Note: sorry i didnt update yesterday

"Where are you heading, little spider?"

Natasha spun around, gun in hand. Upon seeing it was Harry, their newest ally, she put it away. "I'm heading to Loki's cell. Also, don't call me little. You're what, nineteen or something?"

Harry grinned. "Or something. Carry on, then."

Natasha nodded, slightly confused (not that she'd ever let it show). Perhaps he, too, aged slowly, like she did. Shaking the thought from her head, she stepped into Loki's cell silently.

He turns almost instantly. "There's not many people that can sneak up on me."

Natasha almost shrugs. "But, you'd figured I'd come."

Loki looked at her curiously. "After. After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm. And I would cooperate."

Ignoring this, Natasha asked, "I wanna know what you've done to Agent Barton."

Loki grins smugly. "I'd say I've expanded his mind."

"And once you've won. Once you're king of the mountain. What happens to his mind?"

Loki turns to her. "Is this love, Agent Romanoff?" He asks, curiously.

"Love is for children," Natasha scoffs. "I owe him a debt."

Loki sits down, looking for a second like an innocent, regular person. "Tell me."

Natasha looked hesitant. "Before I worked for S.H.I.E.L.D., I uh...well, I made a name for myself. I have a very specific skillset. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me. He made a different call."

Loki smiled sweetly. "And what will you do if I vow to spare him?"

Natasha frowned. "Not let you out."

"Ah, no," Loki chuckled, "But I like this. Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man?"

"Regimes fall every day," Natasha responds coldly. "I tend not to weep over that, I'm Russian... or was."

Loki looked at her curiously. "What is it you want?"

Looking troubled, Natasha admitted, "It's really not that complicated. I've got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out."

Suddenly standing, Loki looked fierce, evil. "Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? Drakov's daughter? Sao Paulo? The Hospital Fire? Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything?" He scoffed. "This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer... PATHETIC!"

In a separate room, Tony, Harry, Bruce, and the agents of Shield watched on.

"You lie, and kill, in the service of liars, and killers," Loki snarled. "You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away!"

Loki slammed his fists on his cell. "I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you! Slowly. Intimately. In every way he knows you fear! And when he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams, I'll split his skull! This is my bargain, you mewling quim!"

Natasha looked to be on the verge of tears. "You're a monster," She whispered.

Loki laughed, almost sounding deranged. "Ah, no, you've brought the monster."

Natasha suddenly stood straight, looking at Loki as if he were an item she had used all the use of, and was no longer necessary whatsoever. "So, Banner. That's your play."

Loki blinked, shocked. "W-what?"

Natasha turned, starting to walk back. "Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, I'm on my way. Send Thor as well."

Right before she stepped out, she turned to Loki. "Thanks for your cooperation."

xxxXXXxxx

Banner stared at the floor, contemplating what he'd heard Loki say. Harry looked at him, concerned. "Bruce?"

Bruce cut him off. "Loki's wrong. I'm not a monster. I'm... I'm a scientist, and I'm a doctor, and I help people. I don't hurt them. That's who I am."

Harry smiled at him happily. There was hope yet for him.

Nick Fury stormed in, looking as angry as ever. "What are you doing, Mr. Stark?"

Tony looked at him, momentarily stunned. "Uh, kind of wondering the same thing 'bout you."

Nick Fury glared. "You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract."

Bruce glanced over. "We are. The model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile."

Fury looked over at Harry, who was lounging on a sofa which- he noted- had not been put there by any S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel. He would have to investigate that further later.

"What is Phase 2?" Inquired Tony.

Steve walked in, slamming a huge rifle onto a desk. "Phase 2 is S.H.I.E.L.D. using the cube to make weapons." He looked over at Tony. "Sorry, the computer was moving a little slow for me."

"Rogers, we've gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean-"

"I'm sorry, Nick," Tony said, turning his screen to show blueprints of weapons based on the Tesseract. "What were you lying?"

"I was wrong, Director," glared Steve. "The world hasn't changed one bit."

Bruce looked over at Thor and Natasha, who had just entered.

"Did you know about this?" He asked her.

Natasha looked at him warily. "You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?"

Bruce looked back at her, calmly. "Why would I?"

Natasha looked confused for a second, then replied, "Loki's manipulating you."

"And you've been doing what, exactly?" Bruce scoffed.

"You didn't come here because I batted my eyelashes at you," She glared.

"Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy. I'd like to know why S.H.I.E.L.D. is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction."

Fury glared. This was not supposed to happen. "Because of them," he said, pointing at Harry and Thor. "When Thor arrived, he had a grudge match which leveled a city. Destroyed it. And Harry? He doesn't even exist, legally. He has untold of powers, that we don't even know, and he's allied himself with some of the other most powerful people on this planet!"

Harry cut him off. "Since my arrival here, I've been nothing but kind. However, if you'd like me to change that-" He stopped, shaking his head. "Stop."

Everyone looked at him. Harry glanced up. "The scepter. It's influencing us all. Making us angry." He summoned it to his hand, and quickly erected a magical barrier around it.

Everyone but Tony and Bruce looked shocked. "What was that?" Fury growled, "How did you do that?"

Harry sighed. It was bound to get out, eventually, anyways. "You know how you said I was extremely powerful?" he asked. Fury nodded. "You were right. I have the ability to do magic."

Thor's eyes widened. "A Seidr! You were thought to be extinct since the War with Jotunheim!"

Harry glanced over. "I wasn't aware that those of my race even existed at all in this reality, at all!."

Fury's eyes widened. "This reality? You mean to say you come from a different reality?"

Harry cursed. He was blabbering all about himself, now! "Yes, but now is not the time for that."

Fury glared incredulously. "Yes, it is!"

Suddenly, and explosion rocked the ship. Screams could be heard, and the room descended into chaos. Steve and Tony ran different ways, Steve to locate the location of the explosion, and Tony to find a suit. And not one of the fancy tailored kind.

Harry looked around. He was trapped in a small space, with Natasha and Bruce. Natasha was pinned beneath. "Oh no," gasped Natasha. "He's going to change."

Harry looked over at Bruce, who looked a little... green. "Bruce, you okay? If you want, I can send you somewhere else where you can change and let it out, then I can come pick you up."

Bruce roared defiantly, but it wasn't aimed at Harry. He looked up. "Do it!"

Harry nodded, tagged him with a Tracking Charm, and, quickly turning a nearby piece of rubble into a portkey, threw it at Banner, teleporting him away.

Turning back to Natasha, he levitated the debris off her. She stared, shocked at his show of power. "Come on!" he said.

Natasha shook her head. "You go ahead. I have to find Barton."

Harry nodded, and ran towards Loki's cell. Slamming open the door, he arrived to see Coulson holding a huge weapon, looking around for Loki. Harry spotted Loki standing, nearly invisibly, behind Coulson, holding his scepter. "Look out!" Harry screamed, tackling Coulson.

Coulson rolled from where he'd landed, and blasted a shot at Loki, but it was too late. Loki managed to escape. "Thanks," Coulson said, turning to Harry. "He definitely would've gotten-" He stopped. Harry lay on the floor besides him, eyes wide open in shock, a piercing wound on his chest with blood flowing freely from it.

xxxXXXxxx

Fury looked over the still form of Harry, covered in dust and blood, looking pale as a ghost. Coulson sat in a chair nearby, also looking at the man who'd saved his life. "What're we gonna tell the team?"

Fury sighed. "That he's dead."

Coulson looked at him, understandingly. "Is that what they need right now? It would demoralize them."

Fury shook his head. "No, it would rally them. He's become friends with both Stark and Banner, has the respect of Thor, and saved Romanoff's life. It would give them something to avenge, something to fight for."

Coulson nodded uneasily. "Alright, sir. I'll tell them."

Fury nodded. Coulson left. Behind him, he could still hear the shallow breaths of the unconscious man lying on the table. The decision he's just made was a huge risk. It would either give the Avengers purpose, and power, or completely crush them. Whatever happened now, the fate of the entire world rested on their shoulders. Well, theirs, and the strange, immensely powerful being laying behind Fury. Fury looked at him. He had shown his incredible power in both offense, and defense, and now... he's come back from the dead. Fury looked back out the window. He saw a Quinjet take off, and nodded. It had seemed his gamble may have payed off. Sighing, he turned back around, once again looking at Harry. Then, to Fury's immense shock, Harry opened his eyes.

Note: What'd you think of this chapter? I kinda altered the script, added in Harry, ya know. Next chapter will be the wrapping up of the Avengers arc, with the Battle for New York. Please review! I'd love to hear your feedback. Lastly, stay safe, 'cause I know COVID-19 is really rough right now. Cya next time!