Author's Note: I have to admit that I know nothing about technology, so I hope you forgive me those flaws (but it's the Avengers, so if something sounds impossible, maybe Tony can work it, still). Plus, I wanted to extend on Loki as a scientist. When reading other fanfiction, I always enjoyed that idea, so I want to include that, too. Review if you want, otherwise, just enjoy ;)

Chapter 15 revised now!

It took a lot of negotiation and threatening from both sides, but eventually the bosses agreed to the new weapons, under Loki's name. The condition was that Loki wouldn't work on them alone, but with Bruce and Tony, to make sure that she doesn't do anything stupid. But since that was the plan anyways, the three didn't bother much and just made the deal. That is why the trio spends a great deal of time in the lab, and a great deal of time means that they are there 24/7, except for fights, food, and occasional nap-breaks.

Currently, Bruce is working on some equations on the computer while Tony is screwing together the first prototypes in the lab.

"We are totally the Dream Team of the group," Tony smirks.

"Right, coz it's in your dreams," Bruce huffs. Tony throws his hands up dismissively, but then continues with his task, humming some Rock tune as he says, "This will rock so bad once it's finished."

Loki walks up to him with a panel in hand, but then stops in front of him, "You didn't, did you?"

"What?" Tony glances at her.

"That emblem," she hisses. Loki points at the "A" attached to the prototype on the table, which is of course the Avengers' symbol.

"What? It's ours," Tony acts off innocently.

"Couldn't we worry about the style once we… actually get this to work?" Loki sighs heavily.

"She's right, Tony," Bruce says, focused on the screens.

"You two just don't see the awesomeness," Tony mutters like a child.

"What I see is that there is still a fluctuation in the converter," Loki retorts drily. She points at the panel with the diagram on it.

"What? I already solved that!" Tony pulls at his hair.

"Seemingly not," she shrugs.

"Did you connect it with the converter yet?" Bruce suggests.

"Of course," Tony rolls his eyes at him.

"Hm, maybe some mistake in my calculations?" Loki puckers her lips.

Tony, glancing at the machine again, argues, "Don't think so… wait, maybe if I…"

He screws in one place, but with that smoke starts to come up from the weapon, to which he exclaims, "Oh, Hell!"

Loki quickly moves her hand over the weapon to extinguish the flame with magic.

"What did you do now, Tony?!" Bruce demands exasperated.

"I… don't know. I've worked on this circuit before and everything seemed fine, but somehow that is where I always get thrown out and the system shuts down... and starts to sizzle," Tony grimaces, still not quite believing what just happened.

"Well, then we know at least the source of the problem," Loki shrugs.

"But there shouldn't be," Tony mutters. As much as he loves working on this project, nothing gave him as much of a headache as does this now, and he designed the Iron Man suit. That surely means something.

"Yet, there is," Loki rolls her eyes.

"… the question is what is there that we don't see," Bruce grimaces.

"What if we build in another relay?" Loki suggests.

"What for?" Tony scrunches his nose. Loki shrugs.

"Fine, we try, see what happens. If it sizzles again, it's your fault, though," Tony warns her. Loki flashes a brief smile before he continues to work on the new setup while the others busy themselves with the diagrams and equations again. Whoever said that this would be easy… damn liar.

"Okay, new relay set… let's give it a try and turn up the volume," Tony snickers. He switches the machine back on, but… same thing all over again. Loki quickly extinguishes the small flame forming.

"That… is entertaining, but… not productive," Tony exhales, scooting back in his chair.

"I beg to differ," Bruce argues.

"You tell me when this thing is smoking, again?! Seriously?" Tony says, throwing his hands in the air.

Bruce, pointing at the screen with his pen, objects, "Yeah, coz the energy output is right."

"How can that be? This thing blew, again," Tony grimaces, scratching his head.

"Yeah, something's not right, but the output is," Bruce confirms.

"I just want this to work…," Tony exhales.

"You complaining won't help it any, though," Bruce huffs.

