"Loki, you must allow me to retrieve her," Thor's booming voice filtered through the haze in Isolde's head. She struggled to open her eyes to no avail.

"You will not separate her from me, brother. Not when I've just gotten her back," Loki insisted. 

As Isolde became more aware of her surroundings, she realized she was laying on a cold floor with her head in someone's lap. Fingers combed through her hair in a comforting gesture. Finally, she managed to get her eyes to flutter open. As expected, it was Loki's lap that cradled her head. 

"If you all could tone it down, that would be fantastic," she said, instantly drawing everyone's attention to her. 

"What did Loki do you to you?" Fury demanded. "And how did you get in there in the first place?"

Isolde arched a brow and sat up with Loki's help. "You are the complete opposite of toning it down, Mr. Fury," she said with a groan as her head spun. Loki stood and helped her to her feet, keeping one arm wrapped around her waist to keep her steady. "I walked in, as I'm sure you saw. I told you I had abilities, did I not? That is one of them. And Loki did nothing to me. I merely overexerted myself healing him. The damage was extensive."

Now that she thought about it, she realized Loki could phase through the glass just as easily as she had. The fact he hadn't meant he must have something else planned. He was still imprisoned because he chose to be. She turned to look at him with a frown, which he returned with a sheepish grin. They will be coming to rescue me, it was supposed to be a diversion. Something to keep them occupied while the plan progressed, he said in her head. Then he flashed her an image of a large green monster of some sort. 

Isolde blinked a couple of times. "Well, then. Let's get this settled, shall we?" With that she phased through the glass wall and walked past Thor and Fury. She paused at the door when she realized they weren't following. "Coming, Gentlemen?"

Soon, they were gathered around the table with the other Avengers, as the one called Stark had told her they were known as. "Loki is not to blame for his actions," Isolde said. 

Several of those around the table scoffed or argued with her, all talking over one another. Fury slammed the palm of his hand on the table. "Enough!" he yelled, startling them all into silence. "Let her talk."

"I could go into detail, but I'm going to keep this quick. You should anticipate others coming to retrieve him. Somehow a large, green beast is involved," Isolde explained.

All eyes turned to look at a timid seeming man with messy brown hair. "Um...that would be me," he said with a tight smile. Isolde gazed at him in surprise before shrugging her shoulders. No one had to convince her there was more in the world than she knew.

"Loki's other issues aside, when he fell into the abyss in Asgard everyone thought him dead. In reality he had been captured. Those that held him, tortured him without ceasing. They broke his mind then used the scepter to turn him to their will as he has so many others. I have repaired the damage as best as I can. He is himself again," she explained.

"Then tell him to stop this," Thor said.

She glanced up, meeting Loki's eyes in the monitor. She motioned toward the screen with her chin. "Turn that up."

"I can not end this. I may be the facilitator but I am not in control," Loki said.

"Anyone else curious how reindeer games knew what we were talking about?" Stark asked.

Isolde glanced at him. "Loki and I are sharing a mental link at the moment. He knows what I allow him to know."

"How do we know he's not controlling you?" the red-headed woman asked. 

"Isolde is immune to all forms of  mind control. She has long been used as a negotiator by my father because of this," Thor answered then turned his attention to his old friend. "If Loki can not stop this, we must know what is coming."

"An army the likes of which this world has never seen. The Chitari are brutal opponents. You know this would be much easier discussed in person," Loki said and flashed his signature grin.

Isolde shook her head and smiled. "Don't push your luck, my prince."

"They are building a portal. The only thing which can stop it is the scepter," Loki continued.

"Where is this scepter?" Isolde asked. 

"Sterling, Oliver, maintain eyes on the prisoner. The rest of you, follow me," Fury said and strode from the room, the others trailing in his wake. Thor fell back to walk beside her. 

"Are you certain my brother can not stop this?" he asked, his voice low so the others could not hear.

Irritation flared through her. "You think I would lie about such a thing?"

"To save my brother? Perhaps."

She arched a brow. "I have never lied to you, Thor. I see no reason to start now. Lies won't fix Loki's mess."

"What are you doing, Mr. Stark?" Fury's voice boomed out causing the Asgardians to frown in response. 

"Been wondering the same thing about you," the answer came. "What is phase two precisely?"

Isolde stepped into the room and moved to the side as an irritated blond man strode in behind them, slamming a weapon down on the counter. "Phase two is they use the tesseract to make weapons."

Isolde stood with her arms crossed over her chest and looked up at Thor. "Why are they fighting over this? Why are they fighting at all? Now is not the time."

"I do not know. They lose their way," Thor answered. 

She was about to say something else when Fury's booming voice once again interrupted. "It's because of them." Isolde glanced over to find the man pointing at her and Thor.

"Us?" Thor said.

"You came to our planet and had a grudge match that leveled a town."

"Our people want nothing but peace with your realm," Thor argued. 

Isolde's eyes ran around the room from person to person as they began to complain and snipe at one another. They were talking over each other. So much anger. So much distrust. She moved around the perimeter of the room, avoiding the others and keeping her eyes moving to take everything in. 

A blue glow drew her attention. The scepter. It was feeding their negative emotions, manipulating their thoughts. 

"Stop," she said, only for them to continue over the top of her. The timid man from earlier, grasped the scepter in his hand. "Stop now!"

Everyone froze. Somewhere a computer beeped and Dr. Banner, as the others called him, put the scepter down. "The scepter is causing this chaos. It's what it does."

Before anyone could respond, an explosion rocked through the room bringing more chaos in its wake.