I do not own Marvel, The Avengers or any of its characters. I only own my original character Arabella and anything else that seems out of place.
So here is the next installment in the Fallen Angel series. I really hope you enjoy it. I want to say thank you in advance to anyone who chooses to favorite, follow and review this story.
The next day inside the Quinjet, Steve is sitting down holding a tablet, watching the footage of the Hulk's attack on the Army at Culver University.
"We're about forty minutes out from home base, Sir." The Pilot radios back to Agent Coulson, who stands up from his seat, walking over to Steve.
"So, this Doctor Banner was trying to replicate the serum they used on me?"
"A lot of people were. You were the world's first superhero. Banner thought gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula."
The Hulk roars with fury as he slams a Jeep apart.
"Didn't really go his way, did it?"
"Not so much. When he's not that thing, though, the guy's like a Stephen Hawking."
Steve looks to him confused, Coulson sighs, "He's like a smart person. I gotta say, it's an honor to meet you, officially."
Steve smiles at Coulson, who speaks nervously. "I sort of met you, I mean, I watched you while you were sleeping."
Steve looks down. He stands up, closes his laptop and walks to the side with Coulson following.
"I mean, I was… I was present while you were unconscious from the ice. You know, it's really, it's just a… just a huge honor to have you on board this..."
"I hope I'm the man for the job."
"Oh, you are. Absolutely. Uh… we've made some modifications to the uniform. I had a little design input."
"The uniform? Aren't the stars and stripes a little… old-fashioned?"
"With everything that's happening, the things that are about to come to light, people might just need a little old-fashioned."
Steve takes in Coulson's statement.
Elsewhere in an underground lab, several soldiers under Loki's mind control run around, preparing to infiltrate whatever Loki has planned. Loki sits down, watching Selvig work with a CMS device. Loki meditates, until… the scepter materializes him back into the throne room of The Other.
The Other appears from the steps speaking to Loki. "The Chitauri grow restless."
"Let them gird themselves. I will lead them in the glorious battle."
"Battle? Against the meager might of Earth?"
Loki is now adorned in his battle armor, complete with his gold horned helmet. "Glorious, not lengthy. If your force is as formidable as you claim."
"You question us? You question HIM? He, who put the scepter in your hand? Who gave you ancient knowledge and new purpose when you were cast out, defeated?"
"I was a King! The rightful King of Asgard! Betrayed!"
"Your ambition is little, born of childish need. We look beyond the Earth to greater worlds the Tesseract will unveil."
"You don't have the Tesseract yet."
The Other runs over to attack him, but stops as Loki points his scepter. "I don't threaten. But until I open the doors, until your force is mine to command, you are but words."
"You will have your war, Asgardian. If you fail, if the Tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where he cannot find you. You think you know pain? He will make you long for something sweet as pain."
The Other places his hand on Loki's head and transports him back to Earth, Loki looks around, menacing.
The Quinjet lands down on a massive battleship known as the Helicarrier. It has two runways. One with direct access to a hanger at the rear is aligned along the spine of the vessel.
Agent Coulson and Steve walk down the ramp, meeting up with Natasha.
"Agent Romanoff. Captain Rodgers."
"Ma'am."
"Hi." She turns to Coulson. "They need you on the bridge. They're starting the face trace."
"See you there."
Agent Coulson walks away leaving Steve with Natasha, walking towards the railing of the ship.
"It was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice. I thought Coulson was gonna swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?"
"Trading cards?"
"They're vintage. He's very proud."
Without realizing, Banner doesn't notice them walking as he is nervous as hell. He moves around as people keep walking in his way.
"Dr. Banner." Steve walks up to him, shaking his hand.
"Oh, yeah. Hi. They told me you'd be coming." Banner says looking around cautiously.
"Word is, you can find the cube."
"Is that the only word on me?"
"Only word I care about."
Banner takes in the sentiment, "Must be strange for you, all of this."
