Subject 212-1 sat at the far end of the cafeteria. She tried not to hear the whispers or smell the fear that came from the other side of the room where the other children sat, but she couldn't help herself. The latest test had heightened her senses in such a way that her grip on reality had been lost for a few weeks and never completely recovered. The only joy that she found in the knowledge of this test was that it was the last one that altered her physically; mentally however, she knew she would forever be in a constant state of change regarding this aspect of her health. The only constant was Jack. According to official HYDRA records, Jack was terminated shortly after his body refused the first toxin they to infect him with. Contrariwise, Subject 212-1 had dismembered several scientists as they tried to get near Jack to inject him with the lethal dose of serum. Only Jack, docile as always, was able to keep her from murdering each and every HYDRA member in the base. He coaxed from her murderous rage by repeatedly whispering in her ear that he didn't like the blood, that he was tired, and would she take a nap with him? She complied so readily and willingly that the scientists had decided to keep Jack alive, if only to serve as a calming agent when they needed to rein in their beast. They were 5 years old when this happened.
Now, they continued to defy the set limits on their existence by going against what they were made for. She feels –something- and Jack lives. Older now, at least 14, they are no less loyal to one another. Jack lay his head on her shoulder and she held tight to his waist, knowing that the guards would come soon to separate her from him. She tried to focus on his breathing instead of the other noises in the room, until she hears the approach of one of the taller boys, the one who has been eyeing her for the past ten minutes. In this world, they acted as animals and were allowed to do so for the benefit of their HYDRA overseers who grew bored after watching children eat and sleep all say. That's why she subtly moved Jack so she could move without waking him. Before the older boy could feel the brunt of her suspicions, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She recognized it as the large hand of a man, and automatically allowed the intrusion as the only adults here were her masters and though they were mostly silent, she knew from experience that they carried a big stick. He pulled her from where she sat and hissed in her ear, "what, don't like subject 317, 212-1?" he pushed her towards the older boy who looked smug and angry at the same time, a look she'd seen too often. The larger boy, 317, grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close to him as she tensed, trying not to react violently. The HYDRA overseer spoke again, "317, what did you tell me this morning?" 317 sneered, "Subject 212-1 spit at me sir. Like a wild animal she was sir. She threatened me and called me a word I don't fully understand, but I don't believe I can say it in your presence sir." 317 didn't even try to hide his smirk as he felt the smaller girl subconsciously try to push him away, but he grabbed her wrists and held her there, knowing his hands would leave a painful bruise. His smirk grew into a snarl as she reacted to the pain by flipping him to the floor using his wrists hold on her against him. The back of her neck was grabbed by the officer and he jerked her head towards Jack's sleeping form. "212-1, we have told you before, that using your superior abilities against that of the weaker children was a punishment of isolation. I'm sorry, but you have forced my hand." He threw her to the ground and she let him, going limp so as to not anger him further. He walked over to her Jack and backhanded his face. Jack awoke with a startled yelp and fell to the floor. The officer kicked his form, reducing Jack to whimpers and quiet crying. He was roughly picked up and dragged towards solitary. As he was out of earshot the moment he left the room 212-1 cried out and was immediately rewarded with a sharp kick to her abdomen, the scars from her very first surgery stretching uncomfortably. 317, on his feet again, lifted her up and spat in her face, "Today we have strength and combat training, and pain endurance testing. Expect those to meld together beast." He then grabbed her waist and threw her against the wall, "And next time I say step aside in the hall way, you better do it! Remember your place, beast," He punctuated the words by slamming his fist into her stomach causing her to crumple and slide down the wall. She was used to more pain than this, but she knew if she reacted as if this hurt her as much as he wanted it too, he would leave her alone sooner, and she could go and search for where they've hid her Jack. He brought down his foot onto her left ankle and she cringed, trying to get this over as quickly as possible. He grabbed her wrist and brought her chest closer to his. He held her in place by keeping one hand on her neck and one decidedly lower than her back. He grinned as he pawed her, "If I say lick my shoe, you say which one, if I let me touch you, you ask me where. You are beneath me, and should know your place. See you at the training grounds, lab experiment." He walked away, but not before kicking her side so she fell over, silent and staring, until he left. As soon as he could no longer see her she leapt up, her face free of the supposed pain he thought she felt. Pain was something she knew, something familiar, and though she healed rapidly, she felt each and every molecule healing and it was sometimes more agonizing to heal than to be hurt. But the less time thought on the effects that had on her young and impressionable mind, the better. She searched the complex, moving with the stealth of someone who knew exactly where she was at all times. Her breath grew more rapid and her heart seemed to beat out of her chest, as she realized he was no longer on the base. Or at least in any of the rooms that he could possibly be alive in. Her eyes closed as she heard the bells that meant they had realized she was no longer where they thought she was.
