Started this year off by working on unpublished fics instead of the ones here .

Plus I've kind of sprained my wrist so even writing those has taken a dip.

Anyways, here's the next chapter!


Chapter 9: Prison Break

Penelope was pulled from her uneasy sleep by the explosion that burst through a large part of the Helicarrier. It made the entire ship shudder, and groan loudly. She sat up, looking around wildly. Hearing shouts outside the door of the small room she had been resting in, Penelope got to her feet and pulled on the boots she'd been given as part of the uniform to be out in the field.

Grabbing her jacket from where she'd hung it up, Penelope emerged, fixing her hair back into its ponytail and hurried down the corridor. Her brow furrowed when she saw people run by, and sped up, looking for some who was still for more than a second.

"What happened?" she called to a man she managed to catch, and he turned to her.

"Explosion by one of the propellers. Think it's an attack," he told her, before running on as she processed what he'd said. An attack. A cold, sickening feeling settled in her stomach at the idea.

"Was this planned from the start?" Penelope wondered, forcing herself into action. She ran down the corridor, searching for Marcus. They needed to regroup, figure out what the attack was. As she turned a corner, she stopped, seeing several people in thick black armour. Their faces were obscured, and they all carried large guns. They turned to her, and Penelope opened her mouth to speak, only for them to aim the guns at her. She dove for cover, flinching at the loud noises.

"Tournes!" she heard Marcus yell over the gunfire, and he reached her side.

"We have hostiles," Penelope told him with a sigh as the gunfire faded, and the pounding footsteps echoed towards them. Marcus nodded.

"Then let's take them down," he told her quietly. Penelope hesitated, before shaking her head and focusing. The noise of the heavy footsteps grew louder; unnaturally so. She twitched, and the sound quietened around her and Marcus, but the men cried out as it became painfully noisy. They quickly quietened as even their cries pierced through them, causing more pain than they had been prepared for with just noise. Marcus nodded, hiding his impressed look, and the two rushed the 5 men around the corner. Disorientated, they were quickly taken down, and Marcus kicked a gun away.

"I don't like this. Better get to the bridge," he told Penelope, who nodded, and the pair started running. "Impressive. Didn't know you could do that," Marcus confessed, and Penelope blushed at the praise.

"It takes a lot more effort to control. I'd considered using it against Ellis...but she'd stop me before I could really do any damage," she told him. He didn't speak, leading the way back to the bridge. "Is this Loki's people? Trying to break him out?" Penelope ventured.

"Aye, most likely," Marcus growled, and they stopped as they saw several bloody bodies on the group. Penelope put a hand to her mouth, going pale. "I'd kill him myself if I had the power," the man confessed. "Come on," he led Penelope away, and she followed, still seeing the bodies in her mind.

She stopped when Marcus flung out an arm, stopping dead himself. Confused, Penelope went to ask what it was, when Ciara walked into view. Her head was lowered and she stared at the ground, seeming almost completely out of energy as she walked slowly. But in the speedster's hand, was the sceptre that had been in the lab.

"Ellis..." Marcus growled, reaching for his gun. Penelope did the same, but both faltered as Ciara stopped, lifting her head. Her blue eyes were dull, and glazed over as if in a trance.

"Has she been taken over by it?" Penelope whispered to Marcus, but he didn't reply, still staring at Ciara. She tilted her head in an almost birdlike manner, but her blank expression didn't change. The eerie blue light that shone from the sceptre, however, grew brighter, and in a quick movement, Ciara threw out her arm, and Marcus tackled Penelope out of the way as she shrieked. The area shuddered dangerously as the light exploded, and the shockwave slammed into both Marcus and Penelope, slamming them into a wall. Debris clattered against the pair, battering them from all angles.

They hit the ground, coughing and feeling pain everywhere as Ciara turned and walked on by without a word. Penelope looked up weakly, watching as the young woman walked off. She then turned to Marcus, pulling the debris off his back as he groaned.

