----- May 3rd, 2012 4:27 PM - North Atlantic Ocean ----- 

== Third Person POV ==

A quinjet is seen landing on the Helicarrier. When the back opens Coulson steps out, followed by Steve just behind him. 

Natasha makes her way toward them.

"Agent Romanoff, Captain Rogers," Coulson introduces.

"Ma'am," Steve greets her.

"Hi," She says to him before telling Coulson, "They need you on the bridge. They're starting the face trace."

"See you there," Agent Coulson tells them as he walks off. 

Natasha and Steve begin walking along the Helicarrier. Many SHIELD Agents were up top as well, walking, driving, and generally moving around.

"It was quite the buzz around here, finding you and Y/N in the ice. Thought Coulson was gonna swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?," Natasha asks.

"Trading cards?"

"They're vintage. He's very proud."

They both look over to their left as they hear yelling. It was Y/N. It wasn't really aggressive but it was definitely yelling.

== Y/N's POV ==

"Woah, Hey!! Be careful with that. It's very important. Bring it to the lab inside," I yell to two SHIELD Agents as they carry a crate.

They better bring it inside. I swear if I find out they left it in storage or something, I'm gonna be pissed. 

"What was that?," I hear a woman say to my left.

I look over to see Natasha and Steve. Jesus, it's been months since I last saw him.

"That was nothing. Just a.. project I'm working on," I tell her before turning to Steve, "Hello there, Old Man. What's it been? Two months."

Steve lets out a smile, "I saw what you did back in January. I guess we can add flight and laser vision to the list of your growing abilities."

"Oh, You have no idea," I say as I walk past them, causing them to start following next to me.

Within a few seconds, we see Bruce Banner as he awkwardly looks around the Helicarrier and nearly bumps into a few people. He eventually notices us and quickly makes his way toward us.

"Doctor Banner," Steve greets as he shakes Bruce's hand.

"Yeah, hi. They told me you'd becoming," He says before he looks at me then to Steve then back to me, "Oh, You're Superman. How didn't I realize that sooner?"

"Considering they kept my name out of the comics and such, It's not that surprising. But enough about me, Word is you can find the Cube?"

"Is that the only word on me?"

"Only word we care about," Steve tells him.

"...Must be strange for you two, all of this," Bruce says.

This is nothing compared to the other things that have happened. And I've adjusted rather well.

"Well, this is actually kind of familiar," Steve admits.

"Gentlemen, you might wanna step inside in a minute. It's gonna get a little had to breathe," Natasha says.

There's a loud whirring and clunking sound. Bruce and Steve make their way to the edge of the helicarrier.

"Is this a submarine?," Steve asks to no one in particular.

"Really, they want me in a submerged pressurized metal container?," says Bruce.

They look over the edge as the propellers emerge from underwater and begin to spin. Eventually the carrier begins to lift into the air.

"Oh no, this is much worse," Bruce mutters out loud.

 I stand there chuckling as the helicarrier begins ascending higher and higher.

When the three of them make their way inside, I stand outside for a few moments as we go higher. I look off the edge quickly before heading inside after them.

I catch up as they enter the bridge. Fury was standing in the center as one of the agents walked up to him.

"All engines operating. SHIELD emergency protocol one nine three point six in effect. We're at level, sir," She tells him. 

"Good. Let's vanish," Fury tells them.

"Engage retro reflection panels," She says to the other Agents.

Fury turns to us, "Gentlemen," then says to Bruce, "Doctor, thank you for coming."

They shake hands as Bruce says, "Thanks for asking nicely. So, um, how long am I staying?"

"Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the wind," Fury explains.

"Well where are you with that?"

Coulson speaks up from over near where they're performing the face trace, "We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. Cell phones, laptops, if it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us." 

I look over at Steve to see him confused of what's being said.  Natasha was crouched looking at a computer as it traces.

"It's still not gonna find them in time," Natasha says.

"You have to narrow your field. How many Spectrometers do you have access to?" Bruce asks.

"How many are there?"

"Call every lab you know. Tell them to put the Spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for Gamma rays. I'll rough out a tracking algorithm, basic cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places. Do you have somewhere for me to work?"

"Agent Romanoff, would you show Doctor Banner to his laboratory, please?" Fury asks Natasha.

Natasha walks over to Bruce and they begin walking out of the bridge area, "You're gonna love it, Doc. We got all the toys."

Steve comes up next to me as they leave, "Did you understand a thing they said?"

