Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Human Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: Veluux on 27-06-2012, 07:49:00</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Veluux</strong> on <strong>27-06-2012, 07:49:00</strong>
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				<hr><br><div align="center">(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b52/jotunusmc/avengers-the-image06-1.jpg)</div><br><div align="center">(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b52/jotunusmc/Avengers_Fury_Monitor_Screen_Graphics_slapcomp_jayse_hansen.jpg)</div><br><hr><br><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 24pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: andale mono;" class="bbc_font"><strong>S.H.I.E.L.D.</strong> HEADQUARTERS</span></span></div><br><hr>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Photo</strong> on <strong>11-07-2012, 01:51:48</strong>
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				<br><div class="floatleft">(http://www.esquire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Avengers.jpg)</div><br><br><hr><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Maria Hill<br><strong>Title:</strong> Director of S.H.E.I.L.D. <br><strong>Location:</strong> Higher Offices of the Helicarrier<br><strong>Time:</strong> 4:20 PM EST<br><strong>Tags:</strong> No one</span></span><br><hr><br>Maria found it fascinating, the elevator ride up to the top of the Helicarrier, where Fury had been given access. She was going four stories higher than she had ever been. The odd part was that the Helicarrier on it's own was almost a full two miles above Lake Superior. She could still feel the elevation. 'Must be mental,' she told herself as the bells <em>dinged</em> the doors open.<br><br>Ms. Hill wasted no time, her boots were slim, and thin around her foot, but they were hard, and they clicked like high heels would if the woman walking inside of them was terribly upset.<br><br>The hall on either side of her looked no different then it did on the bridge, or on the levels reserved for scientific facilities. It looked the same as the armory, and the engine rooms. 'The uniform of the design is a marvel, really.' She held pride in herself, intuitively aware that she was up this high for a very good reason. S.H.E.I.L.D. was truth to her, God in a sense. They had all pulled together, and done the right thing. Ethics were always cloudy, control is constant, and S.H.E.I.L.D. knew how to sustain that tone. So did Maria Hill. It was in the bottom of her bootstraps, and the tips of her fingers. It lived so deeply within her sense of being, that she no longer bothered to put it to words. S.H.E.I.L.D. was no different than she was. She made almost no distinctions between herself and the organization, perhaps that was why they had called her up. Scuttle-butt had been loud. Fury was in hot-water.<br><br>Met in the hallway by a uniform, the young man attached to it gave Hill a sharp salute and straightened his joints. <br><br>"At ease, soldier." Maria didn't move a single muscle his direction, she lacked respect for him, and he could feel it. She charged passed him with the audacity of confidence. Dropping his arm he stowed up behind her, and rattled away in her wake.<br><br>"Ma'am, Private Rutherford, Ma'am. I've been instructed to guide you. I was told that you've never been to see the council, or at leas- Take a right here." Maria stopped suddenly, and glanced at him for a moment before turning down the hallway. It was getting darker, as if she was walking into a cave.<br><br>"You don't have to follow me Rutherford, a set of instructions will do just fine." Hill forced him to stutter before he picked up where he had left off, or at least, where he thought he had.<br><br>"Right. Continue down this hall, it's only a few feet away, now, the door at the end of the hall."<br><br>"Thank you, private. As you were." <br><br>Rutherford slowed to a stop as Hill accelerated in front of him, and failed to miss a step. She marched into the conference room, as if she knew what the meeting was about. Speaking to the ship's computer for a moment at the door, and passing a set of identification scans. Maria pressed her thumb against the wall, and spoke her name, clearance code, and authorization pass-phrase. Rutherford felt soiled, dirty, used, and uncared for. Maria's coldness had nearly choked him. She didn't even look at him once. He watched her disappear behind the door, and exhaled loudly before continuing about his business.<br><br><hr><br>"Maria Hill, Director of Communications for three years now. Active duty, exemplary awards, and recognition, talented mind, and an even more talented feel for battle." One faceless man spoke through the screen at a statue of Maria Hill, her shoulders and legs at ease, safely secured in proper military holds. <br><br>"You're loyalty is most exceptional. If we chose to ignore you in such a precarious situation. We would not only be fools." This man came from the other side of the room, still a shadow, only a screen.<br><br>"It is True Ms. Hill. We've had our eye on you for a while, and in addition to careless fools, we would also be hypocrites." One of the faces in the middle of the room spoke, now, and his voice sounded like it was full of glee, but decrepit, and rotten, like a pest among the garbage.<br><br>The council had paused, and one man hadn't spoken yet. It seemed like he was waiting for Maria to respond. She didn't have to clear her throat, "I don't understand. As much as I love being treated like a child." Her lip quivered up towards a smile, but she caught herself, and her eyes twinkled shut, only to open again, void of feeling. "I only know that our situation is improving, councilor. I've heard ill accounts of Tony Stark's integrity. But nothing more is clear to me now."<br><br>"We know." it was the pest again. "apologies for our cryptic tongues, Ms. Hill. but all of that is about to change."<br><br>Finally the voice in the center of the room spoke up, and Maria's eyebrows drifted into an intimidated frown. The news was good, but the burden of responsibility settled on to her slowly, and it never stopped building, even after he was finished talking. "The attack on New York by the Asguardian prince Loki may have seemed like a conclusion. The end of a war. You know as well as I do, Maria, that that just isn't true. We scraped by, and an emerald of our culture was nearly reduced to rubble. We have entered the dimension scale of civilization, now. We are in more danger now than we have ever been. There is a war, it's only starting, and we are prepared to a fraction of the degree that we need to be. This is something you understand, yes?"<br><br>Maria almost didn't answer. "Yes, Sir. It is."<br><br>He paused for a moment, measuring the volition in her eyes. "Good. Because it's something that Director Fury didn't. As of now, Ms. Hill, Nick Fury is on a suspended leave of absence. His position will be filled by you. In this position, we expect you to pull this planet together. We expect you to wrangle in the <em>Avengers</em> and keep them under your control. We expect you to work with tact and efficiency. But, most of all, we expect you to stay as loyal as you've always been. Your predecessor was a bit of a visionary. We don't need a visionary. We need some one who can get the job done the way it's supposed to. Does that sound like something that you can do?"<br><br>"Yes, it is... sir." She hadn't even realized that she rephrased her last response. Her eyes were dull with restrain. She wanted to smile, and unzip her jumpsuit. She wanted to shout and laugh. She couldn't. she had to swallow everything. It made it very difficult to speak her mind. "Nick Fury was sick with intention. He played this organization, and we played this planet like a game. I am humbly at your command, sir." She inhaled, finally able to breathe.<br><br>"Good, we expect you to get started as soon as possible, but we do not need you to rush. You're at a higher level clearance now, feel free to look over any files that were... not there...before. We've sent you all relevant paperwork in hard copies to your new sleeping quarters. Check your personal files for updated codes, pass-phrases, and of course, the location of your room is there. You'll recieve instructions soon. Please see yourself out Director Hill."<br><br>Maria nodded and turned away without military protocol. she hardly noticed it, the lazy turn, and the caveman walk out of the conference room. 'this is real.' Her hands were shaking. the panels, and pipes on the walls were vibrating too. Rutherford was nearby already, she wasn't even walking down the hall. Her eyes were wide, and she looked happy to see a familiar face. She was only coming to terms with had just happened inside.<br><br>"Director Hill, if you'll follow me, I can direct you to your private office."<br><br>Her eyebrows went up. 'Fury never had a private office.' She must have looked puzzled, because Rutherford wasn't turning around to leave yet. He knew that she had a question: "I get an office?"<br><br>"yes, ma'am you do. It's rather large, and it has a stereo, satellite radio." His finger pointed toward her, as if that was the selling point of her new position. Maria scowled a bit and shook her head.<br><br>"Did Director Fury have an office?"<br><br>"Yes, he did, the same one, except Fury never used it."<br><br>Maria finally took a step forward, and Private Rutherford led her back toward the elevator. "He never used it? Why not?"<br><br>"Ma'am, he always said it was because his ears popped in the elevator when ever he went up there." That wasn't true. "But who knows why. You probably have a better guess than I do, ma'am."<br><br>Maria had hardly listened, she was expecting a straight answer, not a joke. It took her a second to register what the young soldier had said. They stopped in front of the elevator. There were no buttons to press, it knew that some one was readd to ride. "Wait a minute." Maria stopped him with her voice as the door opened. "We're going higher up...! right now?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Photo</strong> on <strong>18-07-2012, 17:55:17</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://www.papaya.pe/imagenes/noticias/2/230/cobie-smulders614-15369.jpg)</div><br><br><hr><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Maria Hill<br><strong>Title:</strong> Director of S.H.E.I.L.D. <br><strong>Location:</strong> Private office<br><strong>Time:</strong> 4:55 PM EST<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Loki</span></span><br><hr><br>One wall of the office was almost made of a sheer glass, a webbed pattern of beams made for support. Her "office" did funny things to a person. A superiority complex was being berthed inside of the Director's mind. With every passing moment she felt even more important than before. The office was three rooms, a private bath, a private sleeping quarters, and the lounge sized office that sat in-between them. It felt like a four-star hotel, and Maria suddenly understood why Nick Fury felt 'his ears pop', when he came up here. But Maria didn't buckle under the weight. She heard music where none was played. She felt deserving of this position. She felt like she was better than Fury. She felt like the whole world was on her side.<br><br>Maria was dripping with water, her clothing mostly cast aside. the first thing she had done after Rutherford let her be was shower. Ms. Hill didn't feel particularly dirty, or in need of a bath. The porcelain and marble had called to her. It was the right thing to do at the time. Afterward, though, she had stopped herself in the process of redressing, suddenly sure that she no longer belonged in a typical uniform. For, her clothing was the same as Rutherfords, and every other cadet that was marching up and down the ship. She had gotten as far as her under-garments. It was a surreal feeling, one that caused her to prance out of the bathroom without a care to cover up. She had commanded the computer to lock her office. She was aware enough to sustain her privacy.<br><br>In a black sports bra, and wet hair; with her hands curving on the bottom of her hips, Maria looked out of her office, to the side her new desk. Her eyes were smiling, squinted with precise determination. <br><br>She wondered where Fury had gotten that black coat. She wanted one. It almost felt like she was waiting for Fury to come and give her the number of a tailor. The shower had been a baptism of sorts, and The new Director of S.H.E.I.L.D. was too stubborn to put on her old clothes. <br><br>Still in a surreal space of egotistical limbo, Maria felt a tingle in the back of her neck. She suddenly felt another person in the room, spinning both directions, she saw no one. Now wandering from her desk, Maria was in a constant pose. She edged her way toward the door that led to her bed, mostly just to be moving. She was alone. 'I'm sure of it,' she thought. For there wasn't a sound, or a shape in the lights. She was alone, "Hello?" She called into every well lit corner, feeling insane for the time being: walking mindlessly through a government office, afraid of a ghost in her wet underwear.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Veluux</strong> on <strong>08-08-2012, 08:27:18</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k9pcZkVuAoI/SD4aWWspnYI/AAAAAAAABw0/FZ3jRJNro8A/s400/ironman_l.jpg)</div><hr><br><span style="font-family: arial;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>&nbsp; Name:</strong> Tony Stark<br>&nbsp; <strong>Title:</strong> Iron Man<br>&nbsp; <strong>Location:</strong> Approaching the SHIELD Heli-carrier.<br>&nbsp; <strong>Time:</strong> 5:19pm EST Thursday<br>&nbsp; <strong>Tags:</strong> <strong>Maria Hill</strong></span></span><br><br><br><hr><br><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The roar of the Iron-man's boot-jets died down as Tony let off the throttle, having been flying supersonic towards the great lakes from somewhere over the eastern US. He could see the massive Heli-carrier up ahead. He'd had to increase his altitude quite a bit to get up to where the beast of a fortress hovered high in the earth's atmosphere where it wouldn't consume as much energy to stay afloat. It had it's bottom-laced cloaking field active - but that really didn't matter since Tony had it's precise GPS coordinates locked from hacking into the SHIELD flight data. Information with Tony was fluid. He was smarter enough to know most technological things, and had enough ingenuity to find out how to get what information he didn't already know. