The glare of light and sound split the air as the Bifrost opened, forcefully touching down and leaving two women in its wake, one dressed in gold with matching headdress and the other and a red head dressed in blue. It was only minutes before Shield agents were surrounding the two, weapons aimed at them. Neither woman looked at all worried. The red head stepped forward at first, but the other woman laid a restraining hand on her arm, making her pause.

One of the agents stepped forward. "Identify yourselves," The agent commanded.

"We are Sigyn and Lorelei of Asgard," The golden dressed woman answered.

"What is your purpose here?"

"We have been sent to retrieve the rogue, Loki," She answered again.

"We have to ask you to come with us," The agent said.

After exchanging a look the two women nodded and went along quietly.

Natasha rolled her sleeve down over the bandage covered needle mark, staring at the blood samples collected as they were placed into a storage unit. "Have you found anything?" Natasha asked, turning to face Bruce as he began to manipulate one of the holo screens Stark had in all his labs.

"Surprisingly, yes," Bruce answered. "Your readings have changed significantly from the samples we took at Shield. Cell regeneration is off the charts, all your organs are working in top form. Your body is working at the capacity of someone ten, twenty years younger. Medically you're in peak condition."

"What does it mean, Bruce?" Natasha moved closer to him, looking over his shoulder at the data hovering before them both.

"The Extremis virus was designed for regenerative purposes, healing wounds and injuries, but the speed at which the process takes place is what made it unsafe. The version that Magneto shot you with seems to have all the positives and none of the negatives."

"Anything... else unusual?" Natasha asked.

"Not that I can see just yet, but we've only just started," Bruce answered. "Is there anything that I should be looking for?" He peered at her closely. When she didn't speak, he added, "I assume there's a reason you wanted me to do this here instead of at Shield? And a reason you want me to keep it from them."

Natasha looked away as she contemplated her next words. "When Svadilfari attacked us, Clint got hurt. He was bleeding... badly. His whole body was... I knew he couldn't survive it. Svadilfari had practically ripped a hole through him. All I could think about was how I couldn't lose him and then something happened to me. I couldn't breathe, my body seized up, something moved inside me and I blacked out. When I woke up, Clint was healed and Stark told me that I was the one responsible. I don't know how I did it or even what happened." Natasha met his eyes as she added, "I need to know what's happening to me. If Shield knew, they'd just be even more suspicious than they already are."

"I'm not going to tell Shield anything," Bruce told her. "But I can't guarantee results either."

"I know," She told him. "But I can't ask anyone else."

"Tony would help you if you asked."

Natasha's facial expressions tigethened as she answered. "Stark can't be counted on at the moment. We don't know what his loyalties are or what he's doing with his new conquest. More importantly, we don't know what she's doing with him."

"Luna?" He asked. "She doesn't seem like a bad person."

"Neither did Sharon, according to the Cap, and we see how that turned out."

Bruce chose not to respond to that. He turned back to holo screen. "I know you want to do your best not to lose face with Shield, but it wouldn't hurt to make a few more friends with us, as well."

"I'm not here to make friends," She responded.

"Are you here to be a part of the team?" He asked her. "Because I'm not sure you're doing a great job of that either."

Natasha didn't answer. After watching his back for a few moments, she quietly took her leave of the lab.

"Let's play a game!" Luna exclaimed when she and Tony entered the common floor of the Tower.

Clint was sitting on the couch watching a movie, Steve and Jan were standing near the window deep in conversation, Storm sitting apart from the rest. They all looked when the two entered and Thor yelled as he came from the other room with a plate piled high with snacks. "Greetings, friends!" Thor carried the plate to Clint, who reached absent mindedly to grab an apple.

"What sort of game?" Jan questioned as she and Steve approached the two.

Luna grinned widely as she held up a deck of cards. "A card game," She told them. "To get to know one another."

"What game?" Clint asked. "Spades? Poker? Strip Poker?" He wiggled his eyes brows at them.

Luna rolled her eyes. "Not precisely," She answered. "It's a game of my own creation." She looked toward where Storm was sitting, isolated from the rest of the room, cup of tea in hand. "Will you join us?"

