn't hang on until retirement.
Of course now her mind was wandering, lulled to idle thoughts in the wake of their nonexistent conversation as her nose drew in the strong stench of salt and seaweed. She studied Agent Coulson as his eyes fixated on the dark horizon and the barely visible vessel silhouetted against it. By now she'd figured out why Agent Coulson was here. The project may have been off the grid, but it was still part of S.H.I.E.L.D rotations, making it eligible to receive an operations inspection at least once a year. They were usually unannounced, but for lack of a better term they were usually conducted by pencil-pushers.
"Have you been on board?" Agent Coulson casually asked and his voice sounded strange after the stretch of silence.
"No, a second team is stationed there in the event of an emergency. During regular operations they are only authorized to access the upper decks. There is also a satellite uplink, but it's one way and access is restricted. I'm sure the team will fill you in on everything you need to know. PEGASUS oversaw operation protocols since they were established as project lead. I'm actually pleased you arrived to perform an inspection; maybe some of this nonsense will be corrected. The usual inspectors can't stand up to the PEGASUS bigwigs so the violations slip through the cracks. It makes the security aspect of this place a nightmare."
"No, this nonsense is perfect," Agent Coulson oddly stated and Georgie's brow rose.
"Excuse me sir?"
"Your presence is no longer needed."
She was about to comment when Agent Coulson shoved her with a startling display of strength that sent her flying overboard. She crashed into the water and struggled for a moment to orient herself upwards, as both directions registered eerily dark. She eventually broke the surface gasping for air.
"Hey," she called, still grappling with what happened as she frantically splashed around and spit out a mouthful of salty water.
Her memory was desperately replaying everything in an attempt to overcome the obvious fact that he had shoved her overboard. She swam towards the large craft, following in the wake made by the tiny boat's engine, but paused, treading water as she realized that the barnacle crusted underbelly would be the only grip on the smooth metal plating wrapping the hull of the USNS Condor. If the blackened masses of barnacle had gone up higher she could have used them as leverage to scale to the deck, but atlas they barely breached the water line and yelling up in the hopes of being heard was equally ridiculous. Her tiny voice would barely register in the vast expanse of ocean. Coming to terms with her situation her eyes traced to the shoreline. Somehow, even at its distance, it seemed like a more reasonable task. The USNS Condor was on her own until she could find help for whatever the heck was going on. Taking a moment to rest she eventually began to swim, but it was an arduous task given the layers of S.H.I.E.L.D gear strapped to her body.
S.H.I.E.L.D Research Facility 9 - Mojave Desert - California
Deputy Director Maria Hill had taken a Quinjet. It had been a difficult decision because she knew she needed equipment and manpower to pull off her side mission, but the helicarrier was desperately in need of both as well. So in the end she had to forgo the latter. Director Fury had plainly stated as much during their brief meeting. He didn't say it out loud, but she could tell he was worried. He normally maintained a perfect poker face, cool and somewhat wry in the face of danger, so to see it crack had her worried too.
She still had the printout of accessed files from Agent Coulson's unfortunate blackout. She studied it intently while the plane's autopilot feature was engaged. She programed in a familiar destination and decided to use the time to prepare. To her dismay every project on the list was from the energy sector. Some of the smaller ones were handled by S.H.I.E.L.D, but a number were farmed out to PEGASUS, a dedicated energy research program that was the brainchild of a government and private sector coalition. Its initial directive was to find alternate energy sources to fuel the United States power grid, but eventually it mutated, commanding oversight of all energy related projects. When superhumans emerged she could only imagine how their directive altered to accommodate, as occasionally they interfered in S.H.I.E.L.D investigations where energy was involved. Of course energy was a broad blanket term; she was actually surprised they hadn't requested authority over the silver sphere, though her thought processed might have jinxed them. Most of PEGASUS' operations were off the grid, which was where S.H.I.E.L.D came in. They tapped into the security resources of S.H.I.E.L.D in an effort to cut operational costs. She didn't like the arraignment, but Director Fury had been part of the closed door meetings that set everything into play. It had been his first official task as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Part of her wondered if they had timed it to take advantage of his inexperience, but then she was only speculating.
