Chapter 4:
[Karai POV]
[SHIELD Helicarrier]
As we make our way back to the SHIELD Helicarrier, Cap hands Loki over to the STRIKE commandos, ensuring he is secured and taken to a specialized prison cell designed to contain the Hulk. Our attention shifts to the bridge, where a computer monitor displays the confinement of Loki within his formidable prison. Fury strides toward a control terminal, his voice firm and unwavering. "In case it's unclear. If you try to escape, if you so much as scratch that glass, it's 30,000 feet straight down in a steel trap. You get how that works?" he warns, his gaze fixed on Loki. Fury points at him and then gestures toward the control terminal, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation. Loki, reveling in his arrogance, scoffs, "It's an impressive cage. But it is not built for me." Fury meets his gaze, his eyes piercing with determination. "It's built for something a lot stronger than you," he asserts. Loki's smile fades momentarily as he locks eyes with the camera and taunts, "Oh, yes. The mindless beast that pretends he is still a man. How desperate are you that you call upon lost creatures to defend you?"
Fury's glare intensifies, his words laced with deep resolve. "How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace, and yet you kill for fun. You made me very desperate. You might regret that you did," he declares, his voice carrying the weight of the responsibility he bears. Loki, undeterred, responds with a mocking smile, "It burns you to come so close to having the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all humanity to share. And then to be reminded what real power is." Fury, unfazed, smirks and retorts, "Well, let me know if 'real power' wants a magazine." With that, he turns and walks away, leaving Loki alone in his cell.
"He grows on you, doesn't he?" Banner remarks, breaking the tension in the air. "Yeah, like an unwanted parasite," I reply, crossing my arms, the frustration still lingering within me. Cap taps the computer screen, contemplating Loki's intentions. "Loki's going to drag this out. So, Thor, what's his play?" he asks, seeking insights from our Asgardian ally. Thor gazes at the team, his expression grave. "Loki has an army called the Chitauri. They're not from Asgard or any known worlds. He intends to lead them against your people, and they will bring him victory in exchange for the Tesseract," he explains, revealing the imminent threat we face. Spartan growls, cracking his knuckles, a fire burning in his eyes. "They'll die trying," he declares fiercely.
Cap's disbelief is palpable as he comprehends the gravity of the situation. "An army from outer space," he murmurs, struggling to grasp the magnitude of the impending conflict. Banner, his scientific mind engaged, poses a question, "So, he's building another portal? That's why he needed Selvig." Thor nods, his expression grave. "Selvig? I know him. He's a friend," he confirms. Nat chimes in, referring to Clint, "Loki has him under some kind of mind control, along with one of ours." Cap interjects, seeking to understand Loki's motives, "I want to know why Loki let us take him. He's not going to lead an army from here." Banner, ever the voice of reason, offers his perspective, "I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag of cats. You could smell the crazy on him." The room falls into an awkward silence, tension lingering in the air.
"Careful how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard. And he is my brother," Thor asserts, his tone sharp, defending his familial bond. Spartan, his patience dwindling, responds bluntly, "Well, with all due respect, your highness, your brother is all levels of fucked-up. The sicko killed 80 people in 2 days. So, no, I'm not going to have care with my words." Awkwardness permeates the room, the truth of Spartan's words hanging in the air. Thor, burdened by guilt, mutters under his breath, "He's adopted."
Quickly changing the subject, Banner refocuses the team's attention. "I think it's about the mechanics. Iridium. What do they need iridium for?" At that moment, Tony Stark enters the room, accompanied by Coulson. Stark offers his expertise, shedding light on the significance of iridium. "It's a stabilizing agent," he explains, "It means the portal won't collapse on itself as it did before. Also, it means the portal can open as wide and stay open as long." Stark and Banner delve into a discussion that veers into technical jargon, causing both Spartan and me to shrug our shoulders in confusion. Fury enters the room, refocusing our attention. "Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube. I was hoping you could lend him a hand, Stark," he states, his eyes fixed on Tony. Cap interjects, linking Loki's staff to HYDRA's weaponry. "I would start with that staff of his. It may be supernatural, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon," he suggests. Fury adds, "I don't know about that, but the cube powers it. And I would like to know how he uses it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his flying monkeys." Cap's excitement is evident as he exclaims, "I understand that reference!" Spartan and I suppress a laugh, exchanging smirks at the amusing moment.[POV: Spartan]
[R&D.] I line up my sights and squeeze the trigger; my shot hits the target with precision. Additional targets appear, and I quickly reload my magazine, taking them down one by one with unwavering accuracy. Just as I finish, Karai walks into the room. I put the pistol I was using in the safe, placing it back in its holster. "You look irritated," I remark. Karai lets out a bitter laugh, coughing, "Yeah, let's just say if I had stayed in the same room with Tony Stark any longer, I would've shot him. What are you up to?" I reply casually, "Just killing time."