Storm looked them all over before responding. "What are the rules?" She asked.

Luna's smile widened as she moved to the table Storm was sitting at, Tony beside her. "Who else will play?"

"I'm in!" Jan exclaimed, bouncing over to the table.

Thor joined them in much the same manner, placing his snack tray on the table for all of them to enjoy. "I'm curious as to what sort of game this will be as well!" His smile widened as he looked at Storm, but she avoided his gaze.

"What about you two?" Tony asked. "Legolas? Capsicle?"

"Yeah, I'm in," Clint answered.

Steve joined them as well, asking, "What are the rules?"

"A category is written on each card. There are nine categories, five cards each, numbered." Luna began to shuffle the cards as she spoke. "I will deal five cards to each of you and each round you play a card based on the category you wish to speak on. Once all the cards are played, the categories will be added up and the one with the highest value wins. Moving clockwise, the chosen person will ask any question that relates to the category." She looked up as her shuffling concluded. "Any questions?"

"We can ask any question?" Clint asked.

"If it relates to the category, yes."

"So, do we all have to answer or..." Tony let his question trail off.

"Yes," Luna told him, dealing out the cards. "Everyone has to answer, starting with the person that asks the question. This is how we get to know each other."

"You certainly have interesting ways of getting to know people." Tony said. "I think I liked the shots better."

"Of course you would say that," Luna replied. "So, who should start?"

"I'll go first," Tony said, tossing out a card.

Luna smiled as she played one of her own. "Must you always be first?"

"Obviously." Tony smirked.

"So, what do we do once we've all played?" Steve asked as he threw out his own card.

"There is a number on each card, from one to five, the category that has the highest value after we add like with like is the category that Anthony will question us from." Luna explained.

Tony spread out the cards so that he could see the value on each of them. Quickly adding them up in his head, he picked the highest value. "Friendship," He said. "So I have to ask a question about that?" He frowned.

"Related to the category in some way, yes."

Tony folded his arms as he thought. "Alright, I got it! Of the people at this table, who's your favorite so far? My answer is Luna, obviously." He grinned and winked at her.

"Well, my favorite person is clearly myself," Luna answer haughtily. Tony elbowed her in the side lightly and she relented. "Very well, my answer is Anthony. Of those present," She stressed.

"This is a really difficult question, Tony," Steve spoke up.

"It's not that difficult," Tony replied.

"He just wants us to say him," Clint answered. "Well, Jan's my favorite. She's the most cheerful out of all of you. Except for Thor, but Jan's way cuter."

"Thank you," Jan answered. "But I have to say my favorite is Luna. She has the best sense of humor."

"What?" Tony and Clint both objected.

Jan smiled at their reaction.

"I find myself favoring the Lady Storm," Thor said softly, eyes subtly watching the woman in question.

Storm pressed her lips together in a grimaced. "I'm more fond of the Captain," She replied tersely.

Thor frowned at her reply.

"Come on, your turn Cap!" Tony nudged the man beside him. "No one will have their feelings hurt when you say it's me."

"Thor and I get along pretty well..." Steve answered.

"More than me!" Tony exclaimed. "When did you two become so buddy, buddy?"

Steve shrugged. "We do a lot of training together. We talk sometimes..."

"I feel left out," Tony proclaimed.

"You'll get over," Luna said with an affectionate eye roll. "Let's move to the next round. Steve will pick the next question." She tossed out a card and the others followed.

"How did you even think this up?" Jan asked. "This is awesome!"

Luna smiled. "I've found it's easier to get to know someone if you use something else as the main focus. And I have always been very fond of learning people."

Steve separated the cards into like categories, adding the number at the corners, and stacking them so that the winning category was at the top. "How did this happen?" He read questioningly, looking to Luna.

"The question is self-explanatory," She said. "You get to choose what it applies to."

Steve nodded. "I guess I'll ask how you ended here, where you are right now. I was frozen in ice for seventy years and Shield found me when I woke up."

"That's it?" Jan complained. "Worst story ever."

"Everyone already knows about me," He answered with a shrug.

"Some people just don't know how to tell a good story," Tony added. "Myself, I am a self-made hero. I built up an empire, built myself a suit, built myself a legacy, and then I built a Tower so that I could hang out with all my super hero friends. I guess Shield helped a little, too."

