Green Tinted Glass

Once the jet reached cruising altitude, Lucia headed to the cockpit to get the mission file. Unsurprisingly, Natasha was in the co-pilot seat.

“So you’re on this mission too, huh?” Lucia asked.

“Yep. Here's the brief.” 

She handed Lucia a small file. 

“Looks like there's not much to go off.” Lucia murmured, studying the file.

“Target: Loki. Black haired man, tall, caucasian appearance. Asgardian (Brother to Thor). 

Abilities: Undefined.

Objective: Capture the target. Retrieve tesseract if possible. 

Location: Stuttgart, Germany. 28 Konigstrasse.”

She read the contents of the file aloud. Apart from that, there were only a couple pictures of Loki, the tesseract, and the location. Compared to the missions Lucia was used to, which had much more detailed accounts, they were essentially going in blind.

“Nope.” Natasha replied to Lucia’s earlier comment, “We have no idea what this guy is capable of, other than the fact that he buried a S.H.I.E.L.D research base and zombified Clint and Dr. Selvig, along with over twenty other agents. Also he’s killed a bunch of people, so… there's that.” 

Lucia nodded grimly, realizing just how outmatched they were. Her eyes lingered over the words Abilities: Undefined. That was a dangerous variable, and something told Lucia that it was too much to hope he was powerless. If he was anything like Thor, he was extremely powerful and therefore extremely dangerous. Even with her enhanced abilities, this would be a tough fight. 

Oh shit!

She still hadn't told Steve about her powers, and she was about to go into combat with him. 

“One second.” Lucia said to Natasha as she exited the cockpit. Nat gave her a funny look, but quickly went back to focusing on the file. 

Lucia sat down next to Steve again, contemplating how she would break this to him.

Hey, Steve! You know that Nazi organization that you sacrificed your life to stop? They’re still kicking, and they kidnapped me and experimented on me a bunch and now I'm a dangerous mutant with blood powers and bird wings. Cool, huh? 

Probably not. 

“Steve,” She began hesitantly, carefully picking her next words, “Before we get to Germany, there's something you need to know about me.”

Steve’s brows furrowed in confusion. He did that a lot. It makes sense, she guessed, for a guy now living in the twenty-first century who less than a week ago (in his timeline at least) was fighting in world war 2. 

“What, are you a green monster too?” He smirked.

“No, no. Not quite.” Lucia chuckled. Her smile shifted into a grimace as she said her next words. 

“I, um, it is suspected that Hydra is still active.”

She studied Steve’s reaction, fearing for the worst. This really wasn't the bombshell to be dropping right before such an important mission.

Steve simply sighed and tilted his head back in his seat, taking a long, deep breath. 

“Of course they are.” He said in a quiet voice, barely above a whisper. Each word laced with a grim sadness. It was at this moment that Lucia realized how little time Steve had had. Hell, the man was barely 28, he had been through a war and a great depression, had lost his childhood friend in combat, had given his life to stop Hydra and bury the tesseract, and to him it was all so recent. Now he was fighting again, with even more pressure to be the great Captain America, to stop the very same tesseract from wreaking havoc in the wrong hands. 

“History repeats itself.” Steve muttered, as if he was reading Lucia’s thoughts. He rubbed his temples. “Why are you telling me this?” 

“So that you can help me finish them once and for all once we’re done with this tesseract business. And also because Hydra is the reason I can do this,” She said, and with a painful searing sensation, a pair of huge black wings unfolded from her back. At least the suit works, Lucia thought. Steve’s eyebrows shot up, his jaw dropping open. 

“How-”

“It’s uh, a bit much for me to recount right now but long story short, an organization called The Night Division - a suspected coverup for Hydra - Kidnapped and experimented on me, which resulted in, well…” 

“Right.” Steve said, his eyes darting over the wings protruding from her back.

“Yeah. Tony says I look like an angel, but that's just him being a sappy brother. Besides, they’re not exactly holy white feathers. They tore out of my back one day in my cell. I almost bled out”

Lucia couldn't decide whether Steve’s expression was shock, Horror, or awe. Probably all three. 

