"It's no accident Loki taking Erik Selvig." Thor commented to Agent Coulson. They were still on the bridge, waiting like everyone else for the gaggle of geniuses to locate the Tesseract. "I dread what he plans for him once he's done. Erik is a good man." Thor worried about his friend.

Coulson placated him, "He talks about you a lot. You changed his life. You changed everything around here."

Thor sighed as the two strolled around the rows of agents, "They were better as they were. We pretend on Asgard that we're more advanced, but we…we come here battling like bilchsteim."

"Like what?" Coulson queried.

"Bichsteim. You know, huge, scaly, big antlers." Thor expounded, "You don't have those?"

Coulson shook his head, "I don't think so."

Thor shrugged, "Well, they are repulsive and they trample everything in their path." He stared out the enormous windows of the command center, "When I first came to earth, Loki's rage followed me here and your people paid the price. And now again. In my youth I courted war." he lamented.

"War hasn't started yet." Fury's voice came down from his position. He was on the staircase walking down to their level. "You think you can make Loki tell us where the Tesseract is?"

'I do not know. Loki's mind is far afield, it is not just power he craves. It is vengeance upon me." Thor shook his head, "There's no pain that would pry this need form him."

"A lot of guys think that, until the pain stops." Fury noted.

Thor looked up at the Director, "What are you asking me to do?"

"I'm asking," Fury paused, "what are you prepared to do?"

Thor blinked confused, "Loki is a prisoner."

"Then why do I feel like he's the only person on this boat that wants to be here?" Fury countered.

-sublimation-

Exiting the lab, Lucy looked around trying to figure out which way Steve went. Deciding he'd go deeper into the Helicarrier she made her way into towards the cargo bay. As she entered a corridor she saw the flash of one his boots, disappearing around a bend.

"Steve!" she called again, hurrying to catch up with him.

He paused, turning to look at her, face still stony from the conversation in the laboratory, "What aren't you telling me, Lu?" he inquired studying her expression.

She sighed a feeling of dread and chilliness starting from the pit of her stomach, "I'll tell you when my suspicions are confirmed." Taking his hand in her own, she led him lower into the aircraft, "Let's go." She whispered, "If it's what I think it is, then I might know where to find it."

Walking down a flight or two as well as dodging various agents, Steve and Lucy finally made it to a highly locked cargo hold. The door read 'Secure Storage 10-C'. Steve went to pry open the door when she stopped him. Pulling out a rectangular glass device she typed in a few codes and the entrance slid open with a soft hiss, "Much more elegant, don't you think?" she smiled up at him.

Steve spared her a small smile before they quietly ventured into the dimly lit room. Avoiding a few patrolling guards they climbed up to another level which held several large identical silver crates, stacked in row upon row. Flipping open the tops, they both opened a case of their own. Inside they found multiple weapons on a bed of protective straw.

Hydra weapons.

With a scowl Steve turned to Lucy, "You knew about this and you didn't tell me?" he demanded, hurt by her actions.

"I knew SHILED was thinking about studying the Tesseract." She admitted in disbelief, picking up one of the guns and studying it, "I was asked to help them because I was the only person still alive to have experience with the cube. But I never gave an exact answer, I was still making up my mind."

"So you just sat idly by as SHIELD secretly created weapons of mass destruction." He accused, still shocked over the find.

Lucy's head snapped to her partner, expression matching the furious intensity found in his own eyes, "Listen here, Captain." She spat incensed, "I've never sat around pointlessly as anything happened. I don't 100% condone what they're doing but I agree something needed to be done. You've seen how the world can only become more complicated and more advanced. We have enemies now who have power greater than we can even imagine. Studying the Tesseract was and is a viable solution to at least some of our problems."

Steve stood, grabbing one of the guns he stomped back to the lab, too angry about the entire situation to say anything to her he wouldn't regret later.

Slamming the cases shut, Lucy followed him, huffing and growling along the way.

-sublimation-

In the glass cage, Loki was pacing. Suddenly he halted his progress turning around with a grin, "There's not many people that can sneak up on me."

"But you figured I'd come." The Black Widow finished for him.

"After." Loki sauntered toward her, "After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm. And I would cooperate."

Natasha cut to the chase, "I want to know what you've done to Agent Barton."

"I'd say I've expanded his mind." Loki smiled.

