THE DESTROYER OF DEATH

A swirl of flames surrounded me as I landed. I still had to be careful; I was after all in the middle of a forest.

“Was that you?” ,Tony asked me surprised as he could be. “Damn kid”

Thor was ready to pounce,and so his interest left him quite quickly.

“Let's just save that for another time. I'm kinda busy”

“And i'm bored” ,i answered.

As soon as they were about to crash I fiercely lifted my fist and a wall was now formed in between them,causing them both to crash on it.

“What the fuck are you doing kid? Whose side are you on?”

“So you are Thor” ,my tone held the marvel I was feeling. Enemy or not,it was still hard to believe he was standing in front of me.

“That's enough!”, I turned to see Steve approaching us. “ Now, I don't know what you plan on doing here”

“ I've come here to put an end to Loki's schemes!”,Thor said in a deep voice.

“Then prove it! Put the hammer down”

“I wouldn't ask that if I were you” ,i noted in a trying-to-be-calm manner.

“Uh,yeah- no. He loves his hammer” ,Tony agreed in the most sarcastic way,intense filling his voice.

Thor then,as if to prove Tony right, stoked him with that same hammer,and then raised it. I could only sigh,throwing my head behind.

“You want me to put the hammer down?” ,he turned to Steve,his voice daring if nothing else.

Thor jumped,ready to attack Steve whom then raised his shield; as soon as Thor's hammer touched Steve's shield,a massive explosion took place,and I only escaped it's shockwave was because I was quick to act; I nervously lifted both my fists creating a small and narrow column as tall as I could.

After I realized it was safe enough I slid down with the side of my feet,seeing all three men just kinda looking at each other; the entire place was blown off,my own column would be blast away had I not been constantly replacing and fixing the blown rocks.

“You fucking crackheads... “ ,i exclaimed as I got closer,looking at the aftermath.

“ Are we done here?” ,Steve asked and we all just kinda stood there,me just shaking my head.

“He has an army called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract”

Thor was standing with us,everyone tight and in edge as we were pacing in turns – as it seemed. We were all trying to figure out whether we were on each other's side or not,and it was obvious that despite our own words on the subject,we were not easy to trust.

“An army? From outerspace?” ,Steve was serious.

“So he's building another portal. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for” , the doctor spoke again and Thor suddenly got tense.

“Why,what is he?” ,i asked. I read the files,though I never really bothered myself with the details.

“He's an astrophysicist”

“ He's a friend” ,Thor said in a low,somehow soft voice.

“Makes sense..” , I said,calculating the stuff I had now learned.

“In whatworld does that make sense?” ,he asked me and I just shrugged.

“Loki is an Asgardian. A rogue. Of course he'll want bring an army from outer space. From this point on it's just a matter of time and wits. I can only assume there won't be really any time limit on his part,so everything rests on our own power here. For how long we can hold whatever the fuck comes in,while also figuring out how the fuck to close it,minimizing the damage as much as possible” ,i explained,the matter being now simple as can be in my mind.

I could spot Tony's gaze on me. He was eyeing me carefully.

“That must be the only smart thing coming out of your mouth since i've met you” ,he said and I just snorted.

“And,we really ought to be careful of that Scepter of his” ,i added deciding to ignore Tony's comment.

“He has one of ours”, Natasha continued. This was personal.

“Also,i don't think Loki's being here is something coincidental. He is,as it seems at least,a calculating man. A cunning one,from what i've heard. He must have some sort of agenda. I just can't wrap my finger around it..”

“Yes.. it's bugging me too” ,Steve nodded. He pressed his palms on the table's surface as he was still standing,his eyes lowered,fixed on the floor

“I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell crazy on him” ,the doctor spoke. Still,my mind was running.

“Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and he's my brother”

“He's killed eighty people in two days”

“And held on his scepter asking people to kneel for him outside a museum like a mad priest” ,i fleshed Natasha's sentence out and she pursed her lips nodding in agreement.

“He's adopted”

“Nice save buddy” ,i said to him with pursed lips and he turned to me.

“You. I saw what you did with those rocks,and the flames. You gave me one nasty burn,little one” ,he pointed at big crimson scar on his right arm. “ You must be Pelimorrean”

“Yup”

“Here's that word again. What's that anyway,you gonna tell us kid or should we say please?” ,I snorted at Tony's words.

“Actually a please would be nic-”

“Pelimorre is another planet far,far away from here. All Asgardians know of them,as they are trying to get Pelimorre renounced as the Tenth Realm for years now.. “ ,Thor answered him interrupting him,and I watched everyone apart from Natasha getting a bit tense. I am only guessing that Fury's tongue was running.

