Part One

"Is it a power source like the tesseract?" The question hung in the air for a moment. It was a very real possibility that anything they found could be just as dangerous and powerful as the cube taken by Thor. None of them were eager to repeat past mistakes. Nick shared a worried look with Barton before they turned their attention to Doctor Selvig. The sphere glowed despite the dark blackness of its color. It was contrary, dark and light, inherently alien. The sphere was already giving Fury the creeps, but he resisted the urge to step away from the object they'd uncovered during an excavation in Northern Ireland. It hadn't actually done anything… yet.

Selvig shook his head, but his expression was grim. "Honestly, we don't know what it does, but from what I can tell it's power source is faint. It'd barely power a light bulb after a millennia in the dirt."

"So it's safe?" questioned Clint. Scientists had an annoying habit of talking around the answers they were seeking. They never actually knew how to get to the point.

"I didn't say that. I won't be certain of that until I've seen what it can do, but without power that would be impossible."

Fury knew exactly where this was leading. It wouldn't end well. Scientists often liked to press buttons and flip switches. They were explorers in their own rite, but too often they paid for their courage… with their lives. The last time they'd messed with anything connected to Thor or his people it hadn't gone according to plan. People died. New York was still trying to recover from his mistakes. Could he afford another bad decision? "For all we know this could be even more dangerous than the tesseract. I don't make these kinds of mistakes twice. We need to tread carefully with this. I can't believe I'm saying this… but we need to contact Tony Stark."

Barton didn't seem to like the idea any more than Fury did. "Are you sure that's wise, sir? He's not exactly the 'look before you leap' type."

He flashed his best agent an amused smile. That was certainly true, but Stark usually came through when the situation was serious. He was a bit of an ass, but he wasn't stupid. "It's not like we have much of a choice."

"There is another option. We could have Thor take a look."

Fury had certainly considered that, but he wasn't quite ready to reveal his hand just yet. If the sphere was safe and could be used without endangering Earth… there would be no need to consult with Thor. "Not just yet, Barton. Let's see what we can learn ourselves first."

"Kinda creepy looking isn't it."

Bruce lifted a single eyebrow as he looked over at Stark. The sphere was floating between them as they poured over the data from their scans. It was a slow process without Jarvis' help, but they were managing. "I suppose. Whatever it is… it isn't emitting any gamma radiation whatsoever, but there are faint spikes of… well… delta waves being recorded."

"What? Like it's dreaming?" Tony was giving him a doubtful look, but Bruce was a scientist, and facts were facts. He didn't know what to make of it either.

Banner shook his head, staring at the sphere. He couldn't even begin to explain these readings. They didn't make sense. They weren't even possible as far as he could tell, but who was he to argue? Bruce turned into a giant green rage monster, fighting along-side the god of thunder (who flew with the help of a hammer). He was getting used to the impossible. "I have no idea. We'd need an EEG to accurately record these readings."

Tony sighed, chewing on the inside of his cheek. "This is weird… like I have a really bad feeling about this. I swear to god if I end up having to rebuild Stark Tower for the second time I will be pissed…." He was a lot more cautious these days since New York. They'd all been affected in their own way, but seeing Tony Stark tread carefully when it came to this… it was certainly an eye opener.

Bruce shrugged. "How bad could it be? It's not even at full power." He regretted it the moment he said it, but there was no way to take it back now. Tony was already glaring at him. "I probably shouldn't have said that."

"If bad things happen it's your fault," muttered Tony, eyeing the sphere wearily.

"Oh my god! Seriously! Jane!" Jane let out a long-suffering sigh, dropping her pen to rub away the growing headache she could feel developing like an oncoming storm. Darcy rushed into her office, eyes wide, practically beside herself with glee. "Jane! Tony Stark is here. Like right now… Tony Stark is in the building. Seriously, how cool is that?! Did you ever think one day we'd be in Stark Tower… working for a secret organization… with aliens and superheroes? Like… what if he comes down here-"

"Darcy! I'm trying to work here!" Jane snapped. She knew the stress was getting to her. She hadn't eaten all day and her research had hit a major brick wall that she just couldn't seem to get around or break through. Not even Tony's arc reactor was capable of the power needed to generate the bridge that would connect her world with Asgard.

