A/N: Fast update yahoo!
A shorter chapter (*dodges the tomatoes*) and for that I apologize.
I give my love out to all the Guest reviewers...I can't thank you all personally in PMs but I love you and thank you so much for your reviews! Again thank you to all my wonderful reviewers...I don't know if I would have continued this story without you.
And I've been going through my earlier chapters of this fic these past couple days (at the beckoning of reviews written by Mistysky) and...*cringes* THE GRAMMAR MISTAKES...and some of my writing...example: (this was actually something I wrote) "His cold and calculating expression burned through the page into Jane's eyes... Her hand flew to her mouth, unknowingly" (...*squints at the computer screen and wonders wtf was I thinking when I wrote it.*) Wow, everyone...I cannot thank you enough, especially if you've been with this fic for a while and had to deal with those mistakes/some awkward sentences...I'm going through editing ch. 1-8 for grammar/just to spruce up the writing (I just finished chapter 4). You don't need to re-read anything btw if you are here for the update...but I apologize. I feel like I still have a lengths to go in my writing, but I know I'm growing stronger by learning and practicing. Thank you to all who are reading...I can't stress it enough that you help me grow as a better writer each day with your reviews, advice, and kind words.
Shout out to my beta Samantha (She is amazing!)
Disclaimer: blah blah blah Marvel owns the world blah blah blah I wish I did too blah blah blah these characters aren't mine blah blah blah I don't get paid for this.
Human beings in a mob.
What's a mob to a King?
What's a King to a god?
What's a god to a non-believer?
...Who don't believe in
Anything.
-No Church in the Wild
Chapter 10
~Arrival in New York City~
Darkness.
Pure... cold darkness.
Like a pit that never seemed to want to end.
Feeling, sight, and touch were so distant...
Every time she reached for something...it managed to slip through her grasp.
But the sound was heightened.
The voices would not go away.
They whispered in her ears...coaxing her... overlapping each other in hushed tones.
...Jane, it is much more complicated than that.
He's coming.
Have you forgotten his wrath so quickly?
Pity, for if I know Thor...you wouldn't be of his selection.
Remember, King Loki, your debt which must be paid
You see...you have courage whether you want it or not.
He will stop at nothing to have his vengeance on me...which puts her in absolute danger.
Get some shuteye, Jane...even if just for an hour.
Spirit can be crushed.
You leave her out of this, Loki!
...Did you ever tell her what happened to the Bifrost?
You see my dear...even the known liar can tell the truth from time to time.
I'm sorry I took your equipment the first time I met you.
I'm sorry, Jane.
You think you know pain?
What are you?
Jane's eyes opened.
Light.
Blinding light.
...A ringing sound in her ears.
...Something hard and cold on her back.
...Bitter air filling her lungs.
Her vision adjusted slowly. Every muscle in her body felt strained and tense. She could feel a bruise forming on the back of her skull. There was pain near her forehead as well. Reaching for it, she felt a scabbed cut just above her brow. Her entire memory felt like a blur. She remembered falling asleep in the lab...
Falling...
Falling...
Falling...
Her breath hitched.
...and falling into a nightmare.
Faces flashed across her vision.
Erik.
Maria.
Fury.
Tony.
Natasha.
Bruce.
Coulson.
Thor.
Loki.
She shot up into a sitting position. The blood rushed straight to her head. Black dots danced across her eyes.
The air began to pick up. She shivered. Running her hands across the surface beneath her, it was cold and made of iron. She was still in her jeans and flannel shirt...which both have seen better days. Looking over her shoulder, she saw glass panels covering the inside of the building... reflecting an image that seemed so ludicrous to even believe.
Turning her head in the opposite direction, she gasped.
A vast and endless skyline lay before her eyes. She had only seen this view once before when she was a little girl when her parents had taken her to the top of the Empire State Building.
New York City.
There was no other possible view.
She struggled to get to her feet. Leaning over the protective glass railing, she looked down. Her head spun at the massive distance between her and the ground.
Recalling any information she had of large buildings in New York City...she could only think of one building...
"Stark Tower," she whispered aloud.
I'm in Stark Tower.
How did I even get here? Forced? She rubbed the bump on the back of her head. Yes, is the right answer to assume. The last thing she recalled was being dragged away from Coulson's...body...her eyes watered. Thor. She steadied herself on the railing. She wondered if he had survived the drop. The glass of the cell was impenetrable...but maybe he had managed to escape...but how would I know...not at least until...when they find a body-
Stop it, Jane. She cut herself mid thought. This is not the time or place.
"You should not dwell so long on your thoughts."
She closed her eyes. She did not need to turn around to know who spoke to her.
"It plagues your keen awareness."
Jane kept rooted in her place. She refused to give him the satisfaction. "It does not take a genius to know you would eventually show up."
