#fury says war isn't won on sentiment it's won by soldiers

[withoutawar]

steve: as long as one man stands against you, thanos, you'll never be able to claim victory.

thanos: noble sentiments from one who is about to die.

steve: i've lived my life by those sentiments. they're well worth dying for.

[strangeinvader9]

Inside an analytical room, filled with monitors of partially silhouetted people. Fury stood in the middle, frowning. They made up the World Security Council.

"This is out of line, Director. You're dealing with forces you can't control," council member 1 said.

"You ever been in a war, Councilman? In a firefight? Did you feel an overabundance of control?" Fury countered.

"You saying that this Asgard has declared war on our planet?"

"Not Asgard, Loki."

"He can't be working alone. What about the other one? His brother," council member 2 argued.

"Our intelligence says, Thor is not a hostile. But he's worlds away, we can't depend on him to help. It's up to us."

"Which is why you should be focusing on phase 2, it was designed for exactly…" council member 1 tried to say.

"PHASE 2 isn't ready, our enemy is. We need a response team," Fury pointed out.

"The Avengers Initiative was shut down."

"This isn't about The Avengers."

"We're running the world's greatest covert security network and you're gonna leave the fate of the human race to a handful of freaks."

"I'm not leaving anything to anyone. We need a response team. These people may be isolated, unbalanced even, but I believe with the right push they can be exactly what we need."

"You believe?" Council member 2 mocked. 

"War isn't won by sentiment, Director." Council member 1 said.

"No, it's won by soldiers." Fury pointed out.

[valeriethepussycats]

Assemble

Chapter 2

Pairing- Loki x Reader x Steve (one side)

Warning- cursing 

Your thoughts and other characters are in italics.

Flashback in Bold.

At night, a slum in India it attacked by a sickness. A little girl runs into the middle of a makeshift hospital in someone's home, pushing through the crowd frantically. She runs up the steps inside to greet the only doctor, Bruce Banner.

“What are you doing here?! Get out! You shouldn't be here.”  The Women scolded.

“I have to see the doctor. It's my father.” The little Girl explained.

“Calm down. What's wrong?” Bruce Asked.

“My father...” she looks to the other sick people, laying down and moaning in pain.

“Is he like them?” Bruce wondered.

The little girl holds out money, crumpled and looking desperate. “Please.”

Banner and the little girl run quickly to the edge of town. She leads him quickly through narrow passageways, and is proving too fast to keep up with. Banner spots a nice car, and looks around, worried. He runs into the girls house, when she leaves through a window, untraceable.

“Should have gotten paid up front, Banner.” Bruce scoffed.

Natasha entering the room behind him, making Banner turn around. “You know, for a man who's supposed to be avoiding stress, you picked a hell of a place to settle.”

“Avoiding stress isn't the secret.” Bruce started.

“Then, what is it? Yoga?” Natasha said sounding unduly curious.

“You brought me to the edge of the city, smart. I uh... assume the whole place is surrounded?” Bruce wondered.

“Just you and me.” Natasha say trying to convince Bruce.

“And your actress buddy, is she a spy too? Do they start that young?” Bruce  wondered.

“I did.”

“Who are you?”

“Natasha Romanoff.”

“Are you here to kill me, Miss Romanoff? Because that's not gonna work out for everyone.” Bruce explained.

“No. No. Of course not. I'm here on behalf of Shield.” Natasha replied

“Shield. How did they find me?” Bruce questioned.

“We never lost you, doctor. We've kept our distance, even helped keep some other interested parties off your scent.”

“Why?”

“Nick Fury seems to trust you. But now I need you to come in.”

“What if I said no?” Bruce stated.

“I'll persuade you.” Natasha said in a voice soft.

“And what if the... other guy says no?” Bruce said uncertainly

“You’ve been more than a year without an incident. I don't think you wanna break that streak.” Natasha replied.

Bruce gently pushing a cradle. “I don't always get what I want.”

“Doctor, we're facing a potential global catastrophe.” Natasha commented.

“Well, those I actively try to avoid.” Bruce mumbled.

