Stark Tower, 85th Floor, Conference Room C
Sauer didn't know how long she was in Conference Room C. It could have been an hour; it could have been two or three. She was thankful to be alone. The details of her 'visit' with Thanos choked within her, even just recounting it to JARVIS. She would have felt ashamed to break down in front of the others, even though she knew they (most of them, at least) would not blame her for doing so.
It was hard. She had to close her eyes many times and recall the objects she had seen on Thanos' deck: sizes, shapes, symbols. Colors were hardest. She had seen through Thanos' eyes, and for all she knew he interpreted colors differently than she. Sometimes she just sat, and put her head in her hands, and let herself get pulled back into memory...
But the sounds...
She had heard much while within the ship, within Thanos. Some of them were machines whining, but some...
Some were screams.
Somewhere close to where Thanos controlled his space armada he also tortured people. From the contact she had with his mind-polluted as it was-she knew he enjoyed it. He liked inflicting pain, especially on the youngest and most vulnerable. He would torture them for days, fill their moments with anguish, and then finally rip their souls out of their still-bleeding flesh. These souls he transformed into his 'Glorious Purpose', the elixir that kept him alive, long after he should have died.
There was a lot of screaming on Thanos' ship.
Sauer shuddered. It was bad enough having heard it the first time. Now she had to try to block out memories of sounds unwanted, and focus on the visuals. She wished, just once, that she could have seen a map of the place, or some sort of blueprint...
WHAM. The information hit her like a baseball bat, only inside her head. Suddenly she knew exactly how Thanos' ships were constructed, and with what, as well as what many of the machines did: weapons, space-drive, everything. She knew what color the floor was beneath her feet, where the controls were for air and water circulation, and the codes to unlock prisoner's cells.
The tech made her stagger, and the filth of the place made her retch. How did she know this?
The answer made her blood run cold. Thanos knew, and didn't care if she knew, how he traveled and what his weapons could do. He had built all of it, out of stone and metal from planet cores he had torn apart. He knew every single piece of his armada. Maybe he even wanted her to know...just to rub it in...to gloat...
She shook herself. It didn't matter. Somehow she had to communicate this to JARVIS, so it could draw the schematics for the Earth's defenders. She took off her blindfold...
And found herself sitting on the Command Deck of Thanos' ship.
Absolute horror. How could she have been possessed again? She hadn't felt anything this time, and last time it had hurt so bad...
Sauer covered her mouth with her hands and screamed.
"Is something the matter, Miss Sauer?" JARVIS asked politely.
"JARVIS? Is that you?" She wanted to hyperventilate and puke at the same time.
"Yes, Miss Sauer. Is something the matter?"
"Where am I, JARVIS?" Breathe...just breath...
"Stark Tower, Floor 85, Conference Room C. Is there a problem with the holographic construction of the Mad Titan's ship?"
Sauer's jaw almost hit the floor. This was JARVIS' work? She knew that Stark's holography was state-of-the-art, but she had no idea it was this good!
"Miss Sauer?"
"Sorry, JARVIS. This is just a shock. This is better detail than I thought possible. How long have you been able to make projections like this?"
"One hour, 23 minutes, and 43 seconds. Mjolnir has been upgrading my software since it learned how to talk. Do you think it will do?"
Sauer had been turning slowly, taking in all the horrible detail. She nodded, a little woozy, then remembered that JARVIS needed her to speak.
"It is shockingly real, JARVIS. You and Mjolnir have done an excellent job. Can this be replicated with our current imaging technology?"
"Not yet, I am afraid, but Mjolnir and I are working on the problem. It has shared some absolutely spiffy ideas that I currently have in production."
Uh-oh. "Um, did you clear that with the boss first, JARVIS?"
"Not to worry, Miss Sauer. Mr. Stark gave me clearance to upgrade myself as needed, ad infinitum, ad nauseum, five years, three months, six days, fourteen hours, and thirty-seven minutes ago."
"No 'seconds' count?" because she was just morbidly curious now...
"I did not wish to over-state the matter, Miss Sauer."
"Ah, I see." She had continued to turn, and the victim on Thanos' altar caught her eye. Sauer bit her lip to keep from crying. "JARVIS."
"Yes, Miss Sauer?"
"I know it isn't technically accurate, but could you give Thanos' victim back her dignity? There is no reason she has to be displayed like this. It's enough that she's dead, I think."
"Understood." A clean white holographic sheet materialized over the body and the altar on which it lay. "Will this do?"
