New York - Avengers Facility - Living Area (January 2018)

[Hollywood Heidi]

***Hope enters from New York - Avengers Facility - Tony's Office***


So much for getting a little training in before lunch. Since she still planned to do some training later, Hope didn't bother changing out of her Wasp suit. She pushed the door open into the living area, catching the last part of Rocket's comment. 'A freaking talking raccoon.' It'd probably be several more days before that thought didn't hit her brain every time she witness words coming out of the furry, anthropomorphic critter.

She nodded her hello to the group as she grabbed a water from the fridge then stood over the food options answering as she decided. "That'd be great, but there's a catch-22. You've got to study what you're trying to find, know its elemental breakdown, its physics, its genetics," she did a circling 'or what have you' gesture before her hand went from hovering from her natural inclination to go the healthier route with the packaging marked 'turkey' to the more flavorful one marked 'beef'. Deciding she deserved a treat after the other sacrifices she'd made today, she grabbed the beef and started for the table, the paper wrapped pita wrap going from left to right as she listed each aspect to building such a weapon, "so that you can build a machine that can track whatever of its elements are trackable, by incorporating the element or elements that can detect said elements of the thing you're trying to find into the machine." Dragging a chair out, she settled into it, unwrapping her shawarma as she added, "And that's only if any of its elements are even trackable."

Lifting the wrap to take a bite, she paused. "Not as easy as, say, throwing together a weapon." With a shrug, Hope took a bite and caught Nat giving her an impressed smirk--probably more toward how easy she found it to build a weapon rather than the science-y stuff--which she returned whilst chewing. The mechanics of building something was easy. It was the incorporating science into it that took more time, study, and testing. "I have a contact that picked up some unusual readings," she said after swallowing her first bite, pointing upward to indicate the readings had been of space. "We can't say for certain it's the Infinity Stones, but considering how off-the-charts and unfamiliar they are, and that they are moving toward us, I think it's easy to assume it's Thanos with whichever stones he's managed to collect so far. How many did you say there were?" She glanced at Peter and his crew, who were the most knowledgeable on these Infinity Stones as she took another bite.

[Anduin]

Loki didn't pay much attention to the strange dialog between Peter and Rocket. It always had been exhausting to listen to the little problems of the mortals.
At the end they even included Natasha into their conversation.
But at least the racoon might have a good idea.
"Hey, I'm not sure if we got the resources and so on - but what about trying to built a gadget which might be able to find the Infinity Stones?! If we got them first he had to come to us. And maybe we might be able to use some of their powers against him..."
The Asgardian thought about saying something but someone else was a bit faster.
"That'd be great, but there's a catch-22. You've got to study what you're trying to find, know its elemental breakdown, its physics, its genetics,"
It was Hope who finally came back to them.
"so that you can build a machine that can track whatever of its elements are trackable, by incorporating the element or elements that can detect said elements of the thing you're trying to find into the machine."
"And that's only if any of its elements are even trackable."
Loki watched her while she was talking. Speaking about difficult things at the same time while she observed the choice of food looked like a child's play for her. For him this was a sign that she had a high level of intelligence. He also recognized the wordless communication between Hope and Nat. These women didn't work together for the first time, they trusted each other.

"I have a contact that picked up some unusual readings," "We can't say for certain it's the Infinity Stones, but considering how off-the-charts and unfamiliar they are, and that they are moving toward us, I think it's easy to assume it's Thanos with whichever stones he's managed to collect so far. How many did you say there were?"
Now it was time for the God to raise his voice.
"I beg your pardon, Miss van Dyne. But I am sure you will agree that I have something important to add."
And now all eyes were focused on him.
Suddenly two other men entered the room just as he wanted to resume. Sam and Scott, if he remembered right.
"Oh, food! Great, there's still some left for us," Scott said with an childish grin on his face.
The God of Mischief waited until the latecomers also got something to eat before he coughed slightly to get everybody's attention back.
"Well, I am not sure how many of the stones Thanos already called his own but," he made a short - and, of course, dramatic - pause while he finally showed them the Tesseract, "this one still is in our hands! Maybe we could use it to find out more about how to track them... May I remind you that you have already found me and my people because of its significant powers I guess?!"

[Hollywood Heidi]

"I beg your pardon, Miss van Dyne. But I am sure you will agree that I have something important to add."

Loki was still acting and speaking cautiously around them, appearing to be walking on eggshells, respectfully proper in his mannerisms and formal addresses. Understandable as he was standing amongst a tiny handful of the beings he'd attempted to take rule over. Also understandable as Hope hadn't exactly been warm and welcoming toward him. It was hard to be, considering that past history, but right now, they were a team and she should put aside past grievances. At least until they got through this.


"Oh, food! Great, there's still some left for us,"

Hope only allowed her gaze to wander over to Scott and Sam for a short moment. She supposed she should do the same where Scott was concerned, but it strangely felt even more difficult to put that aside than the attempt of world domination and enslavement of the human race. That's what she got for getting herself emotionally involved. Thankfully, Loki distracted her from having to deal with those thoughts at the moment.


"Well, I am not sure how many of the stones Thanos already called his own but,"

Hope chewed another bite as Loki made a cube appear out of nowhere with a flourish. Seeing his ability to do such things in footage and in person, she wasn't as awed and impressed. Not fully an Avenger herself, Hope had only sporadically skimmed through the vast assortment of files in the Avengers massive database. There was something familiar about that particular cube. She was combing through her memories to pinpoint why it looked familiar and important.


"this one still is in our hands! Maybe we could use it to find out more about how to track them... May I remind you that you have already found me and my people because of its significant powers I guess?!"

It was slowly coming back to her. The word 'powers' fully triggered it. Hope's full, wide-eyed attention was on him now. She quickly swallowed and dropped her half eaten wrap. "We have an Infinity Stone in our possession?" she more said than questioned in exasperation. Hope vigorously wiped her hands as she got to her feet, tossing the napkin back onto the table beside her forgotten wrap, then tapped her wrists together, activating the Pym Particles of a hidden shrunken compartment. Her gloves and stingers seemingly materialized from nowhere into her upturned hands. She pulled the gloves on and locked the stingers into place, sealing the gloves to the rest of the suit as she headed for Loki. "Why didn't anybody tell me this?" she asked distractedly. Her full concentration was on the cube, particularly the center which was brightest and seemed to be the source of the glow.

Hope attempted to take the first step of letting go of holding things against Loki by jokingly adding, "Could have saved everyone from a boring science lesson." She gave him a rye smile as she took the cube from him in her Quantum Realm withstanding gloved hands and headed straight for the round table just beyond the kitchen and dining area that was rigged up to the advanced computer system. "Friday, could you please run a full analysis on this?"


