– What's this event about? The shadow of a woman asked, quietly, turning her head slightly towards the shadow standing next to her on the bench facing the museum.
– I've no idea. Why? Thinking to attend? Answered her friend, a smile being detectible in his voice.
A short huff, something between amusement and annoyance left her lips before responding – No, I'm not dressed for the occasion, plus what's the point to attend an event that might not even interest me.
– I assumed that any event that takes place in a museum would interest you, he replied laughing quietly.
– That's why you proposed this place for the meet up, a subtle manipulation to make me more lenient? The woman asked jokingly.
There was no answer; both looked at the people entering the museum, studying their elegant clothes and mannerisms. The man got up from the bench, he bent down and picked a bag from the ground and cleared his throat before speaking.
– Well, I think it's time for me to go. Thank you for your help, you got me out of a tight spot ... again!
– Don't mention it, that's what friends are for, and ... anyway you owe me two favours now, she answered and smiled at him.
He looked down at her, smiling back – you know, you've got that kind of innocent smile, probably the dimples in your cheeks, he added more to himself making a short break in his speech ... you can fool a lot of people with it, I was one of those fooled in the past, but now that I know you better I can see that mischievous and sometimes wicked side of you in your eyes and that's why I knew you'll come to collect sometimes in the future.
Her smile widened, the corner of her hazel eyes crinkling – Only if necessary, maybe I'll never need your help in the future so I won't come to collect, I'm not as bad as you make me to be!
The man let out a short laugh starting to leave – Hmmm, you have potential either way, to be worse or better, all depends on your mood, isn't it!?
She remained on the bench looking at the empty square in front of the museum, all the guests were already inside, enjoying the event that was taking place; she felt an urge to attend too, "Maybe he was right, an event in a museum is just enough to pick my interest. Too bad I didn't pack a dress for this trip." The useless and unimportant ramblings of her mind were interrupted by the screams of people flooding out of the museum.
The calm night has become loud and agitated in a few moments, the screams of people running out of the museum were covering the beautiful music that was heard before from inside. The woman got up from the bench but still waited on the side, she wanted to figure out what was the cause of the sudden terror that took over the attendees to that event, she was never one to react impulsively in a dangerous situation, not when she wasn’t emotionally involved anyway, and she clearly didn’t care much for this people, she didn’t know any of them.
Waiting to figure out what caused the mayhem, she saw a tall man with dark hair coming out from the museum. He looked imposing and had a calm demeanour, in fact that was the reason he caught her eye, he was the only calm person in the madness that was taking place in front of him. Keeping her eyes trained on him she saw the way his clothing changed from a black, elegant suit to something else, resembling some kind of leather armour, a horned helmet appeared on his head and the cane he held in his hand transformed in some kind of sceptre with a glowing blue stone fitted in.
She was certain now that this man was the main reason for the insanity that started so abruptly and that he was either a mutant or a sorcerer, or maybe something else entirely that she has never encountered before.
She kept herself in the shadows waiting to see how the situation progressed, making some plans for intervening if case may be.
– Kneel before me! the man ordered, but to no response from the crowd that ignored him and kept scrambling around, trying to reach safety.
All of a sudden the man duplicated himself, appearing in multiple places in the square stopping the fleeing people, trapping them in a field of terror. When the people stopped running the original of the chaos creator boomed over all of them:
The crowed stopped its frantic movements and the people one by one kneeled, shocked and scared.
This response pleased the crazy man, he smiled opening his arms wide, in a royal and encompassing gesture.
– 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.
The woman observed the crowd and spotted an old man who was getting ready to stand against the would be ruler. Realising that things will get worse, maybe even deadly, she decided that it was time to intervene. She started towards this arrogant man, who had the galls to make such daring claims, passing through the kneeling people. The golden and green clad man saw her approaching, how could he not, she was the only one up on her feet, not bowing her head to him. He squinted his eyes at her, trying to asses her, intrigued by her smile, that seemed so out of place in a crowed of scared faces. She clearly was not part of the group of people that attended the ceremony, she was wearing dark, ripped jeans and a leather jacket that looked like it has seen better days. Her hair, even though it was arranged in a braid starting on the top of her head, wasn't an elegant up do, nor were her shoes appropriate for the occasion, no one would wear army style boots for that kind of event.
– Apparently I wasn't heard in the back, he commented looking her right in her eyes, KNEEL, he added shouting, his voice making the rest of the people flinch.
