"I don't like bullies. I don't care where they're from."

-Steve Rogers; from 2011's Captain America: the First Avenger

"I have to say, Ms. Cunningham, you're very impressive." Phil Coulson stood in front Opal, a kind smile on his face. He was very serious about his statement; everything about the young mutant was impressive. How she could avoid detection so easily, to the way she could take down opponents with just the flick her hand. Her powers were very admirable. When Opal refused to speak, Coulson decided to keep going. "Not everyone can sneak into a highly secured facility like this," he commented, "especially one under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s jurisdiction." Clasping his hands behind his back, the older agent looked at Opal closely. She refused to meet his gaze; her expression was one of someone who was exhausted and slightly irritated. Coulson couldn't blame her; after everything she went through, it was only natural she feel that way. Her hair was damp, curling slightly as it dried. Her clothes were just as damp, clinging to her skin. There were traces of dirt and mud on her, as well. Before Coulson had a chance to say something else, he received word from one of his agents via walkie talkie. "Just one moment," he said, the smile remaining on his face.

Once he was out of Opal's holding cell, he took out his walkie talkie. "What's going on?" he asked. He would've preferred to stay out and watch Opal's companion take out the last guard, but he knew he had an interrogation to do.

"He's been detained," one of the agents replied. "He took down the final guard and tried to lift the hammer."

Coulson hummed before responding. "Could he?" It was a question he already knew the answer to.

"No." The agent sounded like he was holding back a snicker. "Nearly threw a temper tantrum."

"Tell me where he's being held and I'll see to him."

O.O.O.O

Thoughts were swirling through Opal's mind quicker than she could react. Two of the biggest ones being how Erik would react and whether she'd be thrown in jail. Opal knew that what she did with Thor was stupid, but she did what she did because she did feel like she was helping him. It was a reckless and idiotic way to approach it, but that was how Opal thought of the situation.

Another thought that came to mind was whether or not Thor got his hammer. She didn't get the chance to help him with the final guard, so she couldn't say for sure if he got it or not. All she could say was that there was one loud clap of thunder on her way to the holding cell, then it felt like everything went silent. No rain, no thunder, nothing. That was something that greatly unnerved Opal. And that Coulson guy...was he everywhere, or was Opal losing her mind? First, he showed up to take all of Jane's things, then he turns up at the crater site. What was up with all that? He made her feel very uncomfortable, with his calm demeanor and weird smile. Who smiled during interrogations? Especially when it came to breaking into a government facility? Everything about that Coulson guy set off red flags. And the fact that he knew Opal and her friends - that Erik knew about the people Coulson worked for - made the uneasiness in Opal intensify. Did Jane's data somehow correlate with Thor's hammer? Was there something she was missing?

You're going to drive yourself crazy if you keep thinking like that, she thought. You shouldn't be worrying yourself over this. It'll work itself out eventually.

Would it, though? Ever since Jane ran over Thor in the desert, there were so many things going on that didn't make sense. Erik could try and rationalize it, Jane could work her ass off to find some sort of conclusion, Darcy could just go along with what was happening, but Opal was about to go crazy. There was no rationalizing what was going on, there wasn't a definite conclusion, and going with the flow wouldn't go anywhere good. Thor had to be some kind of bad sign. Things seemed to go wrong since the moment Jane first hit him.

You're panicking. Calm down or you'll tear this place apart. With a light scoff, Opal buried her face in her hands. Maybe she was panicking, but how else was she supposed to react? Take it easy. The sooner you get this over with, the better it'll be. That deserved an eye roll. There was no way it'll get any better.

"Sorry for that." Coulson's voice snapped Opal out of her thoughts, causing her to jump a little in her seat. It was a surprise Opal didn't accidentally use her powers out of surprise - she'd done that a couple times before. "Now, Ms. Cunningham, I'd like to cut to the chase," Coulson said. "You've been on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar for quite some time. Your mutation interests us. If I'd known you'd be somewhat successful in breaking into our facility, I would have asked for mutant-detecting machinery."

"Mutant-detecting machinery?" Who does this guy think he is?

Coulson studied Opal for a long moment, as if waiting for her to say something. When she didn't, he continued talking. "We apprehended your friend," he said. "For the time being, you're both in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s custody until we say otherwise. This might be an inconvenience for you, but we need to clear a few things." Opal's blood ran cold. They captured Thor? She thought he'd be able to get his hammer back; he'd made such a big deal over it. Did the guard manage to take him down? He was around Thor's height, maybe close to the same build, but it looked like it could've been an even match.

"Is he OK?" Opal asked, her voice soft.

A hint of a smile came across Coulson's face. "Your abilities are strong," he went on. "Strong enough to manipulate some of the best people we have here. And your friend...he managed to make some of our best fighters look like mall security guards. Who is he? Where did he receive his training?" Opal's brows furrowed. Receive his training? She didn't even know Thor that well. Not to mention she didn't even know who he was before the last couple days. "Ms. Cunningham, we're trying to figure out how to make this right," Coulson went on. "S.H.I.E.L.D. always manages to find the info it needs. If you can't tell us where he got his training - or who he really is - then we'll have to conduct our own research." A beeping came off, causing Coulson to pause for a moment. Looking at a pager clipped to the inside of his suit jacket, he pursed his lips. "Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be," he said before walking out.