"On it, Miss Hope." A small, clear pedestal rose from the table and Hope placed the cube onto it. Immediately, a massive amount of information began to scroll seemingly in the air. Fascinated by this yet-to-be-studied science, Hope placed her hands on the table and leaned forward, eyes scanning as fast as they were able. Knowing that Hope had that same tenaciousness toward new scientific studies as her boss had, Friday added, "This is going to take some time. Perhaps I could inform you when I've completed my test?"

"Yah, sure," she said distractedly, eyes still scanning along.

[Kristi Lynne]

"We have an Infinity Stone in our possession? Why didn't anybody tell me this?"

As impressed as he might have been with Loki producing an Infinity Stone out of thin air, or Hope doing the same with her fancy-looking gloves, Peter still managed to feel the absence of attention on himself. "Yeah, well, Rocket, Groot, and me actually used our Infinity Stone to defeat the bad guy and save a planet, or like, all the planets," he asserted. "Not to throw open Earth's door to a bunch of jet-ski riding aliens."

Okay, so maybe Peter wasn't actually there for the Chitauri invasion, and the Nordic god was supposedly on the same side as the rest of them now, but no one said he had to be mature about it. Fact was, everyone on Peter's crew had at one time been trying to capture or kill one another, but they had all gotten past that. He could work with Loki but he could still be suspicious of his motives.

"And if your science buddy says these stones are gettin' closer, then we're gonna' need a plan B," he said to Hope. "One that gets our people outta' lockup sooner rather than later."

[Anduin]

Suddenly things got under way. Thor's so-called brother took out an Infinity Stone out of nowhere. And then Hope took it and started to use this artificial intelligence...

"Yeah, well, Rocket, Groot, and me actually used our Infinity Stone to defeat the bad guy and save a planet, or like, all the planets,"
"Not to throw open Earth's door to a bunch of jet-ski riding aliens."
"Yah, and guess what?! You're welcome!"
It didn't happen very often but this time Peter and Rocket were in agreement about the situation.
Rocket himself was the brain behind this progression. Loki could have told them much ealier that he got one of the stones! But he had waited for a good moment as it seemed - and now he wanted to push himself to the fore with this.

Rocket thought about also trying to offend Loki for a moment but then Peter turned back to the important point.
"And if your science buddy says these stones are gettin' closer, then we're gonna' need a plan B," "One that gets our people outta' lockup sooner rather than later."
"Totally agree! Let's free them - before the most dangerous woman in the universe ran out of patience..."
" I am Groot."

[Anduin]

"We have an Infinity Stone in our possession?"
This was obviously no real question and, of course, Loki was not about to give her an answer.
Hope came nearer to him until she was very close. She fixed her gaze on the Tesseract.
"Why didn't anybody tell me this?"
"Well, no one had asked," the God of Mischief responded.
At least she stopped asking superfluous questions and started to sound more peaceable.
"Could have saved everyone from a boring science lesson."
The man who called himself Star-Lord and the talking racoon also started to talk about Infinity Stones. Their voices sounded sarcastic.
Again Loki decided to ignore them.

Hope hold her hands - with her special gloves - out for the cube and took it out of Loki's hand.
The Asgardian let her do as she liked.
"Friday, could you please run a full analysis on this?"

"On it, Miss Hope." "This is going to take some time. Perhaps I could inform you when I've completed my test?"
"Yah, sure,"
It was more than obvious that Hope van Dyne was fascinated by the Infinity Stone. But who could blame her?

"And if your science buddy says these stones are gettin' closer, then we're gonna' need a plan B," "One that gets our people outta' lockup sooner rather than later."
"Totally agree! Let's free them - before the most dangerous woman in the universe ran out of patience..."
" I am Groot."
Now it was time to not ignore them any longer. Although he still looked at Hope while he was talking.
"I find it hard to believe that I am going to say this - but Peter Quill is right. We cannot be sure if your government will let them go after they had talk to them."
Finally he set eyes on Peter and Rocket.
"I am curious - which one is the so-called most dangerous woman in the universe?"
Then he turned back at Hope: "Miss van Dyne, what do you think how long does it take, until Friday will be finished?"

[Hollywood Heidi]

"Yeah, well, Rocket, Groot, and me actually used our Infinity Stone to defeat the bad guy and save a planet, or like, all the planets," "Not to throw open Earth's door to a bunch of jet-ski riding aliens."

"Yah, and guess what?! You're welcome!"

Interesting. Hope logged that information away for later. As much as she was intrigued and wanted to know the details, now was not the time. At least they had several people in their party who knew how these stoned worked.


"And if your science buddy says these stones are gettin' closer, then we're gonna' need a plan B," "One that gets our people outta' lockup sooner rather than later."

"Totally agree! Let's free them - before the most dangerous woman in the universe ran out of patience..."

" I am Groot."

"I find it hard to believe that I am going to say this - but Peter Quill is right. We cannot be sure if your government will let them go after they had talk to them."

Hope nodded, agreeing with all parties, assuming Groot's current 'I am Groot' was also voicing the same as the rest. Though this Guardians team really had trouble putting much faith and trust into each other, constantly leading with or adding words that alluded to the disbelief that they agreed with one of the others. It was hard to believe a team that seemed to always fight amongst each other could have saved anything, let alone the galaxy.


"I am curious - which one is the so-called most dangerous woman in the universe?"

"Any woman you get on the wrong side of," Scott automatically piped in in his usual knee-jerk jokey manner, the words out of his mouth before he thought better of it.

As expected, Hope turned to glare daggers at him and Scott cringed.


"Whoa, not cool, Regular-Sized Man," Sam chastised, but as soon as Hope turned away from them again to study the computer read-outs, Sam's expression took on an exaggerated seriousness as he fist-bumped his agreement with Scott.

"Pretty sure they're referring to Gamora." It was an easy assumption on Hope's part. The only other woman that had been in the Raft crew was Mantis and she seemed all sweetness and attempted smiles whilst Gamora looked tough and serious and carried herself confidently.


"Miss van Dyne, what do you think how long does it take, until Friday will be finished?"

Glancing away from the computer, she looked to Loki. "Well, Friday said 'some time' which usually means it's going to be a while. All we can do is--"

Hope was cut off by a sudden alarm sounding throughout the compound. The lights dimmed and the red alert signals started to flash, indicating a panic button had been hit by an Avengers member. Seeing as there was only one offsite, Hope knew it was Fury. Her stomach sank and Friday piped in with the update.

"Incoming transmission from Fury," Friday said, the image of a live feed of what she assumed was the Raft beginning to play on the screen.

"Friday, restore normal settings." The alarm quieted, the lights undimmed, and the red lights stopped flashing, allowing her to think more clearly. "Keep recording that feed in the background. Can you get me eyes on Fury?" Hearing the living area door opened in haste, Hope spared a cursory glance over to see Cap rushing in to join them at the computer.


