Chapter Ten

Loki had gone off somewhere to brood over his missing brother; he was exceptionally worried about a man that he claimed to hate.

Lisa was left staying with the science geeks, feeling like a fifth wheel. She wasn't dumb by any stretch of the imagination, but physics just wasn't her thing.

Instead she was wondering how she might psychically search for Thor, and his now rather unique brain signature. It would be easier if his consciousness wasn't locked away, of course, but even so, she would be searching for one voice in a city of God only knew how many million.

'Almost eight and a half million.'

'I wasn't talking to you, Loki.'

'Then try not to mention gods.'

Lisa let out a slow, longsuffering sigh.

"Hey, Tinkerbell?"

Lisa turned to Stark. She didn't really get most of his nicknames, but she knew if he was talking to her thanks to her telepathy.

"Yeah."

"Here." He had stepped away from the other science guys and handed her something about the size of a shirt button. "Go see Barton and Romanoff, their computer is networked to SHIELD servers at the moment."

"And what do I do with this?"

"Just place it within five feet of their screens. Jarvis will take care of the rest."

"Okay, thanks."

"Don't thank me yet, you might not like what I find."

"An uncomfortable truth is always better than a comforting lie."

"Sure, you say that now. We'll talk again when you've read your file."

She offered him a weak smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Ship shape and good as new. Pepper better get back from Washington soon, I haven't felt this vital since I was a horny teenager."

Lisa laughed. Sure, Tony was an arrogant, annoying jerk at times but at other times, his irreverence was exactly what was needed to pep up a flagging spirit.

"Thanks, Tony, I appreciate it."

She made her way to the room the SHIELD operatives were working out of, with a few helpful directions from Jarvis.

Barton didn't trust her at all and was pretty sure Loki was controlling her in some way, since she was civil and even friendly with Loki. Romanoff was a little wary of her but more open minded.

"Hi," Lisa said from the doorway. "Any luck?"

"No," Natasha answered, rubbing her eyes. "We've been over what little footage we have with a fine toothed comb but I can't see anything useful here."

"Can I look? A fresh set of eyes might help."

"Sure, it can't hurt."

Barton wanted to argue but since he didn't have any better ideas, and couldn't think of a reason she shouldn't see the footage, he kept silent.

Natasha moved her chair aside and Lisa leaned forward to better see the screen, her hands resting on the edge of the desk. In reality, she wanted to press the bug Stark had given her to the underside of the desk, which she did as soon as she was sure both agents were looking at the screens.

'Wait stop!'

'What?' she asked Loki.

'Go back.'

"Can you play that again?" Lisa asked Natasha.

"Sure."

Lisa couldn't see what had caught Loki's eye, it was footage caught by an ATM camera of Thor and Jane entering the Italian, but it was far from the best quality footage.

'There!'

"What's there!" she demanded, earning some very strange looks from the SHIELD agents. "Loki thinks he can see something."

'I'm on my way.'

"So he can see through your eyes now?" Romanoff asked.

"I guess. No one really explained what this bonding ritual does but as time goes on, we're more and more in each other's heads."

"That must be freaky," the other woman sympathised.

Lisa was about to argue that although she hadn't expected it, she was quickly getting used to it.

'Agree with her,' Loki demanded.

Lisa didn't like being ordered around. "I'm constantly sharing headspace with a whacked out, egotistical, alien control freak; freaky doesn't even begin to cover it."

'Better?' she asked him, sweetly.

'There's no need to sound quite so horrified.' Loki strolled into the room before he had finished the thought. He didn't bother with small talk, simply moved Lisa out of the way and took possession of the mouse from Romanoff.

"Don't mind me," she said acerbically.

"I won't." Loki restarted the clip and played the footage until Jane and Thor had gone inside, then he paused it and inched forward, a frame at a time.

"There," he said.

Frozen on screen was the image of a white haired, rather freaky looking man, wearing far too much guyliner and with some sort of line or tattoo going over his lower lip and down to his chin.

