Chapter 5

Elena's POV

The minute the elevator doors open on my floor I head straight to my desk without stopping by any of my co-workers' work stations to listen to whatever they have to say about my newest project. I am sure everyone will say that they are thrilled for me since it seems like such an important job and I am sure they would be….. Thrilled; but not for the reasons they state. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the entire SHIELD gave a collective sigh of relief when they got to know that they were not the ones being assigned to handle the big evil baby.

The sympathetic look that Amy is shooting my way from across the hall where she is mid conversation with the new recruits says how much his reputation precedes him….Amy is a good friend, maybe the only one I would vent my anger to once I get over with this progressively horrible day, well her and Al….since both of them won't judge me for a second and think wow, she quits fast. But given my current mood I can't even deal with her sympathy, so I move to my desk, sit on my chair and spin it around, picking the manila folder with a sweep. I am facing the wall so that I can read it well and without anyone scrutinizing my reaction for fear, irritation or a countless million other things that might happen to someone who spends time with him.

The front page contains information like parentage, planet, name, backstory all of which I am almost familiar with. Seems like this personality profile won't be much help hence I start skimming quickly.

"one of the many powerful beings from Asgard…..worshipped as a god…..son of Laufey, king of Jotunheim…genetically a frost giant…belongs to the Jotun race…..Frost Giants attacked several realms…..barbarous creatures….Blue skin with raised patterns, red eyes, extremely tall, of a muscular built…..can inflict frost bites with a mere touch of the hand…..subject was found abandoned in a temple by Odin after a war…..adopted by Odin and Frigga…accepted as prince of Asgard…adoption not common knowledge….tense relationship with Odin…..Fond of step mother Frigga…..learned magic from Frigga…..grew up to be universally accepted as god of mischief and later on as God of Evil…..no close friends or accomplices known….Profoundly Jealous of half-brother Thor…..has Coveted the throne of Asgard for a long time…..brought his own father, Laufey to Asgard so he could assassinate Odin in his sleep and eventually turned on him and killed him, hence saving Asgard and Odin….misinformed Thor about the death of his father during his banishment so that he would never return…in an altercation upon Thor's return fell off the bifrost into space beyond…thought to be dead…..re-emerged with an army of aliens to conquer New York with the power of the tesseract…total kill count is suspected to be over 8000…..was captured by the Avengers….sent back to Asgard, where he was punished under Asgardian law."

All of it fits his profile of 'evil man on to an evil plan'…all but one, if he hated Odin so much why would he save him? Him and Asgard? And although it seems very fitting for his personality, having no friends…ever…wow! That must have been shitty.

I quickly move on to the transcript of his interrogation, well it's not really a transcript since it doesn't involve the actual questions that were asked, it's a kind of rip off manufactured for my benefit, it will give me an idea of the interrogation, things I should know without revealing anything confidential. Although for something that contains pointers about a two day long interrogation and psychological assessment this seems surprisingly short and scarce.

"subject refuses to talk for the first 5 hours… anything asked about his invasion were either met with silence or a smirk…upon speaking subject addressed the issues with either humor or mirth or disgust for human race….subject showed no signs of regret or outside influence upon interrogation after the battle of New York…..none of the answers provided any new information…..subject re-iterated being a god 25 times during a two day interrogation…..subject uses sarcasm, deflection, short term imposing outbursts of anger that quickly transform into sarcasm and condescendence as techniques to stay in control of the conversation…subject didn't fidget at all throughout the interrogation…..subject initially showed no form of emotions upon seeing the footage and pictures of the deaths he had caused, eventually after 4 min 36 sec he laughed and continued doing so for the next five minutes."

I slam the damn thing shut!

So this is who he is…..greedy, jealous, traitor, liar and a…ruthless murderer.

We all do horrible things and most of the time it is pain at the root of it rather than pure malice. Never judge someone without knowing the whole story.

