It had been a long night. Too much playing referee and not enough fighting on her part. At least they had captured Loki. Now all they had to do was get him to talk.
Her shower had done her a lot of good. The silence had allowed her plenty of time to think. Loki needed to tell them where the Tesseract was, and he wouldn't do that unprompted. They would have to barter, but someone had to be smarter than him. He was the god of tricks and mischief, they couldn't go in unaware.
She changed clothes, putting on a fresh suit. The Asgardian one was lying on her bed, the sword next to it. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and left her bunk. Everyone was congregated in the briefing room. The viewing screens were black. Thor was standing off to himself while everyone else was sitting. Their faces were grim, bleak.
"Who died?" She asked, shutting the door. Banner looked up from the table. "Kidding. Kind of."
Thor turned his head, looking at her. The torn look on his face softened as he pulled her in for a hug. "It has been too long." She said it had only been two years. "And how long has Loki been here?" He pulled away, crossing his arms back over his chest.
"Few days. What do you know?"
He heaved a sigh and that was when she knew it was more complicated than she had originally believed. "He is using an army, one of an origin I do not know. The Chitauri." She shook her head, never having heard of them. "The exchange is Earth and the Tesseract. The Chitauri army will surrender Midgard to Loki and he will give them the Tesseract."
"Are you seriously saying an alien army is coming?" Steve asked. "Real aliens, from outer space?"
Thor nodded, saying that was correct. But the Chitauri were not aliens, just from another world. "That's why he needed the iridium that he stole." Banner brought up. "He needs it to build another portal to bring the Chitauri through. And he needed Dr. Selvig to do it."
Thor's eyebrows shot up. He repeated that Loki had taken Dr. Selvig. Banner said that was correct, Selvig was an extremely smart astrophysicist. "We are friends, I know him." Thor told him.
Nat sat up straighter. "He has Dr. Selvig and one of our team under some mind control or something." She said.
Steve asked why Loki would have let them take him. He hadn't put up much of a fight. Banner said Loki wasn't the main issue. He was crazy. Thor's face twisted in anger. "Watch your tongue, mortal. Loki is our brother." He motioned between himself and Rosalie. Nat said that Loki was responsible for the death of over eighty people in forty-eight hours. "He is adopted." Thor amended.
"So, what exactly is the iridium for? Just to build the portal?" Steve asked them.
Rose told him that iridium worked as a stabilizing agent. Tony walked into the briefing room. "You're absolutely correct, Agent Wheaton." He told her. "And it means, Romanoff, the portal won't collapse in like it did the last time." He told Thor that he didn't hold a grudge against him and he liked the hammer. "The iridium will also keep the portal open for as long as he wants it open and get as big as he lets it." He covered his eye, spinning around and asking how Fury managed to see everything.
Agent Hill said that Fury turned around to see what he couldn't. Tony put his hand on Fury's desk. He explained that any other raw materials Loki would need Agent Barton could access easily. They just lacked a source of power with a high enough density to open the portal.
Steve asked what kind of power source was needed. Tony and Banner went in through the science specifics. Rose tugged on Thor's arm, pulling him away. "We can't question him." She whispered. "We've never been very good at his games and he'll be expecting us."
Thor nodded thoughtfully. "What do you suggest?"
She glanced back, her eyes landing on Nat. "Another liar." She looked back at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Is it true? Did Odin have to use dark energy to send you here?" If he had, it would have taken a lot of it. It was no easy feat, sending someone to another world.
He said that didn't matter, he was there and that was most important. "Speaking of, how did you get here? I saw you fall, and I thought you died." There was a silent again that she saw in his eyes. "And Loki…"
"I can't speak for what happened to him. All I know is that I fell off the Bridge and I woke up here." She told him. "He could have ended up anywhere." Thor said that was what he was afraid of.
It had just been a routine check of the aircraft. It wasn't supposed to take more than ten minutes. But her mind had wandered, and she had ended up standing in front of an office with a closed door and blacked out lights.
She ran her fingers over the nameplate on the door, tracing over the engraved words.
"Did you know him?" A voice asked.
Rose jerked her hand back and looked up. Steve was standing across from her, still in his Captain America suit. "What?" She blinked.
