Somewhere, deep in a covert underground laboratory, Doctor Selvig was in the process of developing the technology needed to create a portal stabilizer for the Tesseract. Currently he occupied the center of a whirlwind creation, people ran round him in circles, heeding his every wish and command. Their laboratory consisted of a pale rough stone, the walls of the chamber climbed up multiple feet, ending in a vaulted ceiling. Stolen metal, instruments, and other speciality supplies littered the floor of the workshop as a hodgepodge set of people was hustling around, setting up the larger tools. Tinkering with the unidentifiable unfinished device, Selvig directed to a few assistants who were in the process of bringing in more boxes, "Put it over there." He gestured to an unoccupied corner of the workshop. Glancing around the room, the scientist nodded, impressed with the amount of help they were able to scrounge up at a moments notice, "Where did you find all these people?" he looked to Hawkeye. Selvig's eyes still glowed with the power of Loki's scepter.
"SHILED has no shortage of enemies, Doctor." Clint answered shortly, typing away at a small handheld tablet. When he found what he was searching for he held up an image of a rare metal, beside it was pictured the scientist that could access the substance, he questioned, "Is this the stuff you need?"
"Yeah." The Doctor confirmed studying the element depicted, "Iridium. It's found in meteorites, it forms anti-protons." He explained, "It's very hard to get ahold of."
"Especially if SHILED knows you need it." Barton remarked bitterly reading about the facility where the Iridium was kept.
"Well, I didn't know." Selvig shrugged lifting both of his arms into the air, if he didn't even know he needed the substance, SHILED couldn't possibly know. From over Clint's shoulder, he could see the approaching form of Loki, the signature green clothing identifying the Asgardian as he stepped out of the shadows. "Hey!" the Doctor smiled, "The tesseract has shown me so much." Selvig stepped around Barton to proclaim excitedly to the man who made these recent understandings about the intriguing cube possible. "It's…it's more than knowledge, it's truth." The Doctor uttered passionately, in awe of his recent findings.
"I know." Loki smirked as he observed Selvig and his work in progress. Studying the other agent he had commandeered he queried, "What did it show you, Agent Barton?"
Clint turned around; he too still had electric blue eyes, curtsey of the mind control, "My next target."
Loki nodded, obliging the request, "Tell me what you need."
"I need a distraction." Clint listed as he walked over to his equipment case. Picking up his collapsible bow he flicked it open getting ready for his next mission, "And an eyeball."
-sublimation-
It was looking to be a wonderful evening in Stuttgart, Germany. The alabaster marble face of the museum was beautifully lit as various limousines and other expensive automobiles dropped off their even wealthier owners. Lush red carpets had been brought out to protect the soles of the upstanding attendees. Valets and attends rushed back and forth, providing for the every need of the important arrivals. Faint strains of classical compositions could be heard drifting out the highest windows from inside the tall building. The impressive string quartet moved in unison as their bows trailed gracefully across the taunt strings. Violins sang delicately, carrying the piece to every corner of the room as its inhabitance mingled politely with one another. Light laughter could be heard mixing with the sounds of chatter and the aroma of rich drink. Men and women, dressed in their finest regalia were called to attention as a microphone was tapped signaling the start of a speech made by one very important and get unfortunate doctor.
From the balcony above, unseen by the naïve civilians, strolled the comfortable figure of Loki. He was dressed handsomely, wearing attire fit for the day and age of the event he was attending. A long dark overcoat defined his figure similarly matching his usual wardrobe. But instead of princely Asgardian dress clothes he wore a multi piece suit, complete with a scarf and shiny shoes. In his hand he carried with him the scepter, disguised as a staff with a glowing blue end. Approaching the unwitting citizens Loki wacked his cane against the face of a security guard who had noticed him, rendering the man unconscious. The crowd gasped in astonishment as he turned to leer at the head Doctor in charge of the Iridium.
