Chapter 10

"The Tesseract?" Jane asked Iron Man—Iron Man!—as they ran from tent to tent, stopping only to let her catch her breath. "You mean a four-dimensional analog of a cube?"

"No." He pointed in a direction, and they all darted that way. So far, he hadn't steered them wrong. The echoing grunts, thuds, and clangs were always just on the other road. "It's a cube. Though, it looks bottomless and in constant motion. SHIELD just named it that."

"SHIELD didn't name anything," Loki said, his words almost a snarl. "It has been called the Tesseract, as well as the Cosmic Cube and other names, for as long as it has existed, which not even our scholars can pinpoint. And if Odin finds out you're playing with it—"

"How did you stabilize the portal?" she asked Stark while shooting a glare at Loki. He needed to learn how to play nice.

"Iridium." Tony stopped them with a raised hand, and a giant blue beast charged by with an Asgardian in its large jaws. Each of its footfalls shook the ground and left behind bloodstained prints in the snow.

Jane looked away, grimacing. Her stomach roiled. Hopefully, the person had died quickly.

Tony lowered his hand, and they all moved forward again, stepping over the clawed prints. Jane had to really stretch her legs to make it across.

"We're almost there," Captain America told her reassuringly.

She did her best to give him a smile that didn't wobble. She hated the death, the destruction of war. Putting her focus on a more pleasant subject, she asked Tony, "What kind of energy does the Tesseract put out?"

"Mostly gamma radiation." His metal boot crushed a fallen basket as he walked. "The energy can be harnessed and used to power a city."

"And weapons," the Captain added, none too happy.

Loki moved around a protruding beam from a collapsed tent. "It was once used to create the—"

Several tents down, a Jotunn ran by, turned his head toward them, and skidded to a stop.

Jane's half-raised foot, ready for the next step, stayed suspended in mid-air, her heart racing, but Tony's helmeted head swiveled toward her and brushed away her concern with a lazy swipe of his hand. "It's just one. I got this."

Three more came into view.

"It's cool." The section above his suit's shoulders opened and a little rectangular box lifted out. "Watch this."

A tiny explosive sound popped, then thin streams of smoke shot toward the Frost Giants. The bullets or missiles or whatever they were, struck hard enough to knock them back a step.

Jane strained to see better from their distance, her heart now sprinting, each beat a hard thump against her ribs and a bass drum in her ears.

The Jotunns looked down at themselves, then at her group with a rage that could've been seen from the moon.

She licked her dry lips and fingered the box in her pocket. Was now the time to use it?

"Well," Tony said. "It's good Grandpa tagged along."

Rogers blew out a soft breath, clearly trying to maintain his composure. He gripped his shield and moved to Iron Man's side. "You take the left."

"Nah, the right looks more fun." And then Tony was in the air, firing his arc reactors at the Frost Giants.

The Captain glanced back at her. "Go hide in the crevice of that tent. Don't come out until we return. You understand?"

She nodded, and Tony added, "We didn't come all this way just for you to die in the homestretch."

With his back turned to her, already running to fight, he didn't see her wince. How was she going to tell Darcy? Erik?

Loki weaved his fingers into hers and gently squeezed them. Her gaze fell to their joined hands, a perfect fit, then lifted to his green eyes flecked with gold. There were times when they were soft and warm, inviting her in, but, mostly, they were cold and guarded.

A loud crash sprayed them with snow, and Loki led her to the fallen beam covered with a ragged cloth. They huddled in the crevice, still holding hands. She wanted to ask him what he really thought of her, of the soulmate bond. She wanted no more secrets, no more lies between them. Instead, she asked what they would do if another Jotunn found them.

He slipped a dagger out from under his tunic. "I've killed one already when you were...when they…" He stared at her hard enough to pin her ribs and steal her breath. "I won't let them touch you again."

She didn't know how to respond to that. She didn't know if she could even if she wanted to. So she settled on a nod.

The whine of Stark's arc reactor was awfully close, but the ensuing blast was further away. Jane turned to peek over the edge of the beam.

Rogers rammed his shield against a Jotunn while kicking another away, then flipped over the head of a third, latching onto it and twisting mid-air. When he landed, the Frost Giant collapsed to the snowy ground, already forgotten as the Captain moved on to another opponent in his flowing, deadly dance.

