Kat: Alright, LA only owns me, the other girls and ... sime-part of the plot...and Skoll and Hati.. kinda...

Chapter 10- I Have Conviction

I was sitting only a few feet feom were Coulson had died. Just sitting in the shadows my tears were spent and my voice was close to being gone. I was just so drained, emotionally, physically, and mentally. I jumped and backed deeper into the shadows when Tony walked in and looked at the empty cell container. He stood there for about ten minutes, not saying aword.

Steve walked in after him,"Was he married?"

"No," Tony answered him. He meant Coulson, I bit my lip to keep from crying," There was a uh...cellist, I think.

"I'm sorry," Steve said," He seemed like a good man."

" He was an idiot," I looked sharply up at Tony... How dare he-

"Why," Steve asked a bit confused and angry as well," For believing?"

"For taking on Loki alone."

I gathered up my nerve. I needed to say something, something to let them know I was here.

"He was doing his job-"

"He WASN'T alone," I said hoarsely as I walked out of the shadows,"He wasn't. I was there. I should have been able to save him. He was out of his league," my voice cracked a bit and I got chocked up,"He should have let Loki finish me off, He should have... He should have..."

"He did what he thought was best. Which was-Save your life," Steve said as he glanced in my direction,"He knew what he was doing Nicole. He saw you in pain and reacted-"

"Well he reacted stupidly," I shot back near tears,"Now he AND Sköll and Hati are gone! He shouldn't have died. Once Loki took away my wolves I'm practically useless."

Tony gripped the metal railing tightly,"Nicole... You're not useless. We need you to lead the Guardians. That's why Coulson tried to save you."

I was hugging myself and on my knees after my legs had gone out,"He should have waited! He should have!"

"Sometimes there isn't a way out, Nicole."

"Right," Tony said angrly as he walked away from him,"How did that work for him?"

Steve turned his attention to Tony,"Is this the first time you've lost a soldier?"

Tony turned around and spoke with such passion his voice cracked,"WE ARE NOT SOLDIERS! I am not marching to Fury's fife!"

"Neither am I," Steve said firmly,"He's got the same blood on his hands as Loki does. Right now we've got to put that aside and get this done. Now Loki needs a power source, if we can put together alist..."

Tony looked down at the blood stained wall next to me,"He made it personal," Tony picked me up off the ground and set me on my feet.

"That's not the point," Steve said thinking.

"That is the point," Tony corrected him as he whiped Off my cheeks,"That's Loki's point. He hit us all right where we live. Why?"

"To tear us apart," Steve guessed. I nodded, probably the best guess.

"He had to conquer his greed,," Tony kept going, he was on a roll!,"but he knows he has to take us out to win, right? That's what he wants. He wants to beat us and he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience."

"Right," Steve said finally catching on,"I caught his act at Stuttengard."

"Yeah," I sniffled and smiled, finally calming down,"That's just a preview, this is opening night. Loki's a full-tilt diva."

"He wants flowers," Tony agreed as he started to list off things,"he wants parades, he wants a monument built in the skies with his name plastered," Tony an I shared a look and said the same thing at the exact same time!

"Son-of-a-bitch!"

I walked down the hallways as fast a I could to keep in pace with Tony,"Should I get my team?"

Tony nodded,"Meet Barton's and the others top-side when you're done."

"Affirmative," I smiled and went right as Tony went left. We were gonna get Loki, because now I have my conviction.

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