Chapter 10 – Meet Thor

A/n – Here goes! This chapter has the most changes of any so far I think so I hope you enjoy it.

Booklover2526: I'm glad you liked that bit :D

XxxBellaBellaxxX: I'm extremely flattered that my chapters are highlights :) Here comes Thor

LaNaturalBreezeOf-Books: I have tons of AC/DC CD's and they all remind me of Tony now :D Yeah that speech he makes always made me uneasy it's just ugh! It's how it's meant to make you react though so well done to the writers I guess. I wonder how you managed that seeing as we're both girls :D But feel free to be like Toni. You're just about to find out but here's a clue. She's not going to go barging straight in.

paisley15: For reasons that will become clear the Iron Man suit has a voice changer so Toni sounds male when she speaks in it unless it is over a comm unit. Gemma Arterton is who I picture in my head but make up your own mind.

MelodyPotterSnape: I'm glad you liked it

3 Avengers: I'm going to look forward to writing them :D I'm flattered that you look forward to an update of this story.

Guest: I'm glad you're still enjoying this story.

Harm Marie: Good :D

Dragones: I still haven't decided about Phil yet. Still think Toni might have figured out the deception by now so I'm leaning the other way. And while Toni is impulsive still I reckon she wouldn't rush in as much because she's more prone to thinking first. In my head anyway

As Natasha and the agent she had brought with her as co-pilot escorted Loki to the quinjet Toni began to follow them and climbed aboard. "Come on then, Captain," she said as he lingered behind which seemed to spur Steve into action as he hurried onto the jet as Natasha prepared for take-off.

The minute the jet was in the air Toni removed the Iron Man helmet and let her hair out of the bun she wore it in whilst in the suit. Loki appeared to be shocked by her appearance as he obviously hadn't known that Toni Stark wasn't short for Anthony.

"That's the one piece of information he was missing. Why was it about you?" Bruce asked puzzled.

"I don't know," Toni replied, "yes, my file is emptier than it probably should be but my gender is still there. Maybe he just assumed going by the misnomer."

Toni simply rolled her eyes at his shock and turned to Natasha, "are you going to check in now?"

Natasha nodded stiffly in reply and reached for her radio, "Director Fury, this is Agent Romanoff, we have Loki, do you copy?"

"Is he saying anything?" Fury asked over the radio.

"Not a word," Natasha replied.

"My brother would not wish to say anything for fear of giving something away," Thor said attempting to explain away at least some of Loki's actions.

"Just get him here we're low on time," Fury said exasperatedly.

"I don't like it," Steve said quietly to Toni.

"What, Rock of Ages giving up so easily?" Toni quipped.

"Why are you two exchanging banter already? Annie?" Natasha asked puzzled.

"It's my father's fault," Toni said but left it at that refusing to elaborate no matter how many more questions the others asked her. The truth was all through her childhood her father had relentlessly belittled her for not being Steve. It had been bad enough that she had been born a girl but she didn't even live up to his ridiculous expectations.

"I don't remember it being that easy," Steve pointed out, "This guy packs a wallop."

"Still, you did pretty well for someone who hasn't practiced in a while," Toni joked, "what's your thing Pilates?"

"I was just trying to ease a little bit of the tension," Toni muttered softly to Steve, "I find it hard to talk to you."

"What?" Steve said confused clearly not realising that Toni's tone wasn't unkind.

"It's like calisthenics," Toni continued not willing to be embarrassed, "You might have missed a couple of things doing time as a Capsicle."

"Damn Toni," Clint said with a whistle, "you don't hold back do you."

"Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in," Steve said accusingly.

"Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you," Toni snapped clearly not happy with how he was acting. But before Steve could get in any sort of retort lightning began to crackle around the quinjet and Natasha said worriedly, "where's this coming from?"

Loki sat up straighter in his seat eyeing the ceiling warily. "What's the matter?" Steve inquired, "Are you scared of a little lightning?"

"I'm not overly fond of what follows," Loki quipped in return.

As the quinjet jolted as something impacted it Thor was shown to be crouched on the roof. Toni quickly retrieved her helmet and slipped out some sort of device into her hand. There came several more bumps to the quinjet which caused Toni to reach over and open the rear hatch. "What are you doing?" Steve shouted to be heard over the wind.

"The longer it stays shut the more damage that would be inflicted if someone decided to try and force it open," Toni pointed out.

"You did have a point there," Steve admitted, "I wasn't sure what to make of you as you seemed to change personalities at the drop of a hat."

Instantly Thor dropped down onto the open hatch and Loki's face fell. Seeing Toni near to the entrance he punched his hammer into her chest and she flew backwards across the deck of the quinjet. Once she was out of the way Thor grabbed Loki and departed.

"Once again I must apologise Lady Stark. I did not know that you meant no real harm," Thor apologised.

"And I've told you it's fine, I've already forgiven you. And could you at least try and call me Toni. It feels like you don't like me when you call me by my surname," Toni said quietly.

"And now Thor's arrived," Toni said exasperatedly.

"Another Asgardian?" Natasha shouted back.

"That guy's a friendly?" Steve asked.

"Yes, but at the moment it doesn't matter," Toni replied, "he's acting rashly and I really don't like being hit with hammers. We need to talk to him."

"Thank you for realising that my actions were not that of a hostile Lady St…" Thor said pausing slightly before managing to say, "Toni."

This elicited a rare, completely genuine smile from Toni which made the awkwardness of the situation a little less irritating. Toni hardly ever smiled like that except when around Piper or Bruce.

"Stark, we need a plan of attack," Steve shouted.

"I have a plan," Toni said before she leapt from the quinjet and flew in the direction that Thor had taken Loki.