“This is the Tesseract. It has the potential energy to wipe out the planet.” She shows him a photo of the Tesseract on her cell phone. Banner takes a closer look.

“What does Fury want me to do? Swallow it? Bruce said in a sarcastic voice.

“Well, he wants you to find it. It's been taken. It emits a gamma signature that's too weak for us to trace. There's no one that knows gamma radiation like you do. If there was, that's where I'd be.” Natasha explained.

“So Fury isn't after the monster? Bruce hesitated.

“Not that he's told me.” Natasha replied.

“And he tells you everything?” Bruce queried

“Talk to Fury, he needs you on this.”

“He needs me in a cage?”

“No one's gonna put you in a...”

“STOP LYING TO ME!” Banner slams his fists onto the table.

Natasha grabs a gun hidden under the table, pointing it at him. Banner stays still, grinning.

“I'm sorry, that was mean. I just wanted to see what you'd do. Why don't we do this the easy way, where you don't use that, and the other guy doesn't make a mess? Okay? Natasha...”

Natasha, still wary, doesn't lower her gun. She lowers her gun and speaks into her earpiece.

“Stand down. We're good here.”

Dozens of soldiers armed to the teeth have surrounded the small house, but at her signal they back off a bit.

Bruce smiles back at Natasha. “Just you and me?”

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

This isn’t real that’s all Y/n could think about as she walked home. The rain hammered against the roof of a nerdy houses, thunder rumbled as The dark sky was lit up by lightning flashing across.All she wanted to do was believe that Magneto was lying but she knew he was telling the truth. She knew it her mother is alive, has been this entire time.

Get it under control calm down. Come on remember what Gambit said “don’t let it control you you control it.”

Y/n was slowly starting to lose control. She was starting to hear what everyone around her was thinking and then Y/n starts to hear a ringing noise. Can deal with a sound Y/n place her hands around her head in a way to stop the voices.

“Excuse me, Miss are you alright?” Someone asked Y/n as he gently grab her on the shoulders.

Y/n looks up to the person in front of her and see red eyes. “Remy?”

“Is that someone I can call for you?” The man that looks like Remy asked.

Y/n finally comes to she realizes that the man in front of her is not with me not even trying to hide her disappointment she nods no, then walks away then her phone begins to ringing and vibrate in her pocket. She fishes her phone out of her pocket and then pushes answer.

“Hello?”

“Where are you because I know you’re not in Sydney, Australia.” Said Coulson.

“Walking home.” Y/n answered  honestly. “Why?”

“There’s someone I need you to pick up tomorrow. Is that some thing you can do?” Coulson voiced.

“I’ll be bright eyed and bushy tail.” Y/n said Tightly.

“I’ll send you all the information.”  Coulson replied. “Is something wrong?”

“You’re supposed to ask questions because I’m an agent and you’re my superior officer.” Y/n said in a dry tone.

“I’m asking this question as a person who’ve known you since you were ten.” Coulson replied.

“No it’s not.” Y/n answered. “But um..I’m gonna go home and watch some Y/t until I fall asleep.”

“Ok i’ll see you tomorrow.”

Y/n hangs up the phone.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Inside a Shield analytical room, filled with monitors of partially silhouetted people. Fury stands in the middle, frowning. They make up the World Security Council.

“This is out of line, Director. You're dealing with forces you can't control.” Council Member 1 commented.

“You ever been in a war, Councilman? In a firefight? Did you feel an overabundance of control?”  Nick said in a level tone.

“You saying that this Asgard has declared war on our planet?” Council Member 1  wondered.

“Not Asgard, Loki.” Nick corrected

“He can't be working alone. What about the other one? His brother.” Council Member 2 Chimed in.

“Our intelligence says, Thor is not a hostile. But he's worlds away, we can't depend on him to help. It's up to us.” Nick answered.

“Which is why you should be focusing on phase 2, it was designed for exactly...” Council Member 1 trailed off.

“PHASE 2 isn't ready, our enemy is. We need a response team.” Nick stressed.

“The Avengers Initiative was shut down.” Council Member 1 told Nick Fury.

