Chapter Four
After the team came back from their showers in fresh clothes and notably less concerned about Bucky’s presence, I had them gather at the kitchen table and serve everyone their food before leaning on the barstool Bucky was seated in, facing the group. I had intentionally placed myself between him and the group, ready to defend him if need be. Had I logically processed this intention I might have laughed. The Winter Soldier didn’t need anyone’s protection, surely. I felt as though Bucky might, however. After all it had been several decades since he likely had anyone give a damn about his mental or emotional well being. “As you see, Mr. Barnes is here in the compound. He is in control of his own mind and body at the moment, and is gradually regaining his memories. I know I’m new to the team, and that my opinion won’t carry as much weight with you guys, but I will not allow Hydra or anyone else to use Bucky or turn his mind against him. I believe that if he wants to, he should be allowed to remain here where he can receive help to attempt to undo whatever cognitive reprogramming that he was put through.” I declared in a calm and formal tone, my voice carrying through the room with a clarity and finality to them that I had learned to implement during my years serving in various royal courts. All was quiet for a moment until Nat leaned back in her chair. “Why should we trust him? He could be activated by Hydra at any time and used to destroy us all. What happens if they activate him and he kills a civilian?” She asked. I shook my head. “Won’t happen. I will take personal responsibility for his actions, and if anyone tries to turn him, I’ll kill them.” I vowed without batting an eye. “Are you sure that you can handle that? Killing someone without a second of hesitation? You said yourself you don’t want your powers to be used to hurt people.” Sam said, crossing his arms. Bucky murmured my name and I held up a hand. “I can and I will. You don’t live over one thousand years without taking a life. To protect those I care about and innocents everywhere I most certainly can.” I responded. Steve glanced at Bucky. “You trust her?” He asked his best friend. “She hasn’t given me a reason not to.” Bucky stated with a shrug. Nat smirked. “Then I think you can convince Maria and Fury to let him stay. Stark won’t be easy to convince though.” She said and ate her food. Sam nodded his agreement. “You hurt her though and Stark ‘ll be the least of your concerns. Got it?” He told the supersoldier. Seeing the former pararescueman threatening the Winter Soldier was something of an oddity, but it made everyone in the room chuckle and the last of the tension seemed to leave Bucky’s shoulders. His eyes still scanned the room every few seconds as Natasha’s sometimes did, as though they were both waiting for some unforeseen threat to appear or ensuring that every escape route was mapped out in their hyper-vigilant minds. I made a mental note to be prepared to find weapons in strange places. Then again, who was I to judge? I had a dagger behind my dresser. “Okay Nat, how long until Fury arrives?” I asked,not hearing her response as I jumped into action, pulling up one of the holographic screens Tony had set up. I wasn’t completely sure how it worked, but I knew enough to pull up the available bedrooms, most of which were on my floor, in the building. I highlighted three options for Bucky to choose from. “This one has one window and a door, as well as a bathroom built off of the bedroom. I know that too many exits can leave you feeling exposed, but too few may make you feel as though you’re trapped. The other two are similar, but with carpet instead of hardwood floors, which isn’t ideal for returning from a mission bloody and messy. Not that I expect you to join missions in a hurry, but if you want to one day, it’s something to take into account. The rooms are furnished with bookshelves, a bed, a dresser, and two nightstands. The closets each have a weapons panel that you can pull out and select knives and other various weapons from. There are plenty of places to stash snacks or weapons to make yourself feel more secure here, though I think that Nat has the largest cache throughout the property.” I stated, my mind operating at a mile a minute as I tried to think of various ways to help him settle in. Cap looked as though he was trying not to laugh, while Sam was smirking like he was waiting for me to catch on to one of his jokes. I tilted my head curiously. “What?” I asked, not understanding the humor they were finding in the situation. Cap shook his head. “Nothing. It’s just, you act a lot like a den mother.” Natasha said. I winced at the term. I had really been excited to welcome Bucky, so much so that I had probably gone a little overboard with the details of room selection and weapon placement and even in suggesting that he had a future as one of the team, something that was still completely undecided. I felt my cheeks grow hot as I flushed in embarrassment. I opened my mouth to apologize, but before I could say a word, Bucky put a gloved hand on top of my head. “Thanks doll, it means a lot.” He said with a reassuring smile that brought a bit of light to his beautiful blue eyes. My face grew warmer, though for a much different reason. There was a bit of tightness in my chest as I lost myself in those eyes. It was only the sound of Sam loudly clearing his throat in a completely unsubtle manner that pulled me from my thoughts. “Guys, we have company.” He said as F.R.I.D.A.Y. pulled up a video from outside of the building. Thor appeared from a column of bright multicolored light, the light of the bifrost, and was dragging a bound man with shoulder length dark hair in a green and black leather garb that reminded me of armor. “You have got to be kidding me.” Natasha murmured. “What? Who is that?” I asked, trying to get a closer look. The raven haired man glared up at the camera, revealing beautiful light colored eyes, and a strange metal gag of sorts covering his mouth. Something about the situation rubbed me the wrong way. I knew who he