"Pulling up cameras near his GPS location," Friday announced.

Several images pulled from street and surveillance cams in Paris appeared on screen. Hope's eyes quickly scanned them until something caught her eye. Some fairly large object had crashed through a window. "There," she said, touching the image in air then pulling her hands outward to maximize it. Not long after the object hit the ground, the figure of a man went swan diving out on its tail. "Shit!" she exclaimed, almost cringing her eyes away from the expected splatter of a man on the concrete, but suddenly, something seemed to catch him. She squinted and finally saw the barely discernable wire that held him aloft, though it seemed to stop still a floor up from the ground. She muttered another expective under her breath while she helplessly watched.

Hope saw the flash of a knife and held her breath, watching as he cut himself loose and crash landed on top of a car before rolling to the pavement.

"There are incoming hostiles," Friday interjected, opening up another two views from street cams. Hope watched as a black SUV came skidding around a bend to a screeching halt, four soldiers with assault rifles jumped out, raining bullets in Fury's direction. Suddenly, an explosion blasted out from the window Fury had leapt out of, as well as adjacent windows of the apartment. Everyone having been fixated on Fury, Hope and everyone in the room momentarily drew back from the surprise fireball that drew their eyes before leaning back in to focus on Fury once again.

His hand moved forward, something almost too small to see being thrown under the car toward the soldiers. Purple smoke began to fog the area. Fury ran right into it across the road. They lost him momentarily in the purple fog, but he broke free on the other side of it, charging right into a patisserie. Friday pulled up a security cam feed from within the patisserie, showing a view of Fury storming through, the person behind the till peeking over the counter at the figure running through his shop.

The feed cut off and was replaced by a street cam that had a view of the back door of the patisserie. Fury flagged down a taxi and jumped in, heading away from the chaos, but unknowingly to him, they could see on the feeds that the soldiers were regathering, getting on coms, calling in more reinforcements. Hope turned to Cap.

Cap went right into action. "I'll take a team out, head for Paris. We'll keep eyes on the situation in case we need to change course."

Hope nodded. "They're still putting their focus on the wrong agenda," Hope said, waving toward the camera where the full force of the military was still concentrating on going after what they deemed as 'war criminals' for having broken the Accords. Speaking of, some of the so-called 'war criminals' were present, which brought some information to mind. "They flagged the quinjet you guys lifted. Take a different one." She mentally made note that she should shrink the flagged quinjet to avoid its discovery. "We'll work on extracting the Raft team."

Now Cap nodded. He turned to eye the rest of the group. "Nat, Sam," he paused, a quick glance between Hope and Scott, reading quickly that there was still unresolved tension there, and decided it best to separate any potential distractions, "Scott, you three with me."

Hope glanced over toward Scott who looked excited to be chosen again to be on Team Captain America. But this time, he looked at her, silently asking permission to head out with the Pym suit again. Hope narrowed her eyes, letting him know she was still mad at him for not asking the first time, before giving a dismissive 'go ahead' wave as her only answer.


"We'll keep each other updated," Cap said, tapping his ear piece.

Team Cap headed for the door, Sam murmuring to Scott, out of earshot of Hope and most of the others staying with her. "She's good. Kind of intense. I see why you're always making googly eyes at her," Sam teased Scott.

"Hey, she made googly eyes at me, too," Scott defended. Nat snorted and Sam gave him a look that asked if he was really that clueless. "Well, not right now, they're currently more the 'shooting invisible daggers' eyes, but before..."

Sam shook his head, giving Scott a forlorn expression as he opened the door. "Man, you are in so much trouble," he sing-songed, half teasing and half serious. Scott looked to Cap who nodded with an honest, slightly pained expression, then to Nat for a woman's perspective. Steve had always been more mature and understanding of women, so his reaction had been sincere. Of course, most men reacted like Sam by playful teasing about it, so Nat balanced the scales and went the other route, giving Scott a dead serious look as she passed him through the door, instilling him with concern over very real stakes.



***Cap, Nat, Sam, and Scott leave for Paris***



As Team Cap started heading for the door, Hope turned back to the computer. "Friday, play back the Raft footage from the beginning."

[Kristi Lynne]

Peter felt frozen in mid-bite as the chaos erupted around them. He silently took in the video feed, the chatter that followed, and then the abrupt departures of several people who were supposed to help them break into the scary underwater prison. "So, um, we just lost the guy that made the plan and half the people that were part of the plan," he observed, projecting less concern than he was actually experiencing right now. "Did anybody write down all that stuff Eyepatch Guy was saying....?"

"Friday, play back the Raft footage from the beginning."

All thoughts of dinner were pushed aside as Peter moved closer to the screen that Hope was now watching. Their people seemed to be okay, except for the part about being locked in a cell. But he didn't see Gamora among them. Maybe it was just the camera angle. And if she wasn't there, that didn't necessarily mean that she was currently being tortured or dissected alien autopsy-style. Through the static of the audio, he could make out Thor's voice.

"Okay, no good idea. Then we had to... wait, I think? I mean...If this takes too long the others will come for us. Don't worry. Soon we will be free again and reunited with our friends."

"'Peter would follow Gamora anywhere. He is like her 'pet'. That is what Drax thinks, but I think they are like dance partners. Both would do anything to find the other. Peter and the Bug Lady with wings will come for us."

"Uh, not a pet," Peter declared defensively in reaction to Mantis' statement. "But I am an excellent dance partner." He gave a swift nod of assertion to Hope, then silenced himself as the footage went on to show Gamora and Tony re-enter the room and return to their cells. If they were all still locked up, that meant no one was actually listening to them about the upcoming threat of Thanos.

"So we find another way to get ourselves on the Raft, right?" Peter offered. "Fake prisoner play could still work. Like when Han and Luke snuck Chewbacca onto the Death Star." He gestured toward Rocket and Groot, hoping they would remember the movie they just watched a few hours ago.

[Anduin]

Suddenly an alert happened just when Rocket started to think these Avenger-dudes were better organized than his own team. Luckily they were as good as themselves in improvising. Nearly half of the people in the room left for a rescue mission.
"So, um, we just lost the guy that made the plan and half the people that were part of the plan,"
This time Peter was just to the point.
"Yup," Rocket said before he gobbled the rest of his food.

"Friday, play back the Raft footage from the beginning."
Now they were able to watch their imprisoned companions. This A.I. was such an interesting and useful technique! For some seconds Rocket started to daydream what it might be like if their ship would be equipped with similar systems...
"Peter would follow Gamora anywhere. He is like her 'pet'. That is what Drax thinks, but I think they are like dance partners. Both would do anything to find the other. Peter and the Bug Lady with wings will come for us."
"Uh, not a pet," "But I am an excellent dance partner."
Rocket grinned at Peter. He tried to sound sympathetic but he couldn't bite back a giggle. "Take things easy, Quill! We should be proud because of Mantis' development. She possesses a rational understanding by now."