"Tread lightly..." Director Fury's voice stated in her head and it was the first moment that she realized how badly the entire situation had spiraled out of control.
A second agency was being pulled into the mess. As Director Fury would put it, there was a shit storm on the horizon. Maria's only regret was that good intentions had caused it.
Suddenly a slow beeping alerted her that she had arrived and that the manual system needed to be reengaged for landing. She took a deep breath and stowed the printouts. She was about to assemble herself a team, only they weren't exactly field ready.
[] [] []
Dr. Eli Kresge had been in the midst of a revelation that sleep deprivation was, in fact, spiraling him into the realm of lunacy when Deputy Director Maria Hill walked into his lab. She was no longer in her standard issue navy blue S.H.I.E.L.D uniform. Instead she was clad in black with a sleek bomber jacket that instantly made him think secret mission. His brain once again flew into overdrive. Why had she come to Research Facility 9 for a mission? Why was he pondering this? She was a figment of his imagination, which was sort of weird. He yawned, blinking his eyes, but she was still there.
"Well, this is just absurd," he exclaimed, as his mind had apparently resorted to hallucinations.
Dr. Ayaan Malik stretched her arms as she sat up, clearly having dozed off again, "What's absurd?"
Before he could explain she rolled her neck and caught sight of Deputy Director Hill. Standing she offered a smile and a nod.
"Wait you see her too?"
"Of course I see her," she remarked as she arched her back trying desperately to recover from her awkward sleeping position, "I am seriously considering a mandatory physical. You clearly are not taking very good care of yourself, especially if you are entertaining notions of hallucinations."
"Dr. Malik. Dr. Kresge," Deputy Director Hill acknowledged them both.
"I'm afraid we don't have any answers yet. I was just devising initial energy currents to expose pieces of the sample tissue to..." Eli began, still confused as to what prompted her return.
"That's fine. I came because I need help," she stated before she delved into an explanation, "Unfortunately Agent Coulson blacked-out for a few minutes and accessed a series of files. He placed himself on voluntary lockdown to prevent further incidents, but the files he accessed contained sensitive project information and the majority of them are off the grid. I have to believe they were relayed somehow and under that assumption I must proceed under the premise that one of these locations is in danger."
"What do you mean off the grid?" Eli asked because that statement was the most concerning out of everything the Deputy Director had said, "And relayed to who?"
"Nothing that I'm about to tell you is shared with anyone else..." she replied and given her serious tone he immediately shook his head, "Speaking to Agent Coulson we came to the conclusion that we must proceed as if more of these clones are in operation. Of course I can confirm that one already is..."
"What? Who?"
"Agent Coulson...that hand I called you about, well, it walked out of the Los Angeles Morgue and left an unfortunate body count in its wake."
"Do they know it was him? Well, him...his face...this is so confusing..." Eli flustered.
"I don't know and at this point I'm too focused on finding him and stopping him to consider the fall out. Another layer of complication has come to light. These projects that were accessed are jointly run with a top secret branch of the government that began under the code name Project PEGASUS. We cannot afford to have this mess dragged to their doorstep. It would be bad for Agent Coulson. It would be disastrous for S.H.I.E.L.D. We already have a mess to deal with when it comes to local law enforcement in Los Angeles, but given the classified nature of what happened it can be buried."
Eli's eyes widened, "Wait, so what on earth are they researching?"
She let out a heavy sigh, "To be honest I have no idea. The research side is strictly managed by PEGASUS. Anyway, this is all irrelevant. We can't let it get to that point. I'm temporarily granting you field agent authorization. Hopefully we can intercept Agent Coulson's clone before he does any more damage. This list will be our starting point."
