Torn Roads
Monster's and Desperate Men
I watched as the blond hulking man dragged Loki back up on the plane, slamming him into the airplane seat. Ade was snoozing next to me, but I didn't want to sleep until I knew I was safe. The hulking man sat on my other side, smiling at me. He stuck out his hand, his blue eyes twinkling in his golden face.
"Greetings Midgardian, I am Thor." Thor said enthusiastically. I just stared, my eyes flashing from his hand to his face. This had to be a trick, he was being too nice. Thor noticed my hesitation and pulled back his hand, his face falling a little bit.
"I see my brother's reputation has preceded me." He said sadly, and I looked at him, my eyes hard with suspicion.
"Brother? I don't know your brother." I said warily. Thor turned to me smiling and pointed to Loki, who was looking murderously at Thor.
"That is my brother." He said, and I smiled forcibly. Here's for hoping the apple fell far from the tree.
"Family relations don't matter to me. You just seemed a little…too nice." I explained, forcibly relaxing some. He looked at me, his face curious.
"Too…nice?" He asked, and I nodded.
"If you are overly nice, people suspect you of trying to deceive them." I said, turning back to look out the window, my eyes softening some.
"And who are you, my lady?" He asked, and my lips thinned thinking of when Ade called me Ghost.
"Just call me V." I said quietly. I leaned forward to look at Stark, who was at the front of the aircraft. "Where exactly are you taking me, again?" I asked, just a little pissed that I wasn't told before I was forced to get on this ship.
"Aircraft carrier. Big ship that floats," He said distractedly. I leaned forward and rubbed my temples. Life was fucking me over again.
"Can I ask why you're here Lady V?" Thor said loudly, and my head snapped towards his. I pressed my finger to my lips. I didn't want my name getting thrown around too much. These guys were working for the government, and I didn't need them knowing I stole my file from them.
"It's just V. I'm here because I was being stupid and helped instead of just splitting and leaving those guys," I said, gesturing to Captain and Stark. "To deal with your brother alone."
"Why do you say you were stupid?" He asked, once again looking confused. My lips tightened sourly.
"I'm sure you'll all find out soon enough." I said shortly, glaring at Loki, who glared back just as viciously.
The plane landed on the aircraft at dawn. I poked Ade in the arm, zapping him gently. Loki tracked my movements and I scowled at him.
The red headed woman, Agent Romanov, dragged me to Fury (I assumed the man with the eye patch was Fury, seeing as I knew everyone else's name) where Ade was trailing around Stark and Captain like some lost puppy. They lead me to a plain room, Fury gesturing for me to sit, even though we both knew I didn't want to. I stood behind the chair, looking at them both emotionlessly.
"You've got quite a rap sheet." He said, gesturing for me to sit again. I did, crossing my arms and propping my feet on the metal table. If I was being forced here, I was not going to be respectful.
"V or Ghost, no finger prints, no social security number, no birth records, nothing. Thief extraordinaire, known to have last worked with the Brother Hood of Mutants alongside the murderer known as Sabertooth before coming here. So, had a change of heart to help the Captain?" He asked, the epitome of seriousness.
"Yep. I did have a change of heart, I was tired of Sabertooth killing everyone we crossed paths with, and I was even more tired of fighting him when I tried to stop him. So I quit, and had to run to Germany. Rich-boy was there, demanding everyone to kneel, and it pissed me off, so I helped. Now I'm here." I said airily, my face relaxing before becoming impatient.
"And the kid?"
"I picked him up in Germany. He said he was homeless, so I helped him out." I said, leaving out his ability. That was his info to hand out, not mine.
"You've got quite a name for yourself, as Agent Romanoff tells me." Fury went on. I looked at him unimpressed.
"I survived. That's all I've ever done was survive. If you want to condemn me for it, go right ahead. Wouldn't be the first time. You can try and lock me up, it's been done at least twenty times, but I'll just break out and hide out in the world." I said, my words open and honest.