"Was the removal of Jack truly necessary? I know you are my superior sir, but you are new here. We've used him to control her outbursts once she's completed the test or task we wanted her too. By moving him to another base, we have no way of calming her frenzy. While we appreciate your help in separating her violent and strong side from her normal form, we can't agree with taking the safety off the gun, so to speak." General Ross turned towards the concerned lab technician. He glared the man into silence and spoke, "I don't want my beast to have feelings. I want a monster not a cuddly toy." He turned again observing the girl's beating taking place. She seemed to flinch and choke as the older boy beat her with his fists, but something about her pain felt forced. Ross looked to the HYDRA psychiatric doctor at his side. "She is much smarter than we give her credit for. She thinks through the pain sir. She is reacting in the way the boy wants her too, knowing that as soon as he has what he wants, he'll leave her alone. See, she now gets up as soon as he's gone without any sign of the injury." 212-1 had exited off of their screen, into the blind spots, and Ross spoke again, "Does she feel no pain?" The Lab technician shook his head, interrupting their conversation, "Yes, sir. That is to say, she does feel pain sir. She just has developed a very high tolerance for it. Last week at the pain endurance tests, it took breaking her ribs, and electrocuting her to get her to cry out. Luckily her advanced healing enhancement has been improving with her age, and she heals in a matter of seconds now." The technician cleared his throat, aware of the glare Ross was sending him. Ross didn't reply though he just reached and pressed the button alerting all units to mobilize in search of their very own monster.
Loki stood in the empty field and waited silently until he felt strong enough to stand. He glowered, remembering the feeling of falling, the look in Thor's eyes, and then he remembered, the tesseract. It must be near. It must have pulled him towards this strange realm, but he must have teleported away the millisecond he had been anchored to this earth. Why, he knew not but assumed that he had felt threatened in some way, and his body had reacted accordingly. His stomach growled and he looked until the distance, seeing a large building in the middle of nowhere and he teleported himself inside, cloaking his thin form in invisibility.
Subject 212-1 had been tased [a new form of keeping her at bay it seemed, instead of using jack… Jack!] She awoke and screamed his name, only to have a fist slam into her mouth. She faintly heard the sound of a whistle, signaling the beginning of combat training. Apparently it was time to play kill the girl with the blindfold. Normally she would have found Jack and protected him from attack, not caring what they did to her as long as he was ok. But he wasn't there anymore, and therefore she felt no control. She grabbed the hand that connected with her face with her left hand and ripped, hearing the sound of ripping skin and bone. A girl screamed, until 212-1 turned her body to the left and connected her right foot to that of the girl's face. She was rewarded with the sound of crunching bone. The blindfold had been secured with metal and in such a way that if she tried to take it off she would most likely end up hurting herself further. She decided against it and allowed her eyesight to be constricted behind the contraption. Her veins pulsed as a new scent caught her attention. The girl now lying dead at her feet was slowly bleeding a puddle onto the floor. 212-1 breathed in the scent of a fresh kill and felt a shiver run through her spine. Something began to cloud her vision and she allowed the red to be pulled over her eyes.
Loki entered the building; he found no food in the complex and could not feel the tesseract's presence anywhere around him. He almost left until he heard the most delightful sound; the sound of death. Final cries and crushed bones led him to a dark room where a dark figure was massacring a room of young teens. If he hadn't lost his sanity and morals long ago, he would have been sick. The dark figure moved with such speed he barely had time to register her movements until her eyes turned to him. She growled deep in her throat and he noticed that she didn't have eyes at all, but a strange kind of metal blindfold was hanging over face, making it impossible for her to see. Then, he wondered how was it that she was able to murder those around her with such skill and… animosity. He felt almost fear as she sniffed primally, and he noticed now her skin was covered with a thin layer of hair, blacker than space, tinged with white. She ran towards him and lunged at his throat. Taken by surprise he back handed her to the ground, with much more force than he should have expended for a mortal child. But she leapt from the floor unfazed by the broken jaw he had given her. He stared in horror as her face realigned and he heard the god-awful crack as it reformed the bone. He struck again but she ducked and tore his cape as she dove behind him, rolling on the floor, than leaping up as he turned, spinning on her heel to try to bring her foot into contact with his stomach. He grabbed her leg and snapped it. Taking her momentary weakness as time enough to disarm her fully and he took her falling head in both hands cracking it over his knee. She fell to the ground, unconscious and her color returned to the normal complexion if a bit pale. He quickly made a decision and conjured a pair of chains from his memory, once used on a god.
He began to slide them over her small seemingly fragile wrists, when he heard the sounds of marching feet. His eyes scanned the small army of men for some sign of skill or intelligence but found only blind obedience. He scoffed and struck out at them, until he came upon a man with no obedience in his eye, but a madness that stood alone in the crowd of followers. Loki, realizing they were the only two men left in a room full of others' blood, and they smiled as if they were walking through the park together. "That's mine. Just thought you ought to know." The smiling man with the madness in his eyes gestured to the girl in a heap on the ground. "And how do you figure that?" Loki felt the coldness inside him begin to freeze the curiosity he had a t first felt for the man. "I made her. It's mine. You can't take her, she won't be stable. My Name is Ross by the way." The man spoke as if it was not a threat, and held out this hand to be shaken. Loki's curiosity at the odd nature of the girl's strength and transformation was fully piqued, and he grasped the man's hand. "What do you mean you made her?" Ross just smiled and put his hand in his pocket, done revealing things for now, "I'd like her back, today's trials were a success and we'd like to get on with the next ones." Ross stepped back, waiting for the girl to be delivered unto him. But Loki, who had intentions of just leaving the thing here, now suddenly wanted to keep it, like a prize. Loki, not wanting to leave without his questions answered, snarled and grabbed Ross's temple, invading his mind and looking into the parts he wanted to know.
