Across the Universe

“Men and women of the shield, hear me! I demand to speak with Son of Coul! The matters are urgent!” A demanding voice echoed throughout the halls of the S.H.I.E.L.D. building. The situation room had been crowded with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents when the power had sparked out and a terrible crack of lightning had blinded them, giving way to the hulking, handsome man that now stood before them. The agents had instinctively ducked behind their desks and drawn their weapons, aiming at the impressive man before them. He was armored from head to toe, wearing a regal red cape and had long blond hair; it was like something from another century.

Emergency lighting kicked on seconds later, filling the room with an ethereal orange glow but the man still stood in front of the crowd, not bothered by the guns aimed at him, He held a large hammer at the ready, a hammer of legend.

“Sir, we’re going to need you to drop your weapon!” One of the agents shouted, hands shaking as they stared at the god-like man in front of them.

“Where is Son of Coul? I must speak with him! I demand to know why your kind interferes with the other realms! We were promised this would not happen! Why is it humans have gone back on their word?” The man bellowed over the heads of the others, searching the room for an Agent who hadn’t yet arrived. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. were unsure what to do. Protocol told them to disarm any intruders but it seemed like an impossible task.

“What’s going on? What is it?” Maria Hill ran down the hall, gun in hand only to see the Asgardian God towering in front of her, much to the surprise and concern of the other agents. “Put your weapons down! Stand down!” Maria instructed, walking past them and toward the man cautiously. “This is Thor of Asgard and he is our ally! We do not attack our allies!”

The other agents didn’t seem so convinced of his allegiance and judging by the look on Thor’s face neither was he. However, he seemed to realize that Maria was in charge of those around him. If there were answers to be had then she would likely have them. She’d arrived only moments ago via helicopter with Agent Pierce and Dr. Banner but had been in the control room overlooking the situation room. When the power had gone out she’d been surveying the damage and taking readings on the bizarre storm that had whipped up partway through their trip. The rest of the helicopters and planes had been grounded by air traffic control until the bad weather had passed.

“You! Noble woman!” He held out his hammer, pointing it at Maria who stood still and surprised but kept her calm the best that she could. Keeping her cool under pressure had been how Maria Hill had gotten into a position of power in the first place. Still, having a hammer forged from the heart of a dying star by dwarven blacksmiths was intimidating. “I must speak with Son of Coul, where is he? I was led to believe this is where he stays or is that yet another lie perpetuated by your kind to placate the other realms?”

“There’s been an incident in our realm and I’m afraid your storm has waylaid his return!” Maria hoped that she could calm the Asgardian for long enough until she could contact Coulson. Bruce, Mickey, Jinx, Scarlett and Steve had run toward the situation room when sparks of lightning had flown from the disabled lights in their laboratory and now stood waiting, staring in wonder at the Asgardian who was all but a rumor to most of the agents.

“My storm?” Thor was suspicious and twisted the hammer in his grip.

“Our planes can’t stay in the air in this kind of weather. The lightning is too dangerous.” Maria nodded and at once the storm calmed outside the building and everything stopped trembling. The emergency lighting stayed in effect regardless. The damage the storm had already done to New York City’s power grid couldn’t be reversed so easily.

“Who are you, noble woman of the shield?”

“My name is Agent Maria Hill and I work with Agent Coulson. What brings the son of Odin back to earth?” Maria’s hands were shaking. As much as most of the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had seen throughout their careers and as much as they knew about the other realms existing, it was completely different experiencing the presence of one of these alien beings standing in their midst. It was fascinating and terrifying all at once.

“Can you tell me, Agent Maria Hill, who it is on this realm that is meddling with nine realms?”

“Meddling with the nine realms?” Scarlett whispered to Bruce in awe but the doctor was barely focused on anything but the large man in the center of the situation room. “Is he serious?” Bruce shook his head, unsure and just as surprised by this man as the others were.

“No one here has contacted Asgard or any of the other realms, of that I can assure you, Thor.” Maria spoke clearly but was puzzled by his claims. What was happening in the nine realms and why would they assume that anyone there on earth would have something to do with it? In comparison to the other realms earth, or Midgard, was one of the more primitive. Most of its residents had no idea of the existence of the other realms. Thor searched the room suspiciously judging all those present. There were familiar faces, but none that he recognized.

