Assemble (Book 2)

1.11

August 18, 2012

I watched Loki, almost every minute, just waiting to see what he would do. He had to be planning something. I watched as he walked around his cell, then he stopped. I saw Nat as the back of the camera. "There's not many people that can sneak up on me." He tells her, tuning around. "But you figured I'd come." She guessed. He smirked. "Either you or the blonde." My eyes went wide as he mentioned me. "Yet, she's watching. She always is." He looks into the camera, a smirk on his face. I look away, yet Nat's words draw me back. "I want to know what you've done to Agent Barton." He smirks, walking closer to the glass. "I've simply expanded his mind." Loki explains. "And once you've won. Once you're king of the mountain. What happens to his mind?" Nat asks him, walking down the catwalk. "Is this love, Agent Romanoff?" Loki asks, smirking at her again. "Love is for children. I owe him a debt." Nat tells him, crossing her arms. Yet, I know she loves him, just not like Loki is assuming. They have the same relationship that I have with Tony. "Tell me." Loki says as he motions for them to sit down. She sighs, sitting down in one of the chairs. "Before I worked for SHIELD, I, well, I made a name for myself. I have a very specific skill set. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me, he made a different call." Nat tells him. Loki looks away from her. "And what will you do if I vow to spare him?" Loki asks her. "Not let you out." She answers, making Loki laugh. "Ah, no. But I like this. Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man?" He asks, smirking. "Regimes fall every day. I tend not to weep over that, I'm Russian... or was." I chuckle a little at that statement. "And what are you now?" He asks her, making her stand up. "It's really not that complicated. I've got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out." She explains to him, moving closer.

"Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? Drakov's daughter? São Paulo? The hospital fire? Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything?" He stands, anger written on his face. "This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer... pathetic!" I watch Nat's face as he nears the glass. I know this is all a rouse to get information out of him, but that doesn't mean what he's saying isn't actually affecting her. "You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away!" Loki hits the glass, making Nat jump back a little. "I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you! Slowly. Intimately. In every way he knows you fear! And when he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams, I'll split his skull! This is my bargain, you mewling quim!" Nat turns arounds, walking away from Loki and his tormented mind. "You're a monster." She says quietly, making Loki laugh. "No, you brought the monster." Loki laughs. Nat turns around showing her unaffected face.

"So, Banner... that's your play." She comments. Loki looks at her confused. "Did you get that Clara?" She asks me. "Thank you Nat." I reply on the earpiece. I see Fury enter the room. "Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, Natasha is on her way. Send Thor as well." I tell Fury, making him nod. We both run out of the conference room, Fury going to Banner and I went to find Thor. I ran around the HQ, looking for him, only to find him in the kitchen. "Thor, it's an emergency." I tell him, making him put down the box of poptarts and follow me.

We walk in to hear Steve talking to Fury. "I was wrong, director. The world hasn't changed a bit." I looked at Steve and he looked back at me and Nat, who had walked in behind me. Nat keeps her eyes trained on Bruce, who looks pissed at her. "Did you know about this?" He asks her, showing her the results on the screen that Tony was standing by. "You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?" Nat asks Bruce, dodging his question. I look at her, knowing she knew. I look at Steve and Tony, shaking my head, signalling that I had no idea that SHIELD was going to use the tesseract to make weapons. "I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed." Banner replies.