"Well, this is actually kind of familiar."
"Gentlemen." Natasha approaches them. "You may want to step inside in a minute. It's gonna get a little hard to breath."
Suddenly the Helicarrier starts shaking, Steve looks to the young woman, "Is this a submarine?"
"Really?" Banner looks to her. "They want me in a submerged pressurized metal container?"
They both move closer to the edge of the Helicarrier. Four huge lift fans mounted on the sides, they start to lift into the air. Steve watches in awe, Banner smiles, "No, no. This is much worse."
The two men follow Natasha inside, the doors part, the bridge of the ship is a flurry of activity. Dozens of Agents sit in front of their view screens. Agent Hill shouts her instructions to leave, she turns to Nick Fury, who is at the command console.
"We're at level, Sir."
"Good. Let's vanish."
As the Helicarrier rises high into the heavens, the entire ship is covered in reflecting mirrors, which then camouflages in the sky.
Steve and Banner walk through the glorious, gleaming bridge. Fury turns to them, "Gentlemen."
Steve gives Fury ten bucks, referring to an earlier statement about never being surprised again. Fury walks over to Banner and extends his hand, Banner, reluctantly shakes it.
"Doctor, thank you for coming."
"Thanks for asking nicely. So, uh… how long am I staying?"
"Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the wind."
"Where are you with that?"
Fury turns to Agent Coulson to explain, while Natasha eyes an image of Barton on a computer screen.
"We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. Cell phones, laptops... If it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us."
Natasha joins the conversation, "That's still not gonna find them in time."
"You have to narrow your field. How many spectrometers do you have access to?" Banner asks.
"How many are there?" Fury wonders.
"Call every lab you know Tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. I'll rough out a tracking algorithm, basic cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places. Do you have somewhere for me to work?"
"Agent Romanoff, would you show Dr. Banner to his laboratory, please."
Natasha nods and leads Banner down the hall, "You're gonna love it, Doc. We got all the toys."
Back in the underground lab, Selvig and several scientists work around the CMS device. "Put it over there!"
Barton walks in holding a tablet, Selvig turns to him, "Where did you find all these people?"
"SHIELD has no shortage of enemies, Doctor." He holds up the screen showing information on Iridium. "Is this the stuff you need?"
"Yeah, iridium. It's found in meteorites, it forms anti-protons. It's very hard to get hold of."
"Especially if SHIELD knows you need it."
"Well, I didn't know!" Selvig sees Loki coming, "Hey! The Tesseract is showing me so much. It's more than knowledge. It's… truth."
"I know." Loki turns to Barton, "What did it show you, Agent Barton?"
"My next target."
"Tell me what you need."
"I need a distraction." He grabs his bow, "And an eyeball."
As they are waiting to locate Loki using satellite facial recognition, Coulson and Steve stand side by side, waiting.
"I mean, if it's not too much trouble."
"No, no. It's fine."
"It's a vintage set. It took me a couple of years to collect them all. Near mint. Slight foxing around the edges, but…"
Coulson is interrupted by Agent Jasper Sitwell, "We got a hit. Sixty-seven percent match. Wait. Cross match, seventy-nine percent."
"Location?" Coulson asks.
"Stuttgart, Germany. 28, Konigstrasse. He's not exactly hiding."
Fury looks to Steve, "Captain, you're up."
Steve nods, then leaves.
Loki standing in front of the museum, dressed in 21st century attire and with the scepter, disguised as a cane, walks up to the entrance of the building. Inside, a lavish gala with an orchestra playing, is interrupted as the head Doctor walks up to the mic.
Inside the Helicarrier Steve walks into his own locker room. As he approaches the steel cabinet, the doors already open to reveal the updated Captain American uniform, complete with the famous Shield. He stands in silence.
Outside of the laboratory, guards stand in their positions. One of them is standing on top of the roof, scoping. He then hears a thwack! He looks down, one of his guards is shot by an arrow. He raises his gun, only to be shot dead by an arrow, he falls from the building.
