Assemble (Book 2)

1.7

August 14, 2012

Personally, it wasn't great. I was always stuck on this damn helicraft. After Tony made his magnificent speech, saying the words, "I am Iron Man", everything has kind of gone to shit. Thanks Tony. And while I got to spend my time here, training almost non stop everyday, Natasha got to go down to the ground and have a little fun. Well, maybe not fun. She was pretending to be Natalie Rushman, secretary of Tony Stark. I think I would have dealt with him better but whatever Fury says, goes.

Speaking of the devil...

"Williams, you're coming with me." I turned towards him and nodded. It was pointless to say anything. He would just ignore it. Up here, we're always dressed in uniform, so at least I didn't have to bother changing. At the moment, the helicarrier landed in the water so when Fury and I stepped out, we didn't get blown away. I followed him onto the helicopter that was prepared for us and we flew off. He didn't tell me what was going on. I don't think he thought I needed to know.

I've only been a part of his team for about 4 years anyways. Natasha has been a part of the team for quite some time, maybe 10 years. She's been here almost as long as Clint has. Clint Barton - Hawkeye. Great with bows and arrows, claims he never misses. That was our team, the three of us. Fury said more would join, and despite what he thinks, Tony will become a part of the team because he is stubborn and will put himself on the team even if Fury didn't want him there.

The helicopter landed at SHIELD's secret base, and when Fury and I got off, Phil was there waiting for us. Panicked agents were running out of the building as the loud alarm went off. Obviously there was something going on. Maria Hill, who had been flying the helicopter got off right after us. She's one of our best agents. And one of the one women. I kind of look up to her. She's strong and fierce and she is so badass. I respect her. "How bad is it?" Fury asks Phil as we walk inside the base. "That's the problem sir, we don't know." Phil tells us. Phil leads us through the radiation section of the facility. Hundreds of technicians and other staff run around, taking only the essentials. "Dr. Selvig read an energy surge from the Tesseract four hours ago." Phil continues. "NASA didn't authorize Selvig to test phase." Fury informed him. Frankly, if I didn't need this information, I would've zoned out. "He wasn't testing it, he wasn't even in the room. Spontaneous advancement." Phil tells him. Now that, that is interesting. I would have to have Clint bring me up on all the details. "It just turned itself on?" I asked, putting myself into the conversation. "What are the energy levels now?" Fury asked. He ignored me. What did I say earlier? I was right. "Climbing. When Selvig couldn't shut it down, we ordered the evac." Phil told him. "How long until we can get everyone out?" I ask Phil, who turns his head towards me. "Campus should be clear in the next half hour." He told us. Fury shook his head. "Do better." With that, Phil left. Moments after Phil left with his orders, Maria was ordered to help with the weapons evacuation.

It was just the two of us as we headed down the long spiral staircase, where this 'tesseract' was being held. Whatever that was. Fury and I enter the lab, Fury going to talk to the doctor as I climbed the ladder to see the bird. "Hey, birdman. Any action?" I ask him as I sit down next to him. He shakes his head. "No one has come or gone. Whatever is making it act up is coming from the other side." I look at him weird, but don't have a chance to say anything before Fury calls Clint down through the coms. "You'll have to explain this to me later. Even after living with the Starks, none of this tech stuff makes any sense." He shakes his head, chuckling a little before rappelling down the catwalk. I stayed up there, taking his shift of watching the 'tesseract'. It was actually kind of beautiful.

Suddenly, the tesseract thunders and shakes the entire facility. The high pitched ringing and glow of the cube come out brighter and louder, like a boiling pot of water. I start to climb down from my spot when the tesseract builds up into a beam and hits the other end of the wall. All the built up energy explodes, but no one is harmed. In fact I don't think anything was actually moved except for scrap pieces of hair. I jump down from the ladder, walking over to Clint and Fury. A gust of blue energy clouds fill the room, almost blinding me. Some of the armed soldiers step closer as a figure is formed from the blue energy. It's abnormally quiet. Heaving breathing is heard from the figure as the SHIELD task force draws nearer, guns in hand. A figure is kneeling on the platform, smoke coming off it. It's a man. In a weird costume. I'm almost tempted to ask Fury if he is a part of our team, but right now isn't the time for jokes.

