Dmitri and I are in the lab. She is to leave in an hour to return to Los Angeles, but the next time the team comes back, they will be staying here. We have just finished cleaning up our most recent experiment and are saying our goodbyes to each other. We go to the War Room for our final debriefing and are the last to arrive.

Tony waves as we enter and sit down. Steve replaces Tony in the front of the meeting table. He begins by explaining the current situation.

"So far we have no word on Bionet or Scarlet Flare and are sure that they are working for the enemy. Geoffrey, Gryphon, Clint, Natasha and Richard are still in L.A. and are waiting for us at the S.H.I.E.L.D. base. There may be a fight between us and the AWT before we finish, but we don't want this fight to take place in the city. Loki has escaped from us multiple times and is likely to not make an appearance. The Mandarin, Nathan Mondeson and Justin Hammer are our top priority for right now. We need to get at least one into custody and find out as much as possible. Our second most wanted people include Justine Hammer; Gennady Gavrilov; their spy, of whom has an unknown name; and Dr. Aristo Schöpfer, their scientist."

Bruce speaks up. "Schöpfer will be difficult to find and will have some dangerous weapons on hand. He must be working with our Extremis Virus, so emergency weapons would be a must with his unstable environment."

Steve nods. "What's not to say that everyone will have deadly weapons on them? We must all be careful. Dmitri, Hunter, Jared, you three are coming with us. This leaves only Thor and Elise here. We have to go now if we want to make it in time. We will rendezvous at the airport. Let's get going."

"Hold on," Dmitri interrupts.

Steve looks at her. "Yes?"

"Isn't the Mandarin dead?" she asks.

Tony stands up. "He was, but Aldrich Killian was apparently a fake. This Mandarin actually has those power rings and oriental outfit, complete with crazy claw-nails."

Dmitri pauses. "Oh, okay."

Everyone disperses into the elevators except for Thor and myself. He stands and walks to his hammer, Mjolnir, and examines it.

He muses. "Mjolnir grows restless, Elise. He senses that Loki is up to no good again. I hunger for altercation as well. They do not understand what is going on. This is no mere scheme to take control. Whatever it is that takes place now is an omen of death for all. This is why we wish to take you to Asgard, for your protection."

I catch his eyes. "So I'm just a weapon nobody knows how to use?"

"As of now, yes. That is what many think. I find it most absurd. You are merely an individual of important proportions. Others wish to use you like S.H.I.E.L.D. in Pennsylvania."

"How do you know that?"

"The metal man likes to tell us the tales of your past."

"But I thought only Bruce knew those things."

"Your files were no longer private once you turned green. S.H.I.E.L.D. put you on the same list as Dr. Banner and myself."

I pause. "What is this list called?"

"The Red List. It contains anyone over a certain level of dexterity."

"JARVIS, get me a list of everyone on the Red List. Print it out for me as well." I walk to the printer in the corner of the room.

« Very well, Miss Iridium. Printing now. I will be out for a while with Master Stark and the others. Would you be able to handle Thor by yourself? »

"It's not Thor I'm worried about. Nonetheless, I shall suffice."

« Printed. » JARVIS answers before becoming silent. I pick up the sheets of paper and staple them into five packets. I carry them with to the elevator.

"I'll be in the lounge for breakfast tomorrow. See you then," I dismiss myself and head to my office.

I have picked up my office, removing the boxes on the desk and moving them to the room next door, as Pepper had told me to do so. I was not allowed to look inside the boxes but did regardless. I hadn't found anything of interest inside, though. The second pile of boxes in the corner of the room is still there. I have yet to move those.

I put four of the packets in one the desk drawers and lay the first one down on the desk top. I go over the papers in search of familiar names. Nothing of interest is to be found in the A's. I get to the B's and find Bruce.

Banner, Bruce. Level Three, as only harmful by instigation. Brown hair, brown eyes, European skin. Normally secluded. Doctor and Scientist. Known as the Hulk. Turns green and grows when stressed. Can level buildings and even cities. Look for any sign of agitation. If present, fall back. Level Seven in Morality Spectrum, not because of bad ways, but with the desire of neutrality. Keep without stress. Weapons have no effect.

