(Author's Note: I am so sorry for the long wait! I have been bus-ay. BUT...I have good news!

I am part of a fanfic project for The Freelancer Collaboration called In the End, You Always Kneel. It is basically the Hunger Games, Avengers-style! I am writing for Pepper Potts, Tony Stark's beloved assistant! For more info, please visit my profile, PM me, or shoot me a review with questions! Love all ya'll!)


Chapter 9

Emmeline and Loki stepped into the hallway and Emmeline looked left and right, trying to see where the bathroom might be. She saw a door on the left and started for it, and when she got to the middle of the hallway, Loki grabbed her arm.

She turned around to see what the problem was, but as soon as she did, he slammed her against the wall, his lips on hers instantly. This took Emmeline by surprise.

"Loki, what are you doing?" she asked, letting go. He looked at her mischievously.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" he replied. "I am ravishing you."

"Now? They'll hear us! And our clothes—"

"—Leave them on. I want you," Loki growled, his hands on her hips. "Now."

How could she refuse that? The way he undressed her with his eyes, the way he breathed on her neck…he was seducing her so that she had no say in the matter. He kissed her voraciously, his hands massaging deeply into her sides and back. She put her arms over his shoulders and conceded, kissing him back with equal force. He did look gorgeous today, especially in the suit she had dressed him in.

"Did you honestly not notice the looks of lust I have been directing at you all night?" Loki asked, pressing his body against Emmeline's.

"You were playing with my dress a lot." Emmeline smiled as Loki lifted her up against the wall, her legs wrapped around him. "Well I'm not wearing any underwear, so lucky you," she said. She put her fingers in his hair and kissed him with intensity. He had excited her; she had to have him now.

Their breathing sped up in desperation for each other, Emmeline hastily unbuckling Loki's belt as he kissed all over her neck. It was dark in the hallway; neither of them could see much of each other in such close proximity, but that was no issue. Emmeline put all of her attention into feeling him. The softness of his face; the delicious scent of him, the way his hair fell barely off of his shoulders…

Loki kissed her open mouth and ran his hands along her back, his chest pressed against hers. Emmeline couldn't help but think about what the others were hearing.

"We really shouldn't be doing this," Emmeline said, before Loki shut her up with another kiss.

"Why do you say that?" Loki asked, pressing her into the wall.

"They might hear us," Emmeline whispered. Loki smirked.

"Well then they'll know not to disturb," he replied, his hand in her hair. Emmeline smiled and closed her eyes again as she surrendered herself to Loki. She sighed with pleasure and Loki breathed on her neck. His heartbeat raced along with hers and Emmeline didn't care if the others heard them anymore. All that mattered now was loving Loki.

When they were finished, both of them let their backs slide down the wall. Emmeline looked at Loki, breathing heavily. He smirked at her.

"Don't let this make you think you can just come on to me and we'll do it wherever and whenever," she said with a smile. "This was one time."

"I understand," Loki replied, a sly smile on his face.

"We need to straighten ourselves out if we're going to go back in there," said Emmeline. She stood up and tried to smooth out her dress. She walked over to Loki and held her hand out to help him stand up.

"I don't think I can," he whined. Emmeline smirked.

"Come on." Loki grabbed her hand and stood up as she straightened his tie and tried to brush the wrinkles out of his suit jacket. She zipped his pants, buckled his belt and stood back.

"Aw damn, you have my lipstick all over your mouth."

"Just lick it off," Loki said.

"Oh my God Loki, stop," Emmeline said, trying not to laugh. She licked her hand and wiped the lipstick off of his mouth.

"Your hair is messed up," Loki said.

"Okay, fix it."

Loki ran his fingers through Emmeline's hair and tossed some of it to the other side of her head.

"There," he said.

"Thanks," Emmeline replied. "Your hair looks fine, so I think we're good."

Emmeline and Loki reentered Tony's living room hand in hand, hoping that no one would comment on their half-hour "bathroom" visit. Tony looked up at them and smiled, his eyebrow raised at them.