She tapped the papers on the counter and Eli had fallen into a brief stupor with his mouth held slightly ajar. He was fairly certain she had come all the way to Research Facility 9 to pick him up and he could not convey how bad that idea was.
"No...That's...I'm a scientist. I failed both the firearms and combat proficiency portion of the standard S.H.I.E.L.D entrance exams," Dr. Eli countered because her request went against protocols.
"Well, you're one of the few apprised of the situation and given your background I believe you are a necessary component to resolving it. If you're worried about a review board looking into your actions I can assure you that my goal is to keep this out of any report."
"With all due respect Deputy Director, I couldn't stop the real Agent Coulson, let alone some alien clone of him. Now you're hinting at top secret research programs. I found out about one of them already and that's not going too well. I regret ever setting eyes on that blue monstrosity."
She crossed her arms and a stern looked washed her features, "I was asking to be polite, but if you leave me no other choice I will rephrase it as a statement."
"Right..." he quietly deferred her meaning.
"Well, I wish you all luck in this monumental task," Dr. Ayaan Malik finally remarked as she yawned and headed towards the door.
"Oh, no, you're coming too," Deputy Director Hill stated and Dr. Ayaan froze.
"Yeah, not so fun is it?" Eli commented as Dr. Ayaan found herself drawn into the action too.
"I..." she paused and Eli assumed she was going to put up an argument too, "I agree to this commitment, however, I do so on the condition that you will see to my placement request. I was stationed here while it was being processed, however, my being stationed here also means it's not being processed. I don't like being placed in a state of limbo simply to ensure my ongoing employment with S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Are you blackmailing me?" Deputy Director Hill asked with a raised brow and Eli couldn't tell if she was annoyed or impressed.
"No, I just believe if we are placed at undue risk that exceeds the parameters of our position we should be appropriately recognized after the fact. I feel my request is minor under the circumstances."
"Deal," Deputy Director Hill agreed as her eyes shifted to Eli, "What about you?"
"Nope I'm good. I like it here...just make sure I get back here in one piece," he replied as they all headed out of his lab, "Wait...I take it back. Can I get a cool outfit?"
Bifrost - Asgard
Heimdall stood at the Bifrost platform with Rozen and the Einherjar he'd come to know as Bjarke. Circumstances had made them unlikely allies, but so often fate likes to deal in oddities.
"I do not think this a wise plan," Bjarke finally stated with an exasperated sigh.
The statement had been long in the making as Bjarke's face read like a book. Of course, Heimdall agreed completely, but what choice did he really have? They needed a miraculous convergence to turn the tides.
"I have faith in your loyalties. I know you will keep a watchful eye in my absence, which if mercy grants us will be short. We must venture forth for the cure, if we do not find it all will be lost. You know that there is much at stake."
"But surely a larger party would be advantageous for this task."
"The fewer that are made aware of the unfolding plight the better. Karnilla plots against us with an unknown force. Our only strength is our secrets. We must guard them accordingly."
"Fiddlesticks, why must you all insist on so much talking," Rozen abruptly declared as the jittery ice elf paced circles around the pedestal, "To action, to action, before this heat drives me to madness."
Heimdall couldn't contain the faint smile at the ice elf's remarks. Having never met any ice elves because of their isolated nature he was beginning to think they were a peculiar race. Of course peculiar didn't mean bad and he was banking on that fact, having enlisted the tiny ice elf to help him obtain a rare root known only to grow on a thin layer of snow and ice over a running current of water. It was called a Blue Spark, named after the bright blue shoots of foliage it sent up through the snow and ice that covered the fleshy white root below. Iseul, the head healer, had shown him a detailed page drawn up in one of her alchemy books. Though knowing what to look for and being able to look for it were two entirely different skill sets, which had been the reasoning for drawing Rozen further into the mess. Through the sheer fact of being an ice elf Rozen was more equipped to steer Heimdall in the right direction than anyone else.