"So we find another way to get ourselves on the Raft, right?" "Fake prisoner play could still work. Like when Han and Luke snuck Chewbacca onto the Death Star."
Rocket annotated Peter's glance and rolled his eyes.
"I am... Groot?"
Again he rolled his eyes before he turned to Peter: "Groot wants to know if he could finish his breakfast first."
"I AM Groot!"
"Oh, and he... Wait! No!" First he just wanted to continue translating Groot's words to the others but then he realized what he had said. "No, Groot! No matter what kind of ship or else we will be going to use - you're not allowed to ride shotgun."

[Anduin]

"So we find another way to get ourselves on the Raft, right?" "Fake prisoner play could still work. Like when Han and Luke snuck Chewbacca onto the Death Star."
The God of Mischief smirked.
"Well, I do not know these people but I am sure I understand what you mean - a little trick. I like tricks, you know?!"
His grin became wider for a second until he remembered the moment when Thor had outflank him on Sakaar. And not forgetting 'Get Help'...

So the Asgardian turned serious again.
"Maybe Peter Quill is right. A deception might be our best chance to get in there. But," he stopped for a second and sighed. He somehow guessed he already knew the answer of his next question.
"Who should be the 'lucky one' to play the fake prisoner?"

[DarkSideCookie]

Drax grew more confused with every further second. He might have had one or two lapses in his attention so that he got only scraps of the latest conversation. However, the sudden alarm around them threw him completely out of his thoughts then. Drax was still looking to and fro between everyone else in the room, but when one question stood out from the other scraps of conversation, he felt like being too visible all of a sudden.

"Who should be the 'lucky one' to play the fake prisoner?"

Don't move. Just don't move. They can't see you then. Drax had still no real idea what the question was about, but it sounded somewhat suspicious.

[Hollywood Heidi]

"Uh, not a pet," "But I am an excellent dance partner."

"Take things easy, Quill! We should be proud because of Mantis' development. She possesses a rational understanding by now."

Hope grinned her reassurance that she believed Peter. Loyalty and devotion were admirable qualities, yet men inexplicably tended to tease one another for possessing such 'unmanly' qualities. Apparently, that nonsense wasn't limited to just Earth.


"So we find another way to get ourselves on the Raft, right?" "Fake prisoner play could still work. Like when Han and Luke snuck Chewbacca onto the Death Star."

"I am... Groot?"

"Groot wants to know if he could finish his breakfast first."

"I AM Groot!"

"Oh, and he... Wait! No!" "No, Groot! No matter what kind of ship or else we will be going to use - you're not allowed to ride shotgun."

Fake prisoner was the play that had been on her mind as well. While a couple of them wandered off topic, Hope distracted herself with the video feeds, chatting with Friday on an aside. "Friday, can you access any of the other cams? Find some feeds from other locations Tony's team had been, who talked to them, what was said...?"

"On it," Friday said confidently.


"Well, I do not know these people but I am sure I understand what you mean - a little trick. I like tricks, you know?!"

Hope threw a look at Loki that said a dryly unspoken, 'Yes, we know.'


"Maybe Peter Quill is right. A deception might be our best chance to get in there. But," "Who should be the 'lucky one' to play the fake prisoner?"

"Sounds like you already know the answer to that, Chewy," Hope tossed back to Loki with a wry grin. "And obviously, I'd be Han."

Before Hope had a chance to further develop the prisoner idea, Friday jumped in with an update.

"I've found interrogation footage. Shall I play them now?"

"Yes, please," Hope said, returning her attention to the screen.




*********



They'd watched as Tony, Gamora, and finally Thor had been brought into a lab and questioned one by one by a young lady who'd introduced herself as Agent Simmons. Tony's team seemed to have made an impression with this Agent Simmons, but unfortunately, she was only collecting information and was not the one who would be making any calls.

An Agent Fitz had entered the scene as Thor had been escorted out, surprising her with a mention of her father out of the blue as he rushed over to Agent Simmons and opened up a laptop. It had her leaning in to pick up whatever she could as to what had brought the uncomfortably too close for comfort mention but the visual and audio feed seemed to suddenly become glitchy, causing her to lean back again questioningly. ​Hope couldn't help but think it had a connection to the start of Agent Fitz's first furious keystrokes.

Audio and visual returned to normal in time to see that Secretary Ross had entered the scene.

"Shit," Hope muttered under her breath. "Secretary Ross is overseeing this. Tony and the others aren't going to get anywhere with him in charge. But I think we might have some allies on the inside." Hope tapped the air where Agents Fitz and Simmons were frozen in the image. "Speaking of allies," she began, turning to Peter, "do you have any off-world contacts that might come to our aid, in case we can't manage to get ourselves organized and ready for this Thanos guy in time?"

[Kristi Lynne]

"Secretary Ross is overseeing this. Tony and the others aren't going to get anywhere with him in charge. But I think we might have some allies on the inside. Speaking of allies, do you have any off-world contacts that might come to our aid, in case we can't manage to get ourselves organized and ready for this Thanos guy in time?"

Observing the security footage gave Peter some relief that whoever was in charge of this prison had only confronted Gamora was questions and no physically harmful procedures. But it was likely only a matter of time before they got more curious about what made her tick. He crossed his arms while pondering Hope's request.

"Closest friendly contact is probably Xandar," Peter replied. At least the closest planet that he and his crew were on good terms with. "We left our Infinity Stone with the Nova Corps there. Which means it's probably top of Thanos' must-see list. My ship's still shot but the comms might be working. I'll see if I can get a message through." He gathered up the remnants of his dinner and quickly headed for the hangar.

*** Peter exits ***

[Anduin]

"Maybe Peter Quill is right. A deception might be our best chance to get in there. But," "Who should be the 'lucky one' to play the fake prisoner?"
Rocket turned his face towards the man in black leather. Thor had told them about his brother Loki and what he had done in the past.
"Sounds like you already know the answer to that, Chewy," Hope tossed back to Loki with a wry grin. "And obviously, I'd be Han."
"Hah, that's exactly what I thought at this very moment," Rocket giggled and didn't even try to hide his spitefulness.

"I've found interrogation footage. Shall I play them now?"
"Yes, please,"
Now they all watched the scene that Friday showed them. Team Tony was asked a lot of questions from a woman in a white lab smock. Rocket didn't follow the interrogations because these woman reminded him of his own past in a lab...