One of the Jotunns threw sharp icicles at Rogers, whirled out of the way of Tony's arc blast, and ended up locking gazes with her. Jane dropped to her bottom behind the makeshift wall, panting.

"Calm yourself," Loki said. "It'll be over soon."

It didn't feel like that. Stars could've been birthed and died for every second that had passed while she had watched. She started at each grating sound: a bang, a thump, a grunt, a curse.

Squeezing her hand again, Loki said, "Look at me." She did and he continued. "Breathe."

He inhaled and she followed suit, eyes fixed on his until everything else disappeared. Her chest rose and fell in time with his, but that too vanished under the weight of his gaze. In that moment, she saw him for who he truly was: proud but insecure, a recluse but lonely, harsh but only to protect himself, fiercely loyal, and immensely sad. It wove through him like a dark thread in a brilliant tapestry of greens and golds.

"Odinson," a gravely voice, like a tumbling rockslide, said.

Loki jerked away from her, jumping to his feet with his dagger between him and the Jotunn. "Leave now or die."

The Frost Giant's lipless mouth opened, exposing sharp teeth, and a rough sound came out. The way his eyes crinkled gave her the impression he was laughing. Then he said something that made Loki lunge for him.

Steel lashed out toward a blue abdomen, lined with thick muscle. The Jotunn pivoted, and Loki's blade nicked his skin. A thin trickle of red blood seeped out.

Loki spun on his heel, ducked under the swinging Frost Giant's arm, and thrust the dagger toward the vulnerable spot again. Except, this time, the Jotunn latched onto Loki's wrist and held tight.

Jane scrambled to her feet, icy fear strangling her. Her neck burned in memory of being under the Frost Giant's touch. She shivered, but all she could think about was Loki having to suffer the same fate as she.

The cloth around Loki's forearm fell to the snow in hard pieces, as if they had been dunked in freezing water and turned to ice. Jotunn fingers gripped his bare skin.

Loki stared down at his arm, eyes wide, mesmerized. The Jotunn's sneering smile lessened as he too watched.

Jane craned her neck to see better. Blue spread out from under the Frost Giant's touch, but not the dark black-blue of her frostbite. It was near identical to the Jotunn's own coloring. Her brows furrowed. Nor did he seem under any pain. The agony she'd experienced was still as fresh as a bleeding cut.

Pale blue spread from the Jotunn's hand. It slid under Loki's tunic, up his neck to replace the creamy skin of his face. Raised lines appeared around his cheek and forehead, but with his profile to her, she couldn't make out their design.

The Frost Giant gazed at Loki, his mouth hanging ajar. "Laufeyson."

Whatever the word meant made Loki flinch. He grabbed the dagger from his bound hand and rammed it under the wide ribcage with enough force the two moved back. They continued staring at each other even as the Jotunn dropped to his knees and took a shuddering breath.

Loki pulled his hand free, gaping at his arm, and turned away from the now-dead Frost Giant lying on the ground. When his eyes lifted to meet hers, she gasped. They were a solid crimson red, no white at all. The lines formed a bisected half circle on his forehead, and streaks across his cheeks and up his chin. The time it took for her to observe the differences, the blue and red had begun to fade.

He rushed to her, pulling her down behind the makeshift wall. "I won't hurt you."

She blinked at him, his skin and eyes completely normal now.

He glanced down at his hands holding her tightly and lifted them. "Jane?" He took a deep breath. "I swear I'm not a monster."

That word snapped her out of her stupor. She shook her head and opened her mouth to tell him she knew that, but nothing came out. It was as if her body was still in shock.

"You two okay over here?" Rogers asked. He and Tony walked around the beam and their gazes immediately landed on the dead Jotunn.

Stark stepped to the body and pulled out the dagger. He wiped it clean on the scrap of cloth hanging off the Frost Giant's hips, then looked from the blade to Loki and Jane. "You okay?" he asked her.

Loki watched her carefully, silent and unmoving.

She swallowed. "Yes. I've just never seen...never seen them before. He came out of nowhere, and Loki..." The memory of his red eyes, surprised and hurting filled her vision. He was a Jotunn. He was what he'd grown up hating. "The dagger. They fought," she bumbled on, half-aware of what she said. "And then he was dead."

Tony handed Loki the blade. "Then I guess it was good you had this." Though his words were relatively kind, his tone was hard and untrusting.

Taking the weapon, Loki slipped it back in place, offering no thanks. His gaze bounced to Jane constantly, relief and something else altogether filling it.