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Tony blazed in towards the side of the carrier's hull, his suit's HUD was flashing red at him as various targeting systems were making locks and large mounted guns rotated in his direction. Tony somersaulted head over heels so that he was coming in feet-first and his boots and palms flared up, decelerating him quickly. As he began to lose momentum he slowly tilted forward until he was hovering outside of a small door on the side of the carrier. Eventually the red alert messages disappeared and the door hissed open. Tony flew inside to his personal SHIELD hangar and touched down. Immediately the floor came alive around him and started removing his armor. It wasn't quite as sophisticated as the one he had in Stark Tower, but it got the job done. After the automated system disrobed him, Tony made his way out of the small hangar and locked it behind him. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;There was already a SHIELD uniform waiting outside the door when he'd exited, the same young man that had just shown Maria to her private quarters in the upper levels. The young man greeted Tony immediately with a too-cheery look on his face, "Mr. Stark, pleasure to have you aboard! May I -" Tony jumped with a bit of purposed exaggeration, putting a hand over his chest while quickly interrupting the excited young man, <strong>"Christ man, what do they feed you guys here, Caffeine?" </strong><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;After a short moment the private responded, "I do drink a lot of coffee... I'm Private Rutherford. If you're here to see Director Hill, she's indisposed at the moment."<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Tony's eyebrow arched at the word 'director' and his mind was racing for explanations as to the change of leadership. <em>How in the hell...?</em> <strong>"Well then you're going to have to dispose her. I don't have a whole lot of time on my hands. I've got a company to run, interviews to do, photoshoots... Important people, important things. So let's get going."</strong> There wasn't any asking in his tone at all.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The private was caught quite off his guard - he'd heard rumors of Tony's demanding personality but he'd never truly experienced it before. He started walking down the corridor, but tried talking Tony out of the haste as they went. "I'm not so sure Director Hill will be able to see you right away. She just got promoted and she's got a lot on her plate. I'm sure if you made an appointment -"<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Tony cut him off again. <strong>"Look kid, I don't make appointments - with anyone."</strong> He especially wasn't going to plan his time around Maria. He could of swore she was on a raging power trip before... with a promotion, God only knows. <strong>"I don't understand how she could possibly be very busy. Without the Avengers... what is it that SHIELD <em>actually</em> does?"</strong> Of course they did a lot, but he loved to take a jab whenever he had the opportunity. <strong>"Just take me to Ms. Hill's office and then be on your way."</strong><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The young soldier just shook his head and did as Tony requested. Taking him up several flights of stairs and then to the main elevator where the command deck and offices were. He took Tony up as high as he was authorized to do so before stepping off the elevator and turning around. "Director Hill's office is one floor above us. I don't have authorization to take you up any further, but if you use the call button, she can grant you access to her private office." <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tony smiled and raised his hand in an farewell. "Thanks junior, but I know my way from here." With that, he pressed the DOOR CLOSE button and then keyed in a pin on the elevator control panel. The panel beeped back at him and the display flashed in LED letters: 'Director Fury, Access not Authorized'. <strong>"Seriously?"</strong> Tony wasn't too surprised that they'd have locked Nick Fury out if they'd decided to make a switch in command. He still didn't understand why those tight-asses were giving Fury such a hard time about the whole ordeal. He'd helped the Avengers save the planet. Didn't they have a wrist slap or something for that? So Tony pulled out his PDA and held it in front of the elevator controls, touching a few commands on the transparent display. After a moment the device eventually hacked into the security systems and enable the emergency override system, which put the elevator in motion.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;It only took a moment for the cage to go up one floor. When the doors opened Tony saw Maria standing in the middle of her office - slightly skittish and nearly in her birthday suit. <strong>"Is this a bad time?"</strong> He feigned surprise and curiosity at her current attire. <strong>"I was going to say congratulations on your promotion, but from the way you're dressed... it looks like you're still earning it."</strong> It was a heavily sexist remark, and Tony said it with a perfect smile. It was also of course a heavy dose of Tony's opinion of Maria - that she was highly unqualified for the position, and couldn't possibly have gotten the gig by merit of her resume. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<strong>"Where did they ship Nick off to? He was doing such a good job."</strong> Tony glanced around the private office and nodded, offering her a smile. <strong>"Sweet office huh? Fury and I had a drinking contest up here once."</strong> It was a lie, they'd shared a couple shots together after the victory over Loki - but how he enjoyed getting under her skin, which was about all she had left on to get under.<br></span></span></div>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Photo</strong> on <strong>09-08-2012, 19:46:27</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://www.papaya.pe/imagenes/noticias/2/230/cobie-smulders614-15369.jpg)</div><br><br><hr><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Maria Hill<br><strong>Title:</strong> Director of S.H.E.I.L.D. <br><strong>Location:</strong> Private office<br><strong>Time:</strong> 4:58 PM EST<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Tony Stark </span></span><br><hr><br>Maria's jaw was made of quarry stone, and fire ants. As Tony spoke, lingered, insulted, jabbed; and, forcefully inserted his will into things like a poorly trained German Sheppard. Her eyes were cold, and emotionless, holding back fury. As a girl, she would have squeaked and forced him out of her sight. She was older now, and in much sharper control of her patience. However, Maria had lost count of his boyish taunts, blinking suddenly every time his cadence popped. Her thoughts twitched, and she became even more shocked by his brutishness. Then, more shocked. Again. He was like the court jester. 'Would he ever stop talking?' <br><br>Finally, his melody of insults came to a rest.<br><br>Completely ignoring him, Maria decided to volley back his direction without answering a single one of his questions. <strong>"Avert your eyes." </strong>She looked at him as if she was offended by his drinking. She had watched his glance shift downward more than once while he made his entrance. It was a simple command, one that he would have to follow. It felt good, Stark would be under her thumb for years, the first moment of her control over him passed by almost without her noticing. Her smugness arrived though, still folding her body into different spaces of erotic fashion. Tony would be tempted to look closer as she lifted her arms to gesture at his perversion. <br><br>She could tell that his lust for her was vacant. He was just trying to get a rise out of her. The expression on his face was harmless, but she was still exposed, uncovered and being soaked in by one of her most bitter rivals.<br><br>Director Hill hated this man, every time his blunt face turned the corner, she wanted to smack it. And, now, he had the nerve to unlock her office, and enter uninvited. She felt like she was in grade-school, being teased by an insecure bully. Maria knew that he was aware of what he was doing. He walked in on her as if she was trespassing, as if he was the one with his cock out. He was scared, and he'd overcompensated with two or three too many personal remarks. 'I have the power, and if it comes down to it, I could even neutralize him if this got violent.' Her toned muscles started to shoot toward him for a moment in a climactic moment of frustration, in another command for Stark to keep his eyes off of her.<strong> "I said look away Stark! You're an ass." </strong><br><br>She stormed toward the bathroom in a focused rampage. <strong>"Does your childishness know no bounds?"</strong><br><br>The door was left open. Maria cared not to create privacy. There was a robe hanging from a hook, likely due to the concerns of some one behind the scenes of her promotion. It was a woman's robe, silken and died with black ink. It looked like something a stripper would wear, and it was one size too small. She put it on anyway, and tried to have an adult conversation with the illustrious man of Iron.<br><br>All of her legs were exposed, and almost every motion exposed the lower crease of her buttocks. The lace wasn't natural on her. She'd worn cotton under-garments her whole life. There was an itch from the silk, psychological, of course. The belt was loosely wrapped about her waist. Maria walked through the room again, and set herself up against the guest's side of her desk. Crossing her ankles on the floor, her straight legs and straight arms braced her full of sloth.&nbsp; As she posted herself up, she started to speak again: <strong>"Well, You know what room you're in. So, you know now that I'm your boss."</strong> She hummed, shaking her head to one side. <strong>"That must be a tough pill to swallow. See you and Nick are both cowboys. You're selfish. You carry big guns, and that makes you think that you have the right to protect people. You don't really understand what your role is, and the sad part is that you're actually smart enough to figure it out. You're just too scared to." </strong><br><br>Maria smiled, and her arms crossed in front of her. Her legs shifted too, but not much, she stayed diagonal, her ass against the corner of the perfectly cut, Oak, table-top. <strong>"I never liked cowboys, not even as a girl. I always rooted against my father. He wanted Clint Eastwood to get the evil union soldiers. He wanted the vengeance that Josey Wails wanted, and the vengeance that Wyatt Earp wanted, and Jack Carter, and Billy the Kid... The man with no name." </strong>Her smile was gone. She looked like she had suddenly gone homicidal. <strong>"I always wanted the police to catch em, hang em, bury 'em under the river." </strong>There was a darkness here in Maria that not many had ever become familiar with. It had everything to do with her father.<br><strong><br>"So, how can I help you today Mr. Stark?"</strong><br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Veluux</strong> on <strong>09-08-2012, 21:46:20</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://bradwarthen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Tony-Stark.jpg)</div><hr><br><span style="font-family: arial;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>&nbsp; Name:</strong> Tony Stark<br>&nbsp; <strong>Title:</strong> Iron Man<br>&nbsp; <strong>Location:</strong> Approaching the SHIELD Heli-carrier.<br>&nbsp; <strong>Time:</strong> 5:31pm EST Thursday<br>&nbsp; <strong>Tags:</strong> <strong>Maria Hill</strong></span></span><br><br><br><hr><br><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Stark heard her demand that he look away, and so he would oblige her this small taste of power - though his compliance came with no small delay. Long enough, even, for her to reiterate the command and jab back at him. He just grinned and turned his head to look towards one of the offices many windows as she stormed towards the bathroom. He really enjoyed it when she fought back, it did more to get him fired up than seeing her scantly clad ever would. It's not to say that she didn't have an appealing look and attractive body... It was that very attractive women had been chasing him for years. He'd gotten used to it. It was a fiery personality and a high spirit that kept him entertained and interested. That is how Pepper always kept him enticed, and why Natasha was such a temptation. Tony couldn't stand boring women. Perhaps that's why he loved making these visits to Maria. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Despite being in a complete disagreement to her methods, her leadership, and her overall view of how things should be run - she was fun. It was as much a game to Tony as it was business. That crucial part of judgment that helped most people separate business from play just didn't exist in Tony's brain. It was all one and the same, it was life. There was no point in living if you weren't going to enjoy it. Responsibilities could be fun if you made them fun. Not everyone sees things that way, however; and clearly Maria definitely didn't.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;As she charged towards the bathroom - in what appeared to be a mixture of rage, embarrassment, and annoyance - Maria fired off another shot. To which Tony replied, <strong>"Once you grow up, they don't let you into never-neverland anymore."</strong> It was a silly comment, and the immaturity in it was placed precisely the way he'd wanted it to be. Part of the kick Tony enjoyed about being Tony was how much of his personality was intentional that most people never caught on to. It was comments like these that Stark used to test the wit and intellect of those he was talking to. However, his comment had only walked himself right into Maria's major problem with his personality right now - and added more fuel to the fire she was about to unleash.