The Other Stark (Avengers Fanfic)

Chapter 5

Victoria changed into comfortable clothes and went to the almost empty gym. All the agents were in red alert, so they didn't really have time to train. She moved to a punching bag on the further corner of the room and started rapping bandages on her hands. Tory started punching the bag with all the anger she had got. She wasn't really angry, it was more like stress, and her brother didn't help. It hadn't been that long when someone stopped by her side. She didn't stop her punching and kicking, just waiting for this someone to speak up.

"Didn't know you could fight," Coulson says, standing still in his spot.

"Yeah... Well... Tony kind of wanted me to be able to defend myself and..." Tory says, throwing a hook punch in the bag,

"It helps me with anxiety."

"At least he cares for someone rather than himself," he says not looking at her.

"What are you doing here Coulson?" she says, stopping and looking at him.

"Fury wants you using an earpiece," the agent says handing her a little device. Victoria takes it and puts on her ear.

"And he wanted to know if you thought about..."

"About Phase 2? I don't develop weapons anymore and you know it," Tory says, taking the bandages off her hand. She knew she wouldn't have a lot of time until someone called for her.

"I'm done with that for a long time."

"You don't even know exactly what it is," he says trying to get her to agree.

"And you do build weapons... that robots of yours are what then?"

"You know... I've looked into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files and I know what Phase 2 is, indeed," she said, taking her bottle of water and walking out of the gym, so she could put her regular clothes and head back to the lab.

"You were trying to build weapons with the Tesseract, just like HYDRA did decades ago."

"But we aren't them," he argues, following her.

"Exactly... so you won't build it, not with my help at least," she said in front of the room they gave her.

"Last time they tried, it didn't end well, and history will probably repeat itself."

She got into the room and ignored the fact that Agent Coulson was about to say something more. Fury didn't care about the consequences this would bring, he just saw people and things as weapons and power, he just thought everything he would do with them were the right things. After what happened with Tony, the kidnapping, Obadiah Stane and who Stark Industries was selling the weapons for, Tory didn't want this life anymore.

She puts her leather jacket on and goes to the control room, where she finds Fury, Coulson, and Thor talking about Loki.

"Than why do I feel like he's the only person in this boat who wants to be in here?" Tory hear Fury asking, before seating on one of the chairs of the big table. Suddenly, in front of her, a screen comes on and shows Natasha in front of Loki's glass cell, talking.

"And once you've won. Once you're king of the mountain. What happens to his mind?" Natasha asks, faking a concerned look. She was the best when it came to acting.

"Is this love, Agent Romanoff?" Loki grinned.

"Love is for children. I owe him adept," she says harshly.

"Tell me," Loki says seating on a bench in his cell. The only thing that had inside it. Natasha seats on a chair in front of the glass cage and begins opening up.

"Before I worked for SHIELD, I uh...well, I made a name for myself. I have a very specific skillset. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me, he made a different call," she tells him with a serious expression. All Victoria could think was that she was good at what she did.

"And what will you do if I vow to spare him?" Loki questions, having fun with all of this.

"Not let you out," Romanoff announces.

"Ah, no. But I like this. Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man?" he questions her with his typical smile on his face.

"Regimes fall every day. I tend not to weep over that, I'm Russian... or was," Agent Romanoff states out, crossing her arms.

"What is it you want?" the god of mischief asks, getting up from where he was seated.

"It's really not that complicated. I've got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out," she answers him.

"Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? Drakov's daughter? São Paulo? The hospital fire? Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything?" Loki shouts with anger.

"This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer... PATHETIC!"

"You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers," he speaks with evil.

"You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away!"

Natasha puts a desperate look on her face, faking cry, letting a tear roll down her cheek.

"I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you! Slowly. Intimately. In every way, he knows you fear! And when he wakes up just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams, I'll split his skull! This is my bargain," the god continuous shouting and slams his fists on the glass.

"You're a monster!" Nat shouts, trebling her voice and turning her back to Loki.

"Oh no..." he says smiling, looking to the camera that was in his cell.

"You brought the monster."

Natasha stops the facade and turns herself to Loki with a serious look. In the control room, Tory had already understood what Loki wanted. She got up from her seat in a quick jump and jogged to the lab. Fury looked up when she left, Thor was still looking at the screens.

"So, Banner... that's your play," Natasha stated through the screens.

"What?" Loki asked confused.

"Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, I'm on my way. Sent Thor as well," Natasha says bursting out of the room, but before she was out, she stopped and looked to Loki's direction.

"Thank you for your consideration."