Ruthless and Mockingbird

Natasha stood in a room surrounded by screens monitoring the immediate area. Although on a coffee break, something felt off to the Black Widow so to compensate, she kept her eyes on the screens around her, watching closely for any sign of unauthorized life.

But all seemed well in the New Mexican desert, which had Natasha on edge. Nothing is ever this quiet or this easy for the former Russian. It took all her inner strength to just sit and enjoy her overly strong coffee with only the security cameras as her eyes and ears of the place.

Suddenly, the door behind her opened. Natasha turned around to see Darcy, Jane Foster's assistant, standing there with her new ipod in hand, an earphone in her ear.

"Jane's looking for you. She found something," said Darcy.

Without a word, Natasha took off past the younger woman and headed down the makeshift hallway. She pushed her way through a group of people heading in the opposite direction and when someone tried to ask her a question she gave them a look that had them running. Whatever Jane found was much more important than whatever some S.H.I.E.L.D. intern needed.

She arrived in the lab fairly quickly, considering it was on the other end of the base. Jane was bent over a computer, furiously typing. A printer was making all kinds of strange noises and finally Jane reached over and grabbed the papers it had just printed.

"Look at this," said Jane, handing Natasha the papers. Natasha looked at the brunette with a raised eyebrow, before turning her attention to the sheets in her hand.

"Are these the latest readings?" she asked skimming through. Natasha's eye stopped on a chart. "Is this saying what I think-"

"Yes," Jane interrupted. "The electromagnetic frequency for this area has spiked well past normal. The same readings were produced the day Thor first came to Earth. I would get ready, if I were you Agent Romanoff. We're about to have a visitor."

Suddenly the computer came to a definite halt, causing the astrophysicist to turn and look at it curiously. Jane began to type commands as quick as humanly possible in order to find out why now her computer decided to quit on her. Natasha, however, had her gun out, cocked and ready, waiting for someone or something to barge in and attack.

All was quiet for a few seconds; the only sound being Jane's typing.

"Jane!" a very masculine voice said from behind Natasha. The Black Widow's instincts kicked in, causing her to turn around and roundhouse kick the man behind her. Jane gasped, pushed Natasha out of the way, and grabbed a hold of the face of a strong jawed man with long blonde hair and kissed him quite passionately. Natasha turned away from the couple, feeling sickened by it. It was the man's voice, however that brought her back to Earth.

"Black Widow," he said, smiling brightly. "It's been a long time since someone has been able to surprise me like that."

Natasha replied, "Looks like you're losing your touch then, Thor. You may need to wrestle with the Hulk some more." Although meant as a joke, Thor looked as if he was considering it.

"Although this is nice and all," Jane spoke up. "And although I'm glad you're back... why are you back again?"

"All is not well in the universe," said Thor. "There are rumors that a Titan leader called Thanos is making plans to advance on Midgard."

Wonderful. This was just what Natasha needed. "Follow me," she said, and led the small group into a conference room. She patched in Director Fury and in a matter of moments his shiny bald head appeared on a screen before them.

"Agent Romanoff, this had better be important," said Fury, his one eye staring down at her.
"It is, sir. Thor is back on Earth and he has intel," she said. Thor stepped forward and into the view of the camera.

"On the moon Titan, there is a very powerful being called Thanos. He has an army of deadly mercenaries from the other planets he has conquered. I have heard whispers that Thanos is planning an attack on Midgard. Heimdall confirms that he has sent his Skrull spies to examine your defenses and discover your weaknesses. It is not known what it is he seeks, but we must make haste if we are to prepare ourselves for the onslaught of his attack."

Nick Fury looked very tense. "How do we know what this Heimdall says is true?"

"I would trust Heimdall with my life." Thor seemed offended. "He sees everything, and I am certain that if he says he saw Skrulls headed to Midgard, that is what happened."

Fury was silent for a moment before he spoke in his authoritative tone. "Agent Romanoff, I want you to stay in New Mexico for the time being in case Dr. Foster finds anything else of import. Thor, are you staying on Earth?"

"Yes, I will stay to defend Midgard," the Aesir said proudly.

"Then go to the Avengers Mansion. They'll need you there." Thor nodded, and Fury disconnected.

**

"Pass me the soldering gun," Tony asked Bobbi as he took a closer look at the unfinished cochlear implant in his outstretched hand. After a minute of silence and waiting, Stark turned to the woman. "Uh.. Ms. Morse?"

"Hmm?" she asked, startled. She'd been doing that a lot lately, spacing out, or a having a pensive look on her face when she thought no one could see her. There was definitely something on her mind.

"The soldering gun," he stated again impatiently.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said quietly, and reached across the table to hand it to him.

Tony gave her a look before turning back to the implants. "I'm almost done, I just need to place a computer chip in each of them so we can communicate with her."

"That's not necessary," said Bobbi. "She'll only need these implants until her hearing adjusts, which will hopefully only take a few weeks."