“Asgard has been devastated by someone’s feeble attempts to travel between the realms with use of magic beyond their understanding!” He approached the crowd gathered near the hallway, scrutinizing each of those who stood in awe. Guns had at long last been lowered but not all of the agents seemed as confident that Thor wouldn’t harm them as Maria seemed to be so still held them at the ready. “A human’s attempts at dark magic, of that we are sure.” Thor walked closer to the hallway and then pointed at the group crowded there. Scarlett made eye contact with the hulking man and saw recognition on his face. “You! You are responsible for this! I would recognize that face anywhere!”

Scarlett backed up and wondered what on earth Thor could have meant by that. He was clearly pointing at her. Had the same shadows that attacked them been attempting to cross into to Asgard as well? Were they having the same problem that they were having there on earth? Maybe it was a problem throughout all these other nine realms! Where the hell was Asgard anyway? Wasn’t that some Norse mythology bullshit? First there were other universes and people who could manipulate portals to cross through them and now there was an Asgard? Really?

“You have to be mistaken.” Steve instantly defended Scarlett, aware of the shadow doppelganger that had met them the night before. Besides, Scarlett wouldn’t have known how to cross realms, he was sure of it. The sort of science she had specialized in was very much of this earth.

“Are you saying that I am wrong? That this woman is not the one that I had seen with my own eyes? Bathed in shadow and destroying some of our greatest warriors? I am no fool!” Thor shouted in anger. Clearly lives had been lost in Asgard; Scarlett could see the pain in his eyes. “I have vowed to find the person responsible and put a stop to their meddling in the nine realms!”

“I’m flattered and all, but I’ve been a little too busy lately to be meddling with other realms. This realm keeps me plenty busy. Besides, I didn’t even know there were other realms until yesterday.” Scarlett scoffed. Maria knew just as well as the others that Scarlett had definitely been with them for a majority of the day. However, there was a large chunk of time where they had been unaware of her location. She didn’t believe that Scarlett had been responsible for anything that had occurred but they couldn’t discount that she was somehow involved, even if it was unintentionally. One of the shadows that had attacked them in the mall looked remarkably like her. How could she just explain that away?

“Detain her.” Maria nodded toward some of the agents nearby but no one moved. “We have to get this sorted out.” A handful of agents approached Scarlett who backed away from them, giving them a look as if to dare them to do just that.

“She was with us the entire afternoon! I don’t know who this guy is, but he’s mistaken!” Mickey shouted in frustration, but then quieted upon realizing everyone was staring at her.

“How could she have possibly been messing around with realms that no one here was made aware of? This is technology beyond our reach, or at least that’s what S.H.I.E.L.D. has led us to believe.” Bruce echoed Mickey’s sentiment but there was a note of frustration in his voice. Deceit was the number one hot button for Dr. Banner. He seemed to be taking deep breaths to remain calm while tensions were high.

“Scarlett had disappeared for an extended period of time earlier in the day. No technology of ours could locate her.” Maria corrected, looking to Scarlett apologetically. This wasn’t how she wanted things to transpire but Thor was standing menacingly nearby and there was no other way they could diffuse the dangerous situation with an Asgardian God with powers beyond their understanding. They had to find peace first and if that meant letting Scarlett sit in a cell for a short period of time then so be it.

“Fighting for S.H.I.E.L.D, in case you forgot.” Scarlett rolled her eyes and then once again took a step away from agents who were coming toward her to detain her. At some point she had come to terms with the fact that it was likely she would wind up in a S.H.I.E.L.D. prison cell and had already prepared herself for escape, but she had not expected it to happen when she hadn’t yet done something wrong… at least not recently.

“Can any of you vouch for her whereabouts exactly during that time? You said it yourself Dr. Banner, your machines went offline and no one could contact her. What about you Agent Bennett? Her headset went offline shortly after her arrival on scene, no?” Maria clarified.

“I told you something bad was going to happen.” Jinx whispered to Scarlett who had finally been grabbed by both arms by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. She didn’t see the point in fighting, not when things were so crazy. They were going to detain her now regardless and putting up a fight would only make her seem guilty.

“Of course, but everyone’s radio went offline during the incident.” Bruce argued regaining his calm head. Scarlett was going to ask how the hell he did that. Seeing him calm somehow made her feel calm. “Including yours, Agent Hill. Are we going to put you in a cell too?”

