The Fury
The fiery emblem blazes green in the air, depicting the scepter. As the group looks on, the image shifts and shimmers, and a small Loki joins the scepter. It’s lying on the floor, with x’s over its eyes. Thor feels a snicker escape him. Even in this dire situation his brother can’t help but be snarky. Slowly, the projected scepter moves, and it touches down to illusion-Loki’s chest. A checkmark pops up next to the scepter and the x’s turn into wide open O’s and a cheeky smirk.
Thor snatches the scepter out of the hands of the disgruntled agent and holds it gently in his own, placing one near the blunt end and the other at the top where the blue stone glows. Carefully, slowly so as not to hurt Loki with the pointy tip of the staff, Thor lowers it down and touches it ever so gently to where Loki’s hands were moments ago. For a second, all is quiet. Loki doesn’t stirr, and Thor fears he’s lost him.
He retracts the scepter and quickly bends down to place his ear on Loki’s chest. Nothing. His fists grip tight and his anger pounds through his veins, mini bolts of lightning flashing between his eyes and into his hair. Tony takes notice. Somehow, damage control always falls to him.
“C’mon man lets jus-”
Tony is interrupted by a loud boom that pushes all around Loki to the ground. The glass of the cell shatters, and lucky for all inside Tony had hacked the system because if he had not they would be plummeting to their deaths as of now. Shards of glass and S.H.I.E.L.D men go flying everywhere, Tony can hear bruce grunt somewhere off to his left, and out of the corner of his slightly red tinted vision, if he looks around the grey splotches blocking his sight, he can see steve who has dug his fingers into the metal of the floor so he didn’t go flying like himself or Bruce and Thor who threw himself over his brother as soon as there was any sign of danger.
Speaking of Loki, it seems that he was the source of the explosion. It was almost as if the wispy greyish blue aura that was now flaking to the floor like snow all around them had been pushed out by something. It wasn’t hard to figure out what, if you took one look at Loki you would see it. He was now covered head to toe in a green, shimmering sheen like the one they had observed on his x-rays. This one was just more… outside.
Before he can process any further, he hears a great crunch and turns to his left. There he sees Bruce, breathing hard and trying to keep control of the green slowly creeping up his neck. Tony hastily pulls himself up to one knee, gritting his teeth at the pressure of the glass under him. He pushes himself up and sort of limps over to Bruce to help
him with his Hulk situation.
Steve can hear Tony talking to Bruce vaguely through the ring in his ears. He shakes his head and it subsides but only for a second. He can see Thor in front of him, and as he unlatches his fingers from the ground Thor raises his head. The first thing he does is put his ear once more to Loki’s chest. Steve can practically see the stress and the worry melt of his face as Thor finds a heartbeat. Unsteady, but there. Thor places Loki’s head gently on the ground, and stands up quickly to walk over to Steve. Thor holds out his rough and calloused hand, and Steve meets it with an equally worked palm. He lets Thor pull him up, and nods when Thor asks if he’s okay. At least, that's what he thinks Thor said.
Tony has dealt with the possible Hulking out, God knows how, Steve has never been able to stop it. Bruce stands next to Tony brushing glass off his pants, and Tony is just standing there looking back at Loki with his hands on his hips.
“So.”
He says, gesturing to Loki.
“What do we do about him?”
Bruce was about to suggest something but was cut off by the cocking of guns and hard footsteps coming towards them. Fury, looking about as angry as his name, comes waltzing into the room. He has a gun in his hand, ready to shoot, and it's pointed straight at Tony. All the other agents in the room have turned from dumbfounded and disorganized to alert and at attention in seconds, and are now gathering around the little hero huddle their doing in the corner of Loki's cell. Tony holds up his arms in mock surrender, obviously not amused.
“Fury, what the hell is this?”
If Fury could stare any harder, he would. The villain that was supposedly trying to take over their world and the one clue they have to try to stop it is on the floor in a puddle of broken glass, unconscious, and Tony has the audacity to ask him why he’s mad? Bullshit.
“Care to explain to me why our only lead is on the floor? Or why you four went against my direct orders and let him out of containment? As far as i'm concerned, you all are in kahoots with him. Motherfucker I can't believe I just used the word “kahoots” non ironically…”
Bruce steps forward, starting in the middle of the idea he was interrupted from telling before.
“We need to take Loki to the medbay. Thor figured out that Loki was being controlled by the Chitauri, the army he was supposed to be leading. We don't know the specifics but Loki has many internal injuries and our scanners are telling us that even though it doesn't look like it, he has more on the outside as well. This man is not here because he wants to be. He was forced, just like Clint is being forced.”
Fury squints hard, his gun still leveled at Tonys head. Steve is getting ready for any loose bullets that might come his way, and Thor is getting sick of being detained. He pushes his way forward, not bothered by all the guns shifting to track him. He sizes the room up and then meets Fury’s eyes.
“If you do not allow my brother to be treated, we shall see just how long you can stay as confident as you seem.”
His tone is venomous, and Fury's gun falters. Quickly, rehearsed over many many experiences, Fury’s gun is holstered and his stance has gone back to the regular. Defensive and alert.
“Fine,” He says, already turning to leave. “But you will take guards with you, and don't think they’ll hesitate to shoot on sight if you do anything funny.”
Fury glances at three men to the left of the group and makes a hand motion, turning to stalk out of the room. As soon as he leaves, Thor and Bruce turn to Loki and move to pick him up, steve joining them in supporting his back. Tony leads the way, the impromptu human stretcher following, three armed soldiers trailing behind them. As they reach the medbay and find a unoccupied corner to set Loki down in, the glamour finally wears off and Bruce gets a good look for the first time at exactly what he’s working with.