Chapter 15
Tony's P.O.V:
"Jules, I'm so sorry. Please. Just listen."
"Now why should I listen?"
"Fury will fire you if you don't."
"He sees me as a daughter. He won't fire me."
"Are you sure? Please. I love you so much Jules. I can't live without you. That's why I'm so overprotective. Because I don't want to see you hurt. You mean so much to me. Even words couldn't describe my feelings. I was wrong to say that. And I am sorry. And I'll stop. And I mean it this time. Unlike all other times. And I used you cause I knew you were so forgiving. I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry for over reacting. I was just sick and tired of you being so damn over protective."
"What about that time I saved you from that guy who tried to kiss you?"
"He asked me first because he was sad his girlfriend broke up with him and he didn't want people to laugh at him."
"He didn't have a girlfriend. I made sure. Hacked into government databases getting information on him. I'm sorry. I just want what's best for you but nothing seems to be good enough!"
"Hey. It's fine. I over reacted. Just please stop being so bloody over protective."
"Fine. But at parties, if you sneak out one more time I will make sure someone looks after you."
I went in for a hug. She awkwardly patted my back.
We talked for a few minutes and the doors opened.
Julia's P.O.V:
I hugged Tony one last time and went to find Loki. We had gotten to know each other pretty well. I would even call him my friend. I accidentally bumped into Fury.
"Agent Allen. I want you to find out what Loki's motive is. He let us capture him."
"Yes Director. I was heading over their just now."
Loki was walking back and forth inside his glass cell. Suddenly, he stops.
"There's not many people that can sneak up on me." He said, turning to see me
"But you figured I'd come."
"After. After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm. And I would cooperate."
"I wanna know what you've done to Agent Barton." I easily lied.
"I'd say I've expanded his mind."
"And once you've won. Once you're king of the mountain. What happens to his mind?"
"Is this love, Agent Allen?" He said bitterly, with obvious jealousy in his voice.
"Love is for children. A close friend owes him a debt. And, he was like my uncle."
"Tell me."
"Before certain friend worked for SHIELD, she uh...well, she made a name for herself. A very specific skill set. She didn't care who I used it for, or on. She got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill her, he made a different call. I care about them both deeply. My parents, being meta humans, we're always on SHIELD's radar. My uncle, was a meta, too. Any other family I had were on different earths, other than Tony, who was too young and not mature enough to look over a child who wasn't even a decade old. Director Fury was always busy, so was Agent Coulson, close family friends. So Clint baby-sitted me. He was like an uncle. A close friend. I told him everything. He taught me archery."
"And what will you do if I vow to spare them? Along with insolent brother?"
"Not let you out."
"Ah, no. But I like this. Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man?"
"Regimes fall every day. I tend not to weep over that, I'm an orphan.... "
"What is it you want?"
"It's really not that complicated. I've got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out."
"Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? A Killer's daughter? Natalie? Maybe one day your little cousin won't be there. I KNOW YOU FEAR YOURSELF! AFGHANISTAN? You're a monster! You're exactly like me! Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer... PATHETIC!" He was angry. I was scared, and I sure as hell tapped into my fear. It would get him to tell me what his plan was.
Loki SLAMS on his cell, making me flinch. His words genuinely hurt me. I considered him a friend.
"I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you and your Russian friend. Slowly. Intimately. In every way he knows you both fear! And when he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams, I'll split his skull! This is my bargain, you mewling quim!"
I turn around, and walk away from Loki, disgusted.
"You're a monster." I said while fake crying.
"No, you brought the monster." I suddenly realized what his play was.
"So, Banner... that's your play." I instantly stopped crying.
"What?" He was surprised.
"Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, I'm on my way. Send Thor as well."
"Thank you for your cooperation. You underestimate me as a SHIELD Agent." I quickly walk out, leaving Loki frozen.
I catch up with Fury and we walk to the labs.
"What are you doing, Mr. Stark?" Shit. He's FURY-ous. Pun intended.
"Uh...kind of been wondering the same thing about you."
"You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract."
"We are. The model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile." Banner started saying as I zoned out.