"Ha," Tony huffs, but then he has an idea, mindfully tapping his chin. "But now, thinking about it. Aww, I just surprised myself with my genius. I'm such a treat. Now, we simply have to do this and that and a bit of magic…"

He starts to work on the machine another time. After a while, he exclaims excitedly, "I think we got it! That means I did, coz I'm amazing, but I give you some credit."

He knocks against the weapon like you do with a bull for the rodeo, but that is when suddenly a blue flash of light shoots out of it. Loki, who stood just in the path owes it only to her magic that she didn't get hit, but instead shot herself back to save herself. Tony is also thrown back thanks to the impact, Banner hides under the table. Once the light dies out, Bruce and Tony stare at the huge hole gaping in the wall.

"Sir, there is a burning hole in the wall," Jarvis tells him.

"No shit?" Tony brings out, his mouth still standing open in shock. The robots already start to extinguish the flames. Bruce hurries over to Loki, who is still halfway lying, halfway sitting on the ground.

"Loki? You okay?" Bruce asks her worriedly.

"It worked!" Loki smiles, still dazed.

"Did you hit your head?" Bruce asks, his voice full of concern. If she is hurt, Tony is surely going to get it from him... if not from the Hulk.

"What? No, I'm fine, thank you, Doctor," Loki smiles at him broadly.

"Well, for a moment you had me scared with the smiley face," Bruce grimaces.

"Well, isn't this worth celebration?" Loki blinks at him, tilting her head to the side.

"The fact that Tony almost killed you or the gaping hole in the wall?" Bruce frowns.

"Both?" Loki smiles even broader.

"Huh?" Tony makes a face, to which Loki chuckles almost gleefully, "The fact that we have a hole in the wall means that… it worked!"

Bruce and Tony exchange a questioning glance as the young woman leans back, giggling, but then both can't help but also chuckle.

"It worked," Bruce gesticulates.

"Even if that's not what I had pictured for… rocking bad… it did rock, if only just the building," Tony nods with a smirk tugging at his lips.

"And that was only one percent intensity," Loki says as she gets back up.

"This is gonna be sooooo amazing," Tony smiles.

"Judging by the looks of it, we will make some more holes, so I fear," Bruce grimaces at the hall in the wall.

"Yeah, well, gladly you have me. I have enough money to buy us... I don't know how many walls, but a lot," Tony shrugs.

"Probably that's the main reason SHIELD hired you," Bruce huffs sarcastically.

"No, that is for my charming smile and this gorgeous face," Tony smirks.

Loki and Bruce roll their eyes simultaneously.

"Okay, Lady, Gentleman, we are in Phase Two!" Tony declares overly dramatically. Now the three are in a bigger test room with the first prototypes lined up in front of them. The three are wearing huge round goggles.

"Why are we doing this again?" Bruce grimaces.

"Coz it's fun?" Tony tells him, looking like a child who gets to test his new toy for the first time... which comes pretty close to reality, now thinking about it.

"We know that they should fire," Bruce argues.

"Coz it's fun?" Tony repeats.

"Loki, help me out here," Bruce cries out.

"Coz it's fun," Loki smirks.

"You, too?" Bruce blinks at her incredulously.

"I enjoy a bit of destruction here and there," Loki shrugs.

"Tony, you spoiled her," Bruce sighs.

"Yeah, might be… who cares?" Tony snorts.

"You obviously not," Bruce huffs.

"Yeah. Let's blow up some more stuff," Tony claps his hands together excitedly before he clicks on one of the screens and suddenly "Eye of the Tiger" booms over the loudspeakers.

"Seriously?" Bruce turns to him annoyed.

"Just getting us into the mood," Tony smirks. Bruce rolls his eyes. Loki frowns, Midgardian music is really a funny thing. And Tony doesn't care. He walks up to the first module and sets the timer, then steals back to the other two behind the safety glass before the machine fires off the next blow which shakes the room.

Tony, doing a bit of happy-dance, smiles, "That is soooo cool!"

"That was five percent," Bruce blinks at the screens.

"And we almost deep-fried that wall!" Tony laughs excitedly.

"Very scientific, Tony," Bruce shakes his head.