He saw flashes of test tubes, of warriors, and then he was watching the full story playing before his eyes. He saw a hospital bed, and 4 women, all alone in every sense of the word. Their children had been taken and they were left without their infants, though none looked like their babies were stolen or ripped from them, but as if they had merely given the child to someone else to hold for a while. Next was a young toddler, watching as a needle entered its arm, and not crying out because of a muzzle covered its mouth. Then scalpels and scars followed, the child's eyes releasing few tears. A few years later, another child is under the knife, but this time it is a boy, and he cries out and thrashes against the doctors and surgeons, his arms and legs shaking violently. There are shouts of dismay and disappointment as they bring the boy into unconsciousness. Doctors carried him out of the room, muttering about extermination and failures. They bring him into a small room where the toddler, the girl from before, with her wrist tied to the lay on the ground. One doctor takes out a small needle and brings it near the boy's temple. The girl, eyes flashing immediately open, leaped towards them, her wrist cracking as she breaks it from its restraints. The next scene Loki views is violent and terrifying even for one as mad and tortured as he, there is fighting, killing and a primal child protecting another. They finally beat her into submission, and the scene ends.
Next, [she must be at least 8 or 9 now] and she is strapped to the same operating table from the beginning, but she looks disinterested. The scalpels and needles and chemicals are pumping into her but her face is that of one accustomed to it. The doctors check her restraints, then bring out a small bag of blood, and force it into her face, opening her mouth and nose forcefully, her eyes widen, her pupils dilate and she begins to shake violently. Loki can hear chuckling and turns to find Ross ordering an increase of some midguardian drug. The girl's shaking increased and her skin began to change. Her veins pulsed under her skin turning white and unnaturally accented against her pale skin by a faint black out line, spider webbing across her skin. Another barked order from Ross, and Loki could hear cracks and screams coming from the girl, her bones were somehow enlarging, slightly but enough that it looked painful. More cries from the doctors, but they were excited, and a hush fell over them as her fur turned blacker than Loki had ever seen and her eyes opened, her shaking stopping suddenly. She was eerily silent and still. Her form still lithe and small but long and oddly proportioned. Her eyes were wide and almost red they were so bloodshot. The doctors slowly backed away as her chest went up and down through her breathing. She moved her arm and broke the first restraint. This small movement sent the doctors into a small panic while Ross's eyes merely gleamed with madness. She began to tear those in the room apart, without malice or anger, but a savage hunger, as if she needed their lives to be forfeited for hers to continue. The doors, which had been sealed, closed, opened and a small boy had been thrown in. He walked over to the girl-thing and looked up at her with tears in his eyes. Loki waited for the boy to be torn apart, but the thing stopped immediately and allowed the boy to take its arm and hold it close. The boy then began to sob into the girl's chest. And her eyes, so bloodshot and needing a moment ago, cleared, and green stared at the boy instead of the black that was there a moment ago. Her arms and legs cracked, showing a small difference, and she wrapped her arms around the boy, her form, now smaller than his, slumping near him, while he sobbed and ran his fingers through her hair. Ross just growled. Loki suddenly felt very sick and very possessive of the child that was a monster. He released himself from Ross's mind and pulled back, leaving Ross on the ground holding his head trying to feel anything but the pain that an intrusion into the mind always followed with. Loki, left him there turning to the small monster in the corner of the room, chained like a beast and decided that two monsters would be unstoppable.
Clint had been instructed by Loki to care for the girl. He had brought her to the most comfortable area in their small base and fed her, soothing her when she called out for Jack. He tried not to look into her eyes, because they interrupted the clear fuzziness that was in his mind right now. One night, when her fever had finally cooled down she stared at him and told him he wasn't really there. He had freaked when images of a beautiful woman with red hair appeared before his eyes and he had begun babbling about her to the child, his eyes a nice grey instead of blue, until Loki covered his images again, hearing enough.
All day the next day, the child was left with a gag and blindfold on, removing them only to eat, and she was fed by Loki himself, though why Loki felt the need was beyond Clint. The child never truly spoke to anyone until they took the gag off. It had been 3 days since they had been freed by the tesseract and she had been overrun by a fever for two days, and gagged for one. She could talk once more and the first person she spoke to was Clint.
Subject 212-1 saw the man from her dreams walking by and called out to him, her voice small but his head immediately turned. She asked where she was and he told her that she was safe now, safer than she'd ever been. She asked him where Jack was and he just looked confused. She saw that his eyes were not his and she was afraid, remembering what she had seen in the dream. She asked what was going to happen now, and he said that they were going to win the world. He reached out and ran his fingers through her hair in the same way that Jack used to. She leant into him, her head touching his collar bone, when he let out a gasp. Afraid she had hurt the man she drew back, to see his eyes, much like in her dream had returned to their natural grey. She leant back in, liking his face better that way any way. He continued to stroke her hair and whispered the name, "Nat." She understood, as Jack was to her, so was this Nat to her dream man. Though, her 'dream' seemed to be more real than she had previously thought. Perhaps she had truly been taken from the HYDRA research center, and brought here. "Yes you have. It is true." She flinched back from the unexpected voice coming from her left.
