On the jet once again, Willow took her same position on the floor and leaned back against the wall, glad everything happened to be so easy. The man in the metal suit happened to be Tony Stark, a man who was a part of the team Fury had assembled, and he was on the jet as well as he got a ride back. Both Tony and Steve looked over to Loki who was sitting on the seat across from Willow, staring at him cautiously.

''I don't like it,'' Steve shook his head.

''What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?'' Tony looked to him.

''I don't remember it being that easy. That guy packs a wallop,''

''Still, you are pretty spry for an older fellow,'' Tony jabbed. ''What's your thing? Pilates?''

''What?'' Steve asked, confused as to what he was talking about.

''It's like calisthenics. You might have missed a couple things, you know, doing time as a Capsicle,''

Steve looked at the man with a glare.

''Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in,''

''Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you,'' Tony commented.

Willow looked up at him, wondering what his experience with SHIELD was like since he clearly had his opinion on Fury and how he worked. It was true, Fury never told anyone what was really going on, but she didn't know that other people felt the same way about that as she did. The jet filled with silence for a moment as Willow looked over to Loki. He was staring at her hands and she looked down to notice she was absentmindedly twirling a flame in between her fingers, and she immediately stopped, looking up at him as he smirked in response.

''So what's her deal?'' Tony turned to Steve with a lower voice.

''Deal?''

''She doesn't talk much,''

''Given the way you greeted her is that really a surprise?'' Steve shook his head.

''Hey I've never dealt with anyone like that before,''

''I can see why,''

A few moments later the jet began shaking as thunder roared. Lightning struck in the sky and everyone looked toward the front of the jet where Natasha looked just as confused since it was supposed to be clear skies.

''Where's this coming from?'' she wondered out loud, looking on the satellite.

Steve looked over to Loki and noticed he was staring out the window of the jet and looking up as best he could with a worried expression.

''What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?'' he asked.

''I'm not overly fond of what follows,'' Loki told him as he continued staring up.

They all looked back at each other in confusion as the thunder continued. Then, the whole jet rattled as if it had been hit by a massive bolder on the roof, and Willow jumped up from her sitting position, looking at Loki and wondering if he was aware of what was going on. Tony lifted the helmet of his metal suit onto his head, locking it in place before he opened the back of the jet. Someone was out there, and it was clear they were interested in what was inside.

They all stared at the back of the jet as it lowered and then a man unexpectedly jumped onto the open ramp. Willow knew who it was as soon as he appeared, she had heard the stories about the brothers, Loki and Thor. The man was dressed in what appeared to be warrior clothing as if he was about to go into battle, and a large red cape flowed over his back.

Tony stepped forward to defend them, but Thor easily knocked him back into the jet, taking down Willow as well as he flung to the ground. Steve was left dumbstruck as the man walked into the jet and grabbed Loki by the throat angrily before pulling from the seat and jumping back out of the jet. Everything happened so fast, no one knew what to do or think.

''Who was that guy?'' Tony asked as he helped Willow up and walked to the back of the jet.

''Another Asgardian?'' Natasha called out.

''Think that guy's friendly?'' Steve asked.

''Doesn't matter, if that guy frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract's lost,'' Tony told him as he prepared to jump out the back of the jet.

Willow stood back trying to process everything that just happened. She hadn't said a word this whole time, but she wasn't going to stand back as their only chance at getting the cube back was taken away from them.

''Stark! We need a plan of attack!'' Steve called out.

''I have a plan. Attack,''

Tony jumped out the back of the jet in his suit and went in search of the men. Steve shook his head and grabbed a parachute from the side of the jet and began to strap it onto his back.

''I'd sit this one out Cap,'' Natasha warned.

''I don't see how I can,'' Steve called back.

Willow walked to the back of the jet with him, walking further to the end of the ramp. She could easily help them out, and Fury had told her to do whatever was necessary, and that's what she was going to do.

''Hey!'' Steve walked back her, pulling her back. ''Are you nuts?''

''I'm not letting that guy get away,'' she shook her head. ''I'll meet you down there,''

''You haven't even got a chute!''

''Don't need one,'' Willow told him casually as she stepped off the back ramp.

Steve ran over to look down below the jet, but he didn't see Willow falling, she was soaring through the sky and dodging the trees as she followed behind Tony, trying to find where they were. He pulled the straps of the parachute secure around him before he grabbed his shield, jumping out of the jet and falling down through the sky as well.

The darkness of the night made it difficult to see where any of them had gone, but it wouldn't be too difficult once she got through the thick terrain of trees that surrounded her. She rarely chose to use her powers for flight, it was too obvious and usually caused her trouble, but right now that didn't matter. She didn't have to be afraid of SHIELD finding her, this time she was helping them.