I look at him and smirk, "Clearly more than you."

As soon as Fury walks further away from us, Coulson casually makes his way next to Steve and I. A few seconds go by until Coulson reaches into his jacket and pulls out a set of cards and a sharpie.

He turns to me with a nervous smile while holding them up, "Would you mind signing these?"

Without hesitating, I agree and sign my name on them.

He turns to Steve as I hand them back, "I'd ask you too but I only have these on me currently. I mean, if it's not too much trouble."

"No-no, it's fine," Steve tells him.

I stand there, trying to stifle a laugh.

"They're vintage sets. Took me a couple of years to collect them all. Near mint, slight foxing around the edges but--" He gets cut off as he tries to explain.

"We got a hit. Sixty seven percent match. Wait- cross-match, seventy nine percent," A bald man announces.

"Location?" Coulson asks.

"Stuttgart, Germany. Twenty eight, Konigstrasse. He's not exactly hiding."

"Captain, you're up," Fury says from behind us. 

Steve turns to me, "You joining?"

"Unfortunately, I can't. I have something else I need to take care of. But you can handle it."

Steve nods before he makes his way out the room. I exit soon after and make my way toward the Lab.

__________

----- May 3rd, 2012 10:52 PM - Stuttgart, Germany ----- 

== Third Person POV ==

String quartet No. 13 can be heard playing in a large ballroom filled with people talking, mingling. Loki Laufeyson is seen walking down stairs from a balcony. 

The man he's after is at a podium talking. Loki makes his way toward the man from behind.

When he gets close enough, his targets bodyguard notices and turns to stop him. Loki flips his scepter and bashes it against his head.

The guests stop and stare in fear. 

Loki swiftly grabs the man on the podium and flips him onto a statue. He then pulls out a device that opens at the tip. Without hesitating he jams it into the mans eye socket.

The guests scatter in horror, screaming, running away as Loki lets out a small Cheshire grin.

People flee the gala, screaming, and Loki follows. As he slowly makes his way after them, his clothes phase into his Asgardian attire. He blasts a police car as it speeds toward him, flipping it over. 

Multiple versions of Loki appear around the crowd, "Kneel before me," but the crowd doesn't listen causing all Loki's to slam their scepters against the ground and yell, "I said.. KNEEL!!" 

The people hurry, dropping to their knees in terror. 

Loki makes his way through the mob of people, "Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end.. you will always kneel."

A German old man slowly gets to his feet, "Not to men like you."

"There are no men like me."

"There are always men like you," The man insists.

Loki raises his scepter, "Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example." 

Loki fires his scepter but the blast is interrupted by a shield dropping from the sky. And behind that shield was Captain America. The blast was sent back toward Loki, knocking him to the ground.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."

"The soldier," Loki quickly rises to his feet, "the man out of time."

"I'm not the one who's out of time," Steve retorts.

The quinjet comes in behind Cap with Black Widow inside. A gun unfolds from the underside of the plane. 

Over a speaker Natasha speaks, "Loki, drop the weapon and stand down."

Loki fires at the jet and it banks hard to avoid it. Cap tosses his shield at Loki as he runs in closer. They collide weapons a few times before Loki knocks Steve back a few feet.

Steve throws his shield again but Loki knocks it off to the side. Loki swings his scepter and Steve ducks back.

Loki gets hit with an uppercut to the gut as he swings the scepter to Caps back to knock his over.

Steve goes to stand but Loki pushes the bottom of the scepter to the back of his head, "Kneel!"

Cap grabs the scepter and pushes it back, "Not today."

He jumps up and does a spin-kick to Loki's face. The two continue to fight. 

Natasha, in her Black Widow suit, is trying to figure out how to take a shot. 

"Guy's all over the place," she says to the Co-Pilot.

She hears a voice over her ear piece, "Agent Romanoff, you miss me?"

The computer screen shows the message 'PA SYSTEMS OVERRIDE' as 'Shoot to Thrill' by AC/DC begins to play. 

Natasha smiles heavily. 

Someone can be seen flying down from the sky. They drop to the ground and fires a blast, knocking Loki down.

It was Iron Man.

Tony holds up his repulsor and rockets come up from his shoulders,  "Make a move reindeer games." 

Steve appears next to Tony as Loki's Asgardian garb fades away. He slowly raises his hands. 

Tony quickly puts everything away, "Good move." 

The quinjet begins to descend behind them. 