"What, where did he come from?" Natasha asked, going back a few frames, then forward. It quickly became apparent that the white haired man who entered the establishment after Jane and Thor, had a very different face most of the time.

"It's an illusion spell," Loki explained. "The slip was momentary, probably not even visible to the naked eye, but for a fraction of a second, the camera saw through it."

"So this guy is the one controlling Thor?" Romanoff asked.

Loki looked around and grabbed a sheet of paper from the printer. A green glow shimmered over the paper, then he showed it to them; it was the image Lisa and Loki had seen in Banner's head, the blurry and out of focus one.

Loki pointed to a blur of white with a black smudge, and with the two images side by side, it looked like an out of focus picture of the same man's white hair and one dark rimmed eye.

"I would say that is a very safe bet," Loki stated the obvious.

"I'll run his face through our facial recognition software," Barton said, turning to his screen.

"No need, he is Taneleer Tivan, also known as the Collector."

"What does he collect?" Lisa asked.

"Anything and everything."

"Gee thanks, that narrows it down." Lisa was really getting tired of his snark.

"It is the absolute truth," Loki explained. "He's ancient and he cannot die. After his wife died, he went a little crazy and began collecting anything and everything, from art to technology, from plants to magical artefacts, although he is especially fond of unique objects or creatures."

"Creatures?" Barton asked.

"He is not above collecting living things, both dumb animals and higher beings."

"How do we stop him?" Barton demanded more than asked.

"We don't. He is one of the Elders of the Universe and when I say he cannot die, I mean it literally."

"What aren't you saying?" Lisa asked, feeling his fear.

Everyone in the room turned to look at Loki.

"You all recall the events of last year, when the Dark Elves attempted to destroy the universe using the Aether?"

They all nodded.

"Do you know what an infinity stone is?"

"Wasn't the tesseract supposed to be one?" Romanoff asked.

"Indeed," Loki agreed. "As is the Aether. All the infinity stones are incredibly powerful and Odin, in his infinite wisdom," that last bit was dripping with sarcasm, "decided that the Tesseract and the Aether should not both be kept on Asgard. Knowing Tivan's penchant for collecting rare and dangerous artefacts, the Allfather send the Aether to Tivan, for 'safekeeping'."

"So he's using that to control Thor?" Natasha asked.

"No, all the infinity stones work in slightly different ways and while the Aether itself needs to possess someone, it doesn't take over their mind. I only mention it because an already powerful and immortal being, now possesses one of the six most powerful relics in the universe."

Romanoff looked to Barton. "Do you want to tell Fury how screwed we are, or shall I?"

'I'll go to see Fury with the agents,' Loki told Lisa. 'Try and contact Heimdall again, Asgard needs to know that Tivan is controlling Thor.'

'But with their bifrost broken, what can they do?'

'I don't know. I presume Odin is the one who sent Mjolnir to me-'

'I thought it came to you because you were worthy of it?'

'I said that to get the mortals to trust me. I think it far more likely that Odin, knowing my magic was limited, sent it to me, rather than that I suddenly became worthy of it, don't you?'

'Well, you did almost die trying to save Stark-'

'The point is, there may other ways that Odin can help us.'

'Okay, I'll try and contact them again.'

As Loki spoke to Fury and the Avengers, he listened in on Lisa's conversation with Heimdall. Unwilling to let Fury know that she was in contact with Asgard, he relayed the information Heimdall gave Lisa, as if it were his own knowledge.

"Tivan has access to powerful magics but I believe he is using something known as an Obedience Potion to control Thor and most likely, Dr Banner before him."

"So this potion, I assume it does exactly what it says on the tin?" Fury asked.

"I haven't personally encountered it before but yes, as Lisa might say, it turns people into mindless zombies."

Fury narrowed his eyes when he mentioned Lisa. Why was he so worried about a mortal?

"So why did this collector take Banner first?"

"It's just my opinion, but the Hulk is a creature of instinct and emotion. I would assume that he was harder to control because unlike most people, he is used to functioning with little higher reasoning and therefore, better able to resist."