Natasha,whether it is known or not,is a big shot here.

“ Their technology is not as advanced as yours is,but they rely on powers given to them by their gods. They can harness the elements”

“Yes,we got that part” ,Tony added.

“They are extremely mighty warriors,only rivaling our own in both strategy and strength” ,i could feel some hits of pride taking over listening to Thor speaking of me and my people. But then,my memories hit me.

“I have never seen one leaving their planet though. I thought you people never did” ,he now turned to me.

“Yes. We usually don't”

“So,you can bend the elements” ,Tony asked in an affirmative tone,as if he didn't expect me to answer,moving his hand around as he spoke. “Like fire,water,earth,air and stuff”

“No one can control the air”, I said as he'd said something incredibly stupid.

“Yes,no air,right,of course,sillyme” ,his words were amplified with sarcasm, “ so you're like the avatar?”,he wasn't really asking me,it was mostly rhetorical.

“What's an avatar?”

“Oh boy “,he huffed rolling his eyes. “ Nevermind. Back to business. Doc?”,he turned to the doctor.

“Uhm,yeah.What did they need the Iridium for?”

“It's a stabilizing agent. Means the portal won't collapse on itself, like it did at SHIELD” ,he explained with arms deep in his pockets as he was now pacing around.

“Nice to see you Lion-O. No hard feelings,right?”,he now turned to Thor.

“ Also, it means the portal can open as wide, and stay open as long, as Loki wants”

“This doesn't sound too good “ ,i said,getting a grip of the situation laid in front of us. “It basically means that we have all the odds against us”

“Bingo!”,he pointed at me. “He's gonna keep bringing those whatever he brings out at us until we figure out a way to close it”

“By the way” ,he turned to agent Hill, “How does Fury do this?” ,he asked covering one eye trying to look around. Once again,tried real hard.

“He turns” ,agent Hill answered him.

I noticed him putting a small round metal thing,probably an electronic device, under one of the monitors. Though I didn't speak,i could tell he was cooking something.

“Well, that sounds exhausting” ,he continued. “As far as the other raw materials go,i'm guessing our dearest agent Barton will figure something out. One thing he needs is a power source. A high energy density, something to kick start the cube”

“When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?” ,agent Hill asked him. I couldn't even spell this thing he had just spat out..

“Last night. The packet, Selvig's notes, the Extraction Theory papers. Am I the only one who did the reading?”

After that he went on and on,explaining just how crucial this was to Loki's plans,though none other than the doctor really understood. Me and Steve being particularly blown out with all the big words being used.

Tony shook hands with the doctor,complementing him on many things,his ability to lose control and turn to a mad green monster being the highlight of their conversation.

Fury then joined us,making clear how the doctor was only with us in order to locate the cube,but Steve was still having second thoughts about many,many things.

The way the Scepter worked still was a mystery to him.

Fury commented on the way this damned stick made two people he trusted and knew act like Loki's personal monkeys,as he said.

“It reminds me faintly the way a certain clan of my home planet operates like “,i said,now deep in thought as I spoke.

“They can harness one's very soul. They are prohibited from using such methods,unless it is truly necessary,but i've seen it happen before. Our entire philosophy lays on the structure of our souls. If that cube is actually some kind of compressed power,one much greater than our minds can seem to comprehend,one your science can not explain logically,then I can only assume that it somehow tampers with the soul of a person,bringing out the nastiest feelings one holds inside. After that part,it's purely manipulation”

“Kid,how do you do that? How can you be smart one moment,dumb the next? Like,is it a personality trait? What is it? “ ,Tony asked me,but never really gave me space to speak.

“No matter what,we got a job to do. Shall we play, doctor?”

The doctor nodded and then they both went on,marching away,probably off to the doctor's room lab something. I noticed Steve leaving shortly after. Like hell I was sitting there. I waited for a while and then went their way as well.

I could listen to their faint voices,going at each other; there were many unresolved feelings in the way,as far as Tony and Steve went at least.

“Steve, tell me none of this smells a little funky to you?”,the doctor asked him.

“Is that why you planted that bug of yours?” ,they all turned to see me leaning of the door frame,my arms crossed on my chest.

“So you trust him? Is that what you're saying kid?”

“You just don't get it,do you?” ,i said,as calm I was could as I approached them.

“I'm a warchild. I don't trust anyone who hasn't fought by my side. I don't need to. I only need to be able to trust the ones holding a blade close enough to my neck to cut me “,Steve got tense.

“A war child?”

“You're not the only soldier here,Cap”

I could see some concern in his eyes,along with some hints of wonder.

