Mirror, Mirror ↠ Steve Rogers

Chapter Nine

Thor likes gummy bears.

At least, he says he does. Leila's not completely convinced. She thinks he probably just, like, tolerates them, going by his body language. But that's a good sign. He's making an effort to like candy she has offered him. It means he's accepting her white flag, apparently having picked up on the fact that it's as much as he's going to get.

Besides which, there are very few things that Leila would describe as "delightful," but watching Thor hold tiny little candies in his enormous beanstalk-giant hands is definitely one of them.

He's standing awkwardly by the wall in the bridge next to her. She's leaning against the wall, like a normal person. Which is a wild dichotomy, because...sure, Thor isn't normal by human standards, but she gets the sense that he's a good example of normal where he comes from. Your garden variety Asgardian. Aside from being royalty, but maybe that just means he's more normal, because maybe royalty is what decides what is and is normal. Like how presidents and first ladies define the fashion of their respective genders during their tenures.

Meanwhile, Leila, compared to your garden variety human...well.

"So," she says, gesturing to the room, covered with touchscreens running programs at top speed. "Do they have stuff like this on Asgard?"

"Not for generations," he says. "We outgrew your technology before I was born."

"Huh." Not the answer she expected. Given the clothing, she expected Asgard to have the same level of technological advancement as a Renaissance Fair.

"So tell me this," she says. "How did your Apple advance and your Chanel didn't? Did you take all the energy we put into textiles and apply that to tech? Or are you guys just in the middle of some kind of 800's revival?"

Thor glances at her, as if trying to parse at least a single word of what she just said, and her lips turn up in a half-smirk. Before he can answer, though, Leila hears comms click on and turns away, touching a hand to her ear to indicate the situation to Thor.

"Loki means to unleash the hulk," Natasha says without preamble. "You guys keep Banner in the lab, I'm on my way. Send Thor as well."

Leila looks up to see Fury storming over. She watches him pass wordlessly through the entryway to the hall next to them. Then looks back at Thor and jerks her head in Fury's direction before trailing after him.

Thor follows, shooting a quizzical glance in her direction, an eyebrow raised.

"Loki's planning on getting Banner to hulk out," she says by way of explanation. She assumes he's been briefed on the Hulk situation, and his nod of understanding confirms it.

"Let me be clear," Fury says without turning to face them or breaking pace at all. "Under no circumstances can we allow Banner to turn."

"Yes, sir," Leila says, and she really can't be assed to be sarcastic about it. Her mind is too busy racing. Okay, that play makes sense, she supposes. Divide and conquer. But how does Loki plan on doing it? Banner doesn't seem like an edge case; if anything, he's the most chill guy on the helicarrier. It's not like Loki can harass him from his glass cage.

Maybe that's why he was going so hard on him through the camera, she thinks. She knew they were watching; maybe that was attempt #1.

So what's attempt #2?

She shakes her head. She has to assume Nat has more information that she gave on comms.

When the three of them arrive at the lab, Fury pauses after entering, which is unusual. She's never known him to be easily surprised-