“Anyway, I escaped. Obviously. But um, I just thought I should probably give you a heads up I guess.” She finished, slinking down into her seat further. 

They sat in silence for what could have been hours or mere seconds. 

“I’m sorry.” Steve finally said, breaking the silence. “It’s terrible you had to go through that.”

She smiled sadly. 

“Everyone said it was a miracle I survived. That I must have the best luck in the world.” 

She sighed,  “Luck would have seen me dead in my cell.”

He nodded, his sharp blue eyes staring at the floor of the jet, soaking up everything Lucia had told him. At last, he put a rough but comforting hand on her shoulder. 

“You’ll be ok. I know it.”

She smiled and wiped her eyes.

“Thanks Steve. I know.” 

Natasha poked her head out the cockpit door. 

“Cap, Stark, we’re closing in on Germany. You might want to think of a game plan.”

“Aw, do I not get a codename?” Lucia asked.

“Apparently not,” Nat said, “Though I recommended Volant.”

“What, did you scan a dictionary for anything related to flight? Might as well have called me Birdy McFly.”

Nat grinned. “Well if you prefer Birdy Mcfly I’ll happily recommend it…”

Lucia huffed. “Nevermind.”

“So, you have a plan?” Steve asked, reaching for the mission file from where Lucia had set it down earlier. “I haven't read the file yet.”

She nodded, hundreds of strategies and scenarios playing out in her mind at lighting speed. 

“You distract, I attack. You may be Captain America, but you’re an internationally recognizable figure, especially since you’re kitted out in the old uniform. You draw Loki’s attention to you, and once you have his attention I’ll sneak up behind and attack. Natasha will be back up in the jet if things go south. Our main objective is to capture him, so we need to get him in a position where he’s forced to surrender. I’m hoping that with our combined abilities it should be difficult, but pretty straight forward.”

Steve smiled, already excited with adrenaline. 

“Okay.” He said, closing the file and reaching for his shield.

“Let's do this.”

-

Lucia watched Loki though binoculars from a nearby rooftop as he walked out of the building. Guests of the gala he had infiltrated were running everywhere, trying to flee. Natasha had silently dropped her and Steve on this roof, and while Lucia lay in wait, Steve was climbing down, ready to make his distraction. 

Loki was strangely dressed, in green and black leather with a flowing emerald cape and gold ornaments, along with a golden horned helmet. He held a scepter that glowed blue and had a wickedly pointy tip. The stone in the middle of it gave her a sense of unease, its heady glow strangely familiar. She watched as he used it to shoot a blast of blue light at an approaching police car, and it went flying.  He moved with an uncanny and powerful grace, like a jaguar assured of its kill.

His file had said that he was the brother of Thor; the Alien that had landed on earth last year. They were Royal members of a warrior race called the Asgaurdians, with abilities so powerful they were basically gods. Lucia’s mind was churning, wondering why Loki would be attacking earth. Thor was relatively peaceful when he came here, and if they really were the gods of Norse legend then they had clearly been to earth before. Why attack now? Why steal the tesseract? So many questions were piling up. So far, none of Loki’s actions made any sense. 

She was torn from these thoughts as Loki started speaking, or rather shouting, at the crowd. 

“Kneel before me!” 

The crowd ran away from him, attempting to escape, but Loki- no, an apparition of Loki, appeared in their way. They ran again, but this time the real Loki was in their way. His apparitions covered every side of the crowd, preventing them from escaping.

“I said..” He slammed his scepter down, the blue orb inside it emanating a harsh glow, “KNEEL!” He shouted, and the crowd did. Loki smiled deviously, throwing his arms wide and basking in the sight of the subjugated crowd. 

“Is not this… simpler?” Loki began, slowly walking through the crowd, “Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled.”

“In the end,” Loki smiled again, “You will always kneel.”

Lucia rolled her eyes at the villain below her. He was a textbook bad guy, evil monologue and everything. How cliché. 

She watched as an old man slowly stood up in the middle of the crowd,

“Not to men like you.”

Her heart jumped into her throat. What the hell was this guy doing? He was going to get himself killed, and she was too far away to stop it. God Damn it Steve, where are you?