Lewis sighed, folding her arms. "Okay… yeah, you need a break. This is ridiculous, Jane! You practically live in this office! It's not natural. Eventually you will fall apart. You should come up stairs with me and see if Stark is around… hey, maybe he's even wearing the suit, how cool would that be?"

Foster appreciated Darcy's concern, but she was in no mood for breaks or fangirling over billionaire playboys. It was bad enough she hadn't seen or heard from Thor in months, but the fact that he'd actually come back to Earth while she was away was eating at her. He hadn't even tried to contact her. She realized Loki's attack on New York had been the priority at the time, but she was starting to wonder if his promise meant anything at all. He was a friggin' prince! Why would he bother with her anyway?! It probably wasn't the first time he'd made such a promise. Selvig seemed to think he was decent enough, but he wasn't a fan of their relationship… he'd made that quite clear. He liked Thor, but he didn't exactly trust Thor. Maybe he knew something she didn't. God, she felt like such an idiot… and instead of just accepting this fact she found herself obsessing… working day and night hoping that eventually she'd make the bridge that would connect their worlds and bring him back to her. If Thor could travel with greater ease between their two worlds… maybe they could… what? Be together? Get married and have little gods of thunder? She really was losing it. "Look Darcy, I'm really busy right now."

"But Jane-"

"Darcy!" Jane interrupted angrily. "I don't care about Tony Stark or his stupid suit! I have work to do… grown up work… and my head is pounding… so just please… go. Just go." Darcy's smile faded, and Jane knew she'd gone too far. It wasn't fair to take her frustrations out on Darcy. "Look… I'm sorry," she sighed, deflating. "I'm just stressed out right now. I tell you what, I had Doctor Banner look over some theories I had about using gamma radiation as a power source in creating the bridge. He left me some notes in his office. Why don't you go get them for me? I'm sure Tony's with him… maybe you'll get the chance to meet them both?"

Lewis nodded, forcing a smile, though Jane could tell she'd officially ruined Darcy's good mood. "Bruce Banner? As in the 'Hulk,' Bruce Banner?"

Jane nodded, trying to smile. "Maybe he'll even show you what happens when he gets angry," she teased.

Darcy rolled her eyes. "Yeah right… I'd be crushed in seconds. No thanks, I'd rather see that kind of awesome from far, far away! But yeah… I'll go see… for you." Jane watched her walk out, and let out a sigh as she pulled out her keycard, holding it in the air. Darcy always forgot. Seconds later the intern was back, snatching the card out of Jane's hand. "Right! Need that… thanks! See you later!" she called after her as she rushed out of Foster's office once more.

Jane shook her head, smiling. Darcy could certainly be a pain, but she did keep life interesting….

Right, of course no one was around. Why should they be? Probably on a lunch break. Did scientists even eat lunch? Jane and Selvig didn't seem especially fond of it. All they did was shove their noses in computers and books without ever actually opening their eyes to see what was right in front of them. She'd never met people who could be both smart and stupid at the same time. Darcy had been watching Jane waste away daily in her efforts to open a connection to Asgard, but it was obvious it wasn't just about the research anymore. She wanted to see Thor again. The beefcake was certainly worth a few skipped meals, but how much of her life was she willing to put on hold for him?

Darcy shook her head in frustration, taking in the empty lab with mild curiosity. It was huge, and cluttered like Jane's. It was like they all lived by a special code or something… they were all above keeping their damn labs neat and tidy. If not for people like Darcy she shuddered to think what would become of the world.

