Temptation

First Strike....

"W..war criminal?" Thor stammered, taken aback. "How so?"

Eva smiled and took Thor's hand. "Oh my poor deluded big brother..." she smiled and guided him to a bench, making him sit with her. Mjolnir rested on the floor with a satisfying 'clunk'.  "Are you two staying as well?" She sounded light and cheery and like she was offering them afternoon tea.  It was uncanny, and if the three of them were honest? Terrifying.

Fury and Tony exchanged glances, and  Fury shook his head. "Sorry, TinMan, and I have things to be and people to do.  Thor? When you're ready, see you in the ops room?" Fury put a hand on Eva's arm. "See you later, ok? I'll have a coffee waiting. Black and bitter, yeah?"

Eva smiled and nodded. "Oh yes, just like you, Fury, just like you!" She smiled, and for a moment, Asgard Eva seemed to be back in the room. Too quickly, it was replaced by Automaton Eva .

"Now, Thor, what can I tell you about Loki? Dr Zola has shown me more than knowledge. He's shown me truth..."

Tony and Fury left the room as Thor looked on desperately.  The door closed behind them, and Tony leant against the wall, letting out a low whistle.

"Wow." He looked at Fury.  "You do realise that even if we can get Loki out of here before she traps him, her mind is gone? Total lasagne. With extra bechamel."

Fury nodded. "Yeah, one thing with Lasagne, though. All it takes is careful unpicking of the layers, and you go back to what you started with." He looked at Tony.  "We just have to convince the cook."

Tony smiled, pushing a button on his cuff. As the nano-suit began to appear, he walked forward. "And I'm just in the mood to do a little convincing of my own. See you later, I'll bring takeout....." With that, he lifted off and burst through the roof and away.

"Motherf....." Fury exclaimed,"not ANOTHER shitting roof damaged." He tapped his ear. "Hill? Get maintenance down to level five. Stark's been at it again... yes... why he can't just use the motherfu... Sorry, Cap, I forgot this was an open channel.  Just get the goddamn roof sorted, ok!"

He stormed off to the ops room, his black leather coat flying behind him.

"So you see, we don't have a choice, Thor.  Loki is just too dangerous to allow freedom to. He needs to be locked away for our - and his - safety.  Who knows WHAT he might do?" She smiled prettily, and Thor felt his heart tear. He was about to lose two of those most dear to him.  One to love and one to the damnation that was SHIELD.

"Eva, sweetheart, don't you think you should let Loki show you if he truly loves you? If he does, all he will do is come for you and, finding you, leave again? Why pre-judge him? Doesn't seem fair, really?"

"Oh Thor, Thor, Thor. I was once like you, naively trusting. I really did think he might care for me. Now? Now I see he engineered it all, so I would end up here. Give him the excuse he needs to fulfil his plan. The plan you thwarted. The plan will not end until all of Midgard is in chains." She stood up, still acting as if they were discussing the behaviour of a wayward horse and not the fate of a flesh and blood person.

Thor decided to change tack. "Ok, so, what's the plan?" He sat back and waited, hoping she would tell him something, anything he could use to his advantage.

"Welllll," she paced the room, her face now almost manic in its expression. Lost to the rote she'd been indoctrinated with, she reeled it off like an automaton. "I am held here. Someone tips off Loki where I am and that I am to be sent to the Barge. That someone also says he will need an army to storm the place.  Loki will agree to use the Dark Elves, and the wheels are in motion. By the time he comes here, I will be at a safe house. SHIELD will have the place surrounded waiting for him, and that's it. Robert, as these Midgardians say, is your father's brother." She held her hands up in a shrug.

"But my father doesn't.... oh. Yes. I see... sorry." Thor nodded, wincing. "There's just one problem with all this. You mention 'someone' tips off Loki? Who the devil are you going to get that he'll trust enough to believe? And who the hell knows where he is? I mean, I only have a faint idea......" he trailed off, seeing the smug look on her face. "Oh no. No.no.nonono!"

Thor stood and shook his head, "I am NOT being party to this. Loki and I may have a great deal of water under the bridge, some of it pretty murky, but I will NOT lure him into this. He's my BROTHER!" He shouted to no one in particular.

"Adopted...." Eva said quietly, with a smirk. Thor frowned, and she stopped.

"Eva, please." He walked forward and clasped her by the shoulders, looking into her glazed eyes. "Please, Eva, THINK. Do you really think SHIELD wants to keep him safe? Do you really think that they want to HELP him? No, they will as good as kill him if they lock him away. Do you think you'll EVER see him again?" He was desperately trying to find a chink in the mental armour.

"But Thor? Why would I want to?" She asked genuinely puzzled.  Thor felt his stomach plummet to his not inconsiderably large boots.

"Because you love him?"

Before she could answer, the door flew open, and a SHIELD agent thundered through. "They're here.... they're all here..." he stopped mid-sentence and stared at them both, open-mouthed. There was a strange gurgle, and blood began to drip from his lips.

"What the....." Thor began as, transfixed, they watched the agent crumple to the floor. He lay silent, dead.

"Hello Brother," the familiar voice made them look up.  "Playing with your friends again, I see. Mind we join you...."

Loki strode into the room accompanied by at least ten Dark Elf warriors. 

"Loki, you have to leave..." Thor began, taking a step closer. "It's a trap....."

"Oh Brother dear, you think me a complete imbecile. Of COURSE, it's a trap. Why do you think I came with them?" He smiled and looked at Eva.

"Is Zola ready?"

"Yes, my Prince. I got your message. He is ready. I told him where to wait for us." Eva turned to Thor. "I'm sorry, brother, we couldn't trust you not to tell them. You're just too honest. Don't worry. Trust us. If there is no one else you can, trust us."

With that, Loki took Eva in his arms, and they disappeared in a puff of grey smoke.

Thor stood and looked at the Dark Elves, who laid down their weapons and surrendered.

SHIELD agents swarmed in and overpowered them in seconds, followed by Fury.  He looked at Thor.

"I can't pretend to know what THE HELL Loki is up to, but it better work, whatever it is.  And he better get to Zola before Stark. I have a feeling we've been pawns in someone else's long game....."

Thor shook his head. He needed a drink and he needed it now.