"Fantastic detail," Luna commented dryly.

"I used to work at the circus," Clint said. "Then Shield found me."

"I worked for a scientist that turned me into a superhero," Jan said.

"Really?" Luna asked.

"Yeah, I was helping Hank with his research. My family was paying for it, so..." She shrugged.

"Interesting." Luna looked to Storm next. "What about you?"

Storms eyes were hard as she answered. "Humans betrayed me. They tried to contain me, trap me inside a box and ship me away, but Magneto found me. He saved me and convinced me that I could pay the humans back for their betrayal."

They were all quiet for a time before Tony spoke. "That makes sense."

"What?" Steve exclaimed, the surprise on his face reflected on most of the others. "All humans shouldn't be blamed because of a few bad ones."

Tony shrugged. "Maybe not, but that doesn't mean I don't get it. The world betrayed me and I stopped giving it weapons. She did the same thing, just that she was her own weapon."

"But-" Steve started to object before Storm interrupted.

"I was worshipped as a goddess!" She exclaimed, anger pure on her face. "I brought rain when there were droughts! I calmed storms when they nearly destroyed the land! I brought sun and fair weather when the floods began! I did everything for them and they were so ungrateful they tried to cram me into a box and ship me elsewhere!" She slammed her hands down on the table as she stood, her chair crashing to floor as she abruptly rose. "Magneto opened my eyes. There is no point in catering to those ungrateful creatures." Storm's voice was practically a growl.

"My brother betrayed me," Clint added. "Framed me for crimes he committed, that's how Shield found me. Doesn't mean I want to kill him."

"You could never understand what it is like," Storm told them. "To be betrayed when you are a goddess-"

"You are not a god," Thor spoke up, catching her eyes for the first time and the tension in the room skyrocketed instantly. "You are human with rather potent gifts, but a god you are not."

"Who are you to tell me-" Storm began in a growl, but he interrupted her.

"I am The God of Thunder," He told her calmly. "You are powerful, but you are no goddess. Storms and the tempest both is my domain, I would know if you were a goddess."

"Care to test that theory," She snapped.

"Yes, why don't you," Luna spoke up, watching the two with eyes a light with interest. "Outside, of course."

"I don't think..." Steve began to object, but his objection went ignored.

Thor bowed deeply, a fierce grin on his face as he gestured to the balcony. "After you, my lady."

Storm frowned at him before stomping toward the doors, a strong burst of wind blowing the doors open before she was even standing before them. Thor walking at a more sedate pace followed her.

Jan stood up, looking to the doors. "Should we let them do this?"

"Do you think you can stop them?" Luna questioned.

"Fury's gonna have a conniption," Clint murmured to himself.

Luna stood, taking Tony's hand and pulling him with her. "I do not know about the rest of you, but I intend to watch." The two of them went to the elevator quickly, the rest of the team on their heels.

"Nat's gonna be mad she missed this," Clint said to himself.

Fury met the two alien women as soon as they were brought in, having them locked in the same room for now. He had watched from surveillance before deciding to approach. They had the same air as the other aliens he had met. Self-assured, confident, so determined that they stood above the rest of humanity. While the one dressed in gold couldn't seem calmer, he could tell there was a restless energy within the red head. She reminded him of Loki, in that way. Calm surface, but he wouldn't trust it.

"Ladies," Fury greeted when he entered the room and stood before them. "I'm Nick Fury, Director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. Otherwise known as Shield."

The woman in the gold dress nodded. "I am Sigyn. This is my companion, Lorelei. Pleasant to meet you, Sir Fury."

"Director," He corrected.

"Apologies, Director. Your Midgardian terms are still foreign to me." She gave him a small, benign smile. "I was told that Midgard was still un-united. Is that not the case? Are you king here?"

"No. Earth has no King," Fury answered. "Shield is a security organization. You were brought here so that I could ask you a few questions. The last time one of you was here, he caused a lot of damage."

"Yes, I understand now," Sigyn replied. "We were sent to retrieve the rogue, Loki, so that he may not cause any more havoc on your world."