He nodded his head towards the door. "Dr. Wheaton. Did you know him or was it just a coincidence you shared a last name?" She nodded, saying she and Wheaton had been close. "Agent Coulson said he was a good man. A great doctor."
She opened her mouth and then clamped it shut. The best of men, she wanted to correct him. She wanted to chastise Coulson for reducing Liam Wheaton to a man and a doctor when he was so much more. She knew better, though. Steve had never met him, and Coulson hadn't been close enough to him to say anything substantially heartfelt.
"Agent Wheaton?"
Quietly, she apologized. "I've never lost anyone before. Only myself. I don't…I'm not sure how to deal with it." She knew that when most people died, there was some kind of funeral or memorial service that allowed loved ones to say good-bye, especially if they hadn't gotten the chance to.
But funerals, most of the time, required a body. And they didn't have one. Dr. Wheaton had gone down with the facility when it collapsed in on itself. And the area was too unstable to search. Anyone missing or lost was considered dead.
"There's not really a set way, if I'm going to be honest with you. You just keep on going and one day, it doesn't hurt as bad." He told her. "Time is really the only thing that helps. Time and venting."
She sighed, realizing who she was talking to. The man had gone into the ice in the forties. Everyone he had known was dead or about to die. "God, I probably sound awful, don't I? Complaining about losing one person to someone who lost everyone."
He gave her a soft smile, shaking his head. "I made a choice, Agent. Crash the Valkyrie into the Arctic or let a whole bunch of people die. I chose to lose everyone. You didn't choose for him to die."
A beat passed, the two of them looking at each other awkwardly. Rose looked past him down the hall. He had been coming from the bunk level. "Where were you headed?" She asked.
His cheeks lit up with a light pink. "Oh, uh. I think I got turned around. I was looking for Stark and Banner."
She smiled at him, shaking her head softly. "Two levels off. This is the office level." She told him. "I'll take you." She motioned back to the part of the hall behind her.
The two walked towards the elevator. "So, Loki is really your brother?" He asked as they stepped in the elevator. "And Thor?"
"Mhmm." She glanced over, catching the confused look on his face. "It's a really long story and if I told you everything right now, your brain would probably explode."
The rest of the elevator ride was quiet. The doors slid open and he let her walk out first. He followed her to the lab where Stark and Banner were studying the scepter Loki had been using. Banner was using some sort of device to scan over the scepter and Tony was looking at several monitors. The two were talking animatedly and Tony reached over, poking Banner with something.
"Ow, what the heck?" Banner grimaced, rubbing over the place.
Tony looked surprised. Steve almost shoved in front of her, an annoyed look on his face. "Stark, are you crazy?" He asked. Tony admitted that he was just checking to make sure Banner could control himself. Just a little joke, he assured them all.
"The safety of everyone on this ship is not a joke, Stark. You should be focusing on the problem at hand, not testing Dr. Banner's limits." Steve reprimanded. She wondered if he was using his Captain-voice.
Tony said that the problem at hand was whatever secrets Fury was hiding from all of them. Tony said it wouldn't be surprising if there was more to the story. Fury was the original spy. "Even if you don't have all the facts, Fury is telling you what is most important. Don't go digging around. You might not like what you find." Rose warned Tony. "Keep working on that scepter. We need to find Barton and Selvig."
Tony offered her a blueberry from a bag, and she declined. "Are you so blinded by faith and loyalty that you won't even think of questioning what he's hiding?" He asked.
She shook her head. Her fingers twitched at her sides. "I'm blinded by the fact that my brother is trying to start a war and instead of focusing on your task, you're decrypting our files." Tony's mouth twitched. "I may not be from here, Stark, but I'm not stupid. Now, get back to work."
She turned, nodding once at Steve before leaving the lab. Behind her, she could hear Steve chastising Tony.
"They don't trust you." She eyed Fury from across his desk. "Stark, especially. And I have a feeling he's going to turn the others against you."
Fury wore an amused expression. "Stark has never trusted me. And as for the others, I don't care as long as they secure the Tesseract." He told her. "How concerned are you about this?"