"Just what the bleedin' hell was up with her?" he questioned, just as baffled as Penelope.


Ciara walked through the Helicarrier, not reacting to any of the chaos around her. Her mind was fuzzy and she wasn't sure of what was going on, or what she was doing, only that there was pain tingling through her body. As her mind floated through confusion, unaware of the explosions or yelling around her, Ciara's body moved on its own.

Thor pushed himself to his feet, whirling around as the door to the cell slid shut, trapping him inside as Loki stood at the controls; a haughty expression on his face.

"Are you ever not going to fall for that?" he asked as a soldier walked by to keep guard. Thor glared at him through the glass, not moving. He knew already that the cell was built for something regarded as much more of a threat than SHIELD seemed to see either him or Loki – and he'd seen for himself now, the raging monster that Bruce harboured inside.

Both Thor and Loki looked away at the same time, when they heard the click of the soldier removing the safety of his gun and aiming it at Ciara. Loki raised a hand, and the soldier lowered his weapon obediently, watching as Ciara walked in, carrying the sceptre.

"Ciara..." Thor murmured, staring at the girl who seemed under the control of the sceptre. Loki didn't speak, keeping his expression blank as he approached Ciara. She stopped in front of him, and he watched her silently. In two quick moves, he'd snatched the sceptre from her, and was lifting the mutant into the air by the throat.

Ciara gasped loudly, thrashing in his grasp for just a moment before her hands went to his wrist, and she blinked rapidly. She stared at the God who glared at her suspiciously, neither paying any heed to Thor as he watched, fearing Loki was about to finish her off. Ciara didn't speak, still trying to understand how she'd gotten there. The last thing she remembered was standing in the lab, waiting for the perfect moment to slip away when Thor had released her.

"Just do it," she goaded as his fingers relaxed just enough to allow her to breath, and barely at that. "Might as well live up to one promise, Loki," Ciara prodded. Thor shifted as Loki's head tilted slightly, seeming to consider the option. His fingers then tightened, and a choked noise slipped from her lips as her airway was cut off.

"No!" Thor roared, slamming the glass of his cell with his hammer. It cracked, but didn't break, and the cell shuddered, making him step back as Loki finally looked at him. He smirked, and tossed Ciara aside easily. She collided with the wall, and couldn't stop her cry as pain exploded from her arm. She sank to the ground, clutching her shoulder, and watched as Loki turned his full attention back to Thor. He laughed, and walked over to the controls.

"The humans think us immortal," Loki commented to his brother. "Shall we test that?" he asked innocently, but as he went to press a button, the thud and grunt of the soldier keeping watch earned his attention.

"Move away please," Coulson requested politely, aiming a massive gun at Loki as he stood over the unconscious man. Ciara looked up, the pain still taking her focus, as Loki stepped back warily.

"Don't..." Ciara tried to warn, but bile rose up in her throat. Coulson glanced to her, his eyes softening for just a moment, before he turned back to Loki.

"You like this?" he asked, shrugging at the gun in his hands. Loki raised his hands slightly, not speaking. Ciara looked at him, and his form seemed to blur, making it uncomfortable to look at him. "We started working on the prototype after you sent the Destroyer. Even I don't know what it does," Coulson admitted, and activated the gun. It hummed to life, glowing an orange-gold colour almost exactly like the Destroyer. "Wanna find out?" he challenged, before the point of the sceptre burst through his chest.

"No!" Thor screamed, slamming his fist against the glass helplessly as Coulson screamed in pain. Loki dropped him easily, and the man slumped against the wall, blood trailing from his mouth as he stared blankly. Thor didn't speak, breathing heavily with tears in his eyes at the man whom he'd come to view as a valuable companion. Loki gave a small laugh, gesturing to the sceptre as Coulson's blood dripped from it.