He satrted to follow their conversation again when Hope turned to Peter.
"Do you have any off-world contacts that might come to our aid, in case we can't manage to get ourselves organized and ready for this Thanos guy in time?"
"Closest friendly contact is probably Xandar," "We left our Infinity Stone with the Nova Corps there. Which means it's probably top of Thanos' must-see list. My ship's still shot but the comms might be working. I'll see if I can get a message through."
Then Peter left the room - of course not without taking the rest of his food with him.
Rocket also grabbed the rest of his meal and started his way out of these area. He looked across his shoulder back to the others and made an appealing gesture with his hand. "C'mon, Groot, Drax! Let's see if we could finish fix our ship and make sure that Quill set the right tone when he speaks with General Nova."


*** Rocket, Groot and Drax also exit ***

[Anduin]

The God of Mischief noticed Hope's meaningful glance. He had to admit that he liked her. Somehow she reminded him of Jane Foster - they both got a similar temper and brain.
"Sounds like you already know the answer to that, Chewy," "And obviously, I'd be Han."
He answered with a dutiful artificial smile because still he didn't know to whom they were refering to by calling out these names. But this wasn't the right time to ask questions about Midgardian heroes - or whatever they might be.

Before someone could start to deepen their plan the A.I. Friday asked for their attention. "I've found interrogation footage. Shall I play them now?"
They all watched the records of the other team. Some of them (namely Rocket, Drax and Groot) not as attentive as the the others.
Loki had to grimace when he watched Thor while he was interviewed by the young woman. His brother acted like he usually did and Loki had to admit that he felt embarrassed for him a bit.
"Shit. Secretary Ross is overseeing this. Tony and the others aren't going to get anywhere with him in charge. But I think we might have some allies on the inside."
The Asgardian didn't know Secretary Ross. He had have to deal with Agent Fury in the past. But Fury wasn't the king of the castle any more. And if Hope was afraid because of Secretary Ross this man might be the one who would cause them trouble.
"Speaking of allies - do you have any off-world contacts that might come to our aid, in case we can't manage to get ourselves organized and ready for this Thanos guy in time?"
"Closest friendly contact is probably Xandar. We left our Infinity Stone with the Nova Corps there. Which means it's probably top of Thanos' must-see list. My ship's still shot but the comms might be working. I'll see if I can get a message through."
And off he went with the rest of his crew in tow.

Finally Loki turned to Hope. "So the kids are out of the house," he started with a banter.
His eyes wandered towards Tony's alcohol-cupboard.
"Do you want a drink?," he asked her imitating Stark's manner and tone. He didn't wait until she answerd and just filled two glasses with... something, (The Asgardian didn't really know what kind of alcohol it was - at least it was no beer or mead.) stepped back to Hope and handed her a glass.
But then the God of Mischief became serious again.
"Okay, let us talk about the plan now, Miss van Dyne. I am sure you know that your Earthern handcuffs would not hold me. So if you want our little trick to be taken serious you need a good explanation how you could hinder me from getting away."
Loki clinked their glasses and took a sip. His throat felt like it was burning and he tried his best not to show it to his counterpart. But he had to cough to clear his throat before he could went on speaking.
"Any authentic ideas,... Han?"

[Hollywood Heidi]

"Closest friendly contact is probably Xandar," "We left our Infinity Stone with the Nova Corps there. Which means it's probably top of Thanos' must-see list. My ship's still shot but the comms might be working. I'll see if I can get a message through."

Hope nodded at that, making note of Peter's mention that their planet also had an Infinity Stone. That meant Thanos would be paying them a visit as well, just as Peter mentioned along with her thought, only in different words. That is, if Thanos hadn't already paid their planet a visit. Hope decided to push that out of her mind. No use worrying until she knew there was something to worry about. They had their own Thanos problem coming at them.


"C'mon, Groot, Drax! Let's see if we could finish fix our ship and make sure that Quill set the right tone when he speaks with General Nova."

And just like that, Hope was left alone with Loki in the sudden awkward silence of the room. Though the silence did not last long.


"So the kids are out of the house,"

"Not all the kids," she muttered quietly under her breath as the guy who, jealous of what his big brother had, had tried to force Earth into being a kingdom of his own.


"Do you want a drink?,"

"Probably not a good--" the rest died on her lips as he poured some of the good stuff anyway. She could use a stiff drink and who knew when she'd have the time to have another. "What the hell, why not," she said, giving in and taking the glass he held out to her.


"Okay, let us talk about the plan now, Miss van Dyne. I am sure you know that your Earthern handcuffs would not hold me. So if you want our little trick to be taken serious you need a good explanation how you could hinder me from getting away." "Any authentic ideas,... Han?"

Hope sipped at her drink, half her attention on the monitors and half on Loki. She caught the signs that Loki was having a little trouble with the drink and smirked. Something about seeing him struggle with a little thing like that brought a level of Earth-based normalcy that made her feel a bit more at ease. She, on the other hand, could handle her drinks and had taken another sip without the slightest flinch.

"Mm," she said lifting her pointer finger from the glass toward him, ready with an answer but needing a moment to swallow. "Don't worry, we've got that covered," she began, placing her glass down to swipe through more footage. "Your brother was kind enough to leave us a pair of those special Asgardian cuffs." She narrowed her eyes and spared him a glance but spoke dryly rather than cuttingly. "You know, in case you ever returned with any more 'grand plans."

Hope started for the dining table to retrieve the rest of her food and spoke over her shoulder toward the monitors. "Friday, could you get me some blueprints of the Raft?"


"I'll see what I can find, Miss Hope,"

As Hope returned, she pulled out a chair and settled down in front of the air screens, reaching her hands out to draw the images down to her eye level. She gestured to the other chairs in offer for Loki to take a seat if he wished. "I hope you don't mind that I finish eating," she said rhetorically, diving into said task without waiting for or expecting an answer. Her eyes continued to scan the information before her. "I think prisoner transfer is our best bet." She took a bite, chewed thoughtfully. "A prisoner of your threat level, they'd definitely want to lock you away on the Raft. No offense." Lifting her glass, she paused. "Wait, no, some offense," she corrected, looking at him pointedly from the rim of her glass as she sipped. He did bring that stigma upon himself and he deserved every bit of her quick, sometimes a little sharp, jabs.


"Lots of firewalls, but I managed to get past them," Friday said.

New images began to appear before Hope and she grinned. "I knew you could," she complimented.

[Anduin]

It was interesting to watch Hope. She seemed to be able doing more than just one thing at the same moment. While she kept an eye on him she also managed to look at the screen. She was one of the few human beings who were blessed with intelligence.
"Don't worry, we've got that covered," "Your brother was kind enough to leave us a pair of those special Asgardian cuffs."
His brother. Most of the times Thor was someone who didn't use his brain that much but luckily (?) that time he did. Loki answered with a forced smile.
"You know, in case you ever returned with any more 'grand plans."
Another forced smile and a sip of his drink. Again he had to screw up his face because of the taste and this time he couldn't try to hide it.
"To be fair - and accurate - that was not my own plan!," he muttered more to himself than to Hope who already had put her attention to something else.

