[Fic] Playing with Forces Beyond Your Ken: Chapter 3 (avengers_rbb, Avengers)
Title: Playing with Forces Beyond Your Ken
Chapter Title: A Bright Light
Rating: PG-13
Overall Word Count: 11,150
Chapter Word Count: 1,311
Summary: When Natasha plays with forces beyond her ken, there's a field trip to a new world.
Author's Note: I do not own Avengers or any of the characters from the movie series.
Thank Yous: A big thank you for neera_pendragon for creating this wonderful art! Also, a big thank you to my beta, sirwynai, who doubles as cheerleader and flailing partner.
Natasha had gotten to the building earlier than the others and went through her routine, even though she knew that Coulson was there due to his car being outside. She made sure that everything was secure from the last time they were there before unlocking a few more doors so others could get in. As she walked away from the last door she unlocked, she took out the trinket that Sif had given her. She rolled the trinket over in her hands, thinking about the opportunity that the goddess had talked about. It would be tempting and it wouldn't really hurt anything. She knew that she was needed for the team, but there probably could be something set up so she could come back if she was needed. She turned and pocketed the trinket as she heard someone come in. "Good morning, Doctor Banner," she said.
Bruce looked up as he came in, keys to the building in his hand, and nodded a hello to Natasha. "Hi," he said. "I didn't think anybody would be here this early."
"I didn't have anything else to do this morning," Natasha said with a shrug. "So I thought I'd come and just make sure that everything was alright here." She paused for a minute, watching Bruce put down his backpack and start to get out his laptop. "Did you think about what Lady Sif said the other day?"
"Yes," Bruce said. "It is a good idea but we have lives here. No matter how paper thin they seem to be."
"Sometimes paper is all a life is," Natasha said with a sigh. "I'm going to agree to it."
"Why?" Bruce asked as he turned to look at her completely.
"Well, there's nothing really for me here," Natasha said. "And there probably can be a bridge made between wherever it is and here. So I'm not worried about cutting myself completely off from the team."
"So there would be a way to contact you but…are you sure that you really want to do that?" Bruce asked. "I mean, it is nice to think that there's an easy answer, but we both know that there isn't."
"We're both black sheep, Bruce," Natasha said. "And those tend to die first."
Bruce was quiet as he thought about that. "Let's talk to Lady Sif to see if abridge can be build so we can go back and forth."
"So you're agreeing to it?" Natasha asked.
"More that I have questions," Bruce said.
Natasha smiled as she pulled out the trinket and focused on it to call Sif. She bowed her head in respect as Sif appeared. "We have a question."
"Of course," Sif said with a smile. "I would be surprised if you didn't."
"Is there a way so we could go back and forth from this realm that you're talking about to Earth?" Bruce asked. "Because we might be needed to help the team from time to time."
"Yes, there would be," Sif said. "Heimdall helped to create one that I will show you how to use when we get there."
Bruce thought about it and nodded a yes. "Then I'm all for it. Even if I'm not there all the time."
"I am for it as well," Natasha said with a smile.
Sif smiled and held out her hands. "Then I will take us there now." Loki smiled internally as both Natasha and Bruce took hands. He focused his magical energies to the spell he dropped in the room the other day, taking them to the realm as the room filled with a bright blue light.
*~*~*~*
Tony pulled up to the building, screeching to a stop and watching Clint's car come in second. He got out of the car and laughed. "Told you that you wouldn't beat me."
"I thought I had you there for a moment," Clint replied with a grin. "What did you do - cut over Main?"
"Nah - I bypassed Main completely and went over on Fifth," Tony said. "Helps when the car shows you how traffic is flowing."
"That's cheating," Clint said.
"I can't help it if I have the better toys," Tony said as Steve pulled in on his bike. "We can ask him, if he understands any of it."
"It's cars; he'll understand," Clint said. He waved Steve over. "Settle an argument for us?'
"I'll see if I can," Steve said. "What is it?"
"So, we raced over here," Tony said. "Legolas here says that I cheated due to having something in the car that tells me how traffic is going. Considering that anyone can get this in their car," he looked pointedly at Clint with that, "is it actually cheating?"
Steve thought for a moment. He looked between Clint and Tony before sighing. "No, it's not cheating if anyone could have it in his car."
"Yes!" Tony said and did a bit of a dance.
"I really doubt that anyone could get it in their car," Clint said.