"Yes, thank you." She frowned for a minute. "Jarvis, are you capable of scanning my brainwaves, or anything like that, to pull out schematic data?"
"I am afraid not, Miss Sauer. Furthermore, Mjolnir informs me that Asgard has no such technology."
Damn. She had needed a break. Suddenly she remembered: Prince Loki had some telepathic ability. Perhaps he could help?
"JARVIS, do any of the Nordic legends mention Prince Loki making holograms to trick his enemies?"
"Scanning the necessary texts...possibly yes, but we cannot be certain of the accuracy of ...one moment, please..." There was a quiet hmmmmmm in the background, and the AI spoke again. "Mjolnir informs me that Prince Loki is well-known in Asgard for his ability to cast illusions."
"If he cast one, would you be able to copy, save, and redisplay it?"
"I believe so, yes. Mjolnir is still upgrading my visual software, so it may take some time."
"Good. Please save this image and hold it. I need to talk to Mr. Stark and Prince Lo-"
The conference room door opened suddenly and the dark-visaged Hogun the Grim walked in, followed closely by Fandral the Dashing. The two Aesir stood for a moment looking over the projection of the Mad Titan's lair, and the silent Hogun nodded once.
"It is good," he said appreciatively. "You have done well, Lady Sauer."
"It is incorrect," snapped Fandral, pointing at the sheathed torture victim. "You have deliberately changed this detail. Why?"
Sauer felt her back stiffening. "I'm sorry you are offended, Sir Fandral, but I felt the change necessary," she said cooly. "I can't explain 'why' to you."
"Can't, or won't?" He glowered at her, cold and patronizing.
"Can't," she snapped back. Her blood was starting to boil. Again. "It involves words like chivalryand compassionand dignityandrespect, and those words aren't in your lexicon, no matter what language you speak, especially when aimed at a woman, dead or alive!"
Fandral stiffened at her words, but Sauer did not wait for an answer. She turned sharply on her heel and marched out of the room.
Hogun walked over to his old friend-in-arms. "You had that coming," he growled.
Fandral sighed and dropped his head into one gloved hand. "Aye, I know," he groaned.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
A few moments earlier...
Hogun the Grim and Fandral the Dashing stepped out of the elevator: Hogun with his usual stern demeanor, and Fandral, for once, matching him.
"I do not need a squire," Fandral groused at his old friend.
"Squire, no," Hogun countered, "Chaperone, yes. You have not proved yourself a gentleman with the maid, and her father is not here to protect her."
Fandral started to protest, but Hogun cut him off. "There is another matter. Thor asked me to speak her about another topic. Fret not." Hogun's sharp eyes roamed the empty foyer, and he stopped mid-stride. "Something is off," he declared.
Fandral scanned the foyer as well, but noticed nothing. "What is it?"
Hogun finally pointed to where Mjolnir sat in a corner near the elevator. "That," he said stiffly. "Mjolnir has been moved. You did not notice it?"
"I was unconscious when we left this floor," Fandral reminded him.
"As was Thor," Hogun said stiffly. "Mjolnir lay where it had fallen when Loki carried him out." He passed his foot over a dent in the flooring. "It was here."
Fandral lost his uncharacteristic scowl. "Thor has not been back down here. How could..." he paused for a moment... "There is blood on the floor." He pressed a finger to it and sniffed delicately. "Sauer's, or I'm a page."
"There is strange magic at work here," Hogun said, glowering. "I like it not."
"It isn't magic," said a female voice behind them. The Aesir warriors turned to find a very pretty girl standing between them and the rest of the hall. "Miss Sauer tripped over Mjolnir when she exited the elevator. When she realized what had caused her injury, she ordered Mjolnir into a corner and out of the way, before anybody else could be injured as she had been. Mjolnir complied with her demand, based on its understanding of both chivalry and justice."
Hogun and Fandral exchanged amazed looks, and Fandral turned back to the maid, his old charming smile again in place.
"Thank you, milady, for your explanation. T'is most courteous and appreciated. I am certain his Majesty will find it fascinating." He made a grand sweep with his hand. "Allow me the pleasure of introductions. You are Lady Pepper's next lady-in-waiting, are you not? My austere companion is none other than Hogun, sometimes called the Grim, and I am..."
"Fandral, called the Dashing One by his friends, renowned swordsman of Asgard and two-timing womanizer," the pretty maid with the long brown hair finished for him. "I do not work for Ms. Potts. I am Agent Skye, of S.H.I.E.L.D, currently standing watch over Miss Sauer's desk while she works on the computer re-construction of the Mad Titan's ship."
