Hello again my readers! Here is chapter eight!

Disclaimer: I do not own Carrie White, the Avengers or any other MCU character.

Chapter 8

Carrie was not expecting the phone and laptop that were almost dropped into her lap as soon as she took a seat near the Scepter.

"I'm sorry, what. . ?" She started.

"Most kids have one," Tony said casually. "Figured you could use your own stuff since SHIELD will know whatever you're doing when you use their tech. They're nosy like that."

"B-but a phone and a laptop?"

"Why not? You need it and I'm very, very rich. Everything is paid for, by the way and you have unlimited apps, songs, and all that stuff to pick from. I also included a list of movies you have to see on the laptop cause it's a crime you have no idea who the Disney Princesses are."

Disney? That company that made cartoons had actual royalty?

The teenager ran her fingers over the lavender laptop's smooth, slick, surface. Much like all the things in Tony's penthouse when she met him, it screamed expensive. The phone was the same.

(Who gives Carrie White a no strings attached gift without planning to humiliate her later?)

Carrie took a deep breath and really looked at Tony. SHIELD had made her study him like the others. They called him a narcissist with a big ego that didn't play well with others. To an extend she could see there some truth to that, but it was mostly wrong. This was a guy who funded projects of kids he just met and overpaid for anything he bought from the average person's store. He hadn't looked at Bruce (or her) like he was a monster either – where most of the people on board were wary at least, Tony regarded him as a fellow scientist worthy of his respect that just had an anger management problem.

He was nice to her too, if a little odd. There was nothing Carrie learned about him that indicated Tony would pull some kind of trick. If he didn't like you, he wasn't subtle about it at all.

She exhaled and hugged the gifts to her chest, ignoring the prickle of anxiety.

"Thank you." Carrie didn't look up at him. "I'm sorry though, I don't know how to use a phone yet. I'm starting with computers though."

There was a firm pat on her shoulder. "No problemo, I'll teach you how to use it in a bit."

Then he started working with Bruce. Carrie sat back and continued to read, occasionally listening in. She wished she had sewing to work on, it was something to keep close to her in the future. Bruce could certainly do with clothes, or at least pants, he wouldn't have to replace as often if the Hulk came out. The teen turned to the last pages of the book, which were blank and took a pen from her pocket to start doodling on ideas. While she was at it maybe a jacket for Tony with some hidden pockets. . .

Tony and Bruce's conversation about the Hulk faded and all that was left was the paper in front of her. Carrie absently noted the Presence was humming steadily, it was no longer curling around in her mind but observing her sketches. Her imagination gradually became more detailed as she mentally mapped out the prototypes. Carrie could feel the fabric between her fingers, the muted snip of her scissors cutting out holes for the sleeves. . .

Then the Presence shifted in tune, no longer hummed but buzzed like an agitated bee. Carrie wasn't able to maintain the tranquil concentrated calm and reluctantly pulled back from her work and looked around the lab.

Steve was talking to Tony and Bruce, and he didn't look happy. The second was speaking . . . "What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation unless I have all the variables."

"You think Fury is hiding something?" His mask was pulled down, so Carrie could see the slight lines around his eyes and mouth from frowning be pulled taunt as his expression smoothed over.

"Captain, he's a spy. He's THE Spy." Tony said, conviction in every word. "His secrets have secrets." A blueberry from his snack bag disappeared into his mouth. "It's bugging him too, isn't it?"

Attention was turned to Bruce. He tried to deflect but Steve wouldn't let him.

The fugitive signed and brought up Loki's jab to Fury about 'A warm light for all mankind' and suggested that it was meant for Tony. The billionaire immediately offered him pick of his blueberry bag and the offer was accepted.

"Even if Barton didn't tell Loki about the tower it was all over the news." Bruce explained, blueberries in hand.

"Stark Towers? That big. . . ugly building in New York?" Steve didn't back down from Tony's glare.

"It's powered by an arc reactor, a self-sustaining energy source. That building will run itself for what? A year?"

"It's just the prototype," Tony Stark said nonchalantly. "I'm kind of the only name in clean energy right now."

Bruce kept speaking, bringing up how strange it was that SHIELD hadn't asked Tony to help them with the Tesseract since he was their consultant and developing clean energy himself. Why was SHIELD even dabbling in clean energy anyway?

Carrie got to her feet, having heard enough. The longer this conversation went – specifically when Tony and Steve were arguing – the louder the buzzing got. Sure enough, it rose in pitch as Tony revealed that he had JARVIS hacking into SHIELD's database to find out everything he wanted to know and then some.

"And you wondered why they didn't want you on board?" Steve glowered.

"An intelligence organization that fears intelligence. . . historically, not awesome." Tony snarked back.

"I think Loki is trying to wind u –"

"Stop."

Carrie had walked around Bruce to where the jewel at the Scepter's looped tip glowed brightly. She raised a hand to hover over the jewel, careful not to touch it and tried to project calm and tranquility. She didn't look up at them as she spoke.