O.O.O.O

Erik Selvig, renown astrophysicist and theoretical scientist, somehow managed to weasel his way into a heavily armed S.H.I.E.L.D. compound in hopes of getting Opal and Thor out. He received Opal's voicemail almost an hour after she'd called and his heart instantly dropped. He hoped that Opal would stay out of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s way, he had to beg and plead with Jane just to get her to consider it. After listening to the voicemail, Erik had to come up with a semi-convincing lie just to get away from Jane for for a few hours, and then he had to drive all the way to the compound while thinking up a good excuse. Which was not easy. Certainly people who work for S.H.I.E.L.D. have heard every lie and excuse in the book, maybe even trained to see through people's lies and deception. And just thinking about what they could be doing to Opal, or even Thor, made a shiver run up Erik's spine.

And so, after weaseling his way into the compound, and talking to the man who ransacked Jane's apartment, Erik and that man Coulson stood there in a tense, somewhat awkward silence for a minute before either of them spoke.

"So his name is Donald Blake?" Coulson asked, his tone giving away his disbelief in Erik's explanation. "And she is your unofficial foster daughter?"

"Donald's, uh, he's a doctor," Erik stuttered, hoping to specify a little on his lie. "And I was good friends with Opal's father. I gave her a place to stay when she needed it. Always looked at her as a daughter."

Coulson's face was otherwise unreadable. He knew that Erik was lying, that there was more to the story than he was letting on, but he'd go with it to humor the man. Besides, if he let Opal and her companion roam free, that would mean sending out agents to gather intel.

"You're associating yourself with dangerous people, Dr. Selvig," Coulson replied.

"They were upset about what happened with Jane's research," Erik exclaimed. "It took years to gather all of that data. Her life's work, gone."

"That still doesn't explain how Donald managed to tear through our security."

Erik simply threw his hands up. "Steroids," he said. "He's a fitness nut. And Opal...she's just going through a tough time."

For a second, Coulson turned his head to one of his techs. While Erik tried explaining the whole situation, Coulson had his men running a background check on the supposed Dr. Blake. It showed falsified documents. As for Opal, they already had all the information they needed on her beforehand. If Selvig had done any changes to Opal's documents, the techs would be able to easily compare the differences.

"It says here he's an M.D.," Coulson replied. While calling out Selvig's lie would be easier, the older agent wanted to see just how far the discussion could go.

"He was," Erik exclaimed. "He, uh, switched careers. Became a physicist..."

Coulson kept a steady gaze at the man in front of him. Erik's attempts to cover for his friends were endearing, but it wasn't the best Coulson's heard. And he'd worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. for a good number of years.

"I'll take you to them," he said. "Follow me."

O.O.O.O

Opal was picking under her fingernails, trying to keep herself distracted. She'd been left alone in her holding cell for at least over half an hour, maybe even close to an hour. Coulson hadn't returned, none of the other workers made an attempt to enter, so that meant Opal would be left alone with her thoughts until something arose. From time to time, the thought of using her powers to escape came to mind, but it was instantly shot down afterward. She wasn't about to risk her life again just to get her freedom back.

When the door to her holding cell opened, Opal prepared herself for Coulson, for some more questions and intense stares. Instead, she was greeted with Erik. He looked extremely tense, his eyes pleading with Opal to play along with what he was doing. "Alright we're leaving," he exclaimed. "I'm taking you home now." One of Erik's hands gripped Opal's shoulder and pulled her from the chair she sat on. Stumbling to keep up with him, the young mutant was surprised to not only see Coulson (just for the fact that Erik was with him) on the other side, but Thor, as well. More importantly, Thor's condition was what surprised Opal the most. He was muddied and a little cut up. The earlier smugness and frustration was nowhere to be seen in his eyes; instead, there was a dullness, an almost emptiness, mingling with mild confusion.

Coulson ended up leading the trio out of the compound, a few other agents following behind them. Once they stepped foot outside, Coulson and the agents stopped, allowing Erik and the others to continue their way out on their own.

Opal, who stood between the two men, tried not to make eye contact with any of the workers; feeling a bit uncomfortable under the tension radiating off Thor and Erik. Erik wasn't making direct eye contact with anyone either, or, if he was, it was to see their reactions. Thor, on the other hand, was skimming the surrounding area, looking for any kind of threat.

"Dr. Selvig!" Coulson's voice stopped the three of them. They hadn't gotten very far, barely two feet into their trek out. "I'd suggest keeping him away from the bars. Maybe keeping a closer eye on that daughter of yours."

Daughter? Opal thought, briefly glancing up at Erik. What exactly did he say to them?

Selvig turned to look at Coulson for a split second, the tension coming off so thickly it could be cut with a knife. "I will," he replied.

"Where are we going?" Thor asked, keeping his voice low.

"To get a drink."

(A/N):

Maybe not my best chapter, but I hope you guys find something enjoyable about it. If you have any constructive criticism, don't hesitate to let me know. That stuff is important for improving this story!

The MCU does not belong to me. All I own are my OCs and the subplots I put in. If you've got your own ideas for OCs/subplots, PM me or leave a review.

Like I mentioned before, leave constructive criticism where you think it's due. I'd appreciate to know what you think I should improve on. This story's progression also depends on how you guys think I could improve my storytelling skills. I really enjoy writing this, so knowing what to improve on is something I find very useful. It'll help me do well in my other stories, too.

I digress.

Thanks for all the support for the story.

Judith W