"It's about time you guys came back," said Bruce. "You missed the conversation about astrophysics and radiation."

"Aw, darn," said Emmeline sarcastically.

"Reindeer Games," said Tony. "I didn't invite you here so you could fuck Red in the hall."

"Oh God," Emmeline said, wincing.

"Perhaps not, but that is why I came," Loki replied with a smirk, sitting down on the couch. Steve laughed, unable to hold it back.

"Oh God. How did you guys know?" Emmeline asked, embarrassed.

"Security cameras," Tony answered.

"Oh God!"

"Just kidding," he said, laughing. "We asked JARVIS where you were and he told us you were 'mating' in the hall."

"Ugh, okay we're leaving. Come on Loki," Emmeline said.

"Aw come on guys," said Clint. "No judgment here. If Connie was here I'm sure Banner would do the same."

"That was uncalled for," piped Bruce.

"It's getting late anyway," Emmeline said. "Thanks for inviting us Tony, we had fun."

"Apparently you did," he joked. Steve laughed again. "But really, you're welcome. Thanks for coming guys."
Loki walked over to Clint and held his arms out to receive Sigyn.

"Aw," said Clint, disappointed. He held on to the now sleeping baby.

"Barton, give me my offspring," Loki commanded. Clint sighed and handed Sigyn to Loki.

"Bring her back soon," he said. Emmeline smiled as Loki walked back to her. It was endearing that Clint liked Sigyn so much.

"We will," she replied. Emmeline and Loki waved to them before leaving, and as they walked down the hall to the elevator, there was a sudden booming noise—the sound of thunder. It shook the building; Loki held on tightly to Sigyn as he tried to keep his footing and Emmeline fell to the floor. Loki looked up.

"Oh shit," he said. "…Thor."


"Where is he? We should stick around to see him," said Emmeline. Loki did not want to see Thor. Why was he down here? Did he know what Loki was doing? Was he on to him? Had Heimdall seen the dark magic?

Relax, Loki thought to himself. He's probably only here to see Jane.

"Sigyn is tired," Loki said. "We ought to put her to bed. We can see Thor tomorrow."

"Okay," Emmeline agreed, and Loki let out a quiet sigh of relief. He let her walk ahead of him and unlock the door to their apartment as Loki glanced at his life clock. His breath hitched. 32:16 in bright orange numbers glowed on his arm. Half an hour to collect three souls.

When they entered their living room, Loki handed Sigyn to Emmeline.

"I am going to bathe," Loki said. "I will return."

"Okay," Emmeline replied. "I'm going to feed baby cakes and go to bed, so if I'm asleep when you get out, feel free to cuddle." Loki smiled at her as he made his way to the bathroom.

When he entered the hallway he turned at the bathroom to Sigyn's room. It was time to retrieve Vaettir-Draugr. Loki opened the closet and flinched as he gripped the soul-sucking scepter in his hand, the souls screeching at him. He placed an illusion of invisibility over himself and after turning on the shower in the bathroom to back up his lie, left the apartment and Stark tower. He pushed back his suit jacket sleeve to check his clock again.

25:37

Loki swallowed a lump in his throat and walked faster, going the opposite way than he did last time. He looked in all the buildings he passed in the city, trying to spot one with few people in it. He soon saw a small room through a window with a sign that read "Monica's Boutique". There looked to be only one girl occupying the space. Loki checked around himself to make sure no one was watching him and he entered the "boutique". There were many articles of clothing and bags that Midgardian women usually carried around.

"Hello, my name is Monica, can I help you find something?" asked the girl. She was rather large for a female, wearing an odd contraption with two squares around her eyes that Loki had seen Bruce Banner wear.

"Um, yes. I need to find a dress," Loki said. That was the only article of Midgardian clothing he knew how to identify. Monica smiled at him.

"This way sir," she said. She led him further into the small shop and showed him a rack of dresses.

"Is this for the lady in your life?" she asked, but Loki didn't answer. He seized her then, pinning her to the wall and revealing Vaettir-Draugr. Monica tried to scream, but Loki clamped his hand over her mouth.

