When Alex woke up that morning, she, Bruce, and Tony bid their farewells to the inhabitants of the helicarrier; they had decided to go back to Stark Tower.
"If what Justin Hammer said is true," Tony had explained to Fury when the director argued he wanted them near, "then my tower, my home, is next on the 'Legion of Evil's' hit list. I'm not going to let that psychotic demi-god with daddy issues destroy it. No offense, Thor" he added, and Thor nodded in understanding.
"It is alright, friend Tony. Your home has been threatened, you are upset."
After a grunt and a nod from Fury, the trio headed out.
"Dad, what are we going to do?" Alex asked him in the elevator, and Tony scoffed.
"We have two super suits and a man with fantastic anger management issues who's smacked Loki down once before. I think we'll be fine." He winked at Bruce as the elevator hit his floor – the mechanics lab he dedicated to fixing up suits. "Alex, hand me your bracelets; I'll fix your suit up."
"Alright, but don't do anything… experimental. Call me down if you need help!" she called out as he walked away with the bracelets.
"I'm sure he'll be fine. I mean, he created them, after all," Bruce laughed, and Alex only sighed.
"That's why I'm worried about my suit's wellbeing!" she replied, leaning her back against the wall of the elevator.
Bruce moved to stand next to her. "Are you doing alright?"
Alex looked at him with sad, green eyes. "I'm as okay as I can be right now. But if I need to talk, you'll know." The elevator dinged just as he opened his mouth – it was his cue to leave.
"I'll be in here just in case," he gestured toward the laboratory he was about to enter. She nodded in understanding and pressed the button for the penthouse floor.
"And I'll be down soon enough."
The doors shut behind him just as he turned to reply.
I hope she'll be okay, he thought before preoccupying himself with work.
After about 50 floors to think to herself, Alex wished she had stayed with Bruce. Although she really had nothing to say about her encounter with her mother, it would've been nice not to seclude herself on the top floor.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" A voice drawled from further in the room, and Alex felt her heart hammering behind the arc reactor.
"Who are you, and why are you in my house?" she called out, ready to put her sparring practice to good use.
"Why, Miss Stark," the voice laughed, and a pale man with dark hair came into view, "I am the God of Mischief, and the new ruler of mankind."
"Loki!" Alex hissed back, reaching for her wrists. Shit! She could've smacked herself – she had given her bracelets to her father for repairs.
"Oh yes, my dear, and fortunately, I find you without your armor. How grand," he smiled; it was a sinister look and his green eyes were filled with delight. "And now, as we stand here and chatter, my new army is destroying New York. Your little S.H.I.E.L.D. has jumped to action, but without their new golden girl. Why? Do they not care about you?"
"They know I can handle myself," she snapped, but she was beginning to question whether she could.
Miss Stark, JARVIS said suddenly, making Loki jump in alarm, your father has left your bracelets in the engineering room. He wanted me to let you know that he loves you and he'll see you soon.
She could've sung – the engineering room was only a floor beneath her! Someway, somehow, she would have to distract Loki and make her way down there.
You're Alexandra Stark, she reminded herself, the daughter of the smartest man on Earth. You have an iron super suit, it's only a level below, and you just need to breathe and think and… connive.
Her father was the best conniver she knew. But he wasn't around; he was almost gone. As New York fell into shambles around her, she couldn't help but wonder, why me?
"Well, I can assume that this is not the engineering room," Loki laughed again, a cackling that made her shiver. "So what will you do, Alex Stark, as your world comes crashing down?
"You can be sure as hell I'll avenge it," she spat, "and so will everyone else. You won't win, Loki. I'm sure that you and your brother read fairy tales when you were younger. The villain never wins, and it just so happens that, uh, you're the villain." Alex hoped that the teasing tone in her voice was enough to set off his temper. Sure enough, it was – his scepter shined a furious blue as he pointed it in her direction.
I just need him angry enough to shoot holes in the floor, she concluded, and looked back up at the god with a smile on his face.
"How about your father's stories, Loki? He was always the hero, and there was always a villain – but who won? Odin won, and the villain lost. And you were raised knowing that evil never prevails. Why be evil, Loki? You will never win."
A snarl crossed his white face and Alex knew she had him where she wanted him. A blue bolt was aimed in her direction, but when she jumped back, it split the hardwood instead.
"You know not what you speak of, mortal!" he yelled. Alex laughed at his accusation.
"Oh, I think I have an idea," she said, making her way toward the newly-made hole. With a wink, Alex jumped through the hole to the level below.
She landed on a table filled with pens and pencils – her father was known to run out of writing utensils and needed a constant supply. The glass countertop shattered beneath her, but the small cuts would have to wait. On the shelf to her left, the bracelets gleamed under the flickering lights. Alex reached for them and tried not to wince at the blood leaking out of her hand.
"These damned humans think they can best me!" she could hear Loki yell from above, and rushed to snap on the bracelets. Before she knew it, the armor clicked into place and she found herself poised to shoot Loki with her repulsor.
"Stand down, Loki, or I'll have to shoot," she threatened, and the once-cocky god almost trembled.
Good to hear your angelic voice, Tony laughed through the comm, you're holding up alright? I could send in Bruce.
The second Loki heard Bruce's name, his knees fell out from under him.
"I surrender! Fine, you've got me, I surrender!" he cried, placing his hands over his head. "Just don't send in that damned green beast."
"If you insist," Alex replied, her voice filled with amusement, "JARVIS, I'll need some of Dad's high-strength restraints. I'm taking Loki back to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters."
Author's note: Wow, I'm sorry this chapter took so long! I just recently finished Twin Peaks and I found it hard to keep moving while paying attention to two fandoms at once. Fortunately, I'm done being absorbed with the show and have shifted back to writing fan fiction - I have a large lineup of headcanons and such, and some ideas for Twin Peaks fan fiction ;) Even though I've reached the point I was aiming for, I still have some stuff planned for this story - not so much superhero stuff as the post-world-destruction S.H.I.E.L.D. Hope you enjoy, and thanks for waiting!