“I’m well aware of the situation Dr. Banner. The fact is that we have an Asgardian here who is outright accusing her. When he accuses me, we can talk about that cell.” Maria nodded to the agents who were pulling Scarlett away from the group gathered in the hallway. On command they brought her closer to Maria and she didn’t fight. Mickey nodded to Jinx who backed up behind her, hidden thanks to her height. “Until we’re sure that she has nothing to do with this we’re going to keep her under wraps.” Maria looked apologetically toward Scarlett then to Thor who was narrowing his eyes suspiciously at Scarlett, weighing the validity of the human’s claims.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Scarlett shook her handcuffed hands behind her and then glared at Maria in frustration. “I don’t care who he is. You know as well as I do what he saw, Agent Hill.”

“Look, it’s nothing personal, Miss Damien. And it’s just a precaution until things are sorted out.” Maria held her hand up calmly, attempting to ease their minds but no one in the hallway was amused by the fact that Scarlett was being detained. Even Steve looked irritated and Scarlett was sure they still weren’t on the same page. “Don’t worry so much. This is only temporary. Until the big hammer wielding god is satisfied we’re not meddling with his homeland we’re going to keep her in custody. Sorry.”

“Guys, it’s alright.” Scarlett nodded toward the others, but she was none too pleased. This weekend was really not going her way. It couldn’t get much worse, she theorized. Besides, if she deemed it necessary she’d break out of S.H.I.E.L.D. custody and they’d never see her again. For now, she’d do what they say in hopes Maria wasn’t just blowing smoke up her ass. When she got out of custody she wanted to know more about Asgard and what the hell this man was exactly. Where were the nine realms and how many other universes was S.H.I.E.L.D. aware of and not telling anyone about?

Jinx wasn’t paying attention to the conversation anymore. When Mickey had stood in front of her to block her from view she’d taken her leave and rushed down the hallway as quietly as she could. It wasn’t right that they were taking their own agents into custody, particularly after they’d gone above and beyond the call of duty that afternoon to save lives. She didn’t doubt for a second that Scarlett was innocent of anything Thor could be accusing her of. There had to be a better explanation than that. Besides, it was more likely that Thor had seen the woman from the portal that had appeared to Scarlett the night before and not Scarlett herself.

Scarlett was helping S.H.I.E.L.D, there was no way she was behind any of the damage being done throughout the tri-state area and she would prove it on her own if she had to. Once Jinx was around the corner she took off at a run toward her desk. Her computer was still connected to the auxiliary power that S.H.I.E.L.D. had repaired after the generators had been destroyed weeks prior. From there it’d be easy enough to put her plan into action.

“Mr. Stark, I hate to be a bother but I need you to return to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters right away.” Jinx checked up and down the hallway before speaking into her headset. She’d easily hacked into his communication systems and was surprised when he responded that he was already on the way back. He expressed how impressed he was with her for hacking her own system and she apologized. They spoke only for a second after that. Jinx didn’t trust that the others wouldn’t be following after her soon if they caught onto what she was doing. She arranged to meet with Tony on the roof of the building now that the lightning had calmed enough to keep her out of harm’s way. Twenty minutes past and she took to hiding from the rain in the stairwell while keeping an eye out for Tony.

From what she could hear over her earpiece no one had been dismissed from the situation room when she’d snuck away and it was likely she would wind up being reprimanded for her actions but she didn’t care. Things at S.H.I.E.L.D. had been bizarre lately, more bizarre than usual, and if anyone knew when to trust their instincts it was Jinx. Finally Tony appeared in the distance and Jinx stepped out into the wind and rain that left Agent Bennett chilled to the bone.

“What is it? What’s so important you didn’t want to discuss it over the radio?” Tony ordered the suit to peel off of him once again. He’d done the heavy lifting required by S.H.I.E.L.D. and had immediately turned back toward Manhattan once he’d finished. Something about the sudden onset of the storm had rubbed him the wrong way and he had the distinct feeling he wasn’t where he really needed to be. Even Jarvis had expressed his concern with the weather and the drastic turn it had taken. Rain was common in the New York area that time of year but thunderstorms were not. It was the time of the cold rainy transition in weather before the winter snow that would fall in December.

Every news station had issued a severe storm warning for the surrounding counties in rapid succession and Tony had received several alerts and warnings from the FAA about flights being delayed until the storm past. Tony had, of course, ignored all these warnings and taken flight anyway. He blamed lack of communication on interference from the weather until Jinx had hacked into the S.H.I.E.L.D. feed and gotten in touch with him.