'Tell Banner, 'no offence'.'

"No offence."

"None taken," Bruce assured him.

"When Banner proved too difficult to control, Thor arriving on the scene must have seemed like a gift."

"Okay," Fury spoke up. "So can we counteract this potion?"

"I'm not sure," Loki pretended to think, while he waited for Lisa to relay the question. "I believe there are herbs on Asgard that can counteract the effects but since I am unable to travel there, I cannot retrieve them."

"I though you knew secret ways off Asgard?"

"I did, but they have been blocked to me of late." Much to his chagrin. He would be willing to bet that with the bifrost out of action and Thor in danger, even Odin was regretting having done such a very through a job of blocking his alternate routes off Asgard.

"So what now?" Fury asked the whole table.

"I know no one's going to like this but once we have a plan, I say we use Stark as bait," Romanoff gave Stark a sympathetic look.

"You're right, it's horrible idea," Stark agreed. "Moving on."

"Stark is right," Steve spoke up. "To use him as bait, we're assuming that we know when and where Thor will try again when the fact is, he could come back in the next thirty seconds."

"If this guy came to Earth while the bifrost was broken," Banner suggested, "Maybe he came in a spaceship, not through a portal."

"I think you'll find that Tivan is the one causing the interference with the bifrost, and blocking Thor from Heimdall's sight. You are correct about a ship however, he has a cargo ship of sorts, he fills it up, then unloads his acquisitions on planets which he has turned into museums."

"Planets?" Fury asked.

"He's been collecting for far longer than humanity has existed," Loki said by way of explanation.

"This guy puts Extreme Hoarders to shame," Natasha muttered.

"Okay," Stark redirected the conversation. "We need to examine all the sensor data we can get our hands on, from radiation to weather readouts. Jarvis can compile it and look for unusual patterns in the days immediately preceding the Hulk's disappearance, and during his and Thor's rampages."

The Avengers continued to debate ideas but Loki tuned them out, mostly. He was a master tactician but he wasn't a team player. When he confronted Tivan he wanted it to be on his terms, with the Avengers possibly thrown in as a distraction. Either way, the point was to take the fight to Tivan, thereby catching him off guard and on the run.

"It worries me that you've been so quiet, Loki," Fury said and although he turned to the director, Loki didn't reply. "Care to share your thoughts?"

He'd have to give them something and there was one thing he could use their help with. "A bezoar."

"God bless you," Stark joked.

"A what?" Fury asked.

"A bezoar."

"Like in Harry Potter?" Banner asked.

"I'm unfamiliar with that reference," Loki answered. "Where I come from, bezoars are stones made from the petrified heart of a dragon. Once infused with a little magic, they make for excellent antidotes to almost all poisons. If I could find such a stone on Midgard, when we meet Thor again, I might be able to counteract the effects of the obedience potion."

"Give me as much information as you can about them, we'll start searching."

There wasn't much to tell, they were stones, usually an inch or so in diameter and dark red in colour, some almost black. Only a magician could tell the real thing from a fake however but if they found as many bezoars as they could, Loki would sort through them.

As the meeting broke up, Fury stepped in front of Loki. "Where are you going?"

"To check on Lisa. She has used her gift a lot in the past few days and was feeling weak."

"Uh huh." His tone implied disbelief but when even if he were being absolutely truthful, Loki was sure that Fury would always be sceptical. He stepped around the director and went in search of his lover.

He frowned, lover?

'I've been called worse,' Lisa assured him.

'It's wasn't the word I was objecting to, just the application of it.'

'Well, technically it's true.' She reminded him.

'One tryst does not a lover make.'

'Have it your way, but I was looking forward to a replay.'

Loki smiled; she had a point.

'No! Look, I found Heimdall because one, I already know what his mind is like and two, because a part of his mind is spread out across the universe keeping an eye on everyone. I cannot pick one mind I've never encountered before, from a population of over eight million, assuming that they're even in New York.'

Lisa stalked away from Loki and went to look out of the window of her suite.

'You won't even try?'