Lucia watched in fear as Loki simply smirked at the old man.

“There are no men like me.”

“There are always men like you.” The old man replied, shaking with fear but clearly determined to stand his ground. 

Loki smirked again, waving his scepter towards the old man and gesturing with his free hand to the crowd. Lucia prepared herself, reaching out to Loki with her powers. She would not let this man die. But he was too far away, and she couldn't get a solid hold. No...

“Look to your elder, people.” Loki pointed his scepter directly at the man's chest. “Let him be an example.” 

Just as Loki fired a bolt of blue light towards the man, Steve jumped down and deflected it back into Loki with his shield. Loki was blasted back into the ground. Lucia let out an audible sigh of relief. Good timing, cap. 

“You know, the last time I was in Germany and I saw a man standing above the rest, we ended up disagreeing.” 

“The soldier,” Loki spat as he helped himself up with his scepter. Clearly the blast didn't do much to deter him. “The man out of time.” 

“I’m not the one who's out of time.” Cap replied as the jet, manned by Natasha, flew round the corner. A machine gun revealed itself from the bottom of the jet, pointing directly at Loki. 

“Loki, drop the weapon and stand down.” Natasha’s voice rang over the PA. 

He fired a blast at the jet, which veered out the way. Cap threw his shield and the action began. 

Lucia leaped off the building as Loki and Cap battled below her, hoping she was camouflaged enough in her black suit and wings that the crowd wouldn't see her against the night sky and point, giving her away. Her wings sprouted painfully out of her back and she glided downward, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. 

Below Lucia, Loki had gotten the upper hand on Steve, knocking him to the ground with his scepter. With Loki focusing on the fight his apparitions had disappeared and the crowd had begun running about in a frenzy, trying to flee the danger. Loki put the butt of his scepter to Steve's head. 

“Kneel.” Loki hissed.

“Not today.” Lucia said, swooping out of the sky and landing a kick to his chest. He went flying across the plaza, and she used the moment while he was regaining his footing to retract her wings. Loki charged her, and they began to fight.

He thrusted his scepter towards Lucia and she stepped out of the way, grabbing it and using it as leverage to kick his forearm. He relinquished his grip on the scepter and she threw it to the ground next to Steve.

“Go!” She yelled to him, “Keep the civilians safe, I’ve got this.” 

Steve began ushering the panicked crowd away, sparing one last glance at Lucia. She nodded at him, assuring him she would be ok. 

Loki hooked his arm around her throat from behind, choking her. Her hands went up, trying to force his arm away from her throat. “What are you, girl? A Valkyrie found her wings again?” He whispered in her ear. His voice was smooth as velvet, and Lucia briefly wondered whether Asgardians had any siren related abilities. If they did, Lucia was fucked. 

She didn't reply to his question, as he was crushing her windpipe. Instead she grabbed a dagger from her belt and swiped at his hand, leaving a trail of dark red blood in her wake. He hissed, distracted by the pain, and Lucia twirled out of his grip. He bent down to retrieve his scepter.

Stumbling and coughing, Lucia gulped down precious oxygen as she took another dagger- a throwing one this time- and sent it whistling through the air towards him. He easily deflected it with his scepter and attacked her again, swiping at her legs to throw her off balance. She simply unfurled her wings and launched herself into the air. Lucia landed behind him and kicked at his knees before he could react, sending him to the ground. He quickly twisted so he was on his back and fired a bolt of blue energy at her. She leapt away, the bolt just brushing the side of her torso. She could feel it burning through her suit and singing her skin. Lucia landed harshly on the ground, her wings scraping across the gravel and cushioning her fall.  

“Asshole!” She exclaimed, clutching her side and hissing at the intense pain, her wings now dripping with blood from the scratches and her side a melted mess of skin and suit. 

Loki smirked and raised his scepter for the killing shot but stopped, looking to the sky in confusion as ACDC rang through the air over the PA. Lucia rolled her eyes as her brother came into view, flying through the air in his Iron Man suit. He swooped in, sending a repulsor blast right into Loki’s chest. Loki landed against some steps with a harsh crack and Lucia winced at the sound. Tony aimed again as Loki started to get up.