Realizing time was being lost in their delayed departure he placed a firm hand on Bjarke's shoulder and the young Einherjar looked him in the eyes, clearly wrought with dread. The Einherjar was faced with a task far greater than himself and his fear was not in the task itself, but in his ability to complete it. Heimdall knew the feeling. In his youth similar sentiment had befallen him, but time had given him the confidence to overlook it even now. Sometimes in the face of peril determination counts for more than it should.
"I will return before the scheduled meeting. You will not stand to answer their accusations alone," Heimdall reassured him, "Keep the Allfather safe. Send your prayers to the Queen. Stay watchful for my return. Do this and perhaps we will find the wherewithal to guide us through this."
Bjarke nodded his head and retreated towards the door as Heimdall situated himself on the platform.
"Finally, does this mean we get to leave?" Rozen asked, moving in unison, "I should be happy, but I'm not. This is a horrible idea, worse than all the other ideas."
"Perhaps, but I cannot take full credit for it," Heimdall stated with a cocked brow, "It was partly of your making, remember?"
"Yes, yes, yes...this is all Rozen's fault. Traded in one dungeon for another," Rozen grumbled before changing to a positive note, "At least the ones on Alfheim aren't hot."
S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier - Portland, Oregon No-Fly Zone Perimeter
Director Fury awoke feeling like he'd just spent the last few hours on his bed with his eyes closed. Whatever sleep he'd managed to catch did nothing for him, but he didn't have time to complain. The world was once again at the brink of disaster and, though he hoped it was over, certain indications from Loki left him thinking otherwise. While Loki's destructive tendencies seemed to be momentarily sedated, it was unnerving how nonchalantly he delivered news of their doom. He still wasn't certain how he'd been talked into allowing Loki back on Earth.
Director Fury wasted little time making his way towards Cargo 7 and the crippled base camp, though he took a brief detour as he instinctively started towards the helicarrier command center. He was having internal doubts about his swift decision to detonate an EMP. He would make the call again, but he was questioning the aftermath. Was it worth it? Time would eventually tell. As he finally entered the large storage bay he found it oddly quiet. A small team was still working, but they were bordering on sluggish as they waited for their daytime counterparts to replace them. He suddenly stopped, realizing a disheveled looking man snoring into a pile of scattered papers was in fact Dr. Eric Selvig.
"Really?" Director Fury exclaimed, startling Erik awake, "You need to find a proper bed, drooling on important documents and shit. Get out of my base camp and don't come back until you can keep your eyes open."
Without waiting for acknowledgement he made his way towards the equipment stations hoping for an update. Of course he was briefly frustrated to see a still frame image on the large overhead screen. It was a glowing circle in a sea of black, which caused him to let out an audible groan.
"Damn it, not this again. I'm having bad flashbacks to when this damn thing first arrived," Director Fury mumbled, "What am I looking at?"
One of the men jumped; startled by his loud declaration in the still room, but soon enough someone offered an answer, "Well, those are the night flybys. The only plane that wasn't grounded after the blast was loaded with our energy reading equipment..."
Director Fury eyed the glowing circle again and finally made the connection, "...and the shield is energy."
"Yes, sir..."
"Can I get some good news?"
"Well Director, rescue crews picked up the last group that was stranded by the detonation. The other two birds were lost, equipment as well, they supposedly reached the edge of the safe zone, but the blast radius went far enough beyond calculations to make it a problem. We also managed to extend the evacuation perimeter, as you know the blast took out a major chunk of the power grid, which disrupted electricity to outlying areas. We're working with local law enforcement and the power company to get this resolved."
"I'm still waiting on that good news," Director Fury wryly commented.
"Another flyby is about to take place and with dawn approaching we have enough light to bring back visuals from the onboard camera feed. We tested it last night and it was more useless than the energy scans."
"Great. What's the ETA?"
"They took off a while ago so they should be checking in shortly..."
Before he was able to finish the communications radio crackled to life.
"Base camp this is Recon Two. Over."
After typing away at his computer and flipping a switch he was finally able to answer, "This is base camp. What's your status? Over."
