Brother Avengers

Brother Avengers Chapter 6

Fury minutely turned his head to glance at the newcomers.

"Hello, Professor Xavier," he said. "You're actually right on time."

"Nevertheless, we seem to be interrupting something," Xavier noted, interlocking his fingers.

"Actually, it looks like we have interrupted something," Loki said. He started rubbing his fingers together. Sparks shot from his fingertips. "You clearly don't need us, so give us just a moment and we'll be off. You can have your meeting without the inconvenience of entertaining us." He glanced at Thor. "With my brother's consent, of course."

Steve watched the four shining people. Thor's snarl had not left his face, and he glared at Fury. Sif looked disgusted. Jane just sadly glanced at the floor.

"I agree," Thor muttered, adjusting his grip on his hammer. "We are done here."

"Actually," Xavier spoke up. "I think we have information that you would be very interested in, Loki Laufeyson."

Loki's fingers went still.

The lights wavered. The guns rattled.

And the air turned to ice.

Goosebumps raced across Steve's skin.

Loki's eyes flooded with fire.

"What?" he hissed. His voice shivered the ground.

Thor raised his hammer and pointed at Xavier.

"You, sir—" Thor warned. "—are on dangerous ground."

"Hey—take it easy," the gruff, sideburned man held up a hand.

"I will crack your skull," Thor snapped at him. The man snorted.

"Try it."

"Logan," Xavier murmured. Logan's jaw tightened...

And something in Steve's memory flickered. He frowned at the rugged man, tracing his hard, vivid features for the first time. A fog hung around in Steve's head, like cobwebs draped over everything...but all at once, this fellow looked familiar...

Loki lowered his head, leveling an unblinking look at Xavier.

"No one calls me that name—even my kin," Loki seethed. "And especially not crippled, common mortals."

Xavier smiled, apparently unruffled.

"I am Charles Xavier, and I am a mutated human," he explained. "I have the special ability to read minds."

Steve's heart skipped a beat, his attention flew to the smiling man in the wheelchair. He suddenly felt sick.

"Aaah, I see," Loki's eyes went wide and his face filled with a maniacally-dangerous look. "Well, slip your tentacles under my helmet once more and your eyes will be looking out the back of your head, and your brain will be nothing more than a piece of charcoal."

The man in the raincoat chuckled. The sound rang through the dead-silent room. Steve had to force himself to swallow—that idea didn't sound all that funny to him. Besides which, he, Coulson, Stark and Fury stood right in between these two factions—the static in the air tingled his scalp.

"I believe he could do it, Charles," the raincoat man's head tilted toward Xavier, and Steve could hear his smile.

"Oh, I have no doubt," Xavier said, then addressed Loki agreeably. "Don't worry, my friend—I'll keep my 'tentacles' to myself."

Loki answered that assurance with a glare about as warm as Siberia.

"What information?" Sif cut in. "You said you had information that would interest him."