“Make your move, reindeer games.” Tony said as Cap came over to help Lucia up. With his help, she stumbled over to where Tony was standing and watched as Loki’s helmet faded into non-existence and he put his hands up.

“Good move.” Tony said, retracting his weapons. 

There was a beat of silence before Steve nodded his head at Tony.

“Mr. Stark.”

“Captain.”

Tony turned to Lucia,

“You ok Luce?”

Lucia nodded, but winced at the pain in her side.

“I'm fine. Part of the job.” She muttered, giving her brother a half-assed grin as the jet landed on the edge of the plaza. 

-

An hour later, they were flying across a mountain range in France, somewhere in Massif Central. They hadn’t even begun the journey across the Atlantic yet, and Lucia was already on edge. Loki had given in too easily. He was up to something, she knew it. While he had spent the last hour staring at the floor of the jet silently, she had been watching him. Lucia was seated across from him in the main body of the jet. As usual, a million scenarios were playing in her mind, and none of them matched up. There was a nagging in her gut that told her something bad was coming, that something was terribly wrong. 

In the seven years she had been in the field, her gut had never been wrong. 

Lucia tried to shake these thoughts away and focused on Natasha’s voice, who had been talking to Fury over the radio for a little while, giving him the general mission recap. There would be paperwork to do when they all arrived on the heli-carrier. Lucia, Steve and Tony all listened intently as Fury’s voice came through the speaker. 

“Is he saying anything?”

“Not a word.” Natasha answered.

“Just get him here. We’re low on time.”

Lucia could tell Loki was listening too, but he resolutely kept his gaze on the floor. 

“I don’t like it.” Steve sighed, mirroring her thoughts. 

“What, rock of ages, giving up so easily?” Tony quipped. 

“I don't remember it being this easy. This guy packs a wallop.” Steve replied, deep in thought.

“I can attest to that.” Lucia said, her first words for the majority of the flight. Loki’s piercing gaze shifted to her, the corner of his mouth twitching as if he wanted to smirk. She glared back at him. 

“How’s your side doing? The burn ok?” Tony asked. She nodded, never taking her eyes off of Loki. 

“Still, you are pretty spry for an older fellow.” Tony continued, turning his attention back to Steve. “What's your thing, pilates?”

“What?” Steve said, confused. 

“It's like calisthenics. You might have missed a couple things, you know, doing time as a… capsicle.” 

Lucia huffed a laugh, finally turning her head towards the cockpit. 

“A captain pun? Really?” 

Tony shrugged.

“Fury didn't tell us he was calling you in.” Steve said, his mood remaining serious despite Tony’s joking. 

“Yeah. There’s a lot of things Fury doesn’t tell you.” 

Thunder rumbled in the sky, and they all turned their heads to the cockpit window. Lighting was flashing, and rain began tumbling out of the sky. It was like they had been teleported into the middle of a thunderstorm. 

“Where’s this coming from?” Natasha spoke Lucia’s thoughts as the jet shook with turbulence. Loki leaned forward in his seat, and for a moment Lucia thought that he had somehow arranged this. That idea was quickly wiped out as she saw the expression on his face. Not outright fear, exactly, but… trepidation. 

“What’s the matter?” Steve asked Loki, “You scared of a little lightning?” 

“I’m not overly fond of what follows.” Loki spoke his first words since Germany. 

The plane lurched suddenly as something crashed into the jet. Lucia’s hand went to the dagger at her belt and Tony put his helmet back on and opened the rear hatch just in time for a figure to land on it. It was a muscular blond man with a hammer and an outfit similar to Loki’s- save for the color palette, which was instead red, silver and gold. Lucia fumbled with her seatbelt, undoing it. 

“What are you doing?” Steve yelled at Tony, who was preoccupied by raising his hand to blast the blond man. Before he could, the man smashed his hammer into Tony’s chest and grabbed Loki by the collar. Lucia had just enough time to spot the look of recognition and fear in Loki’s eyes before they jumped out the back of the jet and flew into the night. Without thinking, Lucia jumped after them.