Loki waved his hand over Barton's head and sent him on his task ahead. The child's ramblings had brought him back from the tesseract. Apparently the woman, Natasha's memory that is, was strong enough to break his spell.
He leant down next to the child and looked into her eyes, seeing no more signs of fever or fear. He whispered a few words and her restraints vanished. He sat beside her just to be silent for a few minutes. She whispered, "You're scared." Loki looked up sharply, not expecting her to speak. She patted his hand, and he flinched away, but she gripped his long slender fingers in her small but steady hands. "Being scared is okay. It's not weak. Jack was scared all the time, of the men in the white coats, and the bigger subjects. You're scared off someone bigger than you too. I can feel it in the way you look at us, and almost always stand when we are near you; you want to feel bigger, taller, and stronger. I used to want that too, but now I don't. I don't get afraid anymore. I can't feel anything anymore." Loki, suddenly felt anger at being understood by such a simple thing as this child, and shoved her hand away. His hatred and anger fueled his movements and soon she lay on the floor, silent except for the silent cracking and whirring sounds her body made as it repaired itself. She simply stared at him, no tears, no amount of fear in her eyes, and he wondered whether her statement about her lack of feeling was true. "He knelt down next to her and snarled in her ears, "What has left you so empty?! Why can you no longer feel?" She remained silent and stared into his eyes so he struck her and yelled his questions again. She looked up and simply said, "Jack's gone." Before she turned her body away from him and slept.
The next day, Loki allowed himself to show weakness for but a moment, and the child, who was now walking was suddenly by his side. He felt her fingers on the side of his temple, the exact place where his mother used to stroke when he was scared. Loki sunk into the feel of her fingers, allowing him this comfort as there was no one around but the child. She then began to sing quietly, and he was surprised at the innocence in her voice. "Guten Abend, gute Nacht, mit Rosen bedacht, mit Näglein [N] besteckt, schlupf′ unter dies Deck! Morgen früh, wenn Gott will, wirst du wieder geweckt." He leaned into her small form, though she was much smaller than his, she was strong, like a small pillar to rest your head. She digressed into humming and he nearly fell asleep until he heard Agent Barton clear his throat from behind. Immediately he pushed the girl from him and she fell to her knees. SH eglared up at him and immediately began to sing again but changed the song, „возвращаюсь в детство, Мимо пролетают дни., Я разбиваю сердце Больно одному идти.Мимо пролетают дни.Я разбиваю сердцеБольно одному идти."
Loki reached for the girl, growling as he saw what she was doing, but she evaded his grasp even as she continued to stare at Barton. Clint's heart began to ache and he suddenly realized how alone he felt. He also reached for the source of the music in someone's native tongue, knowing that the girl who could speak like that held his heart unbroken within her own soul. But he was intercepted by strong hands and a scepter shattering his heart again, leaving his thoughts scattered, but he retained the images of red hair hiding behind his eyes. Loki growled out the orders for Clint and sent him away, so he could fully give his attention to the girl before him. He asked her, "You told me that you could only feel when your other half, this weakling Jack, was near…" He spit Jack's name and she couldn't help but catch his head as it turned away, "You will speak his name with respect, beiskaldi!" She snarled at him, beast like in her hatred towards him. Then her eyes faded, the fire that had been ignited by the misuse of Jack's name gone, replaced with her normal vacant stare, she looked away, breathing deeply and nodded, answering his first question. He smirked despite her Norse curse she had flung at his person, he had already learned that she could master any skill or language by prolonged exposure to it and his All-Speak came to her in different tongues at all times. She had learned to swear in Nordic however most successfully. He reached for her chin and gripped it, bringing her eyesight to his, "What would you say if I told you I know where he is and would return him to you, if but for a few simple tasks on your part?" Her eyes widened and his smirk grew into a full blasted smile, he leaned into her ear and whispered, "Kneel." She immediately fell before his feet and looked to the ground all humility and obedience. He smiled wolfishly, like a predator that finally killed its prey. "I'm going to need you to return to Germany with me." She nodded once, but looked up, "Jack First." She would not budge in her stare and he knew she would be unwilling even if he brought her to the brink of death to persuade her to do his bidding, she would not move without her precious Jack. He sneered at her and said, "As you wish, tonight he shall be yours." He turned on his heel leaving her on the floor of the sewers, but not before he heard her whisper, "I am his." Then she sat down and waited. Such patience in one so young, it almost hurt him to think of what had driven her to be this passive obedient child.
Barton infiltrated the HYDRA base rather easily and Barton led a young boy out of the wreckage, he was shaking and had obviously been hurt. Barton's mind began to stray again, but the tesseract fought back and kept it in its current state. Time was misconstrued since his mind had been opened, and he soon found himself throwing the boy, only about 15, in front of his master, Loki. Loki waved him off and he tried not to feel sickness or dread at the way Loki had been looking at the boy.
Jack was scared and crying, and he called out, "Kitty? Kitty, are you here? I've been looking for you… they hurt me kitty. I just want to see Kitty." Loki was disgusted at the clearly shown emotion that was emanating from the child; he sincerely hoped that his new toy would not be reduced to a blabbering mess when she received her payment. Loki was very curious as to how the younger child had become the comforting one in the relationship that the children had, he assumed it had something to do with her strength and ability to protect Jack. He pulled Jack from his heap on the floor and removed the blindfold that had been placed on the boy. He growled at the boy, "Scream." Jack complied, facing a creature of nightmares, one with blue skin and red eyes.