"Is that right?" Fury asked. "The way I understand it, Loki is a prince of your world. Doesn't seem like that would afford him much punishment up there."

"The All-father wants Loki returned," Sigyn repeated. "It is his greatest wish to have Loki removed from Midgard entirely. That is why we were sent. It was never his intention for the second prince to linger here and he will suffer punishment for disobeying the All-father's express wishes."

His eyes glanced over to Lorelei. "Your companion has nothing to add?"

"She'd prefer not to speak unless necessary," Sigyn told him. Lorelei's lips pressed together in an expression of displeasure, but she didn't otherwise complain.

Fury observed them quietly, planning his next angle before speaking. "We've had dealings with Loki before, he's dangerous."

"All the more reason to let us take him off your hands. Do you know where we might find him, Director?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that," Fury replied.

"How are we to know, when you contained us here before we even had a chance to look?" Sigyn answered.

"Did you have a plan to find him?"

"Of course. Do you have a plan, Sir Fury? Or were you hoping that we would be your plan?"

Before Fury could answer, a knock came at the door and Maria Hill was opening the door. She leaned close to him before whispering, "Sir, Steven Strange is here."

"Can he do as I asked?" Fury questioned lowly, refusing to look away from the women before him.

"He believes so, but he said there were no guarantees."

"Have him prepare the area then," Fury ordered.

Maria nodded before leaving the room.

"Now then, I have a few more questions, if you don't mind," Fury said.

"Not at all. Ask away." Sigyn replied warmly.

The sky had already darkened by the time they got to the roof, thunder booming and lightning flashes lighting up the sky. The wind was blowing heavily and Steve had to grab hold of Jan, afraid that the pure force of the wind would blow the smaller woman right off her feet. She gave him a tentative smile, wrapping her arms around one of his as they turned their gaze back to the sky.

Tony and Luna were ahead of them all, Luna scanning the surrounding buildings until she finally pointed to the roof of an adjacent building, Clint moving away from them to get a better look, but staying well away from the buildings edge to avoid accidents from the wind.

Thor was standing calmly, watching the weather mutant as she hovered before him. "I wish I could hear what they were saying!" Clint yelled, almost going unheard beneath the noise of the wind despite being so close.

Luna smirked at that, but Steve couldn't imagine why.

"Are you certain that you wish to challenge a god?" Thor asked, watching the woman intently. He'd thought that her presence stimulated him strongly before, but it was nothing compared to the pull he felt with her exerting her abilities. He felt stronger by the act of her stirring the wind, calling thunder and lightning, felt her pulling on him with each act of weather. It was like a circuit with her calling the weather making him stronger, the storm making him stronger, but she as the conduit was oblivious to the power she freely handed him.

His words went ignored. The woman was staring at him with narrowed eyes as she called more of the storm to her, as she called to him and stirred the power of his domain. She would be a worthy storm goddess, if Thor did not already have claim over the domain. She was utterly beautiful holding the power of the storm to her will. It was too bad he would have to take that power away from her soon.

"Show me your strength, my lady! I shall take anything you can throw at me!" Thor yelled.

Storm wasted no time doing just that. Immediately, lightning crashed down on him, but he was hardly provoked. Did she really think she could harm him with such petty tricks?

"Is that the best you can do, my lady?" Thor questioned with a laugh.

Thunder echoed in the sky, revealing her irritation with the comment. The rain and wind increased, and with a casual fling of her hand the wind battered against him hard enough to sweep him from his feet. Ice and hail battered him as he was blown toward the edge of the roof, but it took only a thought to wrest control of the wind away from her and regain his balance. Storm let out a scream of surprise when he hit her with his own bolt of lightning.

"You cannot be done already?" He asked her, smirking wickedly. He was euphoric from the storm, passion and power coursing through him as he sent another bolt of lightning to crash into her. Another! And another, the wind knocking her off course before stirring into a mini tornado that she struggled in vain to break free from. The wind swirled around her, tossing her into a free fall where one more bolt of lightning hit her before the wind slammed her to the ground.

Thor walked toward where her prone body was lying on the ground. No one that had sway of the weather should succumb so easily, but he did have to remember that these were mortals. Maybe she was not as strong as he thought and was not able to weaken his blows. Just as he was thinking that though, shards of ice and hail pierced him from behind.

