The Fight and Flight (Loki Fanfiction)

Chapter One

Hello! Just a quick note before you read this! If you haven't seen on my profile, my name is Adison. And, this is set before Avenger's Age Of Ultron, but after Captain America TWS and Guardians of the Galaxy. I just am terrible at deadlines and dates so this is being published right before Age of Ultron comes out. :P That's all for now, but more at the end of the chapter! Happy reading!

Nobody was more surprised than Steve when Maria produced an actual key to the warehouse door instead of picking the lock. But a moment later, when the door rolled to the side, no one was more disappointed than Steve either.

"Why the hell are there SHIELD files here? We agreed no more secrets."

But Maria was already inside and picking through the boxes and files of information stored in the back of the warehouse.

The small building had appeared to be abandoned from the outside, but was not a speck of dust tarnished the inside. Yet empty space filled the building except for a single back corner. The corner had a desk pushed against the back two walls, with papers surrounding it. A small lamp on top of the desk was the only source of light in the building.

"These aren't SHIELD files." Maria replied coolly.

"Hate to break it to you," Tony picked up a stack of papers and waved it around. "But this looks a lot like the SHIELD emblem to me. Unless there's some other secret organization just like SHIELD that you're hiding from us."

Bruce stepped carefully towards the papers around Steve, who was still scowling at Maria from the doorway.

"The files are Phil's. He tagged them as SHIELD's so it would be a federal crime to touch them. He figured that would deter most reporters."

Maria said it so casually that the other three freezing in places almost seemed like an overreaction.

"Phil Coulson?"

"Yeah. One of these has a file on a woman named Etienne Tyler. She can help us figure this thing out."

Tony emerged from a back room, carrying a slim folder with a tab that said 'Etienne Tyler' in a scrawled penmanship. With only a single sheet of paper in between the folds of the plastic sleeve.

"Well, we're in luck. This was on the desk." He waved it around triumphantly, before opening it. The smile dropped for a second, before Tony looked inquisitive. "This is just a phone number."

Maria took the folder out of Tony's hands. She pulled her phone out of a hidden pocket somewhere on her outfit and in her hand.

"So then we call it."

Maria switched her phone onto speaker and sat down on a few boxes near the desk. The phone rang twice before being picked up. Yet no greeting came from the other end of the line. The four waited a second, moving in slightly. Music could be heard coming from the phone, an indecipherable melody that came in muffled.

"It's not a business number, is it?" Bruce leaned over to look at the screen incredulously. "Why would it put you on hold?"

"Is that Bruce Banner I hear?" An amused voice came over the phone.

Bruce looked around at the others as if for affirmation. Steve nodded and silently gestured for him to respond.

"Yes, is this Ms. Etienne Tyler?"

There was a small sound of laughter before the clicking of a keyboard could be heard in the background and the woman resumed talking.

"Yep, but do me a favor and call me Etienne." There was a second long lapse, in which only the typing continued. "Phil gave you my number?"