The Girl Who Held the Universe in her Hands | marvel [1] ✔

THREE

CHAPTER THREE
' DROP   DEAD . '

Banner followed behind Ash, the both of them letting the silence sit between them. Ash didn't necessarily find it awkward, but then again, she wasn't very good at understanding why people felt that way - she never paid attention to those social cues enough to gauge whether the other person felt comfortable. Maybe she was on the narcissistic spectrum or because she wasn't allowed to interact with others as a child. But then again, those things are most likely linked. Ash blinked back into focus when Banner spoke, and his words showed her this silence was awkward for him.

"So you're Ash, then?"

She glanced at Noah, who raised an eyebrow in response. He pursed his lips, gesturing to Banner. "He's making small talk. Although I have seen better segues."

"Yeah, I was the last time I checked," she replied, giving him a small smile as they reached the lab door. Banner let out a chuckle as Ash's eyes flickered to Noah, who winced slightly but shrugged his shoulders. Swiping her identity card on the scanner, the older man looked warily around the hallway. "If you're checking for guards, there's no worry. Just me and you," she comforted.

As they entered, he glanced around the large lab. He inspected the little pieces of equipment and computer software. A breath escaped him as his eyes fell on the scraps of paper that littered the table. As the doctor picked up the stacked sheets, he raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

"Well," Noah began, leaning against the wall and kicking to rest his foot against it. "You're one step ahead of him."

Ash furrowed her eyebrows, her eyes falling on Banner. "Is that good?" she murmured.

"You caught him off guard." Ash continued to stare blankly at him. "With the equations," he clarified.

"Well, I should hope so!" she whispered shortly. "Do you know how hard it is to act like I have no clue?"

Noah made no reply, and she turned back to her projects.

As Banner worked, Ash perched on a table, throwing and catching a pencil. Cheek pulling between her teeth, her eyes flickered to her phone sitting at her side. A smirk pulled at her lips as she picked the device up. She glanced at Noah, her eyes flashing with mischief.

While they worked, S.H.I.E.L.D had located Loki and sent Rogers and Romanoff to fetch him.

Her fingers worked away, and code filled the black screen.

Banner had noticed her girl's focused expression and smiled a little. "Whatcha working on, Ash?"

"Something highly illegal," Noah replied, even though Banner could not hear him.

"I'm hacking." Her eyes flickered to land on Noah for a brief moment. As she neared the end, she looked up at Banner with a grin. "I'm linking up my phone to their earpieces and cameras. So we can get in on the action."

"Is that even legal?" he asked as he leaned against the table with his arms crossed over his chest.

"No, absolutely not," Noah answered again.

"Don't know. I've never been caught, to be honest," Ash answered, glaring at Noah, and Banner gave her a pointed stare. "I mean, we won't get caught, and I'm just curious, y'know?"

"Ever heard the phrase 'curiosity killed the cat?'" he challenged.

"Yeah, I've never much cared for proverbs. They're made up by old, boring people. Even if we do get caught, I'll cover for you." Ash looked up at him as she swiped her finger up, and the live footage appeared onto a hologram. "Whoops."

"You're literally the worst." Noah shook his head.

"Drop dead," she muttered.

"Low blow."

As the footage started to tune in, all they could hear was Loki.

"I said, kneel!" he roared, causing quietness to settle.

The camera finally kicked in, and Ash saw a crowd of people starting to kneel before the god.

Loki opened his arms out wide, smiling. "Is it not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity. That you crave subjugation, the bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."

As he finished his monologue, Ash raised her eyebrows while scoffing. "What a dickhead," she mumbled. The two scientists moved to stand in front of the screen, gripped to it like a movie.

"No wonder your dad was interested in him," Noah commented as Ash's eyes flickered to him, nodding gently.

An older man steadily stood with a grim face. "Not to men like you," he spoke, looking the god directly into his eyes.

"There are never men like me," Loki shot back.

"There are always men like you."

Loki smiled, looking around at the people who knelt before him. "Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example." Loki raised his sceptre as a bright blue light glowed from it.

Ash gripped the table with a vice-like grip and bit her lip.

As he was about to fire, a red, white and blue shield blocked the energy beam. The light ricocheted off the vibranium shield and knocked Loki onto his back. "You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing," a familiar voice spoke as he rose.

A smile formed on her face at Roger's entrance.

Loki let out a cold piece of laughter. "The soldier. A man out of time."

Loud beeping interrupted the two geniuses as they turned around in surprise. They both ran to the screen and began to scribble the numbers and letters down, the stand-off behind them long forgotten.