"Spartan, we've been best friends since we were kids. I know you better than anyone. I also know when something is nagging at you. What's up?" Karai probes, concerned. Letting out a sigh, I clench my fist and strike it into my open palm, "Loki. Loki is bugging me. I can't shake the feeling that he's not the mastermind behind this whole mess. The guy screams lackey. Someone else is the puppeteer." Karai raises an eyebrow, questioning, "The Chitauri?" I ponder for a moment before responding, "Maybe. Or it could be someone else. If what Fury has been telling us is anything to go by, there are threats across the universe. Loki is not the only big bad out there." I run my hands over my face, feeling the weight of uncertainty. "Or maybe I'm just seeing shadows."
"I think you're worried about Clint. Hell, we all are," Karai says, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. Suddenly, a beep interrupts our conversation. "It's done," I announce, walking over to the 3D printer. Karai looks puzzled, glancing at the 3D printer and back at me, "What's done?"
"When Iron Man was fighting Loki, the HUD ran a full scan of his armor. Specifically, his repulsors," I explain. I retrieve two pistols from the printer and hand one to Karai, saying, "Repulsor pistols. Courtesy of Tony Stark." Karai accepts the weapon, her curiosity piqued. "But why take his specs?" she asks, examining the pistol. I examine my own weapon with a smirk before responding, "Because Loki shrugged off everything we threw at him. But Tony's repulsors knocked him on his ass. Plus, Tony Stark wouldn't give up the specifications of his toy. His ego wouldn't allow it. He has to be the only one with the best stuff." I move to the shooting range, firing four shots at the target with satisfaction. "Not bad," I remark, pleased with the results.
[Steve Rogers POV]
[Banner's lab.] Entering the lab, I'm met with the sight of Stark prodding Banner with an electrical rod, attempting to provoke the Hulk to emerge. Outraged, I raise my voice, "The hell is wrong with you?! Are you out of your mind?!" Striding over to them, I express my frustration. Tony turns to Banner, seemingly unaffected, "Wow. You do have a lid on it. What's your secret?" Banner ignores him, focused on his work. With each passing minute, my irritation with this man grows. He acts more like a child than an adult. Is this Howard's legacy? I wonder if he would be proud or ashamed. Granted, Howard Stark was no saint, but he was never like this. "Is everything a joke to you?" I question Tony, feeling my patience wearing thin. "Funny things are," he casually responds. I roll my eyes, starting to understand why Spartan and Karai don't like the man.
"Threatening the safety of everyone on the ship isn't humorous," I snap, circling over to Banner. "No offense, Doc." "It's alright. I wouldn't have come aboard if my control couldn't handle pointy things," Banner replies. Tony steps away, making a comment, "You're tip-toeing, big man. You need to let loose." Annoyed, I issued a firm command, "And you need to focus on the problem, Stark." Tony questions my assertion, "You think I'm not?" I respond with deadpan sincerity, "No. I don't. I honestly don't think you understand the severity of the situation or are capable of understanding it. Because if you did, you wouldn't be wasting so much time trying to provoke him and potentially endangering everyone on this ship. Again, no offense, Dr. Banner."
Tony falls silent for a moment, seemingly affected by my words. Shaking it off, he continues, "Why did Fury call us in? Why now? Why not before? What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation if I don't have all the variables." Considering Tony's file, it's clear that he is brash, arrogant, antagonistic, self-absorbed, insensitive, and a wildcard. Moreover, Natasha Romanoff deemed him unfit for The Avenger program. As far as I know, Fury must have been desperate enough to call him in. "You think Fury is hiding something?" I inquire. "He's a spy. Captain, he's 'the' spy. His secret has secrets. It's bugging him, too. Isn't it?" Tony suggests, then points to Banner. Banner shakes his head, motioning to be left out of the conversation. "Um, nope. I'm not involved in this conversation. Leave me out of it. I only want to do my work," Banner interjects.