"You're giving fuel for the Scepter to spark off from. If you're going to argue please don't do it so close. The more upset you get the more it responds and makes you even more upset."

It was quiet for a moment.

"We'll finish this talk later." Steve relented.

Tony nodded in agreement. "Raincheck it is."

The WWII veteran scowled. "Just find the Cube." He nodded at Carrie and Bruce before leaving. There was another moment of quiet before Bruce broke it.

"Would you mind explaining what you felt? My monitors didn't pick up anything, gamma levels stayed consistent during the argument."

The teen frowned, trying to find the right words. "I don't think it's anything you're monitoring, I'm not even sure if it can be monitored. I felt it getting agitated and stepped in. It's like a soothing hum that turns into an angry buzz."

"Maybe it's like JARVIS, or the equivalent anyway." Tony put in.

"You think this. . . thing, is capable of cognitive thought?" Bruce said slowly.

"Mr. Green, I've invented crazier before I was Iron Man. It's not farfetched."

Bruce seemed surprised by the new nickname, but only said. "It's responding to Carrie. . . perhaps synchronization?"

"Who knows? Maybe your powers give off some vibe that they like." Tony shrugged to Carrie. "Your mind could be an interesting place to it too."

"I highly doubt that." Carrie said, bewildered. "I don't have a lot of happy memories before leaving Chamberlain." (By that she meant none at all.) "I mean, we've read each other's files, so you know how horrible it could be. Unless it sees me being bullied as funny, I can't imagine it wanting to stay in my head and experience that."

"I think he meant a personality trait." Bruce said kindly.

"Mr. Kurt won't say it to my face, but I know that mentally I'm not all that good either. I have nightmares often and getting to choose my own clothes is overwhelming sometimes. I'm still not completely used to sleeping with pillows and blankets. There's no one going out of their way to humiliate me and instead of being happy, I'm anxious and waiting for the shoe to drop. I-I try not to let it show, but I'm not just shy, I'm a mess." Carrie didn't look at them and turned to the glass windows that let them look at the control room. "A screw-up barely functioning mess. There are days it takes everything I have to leave my room because I'm afraid I was making things up. The Scepter cannot like being in my head. It just can't. This probably has something to do with my powers. I-I'm a novelty to them, that's probably why."

"We're all messes kid." Tony said. "Believe me when I say I'm just as messed up, in different ways."

"Same." Bruce added tiredly. "Carrie, even if you have a point the Scepter is not human in origin. If Tony is right, we have no way of comprehending its viewpoint, how it thinks, and why. That's something that needs research to solve."

She finally turned around, pulling her gray cardigan closer around her. "My mind won't change."

"Alright this is depressing, and I won't have it." Tony tossed something to her, and she fumbled the catch, only narrowing avoid a drop. "This is a bag of blueberries eat it now or later. Get some sleep while you're at it, you look ready to faceplant."

"I can't leave the lab." She said. "Fury wants me to keep an eye on the Scepter."

"We can get a cot in here." Bruce said evenly.

Carrie was outvoted and outmaneuvered, within an hour she had a cot against a corner of the lab near the entrance. It was late, but not to the point it was early. The teen just admitted defeat and shook off her shoes, using the cardigan as an extra blanket with her book tucked under the pillow. Sleep claimed her quickly, the Presence's humming soothing to listen to.

Loki (Odinson) (Laufeyson?) observed the Mind Stone's power as it settled into a smooth hum.

It seemed the girl had fallen asleep, which was good news for him. The level of her interference with the Mind Stone's role in his plan was equal parts vexing, worrying, and a source of grudging respect. It seemed to wrap its energies around her, peeking into the mind and ignoring everything else that wasn't a threat. (Not that an Infinity Stone needed to worry about much.)

Then the arguments started.

With the beast of rage so close by, in his state of icy controlled fury, the Mind Stone couldn't help but respond and Loki did his best to nudge its energies into enchanting the frustration and petty jealously of the mortals nearby. Carrietta managed to smooth out the hostility but now deep in her slumber, there was nothing she could do.

It wouldn't do for her to wake up and set the plan back again though – but Agent Barton would arrive very soon, so he wasn't too worried. The Hulk needed to be unleashed to cause chaos and the Avenger's Initiative killed before it could be a threat. Carrietta also needed to be prepared for transport to Thanos.

Loki ignored the stab of discomfort in his belly. He was no match for the Mad Titan and would not be able to protect her even if he wanted to. The child was done for, her life and future were now Thanos' to decide. There was no hope.

Just like there would be no hope for him if he failed his mission.

Hope you enjoyed this!

Sincerely,

PagesInTheLibrary

P.S - Hoped you like it! Yeah, Loki has a bit of sympathy for Carrie that he Will Not Admit To because of how she was treated and it reminds him of his own experiences in Asgard. That said, it isn't enough for him to help her - he likes being alive.

Carrie's sewing will also be showing up more, as one of the ways she relieves stress and calms down, a positive coping method Bruce encouraged her to find.