AN: Finally found the inspiration to update…because I saw the movie for the third time, plus I have the soundtrack and I can look up direct quotes online, gotta love the internet. I've been having some serious writers block but hopefully I'll be updating more often. A lot of stuff directly from the movie, but that's just how things turns out.

Chapter Ten: The Attack

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Bruce asks sarcastically; gaining a scoff from Anna.

"Loki's gonna drag this out. So, Thor, what's his play?" Steve asks the Norse God, whose back is facing the team, causing him to turn around before responding.

"He has an army called the Chitauri, thats not of Asgard nor any world know. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract." He states grimly.

"An army, from outer space."

"That's just…peachy." Anna mumbles sarcastically to her brother, whose only response is to raise a brow at her attitude.

"So he's building another portal. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for." Bruce states which causes Thor's brow to furrow in confusion.

"Selvig?"

"He's an astrophysicist."

"He's a friend."

"Loki has him under some kind of spell, along with one of ours." Natasha informs him, her agitation at the situation clear on her face.

"I wanna know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here."

"I tried to tell you, but no one believes me." Anna responds in an irritated tone, a scowl now on her face before mumbling something along the lines of "stubborn men" under her breath.

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell crazy on him."

"Take care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and he's my brother." Thor warns Bruce.

"He killed eighty people in two days." Natasha and Anna state in unison.

"He's adopted."

Anna shakes her head in response to Thor's reply before zoning out for a moment, trying to gather her emotions to prevent herself from lashing out at the team due to the frustration she feels at being ignored, though she faintly pays attention to the discussion. Bucky notices her detachment but says nothing, knowing that she needs time to get herself together.

"Iridium, what did they need the Iridium for?" Bruce wonders aloud.

"It's a stabilizing agent." Tony answers as he enters the room with Coulson and quietly says something to him before continuing. "Means the portal won't collapse on itself, like it did at SHIELD. [He moves to Thor and pats his arm] No hard feelings Point Break, you've got a mean swing. [Finishing statement about Iridium] Also, it means the portal can open as wide, and stay open as long, as Loki wants."

He then motions for one of the techs to raise the screens.

"That man is playing gallaga!" Tony exclaims, earning a confused look from Steve and causing Anna to snap back to reality before continuing. "Thought we wouldn't notice, but we did. [Approaches screens and covers one eye] How does Fury even see these?"

"He turns." Agent Hill states.

"Sounds exhausting. The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source. A high energy density, something to kick start the cube." Tony replies as he examines the screens before placing something on the stand for one of the monitors, which only Anna seems to notice.

"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?"

"Last night. The packet, Selvig's notes, the Extraction Theory papers. Am I the only one who did the reading?"

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve questions, looking from Tony to Bruce.

"He'd have to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier." Bruce answers.

"Unless, Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect."

"Well, if he could do that he could achieve Heavy Ion Fusion at any reactor on the planet."

"Finally, someone who speaks English."

"Is that what just happened?" Steve questions.

"I think he meant someone who speaks nerd." Anna whispers in his ear as Tony walks over to Bruce.

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. You're work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster." Tony greets before shaking Bruce's hand.

"Thanks." He responds, his facial expression clearly showing his discomfort which Tony either doesn't notice or chooses to ignore.

"Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube. I was hoping you might join him." Fury states as he enters the room, causing Bruce to lead Tony from the room in the direction of the lab.

"Let's start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a Hydra weapon." Steve suggests.

"I don't know about that, but it is powered by the cube. And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."

"Monkeys? I do not understand." Thor questions.

"I do! I understood that reference." Steve responds, causing Anna to laugh softly at his reaction.

"At least you can recognize a Wizard of Oz reference." She replies with a small smile of encouragement.

"Let's move, time is short." Fury orders.

The rest of the team sitting at the table gets to their feet. Steve and Bucky head toward the lab, Natasha toward Loki's cell, and Anna approaches Fury.

"Sir, I was wondering if perhaps I could speak to Loki?"

"He's dangerous Ms. Barnes." Fury answers calmly.

"I'm well aware of that sir, but I still think I should speak to him. I believe that I can understand him." She responds stubbornly.

Fury is silent for a moment before he nods somewhat reluctantly.

Anna returns the nod with a small smile before heading in the same direction as Natasha. Her journey to the detention level is surprisingly short, but she is forced to stop when she sees that Natasha is sitting in the chair in front of his cell. Anna waits outside the room, listening closely to the conversation.

"…. I've got red in my ledger; I'd like to wipe it out." Natasha states.

"Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? Drakov's daughter, Sao Paulo, the hospital fire? Yes, Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer... PATHETIC! You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are part of you, and they will never go away!... You won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you! Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear! And when he wakes, he'll have just enough time to see his work, and when he screams, I'll split his skull! This is my bargain, you mewling quim!" Loki roars.

Anna hears quiet footsteps for a moment before Natasha replies in what she knows to be her friends acting voice.

"You're a monster!"

"No, you brought the monster."

"So, Banner... that's your play."

"What?"

"Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, I'm on my way. Send Thor and Anna as well."

Anna hears footsteps moving toward her and rushes down the hallway, hiding around the corner opposite of the direction her red haired friend needs to go and waits for her footsteps to fade before approaching Loki's cell.

"Hope your discussion is short Ms. Barnes." Fury's voice states in Anna's com.

"It will be sir." She confirms.

Anna then walks into the area outside Loki's containment cell, her wings relaxed against her back. She stops in front of where he is standing and they stare straight into each other's eyes for a moment before Anna smirks and looks at the surrounding area.

"I know why you did it, Loki, God of Mischief and Lies." Anna states in an understanding and determined tone. She quickly looks to his face and searches for a reaction. Loki simply raises an eyebrow and gives her a once over before responding.

"Do tell. I'd love to get the input of the pathetic little angel in love with the lost soldier." Loki states sarcastically.

"You'll have to try harder than that to get a rise out of me, Loki Liesmith. I know what it's like to feel lost and alone, betrayed by the ones that were supposed to protect and shelter you. To be hated and in some ways hate yourself for what you are. You aren't solving anything Loki, you're letting your rage and hate control you and it will only end in failure. You may think that you can rip this team apart, but in the end you will only bring us closer together. I feel sorry for you Loki, but the only one that can save you now is you…or her." Anna pauses, taking in the shock that shows clearly in his eyes before continuing, "I know about the woman you left behind, after all I do have friends in high places and I was in New Mexico so your brother and I get along quite well. You have a choice Loki, don't forget that. I'll leave you alone to think now, choose well."

Loki watches Anna leave the room, his mind racing as he tries to figure out how she knows all that she does.

"Impossible." Loki whispers to himself before sitting on the bench in his prison and waiting for his people to recover him.

Anna leaves the room where Loki is being detained and leans against the wall, her wings shifting restlessly against her back before she manages to calm down and begins her walk toward the lab. Halfway down the hall an explosion sends shockwaves through the ship, causing Anna to lean on the wall to regain her balance.

"Crap." She mumbles before quickening her pace toward the lab.

AN: Alright, I have an outline of where I want to go from here, so I should be able to update more regularly now. Sorry for the shortness. As always, reviews are appreciated and motivate me to update.