Subject 212-1 awoke with a start; hearing a scream coming from the throat of, "JACK!" she screamed back and sprinted towards the sound of his voice. She leapt over agents and elbowed Barton into the sewer's wall in her haste to get to him. She didn't possess the strength needed to fully overpower the man in her weakened state [she hadn't eaten in days, and had never been properly treated for her fever] and she hadn't gone through the transformation, so she was just a small girl, slightly stronger than you'd expect running through the halls hoping to save her jack from a monster.
Loki heard the shrieks of his minions from outside the small corridor where he held the screaming boy, burning his skin with his Jotun form, and his smile grew wider as he knew his toy would soon be coming out to play. She burst around the corner and tackled Loki without thought, tearing her Jack from his grasp. "Now you see who you have agreed to help. A monster, a scary story told to small children to force them to behave. " She didn't even look his way just nodded in a nonchalant way as she slowly ran her fingers along Jack's face. "I was so worried Kitty, you were gone. Don't leave me." She purred, leaning against his collarbone and murmured German promises into his skin. He sighed and Loki glared, his toy was not playing by the rules. "Thank you, Sir. I will now complete the task you have set for me." Before Loki could speak, the girl was already lifting the boy to his feet and leaning into his warmth, turning away as if that was all that needed to be said. Loki caught her arm and suddenly Jack grabbed her back, pulling her away from Loki, "Don't touch my Kitty. She doesn't like it when people touch her." Apparently the child's name was Kitty, and she could no longer speak for herself, Loki noted, annoyed. Loki ripped the girl from Jack's feeble grasp and she gasped. Loki looked down at his toy, worried he had broken it. She looked up at him and said, "I can feel. Give me back to Jack please, I'm scared." Loki growled and pushed her towards her precious mortal boy, who caught her with ease, cradling her in his hands. The foolish mortal glared at him and whispered angrily, "I've never felt her tremble so badly before, what did you do to her?!" As Loki stepped forward, intent on ignoring the boy and walking out, jack pulled the girl out of his reach, and stared him down as Loki departed the room. Before he turned the corner however he turned back to the boy, "Can she feel pain?" Jack looked up harshly as he lay Kitty down on his lap, 212-1 making small purring sounds at being reunited with what was hers. "She feels everything, but shows nothing sir; only her mind knows all she feels inside." So now I'm sir, am I, Loki thought as he exited and sent one of the more competent minions to bring his toy food, perhaps the Jack would not be so unbearable after all. In fact, Loki mused, he had said her mind would show how truly she felt everything, Loki smirked.
It was but a few days before his plan in Germany would take place and he was currently trying to keep Selvig under the control of the tesseract. Apparently his control only lasted for a short while. At the moment he had sent for his new toy, seeing as she had so much ease in manipulating people's minds, then she could calm Selvig's so he could reinstate the scrambling effect that the tesseract had on everyone's mind. Once she had been brought to him, he motioned towards Selvig, invading her mind to tell her what she needed to do. She flinched, and he relished the show of her fear. Perhaps the presence of the boy was even better than he had thought. She moved slowly towards Selvig, who was muttering to himself, things about equations, Jane and a young girl called Darcy. Kitty reached out and took his hand, asking him inane questions about the favorite colors of the two women, when he answered she began to speak about the color blue, and she asked him if he liked that color. His eyes were not focusing again and he looked at the girl, nodding. She led him over to the tesseract and began muttering the equations and work he needed to complete until he was set on his task once again. Loki growled, and the girl left Selvig immediately even as she had begun to ask questions about where she was, what Loki was, and what he was doing. She went to his side head bowed, and asked, "Germany?" He nodded as he began to stride away, the beast following him. "Jack's coming." She stated and as if on cue, the boy's head looked up from where he was sitting and, after catching sight of her ran over. "Kitty, you can't leave me. You promised." He held her arm in a tight grip that Loki noticed she did not try to break out off. She nodded and looked towards Loki. "Fine. Just make your performance satisfactory and he can come." They smiled, and Loki groaned inwardly at the expression. It was so like that of Thor in his younger years, when he had just been granted an audience with a friend. Loki would not play mother in this situation. He turned suddenly and smiled wickedly saying, "And I am assured that it will be." He pressed his scepter into her chest and she gasped, her body convulsing, rejecting his magic somehow. Her heart beat grew much more quick than usual and he let her go; leaving her in the care of Barton puzzled as to why she could resist the pull of his magic so strong.
The girl and Jack performed quite well, and retrieved the eyeball while Clint made off with the needed goods. The pair rejoined Loki's side outside, as he addressed the crowd. He grew annoyed as he continued with his speech to find that the two were holding hands as if they were two normal children, walking through the city together. When the man with the shield landed, they seemed oblivious. He decided he would first show his power and then call his minions off, and allow himself to be taken. He communicated this to Jack through his mind and Jack whispered this to the girl. She nodded and glared at the man now speaking to Loki. Loki, while talking to this man, wondered at the back of his mind how by simply providing the two with each other's company, he could earn their loyalty so quickly. He feared what this would mean should he lose the power of keeping them together, but he pushed that thought aside as captain America's shield crashed into his chest. He lost his breath and the girl leapt up to the captain, who had fallen to the ground. She breathed in deeply, smelling the blood from his minor scrapes he had gotten, and she began to change.