Steve obviously was not impressed that she hadn't seen fit to share this plan with him and grabbed a parachute from the storage area.

"Couldn't just trust that the person in the room with an IQ of 189 had a workable plan could you Cap?" Natasha laughed.

"I'd sit this one out, Cap," Natasha warned.

"I don't see how I can," Steve said as he strapped the parachute on.

"These guys come from legend. They're basically gods," Natasha continued, "And Annie knows what she's doing."

"I was kind of shocked to hear you give her a nickname to be honest," Steve confessed.

"I get that reaction a lot don't worry," Natasha said smiling.

"There's only one god, ma'am," Steve said passionately, "and I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." With that thought expressed Steve grabbed his shield and launched himself from the quinjet.

Steve's comment elicited quiet laughter from the group whatever their individual beliefs in the existence of a god were. Even Thor found his comment slightly amusing although for different reasons than the others.

There was a resounding thump as Thor slammed Loki down onto a shelf of rock. After getting over the initial shock of the landing Loki began to laugh.

"Where is the Tesseract?" Thor asked bitterly.

"I missed you, too," Loki said continuing laughing.

"Do I look to be in a gaming mood?" Thor inquired angrily.

"Definitely Shakespearian," Toni said with a slight smile.

"You should thank me," Loki said sitting up, "with the Bifrost gone, how much dark energy did the Allfather have to muster to conjure you here to your precious Earth?"

Thor dropped Mjolnir onto the ground before launching himself at Loki and grabbing hold of him, "I thought you dead," he spat out.

"Did you mourn?" Loki asked curiously but his tone saying that he obviously thought that Thor hadn't.

"We all did," Thor stated, "our father…"

"Your father," Loki interrupted bitterly.

"I was right to peg it as familial issues," Toni said.

Thor let go of him as he continued, "he did tell you my true parentage, did he not?"

"We were raised together," Thor pointed out, "we played together, we fought together. Do you remember none of that?"

"I remember a shadow," Loki said bitterly, "living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss. I, who was, and should be king," Loki spat out angrily.

Toni sighed as she realised that in this matter she could truly relate to Loki. She had been living in Steve's shadow for her entire life and no matter what she did she couldn't escape it. And when Steve met her he had damn well done his best to keep making her feel inferior. It was one of the reasons she hadn't been able to stop herself lashing out at him.

"So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights?" Thor said sadly, "No. The Earth is under my protection, Loki."

Loki didn't seem to be able to stop his laughter upon hearing that statement, "and you're doing a marvellous job with that. The humans slaughter each other in droves while you idly fret. I mean to rule them, as why should I not?"

"You think yourself above them?" Thor asked disappointedly.

"Well, yes," Loki said as if that should have been perfectly obvious.

"Lovely," Clint muttered sarcastically.

"Then you miss the truth of ruling, brother," Thor continued sadly, "A throne would suit you ill."

Loki's face contorted with anger upon hearing Thor's honest words and he shoved his brother out of the way before stalking back up the rock ledge shouting back, "I've seen worlds you've never known about! I have grown, Odinson, in my exile. I have seen the true power of the Tesseract and when I wield it…"

"Who showed you this power?" Thor interrupted, "Who controls the would-be king?"

"I'm glad you noticed that he wasn't acting alone," Toni said appreciatively.

"I am a king!" Loki roared.

"Not here!" Thor said getting angry once more, "You give up the Tesseract! You give up this poisonous dream! You come home."

The others all knew this had been wishful thinking and even Thor did now but they didn't want to say anything. It was too personal to touch even if some of them sorely wished to.

"I don't have it," Loki laughed.

Thor snarled and summoned Mjolnir to his hand from its position on the ground as Loki continued, "You need the Cube to bring me home. But I've sent it off, I know not where."

"You listen well, brother," Thor began.

"Well, I would but someone else is here," Loki jibed pointing to where Toni was floating in the sky.

Thor began to spin his hammer again but Toni cut him off, "I'd rather you didn't attempt to injure me again thanks. I'd like the Tesseract back just as much as you."

"This matter is no business of yours Man of Iron," Thor stated.

"Always with the misnomer, although I suppose it's my fault for installing the voice changer into all my suits but the Mark I and as I said before that was a pile of junk," Toni sighed.

"Look, you want to stop an invasion of Earth just as much as I do, I live here! That makes it my business," Toni said shortly. She was obviously not pleased with Thor's attitude.

Loki had seen this as an opportunity to try to escape but Toni was ready for him as she dropped the metal device from her hand at his feet. When it made contact with the ground a force field sprung up around him.

"What is this magic Man of Iron?" Thor asked accusingly.

"Not magic," Toni sighed, "technology! It's only temporary and I'm sure some form of magic could trick it. I don't have much of an opportunity to test it on people who can use magic. But I'm pretty sure it'll stop an escape for now."

"Why didn't we use that on the helicarrier as well?" Steve asked.

"I only had one on me," Toni clarified, "and like I said it would eventually be tricked by some form of magic because I couldn't defend against it."

Before Thor had a chance to reply to this statement Steve landed on the ledge beside him and gazed bewilderedly at the blue force field surrounding Loki which was admittedly already beginning to flicker as Loki was starting to break out.

"We should take this back to the quinjet. Thor you're welcome to accompany us," he said trying to keep the peace and thankfully Thor agreed to do so on the proviso that he could keep his eyes on his brother at all times.

Toni however declined and said, "I'll make my own way there."

This meant that Toni had to explain to the others that as she had retrieved the coordinates for the helicarrier's location from Natasha's computer and now she simply wanted to fly there herself rather than stay in the same small space as Loki, Thor & Steve who had all been attacking her at least a little.

A/n: I hope the changes in this chapter don't put too many people off. Fingers crossed :)