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ACCOMPANIED BY A DOZEN ARMED SHIELD ESCORTS, LOKI SETTLED IN HIS CELL.
Together, the Avengers, with Olivia, observed the exchange between Fury and Loki through a transmitted feed. "30,000 feet, straight down into a steel trap. You get how that works?" Motioning to and fro the switch and the cell, Fury's taunting echoed Loki's previous words, "Ant. Boot."
"It's an impressive cage. But I think it wasn't built for me."
"It was built for something a lot stronger than you."
"Oh, so I've heard. The mindless beast. Makes play that he's still a man." Loki's shameless gaze was piercing to audience that was just watching through a digital screen. It was as though he knew the Avengers would be listening. Of course, all eyes fell on Bruce, who simply looked bemused."How desperate must you be, to call upon such lost creatures to defend you?"
Fury took a step closer to Loki, "How desperate am I? You threatened my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control."
Then Loki said something chilling, "Much as I like it to be, I'm not sure controlling the Tesseract is my forte."
"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Bruce joked, easing the tension he knew was surrounding them. Everyone took a lengthy look around the room, complete strangers who only knew as much about each other as their briefing packages allowed.
Olivia clutched her healed gut wound, "By the minute."
"Loki's gonna drag this out. Thor, what's his play?" Steve Rogers asked with authority.
Olivia noticed the unease Steve felt when he first walked into the main room, donned in combat uniform. He clearly didn't share the same excitement as the SHIELD agents. Poised with false confidence, Steve strapped his shield tighter.
But war was war, it'd never change. For a split second, Olivia watched as his shoulders and back relaxed ever so slightly while he dished out orders.
Authority looked good on Steve Rogers.
Thor, with a hand thoughtfully placed on his chin, explained to the seated panel of Avengers' about the unruly Chitauri army and Loki's plan. Olivia caught Steve's mildly defeated gaze, who whispered to her: "outerspace army?"—like he needed verbal confirmation for what he just heard.
When he returned a subtle mocking scowl for Olivia's over-the-top gasp, she decided playful was a much better look on Steve Rogers.
"So he's building another portal? That's what he took Selvig for."
"Selvig?" Thor straightened with concern.
Banner's eyes flickered to the Demigod, "You know him?"