Tony Stark was smirking beneath his armor right up until the girl tore the shield from Captain America's hands. Then he was full on smiling. "Hey cap! You ever had a dog when you were a kid?" He called out as he landed right behind Loki, trying to grab his arms. He did not succeed as Loki teleported to the other side of the square, and a spark of light appeared behind tony. This attracted the attention of the beast thing that was currently trying to rip Steve to shreds. The whistle, though it came from Loki's lips, sounded from behind Stark. In mere seconds, the black beast with the claws and very sharp teeth was tackling the suit to the ground. "Yes, but this is hardly the time." Captain America grunted as he took two blows from Loki. Stark smiled as he blasted the beast to the ground, only to have it leap up faster than before. "You remember dog whistles right? This thing kind of looks like a dog, right? So a whistle should work on it." Tony's suits arm opened and a high pitched noise came out. Loki turned, suddenly seeming desperate, and the creature crumpled to the ground, whimpering. Tony shot it to insure that it wouldn't get up. The boy, who had been hiding behind the statues, suddenly came out and began to throw rocks at Stark. "Arshchlock! Lass sie Gehen! Lassen sie uns in Rhie!" Jarvis rapidly translated the boy's words, [asshole! Let her go, leave her alone] and tony turned in confusion to the 15 year old kid who was denting his suit and calling him names. "Her?" Tony turned as captain America finally landed one on Loki, who reacted more dramatically than expected. Loki's hands went up in surrender and the boy yelled, "You promised! You promised! You said she wouldn't get hurt! You liar!" Loki just chuckled as Captain America put his hands in cuffs. Tony held the boy who was starting to run towards the thing on the ground. "Woa there kiddo. Who's she?" The boy merely looked at him in confusion and began to plead, "Please sir, she's crying! She's never cried before, at least not in front of me. Something's wrong!" Tony then realized that a small whimpering sound was coming from the beast on the ground. He also noticed that the boy had broken out of his grasp while he was distracted and was sprinting towards it. Tony yelled to the boy but he took no heed and began to try to pick it up, he only succeeded in putting it on its back and Tony was able to see what his blasters had done to the thing. It was bleeding profusely from the side, and leg. He was sickened to find its anatomy similar to a human's. The boy who was now being dragged to the helicarrier by Rogers, who had already loaded Loki inside, was frantically speaking in German and Jarvis translated, "She isn't waking up! Someone wake her up! If she's awake she'll be able to think and when she can think she'll heal. Sir, something is lost in translation. "Tony went to the black and white thing and picked it up, carrying it with them to the helicarrier.
"Alright now kid, tell this woman everything and she'll tell us what you're saying okay?" tony mentally face palmed, "Rogers, the kid can't understand English." Cap glared at him, "It's the tone that counts stark." Well, the boy seemed better now that Steve was holding the groaning thing at least. Natasha let autopilot take over and came back and kneeled down, her expression taking on softness that Tony had never seen her with. She spoke gently and then nodded to him. The boy went to Rogers and then to Loki, who was bound in the far corner of the room. Tony scoffed, "Romanov, you are insane. You don't let children go near monsters, it's like a rule." Natasha glared at him then went back to piloting the plane, Steve trailing after her inquiring about the conversation.
Jack glared at Loki and began to beg with hateful eyes. He begged him to heal her. When Loki shook his head, the boy began to sob and asked him to please heal her. Loki shook his head again and muttered, "Give it time you idi-"he stopped when he heard thunder. He heard Steve make some kind of comment on his sudden fear, and he thought that he responded but his mind was racing. Thor could not have found him so soon. It was impossible. The boy saw his fear and smirked, saying something about his fear as well, but stopping midsentence when Thor burst into the aircraft, grabbed Loki by the neck and left so suddenly. Stark immediately followed and Jack clutched Kitty as she stirred and stared after the disappearing forms of Loki, the man with the red cape, and the man in the red suit. He tried to stop her from detecting the rank smell of blood around her, but it was to no avail as her larger form pushed against him, her eyes darkening as she leapt after her 'captor'.
Loki was thoroughly frustrated, and amused at the same time. He pondered over things as his brother and the man of iron fought it out so foolishly. He considered her healing ability and figured that this faster immune system of sorts must have fought off his magic like a disease. Now he no longer wondered as to why she didn't heal so immediately, the body was always tired and more susceptible to harm after a heavy illness; and an injury such as the tesseract's magic would be exhausting indeed. He leaned back on the rock, knowing his plan, while complicated with the arrival of Thor, would be carried out quite efficiently.
Iron Man and Thor were swinging it out, nearly killing each other when both of them were suddenly taken up with a surprise attack. Thor was tackled by something unlike any beast he had ever seen, and his blows did little to make it relent in its attack, even as he saw it was already injured. Iron Man, however was caught off guard by a shield. Steve quickly calmed him and turned to face Thor to find him thrown against a tree with the beast from before growling at him, no not growling, speaking. He tried to hear what it was saying but couldn't. He nodded at stark to try and pacify the creature but was met with a blank stare as Tony just looked as Thor spoke to the thing in a language he was pretty sure wasn't from earth, and it backed down, curling at Thor's feet.