"Well, if this almost 'deep-fries' the wall at five percent, we are facing a new challenge," Loki says drily.

"Right, how do we test the one hundred if this is already destroying the room?" Bruce nods.

"We could just go outside," Tony suggests.

"Great way of thinking, so that anyone can see what we are up to?" Bruce huffs.

"Well… yeah? We could make it a great party," Tony smirks at him smugly.

"How far is the shield technology that you have worked on, Stark?" Loki asks suddenly.

"All done and be-autiful," Tony boasts.

"Can't we try to use that to buffer the impact, at least?" Loki gesticulates at the apparatus.

"Hm, good thinking, but it won't shield everything, that's for sure. The output is just too great," Tony nods. He likes her way of thinking, at least when it comes to sciences and machines.

"We could connect a few in series," Bruce suggests.

"Right. If they have independent energy resources… we might at least be able to buffer enough to make sure we don't… deep-fry the entire building," Loki shrugs.

Tony quickly calculates, "Hm, that would be… thinking about it… at least ten for starters."

"Thirteen if you keep in mind that there might be fluctuations," Bruce argues mindfully, tapping his chin.

"I don't have that many in store yet," Tony grimaces. Who could have guessed that they might become necessary to hold new weapons of theirs at bay?

"Then you know what you gotta do," Bruce smirks, clapping him on the shoulder.

"What?" Tony blinks at him, so Bruce explains nonchalantly, "That's your baby and you're the gearhead, that means… Loki and I will catch a break while you make sure we have at least thirteen of those."

"Seriously?" Tony cries out exasperated.

"Yep," Bruce smirks at him. Loki shrugs.

"I thought you were on my side now," Tony mutters in Loki's direction, who replies with a shrug of her shoulders, "I'm on my side... which happens to be his for now."

"As team members, you suck," Tony grumbles.

"We put up with you, that's enough," Bruce huffs playfully. He links arms with Loki and smirks, "Shall we go ahead, dear?"

"Oh, yes, please. Lead the way," Loki snickers. And with that the two leave Tony to himself.

"They just left me...," Tony mutters under his breath, mocking exasperation. He scratches his head before making his way to the lab... building more shields. As he goes, he lets "Eye of the Tiger" play again.

After some more hours of more or less intense work, Tony, Bruce and Loki are back in the test room, now with thirteen of the new shields lined up in front of the wall.

"You can thank me for that now," Tony snorts.

"... only once this works," Bruce huffs.

"It was her idea," Tony thumbs at Loki.

"It's your shields," Bruce argues.

"Yeah, no, my awesomeness should actually do," Tony shrugs smugly.

"Let's just get started," Loki shrugs. Tony sets up the shields while Bruce and Loki are booting up the module.

"I'm ready if you're ready," he snickers.

"Okay, test number one, seventy percent intensity... in 4, 3, 2, 1... Go!" Bruce does the countdown. All hold their breath in anticipation. The weapon goes off. The three hold their breaths as the energy beam hits the shields.

"I think it's working," Bruce says, observing the diagrams.

Loki, observing the screens, nods, "We're all the way to shield eight. Fluctuations within the limits. Energy output is stable."

"Okay, now I say it: good job, Tony," Bruce puckers his lips, visibly impressed.

"I think I'm gonna cry, thank you," Tony snickers.

"Well, we can't tell yet. We didn't fire the full intensity by now," Loki argues.

"Killjoy," Tony grumbles.

"Okay, do we try out the one hundred?" Bruce suggests.

"Get it rollin', baby!" Tony says, making a victorious rocker pose.

"As Stark said before... we can always buy new... walls... floors... doors... houses, so... let's do it," Loki shrugs. And to the day, she still enjoys it when you destroy furniture or other unnecessary things. It might be that she gave up on the idea of world destruction, but she still finds destruction somewhat compelling.

"Okay," Bruce agrees, pushing some buttons on the panel to relaunch the program. They repeat the process. This time the entire apparatus is shaking due to the vast energy released. The three have to hold on to the tables so that they aren't blown back.