She shrugged, picking up Loki's file. It was thin, only consisting of a few blurred photos and a brief breakdown of the incident at the Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility. "I don't think Stark will have any luck convincing me. Or Romanoff for that matter. He and Rogers seem to operate on different ends of the spectrum, so we're most likely good there. But Banner…"
"Don't worry about Dr. Banner. Something tells me he's not here for the long game. He'll be gone as soon as we secure the Tesseract."
She nodded, putting the file back on the desk. "You aren't worried they don't trust you?"
He said no. "They don't have to trust me. They just need to follow orders." She said that seemed a little blind-sighted. The corners of her lips turned up at his stern expression. "Well, do you trust me?" He asked.
"Of course."
"Then I see no problems. Why don't you go check on your brother?"
She laughed shortly. "Which one?"
"Bilchsteim? You don't have those here?" She heard Thor ask Coulson as she walked into the briefing room. "They are large, scales and antlers."
She caught the hesitant look on Coulson's face. He had absolutely no idea what Thor was talking about.
"Thor, we don't have Bilchsteim here on Midgard." She told him. "Which is a very good thing." She turned to Coulson. "They smell terrible and they're known to destroy everything that has the misfortune of being in their way."
Coulson made a disgruntled face and said he was glad they didn't exist on Earth. Thor made his way over to the wall-to-floor window. Below them, the ocean was sparkling and blue. The world seemed to stretch out forever.
"Little sister, do you remember when I first came to Midgard?" He asked. He pressed his hand against the glass.
"How could I forget?" She smiled teasingly. "You caused a whole mess down in New Mexico that we had to clean up."
The word mess was a severe understatement. Convincing the locals that it hadn't been an extraterrestrial attack was had probably been the job of the decade. Until Loki showed back up and stole the Tesseract. And killed Dr. Wheaton.
She sucked in a breath at the sharpened memory of him. When all this was over, she was going to kick Loki's self-pitying ass all the way to Svartalfheim.
"I brought our brother here. My pride and stupidity brought Loki's wrath to Earth. And now the people here will pay the price again." He said softly. He turned back to look at her. "My courtship with war has once again cost the ultimate price."
"Yours isn't the only one." Rose murmured. "We were both reckless once and now we're paying for it."
At the brisk sound of footsteps, she turned her head. Fury was walking into the briefing room, hands behind his back. "Enough of the touching childhood memories, you two." Ah, the no-nonsense voice. Her most constant companion the past few years. "Can we force Loki to give us the Tesseract back? Or at least tell us where it is?"
"Loki's need for vengeance is insatiable." Thor told him. "There may be a way, but it is unknown to me."
Rosalie grimaced. "It would help if we knew where he's been the past year." He could have been anywhere. Well, anywhere except Asgard. He could've been on Earth and she would have never known. His mind was too far warped to see any kind of reason at the moment. They were going to have to play hard ball.
Her favorite.
"What do you want us to do, sir?" She turned her full attention to Fury. "I could beat it out of him. Or at least try."
Thor shook his head. "He'd sooner die than give up that information. We both know that."
"Then it stands," Fury said stoutly, "what are the two of prepared to do?"
The two siblings looked between each other. Thor had always been the closer to Loki of the two. A brotherly bond that was hard-broken. They had years with each other from before her time. Thor wasn't so willing to do what needed to be done. He didn't have the attachment to Midgard that she did.
"He's your prisoner." Thor stated. "He cannot fight you whilst you have him locked in a cage."
Fury crossed his arms over his shoulders. The discreet look he gave Rose was all she needed. Her nod of affirmation was imperceptible to everyone but the director himself. "If he's a prisoner, then why do I feel like he's exactly where he wants to be?"
Rose pressed her lips together. "I'll make him talk." She promised. "All I need is a few minutes alone with him."
"Nola-." Thor started.
She held up a hand. "You had your turn, Thor. Let me have mine."
She was on her way to the holding cell. She hadn't imagined Nat would take long to unwind whatever riddles Loki threw at her. And she, much to her pleasure, had been correct. Nat had informed them that Loki wanted to bring the Hulk out to play.