Director Fury wasn't very happy. He had 4 very big problems. Well three, really. The younger boy was easily pacified and wasn't a threat in any way except for it seemed he was very connected to the animal he now had in a cage on the lower decks, that was breathing in and out very slowly, which was expected as it had taken two shots from iron Man's suit. He had spoken to Thor, had locked up Loki and had sent Natasha to find out what Loki wanted. Now he just needed to find someone to get the monster in his lower bay to stop attacking the walls. He glanced up to see the boy who had come with them standing before him, a hardened expression on his face that shouldn't be present on a child that young. Fury nodded, handing him a card and sending for a young intern to send him down to where the beast was taken. Jack headed down into the depths of the helicarrier only to find that someone had already paid his dear kitty a visit.
Kitty was sitting on the floor of her cell, her black fur no longer present, the camera in the corner destroyed and an omnipresent voice was speaking to her. "Now young miss, what do you have need of?" Jack ran into the room, looking for a threat but found only a beaming Kitty. He was astonished, he had only seen her smile once when they were little, and he never realized how beautiful joy looked on her. She looked over at Jack, and her grin grew wider. "Jarvis this is my friend Jack." She spoke in German, and the man who he could not see replied in kind. "Ah, the young sir who came with you. Will he need language lessons as well?" Kitty shook her head and motioned for jack to come closer. He complied and pushed his card into where the intern had told him to, and slowly entered the cage. Kitty patted her lap and he immediately lay his head down. She began to speak again and he allowed himself to be lulled by her words. "Jarvis, teach me more. No more languages, we've exhausted them. Teach me something new and difficult." The voice began to speak and kitty hummed slightly, her eyes closing as she threaded her fingers through Jack's hair. They continued like this for almost an hour, until Jarvis stopped talking and her eyes reopened. She looked down at Jack and said, "I know so much Jack. I can learn and I love it! I feel happiness, and it is most glorious." Jack smiled at her, full of sincere joy at her comfort. Perhaps this cell wasn't so bad if she was so happy in it. "Glad to hear you're enjoying your imprisonment. Have we got questions for you?" A voice came from the corner of the room, and was soon joined by another as director fury, and two men came near them. Jack recognized one as the one in the red suit but the other was a mystery. Kitty looked up and grinned brightly, "Good morning, director, Tony and good morning to you too good doctor." She spoke the last part in Indian, and the man she addressed looked up in shock. She hurried on, her words spilling over each other, "Don't worry sir, you are not at fault for the creation of me, it was a different branch entirely than gamma radiation. Though I do think they had begun to experiment with that near the end, once the mad man was brought on board. He was the one who helped them turn me into a true monster, and enlarge my size and violent tendencies when my form changes. And would you just look at how I'm speaking. Words come so easily now, I can't even begin to thank you." She paused for breath and Jack proceeded to laugh out loud. This was so unlike his quiet, tortured kitty, and yet it seemed as if this was her true self all along and he embraced her new found energy and excitement. Tony began to laugh as Director Fury and the quiet one stared in shock as she began to speak again. "And TONY! Ah! I know your name, and your breakfast preferences! I know things I never knew could be known! THANK YOU" this came out in a rapid succession only to have her break down into excited German. Director Fury regained his composure, "And you do no longer resemble a tailless mutt because? And you have access to a highly intelligent AI that should not be on my ship because?" She just laughed at him and nudged Jack, urging him to answer as she sat and translated. It seemed their current situation was not at all startling to her and he wondered whether or not something had happened. As they explained the transformation, what it was triggered by, how they came to work for Loki, and why they were not under his control, Jack kept sneaking glances to her rib cage, which had been blown apart by the blasters. Finally, after Fury's curiosity was slightly whetted, he left her, muttering about HYDRA and that he should never have let Stark on his ship. "So Brucey, whatdya think of my new project?" The two men came nearer and Jack suddenly felt very protective, he stepped in front of Kitty, who was still mumbling in varying languages, as the men walked into the cage. "Hey kiddo, don't worry we aren't here to hurt her, we just want to talk, don't we Brucey?" The other man nodded, seeming like he didn't want to be there. Jack growled, not understanding the man until kitty whispered what he assumed was a translation of what had just been said. Stark gave the boy and earpiece and Jack hesitantly put it in his ear after Kitty's urging. He suddenly heard a voice in his ear and everything was understood. "A translator, kiddo." "My name is Jack, Tony." Stark smiled and then completely ignored Jack, "So sweetheart, liking JARVIS?" Kitty nodded so enthusiastically that Jack smiled again, catching himself off guard. He wondered at her state of joy and asked the other man this quietly, "Well, I think she was given plenty of tranquilizers when she got here, even though Thor had somehow made her timid and obedient before." Jack suddenly was on his feet, "Where is Thor?! I will beat him to a pulp!" Kitty laughed and the sound was like nothing Jack had ever heard before. "Jack, he merely reasoned with the beast. It's fine. I think I was asking him after Loki, and whether or not he could guarantee his safety, he said something to the extent that he could and he promised no harm would come to any of those I feared for if I backed down now." Tony stared at Kitty, "So still gonna serve reindeer games sweetheart? That's the wrong place to put your trust." Kitty smiled, "I don't trust anyone. Not ever. He's going to get out you know. And I will leave with him. But Jack won't." Jack looked up sharply from where he had settled on her side. "Jack, I worry for you. And I won't have you endangered on my account. You are staying with Thor, the one who guaranteed your safety. He's stronger in body than Loki and will protect you. Don't argue." Jack held his tongue and simply laid his head back onto Kitty's lap. Crying softly as the two men continued with their endless barrage of questions. However, their stream of questions about their time with Loki was interrupted when Jack felt the bones shift in her ribs, and the muffled crack resounded around the small space. Kitty closed her eyes, and hurriedly explained, "I'm still healing. Loki's magic slowed it down; I was wondering when that rib would repair itself. I'm fine. Please leave me now." Tony left and so did the doctor, but Jack clutched her waist, fully sobbing now, so scared for her now that she had felt real happiness.