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Maria returned wearing not much more clothing than she had been when he'd walked in - leaving the wheels of his mind to turn curiously and try and recall the shapes and look of her body below the shrouded contours. He was drawn away from such thoughts though as she began her tirade. Honestly, he'd wanted to cut in immediately after he first comment. All he recalled doing in this room was shooting-the-shit with Fury and sharing drinks; and now, from the way she was dressed he couldn't deny the fact that it felt pretty close to a business meeting at a strip joint. Which would make him <em>her</em> boss, since he had the money. She didn't really leave him any time to make that comment though - and that was probably a good thing.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;He just smiled at her as she ranted on about Jesse James and Custer's last stand, or something to that effect. Tony didn't really pay much attention in history class anyways. He devoted all of his acumen to his science and mathematics classes. After a short time, she'd finally come to a stop, and he thought she'd finally finished making her point. A point that - whatever it was - Tony had ignored. He already understood how she felt about him, and <em>why</em> she felt that way about him. Part of him wondered if there was a way the two of them could come to a common ground... a very small part. If that was ever going to happen, it would have to be Maria that took the initiative on it. Tony wasn't big on relationships - even business ones - so he usually let the other party do the work and he would meet them halfway. <em>Okay, maybe it was more 60-40... or 70-30?</em> Doesn't matter. The point Tony was making to himself is that if she tried, he would try kind-of as well. Hey, it wasn't much... but it was something.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;In response to her final question, Tony's face changed from that irritatingly confident smile to a slightly more serious look. <strong>"I didn't come here to get your help. Remember, the Avengers don't work for SHIELD anymore? Pretty sure I went over that the last time we talked. Anyways... I came to help <em>you</em> out actually."</strong> That same smile began to creep back into his face in that split second that she was processing his words before he resumed talking. <strong>"From making the same mistake that our buddy Loki made with Dr. Banner. You can't control him Maria, not even with Betty. And don't you think that hiring her to work at SHIELD is a pretty selfish reason to bring the two of them back together?"</strong> He was firing back at her now, much more subtly though. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; <strong> "Betty is on her way to Stark Tower. I offered her a position where she could work closer to Bruce. Give them the chance to patch things up on their own terms."</strong> Really Stark's alternative wasn't too much better. They would get more time together - without as much pressure, but Stark still had motives of Betty as Hulk insurance. Though, unlike agents of SHIELD. Tony had developed a friendship with Bruce over the last few months. As professional colleagues working together, and Stark honestly cared about Bruce's well-being to some extent.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<strong>"So you don't need to worry about that situation. Bruce has been doing quite well over at Stark Industries. You did see what the Hulk did to Loki the last time he realized someone was trying to control him right? Now he's off rotting in an Asgardian prison."</strong> Tony clearly had no idea that Loki had, in fact, escaped. If he had, then he might have understood why Maria had taken over both his job and his party lounge... err... office. Tony's face settle back down to something slightly more serious, his appetite for fun and games obviously sated for the time being.<br></span></span></div>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Photo</strong> on <strong>16-08-2012, 20:35:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://www.papaya.pe/imagenes/noticias/2/230/cobie-smulders614-15369.jpg)</div><br><br><hr><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Maria Hill<br><strong>Title:</strong> Director of S.H.E.I.L.D. <br><strong>Location:</strong> Private office<br><strong>Time:</strong> 5:01 PM EST<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Tony Stark </span></span><br><hr><br>Maria practically licked her lips, <strong>“yeah, I’m sure you know all about Asgardian Prisons, Tony.” </strong>Her tone was thick with aversion, sarcasm had been painted lightly across the top like a coat of polish on his titanium chest. Maria had trouble imagining Tony out of his suit, a fact that buried her daily. Even now, in her office, she felt like she was dealing with a man inside of a weapon. It was a wise fear, for Mr. Stark likely did have something that could inflict damage on her. He always carried something of hostile design. In a way, she admired him for that, Director Hill usually had a pistol on her as well. But in another way, he had her at a disadvantage. She was happy that it came down to words. Her only line of defense was keen intellect. Her opposition was too much of a cock to meet her in contest of wit. The ironman felt like a chew toy to Maria. She was salivating.<br><strong><br>“You must see a mirror somewhere in front of me. I offered Ms. Ross a job at S.H.E.I.L.D. for an entirely different reason than you had cooked up in that whiskey drained brain of yours.”</strong> His warnings to her sounded like self-examination, Maria planned on making that more obvious to him. <strong>“Mr. Stark, <em>you</em> are the one that’s trying to control Banner, and time will tell exactly how well your business relationship goes with him. But if you recall, it was us that pulled him out of the third world hospital that he was calling home. It was us that took care of Steve Rodgers. Barton is an agent of this operation. We are intwined, you philistine." She took a breathe, but it was a fast one. "I can admit that your mind is valuable, and, yes, it was your father that created much of our base tech, as well as Steve Rodgers. But, he would be lost in the ice now, and you know that as well as anyone else. Whether S.H.E.I.L.D. employs the Avengers or not, we created you, and we have responsibilites that you can't understand.”</strong><br><strong><br>“You came here trying to help me? How about offering a lady your jacket?” </strong>They were nearly 18,000 feet in the air, but the temperature was a controlled system. She had no intention of keeping warm, or playing the card of the damsel. But, Tony’s backhanded assistance was pouring with a foul stench. She didn’t intend on leaving that rebuttal to the crickets. <strong>“Because you’re the biggest waste of breathe that I’ve ever known Mr. Stark. It’s the only favor I could ask of you, being in a state of undress, I feel inclined to ask for your pants as well, but the sight of you in anything less would stain me forever.”</strong> Her jaw was exhausted, she didn’t enjoy talking this much, but she did enjoy watching Tony’s face melt into different shapes. <br><br>He was like a fiddle in her hands. It felt like she could control the pitch of his timbre. <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Veluux</strong> on <strong>17-08-2012, 07:15:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b52/jotunusmc/120715110642-downey-hall-h-story-top.jpg)</div><hr><br><span style="font-family: arial;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>&nbsp; Name:</strong> Tony Stark<br>&nbsp; <strong>Title:</strong> Iron Man<br>&nbsp; <strong>Location:</strong> Inside Maria's Private Office<br>&nbsp; <strong>Time:</strong> 5:35pm EST Thursday<br>&nbsp; <strong>Tags:</strong> <strong>Maria Hill</strong></span></span><br><br><br><hr><br><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Tony watched as Maria unleashed a barrage of insults and accusations in his general direction. During her tirade the only physical response was Tony dropping his chin just slightly, focusing in on the bold woman with slightly narrowed eyes as he absorbed every word she had to say. As she spoke he was beginning to get a better read on the woman and her motivations - something he had constantly been working at, even when she was one of Fury's underlings. He had always sensed her apprehension about him in dealings with SHIELD. Of course he was curious as to why. There were a lot of people in the world - specifically among the US Government and UN officials that had a problem with Tony and the power he wielded. Maria was different though, and he was still trying to determine what her exact angle was.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;When her train of contempt slowed to a stop, ending on a final remark about his physical appearance, that annoying smile of his reappeared. It was a wide grin, and a confident one - as always. What Maria didn't realize was that Tony didn't particularly have anything against her aside from her business decisions. He chose to get under her skin, not because it amused him - but because it aided him in figuring her out. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;You see, Tony was arrogant... yes; but he was calculating and precise. His mind was far sharper than most realized... as most assigned his genius merely to technology and didn't recognize it in it's all encompassing whole. Tony rarely lost his cool - even though he <em>appeared</em> wild and reckless to most, he willingly took brazen risks. Having thought his actions through - for the most part - and choosing to accept the consequences for the end goal. Even now the wheels were silently turning as he formulated his response. He let out a laugh though, which was the slightly personal side of him coming out in a natural defense to the possibility that she just might have gotten under his skin.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; After that laugh rang out, distilling very little of the tension in the air, Stark began his response, <strong>"If I had a jacket to offer you, I gladly would - though you wouldn't fill it any better than Director Fury's shoes."</strong> That statement had begun with a smile and ended with a crisp tone and sharp eyes. <strong>"And a mirror? Please Maria, I wish you <em>were</em> a bit more like me; maybe then you'd understand how responsibility actually works in the <em>real</em> world. That was something my father understood, and it is something I understand."</strong> He thought about elaborating on the details of those words - that her structured world did not, and <em>could</em> not exist without people who were willing to bend the rules a little. That would have been a waste of both of their time however; though Tony <em>did</em> enjoy hearing himself speak.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<strong>"I think you're the one who's staring into a mirror. I don't seek to control Bruce by any means. Am I trying to ensure the well-being of others by having a couple of safety measures in place? Sure. But isn't that exactly why you and all the other haters want me to hand over Iron Man?"</strong> His tone was getting sharper, as he was building up to the point of his response, and essentially his visit as a whole - despite what she may think he's here for. <strong>"You"</strong> he said, speaking collectively <strong>"climb up on your high horses and you look down on 'cowboys' like Fury and I."</strong> Stark purposely chose to use her exact term from earlier in their conversation. <strong>"But Fury is the reason the Avengers exist. Not <em>SHIELD</em>.</strong>" His eyes really began to narrow down, and he took a small step in Maria's direction, squaring up his shoulders with her. <strong>"SHIELD didn't create jack shit. Are you trying to give Loki and Thor competition in the deity department? Cause it sure as hell looks like it. Getting trapped in a fucking cave in Afghanistan, looking over the devastation my own hands created is what made Iron Man, with the help of my father's technology. And without him, SHIELD would be nothing."</strong> Tony paused for just a moment, maybe to gather another breath before he continued, but surely not long enough for her to get a single word in edge-wise.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<strong>"Without me and my reckless choices, New York City would be a fucking crater right now, and that probably would hardly have slowed Loki down. Maybe you should try thinking for yourself for once instead of following every God damn order that gets passed down!"</strong> Tony fully believed every word he was saying. He didn't view himself as a cowboy, he viewed himself as a visionary maybe even a revolutionist. There were times when structure and order had it's place, but then there were also times when those foundations needed to be uprooted and relaid. Now was one of those times. <strong>"If I left the Avengers to your charge they'd be in dire straights. What the fuck are you and those pompous government assholes going to do the next time someone wants to reenact Alien vs Predator all over the place? The world needs to be prepared, the Avengers need to be prepared. And what is SHIELD going to do to prepare them? Nothing. That's right, nothing. Without me you're stuck hiring some crackpot communist scientist to figure out half of what I know!"</strong> Thoughts spun through Tony's head of Justin Hammer and the man's jealousy for Tony's power and accomplishments, and he felt the same thing from Maria - just in a different way. Not that he'd go out and say that, at least not until he was sure.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;He was simmering with fire, as if there was some other passion burning inside him that had been riled up. Something beyond his dislike of Maria, SHIELD, or anything else. It was some internal battle that Tony was still fighting - trying to be the hero that the world needed. He wasn't stupid, he knew he had his faults... but he knew also that he was trying to do the right thing, and he'd be damned him some uniform was going to tell him he was doing it wrong. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Tony only let the tension hang in the air for a moment before he cracked it back down with another stinging joke. <strong>"And who are you kidding Maria? You know you're dying to wear these pants."</strong> Perhaps he was trying to lighten his own mood, or perhaps he really was the arrogant asshole that didn't give a damn.