Cecilia soon found her beginning escorted to the main control room – having arrived on the giant hellicarrier half an hour before. It gave the lady time to change out of the formal dress into more accommodating clothes. A black knee length skirt and black silk blouse with black tights and slips on with her usually glasses on and cane in hand she slowly walked towards the room, turning to one of her escorted she asked the most important questions she could think of after travelling for so long, "What are the chances of some tea?"

##

"Here lady Oakes," her guide stated, guiding her to her seat – realistically the lady didn't need help but the women though she would humour the male as she often did.

"Thank you" she nodded, leaning her cane on the table.

"And here's your tea, sorry it's not the best, we asked some of our English agents to recommend and make it"

She shifted it, the pleasant smell wafting up her nose before taking a sip, "Yorkshire?"

"Yeah..."

"It's lovely, thank you" she smiled, being polite to the obviously uncomfortable agent – they were spies... not tea makers and at least it was a British agent who made it - she was present when an American make tea before it was uncomfortable to witness. Who put a teabag in milk and then microwaves it? That is not tea, not at all.

No one should mess with her tea.

"Thanks for joining us lady Oakes, agent jones you can go"

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Director Fury, I'm heard so much" she stated with a small smile, placing her cup of tea down.

"Lady Oakes?" a booming voice questioned, "From the Oakes family? Descended of Wēland Oakes"

"Why yes, Wēland is family. Thor, son of Odin? I have been told much about you from Wēland" she responded in old Norse, his native language, while turning towards the voice. Completely missing the grin growing across the blonde Asgardian face. They hadn't been introduced on the plane – the group had sat in tense silence she saw no need to correct.

"I'm glad to see the line is still strong! Perhaps we can disgust how times have change over a pot of your special tea?" he asked continuing to speak in the old tongue, with a hopeful voice "Mother always loved your special concoction over all mortal teas"

"It would be my pleasure, Prince Thor"

"What just happened? What are they saying?"

"I have no idea..." two voices from her right commented. One she recognised as captain America and the other as, Bruce banner.

"Hello, Bruce. It's a pleasure to meet you. I heard lots about your gamma research, quite a few of your papers are popular at my libraries" she reverted back to English.

"Really?" he questioned in disbelief raising an eyebrow, not that she noticed.

Steve cough, before speaking up. "Shall we get back to the situation at hand?"

She nodded in his direction before taking a sip of tea. "So, Thor, What's his play?"

"He has an army called the Chitarui. They're not of Asgard nor any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth in return, I suspect, for the tesseract"

Cecilia frowned at the news, not liking where this was going. Like usual the shadows whispered in her ears, giving her facts bits of information, regardless of how useless the information was. Steve also sounded displease about the news of an army from outer space, while banner took off his glasses in realisation.

She turned her head towards the sounds of footsteps echoing down the hallway.

"So, he's building another portal? That's what he needs Erik Selvig for"

"Loki has him under some kind of spell, along with one of ours"

"I want to know why Loki let us take him," this comment got Cecilia mind wondering. "he's not leading an army from here."

"Heard of the Trojan horse?" she suggested slipping at her tea.

"I don't think, we should be focusing on Loki," banner cut in, "that guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You can smell crazy on him"

She let her lips upturned into the cup at the man statement. The steps from down the corridor echoing lounder as the person got closer.

"Have care how you speak" Thor responded in defence of his brother. "Loki is beyond reason but he is of Asgard and he is my brother"

"he killed 80 people in two days"

She couldn't see the man's expression but the pause and tone of voice made her smile even more as he stated, "he's adopted."

80 in two days? That wasn't that bad compared to others she knew...

"May I enquire something? I would you to like to clarity?"

"Shoot" the redhead stated.

"Those that have turned what are the traits? Characteristics that tell us they have turned?"

"There shooting at us"

She resisted an eye roll as she spoke, "I heard of people 'shooting' for lesser causes"

"Their eyes are blue, a glowing blue"

She hummed in thought, before turning in the direction of Thor's voices unaware of everyone's attention on her. "What are Loki's eye colours Prince Thor?" she questioned.

"Green, Lady Oakes" he responded instantly.

"And Loki's eyes in the image you're showing us?"

There was an intact of breath from Banner as she heard people shift around her to have a look at the image, "blue, his eyes are blue?"

