The opposite side of the bed was cold and unrumpled when Chelsea awoke the next morning. She pushed herself up and rubbed her eyes. No boots by the door. No tunic flung across the chaise. "Ki-ki?" Chelsea called out. If anything would stir Loki, it would be that nickname he loathed. She smirked and waited for him to come around a corner with that scowl on his face. When no reply came, Chelsea's stomach seemed to drop. Even on nights when they had disagreements, Loki always came to bed.
Tiger padded after as Chelsea hustled as best as she could to the dining hall. She had a lurking suspicion her in-laws knew something.
"Good morning, Chelsea. I'm glad to see you up and about!" Frigga said from the high table as the girl stormed in. Realizing her son was not by Chelsea's side, she frowned and asked where he was.
Hella was at the high table next to the queen, eating an entire plate of strawberries. "He always stays with Mother," she answered. "Has Father left?" Her green eyes widened and she let a berry drop back to the plate. "Is he lost?"
"I was hoping Odin could tell me that," Chelsea said, putting her hands on her hips. "Have you sent him somewhere?"
Thor leaned over the table before his father could speak. "I can assure you no one has been cast out to Midgard," he jested, referring to years prior when Odin had intended to cast out his sons, but accidentally sent Chelsea to Midgard instead.
Sif sat next to him, feeding Modi pieces of bread. "Loki wasn't at dinner? He didn't come to bed? You're right," she agreed, shooting Thor a sideways glance, "that sounds more like my husband, not yours."
Odin gave Sif a look and cleared his throat. "Loki mentioned he had to leave the realm for a short time, but you're right, he should have returned." He sounded worried, which made the situation worse. "Worry not. We shall find him."
"Why wouldn't he tell me he was leaving?" Chelsea demanded. Being pregnant seemed to give her the ultimate excuse for being irritable. "You're all up to something, I'm certain." Sensing her anger, Tiger snarled softly.
Frigga looked from her husband to her daughter-in-law. "I'm certain he will return as soon as he is able."
***
Heavy footfalls jarred Loki back to consciousness. A strong scent of charred leather hung in the air about him. He wondered what it was for a moment before memories came rushing back to him. Fire. Gods, the fire.
"I'm impressed," Thanos's voice rumbled through the darkness. "Your will is greater than any Jotun or Aesir I've had the pleasure to work with." His laugh was low and sent chills down Loki's arms.
Loki tried to give a sarcastic laugh, but found he was both gagged and bound. He was lying on a hard floor in absolute darkness. His body ached from the blows and he could still feel the heat from the fire. The blisters and splits in his skin had mended themselves quickly enough, but the pain was fresh on Loki's mind. His chest tightened at the memory.
Run, I've got to run. I'm going to die here. Run, you fool.
Loki felt the sweat at the nape of his neck. Panic built in his gut and he could feel it bubble up and consume his thoughts.
Stop.
Panicking would waste what little energy he had left. He breathed heavily through his nose, the sound almost deafening in the dark silence. The panic threatened to bubbble over, but he willed it back down.
A bright blue light illuminated the blackness before him. He squinted into it. A body was silhouetted somewhere behind the orb. Loki squeezed his eyes shut. Anything coming from the mad titan couldn't be good. He'd resigned himself to the fact that he would likely die here, but if there was a way out of it, Loki was going to try it.
"Yes, try to resist," Thanos said. "Some are able to for a short while. I grow impatient with you, so I'm afraid this is where our game comes to an end."
The blue light drew nearer to Loki and suddenly a sharpness bit him in the chest. He gave a muffled cry as a painful sensation spread from the point pressing against him. There was pain and then nothing.
***"There is something close," Jane insisted for the fourth night that week. Her equipment was set up outside of Puente Antigua, New Mexico, where it had been for five years.
Her intern Darcy Lewis bit at a hangnail. "Okay, sure. Is it getting any closer, though?" She had gotten her hopes up the past few nights, but for nothing. Jane, an astrophysicist and her best friend, was convinced that their Asgardian visitors from a few years ago would be showing up again.
"I can't quite tell." Jane frowned as she peered into the telescope. "The readings aren't as strong as they were, but it doesn't look like anything is actually moving anywhere."