Barton and his crew arrive at the doors of the locked science building. Barton looks at the retinal scanner, he pulls out a SHIELD eye scanner instrument.
Loki looks down from the balcony, descending the stairs down to where the head Doctor is. As he makes his way down and near the stage, he flips his cane to the other end. The guard there notices him, pulls out his gun, but Loki swings the clubs up slamming the end into his jaw. Chaos erupts.
Guests begin to leave the museum, Loki grabs the Doctor and heaves him onto a marble table of the mythological creatures Bilchsteim. Flipping him around so his head is next to Loki, he pulls out an optical torture device. He plunges the device down into the Doctor's eye, as he twists and struggles in pain. Loki smirks as people run for the doors screaming in fear.
Suddenly, from Barton's instrument, a holographic eye of the Doctor appears and the image of the Doctor appears on screen. The doors to the facility open. Barton walks in, finding what he seeks in a cabinet. A glass thermos with a cylinder of iridium.
As the crowd runs away, Loki slowly walks out and materializes into his gold armor and horned helmet. The Police arrive and with no hesitation, he blasts the cars, flipping them over and over.
"Kneel before me."
The crowd ignores him. Another Loki appears, blocking the crowd. Loki after Loki appear, they all grin as they raise their spears, encircling the crowd.
"I said. Kneel!"
Everyone becomes quiet and kneels in front of him, Loki embracing, his arms out, smiling.
"Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. 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."
As the words resonate to the kneeling crowd, and elder German man refuses to kneel and stands, heroic. "Not to men like you."
"There are no men like me."
"There are always men like you."
"Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example."
Loki is about to execute him with his scepter as the light glows blue. Just as the energy beam shoots out, Captain America arrives. He dives in just in time and blocks the blast with his shield, sending it back at Loki, knocking the God on his ass.
"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."
Loki stands up, "The soldier." Loki laughs, "The man out of time."
"I'm not the one who's out of time."
From above Cap, the Quinjet arrives, shining lights and a rather impressive machine gun is pointed towards Loki. Natasha sits in the co-pilots seat, "Loki, drop the weapon and stand down."
Suddenly Loki volleys a ball of energy at the aircraft. Natasha maneuvers it just in time, giving Cap the time to throw his shield at Loki. They both begin to tussle.
Loki flings Cap to the ground. Cap then throws his shield, but Loki swats it away. Cap, even using all the moves of a boxer, is knocked down by Loki forcing the spangled man to his knee.
"Kneel." He demanded placing the butt of the staff on the Captain's head.
"Not today!" Cap flips and knocks him out with his leg. Loki grabs him and flips him over.
"This guy's all over the place." Natasha says. Suddenly AC/DC's "Shoot to Thrill" overdrives the Quinjet's speakers.
"Agent Romanoff. You miss me?"
Both Cap and Loki look up at the sky, something flies towards the brawl. It is Iron Man. Tony flies over and blasts Loki right back to the ground. Iron Man touches down, he stands up and pulls out every piece of weaponry the suit has aiming them at Loki.
"Make your move, Reindeer Games."
Loki puts up his hands and surrenders, his armor materializes away, the scepter sitting beside him on the ground.
"Good move." He puts his weapons away and waits for the jet to land.
Steve stands up, looking to Tony. "Mr. Stark."
"Captain."
Together they get Loki aboard, hand-cuffed, in a seat near the back. Natasha watches the skies as they fly back to base. Thunder and lightning suddenly coming out of nowhere. Fury speaks over her headset.
"Is he saying anything?"
"Not a word."
"Just get him here. We're low on time."
With Loki tied up and cuffed to his seat, Tony and Steve watch from a distance, talking low.
"I don't like it." Steve says.
"What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?"
"I don't remember it being that easy. This guy packs a wallop."
"Still, you are pretty spry, for an older fellow. What's your thing? Pilates?"