"I swear to God, Stark, one You're on that list? Are you more crack... above or below angry bees? Threatening! I feel threatened!" Tony says as I zone back in. Wait. The whole team was arguing. This is exactly what Loki wanted.
As the "team" argues, they don't realize the gem on Loki's scepter is glowing brightly.
"I swear to God the egos of these people keeping rubbing off each other and at any moment, the shit will hit the fan." I mumble to myself.
"You speak of control, yet you court chaos."
"It's his M.O., isn't it? I mean, what are we, a team? No, no, no. We're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're... we're a time-bomb."
"You need to step away." Fury says in a dangerously calm voice.
"Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?"
"You know damn well why! Back off!" Cap says as I also say, "Tony… this is what Loki wants."
"I'm starting to want you to make me."
"Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?"
"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist." He replied.
"Asshole, billionaire who's dad got most of the money, overprotective, egotistical, man whore, what else?" I said under my breath. Nat seemed to here me and chuckled. Tony also heard me.
"I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. Yeah, I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself."
"Ooooohhhh! burn!" I narrated.
"Who's side are you on Jules? I'm not an egotistical man whore!"
I just laughed. "Stop arguing. Please." I said quietly.
"You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."
"I think I would just cut the wire.
"Always a way out... You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero."
"A hero? Like you? You're a lab rat, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle!"
Steve puffs up his chest at Tony, who just stands there, unmoving. "Put on the suit, let's go a few rounds."
Thor laughs at them. "You people are so petty... and tiny."
"Agent Romanoff, would you escort Dr.Banner back to his..."
"Where? You rented my room."
"The cell was just in case..."
" In case you needed to kill me, but you can't! I know! I tried!"
"Me too." I said out loud, not meaning too. Everyone was looking between Banner and I. Tony looked at me, heartbroken. Everyone looked to me for an explanation.
"Tony was all I ever had. My parents, both murdered. Just like my grandparents. Steven was on earth two. Clint, was with his family. Didn't have time to deal with my problems. Fury, was like a dad- but he was always busy. Then tony was gone. I was… depressed. He may be an egotistical asshole who seems to be annoying and overprotective, and a man whore… by the way Tony before you met Pepper I would sneak out every night you brought home someone. Anyways, I wanted to end myself. I thought Tony was dead. All my family by blood was dead. So why did I deserve to live? For some reason that day, I turned the air conditioning all the way down in the house. I wasn't…" my voice cracked. "It wasn't hard for me to find a gun in the basement." I uncovered my part of my chest. It showed scar tissue from a bullet wound. "Since it was so cold, my regeneration from Killer Frost healed me. I also made sure to turn Jarvis and Gideon off so they couldn't warn the police or something. Drew and Chandra, old friends from school, had found me. My bullet wound healed so I assumed Gideon wasn't fully turned off." Tony and Fury, looked at me sadly. I nodded at Banner, silently telling him to explain his story.
"I got low. I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out! So I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was good, until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk!" Banner slowly gets upset as he looks at Nat, who gets unnerved.
"You wanna know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm?"
"Doctor Banner... put down the scepter."
The computer beeps. They all turn to it. I was still silently crying. Cap put an arm around me. Banner puts down the scepter and walks over to the computer.
"Sorry, kids. You don't get to see my little party trick after all."
"Located the Tesseract?"
"I can get there faster." Tony said. Tony turns around, seeing Caps arm around me. If looks could kill, Cap would be six feet under by now.
"Look, all of us..." Cap started.
"The Tesseract belongs on Asgard, no human is a match for it."Tony turns to leave, but Steve stops him.
"You're not going alone!"
" You gonna stop me?"
"Put on the suit, let's find out."
"I'm not afraid to hit an old man." Tony insults him.
"Put on the suit." Cap taunted. At that moment Banner who's looking at the monitor notices something about the Tesseract.
Everyone is thrown in every direction. Steve, Fury, Thor and Tony are thrown across while Natasha, Banner and I are down in the lower equipment room. I can slightly here Cap say, "Put on the suit."