Rogers helped her to her feet. "We should get going before any more find us."

They moved through the camp in a similar fashion as before, only, now, she bored a hole through the back of Stark's helmet. She was afraid that if she looked at Loki, the truth would spill out like rice from a torn bag.

"Cat got your tongue?" Rogers asked Jane.

She jumped. He now walked beside her instead of behind them, guarding the rear. "No. No, I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

She glanced at Loki who was far enough away to appear disinterested, yet close enough to see and hear everything. The man was a Frost Giant. A blue being who could manifest ice as well as whatever else. She didn't really know that much about them. She should learn. Fast.

"Dr. Foster?" Rogers asked, his hand on her shoulder.

She jerked back, on the verge of shouting that Loki was a Jotunn. Thankfully she swallowed and inhaled at the same time, replacing words with coughs.

He patted her back. "Are you are okay?"

Nodding, she cleared her throat and purposefully trained her gaze on him. Loki had drifted closer to her. "I'm fine. Thank you." Was her voice higher? She should really work on controlling her—

Holy mother of science, her soulmate was a Frost Giant. Her eyes went wide, her legs went stiff, and she missed a step, stumbling over nothing.

Steve steadied her with a hand on her elbow. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Loki was so close now, she could feel him like the chilly blast of an incoming storm. "Yes!" she answered Rogers. The word came out in a high squeak. She cleared her throat. "Yeah." She grimaced. Much too deep.

He eyed her like she might be unstable. She just might be. The only reason she hadn't questioned bonding with an Asgardian was that they looked similar enough. Their DNA must be similar too. Otherwise, the bond couldn't have been triggered. But a Jotunn and a human had to be too different. Right?

Rogers leaned closer to her. "Not everyone is cut out for war. It's okay if you want to stay on Earth. SHIELD can help the Asgardians, and you can recover from that wound." He gestured to her neck.

He still didn't get it. There was no cure for the frostbite. But, at least, he didn't suspect her true thoughts. "I'll be okay. It just takes getting used to, you know?"

He nodded, his mind elsewhere, for which she was grateful. She had to figure out what to do with Loki's secret. Would she keep it? Should she keep it?

They continued on, skirting around the pockets of fighting, she doing her best not to look at the dead bodies, Loki, apparently, doing his best not to hover too closely. At times, he'd end up so close to her, they'd brush shoulders. Other times, he was so far away, they wouldn't touch if they both stretched out their arms. Their tracks probably showed a zigzag pattern. And wasn't that the perfect metaphor for their lives?

Stark raised his hand, and they all stopped in the field where the Asgardians played ball.

"They've closed the portal," Rogers announced.

"Fantastic powers of observation, Cap," Tony said.

Jane's heart fell. She really wanted to see Erik and Darcy one last time before she died. Her fingers shifted the cloak to cover her neck. "What do we do now?"

Repositioning his shield, Rogers answered, "Help fight off the Frost Giants until they open another portal."

"But how will they find us?"

"Our DNA," Tony cut in. "So long as one of us three is alive, they'll be able to locate us."

DNA?

She opened her mouth to ask the thousands of questions suddenly filling her head, but Tony lifted a finger. "There'll be plenty of time for that later. Right now, you two stay here." When he walked by her, he added, "Don't worry, kid. You'll get to see them soon enough."

Was she that obvious?

Before they got too far from them, a shimmer streaked through the sky. No, more like a ripple.

"Dark Elves!" Loki announced the same time Iron Man's repulsors lit up.

Tony aimed around him. "JARVIS senses them, but can't get a lock. More new technology."

He groaned, or maybe the sound was a strangled expression of excitement. Either way, he shot at the shimmers to no avail. They always seemed to appear in the corner of her vision before completely disappearing again. If she focused too hard, she'd get a headache.

"Does anyone know why they're here?" Rogers asked.

Jane looked at Loki. The box—the Aether—was in her pocket. She could feel its weight tugging ever so slightly on her skirt.

"They have aligned with the Jotunns," Loki answered, "and must have come to aide them."

Tony shot at nothing. "Then why aren't they trying to disintegrate the tents?"

Why was it so quiet? There should be explosions and screams and all sorts of disheartening sounds coming from everywhere. The aircraft were certainly capable of it—the attack on Asgard was proof enough.

Loki threw up his hands. "Maybe the alliance is no more. I cannot possibly say what they might be conspiring."

