Chapter 5: Stuttgart
Hours had passed since Ciara had let herself be pulled in by the Tesseract, and she hadn't gone near it since. Instead, she was on the far side of the room, lurking in the shadows with her legs pulled in.
'Just leave,' her mind urged her. Her tears had long since faded, but the memory of the day she'd developed her powers still lingered. She'd buried those memories, locking them away behind a wall, and she'd refused to think of them for so long. Loki had shattered that wall in an instant. 'Get out of here. He'd never catch you,' Ciara told herself, arms around her legs as people passed her. They didn't pay her any attention, nor she them.
She debated it. Leaving, abandoning this insane thing she'd stumbled across. Loki had brute forced a memory to the front of her mind, and despite it being slightly foggy, it was still a painful memory to think about. She'd locked it away for a reason, and now it was back and haunting her. If she stayed, there was a very real chance he would do the same again, if he caught her off guard.
'Stay,' another part of her mind whispered. Ciara put her hands to her head, letting her fingers slip into her silver hair. 'You should stay,' it urged, and Ciara couldn't help but agree. If she left now, she risked missing out on a much more fun adventure than wandering New Mexico with Thor. An adventure much like the ones she'd gotten tangled up in during her teens.
But that wasn't the only reason that was enticing her to stay. Despite her fear, despite Loki's warning, Ciara still felt drawn to the Tesseract. It was like a pull; something tugging on her hand to encourage her to follow. Something encouraging her to move closer, but the closer she got, the more intense, the more urgent the pull.
Ciara let out a heavy sigh, letting her head fall back gently so it pressed against the cold brick wall behind her. Nothing was simple.
"Put it over there," Erik ordered, gesturing with a screwdriver as he continued to work on the machine. He'd barely stopped since he started working, focused entirely on what he was doing with little consideration for his own well being. Ciara glanced over as his voice echoed. "Where did you find all these people?" he called as he walked over to Clint. The assassin had a tablet in his hands, focused on his search.
"SHIELD has no shortage of enemies, Doctor," he answered mildly. "Is this the stuff you need?" Clint asked, turning the tablet around to show information on Iridium, and a man connected to it.
"Yeah, Iridium," Erik nodded. "It's found in meteorites. It forms anti-protons," he explained. "It's very hard to get hold of," he said as he screwed together another piece of the machine.
"Especially if SHIELD knows you need it," Clint warned.
"Well I didn't know," Erik argued, finally looking up to shrug at him. He then broke into a bright smile. "Hey!" he greeted as Loki approached. "The Tesseract has shown me so much. It's more than knowledge. It's truth," he smiled blissfully at him. Ciara rolled her eyes at how under Loki's control the scientist was.
"I know," Loki smirked, entertained by Erik's behaviour. "What did it show you, Agent Barton?" he asked as Clint turned and walked past him.
"My next target," he answered, much more straight-laced.
"Tell me what you need," Loki ordered. Clint opened the case sitting on the table.
"I need a distraction," he answered, throwing out his arm. The bow in his hand flicked open, and the bowstring snapped into place loudly. "And an eyeball," he added, walking away.
Ciara let out a quiet sigh, still not moving, not even when a shadow was cast over her in the poor, greenish light.
"You're still here," Loki said, unnecessarily. "I'm not sure if you enjoy the suffering, or you have something more in mind," he commented, a little surprised that she was still around. He had been sure she'd run off the moment he went digging in her memories. Barton had told him what he knew of Ciara's past, but he clearly hadn't known anywhere near the extent of it.
"What do you want?" she asked quietly, not looking up at him. The smallest of smirks tugged at Loki's mouth. Peeking into her memories had clearly done the trick. Her relaxed attitude with him was gone. While she wasn't falling at his feet like Erik seemed ready to do, she was scared of him. Or, at least, of what he could do if she acted out.
"You to make yourself useful, girl. Stand," he ordered, and Ciara finally looked up at him, her silver eyebrows furrowing. "You're going to help provide a distraction," he told her.