"Doctor?" I address Banner, wanting his input. Banner fidgets uncomfortably before sighing, "A warm light for all mankind. Loki's jab at Fury about the cube." He gestures toward Tony, "I think he was talking about you. Stark Tower, or rather the Arc Reactor. It was all over the news." I recall, "The Stark Tower? That big, ugly building in New York." Tony glares at me. "Hey, what I said is a lot nicer than what Karai said," I defend myself. Banner continues, "The building is powered by an arc reactor, a self-sustaining energy source. That building will be running itself for a year, maybe more." Tony interjects, "It's a prototype. I'm currently the only one in clean energy."
"So, why didn't SHIELD involve him in the Tesseract project?" Banner questions, "What are they doing in the energy business in the first place?" I express my concern. "I should probably look into that once my decryption program finishes breaking through SHIELD's secure files," Tony responds, walking around the table. Shocked, I exclaim, "I'm sorry, what?!" Tony cuts me off, "Jarvis has been running it since I hit the bridge. I'm a little surprised it took this long. In a few hours, I'll know every dirty secret SHIELD tried to hide." Suppressing my anger, I retort, "Yet, you're confused as to why SHIELD didn't want to bring you on board."
"An intelligent organization that fears intelligence? Historically, not awesome," Tony remarks. "Not every secret is meant to be shared. But that's beside the point. I think Loki is trying to provoke us. This is a man who wants to start a war, and if we don't stay focused, he'll succeed." Tony asserts, "Following is not my style." Understanding his approach, I acknowledge, "I'm fully aware of that. You're all about style, aren't you?" I struggle to control my frustration, refraining from punching him in the face. "Of the people in the room, which one is, A, wearing a spangly outfit, and B, not of use?" Tony taunts, clearly losing his temper and grasping at insults. Sighing, I respond, "Do your job, Stark. Then you can happily leave the ship." With that, I exit the room. However, curiosity gets the best of me, and I decide to take a detour to the R&D storage unit.
[Spartan POV]
As we make our way to the bridge, Nat intercepts us in the hallway. "Spartan, Karai, come with me," she commands without stopping. We follow her silently to Loki's cell. The Asgardian prisoner seems oblivious to our presence until he stops pacing and acknowledges us. "Impressive. Not many can sneak up on me," he remarks, turning to face us. I take a slight tilt of my head and respond, "It's good to know you have a blind spot." Karai adds, "You knew we were coming." Loki smirks and says, "After. After whatever torture Fury can concoct with my aid." I can't help but challenge him, "Funny. It's hard to take the threat of torture seriously coming from a lackey like you, isn't it?" Karai crosses her arms and adds, "No, you're the bitch in the relationship. So, tell us, your highness, who's pulling the strings of a king? I'll give credit where credit is due. You're smart, you're strong, but you don't give off that aura that says 'I'm the man in charge.'" Understanding her point, I chime in, "In other words, you're a king who is a slave to another."
This infuriates Loki, and he yells in a fit of rage, "YOU DARE! I AM A KING! A GOD! YOU ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO ME!" Nat interrupts, snapping at us to silence. Surprised, we look at her and obey her command. Nat turns her attention back to Loki and sternly says, "I want to know what you did to Agent Barton." Loki composes himself and smiles, "I expanded his mind. Showed him the truth." Nat steps closer to the cell, her voice low, "And once you won, once you're King of the mountain, what happens to his mind?" Loki shifts his gaze to us and inquires, "Is this love, Agent Romanoff?" Nat's response is direct, "Love is for children. I owe him a debt." Loki looks over her shoulder, his eyes fixed on us. "We don't leave soldiers behind. With their shield or on it, we always bring them back," I assert. Karai nods in agreement, "Not that you would understand that."
