"When you got lemons, you make lemonade, and when you got rice, you make rice balls!"
The only way to tell that it was morning was by each person's routine habit of waking. Steve and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents woke around what they believed to be 5 a.m. and quickly roused everyone else they could find. Tony was the easiest to see- his arc reactor was about the only bright thing in the room so far- but the hardest to wake up.
Coulson stretched, squinting to make out shapes. "We're going to need to navigate our way out of here."
Tony ran a hand through his hair, combing the best he could. "I've been to this country house a couple times but I had no idea that whatever-this-is existed, so I'll be no use in leading, unless you want me as a flashlight."
The sound of Wolverine's breathing filled the room as he examined his surroundings. "Where are we headed?"
"Up north." this came from Coulson, who was also at a loss for direction, surprisingly enough.
Tony had moved on from fixing his hair to stretching his arms. "Do you think you can find a path?"
Wolverine paused. "Yeah, I suppose I could figure it out." He began off in a direction, muttering, "Watch out for the rock."
The group followed Logan as the nearly empty area became cavernous and boulder-filled, with long-lost equipment scattered in concentrated areas. All the group knew were their sleepy and protesting bones as they trekked through the darkness.
After tromping about for nearly half an hour, Wolverine managed to growl out, "Anyone else know how to navigate this one-way dump track?"
The Avengers, especially Tony (mostly Tony), did not react to this jovially.
"Wait a minute. Are you saying that we've been wandering around this whole time with a guide who's IN THE DARK?!"
Thor immediately jumped in and whacked his hammer upon the ground, causing all of the group to jump back or fall over. Which meant Wolverine fell over. "Hey, watch it, bub!"
Thor grinned triumphantly, either ignoring or unaware of Logan's outburst. "Fellow Wolf-man, I have made it brighter so that you will no longer be in the dark. Now we may continue with our journey!" Indeed, the room glowed strangely, and fogged over crystal-like structures embedded in the ceiling gave off the impression of stars. There was a small zap.
"Ouch."
"Clint!"
"I didn't know what to expect!"
"Obviously."
"My finger hurts."
Natasha rolled her eyes. "You brought this upon yourself. Deal with it."
All this occurred quietly amidst Tony and Wolverine's argument.
"Nobody's continuing the journey," Tony snapped, lashing out in his usual way. "If you noticed, Thor, 'wolf-man' here has lost the way." He glared at Logan. "Is that what you're saying?"
"Yeah." Wolverine grit his teeth, stubbornly annoyed. "Got a problem with that, bub?"
"Hey! Watch who you call names here, bub, and yes, I do. You said you had us covered!"
"You're the one who should know the way, anyhow. I'm trying to pick up your pieces, and I think I'm doing an alright job of it." His face contorted. "And no one says the word 'bub' but me! Got that, bub?"
"What is this 'bub' you speak of? I enjoy its sound! I shall use it from now on! Huzzah, bub!" Loki stood in a state of depressant terminality as Thor made this proclamation.
I'll never hear the end of this...
"Oh, great. Just great. Could someone pick a boulder to move past before I tear their eyeball out?"
"Natasha, cool your jets!" This brought Steve onto a whole new sense of confusion.
"Cool her jets? She's not a plane. Wait a minute..." He slammed Clint into a mountainous spire. "Are you saying she's fat?! Take it back! She's not fat!"
"I didn't say she was fat!"
Well, thought Natasha, isn't this just swell.
In an attempt to gain everyone's attention she shot the ceiling.
The ceiling collapsed.
From each of their positions six heads turned to Natasha.
"What? We're no more stuck than we were, right?"
The only reply was from Logan, who, for some reason, was not thrilled with this turn of events.
—
"Hold down there, everyone! Can you hear me?" Coulson was trying to get some sight of the group through all the ash and dust and cigarette remains. Rocks and cement blocks were not forgotten, either.
Before long almost everyone had been found. Almost.
"Where's Loki?"
"Ahem. I told you these handcuffs were to be proved a hindrance to one's safety."
"Brother, you are safe. Be glad I still care."
"Do you? If you did, I assure you that this would have ended differently, especially with the foolish mortal device that taints my magic."