"Goodness sake!" Bruce gapes.

"Holy...," Tony stammers, blinking at the sheer power that just unfolded in front of their eyes. But that is when the beam finally dies and everything returns to, well, normal. The three exchange glances.

"Okay, I so want to use that in the next battle," Tony says, pointing at the apparatus. The other two nod silently.

Loki takes off her goggles as she says, "I suppose the fittings come next."

"That is more of your department, though. As the girl of the team," Tony snickers. Loki rolls her eyes, nudging him into the side. The three glance at their module with a glitter of awe in their eyes. That is their achievement - and hell, does that feel great? Yes, it does.

The rest of the Avengers make their way into the room, after Tony called them, or well, yelled over the headset like a five-year old boy who wants to show the worm he's found to his parents.

"Okay, whatcha got? I thought Tony was going through the roof when he called," Clint grimaces.

"Oh, I did," Tony smiles broadly at him. If they didn't know better, they'd think he's on acid.

"He's just very excited," Bruce grins.

"No shit," Clint huffs.

"Well, we gathered here today to celebrate our newest creation's birth...," Tony declares dramatically, raising his arms above his head to give it a show, to which Loki sighs, "We have the prototypes ready, now we have to accustom them to your parameters."

"Right," Bruce nods. "So, Natasha and Clint, you go with Tony, he's got your fun stuff, Captain, you're coming with me, and Thor, you go with Loki."

The God of Thunder can't hide the frown for a second, but if he is feeling discontent, he is at least making an effort to hide it. The other team mates follow suit and walk up to the tables to take a look at the shiny new toys.

Loki turns to him calmly, "Before you ask, I actually requested this, since I have best knowledge of Mjölnir and its properties, which is why I was the main constructor."

Loki is actually almost past the point where she wants to run away when he sees him. The urge is still tingling in her toes from time to time, but the prospect of the new weapons outweighs that sensation. And it didn't go without her notice that Thor is seemingly, well, trying. If this means that cooperation is possible again, Loki would be the last one to deny it.

"I see," Thor nods.

"Okay, so this is the asset we came up with," Loki says and points at the object on the table. Thor eyes it curiously.

"Could you put your hammer down on the table so that I can show you how to attach it?" Loki asks.

"Of course," Thor replies hastily. He puts Mjölnir down. Loki takes the enhancer into her hands.

"Those arms make sure it stays in place and isn't thrown off due to impact," she tells him, her eyes solely on Mjölnir. "All you have to do is to put it down on the top and then twist the panel in the middle, clockwise."

She does so and the arms, on their own, grasp the edges of the hammer and tighten until perfectly in place. The circular panel in the middle shines in bright blue and white.

"If you wish to take it off again, you just turn it the other way around," she explains. "Once we do the last fitting, we will customize it in such a way that only you and us can turn it off or on, through a scanner. That way we make sure no one just comes up to you and messes with your hammer."

"I wouldn't let him anyways," Thor smirks.

"Of course," she huffs. "So now... once you have it attached, it activates, the light goes on, and it is ready for battle. We designed the enhancer in basically two ways. For one, it will increase your powers. I don't think this needs much explanation."

"It makes the attacks stronger," Thor nods. Even without understanding the technique, he understands the effect.

"Exactly," she nods her head, making her raven curls bounce. "When you use it, you will realize the increased strength, though, so... hold on tight until you are used to it."

Thor smirks.

"But, it does more than that. The idea came to me when I thought about the time I... came back," she explains, biting her lower lip for a second, but then carries on in a casual voice. "Mjölnir can only make use of a certain type of energy - lightning, thunder, and some magical attacks."

"True," Thor agrees.

"Well, this apparatus will allow you to convert a greater spectrum of energy, which includes what I had to transform for you the last time. The rule of thumb is... anything that's shining like light... you can probably use," she shrugs. At least that was the idea behind it.

"That... is great," Thor blinks at her, honestly impressed. Of course it doesn't come to him as a surprise that Loki is that intelligent to carry out such a task, but the trickster's creativity and foresight amazes the thunderer to the day.