"You're gonna wanna see this...Over."
After a moment of typing the still frame suddenly left the main monitor and a live feed went up in its place. The area was washed with a soft light, not yet introduced to the harsh yellow from the sun breaking the horizon line. It was enough though. The strange shimmer of the shield still encapsulated a vast expanse of scarred earth, left blackened by its own power. In the center the infernal orb still remained, however, it appeared there were several additions to the party. Director Fury squinted as he tried to make out what they were, but given the fact that he could see them from the plane's distance was unsettling enough. They were clearly moving, a colorful array of lumbering beasts. He knew a caged predator when he saw one, pacing the edges of their confines.
"Well, goddammit...what the hell are those?" he exclaimed as the live feed continued to zoom in and out of the scene, though he already knew the answer, "Never mind, get Thor up here. Tell him his brother's Titans made an appearance. And, what the hell...get Loki up here too. Might as well find out how helpful he intends to be."
"Yes, sir...Wait...Loki? Should I get a security team or something?"
"If you think it will help..." Director Fury yawned, but the man seemed torn because he wasn't left with much of an answer, "Maybe get Thor to do it. Don't need Loki zapping anyone because he didn't get his beauty sleep."
The officer laughed, but Director Fury had been half serious. He just hoped Thor was caught up on sleep too. The situation was about to fall on his shoulders as S.H.I.E.L.D scrambled to make up for lost time.
[] [] []
Thor awoke to pounding on his door and rolled over. For the first time he found himself at odds about greeting a new day. His conversation with Jane still weighed heavy on his mind. Eventually the knocking drew frequent enough that he knew something was wrong.
"A moment," he stated, though his voice cracked as he still tried to fully awaken from the soundness of his slumber.
Getting up he sluggishly got dressed, unable to place what was affecting his mood. Yes, his discussion with Jane had been dismal, but there was still hope. There was still hope for Loki too. There was hope all around and Thor had to hold on to it. If there was enough of it then maybe there was enough for him too.
As he opened the door he casually leaned against the frame eyeing the S.H.I.E.L.D officer in the hallway. He cracked a smile as the man froze. How had Fury put it? Slack jawed and googly eyed? Every one of them without avail. It was most peculiar. He was used to it on Asgard because his position afforded him some measure of adoration, but on Midgard there seemed to be no reason for it, yet somehow it felt more sincere. It was part of the reason he preferred the Midgard realm. He didn't have to present airs or regal customs. On Midgard he could simply be.
"Yes?" he finally questioned with a faint transition into a yawn.
"Director Fury wants you to know that your brother's Titans are here. I assume you know what that means?"
Thor shoulder's dropped because he did.
"And, um, can you find Loki? Director Fury requested his presence as well," the man quickly added, though Thor wasn't sure why his brother needed to be found.
"Yes, he's..." Thor's voice trailed off as he glanced to door across the way, which was still ajar.
It only took Thor a moment to realize that Loki had not slept in his chambers. Everything was as it was when Thor left Loki standing in the middle of the tiny room, appearing more dismayed than Thor had noticed at the time.
"I will find him, you have my word. Tell Fury we will both be there momentarily."
The officer quickly went to convey the message and Thor was left with a monumental task. In their youth Loki had always won every game of hide-and-seek. His teleportation ability often granted him access to hiding places that were normally off limits. Thor's mind traced to one particular instance when he'd spend the day searching, only to have his brother appear beside him with a book in hand and a disenchanted look on his face. When Thor pressed him as to his hiding spot Loki simply responded that he was in the Catacombs and got tired of waiting. Thor could only hope his brother was still on the helicarrier.
As he started down the maze of halls he drew to a stop. His brother would not find solace on the helicarrier. He would not seek out the company of anyone on board, save for Thor and, perhaps in a dire moment, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. Suddenly he had a strange thought and he couldn't explain his reasoning, but the assumption made sense. He pressed forward with a new aim, inquiring after Agent Karissa Petras. Most of the personnel didn't know who she was, but eventually he found someone who was able to point him in the right direction. As he came upon her room he questioned the idea, hesitating before gently rapping on the door.