"If you knew what my life was like at the moment you might understand," Loki said. "My deepest apologies." Loki pressed the scepter to her neck and as her eyes rolled back in her head Loki dropped her; her soul was now in his possession. Two more to go. Loki looked at his clock.

20:03

Loki left the boutique and searched frantically for another deserted place, which was not easy in a city like New York. But suddenly, Loki got an idea. The yellow vehicles only had one person in them at a time. That would be perfect.

Loki looked for a yellow vehicle, and when he saw one with the word "TAXI" written on the top, he started toward it and got in.

"Where to?" asked the man in the front left seat. Loki scrambled to the front and quickly pressed Vaettir-Draugr to the man's neck. He was gone quickly. Loki waited a moment and looked around in the vehicle to make sure no one saw what happened, and then he exited. He needed only one more victim. He checked his clock again.

16:12

Loki did not see any lone Midgardians. He looked up and down the streets and as far as he could see, no one was alone. His heart began to race.

12:26

Loki started running down the street, hoping to find anyone in a secluded area. He got many stares from the people he passed, but he failed to care as he began panicking.

9:41

"Damn it damn it damn it!" Loki cursed to himself as he ran. He tried to slow down and really look, but no one was without a crowd.

5:07

I am going to die, Loki thought. I am going to cease to exist in five minutes. I will never see Emmeline or Sigyn again… Loki began hyperventilating and tears streamed from his eyes in panic, until he spotted a Midgardian eatery and had an idea. He ran into the place identified as "McDonald's".

"Where is the bathroom?" he asked a man. The man pointed him to the back of the place and Loki practically sprinted.

0:20

Loki flung the door open.

0:14

Loki looked around and saw a man standing in front of a large white bowl.

0:10

He tackled the man to the ground, urine spraying him, but Loki had no time to be grossed out. He revealed Vaettir-Draugr, but the man struggled.

0:05

The man dodged Loki's scepter multiple times and Loki gritted his teeth and clenched the man's throat as he sat on top of him.

0:03

0:02

Loki finally pressed Vaettir-Draugr to the man's neck, and as the man's soul flew into the scepter, Loki saw his life clock change from 0:01 to 24:00:00.

The man fell limp and Loki got off of him, breathing heavily from panic and strain. He hid Vaettir-Draugr once again and leaned against the wall to catch his breath. He was sweating profusely and shaking violently. Tears flowed from his eyes from fear and relief. Loki buried his face in his hands and sighed, whimpering a little.


Emmeline woke up to the feeling of Loki snuggling in the bed next to her. She smiled, but did not open her eyes.

"You smell like soap," she murmured. "That was a really long shower."

"I fell asleep a little," Loki said. Emmeline chuckled sleepily. She flipped over to face him and he pressed his body to hers.

"Ooh, you're warm," Emmeline said, laying her head on his chest. She heard his heartbeat, but it was not slow and soothing like usual. It was racing. She noticed Loki was shaking a little also.

"Oh my God," she said, sitting up. "Loki are you okay?"

"Yes," he replied calmly. "I'm fine darling."

"Are you sure? Your heart is beating like a racehorse, and you're all shaky…are you sick?"

"I…I suppose I am just a little lethargic," Loki said. "It is very late." Emmeline relaxed a little, but she was still not sure. Loki looked like he had seen a ghost, or freaked out or something.

"You look like you had a panic attack," Emmeline said.

"I am fine love," Loki said. "I assure you. It will stop soon." Emmeline lied back down with him.

"Well you need to get some rest tomorrow just in case you're getting sick," she said. "We can watch Breaking Bad."

"Alright," Loki said, kissing the top of her head. "Did Sigyn go to bed easily?"

"Yes, she was an angel. I think I might start feeding her baby food. She's growing so fast."

"Baby food?"

"I'll explain tomorrow." Emmeline smiled to herself. It would be funny to see how Loki reacted to baby food. Maybe she could get him to taste it.


Whew...that was a close one, huh?