"Change of plans, brother of mine." She muttered as she stood outside the doors to the room the cell was in. The cell had been made for Dr. Banner, in case his friend made an appearance. Based on information given, that was now a possibility. And she was not too keen on meeting the big green guy so high up in the air.
She spun on her heel and made her way back towards the lab Stark and Banner were working in. Her fingers twitched at her sides. The itch for a fight was relentless. Just a few minutes inside that cell with her brother and she would have gotten all the information needed and more.
Tension was pouring out of the lab by the time she arrived. Captain Rogers had joined Stark, Banner, and Fury. Nat and Thor were also there. No one looked particularly pleased. Maybe Fury had been right to assume Loki was the only one who actually wanted to be on board. Which was the worst-case scenario.
Stark had something pulled up on the screen of his computer. Phase Two. On one of the emptier tables, there was an assault rifle. HYDRA grade.
"Looks like I'm late to the party." She stepped into the lab.
No one gave her a welcoming look.
"Did you know about this?" Tony jabbed his finger at the screen. "Are you in on Fearless Leader's plans?"
She cocked an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"You're so stuck up his ass, Wheaton. Did you know that S.H.I.E.L.D. was using the Tesseract to create weapons?"
"Stark," she said slowly, stepping towards him, "you might want to watch how you speak to me. I'd hate to see that big brain of yours turned into a pile of dust on the floor." Her hands flexed at her sides.
"Is that a threat?" Tony laughed. "Are you actually threatening me?"
"It sure as hell isn't a promise."
The promise of something larger was bubbling inside of her. The welling up of anger and anticipation. A fight. Chaos. She always knew when it was coming. The raising of the hairs on the back of her neck, the tingle that shot down her spine. She'd be lying if she said it wasn't her favorite feeling.
"Agent Wheaton."
It wasn't Fury's voice that drew her back. It wasn't even Nat's. But his. Captain Rogers. She tensed, half-turning her head to make eye contact.
"Why don't you answer the question? Did you know about the weapons?" His approach was a lot calmer than Tony's had been. He spoke in such an assuring way. It helped to douse the fire inside her, but it didn't quit the feeling of a fight coming on.
She whetted over her bottom lip. "Since we're playing honesty hour, yes. I knew. It was my idea."
No one seemed to like her answer very much.
"It was a necessary precaution after last year's incident." Fury took over. "We realized we weren't alone in this world and we are seriously outmatched."
"Sister, you realize what you've done?" Thor asked her. "What this means?"
She nodded tersely. Steve asked what he was talking about. "The energy from the Tesseract, from our use of it, is what caught Loki's attention. But not just his. All across the Nine Realms, any enemies are now aware that Midgard is prepared for a more advanced form of war."
"More advanced?" Steve repeated.
"It was the only way." She told Thor. "I couldn't protect them on my own." She was strong, but not that strong.
That was when the argument broke out. Petty comments and snide remarks shot from everywhere and to everyone. The weapons, New Mexico, the watch list. It was bubbling over and the chaos inside her was relishing in it.
Her skin was on fire. She closed her eyes, reveling in the energy.
"How can you ask for control when you dance around the flames of chaos?" Thor was shouting.
Chaos. Oh, she loved that.
"We're not a team and never will be." Banner countered. "We're a bunch of chemicals put together to create chaos. A bomb waiting to explode."
"Back away, Dr. Banner." Fury instructed him.
Tony laughed. "Ah, let him blow off some steam."
The feeling of pure and total chaos, destruction in its base form, continued to bubble over inside her. An argument between Captain Rogers and Stark was muffled in her ears. Dr. Banner was shouting something at Fury and Nat.
Oh, God, this was good.
She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so alive.
"Put down the scepter, Dr. Banner."
Her eyes flashed open. Dr. Banner had Loki's scepter in his hand. The gemstone inside was glowing a bright blue. So, it recognized the fun of chaos too…
The computer began to beep loudly. She watched him lay the scepter down.
"You found the Tesseract?" Thor asked Tony. Tony said he'd go to get it, he'd be faster alone. "No, it is of Asgard. Nola and I will retrieve it."