Loki grins and walks back to the bench, taunting Nat, "Tell me more." Nat appears uneasy and shifts nervously. She begins to open up, "Before I worked for SHIELD... I made a name for myself. I have a particular skill set. I didn't care who I used it for. I got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way. Barton was sent to kill me. He made a different call." Loki interrupts, intrigued, "And the two of you?" Nat remains silent, and I stay quiet as well. Loki directs his attention back to Nat, "And what would you do if I vow to spare him?"
Nat's response is firm, "Not letting you out." Loki's smile widens, "No, of course not, but I like this. Your world is in the balance, and yet you three bargain for one soul." Nat replies, "Regimes fall every day. I tend not to weep over that. I'm Russian. It's not that complicated. I have red on my ledger; I'd like to wipe it out." Loki challenges her, "Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? Drakov's daughter, São Paulo, the hospital fire? Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, gushing red." Nat's distress becomes evident. Loki moves closer to her, saying, "You think saving one man, no more virtuous than yourself, will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer. Pathetic! You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up the horrors. But they are part of you. And they will never go away."
Suddenly, Loki slams his hand against the cell's glass, causing Nat to flinch. "I won't touch Barton until I make him kill you. Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear. And 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," Loki taunts Nat. She turns away from him, and both Karai and I grip our pistols, awaiting the order, yearning for it. Nat finally utters, "You're a monster." Loki responds, "Oh, no. You brought the monster." I smirk and comment, "That's the play." Nat drops the act and turns to Loki, confusing him. "So, Banner. That's your plan," she reveals. Nat quickly activates her comlink, warning the others. Karai glances at Loki and remarks, "Wow. The God of mischief got played like a fiddle." I join in, clapping my hands mockingly, "Thank you for your cooperation, asshole." Both Karai and I dash out of the prison block.
[Banner's Lab.] We enter Banner's lab to find the entire team engaged in a heated argument, shouting at each other. Tony directs Fury's attention to a computer screen, demanding, "Why is SHIELD building weapons with the cube?" Fury points at Thor and explains, "Because of beings like him." Thor, feeling insulted, interjects, "My people want nothing but peace with your planet." Karai rolls her eyes and remarks, "Weren't you listening? You're not the only one who came to Earth, and you're not the only possible threat out there. And your brother is proof that not all Asgardians want peace." Fury continues, "The world is filling up with people who can't be matched, that can't be controlled. We needed something to give us an edge." Tony sarcastically adds, "A nuclear deterrent. Because that always calms everything down." I step toward Tony and comment, "Oh, that's rich coming from you, Stark. Remind us again how you got your fortune." Cap steps between us and urges, "I'm sure if Stark were still making weapons, he'd be neck-deep." Tony, growing angrier, questions, "How is this about me?" I retort, "Isn't everything?" We all seem to chime in simultaneously, expressing our agreement.
The bickering escalates into a full-blown shouting match, and I feel an intensifying anger building within me. 'What's wrong with me? Why am I feeling this anger?' Something is amiss. Trying to regain control of the situation, I yell, "Okay, everyone needs to take a step back!" Unfortunately, the team is too consumed with their argument to hear me. 'Damn it.' The conversation between Banner and Fury finally grabs everyone's attention. Banner shouts, "Where? You rented my room to Loki!" Fury starts to explain, but Banner cuts him off, "In case you needed to kill me, but you can't. I tried." This revelation catches everyone off guard. "I hit rock bottom. I couldn't see an end. So, I put a bullet in my mouth, and the other guy spat it out. I moved on. I focused on helping people. Then the Canadian Department-H sent one of their best to kill me. Codenamed Wolverine, I think. He almost succeeded. But I managed to escape. Then you guys dragged me into this freak show and put everyone here at risk. You want to know my secret? You want to know how I manage to keep it under control?" Banner's voice grows stern. Karai, Fury, Nat, and I instinctively reach for our pistols. "Banner, put down the staff," I command, drawing my gun but keeping it pointed downward. Banner looks down at the staff, seemingly perplexed as if he didn't even realize he was holding it. He places it on the table and steps away. Suddenly, an alert blares from one of the computers. Banner walks toward the main screen and announces, "We've got a hit." Tony speaks up, "Let me know where it is. I can get to it faster." Thor warns, "The Tesseract belongs to Asgard. No human can withstand its raw power for long." Just as everyone is processing the information, an explosion rocks the Helicarrier, plunging us into darkness.