Penelope felt a yawn rising, and fought it desperately, aware that Marcus was sitting beside her rubbing his temples. Still they'd found no sign of Ciara Ellis, and they couldn't find anyone who associated themselves with her.
"How has the kid gotten this far without allies?" Marcus let some of his frustration slip as the computer beside them scanned for her face. "Surely someone has helped her in the past," he growled, flipping through his notes.
"There has to be," he looked to Penelope as she spoke confidently. She looked up, meeting his gaze. "How else would she have known about the SHIELD base? It's off the grid, she couldn't have just stumbled across it," she pointed out.
"She doesn't have anyone on the inside," Fury spoke up firmly, making colour rise to Penelope's cheeks.
"I-I wasn't in-inferring th-that Sir, I-I-I just-"
"I doubt it's that," Marcus interrupted Penelope's stammering. "She's hacked computers before, to destroy research on tracking down mutants," Penelope felt her blood go cold at his words. "What if there's someone good with computers helping her?" he suggested.
"There is one, then, that might know," they looked around as Maria Hill spoke up, thoughtful. "There's a mutant with techno-path abilities, he might have gotten in through our defences," she considered.
"What abilities?" Penelope asked, confused.
"A mutant who can communicate with machines," Marcus answered, gruff. "You think they might be stupid enough to hack SHIELD?" he asked her.
"He'll hack anything that might be a challenge to him," Hill replied. "We've hired him in the past, but he still refuses to join SHIELD full time. He might have helped her," she considered.
"Then it stands to reason that he might know where she's hiding," Marcus leaned back in his seat. His exhaustion was obvious. "What's his details, I'll chase him up," he requested, but before Hill could reply, an agent spoke first.
"We got a hit," he alerted them. "67% match," the man spoke as he looked to where Coulson was talking to Steve. "Wait, cross match, 79%," he corrected.
"I have a hit too," another agent spoke up, manning the system searching for Ciara. "93% match," he announced.
"Just like that, two of them show their faces?" Marcus stood and approached with Coulson. "We've been searching for months and she shows her face?" he frowned, not liking it.
"Location?" Coulson asked, a little softer in his tone.
"Stuttgart, Germany. 28 Konigstrasse," the agents echoed each other, bringing up the footage of Loki approaching a building. He was alone, wearing a black suit and green scarf, but near the building, Ciara was leaning against the wall. She wore the same clothes as before; blue and grey in colour, made of a light but durable material, and her black cloak over them. "They're not exactly hiding," the agent commented, leaning back in his seat.
"Captain," Fury earned Steve's attention. "You're up," he told the man, who nodded wordlessly and walked off. Penelope stared at the footage of Ciara, who had a bored expression on her face.
"Miss Tournes?" she looked up in surprise as Coulson approached her. "I have a request to make," he smiled slightly at her, and Penelope's eyes widened.
Ciara leaned against the wall outside of the large building, where a charity event was underway. People dressed in suits and fancy dresses walked in, chattering away to each other. A few shot Ciara dirty looks as they walked by her, not that she blamed them. They were at a fancy event, and there was a scruffy young woman lurking outside.
"Entschuldigen sie," Ciara looked up as two men approached her, looking wary. They were both dressed up in expensive suits, and were large, bulky men who towered over the slight female. Security for the party, she guessed. Immediately she drew back, her blue eyes big as she made herself cower under their gaze.
"Ich spreche nicht sehr gut Deutsch," she spoke in a soft tone, remembering a small amount of German. They relaxed slightly, but still frowned at her.
"Ma'am," one spoke with a thick German accent. "You will need to leave. This is private property," he warned her.
"I'm so sorry," Ciara apologised, looking flustered. "I got a little lost, and I thought this was where I was meeting my friends. Can you point me in the best direction to get a cab?" she asked hopefully. One of them sighed while the other looked a little confused, not understanding her.