"Mister Stark," Steve greets, out of breath.

"Captain." 

__________

The quinjet is flying through dark clouds. The dark clouds may mean a storm is coming.

Natasha is piloting the quinjet. 

Loki is strapped down in the back of the plane. 

Cap, in suit but no cowl, and Tony, in the suit but without the helmet, are standing behind the cockpit.

"He saying anything?" Fury says to Natasha over her ear piece.

"Not a word," she tells him.

"Just get him here, we're low on time."

"I don't like it," Steve says to Tony.

"What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?"

"I don't remember it being that easy. This guy packs a wallop," he explains.

"Still, you were pretty spry, for an older fellow... What's your thing? Pilates?"

"What?," Steve asks, confused.

"It's like calisthenics. You might have missed a couple of things. Y'know, doing time as a Cap-sicle."

Steve changes the subject, "Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in."

"Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you," Tony says, cryptically.

There's a flash of lightening and a roar of thunder coming from outside. 

"Where's this come from?," Natasha rhetorically asks.

In the back, Loki leans forward as he looking around. His eyes were a bit wider than normal. 

Steve sees this and asks him, "What's the matter? Scared of a little lightening?"

"..I'm not overly fond of what follows."

A crash is heard and felt on top of the quinjet. Something as landed. 

Tony, Steve, and Natasha look up. The only one not surprised was Loki.

There's another flash of light. 

Natasha speeds the quinjet up. Steve grabs his cowl while Tony grabs his helmet which attaches itself to the suit. 

Tony pushes a button and opens the ramp of the jet.

"What are you doing?," yells over the sound of the storm coming in from the ramp.

The one who landed on the top of the quinjet jumps down on the ramp. 

The God of Thunder, Thor Odinson, makes his way toward Tony and hits him back with Mjolnir, causing him to fall on Cap. 

He grabs Loki by the neck and jumps out the back. 

"Now there's that guy," Tony mumbles as he gets back up.

"Another Asgardian?," asks Natasha.

"That guy's a friendly?" Steve wonders.

"Doesn't matter. If he frees Loki, or kills him, the Tesseract's lost," Tony tells them.

He begins walking towards the edge of the ramp when Steve says, "Stark, we need a plan of attack."

"I have a plan. Attack!," Tony jumps out the jet after the Asgardians.

Steve grabs a parachute to follow. He straps it on as Natasha tries to stabilize the quinjet.

"I'd sit this one out, Cap," Natasha tells him.

"I don't see how I can."

"These guys come from legend, they're basically Gods," she tries to explain. 

"There's only one God ma'am, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that."

He grabs his shield and dives out the plane, head first. 

__________

The storm continues roaring as Thor and Loki crash down on a cliff. Thor throws Loki to the ground. 

"Where is the Tesseract?" The God of Thunder demands.

Loki just lies there grinning, "Oh-ho, I missed you too." 

"Do I look to be in a gaming mood?"

"Oh, you should thank me. With the Bifrost gone, how many dark energy did the All-Father have to muster to conjure you here? Your precious Earth," Loki says as he slowly starts standing.

Thor drops his hammer and pulls Loki to his feet completely. 

"I thought you dead," He tells the God of Mischief.

"Did you mourn?"

"We all did. Our father-"

"Your father," Loki corrects him, "He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?" 

He pulls away from Thor and slowly walks away from him.

Thor follows, "We were raised together, we played together, we fought together. Do you remember none of that?"

Loki turns back to him, "I remember a shadow, living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss. I, who was and should be king!"

"So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights? No. The Earth is under my protection, Loki."

Loki lets out a laugh at that, "And you're doing a marvelous job at that. The humans slaughter each other in droves, while you idly fret. I mean to rule them. As why should I not."

"You think yourself above them?," Thor asks.

"Well yes."

"Then you miss the truth of ruling, brother. Throne would suit you ill," Thor explains.

Loki pushes past Thor and walks away, Thor follows once more. 

"I've seen worlds you've never known about. I have grown, Odinson, in my exile. I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I wield it-"

"Who showed you this power? Who controls the would-be-king?," Thor asks him.

"I am a king!," yells Loki.

"Not here. You give up the Tesseract; you give up this poisonous dream! You come home," Thor yells back.

Loki lets out another, but smaller, laugh, "..I don't have it." 

Thor summons Mjolnir to his hand and holds it ready. 