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Just as Tony finished his elaborate response and his snarky final comment that attacked Maria and multiple levels - partly for his own amusement - he offered her another wide and annoyingly confident grin. He crossed his arms over his chest and just stared her down in that robe - which was still uncomfortably revealing - for her at least. Just before Maria could begin to respond to Stark's legitimate concerns (or his immature antics) Tony's PDA began to ring. He held up his hand in her direction and pulled out the device, noticing the number was one that belonged to Stark Tower. Another smile came to his face as he realized yet another opportunity to poke at Maria <strong>"Excuse me while I take this. It's probably someone actually doing their job and not prancing around in their underwear pretending to know it all." </strong><br></span></span></div>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Photo</strong> on <strong>18-08-2012, 19:50:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://www.papaya.pe/imagenes/noticias/2/230/cobie-smulders614-15369.jpg)</div><br><hr><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Maria Hill<br><strong>Title:</strong> Director of S.H.E.I.L.D. <br><strong>Location:</strong> Private office<br><strong>Time:</strong> 5:05 PM EST<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Tony Stark </span></span><br><hr><br><em>'He's a maniac, an absolutely autistic specimen with god complexes and a selective memory. How charming...My tongue grows bitter with disgust for him, now. But he's shaped so well, so demanding and sure of himself... Doubt; He is a complex individual, no doubt in that. A world without limitations, a radio wave, drifting away at it's own frequency. <br><br>I envy him. <br><br>His endless, expansive existence. He's been to every place on Earth and through a portal to another section of space. I've only been to Russia, and Northern China on leave. My arrow flies straight. I arrive where I am pointed. I follow command, and sociological ethics. <br><br>Doubt; If I strayed one day, he would be my only detour. He is controlled chaos, he is insane with the potency to poison a main artery. <br><br>He's infecting the bloodstream. He's rebuilding the world in his own image. <br><br>He's the anti-Christ.'<br><br></em>Maria was never a religious woman. And, her thoughts had come to her rapidly, as if they had been transmitted from somewhere else. In a way she found Mr. Stark to be beautiful, handsome, attractive even. But, <em>that</em> fact made her blood boil. She quivered and tensed-up the muscles in her back as he fired at her with intense flare in his fury: His comment on Fury's shoes, the repeated accusation of the play for Ms. Ross' loyalty, the jaded perception of his own manhood. These words swam around Maria like blood in the water. She knew that the gripping bite of sharks would come to pass in no time. She started to tremble, only slightly, could her twitching fingers be seen in the dim light.<br><br>It was fast, she was about to start screaming. <br><br>Tony's phone went up to his ear. With a dismissive tone, he brushed her off, effortlessly disregarding her underwear and her ignorance as if it was forgivable. The sting had been a nice cherry on top of his asshole pie, a-la-mod. He was sexist, rugged, and passionate. 'It makes me squirm/ It sickens me.' Maria had each thought at once. She couldn't help herself. His gravitational personality was winning her over. 'I'm his worst enemy,' she thought. Maria knew that she had planned on ruining him. One wrong move, and stacks of paper upon stacks of older paper; they would act as the points of twenty-three daggers. <br><br>Director Hill wanted to bite her lips. It was frustration that had isolated this reaction, her tiny scrap of lust was bundled away in the depth of her solar plexus.&nbsp; He had called her a deity, it was eating her up inside. She hadn't taken it personally, she had just found him to be the ultimate hypocrite upon speaking. <strong>"Yeah, I'm the one with the god-complex. Sure."</strong> She spoke loudly to herself as he took his 'very-important' phone call. Shaking her head, Maria squared herself up and crossed her arms, prepared to wait for Tony's call to end. As the phone call started she diverted her own attention. The idea of what his abs may or may not look like right now started to climb up her spinal chord, and she quickly shifted to her left, drifting to the other side of the desk in a half-time pace with the limp of a Marine. <br><br>She approached the large window that defined her office, and she stood there with her arms crossed, stairing at the photographic barrage of images before her. The S.H.I.E.L.D. Heli-carrier, her battle station, floated at an altitude higher than the clouds. She could see Lake Superior below her. The reflection of Tony in the light of the window also caught her attention, and her own shape as well, as still as marble to the right side of her tilted vision. She was watching everything at once. A part of her was even looking for wormholes to open up in the sky. The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. had no <em>real</em> reason to be concerned about that.<br><br>Her ears were open wide as Mr. Stark spoke to an associate on the other end. Her computer's desk-top was displayed. She could tap into his phone call, likely, before he was finished with it. But she ignored the urge to challenge him so blatantly. 'Besides,' she thought, 'half of the conversation is plenty enough to eavesdrop with.'
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Veluux</strong> on <strong>24-08-2012, 06:15:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://thewolfmancometh.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/the-avengers-robert-downey-jr-tony-stark-iron-man.jpg)</div><hr><br><span style="font-family: arial;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>&nbsp; Name:</strong> Tony Stark<br>&nbsp; <strong>Title:</strong> Iron Man<br>&nbsp; <strong>Location:</strong> Maria's Private Office<br>&nbsp; <strong>Time:</strong> 5:40pm EST Thursday<br>&nbsp; <strong>Tags:</strong> <strong>Maria Hill, Bruce Banner</strong></span></span><br><br><br><hr><br><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Upon lifting the phone to his ear, Tony answered short and simple, <strong>"This is Stark."</strong> Had he run out of hundreds of words to say in his last rant on Maria, or was he subconsciously following up her final insult with acceptance? The middle-aged man had even offered Maria a wink with his first words through the device.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;That annoying expression was followed by Tony's response to the person on the other line, though he was still looking in Maria's direction, as if he was using every opportunity to take a jab or two. <strong>"Are you sure you don't want to know?"</strong> said through a goading smile. <strong>"I'm just checking out - in, I mean checking in with Director Hill. Come on, ask me what she's wearing"</strong> Tony teased.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Another moment passed as the person on the other line was speaking. The arrogant philanthropist was already thinking up creative ways to describe her attire without giving too much away before his eyes suddenly narrowed in seriousness. <strong>"What?"</strong> Tony was shocked - for some reason he had been expecting - hell, even planning on Loki escaping... the man was just too shifty to stay contained for long; but already?! <strong>"Call Cap, assemble the team. I'm on my way."</strong> And with that, Tony hung the phone up; not wasting the time to listen for a response.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Tony's eyes zoned out for the briefest of moments as every corner of his brain began to ignite with the possible implications of the news he'd just heard. His fingers worked furiously over his phone as he began activating different programs remotely from the handy little device. It was almost as if he'd tuned out his current environment and the fact that Maria was still present, waiting for his call to end. It seemed like many moments had passed, but it really hadn't, Tony's gifted mind was just in overdrive.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The fact that he was in Maria's office eventually made it through his blazing queue of thoughts, and he looked up to see her staring out the window. The dots began to connect then as he looked at her, standing in such a commanding pose over the Helicarrier - her Helicarrier. Hill's promotion into the position once held by Fury now finally made sense. They'd canned him, not because of his cavalier attitude, but because he had made a grievous err in judgment. Loki was free, and he let Thor take him (not that he could have done much to stop him)... but how did they find out. Or did they just assume?<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Stark slipped his phone into his pocket and crossed his arms, deciding it was in the best interests of everyone for him to share the information - if she didn't already know. Stark may be reckless, arrogant, and a sexist asshole at times; but he truly cared about others somewhere deep inside. It allowed him to swallow himself for just a moment to grasp the bigger picture. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;He offered her the news straight: <strong>"Loki has escaped."</strong></span></span></div>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Photo</strong> on <strong>25-08-2012, 09:10:42</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br><div class="floatleft">(http://www.esquire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Avengers.jpg)</div><br><br><hr><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Maria Hill<br><strong>Title:</strong> Director of S.H.E.I.L.D. <br><strong>Location:</strong> Higher Offices of the Helicarrier<br><strong>Time:</strong> 5:10 PM EST<br><strong>Tags:</strong> No one</span></span><br><br><hr><br><br>Her Saliva got thick, it tasted like lemon. She was hardly frightened of Loki. She was hardly frightened of anything. She took in the view a few moments longer, hoping that Tony would repeat himself. He didn’t. The tart expression on her face was directly in front of her, the blosoming shape of her smile only made her more pleased with herself. She didn't completely understand why this had felt like such an absolute domination. But, consciously, she knew it was because it proved how poorly the 'Avengers' had handled the situation, how bad of a leader Fury was, how wrong Tony was about Fury, and how wrong Tony was about her. The beauty of the moment had a good hold of her still.<br><br>All but losing herself in the mirror image of a goddess; Maria could see the challenge now, the freedom of action sounded like a violin in her heart. It all came together for her as well. The council must have known that this was going to happen, ‘how?’<br><br>That bothered her. She lived in a very logical state. The way that those faceless, shadowed, and haunted men seemed to know what would happen before it came to pass, there was no explanation. But, Fury had done nothing wrong until this, not really. She had replaced him before Stark knew. ‘And, Stark knows everything.’ <br><br>It didn’t matter.<br><br>She had won this round, and she was savoring the moment of purity. It was before she had spoken, and twisted the victory. It was before Tony had the pleasure of a rebuttal, or even before he could see her face. <br><br>She wanted to drop her robe to the ground, just to see if she could seduce him with nothing but power.<br>&nbsp;<br><strong>“Loki has escaped.” </strong>She repeated Mr. Stark to further prolong the agony that he must have been feeling. Maria turned around suddenly, but without speed, and started a slow walk towards Stark, her trajectory was off, though. It looked like she had forgotten that he was there as well. <strong>“Then I’d imagine that he’s also returned to this planet, then.” </strong>Maria didn’t believe in the tree of life, and thirteen different dimensions, it was all just life, biology, planets, astronomy, science, accident. Hill stopped in her tracks just to her adversary’s right and finally took a moment to look Tony in the face. <br><br>She studied his eyes.<strong> “Yes,”</strong> she concluded, her lip twitching to the left a bit <strong>“He’s on Earth again.” </strong>Her smiled turned into a feigned frown and she nodded her head with exasperation and apathy. Tony Stark was of the past. She had too many ideas to spend any more time in this room with this man, damn the way that she was dressed. Loki was free, and the time to act was now.<br><br>She wanted to ask if she knew where he was at, where he had come from, how he had escaped, what he was after, where had he been spotted, and who originally found out the news; among other questions. But she could find it out on her own. If she even had the chance. It felt like Tony was in a hurry, so she wanted to beat him to the punch. The councilors had told her to control these men, and rally them around the banner of SHIELD, the banner of Earth. But she couldn't start with the Ironman. 'No,' she thought, 'Stark is a dessert...' her lips curled upward again, this smile was all for her.<br><br>Maria continued passed Tony, and she b-lined toward the door. Her steps were soundless as she carried herself across the room. Director Hill said nothing, and planned on allowing the door to slam in her stead. <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Veluux</strong> on <strong>27-08-2012, 09:11:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg84/scaled.php?server=84&amp;filename=image3ch.jpg&amp;res=landing)</div><hr><br><span style="font-family: arial;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="bbc_size"><strong>&nbsp; Name:</strong> Tony Stark<br>&nbsp; <strong>Title:</strong> Iron Man<br>&nbsp; <strong>Location:</strong> SHIELD Helicarrier<br>&nbsp; <strong>Time:</strong> 5:43pm EST Thursday<br>&nbsp; <strong>Tags:</strong> <strong>Jane Foster</strong></span></span><br><br><br><hr><br><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bbc_font"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;As soon as Maria left the room, Tony's cell was ringing again. He'd already begun to pull it out of his pocket to make a phone call of his own - which the incoming call would delay. He saw Jane's picture on the display and quickly answered it. <strong>"Jane, talk to me; where is he at?"