"And once you've won. Once you're king of the mountain." Natasha approached the Asgardian, crossing her arms, "What happens to his mind?"

Loki sneered, "Is this love, Agent Romanoff?"

"You wouldn't know love if it hit you in the face." The Black Widow scoffed, "Besides I owe him a debt."

"Tell me." he inquired, sitting down for a story.

"Before I worked for SHIELD, I…uh… well I made a name for myself." She replied, seating herself as well, "I have a very specific skill set. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me, he made a different call." She finished reminiscing about that eventful day.

Loki considered the agent, "And what will you do if I vow to spare him?"

"Not let you out." Natasha replied sarcastically.

"Ah, no. But I like this." He leaned forward, "Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man?"

"Regime's fall everyday." She shook her head, "I tend not to weep over that, I'm Russian. Or I was."

"And what are you now?" Loki questioned.

"It's really not that complicated." Natasha answered, standing up once more, "I've got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out."

"Can you?" He replied incredulously, "Can you wipe out that much red? Drakoff's daughter? Sao Paulo? The hospital file? Barton told me everything." Loki stood menacingly, "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." He belittled, "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 a part of you, and they will never go away." He slammed his fist against the glass, "I won't touch Barton! Not until I make him kill you. Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear. And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams I'll split his skull. This is my bargain, you mewling quim!" he finished as she turned away unable to listen any longer.

Natasha sniffled, "You're a monster."

"Oh, no." Loki laughed, "You brought the monster."

She turned around, "So, Banner? That's your play?" she remarked, faux crying all along.

"What?" he queried confused.

"Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, I'm on my way." Natasha radioed into her comm, already marching toward the lab, "Send Thor as well." Turning back to the perplexed Asgardian she nodded, "Thank you, for your cooperation."

-sublimation-

Back in the laboratory, JARVIS had just cracked into SHIELD's secure files.

"What are you doing Mr. Stark?" Fury demanded walking into the workshop.

Tony looked up at the intrusion, "Uh, kind of been wondering the same thing about you."

Fury grit his teeth, "You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract."

"We are," Bruce piped up, "the model's locked and we're seeping for the signature now." He pointed toward the search program currently at 48%, "When we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile."

"Yeah you'll get your cube back, no muss, no fuss." Tony's attention was captured as the monitor in front of him beeped, "What is Phase 2?" he questioned as Steve and Lucy entered.

Slamming one of the guns they found in the storage area Steve boomed, "Phase 2 is SHIELD uses the cube to make weapons. Sorry," he looked to Tony unapologetically, "the computer was moving a little slow for me."

"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract." Fury shook his head, "This does not mean that we're making…"

"I'm sorry Nick." Tony cut in, swiveling the monitor around. It displayed the blueprints for the obvious weapon lying in front of them, "What were you lying?"

"I was wrong, Director." Steve remarked as Thor and Natasha walked in, "The world hasn't changed a bit."

Tony looked toward his godmother, "Did you know about this?"

Lucy shifted, "I only really knew SHIELD was studying the Tesseract. They did approach me for help; I declined the first few times, but I was considering it."

"And you decided not to tell us?" Tony questioned.

"I only knew about the project in theory." She defended, tired of being accused, "I didn't know they had ready advanced to the creation of working models."

Steve and Tony glared at her; slightly miffed she kept her knowledge from them.

Natasha stepped forward, removing the attention from Lucy; "You want to think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?"

"I was in Calcutta," Bruce declared, "I was pretty well removed."

"Loki is manipulating you." She placated him.

He backed away, "And you've been doing what exactly?"

"You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you."

"Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy." Bruce pointed to the monitor again, "I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction."

Fury pointed to Thor, "Because of him."

"Me?" Thor looked up perplexed.

"Last year earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge mass that leveled a small town." Fury explained, "We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously out gunned."

Thor furrowed his brows, "My people want nothing but peace with your planet."

"But you're not the only people out there, are you?" Fury asked rhetorically, "And, you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who cannot be matched, they can't be controlled.

"Like you controlled the cube?" Steve countered.

"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies." Thor stepped forward, "It is the signal to all the realms that the earth is ready for a higher form of war."

Steve looked around the room, "A higher form?" he stated the question on everyone else's mind.

"You forced our hand." The Director continued, "We had to come up with something…"

Tony scoffed, "A nuclear deterrent. Cause that always calms everything right down."

"Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?" Fury turned to face the man.

Steve went to join the conversation, "I'm sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck deep…"

Lucy gave a sigh of exasperation.

"Wait, wait, hold on." Tony held up a hand, "How is this now about me?"

"I'm sorry, isn't everything?" Steve commented snidely.

Thor belittled, "I thought humans were more evolved than this."

"Excuse me," Fury paused, "do we come to your planet and blow stuff up?"

"Do you understand…"

Then everyone started, speaking over one another trying to gain the upper hand.

"We can…"

"Are you boys really that naïve? SHIELD monitors potential threats."

"Captain America is on a threat watch list?"

"We all are."

"…Doctor."

"You're on that list?"

"Above or below…"

"Global threat. Global threat. I feel threatened!"

"Oh honestly, Eddie!"

"And you didn't tell me…"

"…show some respect!"

"Respect?"

-sublimation-

Unbeknownst to the bickering group in the lab, a lone quinjet was making its way toward the Helicarrier.

A woman's voice radioed to the approaching plane, "Transport 6650. Please relay confirms code. I've got you on the computer but not on the log. What is your haul over?"

"Arms to ammunition. Over." The pilot communicated back. Behind him, various agents dressed in all black prepared to board the larger aircraft. Leading them was Clint Barton.

-sublimation-

"You speak of control, yet you court chaos." Thor was saying.

"It's his MO isn't it?" Bruce cut in causing everyone to stop and look at him. "I mean, what are we a team? No, no, no. We're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're… we're a time bomb."

Fury calmed the man, "You need to step away."

"Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?" Tony defended the Doctor placing a hand on Steve's shoulder.

"You know damn well why!" Steve asserted the same time Lucy glared at her godson.

She tsked heatedly, "Anthony!"

"Back off!" Steve continued, pushing away the offending hand.

Tony lost his nonchalant pose, "Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me."

"Yeah, big man in a suit of armor." Steve circled the shorter man, "Take that off, what are you?"

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist." Tony fired back.

Lucy shrugged behind the arrogant self professed playboy, he wasn't wrong. Ginger would have a lot to hear when this was over.

"I know guys with none of that worth ten of you." Steve continued indignantly, "I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."

"I think I would just cut the wire." Tony confessed.

Steve sneered shaking his head, "Always a way out. You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero."

"A hero?" Tony repeated, "Like you? You're a laboratory experiment, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle."

"Put on the suit," Steve challenged, "let's go a few rounds."

"Both of you!" Lucy commanded, pushing her way between them, "That is enough!" she looked back and forth between the two men, outrage coloring her face.

Thor laughed, "You people are so petty, and tiny."

"Yes, this is a team." Banner muttered sarcastically.

Fury looked over to Natasha, "Agent Romanoff, would you escort Doctor Banner back to his…"

"Where?" Bruce questioned, "You're renting my room."

"The cell was just…" The Director tried to placate the man.

"In case you needed to kill me; but you can't. I know, I tried." He professed. The rest of the fights quieted down as they listened to the Doctor, "I got low, I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out. So I moved on, I focused on helping other people. I was good until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk. You want to know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You want to know how I stay calm?" he threatened.

Every other agent in the room reached for their weapons.

Steve reached over to grasp Lucy's hand whilst slightly moving his body in front of hers. "Banner." He called to the Doctor, "Put down the scepter."

Bruce turned to stare at his hand. Suddenly he found Loki's magical weapon to be in his possession.

Beep. Beep. Beep. From across the room, the tracking program had completed its search.

"We got it." Fury nodded in relief.

"Sorry, kids." Bruce set down the staff before moving toward the computer, "You don't get to see my party trick after all."

"Located the Tesseract?" Thor questioned.

Tony jumped in, "I can get here faster."

"The Tesseract belongs on Asgard, no human is a match for it." Thor insisted.

"You're not going alone." Steve moved to grab Tony's arm as he started to walk away.

Slapping away the hand Tony spit out, "You going to stop me?"

"Put on the suit, let's find out." Steve opposed.

Tony smirked, "Oh, I'm not afraid to hit an old man."

"Put on the suit."

Lucy rubbed her temples. She wasn't going to make a day it if the two most important people in her life kept fighting the way they were.

Doctor Banner removed his glasses in disbelief. The energy signature match of the gamma signature location was getting closer by the second, "Oh my god." He breathed.