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Toni's Point of View
Germany?
Toni tweaked her flight plan and destination, continuing onwards, making the adjustments as easily as if she had been born doing it.
It looked like she was going to get two field trips in one day.
Lucky me.
Phil had told her that she was to 'rendezvous with Captain America and Agent Romanoff'. She rolled her eyes. Personally she though that the All American Hero and the Russian Femme Fatale could manage everything just fine on their own – hell, from all the newspaper clippings her dad had kept painstakingly catalogued on Captain America he could take out Loki with one hand tied behind his back. Although- according to Phil – if the situation (that she was to 'assess' and 'act accordingly' to) called for her pulling his red, white and blue butt out of the proverbial fire she would not stick her nose up at the opportunity.
Toni was just glad that she had perfected and fine-tuned the suit to such a point that it could fly almost indefinitely – that was one thing that she had her old man to thank for, the new arc reactor had been a god send in more ways than one – or this little jaunt to Europe would have ended with a very undignified splash in the middle of the North Atlantic somewhere. She quickly checked the weather - the suit may not run out of power but there was nothing to stop a hurricane sending her spinning into the ocean. Clear skies and seas as long as she dipped along the bottom of the British Isles and not along the top.
The hours passed reasonably quickly as she recorded the changes she was wanting to make to a new arm piece and before she knew it she was zipping over France and would be crossing into Belgium and then Germany soon. She shot over the invisible borders – after all there were no check points or passport flashings at 1000 feet.
I've never been to Europe before, she thought fleetingly. But then again, she hadn't been many places when you came down to it. After all most of her travelling was done flying by suit and consisted of heading to the middle of a fry-an-egg-on-the-sand desert in the middle of nowhere and blowing up her own weapons – fun times.
And it looked like she wouldn't even get a decent stop on this visit. She had always though that the Black Forest sounded so romantic too… She sighed heavily. She would be giving a whole new meaning to the term 'flying visit'.
'NEARING DESTINATION' flashed the helmet as country side faded away below her, being replaced with lights and concrete. She began to descend, zooming in on the scene outside of the concert hall. She tensed as she saw Loki prepare to fire his sceptre and then relaxed when she spotted the jet and Captain America leap from it to land in a protective crouch in front of the elderly man Loki was aiming for.
The shot bounced off the shield and right back at Loki and Toni barked out a laugh when Loki was planted face first on the pavement.
Ha! Bet he didn't see that one coming.
The smile was quickly replaced with a frown when he got easily to his feet. No injuries! Brilliant, so he was going to be one of those bad guys.
She landed carefully on the roof of one of the many surrounding buildings, going unnoticed by everyone but a pigeon who flew of in disgust. Deciding that a little more assessing was needed she plonked herself down on the edge of the roof and raised her helmet. She watched as Captain Blue Butt faced off against Loki.
Damn but he's cute.
She slammed a lid down on that thought.
No! Crazy human enslaving masters of all evil are not cute, she reminded herself.
A beam of blue incinerate-whatever-it-touches-except-for-the-evil-dude energy went flying by the building she was perched on as the jet swerved out of the way just in time.
That was a little too close for comfort. She stood and dropped her helmet once more across her face, preparing to intervene or dodge the next near-miss that came her way.
The Captains shield bounced of Loki's staff and went skittered across the pavement.
Oops, looked like that one didn't work out to plan. Loki and the Captain duck and swerved to avoid blows, planting their own when and wherever possible. She tensed, ready to make a move when Loki's staff was pressed into the base of the captains neck. He rolled though, kicking out and getting free, only to be grabbed by his neck.
Ok, time to break this up.
She fired up the thrusters and patched into the jet's system – it was way too easy.
I'll need to talk to Fury about that. If I could do it then any genius-mastermind evil villain can.
Deciding to play the arrogant and flamboyant Anthony Stark to the hilt – who was she to disappoint – she greeted Agent Romanoff as she had one of her favourite songs play through the jet's speakers.
Bonnie Tyler's 'I Need a Hero' (fitting really, she thought) shot through the jet's PA system - she was definitely going to have to have a word with Fury about the security – and she swerved from behind and under the jet, straightening long enough to send a blast of energy right at Loki's chest – if his own weapon didn't kill him she was fairly confident she couldn't kill him, at least through one little shot.
She landed, feeling her boots dig into the brick – Damn, I'll pay for that – and listed her arms aiming her whole arsenal at him.
"Make one move, Rudolph…" she dragged off as he straightened slowly from where he had landed on some steps. He raised his hands in surrender and his suit glowed and faded from his body, leaving him in the clothing she had seen him in the recordings and his head bare.
Now that was one pretty piece of technology, unless it was just a god thing.
