The Armorer

It takes a couple of weeks before I come up with the optimal alloy for the construction and the best cell is designed. There's also the problem of placement; we had the options of putting it under the cafeteria or under the housing block, and there were benefits and drawbacks to both locations. We ended up putting it in the basement of the cafeteria because nobody was entirely comfortable with the idea of Loki hanging out beneath us as we slept. The biggest benefit is that guards will have easy access to coffee and there is a small kitchen under construction where the guards will be able to have good meals on their breaks. One cook will be on duty when the main kitchen is closed, which is also nice for the rest of us. The laundry facilities are also in the cafeteria basement, so that's handy too.

I'm actually the only Avenger who will be living here full-time. The main Avengers training facility is still in upstate New York and that's where most of them stay. They come out on a regular basis to relax, mostly, or to talk about armor, so by default, I end up making a lot of the smaller decisions. The room we're going to use originally was designed for extra storage, so it's just a question of redefining that storage from food staples to a trickster god. There is one way in and out, which has its benefits and drawbacks, and two safety doors are installed to seal off the corridor at different points. They are meant to be easy to trigger and should be triggered at any irregularity. The only way to open them is up on the third floor of the housing block; we've devoted space to a separate guardpost with audio and visual surveillance of mostly the cell room, but also of the cafeteria, just in case. The guard can close and open the security doors and also flood the entire building with a knock-out gas. Also, just in the cell, is a gas that induces itching. It is literally so irritating that immediately all you can think about is scratching. I tried it on myself and was satisfied; then I had Thor try it to make sure that it would affect other physiologies similarly and was pleased with the results. It's non-fatal and can easily be countered with water; the idea is that if Loki starts acting up, he gets a shot of this in the air of his cell to occupy him until his nefarious scheme is halted. Then the sprinklers in the cell go on to rinse it away. If this deterrent gas is released, it simultaneously turns off the water taps in the bathroom so there's no release until we grant it. And to deter the guard from playing with it, any release of the gas is to be accompanied by 53 pages of actual paperwork that have to be read and filled out by the on-duty guard in question before he or she can go home. If Loki behaves himself, he doesn't ever have to know it's there.

The containment cell is freestanding and consists of my alloys shaped so that they support the glass-and-electricity panels that Tony devised. The alloy that tested best had a substantial amount of platinum in it; five pounds for every ton of finished metal and twelve pounds of vibranium per ton were the most expensive components. You should have seen Tony's face when I gave him the purchase order. T'Challa gave him a small price break, I think, due to the quantity of the order. I made the corner units, which support the glass and permit the glass to be electrified. The alloy is extremely strong and is attached to pylons that go deep into the earth; since Seattle is in the Ring of Fire, there's been a lot of earthquake-proofing going on, and in the event of an earthquake or a volcanic eruption, this cell in particular has to hold.

Over the structural elements, I worked with Asgardian metalsmiths. They made a skin out of the golden metal they use to not only make it prettier but to hide the structure so that Loki can't figure out how to defeat it. It looks really attractive, all in all, for a prison cell; they etched designs into the skin. The cell is accessed through a small panel that has a keypad. The code is eight randomly-generated numbers, and the guards of the watch don't have them. If they're needed, the guard on the third floor guardpost has a program to generate the numbers; he or she then uses their wireless communication gear to call it over to the cellblock. Of course, there's a record every time that program is used, and every time the door is opened. Accountability is crucial. The bathroom is kind of a delicate situation; we feel like we've balanced privacy for the prisoner with security by constructing a half-wall in front of the toilet and shower. When the guards are seated behind their console, from the waist down Loki will not be visible. If a guard needs to, though, there's no door on the cubicle, and at ninety degrees from the console, there's a clear view in. The guards are to stay behind the security console unless there's a clear need. There will be two guards on duty in the cell room, one outside the locked door, and one up in the third floor security office at all times. They will be relieved every four hours, on a staggered schedule, so the there aren't patterns in the guards that Loki can easily exploit. Everybody is being trained not to talk to Loki, but that's most likely going to be imperfectly observed over the long run.

There is a chair available for cleared visitors; Thor mentioned he'd drop by to talk to his brother periodically, and if those with clearance want to pop in, we've decided that's ok. It's a small list, just the Avengers and Odin, actually, and I don't expect Odin to actually ever show up. There is a metal bedframe that Avenger Tech made that is part of the floor with no small parts that can be broken off. There's a comfortable mattress, sheets, and blankets, also good quality. My thought was that if we make it uncomfortable, there's just another reason for Loki to try to get out. There's a table and chair for his meals, and a comfortable chair to sit in. All the furnishings are made of steel; if Loki damages them, a strong electromagnet in the floor will be turned on and everything will be held tight to the floor. Light and temperature are controlled externally, and the guards are to allow Loki to express his preferences and allow them as long as it's reasonable. He can request books, and there's a TV screen that he can see through his cell where he can watch a carefully-selected list of television--mostly sporting events--on request. He can make other requests, which we will consider, but it's a jail, not a spa. Laundry, books, and meals are provided through a slot in the glass wall; if ever somebody needs to enter the cell while Loki is in it, Loki'll be directed to extend his hands through the slot, facing forward, where he'll be manacled until the person finishes and is out of the cell again. The manacles are too big to fit through the slot. Additionally, his jail uniform has a lot of stainless steel strands finer than a hair included in the yarn; when we tried, it turned out to be very hard to get out of the uniform when the floor magnet was turned on. We had the Avengers run simulations based on Loki's known behavioral patterns and were able to devise controls for as many as possible, but nobody believes we've got everything covered.