"I'm willing to offer you a deal. You managed to bring Loki down by yourself. We can use someone like you in our team to fight for earth; and if you help, well, I'll convince the F.B.I to forget some of your...indiscretions." He said, and I frowned.
"Fine. I want out as soon as possible." I said looking him straight in the eye before he blinked. Then nodded, smiling wryly.
"Well then, we've got a deal Ghost." He said, and I stood.
"Just call me V, please." I said quietly. I looked at Romanov with dark eyes as she led me out onto the bridge. What the hell had she heard about me that was that bad, huh? So what, I had a shitty life. So what if I did what I had to? Fury handed me a thick file.
"Everything you need to know is in there." Fury said, looking at me seriously. I smiled forcibly wonderful, I get to read a shit load of crap I probably didn't want or need to know.
"Thanks." I forced out, just as sarcastic as I could muster.
"So what exactly did you hear about me?" I asked, and she turned, her green eyes pensive and withdrawn before she answered.
"Nothing that you haven't already heard or done." She replied evenly, her face indifferent. Touché. I shrugged and walked away, some guard or officer or whatever leading me to my room and handing me some uniform pants and shirts. I shut and locked the door, jumping in the shower before getting dressed. The uniforms were hideous and way to conforming for me to move in, so I ripped off the legs of the pants and the sleeves. I read through the file, memorizing every word. Without anything else to do, I wandered around before walking past a guarded hallway. Surprisingly, they let me through and I came across a room with a big glass jar.
Guess who was in that big glass jar and looked like some sort of zoo animal?
And guess who was laughing there ass off as soon as said person turned to glare.
I had the urge to tap on the glass like an obnoxious kid at the zoo just to rub it in.
"I assume you haven't visited me because you missed me?" Loki asked sarcastically, and I grinned.
"Nope. I already told you once that you face makes me sick. I do want to know where they put your fancy boom-boom stick though, I would like to sell it for scrap metal." I said, goading him. His face darkened as he scowled.
"If you touch my things you pale little worm, I will end you." Rich-boy snarled banging on the glass. I laughed again.
"I'm not scared of you Rich Boy. All you're doing is throwing a temper tantrum, and to be honest, I don't really care." I said flippantly, sitting on the metal railing.
"That's right, you're scared of that beast-man. Sabertooth." He said smiling, and I frowned, my wet hair feeling a lot colder than it had before as the hair stood up on the back of my neck.
"Yup. You may be twisted, and I don't like you, but you're not a monster. Not like him. I worked with him for a year, and I got to know him a lot more than I ever wanted to. And let me tell you, the things that guy does for fun…they're not pretty." I said my voice low. Loki looked at me, his blue eyes hooded and dark.
"How do you know he's worse than me? How do you know that I'm not, in fact, the monster?" Rich Boy asked carefully. I looked up and snorted, looking him over.
"I can see it in your eyes. What you're doing now, it's out of arrogance, anger maybe. Sabertooth fights and tortures and murder's and rapes. He doesn't conquer. He doesn't have plans or goals. You, though deluded and completely insane, at least have a reason. You're murdering to take over earth. You can be reasoned with." I said, my hands gripping the rails tightly as I thought of that psycho. In all honesty, I was really sure he's going to kill me. And I won't be able to do shit except buy myself more time and live in fear.
"And when he find's me, it isn't going to be good for me. I wish they'd left me in Germany. Because as soon as I step foot off of this air-craft, he'll be on my trail. If he does catch me, when he catches me, I just hope he'll only kill me." I muttered, running my hand through my damp hair as worry worked its way across my face, flickering in my black eyes.
"How terrifying can one human be?" He asked and I stood looking him in the eye.
"He's not human. Not anymore. Just a monster who can't die." I said grimly, turning away to look at the door longingly. "Like I said. You don't scare me. Besides, you're just a spoiled brat in time out now." I mocked, turning to walk out.