"Well, you pay for my lunch, I'll install one in for you," Tony said with a grin.
"You're getting McDonalds," Clint quipped as he went to his car to get his gear.
"Cheap date," Tony joked.
Steve winced at that, even though it was clear that Tony was joking. "So, you have lunch plans, but what about dinner plans?"
Tony looked at Steve and shrugged. "Don't have any," he replied. "I do have a craving for fondue if you want to join me. There's this nice little chain of places called the Melting Pot and it's been a long while since I've been to one."
Steve blinked and then grinned from ear to ear. "That sounds great. So…can I see what you were talking about?"
"Sure," Tony said as he motioned for Steve to go over to the passenger side. He waited for Steve to be in and pointed to the screen where a radio would be. "That would be the screen," he said and pressed a few buttons. "And that's all the traffic. Press a few more and…music." There was a bit of soft jazz that came on. "Think that's one of Pepper's stations."
"It's nice," Steve said. "So all of that happens through that one screen?"
"Yep," Tony said and chuckled. "You should really let me give you a primer on computers."
"I might have to take you up on it," Steve said as he moved to touch the screen and brushed his hand with Tony's. He looked at Tony, who didn't seem to notice, and pressed a bit to see what was happening.
"You two ready or are you going to start making out next?" Clint called.
"Better get to work," Tony said as he pressed the button to kill the engine before grabbing the suitcase out of the back of the car.
"Yeah," Steve said as he got out and closed the door behind him. There was a slight flash of lightning before a roar of thunder as Thor appeared. "Hi Thor."
"Good morning, Captain," Thor said with a nod. "And Stark."
"I think the gang's all here then," Tony said as he started to go towards the building. "Think Widow will join us today?"
"If you ask her nicely," Clint said. "Why?"
"I want to see how the suit holds up to her shooting," Tony said. "Just need to make sure everything works okay." He paused. "Are you saying I’m not nice?"
"Not when you talk to her," Clint pointed out. "Coulson's here too."
"I'm always nice to Coulson," Tony said and glared as Clint snorted. "I am!"
"Okay," Clint said and blinked. "What is that?" He asked and then broke out to a run.
"Ominous blue light," Tony said as he kicked the case open and stepped quickly into his suit. He flew after Clint as the others ran and flew after them.
Chapter Title: A Bright Light
Rating: PG-13
Overall Word Count: 11,150
Chapter Word Count: 1,311
Summary: When Natasha plays with forces beyond her ken, there's a field trip to a new world.
Author's Note: I do not own Avengers or any of the characters from the movie series.
Thank Yous: A big thank you for neera_pendragon for creating this wonderful art! Also, a big thank you to my beta, sirwynai, who doubles as cheerleader and flailing partner.
Natasha had gotten to the building earlier than the others and went through her routine, even though she knew that Coulson was there due to his car being outside. She made sure that everything was secure from the last time they were there before unlocking a few more doors so others could get in. As she walked away from the last door she unlocked, she took out the trinket that Sif had given her. She rolled the trinket over in her hands, thinking about the opportunity that the goddess had talked about. It would be tempting and it wouldn't really hurt anything. She knew that she was needed for the team, but there probably could be something set up so she could come back if she was needed. She turned and pocketed the trinket as she heard someone come in. "Good morning, Doctor Banner," she said.
Bruce looked up as he came in, keys to the building in his hand, and nodded a hello to Natasha. "Hi," he said. "I didn't think anybody would be here this early."
"I didn't have anything else to do this morning," Natasha said with a shrug. "So I thought I'd come and just make sure that everything was alright here." She paused for a minute, watching Bruce put down his backpack and start to get out his laptop. "Did you think about what Lady Sif said the other day?"
"Yes," Bruce said. "It is a good idea but we have lives here. No matter how paper thin they seem to be."
"Sometimes paper is all a life is," Natasha said with a sigh. "I'm going to agree to it."
"Why?" Bruce asked as he turned to look at her completely.
"Well, there's nothing really for me here," Natasha said. "And there probably can be a bridge made between wherever it is and here. So I'm not worried about cutting myself completely off from the team."
"So there would be a way to contact you but…are you sure that you really want to do that?" Bruce asked. "I mean, it is nice to think that there's an easy answer, but we both know that there isn't."
"We're both black sheep, Bruce," Natasha said. "And those tend to die first."