Because the units that I had to make were too big for my workshop, I ended up working in the R&D block, which is close by my place. The block is like a square donut; four sides, empty middle that has a nice garden for people to take a break and enjoy. My workshop and forge were on one of the sides, spoiling the symmetry. The roofs have grasses planted in gardens to provide insulation and a point of interest. It also has the effect of foiling spy satellites; it's difficult to get information from the images. The R&D block also has massive emergency generators that are for its sole use. There is a small emergency room in there as well, so we can treat any injury on-site. You can also make appointments for regular care like wellness checks, so we're well covered. Because my workplace was an afterthought, I got to design it myself and include a lot of windows as well as a glass wall that enables large products to be taken out easily as well as letting in fresh air when it's nice out. It was a prioritized project, which means that I'm the only lab up and running; they're still framing inside the main block. Sometimes over the weekends, it's just me, the dogs, and the security guards on the campus.

Finally, we're as ready as we'll ever be, so Thor and Nick show up and we get zipped up to Asgard. Sigurd and Torburn came with, seeming to enjoy their brief visit to the homeworld. Heimdall escorts us to the throne room, and out of habit I sense the Bifrost bridge as we walk along it. Lookin' good. Heimdall mentions that he'd seen me wear the torq he'd given me on Odin's visit, which kinda creeped me out to think that there was an interstellar peeping tom around. Heimdall flushed and said he wasn't in the habit of spying on me or anything. Thor and Nick were trying not to laugh. Bastards, the pair of them.

The throne room was mostly empty; Odin up on his great golden throne under the soaring vaulted ceiling, a knot of the Royal Guard, Thor's best friends, and us. Thor and Heimdall knelt, but Nick and I just waited respectfully. Odin looked over at the guards, then sighed and got up, walking down to us. He greeted his son with a thump on the shoulder and Heimdall with a nod. He welcomed Nick and me to Asgard, and after greeting the dogs, who then frisk off to sniff around, there's a bit of chat, he offered me his arm, and we walked over to the guards. A guy who matched the description of Loki was at the center of the knot, in the heavy manacles we'd sent Thor up with earlier in the week. He smirked at his brother and father, who rolled his eyes, and looked at Nick and me with more interest. Nick stared at him as Loki grinned.

"I am pleased to see that you survived my little diversion with no ill effect," he said to Nick conversationally. Even Nick's eyepatch looked unimpressed and he didn't bother with a response, so Loki turned his attention to me and tried to flirt.

"Look, sunshine," I said amiably after a little of this. "You'd be gorgeous If you washed out about five pounds of product from your hair, but I don't really think I'm your type, so you can drop the pretense." He looked offended.

"How do you know you're not 'my type'?"

I shrugged. "I'm human and so beneath you, and I'm not interested in pummeling you or helping you to take over the world. I'm not even that fond of New York, so aside for some ire that the Met and the public library main branch were damaged during your attempted invasion, I'm not even really upset by that except that everybody's insurance rates went up at least a little. You're an interesting intellectual challenge." He looked taken aback and fell silent. "We'd better get a move on, then," I said to no one in particular, and Odin escorted us down to the observatory. He offered a roster of Royal Guards to rotate through once a month to supplement our group, and we agreed to this as well. There was a dormitory under construction for our security crew; they could sign up for apartments if they wanted or commute in, and right now most of them commuted. We could expand that facility as well. I had a big smile as I thought about telling Tony that we'd be housing Asgardians as well and we'd probably need another building. With special accommodations, given how big they were. They were also Odin's special guards, so probably deserved some bells and whistles too.

To my surprise, everybody but Heimdall beamed down. It must suck to be the only one who doesn't get to go anywhere different. The landing pad for the Bifrost beam is close to the housing complex, which means it's close to the cafeteria, and it was a nice stroll over there. In the basement, the guards held Loki while I showed our guests where Loki would be staying and gave a basic rundown of the security features. Thor hadn't been in the planning loop and Nick hadn't seen it himself, just the projection and blueprints, so everybody looked around. Odin had many questions, which we were able to answer, and was satisfied. "He is...what he is, but he is still my son," he said finally. "I appreciate not only that he will be secure here but that he will have a degree of comfort." He sighed and suddenly I felt the weight of millennia from him. "It would have pleased his mother." Thor looked away. Odin turned away, and his brisk movement caused his cape to swing out, thwacking me and making me stagger. I regained my footing, Odin apologized, and for a diversion, Nick called for the prisoner to be brought in. I realized that I was the only one who was willing to use his name.

The heavy steel door crumped closed behind the security contingent, and we stood back as our people took over, supervising the transfer of Loki from his guards to the cell. Our head of security managed it smoothly, and when he was updated on the addition of Asgardian guards to the roster, brightened up. Loki looked around his cell and seemed to have a measure of pleased surprise at his accommodations. There's a schedule taped to the outside of the wall as well as a list of security protocols he'll be expected to comply with so he can get used to them. I'd consulted with Thor, who had provided me some books from Asgard for Loki to pass the time with, so there's some entertainment available. Odin stepped up to the door and pressed a button that turned on the intercom, and bade farewell to his son. He paused, and I thought he was done, but he finally said, "If you behave yourself and show real remorse, you might in time be returned to Asgard." This was news to us all, and mine weren't the only eyebrows going up. I shouldn't have been surprised, perhaps; Odin was old and feeling the weight of his years from making this decision. It was natural enough that he'd want to hold to the idea that his son would develop a conscience.

We left, and once outside again, our guard captain took the leader of the Asgardian guards up to the security office on the third floor. The Bifrost opened; Heimdall first sent down the contingent of guards with their stuff for the first month's watch, and Thor and Odin along with the guards who had brought Loki went back to Asgard. A car was waiting for Nick, to take him to Sea-Tac and back to New York. I called Tony, enjoyed telling him about the changes to the guard roster fully as much as I thought I would, then decided to call it a day and the pups and I headed for our apartment.