"Friday, could you get me some blueprints of the Raft?"
"I'll see what I can find, Miss Hope,"
The God of Mischief still watched Hope and had to admit to himself that he started to be impressed by these Midgardian technologies. When she offered him a seat he first raised an eyebrow and looked at her with surprise but then he sat down.
"I hope you don't mind that I finish eating,"
Not a real question but Loki couldn't stop himself from reacting anyway: "If you do not speak with your mouth full like my much-valued brother..."
The Asgardians eyes also observed all the pictures in front of them but he realized that he needed a lot more background information to really understand everything.
"I think prisoner transfer is our best bet." "A prisoner of your threat level, they'd definitely want to lock you away on the Raft. No offense."
For a moment he thought about saying something but he wasn't sure what to say so he kept in silence. It might be better because he wanted to keep on the right side of her and the others.
"Wait, no, some offense,"
Okay, this time he couldn't stay quiet. He used his skills to act like he was piqued by her words.
"Miss van Dyne! Sharp intellect and sharp tongue. But you do me wrong - I side with you this time!"

"Lots of firewalls, but I managed to get past them,"
"I knew you could,"
"Great, we are getting there," Loki said and raised his glass. "Cheers!" He emptied the rest of his drink in one gulp - this time prepared for the strong taste.
"Maybe next time I should take some mead..."
There still appeared some more images in front of them.
Suddenly - he couldn't say why - Loki had a picture in his mind: He saw the Grandmaster and how he might have react in front of these monitor and the A.I..
"Do you want to hear something funny?," he now asked rhetorically. "I know a guy on Sakaar who could act like a child and make cruel decisions at the same time. And he also forced my brother to fight against the Hulk. It was so satisfying seeing him smashed by the Big Green Guy!"

[Hollywood Heidi]

"Miss van Dyne! Sharp intellect and sharp tongue. But you do me wrong - I side with you this time!"

Hope spared him a narrowed glance, not just over the reminder that he had previously not sided with them, but for the 'this time' part of his comment that made her wonder if there would be another time where their sides did not align. Lucky for him, her mouth was full with the last bites of her meal and he continued on in his usual devil-may-care attitude. Hope merely locked that bit of information away rather than wasting time on hypotheticals when a non-hypothetical situation was already at hand.


"Great, we are getting there," "Cheers!" "Maybe next time I should take some mead..."

"Sure, if we can find a Ren Faire somewhere," she said airily, but more to herself, not putting much thought into anywhere else one might find mead these days as her mind was too preoccupied with the Raft blueprints and most of her brain was working out a plan.


"Do you want to hear something funny?," "I know a guy on Sakaar who could act like a child and make cruel decisions at the same time.

'Pot, meet kettle,' Hope mentally interjected as she continued with the important stuff while he continued in his usual manner of not taking things seriously.


And he also forced my brother to fight against the Hulk. It was so satisfying seeing him smashed by the Big Green Guy!"

Hope finally pulled her attention from the screens. She was definitely making an attempt to be civil, but since he had such a lofty opinion of himself, she couldn't help bringing him down a peg every now and again, perhaps a habit ingrained from being around Tony who possessed that same trait. "You know, Tony showed me similar footage of Hulk bashing some other guy, and I have to agree with you there," she raised her glass with a gesture of agreement toward him, "very satisfying to watch." She tossed back the rest of the drink, a glint of amusement in the look she pinned him with as she settled the empty glass back on the table.

Getting right to business, Hope reached out toward the image, dragging downward so that the top of the Raft angled more toward their view, then she pulled her hands outward, enlarging a portion of it. "This is where we'll be landing." As she touched the top of the Raft, she did a sliding motion and the massive doors of the Raft began to slide open, revealing an enormous area housing many other crafts. The landing spot within lit up as if assisting in her narration. She moved her hand upward, the image of the raft tilting and turning to the right, then tried left and down, finally giving it a slow spin in the air, but as it spun, no other words came up to label any of the other parts of the Raft. Nothing besides the top hatch and landing area was found even in SHIELD records. "That's all you've got for me, Friday?"


"Sorry, Miss Hope. That's all they have on record."

If Friday couldn't dig it up, then it did not exist in digital format. Hope glanced around for the metal briefcase that Cap had walked in with and spotted it on the ground near where he'd sat at the table. She retrieved it and placed it on the table, swiping away the images in the air. The small loops of metal on either side of the case opening were scraped and bent with the proof that the lock that had once been there had been smashed off. No doubt thanks to Cap.

Pulling the slide hinge on each side, Hope heard the click of them freeing and lifted the top of the case to find not only the locator device, but several blueprints. "Nice job, Cap," she said with immense relief. She glanced at Loki. "Help me lay these out on the table." Hope quickly transferring the food wrappings and the glasses to a small side table beside to the couch near her.

Moving the briefcase to the chair she'd vacated, Hope grabbed one of the blueprints and started to place them out on the table with as little overlapping as possible. They appeared to be of the various levels, areas, and corridors of the Raft, entrances and exits, details right down to ventilation and filtration systems, each blueprint labeled and detailed. "Friday, scan these into your system."

"On it," came Friday's usual reply.

[Anduin]

"You know, Tony showed me similar footage of Hulk bashing some other guy, and I have to agree with you there," "very satisfying to watch."
"Touché!," he said, a lopsided sneer on his face while his eyes spoke their own language. He didn't feel real hurt but he didn't like to be reminded of that scene.

Hope went on studying the maps of the Raft Friday showed them.
"That's all you've got for me, Friday?"
"Sorry, Miss Hope. That's all they have on record."
Loki felt disappointed. He put his empty glass away and started to think about their plan and the meaning of incomplete information for it. He also started to drum his fingers on the table.
"Miss van Dyne, I do not want to be the one who plays havoc with our plans - but we need more...," he immediately stopped talking at the moment he noticed that Hope grabbed a metal briefcase from the ground nearby.
"Nice job, Cap,"
Then she directly adressed him. This time without any offense. "Help me lay these out on the table."

And he did as he was told to. "Well, let us see what the good old guy got for us."
Actually Steve Rogers left them some blueprints of the location.
The God of Mischief wondered how he managed to get those if there even were none of them in SHIELD's systems.
"Friday, scan these into your system."
"On it,"
The Asgardian glanced at Hope. "It looks like your perfect good boy had to do some crime to get these pieces... No offense, of course. But it looks like your great heroes may have turned into people who do whatever it takes. The end justifies the means."
He stopped for some seconds and gave her a smile. It was supposed to look like a mischievious child ones.
"I like that attitude!"

[Hollywood Heidi]

Friday was scanning and uploading the blueprints to her system faster than she and Loki could place them out. They swapped out the scanned with what was left in the briefcase and were done while still in the middle of the discussion brought on by the briefcase.