The cold wind and icy rain bit at her face for a moment as she fell, before she unfurled her wings and soared after Loki and the blond man. She could just barely make out their figures ahead of her in the inky black sky, and she dived downward, following them in their descent. 

They landed hard, and the blond man threw Loki to the ground. Lucia landed as softly as she could a decent few yards away, and watched them from behind a rocky outcrop. The rain abrubtly stopped. 

To her surprise, Loki started laughing. 

“Where is the tesseract?” The blond man asked.

“Oh, I missed you too.” Loki replied, his chuckling subsiding. 

It clicked for Lucia then- this must be Thor, Loki’s brother.

“Do I look to be in a gaming mood?” Thor asked furiously. 

“You should thank me.” Loki said, slowly getting up. “With the Bifrost gone, how much dark energy did the Allfather have to muster to conjure you here? To your precious earth.” he spat. 

Bifrost? Allfather? So Loki really was the god from Norse mythology. 

Thor threw his hammer down and grabbed Loki by the shoulder, cupping his other hand around his head.

“I thought you were dead!” He shouted, pain clear in his voice.

“Did you mourn?” Loki asked coldly. 

“We all did. Our father-”

“Your father.” Loki interrupted, holding up a finger.

Thor let go of Loki, shoving him backward slightly. 

“He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?” Loki said, walking away. In Lucia’s direction.

Shit! She huddled closer to the outcropping. A twig snapped under her foot, and she could have sworn she saw Loki’s gaze sweep over her, and a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. A blink, and it was gone. 

“We were raised together!” Thor called after Loki. “We played together, we fought together. Do you remember none of that?” 

Loki stopped, just before the outcropping where Lucia was hiding. She held her breath

“I remember a shadow.” he said scathingly, turning around to face his brother. Half brother? Adopted brother? Lucia considered the possibilities. It was no matter- clearly they had a brotherly bond despite their apparently different heritage. 

“Living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss.” Loki spat, rage and pain beginning to shine through his words, “I who was, and should be King!”

“So you take the world I love as a recompense for your imagined slights?” Loki’s brother said, the anger in his face building along with the tension in the air. 

Imagined slights? Lucia noted the inconsistency, reminding herself to interrogate Thor if she had the opportunity. 

“No,” Thor continued, “The earth is under my protection, Loki.” 

Loki laughed, shaking his head. “And you’re doing a marvelous job with that.” he chuckled, sarcasm dripping from every word. “The humans slaughter each other in droves while you idly fret. I mean to rule them, as why should I not?” 

“You think yourself above them?” his brother questioned.

“Well, yes.” Loki answered, a confused expression on his face. 

“Then you miss the truth of ruling, brother. A throne would suit you ill.” 

Loki huffed and shoved past his brother, finally moving away from Lucia’s hiding space. Phew. She let out a breath. 

“I’ve seen worlds you’ve never known about!” Loki said, his voice raising in volume. 

“I havegrown, Odinson, in my exile. I have seen the true power of the tesseract. And when I wield it-”

“Who showed you this power?” 

Ah, a bigger player? This is getting interesting. Lucia thought to herself.

Loki said nothing, his expression hardening.

“Who controls the would-be king?!” 

“I am a King!” Loki shouted. 

“Not here!” Thor shouted back, grabbing his brother once again. 

“You give up the tesseract, you give up this poisonous dream!”

Thor held Loki’s face.

“You come home.” he said, voice lower now. 

Loki gave one sad chuckle. “I don’t have it.” 

Lucia knew he was referring to the tesseract, but something about the way he said it…

He didn’t have the tesseract.

And he didn't have a home. 

“You need the cube to bring me home but I’ve sent it off, I know not where.” Loki continued. 

Thor stepped back and pointed his hammer at Loki. 

“You listen well brother, I-” 

He was cut off as Tony smashed into him in his iron man armor, taking Thor into the forest below.

“I’m listening.” Loki said, chuckling to himself.

“How funny.” Lucia muttered, stepping out of her hiding place. Loki whipped around, a dagger appearing in his hand.

“You..” He said, brandishing the dagger in your direction. “What are you doing here, girl?”