Jinx was nervous to speak with Tony Stark directly, seeing as it was usually Mickey’s problem to deal with the stubborn billionaire but her fear outweighed her nerves and she explained what had transpired within the S.H.I.E.L.D. control room quickly. While she wasn’t sure how to describe Thor she simply called him an important man who has a deal with S.H.I.E.L.D. and accused Scarlett of being involved with something going on in his homeland. It was too complicated to explain that he was a God from another realm and that the portals had apparently been affecting more than just Manhattan and the surrounding states.

“So she’s locked up now? Just like that? They took the word of this guy? Innocent until proven guilty my ass.” Tony rubbed his hand over the five o’clock shadow that now accompanied his usually immaculately trimmed goatee.

“Yes. Agent Hill says it’s just a precaution but this whole thing isn’t sitting right with me. This isn’t how we’re supposed to work cases.” Jinx scowled, shivering and staring longingly toward the door that would take them downstairs and out of the rain. “I have a bad feeling…”

“You did the right thing calling me. Where is she being held? Do you know? If not, can you find out?”

“The cells are all underground and I don’t have access to them directly. None of the handlers do.” Jinx reassured Tony who was heading toward the door and barely listening. “I’d have to do some creative computing…” Once she’d said she didn’t have access to Scarlett’s location what Jinx was going on about was of no importance to Tony.

“Is Coulson back yet? What does he have to say about all this?”

“I don’t know. I left while they were still in the situation room discussing the situation. I wasn’t even permitted to leave but I snuck away. It’s possible Scarlett isn’t even in holding yet.”

“Then I better move fast.” Tony headed into the stairwell and waited for Jinx to follow him before he hurried down them. He removed his phone from his pocket and had Jarvis scan for Scarlett’s signal. He found it underground, faint but still visible thanks to the advanced technology he’d had built into both of their phones.

“Agent Hill!” Tony shouted down the hall as he ran toward the familiar situation room. Before he could realize she wasn’t there any longer and the crowd had dispersed, he heard another familiar voice.

“Where is Agent Coulson meeting with the Asgardian?” Steve Rogers was looking to Jinx for answers but she didn’t have any. The short brunette was flustered to say the least.

“You’re going to have to wait Rogers. What do you want with him anyway?” Tony interrupted before Jinx could respond even though she’d already begun to speak. He’d never seen eye to eye with Captain America but now was not the time for an argument with him. Yet, he couldn’t resist giving Mr. Goody Two Shoes a hard time.

“It’s none of your business, now is it Stark?” Steve stopped short when he heard the familiar voice of the billionaire. Even though Tony was standing right next to Jinx he hadn’t noticed he was there.

“Uh, yeah I sorta think it is. Especially if it has anything to do with my, you know, girlfriend.” Tony ran his fingers through his wet hair again, trying to prevent it from sticking to his forehead. Steve noticed this action and held back a heavy sigh. Even when his so-called girlfriend was being held prisoner by S.H.I.E.L.D. he was thinking about himself, his appearance, what others thought of him. It frustrated Steve to no end.

“Agent Bennett, do you have any idea where they took Miss Damien? Do you know where they’re meeting with the Asgardian?” Steve repeated to Jinx, ignoring Tony’s attempts to do whatever it was he was doing. Captain Rogers didn’t much care, he was more concerned with speaking with Coulson. He had missed out on the big to-do in New Jersey and had regretted going. Clint Barton had convinced him to stay at his art class even though he’d offered to leave, saying that it was no big deal. Then he’d caught on the news that there was some kind of gas leak in New Jersey and knew at once that things were not as they appeared. Whenever there was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent at the press conference feeding some benign story, it was likely a big cover up. He didn’t exactly approve of the way that S.H.I.E.L.D. handled emergency situations but he understood not wanting to create a panic over what even official organizations like theirs didn’t quite understand.

Sometimes unpredictable situations were best kept hidden until they could be better comprehended by the general public.

“Excuse me, but don’t you think I might already be on top of this? Seeing as she’s my girlfriend and all, it’s not really any of your business is it?” Tony couldn’t believe that Steve was seriously trying to get information out of Jinx when she had come off of the roof with him to lead him to Scarlett, or at least that was what Tony had hoped they were going to do. If Coulson didn’t let her go he was going to have a serious problem on his hands. He didn’t have time for Captain Condescending and the excuses he surely had for S.H.I.E.L.D. and their behavior. There was more than one reason that Tony wasn’t on their regular payroll. They only resorted to him when they absolutely had to and while that was frequent, they knew that Tony refused to accept anything on face value.