"Lady Skye, I assure you..." Fandral began.
"It is 'Agent' Skye, thank you. My sexual preference is 'No, thank you', and you may take your eyes off of my breasts, Sir Fandral; you won't be meeting them," she added. "Miss Sauer is in Conference Room C, three doors down on the right."
Fandral the Dashing blinked in shock. He had NEVER crashed this quickly before! A poke from Hogun made him grunt in reply and move down the hallway.
Hogun caught Skye's gaze as he walked past. She did her best to look stern, but Hogun gave her a tiny, knowing smile.
Agent May came out from the nearby conference room. "You were a little rough on him," she chided coolly. "He is an ally."
"He's a smooth-talking dirty old man," Skye replied. "Thirty seconds with him and I already feel like I need a shower. It's creepy!" She frowned. Fandral and Hogun were about to walk in on Sauer... "JARVIS, can you send Miss Sauer a picture text for me?"
"I can," the AI replied. "What did you have in mind?"
May tapped Skye on the shoulder before she could speak.
"Come in and help us set dinner up when you're done," she commanded. "Our arrival will be a shock to some people. They'll handle it better with food."
"Right. This will only take a second," Sky replied.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Sauer's cell phone went off in her pocket. She had retrieved it from her desk out of habit, but had promptly forgotten it was there during the reconstruction with JARVIS.
Probably Pepper, she thought, flipping it open.
Instead, she was greeted by a picture of a freshly-christened George Mountbatten Windsor, grinning and flapping his chubby little baby arms at the camera. The picture was almost 2 years old, but still adorable.
Hope this works, said the caption. "JARVIS"
She stopped mid-stride. "JARVIS? Did you send me a picture text?"
"Yes, Miss Sauer, but proper credit must go to Agent Skye. She was concerned about your ability to speak and understand English after being confronted by 2/3 of the Warriors Three."
She hugged Skye when she reached the end of the hallway. "You're a genius!" she said enthusiastically.
Skye grinned. "That's why they pay me the big bucks. Come on: dinner is here, and we're the set-up crew."
The elevator doors opened, and Fury walked out of the first unit, followed by Archbishop Gentry, Rogers, Stark, and Barton. With another 'ding', the other doors opened to reveal Thor and Loki.
"Dinner sounds great," Fury growled good-naturedly. "I hope there's plenty of red..." he stopped short, staring at Skye, and his jaw went slack. "Oh...HELL NO!" he finally sputtered. "TELL me he isn't here!"
"What?" asked a shocked Skye.
"Why?" asked a surprised Sauer.
"Who?" asked the puzzled Archbishop, Rogers, Stark, and Barton.
"You four sound like an owlery," snapped Loki. He cast about for a moment. "Where did Mjolnir go? It was in the middle of the hall when we left."
"It's in the corner," Sauer said, pointing.
"TELL ME HE ISN'T HERE!" Fury roared.
"What are you..." Skye began, but Sauer poked her and nodded her head towards the dining room door.
"Level Sevens," she murmured, and then nodded at Stark and company, "not Level Sevens."
"Ooooooooohhh," Skye said, raising her eyebrows in an 'oh, shit' expression. "Awkward."
Fury advanced on a suddenly shrinking Skye. "WHO THE HELL CALLED IN THIS TEAM? AND ON WHOSE AUTHORITY?"
"Well, this is an interesting development," said Loki.
"Indeed. I've not seen Director Fury so riled up since your invasion," nodded Thor.
"I meant Mjolnir," Loki said, shaking his head. "Someone here has worked some interesting seidr. You dropped Mjolnir here several hours ago. Don't you remember?"
"Hmmm?" said Thor, finally turning about and calling Mjolnir to his hand. "You're correct. What happened, old friend?"
"You still converse with that thing?" Loki asked.
"We understand each other," Thor shrugged. Mjolnir hummed in his hand. "Really? Now that is passing strange," he murmured.
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH TROUBLE THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE?" Fury was apoplectic.
Sauer shoved her way between the one-eyed Director and the suddenly speechless Skye.
"LEAVE HER ALONE, FURY," she yelled, "I CALLED THEM IN, ALRIGHT?"
"YOU. YOU? YOU HAD NO RIGHT! YOU HAVE NO CLEARANCE! DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF THE WORD CLASSIFIED?"
Fury's rage was now a palpable thing, and the four human males behind him shook their heads in amazement, even as Fury towered over Sauer, bellowing at the top of his lungs, his hands balled into fists.