Something wasn't wholly right. The fight inside the lab had died down, but the fire hadn't. "Wait." She whispered.
Tony went to walk out the door and Captain Rogers blocked the exit. "There's no way you're going alone."
"Wanna try and stop me?"
"Put the suit on and I will."
"Cap, I'm not scared to beat the hell out of an old guy."
"Get the suit."
"Stop." Rosalie's voice was louder. They all looked at her. "Something is wrong."
"Yeah, no shit, Wheaton." Tony remarked. "Your eyes are gold."
She took a deep breath, fire in her lungs. "Chaos." She warned. "It's coming."
"What does that even-?"
Captain Roger's words were cut short as the entire helicarrier violently shifted. Rose fell to her feet, head banging against one of the tables.
"Stark, suit!" Captain Rogers ordered. He helped Tony out of the lab.
Rose got to her feet. There was a huge hole in the floor. Nat and Dr. Banner were missing. Fury was getting to his feet and Thor was already on his. She could hear Agent Hill shouting instructions in her ear. An explosion. Engine three was out. One more and they'd be out of the air. Fury ordered Coulson to lock down the detention section and then head to the armory.
"Loki." She growled.
She started towards the door and Fury grabbed her elbow. "Agent, this is all hands-on deck."
"Exactly. My hands need to be securing my brother in that cell. They're here for him. You want him to get away?" Fury released her. "That's what I thought." She pressed a hand to her ear. "Coulson, do not secure that room until I'm in it."
"Understood. Might wanna get there soon, Agent Wheaton."
No problem there. There wouldn't be too many men coming for Loki. Maybe she wouldn't encounter any of them. But then where was the fun in that?
She ran through the helicarrier. Agents were scrambling everywhere. Mechanics off to fix the engines, engineers off to assess the damage. She could still hear Hill barking orders. And then, the noise. A loud, rumbling, and animalistic roar.
"Oh, hell." She muttered.
The big green guy was out and about. Through the comms system, Fury was shouting to make sure the ship was over the water. Tony and Captain Rogers were assessing how to fix the engine system. Nat, where was she?
"Nat, you good?" She pressed down on the piece in her ear. The system crackled. She waited a beat for a response. "Agent Romanoff?" Nothing.
This was all going to Hell in a handbasket. Not even a nice handbasket, either. A super shitty one that was quickly falling apart.
"Wheaton?" Coulson's voice rang out.
"Almost there." The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Hmm, a fight.
She skidded to a stop as the man stepped into her view. He was easily the size of Thor. Stocky and cocky. Her favorite. Two guns, neither of them out for use. This would be quick. He pounced and she did too. She barreled into him and knocked him down to the ground. She straddled his chest and landed three strong punches to his jaw.
She hopped up and wiped her hands together. "Disappointing." She muttered.
The door to the detention section was just around the corner. Coulson was waiting for her outside of them. He asked if she got held up and she smiled wryly in return. He pushed the door open and let her in first.
"Head to the armory and secure the exit." She ordered him. "I'll watch my brother."
Loki was standing in the cell, arms crossed, face slighted in anticipation. He looked up from the floor with a smile. "There she is. My favorite sister."
"I'm your only sister and I'm not here for small talk."
His smile faded quickly. "No, you sent the former assassin for that." He spat. "When did you decide you didn't like the dirty work anymore?"
"I grew tired of losing your games."
He raised an eyebrow at her. "You never were a good loser. Neither one of you."
"What can I say?" She sighed. "I like winning."
Loki stiffened. He leveled his gaze with hers. "You won't win this one. No amount of teamwork or pride can stop what we're bringing."
We.
She stepped closer to the cell and pressed a hand against the glass. "Loki." She whispered. "You're underestimating the power I have. I could tear your entire army of Chitauri soldiers to shreds. Or turn them to ash completely with one touch." Her reminded was anything but gentle. Her power was extensive. It went far beyond lightning strikes and magic tricks. "You know how I get when I'm upset."
The anger was uncontrollable. The chaos voracious. A fight would be needed, and it would always be found. The power, however, could be stifled a little. Dr. Wheaton's braces proved still to limit the amount she could use. And kept her from passing out. Without them, though…
"You'd do best to remember what the Allfather told you."