I keep looking, and find Richard on the Red List. His profile is a bit different than Bruce's.

Clemencyn, Richard. Level Zero, pending removal as a result of stabilization. Dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, European skin. Seemingly average person. S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent and founding member of Unique Network Intelligence Variant Expert Repercussions Superhuman Elites. No secondary name. Manipulation of physics. No offsets. Level Eight of Morality Spectrum.

I do not find anyone else on this list, A to E, so I pull out a new one: P to U. I do not find anyone of interest in the section and grab another packet: V to Z. Nothing again, but I find near the end a section titled New Additions. Here I find all of my friends: Geoffrey, Hunter, Jared, Dmitri, Vanessa, Gryphon and Darren.

All of them are at Level One. Darren and Vanessa are at Level Three on the Morality Spectrum, and everyone else apart from Dmitri is at Level Eight with an asterisk, which means that they are still under examination. Dmitri is Level Six.

I am not on the New Additions list, so I pick up the remaining two packets and go through them. Loki and Thor are in the first packet: Thor is Levels Two and Eight, while Loki is Levels Five and One. I get to the second packet and find two people with the surname Iridium. I am the first and the second is my grandfather.

I look at the Levels of both of us. Mine is Levels Three and Ten, which I find peculiar. My grandfather is Levels Zero, with a note stating that he will always be watched, and Nine. There is something that I find disturbing on my grandfather's profile.

Iridium, Olin. Level Zero, but will remain on watch list. Brown hair, green eyes, Asgardian. Very kindly person, but with false information. No further information. Level Nine on Morality Spectrum.

Asgardian. How is this possible? They must have made a mistake. They were likely told something that set them off. I return all of the packets to the drawer and move some of the boxes next door. I then walk down the steps to my bedroom. I turn on the fan on my nightstand and lie down in bed, falling into a faint sleep after a while of stillness.

"Awaken, young Elise. I have returned."

I look up to see the dark-haired man standing to the side of my bed. I stand up out of bed and face him.

"Are you ready to go?" he asks.

"Go?" I tilt my head to the side. "Go where?"

"Come with me," he directs.

"Hold on. Can't you tell me where we're going?"

"Not yet. Come on." He grabs my wrist and pulls a bit.

"May I just change clothes first? I am still in pyjamas."

"You are fine, Elise. You're attire is alright. Now, quit stalling."

I sigh. "Alright, I'll come with, in my black shirt and pants. Nothing wrong with pyjamas."

"Precisely." He walks to the door and gestures for me to follow him.

I find myself in the elevator with him and then on floor 83.

"So why are we here?" I ask him.

"Test your skills," he replies and disappears behind me. The lights are not on, yet I can still see well. The obstacle course is about twenty feet behind me. The elevator door opens and I see Thor step out. I hide behind a column on the side of the room in what would be a hallway should a wall have been put up.

"Elise?" Thor calls. "Are you in here? I remember your complaint about the open window and thought I could help. I went to your quarters but did not see you there. I followed you here in hopes that I may give you some valuable information."

I hear the other man's voice near me. "Don't let Thor find you. Return to your room undetected."

"You know something I don't. Tell me," I say. I smile as I realize the reason he wants me to return to my room. "You didn't think Thor would follow us, did you? He is on your trail. Tell me why you are doing this."

He whispers near my ear. "You'll have to get it out of me. Face me, but first, find me."

I close my eyes. I hear breathing just to my left and spring at him. Lucky shot I must've had to actually hit him.

He returns to view as the light turns on near us. The man pins me to the floor and glares at me mischievously, smirking. I kick him off of me, and he rolls a little. I know that I'm hilariously outmatched, but I try regardless.

I punch at him and kick once at his head. He ducks and grabs my shoulders from behind. He tries to pull me to the floor. Thor finally notices what is happening.

"Elise! Hold on, I'm coming!" he runs over, but stops about fifteen feet from me.

The man, who has pinned me to the ground yet again, looks up at Thor and flashes him an evil grin.

"Hello there, Thor. Happy to see me again?" he nonchalantly asks.

"Loki..." was all Thor said.

"Yes, that is my name," he retorts, looking down at me. He lowers his head until it is even with mine, and he whispers in my ear. "You now know my true name. That explains quite a bit about me, doesn't it?"