"You pathetic little girl! Lost, scared little girl," Loki hissed, his hand on the glass and his dark hair disheveled, and I stood, waiting patiently for him to finish, but he stopped when he caught my eyes. I smirked humorlessly.
"Words don't hurt someone like me, Brat." I said honestly. "You don't fool me, and you don't scare me because I. Don't. Care. So have a nice life Rich Boy. Oh, and do tell me if you're going to break out. Things around here are boring." I said again, my voice sliding across the silent air before I walked out.
I walked out onto the bridge and sat next to Captain. He was nice enough, I guess. Things were very, very tense and there was a man in a purple shirt who I didn't recognize.
"I'm Dr. Banner," He said, shaking my hand.
"I'm V." I said calmly, pulling my hand away. Things were super boring and no one talked to each other. It was really awkward and tense.
"You went to see my brother?" Thor asked, turning to face me. I leaned back in my chair.
"Yeah. I wandered in there. He wasn't very chatty." I said, looking out the window. "Not that I care." I added softly.
"He is not in the right mind, you must forgive him for anything he might have said," Thor started, and I stared at him, my dark eyes stabbing into his.
"Actions speak louder than words." I muttered, and Romanov nodded, her eyes flashing towards mine in agreement.
"I firmly believe that too ma'am." Captain said, leaning back. Ade walked in with a woman agent.
"I didn't tell them about your ability, so we can train as soon as we get off this hunk of metal." I said in German. Ade nodded, before walking off the bridge.
Suddenly, the table lit up, displaying mini t.v's under the glass. I stared, my eyes wide. I had never stuff like this. Like, ever. Growing up in third world countries does that to you. My excitement faded as I saw that it was Loki talking. Pft. Talk about boring, I'd already talked to that jackass enough for a lifetime.
I zoned out until I heard Fury say something that caught my attention. "Ant, boot." He said, gesturing from the cell that held Loki to the control panel that would drop him down to the earth below. Well, seeing as this guy is pretty much indestructible from what the file said, I would hazard a guess to say that dropping him down in glass would not only piss him off, but set him loose on the world. Way to go Fury. Way to think that through.
Loki chuckled darkly, backing further into the glass cage, lifting his hands in defeat. I narrowed my eyes, wondering exactly what was going to happen.
"It's an impressive cage. Not built I think, for me." Loki said, while Fury glared with his one eye. It may sound funny to you, but that one eye glare was a truly scary and horrible thing to behold. Loki must be shaking in his medieval boots.
"Built for something a lot stronger than you." Fury shot back. I guess that was aimed at Banner, who apparently turned into a hulking green monster, from what the file said. Well, I make a living as a hired gun. Can't really judge anyone.
"Oh, I've heard. A mindless beast, makes play he's still a man." Loki went on, and Natasha looked up and over to Dr. Banner, who shrugged. I guess he didn't let it affect him anymore.
"How desperate are you? To call on such lost creatures, criminals even, to defend you?" He asked, louder and openly snide. I felt my jaw twitch when I heard his jab. Yeah, I was a criminal. So what?
"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control, you talk about peace but you kill because it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did." Fury said, his voice holding in the anger and a threat. I'm sure if he could have, Fury would've beaten the shit out of Loki. There was one thing I did disagree with. Loki didn't kill for fun. I'd seen people who killed for fun, and it wasn't Loki.
"Oooh." Loki said, barely holding back his smirk as he mocked Fury. "It burns you to have come so close, to have the tesseract," He started, his smirk widening into an insane smile. "To have power, unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for mankind to share? And then to be reminded of what real power is." Fury stared back, completely unfazed and unimpressed.
"Well, let me know if real power wants a magazine or something," He said dismissively, walking away.
Okay, another problem I have with Rich Boy's speech. Mankind didn't share anything, much less tangible power like the tesseract. There was just no way it could ever happen. EVER.
The t.v clicked off. "He really grows on you doesn't he?" Banner said, rubbing his chin tiredly.