The silence was thick, and Ciara closed her eyes as the sick feeling grew. She heard the doors below open, and a moment later, the cell Thor was imprisoned in dropped from the sky. Loki stared at the hole, as if waiting to hear the crash below, still silent. Ciara pushed herself up, walking unsteadily towards Coulson, who smiled softly at her as she approached. Before she could reach him, Loki yanked her by the hood of her cloak, pulling her away and making her cry out as her shoulder sang with pain.

"You're going to lose," Coulson's soft words made Loki stop, glancing around at the dying man. He dropped Ciara, and she fell to her knees, breathing heavily as sweat beaded on her forehead.

"Am I?" he asked, amused.

"It's in your nature," Coulson told him, his words still soft as more blood bubbled from his mouth.

"Your heroes are scattered. Your floating fortress falls from the sky," Loki listed as he approached him, entertained. "Where is my disadvantage?" he asked, curious about what the man was thinking.

"You lack conviction," the simple answer wiped the smile from his face, and Ciara saw his entire form change, becoming more tense as he allowed anger to take over.

"I don't think I-" a burst of golden energy exploded from the gun still on Coulson's lap, and slammed into him. Ciara dropped to the ground, barely able to shield herself from the powerful attack. Loki was smashed through a wall, hitting another and collapsing to the ground.

"So that's what it does," Coulson commented innocently. Ciara pushed herself back up, and approached him again. "Looks dislocated," he said, looking to her shoulder.

"I..." she sank to her knees, staring at him. She wasn't sure what she should say to him. Coulson was dying in front of her. A man she'd known for years, dying, and she had had a hand in it. There were no excuses this time. No avoiding that she had helped cause this.

"You'll find something, or someone, soon enough," he smiled at her, making her frown in confusion. "Someone you can put your trust in. You just need to stop picking the wrong side," Coulson told her, and when water droplets hit her hands, Ciara realised tears were running down her face. Her brow furrowed even more.

"I don't want to. I'm not looking for anything like that. Why do you have to be so-" she stopped, growing frustrated with the man who was telling her what they all told her, on his deathbed. Her anger grew when she saw his pitying look. "Stop looking at me like that. You people all read my background and think you know me," Ciara growled at him. "I don't need-" she stopped, looking up as Loki stormed towards her, looking scorched.

"Sorry to break up this touching moment," he snarled, grabbing her by the scruff again. Ciara moved obediently so not to jolt her arm, and didn't look back as Coulson watched her sadly.

Neither Ciara nor Loki spoke as they reached their getaway vehicle, flying away without waiting for anyone else. Ciara noted the lack of Clint's presence, but didn't comment on it as Loki released her, shoving her away from him as the doors closed behind them.

"Well, that was messy," Ciara stated, breaking the silence. He glanced at her as he sat, seeing her nursing her injured shoulder. Rolling his eyes, he flicked his hand.

"You mortals," he muttered as a coldness settled in Ciara's shoulder, making her breathing catch. "So easily broken," Ciara screamed as pain exploded in her shoulder before fading, hurting less than before. To her relief, the cold feeling faded as well. "Consider that your reward for retrieving what is mine," Loki told her, closing his eyes and falling into thought as she sank to the ground, putting her hand to her shoulder.

"I thought-" Ciara stopped herself. With a lot of effort, she bit her tongue, keeping quite for once. Loki's eyebrow rose, but he made no comment, not paying her any more heed than that as she managed to take a seat and strap in, thinking to herself as well. She stared at the sceptre in Loki's hand, still dripping blood, and glowing an eerie blue. She still couldn't remember how she'd gotten from the lab to the cell block, but she knew it had something to do with Loki's sceptre.


A silent agent swept away the glass that Marcus had shattered, having thrown it at the wall at Fury's news. Penelope sat in a similar state to Steve and Tony, all three stunned into quiet.

Bruce and Thor had disappeared; having had a violent brawl that had destroyed a lot of the vehicle bay, after Hulk had torn through a large portion of the Helicarrier chasing Natasha. If either were alive and okay, nobody had any clue. And Coulson. Coulson hadn't made it. The medics had arrived too late.