Phil's words come unbidden into my mind but this!…..this is nothing but the work of some twisted brain anyone can see that! How do you explain act after act of betrayal and cruelty, of constant lack of remorse, of pride in what he has done as being something that is just a little misguided.

Fine he was adopted and oblivious for many following years and that must have been hard, I get it. I even get that he felt betrayed when he finally discovered and wanted to lash out….I can even understand him devising all those evil plots leading to Thor's banishment….but what I can't understand is how someone who has experienced any sort of pain first hand can morph into someone so cruel who only shells out the same pain in even worse degrees to unsuspecting innocent humans who had nothing to with his situation! I don't understand how he could sit in that room after that mayhem he caused and not even flinch at the sight of so many people dead because of him!

Surely anyone who has even a little bit of goodness at his core wouldn't be like that!?

Though In all of my big mental rants about him and his actions I have also felt something strange…..I was subconsciously hoping to find a good reason in here…..something that would justify what he did. Maybe I learnt a little too much from Phil and need to undo some of it.

I don't know how long I sit here thinking thoughts that run haywire about a multitude of things but all related to him.

I feel someone looking over my shoulder at the file in my hand and I spin around coming face to stomach with one always-smug-about-god-knows-what Tony Stark. He is a good man but can really get on your nerves if he sets his mind to it. I hated him initially, he just seemed very obnoxious, but since I was working under Phil at the time and he was on tony-duty I spent a lot of time around him. The man kind of grew on me. And dare I say what I thought I would never say, I am quite fond of him. Standing up I see he has his trademark mischievous smile on full display. It's like watching a really notorious 40 year old kid who is always up to something.

"Oh I was just checking for a burnt hole in that file. Considering how hard you were staring at it you must have made at least one." He says perching up on my desk.

"Ha-ha. Funny." I put the File on my desk, check my phone that has been on silent and see I have a new message from Al but before I can open it Tony is speaking again.

"Why so grumpy kiddo? Boy problems?" He says wiggling his eyebrows. Because he just can't help but tease me about it.

It's common knowledge by now that I don't date. Anyone. Mostly people who don't know me assume that I am too high maintenance and way in over my head which works for me but those who do know me know that's just a load of crap. I don't date because I find relationships exhausting. Over the past few years I have seen Al date countless numbers of women and in a way you can say I have seen firsthand how relationships can suck the life out of anything joyous and fun. You try and try and try to make the other person like you, fall in love with you, feel happy with you until one day you realize that it's never gonna happen. It might seem like things are working out for a little bit there but that's just an illusion.

So keeping Al as my reference point and also counting in some of my earlier relationships, you know the pre-life changing accident ones, I wrote dating completely off from my routine. I just happen to have had the misfortune of telling Tony this when he saw me turning down a colleague rather strongly because he just wouldn't let me be!

"That joke is getting real old you know." I say while thrusting my laptop and my other stuff in my backpack so that I can get back to the monstrosity I am to babysit.

"Not to me. Hey! But really what's up? You seem off-sorts." The tone is teasing but barely concealing the concern. Mind you Stark doesn't do the concerned thing-y but it doesn't mean he doesn't care. He is very teasing and annoying but also protective of his team. We all have seen that.

I sigh and blurt out the whole thing.

"I don't get it! Why I was assigned to this crap of a mission! My skill set could be used for something substantial and productive yet I am cast aside like an extra to babysit a monster! You, me, Maria, SHIELD, hell the entire world knows how many horrible things that man has done, there is nothing redeemable about him, not even a speck of humanity or basic courtesy can be seen in him….I was able to gauge all this in the few hours I have been around him and you guys have fought the guy with your lives on the line, surely you know all of this without me having to point it out, Yet! SHIELD calls him in….for consulting….how do we know we can believe what he tells us….how do we know it's not another ploy for an evil plan? And even if it isn't, is it really necessary to treat him like royalty!" My voice has remained deceptively calm throughout this rant and yet it is so thickly layered with irritation that if it had been someone else I would have punched her in the face and then would have told her to suck it up and quit being a baby about it, I am sure tony wants to do the same. But when I look at him, all ready to go, that is not what his expression tells me, he seems…..amused.