I don't move, unsure of what would happen if I were to move from lying on the floor. "I suppose that it doesn't change anything now; though it may have before. I figured that you were really you, but I had to make sure," I answer softly.

Loki looks back up at Thor, who speaks next. "Loki, why are you here? Don't play games with Elise. Leave her alone!"

Loki leers at Thor. "She has the potential that I want to see. It's only a matter of time-"

"No!" Thor yells out, charging at us. Loki vanishes in front of my eyes, and Thor stops, confused.

"He got away," he complains quietly to himself. He then helps me stand up.

"That was Loki the whole time," I whisper. "How odd it was that I never figured it out completely."

"My brother, Loki, is definitely trying to manipulate you. Stay away from him. You don't know him like I do."

"Did you think it was him in the first place?"

"Yes, I did. Tony sent me to check on your window and I discovered that Loki had been there. Do you remember when we woke you up after the laboratory accident? Just beforehand you said Loki's name. That was when I first began to worry about the situation. Jared told me about your past. It doesn't surprise me to see Loki after you."

"I feel like such a loon." I yawn. "I should go back to sleep."

"That is fine. I shall see you tomorrow."

I go back to my room and open the door. Loki is sitting in the chair, having pulled it next to my bed and turned the lamp on earlier. He smiles as I close the door.

"A narrow escape from the god of thunder, I presume?" he taunts.

"It was easy."

"Good, that means I was right."

"About what?"

"You'll find out eventually."

"Loki, I'd like to find out now."

"I'll bargain with you. You can find out Saturday morning, if you do what I tell you."

"It depends on what you tell me."

"That's for you to find out. Yes or no?"

"I suppose."

"That settles it. I will be across the road tomorrow to see you."

"Alright, now let me get some rest until then."

"Farewell for now, Elise," he says, standing.

I lie down in my bed. "See you soon, Loki." I close my eyes and roll to face the wall. I hear Loki's footsteps fade away, along with everything else.

I wake up to Thor knocking on my door. He calls for me.

"Elise, are you in there? I need to talk to you. Now."

"Hold on, I'll meet you in the lounge. Let me get ready and grab a bite to eat," I reply through the door.

"Very well, Elise. I shall see you there." His footsteps tell me he's left.

I get ready by doing the things that I normally do. I comb my hair so that only the right side is tucked behind my ear. I put on a red shirt over a yellow tank top and blue jeans.

I go to the lounge and see that Thor is not in here. I make a bowl of cold cereal with strawberries for myself and munch on it until it is gone. I put the dishes in the dishwasher and start it, since it is full.

I hear the elevator moving just as I am opening the door to sit out on the outdoor walkway. I go out regardless and look out down the block to see what appears to be Loki sitting on a bench. I lie down in the morning sun to wait for Thor to come out. A while later I hear the door open and Thor closing it behind him.

"What did you wish to pettifog with me about now, Thor?"

"This is only about Loki. I will do my best to keep him from you, as will everyone else. He will use you for what he desires and then will kill you. In all of reality, you may be the only reason he is here. You may be the only reason we are all here."

"The others aren't here," I reply.

"They will be, tonight, as a matter of fact. I will not alert them of my brother being around if you do not let him near you."

"I was planning on going out for today. Would you mind being alone whilst I am away?" I stand up and walk towards the door.

"I would suppose not. Where are you going?" he asks.

"Places," is all I say before pressing the button on the elevator to go down.

"If you cannot tell me where, I have no choice but to accompany you."

I press the button for the lobby, and Thor follows me down. "It's a bit of a private matter. I'm only leaving for fresh air and stress relief. You'd likely only bother me with your presence."

"I have never been one to bother people. Why is there such a problem with me joining you on your own?"

"I'd rather have an afternoon by myself to clear my mind and calm down. I won't be long."

"But what if Loki attacks you? I cannot help you then," he protests while I walk out of Stark Tower.

"It's alright, Thor. I'll be fine on my own. I'm only going out to get some air. I will return before tonight," I say to Thor.

"Very well, Elise. I shall remain here and wait for the others to return. If you do not come back by tonight, we will find you. This is only for your own safety," he replies.