“The you should get it Pearse” ,this was the first time he called something other than kid. I'd take it.

“He's the one pulling the strings here,and much like you,i don't want my throat cut either”

“ Just find the cube” ,Steve said with a cold voice and then left.

“That's our national mascot? The guy my dad kept a poster of ? Bullshit”

“He's a good guy. I like him” ,i said,my arms still crossed,my head nodding at my own words.

“Great “ ,Tony huffed.

“He's not entirely wrong though. We have to admit,Loki has something up his sleeve” ,the doctor commented,his hand covering his mouth.

“What he's got is a stick up his ass. It's gonna get out,and i'll be sure to be the one to pull it”

“Yes,and i'll be happy for you when I watch it on Tv” ,the doctor told him with a faint smile.

“Oh,no doctor,you'll be suiting up,just like the rest of us”,Tony argued,as if he already knew were this was going. He was touching a rather sore spot here.

“Doctor”,i spoke directly to him for the first time, “This suit of yours..”

“Ah no. Not a suit. What he has “,he pointed at Tony, “ that's a suit. What I got is not a suit. It's a seven feet tall green nightmare who only likes to smash”,i felt for him. His words were genuine; I could see some of these nightmares he spoke of, reflected in his eyes.

“I understand” ,i said,trying to sound somewhat compassionate.

“Uh,no you don't” ,he was absolute.

“What happens when you turn?” ,my question was so sudden that they both turned surprised to see me.

“Bad things usually do. Really bad things”

He tried to turn on a screen but then he turned again at me.

“I'm sorry” ,he said with a warm and awkward smile. “I don't believe we have formally met. I'm Bruce” ,he gave me his hand and I shook it.

“I'm Persephone”

“Right. And you can bend the elements,right?”

“Not all of them. Fire is my master element,and after that I can control the land and iron”

“Iron too?” ,Tony asked me surprised.

“Well,yeah. I'm not as good at it as I am with the other two,since harnessing more than one element is already hard enough. They could actually split your soul”

“Hm. Interesting. And how exactly does that work?” ,he asked me with one hand covering his mouth.

“Well..”,i huffed, “ our elements are granted to us by our destined protective Gods. They are passed through our ancestors. It is all connected to one's fate as they become one with us,attached to our very souls “ ,i began explaining,Tony and the doctor both listening to me carefully.

“However,even mastering one element is rather hard. Getting two is rare yet it happens. To get three is..it's actually as good as killing yourself. All the people whom were granted three elements have turned out to lose their sanity,as their soul gets torn and ripped from the mind. To separate these two..it means to no longer be human”

“You see”,Tony started speaking,moving his hand with every word, “ you say that,and yet here you are with three elements,as sane as you can be”

“Yes. I admit it is odd,but that's how it is”

“Alright. I'm covered for now. Back to work now,shall we?”,Tony turned to the doctor.

I hadn't told them about the entire Pyreph's story. Perhaps I shouldn't. It didn't really matter that much.

Tony was still going on about the Hulk. The doctor was not overly fond of the context though.

I couldn't help but grow a bitter smile at this conversation. They were both talking about some big green monster,as if the true monsters aren't humans themselves.

The were both fixed on their screens,reading and rarely speaking of some scientific weird things I could not possibly get.

Then Fury stormed inside the room.

“Mister Stark,just what are you doing?”,he asked angrily.

“As you have asked them to”,i answered and he seemed to have just noticed me there,some wonder in his eyes as to why I was in that lab to begin with.

“And how are you assisting them exactly,Pearse?”

“I got you a better one”,Tony said as he read something on his screen,just before turning it our way. “What is Phase 2?” ,there was only accusation on his eyes. There pictures of weapons,paragraphs and paragraphs accompanying them.

Then Steve came in and left a weapon on the table; the men all turned around and I finally approached them.

“Phase 2 is SHIELD using the cube to make weapons”,he said,his voice suggesting he was pissed.

“Sorry, the computer was moving a little slow”,he said to Tony sarcastically.

“Is that true?” ,i asked,astounded.

“I was wrong, director. The world hasn't changed a bit”,Steve said and I wondered a lot about the context.

Just then,only to fit the right time,Natasha came in,along with Thor.

“Are you alright doctor?”,she was afraid,seeing how we were all edgy.

“I was,right before you dragged me here to help find a cube which SHIELD wants to use to make weapons”

“You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you”

“And i'm not leaving until someone explains this”

“ It's because of him”,Fury pointed at Thor and we all turned to face him. Thor pointed at himself astounded.