I snorted and looked down at where the t.v used to be. "Not me." I said.
"Loki plan is to drag this out. So, Thor. What's his play?" Steve asked, his eyes deep in thought. Thor turned, rubbing his chin tiredly.
"He has an army called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard or of any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth in return, I suspect, for the tesseract."
"An army? From space?" Steve asked, and I sat and listened. Sometimes that's all you had to do.
"So he's building another portal? That's what he needs Erik Selvig for." Banner interjected.
"Selvig?" Thor asked, looking concerned.
"He's an astrophysicist." Banner answered, cleaning his glasses idly.
"He's a friend," Thor said, worry etching itself across his face.
"Loki has him under some kind of spell. Along with one of ours." Natasha explained, leaning forward on her elbow's.
"What I want to know is why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here." Steve said, and I looked up.
"He could be gathering intel. Scoping out the enemy." I offered, shrugging.
"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag of cat's. You can smell crazy on him." Banner argued, shifting some.
"Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is still my brother, and he is still of Asgard." Thor said, walking forward.
"He killed 80 people in two days." Natasha said flatly, looking up at Thor.
"He's adopted," Thor tried to explain before I cut him off. I had to hold back being pissed at the adopted comment for later. Because boy, while my life has been tough, there was nothing I wouldn't have given at first to have been adopted by some people who actually loved me. Who gives a shit if they lied to me about it?! I wouldn't care! At least they loved me. Or, would have. But enough of my, uh, parental issues.
"What stuck out to me, was what Fury said. He said that Loki kills for fun. But he doesn't." I started, before Natasha cut me off.
"Then what else do you-" She started before I turned and glare silently.
"I've seen people who kill for fun. They don't have plan's, they don't have goals. I think, he's desperate. What kind of deal did he make to get an army in the first place? I'm guessing it won't be pretty if he fails." I said evenly, and Natasha's eyes softened.
"And desperate men always make mistakes." She agreed.
"I think it's about the mechanic's. Iridium, what do they need the Iridium for?" Banner went on.
"It's a stabilizing agent," Stark said, walking in with a shorter man in a suit. The suit man walked over to shake my hand while Stark and Banner started talking non-sense.
"I'm Agent Coulson, welcome to shield," Coulson said, shaking my hand firmly.
"I'm V." I said simply, extracting my hand when I heard Fury's voice. I swear, that man's voice could wake up a coma patient.
"Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube." Fury said, walking in. "I was hoping you might join him," He said to Stark, who quirked his eyebrow's up. Well, I missed that conversation completely.
"Let's start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a Hydra weapon." Steve said. Stark looked at me for a moment, frowning in thought. I stared back patiently, waiting.
"Actually, Sparky, we could use your help with that," Stark said, pointing at me.
"With the boom boom stick? What do you want me to do, jump-start it?" I said, suspicion lacing my words. Why did this not seem like a good idea?
"Precisely. Just meet us in the lab, oh, about eight tomorrow. You look tired." Stark continued and I frowned, nodding and picking back up on what Fury was saying.
"I don't know about that, but what I want to know is how it turned two of the sharpest men I know into flying monkeys." Fury went on, a little annoyed. Whoops. Should I have been paying attention? Probably.
"Flying monkey's? I do not understand," Thor said, turning to Fury, his handsome golden face confused. I didn't really get what it meant either, but I didn't care enough to ask.
"I do! I got the reference." Steve said, his face excited. I stared at him, a little disturbed by his behavior before moving my seat away from him. Stark rolled his eyes and it became very quiet and tense. Before Stark and Banner left to go tinker in their lab.
I walked off and went to bed. I was exhausted, not sleeping for god knows how long will do that to you, I guess.
I fell into bed and laid there for a minute, wondering about what Thor said. So what if Rich Boy was an orphan? I was too. My foster parent's threw me out, told me I was scum, a freak, and that they were going to get a better baby.
I blinked.