"Oh, of course," the other nodded, walking past Ciara to direct her back to the main street, before he felt a strong breeze and heard a grunt. He looked around, and saw his co-worker tipping to the ground, before a blow to the back of the head made his vision go black.
"Morons," Ciara rolled her eyes, pulling them into the shadows. Once they were secure, she glanced up to where she knew there was a camera, and smirked, wiggling her fingers at it. She knew, without a doubt, that SHIELD would be watching her.
She approached the doors, listening to the classical music being played in the room. It was pleasant, and despite its slow pace, Ciara liked it. It faded as there was a tapping noise that echoed through the building, and once the noise inside faded, a man began to speak.
He spoke in German, and Ciara immediately tuned out, her mind returning to her memories.
"What's going on? Daddy!"
Ciara flinched, putting her hands to her head as tears stung at her eyes. She swore quietly, backing against the wall and sliding to the ground. The floodgates had been opened and Ciara was struggling to close them again. The logical side of her mind urged her to leave, to run off and leave Loki to his insane plan. "What am I doing?" Ciara wondered aloud, letting out a heavy sigh. She wiped away her tears, and closed her eyes. "I can't leave. Not yet," she whispered to herself, before the man stopped talking, right before people screamed in alarm.
Getting to her feet, Ciara pulled the goggles from her pocket, and pulled them on to cover her eyes. She tilted her head, cracking her neck, and as she stretched, more screaming echoed from the building. Looking around, Ciara watched as they began to run from the building, stumbling in their outfits not meant for such movements.
"Your job is to contain the flock."
Ciara let out a quiet chuckle. "Since when was I a sheepdog?" she wondered, and leaned forwards before breaking into a run. The people at the front of the crowd were forced to stop, and the others slammed into them, as the winds around them picked up, and the blur Ciara left behind formed a barrier of sorts, boxing in the people who were still screaming in fear. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and she heard Loki fire a pulse of energy at the police car speeding towards him, the siren blaring. It exploded, flipping and skidding by as he didn't pay it a second thought.
"Kneel before me!" Ciara heard Loki over the noise of the terrified crowd. When they turned to him, not moving, he slammed the sceptre against the ground, letting a pulse of blue light flash through the air. Ciara stopped running, backing away. "I said...kneel!" Loki roared, his voice echoing through the square, and slowly but surely, the crowd moved to their knees, all except one. "Are you deaf, boy?" Loki asked calmly, an eyebrow raised.
"No," the young man answered, his accent German as he spoke in English, pulling off his jacket and passing it to the girl beside him. "I just refuse to bow to a bully," Ciara's brow furrowed at his movements. "So I'll ask you nicely to back off, leave us alone, and take your magic with you," he requested.
"What makes you think that I will submit to your demands?" Loki couldn't help but chuckle. "You're alone in your convictions," he mocked, but was surprised when the young man gave a quiet laugh.
"I might be alone here," he allowed. "But I asked nicely," he threw out his arms, and fire burst to life, inciting more screams from those around him as a heat filled the area. He flung one arm forward as if he was throwing a ball, and the fire followed, billowing out in a pillar towards Loki. It burst through where he'd been standing, and the illusion faded.
"Another mutant," Loki considered aloud, not looking overly concerned as he walked over.
"It's an impressive power alright," the man spun around as Ciara appeared behind him. "And you have good control over it. Must be well hidden if you're able to join fancy pants scientists for a party," she smirked. He swung a punch, but Ciara dodged it easily. She stepped back, and swung her own arm out in a curve in front of her, not anywhere close to connecting with the other mutant, but the winds created by the fast movement caused the fire still swirling around him to die down.
"You're a mutant too? Why are you doing this?" he asked her quietly. Ciara snorted.
"Spoken just like someone who had the luxury of hiding who they were," her boot slammed into his stomach faster than he could register, and he went down like a sack of bricks. The girl beside him screamed, throwing herself over him to protect him as he curled up, badly winded and barely conscious. Ciara rolled her eyes and turned, walking away. She caught Loki's eye, and he saw the frustration in her expression before she masked it. He, on the other hand, looked entirely unruffled by what had happened.