Loki's boots clamored on the iron deck as he walked to her. She knew he held the scepter thanks to the ingrown sensor in her brain. She could feel his presence behind her as they both looked out into the city.
"It's going to start soon, isn't it?" She asked softly. "This war."
He did not respond initially, letting silence shift between them. Jane knew what his answer would be despite the question.
"You should be thanking me," He finally said.
"For what?"
His voice became more prideful. "My reign will mark the dawning of a new age in this realm."
"At what price?" she seethed.
He paused. "The means do not justify the outcome."
"Which includes a war?" She argued. "Is 'the end' justified after the loss of thousands, if not, millions of lives? People that want nothing to do with you?"
She could feel his glare resting on her head. "War brings causalities...all sides pay the price."
Jane's frustration reached its max by his monotone replies. Jane felt tired...and not in a physical sense. She was tired of caring...tired of fighting...tired of not knowing...and tired of Loki's antics. She turned around to face him. She met his cold expression head on.
"Why am I here?" She almost shouted. "Why am I still alive?"
He studied her in her outrage. She was breathing hard, whereas he remained calm and collected.
"Are you offering your life over, willingly, then?" He toyed with her.
"Why Loki?" She asked again.
He sighed as if bored. "You never learn. Your stubbornness shall be your doom...I answer to no one, little mortal."
Jane was not backing down. "Why Loki?"
His eyes became dangerous. "Do not test me."
The challenge was set, and Jane took it. "Why L-"
His calm demeanor was replaced by lividness. He almost snarled as he shoved her to the ground. She hit the deck with a hard thud. He towered over her, with the scepter pointed dangerously at her chest.
"You stupid, hairless animal!" He yelled. His voice groveled. Sweat formed above his brow and his expression was menacing. "You think I took you for enjoyment? Because I wanted to? You know nothing! Your purpose has yet to be fulfilled, Miss Foster...but know this...when I am through with you...your death will be my pleasure to implement."
She watched him in his outrage. The blue color of his eyes was electrifying and danced like a madman's. Loki took a step back and turned to collect himself from the outburst. His shoulders were tense, and he gripped the scepter like he was afraid of it being taken away from him. Jane suddenly realized that although he was unstable when he was angry, he was at his weakest. He does not think properly. Jane decided that if she had any chance of getting out... she would have to make him livid. She would be risking her life...but she figured what more did she have to lose.
"I'll never obey you," she spat with as much venom as she could.
He laughed sinisterly and returned his eyes back to hers. "Your previous actions betray you." He smirked. "The people you care about are your weakness...and easy leverage to use."
She swallowed hard, knowing she was about to regret her following words...but knowing she had to push him. "You mean, Erik?" She scoffed. "I know you will kill him eventually...as you will me...so why even bother?"
She expected him to be taken aback by her words, but instead he grinned slowly, playing her dangerous game. "Surely you do not mean that, Miss Foster..."
"I'm a scientist," she struggled to say and with less conviction than her previous statement. "I look at the facts."
"You above all people should know that you cannot lie to the maker of lies," Loki chided. Before she could respond, he cut her off. "Or perhaps... I should entertain your thoughts..."
"It would be so easy..." he mused. "The doctor's mind is already waning...snapping his neck would almost be too kind."
Her breath hitched as he continued in his speech.
"No," Loki shook his head, "his death is obvious a choice," he said, now deep in thought. His eyes lit with mischief as he grasped a new thought. "Perhaps someone else?"
Jane shook her head. She did not know what the consequences would for pushing Loki when she decided to start this little game.
"A colleague from work?
Her face paled. Do not give in...Do not say anything.
"That monster in the form of a man?"
She squeezed her eyes shut, trapping the water behind her eyes.
"The arrogant inventor, whose only strength lies in a suit of metal?"
She felt sick.
"Erik did tell me about a woman by the name of Darcy Lewis."
Jane's eyes opened in a panic. "No."
He smiled, knowing he hit his mark. "Never doubt my power over you, Miss Foster...because in the end...you will kneel to me," he mocked.
Jane blinked rapidly, ridding herself from the tears around her eyes. Jane hated his words...hated that he could do this...hated that he had control-
She stopped herself.
Never doubt my power over you, Miss Foster. She repeated in her head.
A thought unexpectedly occurred to her.
It was one that she had not thought about in what seemed like a long time. It seemed distant...coming from memory...but...the thought was becoming clearer and clearer by the second.
She mumbled something, which Loki did not hear.
"What?" Loki asked.
Looking up from the ground, she met him with fearless eyes. "You can not control me."
"What did you say?" He cocked his head to the side. This mortal does not know when to know she is beaten. "Did I not just explain what I would-"
"Yes...you threatened those people that matter the most to me," she acknowledged. "...but you have failed to mention your one weakness in all of this...all of your plans."