</strong> Tony had a hunch that Jane's phone-call was related to either Thor or Loki's return - as the young female scientist was actively scanning the skies for wormhole activity. He was confident Jane could give him a rough idea of where at least one of them had landed and how long ago. Time was of the essence. Even as he answered he was already moving to the elevator that would take him down to the hangar level.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Jane responded quickly with mixed feelings of relief and worry.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;So she'd heard from them both. That was both good and bad news. The fact that Thor had immediately tried to contact her already had Tony wondering if the demi-God was assuming Loki would go straight for her. Then, by the whispered line of confirmation and the fear in her voice - he had his answer. He wondered then if Jane was calling him of her own volition or if Loki had mind-controlled her the way he had Clint and Selvig. She would be a very useful slave for Loki, after all; what with her relationship with Thor, along with her knowledge of wormholes. Tony was sure the evil brother would have plenty of uses for her... so he was careful not to give the woman any information about Thor or any of the other Avengers locations. <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<strong>"I haven't heard from either of them."</strong> Tony said honestly in response to an inquiry, though he knew exactly where Thor was based on these two back-to-back phone calls. Just to check his bases, he asked her another question immediately after his previous statement, <strong>"Where are you?"</strong> He held the phone out far enough where he could see and type on the screen, but close enough to hear her response. He was dialing up a trace on the call. It would be good to know she wasn't lying - for one thing - and he had a feeling that they would need to scramble a retrieval team immediately anyways. That made him wonder exactly where Clint and Natasha were at the moment. They really needed a better communication system for these kinds of emergencies. Tony would get Jarvis on that as soon as he returned to Stark Tower.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Ms. Foster spoke again, answering his question - still quite worked up, though she was starting to calm and regain her focus. It sounded like the real Jane on the other end. Very normal compared to the large difference of character that Clint and Selvig displayed while they were under Loki's control. He could hear the emotion in her voice, and Loki's zombies lacked that. Already Tony could see the trace narrowing down the location: <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<em>Americas, North America, Canada...</em> <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;He continued to talk with her as it would pin point the exact location. <strong>"Portable?"</strong> Tony asked, interested in the adjective she'd used. <strong>"It's different than how Thor and Loki were traveling before?"</strong> <br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<em>Canada, Ontario, Wabakimi National Park...</em><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Stark was in the elevator already, and it had just reached the hangar level. As soon as it came to a stop and the door opened he quickly exited, jogging down the long hallway as he frequently peeked at the trace on his phone. During the jog, the female scientist offered her opinions on Loki's traveling method.<br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<em>Wabakimi N.P., Kenoji Lake, Northern Banks...</em><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Then Stark's device beeped as it finally locked in on her location - just as he keyed in the access code to his personal hangar and the retina scan verified his identity. <strong>"I've got your location, I'm coming to pick you up. We'll talk more when I get there. I need you full time right now. At this point I think the safest place you can be is with the Avengers at Stark Tower. Thor might disagree but he can argue with me later. I'll see you in 15."</strong><br><br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Jane replied to his statement with a few more words that softened Tony's grim expression slightly. Afterwards He hung up the device and stopped to stand on the circular plate in the center of the floor.&nbsp; <strong>"Jarvis, hook me up."</strong> Before he even finished speaking the plate began to split and the robotics sprang up and began assembling the Iron Man suit around his body.</span></span></div>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Photo</strong> on <strong>10-09-2012, 05:10:32</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://i48.tinypic.com/23llftt.jpg)</div><br><br><hr><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Maria Hill<br><strong>Title:</strong> Director of S.H.E.I.L.D. <br><strong>Location:</strong> The Armoury<br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:20 PM EST(nearly two hours after Tony's departure)<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Loki</span></span><br><hr><br><br><br><div class="spoiler_container"><div onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button" class="spoiler_header">Jacket</div><div class="spoiler_body"><div class="floatleft">(http://i45.tinypic.com/wtd543.jpg)(http://i46.tinypic.com/180utd.jpg)</div> Ignore the jeans, and the pirate like white shirt. I just REALLY wanted a visual aid for this jacket, and it took me almost two months to find.<br></div></div><br>Maria Hill slid a brass bullet into a stainless steel clip that was painted black. Her rapid hands had had years of practice. There were two dis-assembled government issued Colt forty-five pistols on the table in front of her. Having just been cleaned, the guns were ready to be fired. She had only the task of putting them back together. Maria's movements in doing so were faster than Rutherford could follow, and he had been trained to clean the same gun no more than five months ago. He watched her from the corner of the table, his eyes in disbelief. <br><br>Her first pistol was completed in less then fifteen seconds, and the safety was on, carefully placed in the same place it had just been in pieces. She picked the second piece up more slowly, but not without swift tactful precision. <strong>"It's easy to put something together when you've done it a hundred times."</strong> She said to Rutherford, he was shocked at first, having never heard this tone of voice from her. She sounded human, as if she was gardening. She glanced at him with smug confidence. He looked at her expressionless eyes and faked a smile. She turned backed to the gun steadily<br><br><em>"What do you mean to say, ma'am?"</em> Asked Rutherford, more confident of himself than he ever thought he could be. His voice sounded human as well. It was a slow motion moment, something that soldiers often go months without.<br><br><strong>"I mean to say that everything requires a cool hand to guide it."</strong> she paused, taking much more time with this pistol, as if she had never done this before. <strong>"Not people, people act on their own, most of the time as if they didn't even have hands. But ideas, weapons, computers, Stark, The Avengers. I've assembled these pistols more times than I can count."</strong><br><br>Maria slapped the clip into her the gun with contained rage. It was a solid 'clunk' that echoed through the armoury more than twice. Each one of her hands pulled their pistols into grip. <br><br>Her right hand flashed down to her thigh and she closed the holster with a quick touch. Her left arm moved more slowly, sliding the gun under her brand new jacket, hiding it from sight, packing eleven <em>'mortar shells'</em> just underneath her right breast. Another click sounded and Maria turned toward Rutherford. She was dressed in standard issued SHIELD pants, but her 'jumpsuit-top' had been replaced with a black tactical vest. A polymer was tightly worn around her entire body, from her wrists, to her jawbone, all the way to the middle of her thighs. Made of Chitosan and Tencel, Maria's under-garment was fire-resistant,&nbsp; anti-bacterial, and capable of skin cell rejuvenation. It had been developed in Texas four months prior. <br><br>Everything but her new leather coat was taken from the body armour lockers on the other end of the armoury. Private Julian K. Rutherford had been there as she changed shamelessly. He had see her in the hall, nearly naked. It had jaded him of her. She treated him like a dog, and he was actually starting to enjoy it. In a way, he idolized Maria Hill. He had found her attractive for a short time. But, she turned into another friend by the fox-hole. She was neutral, a-sexual, passive, a commanding officer. She had the right to treat him like this. So, he turned his back when she changed. He saluted her nearly every fifteen minutes for one reason or another. When she needed a new jacket, he had provided it. Julian was an 'eccentric man'. No one in the armed forces had really known anything about him. Maria had learned only an hour ago that he had a collection of women's clothing at the foot of his cot. She didn't ask him why. <br><em><br>"But you've never assembled the Avengers?"</em> Julian Rutherford bounced the words off of Maria with the question that seemed to be on the tip of her tongue.<br><br>She smiled at him.<strong> "No one's ever assembled the Avengers. The only person that's ever come close is Loki. But, you're on to me."</strong> Maria gave Rutherford a careful shine. Her teeth showed, and a glow emanated from her eyes. Again, everything was shockingly human. Rutherford wondered if Maria was always an entirely different person when she had guns in her hands. <strong>"You know that I promoted you, right Julian."</strong> Maria started to walk towards the entrance of the armoury, Rutherford knew to follow her in silence.<strong> "I'll take that as a no. It's nothing drastic, but if you perform well, it will be. Do you understand what that means?" </strong>Maria faced him as they stopped by the door.<br><br><em>"I think so, ma'am."</em> He had no idea what she was talking about, she hadn't even told him what his new title was yet.<br><br><strong>"It means that you get your shit together."</strong> She looked him up and down. His back straightened.<strong> "You're my director of communications. The communications director for me. You're my assistant."</strong> Rutherford was let down. His face was more telling than he had wanted. Maria paused,<strong> "I left a itinerary on my desk."</strong> She paused again,<strong> "you're dismissed."</strong><br><br>Before either of them took another breathe, Rutherford offered her another salute, and about faced his way out of the door. Surely, he had a lot work to do now. He felt unfortunate for a strange reason. It felt like the back-handed sting of a nightmare. A cold chill swiped up his back as he exited Maria's presence. <br><br>The Helicarrier was in motion at high speed. Director Hill had made a laundry list of commands in the ten minutes between dressing and cleaning her pistols. Lake Superior was over two hundred miles to the West now, the floating headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D. was headed straight for New York City, as the crow flies.<br><br>Maria stood in the Armoury alone, and then again, she felt like she was being watched. She put the door to her back side and started to walk toward the back of the room. <strong>"Stark?"</strong> She called to the empty air in front of her. <strong>"Did you forget your dignity on the way out?"</strong> Her smile was unstoppable.<strong> "Did you find out a secret door in the ventilation shafts?"</strong> She had heard nothing, but she was positive that some one was with her. It was the second time she had had this sensation today. In confidence, Maria allowed her rational mind to accuse Ironman of returning to tease her again. However, she suddenly felt a stronger sensation, it was distinct, it was doubt. For, this time, the unseen eyes were noticeably stronger, and she could feel a slight chill, the same one that Julian had felt on his way out. She knew that her company wasn't Stark. Her right hand flew down to her thigh, and she slid her fingertips across the hilt of her Colt.<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kirinis</strong> on <strong>11-09-2012, 10:11:33</strong>
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				<hr><div class="floatleft">(http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o566/thenightisnear/Fave%20Characters/cb2.jpg)</div><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Clint Barton<br><strong>Title:</strong> Hawkeye<br><strong>Location:</strong> Helicarrier<br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:00 PM<br><strong>Tags:</strong> None</span></span><br><hr><br><em>Just set them up and knock them down...</em>&nbsp; Barton released the bowstring, sending his arrow straight into the bulls-eye.&nbsp; After the shower, he had felt the urge to blow off some more steam so here he was shooting the daylights out of some targets he had set up.&nbsp; Originally he had a launcher fling some clay pigeons out of the landing bay for a bit more of a challenge, but there had been concerns about his arrows find their way into some unsuspecting suburban development and ruining someone's day.&nbsp; This was the best he could manage with the situation as long as the Helicarrier was in the air.<br><br>Clint set down his bow, while he had his ability he wasn't satisfied with his past accomplishments.&nbsp; He wanted to push himself further so that he could keep pace with the others.&nbsp; Everyday the impossible had to get a few steps closer, he didn't have the luxury of pretending otherwise.&nbsp; What they had to deal with demanded that excellence.&nbsp; He sighed and unstrung his bow, practice was over for now and it was time to hit the shower.&nbsp; Stowing away the bow and his arrows, Clint drew out the communicator he had left his locker.<br><br>No surprises there, Stark had left far too many messages trying to draw his attention.&nbsp; Clint put in his earpiece as he grabbed his towel and headed to the shower. 'Barton here, you wanted to talk Mr. Stark?'