There was a rhyme and a reason for everything and if Tony didn’t know all the answers he would surely find them and that didn’t sit well with S.H.I.E.L.D. In their organization, like most of their size and authority, their subordinates were to do what their told, damn the reasons why. Tony had seen what blind faith in humanity did to his company when he left the fate of it in the hands of people he thought he trusted and it hadn’t been pretty.

“Why would you be on top of anything except your own ego, huh?” Steve narrowed his eyes at Tony. He’d seen the papers that morning even though he’d most certainly not wanted to. The media had changed since before he’d been frozen. It was almost impossible to avoid all the celebrity gossip that was thrown in people’s faces every day. He’d seen what Tony had done, or had been accused of doing. There were plenty of situations that could be misconstrued by a reporter but pictures certainly didn’t lie. Steve could only sit there thinking of the way that Scarlett had defended Tony the night before. That was the faithful kind of woman you respected. While he hadn’t necessarily felt like that when he’d first found out who she was, he’d since seen the light.

“Why don’t you mind your own business, Cap?” Tony wasn’t on top of his sarcastic jokes at the moment. Nothing seemed particularly funny that evening, not after everything he’d been through. His head was still pounding from that morning. It was like the hangover was eternal, that was his punishment for infidelity and mistrust: a forever headache with a hint of nausea.

“This is my business too, Stark. As much as it is yours.”

“And what the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“She’s my partner! I think that makes it my business.”

“Since when?”

“Gentleman… please!” Jinx tried to interrupt but her soft voice was completely ignored by the taller men in front of her. She looked behind her nervously in hopes that she could perhaps find someone with more information to help her. They were never going to get anywhere if the super heroes kept arguing with each other instead of working toward their common goal. Thankfully for her, Mickey was standing at the end of the hall, searching from side to side. She found Jinx and ran toward her hurriedly. The two talked in hushed tones while Tony and Steve continued to argue.

“Well, some partner you are. Certainly were there to take care of her today, weren’t you? Or is that not how things were in 1910?”

“Unlike some people I trust that she could take care of herself! And it was the 1940s!” Steve retorted in frustration. Talking to Tony was never as simple as having a conversation. Then again, he’d come in angry to begin with. Neither man was in their right mind and yet here they were arguing over nothing. Steve could see it happening, but he couldn’t make himself stop either.

“What do you know about trust? And about Scarlett? What, did she tell you her whole life story on the first night?” Tony wasn’t sure why he was angry to begin with. What had Scarlett told him about their relationship? Why would she tell Steve anything? He’d had to pry every piece of personal information from Scarlett with sweet talk, alcohol, and the occasional threat. Why would she tell Steve Rogers, of all people, anything personal? It was like rubbing salt in the wound and Tony couldn’t admit it to himself.

“A whole lot more than you do, Stark!”

“I am not in the mood so get out of my way, Rogers. I’ve got to go get Coulson to let Scarlett out of that cell. If she stays down there it’s going to be trouble. You have no idea. I don’t have time to argue with you about it.”

“Why would I argue with you about that?” Steve looked confused. What were they fighting about anyway? Sometimes they bickered so much that Steve wasn’t even sure why they were bickering. Tony rubbed him the wrong way on a constant basis and it was clear Tony wasn’t in the mood to even give him a sassy nickname.

“…excuse me?” Tony was just as confused as Steve was. He had been sure that he was going to be stopped in his tracks by the good-boy Captain America. He’d expected to hear a line about protocol and how Coulson must have known what he was doing by sending Scarlett to a cell but apparently that was not what he was planning on saying. “Hold on, what is it you were asking the creepy eyed chick?” Tony nodded toward Jinx who he assumed remained nearby but paid no mind to. He was no good with names, especially with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. He made it a point only to recall the ones that seemed important and so far he’d only known Jinx for a few moments.

“Agent Bennett, you mean.” Steve disapproved of Tony’s attitude and folded his arms over his chest. “I was here to ask her if she had any clue where Coulson was meeting with the Asgardian. She’s been accused of meddling with other worlds and I thought I could provide some insight.”

“Insight?”

“Yes, I may be old fashioned Stark, but I’m not clueless. I can put two and two together just as quickly as you can.”