"Good mover," she praised him.
She kept her gaze fixed on Loki as she slowly lowered her arms and saw Captain America just enter her line of vision.
"Mr Stark," he panted.
She nodded her head in acknowledgement, still keeping her eyes on the alien in front of her.
"Captain,"
Toni kept watching him. She watched as she heard the jet land behind her, she watched him as they escorted him – handcuffed and as docile as a new born lamb – to the jet. She stood beside the captain near the cockpit as Agent Romanoff expertly manoeuvred them away from the buildings and out of the town, contacting Fury as she did.
Something wasn't adding up and it was annoying Toni. She had no doubt that Loki had a plan – they just had to figure out what it was. And then there was the glint of something in his eyes when he had looked at her…well, him.
"I don't like it. It doesn't make any sense," the voice of Steve Rogers dragged her from her thoughts.
"What? Older-the-dirt over there giving up so easily?" she mumbled in reply. She say Loki head twitch slightly and she knew that he could hear them.
"Yeah, I don't remember it being that easy,"
You and me both buddy!
"This guy packs a wallop," Rogers added on at the end, just to clarify.
"Still, you didn't do too badly yourself. You know, for an older fellow…" she glanced away from Loki to look at the Captain. "What's your secret? Pilates?"
She focused on Loki again but not before catching the look of confusion on the man's face.
"What?"
Yip, no idea what she was talking about.
"Sorry, you probably missed out on that. You know, while you were serving time as a Capsicle,"
Yes! She did a mental happy dance but tried to keep her face straight – something that she noticed Loki was failing at if that quirk of his lip was anything to go by. Finally a name. She felt Roger's tense. Oops maybe it's a little too soon to be prodding that particular hurt.
"Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in," he told her stiffly.
So he was bringing out the big guns and throwing around the 'boss's' name. She scoffed, he didn't know her well enough to know that intimidation didn't work with her.
"Yeah, well, there is a lot of stuff that Fury doesn't tell you,"
Damn spies and their need for secrets.
Silence fell between them for a second and whatever the Captains reply was going to be remained unknown as a crash of thunder sounded through the jet and light flashed.
"Where's this came from," Romanoff mumbled from the controls.
Toni didn't like this, especially when Loki began to look a little edgy.
"Scared of a little storm," Roger's mocked and Toni glanced between the two men. The boy wonder wasn't concerned that Loki's permanent cool was beginning to thaw? Hell, they had shot him and cuffed him and he had remained aloof but now he was fidgeting. It bothered her!
"I'm not overly fond of what follows," Loki answered.
Thunk! The jet jerked as something crashed into the roof.
Now what?
She pressed the button for the ramp to be lowered, she could take a look outside safely enough. She heard Roger's yell at her, asking what she was doing as she placed the helmet over her head and it lowered into place.
Dude, isn't it obvious?
She was only a foot or so away from the ramp when a bulky figure landed in front of her. It took her a few seconds to recognise the man in armour and a billowing cloak for who he was.
Thor!
The honest to goodness God of Thunder was standing in front of her...and raising his hammer at her.
She fired up her palms, but not soon enough as the hammer came crashing into her chest sending her flying to land sprawled out just where she had been standing a few seconds before.
She struggled to her feet, her chest hurting, just in time to watch the red cloak complete with Loki disappear out the jet and into the night.
"And now there's that guy," she griped, annoyed that he had landed one on her.
"Another Asgardian?" Romanoff shouted from the front of the jet.
"Think her's a friendly?" Rogers yelled over the sound of the rushing air.
"It doesn't matter," she told him, making her way back to the ramp. They had to get Loki back or they could wave bye bye to planet earth, because whoever had the Tesseract sure as hell wasn't trying to get a light bulb to work with it.
"If he frees Loki or kills him we've lost the Tesseract," she prepared to jump.
"Stark, we need a plan of attack!"
Yeah sure, and while we are planning Thor can be magicing Loki to a galaxy far far away or slamming the hammer through his chest. Not happening.
"I have a plan. Attack!"
She fell from the jet, firing up her thrusters.
Hi guys.
So I have a totally legitimate reason for this being so late. I was repainting my room and boxed up my copy of Avengers - I know, I was disgusted with myself. There were some bits I needed to make sure of before I posted this. But all is well, the room is done and I have the sections I needed. Woohoo.
The response to this story is amazing by the way. Thank you for all the reviews and PMs. You all rock! The next chapter will be up a lot sooner. Promise :) Hopefully in the next few days but at least by the end of the week.
Take care everyone.
P.S
I've also updated by original story - Sink or Swim - Diary of a Teenage Sea Monster over on wattpad. The link is on my profile if you want to check it out!