"What?"
"It's like calisthenics. You might have missed a couple things, you know, doing time as a Capsicle."
Steve looks at Tony, meeting his ego match. "Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in."
"Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you."
Thunder and lightning nearly hit the jet, making it shake violently.
"Where's this coming from?" Natasha wonders out loud as she looks to the skies.
Thunder rumbles overhead, Loki stares out the window anxiously, shrinking slightly as the lightning strikes.
"What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?" Steve asks Loki.
"I'm not overly fond of what follows." Loki replies without any attitude, eyeing the windows of the jet, he knows what's coming.
The two superheroes look to one another, what did that mean?
Suddenly, a blinding light hits the jet, shaking it. Not a light. A God. The Mighty Thor. Tony puts the Iron Man helmet on. He opens the ramp and steps to the open hatch.
Cap eyes him, "What are you doing?"
Thor lands on the open ramp, the look on Loki's face is, 'oh shit!' Thor slams Tony back with his hammer, knocking him onto his back. He then breaks the cuffs binding his brother's wrists, grabs Loki by the throat, and flies out. Steve and Tony are left dumbstruck.
Tony climbs to his feet, less than happy. "And now there's that guy."
"Another Asgardian?" Natasha asks.
"That guy's a friendly?" Steve questions Tony.
"Doesn't matter." Stark replies. "If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract's lost."
Tony turns and gets ready to jump off the jet to chase after Thor, Steve stops him. "Stark, we need a plan of attack!"
"I have a plan. Attack."
Iron Man jumps out of the jet and chases after Thor.
Frustrated Cap grabs a parachute to follow, Natasha looks back to him. "I'd sit this one out, Cap."
Still suiting up he relies, "I don't see how I can."
"These guys come from legend. They're basically Gods."
"There's only one God, ma'am." He grabs his shield and heads for the rear hatch. "And I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." Caps turns and jumps out of the jet.
Somewhere out in the European mountains, Thor slams Loki down on top of a ledge high above the ground. Loki groans, then laughs. Thor looks down at his brother, who he thought to be dead and is angry to see him alive in this fashion.
"Where is the Tesseract?"
Loki laughs still lying on the ground, "I missed you too."
"Do I look to be in a gaming mood?!" Thor bellows.
Loki slowly raises to his feet as he speaks. "Oh, you should thank me. With the Bifrost gone, how much dark energy did the Allfather have to muster to conjure you here? Your precious Earth?"
Thor drops Mjolnir, causing the mountains to quake, as he picks up Loki, his brother, grabbing him with a hand behind the neck. Although Thor is distressed for what he has done, a family is everything to a man or God.
"I thought you dead."
"Did you mourn?"
"We all did. Our father…"
Loki holds up his finger, "Your father." He tosses Thor's hands off of him. "He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?"
Thor lets go of Loki, who walks away to the bottom of the ledge holding his lower back, causing an even bigger wedge between them.
"We were raised together. We played together, we fought together. Do you remember none of that?"
Loki turns around, "I remember a shadow. Living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss. I, who was and should be King!"
"So you take the world I love as a recompense for your imagined slights? No. The Earth is under my protection, Loki."
Loki laughs, "And you're doing a marvelous job with that. The humans slaughter each other in droves, while you idly fret. I mean to rule them, and why should I not?"
"You think yourself above them?"
"Well, yes."
"Then you miss the truth of ruling, brother. A throne would suit you ill."
Angrily, Loki shoves his brother to the side, walking back up to the ledge, he turns around. "I've seen worlds you've never known about! I have grown, Odinson, in my exile! I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I wield it…"
"Who showed you this power? Who controls the would-be-King?"
"I am a King!"
"Not here! You give up the Tesseract! You give up this poisonous dream!" Thor again places his hand on Loki's neck. "You come home."
Loki smiles, "I don't have it."
Thor steps back summoning Mjolnir to his hand, he holds it up ready to strike Loki.