"Well, we're sitting ducks out in the open." Rogers stayed close to her, shifting as he tried to protect her from wherever the shimmers appeared. "Maybe we should move back to the tents."

"For once, Capsicle," Tony said, "I wholeheartedly agree with you."

Rogers gestured for her to run with him. She tried. She really did, but several footfalls into the retreat, she had to stop. Her frostbite prickled worse from the effort, and her chest heaved despite the easy pace he'd set. Ever since the Jotunn had grabbed her, her lungs refused to take in much air. She was always out of breath.

"Give me the Aether," someone said from behind them.

They whirled to find a grounded T-shaped aircraft sticking straight out of the snow. It was as if an oddly shaped mountain had just appeared out of nowhere. And the palest man she'd ever seen, white hair braided away from an angular face with icy blue eyes staring at them, stood in front of it. Guarding him were a team of armed and armored humanoids wearing creepy white masks. Large black circles concealed their eyes. All had the pointy ears one imagined elves to have.

"You mean this?" Rogers threw his shield at them.

One of the masked elves shot the colorful disc from the sky with a rifle that crackled from energy—or maybe plasma—rather than banged from gunpowder. The shield landed off to the side, partly submerged in snow.

"Way to go, Muscle For Brain," Tony said, his hands raised, ready to shoot.

The center Dark Elf's gaze didn't veer off hers. "It is faded, repressed. But here."

Jane's heart tripped over itself trying to climb to her throat. She gripped the box in her pocket, thinking this had to be the right time.

"No one knows what you're talking about, bud," Stark called. "So why don't you hop back on your Capital T and go."

The Elf held out his pale hand. "Give me the Aether."

She eased back, gripping the box so hard its edges bit into her skin.

When he mirrored her movement, Tony shot at him with both hands and shoulder missiles. Two guards jumped to protect their leader and returned fire. Energy beams streaked by, and Loki grabbed her hand, pulling her away from the fight.

"They know you have it, Jane. We have to go."

"But Stark and Rogers—"

"Are capable enough to hold their own."

Before he could pull her another step, a loud thud, as if another ice boulder had dropped from the sky, grabbed their attention. They turned to find a monstrous being straight from hell—horns, tusks, spikes and all—standing up from his crouched position in the crater-like pit his sudden appearance had caused.

She blinked. What in the?

The creature walked calmly toward a cursing Tony taking to the air and batted him aside, a fly against an oncoming train. Stark crashed into the snow several feet away, sparks shooting out of the massive dent in his red and gold armor. The newcomer didn't even pause to look at his handiwork. He just kept moving for her.

Jane and Loki edged back. "Should I use it now?" she asked.

"Never."

"But your mother said I would use it. It's inevitable."

He shook his head in protest. "There has to be another way."

Rogers had found his shield, picked it up, and threw it at the horned monster. It bounced off the back of his large head, not slowing him down in the least. The shield circled back to the Captain in time to block several shots from the masked elves.

"I'm going to use it. We can end this here and now."

He stared at her. "You will die."

"I'm already dying!" Every step brought him closer to them. He really was an oncoming train. And about as tall as one.

She shoved her hand into her pocket, but Loki grabbed her wrist. "I will find a way. Trust me." Then he pushed her away from him and ran toward the creature.

Jane fell hard on her rear, her teeth clicking together. Grumbling, she scrambled to her feet and pulled the box free from her pocket. Her fingers lingered on the clasp, ready to open it if need be.

In two bounding steps, Loki was on the monster, sliding under an attack. He clasped onto a thick ankle to stop his momentum, and the creature howled. Loki leapt up, climbed on the spikes protruding from the elf's back, and grabbed the snarling head. It was like watching a rodeo with a cowboy trying to ride a raging bull. The two thrashed to the side, then the other. The creature struck at Loki, but had a hard time connecting with his bulky armor getting in the way.

Loki held on, and the wild movements slowed. Jane's hands fell to her side. He was doing it. Somehow he was stopping the elf.

When the creature went limp, tipping to the side, Loki jumped off his back and landed on his feet. His face was cerulean blue. And, damn, she still found him insanely attractive. Cream-colored skin spread out, like clouds stretching across a midday summer sky.

"No!" the white-haired elf yelled.