Storm was slowly rising to her feet, eyes completely white as she glared at him. The winds turned colder around him, the rain falling heavier as a blizzard centered on him and circled his body. She focused the power of the storm on him entirely until he was ice caked and it trapped his entire body. She was panting from exertion after her feat, but she refused to let up. If he was really a god, let him suffer the full strength of her power! Let him take the full might of a blizzard!

The sounds of thunder increased slowly, getting closer and closer until a crash of lightning struck Thor's frozen body straight on, cracking the ice completely. Thor was grinning at her widely, trickles of blood running down his arms from where the ice cut had cut his skin. Wind blasted her off her feet before a tornado made her crash full force back to the ground.

"Can you still rise?" Thor asked her. "You fought well, my lady, if you wish to concede."

"No!" She growled out, struggling to pull herself to back onto her feet. "I will not concede!" She was able to manage it after a few moments only for another crash of lightning to cause her to fall back down.

Thor caught her before she hit the ground, the woman fully unconscious after the last attack. Slowly, he brought the storm to heel, coaxing the weather back into its previous state. Thor grinned widely as he looked to his friends, Luna's eyes on him being the first thing he caught. His sister gave him a return grin, shaking her head with exasperation. It was only that look that gave him cause to pause and wonder if he should have held back a bit more.

That thought prompted him to wonder if perhaps he shouldn't have fought at all. Loki did love mischief and chaos, and only put a stop to it if it was likely to get Thor killed. Something as wild as what just happened likely pleased Loki very much.

Thor frowned. Luna grinned even wider in response and Thor felt like he had been tricked somehow, even if he couldn't see where the trick would have been.

"Hurry and bring her back, Thor! We must make sure you haven't broken the lady!" Luna yelled toward him.

Thor's grip on the woman tightened as he summoned his hammer. He could feel the conduit of power humming strongly between them even with her like this. He didn't want to let her go. He held her as close as possible as he swung his hammer and carried her back to where the others waited.

He didn't let her go until he had to let Banner look her over.

Maria Hill led Steven Strange to the Hulk cage. It was the strongest cell that they had and the most secure by virtue of being able to see whoever they held inside. If they had any Asgardian prisoners in the future- be it Loki, Thor, or the two women the director was currently interviewing- this was where they would be placed. "Do you think you can do it?" She questioned.

"I can't say for certain," The man replied. "I've never met these Asgardians. I have no idea how strong they are or what sort of magic they wield, but I can place the strongest containment wards I have on this regardless."

The woman nodded. "Good. Is there anything you require from us?"

"Nothing but time and silence," He replied.

"I'll leave you to it, then," She told him. Hill watched him for a while longer before taking her leave. Of all of the consultants Shield worked with, most of which she had to deal with, Strange was perhaps the oddest. Though maybe it was just that the idea of 'magic' that was so odd in the first place, that she couldn't get over it. Still, none would ever be able to annoy her as much as Stark had.

She walked down several hallways, keeping an eye on Strange by watching the security feed on her tablet. You could never be too careful with these consulting types, after all. Finally, she came to a room where two men were waiting for her.

"Gentlemen," She greeted. "This is the first time we've had the chance to meet face to face, I believe? I'm Deputy Director, Maria Hill. It'll be a pleasure to work with you both."

"I haven't agreed to anything, yet," Reed Richards objected.

"You haven't told us what you want us to work on yet." Hank Pym commented more meekly than his counterpart.

"We would like you to work on a security project for Shield," Hill explained. "There is already a design in place, the idea is relatively simple, we think. Usually, we would ask Mister Stark to aid us in this type of project, but as you must know, he is busy currently working with the Avengers."

"So, you want us as his replacement?" Hank questioned.

"Not a replacement," She told them. "We've seen your work. Hank, you've made multiple advancements in scientific discoveries, and Reed, you've been making discoveries in multiple fields. We thought having the two of you work together would field us with great results."

"What's the project?" Reed asked.

Hill opened a folder and slid it across the desk between the two. "Let me introduce you to the Ultron project."