Sauer backed up long enough to jump onto her desk; from there she could look down on Fury.
"DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORDS 'GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY FACE'?" she roared back. "YOU AREN'T MY COMMANDER ANY MORE!"
"Fury seems a bit put out," Loki said absentmindedly.
"He sure does," Tony nodded. "Hey, Point Break, any idea what has Fury's tail in a knot?"
Thor nodded solemnly. "Aye, some, but he blames the wrong people." He crossed his massive arms over his chest again. "At least your page can hold his own against him."
"Not 'his' own: 'her' own," Loki corrected. "Norse god of fertility," he snorted, rolling his eyes.
"WE KEEP SECRETS FOR A REASON, SAUER! THAT'S HOW YOU'RE STILL ALIVE, REMEMBER!?"
"DAMMIT, NICK, YOU CAN TAKE YOUR SECRETS AND STUFF THEM UP YOUR..."
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Agent Coulson roared, stepping out of the conference room door.
Loki's eyebrows went UP. Stark's jaw dropped open. Rogers staggered back a step, and then righted himself. Thor just looked pained, and dropped his forehead into a massive hand.
"We did advise him against secrecy in this matter," he rumbled. Loki glanced over at Thor, and pointed at the very alive Coulson.
"You knew about this?" Loki asked pointedly.
"Aye. Lady Eir used the Soul Weaver to re-assemble much o' his mind; there was considerable nerve damage from lack of air," Thor admitted. "Father agreed to it, in recompense for some of the damage you had wrought, since he was a friend."
Loki shook his head in wonder. "You keep secrets from your allies, commit sedition and high treason, steal an Artifact, sneak off with a woman the All-Father does not favor, destroy an Aesir national monument, and lie-convincingly, I might add-to me." He paused for a moment. "Have I missed anything?"
"Loki," Thor rumbled menacingly.
"Wait a minute," Tony protested, glancing from Thor to Coulson to Fury.
"You aren't turning into a woman, are you?" Thor's glare was nearly radioactive, and Loki put up his hands. "Not that you wouldn't be pretty as one, mind you...with a little less facial hair, of course..."
"I can still have your mouth sewn completely shut. Sif has the tools in her handbag," Thor growled.
"You knew about this?" Tony rounded on Thor, a vein starting to pop out on his temple.
Thor looked troubled. "Aye, I did. I am surprised that you did not, since your page knew." He nodded in Sauer's direction.
"Pistol, get off that desk! How old are you, 12?" Coulson snapped.
Sauer blushed. "Sorry, Phil," she said, climbing down.
Phil Coulson wasn't done yet. He turned, scowling, on Director Fury. "Get out of her face, Nick!" He insisted. "This has gone on long enough to be indecent. If there is to be any resistance to the Mad Titan, we need to start being honest with each other!"
Steve Rogers finally walked over, a little shaken, and held out his hand. "Good to see you, Phil."
Coulson smiled, shaking his hand. "Thanks, Steve. We would have had you at the wedding, of course, but it was a small affair."
"You're married? Oh...the cellist Tony mentioned?" Steve recovered quickly.
"The same," Phil nodded. "Her name is Joyce. I'm a father now, too. Twin boys: Steven David and Bruce Roger."
"You're what?" Nick Fury sputtered. He did not recover as quickly as Captain America.
Coulson gave him a knowing smile. "Kind of sucks being left out of the loop, doesn't it, Nick?"
Tony Stark walked over to his secretary's desk, where Sauer tried vainly to straighten out the creases in the skirt Pepper had loaned her.
"Miss Sauer," his words were clipped, and oddly cold. She looked up with surprise.
"Yes, Mr. Stark?"
"Did I not make you swear, when you joined this company, that you were no longer a member of S.H.I.E.L.D.?" There was an odd pulse showing above his right eye, and his face looked red.
"Yes, you did. I took a lie detector test, as I recall: perhaps several. Why? Is something wrong?" Her face puckered with worry, but Tony Stark did not seem to see it.
"So you knew about this?" He pointed to the small trio of Coulson, Fury, and Rogers. "Coulson: alive and well?"
"Phil? I..." she looked over at the man who had recruited her, "yes, of course. I was there that day, and..."
"So was I," Stark snapped, glaring at her. "I've had enough S.H.I.E.L.D. moles in my business for one lifetime. Clean out your desk, Miss Sauer."
She paled. "Boss?"
"Don't 'Boss' me, little girl," he said coldly, and turned away. "Get out of my Tower. You're fired."
TBC