“I’m shocked, truly. And what is this insight anyway?”

“There was a strange woman we encountered last night and she looked remarkably like Miss Damien. At first glance I thought it was some trick of the mirror that had appeared to us, but no. She attacked, she had form, and upon closer inspection she was different. Maybe what the Asgardian saw was that woman and not Miss Damien who was, as I understand it, preoccupied at the time.”

“So, you are going to try and talk Coulson into letting her go?”

“Of course I am.” Steve wondered why Tony would assume anything else but that. Wasn’t he supposed to defend his partner? Besides, he knew Scarlett was just as curious about the portals as he had been the night before. There was no way, even for a genius of Scarlett’s caliber, that she could have figured it out and meddled with other universes in less than twenty four hours.

“Then why are we fighting?”

“That’s what I was trying to tell you.” Jinx reappeared somewhat mysteriously beside them. Tony nearly jumped out of his skin upon seeing her but Steve seemed less disconcerted by her sudden appearance. “Look, Mickey followed Agent Hill and Thor down to a meeting room on B1. She said that Coulson met them shortly after and Maria left to go check on Scarlett. I can bring you there right now but Coulson’s not going to be happy about it.”

“Well then he can take some Zoloft and get over it.” Tony grimaced.

“Lead the way, Miss Pierce.” Steve gestured toward Mickey who was still standing awkwardly nearby as though she was unsure what to do with herself. Nothing about this day was sitting right with any of them. It was like a bad dream! Mickey, still flustered, started down the hallway. At first Jinx didn’t follow. She wasn’t sure they wanted her to come along but Tony gestured for her to join them.

“You said Thor?” Tony whispered. He didn’t want to show up to the party without all the right information.

“It’s a really long story.” Jinx winced, unsure if she was supposed to fill Tony in on the situation. Steve had referred to this Thor as the Asgardian and while Tony recognized the words from Norse lore he was sure that there was no stock in them. S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn’t possibly be hiding the existence of gods amongst them, could they? One thing at a time. First he had to get Scarlett out of a S.H.I.E.L.D. prison cell that was likely designed for her specifically and then he could figure out who Thor was and why they were calling him an Asgardian.

Plus he was still steaming that Steve knew more about what was going on with Scarlett than he did! Why didn’t she tell him about what they’d seen the night before? Oh, right, because he’d come home drunk after making a public ass out of himself and had not even asked how her day had gone. That’s why.

“Later.” Tony nodded. Mickey led them downstairs and through the winding hallways designed to evade the memory inside the S.H.I.E.L.D. building. When they finally got to where they were instructed Coulson was speaking with Thor Steve instructed their escorts to stop and return to what they were doing. Steve didn’t want them to get in trouble for assisting them and leading them to restricted areas within the S.H.I.E.L.D. building. Even Captain America didn’t have access past some doorways where different key codes and ID cards were required. Tony had offered to hack his way through since the power was already weakened but Steve had preferred to break the law as little as possible.

Tony had pointed out that it didn’t matter how they got past the doorway, they broke the law just passing through it. Steve had preferred not to hack into the computer system, he said it was unreliable. The keycards were designed to work. Tony rolled his eyes but had followed along because there was no point in arguing.

Once at the door Steve stopped to make a game plan. Before he could open his mouth Tony shoved the door open and interrupted the conversation going on within it. The large armored man got to his feet and held his hammer threateningly aimed toward the newcomers but Phil Coulson didn’t seem at all surprised by the fact that they’d shown up.

“It’s okay, they’re friends.” Coulson sat up straight in his chair and adjusted his jacket.

“Sorry to interrupt, but we need to speak with you.” Steve had hesitantly followed after Tony and hoped to calm the situation before it flew off the handle. He didn’t know much about Thor but he knew the man was formidable just by looking at him. Tony was staring at Thor in awe, confused by his appearance but mostly amused.

“You have to let Scarlett go.” Tony nodded toward the door. He could ask about Thor later, for now there were more important things. Thor didn’t seem to trust that the two were as friendly as Coulson had claimed and stared them down. “She’s not going to handle being held captive very well and I’m not exactly sure you understand how much trouble she can cause.”

“We can handle Scarlett.” Coulson seemed partially amused by the notion that Scarlett could get out of their cells but Tony shook his head in dismay.