He grinned. Wolfish, predatory. The smile of someone with an upper hand. "Chaos brings death, little sister. I wouldn't forget it if I were you."
She slammed her fist against the cell. "I'm tired of your riddles, Loki. Tell me where the Tesseract is. And tell me who you're taking orders from."
His eyes widened. He took a step back. "I am the king!" He shouted. "There is no one above me! My army comes and it will defeat you!"
She folded her arms over her chest as she stared back at him. "You said we, Loki. The army we're sending. So, who is it? Tell me and I'll be lenient. Tell me what I want to know."
He laughed quietly, shaking his head. The look he gave her was pitying. "You may grant leniency, but you are not the King of Asgard and Protector of the Nine Realms."
She said that Odin could be persuaded. Especially if she and their mother were involved.
He was about to answer when the ship jerked to the side. Rose stumbled, falling against the glass of the holding cell. She steadied herself and checked Loki. He was rising to his feet. She narrowed her eyes at him as he gave her an amused smile.
"Fury?" She tapped on her ear. "It's Wheaton."
"How's the prisoner?" He replied gruffly.
She reported that he was still contained. "What the hell is going on?" She asked him.
"Barton's our burglar." He said. "Took out the systems. Engine one is down, and he's headed your way. Be ready."
She glanced back at the door. Coulson was still gone. She could take Clint. They'd sparred hundreds of times and she always kicked his ass.
"This is Romanoff." Nat's voice was unsteady. "I'll take care of him."
Rose confirmed. She'd still be on high alert. Just in case he managed to do the impossible and get past Nat.
Something whirred and she whipped up. The door to the cell was opening. Damn, the systems. Barton's system crash left the doors open. Loki watched as the door slid open slowly. Their eyes met and she instantly recognized the spark in his eyes.
"Don't you dare." She warned. "Come out and I'll beat you back in."
His lip curled up into a smirk. "Sister, you make a compelling argument. Too bad you won't get the chance." He charged, knocking into her.
She fell against the hard floor. He picked her up as if she were a doll and tossed her into the control panel.
Anger flooded through her. Rose got to her feet, a little light-headed and ready to beat him bloody. He stood next to the open door and winked at her. The door to the detention section flew open and Thor charged in.
Loki was back in the cell, leisurely walking towards the door. "NO!" Thor shouted, running towards him.
"Thor, don't!" She yelled, rushing towards him.
An action that came too late. By the time he realized it was a trick, the door to the cell had already locked shut. Loki stepped into his view, grinning wickedly. "A millennium has gone by and you're still falling for that."
Rose grabbed Loki by the collar. "Let. Him. Out."
He pushed her away. "My time has come, Nola. I must bid you farewell."
She seized the ends of his hair and slammed him against the cell. She pressed him further into it, applying pressure to his neck. "Let him out or I snap your neck like a baby bird."
He laughed breathily. "Do that and you'll never know what your precious doctor's last words were."
She stiffened. Dr. Wheaton. Her fingers tightened. "Loki."
"He recognized me. And then, I took him. Took his mind, I should say. And you know, Nola, if he hadn't been so slow, he could have lived."
She squeezed her eyes shut. He had been like Clint and Dr. Selvig before he died. Mind-warped and under the spell of the scepter. Perhaps if he hadn't been, he would have lived.
"And the most touching thing of all, his last thoughts were of you. You, sweet sister."
Her hand fell from his neck. Her. Of all the things in the world, Dr. Wheaton's last thoughts were about her. Her eyes blinked open.
"Your surplus of sentiment sickens me." Loki snarled. He punched her, sending her reeling back into the wall.
Parts of the wall crumpled around her impact and she hit the floor. As she lifted her head, Thor slammed Mjolnir against the wall of the cell. The room shook. The glass wall, however, barely cracked. Loki smiled and made his way to the control panel.
"I think we should test the theory that we're immortal, hmm?" He asked, sliding a hand over the controls. "What do you say, Nola? How breakable is our brother?"
Something bright and blue blasted through the air in front of Loki's face. Rose peeled herself to her feet. Coulson was standing in front of the doors, a bazooka-like gun in his hands.
