Temptation

Help me?

"Come in, Eva, sit down. You must be very confused." Stephen indicated a comfortable looking chair beside a roaring fire. Eva nodded and gratefully sank into its soft upholstery.

The building appeared to have many more rooms than its initial size would have suggested. The staircase was overshadowed by a huge window, almost eye shaped.  That, and the displays of antiques from all over the nine realms - and beyond - gave an air of mystery, of ancient beings and supernatural connections.

"How... how do you know who I am? I've never been to Midgard, I've never left Asgard at all!" She sat, feeling the heat from the fire and the emotion of it all washing over her. As she looked at him, tears began to spill down her cheeks.

Stephen smiled and came to sit on the chair opposite. As he did so, his cloak nudged him, and he stretched a hand out with a handkerchief. "Here. Actually, Thor warned us that this might happen, and he wanted to make sure you'd be safe until he could smooth things over and get you back."

He waved a gloved hand, and a cup of tea appeared on the table beside her. "Please, drink this... are you hungry?"

Eva shook her head, still struggling to keep up with everything. Strange nodded, "Ok, I have to report in and let them know you're here now.  We can arrange to get you settled at the campus after that." He stood and went to walk away across the room.

"Campus?" Finally, Eva found her voice. "What's 'the campus'.?"

Stephen paused, something, a flicker of a ghost of a look. Then his usual smile returned. "The Avengers Campus. SHIELD wants to make sure you're safe. Thor is important to them, to you as well, I believe." He stood for a moment," and Loki." There was an edge to his voice that instantly made Eva uneasy.

"Loki and I... well, there is no Loki and I. We are... too far apart." She wasn't sure she was making sense, but something was telling her to protect him. "I once hoped... but..." she blushed and looked sad again.

Stephen nodded warmly, and Eva relaxed a little.  He seemed to be genuine. Were her experiences over the last few days colouring her perception of people? Maybe.  Suddenly, she felt overwhelmingly sleepy. The tea had been warming and soothing. Maybe it was just her coming down from an adrenaline high.

Maybe she could have a little rest while Dr. Strange spoke with... who did he say it was? The council? The Avengers? Odin? No, not Odin... she would ask him when he came back. She leaned back into the chair, the heat from the fire lulling her.  She should drink more tea... she looked at the cup. She knew she'd already drunk it, so why was it still full?

Confused, she lifted it and sank the contents.  As she placed it back down, she glanced down and saw it full again. As she frowned, confused, the room began to swim. The tea. The goddamn tea.... She reached for the cup, knocking it to the ground, shattering it. The liquid seeped onto the wooden floorboards and seemed to disappear into thin air.

As her sight grew more and more fuzzy, she became aware of voices talking beside her.

"I... don't feel....feel good. Stephen???" She slurred, trying to focus.

As she stared up, the face of the monk that had opened the door to them hove into view. He bent over and smiled. "She's almost gone, Stephen. I told you it would be enough.  Contact Sitwell, tell him to get the room ready."

"No... no... need to see... Loki... Stephen...help me...."  As she fell into the black abyss claiming her, she tried to call out. Tried to hang on to the arm that was now sliding under her.

"Shhh, Eva. It's ok. It's Stephen.  You just need a little rest. And we need your help. Go to sleep.  When you wake, it will all be over........."

They arrived in the campus mere minutes after Eva finally stopped fighting the effects of the potion. Stephen Strange felt more than a little guilty.  After all, this seemed very underhanded. Very cloak and dagger.  It hadn't to be truthful, been his finest hour.  At the end of the day, though, he was not the Sorcerer Supreme, that was Wong, and he had to do what he was told.

Wong had been approached by the World Security Council. They'd had word from Asgardian operatives that Loki had fallen out with Odin yet again.  Thor had expressed his disquiet about the whole situation, and they knew that Loki would be itching to pick a fight.  Anyone who offered to help could manipulate him. Cause untold carnage.

Odin was powerful and had powerful allies on the council. Originally, he simply wanted Loki taken out. It didn't matter how or when. He was a thorn in Odin's side and always would be.  Ungrateful wretch.

It was only the intervention of Frigga and Thor that had earned Loki his life.  The price? He would be taken to The Barge and locked up there. Nobody and nothing could get to him. He would forever be prevented from attacking, undermining, and generally causing havoc in any and all of the nine realms.  

The complication was that he was now in love with someone other than himself.  An angry, vengeful Loki was bad enough.  An angry, vengeful, and bereft Loki? That didn't bear thinking about. 

It had been Thor who inadvertently gave them the idea in the first place.  He'd been chatting to Steve Rogers about the developments when Jasper Sitwell, a weasly little agent with no hair and less morals, overheard.  Eager to make a name for himself, he persuaded his superiors that capturing Eva would be the ideal trap.

"That's all very well, but she loves him back, you moron. She won't let him be captured." Fury had dismissed the idea with a derisory shrug.  Sitwell had looked at the council then back at Fury.

"We could get Zola to explain things to her. He's very good at explaining." Dr Zola made Furys skin crawl, but as he wasn't under his direct command, there was nothing he could do to get rid of the maggot.

"Zola? He's an overblown, sadistic, megalomaniac with a psychopathic need to dominate." Fury responded as casually as if he was reeling off a shopping list.

"Noted Fury." The council spokesman replied. He turned to Sitwell, "Get her here by any means - get Strange involved. He doesn't need to know anything other than she needs to be here to be safe."

Sitwell nodded. "As good as done."

Fury stood and looked at them all.  "You're making a grave mistake taking on a God in a grudge match.  You might not be glad that you did."

With that, he turned on his heel and swept away in a cloud of self-righteous anger and leather coat.

This, he knew, was NOT going to end well for anyone.  Where was Banner when he needed him? And what the HELL was Tony doing with that blue cube....?