“This isn't about The Avengers.” Nick Remarked.

“We're running the world's greatest covert security network and you're gonna leave the fate of human race to a handful of freaks.”

“I'm not leaving anything to anyone. We need a response team. These people maybe isolated, unbalanced even, but I believe with the right push they can be exactly what we need.”

“You believe?” Council Member 2 Chimed in.

“War isn't won by sentiment, Director.” Council Member 1 noted.

“No, it's won by soldiers.”  Nick replied.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

A brooklyn gym at night. Occupied by one man, beating a punching bag in the gym lights, alone in the floor, lost in the fight. The gym is old, as old as the man inside, Steve Rogers. Steve punched the bag, easily a hundred pounds, across the room with one swing snapping the metal chain and pummeling it back a dozen feet, sand spilling out from where he cracked the fabric. He stands up, breathing hard, and grabs another bag, resuming a more normal routine. Fury walks in.

“Trouble sleeping?” Nick Announced.

“I slept for seventy years, sir. I think I've had my fill.” Steve answered.

“Then you should be out, celebrating, seeing the world.” Nick replied.

Steve stops punching and walks over to the bench, unraveling the tape off his hands. He sits down.

“I went under, the world was at war, I wake up, they say we won. They didn't say what we lost.” Steve explained.

“We've made some mistakes along the way. Some very recently.” Nick commented.

“You here with a mission, sir?” Steve wondered.

“I am.”

“Trying to get me back in the world?” Steve supposed

“Trying to save it.”  Fury hands Steve a file on the Tesseract, along with other files on Hydra’s  projects.

“Hydra's secret weapon.” Steve disclosed.

“Howard Stark fished that out of the ocean when he was looking for you. He thought what we think, the Tesseract could be the key to unlimited sustainable energy. That's something the world sorely needs.” Nick explained.

“Who took it from you?” Steve wondered.

“He's called Loki. He's not from around here. There's a lot we'll have to bring you up to speed on if you're in. The world has gotten even stranger than you already know.” Nick shared.

“At this point, I doubt anything would surprise me.”  Steve put forth.

“Ten bucks says you're wrong. There's a debriefing package waiting for you back at your apartment.” Nick started.

Steve turns and picks up a punching bag. Fury starts walking out of the gym.

“Is there anything you can tell us about the Tesseract that we ought to know now?” Nick finished

Steve without missing a beat. “You should have left it in the ocean.��

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Out in the Atlantic Ocean, Tony Stark, in his Iron Man suit, is cutting a pipeline transport with a laser cutter coming from his hand. He then places a Stark Energy Reactor. It lights up. Iron Man rockets out of the water and flies towards Stark Tower.

“You're good on this end. The rest is up to you.”

Pepper Potts on the other line. “You disconnected the transition lines? Are we off the grid?”

“Stark Tower is about to become a beacon of self-sustaining clean energy.” Tony grinned.

“Wow. So maybe our reactor takes over, and it actually works?” Pepper supposed.

Inside the Suit, Pepper appears on his hud Monitor.

“I assume. Light her up.” Iron Man flies to the Stark Tower Building, the power is switched on the Stark sign lights up.

“How does it look?” Pepper asked.

“Like Christmas, but with more... me.” Tony answered.

“Gotta go wider on the public awareness campaign. You need to do some press. I'm in DC tomorrow. I'm working on the zoning for the next three buildings.” Pepper revealed.

“Pepper, you're killing me. Remember the moment? Enjoy the moment.” Tony proclaimed.

“Then get in here and I will.” Pepper requested.

Tony arrives at his skyscraper penthouse and is in the process of taking off his Iron Man suit through a hi-tech gauntlet of gadgets.

“Sir, Agent Coulson of Shield is on the line.” Jarvis informed Tony.

“I'm not in. I'm actually out.” Tony remarked.

“Sir, I'm afraid he's insisting.” Jarvis stressed.

“Grow a spine, Jarvis. I got a date.”  Tony teased.

Pepper Potts stares up at the monitors of the reactor device. “Levels are holding steady... I think.”

