As you all might know (or definitely know), finals are, like, two weeks away from now on. I might post the chapters later than usual so pardon me if I do. Also, I don't have an editor so there could be some mistakes in the story but I'll try my best to make it as perfect as possible.

So here's the second chapter! Review, please!

Chapter 2 – Somebody that I used to know

As they walk down the corridors, men and women stared and whispered comments to each other, not knowing that Eureka could her them loud and clear. But she didn't mind – she's used to the nasty comments and unfair judgements by others. Thor, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to the watching eyes, as if they were meld with the light grey metal walls.

They had been walking for some time and Eureka began to think that Thor might be lost or something. She had obediently followed Thor's instructions and didn't give up a fight when she's forced to do something she doesn't like; like having two strangers sticking around you at all times. Luckily enough, the two men stopped bothering her as soon as they reached the headquarters.

As much as she liked silence and solitude, silence with Thor was just a big mistake. The whole trip was awkward and alien – she wished she just allow herself to drown in boredom instead of getting muddled up with the weird "god". Thor... that was a name Loki mentioned before, saying that he hated that man but now that she remembered it, Loki didn't sound or act as if he hated him. Eureka smiled that the flash of memory, finally relaxing a bit.

Thor had caught her earlier expression but turned away quickly, "What seem to have made you laugh?"

"Hmm? Oh, I just remembered something... funny," she bit back the urge to giggle at Loki's denying when she said that he's actually a caring little brother. Her reply didn't seem to satisfy Thor but he let it fly over his head.

Just when she thought that they had arrived at the room they were supposed to be at, they bumped into Tony who was just strolling up and down the corridor, not knowing what to do while he waits for the meeting to continue. He caught sight of Eureka and looked at her with curiosity, "Is this the girl?"

Thor nodded, "Yes."

"Hey," Eureka greeted, smiling innocently, "I'm Eureka Sia."

Tony looked at her for a while. Her attitude was similar to someone he knew, but who? The way she spoke was obviously a mask to hide her true feelings and such, just like how a certain someone used to do when trying to hide something.

"... Yeah, nice to know," Tony said carefully, still scanning the young lady. Eureka didn't have the chance to start a conversation, as a man named Nick Fury – seriously, his eye patch is really eye-catching! – arrived at the same moment and had announced that the meeting had started once again.

Once Eureka had stepped into the room, everyone seemed to look at her with distrust. She could've sworn that she felt someone sending off killing vibes, making her shift from foot to foot. Thor took his seat next to Bruce, leaving Eureka to stand alone at the doorway, trying to keep the composure on her face.

"Please have a seat, Ms. Sia," Fury said politely. Eureka then noticed a chair in front of her – at the end of the table, just like how Fury's chair was positioned – and sat on the chair, giving glances back at those who stared.

The room was quiet, unlike the corridor which was imposed by unpleasant whispers and hundreds of eyes. Right, she was the one who wanted to come so she needed to look like she's happy to be there. However, she couldn't bring herself to fake another smile because that would not fit the tense atmosphere. Even though she's not considered a criminal, the way the others look at her made her feel like she was.

Finally, she couldn't help but voice out her discomfort, "Umm, can you please not stare at me that much, because it's really not that pleasant." Immediately, the watching eyes retreated to look at something else – the quick response was somehow forced and unwilling, like they still wanted to look.

Fury was talking over a monitor, discussing about something Eureka had no idea about. After he had finished, he turned his attention to Eureka, who was now resting her head on her hand, drawing patterns on the table, "I am very sorry for the sudden request, Ms. Sia," at the mention of her name, eureka looked up and sat up straight, "But we need to get some bits of information out of you."

"Oh my god, if it's about the bag I stole, I swear I've out it back in Marissa's locker," Eureka blurted out suddenly.

"You stole a bag?"

"... You're not Marissa's dad?"

"Umm, who's Marissa?" Tony arched an eyebrow.

"Oh... never mind, then," Eureka said, "And don't tell anyone about that; it's actually taboo around... only me, actually," she quickly added.

"Back to our conversation," Fury reminded them, "We actually want to get information about Loki." Eureka couldn't stop herself from flinching at the name. "Sounds familiar?"

"Isn't he dead?" Eureka asked, though she wished she hadn't.

"Yes, he is. However, we had recently raided his base and found a note saying that you know something."

"... You raided his home?"

Fury looked confused at Eureka's sudden change of tone, suddenly becoming serious. Then he said, "Yes, we did."

Eureka stayed silent, eyes fixated on the table. The Avengers observed her – Clint and Natasha went on standby in case she decided to attack. She didn't. She sat there quietly. Her clenched fists began to tremble on her lap – whether it was fear or sadness, no one knows. Only Eureka does, and it was definitely anger.

What?

What? What? What?

Why? How? When?

Did they take anything? Did they damage anything?

How could they do that? How could they impose his home?

Their home...

Eureka was furious.

But being trained for a good amount of time, she managed to conceal her anger and face the audience with a stoic face. A sudden smirk formed her lips, "Why would you do that?"

Fury continued, "Loki was a very powerful sorcerer, and his death could be faked and we could confirm it if we have the needed information."

"What if he was still alive?" Eureka's voice was icy.

"Then we'll have him as a prisoner."

"Why would you do that?"

"Why?" Fury was not sure where this was going, "Because he's evil."