Thor landed on the side of a mountain, throwing Loki to the ground chuckling to himself at his brother's serious expression. Loki knew Thor was here to take him back to Asgard, to save the day as he always did by cleaning up Loki's mess he had made. However Loki wasn't going back, he was going to rule just as he was born to do, and he wasn't going to give in.

''Where is the Tesseract?'' Thor asked angrily.

''I missed you too,'' Loki laughed, pulling himself up.

''Do I look to be in a gaming mood?'' Thor raised his voice at his brother.

Their voices served to be a convenient tool in finding them in the mountainside, and Willow remained invisible as she softly landed her feet right behind Thor. She could easily hold him off long enough for Tony to find them, take Loki and find out what Thor wanted, but as soon as she got close enough to them, she realized she was in the middle of a rather heated conversation, and she couldn't help wondering what was going on.

''Oh, you should thank me. With the Bifrost gone how much dark energy did the Allfather have to muster to conjure you here? Your precious Earth,''

Thor put his hand around Loki's neck as he stood up, looking at him intensely.

''I thought you dead,'' he told his brother with a genuine sadness in his eyes as he remembered.

''Did you mourn?''

''We all did. Our father-''

''Your father,'' Loki cut him off, pushing away from Thor and walking away. ''He did tell you my true father, did he not?''

Thor followed him as his brother walked away, trying to reason with him about their family issues. Loki wasn't his brother my blood, but they were still brothers in Thor's eyes.

''We were raised together, we played together, we fought together. Do you remember none of that?''

''I remember a shadow,'' Loki turned around, facing his brother. ''Living in the shadow of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss. I was, and should be, king!''

''So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights?'' Thor demanded. ''No, the Earth is under my protection Loki,''

Loki chuckled loudly at his brother.

''And you're doing a marvelous job with that. The humans slaughter each other in droves as you ideally threat. I mean to rule them. And why should I not?''

Willow was understanding more and more about Loki as she watched them. He wasn't here to collect the Tesseract and take it, he wasn't going to steal it, he was going to use it against the world she lived in, the world she had tried so hard to fit in to. She wouldn't allow it. Although she wasn't like everyone else, the Earth was hers as well, and she was going to protect it from him as if she was anyone else.

''You think yourself above them?''

''Well, yes,''

''Then you miss the truth of ruling brother, the throne would suit you ill,''

Loki shoved his brother back as he walked back up the mountainside.

''I've seen worlds you've never known about! I have grown, Odinson, in my exile! I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I wield it-''

''Who showed you this power?'' Thor yelled. ''Who controls the would-be-king?''

''I am a king!'' Loki screamed.

''Not here!'' Thor raised his voice in return, grabbing his brother. ''You give up the Tesseract! You give up this poisonous dream! You come home,''

Willow couldn't help feeling guilty that she was standing by listening to their confrontation without them even knowing. It was a private moment, and she could see the amount of pain that was in Thor's eyes as he watched his brother behave this way, but Loki was infatuated by power.

Loki shook his head and began to chuckle slightly.

''I don't have it,'' he told his brother simply. ''You need the cube to bring me home, but I've sent it off I know not where,''

Thor stared back angrily.

''Listen well brother-''

Before he could say any more, Thor was knocked off the mountainside and thrown into the surrounding trees as Tony finally found them. He still have no idea Willow was there, but he easily got Thor away from Loki. Willow watched on nervously as she knew Thor wasn't an enemy, but then she turned back to Loki who was still looking at where his brother was previously standing, answering him jokingly.

Willow knew this was the time Loki would try to get away. For all he knew, no one was there, but Willow wasn't going to let him get away. Loki meant to bring down Earth, to rule it and use the Tesseract against it because he thought nothing of the people who lived on it, however Willow was one of those people and she didn't care how much the others disowned her or only viewed her as a freak, she wasn't going to let that happen.

Loki turned to watch his brother being thrown at the trees by a man in a metal suit, smirking as he turned back to look over to the other side of the mountain before he felt a hand tightening around his neck, and he was surprised by how strong it was. He knew who it was immediately, remembering only hours ago the same thing happening.

''I do not wish to flee,'' he told her.

Slowly, Willow's body began to appear in front of him as she held his around the throat with a firm grip. Loki had a smirk on his lips as he appeared to usually have, however Willow just glared at him.

''Good choice,''


This is a shorter chapter but I have idea for the next one I didn't want to start in this one. Anyway, hope you're enjoying the story. For those wondering, I'm still planning to continue my other story 'Heroes...'' but I've hit a bit of a brick wall with it and I needed some time, I'll start writing a new chapter for it soon! Thanks for reading and please review! Also if there are any ideas you could pitch to me or anything in particular you'd like to see in this story, let me know via review or PM, I'm open to suggestions!