Taking the man by the neck he flipped him over a stone table which was made from the carved heads of two rearing horses. As the man landed on his back, Loki held down the doctor with one arm as the other reached inside his inner breast pocket. From there he retrieved a sharp menacing three-pronged device. Quickly stabbing it into the eye socket of the captured Doctor Loki clicked the top to activate the instrument sending the Doctor's biometric scan to Clint so the agent could access the elusive element. The audience ran screaming at the unexpected and sudden horror they had witnessed as Loki grinned. This was what he lived for, the power of control, how this one small action could affect so many. The supremacy he could feel swelling up, a rush flooding through the veins inside him had been missing for quite some time.
When he was finished with his little diversion, Loki exited the museum, now free to do as he wished. As he walked, the dark overcoat and scarf combination transformed into his emerald and gold battle armor complete with his horned helmet and cape. The staff converted as well, back into its original form as its owner slowly chased the terrified occupance from their mundane ceremony. Alarms sounded through the streets as an emergency vehicle was called to the scene. But their help was to be denied as a shot of azure energy from Loki caused the car to flip forward over itself, landing in its top, and sliding to a halt. The running and screaming increased as multiple forms of the God of Mischief appeared all around the square, caging in the panicked escaping individuals.
"Kneel before me." Loki commanded his voice going unheard, as the sounds of terror grew steadily louder. "I said." He pounded the scepter on the pavement, the stone flashed, causing every eye to turn to him, "Kneel!" he yelled, voice echoing across the open courtyard and reverberating through the air.
In its wake, a silence took over the petrified faces of the people as they fulfilled his order, kneeling before him. Raising his arms in acknowledgement Loki sneered, "Is not this simpler?" he questioned rhetorically, "Is this not your natural state?" He sighed blissfully feeling the full effects of the seductive pull of power. "It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation." He belittled the humans as he walked through them, a god among men. "The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel." He finished his speech, high off the pleasure that came with asserting dominance over a lesser being.
From a few feet away one man started to stand. He was an elderly fellow; an individual who had seen plenty in his time to understand when enough was enough, "Not to men like you." He defied looking the Asgardian directly in the eyes.
"There are no men like me." Loki scoffed regarding this insubordinate creature.
The man clenched his jaw; "There are always men like you."
Loki raised his scepter, "Look to your elder, people." He aimed the magical blue power at the disobedient man, "Let him be an example." And he released a bolt of energy. Just as the shot was about to hit its intended target, it was deflected back at its owner, knocking Loki clean off his feet and onto his stomach, causing him to land disheveled and winded.
Standing in from of the elderly gentleman, was Captain America.
"You know," Steve strolled forward toward the indignant God of Mischief, "the last time I was in Germany" his voice deep with conviction laced with disgust, "and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing." He finished, glaring at the sole reason a war he had already fought was happening all over again. A war revolving around the troublesome power that was the tesseract.
"The soldier." Loki greeted snidely, planting his staff on the ground and rising from his sprawled position, "The man out of time." He laughed. Unbeknownst to the Asgardian, Lucy had landed behind him, the sound of her drop disguised in the noise of his fall. She now crouched a few feet away, watching in case Steve needed backup.
Cloaked by her suit she scrutinized the scene, hidden, as the two men interacted. She hadn't witnessed Steve in action as Captain America before this very moment. Of course, she had seen the video footage and the promotional pictures at some point, but she had never been physically present. Now here he was, standing before her fulfilling his duty, standing tall and proud. Defending the lives of those too weak to protect themselves.
She could feel her heart begin to race in an inappropriate reaction to something completely unrelated to the adrenaline she should be feeling when at the cusp of a high stakes conflict. Her breathing hitched as she observed him confidently face his adversary. The wholesome love and adoration she always felt for Steve had turned darker, deeper, and more sensual as he spoke proudly wearing the colors of his beloved country. Even if his uniform wasn't up to the protective standards she was expecting, it fit him well, emphasizing the tamed strength and potential usually hidden beneath his, still 40s esque, clothes. A slight burning crept up the base of her neck as she admired his form before her attention was snapped back to the seriousness at hand.