was. Of course I did. Loki had been responsible for a lot of damage in New York. He was regarded as a powerful sorcerer and trickster, and one of the cleverest warriors known in mythology, but he was still a person. One that I doubted anyone had bothered to truly understand. “Is muzzling him like a dog really necessary?” I asked. Steve nodded. “He’s not someone that can be trusted.” He said. I shot him a disbelieving look, but didn’t say a word. I went outside to meet Thor and his brother. “Hello my Lady. Might I pass? I have business with the heroes known as the Avengers.” Thor requested politely. “You may, if you remove Loki’s gag. You won’t cause any trouble for us, will you?” I asked the raven haired prince in a kind and gentle voice. “I must advise against that, my Lady. Loki has a wicked tongue and is rarely kind when he speaks.” Thor warned in a hesitant tone. “How can one be expected to behave civilly when they are treated like an animal?” I asked without taking my eyes off of Loki. “Du har ingenting å frykte fra folket her. Så lenge du ikke skader dem, vil jeg ikke drepe deg.” I said in Norwegian, knowing that he and Thor would understand. Thor did not seem happy that I had suggested that I would be capable of killing his brother, though I couldn’t tell if it was true familial concern or because he felt insulted at what could be taken as my arrogance. I was vaguely aware that the other Avengers had moved to stand behind me, but they did not say anything. I felt a warm chest brush against my back, and looked up to see a rather stubborn and protective looking supersoldier. It was sweet that they wished to protect me, but something told me that Loki would not be a threat to any of us. Much like I knew that Bucky wasn’t going to go crazy and kill us all in our sleep. It was an instinctual knowing that had never been wrong. Thor, seeing that I would not waver in my stance, removed the muzzle. I watched as Loki moved his lower jaw, no doubt sore from the device. “Why is he here, Thor? I thought he was supposed to be imprisoned on Asgard.” Steve asked. “My father has decided to allow Loki to serve out his sentence in service to humanity as one of the Avengers. Perhaps he believes that Loki will one day be worthy of returning home. He banished me here for a similar reason not so long ago, after all.” He said. I rolled my eyes. “Somebody needs to slap Odin with a book on functional family management.” I said. Loki let out a startled sound, and Thor looked at me as though I had just grown a third arm. “He acts as your king first, and your father second.” I stated, having observed nothing to prove otherwise, and there had been nothing in either of their files to suggest I was incorrect. “My, I rather like her.” Loki said with a charming smile, as though he were gazing upon an amusing pet. The look sent a shiver down my spine. I felt Bucky shift slightly closer to me as I glared at the Asgardians. His body was pressed lightly against my back as though he meant to defend or reassure me. “Let’s go inside and work this out. It’s late, and we have a long night ahead of us.” Steve suggested. Nat and Sam nodded their agreement and headed inside with Thor and Loki close behind them. I turned to go inside and Bucky looked at me. “Do you try to fix all the broken people you meet, doll?” He asked. I looked up at him. “You aren’t broken. Neither is Loki. Not any more than Steve or Bruce or Natasha or Sam or Tony. We all have our dark sides. I just tend to see the light easier than most, I guess. Every action someone makes is made for a reason. The key is to look at those actions in an unbiased way. Though I don’t approve of Odin’s methods, or Loki’s, or even with some of the things that you have done, I believe that you should get a chance to explain your side, and to try and make things right.” I said, looking at the floor as I tried to gather my thoughts. It was sometimes difficult to explain why I did things or why I thought the way I did.He nodded, accepting my answer. We both headed inside after that, and I listened to Thor debate with the others about whether it was safe to keep Loki there. “I think he deserves a chance.” I said after a few moments of listening to them all argue. “We gave Bucky a chance, and we trust Nat with our lives every day. A fair chance isn’t too much to ask. We might be the only ones willing to give him one.” I said, leaning against the counter once more. The others seemed unsurprised by my stance, but considered my point and agreed, though the prince was threatened repeatedly by Sam to behave himself, and received several warnings from Steve as to what would happen if Loki didn’t adhere to the terms of his stay. After another hour of debating whether letting in two people wanted by S.H.I.E.L.D. was a smart decision (it was decidedly not) and assigning the pair their own rooms (Loki four doors down from myself and Bucky in the room beside mine, conveniently between Loki’s room and my own.) everyone decided to finish eating and turn in for the night. I made my way up the stairs with Thor, Loki, and Bucky following me. “You are not a mortal. Are you?” Thor asked as I showed Loki to his room. “I’m not sure what I am. I was born here on Earth, but that was a very long time ago.” I said honestly as Thor removed Loki’s mamacles. “What of your parents?” The blonde prince asked. I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.” I murmured, not wanting to answer his questions. It would only bring up memories best left alone. Thor remained with Loki to help him settle into his room and I walked Bucky to his door. “Will you be alright alone?” I asked him. The blue eyed soldier nodded. “I think so. Go get some sleep. You’ve done enough to help for one night.” He said gently. I yawned and nodded, mumbling a quick goodnight before returning to my room and walking to my bed, which I flopped on with all of the grace of a whale falling back into the sea after breaching the surface. Whatever troubles the morning might bring, my tired mind did not bother to consider as I swiftly fell into a dreamless slumber.