"You need the cube to bring me home. But I've sent it off, I know not where."
Thor holds the hammer in front of him pointing it at Loki, "You listen well, brother. I…"
Thor is interrupted mid-sentence, knocked off the mountain by Iron Man who tackles him in mid-flight.
Loki looks around, "I'm listening."
Thor and Iron Man crash into the forest far below the cliff. Thor rolls himself up. Iron Man is still standing, but keeps his distance. The helmet opens up.
"Do not touch me again!"
"Then don't take my stuff."
"You have no idea what you're dealing with."
"Uh… Shakespeare in the park? Doth Mother know you wear-eth her drapes?"
"This is beyond you, metal man. Loki will face Asgardian justice!"
"He gives up the Cube, he's all yours. Until then…" Tony shuts his helmet. "Stay out of the way… Tourist."
Tony turns to walk away and in one quick motion, Thor pulls Mjolnir, throws it, and knocks Iron Man clear across into a tree.
Tony shakes himself, as he stands up, "Okay."
From the mountain side, Loki watches in amusement. Thor raises his hand, Mjolnir flies back to him. Thor swings the hammer, summoning a ray of energy. Iron Man stands back up, from his hand boosters, a blast of energy knocks Thor down. Iron Man flies back up and knocks Thor into a tree.
Thor, kneeling on the ground, pulls Mjolnir to his hand, raises it to the skies, pulling in lightning and thunder. Thor points the hammer at Iron Man, hitting him directly in the chest, the outpouring of bolts of lightning increases in intensity.
"Power at 400% capacity." Jarvis informs Tony.
"How bout that?" Tony says smirking.
Iron Man fires away from his hand boosters, pushing Thor to his knees. Like two gunslingers ready to draw, both Thor and Iron Man fly towards each other meet in the middle and ascend up. The two battle. Iron Man grasps Thor, elbowing him and smashing him into the side of a mountain. Thor leaps off the mountain and takes Iron Man with him.
The two crash right back down, smashing every tree possible. Iron Man yanks Thor right up. Thro grabs both hand boosters and begins to crush them. Tony quickly charges as much energy as he can and shoots it in Thor's face. Thor falls back, losing his stance. Iron Man head butts Thor with his gold-titanium alloy helmet, it barely phases Thor.
Thor then head butts Iron Man with his head and sends him across the forest. Iron Man boosters up and flies back at Thor, grabbing him by the arm and cape and swings him into another tree. Thor looks up, ready. Thor runs with all his patience out the window. Iron Man swings and misses, giving Thor the momentum to grab him, lift him and smashes him down hard.
Thor summons Mjolnir to his hand. Just as he's about to put the hammer down, Iron Man uses his hand boosters to skid across the ground and trip Thor over. Standing up, Thor looks for him, but from behind him, Iron Man crashes into his back. Thor stands facing Iron Man. Ready to pounce…
Captain America's shield ricochets off both Thor and Iron Man, stopping them. They look up to find Cap standing on top of a fallen tree with the shield back in his hand.
"Hey! That's enough!" Cap jumps down, looking at Thor. "Now, I don't know what you plan on doing here."
"I've come here to put an end to Loki's schemes!"
"Then prove it! Put that hammer down."
Tony steps up, "Um, yeah… No! Bad call! He loves his hammer!"
Thor backhands Iron Man like a pimp with Mjolnir. Losing all tolerance with this sentential of liberty, Thor raises the hammer.
"You want me to put the hammer down?"
Thor leaps high into the air, raising the hammer. Cap crouches down and holds up his shield. Thor brings the hammer down onto the shield and a massive implosion of light reacts to the vibranium shield creating a massive shockwave that blows up anything standing within a mile.
Iron Man stands up, looking around like 'holy shit.' Lying right next to him is Cap, who never takes his eyes off of Thor. Thor looks at both men.
"Are we done, here?" Cap asks.