"I'm not the one who's out of time." The Captain confided to Loki as the SHIELD quinjet appeared out of nowhere, its weapons fully loaded and trained on the bully, supporting Steve's claim.
"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down." Black Widow's stern voice rang out of the speakers.
With a blast from Loki's staff, another beam of bright blue energy was shot out, this time directly at the hovering plane. Harshly tugging on the controls, Natasha just barely veered the jet out of the way, its wing minutely missing the destructive energy. In response Steve threw his shield at Loki, it collided with his chest, ricocheting back into the Captain's waiting hand. As the large disc flying straight into him distracted Loki, he didn't see the soldier appear behind it until it was too late. Steve appeared with a punch that caused his face to tilt comically backwards. Growling Loki retaliated, hitting Steve a few times across the chest and shield with his staff, forcing him to duck away. From his position on the floor a few feet to the side, Steve once again flung his shield at Loki who batted it away as if it were an irritating yet harmless fly. Launching himself forward, the Captain swung his fist into Loki's face. Again he dodged while swiping his scepter through the air causing Steve to lean back, barely supporting himself against the ground as he evaded the attacks. In retribution, Steve landed a massive hit on Loki's side just as the staff found purchase across his entire back, flinging the super soldier into the pavement face first. Sauntering over to the felled Captain, Loki pushed the end of his staff against the back of Steve's helmet.
"Kneel." Loki commanded, towering over the hunched soldier.
Steve pushed away the staff in defiance; he jumped up and kicked Loki across the face, "Not today." He gritted out as Loki stumbled back.
"The guy's all over the place." Natasha mumbled into their earpieces. The men were fighting too quickly and too closely for her to fire an accurate shot, "You guys aren't going to be getting any back up from me."
Lucy nodded grimly in response, wincing as she watched Steve flung to the ground once again. The force used against him this time had been harder than all the others, causing his body to roll multiple times as he fell. "I've got this." She announced unable to stand and watch any longer. Lucy checked her cloaking mechanism to make sure it was still on before launching herself into the battle. Running up behind Loki she shouted to confused him. As he looked around to see where the noise was coming from she grabbed his arm, twisting her body as she clamped her legs around his face, avoiding the antlers, swinging so he handed on his back with her on top of him. He groaned, winded as she kneed his stomach keeping him down while simultaneously landing a few punches to his face. He sure could take a hit. Most men would have blacked out after one or two punches. Feeling around the air he quickly grabbed her arm and rolled her over. Then using his momentum, Loki flung her to the side, landing hard on a set of stairs causing her back to tense in protest. Groaning she moved to right herself, ready to enter the fight once more when the sound of AC/DC's Shoot To Thrill announced the ostentatious entrance of her godson. She rolled her eyes at his theatrics.
The jet's PA system was overridden as Tony's smug voice sounded across their radio, "Agent Romanoff," he saluted charmingly, "did you miss me?" Iron Man flew into the scene a streak of golden red light, firing a round of explosives across Loki's chest, knocking him into the same set of stairs Lucy was lying on. Landing before Loki, with all of his weapons aimed at the Asgardian, Tony threatened, "Make your move, Reindeer Games."
Lucy reached up to deactivate her cloaking technology. With the press a button, her figure flickered into view still sitting in the stone steps.
Steve stood up, grabbing his shield as he walked over to check on her. "Are you all right?" He kneeled besides her looked up and down her body searching for injures. She smiled at his concern, "Nothing I can't handle." She patted his arm before turning to regard the suspiciously docile Asgardian.
Loki raised his hands slowly in surrender as he eyed the Iron Man. His face weary as his battle armor faded back into his regular wear.
"Good move." Tony quipped, his plethora of weapons going back into their hidden compartments.
"Mr. Stark." Steve greeted as he helped Lucy to her feet.
Tony looked over to the couple making their way over to join him, "Captain." He nodded, analyzing the super soldier.
"Eddie." Lucy greeted with a sardonic grin, "Nice of you to show up, late, as usual."