Tony over dramatically threw down the soldering gun, "So why did I go through all that trouble with her contacts, then?"

"Because she's probably going to need those for the rest of her life," she said. "The implants are just a temporary thing. Chances are, if she didn't have her contacts and regularly looked into the sun, she'd go blind."

"I don't understand it," says Tony. "Rogers was infused with a serum that heightened his senses, yet I don't see him bitching about blinding lights."

"Obviously, what was done to Ruth was a crude attempt at recreating the effects of the Super Soldier serum. Not only did it give her incredible eyesight, but it increased her sensitivity to light tenfold."

"And that won't change, but her hearing will," Tony said it mockingly.

"With her hearing, it's more of a matter of getting her used to it. Imagine you're listening to your ipod and you start it at the highest possible volume. It'll hurt your ears, correct? But, what if you started it at a lower setting and gradually increased the volume as you listen. When you reach top volume, it won't hurt anymore. It's the same principle with Ruth."

Tony opened his mouth to speak, but JARVIS spoke just then, "Sir, Director Fury is on the phone."

"Tell him I'm busy fixing his agent."

"He says it's important, sir," replied JARVIS. "Thor is back with news."

**

Steve stood in the home theater going down his check list. In between the recliners that faced the giant screen sat a built in cooler that housed a twelve pack of Coke and a twelve pack of a red cream soda from Texas that Ruth was fond of called Big Red. The table was filled with an assortment of candy, such as Sour Patch Kids, Junior Mints, M&M's, Twizzlers, and Whoppers, as well as a big bowl of popcorn. The remote to the projector sat on one arm rest and it was now that Steve was glad that Tony had forced him to learn how to use it all on his own.

Everything was perfect and ready, all Steve needed was Ruth.

"JARVIS, can you please send Ruth down to the theater?" Steve spoke, still feeling a little stupid for talking to an AI.

"Of course, sir," JARVIS responded. Steve didn't have to wait long, as Ruth came walking in only a minute later.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," she spoke, smiling. "What's all this?"

Steve smile back, "Well, you mentioned how you're a bit homesick, so I decided to bring a little home to you."

"Oh really?" Ruth asked. "I don't have a theater in my home. What are we watching?"

"Gone with the Wind," Steve said, shrugging. Ruth's smile got bigger. "I remember you told me that you and your mother would watch it all the time together."

"I must've spoken that in passing," Ruth gazed in wonderment at the man before her. "And yet you remember that?" The Captain just shrugged in response. Honestly, the woman could not believe that there was such a man that existed before today.

"Are you ready to watch it?" asked Steve, feeling a little uncomfortable. "Or are you just going to stand there in astonishment for the duration of the film?"

Ruth snapped out of her reverie, "Don't sass me, Captain Rogers!" She took a seat on one of the recliners. "Hurry up and put it on!"

Steve chuckled and sat down next to her. With the press of a couple buttons on the remote, the lights dimmed down and the Interlude began to play.

Within the first hour, while the now widowed Scarlett O'Hara's love and social life seemed in danger in Atlanta, Ruth had some how ended up resting her head on Cap's shoulder as his arm hugged her to him. They shared a bowl of popcorn between them, content with the 'accidental' brushing of hands.

All was perfect in the world of Steve Rogers and Ruth Conners.

"They really don't make men like that anymore," Ruth stated as Clark Gable's character, Rhett Butler, strutted on the screen.

"Tony fits Butler pretty well," Steve joked. "Rich, cocky, selfish..."

Ruth laughed and slapped Steve's chest lightly. "I meant men with class! Men these days aren't even pigs dressed as gentlemen. They're just pigs. I swear sometimes I think I was born too late in time." Steve was filled with a new hope at her words. He was about to speak, but just then the doors busted open and in strut the Avenger's own Rhett Butler.

"Gone with the Wind, eh?" Tony says, glancing at the screen. "Wishing you were Scarlett O'Hara?"

"No, but according to Steve, you're a modern Rhett Butler," Ruth retorted. Tony thought about it and nodded.

"Is there any reason why you are here, Stark?" Steve asked, slightly annoyed with the man.

"Yes, I need you to come with me, now," he said to Steve. The seriousness in Tony's voice caused the Captain to jump out of his chair and follow the billionaire out of the theater room.

Irritated, Ruth called out to Tony right before he shut the door, "Thanks, Stark!"

Tony turned around at the door, asking, "For what?"

"For ruining my night," she said with a pout that rivaled the heroine on the screen. "What shall I do?"

Tony smirked, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," and with that, Tony closed the door.
Steve turned and looked at Tony expectantly as soon as the walked a little ways away. "What's happened?"

"Thor's back," said Tony. "He'll be here soon. Says there is another threat."

"How serious is it?"

"As for right now?" Tony asked. "Apparently not too important if he is spending a couple days with his woman. Just thought you should start preparing Ruth in combat."

And with that, Tony turned and walked away without another word.