“Of course they are, I was directly involved. Which brings me to my next question: how does it feel to be a genius?”  Tony asked.

“Well, ha, I really wouldn't know now, would I?” Pepper replied.

“What do you mean? All this came from you.”

“No. All this came from that.” Pepper Said Pointing to the energy in his chest plate.

“Give yourself some credit, please. Stark Tower is your baby. Give yourself... twelve percent of the credit.” Tony disclosed.

“Twelve percent?” Pepper voiced.

“An argument can be made for fifteen.” Tony pointed out.

“Twelve percent? Of my baby?”

“Well, I did do all the heavy lifting. Literally, I lifted the heavy things. And sorry, but the security snafu? That was on you.”

“Oooooh.”

“My private elevator...”

“You mean our elevator?”

“Was steaming with sweaty workmen. I'm going to pay for that comment about percentages in some subtle way later, aren't I?” Tony wondered.

Pepper pours herself and Tony a glass of

champagne. “Not gonna be that subtle.”

“I'll tell you what. Next building's gonna say 'Potts' on the tower.” Tony disclosed.

“On the lease.” Pepper murmured.

“Call your mom, can you bunk over?” Tony asked.

“Sir, the telephone. I'm afraid my protocols are being overwritten.” Jarvis stuttered.

“Stark, we need to talk.” Coulson Announced.

Tony picks up his phone and looks into it at Coulson. “You have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark, please leave a message.”

“This is urgent.”

“Then leave it urgently.” At that moment the elevator door opens and Coulson appears. “Security breach.” Tony turns and looks a Pepper “That's on you.”

“Mr. Stark” Coulson started.

“Phil! Come in.”  Pepper beamed.

“Phil? Uh, his first name is Agent.” Tony remarked

“Come on in, we're celebrating.” Pepper

“I can't stay.” Coulson told Pepper.

“Which is why he can't stay.” Tony agreed with Coulson.

“We need you to look this over.”  Coulson said as he holds out a file towards Tony. “Soon as possible.”

“I don't like being handed things.” Tony voiced.

“That's alright, 'cause I love to be handed things. So, let's trade.” Pepper said as She pases her glass of champagne to Coulson, takes the file from him, then takes Tony's glass of champagne while passing the file over to Tony. “Thank you.”

“Official consulting hours are between eight and five every other Thursday.” Tony disclosed.

“This isn't a consultation.” Coulson replied.

“Is this about The Avengers? Which I...I know nothing about.” Pepper lied.

“The Avengers Initiative was scrapped, I thought. And I didn't even qualify.”  Tony pointed out.

“I didn't know that either.” Pepper lied. Again.

“Yeah, apparently I'm volatile, self-obsessed, don't play well with others.” Tony explained

“That I did know.” Pepper commented.

“This isn't about personality profiles anymore.” Coulson stated.

“Whatever. Miss Potts, got a minute?” Pepper walks over to Tony who places the files into his own databases. “You know, I thought we were having a moment.”

“I was having twelve percent of a moment. This seems serious, Phil's pretty shaken.” Pepper replied.

“How did you notice? Why is he Phil?” Tony questioned.

“What is all of this?” Pepper asked ignoring Tony’s previous question.

“This is, uh....” Tony expands his arms and different profiles appear in holographic form floating in the air in front of Tony and Pepper.

Screens appear of Captain America in action, the Hulk roaring as he attacks the army at Culver University, and Thor and Y/n fighting the Destroyer in New Mexico. Another is of Loki and the Tesseract to which Tony and Pepper look at in awe.

“I'm going to take the jet to DC tonight.” Pepper Announced

“Tomorrow.”  

“You've got homework. You've got a lot of homework.”

“Well, what if I didn't?”

“If you didn't?”

“Yeah.”

“You mean if you finished?” Pepper asked and Tony nods his head. “Well, um...then.” Pepper whispers something into Tony’s ear making him gasps. While Coulson looks away in embarrassment.

“Square deal. It's the last date.” Tony answered.

Pepper kisses him.”Work hard.”

As Pepper leaves with Agent Coulson, Tony grabs the Tesseract in holograph form, worried.

part 3