The Avengers (Sequel to IASBIKATT) *on hold*

Chapter 5

Natasha turned her back to Loki, feeling horror creep up to her at what he was saying, threatening her through Clint Barton.
   "You're a monster." she whispered. "I don't know how Athena loves you. No matter how much she says that you weren't always like this, you're still a monster to me." She then added something to make him angry. "Maybe I should knock some sense into her and make her see how much of a monster you are."
   "No," he said darkly, angrily, ignoring the comment about Athena, "you brought the monster."
   Natasha realised his plan, all horror and fear gone from her body. She turned to Loki with a blank look. "So," she said, "Banner. You're planning to bring him out." she smirked at foiling his plan. She then started talking to Fury on her earpiece. "Thank you for your co-operation." Just before she left, she turned to him with a glare. "And I am going to make sure Athena sees you for who you are." she said darkly. "Not as the Prince you once were."
   "Oh I still am the Prince to her," he chuckled, "and I will always be to her because I love her. But for everyone else?" He took a threatening step towards her, his blue eyes murderous. "I will tear them apart if you ever cross either of us." he hissed. Natasha still held her blank look, walking away, telling Fury what she discovered.
   "By the way," she added, "we could use Athena as a motive for Loki. He showed that he still cares for her."
   "Good job, Agent."
***
Athena had left shortly after, making her way to her designated room. Athena slowly sat on the bed, her mind going back to the five months she was held like a lab rat.
Flashback
Muffled screams could be heard in the deserted hallway; even crowded, people would merely ignore it. In a room, Athena was tied to a stainless steel table, a cloth in her mouth. Scientists were doing experiments on her, meaning her resistant to pain, if she was stronger than humans. They were so far, surging electricity to her.
   The next thing she knew, needles were inserted in her veins, taking her blood. All of those tortures were being watched by Director Fury, who stood in the background. But Athena knew. She knew that he was there watching her and the experiments. Occasionally she would see Coulson, who would every once in a while since and give her sympathetic looks.
   "It's preparation for the future." Athena heard Fury tell Coulson. "Studying her will tell us how to be prepared for any more threats from aliens."
   "But this way?" Athena heard Coulson question. "Sir, it's barbaric."
   "It's either this, or Earth gets destroyed."
Flashback over

Athena gasped, surprised that she had fallen asleep. She remembered her memory and shuddered. That was one of her worst memories. Hearing humans that she admired talking like that, and using her like a lab rat. . .
   Athena shook her head, forcing the tears back, and slowly made her way to the bathroom to refreshen.
   Walking out of the bathroom a couple of minutes later, the Hellicarrier suddenly shook, followed by alarms. Loki, she instantly thought of. Immediately, she changed clothes with a flick of a wrist, into her Asgardian armour, before teleporting to Loki's cell.
   She arrived at her destination, only to see Thor in the cell, Loki at the controls. "Loki," she called out to him softly, "what are you doing?"
   Loki turned to her slowly, giving her a sly smirk. "I'm doing an experiment." he said nonchalantly. "The humans think of us immortal. . ." he went to a red button that was covered with a glass lid, and flicked the lid up. "Let's test that, shall we?"
   Before Athena could use her magic to stop him, a Midgardian gun could be heard firing up from behind her. "Move away please." came the voice of Coulson. Athena turned around quickly to see him holding a gun that was quite big for his size. "You like this? We started working on the prototype after you sent the Destroyer and we saw Athena use her magic -" Coulson glanced at Athena with remorse, "-I am so sorry for how we studied you, Athena." he said regretfully. He then turned to Loki, who looked furious at the mention of Athena being used as a lab rat. "Even I don't know what it does." he motioned to the gun. "Do you wanna find out?"
   Before Athena could move a limb, Loki suddenly appeared behind Coulson and impaled him with his sceptre, the weapon going straight through Coulson's chest. "NO!" Athena and Thor yelled, watching in horror as the Agent fell to the floor.
   "That was for using the love of my life as a lab rat and for getting in my way!" Loki hissed down at him. Loki then walked passed a shocked Athena and went back to the controls. Loki glanced at Thor for a moment, before pressing the red button. Thor and the cell disappeared. As soon as Thor disappeared, Athena snapped out of her shock.
   "Coulson!" Athena yelped, quickly getting into action and aiding him. She knew that Thor would survive the fall and would somehow get out.
   Athena hovered her hands over the Agent's wound. Loki held no remorse and closed the hatch that Thor just fell from.
   "Athena, come." Loki demanded. "I'm taking you away from this wretched place."
   "You're gonna lose." Coulson said weakly from his spot. Athena attempted to shush him and continued trying to heal his deep wound.
   "Am I?" Loki replied, for a moment gazing at Athena fondly of her using her magic, before facing Coulson with a stone-hard look on his face.
   "It's in your nature." Coulson said.
   "Your heroes are scattered - Athena being the most powerful. Your floating fortress falls from the sky. . .where is my disadvantage?"
   "You lack conviction." Coulson revealed.
   "I don't think I -" Loki was cut off and sent into a wall, breaking the wall by doing so - all from Coulson's gun that was on his lap. Athena had stopped her healing for a moment, shocked at what the weapon did.
   "So that's what it does." Coulson breathed out.
   "Coulson, save your breath." Athena commanded, going back to healing him, knowing Loki would be okay. "I'm almost done."
   "Go after him."
   "What?" Athena looked at him shocked.
   "Go after him." he repeated. "He needs you more than the both of you know - hell, SHIELD doesn't need you more at the moment than he does."
   "But Coulson -"
   "He's right, you know." Coulson interrupted, like she never spoke. "SHIELD is too dangerous for you. You don't belong here. You deserve something better after what we did to you."
   "And you're saying Loki is better?"
   "I can see that he would do anything to protect you." Coulson told her. "Ever since we took you in; Selvig, Barton, Jane, and Darcy, I considered you as a daughter to me." Coulson revealed. "And if anyone is to 'court' you with my approval, it would be Loki. I have seen the way he looks at you, when he talks about you or thinks of you. He loves you. . .despite being a criminal. So go," Coulson looked in the direction of Loki slowly getting up from his fall, "go to him. Make him back to the man you know and love."
   "You will survive, Coulson." Athena promised, giving him a watery smile. "People like you don't deserve to leave the realm early." Placing a delicate kiss on his forehead, Athena stood up and made her way to Loki. Just when Loki stood up fully, Athena had arrived to him. Without letting him say anything, Athena pulled him into a passionate kiss. Loki froze at first, before immediately reacting to the familiar touch of her lips and kissed her back, for a moment the two forgetting about their situation.