Thor walks back into Stark Tower, leaving me alone. I walk a block away and find a man with dark hair waiting for me, Loki. He's wearing his green and black coat still, and I notice that there are intricate gold designs on it.

"What took you so long?" he asks with an evil grin on his face.

"Thor, again," I tell him.

"He won't leave you alone, will he? But then again, they all won't."

"Exactly. Now, shall we go?"

"Yes," he answers, taking my arm in his. He then gently pulls me along. We walk for another block before we arrive at a black car. He opens the door and gestures for me to get in.

I climb in and scoot to the other side of the back seat. Loki sits down next to me and closes the door. The car begins to drive away.

"Who's driving?" I ask.

"It's one of my coworkers, Leon. We will be going to the Alliance of War Technologies headquarters. Just play along with anything I do."

"Alright."

It doesn't take long to get to the AWT headquarters. When we step out of the car, it begins to rain. There's a flash of lighting, and I see Loki cringe at it.

"Are you alright?"

"You tend to grow accustomed to Thor appearing whenever lighting strikes. It's only a reflex in my eyes," he says.

I walk closer to him in an attempt to calm him down. As we enter the building through a side door, I change the reason of why I am walking closer to Loki into because I am the one that is nervous.

We travel down a hallway in silence and arrive in a room that is quite small. The back wall is covered in black cloth or sheets. Loki turns on a light and closes the door.

"I noticed you have a thing for dimly lit rooms. Where are we?" I ask.

"This is where I stay, work, things like that. I am not usually in here often. I spend most of my time elsewhere, but I keep my things here." He walks over to a desk a few feet from the door and opens a drawer with manila envelopes inside. He digs through them until he finds the one he is looking for.

"This is where I discovered you, oh so long ago. You were discovered by S.H.I.E.L.D. five or so months ago. I had found you before they had. By taking on a second name, I could find someone to be my 'partner-in-crime.' This merely happened to be you. It is September now, and I sense trouble brewing. It is a storm, but I find myself not wanting a part in this battle. You are not ready for it yet. The Avengers are on Justin Hammer's tail, and this will only end in his demise. It will make way for Mandarin to lead, and I fear that he is jealous of my talents."

"So what do you want with me?"

"I want you to join me. I believe that, with proper training, we together have the ability to rule the world. This is purely your choice, and I will not punish you for choosing otherwise. I only wish for you to see your potential as of right now." He hands me the envelope. "Inside contains the information that I received from the AWT. The person who acquired this is someone you may know, the late Tonya Helens. She has since been replaced by the chameleon woman."

I look through the files to find nearly all of my history up until arriving at Stark Tower. I see my relations with other people, my favourite things, my personality, and even my abilities. There is about a page's length of my manipulative behaviour. I then find an extra page, stapled together with the rest of the files, with handwriting on it.

"That's what I think of you," Loki tells me after seeing me glance at it. "Go ahead and sit down in the chair. I shall return soon. I have errands to run."

"Alright," I breathe as he leaves the room. I flatten out the paper and read some of what is written.

~Elise Lyra Iridium is quite curious. ~She is not afraid to investigate my presence. ~I can sense her unique abilities in her. ~She appears to take my side whenever I am near. I do believe, however, that I must admit that this plan may be fatally flawed. ~I find myself wondering what Odin would think of her. ~I mustn't pull her from her world into another, for that is no way to win over a mortal. ~She does not see her own downfall: she is restricted by humanity and its morals. If she were to escape from such things, she has the potential to become truly great- a goddess, if you will.

The rest of the page is blank. I return everything to the envelope and stand up. Loki has not yet returned. She is restricted by humanity and its morals. What does that really mean? I turn around and face the curtains on the back wall. That isn't actually the back wall. I go to the right side of the room and push aside the black cloth to reveal a second half of the room.

There is a small mattress in the corner with a plain, dark blue blanket over it. A window with more black cloth as curtains is on the true back wall. Another envelope is next to the mattress. I walk over and pick it up.