Lisa sighed. 'Of course I'll try, but unless you can give me something to look for, I won't find this Collector guy.'

Loki thought for a moment. 'I've only met the man on two occasions but there was a sort of… aura about him. If I share that memory with you, can you search using that?'

'I'll try.'

He quickly found the memories and he could feel Lisa reviewing those memories with him. Lisa then sat on her bed, legs crossed and her hands resting on her knees.

'What are you doing?'

'Meditating. I figure if I relax and try to clear all other stuff out of my mind, I might have a better chance of finding this guy.'

Loki had no idea if that would help, but he made an effort to calm his own thoughts, since they now shared their mental landscapes and he didn't want to distract her.

She sat there for half an hour, concentrating until perspiration covered her forehead, before she finally gave up and sagged to the bed.

'I can't do it, I'm just not powerful enough,' she told him. 'I'm sorry.'

'Telepathy is just magic and if you have some magic, you can draw on other sources.'

'Yeah, so what, I just shove my finger in a power socket?' She was tired and perhaps a little irritable.

'Don't be foolish. You need to be taught how to feel the energy around you, then harness it.'

'If it's so damn easy, why don't you do it?'

'I'm not telepathic.'

'Fine, so teach me.'

Loki glared at her. 'It takes years of study.'

'Hey, don't get snippy with me! How about we only suggest ideas that have a time frame of a few days, max.'

Loki glared for a moment, then seemed to visibly deflate. Lisa could feel his worry.

'I have a very bad feeling,' Loki confessed.

'I know.'

'Tivian is one of the most powerful beings in the universe.'

'I know.'

'I hate to admit it but Thor is one of the most decent men in all the nine realms. If Tivan can corrupt him, what chance do I stand against him?'

'Hey!' Lisa got off the bed and knelt down in front of him, cupping his face in her hands. 'You can do this. We can do it, together. I know it seems insurmountable but we have a saying here on Earth, 'it's always darkest before the dawn'. We will do whatever it takes to find Thor, okay?'

Loki looked at her for a long moment. 'Do you mean that?'

'Of course I do.' Lisa smiled.

Loki reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand. 'This will only hurt for a minute.'

A white hot pain shot into her head, like she was being stabbed through the eyeball. She was pretty sure she screamed but the pain was so great, she hardly heard it.

Loki stared in shock as Lisa fell to the floor, unconscious.

'Lisa? Lisa!'

Nothing. He tried to hear her thoughts, something that was automatic these days, even when she was asleep, but he couldn't.

He knew that sharing magic with a Midgardian would be painful for the mortal, but it shouldn't have been that painful. He had felt each excruciating moment as his magic swept through her body, causing her wave after wave of unbearable agony. He had tried to stop it, then he had tried to reverse it, but it was as if he had set off a chain reaction.

The door burst open.

"What happened?" Natasha asked, pushing Loki back to get to Lisa. He let her, falling against the wall as he watched Lisa lying there, completely still.

Banner was next in, followed by Stark and Rogers.

"What happened?" Bruce asked, checking her pulse and breathing.

"I…"

"She's alive." Bruce declared.

"What happened?" Rogers demanded of Loki.

"I don't know. She was trying to find the Collector." It sounded like a believable excuse, the Collector was powerful enough to enslave Thor after all, and hurting a mortal would be nothing in comparison.

Rogers didn't seem to believe him.

He should tell them the truth, they might be better able to help her if he did but no matter how much he claimed not to care about mortal opinions of him, he couldn't.

Was this what shame felt like?

"We need to get her to the medical bay," Banner said.

Rogers stepped forward, picking Lisa up, bridal style and rushed out of the room, the other's following him except for Romanoff, who glared at him for a moment before leaving.

Loki sat there, his back to the wall, still in shock. He could still feel the sting of the hurt she felt, the betrayal but he knew those were remembered feelings, no longer coming from Lisa.

What had he done? Part of him didn't want to know, while another part desperately needed to.

Slowly, he got to his feet and made his way to the medical bay.