"Elena my dear, I have seen you deal with people who have committed worse crimes, who were ten times crazy and you never even raised an eyebrow. You have sat through depositions, interrogations, negotiations and what not and you have never been this ruffled. You have spent what two hours with this guy and you are giving me the biggest rant of your life, are you sure it's him?"

Am I? Sure? All that he has said is true, actually. Why am I getting so irritated then?

"I don't know. I guess I am just being a baby who was asked to do what she doesn't want to. Anyways I can do this, thanks for the talk though, you were help. Now allow me to head back to the fortress of the caged beast." I say bowing a little and mimicking Thor's Asgardian accent that we make fun of …. A lot.

That gets a laugh from him; I make my way to the elevators and respond to the female control panel voice with the floor number of the wicked. When the doors open again on his floor, it still amazes me how beautiful the whole scene is, did he really do this?

I stop for a brief moment in the lobby to look at the paintings….really look at them.

They all are exuding so many things; they are surreal, pure, wholesome, calming, exciting and…. lonely. Each picture depicts something different, a new mood yet all of them have one thing in common…isolation.

The waterfall, gracefully falling into a lake that sparkles like thousand tiny diamonds, It's water mint green surrounded by tall lush green trees and giant smooth grey boulders on the edges. Calm.

The sunset scenery, bursting with hues of oranges and yellows, all melting into each other and yet standing absolutely distinct, the cliff overlooking nature's most magnificent firework. Powerful.

The night forest, expanding into various shades of violet nothingness, shining rays of the moon above, reaching only halfway and then getting lost in the darkness. Mysterious.

And the city…..oh! The city….It's perfectly capable of leaving anyone awestruck and speechless. It's not a real place, I am sure. Nothing could be this beautiful. And now that I look closely, it's actually not a sea that the city stands in midst of, it's…..stars….spherical celestial bodies of million sizes and colors, all floating in a wide expanse of pink sky. Magical.

Whoever pulled this out of their imagination, must be a genius.

Though I wish desperately to stay here some more and look at these beauties, I do have to take my unwilling ass in there and do this efficiently and right.

I flash my ID at the entrance and pass through the glass doors into the spacious living room, one of the guards is seated at the station, alert. He might be in early forties, he has the patent buzz cut, French goatee, tall muscular built that all those in the trade have. The no-nonsense aura is thick as a blanket around him, no doubt he is very experienced, not cold but efficient, probably one of the best of SHIELD. I mean I am still relatively new with only a couple of years in my bag so they got to have someone strong and reliable on the team. He stands upon seeing me coming.

"Hi! Is the ankle monitor here yet?" I ask.

"I have placed a request, they said they will have it here sometime in the next hour." I should probably tell Maria about it and get it authorized. I shoot her a quick text.

"Great, I am Elena by the way." I say flashing a simple smile.

"Yeah I know. I recognize you…I...I was on the rescue team in your case." He says almost apologetically.

The color drains from my face and I go absolutely still. I could very well seem like a standing dead body right now because that is how I feel….this is what happens to me when I come across anyone who knows about me, apart from Maria and Nick. It's not their fault but I hate to be pitied or approached with walking-on-eggshells-attitude and that is what happens EVERYTIME when someone comes to know about this. Well, either that or sometimes when I am incredibly-even-more-so-unlucky I come across a nagging bitch/bastard who in the guise of concern just wants to know some juicy gossip about it. He must see my distress because he propels into an apology with lightning speed.

"I am sorry I thought I should tell you, in case if you remembered later on that you saw me before and where. I didn't mean to upset you."

"No it's okay." I literally have to squeeze the words out of my lungs.

"I really am sorry; I would never mention it again." There is a sincerity in his voice that tells me this was an honest mistake.