"Would anyone else like to follow in his attempts?" he turned his attention completely back to the crowd. None of them moved, too scared to react. When a scared silence followed his question, Loki gave a quiet laugh. "Is not this...simpler?" he asked, approaching them. The young man who'd tried to stop him coughed, glaring up through watery eyes, the flames on his arms extinguished. A gentle wind picked up around them, knocking Ciara's hair into her face. "Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation," Loki spoke, walking through the crowd. Ciara rolled her eyes. "The bright lure of freedom, diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, your identity. You were made to be ruled," he declared. Despite how quiet he spoke, his voice seemed to echo. "In the end...you will always kneel," he told them. The crowd were silent, staring at the ground in a desperate bid to avoid his wrath, or Ciara's.
To their surprise, a man stood. He was old, and glared at Loki. Ciara watched him, seeing the shake in his hands, which he kept firmly by his sides.
"Not to men like you," the man spoke, frail but loud enough for everyone to hear.
"There are no men like me," Loki couldn't help but laugh. The old man, however, didn't falter. For just a moment, he looked to the man on the ground, who was still unable to move. He then looked back up to meet Loki's entertained gaze.
"There are always men like you," he answered, his voice sad. Ciara dropped her arms to her sides, tilting her head.
"Little rat!" Ciara let out a whimper as she hit the ground, her face stinging from yet another blow. Tears of pain stung at her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. "Disgusting. Mutants like you, hiding in plain sight, acting like you're human when you're not," she was then kicked back down, and the boot pressed into her back. The heel dug in, and she fought back a scream. "You will never be more than the dirt under our boots. You will never be human," he hissed.
Ciara inhaled a ragged breath, and watched as the man faced Loki despite his fear. The smile had faded from his face, lingering slightly as his brows rose in slight amusement. He was quiet for a moment, before raising his sceptre. Ciara felt the energy grow, and took a step back. "Look to your elder, people," the old man shifted, but didn't try to run. "Let him be an example," he let the blast fly, but before it could hit the old man, someone leapt in the way. The blast bounced, and hit Loki, knocking him to the ground as people screamed.
"It's him," Ciara whispered, putting a hand to her mouth as Captain America stood up.
"You know, the last time I was in Germany, and saw a man standing above everybody else," Captain America approached Loki with a pleasant smile. "We ended up disagreeing," he finished.
"The Soldier," Loki sneered as he got back to his feet. "A man out of time," he mocked. Captain America just gave a quiet chuckle.
"I'm not the one who's out of time," he said, and behind him, a carrier jet flew into view. A gun turret emerged from the bottom, aimed directly at them.
"Loki, put down the weapon and stand down," a female voice ordered, and Loki immediately reacted, firing a blast into the sky that forced the jet to move. He was then knocked back as Captain America's shield slammed into him, and Ciara sat down on a low wall to watch.
"They only brought the one in? What a bore," she complained, resting her head in her hand as she watched the two fight. Loki seemed to have the upper hand, but the American hero was strong too, and persistent. She looked up, her attention diverted, when the young man from before stood in front of her with the girl who'd tried to shield him. "You again? Figured you'd be long gone," Ciara didn't move.
"Not yet," he let the flames blaze around his arms again, and Ciara chuckled.
"Okay, let's try this again," she darted forwards at the two, only for the girl to wave her hand. Ciara stopped in front of them before she reached them, and lifted a hand. Her finger tapped against something solid, and it trembled at her touch, reflecting the light for just a second. "A shield. Cute trick," Ciara chuckled.
"You won't get away with this," the girl vowed.
"Please," Ciara scoffed. "In the time you've spent hiding yourselves in plain sight, I've been causing trouble and mastering my powers. I'll give you one chance. Leave," Ciara ordered, her smile gone.
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