"Looking for Agent Petras?" Loki's voice inquired from behind him and Thor had every reason to believe his brother had been in her room.
Loki's timed appearance in the hallway was too convenient. Thor narrowed his eyes as he observed his brother.
"No, I'm looking for you."
"In Agent Petras' room?" Loki laughed.
"Funny that you should know this is her room," Thor remarked and Loki fell quiet, but it was an issue perhaps best left for another time, "The Titans have apparently risen. Fury wishes to discuss it."
"And naturally I came to mind," Loki sarcastically replied.
Thor didn't respond as he began towards Cargo 7 and Loki casually fell in step beside him. They walked in silence. Thor was stuck on understanding Loki's fascination with Agent Karissa Petras. First she was dragged into investigating the silver orb and then into traveling to Olympus. All at Loki's request. His brother despised the people of Midgard so it stood to reason that Loki by extension despised her. Yet Loki was certainly in her bedchambers that night. A second thought confounded him further, for that also meant she had consented to let Loki stay.
"Oh, out with it. I can feel your thoughts burning in your head," Loki seethed as he suddenly drew to a stop.
Thor didn't intend to offer an answer, but one bubbled from his lips before he could censor it, "Whatever your fascination is with Agent Petras it would behoove you to drop it."
"Afraid I'll hurt her?" Loki quipped with a hint of mockery.
"No," Thor stated as he continued down the hallway, "I fear that you shall harm yourself."
The reply was seeped with truth, as it came from personal experience. Loki let out a faint laugh and Thor let out a deep breath wishing he had kept his sentiment to himself.
"I could leave this instant and never think of her again," Loki commented and, though his words were callous, his tone was not.
Thor didn't believe his statement and he found it odd, but his own personal troubles drowned it out. Not to mention Loki's focus was recently so fleeting, time and boredom would likely drive it elsewhere.
Mount Olympus - Olympus
Nikolaos was out of breath as he came upon the steps of the Pantheon. He'd maintained a vigorous pace to get there. He didn't have an audience with the council, but his information broached on emergency. They needed to hear about Athos. They needed to hear what he intended to do.
He entered the shaded structure, weaving through a vast field of columns as he made his way towards the inner sanctum. The drop in temperature was noticeable, bringing a chill to his bare arms. He suddenly heard a noise and it drew his attention. Thinking it was perhaps one of the council members he headed towards it. He didn't make it very far however, as he collided with something unseen. He stumbled back thinking it was a column, but he could make out the faint distinction of the pale marble. He narrowed his eyes, observing the space in front of him, and realized there was something there. It was a form of a man, a shimmering thing of shadow, barely visible in the dark.
"How unfortunate..." it stated and the words rang out in an eerie chorus of voices.
"What...what are you?" Nikolaos gasped as he backed away.
"A darkness long forgotten," it stated as it suddenly surged forward.
Nikolaos let out a startled yell and began to run, but before he could gain speed it was upon him. He closed his eyes in fear. A jolt surged through him and his skin tingled with tiny pricks, but the feeling didn't subside. His eyes opened and he slowly stretched, but none of the movements were of his making. He was caged in his own body. He turned around and the being was gone. He didn't understand, but then as he walked forward he did. That thing was inside him. He screamed, but the sound never reached the air.
"I had hoped this powerful being...this one they called Loki...could have been my new vessel, but circumstances would not allow it," Nikolaos' voice spoke, though the words were not his, "He would have been valuable in the second coming, but perhaps fate will bring him to me yet."
He walked deeper into the Pantheon, eventually passing through the lit inner sanctum, beyond the glowing audience area, and back into the dark rows of columns. Eventually there was a faint outline of a door and he pushed through it. There was a well lit private chamber, that forked off into other rooms, a vast living area that this beast seemed to inhabit.