"It's fine….really and yeah I would appreciate it." I try to crack a smile that comes out unconvincing.

"He is going to be a handful you know." He moves to his make-do workspace and starts monitoring whatever he was monitoring before. It's his idea of giving me time to recover without embarrassing myself. And I appreciate it, seems like I got a nice team. I quickly take a deep breath mentally blocking all the horrible images that are filling every nook of my brain right now.

"Tell me about it. Where is he anyways?" I ask looking around. Has it really been just half a day? Feels like a month has passed.

"He is in the first room on the right, upstairs."

"Getting comfy I see." I raise my eyebrows.

"In all honesty it was us who moved him there." He smiles a little queasy.

"Why?" I ask simply.

"As fun as it was to watch the Bieber thing….affect him, it was driving us nuts too! So we moved him upstairs, wherever he moves we keep the music going on in that area alone….that way only one of us has to hear it." He makes a disgusting face which only makes me laugh.

"I better go relieve the poor guy of his misery theeeennnn….." I stretch the word so that He would give me his name, which I had been too rude to not ask until now.

"Fischer. John Fischer." He answers my prompt.

"John." I say smiling and confirming.

While ascending the stairs I can't help but think that the reason why I am so irritated by the whole thing is because I am scared I won't be able to handle it. I mean here is a man that got on the nerves of our most experienced and reputed psychologists…..he controlled agent Barton, who is undeniably not just ours but world's one of the best…..and even though no one admits, we are definitely afraid of him. My nervousness and apprehension are making me second guess myself and that just won't do.

The door is shut but I can hear some faint music coming from inside. I take a deep breath and open the door, the doors must have been soundproof because as soon as I enter the blaring music of Bieber's Baby hits me like a punch!

The damn thing is excruciating!

The other agent strides over to me with quick steps and though he is not showing it I can understand what he has gone through, I feel bad for him and….that is the only thing keeping me from laughing out loud.

This one looks relatively young, maybe late twenties or early thirties. He is a handsome one too, but in a rough sort of way. Tall, muscular, blond, baby blue eyes…..Amy's type! Maybe I can introduce them; I don't really do match making but I'll make an exception for her; she has been feeling real low after her break up a month ago.

"Agent…" I again do what I did with John. Play fill in the blanks.

"Collins. William Collins, Ma'am." He says in a deep gruff voice but with a dimpled smile. The cute American Boy! So Amy's type!

"Oh Please drop the Ma'am you guys are way senior than me. By the way I am Elena. I am sorry you had to go through this." I try to give him my most apologetic look because truly….this is torture.

"It's no problem….Elena." He says my name slowly, like something unfamiliar. I understand that feeling. Here in SHIELD, all seniors are sir/ma'am and everyone beneath you or at the same level with you is addressed with their surnames. I for one never use my surname and I hate being called Ma'am, if someone wants to show respect they can call me Elena and still make it sound as respectful as ma'am.

"Why don't you go and join John. I'll take it from here." It's the least I can do.

"Alright. But we are monitoring…in case if you need anything just signal to one of the cameras and we'll be here." He says with a comforting tone. I really did get a good team. He doesn't even know me and is trying to tell me he's got my back.

"Sure." I answer a little upbeat for him. He moves towards the door when I call his name and he literally whips around, totally rapt. He is a bit comical.

"Please ask John to put a stop to this noise." I say crinkling my nose.

"Sure thing." He says as he closes the door shut.

I turn around to face my nightmarish challenge. I spot him in the far right corner sitting on a plush light green chair. Only his side profile is visible to me. He is hunched over, with his elbows resting on his knees, fingers woven like he is praying, forehead resting on his joined hands; He is still as a statue. I can't see his face to gauge in his mood so I move slowly to the chair that faces him and sit quietly. Waiting. He doesn't look up but the music has stopped and I have never appreciated silence so much before in my life.