Loki Laufeyson is on the first page of the packet of papers. I shuffle through some of the pages and see his basic profile. I find a long essay on his personality and what he has done in the past: seizing the throne of Asgard and nearly destroying New York are among others. I glance over a part where it is stated that containment of Loki is nearly impossible. He is not known to show many true emotion as well. There is also a page on something that intrigues me:

Loki Laufeyson is in love with the woman he seeks to take advantage of. He originally wished to only use her for his own selfish purposes, and likely still does, but he is now rejecting the fact that he has emotions like the rest of us. The woman should be looked after, because Loki will do whatever it takes to make her his. She needs to be careful around him.

The rest of the page is covered in whiteout. I suddenly hear footsteps in the hall. I quickly and quietly replace everything to its original state and return to the front half of the room. I then hear voices, which I find astonishing because normal people can't do that. I then remember about the Extremis Virus incident that occurred approximately two months ago.

It started with Loki. "I don't think that you have the slightest idea of what goes on in my consciousness. You shouldn't be critical of my plan, Hammer."

Another man speaks after him. "Loki, I can tell you this: get rid of the girl. I've seen you talk about her. I know when you're going to go see her. You have read your assessment, haven't you? You may not know this, because you're an Asgardian, or a runt of a frost giant, or something like that, but you like her far more than you may think you do. You're just too blind to see it."

"If you're talking about love, this isn't it, Hammer. She's a human female, a mortal."

"Test your boundaries, Laufeyson. You may just learn something from it."

I hear the man named Hammer leave down the hallway. Loki fumbles to open the door. He walks in. He's pale-faced and shaking.

"Oh my god, Loki, what's wrong?"

"I say we take you back to Stark Tower," he mumbles.

We manage to get him to Stark Tower and to my room without anyone noticing.

"JARVIS, when do the others get back?" I ask as I lay Loki down on my bed.

« Tonight at nineteen or seven o'clock. » JARVIS replies.

"That's an entire five hours away. Is it possible that you can keep Loki a secret from them?"

« I shall try, Miss Iridium, but I cannot help you should they discover him personally. »

"Thank you for that."

I rest my hand on Loki's forehead. Nothing. His eyes burn red and his skin has turned a faint blue. He suddenly reaches up and wraps his arms around my neck. I squeal in surprise.

« Do you request assistance, Miss Iridium? »

"No, JARVIS. Leave me alone. I will call you when you are required."

Loki pulls me close to him. We are face-to-face with each other, and he starts whispering nonsense.

"You... Nothing like I thought... Do not understand… Have to contain... Confuses me... Help... I am..." Loki closes his eyes and rests his head upon one of the pillows. He releases me from his grip. "Do not fret, for I only need some rest."

I stand up and walk to the door, looking back before leaving to find Thor. I close the door behind me.

"JARVIS?" I ask.

« Yes? »

"Where is Thor?"

« Currently, Thor is on the roof. Would you like me to request him to meet you? »

"Yes, please. Send him to the War Room. I shall meet him there."

I go quickly to the elevator and to floor 84. I get there before Thor does and sit down in the couch. I bury my head in my hands. Thor enters into the room. He sees me.

"Elise, what has happened to you?" he asks.

"You were right. Loki is only here because of me. I learned many things about him today. Did you know that he has known me for longer than S.H.I.E.L.D. has?" I explain, trying to not throw up.

Thor pushes my head up. "Elise, your neck is blue. Did you come into contact with Loki?"

"Yes, and I am quite certain that I did the same thing to him that I did to Bruce and that tazer."

"Does it feel like frostbite?"

"Not much. It feels a bit cold, but other than that, it's fine."

"How do you feel ill?"

"Because Loki was. I don't know what's going on anymore. Loki's in my room and-"

"Why is he in your room?" Thor demands.

"Because I brought him there. He..."

Thor stands up. "I'm going to go see him. May the gods help him."

"But you can't! Just- just stay away from him for a while. I'll straighten this out. I need to give him some space first, because he was acting fairly strange. He was ill, like someone, like someone poisoned him. I have to make sure that he won't do anything."

"Go see Loki for a moment, but I want you to come back here and wait for the others to return. Alright?"

"Very well, Thor. I shall do that."

I return to my room and find Loki staring out the window. I approach him slowly, but he doesn't move.

"Loki? Thor knows you're here. He knows everything about you. You should go. It would be safer than staying."

"He doesn't know everything. He doesn't know about us."