Loki sighed and called out to his beast as the woman who had outwitted him left, the girl's brain reacted violently to being contacted and he felt a strange sting as she tried to push him out. Once he announced his name however she tried to allow him in. He communicated what he must and then tried to press deeper, but she completely blocked him out, something never done to him before by a mortal. He heard the shuddering coming from the ship and he smirked, waiting for his brother's inevitable visit.
Subject 212-1 pushed Jack off of her lap and whispered in his ear not to try to find her that she would find him when this was all over. She then bashed his head against the floor, knocking him out. She tried not to feel guilty as she ripped open the bars of the cage, and ran through the halls to the location Loki had shown her. She was to keep the Avengers busy while Loki made his escape, and then when he called her, she would join him as he left the plane. She sprinted down the hallway then stopped just as she was about to burst through the door. Suddenly, over the argument going on inside, the ship jolted and a large bang was heard. Steve and Tony came rushing by and she let them go, instead choosing to rip open the vents before the others left the room, going in so she could follow them without being seen. She decided to follow the two biggest threats, the doctor man and the red-headed woman. She scurried silently as they strode briskly trying to keep the doctor calm as they did so. She dropped into the elevator as the two inconsequential agents left. The doctor took in a sharp breath as she slammed Widow's head against the railing, catching her by surprise with her superior strength. Bruce, trying to control his breathing, backed away from her. "I don't want to fight you, sir." She stared deep into his yes, making sure he got her meaning. His breathing grew quicker, and she smirked slowly closing in on him, hoping for a twinge of claustrophobia. Suddenly, there was a lurch and they fell, the elevator landing at the bottom of the shaft at the basement, the doors still opened, and Bruce tried to step out, his face a decided green color. She followed him, and leapt onto his back pushing him to the ground. "Sorry, sir, But I keep my oaths. He's going to have to come out. But before he does, may I ask you something?" Banner tried to release himself from her grasp and his breathing became shallow, his eyes glazing, "Do you think he'll kill me?" Banner nodded, trying to get away, not able to speak. The girl nodded, then smiled, bringing her palm high into the air then flat onto his collar bone, shattering it. Bruce cried out, his voice oddly deep and strained. "Good. Let it go. Again however, I am sorry, but I'm going to have to cut you. She drew her nail along his arm and he cried out again, almost roaring she breathed in his scent and then felt his body begin to shift beneath her. She crawled off of him, and they transformed together. She stared at the great big hulk that stood in front of her. IT suddenly ran towards her and she laughed, running towards it, punching it square in the jaw. It was forced back slightly, and she smirked before a giant arm slung her into the wall, breaking her ribs. They cracked back into place and she propelled herself towards the monster, her claws ripping his tough skin to shreds. It roared again and slammed her into the ground. She yelped at that, waiting for the inevitable second blow, but it didn't come, she threw her leg at the beast, catching its thigh, and it fell to its knees, grabbing her by her long black mane. She yelped again and it held her up to its face, breathing heavily. "Dog." It said, growling, but it didn't hurt her and it didn't let go. She snarled and clawed his face, causing him to throw her backwards. She landed on her hind legs, and, seeing the large steam pipe near the monstrosity now barreling towards her, she ripped it from the wall, burning her hands and the face of the monster that she now beat over the head with the pipe, until he fell down, momentarily stunned.
She sprinted through Shield headquarters, running much more easily on her 4 legs. She mauled a few agents who got in her way and headed towards Loki's transport. She found him there and bowed as best she could in her form. He looked at her strangely. "And your Jack?" she just growled and leapt onto the plane, nearly biting the hand that he had offered to her off. They ventured off now, having won the day.
While they flew, Loki stared at her, confused at her decision to keep the one she had been so willing to die for in the hands of those who had kept her imprisoned. She looked up, her animal form fading, and she whispered, "Could you try to use the stick thing on me again?" Loki looked up in shock. "Something in your mind is blocking me out, child." She moved closer, "Well I'll stop. Just make it so that I don't have to answer for my actions. Jack won't blame me, but I want my conscience clean." Loki smirked, "You have a conscience? I didn't believe you could feel." She glared at him, "I'm learning. Just do it." Loki knew he would have to go into her mind and he almost flinched as she grabbed his wrist and brought it to her temple, and his fingers buzzed with the normal electricity that happened when he entered another's mind.