VILLAINY - L.LAUFEYSON

twenty-three: AVENGERS

"tony rolls his eyes before walking over and taking the phone."

   TONY STARK CANNOT BELIEVE that he is here right now.

   "Thor, we can't just release him to you. He's killed our people now, too, and a lot of folks are gonna wanna see him punished for that."

   "And punished he will be, Captain Rogers, on Asgard, where punishment is not limited by your rules."

   "We can't just let him go back to Asgard, Thor. He knows the place too well, he could escape."

   Tony groans loudly after Natasha's words, growing tired of listening to everyone's bickering. Of all the people on Earth, these are the only ones Fury deemed worthy enough of protecting the world?

   "Oh, I'm sorry, Tony, are we boring you?" Bruce says, arms crossed.

   "No, you're irritating me. We've settled this debate about four times already. Thor, I'm sorry, but your terrorist of a brother isn't going anywhere. He committed his crimes here and that's where he'll own up to them."

   The god laughs in his face, causing Tony's eyebrows to shoot up daringly. "If you believe Loki will feel remorse from your attempts at punishment, you are foolish, Stark. Loki needs severe punishment - pain, suffering - which can only be delivered to him on Asgard."

   Tony sighs dramatically, running a hand through his hair. If it were up to him, and only him, Loki would rot away in a deep, dark cave where he would long for even the slightest bit of contact. He would become desperate enough to cry for the presence of even a mere Earthling like himself - boy, how he would love to see that.

   Alas, it is not all up to him. It is up to him and the four maroons around him to decide what to do with the villainous god who is currently trapped in a fishbowl just a few rooms away.

   "He killed our people, Thor, Earth's people," Steve says sympathetically. "It isn't right for him to be punished on Asgard for a crime he committed here. Our people deserve justice - the families of the victims deserve justice."

   "I do not deny you your justice, Captain. In fact, I am trying to better your justice. You must trust me when I tell you that Asgard's punishments are far more suitable for my brother than anything your realm could ever muster."

   Just as Tony is about to butt in once again, someone knocks on the door to the conference room they are currently in. All five heads turn to face one of the agents as she sticks her head inside, apologetically holding up a cellphone.

   "Phone call, Stark."

   "Uh, I'm a little busy here, can you-?"

   "She says it's urgent," the agent says, raising an eyebrow, "and I think you're gonna want to hear what she has to say."

   Tony rolls his eyes before walking over and taking the phone. He pushes it to his ear impatiently. "Stark here."

   When "Oh, thank the Gods I've finally reached you," are the first words out of the woman's mouth, Tony shoots Thor a wild-looking stare.

   "Mr. Stark, my name is Amara. I-I have reason to believe you may have information on someone by the name of Loki?"

   Tony is nearly dumbstruck. He forgets to speak for several moments as he stares at the security camera feed from Loki's cell. The god is currently pacing, looking around at nothing at all.

   "Uh... Yeah, I guess you can say that," Tony admits warily. "Do you know him or something?"

   The woman hesitates for a moment. "You can say that," she eventually continues. "However, the main reason for my call is that I have reason to believe he is about to commit quite a large attack on your city with the help of an alien race called the Chitauri. I-I know how strange that sounds, but-"

   "Oh, you'd be surprised how strange that actually doesn't sound," he interrupts, somewhat frantically. "Say, Ms. Amara, where are you right now? I can-"

   "Amara? Did you say Amara?!"

   Before Tony can do anything to stop him, Thor has rushed up and snatched the cellphone from his hand, putting it up to his ear and yelling into it. "Lady Amara, is that you?!"

   Tony simply stands there, utterly confused, as he listens to Thor's half of the conversation.

   "Oh, that's wonderful! It's so good to hear from you! Have you been well?... Oh, that's great, what've you?... Right, sorry, sorry, yes, what about Loki?... WHAT?!... Are you certain?!... Right, okay, well, you just stay right there and we shall send someone to fetch you. We can definitely use your help... Yes, alright, we shall see you soon."

   He ends the call then, huffing out a sigh. "She shall make her way to the helicopter pad on your tower, Stark." Thor tosses the phone back to Tony, who barely manages to catch it. "I assume we can arrange transportation for her?"

   "Who is 'her'?" Natasha asks, throwing her hands up exasperatedly.

   "Yeah, who was that?" Tony asks. "And since when do you give me orders?"

   "That was Lady Amara, heir to the throne of Vanaheim." Thor smiles triumphantly. "It's quite a long story, she tells it best, but to shorten it, she and Loki are involved in some sort of ancient prophecy. It is her duty to save him from villainy, which, in this case, is a foretold attack on your city that is set to occur in less than two days."

   The four other Avengers stare at him, dumbfounded and skeptical.

   Thor simply chuckles. "As I said, she tells it best. Now, let's not keep a lady waiting, shall we?" He then exits the room without another word while the rest of the Avengers remain motionless, locked in a silent debate of who will be the first to believe the incredulity that has just occurred.

   Steve is the first to follow, looking back with an amused expression on his face. "Well, you heard him - we don't wanna keep a lady waiting, right?"

   The rest of the Avengers follow skeptically after, sharing uncertain glances with each other the entire way.