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Madriv</strong> on <strong>13-09-2012, 16:13:32</strong>
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				<br><div class="floatright">(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a339/Kii-chan/picspams/Hiddles/qd06clo1_1280.jpg)</div><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Loki<br><strong>Title:</strong> God of Mischief<br><strong>Location:</strong> The Armoury <br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:25 PM EST<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Maria </span></span><br><hr><br>Loki waited, cloaked from mortal sight, while the two had their little exchange. On one hand, it was disappointing that Fury was no longer present; his insolence warranted punishment that was already long overdue. On the other, this woman was a new puzzle to play with. Unexpected diversions were always welcome.<br><br><em>"No one's ever assembled the Avengers. The only person that's ever come close is Loki.”</em><br><br>It was a painful compliment laced with irony. In trying to destroy them, he'd brought them closer together. A mostly mortal team of six had eliminated an army and (in their minds) humbled a god. It would be different this time. There would be no martyrs for them to embrace. Nothing but their own self delusions and innate violence would tear them apart. With a subtle nudge here and there.<br><br>He tested the servant's mind as the man left the room and found it loyal, obedient, simple. The new leader trusted him with a position of some import. He really ought to be replaced.<br><br><em>"Stark?" </em><br><br>As Loki's thoughts darkened, a chill swept the room. The sensors and security cameras that were scattered about the room flickered and frosted over. He rested a hand on the door and the locking mechanism filled with ice, a thick shield that swept over the metal and sealed it.<br><br>“Does Stark trouble you so?” The trickster shifted into view, solidifying like a ghostly vision in the doorway. He wore a plain, English-cut suit and the polite smile of a businessman. “Perhaps we can discuss the matter, you and I, and come to a resolution of mutual benefit. Would you like that, Maria?”<br><br>His green eyes swept her body up and down, lingering on her thighs as she touched her weapon. “Or will you shoot first? If you're going to be irrational about this I must respond with a firm hand.” Loki's smile became more genuine as he licked his lower lip in anticipation. “Which path will we take?”
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Photo</strong> on <strong>15-09-2012, 20:19:00</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://i48.tinypic.com/wr8mh.jpg)</div><br><br><hr><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Maria Hill<br><strong>Title:</strong> Director of S.H.E.I.L.D. <br><strong>Location:</strong> The Armoury<br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:27 PM EST(nearly two hours after Tony's departure)<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Loki</span></span><br><hr><br>A blast-backwards instinct, Maria's troubled eyes opened, turning with weapon drawn, still down. Her muscles had ignited with pressure, her feet had gone numb instantly from adrenaline. Loki's percussive choice of words and nearly knocked her over, she held back a terrible scream, and her throat rattled in stead. She formed one word in immediate response as she lifted her pistol up. <strong>"ss-top"</strong> Her right hip-holster was empty and Loki was staring down the barrel of a gun. Her chest felt tight. She nearly pulled the trigger on him out of instinct. The safety had been taken off during the lightening reflex of drawing the weapon. As much as she wanted to empty the contents of her gun, she refrained, unsure of why, but firm in her decision.<br>&nbsp;<br>The director of S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't even know if eleven bullets to the chest would phase the god of mischief. The only thing that held her fire was curiosity. The last time he had been to this <em>planet</em>, the Avengers had nearly killed him. Maria Hill was still petrified, because the last time Loki had come to close to this <em>facility</em>, the entire operation had nearly gone down. His motives couldn't be that different this time. But his face was so calm. For a long moment, her entire body was still.<br><br><em>“Or will you shoot first? If you're going to be irrational about this I must respond with a firm hand.”</em><br><br>Maria's grip loosened and she let her arms go down a bit. Loki was coming at her with logic and a slow-paced form of intimidation. She knew a lot about this 'man'. He was stronger than he looked, and capable of things that she didn't fully understand. It was difficult to look at him for what she knew that he was. His presence had immediately forced her to feel like she was dreaming. The sting of her waking mind nearly forced her to panic. If simply talking to him caused this much disorientation, she couldn't imagine trying to fight him. Her eyes flashed over and over with every blink. <strong>"I know who you are." </strong>He must've known that by now, or he wouldn't have been here. Maria closed her eyes for a good half second in shame. Opening them up again, her fear was gone, and only the cold bitter face of an ex-marine was staring at him, now. <strong>"What do you want?"</strong><br><br>The tension in her body was pulsing at dangerous levels. She was shaking, the colt stayed steady in her muscular arms, but her knees were starting to move, and it forced her to re-position herself. This motion made it look like she was drawing backwards, so she let go of her gun with one hand and lowered it to her left side, away from it's holster. Everything but her face looked calm.<br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Madriv</strong> on <strong>19-09-2012, 19:03:31</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3ii20CiYJ1rqn69fo1_500.jpg)</div><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Loki<br><strong>Title:</strong> God of Mischief<br><strong>Location:</strong> The Armoury <br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:29 PM EST<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Maria </span></span><br><hr><br>The woman's fear was delicious and – he suspected – not often revealed. In spite of the way it wafted from her body like an exotic perfume she chose neither to flee nor to shoot him in the face with her small weapon; that was a promising start to their relationship. He politely ignored her command to “stop” and took one step closer before pausing to lean against one of the high metal tables.<br><br>“Ah, you know who I am. It is gratifying to know that my legend precedes me.” Hands before him, he laced his fingers. “And I know who you are, Maria Hill. Congratulations on your promotion, by the way. Fury really wasted every opportunity, didn't he? Made so many rash decisions and regrettable mistakes... ones I'm certain you will not repeat.” He offered a winning smile to underscore the compliment. <br><br>“As to what I want, well, that's a long story. You should relax, make yourself comfortable. We could even huddle up for a spell if it's getting too chilly in here for your delicate constitution.” Loki patted his coat as if encouraging a dog to come closer. “No? Hmm, suit yourself.” A fresh wave of frost swept halfway across the room and tiny icicles began to form on the underside of shelves.&nbsp; <br><br>“When I last visited your charming little realm, I was not entirely myself. I was gripped by the madness of the Chitauri and acted recklessly under their influence. Even gods, you see, are susceptible to the evil machination of forces beyond either of our comprehensions. As I was taken down by Earth's poorly-controlled mob of vigilantes and returned to my senses, I realized the error of my ways.” Somehow, as he ruefully pinched the bridge of his nose, the words echoed with sincerity.<br><br>“During my brief period of incarceration I took full measure of the dangers your realm now faces. The Chitauri army was pathetic and primitive compared to the enemies that have begun to turn their sights to Midgard. They are bold. They are legion. They will make my time with you seem agonizingly trivial in comparison to the darkness that will soon swallow your world whole. Like a wolf swallowing the sun,” he added absently, as patches of ice bloomed on every wall. Refocusing on Maria, he smiled with a patronizing kindness. “We can't have that, can we?”&nbsp; <br><br>Loki straightened and took another step towards the woman, ice crystals crunching beneath his feet. “So, it seems to me that what your realm needs is a strong defense. A force that is organized, disciplined, truly dedicated to the protection of Midgard... rather than the indulgence of their own egos. If your race wishes to keep the independence it so desperately craves, you need a reliable army with a powerful and experienced leader.”<br><br>He stopped once more, less than an arm's length from her, and spread his hands beneficently. “You are that leader, Maria. You should be Earth's mightiest hero,” Loki said, his breath hanging like smoke in the frosty air.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Photo</strong> on <strong>19-09-2012, 23:57:16</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://i48.tinypic.com/wr8mh.jpg)</div><br><br><hr><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Maria Hill<br><strong>Title:</strong> Director of S.H.E.I.L.D. <br><strong>Location:</strong> The Armoury<br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:32 PM EST(nearly two hours after Tony's departure)<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Loki</span></span><br><hr><br>With her pistol on the table after Loki's cool suggestions, Maria was left with only one weapon, hidden under her jacket. 'He probably knows that it's there.' Her expression loosened and she turned her back. The tension in the room was settling on a balance beam. She wanted to create some distance. <br><br>Hill looked away to hide her calm, and she took a few steps as he spoke, as the icy wind swept in.<br>&nbsp;<br>He had been speaking madness, 'the drivel of a demi-god'; and, his display of cold wind and ice had pushed Maria's threshold of reality. <br><br>She didn't believe that any of this was possible, even after New York City, even after she watched Loki come through the Tesseract the first time. It was all logical. His pattern was human. <em>This</em> was a disaster. The display was as unsettling as Loki had hoped for. She felt like an ant underneath him. She had been shaken into her instincts now, and Loki was slowly convincing her to relax. her weak knees only got worse with the cold, and the very presence of this god forced her down. <br><br>The shaking tension was coming from her restraint. It was her first day as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and she was afraid that she would lose in a fight to this 'creature, whatever the hell he was.' But as she collapsed to the ground like a child in front of a screaming father, Loki's crescendo slipped into her mind.<br><br><em>“You are that leader, Maria. You should be Earth's mightiest hero,”</em><br><br>Inflamed with a sudden stream of thought, Maria justified her next action with brash counter-intuitive determination. <strong>"Oh... and it's you of all people."</strong> He was a snake above her, a perfect distraction, chaos in form. She was furious.<br><br><em>'He had called me a leader, Earth's mightiest hero. It sounded like music, even if hissed from a serpent. - He's trying to pawn me, it's so clear, and so crucial. His wisdom is my wisdom, his goals are my goals. - But he is not of this plane. Fuck. He is not of this plane. - If what he says is true, there is no diction that can prove him right, only me. Only me.'</em><br><br>Maria Broke her tension, and stood up. She grinned in his direction to test him, it faded quickly. her head was tilted, her feet were tight against the ground. <strong>"No punches pulled,"</strong> Her head shook in both directions quickly. <strong>"I want to see how strong you are."</strong> In the next second, Maria was charging at Loki with her left elbow in front of her. She imagined a large right hay-maker, so she twisted her back, and strung it up tightly. Pivoting on her right foot, she squared herself in front of him. With all the force Maria could bring forth, she snapped her muscles and drove her knuckles toward Loki's left eye socket.<br><br>Brows sturdy, jaw tight, it looked like Maria had a mouth-guard in-between her teeth. This was a sport for now, he had voiced her strength, and she aimed to prove it. If she truly was Earth's mightiest hero, then she would tackle Loki right now, and solve the problem as action item one. She certainly, wasn't going to bow at his knees, and let him command her. As she launched into her fight with a god, she didn't think about it logically, she was still running on base instincts. She was human enough to lash out against Loki, it only seemed right, no matter how she made the pieces of the puzzle fit together.<br><br>His largest offence was irreversible. He had made the suggestion that drove her forward. He had read her personality like a book. She had nowhere to turn now, no real path to take, every decision that she could make from now on, just felt like she was playing into his hand. Her goals were justified, and his vile whispers would not go down as her motivations! She would not allow it, her fist was tight, her confidence was burning hot. She nearly smiled.