She had to admit though… it was kind of cool. Tablets and computers… technology she couldn't even identify all around her. It was like Star Trek without the lame outfits. Her eyes paused at the glowing sphere in the middle of the room. She'd noticed it on the way in, but couldn't shake the creepy feeling it gave her… like it was watching her as she watched it. How could something watch her without eyes? She'd obviously been reading too many sci-fi novels, but who could blame her when it turned out they weren't completely wrong? Aliens did exist. Heroes weren't a myth. It was like reading the future without the fortune cookie goodness.

She wasn't going to touch it. She'd seen enough horror movies to know touching creepy, floating balls would never end well for her. Just because it looked safe didn't mean it was. She wasn't even supposed to be in Banner's lab by herself. If Fury or Barton found out her ass would be grass for sure. Jane let Darcy use her keycard pretty often when she didn't want to be bothered to go into restricted areas, but eventually they would get caught unless Lewis kept her thinking cap on and refrained from all forms of stupidity. So no… not going to touch. Nope… she was too smart for that.

Darcy frowned. "Oh screw it!" she grumbled taking a step forward to reach out, refraining just as her fingers got too close. "Damn!" It made her nervous. Why was it so tempting to touch? Darcy dropped her arm and backed away, feeling more at ease as the distance between her and the sphere grew. She reached the door in seconds and let out a sigh. "Yeah… I have got to keep a better handle on those temptations," she muttered and turned the knob.

In the seconds it took to open the door, the sphere seemed to wake up from whatever sleep it'd been in. One glance back told her she wasn't out of the woods yet. When her heart started beating extra loud to her ears she was certain she was screwed. The sphere was spinning, the room growing bright with this dark light, and she was forced to shield her eyes just before she felt the burn throughout her body, like it was pulling her in a billion different directions. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. The world grew dark and Darcy dropped to the floor. Her last thought just before her eyes fluttered closed, was that maybe she should have just touched the damn sphere after all….

"How the hell did this happen?! Somebody give me an explanation… now!"

Fury wasn't pleased… obviously. Stark almost winced as his voice seemed to grow louder and louder with each word. He was pretty sure the guy would burst a blood vessel any second. "Banner and I were working on a theory we had about the sphere. We had no way of knowing she'd go inside and touch the damn thing," he replied.

"Technically she didn't touch it…" Banner corrected quietly. When Tony gave him a look he shrugged. "Surveillance shows her reaching out to touch the sphere, but she never actually does. It activated without her physically coming into contact with it. That's big. It proves the device could have activated at any time. We need to be more cautious around it now that we know."

"I don't give a damn whether the kid touched it or not, Banner! I want to know why she was even in there in the first place!" shouted Fury.

"Director… I let her use my keycard to retrieve some files I'd left with Doctor Banner on using gamma radiation to create the Einstein-Rosen Bridge. I had no way of knowing he wouldn't be there… or that Banner was working on something potentially dangerous," Doctor Foster spoke up. Tony could see the guilt in her eyes. Despite her words she felt responsible. They all did. A few hours ago most of them hadn't even known Darcy Lewis' name. The fact that she was currently in a coma two floors below them changed everything. He doubted all the alcohol in the world would help him forget the terror in her eyes just before she collapsed. He'd seen the footage. It wouldn't be 'unseen.'

"Can we please stop playing the blame game?! It doesn't matter how it happened. The fact is she's unconscious and we have no idea what we're dealing with. We don't know how to wake her up, or if she can be woken up. We don't even know what that sphere is doing to her, but we do know it's active. Power readings are off the scale, which means we have no way of pulling the plug. No one goes near that thing until we have some answers, and the only one who can provide those… is Thor."

Everyone went quiet, and even Fury was rendered speechless as Stark's words sunk in. They were wasting valuable time, and he was far too impatient for that. A young woman's life hung in the balance, and someone as beautiful as Darcy Lewis didn't deserve to be hooked up to machines while the ones partly responsible threw around blame. Tony liked to think he'd grown up just a bit in the last few months… he could thank Loki for that. He still couldn't get a decent night's sleep, and it was getting harder and harder to hide his nightmares from Pepper. He had a feeling they wouldn't be getting much better if he let one more person die on his watch.

