Chapter 10

Unconditional Love

The ship we took brought us to an even bigger and invisible ship. Armed guards immediately came for Loki.

"No!"

I ran to get in their way but I was grabbed by two other guards. Loki's eyes were full of anger.

"Take your hands off her!" he growled.

He struggled but they still took him away. I threw the guards off and they aimed their weapons. Thor got in front of them.

"Lower your weapons!" he demanded.

They hesitated but did as he said. I looked at Thor.

"Thanks."

He just nodded and we all walked to the bridge. Fury wasn't there. There was a large table in the middle of the room. The red haired woman sat down along with Steve Rogers and a smaller man named Dr. Bruce Banner.

"So? Where is Fury?" I asked impatiently.

The red haired woman handed me a small screen. They had put Loki in a large glass case. I was holding the screen so tight the screen cracked slightly.

"You so much as scratch that glass."

I could not see who was speaking, but I saw a hole open up in the ground. I inhaled sharply.

"30,000 feet through the air in a steel trap. You get how that works? Ant, boot."

"I hope I make it clear when I say if there weren't so many armed guards I would go and free him and seriously injure whoever got in my way." "

Loki laughed.

"It's an impressive cage. Not built I think, for me."

"Built for something a lot stronger than you."

"I've heard. The mindless beast makes play to be a man. How desperate are you? You call upon such lost creatures to defend you?"

"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war, you steal a force you can't hope to control and you kill cause it's fun! I wonder what Miss Porter thinks of the way you're acting."

Loki's POV

The second he mentioned Aurora I grew angry.

"You have made me very desperate! And you might not be glad that you did."

I gritted my teeth.

"Your men put their hands on her and for that alone I'll kill you!" Now I smiled. "It burns you to come so close. Top have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share, and then to be reminded what real power is."

He smirked and started to walk away.

"Well let me know if 'real power' wants a magazine or something."

Aurora's POV

Fury left and Loki looked at the camera.

"Forgive me my love."

I sighed and smashed the screen to the ground. I didn't care if they billed me.

"He really grows on you doesn't he?" Banner asked.

"Loki is gonna drag this out." said Steve.

I fought back my tears and held my head high.

"So Thor, what's his play?"

"He has an army, called the Chitauri, that none of Asgard or any world know. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth. Return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

I sighed and clenched my fists. I could feel all eyes on me.

"What's your story?"

I looked into Banner's eyes.

"I love Loki, and I'm not afraid to say it. I don't know why he's doing this but I know his isn't who he really is. He's a good man! He has a big heart and is gentle and loving! He would never hurt me." I said.

"You don't know that. Especially if…."

I lifted Steve into the air.

"What did I tell you!?"

"Aurora stop!"

I looked at Thor.

"Put him down. This will gain you nothing."

I sighed in frustration but let him go. He fell on his backside and I smiled. Thor sighed and I looked at him and shrugged.

"I let him go, but you never said how to let him go."

He smiled a little.

"So an army from outer space?"

"So he's building another portal. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for."

"Selvig?" Thor asked.

"Yeah he's an astrophysicist."

"He's a friend."

"Loki's got him under some kind of spell, along with one of ours."

She looked at me and I raised my hand.

"So you think I taught him this 'spell'?"

"I never said….."

"You need not say a word! I can see it in your eyes! I've always been very good at reading people, and you're no different. I was born with the ability I have, I never asked for it. I'm not a witch or anything like that. I'm an outcast, a freak of nature. Loki was able to see past that and he showed me what true love is! I will fight to my last breath if it means to help Loki. I love him more than anything in the world, more than my own life."

"I wanna know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here." said Steve.

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell crazy on him."

I glared at him.

"Have care how you speak! Loki may be beyond reason, but he's of Asgard, and he's my brother." said Thor.

"He killed 80 people in 2 days."

I glared at the red haired woman.

"Shut your mouth!" I hissed.

"He's adopted."

"Iridium, what does he need the Iridium for?" Banner asked.

"It's a stabilizing agent."

I groaned and rolled my eyes. Tony Stark came in with another man.

"Means the portal won't collapse on itself like it did at S.H.I.E.L.D."

He looked at Thor.

"No hard feelings Point Break, you got a mean swing."