"Whatever it takes," she repeated in agreement as she rolled up the last of the blueprints from the table. The saying rang so familiar to her ears that it gave her pause with the sudden realization of how often it was said by the Avengers team and herself. "That seems to be our credo," she said, glancing to Loki before focusing on new scans now in digital form floating in the air before them. "Sometimes, doing the right thing means you have to break some rules."

Hopefully ones that didn't hurt anyone. They'd all had to make some tough calls in the line of duty, so a little thing such as digitizing top secret blueprints that were meant to only exist in physical form in order to ensure their security and secrecy was an easy call that didn't weigh on the conscience.

Hope swiped through the images before her to get a general picture in her mind. "Friday, could you sort these by level and area?"

The images quickly shuffled around before her eyes. "Done," Friday confirmed.

"You're amazing, Friday," Hope said with distracted relief as she started to plot out the various courses that let from the landing pad to the cells.

"All thanks to Tony. I'll pass your compliments on to him," Friday stated matter-of-factly.

Hope momentarily dropped her head with a heavy sigh. "Please don't. His ego doesn't need any help," she reminded Friday dryly, definitely not for the first time. She continued to map out courses by drawing various color coded lines through the maps in the air.

As she worked, she thought about how the last thing she needed was another of Tony's smug grins aimed at her and how stifling it was going to be with both Tony and Loki's ego in a shared space. Based off Loki's description of his brother, it seemed Thor also had a healthy ego. Then there were Peter and Rocket, who seemed to always be in a battle over who was better suited to be in charge. At the moment, the thing she most looked forward to in rescuing Team Tony was gaining some fellow women to level out this testosterone fueled minefield.

[Anduin]

"Whatever it takes," "That seems to be our credo,"
"Sometimes, doing the right thing means you have to break some rules."
"Well spoken, my dear," he replied.
To be honest it somehow reminded him of his' and Thors getaway from Asgard to fight against Malekith.
The Asgardian shook his head to get rid of this memories.
This was not the time to think about the past. It was necessary to concentrate on the things that were still ahead.


"Done,"
"You're amazing, Friday,"
"All thanks to Tony. I'll pass your compliments on to him,"
"Please don't. His ego doesn't need any help,"
Loki had to chuckle slightly. "Again, Miss van Dyne - well spoken! But maybe you should remember that fact when you are going to praise the A.I. the next time."
Then he turned serious again.
"Do you think now we got all that we need to be succesful? Or at least all that we might be able to get? Do not get me wrong. I am sure you do all your best to plan this mission. But I am not keen to be caught and locked up again," he admitted her with a sigh.
He also noticed that it had been a while that the others left the room and wanted to call Xandaar.
He wondered if they had reached someone or if Thanos already captured that planet.
"Friday," he raised his voice, "what about Peter Quill and his friends? Did they achieve success?"
The God of Mischief wasn't sure if the A.I. might answer a question from him but it was worth a try.

[Hollywood Heidi]

"Again, Miss van Dyne - well spoken! But maybe you should remember that fact when you are going to praise the A.I. the next time."

Hope shot him a 'no shit, Sherlock' look but softened it with a shake of her head as she looked back to the screen. Of course she knew that and she'd been good at keeping her praises silent when it came to Friday, but her mind was so heavily occupied with her current task, not to mention the worry of this Thanos guy constantly weighing on her mind.


"Do you think now we got all that we need to be succesful? Or at least all that we might be able to get? Do not get me wrong. I am sure you do all your best to plan this mission. But I am not keen to be caught and locked up again,"

"You won't be locked up," she said confidently. "Provided you remain on my team," she added with a warning glance toward him, well aware of his reputation of having a Team Loki angle constantly working in the background of his mind.


"Friday," "what about Peter Quill and his friends? Did they achieve success?"

Friday wouldn't answer to someone who was not officially a member of the facility unless a member of the facility gave someone clearance. Hope hadn't had a problem giving that clearance to Peter, but she was hesitant to do the same for Loki, so she answered in Friday's stead. "I'm sure they'll return as soon as they can. If they were able to get in contact, they'll be exchanging intel and working out a possible union. If they couldn't..." Hope broke off, not wanting to voice what that meant, but either way, "...they may need a little more time."

[Anduin]

"I'm sure they'll return as soon as they can. If they were able to get in contact, they'll be exchanging intel and working out a possible union. If they couldn't..."
She didn't nedd to spoke it out. The Asgardian knew what that might mean anyway.

"...they may need a little more time."
"Well then, that meant more time for us in private," he tried to make a charming joke and also gave her a polite smile.
"Oh, and by the way - I have the feeling that Friday does not like me or at least ignore me. Maybe you should think about giving her a good telling-off about her manners next time..."
This, of course, was a jest. But chearing people up with such a kind of patters always had been one of his best features.


"Pardon me, Miss van Dyne." He was sure Hope didn't take amiss his words too much.
"And thank you for your kind words. We are a team now."
Of course, he didn't want to risk or even sacrifice his own life for theirs. (Perhaps just for his brother - but he was still far away from confess these kind of thoughts about Thor.)
But at the moment he felt that he was doing the right thing.
"I am not in the position anymore to make decissions for my people or to grant you facilities, but I am sure Asgard will stay at your side to fight against the enemy. Even though, I fear, it will be like a drop in the bucket."

[Kristi Lynne]

*** Peter, Rocket, Groot, and Drax enter from New York - Avengers Facility - Hangar ***

"Well, do you want the good news or the bad news?" Peter asked as he entered the room. "Actually, trick question 'cause there is no good news. So I guess it's bad or badder news." He sighed as he came to stand beside Hope, who was intently focused on screens of what looked like blueprints.

"Nobody home on Xandar," he stated plainly. "It's safe to assume Thanos beat us there and took the stone they were holding."

[Anduin]

"Well, do you want the good news or the bad news?" "Actually, trick question 'cause there is no good news. So I guess it's bad or badder news."
"Nobody home on Xandar," "It's safe to assume Thanos beat us there and took the stone they were holding."

"I... am... Groot..."

There was nothing left to be added. This time Rocket fully agreed with Peter and felt no need to tease him.

Hope and Loki were looking at some blueprints.
"What is that?," he asked. "Will it be useful for our mission?"
He had a more precisely look at the prints.
"Are this... the plans for the Raft?"
Although he had managed to escape from more than just one prison in the past it would be much easier to achieve their aim when they got detailed plans of the building this time.

[Hollywood Heidi]

"Well then, that meant more time for us in private,"

Hope glanced away from the blueprints enough to give Loki a side-eye study, trying to figure out if he was just trying to lighten the mood... or if he was hitting on her. The polite smile said it was the former. Still, she narrowed her eyes ever so slightly in suspicion before looking back to the blueprints, in case he was testing the waters.