"Or we could just sit here and bicker some more… just give me a minute to grab a bag of popcorn," he added with a wave of his hand, his self-defense mechanism winning out in the end. Snark was a weapon he'd learned to weld well a very long time ago… way before Iron Man.

Jane Foster licked her lips, looking down at the conference table. "Stark's right… we need to find a way to contact Thor and get him back here."

Fury didn't look pleased, but he nodded in agreement. "With the tesseract under Asgardian protection it may be possible for him to return. Foster… I'll require your assistance… Selvig too."

They all nodded their agreement, watching Fury turn and leave. Stark shuddered. "Is it just me or does that man really enjoy living up to his last name?"

Heimdall was always watching. He'd watched as the organization known as SHIELD found a lost relic of Asgard. He'd watched as the young woman known as Darcy Lewis fell victim to the orbs power. He'd also watched as they bickered among themselves over what to do now that the orb's powers were realized. He sensed it's magic like a cloud of mystery, much in the same way he sensed Loki's power. He saw it like dark smoke, poisonous and deadly. Thor was needed on Midgard. The orb's power was growing unchecked.

He returned like lightening, in a flash of light and power, as clouds swarmed overhead. Jane was forced to shield her face as the wind picked up, worried a stray leaf would find her eyes and blind her. Jane's heart was beating furiously in her chest, and she wasn't quite sure how to behave. Selvig looked more on edge than she'd ever seen him, his past experience with the gods of Asgard changing him in ways she simply couldn't comprehend. He seemed about as eager to trust them as he was to trust himself.

Thor was as beautiful as ever, surrounded by the blue tesseract energy. His expression was all business until those expressive eyes rested on hers, and she knew in an instant that he'd missed her. She couldn't have hidden her relief even if she'd wanted to. "My friends… I believe you have need for me," he spoke, his voice like a boom to her ears. It woke her up, memories flooding back of Darcy lying unconscious, and the video footage of the floating sphere responsible. "Take me to Darcy."

Fury nodded, glancing over at Jane. "Take him."

Thor's hand rested on the glass, unable to take the steps necessary to go inside the room where Darcy lay unconscious. She had such spirit. He could only hope nothing had changed since they'd last seen one another. "I can do nothing for her." His voice was low, just barely controlling the rage and frustration swirling in his gut.

"Thor please… there must be something! Darcy won't wake up. The sphere-"

"Should never have been brought here!" he scolded, letting out a sigh when he saw the pain in Jane Foster's eyes. His rage was not meant for her. A lady so divine need not feel his wrath. He let his hand leave the glass to cup Jane's beautiful face, keeping his touch gentle. "I'm sorry…."

Jane wouldn't meet his gaze, shaking her head. "No, it's fine. This is my fault. I was so focused on my work… I sent her away so I could get some peace and quiet, Thor. Now she's lying in a hospital bed and I… oh god, Thor!" The tears were falling, and Thor was quick to wipe them away as he pulled her into his arms.

"You listen well, Jane… this is not your fault. You couldn't have known. I may not be able to help, Lady Darcy… but there is someone who can."

Jane's eyes widened as she pulled away from his hold. "Who?!"

Thor frowned. "You will not be pleased."

"Thor? Who can help Darcy?" she spoke again, and he could see the desperation in her eyes. He licked dry lips and glanced over at Darcy, hesitating to even mention the name at all. "Thor… tell me!"

"Absolutely not!" replied Fury.

"You have got to be kidding me!" added Stark, folding his arms.

Thor knew he would have a fight on his hands, but there was simply no other way. The sphere's power was filled with a magic not even Odin would dare meddle with. There was only one man capable of understanding the force that powered the orb in SHIELD's possession. It was an ancient magic, dangerous and powerful. It was a gem of Asgard hidden away like the tesseract for good reason. "Loki wields the very same magic that has Darcy Lewis imprisoned in her mind. In fact, it is the creator of the orb, our grandmother, that first taught Loki how to wield his magic. Without his assistance, I fear, there is no way to reach her," he argued.