“Lat year a man from another planet visisted Earth,and his ways lead to the destruction of a small town. Suddenly we were not alone,and not only that,we were pathetically outgunned; defenseless”

“My people are not an enemy to this planet” ,Thor explained with furrowed eyebrows

“But you are not the only ones around. Just a week ago dear miss Pearse woke up in a street in New York and caused a car crush,bending the road beneath her and shooting fires. Imagine if more of that was to come,as they did. Loki did”

“So is that your plan? To just exterminate everyone coming in your planet?” ,i snapped at him.

“No Pearse,it's not. It's about being ready to defense ourselves”,he spelled out.

“Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies” ,Thor turned his hand at Fury.

“You basically sent out an invitation”

“An invitation? To whom exactly?” ,Steve asked me,more serious than ever.

“To everyone willing to take it” ,Thor covered me.

“Bleeding by the edge of your own blade.. “,i let out a bitter chuckle.”Keep asking for a war,and that's exactly what you'll get,Fury” ,i nearly spat at him,my anger reaching it's boiling point.

“We had to do something. What would happen if-”

“So you made nuclear weapons,because this is such a measurement,now we can all sleep tight” ,Tony hummed sarcastically.

“Are you really one to talk Stark?” ,Fury asked him with a titled head and pulled lips to the edge.

“Well,he had to do something,to keep the name alive” ,Steve couldn't sit this one out.

“Oh please,don't leave his fucking arrogance out of this. It is a full time job” ,but,i couldn't either.

“Now,wait a damned minute. How is this now about me?”,Tony complained,his hand lifted.

“I'm sorry, isn't everything?”,Steve asked,hitting a nerve.

“Oh no,please don't burst his bubble”

“And what's your deal,kid? Think you're better? That horse you're riding is much higher than any of ours” ,he came at me.

“And I believed you humans were more evolved than this. Jumping monkeys,raging for approval”

“I'm sorry,weren't you the one who came in blowing shit up?”,Fury snapped at Thor.

“Now that's a team!” ,the doctor yelled.

I took one step back,the corner of my eye catching Loki's Scepter glimmering blue. All their voices were now muffled up,mussed together. This was too much.

“Guys..”,i tried to speak,but they just wouldn't listen.

“You know what Stark,i have had enough of you”

“Isn't that right ?” ,Tony was humoring him,but I could the way his eyes held on to something more meaningful.

“Enough!” ,i yelled at them,yet still no response.

They were all so caught up in their own yelling,there was room for me.

They just dragged this on,and on,and on..

“You are nothing Rogers,just another lab experiment gone wrong. Think what you have is not a suit?”

“Let's test it out. Your suit,versus mine. This will put an end to that”

Enough. Enough,enough.

“THAT'S FUCKING ENOUGH!”,i yelled and along with my voice I brought my fists together in front on my mouth.

Small and thin scraps of metal flying away from the ground,only to land on each person's mouth,embracing their heads as their lips were now closed.

They all turned around to see me,my chest coming up and down,my breathing heavy as my anger was now getting the best of me.

“I have had enough” ,i almost growled. “If you wanna act as children,so be it. Fight it out,as men always do. Petty and the only thing surpassing your idiocy is your fucking ego. Loki must be having a feast right now with all of us,supposedly a team,at each other's throats” ,they all kinda looked at me,stunned.

Tony approached me his fingers pointing at me as he was letting out muffled voices,probably yelling at me for acting as I did. Steve turned around and punched the wall,his hand going through.

“See? Even if someone cut your tongues you wouldn't change. And we are a threat?” ,i snapped,my hand showing me and Thor as he lowered his gaze. I was enraged,my brows knitted together.

Tony didn't respond; Steve tried to say something but as he remembered he couldn't he just stopped.

Fury grabbed my shoulder,only pointing as he knew that trying to speak would be purposeless. He touched the metal scrap on his mouth with one finger,then pointed downwards,his eye and nostrils speaking for his anger.

Then we heard a beeping and the doctor began pointing with his hands,asking for a chance to speak. Fuck this.. I pushed my fists away the the metal scraps all went back to where they belonged,as if they never left.

“The fuck Pearse?” ,Fury snapped at me like a mad dog.

“I got it!” ,the doctor's words had us all turned to him.

“No,i got this. I can get there faster than this jet” ,Tony started.

“The Tesseract belongs on Asgard, none of you is a match for it” ,Thor spoke and Tony turned to leave but Steve stopped him.

“You gonna stop me?”

“ Put on the suit, let's find out”

This was getting out of hand again.

“ Oh, my God..” ,the doctor said in a low voice,hinting his concern,and before I could pull my fists together again..

we were all down.