I loved them too, through the beating's and the name callings. Even when they made me sleep in a cellar in rags. Up until they threw me out, put me on a plane half-way across the world where they had picked me up, and just left me there to die. Then I got angry.
Pfft. At least I didn't have abandonment issue's though.
I drifted off to sleep, dropping into darkness.
It smelled of rot. Of death.
I could never forget that smell. It was the only thing I had to remember my mother by.
"Where in Odin's name are we?" A familiar voice coughed, disgust riddling his words.
"Another prison." I answered simply. What did I care if he was picking through my dreams. He still couldn't understand me even if he tried.
"How did you end up in this one?!" Loki asked, his voice echoing through the darkness.
"I was born here. My mother lived long enough to keep me alive before dying, and the guards always shoved food in for me. I was left in here for years before they realized their prisoner was dead." I answered softly, glad the darkness hid my expression. This place made me feel...sad, and abandoned by the world. It was like the whole world just passed me by in this darkness.
"That's revolting." His voice choked out from the darkness.
"It's reality. I just deal with it." I said annoyed. Geez, what was so hard to understand? Yeah, I'd been born in a fucked up situation, big deal! I got over it. I mean, some people were in worse situations than I had been in, and they just smiled and walked it off too.
The darkness faded, bringing me back to that rainy orphanage I was forced into. A blond haired woman and her brown haired husband looked through the children, seemingly caring, but making sure none of their pristine clothes were touched by the kids. Then they stopped in front of a white haired, black eyed pale child who was not Asian.
"Well hello there, what's your name?" The woman asked bending down to look the child in the face. The kid stared back before an older Asian lady waddled over.
"This one no speak, we call her V. Like Roman Num-ral. She scare easy, very savage. Nice lady no want her." The woman prattled. I turned noticing Loki beside me. As the woman's husband rushed over, and they looked at the child staring deep into her eyes.
"This memory seems a lot more pleasant," He remarked, and I shrugged.
"Not in hindsight. I think that's enough." I said, getting uncomfortable watching my ex-foster parents behave so kindly. I shoved and pulled with my consciousness and the raining grey village faded.
I was in a Forrest, somewhere in Asia, hired as a merc. We were setting up camp on the side of one of the mountains. I was hired muscle, and I'd been working this contract for awhile when some kid walked up to me, his face curious and his gun over his back. An older man with a gun yanked him back.
"Xỳā pị xyū̀ kıl̂ ṭhex chạ̀w r̂āy." Don't go near her, she's evil. I turned, glaring at him.
"Dū s̄ìng thī̀ khuṇ ca phūd ẁā chāy chrā khn h̄nụ̀ng," Watch what you say old man. I said, but my voice was emotionless and soft. Even as the words left my mouth, I watch fear grow in his eyes and I turned away looking off the cliff feeling hollow.
I couldn't watch it anymore. I couldn't stand that look. The fear, like I was going to hurt them. I sighed through my nose quietly grateful for the peace when it was interrupted by a certain annoying someone who liked being a nuisance when I tried to sleep.
"What ails you?" Loki asked, and I crossed my arms looking at him skeptically.
"Do you even care?" I shot back, my voice flat. He smirked, glancing at me from the corner of his eye.
"I care enough to ask Midgardian." He answered, and I snorted, looking out into the valley below the cliff.
"I'm tired of people being afraid of me." I said, my lips tightening as I frowned. My eyes narrowed and my brow's drew together.
"Is that such a bad thing?"
I closed my eyes, my face relaxing as guilt bloomed in my chest. "Yeah. Yeah it is." I rubbed my face and opened my eyes, stepping closer to the edge of the cliff until my feet were on the edge. I closed my eyes again and took a deep breath, stepping off the cliff.
I was jolted awake, and boy was I pissed.
Thanks for reviewing, the people who did. You're awesome. And a big thanks to everyone who followed or favorite the story. I hope you all like it, and please review and let me know how I did.