Chapter 9: Secrets?
After the fight between Stark and Thor. Steve intervene in time and they all take Loki to the Hellicarrier. The trip was quiet, not even Stark say a word. He was looking at the window. Thor was looking at Kokoro, she didn't know if he was upset or not. He was hard to read. When they arrive, Loki was taken to his cell. Fury went with the guards to see him. Meanwhile, Stark, Rogers, Banner, Romanoff, Thor and Kokoro stay in the control room looking at the monitors of the table. It was recording the conversation between Fury and Loki. Fury was next to the cell's control panel.
"In case it's unclear, if you try to escape, if you so much as scratch that glass..." He push a button and a air come out from below the cage "It's 30,000 feet straight down in a steel trap. You get how that works?" He push the button again the the door from below close again "Ant, Boot" Loki laugh
"It's an impressive cage. Not built, i think, for me" Loki assumed
"Built for people a lot stronger than you" Fury answer
"Oh, I've heard..." He said and look at the camera outside the cage "A mindless beast. Makes play he's still a man... I assume that your little "goddess" was a candidate for this cage too"
"Nakamura have her powers under control"
"Are you sure? Chaos is an uncontrollable force. She thinks that she is in control but she's lying to herself... Soon, not today but very soon, you'll see her true nature... How desperate are you, that you call on such lost creatures to defend you?"
"How desperate am i?" Fury ask "You threaten my world with war, you steal a force you can't hope to control, you talk about peace and you kill because it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did"
"... It burns you to have come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power. And for what? An warm light for all mankind to share... And then to be reminded what real power is"
"Well. let me know if "real powe" wants a magazine or something" Said Fury and leave him alone in the glass cage
"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Said Banner. Everyone gather around to discuss their next move. Kokoro was sitting next to Steve
"Loki's gonna drag this out. So, Thor, what's his play?" Steve ask to Thor
"He has an army called the Chitauri. They are 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" Thor explain
"An army... from outer space" Said Steve
"He's confident. He knows that the gods from this world won't do a thing to stop him" Said Kokoro. Thor interrupt her
"What about Izanagi?"
"He's one... The Olympians fight each other for anything and the rest of the gods are selfish. They only act when their life are in danger" Kokoro explain "We are the only ones that can stop him..."
"Loki will build another portal if he wants the army to get here. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for" Said Banner
"Selvig?" Thor ask
"He's an astrophysicist"
"He's a friend"
"Loki has him under some kind of spell" Explain Natasha "along with one of ours" Kokoro notices Natasha's sadness
"I want to know why Loki let us take him" Said Steve "He's not leading an army from here"
"You are right" Said Kokoro "If he wanted, he could disappear in Germany but instead he fight us and surrender. This must be his plan all along"
"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That's guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You could smell crazy on him" Banner made fun of Loki in front of Thor
"Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard and he is my brother" Thor protect his brother, even in this circunstances
"He killed 80 people in two days" Said Natasha
"... He's adopted"
"Good job trying to defend him" Said Kokoro
"I think it's about the mechanics" Said Banner "Iridium... What do they need the iridium for?" He ask. Then Stark enter the room and answer his question
"It's a stabilising agent" He said and mutter something to Coulson "It means the portal won't collapse on itself like it did at S.H.I.E.L.D" He look at Thor "No hard fellings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing. Also, it means the portal can open as wide and stay open as long, as Loki wants" He look around the room and start to give orders "Raise the mizzennmast. Jib the topsails... That man is playing Galaga" Tony point at the right corner "He thought we wouldn't notice, but we did"
"What's Galaga?" Ask Thor
"I'll tell you later" Said Kokoro
"How does Fury even see these?" Tony point at the monitors
"He turn" Maria Hill answer
"Sound exhausting. The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hand on pretty easily. The only major component he still needs is a power source of high-energy density. Something to kick-start the Cube" Tony explain
"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Hill ask
"Last night... The packet, Selvig's notes, the extraction theory papers. Am i the only one who did the reading?" Tony ask
"... Kinda" Said Kokoro
"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve ask
"He would have to heat the Cube to 120-million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier" Banner explain
"Unless Selvig has figured out how to stabilise the quantum tunnelling effect" Said Tony
"Well, if he could do that, he could achieve heavy ion fusion at any reactor on the planet"
"Finally, someone who speaks English" Said Tony and give Banner a handshake "It's good to meet you, Dr Banner. Your work on antielectron collisions is unparalleled and i'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage-monster"
"... Thanks" Banner didn't know how to react to that but he thanks him anyway
"Dr Banner is only here to track the Cube" Fury enter the room "I was hoping you might join him"
"I would start with that stick of his" Said Steve "It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon"
"Maybe the little gem is part of the Tesseract or is made of the same material" Said Kokoro "Fury, can i work with Stark and Banner? Maybe i'll fine something that they can't find with their computers and science stuff. Leave the magic to me"
"Alright, i hope you three find something. Because i would like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men i know into his personal flying monkeys" Said Fury
"Monkeys? I do not understand" Thor was confused
"I do" Said Steve and everyone got quiet "I understood that reference"
"It's a... I'll tell you later" Said Kokoro to Thor "In fact. I'll write everything in a paper for you"
After the long talk everyone had a couple of minutes ago. Stark, Banner and Kokoro go to the laboratory and start to work on Loki's scepter. Banner scan it while Stark work in the computer, Kokoro let them scan it first later she will test something...
"The gamma readings are definitely consistent with Selvig's report of the Tesseract. But it's going to take weeks to process" Said Banner
"Weeks? I didn't bring enough clothes" Said Kokoro
"If we bypass their mainframe and direct route to the Homer cluster, we can clock this at around 600 teraflops" Said Tony. Kokoro was confused, she didn't understand a thing of what he said.