Past this, the group had gravitated towards some light source to come across a pit filled with boulders. The other side of the pit presented what seemed to be the beginnings of a tunnel, partially lit by the outside world.
Logan looked over the cliff, trying to see some sign of a bottom. "Now what, a deadly game of hopscotch?"
A roar came from below. Thor suddenly laughed.
"Son of Coul, you DO have bilgesnipes here in Midgard! Now, TO VICTORY!"
Captain America didn't understand, and with good reason. "Are bilgesnipes new? I clearly do not remember those. Judging by those other looks, it must be some kind of super secret mutation, right?"
Coulson frowned. "Bilgesnipes are only found in Asgard. Maybe it's a man in a machine kind of thing. You all go ahead. I'll deal with this situation."
The Avengers, including a very reluctant Thor, Loki (but of course he was irked by the whole mission), and Logan, went over pit by way of boulders and waited for Coulson's response. Vibrations began to fill the ground, and boulders in the pit toppled.
Coulson stood squarely in the middle. He addressed the group.
"Go, get out of here!"
He then focused on the darkened floor beneath him, attempting to find something.
"Sir, this is S.H.I.E.L.D.. I must ask you to stop disrupting the peace and wrecking private property. I have a lethal weapon. If you choose to continue, I will have no choice but to shoot you."
Loki and Thor just stared at him.
"Please, reasoning will never work with those creatures. Believe me, I've read about them."
"Read? Brother, you do not know what you talk about! SON OF COUL, YOU CANNOT REASON WITH A BILGESNIPE!"
"Isn't that just what I said?"
"It sounds better when I say it, brother."
"It's alright, boys. I've got this all under control."
Steve, Thor, and Loki were the last ones out of the cave, and late enough in leaving to see the event that followed. Coulson balanced himself while the last boulder toppled-right as a large creature with dark and gleaming teeth pitched itself over it-and Coulson tumbled.
They told the news to the others. A moment passed in silence.
"We should go." Loki's gaze was cold, but it had a distant quality to it, as if he wasn't completely paying attention to his own words. Logan added on to them.
"Yeah, I agree with him on this one. The way you said it, it sounds like he's a lost cause at this point. Staying here won't do anything to change it."
Loki snapped back to reality and his eyes grew wide with surprise. So did Steve's, filled with tears. Loki opened his mouth-
Steve got there first.
"How should you know?" The words were an underline for the emotion that ran through them, a fierce blend of grief and disgust.
Wolverine spoke unexpectedly lightly, as if he had actually thought about his words. "I may not care about the mission, but I care when someone dies. Believe me, I know...how it sounds, how I sound in this situation. And the pain. I know that no matter what happens you'll never fully revive from a pain like that." He stared at him longer, then continued with words Steve despised. "But we need to GO."
Natasha reached him cautiously. "Fury will be looking for us, Steve. We can't stay here long."
The sun rose high on sun-bleached rock. It was very nearly noon.
Well, that was somewhat madness.
Most of this was actually some of my earliest work, back before I got an account. It may have been, as they say, slightly 'OOC' (Out Of Character). Then again, I don't think I would be able to hold to a Lotr setting without making it somewhat unbelievable. I just hope that the change in writing style wasn't too distinct.
I used to think Bilgesnipes were called Biglesnipes. It's a bit more fun to say.
It was brought some attention in the reviews, so this will hopefully clear things up: Back in Chapter One, Steve climbed 8 flights of stairs. This was to the shower facilities. He then went up to wherever the Avengers (or Tony) generally hung around at. Considering he'd just showered and was about to see someone, Steve probably used the elevator to get there-despite his pronounced dislike for them. Looking back, I understand how it sounds like Steve stayed on the Training (Weights/Showers) floor, although that train of thought would make less sense as the chapter continued. I apologize for any confusion.
To Summarize: The floor Steve showered on and the floor he met Stark (and all the others) on in Chapter 1 are two separate floors.
On a separate note, I've been debating as to whether I should hold to a schedule for this fanfiction, maybe roughly once every other month. That might sound really spread apart, but it's better than randomly once or twice a year.
It's Mother's day (or it was...)! Show your mothers some appreciation! Also, any comment/review/opinion/feedback would be readily regarded. Thank you!
Quote Source: Brock, Pokémon, season 1.