The Curious Tales of Evelyn Stark

Loki

"You just gonna let them kill each other?" Nat whispered. Evelyn watched her nephew and oldest friend tried to out Alpha male each other.

"Steve is annoyed with me. That I'm not a blushing bride waiting on a ghost. And Tony has some inadequacies because Howie never shut up about Steve. Stevie sees the world in black and white. Good and bad. I love him for that. But the rest of us are more gray. Tony gets that," Evie stated.

"Lady Stark!" Thor boomed, rushing to her, hugging her tightly. She'd met Thor after the whole Arizona thing. Right before he went back to Asgard.

"Are you fucking with me?" Tony grumbled, "What do you do in your spare time Evie?"

Evie frowned looking up at Thor. "You swore to me that you would have him under control." She crossed her arms, eye brow raised. Tony knew that look, he'd been on the receiving end of that look. It was the one time Evie kicked his ass both verbally and physically.

"I believed him dead."

Evie exhaled, "What's his play?"

"You know better than that Evie. There's not always a play," Tony stated, crossing his arms. "You know that better than anyone. Occasionally it's not a play, and it's secrets as the main motivator. Why are we actually here Evie? Why does SHIELD have the tesseract? What are they planning? You know every one's secrets. That's your job as director of intelligence. Seventy years of secrets."

"Anthony that's enough," she snapped.

"No."

"Stark that's enough. You're not allowed to talk to her like that. She's your aunt. Your blood the only family you have left," Steve hissed.

"She has your secrets locked away in a file, and in her blood stream too. Everything that makes you special Captain comes from a bottle, and she was dumb enough to help dad recreate it," Tony snarled, getting into Steve's face as Steve positioned himself between Tony and Evie.

"And you're just a man in a metal suit," Steve replied, "Take away the suit what are you Stark?"

"Genius. Billionaire. Playboy. Philanthropist. You'd think I'd hurt her. You're positioned between her and I, like I'd actually hurt her," Tony stated, appalled.

"I know guys with none of that worth ten of you," Steve said, glancing back at Evie.

"Steve that's enough. Tony go hack something," Evie stated, walking away. She wandered the ship landing where Loki was being held. The glass cage meant to hold the Hulk. Sweet Bruce.

"Ah Evelyn Stark. The woman time forgot. You and I, we're a lot alike Evie. We've done everything for our own motivations. Selfish to the very core of our beings. Only I want power. The serum your brother created. You wanted it to kill you, that's why you volunteered. You wanted to be with someone who's not dead. It's a curse Evelyn. To live forever," Loki sneered.

"And if I did?" Evie stated.

Loki scoffed. "You're a brilliant woman Stark. You come from a family of geniuses. But they under estimated you your whole life. Everyone. The pretty face throws them off. They said you were beautiful. Mortal men. And they weren't wrong. That's their first impression of you. The beauty. A snake can also be beautiful and you Evelyn Stark are a pit viper. Beautiful and deadly."

"Your point, sir?"

"You're calculating Evelyn Stark. Maybe even more than I am. Which is why I have an opportunity for you. I need a queen. Someone the people will trust," he stated.

"Worst marriage proposal ever. And I'm spoken for," she said.

"The Pararescue? Or the Sergeant?"

"Loki I'll say what everyone is thinking fuck you. Sir." Evie stated crossing her arms, leaning against the control system.

"Did you look for the man you claimed to love? Did you search for him check the bottom of that ravine? See his blood staining the snow as he bled out? Maybe you were the last thing on his mind. Did you bury a body Miss Stark? Or an empty coffin?" Loki seethed.

Evie looked up at the ceiling, blinking away tears. She wouldn't let this mother fucker break her down. He knew what buttons to push and she was stronger than that.

"Or maybe the lover you shot in the head? Do you think of him often? Hawley? You never really gave your heart to him though. It was always James? Do you even say his name anymore? Remember what he sounded like when he whispered he loved you?" Loki laughed, "Maybe you've used love like a tool. Like you've used sex."

"You are a monster."

"I'm not the real monster here."

"You're after Bruce. See Loki they underestimated me and so did you. I know what James sounded like, every touch, I remember it all. That's part of my curse. I remember," she stated, turning her back on him. She sent Nat a message. He wants the Hulk. "Thanks doll." She blew Loki a kiss before leaving him alone once again.

Evie looked at Fury, a few minutes later. "This is it for me, Nicholas. I'm calling it quits after this. Aliens, demigods, I remember the bad guys actually being human. Hydra. I can't consciously do this job anymore."

"Formal resignation?"

"Yes."

"They're not going to let you go Evie."

"I know. Which is why I should have"-

The explosion rattled them knocking Evie to the ground hitting her head as the world went dark. Fury checked her pulse, and examined the giant wound on her head where she hit the control deck's glass paneling. Steve came running into the control center. "She's alive. Go. Medic!" Fury yelled as Maria rushed to Evie.

May 7th 2011

Evie watched the news clips as Sam squeezed her hand. Maria had taken her home, after Evie been cleared by medical. Maria left her with a parting gift a concerned Sam Wilson waiting on her doorstep ready to be her own personal nurse. "I feel like like my head was split open."

"Well it was," Sam said, "You gonna tell me the truth any time soon or are we going to dance around it?"

Evie leaned forward kissing him gently, "I'm retired. I'm done with SHIELD. I'll consult but that was going to be my last mission."

"You're a superhero Eve," Sam stated.

"Sam do you know how old I am?" Evie asked.

"Ninety?" he laughed, kissing her hand. "I'm fully aware of who you are, and it's not stopping me from telling you that I adore you. That I enjoy your company Evie."

She blushed, "I enjoy you as well. It's not off putting that I'm old enough to be your great grandmother?"

"It's a number. And you look twenty five so we're good," Sam stated, "I'm here the next week while you recover. We can work out the kinks. Does it bother you I'm young enough to be your great grandson?"

Evie shook her head. "Not at all."