<br><br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Madriv</strong> on <strong>01-10-2012, 03:23:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatright">(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3ii20CiYJ1rqn69fo1_500.jpg)</div><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Loki<br><strong>Title:</strong> God of Mischief<br><strong>Location:</strong> The Armoury <br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:34 PM EST<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Maria </span></span><br><hr><br><em>"I want to see how strong you are." </em><br><br>He very nearly welcomed the kiss of her fist, just for the sake of diversion, but at the last millisecond he chose not to reward bad behavior. Her balled knuckles brushed his temple as Loki side-stepped the blow and darted behind Maria with the speed of a serpent. His arms enfolded her, pinning her arms and embracing her fury like a lover. <br><br>“Now, now, my brave little hero. You are only human, after all,” he whispered into her ear as he nuzzled her hair. “I have the advantage here.” His fingers dug into her suit, icy claws slicing the polymer fibers like razors through silk. Her breasts suddenly strained against the ribbons of fabric that had been her vest. Frosty air seared her exposed skin.<br><br>“Recall what I said about a firm hand?” Loki released the woman only to grip the back of her neck and slam her forehead against the edge of a stainless steel table with just enough force enough to stun a human - or so he hoped. <br><br>“I only wanted a word but now you've put me in the mood for something more.” He lifted her lightly as a rag doll and flung her across the room to crumple against the frozen door. Before she could move again he grabbed Maria by the leg and swung her viciously onto one of the tables where she landed flat on her back, the air knocked from her lungs. The weight of his body settled heavily onto the length of her battered form as he watched the plumes of her breath slowly return.<br><br>His eyes fixed on hers as her lashes fluttered and she seemed to focus on him. “I called you a hero and a hero you could be if you accept my generous offer of assistance. Then you will be something more than human... although still perhaps something less than a god.” Methodically, he began to break the strips of fabric that concealed her modesty without shifting his gaze. “As it is, you must appreciate the fact that I can do whatever I wish to do with your delicate mortal flesh.” With three final twists of his fingers he bared her breasts and smiled coldly down at the sight. “Whether that involves lavishing it with affection or stripping it from your bones depends on how you answer this: Will you be a good little hero now or will you continue to test my... strength?”<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Photo</strong> on <strong>01-10-2012, 05:17:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://i46.tinypic.com/1zeihk4.jpg)</div><br><br><hr><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Maria Hill<br><strong>Title:</strong> Director of S.H.E.I.L.D. <br><strong>Location:</strong> The Armoury<br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:36 PM EST(nearly two hours after Tony's departure)<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Loki</span></span><br><hr><br>Maria had been devastated in half of a second. All of her confidence departed instantly. She hardly felt like herself. All of her military training seemed to flash out of her memory. It was as if she wasn't a marine, as if she didn't know how to handle an attacker, as if she wasn't even Maria Hill. She was embarrassed, disappointed, injured, confused, and angry, along with a cavalcade of various other emotions.<br><br>It was obvious now, she knew exactly who she was dealing with. Maria had expected him to have <em>some</em> trouble with her. She had foreseen a losing battle, he had been too friendly already to kill her, he had an agenda. The fight was supposed to be sport, it had gotten dark quickly.<br><br>The conflict had been resolved before it had even started. She wanted to see how strong he was. And, Loki was perfectly willing to display himself. In the first moment, he had appeared to vanish. In the next, his hands were inside of her clothing, it had caught her off guard. She was powerless, it felt like she had been put in a straight jacket. The vile intentions of Loki shined true. Her instincts were still ruling her mind, his lustful grabbing had caused her to yelp. Still firm, her panic came off as arrogance. <strong>"Ahgh, get you're hands off o-"</strong> She was trying to struggle free of him, but he was fierce. And, she couldn't even finish her sentence.<br><br><em>"Recall what I said about a firm hand"</em><br><br>Her scalp met the table, and a black-light shown through her mind. It was shocking, she could no longer feel her feet or her hands. Then, in the next instant, Maria's form piloted across the armoury, striking the door in a fit of unconscious fright. She had heard her own body crack, but none of her bones had broken. Then it was the table, and his ...weight. She could hardly breathe underneath him. The contents of her mind were fuzzy, and it was hard to speak in any language or inflection. <strong>"ugh! What are you doing? I don't-" </strong>She didn't understand why his fingers were prying off the vest. It made no sense to her. A sexual advance was the last thing she had expected.<strong> "No."</strong> It had sounded like a desperate <em>yes</em>. <strong>"don't do this." </strong>She been screaming into a deaf ear of concern. No word could stop him from getting his way, and her body wasn't about to resist either.<br><br>She was prey, it was a game for him. The truth gave her <em>clarity</em> in the worst possible moment, right when her vest came undone and she laid exposed and half-conscious. She knew that she was 'challenging' a god. She knew that she couldn't stop him on her own, and she knew that he was about to violate her. She was horrified. Being overpowered was not something that she was used to. Her clarity gifted her with one more piece of wisdom: She wanted him. And, it sickened her, she couldn't stop herself from moaning. An unquestionably <em>honest</em> hum turned slowly into anger, and she let out a passionate growl from her throat. It was a feminine sound, like a bee sting, or a loose bottle rocket. <br><br><em>“Whether that involves lavishing it with affection or stripping it from your bones depends on how you answer this: Will you be a good little hero now or will you continue to test my... strength?”</em><br><br>It was how he had said 'hero'. When he spoke it, it had sounded like 'slave.' <br><br><strong>"what am I supposed to do?" </strong>She wasn't talking to Loki, the timbre had exposed that, loose with a cadence in the form of a prayer. Maria wasn't even speaking to herself. The ultimatum was tragic. She didn't want to be his 'hero.' She wanted to be <em>Earth</em>'s hero. She didn't feel like she had become either. She felt like a whore, submitting to the god of mischief himself, awaiting the punishment that she would surely receive for reasons unknown. <br><br>Maria swallowed her pride and tried to lift her chest for him. Her breathes were shallow, her pain was loud. She thought that maybe, her being a woman had clouded Loki's judgement. He was still a man, even if he was a god. <strong>"I'll do it." </strong>She had lost, and she knew it. Saying those words had tasted bitter in every part of her body. She could feel horror sink into her previously numb fingers and toes. That was a small relief,<em> knowing</em> that she hadn't been paralysed. Living to see another day was in her best interest. <br><strong><br>"I want to be of value. I don't want to lose my battle here."</strong> Her words were lies. She hoped that he wasn't gifted at picking up on that.<strong> "I'll do what you want me to do."</strong> Her throat was whispering. She didn't want to say those words. They had been about everything. The Avengers were inside of her words, his sexual assault was inside of her words, it even sounded like she was talking about turning over to his side.&nbsp; The idea of having her skin stripped from her body was more horrifying than 'whatever he wants to do with me.' Maria was already starting to deal with this odd illusion of reality.<br><br>Her naked breasts were at rest now. She wasn't on guard. <strong>"I'm sorry.</strong> She still sounded cold to the touch. <strong>" I just wanted to <em>see</em>. I just wanted to know what you were."</strong>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kirinis</strong> on <strong>01-10-2012, 08:27:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<hr><div class="floatleft">(http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o566/thenightisnear/Fave%20Characters/cb2.jpg)</div><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Clint Barton<br><strong>Title:</strong> Hawkeye<br><strong>Location:</strong> Leaving the Helicarrier<br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:05 PM<br><strong>Tags:</strong> None</span></span><br><hr><br><em>'Barton, Loki is loose; we need you at Stark Tower now.'</em>&nbsp; Those were the last words he wanted to hear in this lifetime, yet there it was plain as day.&nbsp; Clint quickly toweled off and donned on his working clothes.&nbsp; Any sense of exhaustion faded away as he focused on what was surely coming.&nbsp; He owed Loki something more than just an exploding arrow to his face.&nbsp; Clint was going to get his fair pound of flesh and more than a little undue satisfaction with taking down Loki again.&nbsp; Continuing his run, he headed to the Armory to pick up his tools.&nbsp; <br><br>The weight of his quiver was a welcome presence as Clint tapped into the Helicarrier comms again.&nbsp; 'Agent Barton here, I'm going to need a Quinjet ready to go as soon as I hit the Hangar.&nbsp; I'll be heading for Mr. Stark's tower.'&nbsp; With that done, Clint focused on the target, planting an arrow through Loki's head.&nbsp; No playing around, he was going to take the Asgardian down before he would make the mistake of getting near Loki.<br><br>Boarding the Quinjet, Clint sent a quick missive to Stark. 'Flying in, ETA ten minutes.'&nbsp; Getting strapped in, Clint began to play with the toggle, always coming back to the explosive heads.&nbsp; They had worked last time, and Clint was confident that his lucky talisman was going to come in handy.&nbsp; Along the way, the pilot reported turbulance, the flight would take a bit longer... Of course, Clint tried not to grimace.&nbsp; Why shouldn't he be late?&nbsp; It was his luck last time and it looked like bad luck was waiting for Clint again.&nbsp; He kicked his feet back...a storm was coming and why did he have this sinking sensation in his gut?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Madriv</strong> on <strong>03-10-2012, 16:24:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatright">(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3ii20CiYJ1rqn69fo1_500.jpg)</div><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Loki<br><strong>Title:</strong> God of Mischief<br><strong>Location:</strong> The Armoury <br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:38 PM EST<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Maria </span></span><br><hr><br><em>"What am I supposed to do?"</em><br><br>The question was not for him. Her professed duties were at odds with her desires, just as they were throughout all the denizens of Midgard.<br><br>He shifted on top of her, pressing firmly against her thighs to remind her of her place. Her body was so small beneath him. Jane's would be this small, though perhaps less solid. Maria was a warrior among her kind. A powerful weapon. A threat. But when the soldier was defeated, when her tools and training were stripped away all that remained was her human nature. This one was like a spoiled colt that needed to be broken: all lean muscle and wild pride. <br><br>She arched, her naked breasts thrust towards him as if attempting to seduce him with the display. "<em>I'll do it</em>," she said at last. His eyes narrowed as the rest of her hollow words tumbled out. As she slumped on the table at last, apologizing, vulnerable, he slapped her sharply across the left cheek before covering her mouth with his. He held her jaw still with one hand as he crushed her lips with a punishing kiss that lasted too long, staring at her with eyes that never closed. When he finally pulled away his hand slid down to encircle her throat and rested there.<br><br>"And what am I? Magician? Murderer? Monster?" He rose above her, covering her breast with his other hand, squeezing , cradling her flesh. "Whatever conclusion you've reached, do not think of me as one of your kind. I will not be swayed to pity or lust by your naked beauty. You cannot control me, Maria, any more than you can control your own need for a 'firm hand'."<br><br>He caught the ragged edge of her clothing and tore it the rest of the way down, down to the crotch, splitting her defenses wide open. Loki's knee dug between her thighs, forcing them apart. He pushed up until his leather met her sex.<br><br>"Tell me again, Maria," he purred, rocking his knee against the root of her, "that you want me to stop. You don't want me to do this. Tell me you don't want my cock driving into your quim over and over until you scream and come and cry out like a well-pleasured woman rather than a steadfast and frigid little soldier. Tell me..."<br>&nbsp;