"Well, that is still in theory. We have to see how it works when we bring Mjölnir and the amplifier together. For that," she tells him before she gesticulates for him to come along. "Would you follow me? We will get you some energy to absorb."

Thor follows the petite woman into a separate test room of the Mansion. There is probably more test rooms than living rooms, though Loki never bothered to ask Stark about it. It's not like she actually cares, for as long as she has enough room to run her tests - and a room for her own.

They enter. In the room's center stands a huge apparatus.

"This here is pretty much a converter," she explains, pointing at the machine. "It can send out kinds of energy, but those that are based on, well, what Mjölnir needs. We will start with real lightning to see about the enhancement and if everything goes according to plan. If this goes well, we will carry on with other kinds of energy to see if you can convert and use them."

"Do I have to use it differently?" Thor asks.

"Not that I know," she shrugs her frail shoulders. "At least we hope that you don't. Perhaps you have to swing it the other way around, but I suppose we will find out once it's started. Just follow your intuition."

"Good," Thor smiles.

"Good," Loki grimaces, still too uncertain to actually smile at the thunderer. She turns on the heel to get behind the safety glass, her hands swiftly dancing over the control panels. A moment later, Loki's voice rings over the loudspeaker, "Okay, I'll count down from five to one, then we start. Are you ready?"

Thor grins at the challenge, "Bring it on."

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - go," Loki says, rolling her eyes. Some things truly never-ever change.

Lightning starts to leap out of the machine. Thor swings Mjölnir once, twice, a big smile flashing over his face. Loki knew that this would get even Thor excited. Anything that means more power is something he will automatically appreciate and enjoy. The amplifier sends the first lightnings through the room and even the thunderer has to take a step back at the suddenly strong impact.

"We are at 80 percent now. Is it too much?" she asks.

"No. More!" Thor grins, his eyes shining brightly against the lightning leaping through the room.

"90 is coming," she tells him.

"Go to 100," he argues.

"Of course...," Loki snorts. Just like a child. She turns the intensity up to the 100 percent anyway - and gladly, Thor doesn't deceive her hopes. The lightning shakes the entire room, the thunder rolls. It's just what they wanted, just what she had pictured and weeks now. And for the first time since a long time, Loki feels as though she produced something of actual use. This is real matter, real energy - and it helps. Even if she still hates it to be helpful... the part that doesn't hate it likes it.

"Okay, I think this works. You can stop now," Loki tells him over the loudspeakers. Thor makes another attack anyway before he lets the lightning die out. Already as a child he would always make another toss of the ball or run another lap when their Mother called, Loki remembers. Some things just never seem to change.

"Good, that seemingly works. Now we come to the probably more interesting part, the conversion. I will start with low intensity. Just do the same thing you'd do when absorbing lightning. I think that should do... don't tell me to bring it on... I'll just start in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, go," she tells him. Loki sends out the first energy sample. The trickster can't deny she actually feels anxious. She wants this to work, more than the sorceress likes to admit. At first... it was perhaps just, well, to contribute, but it is more than that now. Loki actually found herself waking up with anticipation to go to the lab and start on the next problem. Bruce warned her that they would manage to get her there, but Loki doubted that ever since the day on the roof. However, she has to accept defeat, which is actually gain. Of course this is far from a perfect life or anything she had envisioned, but it's at least no longer paining as much. Thor is making an effort, even if Loki still suspects that the rest has to do with that. Even if so, it doesn't waver her. It's light, it's fragile, but Loki found something that might be worth holding on to: this project, and her new friends.

Maybe a puppy-person after all...

Loki shakes her head to regain focus, just to almost jump in glee once she realizes that the module does what it is supposed to do - and doesn't deep-fry the wall in any way.

"It's working," she smiles. "Okay, Thor? Can I increase the intensity?"

"Bring it...," Thor means to say, but Loki quickly interrupts him, "I know."

The test carries on after that - and her hopes, for once, are not deceived. This works. She was right... and they were right, with pushing her, admittedly. This is good. It is good for the team and good for herself. The trickster finally sees a kind of purpose in what she does.

