p class="MsoNormal"I came back from my run and saw the others sat around the breakfast island with coffees. I waved before running up the stairs to grab a shower. The future was something marvellous compared to the past. The hot water, super jets, soft but sturdy clothes, comfy footwear and fancy electronics. I knew nothing about any of them, but I still marvelled them all the more./p
p class="MsoNormal"The shower blasted the sweat the two hours had brought. The warmth soothing my restless night. I had a reoccurring thought Loki was going to do something on Loki's villain scale. Tony assured me Enya was ok. And nobody saw Loki as we went to bed. Thor said he saw him go upstairs, but he wasn't in Enya's room. Loki worried me. His concern over Enya was not normal for Loki. He was the more rule the world and kill innocents rather than care for a single innocent./p
p class="MsoNormal"I dried with one of the large rug sized bath towel and dressed in clothes Tony kept buying so I didn't look like a fashion reject. I think the comment was an insult and supposed to wound me, but it didn't. So I just wore whatever was in this wardrobe for me. Today it was dark jeans and a plain tee./p
p class="MsoNormal"As I passed Enya's room I thought I'd check up on her. I knocked but with no answer I peered in. She wasn't there. I shut the door thinking I must have missed her. I passed by the lab as usual on the way to the kitchen but she wasn't there either./p
p class="MsoNormal""Capsicle, what will it be today?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Not humoured, again, by Tony's attempts at humour, I muttered toast. I scanned in the kitchen and then the main room. But no Enya./p
p class="MsoNormal""What's up, Steve?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Have you seen Enya?" I asked Nat. She shook her head. "I've looked in her room, in the lab, she isn't anywhere."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Tony, ask Jarvis where Enya is." Nat was humouring me./p
p class="MsoNormal""You can ask Jarvis yourself you know. He knows you exist." Tony shouted from the kitchen./p
p class="MsoNormal""Jarvis, where is Enya?" She called to the air./p
p class="MsoNormal""Miss Romanoff, Enya is not present in the building. I am currently waiting for her to return. When she returns, would you like to be notified?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes please, Jarvis."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Very good miss."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Where is Loki, Jarvis?" I asked./p
p class="MsoNormal""Loki is not present in the building, Mr Rodgers. I am currently waiting for his return. When he returns, would you like to be notified?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Did they go together?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Loki was carrying Enya out at one fifty-two this morning, Sir. Loki informed me that Enya had needed air and he was helping her. He said he would be returning, or will inform me if help is required."/p
p class="MsoNormal""He doesn't need help kidnapping Enya you fool." Tony sighed rubbing his hand over his face. "You let Loki steal Enya right under your very nose. He lied to you."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I am a machine. I do not detect lies, Sir."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes, you do. You detect sarcasm. You detect lies."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Not told by the God of lies, Sir. He assured me Enya needed air."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I bet she's getting plenty in the country where they took her you moron."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I feel prudent to tell you that I recognise insults, Sir."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Good!" He shouted. "At least I programmed something right!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Have you finished arguing with yourself Tony?" Nat rolled her eyes. "We know where they've taken her, we will just go get her."/p
p class="MsoNormal""He'll have anticipated that. Loki is very smart, he'll know what you are going to do and when. He's conned us before remember."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Then how do we find them?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Will Loki's followers know?" I asked. I knew Loki would do something like this; not quite kidnap Enya, but might as well add that to deeds he is willing to commit./p
p class="MsoNormal""He might have pulled the wool over their eyes too."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What would this accomplish?" Thor asked./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm with Thor. How would putting wool over eyes stop them from knowing?" All but Thor groaned and sighed. "Is this wool magic?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""No Cap, it's… you know what. It just does. It's magic wool with magical properties you aliens and cavemen don't ever get to see."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I am a God. Not an alien. You mortals insult us with your myths." Thor was displeased. I don't think he recognised the sarcasm that Tony poured into his sentence./p
p class="MsoNormal""If I may Sir, I have Neil's number."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Why didn't you say so?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""You were insulting me. I was acting wounded." Tony slapped his forehead in distress and frustration. "Shall I ring Neil, Sir?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes, Jarvis." Tony huffed and sat down heavily./p
p class="MsoNormal"The phone dialled and then it clicked as it was answered. "Yes?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Neil, this is Natasha Romanoff."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Again, yes?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Has Loki returned to your home yet?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Why should this matter?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Neil, is Enya there?" Tony was annoyed./p
