An Unlikely Romance

Chapter 1

The sounds of explosions and screaming men declared the arrival of the Avengers. Every agent was on edge. Files were being deleted, evacuation protocols were in place. Strucker knew that his men couldn't stand against the onslaught of super soldiers and gods. He was preparing himself for defeat. I couldn't find it in myself to feel bad for this man who had tortured us relentlessly for days ,yet saw us as his own children. But Pietro and me weren't his to control or command. We have been waiting for our chance to finally meet Stark. To make him feel a part of that pain and anguish that we felt everyday. While Strucker was busy giving his men instructions, me and Pietro slipped out the back. Looking outside the facility we spotted the Avengers working in perfect coordination, clearly outweighing the Hydra army. I looked at Pietro, a wide smirk on his face. I felt corners of my own lips lift in a curve.

We were about to balance the scales.

*************

Dealing with Steve Rogers was easy. Like everyone else, I too had heard the great heroic tales of the American soldier. Tales of strength, sacrifice and fight for freedom. Yet, I knew, that behind the mask of honourable men lay deceit, greed and ego whose burden fell on the common people. I wasn't interested in fighting the soldier, I had a bigger fish to fry. Yet, I couldn't resist myself. I wanted to see this man who everyone claimed was a legend.

Steve Rogers wasn't like the other soldiers. It wasn't just his physical strength that set him apart from other men, it was the way he moved. He carried himself with a sense of authority, a natural born leader, certain of his every step and action. Seeing him talk to Strucker, I couldn't see a trace of wariness or fear in him. He was a man completely put together and it mad me wonder what it would be like to see him come apart.

"I'll put it right under Illegal human experimentation." He said with disapproval evident in his tone. How could he so easily dismiss this, when he got his own strength from a German scientist. A man who had voluntarily given his body to science now stood here with nothing but contempt for us. Cleary, even super soldiers were not strong enough to resist being hypocritical.

He wanted to know about the others. I decided to sate his curiosity. I was surprised that despite his super human senses, he didn't see me coming. Seeing him stumble down the stairs and look up at me with fear in his eyes was more satisfying than I could have predicted. Now he knew that he wasn't alone, he knew an enhanced was out there stronger than he could control. However, I didn't waste more time fighting him.

I had Tony Stark to deal with.

***************

Tony Stark maybe many things but he was no fool. He easily uncovered the way to Hydra's secret lair where they kept all their inventions including the scepter. Slipping after him was easy as the man was completely focused on his goal.

Tony Stark was no soldier. Unlike Steve Rogers, he moved with caution. Inside his armour he seemed invincible, taking on stronger men without any hesitation. Outside of his armour, though, he seemed uncertain, wary and vulnerable. Like a civilian who wasn't trained for missions. Still, he moved forward, a man set on a mission. It didn't bother me as I had my own mission. The one that I had been preparing for years now.

"Yeah, I've got something bigger" he said to himself, probably communicating with someone on the comms. He looked around the room, seeing all the horrific inventions Hydra had been working on. I didn't expect him to be scared of this. Tony Stark was not a man who could be intimidated by such creations, considering he was capable of inventing something equally horrific if not more.

Soon enough, he spotted the scepter and started to walk towards it. "Thor, I've got eyes on the prize", he said. He was so engrossed by it, that he didn't sense my presence behind him. I knew that I could kill him now, tear him apart piece by piece. However, it would be too quick and not painful enough. Death would be a mercy and I was in no mood to be merciful. I wanted to hurt him physically and mentally. I wanted him to feel the same fear that me and Pietro felt when we were trapped in the ruins of our home.

With my mind set, I moved forward.

***************

What I made him see was not something I anticipated. I was capable of getting inside people's minds, read their intimate thoughts and emotions, manipulate them, make them live their worst fears that were buried so deep that they themselves weren't aware of them. That is what I had wanted to do to Tony Stark. Bring life to his worst fear, make him feel the loss of something he held dear.

I don't know what I had expected his worst fear to be. What does a man who was as powerful as him could fear in life? I simply lacked imagination to be able to envision his fear.

Global destruction. Everyone including his team lying on the floor, lifeless. Foreign aliens drifting through a hole in space towards earth and no one to stop them. He didn't just feel the loss of his comrades but the hopelessness in not being able to stop the inevitable. Looking at his future through a peephole and not being able to do anything to prevent the destruction. Looking in the eyes of his dying captain and knowing that he had failed.

Seeing his fear left me in a haze. Just a few moments ago I had every little detail planned out. All the ways I would torture him that would have him begging for mercy. However, seeing his vision was like hitting a roadblock. Like waking a path that led to your destination and suddenly realising the roads have changed direction.

I knew his fear now. I could feel it in my bones, the feeling of helplessness and despair that ran through his veins. Not only did I see his fear but I knew how strong it really was. It wasn't a fleeting sense of dread that would pass or a slight uneasiness that could easily be overlooked. This was a fear that made men tremble at night, made them sleep with one eye open, made them walk constantly looking over their shoulder anticipating a monster they knew they couldn't defeat. This was a fear that mad men desperate.

That made them destroy themselves.

The vision was gone now. Stark's mind was back at the base. He looked around the lair and shook his head as to clear his mind. However, I knew that the damage was done. The vision had been deeply rooted in his heart, something that he won't be able to get rid of quiet so easily.

I sensed Pietro's presence behind me, could feel him tense up, ready to pounce on his prey. I raised my hand to stop him. " We're just gonna let him take it?", he asked. He was clearly restless to end this.

I looked back at Stark, who was walking towards the scepter with determined steps. His eyes were heavy with despair and he was looking at the scepter as if it held all the answers.

I hadn't planned on Stark leaving this facility alive. I wanted to end what he had started by destroying our home. However, seeing his wretched form storm out with the scepter, I knew that certain events have been set in motion and killing Tony Stark would not be as satisfactory as seeing him stumble towards his own doom.

A smile graced my lips. I have completed my mission.