Jon felt his pulse quicken. Based on the timeline, it wouldn't be long before Loki brought his Chitauri army to Earth. When that happened, an entire army of extraterrestrials would be ready for his judgment. It was a thought that exhilarated him—Zarathos would be able to feast to its fill.
Annie eyed Jon with a mix of confusion and disbelief. This sort of excitement wasn't something she expected to hear from Jon. For a moment, she felt a strange unease, as if there was something about Jon that she couldn't fully grasp. But she shook off the thought almost immediately. It wasn't that she couldn't believe it—it was more that she chose not to dwell on it.
"No matter what, if something like this ever happens around you, just promise me you'll stay as far away as possible," Annie insisted, her voice stern. "Don't get involved, Jon."
Jon shrugged, giving her an easy smile. "I'll try my best."
"No! I want a promise, Jon!" Annie demanded, her voice leaving no room for negotiation.
Ayla, sitting nearby, couldn't hold back her laughter. Annie gave her a skeptical look, but decided to let it pass.
"Well, that might be a bit hard to guarantee," Jon replied after a pause.
"Why?" Annie's brow furrowed.
Jon pointed at the television. "Look, do you think those people in Germany wanted to stick around? Loki blocked all the exits with his illusions. The only one who dared stand up got almost killed for it, if Captain America hadn't jumped in to save him."
"Hey, look, it's Iron Man!" Ayla chimed in, cleverly shifting the subject.
The screen showed Captain America struggling against Loki until a flash of red and gold descended from above—Iron Man, firing a repulsor blast that knocked Loki to the ground. With a sigh, Loki raised his hands, surrendering as his armor dissolved into the appearance of a well-dressed diplomat once more.
For the viewers, it seemed like the situation had resolved itself.
Annie also breathed a sigh of relief. "I really hope that's the end of it."
"The end? Not even close," Jon muttered, then instantly realized his mistake. Under Annie's probing stare, he quickly added, "I mean, come on. Loki's the Norse god of mischief. Does he look like the kind of guy who just gives up?! He's got to be planning something!"
Jon paused, his face growing serious. He realized that if he allowed things to follow their natural course, someone would die.
Coulson. Despite Jon's annoyance at Coulson's constant meddling, the man had never shown him anything but good faith. When Jon had made it clear that he wanted to be left alone, Coulson had respected his wishes—as much as someone from S.H.I.E.L.D. could. And if Jon remembered correctly, Coulson would be killed in the upcoming events. Sure, the guy came back in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but the way it happened—resurrection through dubious means, the kind that carried more pain than it was worth—wasn't something Jon wanted for anyone.
"Jon, what's wrong?" Annie asked, noticing his sudden change in demeanor.
"Nothing. Just remembered something," Jon said. He stood up and walked back to his room. Once inside, he hesitated for a moment before grabbing his phone. He dialed the number he thought he'd never use.
After a few rings, the call connected.
"Jon? This is a surprise. What can I do for you?" Coulson's voice came through, friendly and curious. He didn't expect Jon to join the Avengers—if Nick Fury himself couldn't convince Jon, there was no way Coulson would.
"I'm calling to give you a warning," Jon said bluntly.
"You know, you're starting to make a habit of these warnings," Coulson replied, sounding amused. "Two days ago, you warned Director Fury about Hydra, and we've since identified over a dozen moles inside S.H.I.E.L.D. If it weren't for your tip, things could have gotten a lot uglier. But I suppose this isn't about that, is it?"
"No, this one's just for you," Jon said.
"Oh?" Coulson's voice lost some of its warmth, replaced with a tinge of caution.
"You've got Loki, right?"
"Yes. The capture went surprisingly smoothly," Coulson confirmed.
"Exactly my point," Jon said. "Doesn't that strike you as strange? When Captain America faced him, Loki fought back viciously. But as soon as Iron Man showed up, he surrendered without much fuss."
"We noticed that too. But don't worry—we've got some of our best agents interrogating him. We'll find out what he's up to," Coulson assured, his tone confident.
"I'm not worried about your interrogation," Jon said, voice sharpening. "Listen, Coulson. I know I can't keep you out of this, but if anything happens, do not engage Loki directly. Even if you've got that energy weapon from the Destroyer, it won't help."
(A/N: The Destroyer is the Asgardian automaton from Thor 1, repurposed by S.H.I.E.L.D. into an energy weapon that Coulson later uses.)
"Remember, Loki is a god—the god of mischief. He's not someone you can take on head-to-head. If he escapes, leave it to the Avengers," Jon emphasized.
There was a long pause before Coulson responded. "Thank you for the warning, Jon. I'll take it under consideration."
The line clicked as Coulson hung up. Jon set his phone down, a sense of unease still gnawing at him. He didn't know if Coulson would heed his warning. Even if Coulson understood the risk, he was the type who had already accepted death as part of the job. Sometimes, that kind of man would step up, even knowing the outcome.
At least Jon had tried. The rest was up to Coulson and whatever fate had in store for him.
------------
(A/N: If you want to see more chapters, go to my Patreon to see more chapters ahead. patreon.com/TheMightyZeus