"At least a beast knows that it is caged," the thing suddenly laughed, "You sniveling remnants of Zeus bask blissfully in your own confines, made impotent by your own actions. To what end I should ask. Your destruction was not stopped, merely delayed."
Nikolaos was succumbing further into panic as he continued to convey the creatures words.
"I had assumed the observer going dark on Midgard signaled their destruction. I longed for Pteloma, Athos, and Helen to return with news of a desolate wasteland. Instead they came back with outsiders. At first I was mad, but then I felt the power, something this place has long be devoid of. It gave me hope...We will rise again."
He slowly reached a heavy wooden door and undid a series of locks. When he opened it his panic transitioned to fear. Inside the dank room sat the council representative. The old man was clad in white with a red sash. He trembled uncontrollably and Nikolaos knew he was weak. The man's age was becoming a problem, as a vessel he was no longer adequate. Nikolaos would do for a time. The thoughts seeped in from the other being, mingling with his own.
"Please, have I not served you well?" the old council representative cried, "Please, let me have my freedom. Let me have whatever little time I have left. Your secret is safe with me."
Nikolaos knelt down and cupped the old man's face in his hands. In his mind he felt a surge of thoughts creep in and none of them were his own. They were dark and awful. He felt them as surely as his own emotions.
"Oh, by Zeus...run," he bid in his head as it was clear the old man was at the brink of his death, though he did not know it.
"Oh, child of Zeus, you know too much," the being inside of him remarked as he planted a gentle kiss on the trembling man's forehead.
Suddenly Nikolaos slammed the old man's head against the marble wall. Once and then twice and then the numbers began to blur. His stomach churned as he felt the warm blood seep across his fingers. Regret was never a pleasant feeling. It only came in the wake of what had already been done.
S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier - Portland, Oregon No-Fly Zone Perimeter
"What are you doing to me?"
"What?" Karissa inquired as she watched Nikolaos unload wares from his father's cart.
"What are you doing today?" Nikolaos repeated, but she had a strange sense that it wasn't quite right.
"Well, considering my work is all done, I can happily say, nothing," she smiled as she sat on the wooden fence nearby, legs dangling over the edge as she basked in a faint warm breeze.
"Then it's settled. Once I'm finished here you're spending the day with me."
"Or you could join me..." a voice suddenly imposed on their conversation, "See what trouble we can find."
Karissa toppled off the fence, but landed on her feet. Her hand caught the edge, embedding a few splinters in her palm. As she composed herself she turned around to see a strangely dressed man in black, green, and gold. His lithe frame towered over her and she faltered to reply under the intensity of his green eyes.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Nikolaos defensively inquired as he regarded the stranger with a suspicious glare.
"Oh, you already know the answer," the man grinned, but he was addressing Karissa.
"No...No I don't," she stuttered as his long fingers brushed a wayward strand of blonde hair from her face.
"Such a shame..." he whispered, lips encroaching intimately close to hers, "You really should bandage that. Such lovely hands shouldn't be stained with blood."
He suddenly withdrew and it felt like her breath went with him. As quickly as he appeared he seemed to be gone.
"Wait," she called after his memory, for there was nothing else left to answer, "This isn't right..."
She was aware once again of a presence behind her, though this time she was certain it was Nikolaos. He was bristled by the encounter. She could sense it in his aura. As she turned around she was drawn into his hazel eyes and where she once found comfort she now faced something dark. Her lips dipped with a frown as she tried to understand the sensation. Then it hit her. This was all a dream. Reality flooded back to her and it was overwhelming, leaving her a mixture of raw emotions.
"Was this moment real?" she questioned and Nikolaos appeared confused, "Was any of this real? It was real for me."
"What?" Nikolaos inquired because he was only blessed with the knowledge of the moment her mind sought to recreate, "Of course this is real."
"Stop lying to me," she suddenly screamed and the frustration lent itself to a familiar sensation that she wasn't strong enough to stop.