I start taking in the room while I wait, it's classy like the rest of the apartment. The bed to my right is huge and covered with really expensive looking sheets, pillows and comforter, the color of butterscotch ice-cream. Behind me is a small balcony that looks over the skyline, the doors to the balcony are glass allowing natural light to fill in the room. It's quite airy actually. There isn't much furniture. There's the bed, the ottoman at the foot of the bed, the side tables of the bed that hold elegant china lamps with cream colored shades and three drawers each, the mahogany table besides the entry door that holds a lovely assortment of white roses, the light green chairs we are sitting on and the coffee table between us that has some weird leather bound book on it. I can see two doors in the wall in front of me, bathroom and walk-in closet I guess.

"That was a nice move." His voice makes me jump a little. He still is in his forehead-resting-on-hands-position. I don't know why but I want to see his face when I talk to him.

"Means it worked." I say, the smile in my voice betraying the poker face I am trying to pull.

Maybe it was how giddy and stupid I sounded that makes him look up but he does. His eyes. I don't think I'll ever stop being amazed by how bottomless they are.

"And if I were you I would try to down play it so early on in the game and wipe that smirk off my face before someone sees how childishly giddy I am with my juvenile tricks." He says in a smug yet exasperated tone with what I would call the best poker face I have seen.

I smile despite myself. A real smile. I know it was meant as a jab but even I know he is right and maybe…. just maybe I can get things on the right track here. Make this less taxing for all of us.

"Boy! You are not going to make this easy, are you?" I say shaking my head, still smiling, keeping my tone friendly.

"Nope." He replies popping the "p" and grins. If I didn't know any better I would say he looked cute. And where did he learn to talk like that? Like us.

"Should I even ask why?" I ask raising an eyebrow, trying to keep the conversation flowing. He is finally smiling, a real-non-sarcastic-smile…. maybe I can keep this bit of normalcy sustained till the end of the day. Wouldn't that be a blessing, I think longingly.

"Now where would be the fun in that." He says sitting back with a playful glint in his eyes. Good luck with the less taxing thing, Elena.

"Have you ever been in an arrangement like this before?" I ask picking my words carefully.

"Oh, so we are chit chatting now?" He says in a mocking manner.

"Might as well. Or do you have something better to do? Like ponder the demise of another planet…..oh wait! I bet that's what you were doing a while ago. I hear it's a real hot hobby for you aliens." I try and keep any antagonistic trace out of my voice….even make it a little teasing and enthusiastic. It works. Either that or he is just not in the mood to mind because he answers my question after a beat.

"Well, to be fair the company before didn't really deserve my attention so I thought might as well get some work done. However the situation has considerably improved now." He says looking me over with a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. I sense a tingle go up my spine. It's just nerves I try and convince myself.

"And to answer your question, No I haven't been in an exact same arrangement, as you call it, but I do have been on watch." His tone is bordering on…..flirty or I am being totally delusional. I bet it's the latter.

"Agent Fischer and Agent Collins are as much on your watch duty as I am. And by any shot you will be spending a lot more time with them than with me. So you might wanna give talking to them, a try." I say in a reasonable tone trying to steer the conversation in another more productive direction.

"Tired of me so soon?" He says cocking his head to the side. Although asked in a mocking guise I can't help but feel the question was meant seriously.

I really am going crazy.

"Come on! What would make you say that!? You have the most pleasing personality in the world." I say banging my fist on the armrest while simultaneously pulling off my best impression of the whiny and overly complementing 16 year old school girl. Sarcastic humor always the best avoiding trick!

But what happens next is something I didn't anticipate.

He laughs.

A very short-lived laugh but a laugh nonetheless, and on the risk of sounding like a moony teenage twilight fan, I say it's the most enchanting sound I have ever heard. And yes, enchanting is the word I would use. It was deep, throaty, and relaxed. His eyes lit with a spark and it's like his whole posture gained a little bit of life. In that moment he seemed normal. Not a prisoner, not a fallen prince, not someone with a dark soul…. just a simple boy laughing carelessly at a stupid joke.