Stark scoffed. "So you want the guy who, three months ago, tried to take over the world to go mucking around in Darcy Lewis' head?! Are you out of your fucking mind?!"

"Loki has endured punishment at Odin's hand. Although he has yet to truly embrace his family as he once had, he has been freed of Thanos' influence. His emotional turmoil will take time to heal, but it is by no means dangerous to Darcy. I can assure you of that."

"Can you, really?" Stark questioned, rolling his eyes. "He's your brother! You were standing here defended him months ago when he was threatening our entire race, and you expect us to believe he's rehabilitated after three god damn months?!"

"Enough!" shouted Fury, before Thor could speak. "Thor, are you sure this is the only way?"

"It is our relics that have put this world in danger… first with the tesseract, and now the orb of Nott. The All-Father wishes this realm kept safe just as I do. Loki will not resist him."

The Director did not look pleased, but he knew just as Thor did that it was out of his hands. They were dealing with forces they could not yet comprehend. "How soon can he get here?"

"You aren't honestly going along with this, are you?!" shrieked Tony, surprised.

"If Thor says he could help, why not let Loki try? It's not like he could make things much worse," Banner finally spoke, having listened patiently to the two men's arguments. Thor nodded towards the scientist with gratitude.

"You're all fucking nuts!"

"Stark, we wouldn't even be in this mess if you hadn't left the sphere unattended, so just shut the hell up!" snapped Fury. "We have no choice but to let Loki try. If nothing else he can help us learn how to control the orb before more people drop unconscious."

"The orb contains the powers of the goddess Nott… my grandmother. She was one of the few to wield magic in my realm. Many feared her power, as well they should, however she was a goddess who ruled with patience and peace. It is the dark elves that cursed her creation and turned it from it's original purpose. Darcy's mind may be lost to us, but I believe with Loki's help we have a chance of reaching her."

Tony threw his hands in the air and sighed. "Fine whatever… let the psycho loose on that poor woman's mind. See if I care," he muttered, storming out of the meeting.

Bruse smiled encouragingly at Thor, his mild and assuming spirit such a contrast to the angry Hulk he changed into. "He'll come around… I think he just has a hard time believing Loki would even want to help."

That would certainly be Thor's concern as well. Since being cut off from the scepter, Thanos' influence had waned, but the wounds Loki suffered from, cut far too deep to be healed in a few short months. Their mother seemed the only one capable of keeping Loki in line. Just because Loki could help, did not necessarily mean he would help. It would certainly take some convincing on Thor's part. He was not looking forward to their conversation….

"Absolutely not, Thor." Loki had endured enough at the hands of Midgardians. Memories of their battle weighed in his mind and heart. A brilliant failure he refused to deal with after his punishment at Odin's hands. He was fuming at the very thought of helping one of them. He wanted solitude. He wanted to be cut off from every world, and every person he had ever known. Why would Thor not simply let him be?!

"Loki, open your eyes, for once… and think past your own pain! Our magic in the hands of mortals could only prove disastrous, and my friend does not deserve to pay the price!" he argued.

Loki scoffed. "Do not presume to manipulate me. You do not possess my silver tongue," he growled.

He turned away from his 'brother' angrily, facing the window that allowed him the best few of Asgard. His exile had proved to open his eyes to so many things. Whether they choose to accept it or not, Loki was changed. Though his mind was cleared in a way it had not been before under Thanos' influence, that did not mean he'd forgotten those experiences. He'd struck an accord with Thanos, while his mind was deluded and consumed, and he certainly regretted his poor choice in allies. However, it didn't change the fact that he'd seen past the brilliance of Asgard. There was an entire universe out there that not even Heimdall was aware of. There were corners and shadows so much darker and more terrifying than he could ever put into words. The orb's magic had been influenced by the same dark powers that had touched Loki's mind. He wasn't in a hurry to face that darkness again.

"Midgard is nothing but sand on the beach, Thor. Until you open your eyes and see that… your mind will remain small."