"That's not possible" Thor's thunderous voice echoed the world.

"It could be some side effect for using the sceptre" Natasha suggested.

"Or he's not in control?" banner mutter softly, "Anyway thinking about the items stolen..."

As banner began to speak, taking the topic off Loki possible begin controlled. The owner of the footsteps arrived; tony stark had entered the room. She listened as the man explained why they needed iridium she turned her head, feeling a tug at the back of her mind. The wisp of shadows whispers into her ears – she didn't react as the words entered her voices.

"Am I the only one who did the reading?"

"Mr stark, I don't think anyone has the same mind set as you. But yes, some of us did the reading" she commented smoothly, a small smile on her face. No one was able to tell whether she had insulted the man or complicated him.

"I still don't even know why you're here Downton" stark commented with annoyance.

"To listen" she stated with a small smile, before standing cane in hand.

"Where are you going?" Natasha questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Somewhere quite to listen and read" she dipped her head before leaving the room as the captain asked, "does Loki need any particular kind of power source?"

~#~

She walked steadily to her destination. The book in her hand as she came it into the quite room, instantly feeling eyes on her relaxed form. No one spoke as she lay her cane against the hand grip, before taking a seat on the metal handrail.

"I'm surprised they even let you in here"

"My dear, I can go wherever I wish. I wanted a quiet place to read" she stated simply, opening the book in her lap and placing her fingers on the pages.

Loki was silent a moment, staring at the unmoving figure as she read. A smirk crawling along his lips, "An interesting book?"

"Why, yes. I thought I may read up on Norse mythological. I know a fare bit due to my family but it is always an interesting topic to read, especially what the mundanes believe it to be"

"Why read when you could ask the questions?" Loki placed his arms folded behind his back.

"I find it amusing dear prince, like its stated that once you turned into a Women-"

"It was a prank"

"-and gave birth to an eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, which I believe is Odins steed?" she continued.

Loki froze in shook, his composer cracking for a moment. She smiled at his silence, "see why I find it amusing"

"Why, by the Norns, do these Midgardians think I gave birth to Sleipnir of all things?" he frowned, breaking out of his stupor, "my fath- Odins horse has nothing to do with me" his cut himself off.

"that's not the only thing"

"By the eye… please enlightened me" she smiled with a slight dip of the head. "you're also the father and sire of; hel, god of death. The wolf, Fenrir and the world serpent, Jörmungadr. And indirectly and directly caused Ragnarök"

"Midgardians really know how to twist legends about, there are missing some important details about my kin and Ragnarök hasn't even occurred yet" he muttered sourly. Before mutter so quietly she almost missed, "yet my kin are still being chained for living..."

Cecilia hand moved across the page; she didn't acknowledge the last comment not wanting to pyre into unspoken words. "Yes, but legend even ones as old as this hold some truth in reality. You should know of the other questionable facts it states as truth, things about you, about Thor and the other 'gods' of your realm. I find them interesting"

Loki was silence taking in her appearance, a lady sat elegantly on the beam. Someone very out of place in the world of spies and murders, yet her role is the blurriest of them all. Yet at the same time so very clear. "And what is your favourite legend?"

She sat still for a moment in thought, he could see his reflection in the shaded glass that covered her eyes. White stormy orbs in the middle of the darkness, "my favourite legend," she started as a feral smile crawled along her features most unlike the fair ladies' mask, she usually wore. "Isn't a legend. It's something far older and isn't something those with ears should hear"

Loki contemplated her words, a smirk growing on his lips. How interesting. "I see, pagans are such strange people"

He watched as the lady before him raised a brow, the ladies mask back in place. "Is that how you like to complement someone?"

The god wasn't able to respond as overhead, fury's voice could be heard, "Lady Oakes, please can you come up to the labs"

"Shame," Loki started, "it seems our time has been cut short"

"I will look forward to the next, perhaps you should enlighten me of the correct mythology from your time here on earth, it's been a while since you Norse last visited" she gave him a small smile, sliding onto the floor book still in hand.

"Perhaps, I shall enlighten you in other areas..." he whispered watching her retreating figure his face returning to its neutral state. Druids were a strange people, especially those that legends were far older than written time. It seems that the oaks line was still strong.

To be continued...