But since all good things must come to an end, He looks up and finds me looking at him and I don't know what he sees in my expression but his expression hardens immediately.

"What!?" He almost snaps.

I think about how to deflect, but then I stop short and think why not give honesty a try. That might not be what many people would use in a situation like this but it has always worked for me.

"Nothing, It's just….I was going through your personality profile earlier in the day and seeing how you are in person.."

"You think all of it is true." I don't get to finish the sentence because he cuts me in the middle of it, to end it with what he thought I might say. His tone is absolutely scathing.

I open my mouth to say something again but he beats me to it again.

"Don't worry I have seen many a lot that have been exactly like you, all high and mighty, judging, criticizing, jumping to believe that someone is a monster without any regrets or knowledge of pain. Well, you know what? You are actually right in this case. I am that monster and you would do well to remember that and keep your annoying pathetic self at distance from me because sweetheart, believe me when I say….I am your worst nightmare."

Any progress that I thought we were making was just a delusion on my part. This is going to be as hard as chewing grains of stone. I sense someone approaching, so I get up and move to the door. It's William.

"Elena, I think your cell is on silent, Director has called for you in his office in fifteen. Also the tracker you asked for is here." The brief, right! Almost forgot.

"Thanks. I am meeting Director for a brief and seeing that's its almost five I think I'll head home from there. You guys okay here? Need anything authorized?" I ask because I feel guilty about them having to put up with this more than I have to.

"No we are good. Anything else…. I'll give you a call." He smiles a shy smile that makes him look very boyish. But soon he looks over my shoulder and his face morphs into one of anger.

Just then I feel that sensation in my spine again, like someone is watching and sure enough when I follow William's line of sight I find a very displeased looking Loki scowling at us, standing leaning on the balcony doors, hands crossed at his chest and a perfect scowl on face. What is his problem!?

I turn to William, one thing at a time. His face relaxes once more when he looks at me.

"You go ahead I'll be here for the next watch." He says encouragingly.

I, however think that's not a good idea. Loki's is already shooting a murderous glare at this poor guy and I don't want the king of mood swings to feel cornered or suffocated, that will just make things worse.

"No, just let him be. I am sure it will be okay. Just monitor him throughout. Okay?" I say in an assuring tone so that he wouldn't protest otherwise because Quite frankly it's been one hell of a day, although I didn't even do quarter of what I do normally but I feel drained. I can't put up with anymore grouchy men.

"If you say so." He is all smiles. Whatever.

"You go ahead I'll be there in a minute." I just want to usher him out and get my backpack from where it rests beside the chair and be the hell out of here.

He goes away, finally. I go back without looking at the other grouchy him in the room, I make sure not to even acknowledge he is there. I might come off as petulant or childish but I don't give a damn right now! The fact that I can feel his eyes following me as I move, only aggravates me more. I pick my bag, sling it over and move towards the door without as much as a backward glance.

So much for honesty.

When I am at the door I stop with my hand on the knob and without looking back I finish what I was going to say.

"I read your personality profile earlier in the day and seeing how you were in person ten minutes ago I was going to say that things didn't quite match up. That I felt maybe you are different. Good different or bad I don't know…but I definitely felt there was something more than what was there in those files. And I was willing to try to treat you as normally as I can if you could do the same in return. Instead of tolerating each other we could find some ground zero that would make this simpler for all of us, for however long you are here. " My voice is almost quite but audible in the soothing silence of the evening.

"And you were right; I should have just done what everyone else does around you. Assume and move on!" and with that I bang the door shut behind me.

Downstairs I find they have sent a hand tracker shaped like a metal bracelet rather than an ankle one. And john tells me it activates and deactivates on my voice command. Oh someone upstairs is not gonna like it.

I tell them I am getting late therefore I'll put it on him tomorrow, when in reality I just don't want to look at him right now.

Then I get in the elevator and will my mind to be calm for Fury's meeting. But angry blue eyes are all I keep thinking about.

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