"I would prefer it small if it meant losing touch with my compassion for others. Brother, you will help her."

Loki's laughter was cold as he turned back to face his would-be brother. "Will I? And why would I do such a thing?"

Thor took a single step closer, facing Loki with a rage his younger brother rarely saw in those expressive eyes. Not since his failed coronation… had the god of thunder looked quite so dangerous. "Your brother has need for you."

"I have no brother."

"We are family! Whether you accept it or not! I care not what you are-"

"A monster!" Loki snarled. "A Frost Giant! The very race we grew up to despise!" Loki held Thor's gaze. "I am a curse… nothing more! When Odin found me he should have destroyed me. Perhaps if he had known what I would become… he would have."

"Silence!"

The brothers froze as a new voice echoed in the small room where Loki dwelled in his punishment. They could hear her footfalls before she revealed herself, and not even Loki was capable of holding onto his rage in her presence. Despite his insistence that they were not family, Frigga was the only mother he had ever known. He could not deny her.

"Loki, please… Thor asks for your help. Such humility should be encouraged… not rejected," she counseled.

Loki's eyes narrowed as he glanced back at Thor. Oh how he hated Thor. "You requested she speak with me… didn't you." He knew the answer even before Thor answered.

"I knew you would not see reason otherwise."

He met his mother's gaze, and took in the worry and despair on her face. He could not resist her… even now. She was a weakness, but one he took on willingly. She drew close to him, resting her hands on his forearms, and his heart melted with her touch. "I do not ask you to play the hero, Loki. I only ask that you assist your brother in helping that young woman break free from Nott's orb. The path of redemption is not made with ease, but to refuse to walk it entirely… Loki please try," she begged.

In the months he endured Odin's wrath it was Frigga that stood by him and assured Loki of her love. Even now despite everything he'd been through, she mattered. "Yes mother." It seemed despite the whole wide universe, she was still someone he desperately wanted to please… almost if not more than the All Father himself. It mattered little what blood ran through his veins. He was strong enough to deny Thor, but never her. Oh how he wished Odin had left him to die all those years ago….

Frigga smiled, pulling Loki into her arms as proudly as she ever did. Her smile was almost worth it.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm with Stark on this one. Allowing that nutcase loose in Lewis' mind can't end well for anyone," muttered Barton angrily, snapping his wrist as he threw the tennis ball against the wall across from him. The angle was perfect, and it bounced quickly from the wall to the floor, and back into his awaiting hand.

Natasha didn't even bother to talk around the issue that really weighed on him. "You should know, right?"

Barton sent the ball away once more, refusing to meet her gaze. "Loki played around enough with my brain… I just hate the idea of giving him a new plaything. How do we even know he won't just use her? He could pull her out of her coma and turn her into a mindless drone ready to follow his every command. Hell, maybe that orb was enchanted by him and this is all just a ploy. I wouldn't put it past him."

She didn't trust Loki any more than Clint did, but it seemed a little farfetched that he'd use the sphere to attempt a second take over. "So his evil plan is to control a poli-sci major and take over the world? What's he going to do? Make her run for Senate?"

Clint smiled; realizing the flaw in his suspicions. "Okay, so perhaps it wouldn't be his best idea… I still don't trust him."

"Neither do I."

Another bounce and the ball flew back into Clint's hand. With a sigh he finally turned to face her, legs draped down the side of his bed, often shared by them both, though neither seemed eager to define their relationship. What had Loki asked her? Is this love? Hardly, though it was probably the closest she'd ever get to the real thing. "Nothing we can do about it though. We just get to sit here and watch that lunatic pick her brain apart and play."

She wished she knew what to say to make things better, to give Clint peace. She didn't. It was an ugly situation. She'd be watching Loki, and Darcy through it all. Fury had requested her to stay close in case there was trouble. "Who knows? Maybe he'll make a mistake and Fury will let you shoot that arrow through his eye socket after all."

His smile widened. "Dear god… I hope so."

To Be Continued