She held up her hands in mock surrender. “Retrieving my target. And I have a name, you know.” She said, her breath clouding in front of her with the cold. “Lucia Stark, at your service.” She gave an exaggerated bow. 

“Lucia.” He breathed, testing the name. It sounded nice coming from his lips. She shut that thought away. 

“I’m your captive, am I?” He said, tilting his head, “Oddly enough, I don’t feel very contained.” He flexed his fingers.

Lucia took a dagger from her belt, as well as some specialty S.H.I.E.L.D handcuffs, that were designed to block enhanced abilities. She tried not to think about the fact that they were invented by Fury’s tech team right after her kidnapping.

“You will be. Now, are we doing this the nice way, where you surrender and I fly us back to the jet, or the annoying way, where we fight again?” 

Loki studied her for a moment. His posture was annoyingly relaxed as his gaze swept up and down her figure, sizing her up. His eyes lingered at her neck, where a purple bruise was forming where he had choked her. He smiled and put his hands up in surrender. Too easy. Lucia thought suspiciously as she walked over to him and cuffed his hands behind his back, watching him intently all the while to make sure he didn't try anything. He had essentially given up without any fight- it worried her. Something bigger was at play, she knew it. Loki winced as the cuffs locked into place, the green light turning on to indicate the power-blocking ability was active.

“What are these things?” He asked.

“Handcuffs. They interfere with certain neru-transmiters to block any enhanced abilities.”

Loki nodded and smirked at her. 

“Abilities like your wings?” 

She gave a small hum of affirmation. “And this.” With barely a thought, she dropped his pulse and a satisfactory smirk tugged at her lips as she watched Loki stumble to the ground. He groaned, head throbbing with pain. “Try anything and I’ll kill you with a thought.” Lucia smiled wanly. Loki glared at her, rising stiffly from the ground as he blinked back spots in his vision.

Lucia resisted the shiver that went down her spine from using that power. The one she hated, that she concealed. That she didn’t even tell Steve about…

A crash came from the forest below and Lucia and Loki both peered over the ledge they were standing on to look at what was going on. Their brothers were fighting. Lucia rolled her eyes and scoffed.

“Childish.” she muttered, sitting down with her legs hanging over the ledge. Loki crouched down next to her. 

“You’re not worried I’m going to push you off?” he asked.

“Long drops aren't exactly harmful for me.” 

“And you’re not going to go and help your friend?” 

“He’s my brother actually. Embarrassing, I know. And no, I’m not going to help him. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” 

Loki nodded.

“So that guy is Thor, right? your brother?”

“He was my brother.”

Lucia nodded, silently studying Loki as he watched the fight below. She watched a man parachute through the sky and knew Steve would be getting in on the action soon. 

“So you and Thor are Asgardians, and, what, princes or something?” 

“I am a king.” Loki growled.  “I was promised a throne, and Odin so callously stole that right from me. Why shouldn’t I take one for myself?” 

“And that's why you attacked earth? Why Germany?” Lucia asked, disbelieving. 

Loki smiled, watching Lucia from the corner of his eye. 

“Has the interrogation already begun?” 

She huffed and turned back to the fighting, annoyed that he had discovered her antics so quickly. Damned Asgardian strategist. Steve had joined the fight below, and Lucia watched in amazement as Thor brought his hammer down on Cap’s shield, which resulted in a shockwave that leveled all the trees in a twenty yard radius. Steve, Tony, and Thor began to make their way up the hill.

“This is our que.” She told Loki, and without warning she grabbed him and jumped off the ledge. 

Lucia immediately regretted this decision, as she hadn’t accounted for how heavy he would be. 

She glided downward fast, and landed roughly in front of the group of the three men. 

“Shit,” she said, “You can take him back to the jet, I’ll go for the lighter load.” She handed Loki over to Tony and headed over to Steve. 

“Nice to meet you Thor.” Lucia said as she walked past him, patting him lightly on the chest to a very bewildered reaction from the god. “Cap, you want a ride back to the jet?” Steve nodded, and she locked him in something similar to an embrace before unfurling her wings and launching into the air once again.