He laughed. "And what, pray tell me, is that?" He purred.
Jane straightened her back. "Me."
He barked out a laugh. "How amusing, Miss Foster. A mortal with the power over a god?-"
"Everything goes according to your plan," she continued, ignoring his interjection. "You get to Earth, infiltrate the helicarrier..."
"However," her voice became stronger, "you did not expect me on that day you came through the portal...when I confronted you...and before you took the Tesseract...you tried to mind control me...didn't you?"
His amused face wavered.
She walked towards his rigid position. "Yes, you did... that look you gave me after the scepter didn't work... you asked 'what are you?' You were unsure. You didn't know why your scepter did not work..."
"You should be silent on matters you do not know about, mortal," he hissed.
"But I do know," she countered. "I know that you can threaten everyone I know...you can threaten my life...you can take over this world...but you will never...never...have my subjugation...and for that...I hold something you will never have."
She stepped closer to him so that he was an arm's length away. Her warm brown eyes met the lifelessness of his own. "My soul."
Loki blinked. His face was a mixture of all emotions: confusion, surprise, amusement...and possibly fear. He did not understand how she could see so easily and accept something that eluded even him.
His broken expression only occurred for a moment and he rebuilt guarded expression once more.
"A body does need a soul once it is dead," he said coldly and with a hardened gaze.
Jane did not reply. Although his troubled expression occurred for only a moment, it was long enough for her to know that she what she said was true...and Loki was hiding behind something.
There was a buzzing noise now coming from across the horizon. They both turned to the skyline and saw a red dot steadily making its way to their position.
Tony Stark had finally arrived in New York City.
Loki's domestic attitude towards Jane was gone. He switched into his battle mode, realizing an enemy was about to arrive. Jane felt the shift in him as well and tried to distance herself, but he was too fast.
"Not a single word or I will kill him the moment he lands," Loki snarled, grabbing her wrist. He shoved her forward to walk to the inside of the penthouse.
Once inside, Loki let go of her wrist. She retreated to stand by the couch, clutching where he bruised her by his death grip. Tony landed on the landing pad. This was the first time Jane had ever seen him in his iron man suit. His machines began to take it off of him. Jane felt a twinge of panic arise in her system for Tony. She wondered why he would be so bold as to take away his one advantage over Loki.
Walking inside with only his jeans and tee shirt, Tony headed straight for the bar.
"Please tell me you are going to appeal to my humanity," Loki purred with sarcasm.
Tony did not bite. "Actually... I'm planning to threaten you."
Tony, what the hell are you doing? Jane wondered at her friend's boldness.
Loki, for whatever reason, was playing along. "You should have left your armor on for that."
"Yeah, it has seen a bit of mileage...and you have got the glow stick... of destiny." Tony stood behind the bar counter. "Would you like a drink?"
Loki smiled. "Stalling me won't change anything."
"Threatening you, more like it," Tony corrected. "No drink?."
"How about you, Jane?" Tony asked. It was the first time he acknowledged her. She merely gave him the look saying 'are you serious right now?'
He eyed Jane carefully. "You could use one, sweetheart-"
"The Chitauri are coming," Loki interrupted. "Nothing will change that. What have I to fear?"
Tony shrugged, not minding the change of subject. "The Avengers." He gave a bit of an eye roll at the title of it. "It's what we call ourselves... sort of like a team...'Earth's Mightiest Heroes' type of thing."
"Yes," Loki smirked. "I've met them."
"Yeah," Tony said with the same smirk. "It takes us a while to get any traction, I'll give you that one...but, let's do a head count here. Your brother...the demi-God, a super soldier... a living legend who kind of lives up to the legend, a man with breath-taking anger management issues, a couple of master assassins," Tony then pointed to Jane. "A brilliant scientist, and you, big fella, you've managed to piss off every single one of them."
Loki's eyebrows raised in amusement. "That was the plan."
Tony smiled. "Not a great plan. You see...when they come...and they will...they'll come for you."
Loki scowled. "I have an army."
"We have a Hulk."
"I thought the beast had wandered off-"
"You're missing the point," Tony said, coming up to him. "There's no throne, there is no version of this, where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes and maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you. Because if we can't protect the Earth, you can be damned well sure we'll avenge it."
Jane could see the anger in Loki building. She knew it would not be long before he would have an outburst. She stepped forward towards Tony, wanting to make him back off of angering Loki.
Loki stalked towards Tony. "How will your friends have time for me," Loki rasped, "when they're so busy fighting you?"
Loki brought the scepter up to Tony's heart.
"Tony, no!" Jane shouted.
Instead of the blue light infiltrating his skin and changing his eyes, the arc reactor's light lit up, and the scepter's power diffused. Loki's eyebrows knit in confusion. He brought up the scepter again, but it did not work. Jane relaxed realizing it was his arc reactor saving him right now.
