BURN [Marvel Cinematic Universe]

F I V E

BURN-CHAPTER FIVE; Don't fear an army or a Hulk, fear the demon

CONFERENCE ROOM, HELLICARRIER

Cain, Steve, Tony, and Fury are gathered around a conference table with Hill standing off to the side. Fury pulls a handful of cards out of his pocket.

"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket." Fury explains. "Guess he never did get you to sign them." Fury scatters them on the table, some covered in blood. They're Captain America cards. Cain scowls angrily, looking them over. "We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, location of the cube, Banner, Thor. I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye. Think I had that coming." Fury monologues as he begins to make his way around the table to the three sitting quietly. "Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number, though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea, Stark and Cain know this, called the Avengers Initiative." Cain looks up when his name is called before looking back down at the cards.

Loki killed Coulson. Cain should've went after him the minute Natasha was safe. No, the second. Maybe he could've done something-saved him...

Cain shakes his head. Hanging around these hero types is rubbing off on him.

"Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes." Fury finished and Cain stands abruptly, clearing the conference table of its papers-the cards included.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Cain roars, angry about the could have beens and what ifs, and onlys...

Cain storms out of the room, not giving anyone a second glance.

Cain stops in the middle of a hallway.

Loki.

"You cocky son of a bitch..." Cain whispers before pausing. "Cocky." Cain murmurs. "With a huge ego to boot. A God complex." Cain continues, piecing it together slowly but surely as his ears ring, remembering a conversation. "An ugly ass tower with a name on it-" Cain's head shoots up. "That's what you want. An audience." Cain smirks maliciously before disappearing into black smoke.

STARK TOWER, NEW YORK

Cain finds Loki waiting outside on the platform of Stark Tower.

"Expecting someone?" Cain calls, slushing the whiskey in his glass around. He sips at it as Loki slowly turns to face him. Loki glances back at the sky before entering the penthouse.

"Do you always enter a person's home without permission?" Loki asks and Cain raises a brow, sipping more before placing the glass on the bar top.

"Funny, I could ask you the same thing." Cain retorts. Loki smiles with mirth, his eyes gleaming.

"What is a demon doing with a team of humans?" Loki asks curiously.