"You need the Cube to bring me home but I've sent it off I know not where," Loki continues.

"You listen well, brother. I-"

Iron Man cuts him off by knocking into him, sending them both off the cliff. 

Loki stands waiting, "I'm listening?" 

Thor and Iron Man crash through the trees to the ground, Tony lifts his faceplate. 

"Do not touch me again," Thor demands.

"Then don't take my stuff."

"You have no idea what you're dealing with," Thor impatiently tries to tell him.

"Uh.. Shakespeare in the park? Doth mother know you weareth her drapes?," Tony jokes while pretending to be an actor in a Shakespearean play.

"This is beyond you, metal man. Loki will face Asgardian justice." 

"He gives up the Cube, he's all yours. Until then," Tony's faceplate drops, "stay out of the way."

Tony takes a few steps away, "Tourist." 

Thor throws Mjolnir as he turns back around, hitting Iron Man square in the chest. He's sent flying, landing on his back. 

"Okay!," Tony says to himself.

Loki smirks from the cliff top as Thor summons Mjolnir then swings it in circles. Iron Man gets to his feet and fires are pulse blast at Thor. 

He then flies at him, kicking him through a tree causing him to drop his hammer. 

Thor stands and calls his hammer back before summoning a bolt of lightning as Loki watches in the distance. Thor sends the bolt directly at Iron Man. 

"Power at four hundred percent capacity," Jarvis tells Tony. 

Tony smirks, "How bout that?" 

He fires at Thor from both hands and his chest. The two stand ready then fly at each other, smashing through the trees and scraping up a cliffside. 

Trees are toppled as they crash to the forest grounds. 

Thor and Tony stand quickly. Thor sends in a left hook, Iron Man is about to punch but Thor grabs his fist. Iron Man is about to send in his left hook and Thor grabs that too. 

Thor begins to crush Iron Man's right gauntlet with ease. 

Iron Man lifts his palm that is being crushed, and he fires a blast at Thor's face but it does nothing so he headbutts him. 

Thor headbutts him back. 

Iron Man flies back, coming to a stop before launching himself at Thor. He grabs Thor and throws him into a broken tree. Thor then stands without Mjolnir and runs at Tony.

He dodges a punch and punches Tony in the back, causing his to drop to one knee. After one more hit to the back, Thor grabs Tony by the head and flips him over.

Thor summons his hammer, about to slam down on the chest of Tony but Iron Man flies into his legs causing Thor to fall. 

Behind the rising Thor, Iron Man swoops in and punches him. 

They get ready to sends blows at each other until Cap's shield ricochets off both their chests, "Hey!"

Cap catches his shield as he stands on a broken tree. Up on the cliff top, Loki can be seen looking disappointed he stopped them. 

"That's enough!," Steve declares.

He jumps down off the tree and approaches Thor and Iron Man before continuing, "Now I don't know what you plan on doing here-"

"I've come here to put an end to Loki's schemes!," Thor cuts him off.

"Then prove it.. Put that hammer down," Steve tells him. 

Tony interjects, "Uh, yeah! No! Bad call, he loves his hammer."

Thor swings his hammer back, sending Iron Man behind him, "You want me to put hammer down?" 

In the distance a boom can be heard. On the cliff top, Loki looks toward the direction of the sound in the sky. He knows from experience what is and isn't the clapping noise of thunder.

His eyes widen and his mouth twitches upward, almost smiling, "He's here."

The three heroes below were still oblivious to the noise.

Thor runs and leaps, swinging Mjolnir. Cap raises the shield over his head.

A loud bang was heard and a bright flash occurred but the impact never came. Steve lowers his shield to see Y/N. 

He was wearing a new suit. 

Mjolnir was just resting on his shoulder as he looks at Thor, "Not Impressed." 

Y/N kicks Thor back, sending him through a few trees before he stands back up. 

In a rage, Thor winds his arm back and chucks Mjolnir at him. 

But everything slows down.

Tony in the back, still standing up. Thor with his arm still extended. Steve as he moves out of the way. Loki, up on the top of the cliff, watching intently.

Even Mjolnir was slowly flying through the air. 

All except for Y/N, who turned to the left as Mjolnir slowly goes by in the air past him. He looks at the Hammer and back to Thor before sticking his hand out to grab it.

Everything starts moving at normal speed as Y/N stands there with Mjolnir in his hand.

He raises an eyebrow at Thor as he point the Hammer at him, "Wanna try that again?"

____________________