"Yes, he does. Thor is trying to get me to cast you away, and that is what I'm trying to do right now."

Loki smiles. "No, you aren't. You're trying to convince yourself that it is best that I go, because you don't agree with him," he replies. He walks around me into the middle of my bedroom.

"Loki, you've got it all wr-"

He cuts me off by pulling me to him and kissing me. Surprised, I try in vain to push him away, as he is much stronger than I. He releases me from his grasp and backs away from me.

"Get out," he whispers.

"No, you should be the one gett-"

He pins me against the wall by my shoulder. "Get out!" he says a little louder than earlier. He darts back to the window, watching the rain falling.

I quickly leave the room and go back to Thor. I sit down in the elevator as it goes up. "JARVIS, slow the elevator down. I don't feel well at all."

« As you wish, Miss Iridium. »

"And JARVIS? Would you please send me one dosage of my medication? I've been off of it for five months. It's no wonder I'm deteriorating like this."

« I apologize, Miss Iridium, but your prescription has expired. I cannot get you any more. »

I shake my head. "Oh well. I'll just have to crawl through this like every other time before."

It suddenly becomes hard to breathe, and I'm soon gasping for air.

"Nevermind, JARVIS. Make.. the ele.. vator.. go.. fas..."

I feel the elevator moving faster. The door opens, and Thor sees me sitting on the floor. He grows furious.

"That's it! I'm getting rid of Loki for you!" He storms towards the elevator and me.

"No!" I shout, pouncing at him. I head-butt him, and he falls backwards. "You.. leave him.. alone!" I snarl.

Thor stares at me in astonishment. "Elise, what has gotten into you? Have you gone mad?" Thor asks.

"Don't..." I breathe in, "you dare... touch him..." I close my eyes as an agonising headache finds me. "Oh dear, what did I do, Thor?"

"What has Loki done to you? You're becoming a monster," he responds.

"Loki... Loki is trying to make me his slave. He's done something, something that I just don't understand completely."

Thor stands up. "Why not relax here? I shall make sure Loki stops pestering your mind, at least for the time being."

I flop down on the couch in the corner of the room. "Aw hell, this all makes no sense. I mean, how did Loki even find me in the first place? Why did he do that? How does all of this even fit together with everything? This makes absolutely no sense," I mumble to myself and sigh.

Thor kicks the floor lightly. He turns his head to face me. "He did what?"

"Oh, you know, Loki things. Threatening me, bargaining, being a trickster, making romantic advances, appearing and disappearing suddenly, telling me secrets, trying to turn me against you all, things like that."

"What was that?" Thor inquires.

"What was what?"

"What you said."

"Trying to turn me against you?"

"No, before that."

"Telling me secrets?"

"No," Thor answers. "He's making romantic advances on you. We're you merely being sarcastic? Loki is not that kind of person."

"Yes." I hesitate. "No, I lied. I apologise. He did. He kissed me and then became angry. I think he's having some problems with his mind. I- I just don't know what's going on."

Thor sits down in the chair across from the couch. "Everything you're talking of makes me want to go admonish Loki, but I realise what you are going through. I will stay out of this unless you request my participation."

"Thank you, Thor," I murmur. I rest my head down on the couch arm and close my eyes. "Wake me when they get back."

"Very well," he replies.

I do not fall asleep, but rather I listen to Thor in order to make sure he leaves Loki alone.

JARVIS chimes me out of my phase. « Thor Odinson, Miss Iridium, the Avengers have returned. They shall meet you in here. »

I stand up and go to the table. Thor follows. A few minutes later, everyone files out of the elevators and into the War Room. Dmitri finds me after having argued with Richard about something.

"Hey, Elise," she greets. "How has being the god's babysitter been?"

"Treacherous. I spent most of my time by myself," I answer with a smile.

"Great. Did you want to work in the lab tomorrow? We're working on the Extremis effects."

"That sounds like a break from my usual routine nowadays."

Steve, Tony and Bruce go to the front of the table between it and the windows.

"I'm glad to say that we won't be going back to L.A. without another real reason," Tony announces. "Steve and Bruce would like to say a few things before we dismiss everyone."