p class="MsoNormal""Mr Stark, speaking to us again are we?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Answer the question."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I see no reason to."/p
p class="MsoNormal"We were losing him. "Wait, Neil, just tell us if she's okay." I asked him. He paused and then answered slowly and with much distaste./p
p class="MsoNormal""Would you prefer for me to lie to your face ignorantly, or answer with the truth painfully?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Has Loki hurt Enya?" I asked./p
p class="MsoNormal""Loki will never hurt Enya. But Enya nor Loki is here. If that is all?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Have you seen them?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""What has happened to cause this distress over Enya's presence?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"We all looked to one another and Natasha sighed. "Enya was captured by Hydra as you know. It took us longer than we thought possible to get Enya back. She was badly tortured and broken. They used her to capture us, and we nearly suffered the same fate. Enya broke us all out and we escaped."/p
p class="MsoNormal"There was a pause of silence. Then his western accent destroyed the silence. "No. I have not seen them." Then the phone line went dead./p
p class="MsoNormal""He's lying." Natasha frowned. "He had seen Enya and Loki must have been so possessive he was worried for Enya's safety. They must have gone back, set a plan, and then move on again. Loki is keeping Enya to himself."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Why would he lie if he's worried?" Thor asked./p
p class="MsoNormal""Loki hadn't told Neil what had happened. He must have told them that Enya was retrieved earlier than the truth. Neil wanted to know if it was safer returning Enya to us, or leaving her with Loki."/p
p class="MsoNormal""He's picked Loki over us?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""It depends on his viewpoint." Dr Banner finally spoke. "Loki is crazy. We know that. Neil has some opinion on it. But they all got on fine without us. We may not have played a part; but because of us Enya was captured, she was pushed out of a plane, she had to rescue Loki, she nearly died, she had to leave Loki behind with us, she nearly died again saving the planet, she again had to get Loki from us, for us to ask her help with me, for her home to be under attack from Hydra, for her to be captured, under copious amounts of torture, to break under their command, to be under so much confusion and be in fear, to see you all, to helping you escape, using her energy on me and be left weak. To Neil, since we've come into their lives we haven't brought anything good. They used her to capture us. If they return her to us Hydra may use her again against us. He doesn't want that. He is trying to protect Enya. To protect Enya, he has to give her up to Loki." Dr Banner looked better but not in complete control of himself./p
p class="MsoNormal""We are talking as if Enya is some prize that has to be shared. She is a human being. She is capable of destroying men without any difficulty. She slaughtered thirty-one men without getting one drop of blood on her, or shedding one drop. She did not sweat and she did not seem frightened. She can handle herself."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Are you mortals crazy as well as tiny? She couldn't handle Loki touching her. She couldn't handle us being so close. He is not intimidating." He pointed to Tony. "But she could not let him near her. Close contact could not be handled by her. She was frightened. She cannot handle herself."/p
p class="MsoNormal""With so many raw emotions and confused memories, she may lash out." Clint agreed. "I'm not sure if she feels anything towards Loki, but if she hurts him it may cause her to go over the edge. We may not be able to save her this time."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm confused about their relationship more than I would like to think about." Tony stared into space. "Do you think they,"/p
p class="MsoNormal""No." We all shouted to him. He laughed and shrugged at us./p
p class="MsoNormal""I do not wish to think of my brother in that way." Thor groaned./p
p class="MsoNormal""If we were friends with Enya, we could ask."/p
p class="MsoNormal""You would ask a lady such personal and crude questions?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""We aren't all from the stone age Cap." He rolled his eyes at me. "Some of us aren't virgins either." They looked to me and I refused to be embarrassed, but my blush had different ideas./p
p class="MsoNormal""I have been busy."/p
p class="MsoNormal""You sure it's not because of other issues?" Tony teased me./p
p class="MsoNormal""No. He's a good kisser." Nat defended me. But then all eyes descended upon her. "What, he is. He's good looking. He's got no amount of adoring fans. He'd find someone easy."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Wait, you kissed Romanoff?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Tony, grow up." Nat rolled her eyes at him and put down her mug. "It's not alarming gossip."/p
p class="MsoNormal""But we didn't know." The others agreed with him. "When was this?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""When Fury was attacked."/p
p class="MsoNormal""He got attacked because you guys were making smooch faces with each other?" Tony mock gasped. "Did you make it to second base? Must I talk to you about the birds and bees?" Nat stood from the chair and Tony stepped back; raising his hands in surrender. "Okay, new topic before Romanoff used my body as a punching bag."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Speak out of turn again Stark, and I'll just break every bone in your body before leaving you die." She hissed. Tony nodded sobered./p