"All i packed was a toothbrush" Said Banner
"We have to hang in there, Bruce" Said Kokoro with a smile
"You know, you should come by Stark Tower sometime. Top ten floors, all R&D. You'd love it. It's Candy Land" Said Tony to Bruce "You too, Kokoro. If you don't like science, there is a floor with videogames. And let me tell you, you'll love the view"
"Thanks, but the last time i was in New York... i kind of broke Harlem" Said Bruce nerviously
"Well, i promise a stress-free environment. No tension, no surprises" He said and poke Bruce with a little electric stick.
"Hey!" Steve enter the Laboratory and saw what Tony did
"Nothing?" Tony ask to Bruce. He was testing him.
"Are you nuts?" Steve ask
"Jury's out" Said Tony. Steve turn to Kokoro
"Why didn't you stop him?" He ask
"I'm not a baby-sitter, Steve. Besides, he only poke him. It's not like he punch him in the face and start a fight. Leave him be" She said
"You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz, bongo drums, huge bag of weed?" Tony ask
"I think the last one is the best option for stress" Said Kokoro
"Is everything a joke to you?" Steve ask
"Funny things are" Tony and Kokoro say at the same time
"Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny... No offense, Doc" Steve apologies
"It's all right, i wouldn't have come aboard if i couldn't handle pointy things"
"You're tip-toeing, big man. You need to strut"
"And you need to focus on the problem, Mr Stark"
"Do you think i'm not?" Tony ask "Why did Fury call us in? Why now? Why not before? What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation unless i have all the variables"
"Why Fury would hide something from us?" Kokoro ask "I don't think he'll plan something behind our backs"
"He's a spy. Kokoro, he's THE spy. His secret have secrets" He said while he eat a blueberry "It's bugging him, too. Isn't it?" He point at Bruce and everyone look at him
"Umm... I just want to finish my work here, and..."
"Doctor?" Steve ask and Bruce made a pause
"... A warm light for all mankind. Loki's jab at Fury about the Cube" Bruce explain
"I heard it"
"I think that was meant for you" Bruce point at Tony "Even if Barton didn't tell Loki about the tower, it was still all over the news"
"The Stark Tower? That big, ugly..." Steve stop when Tony look at him "... Building in New York?"
"It's powered by an arc reactor, a self-sustaining energy source. That building will run itself for, what, a year?" Bruce ask
"It's just a prototype. I'm kind of the only name in clean right energy right now. That's what he's getting at"
"Wow, that's cool. Self-sustaining energy..."
"So, why didn't S.H.I.E.L.D bring him in on the Tesseract project? What are they doing in the energy business in the first place?" Bruce ask
"I should probably look into that once my decryption programme finishes breaking into all of S.H.I.E.L.D's secure files" Said Tony
"Wait, what?!" Kokoro ask
"Jarvis has been running it since i hit the bridge. In a few hours, i'll know every dirty secret S.H.I.E.L.D has ever tried to hide. Blueberry?"
"Yet you're confused about why they didn't want you around" Said Steve. Kokoro knew that this was going to end bad
"An intelligence organisation that fears intelligence?" Tony ask "Historically, not awesome"
"I think Loki's trying ti wind us up. This is a man who means to start a war and if we don't stay focused, he'll succeed. We have orders. We should follow them" Said Steve and he look at Kokoro "Make sure they do what they came to do, and do your part too" Kokoro sigh and mutter in japanese
"... Anata mo shinken ni monogoto o torimasu (you take things too seriously)"
"What?"
"Nothing..." Said Kokoro "Goshinpainaku. Watashi wa sorera ni me o shite okou" She continue talking in japanese only to upset him a little
"English, please"
"Don't worry about it. i'll keep an eye on them" Kokoro translated
"Following order is not really my style" Said Tony. He keep eating the Blueberries "Neither should be yours" He say to Kokoro
"And you're all about style, aren't you?"
"... Of the people in this room, which one is, A: wearing a spangly outfit, and B: not of use?"
"Steve" Bruce call him "Tell me none of this smells a little funky to you..."
"Just find the Cube" He said and leave
"..." Kokoro remain silence
"That's the guy my dad never shut up about? I'm wondering of they shouldn't have kept him on ice" Said Tony
"He's a soldier after all, Stark. He have to follow orders... that's what they do. Sad but true" Said Kokoro and look at the scepter "I'm going to examine the scepter"
"Alright" Said Bruce "Be careful on whatever you are going to do"
"I will" Kokoro look at the gem and try to figure out something. She close her eyes and touch the scepter, Banner give her space. After the fight against Mikaboshi, Izanagi teach her a lot of things, including Psychometry. She can use that ability but she can't control it perfectly. Either way, she was going to try and see what happen. She concentrate and use Psychometry...
"Find something?" Tony ask
"... Wait..." Kokoro whisper "This scepter... is from someone else... He give it to Loki... and-" Kokoro shut up and saw something. A figure, she couldn't see it clearly but it looks like a man... then... "AH!" Kokoro let go of the scepter and grab her head. Her head hurt for a moment. Tony and Bruce run to her side
"Are you okay?!" Bruce ask
"... Destruction..."
"What?"
"That the only thing i could see..." Kokoro look at the scepter, mainly the gem "This scepter is from someone powerful. Thor was right. Loki just wants the Tesseract so he can give it to someone. In exchange, he'll help him to conquerer the world"
"Who?" Tony ask
"I don't know... i didn't see him, only his silhouette. Sorry but i need to sit down" Kokoro walk to the chair and sit "I don't use Psychometry so often..."
"Rest for a moment. We'll continue working" Said Bruce. Kokoro close her eyes for a moment...