[1] Take the Shot | Leo Fitz

31

Nina was never one to feel intimidated by physical appearance, status and credentials were usually needed to make Nina submissive or stutter over her words. Which was why the fluster that took over her body when she looked at the Lady Sif was incredibly irritating. It was a similar feeling that had taken her over the first time she'd met Maria Hill, one that was between admiration and attraction and one that had been mistaken for a crush by so many other agents, including Clint himself. Nina honestly didn't care what it was because as quickly as the feeling arose it subsided.

"Sorcery," was the first word out of the mystery woman's mouth when Nina entered the room, pushing off the door frame she had been resting upon, no one had noticed her arrival just yet, "she bends the will of men to her own purpose."

"Only men? Her powers don't work on women?" May questioned and Lady Sif nodded.

"Men have an inherent weakness we do not share," Nina smiled at her words, noticing the slight frown tugging at Ward's lips.

"In my experience, the will of men is pathetically malleable," Nina said, announcing her presence. The four of them turned to face her. Nina saluted playfully as she caught their attention.

"Lady Sif, this is Nina Ramos," Coulson introduced the pair, "she is one of our best agents."

"A pleasure Lady Nina," Sif said, the newcomer holding her armoured arm across her chest and bowed her head slightly. Nina awkwardly mirrored the action, not knowing the proper way of addressing an Asgardian. That was the one thing Tony had failed to teach her.

"The pleasure is all mine, it's been a distant dream of mine to fight alongside someone of Asgard," Nina smiled and Sif gazed into her eyes with a smile of her own that made Nina feel a little warm.

"I will try to make the experience memorable," She told her and Nina nodded. Sif turned away from her and began explaining the threat at hand, "the very sound of her voice can ensnare most men. For the rare man who can resist, it's her voice joined by her touch that will overpower his will."

"So, how do we stop her?" Coulson asked.

"With this," Sif told them, holding up a large gold choker that had been in her hand, "it prevents her from speaking. She wore one like it for centuries while locked in prison. She escaped when the dark elves invaded Asgard and came here using one of Loki's secret pathways between worlds."

"Do we know where she is now?" Ward asked and Nina nodded to him, asking the same question.

"All I know is the Bifrost delivered me to her last known location,"

"Mostly small towns out that way. Let's start looking for unusual activity within a few-hundred-mile radius ... burglary, theft, assault. If this woman's used to ruling over empires... she's gonna be hard to please," Coulson said, his words seem to be taken as a dismal as everyone began exiting the room.

"And her name?" Nina asked noticing it hadn't been brought up. Sif stopped beside the door looking back to answer the question. Nina almost got distracted but the way her hair fell over her shoulders before her question was answered.

"Lorelei."

*

"Why is it that any time I don't go into the field with you guys, Ward gets brainwashed by something Asgardian?" Nina asked with a sigh as the team returned without Ward. She had stayed back to work up a map of places Lorelei had been and where she was likely to go and had been with Skye in her medical pod when the news was broken to them.

"I... don't have an answer to that," Coulson said honestly, "but if you decide to break a bunch of glass again, please don't. It's hard enough trying to stop Lady Sif from punching a hole in my plane."