The Raven

COMING HOME - SEVEN

"Thor, What's his play?" Steve asks, shifting his worried gaze around the conference room to meet similar expressions donning everyone else's face as well.

"He has an army called the Chitari, They're not of Asgard nor any world known. He means to lead them against your people, They will win him the earth in return I suspect for the Tesseract." Thor replies, his arms folded tightly over his huffing chest.

"An army? From outer space?" Steve gawks, His mind racing.

"So he's building another portal," Bruce's eyes go wide as a lightbulb goes off within his brain. "That's what he needs Eric Selvig for!"

"Selvig?!" Thor gasps.

"Yeah, Eric Selvig. He's an astrophysicist who-" Bruce is cut off by Thor as he replies,

"He's my friend."

"Loki has him under some kind of spell, Along with one of ours." Natasha breaks her silence, peering up over the monitor screen.

"I want to know why Loki let us take him," Steve chimes in, "He's not leading an army from here."

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki's," Bruce interrupts, "His brains like a bag full of cats, You can smell crazy on him."

"Have care with how you speak!" Thor snaps, His face twisting angrily. No matter what Loki has done, he will always be his younger brother. "Loki may be beyond reason. But he is of Asgard, And he is my brother."

Cutting her eyes as the blood in her body slows, Natasha speaks next. "He's killed eighty people in two days."

Thor gulps, his tone fluctuating as he admits. "He's adopted."

"I think it's about the mechanics, The iridium. What do they need the iridium for?"

The double doors glide open, An authoritative voice entering the room as two men appear.

"It's a stabilizing Agent," Tony Stark announces before turning to Phil and finishing their conversation. As Phil strides off smiling, Tony continues speaking. "It means the portal won't collapse in on itself like it did at Shield." He then pats Thor on the bicep in passing. "No hard feelings, Pointbreak. You've got a mean swing."

All eyes in the room remain locked on Tony as he continues his explanation of Loki's possible plan, Natasha especially hangs on his every word meanwhile Steve chimes in with questions.

"Doctor Banner is only here to track the cube," Nick clarifies, His husky voice commanding the groups attention from Tony. "I was hoping you might join him."

"I'd start with that stick of his! It may be magical but it works an awful lot like a hydra weapon!" Steve says, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"I don't know about that, But it is powered by the cube. And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys." Nick replies, a tinge of hatred burning on his tongue.

"Flying monkeys?" Thor echoes, confusion plastered clearly on his chiseled features. "I do not understand."

"I do!" Steve points enthusiastically before regaining his composure, awkwardly he explains. "I understood that reference..."

Unable to stomach waiting any longer, Natasha slides her chair back from the table, the metal scraps against the tile flooring as she stands. "I'm going to check on my sister."

Nick's hand finds her bicep as she attempts to pass by him, her wide eyes darting up to meet his soulless expression. "You're going to speak with Loki and find out what he plans to do next."