"It's always at the worst time," Morgan grumbled in agreement as she got to her feet. She needed to hear what was going on and needed to know if she was needed. She wouldn't go on the mission. She wasn't a fighter, but that didn't mean she couldn't help her family. Loki kept pace with her and escorted her, keeping her safe. He didn't know what was happening either, but he trusted that he would be able to keep Morgan safe from whatever it was.

The pair headed down together to the conference room. Morgan led the way, since she knew how the Avengers worked better than Loki did. She'd been through plenty of these meetings. They slipped into the conference room as the rest of the team was gathering as well.

Cap stood at the front of the room and waited until the whole team arrived before he told them about Hydra's latest attack that needed to be stopped. He gave out assignments to the team members before each headed off to get ready and meet back up at the jet. He finally got to Loki and Morgan and looked between them, clearly trying to decide what to do with the pair of them. Loki kept a firm but gentle grip on Morgan, his arm protectively around her shoulders. She was in his care until he was told otherwise. Cap considered for a long while before he finally said: "Someone needs to stay behind and keep Morgan safe." He didn't want to leave Morgan alone in the tower, not with how big this Hydra attack was.

Loki inclined his head. "I volunteer," his words were easy. He wanted to keep Morgan safe. If he was assigned to do so, all the better.

Thor looked over at him, surprised that Loki would volunteer for anything, especially staying behind. Even more especially babysitting a mortal.

Cap ignored Thor's surprise and nodded, accepting Loki's words. It fixed two issues: Morgan's safety and what to give Loki for a first assignment to prove himself to the team. "Then her safety is your responsibility,"

Loki inclined his head again. An Asgardian warrior and Master Magician could keep one little mortal safe. "She is in good hands."

Tony gave him a stern look, then came over and kissed Morgan's hair. "Stay safe," he told her, worried as ever about his daughter. He softened a little. "We'd appreciate your help if you're up to it, little Oracle," he said fondly and ruffled her hair before he left with the rest of the team. Morgan nodded with a blush and agreed to be the Oracle for the team.

Thor clapped Loki's shoulder. "Be safe, brother,"

Loki winced slightly at the clap, but nodded, surprised by Thor's affection and worry. It had been so long since his brother had cared. "I'm more concerned about Lady Morgan's safety than mine." The words were true, the sentiment real. Loki hardly valued his life after what he'd been through, but Morgan... she helped so much.

The team finally headed out, taking the jet to the attack. Morgan took Loki's hand firmly in hers. "C'mon, dad wants my help," she explained and dragged him down the hall to a massive computer room. Loki summoned his armor as he was dragged. He hoped he wouldn't need it, but he wasn't going to take the chance that he would need it and not have it.

The room they entered had computer screens everywhere, already lighting up with Jarvis' interfaces in a manner that was incomprehensible to anyone but Morgan and Tony. Morgan slid into the extra fancy computer chair. She was clearly at home, clearly belonged here. She didn't have armor, didn't have weapons. But she was still important to the team. She put on her headset, watching all the screens and holographic keyboards appearing under her hands.

Her dad's teasing nickname of 'Oracle' became clear. She was watching the battle and giving directions to the team, to local law enforcement, to everyone important through the comm she wore, through the screens she watched. Just like the comic book character of the same monicker.

Loki watched her work for a minute, impressed with her skill. She was so very much in her element. The technology reacted to her in a way that felt of magic, though she didn't actively have magic and she didn't even seem to notice. Loki secured the room, patrolling it, looking for weaknesses. Something felt off and he couldn't quite figure out what it was.

At least he couldn't figure it out until Morgan yelled. "Fuck. Get down!" She was on the ground a moment later as a bomb crashed through the wall and into the room.

Loki grabbed the bomb and vanished it before it could explode, moving to Morgan's side to protect her."We're under attack! How did it get through the tower defenses?!"

"I don't know" Morgan replied. She sounded afraid, truly afraid of being attacked in her own home. Again. She steeled herself. She was better prepared this time. She wasn't just an unarmed teenager.

A lot had changed since the battle of New York.

She gestured over the watch and bracelet she wore and armor appeared from them, armor like her dad's. More armor slid into place, though she only had the minimum armor, she wasn't supposed to be in battle, just a set of gauntlets, boots, and a piece over her chest. Loki summoned his daggers, glad that Morgan had some protection. He definitely approved.

He only had a moment to approve of her preparedness before Hydra agents began pouring in through the hole in the tower wall. Loki understood immediately: the team's mission had been a ruse to get them away from the Tower, away from the asset of the Oracle.

But they hadn't accounted for the Loki protecting her.

Morgan stayed behind Loki, blasting the agents with her repulsors. She wasn't good for hand-to-hand combat, but could blast things at a range and had clearly had practice doing so. The pair worked well together, but they both saw that they were outnumbered. Morgan's repulsors only had so many shots before they ran out of power and Loki only had so much magic.

Loki knew his priority. He could win against the Hydra agents. But he couldn't do that and guarantee that Morgan wouldn't get hurt in the process.

So there was only one option.

He turned to her and pulled her into his arms, his cape whirling around them, in a distraction. "I'm getting us out of here. Grab me, and whatever you do, don't let go." He ordered her firmly as he summoned his magic. Getting out of there was an excellent idea and Morgan gripped onto him tightly. Loki's magic swirled, deflecting bullets away from them as they vanished into thin air. Morgan yelped and her grip tightened. Teleporting was definitely an experience and she wasn't sure she was capable of not throwing up from it. Or having her stomach turn inside out. The pressure from all sides was intense, the world swirling around them.

They reappeared a moment later in the quiet of a safe house. Loki was a collector of secrets. It wasn't a surprise that he knew about the safe house. Or had chosen here to lie low. He held her close and kept her steady while she recovered from the experience of teleporting. "Alright. We're safe now. They can't track my teleporting. They won't find us here. Do you have a computer system set up here?" He asked her gently, knowing first time teleporting tended to be disorienting.

Morgan blinked and looked around the safe house, still holding on tight to Loki as she gathered her senses. She nodded when she found her sense of balance again. She recognized this safe house. It was just outside the city, a quiet little unsuspecting hose. "J? Security?" she asked as she headed for the computer room.

"The house is locked up, miss," Jarvis reassured her.

Morgan kept a grip on Loki as they headed to a much smaller computer room. She could work from anywhere with a bit of tech. She didn't know if she was shaky from teleporting, or from the attack on the tower, but she didn't have time to sort through those emotions at the moment. "No one will find us here," Morgan reassured Loki as he warded the house with magic. He wasn't taking chances this time. She got back on the comms while he worked to tell her dad that they were safe. She only stayed online long enough to give that message. The team could work without her and they all agreed that it was safer if she limited her online presence to avoid the signal getting traced.

With all that done, she stood again and her armor finally faded away again. She looked emotionally and physically drained. The light on her arc reactor looked noticeably dimmer. "Cap wants us to stay here until he tells us otherwise," she told Loki, breathing heavier than she should be, swaying a little on her feet.

Loki came over quickly to steady her. Was this just battle nerves? Or was her health giving her trouble again? He vowed to keep an eye on her and led her to a bedroom where she could rest. He kept an arm around her and made her lie down, tucking the blanket in when she was down. He was worried about her. "Rest now," he told her firmly, but his voice was concerned and caring.

"Thank you," she murmured, closing her eyes and settling more comfortably in the bed to get the rest she needed.

Loki watched over her as she was falling asleep. Worried thoughts whirled through his mind. Was her arc reactor going out? It seemed dimmer. He didn't know the technology behind it.

But it growing dimmer could not be a good thing.

And he didn't know what would happen if it went out entirely.