Loki steps away from the safety glass. Thor turns to face her and says politely, "That is magnificent craftmanship."

"Well, there is still some fine-tuning to do, but... it's looking very well," Loki shrugs.

"That is a great contribution to the team and its safety," Thor smiles almost proudly.

"That was the main point," Loki huffs.

"I'm looking forward to using it in battle," Thor smirks, tapping his palm against Mjölnir a few times.

"Me, too," she replies honestly. There is a moment of silence between the two. And that is when both realize that even if they manage small-talk, the uncomfortable coldness in their necks is instantly back once they really face each other. This feeling that there is nothing left to be said, nothing more to hold on to. Many things can change, but some seemingly don't, or they take a way longer time.

Loki turns away sheepishly, "I suppose we should head back."

"Yes," Thor stammers. The two make their way back into the other test room where the others are eagerly discussing and toying around with their new weapons.

"Ah, Loki, there you are. How did the test go?" Bruce smirks at her - and Loki couldn't be gladder that Bruce always chooses the right moments to ask her a question to escape the uncomfortable situations with Thor.

"Very promising," Loki nods and hands him the panel with the records. "Here are the results. I think some more fine-tuning will do. How is it with the rest?"

"Well, for the Captain we still need some adaptations. Once it's supposed to shoot, it just throws him off his feet," Bruce grimaces, scratching the back of his head. "Natasha's and Clint's weapons are working just fine... and Tony is already goofing around with his. I don't expect him back for the next couple of hours."

"... we did tell him to stay in the Mansion, right?" Loki frowns, narrowing her eyes.

"When does Tony ever listen?" Bruce shrugs.

"True again," she sighs. Never.

"Yep. I think we took that hurdle," he smirks before he turns to the others. "Alright, thanks guys. That's it for the day. We will call you in for the next fitting some time soon."

The others put the weapons back down, even if you can see that they would actually like to keep them already. They make their way to the door.

Natasha, as she walks past Loki says, "Great job."

"That is maginficent," Steve agrees as he joins Natasha. Clint nods as he leaves, Thor does the same.

Perhaps it's better that way.

"So, that leaves us two to the test, huh?" Bruce smirks, stepping closer to her.

"Actually, only you, my friend," Loki grins as she twists on the heel to face him.

"What?" Bruce makes a face.

"I already tested mine," Loki shrugs.

"What? When?!" Bruce stammers.

"... When you had a snack," Loki admits, mocking sheepishness.

"So you couldn't wait either?" Bruce sighs. He never took her for the type.

"You could put it like that. I would rather say that I just wanted to make sure it didn't do harm to anyone, so I volunteered to go first," Loki sticks out her tongue.

"Right," Bruce huffs, unable to hide a smile. It makes him happy to see Loki doing, well, normal things, like testing out the new weapons before it's time. That is normal. And if she smiles because of it, it's all good.

"I have to admit that the daggers do not meet the standards yet, though the chest plate was working wonderfully. It will certainly aid me in firing stronger attacks at the enemy," Loki nods.

"So...," Bruce grimaces, and Loki completes with a smile, "That means we test you now."

"Why am I not looking forward to this," Bruce makes a face, nervously fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. She claps him on the shoulder, "I suppose you are just afraid of me seeing you naked."

He grimaces, so she quickly assures him with a sweet smile, "I think this is going to work fabulously. If you want me to, I will play that music tune for you."

"You won't play 'Eye of the Tiger' or 'I'm Too Sexy for My Shirt'," Bruce narrows his eyes. Loki shrugs with a devilish smile. Tony did that last time they ran tests on the Hulk. In turn, the Hulk really wanted to rip off Tony's face.

"Maybe some soothing lullaby," Loki suggests playfully.

"Or nothing," Bruce snorts.

"That is of course possible also," Loki shrugs.

"So... the super-safety room it is," Bruce huffs.

"Yes, it is...," Loki agrees. The two link arms and make their way to the (fairly) Hulk-proof room to do the last test.

It might be a small victory, but... it just feels so great.