"Move away from the controls." He ordered Loki. Her brother backed away, eyeing his new opponent. Sizing him up.
She let herself take a short breath. Her chest hurt and her head was killing her.
"Cool, huh?" Coulson maneuvered the weapon. "Wanna find out what it does?" He asked.
And then, there was a blade through his chest.
She couldn't breathe. Couldn't even move. Loki backed away from him and let Coulson fall to the floor. The weapon fell in his lap. She stood frozen in her spot as Loki walked back to the control panel. The hatch below the cell spiraled open. The world spread out below them.
She found it in herself to run to Coulson's side. She dropped down on her knees. "Coulson." She whispered, pressing down on the wound. "Hey, keep those eyes open, will ya?"
She knew it, knew by just looking at him, there wasn't a chance in hell. She swallowed and tried to smile. She didn't even bother looking away when Loki pressed down on the button that sent Thor dropping out into the wide air. Loki closed the hatch back.
"Coulson," she patted his cheek, "eyes on me."
His gaze kept drifting over to Loki. She'd be damned if his last sight was the man who killed him. "You'll lose." He rasped.
Loki arched an eyebrow thoughtfully. "You think so?"
Her lip curled up. She'd let him. Let him go so when the time came, she could bring him within an inch of his life and deliver him to the Allfather. Leniency and mercy were no longer cards on the table. He would rot.
"Yes." Coulson said. "It's your nature to lose."
Loki was amused by the idea of his loss. He looked around the room before he settled his eyes back on them. "I cannot seem to find the variables for my loss in this situation. Your ship plummets from the air and your heroes are gone. All that you are left with is my sister, who has lost her wits over a doctor long gone. I think I will win."
Phil shook his head sternly. "You have no conviction."
Loki was in the process of answering when Phil fired the weapon. The blast sent Loki through the wall across from them. Rose raised her eyebrows, impressed.
"Neat." Phil breathed.
She agreed. She pressed down harder on the wound. "This is Wheaton. I need med ASAP to the detention section. We have an agent down, I repeat, agent down!" She looked down at him.
His eyes fluttered. "He'd be proud of you, Wheaton. He was proud of you."
She chewed on the end of her tongue. "Stop talking. Save your energy." She glanced back as the doors to the room opened. Fury came running in. "We need med down here." She told him.
He said they were coming as fast as possible. "Eyes open, Agent. That's an order." Fury instructed.
Coulson, slowly, shook his head. The blood, no matter how much pressure she applied, wasn't stopping. It kept pumping out under her hand and through the small spaces between her fingers. Blood, not just any blood. Phil's blood. "Time to clock out." He muttered.
"No!" Rose said sharply. "Phil, you are not dying on me."
He half-smiled up at her. "You called me Phil."
"That's your name." She reminded him. "Keep your eyes open. Med is coming, they'll be here soon."
He leaned his head against the wall. It lolled to the side. She looked up at Fury. There was no avoiding what was to come. Phil was going to die. She knew that. She did. But she didn't want to believe it. She couldn't accept that Phil, someone who was always so nice and good and yes, maybe a little odd at times, was going to die. That he was in the process of being killed. And it was a casualty. If he hadn't come in, he would have been alive.
"I'll be okay." He whispered. "You need something to…you all needed…"
She felt it happen. The last movement of his chest, the last breath leave his body. And she saw the glassed look in his eyes. He was gone.
Rose sat back and let her hand fall. It was colored red with his blood. Her eyes burned with white-hot tears. The paramedic team arrived. Fury helped her to her feet as they took over. It only took seconds for them to confirm what she already knew. He was gone.
"Agent Coulson is down." Fury reported.
She shoved away from him. He reached and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't touch me!" She shouted at him.
"Agent Wheaton-."
"Don't!" She screamed, flinging her arm towards him. A blast of energy shot from her movement and sent him stumbling backwards. "Just…Just don't."
The paramedics were staring at her. Fury watched her, regaining his balance, eyes downturned. She let her eyes wander over Phil. She closed her eyes for a beat before opening them again. She exhaled deeply.
"It's time to end this."