A/N: This is it, the beginning of the sequel. First part was Crash landing in Lima and you can find it in my profile. Hope you like this one too!

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Prologue:

The evening was quiet but the research facility was a flurry of activity. It wasn't everyday they were told to evacuate, even with the Tesseract there. It had been a couple of weeks since Director Fury'd brought the Hawk and the Bear. The Hawk was a man in his late twenties, early thirties, brought into observe. The Bear was a man in his fifties who did something with the Tesseract, keeping keen notes and never showing them to anyone. Those who had accidentally seen his notes told others they couldn't understand them, saying they were in some kind of code. The scientists hoped he was doing something to keep the cube from misbehaving like it had been doing lately.

Most of the scientists were frustrated by the Hawk and the Bear. The two newcomers didn't talk much, even at meals or to each other. Well, the Bear talked to Dr. Selvig about Jane Foster's Einstein-Rosen Bridge theory a couple of times, citing interest in the subject. Other than that, he didn't share any personal information. Still, it was more than the Hawk so the scientists encouraged him.

When the Director came, no one was surprised he talked briefly with Selvig before wanting to talk with the Hawk and the Bear.

"Agents, report," Fury demanded as they walked. "Hawkeye, you were supposed to keep an eye on the Tesseract project and it's scientists."

Clint Barton aka. Hawkeye shrugged. "I see better from afar. But the Tesseract has been acting up lately, like Selvig said. No tampering on this side."

"Hummel, you were trying to come up with something to harness it's power."

"That's the difference between a scientist and an inventor," sighed Burt. "Scientists spend their time trying to prove their own or someone else's theories, occasionally inventing something in the process. An inventor on the other hand doesn't care for theories, he just concentrates on making the things he invents. But lucky for you, I came up with something as plebian as a theory and proved it correct. I can build-"

The explanation was cut off when a blond scientist announced the cube's energy levels were spiking again. The Director, the Hawk and the Bear were in front of the cube and Fury turned to Barton.

"You said there was no tampering on this side. What did you mean?"

"Well, it's a door, right?" asked Clint with a hint of annoyance. "Doors open from both sides and from one side it's easier to force them open. Maybe that's what's happening here."

"I'll say," Burt said, staring at a computer screen. "It's energy levels are spiking higher than ever before. It's like… it finally has a purpose or something."

"And what might this purpose be?" Fury had the time to ask before the Tesseract shot a blue beam of energy that formed some kind of portal over the platform they used to harvest small amounts of the cube's beams heat energy.

"I'm guessing Barton was spot on with his door analogy," Burt shouted when they saw something start to form.

The group looked on in fascination as the form solidified to a man standing in the middle of the platform, security reacting to the foreign presence. The shock wave of the cube's energy didn't do anything but wash over them, leaving them all slightly unsettled. The stranger took in his surroundings with a wicked smile. Absently Burt thought he looked like Kurt when he's planning something.

The man seemed unconcerned with the guns trained on him. His eyes landed on Burt and an eyebrow was arched, recognition flashing in his eyes. Then he moved on to the Tesseract and much more interest could be seen in his eyes.

Burt knew who the man was the second their eyes met. The man would have no reason to recognize him, having come from a different realm, unless he was Thor's brother Loki. The brother who had tried to commit a genocide last time Burt heard. If everything had gone well, Thor would have had to fight in a war between Asgard and Jotunheim, hopefully winning and coming to visit Kurt. As he hadn't visited (at least to Burt's knowledge), Burt reasoned something had gone wrong. Loki standing in front of him supported that claim.

"Sir! Please put down the spear!" Fury told the stranger who looked down at the spear in his right hand.

And then he attacked, shooting some kind of energy beams (much like the Tesseract's beam but smaller). The fight was over in under thirty seconds and Burt was left standing where he had been, wondering if Loki had a reason to spare him.

"You, father of Kurt, are one of the scientists researching this?" Loki asked with barely contained glee.

"Not a scientist," grouched Burt, unimpressed. He'd watched the security footage of Thor's fight with the Destroyer after he'd held Kurt who had cried himself to sleep that night years ago. "I'm an inventor. The difference is clear as night and day. But I suppose you are Loki, brother of Thor and Prince of Asgard?"

Loki took a step forward with a gleeful smirk. "I suppose I was a prince of Asgard… But I was never Thor's brother!" he shouted and the last thing Burt knew was Loki's specter against his chest and a chill emitting from that spot.