The Soldier and His Girl. (Steve Rogers Love Story)

Chapter Six: Frozen

I fidgeted with the sleeve of my uniform, feeling the cool, almost imperceptible mist seeping from my fingers as I sat at the table next to Agent Romanoff. The screen in front of me displayed a tense scene, and my eyes flitted between it and my hand, where the mist was thickening into a swirling dark blue haze. It was a tangible manifestation of the intense emotions swirling around the room, emotions that had taken their toll on me. The room was heavy with anger and tension, not least from the large, blonde figure looming over the table. As he glared down at the screen where his brother's image was projected, memories of how he had tossed me aside like a rag doll resurfaced, igniting a simmering rage within me. I drew a shaky breath, bringing my hand close to my chest where a persistent ache lingered. I lightly touched the inflamed spot, letting out a quiet hiss of pain.

The sound caught the attention of Steve Rogers, who raised an eyebrow from across the table. My face flushed as I quickly averted my gaze back to the screen. Loki's voice cut through the room with a mocking tone, dripping with condescension as he stared up at the video camera from his confinement.

"How desperate are you?" Loki sneered. "That you call on such lost creatures to defend you?"

"Desperate?" Nick Fury's voice came through with a sharp edge as he and my father came into view. "You threaten my world with war, you steal a force you can't hope to control. You speak of peace while killing for amusement. You've made us desperate, and that's not something you'll be happy about."

Loki's face twisted into a grin of cruel satisfaction. "It burns you both to have come so close," he taunted, his smile widening. "To have the Tesseract, to wield unlimited power— and for what?" He turned to the camera with a mocking flourish. "A warm light for all mankind to share?"

I turned away for a moment, contemplating his words. Was my father hiding something?

"And then to be reminded what real power is," Loki spat, his gaze shifting to the director and his right-hand man.

My father rolled his wheelchair up to the glass partition where Loki was imprisoned. "Well, you let us know if real power wants a magazine or something," he quipped.

"Watch your daughter," Loki sneered, inching closer to the glass. "It would be a shame if something were to happen to her."

"And she'll kick your ass twice," my father shot back.

I couldn't help but smirk at my father's retort. I glanced up at Dr. Bruce Banner, taking in his smaller frame, speckled with gray hair and the glasses perched on his nose. He looked harmless, nothing like the imposing figure depicted in the videos Steve and I had watched.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Bruce said, causing me to grin and hum in agreement.

Loki's antics were stretching out the situation, Steve admitted. "So, Thor, what's his play?"

Thor let out a long sigh, his expression serious. "He commands an army called the Chitauri. They're not from Asgard or any world you know. He intends to lead them against your people in exchange for the Tesseract."

I sat in stunned silence as Thor's words sank in. "An army?" Steve echoed, glancing around the table. I managed a small smile at Steve, trying to ease the tension, but his next words made it clear that he was just as troubled. "From outer space."

"So, he's building another portal," Bruce said, his brow furrowing. "That's what he needs Erik Selvig for."

The name Erik Selvig rang a bell, and it seemed I wasn't the only one who recognized it.

"Selvig?" Thor questioned.

I nodded, looking over at Thor. "He's an astrophysicist."

"How do you know him?" Bruce asked.