She kept approaching him, stopping two meters from him. Smiling wider and slightly raising her shoulders she responded – Sorry, sir, I don't know you and you haven't bought me dinner, either, so I would say there will be no kneeling tonight.
For a short second the man was stumped, he definitely didn't expect that kind of response, who in the Nine Realms flirts with someone who's threatening them, but he recovered quickly, anger filling his chest. He pointed his sceptre towards this daring and foolish woman, but he didn't have time to use it, a strong electrical beam hit him square in the chest and sent him on his back.
He got up instantly staring at the woman, not being able to believe that she was the source of that electrical blast, she didn't appear alongside the other powerful beings that he has researched on this planet, that he planned around when he came here with his mission. Now his interest was definitely picked, he didn't want to kill her anymore, he wanted to add her to his army, because if she wasn't part of the team SHIELD would assemble against him she was most likely a rogue maybe even an enemy of SHIELD.
She hit him again with another electrical charge sending him further behind, trying to drive him away from the rest of the people.
– Run, you fools, what are you waiting for, a formal invite towards safety? She screamed at the stunned people who were still petrified in a kneeling position. Her words registered in a few seconds and the people started running with new found vigour and survival instinct kicked to the max.
The square emptied, leaving the two combatants alone in a stare battle. The horned man didn't wait for her to attack again, even though her blasts were not deadly, they were certainly painful. He jumped towards her, swinging his sceptre, trying to knock her of her feet, but she jumped over his swishing staff in a forward motion; she grabbed his shoulders, making a hand stand on them, her body turned in the air and then landed behind him. Even though he caught on fast on her movement and turned again to face her, he didn't have time to stop her kick to his chest. Fortunately for him, her kick was weaker than her blasts, he felt it more like a slight push.
She cocked her head sideways, like a puppy that was trying to figure something out, she was surprised by his strength, that kind of kick should have sent him a few steps back, and to think that she was holding back with her electrical hits, not to kill him.
The man took advantage of her state of surprise and grabbed her by the neck, slamming her to a wall of the fountain from the square. – Pathetic, trying to fight a god, pathetic human, he whispered his face close to hers – but you will be of help and under my command, he added placing the sceptre on her chest. Her eyes changed their colour momentarily, but then turned back to their original hazel hue. One corner of her lips raised in a lopsided smile.
– That's not going to work on me, sir. Mind control is something I'm immune at, so if you want any chance to have me under your command you'll have to persuade me with reason or bribery, I respond to both! But I have to let you know that I am kind of stubborn and not easily bought. She felt satisfaction seeing the bewilderment on his face and took advantage for stumping him the second time tonight and hit him with a stronger beam of electricity, sending him on the pavement.
Even though he was angrier now, his sceptre failing him, he still wanted to subjugate her to him and get her to be under his control. Getting back up, he decided to get her unconscious and find a way in her mind; maybe like that her mental walls would be penetrable.
He produced a knife out and pounced at her, she impeded his attack, blocking his arm with hers, but she wasn't fast enough this time. He managed to swipe her feet from under her with his long leg, sending her on her back. Falling she pulled him down with her, for a short moment thinking that she'll succeed to overpower him, but he was so much stronger than her and ready for the fall so he managed to keep on top, without giving way to her pull to the side in a try to get him on his back.
Pinning her to the ground with his body, he stabbed the knife he was still holding through her left shoulder, right under her clavicle. A grunt of pain left her mouth, making him smile. He was getting ready to get the knife out and hit her head with the pommel, when something hit him hard, sending him on his side a few steps away from her.
Looking back up to see who attacked him he recognised the soldier. Captain America headed towards the woman that was standing up pulling out the knife from her shoulder. – Are you ok? He asked her, kindness and worry in his tone of voice.
– Yeah, no need to fret. She responded, getting the knife out from her shoulder and hiding it in the side of her boots.
The two men fought on the side, not paying attention to the woman who got up shakily. It wasn’t the stabbing that weakened her but the use of electricity, also fighting against the powerful mind control that was attempted on her. Her powers, as great as they were, came with a catch, more powerful the electrical blast she would use, more pain she felt in her whole body. Theoretically she could produce such an electrical charge to light up a big city, but she assumed that might actually kill her.
Steadying herself she threw a quick glance to the soldier and the psychopath fighting and deciding that they were distracted by each other, she got ready to leave the scene. She knew Captain America was working with SHIELD and SHIELD she was trying to avoid; unfortunately her departure was brought to an abrupt stop when a jet appeared with a gun pointed at all three of them.
A woman’s voice sounded in the night: Loki, drop the weapon and stand down!