"Oh, and by the way - I have the feeling that Friday does not like me or at least ignore me. Maybe you should think about giving her a good telling-off about her manners next time..."

Loki was probably keeping the dialogue going to ease the tension he knew his presence created. Perhaps she should occupy her mind the same way to take advantage of easing said tension. The corner of Hope's lips quirked ever so slightly in amusement. If it was even possible to program an A.I. with feelings, she was sure that Friday would have taken real exception toward the man who'd tried taking over the world that she lived on, just as the humans had. And there her mind went again, steering things back to the elephant in the room.


"Pardon me, Miss van Dyne." "And thank you for your kind words. We are a team now."

"Hopefully that remains the case," she said distractedly, yet still matter-of-factly, and she'd keep making comments in that regard to continue to remind him that she was well aware of his pension for deserting other plans and teams for his complete loyalty to Team Loki.


"I am not in the position anymore to make decissions for my people or to grant you facilities, but I am sure Asgard will stay at your side to fight against the enemy. Even though, I fear, it will be like a drop in the bucket."

When it came down to the endgame, they'd need all the help they could get against the oncoming threat.


"Well, do you want the good news or the bad news?"

Hope was thankful to have more people back in the room. It was difficult and awkward trying to remain neutral and hold back the grievances of Loki's past actions when faced with him alone. There were no other distractions and no other people working toward the same efforts to draw from. It was far more tempting to snap and waste time going off for things in the past. Perhaps after all this is over, she could unload. But like he said, right now, they were a team.

She pulled her gaze from the blueprints to listen intently for the update on whether they'll have back-up or not.


"Actually, trick question 'cause there is no good news. So I guess it's bad or badder news."

That wasn't good. Hope's shoulder's sagged and she prepared for the bad, and badder, news.


"Nobody home on Xandar," "It's safe to assume Thanos beat us there and took the stone they were holding."

Hope's brows drew together and her eyes softened, her usually stoic expression changed to one of a rare show of compassion. "Peter, I'm so sorry."


"I... am... Groot..."

"What is that?," "Will it be useful for our mission?"

"Information I dug up on the drive Cap brought back from the SHIELD compound," she said, snapping right back to business mode.


"Are this... the plans for the Raft?"

"Yup, they sure are," she said proudly. Finally, something that was going their way. She turned back to the screen, swiping through the pictures. "We've got blueprints on every angle and every level of this place. We're talking down to the details," she enlarged so they could see everything from air ducts, to electrical, to plumbing... every nook and cranny, everything that made up the Raft and its workings. "Figuring a way to get from the landing area to the cells will be a sinch," she said, turning toward the team. "The tricky part will be locating the Raft, but I think 'fake prisoner'," she hitched a thumb toward Loki, "is our best bet."

[Anduin]

The God of Mischief could feel the tense between him and Hope.
It was obvious that she didn't really trust him or even most of his words.
He couldn't blame her for that - he also wouldn't trust himself in her stead.


"Well, do you want the good news or the bad news?" "Actually, trick question 'cause there is no good news. So I guess it's bad or badder news."
His brother's new friends came back. Sadly with no good news.
"Nobody home on Xandar," "It's safe to assume Thanos beat us there and took the stone they were holding."
While Hope gave them her compassion Loki kept in silence. She focussed on the loss of many people but maybe she overheard the more important fact of Peter's assertion: Thanos now called another Infinity Stone his own!

"Are this... the plans for the Raft?"
"Yup, they sure are,""We've got blueprints on every angle and every level of this place. We're talking down to the details,"
The talking racoon and Hope finally did the best what they might do at the moment - they continue working on their plan.
"The tricky part will be locating the Raft, but I think 'fake prisoner'," "is our best bet."
"Really, Miss van Dyne! On the one hand I feel honored that you put so much trust in me but on the other hand I have to chide you that it is rude to point a finger that way at someone who is actually in the same room."
Again his facial expression seemed to be very serious. He was a master when it came to fake emotions and words. But then he gave her a wink so that she should be able to take it as a jest.
"Do not worry, my dear. I promise to be a good 'fake prisoner'."

Then he turned serious again, this time for real, and looked at Peter Quill.
"What about your ship? Is it useable again now?"

[Kristi Lynne]

"Are this... the plans for the Raft?"

"Yup, they sure are. We've got blueprints on every angle and every level of this place. We're talking down to the details. The tricky part will be locating the Raft, but I think 'fake prisoner' is our best bet."

"Really, Miss van Dyne! On the one hand I feel honored that you put so much trust in me but on the other hand I have to chide you that it is rude to point a finger that way at someone who is actually in the same room. ... Do not worry, my dear. I promise to be a good 'fake prisoner'. What about your ship? Is it useable again now?"

While the info floating on the air screens should be enough for Rocket to come up with his breakout plan, Hope and Loki seems to already have the beginnings of their break-in plan for the Raft. Peter shook his head in response to Loki's question. "That'd be a negative," he replied. "The Milano's toast. And I don't think they'd roll out the red carpet for a spaceship even if it was delivering you wrapped up in a bow."

There were all manner of vehicles in the hangar, but only one would be of real interest to the folks in charge of the Raft -- the one that had recently dropped off a bunch of fugitives. "What about the one Eyepatch's friends arrived in?" Peter asked. "You think SHIELD might want its stolen property back? And could there be a reward?"

[Anduin]

Rocket studied the blueprints. He had to admit that - by just seeing this plans of the Raft - it really seemed to be a very escape-proof prison. But he still was sure that they'll find a way out once they would be inside of it. Besides most of his former jailbreaks had been also based a lot of improvisation.
Speaking of imrovisation - he hoped that he will find something funny again for Quill to do...

"[...]What about your ship? Is it useable again now?"

"That'd be a negative," "The Milano's toast. And I don't think they'd roll out the red carpet for a spaceship even if it was delivering you wrapped up in a bow."
"What about the one Eyepatch's friends arrived in?" "You think SHIELD might want its stolen property back? And could there be a reward?"

"Hah, 'reward' is music to my ears."
"I am Groot?"
"Yes, I think we can try to get you a TV then, Groot."
Groot looked satisfied. Rocket hoped that Quill wouldn't try to show them too much of his so-called 'classics' if they'd be able to watch those...

He let his eye wander from one to another teammember and finally stopped at Drax.
"Hey, dude, are you still trying to be invisible? Just for your information: It still doesn't work!"

[DarkSideCookie]

Drax had been outzoned for most of the conversation around him. He liked to let the thinking part to others while he knew he'd be of use once it came to the mission part. But then, suddenly, Rocket addressed him, after all, which made him look more present again.

"Hey, dude, are you still trying to be invisible? Just for your information: It still doesn't work!"

"I had no intentions to make use of my ability over the last while," Drax explained in his usual calm way as if the question would have been serious.