Tears filled Penelope's eyes as she thought about the polite agent who had known about her abilities, and suggested using them to take down Ciara. All while being apologetic about using her for her mutant power.

"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket," Fury finally broke the silence. "I guess he never did get you to sign them," he said coldly, tossing cards onto the table in front of Steve. Steve blinked out of his thoughts, staring at the Captain America trading cards, covered in blood. As he reached for them, Fury sighed, seeming to lose his anger. "We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, location of the Cube...Banner...Thor...I got nothing for you," he confessed. Penelope looked to Marcus, who was glaring at the wall where he'd thrown a glass. "Lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming," he considered aloud.

Nobody spoke, as Tony angled his chair away from Steve and Fury. Marcus was lost in thought, sitting as far away from the genius as possible. Penelope, sitting between him and Steve, just stared at the file in front of her, thinking to Ciara's behaviour during the attack. She had left with Loki, it seemed, leaving them back at square one. "Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract," Penelope looked up sharply at his words. "I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier," his words finally pulled Marcus from his thoughts.

"You mean..."

"There was an idea," Fury nodded. "Stark knows this. Called the 'Avengers Initiative'. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people. See if they could become more," Fury paced the table before leaning on the empty chair between Tony and Steve. Neither spoke. "See if they could work together when needed to. To fight the battles that we never could," Fury sighed heavily. "Phil Coulson died, still believing in that idea. In heroes," his soft words made Tony stand up quickly, and without a word he stormed off.

"Well, it's an old-fashioned idea," Marcus shook his head, glaring at Tony's retreating back. "I think you're best giving up on that idea Fury. Some people just aren't meant to be heroes," he stood up, walking away.

"I think..." Penelope glanced to Steve, who was staring at the cards covered in blood. Steve then sighed heavily, setting them down again. "I think he's wrong," the man announced, to himself more than anything, and followed Tony out. Penelope then looked back down at the file in front of her, and her fists clenched.

"Sir," Fury glanced around as she got to her feet too. "When Loki and the Cube are located, Ciara Ellis will be there too. She is still my mission. And O'Reilly's. And everyone else on my team. I want to go after her when they're located," Penelope requested, sounding more confident and determined than before. Fury watched her for a moment, before nodding.

"As expected. Your mission runs alongside this one," Penelope nodded, and turned around, striding away to find Marcus. "And Tournes?" she turned around. "Make sure you keep a hold of her, this time," Fury's words made Penelope go red, and she nodded, hurrying away as Maria hid her smile.

"Sir!" Penelope caught up with Marcus a few minutes later, finding him digging through his bag for a small bottle of whisky. "I believe you can live up to your nationality's stereotype after we catch Ellis," she took the bottle from him, and Marcus' brow rose.

"Tournes, I've gone easy on you so far, but don't get so relaxed that you think you can take my drink," he said gruffly, eyes on the bottle in her hands. Penelope shook her head.

"Sir, with all due respect-"

"You literally just commented on me being an Irish stereotype Tournes, what respect?"

"We know Ellis will surface again, and soon," Penelope continued, her cheeks still warm. "We need to be ready, because wherever Loki and the Cube are, Ellis is sure to follow. Which means we'll have another shot at her," Penelope told him firmly, not backing down against the bulky man. Marcus scowled, and swiped the bottle from her. "Sir-"

"I heard you," Marcus rolled his eyes, and shoved the bottle away. "But when we catch her, I'm drinking that whole damn bottle, and I'll be damned if I listen to you try and stop me," he told her firmly, and Penelope smiled brightly. "You need that confidence more, girl," Marcus added, before pulling his phone from his pocket, which was miraculously undamaged. "Better get the whole team ready to move when necessary," he walked away, and Penelope followed, her determination growing stronger. They would put a stop to Ciara Ellis and the destruction that followed in her wake.


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