Dr. Selvig, their third partner, sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Jane, give it up. Continue your work. These aliens aren't coming back. If they were who they claimed to be, they'll have royal matters to attend to and likely won't be able to fly back to Earth just to visit."
"Chelsea would totally visit. She said she'd come visit." Darcy pouted. The aliens visiting had been the most exciting thing that had ever happened to her, and everything seemed dull in comparison to having aliens live in your apartment.
"Well something is definitely happening out there. I haven't seen figures like this since the last time they were here. We're not leaving until I figure out what's happening." Jane decided for the group.
***
Odin paced back and forth before his throne. It had been four days since Loki had disappeared. The family was gathering to discuss their next move.
Chelsea chewed the inside of her lip anxiously. Hella sat quietly beside her. Loki's absence had turned Chelsea into a chatterbox. Talking and keeping her mind occupied with what she was going to say next had fended off the anxiety. Her daughter was the opposite. Nobody could drag more than two or three words out of her. Even Tiger seemed to know something was wrong. He padded over to Loki's side of the bed often and snuffled.
"Look what Grandmother has for you," Frigga said, sitting down next to Hella. She set a plate of pink macaroons on her lap. "I snuck these from the kitchen for my favorite granddaughter."
Hella studied the plate. Suddenly pink macaroons weren't here favorite thing anymore. She'd eat an entire plate of steaming hot bacon to see her father again. She missed his silliness and how he'd play with her. She loved her mother, but Father was her best friend. Though she was young, she could sense the severity of the situation.
"Neither of us have been eating much," Chelsea said apologetically.
"That's bad for both of you, but especially you," Frigga said, offering the plate to Chelsea. "Eat. For the boys."
Chelsea took a macaroon and ate it, barely tasting anything. She nodded to Hella. "Your father wouldn't want you to be so worried you missed out on your favorite sweet!" She took another from the plate. "Maybe Grandmother and I will have to eat all of them if you don't want any. They can't go to waste."
"No," Hella said, suddenly hungry. She snatched a macaroon and enjoyed the color for a half a second before crunching into it. "These are my favorite. Leave some for me."
Frigga winked at Chelsea, who couldn't help but smile.
Thor burst into the hall with Sif at his heels. The baby was in her arms, looking every bit as serious as his father.
"Why have we not sent a search party?" Thor demanded as he strode toward his father. "My brother is somewhere, who knows where, and we sit here waiting for his return? You know as well as I this is not like him." Mjolnir whirred as he swung it around as he spoke. "Send warriors in all directions. There must be some who know the hidden ways out of Asgard."
Odin shook his head and threw his hands up. "You know as well as I that no one knows the back ways like Loki. He was trying to travel undetected to Midgard. If he didn't want to be found, we'll never be able to find him."
"You said you didn't know where he was going," Chelsea interrupted. "Why was he going to Midgard?" Hope glimmered. "Perhaps he is with Jane and Darcy Lewis."
Sif scowled at the mention of Thor's mortal paramour.
"He isn't," Thor said. "Heimdall watches them for me. He would have alerted us if Loki was there."
"Why was he traveling to Midgard?" Chelsea repeated. "Tell me, AllFather. He may be your son, but Loki is the father of my children and I will know what has happened to him."
Odin sat down heavily on the throne. "The Jotuns seek you once more. Loki left to scout a safe place for you to stay."
"I won't leave again," Chelsea replied. "My daughter and I almost died when you cast us out to survive on Midgard before. I shan't run and cower behind mortals again. I cannot believe Loki would agree to this."
"Things have changed," Odin answered. "He thought it was in your best interest. He should have returned in an hour's time, perhaps two. Heimdall cannot see him and no one has heard from Loki. What would you have me do?"
"Send out a party!" Thor repeated. "I will lead it myself."
"No," Odin snapped. "You must stay here in case the Jotuns decide to hit us while we're distracted by this disappearance."
Chelsea shook her heard. "Is Laufey behind this? Could they have taken him?"
"Yes, to distract us from their mounting attack," Sif agreed. "It is a clever plan."
"Loki could defeat a dozen Jotuns by himself, if need be." Thor shook his head. "Something foul is afoot and I don't believe it to be the Jotuns. If I am ordered to stay here, we shall send the fastest and most cunning warriors out."
"Fine," Odin conceded. "Brief them and send them out. Have them search high and low until Loki is found."