Jane tensed, gripping the box, fingertips on the clasp, but, instead of pulling out some kind of death trap, he merely dashed toward his ship, followed by his personal guards. The elf fighting Rogers turned and ran to join them before the Captain's punch could connect. Steve ended up stumbling forward and spinning slightly.

Tony's garbled laughter from the crumpled heap of metal was drowned out by a thunder that boomed loud enough to make the ground tremble. Loki stopped mid-trot to her and looked up. Lightning flashed. Then another that stayed a blinding bolt, connecting to something Jane could not see.

"Get down!" Loki said.

They dove to the snow just as lightning shot toward the leading Dark Elf, only to strike one of his soldiers dead. The white-haired elf didn't look back at his fallen guard as he rushed the rest of the way to the ship.

The large door closed behind them, and the ground shuddered as the central engine engaged, a red ball of energy. Thor flew in their direction, landing while still sending a steady stream of white-hot lightning at the ship, even as it disappeared into the sky.

His raised hand fell to his side, limply holding the hammer. He took deep breaths, from exertion or anger she did not know. His face was smeared with grime, his hair hung limp around his face, and yet he was glowing. He looked at her, then took the couple steps needed to reach her.

Holding out a hand for her to take, he asked, "Are you well?"

Jane slipped the box back into her pocket and let him lift her to her feet. She didn't think she had enough strength left to chew pudding. "I am, thanks." His gaze fell on her neck, and she quickly covered it with the cloak.

"You missed," Loki said, running to them.

"I know."

Loki finally reached them and looked down, his brows lowering and his jaw ticking.

Jane's gaze followed his and realized Thor still held her hand. She quickly pulled herself free, which earned her a lowered brow from him now as well.

"Loki killed that giant Dark Elf," Jane threw out, hopeful they would stop looking at her like she had insulted them.

"You killed Kurse?" Thor asked, shock nearly bowling him over.

Loki just stared at her, so Jane answered for him. "If that's the beast's name, then yes. You should tell him about it." The last sentence was a neon-lit hint for him to confide in Thor about his true nature.

He just continued staring at her.

"Odin's beard! Well done, Brother!" Thor clapped Loki on the back, but she and Loki never broke eye contact.

Come on. Tell him. Don't make me keep this secret.

Rogers, shield on his back and supporting Tony with an arm around his suit, stopped next to them. His blue eyes skipped over Loki unfavorably and landed on Thor. He held out a hand to shake. "You must be Thor."

"And you Captain America." Thor grabbed the outstretched hand with gusto. "Fandral spoke of you." He looked at Tony, slightly dubious. "And you too, my metal friend."

Tony groaned. "I'm not made of metal."

In the lull, Jane bugged her eyes to prod Loki into telling them.

Nothing.

"Loki killed the giant Dark Elf called Kurse," she said again.

They looked at her for a long moment, then Rogers said, "I noticed that." He didn't offer a congratulations like Thor had. If anything, he was even warier.

"I killed many today as well," Thor announced, standing taller.

Loki ignored him. "We should let Jane rest."

She fiddled with the cloth covering her neck. "It's not bad right now. I hardly feel a thing." She lied. It hurt, but then it always did. The only time it truly overwhelmed her was when it spiked into an ocean of needles that threatened to drown her.

"Come on." Loki waved them toward the tents and started walking. "We need to regroup anyway. I'm sure the Council will want to have a meeting."

Thor muttered something under his breath, something harsh based off his hard expression, but then he brightened and followed Loki, saying, "I did kill many. Whole squadrons. At one point, they had us surrounded and I..."

Tony and Steve stayed back, looking at the dead elves, specifically at Kurse. There wasn't any ice or frostbite on the body—at least, as far as she could tell with all of that dark armor and skin.

So why were they focused on it?

Blood. There should be some if he'd used his dagger like he had with the Jotunn. And yet the white snow around the body was pristine, not splattered red.

They faced her, silent, watchful. Their loaded stares, even Tony's concealed one, was a heavy weight on her chest.

Kurse had batted away Iron Man and ended up denting the armor as if it were made of paper. A vibranium shield, thrown by an enhanced human, merely bounced off him. How could an Asgardian, turned mortal and powerless, using no weapon, defeat such a formidable foe?

She shrunk under their gaze.

They knew the truth or, at least, suspected it.

AN - This is my favorite chapter so far. The reveal and just so much going on. I hope you enjoyed it!

Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts! I appreciate it!

And thanks to my beta, Mercury97, and my sister! Your help and support are invaluable. :)