Bruce was quiet as he thought about that. "Let's talk to Lady Sif to see if abridge can be build so we can go back and forth."
"So you're agreeing to it?" Natasha asked.
"More that I have questions," Bruce said.
Natasha smiled as she pulled out the trinket and focused on it to call Sif. She bowed her head in respect as Sif appeared. "We have a question."
"Of course," Sif said with a smile. "I would be surprised if you didn't."
"Is there a way so we could go back and forth from this realm that you're talking about to Earth?" Bruce asked. "Because we might be needed to help the team from time to time."
"Yes, there would be," Sif said. "Heimdall helped to create one that I will show you how to use when we get there."
Bruce thought about it and nodded a yes. "Then I'm all for it. Even if I'm not there all the time."
"I am for it as well," Natasha said with a smile.
Sif smiled and held out her hands. "Then I will take us there now." Loki smiled internally as both Natasha and Bruce took hands. He focused his magical energies to the spell he dropped in the room the other day, taking them to the realm as the room filled with a bright blue light.
*~*~*~*
Tony pulled up to the building, screeching to a stop and watching Clint's car come in second. He got out of the car and laughed. "Told you that you wouldn't beat me."
"I thought I had you there for a moment," Clint replied with a grin. "What did you do - cut over Main?"
"Nah - I bypassed Main completely and went over on Fifth," Tony said. "Helps when the car shows you how traffic is flowing."
"That's cheating," Clint said.
"I can't help it if I have the better toys," Tony said as Steve pulled in on his bike. "We can ask him, if he understands any of it."
"It's cars; he'll understand," Clint said. He waved Steve over. "Settle an argument for us?'
"I'll see if I can," Steve said. "What is it?"
"So, we raced over here," Tony said. "Legolas here says that I cheated due to having something in the car that tells me how traffic is going. Considering that anyone can get this in their car," he looked pointedly at Clint with that, "is it actually cheating?"
Steve thought for a moment. He looked between Clint and Tony before sighing. "No, it's not cheating if anyone could have it in his car."
"Yes!" Tony said and did a bit of a dance.
"I really doubt that anyone could get it in their car," Clint said.
"Well, you pay for my lunch, I'll install one in for you," Tony said with a grin.
"You're getting McDonalds," Clint quipped as he went to his car to get his gear.
"Cheap date," Tony joked.
Steve winced at that, even though it was clear that Tony was joking. "So, you have lunch plans, but what about dinner plans?"
Tony looked at Steve and shrugged. "Don't have any," he replied. "I do have a craving for fondue if you want to join me. There's this nice little chain of places called the Melting Pot and it's been a long while since I've been to one."
Steve blinked and then grinned from ear to ear. "That sounds great. So…can I see what you were talking about?"
"Sure," Tony said as he motioned for Steve to go over to the passenger side. He waited for Steve to be in and pointed to the screen where a radio would be. "That would be the screen," he said and pressed a few buttons. "And that's all the traffic. Press a few more and…music." There was a bit of soft jazz that came on. "Think that's one of Pepper's stations."
"It's nice," Steve said. "So all of that happens through that one screen?"
"Yep," Tony said and chuckled. "You should really let me give you a primer on computers."
"I might have to take you up on it," Steve said as he moved to touch the screen and brushed his hand with Tony's. He looked at Tony, who didn't seem to notice, and pressed a bit to see what was happening.
"You two ready or are you going to start making out next?" Clint called.
"Better get to work," Tony said as he pressed the button to kill the engine before grabbing the suitcase out of the back of the car.
"Yeah," Steve said as he got out and closed the door behind him. There was a slight flash of lightning before a roar of thunder as Thor appeared. "Hi Thor."
"Good morning, Captain," Thor said with a nod. "And Stark."
"I think the gang's all here then," Tony said as he started to go towards the building. "Think Widow will join us today?"
"If you ask her nicely," Clint said. "Why?"
"I want to see how the suit holds up to her shooting," Tony said. "Just need to make sure everything works okay." He paused. "Are you saying I’m not nice?"
"Not when you talk to her," Clint pointed out. "Coulson's here too."
"I'm always nice to Coulson," Tony said and glared as Clint snorted. "I am!"
"Okay," Clint said and blinked. "What is that?" He asked and then broke out to a run.
"Ominous blue light," Tony said as he kicked the case open and stepped quickly into his suit. He flew after Clint as the others ran and flew after them.