I was doing my best to remain calm. He walked forward.

"Also it means the portal can open wide, and stay open for as long as Loki wants."

He looked over.

"That man is playing gallaga."

I looked over and sure enough he was.

"He thought we wouldn't notice, but we did."

He started looking at the monitors. He covered his eye.

"How does Fury see these things?"

"He turns." said a woman.

"That sounds….exhausting."

I smirked.

"You know I'm surprised you don't weigh 600 hundred pounds from how lazy you are."

He scowled at me.

"At least I'm not the one in love with a serial killer."

I clenched my fists and Thor got in the way.

"Mind how you speak to her." he growled.

I pushed Thor aside.

"I don't need you to fight my battles, though I appreciate it." I looked at Stark. "I'd be more worried about what I can do to you, with or without your armor."

He scowled but didn't continue.

"The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source. A high energy density, something to kick start the cube." he said.

"When did you become an expert on thermonuclear astrophysics?" asked the agent woman.

"Last night. The packet, Selvig's notes, the Extraction Theory papers. Am I the only one who did the reading?" he asked.

I smirked, I did the reading.

"Does Loki need any particular power source?"

"He'll need to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier." I said.

Stark looked impressed.

"Unless Selvig has figured out to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect."

"Well, if he could do that he could achieve Heavy Ion Fusion at any reactor on the planet."

"Finally! Someone who speaks English."

He walked over and shook Banner's hand.

"Is that what happened just now?" Steve asked.

I looked at him and shook my head.

"I'm also a huge fan of how you lose control and turn into a green rage monster."

My eyes widened and I slowly turned.

"You're….."

"Dr. Banner is only here to find the cube. I was hoping you'd join him, and you too Miss Porter. After all…you're also an expert on this area."

I looked down.

"There was a time when I was known as Dr. Aurora Porter. Those days have long since past." I said.

I looked at Fury.

"Let me see him."

"Bad idea!"

I rounded on Stark.

"IF YOU DON'T SHUT YOUR BLOODY MOUTH I'LL SHUT IT PERMANANTLY!"

He shut his mouth and Fury took me to Loki. Before I could go in he grabbed my arm.

"I'm gonna let you be alone with him. But if you try to help him escape, you'll both be killed."

I nodded and he left. Loki didn't know I was there.

"Loki."

He jumped up and I ran up and stood before him. I wanted to bang on the glass but I knew it would only kill him.

"Did they hurt you?" he asked.

"No. You?"

"No."

I remained silent for a minute before looking back at him.

"Loki….what have you done?" I asked.

He sighed.

"Please Loki!"

"I can't tell you. It would cause you to become involved and I can't bear the thought of something happening to you because of me."

"Loki I don't care what happens to me! Just tell me so I can help you! We can end this and you can come home! I know it will never be Asguard but I would do anything and everything to make it good enough."

He raised his hand to the glass and I did the same. I was crying now.

"Please….just stop this! Come home." I begged him.

"I can't Aurora. I have to finish what I started. But I promise I will come back for you. I swear it!"

I looked into his beautiful green eyes.

"Why? Why can't you just stop? It doesn't have to be this way! We can go home together. Your brother would help! He loves you! And I know your mother and father…"

"He's NOT my father!"

He turned away.

"Loki look at me." he didn't turn. "Oh for god sake look at me!"

He turned.

"They love you! You are their son and they your family! They raised you! Cared for you and protected you. That is what a family does."

"Yes but do they lie!? Do they keep the truth from you and make you feel second best!?"

I closed my eyes and more tears fell.

"Aurora I'm sorry…."

I opened my eyes.

"I didn't mean to raise my voice I…."

"Come here." I said gently.

He walked back to me and put his hand back on the glass.

"I don't care what you've done. I know who you really are. You're a good man with a kind heart. I know you still love your family. And I love you! I'll always love you no matter what you do. Never forget that."

He rested his forehead against the glass and I did the same.

"I love you Aurora. I always will. But you need to get off this ship. Go home and stay there. Promise me."

I made a fist and then nodded.

"I promise."

"Now go. I promise I will come for you. I love you."

"And I love you." I cried.

I backed away from the glass and tried to stop crying. I made my way back to the bridge.