“You can’t hold her down there! What right do you have? You’re not above the law and there’s no evidence that she’s done anything wrong.” Tony argued, frustrated that this had come to exactly what Scarlett had been trying to avoid! She’d only ever considered working for S.H.I.E.L.D. to strike her record clean to begin with. How frustrated she must be to be constantly shut down while trying to do the right thing.

“Oh, if we wanted her to be in prison she’d be in prison but listen, Stark…”

“Don’t ‘listen Stark’ me, Coulson. You let her go. Now!”

“Agent Coulson, Mr. Stark has a point.” Steve chimed in, walking around the table. Thor still looked uneasy about the newcomers. He knew strong warriors when he saw them and the two men that had entered the room would’ve been ready for a fight. “She hasn’t done anything wrong. We debriefed you on the incident last night and I have reason to believe that the woman we saw inside the portal is behind whatever it is this gentleman is here to report…”

“Stark, Rogers, I need you both to calm down.” Coulson finally stood up and held his hand out to quiet them. Thor seemed to relax a little when they both quieted and opted to listen to the official looking man. “I know Scarlett’s not responsible for what’s going on in Asgard.” Tony was having a hard time wrapping his head around the idea of Asgard, but he wasn’t letting that show. “I was just explaining to Thor here what has been happening in our world. Apparently we are not the only realm experiencing this phenomenon.”

“Son of Coul speaks truthfully.” Thor spoke politely and seemed far less threatening as he approached them. They were obviously concerned for their friend. “Whatever it is that is attempting to cross over into your world first did so in ours and the path of destruction it created was vile. I must admit that I was fooled by your Miss Damien. The woman we saw in the shadows looked remarkably similar. Unfortunately I could not get a good enough look in all the destruction to truly see her. I hear that a similar problem here has occurred.”

“Yes, we have cause to believe that whatever is controlling the portal is creating mimicked versions of anyone who has touched it.” Coulson pointed to the folder that was on the desk and the papers that were spread across it, obviously having been shown to Thor to explain the scenario in hopes of keeping him from blaming them for the disasters that had happened in his world. Steve wondered if that was true. Hadn’t the woman in the portal appeared before Scarlett had stepped through it? In fact, Scarlett had been pushed through the portal by the woman otherwise she never would’ve gotten that close to it in the first place.

Regardless of what he knew to be true, he didn’t point it out. They didn’t understand the science of the portal. Even Tony Stark was confused by the events going on around them and with time hopefully everything would explain itself. Steve relied on his gut. He knew that Scarlett hadn’t done anything worthy of being locked in a prison cell and that was all that mattered to him. It was the right thing to do.

“Then what the hell are we still doing here?” Tony was confused. He didn’t care about Thor, he didn’t care about the portal, not now. Why was Scarlett still in a prison cell? Coulson had a radio, he didn’t have to detain her in the first place! Was he trying to send her a message? If so, what was the message? This whole thing stunk of corporate meddling and Tony didn’t like it.

“We were just on our way out.” Coulson hoped to keep Tony from exploding. He looked like he was ready to crack. “Agent Hill, we’re on our way for Miss Damien. Could you get everything ready please?” He spoke into his radio and got a confirmation seconds later. “We’re going to collect Miss Damien and have an official debriefing to get this all sorted out. Thor wants to have a word with her.”

“Yeah, I’m sure she’ll love to chat up Fabio after he accused her of murder.”

“Fabio?” Thor was confused by the name. “My name is Thor, Sir Stark.” Thor had caught onto the name when Coulson had referenced him. “We have not yet been introduced, my apologies.”

“It was a joke, Captain Obvious.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand. Fabio isn’t a funny name.” Thor blinked in surprise. The thunder outside boomed threateningly and shook the building. It wasn’t as loud as it had been before but it was still loud enough to startle those inside.

“Any chance you could make that stop for a little while? It’s really done a number on us.” Phil slowed so that he could wait for the others to join him when they hadn’t immediately followed him down the hallway.

“It doesn’t always work like that.” For the first time since his arrival Thor actually smiled. He had a charming smile and sparkling blue eyes.

“Coulson?” Maria’s voice on the radio interrupted the conversation as they walked down the hallway and toward the stairwell that led down to the prison cells.

“Yes, Agent Hill?”

“We have a problem.” Coulson stopped walking and the others following him stopped too. He held up his hand to silence them and then clicked his radio again.

“What is it?”

“Miss Damien is gone.”