Bruce speaks up as Tony sits in his chair. "The Alliance of War Technologies has withdrawn from Los Angeles, and what they were there for appears to have been found. It was pretty obvious that they needed parts for suits similar to Tony's, but why does everyone want to have these suits? I am also fairly certain that they will be taking their operations closer to home. Please be prepared for any conflict." Bruce sits down next to Tony.

Steve is the final one to talk. "Nick Fury has taken notice of the AWT and doesn't like what he sees. This is turning into a S.H.I.E.L.D. project. We can't go home just yet. The next place I see us going is back to the helicarrier. Elise, I believe by then you will be able to join us in battle. Should you have any further questions, just come ask me or someone else. That is all."

Everyone chats quietly with one another for a while before people begin to leave. I am the fourth to exit the room into the elevator and go back to mine.

The elevator door opens, and I walk down the hallway. I turn to the right and see Loki in the hall outside my room. He waits for me to approach him.

"Loki!" I whisper. "You should have stayed in my room!"

His eyes are still red and his skin is a bit more blue than earlier. He looks me in the eyes, solemn, and returns to my bedroom. I follow him and close the door behind me.

"You know that the Avengers are back, why did-"

Loki cuts me off and throws me up against the door. "Odin must have done it," he growls.

"Done what?"

"Cursed me. He must have cursed me to feel human emotion. It's awful. Unless," his gaze sharpens, "unless you've cursed me." Loki curls his lip in anger.

"I don't understand. Loki, stop it. You're scaring me. You'll give me a panic attack," I breathe.

He smiles wickedly. "You did it, didn't you? You have feelings for me, don't you? Don't you!?" Loki grasps my face and lowers his to my left ear. "It burns you to see me like this, doesn't it? Your perception fails you, Elise Lyra Iridium."

I press myself against the door, torn between opinions. I quickly devise a plan of escape. "I'm touched to hear that you think that, Loki. It's just..."

"What is it?" he looks at me with curiosity filling his eyes.

"I know that it is never going to work out between us. We're just so," I pause, "different."

Loki's grip loosens. There's a knock on the door. He stands up straight. "I shall return again, when it is safer for me to be present."

I get up and open the door. Dmitri waits for me in the hall. She becomes concerned when she sees me.

"Are you okay?" she asks me.

"I just have to sit down," I answer, "but not here."

Dmitri begins to walk down the hallway. "Come with me. Bruce insisted I take you to him so that he can tell you something. I'm going to have to cancel our lab day until later."

I nod my head. "It's fine. You just do it yourself, then." I follow her in silence until we reach floor 90. Every part of me is screaming to tell her about Loki, but I stay silent. She takes me into the infirmary room where Bruce is waiting for us.

"I thought I'd let you know that Geoffrey and Gryphon are staying in Los Angeles to keep an eye out for anything suspicious," Dmitri points out.

Bruce then speaks. "I have two things that I have to speak with you about. First things first, your PTSD seems to be progressing in the wrong direction. We have all been monitoring you for the past few weeks and noticed it obviously getting worse, so we decided that you needed to know about it. We may have to start you on medication again. Second," Bruce says. The two look at the door as Thor walks in.

He gestures for me to follow him. I glance over at Bruce, who shoos me away. I go with Thor out of the room and into the elevator. We go to the top floor.

"We shouldn't be up here, Thor. They haven't rebuilt the lab yet."

"We are only passing through." Thor steps out into the empty room. The floor still has a charred mark in the middle, along with a smaller one a short distance away. He strolls to a locked door on the other side of the laboratory. He takes a key and unlocks the door. He then opens the door to reveal a dark corridor. He takes my wrist in his hand. I flinch mentally but pretend to not care. Thor leads me into the hallway, and I find us walking up a staircase.

Thor opens another door and my eyes adjust to see the city. We're on the roof. I notice a part of the roof where it is elevated a bit. There are stairs connecting the elevated area to the rest of the roof.

"What is that?" I ask.

"Our bridge to Asgard," he tells me. "Stand on it."

I hesitate, at least, until Thor picks up Mjolnir. I then scurry over to where Thor had directed me to go. He joins me and reaches into the sky with the hammer. Lightning shoots into the sky. A beam of light suddenly meets the bolt halfway. My vision turns to white, blank, and then black.