"This usually works," Loki admitted.
"Well," Tony shrugged. "Performance issues...not uncommon...one out of five-"
Loki grabbed Tony by the neck and flung him forward. Jane ran towards Tony, but Loki sent her flying back to the couch. Her back collided with it, and she hit the floor. The pain in her ribs made her want to scream in pain.
Tony looked at her then back to Loki. "Jarvis..." he mumbled, "Any time now..."
Loki grabbed Tony by the throat once more. "You will all fall before me."
"Deploy..." Tony rasped. "...DEPLOY."
Loki sent him flying through the glass and out the window. Hearing a noise from behind him, Loki turned around only to get smacked down by a large, red case that went flying in the direction of Tony.
Jane struggled to her feet. She looked at Loki was in the attempt of standing.
Get out...get out...get out...get out...Her mind kept repeating.
Falling down to her knees due to the lack of strength, she began to crawl her way to the elevator door.
She was not fast enough.
Loki grabbed her by the leg and dragged her back. Lifting her up by her neck, his eyes were those of a madman's. "You see, Miss Foster? You see what chaos your planet reveals in? How I must intervene? How you give me no choice but war?"
Jane could not speak, for her eyes began to bulge and oxygen was leaving her system at an alarming rate.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tony rise in the air in his Iron Man suit.
The metal slits of eyes glared at Loki. Loki dropped Jane and she fell to her knees, gasping for breath.
"And there's one other person you managed to piss off," Tony's voice came through in a mechanical tone. "His name is Phil."
Loki raised his scepter to Tony, but Stark was quicker. He delivered a blast that hit Loki and sent him flying backwards.
"Come on, sweetheart," Tony said landing at on the broken glass. "Your expertise is needed on the roof."
"What-"
"He's going be back up soon," Tony said referring to Loki's already shifting form. Stark held out his mechanical hand. "You'll understand once you see it."
Without hesitation, she took his hand. He turned her around that she was standing on his metal feet. With one arm around her midsection, Jane took off in flight for the second time of her life.
Landing on the graveled roof, Tony settled Jane down.
She could not believe what she was looking at.
It was a portal device with the Tesseract inside of it...the two objects she had been searching ever since this mess began. She began to look around anxiously. If the portal device was there, then Erik had to be close by.
She was suddenly knocked off her feet by a sudden burst of wind. Landing on her back, she looked up to see a giant blue beam sprout out from the portal device and into the sky. The baby blue color of the sky ripped into a sinister looking black hole.
Then Jane heard the most ungodly sound of something coming from it.
Loki's war had begun.
A/N: I know... I just gave you a sort semi cliff hanger. SORRY! It's a terrible place to take a semi small break until after the movie is released. As I was writing this chapter...I realized that there is something I want to see in the movie before I move on (I would tell you why but I don't want to give a major plot point away). I want to do my absolute best with this story.
Next Update: ASAP after Thor 2 (November? December at the latest)...look for the "#redemption ac" tag on tumblr for how I'm doing for Ch. 11.
Also, I am thinking about moving this story into the "Thor 2" category...however, fanfic might add the characters from Thor 2 into the "Thor" category (which I hope)...but I won't do anything without tell you guys in the next update.
Shout out to the new Lokane archive on Tumblr! It's so amazing and a great source to find Lokane! Link is on my profile. Check it out!
In the meantime from now until Thor 2, I am writing one-shots for Lokane! I just posted a one-shot called "His Final Visit"... of which I am very proud. (And although it's a one-shot for now...I'm thinking of turning it into a multi fic set in Thor 2 :) ) I'd love to hear your opinions on it!
If you have any prompts/ideas for one-shots or stories... please send me a PM or leave it in a review! I'm always looking for ideas and I would credit you thoroughly in publishing :)
In other news (so don't read this if you don't want info on clips/trailers for Thor 2)..Loki in chains...LIKE. DOES MARVEL KNOW WHAT THEY DO TO US? Oh and that heart breaking clip between Thor and Loki...I cried. This movie is going to be very dark, but I know it will be the best. I have an idea why Thor went to Loki for help...and it's so saddening to even think about. I'm going to be that blubbering/ugly crying person in the back of the theater.
UM.
did everyone see that behind the scenes photo of Loki protecting Jane from Thor doing like a thunder thing...
That's right.
You read that correctly.
Protecting...Jane.
Right in the damn feels...this ship is going be the death of me.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful fall/autumn...school and such and the cold weather. Hot chocolate, sweatshirts, and blankets are the best :) Have a Happy Halloween and I hope everyone enjoys Thor 2! I CAN'T BELIVE I'M ACTUALLY SAYING THAT. I'M SO EXCITEDDD. (I look forward to ranting a bit in my next a/n on this fic about it :) ) Till next time my lovely readers! xx
Please review!