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Photo</strong> on <strong>05-10-2012, 08:07:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://i46.tinypic.com/1zeihk4.jpg)</div><br><br><hr><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Maria Hill<br><strong>Title:</strong> Director of S.H.E.I.L.D. <br><strong>Location:</strong> The Armoury<br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:43 PM EST(nearly two hours after Tony's departure)<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Loki</span></span><br><hr><br>Maria was flush in a way that made her blood boil. She was intoxicated with arousal, and anger. Those were the key ingredients to a cocktail of hormonal power that made her stronger. However, she felt weaker than she had just moments before. She was intensely more tough than she looked. Maria was stronger than she knew that she was. She wriggled to her side as best as she could.<br><br>Still, Loki just had a rag doll in his hands, and nothing she did could change her position. Losing had never been this blunt before. 'He could rip me apart if he wanted to'. <br><br>Her cheek shifted, and her jaw bone popped under his dominant hand. Stumbling over the table, she nearly flipped from the follow through of the blow. <em>'it's so good,'</em> she thought without control. The cold armoury table felt like it was burning her skin, she whimpered when she tried to breathe. She offered him a subconscious open mouth when he kissed her while her hands tried to push him away. Her eyelids shut upon his powerful gaze. It was a vile look on his face. Seeing him nearly made her scream. She was able to contain that, somehow.<br><br>Welcoming the lack of oxygen, she felt elated as he choked her. His rhinestone body ground against her open thighs. Maria could feel the bruise on her head more easily as it turned into a head ache.<br><br>Her clothing ripped like a handkerchief, <strong>"fuck!"</strong> Maria coiled in pain and squirmed away. Her busy muscles were pumping hard in the emergency. It felt like a rock had fallen on top of her, holding her to the ground, a careless wanderer in a dangerous cave. She tried to put her knee in-between them and twist her hips. She slammed her fist against his elbow. She tried to put her thighs together.<br><br>Shamelessly shameful sex, wet, against cold leather, surely more frigid than the ice in the room. Maria was shocked. Her throat-muffled scream escaped her chest. The chill was a bolt of energy that drilled it's way hard through her bosom and into her heart. <strong>"No."</strong> She moaned. The hopeless girl had to choke her words out through a tenacious tongue, <strong>"get your sick fucking hands off of me."</strong> Maria was in a vacant adherence to his righteous command. <br><br>'I was so wrong.' Loki was beyond her comprehension. He was an absurdity. Her body had never felt like this before. As his body applied pressure, Maria pulled away, she convulsed in an attempt to jar his hand loose of her throat. She tried to shout, but her wind-pipe was closed. A whispering purr escaped her lips that ended with a moan she couldn't contain. 'He's a sick one. A beast. His style was maniacal.' His eyes were fearsome. Maria continued to look up, or left, or down, or forward. His push was persistent, the stone curve of his knee forced her to grunt, and grind. Her hips just started to move. Conflicted she tried to stop them. She hated him. But, she was about to give in.<br><br>Growing scared of his tight grip. she forced out four words with a sound similar to creaking floorboards, <strong>"don't kill me... please."</strong> She was bursting fizz from the shattered cork of a champagne bottle. Sex had not graced her in any form. Life was violent. 'this is good.' It made sense. Maria moaned again with a deep purr, and then two more words came out, <strong>"stop... choking"</strong> She had enough will to hold her own among humans. This was a violent new experience that would likely never be forgotten. 'get fucked by a god.' <br><br>It was starting to sound incredibly appealing. Her body was disobeying her. Her mind was going turn-coat. Her emotions had vanished. Her pale skin had turned pink. Her disciplined appearance travelled all the way through, to her bones. Maria's muscles were wired tight to every corner of every joint, she was clean, viscously attractive and... 'obsessively well maintained.' Then all at once, her muscles retracted, her body softened as much as it could, her eyes looked thirsty, her lips parted and her teeth seemed to close together tighter. She stared at Loki in the eyes. A tiny fake smile cornered her mouth. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Madriv</strong> on <strong>08-10-2012, 17:38:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatright">(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbkzd3uCuP1rgwwjfo1_1280.jpg)</div><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Loki<br><strong>Title:</strong> God of Mischief<br><strong>Location:</strong> The Armoury <br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:45 PM EST<br><strong>Tags:</strong> Maria </span></span><br><hr>His hand relaxed around her throat, leaving an angry red and white imprint of long fingers that had stolen her breath away. A god might give, a god might take. Those fingers caressed her cheek as she gasped for air.<br><br>"I do like the way you say 'please', my darling Maria," he purred, grinding his knee into her wet sex.&nbsp; "See what a generous effect it has on me? You'll live to see another day." With a final sharp thrust against her heat he pushed himself up and off of her, landing on his feet beside the steel table. Loki gazed hungrily down at her body, so beautifully bruised and spread before him like the perfect sacrifice. The pink flush on her skin made his mouth water.<br><br>"You must understand," he began slowly, his left hand gliding between her legs like a serpent, "I graced you with my presence only to arouse your lust for power. Arousing your physical lust has been an deliciously unexpected accomplishment... and that particular desire of yours will not be quenched so easily." He toyed with her clit, rolling the delicate flesh between thumb and forefinger all too briefly before his hand moved up, over her mons, to rest almost affectionately on her flat belly.<br><br>In his next breath, one razor-sharp claw of ice sliced Loki's spell into her skin and a pair of angular runes bloomed with blood.&nbsp; "There, I leave you with my gift. You will find certain of your abilities enhanced, enough to make you more than a match for any mortal upstart. Now you are a hero, Maria." He stepped back and smiled, licking his crimson-stained fingers thoughtfully.<br><br>"I also leave you with your lust intact. How does it feel to <em>want </em>the very thing you hate the most, in such an intimate way? Nothing less will quench your desires, no matter how desperate you become."<br><br>A jagged line of light appeared directly behind him, gaping like a mouth. "Enjoy your new abilities. I will see you again very soon, I think. How long can you suffer with yourself before you are ready to beg to feel a monster moving inside you?"<br><br>He winked at her. The light flared and swallowed him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Avengers Assembled: S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Photo</strong> on <strong>13-10-2012, 12:05:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://i48.tinypic.com/14tofwh.jpg)</div><br><br><hr><br><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Name:</strong> Maria Hill<br><strong>Title:</strong> Director of S.H.E.I.L.D. <br><strong>Location:</strong> The Armoury<br><strong>Time:</strong> 7:55<br><strong>Tags:</strong> none</span></span><br><hr><br>As Loki's hands released her, carresed her, opened her thighs and dug into the gentle mound of her sex she did her best to bite through the pleasure. She wanted to moan. She wanted to tangle herself around him and let him have his way. But she didn't want him to really know that. He already did, but she didn't have to reinforce it. Without help though, her hungry body continued to pulse, and the hard bite on her lip only proved how violently willing she had become. And then he marked her, withdrawing, and already vanishing.<br><br><em>"I also leave you with your lust intact. How does it feel to want the very thing you hate the most, in such an intimate way? Nothing less will quench your desires, no matter how desperate you become."</em><br><br>"It feels the same as it did before." She whispered coldly in an effort to hold her dignity. It seemed to have worked well enough. He had the last words though, and she would let him be so arrogant.<br><br><em>"Enjoy your new abilities. I will see you again very soon, I think. How long can you suffer with yourself before you are ready to beg to feel a monster moving inside you?"</em><br><br>Loki had left her like a tangle of rags in the breeze. Her blushing form could barely move. she had lifted to her elbows weakly as he departed through the flashing work of his godly power. It was difficult not to be amazed. Maria had to catch her breathe after he exited. She didn't mind what the reasons were for her to be holding it in. She sat up on the edge of the table, conquered by a concussion, determined to stand again soon.<br><br>But everything seemed to be in significant pain.<br><br>The mark had been vicious , she had hissed and grunted as he branded her. She was at a loss for the feeling that immediately followed the pain. It struck her as odd that she wasn't more horrified by her exposed breasts, or the dripping bottom of her suit. It was all still shock, and none of it had registered. <br><br>Maria lifted her shoulders free of whatever was left on them, untying her boots, and pushing herself out of her pants. Her panties had been ripped, they were on the floor as well. It was the second time that she had been nude since she was given the job of director. "God, I need another shower." She laughed to herself, trying to straighten her posture and stand. As she lifted to her feet, the pain in her abdomen nearly forced her to her knees.<br><br>Her hand checked the deep gashes above her groin. They were healing quickly, and she was unsure if that was the nature of this hex, or one of her new 'powers' that Loki had spoken of cryptically. She did feel increasingly more full of life with every step. Taking a look around her, the room was warmer, and all the ice had vanished. For a moment she felt like she had gone insane. <br><br>But the truth was indistinguishable. Loki had given her something. Something beyond a good lashing, and a sexual assault. He had given her power. she could feel it. The inner-glow existed without form, she felt younger, more creative, and much more in control of her body. She would have to field test this feeling, to see how far it could take her. It was raw, already.<br><br><hr><br>She dressed again as the pain vanished, happy that Loki had not destroyed her new jacket. But he had vanquished most of her new ensemble. It was frustrating to clothe herself in a SHIELD jumpsuit again. She found her pistols, and fixed her hair. Loki hadn't left much visible damage on her face, so she had mostly put herself together before Rutherford stumbled in with a message: "Director Hill." He started, oblivious to the happenings in the armory while he was away. "There's word from Captain Rogers. He wants to meet you in a New York diner as soon as possible."<br><br>"He asked for me specifically?" Maria floated around the room as if she had taken Loki's place<br><br>"No, he had asked for Nick fury, actually. I guess news doesn't travel as fast as it does now, it travels slow. Like it did when Rogers was alive... which is still now."<br><br>"Are you through?" She was snappy, no surprise there.<br><br>"Yes, ma'am." Rutherford smiled, and his feet nearly started to two step around the room. He was giddy. He had news of some kind. Rutherford noticed her clothing change. Her ripped suit had been put away. His boss felt different though. He chose to ignore it. <br><br>"Report?" she said with a commanding flint of steel. She strode passed her assistant, and he followed diligently, expelling the report of their progress in her first several projects: "We have confirmation emails from most of the science staff about re-locations. Some of UN have been holding council over SHIELDS decision to replace Nick fury with yourself, they're expecting a response in less than an hour outlining your agenda. It is unclear as to why...." they were in the halls now traveling up to his quarters again. "Your <em>Alpha Project</em> is a go, and the team here already have a few dossiers for you, they're right here actually." Rutherford reached into one of his portable binders and withdrew a number of thick folders. "A list of scientists, engineers, and special interest parties from around the world that can help. There's a soft copy on your hard-drive already. And, we are only 180 miles from Manhattan Island"<br><br>Maria was impressed. "You got good at this fast."<br><br>Rutherford had an answer prepared, "I was an intern for republic campaigns in the northeast before I got this spot." He realized that the two of them were headed back to his room. Again, he ignored it.<br><br>Maria was looking at the dossiers as they walked, coming to Rutherford's door, Maria stopped well short. "Ezekiel Stane." She was shocked by the name. She had read about it before. "What in the hell is this name doing in my hand?" Rutherford keyed at the dead bolt and opened it for Maria to change inside, well aware of what she was doing. He could only shrug looking into her powerfully curious eyes. When Rutherford couldn't answer she inspected the file herself: "He's in New York?" It was as if she had forgotten where she was.
			</dd>
		</dl>
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