The warmth grew, slowly in her core then gradually across the rest of her body. She felt it, but she didn't notice it, not until it was too late. The feeling was part of her like the steady thumping of her heart. She was pent up destruction and she didn't understand why.
"No..." she whispered as the blast exploded from her and sent her to her knees.
Somewhere in the midst of the pain she closed her eyes. She left them that way, knowing and fearing what she was surrounded by. As they eventually cracked open her heart burned with regret. All around was a blackened field of nothing, scarred soil and charred remnants of a world she once knew. As she slowly stood she spun around in a panicked circle, trying to find some sign of life on the barren horizon. Her breathing drew quick and short. It was just a dream, but why couldn't she wake up.
"Loki," she called out once and then twice, "Please don't leave me here."
She couldn't explain why it was his name that sprung forth from her lips. She should have gone with him when he asked her to, but it wasn't real. So why did it matter? She didn't know and that fact scared her more than the destruction that she had just unleashed.
Suddenly there was a low hum of static, "Agent Petras, the transport ship is fueled and scheduled to leave within the hour."
[] [] []
Karissa was startled from her sleep as the voice intruded on her dream. She was thankful and overwhelmed at the same time. In her disoriented state she pawed at the nightstand for the light. When it finally flickered on she was plagued with blinding light, squinting unsuccessfully as she tried to find the communications box.
Reaching over she eventually managed to press the intercom button, "Thank you. I'll be there with the prisoner shortly."
She fell back to her pillow and let out a long breath. She wasn't sure what that was, but she was happy to see that it was over. As she gradually sat up she looked suspiciously around the room. Loki had been there. They'd talked...or had they? She'd been tired enough that she was questioning her memory, but certain accounts were too vivid to be fictitious. For whatever reason Loki had once again sought her out to spare him from the torment of his sleep, a torment that seemed to be creeping into her dreams.
She took a quick shower and climbed back into her uniform, a gray tailored dress suit with a rose colored floral blouse. It felt uncomfortable after briefly stepping into the airy white tunic. She missed the flowing clothing of Olympus. As she wiped the steamed mirror she secured her wet hair into a braid, realizing she had little time to dry it.
One last adventure, she thought as she stared at her reflection, dreading the reality she was about to face.
Every lie she had weaved was going to come crashing down around her when this ordeal came to an end. She wanted to run, but that would have been cowardly. She also had nowhere to run to. She laughed because the alternative was tears, but she'd cried last night and that was enough.
With a deep breath she left and headed towards a specialized containment area at the heart of the helicarrier. It seemed overkill, but she assumed S.H.I.E.L.D had constructed it to meet specific detainment needs. For the first time since her arrival she accessed the area without anyone questioning her presence. Director Fury had given her a temporary code and after entering it on the keypad she stepped inside. Her intention was to look around, but she froze upon seeing Agent Phil Coulson.
"You're supposed to be..." she paused realizing her statement wasn't ideal to be overheard by the second prisoner.
"Yes, I guess you would have heard the news," he commented as he stood from the bench across the way.
"No, I saw..." you die, her head finished because once again she found herself in the web of her own secrets, "...the shield expand. The base camp was obliterated."
"Yes, an unfortunate incident that I thankfully managed to avoid," he stated the lie with obvious discomfort, "Wait...I know you..."
"Yes, you requested me for this assignment..." Karissa stated as she grew more uncomfortable with the fact that Agent Coulson was standing in front of her.
"Ah, yes, good. I've been meaning to do that. You have a very impressive record."
"And a less impressive file..." Karissa remarked, though she knew she shouldn't have, "Anyway, it's great to see you...um...in here...why are you in here?"
"Long story, horrible ending."
"Are you going to get me out of here or not? I am sick and tired of being stuck in here with this nutjob," a woman in a sullied S.H.I.E.L.D uniform announced from the other side of the containment area, though her voice sounded painfully raw.
"Nutjob?" Agent Coulson laughed, "Says the woman who screamed bloody murder all night..."