Eureka's smile dropped. "He's a mad man;" – He's not – "He kills people without intentions;" – He does have reasons – "He is an inhuman and dangerous being –"

A loud bang filled the room. Clint and Natasha were ready to seize the girl but Fury signalled them to back off. A small crater was formed on the glass table, though it was not too damaged to crack. Green orbs pierce through Fury's mind, soon followed by a sly smile.

"And you think it's okay for you?"

"Explain yourself," Fury calmly said.

Eureka leaned back at her chair, legs crossed and fingers laced and rested on her lap, "You know nothing about him," she began, "You just assume that very foreign being is the ultimate enemy for the human being. I'll tell you something good: monsters aren't born – they are created. Maybe if his family and friends aren't such a prick," she directed her conversation to Thor now, "he wouldn't have to be some attention-craving monster. After he finally went insane, you just decide to put all the blame on him, telling him that he became the way he was because he chose to do so, when he didn't."

"Be careful of what you speak," Thor warned.

"Says you," Eureka spat, "Someone like you – who's showered with attention and praises all the time, living in the bright side and ignoring the shadow they've casted – won't understand anything. It's so sad for Loki to have someone like you to be his brother; I bet he had a really great time getting compared to someone he knew he could never be. And guess what? That same person just keeps on making him feel like a fish out of water. Your obliviousness is just amazing!"

"Do not mention a dead man's name lightly!" Thor howled. Steve grabbed his arm to remind him of his position. Eureka glared at the God of Thunder – now she understood what Loki meant by "having a low boiling point".

Steve turned to Eureka, face firm with control, "Miss, please control yourself. We understand that you might have ac close bond with Loki but there's not need to be overly defensive."

At the lecture, Eureka smiled sweetly, "Aww, that's so sweet." Steve was puzzled.

"What?"

"That's the best thing anyone has ever said to me regarding Loki and I. Thanks for understanding, and sorry for the sudden outburst. I don't actually do that very often but I'm just over protective when it comes to friends and family."

Confusion stirred in the room. At one point, she was a raging bull and after a few words of wisdom, she was a goody-two-shoe again, smiling warmly at everyone. Thor and Steve sat back down, eyes locked on the girl.

A series of knocked interrupted the scene. A woman in SHIELD uniform opened the door carefully, a folder tucked in one arm. "Sir, someone wishes to see Eureka Sia," she announced.

"Who is it?" Fury asked.

"A boy named Armada, sir."

Eureka jerked her head to the woman, shocked at the sudden announcement. "He's here?"

"Who is he?" Bruce asked.

"Can I see him?" Eureka ignored Bruce's question and turned to Fury with pleading eyes, "Please. I don't know how he got here and if he had followed me here, then it must be because he's worried. I could just tell him some things so he won't get suspicious; I promise I won't do anything stupid."

Fury thought about it for a moment before giving the permission to go see Armada, though with the assistance of Steve and the woman. "Thank you, sir!" Eureka said as she went, dark hair swaying with her urge to see her long-time friend.

The place was alien to Armada. He felt smaller than he already was inside the spacious building. He had demanded to see Eureka and a woman had told him to see if she could convince Fury if he could or not. Since there were no waiting areas, he leaned back against a wall next to a potted miniature palm tree.

Earlier, he had witnessed Eureka being taken by a bulky man with golden hair. She didn't show any resistance but it could mean that something happened to her – the last time she was about to get kidnapped, she blasted the van while she was safe, warped up inside a protective bubble. What would they want from her? Does this have anything to do with Loki?

At the sudden thought, Armada felt the urge to resurrect the dead god and kill him one hundred more times before feeding his guts to the pigs. He couldn't forget the time when he had suddenly disappeared and pronounced dead shortly after, leaving Eureka in a lost daze for weeks and weeks. It made his heart break to pieces just watching her torment herself.

As Armada was lost in his train of thoughts, Eureka, Steve and the SHIELD woman were walking towards the lobby. Eureka couldn't help herself hearing her hammering heartbeat. Is Ginger okay? Surely he is, right? It's not he's powerless or anything... Okay, maybe she's a little too overprotective...

Steve glanced at her before starting a friendly conversation, "So, who is this Armada boy?"

Eureka looked up to him, then focused back onto the stairs and corridors, "A friend of mine. We had been together for as long as I could remember. He's more a like a brother than a friend, actually."

"A brother, eh?"

"Yeah. He's really clumsy and defenceless so I have to stick around him often. If I don't, who knows what will happen to him?"

"You're a really caring person, then? To care for your friend like a blood relative, that's admirable!"

"He's an orphan at my dad's orphanage. My dad brings me there often and we used to play a lot."

"Must be nice..." Steve smiled.

Eureka smile back, "Yeah, it was..."

The conversation distracted Eureka from her path. As the group were walking – Eureka and Steve were a few paces behind the woman – Eureka hadn't noticed the bucket of water in her path. As the woman turned to her right, away from the fountain, Eureka tripped over the metal bucket, lost her balance and fell into the fountain, hitting her head hard on the floor. She remembered herself struggling to get air, and Steve and the woman calling her name over and over again. They were shaking her, telling her to "get a grip", but her head felt like a brick had just fallen on it, and everything was a blur and spinning in a vortex of confusion.

Then she heard Armada. "Euri! Are you okay?"

She couldn't remember what's next.