The man stands up, and it becomes clear that he was holding a spear-like object. "Sir, please put down the spear!" Fury orders but the man just looks down at it. He then points it at Fury, and it shoots out a blue exploding light. I push Fury out of the way and we both land on the ground. The soldiers begin shooting at him, but the bullets just bounce off of him. He jumps from the platform and begins firing his magical spear blasts at everyone firing at him. Who is this guy?

In a matter of seconds, the man takes down nearly half a dozen soldiers with just a knife and his spear. Those who aren't dead, don't fire their guns. Mine is in my hand but I haven't yet used it. If I can get closer, I can pull my knife out and stab him. The man stops firing, as if waiting to see who will challenge him next. Clint stands up where he is but the man gets to him first and grabs his wrists and his head. I can't hear what is happening, but the man places his spear to Clint's chest and I see his eyes go black before he stops fighting the man. What the... What did he just do to Clint?

I see Fury out of the corner of my eye as he takes the tesseract. He nods to me as if telling me it's time to go. I watch as the man does to everyone what he did to Clint. Suddenly, everyone stands still and does nothing. He's controlling their minds. Fury takes the tesseract and places it back into its case, as he tries to leave the lab. But the man turns to him. "Please don't. I still need that." He says. I stand up quietly, assuming he can't see me and doesn't know I'm here. Fury turns around to face the man, seeing me behind him, trying to sneak off. "This doesn't have to get any messier." Fury says, not moving. "Of course it does. I've come too far for anything else. I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose." The man known as Loki states.

"Loki? Brother of Thor?" Selvig questions. Loki looks towards him, glaring. "We have no quarrel with your people." Fury replies. "An ant has no quarrel with a boot." Loki says, shrugging. "You planning to step on us?" Fury questions him. The man starts to walk around as he looks at his minions. Only three of us are left un-minionized. "I come with glad tidings, of a world made free." Loki informs Fury. "Free from what?" Fury asks. "Freedom. Freedom is life's great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart..." Loki starts. He turns around making Selvig one of his minions. Damnit. "You will know peace." Loki finishes. "Yeah, you say peace, I kind of think you mean the other thing." Fury says. Clint walks up to Loki, staring up at the built up energy. "Sir, Director Fury is stalling. This place is about to blow. Drop a hundred feet of rock on us. He means to bury us." Clint explains, as we all look up to the built up energy at the top of the facility. "Like the Pharaohs Of Odin." Fury smirks.

"He's right. The portal is collapsing in on itself. You got maybe two minutes before this goes critical." Selvig explains after getting behind a computer. "Well then..." Loki looks to Clint, who, without being asked, picks up his gun and shoots Fury. "Dammit." I mutter as Fury falls. Loki must have heard me because he looked right at me, seeing me for the first time. When Clint goes to pick up the case, I shoot at him. I don't want to kill him but I can't let him get away. Loki looks away from me, and follows Clint out of the facility, along with everyone else who was possessed. I ran up to Fury and helped him up. I grab his radio. "Maria, do you copy? Clint has been compromised." I say into the radio hoping she gets the message before it's too late. I help Fury sit up and I pull the bullet out of his chest as he breathes heavily. He mutters a thanks as I help him up. Fury holds his side as we run out of the facility, hoping to get clear before the explosion. We run, avoiding the falling pipes and electric shocks and an earthquake starts in the facility. We run out of the building and I help Fury into the helicopter where Phil and a couple other agents are. To make room, Phil and some of the agents get into the van beside us. Both of us make our way out. The helicopter starts off and flies away, just before the ground below us crumbles.

From where we are, we can see the facility becomes covered in the blue light, the entire facility crumbling in front of our eyes. A single vehicle emerges from the dust, this one with a man in the truck with a spear. Loki. I open the door to the helicopter and we lower it, close to the ground. I can see that Loki sees me. And for that I am glad. I start shooting at the vehicle, hoping to do it damage but it doesn't work so I start shooting at Clint, who is driving. Loki looks at Fury and in a fit of rage he points his scepter at us, a blue light hitting the helicopter out of the sky. The helicopter catches on fire and I look to Fury. "Jump." He yells over the noise. I nod and we both jump out of the copper, hitting the ground hard. I groan sitting up. Fury, who is already up, is talking on the walkie-talkie to Phil and Maria. Everyone is safe. But the tesseract is still gone.