A/N: As always, I only own my OCs and plot. Also THANK YOU to everyone who has been following and/or has favorited this story. It honestly means a lot to me. Thank you also for the reviews:

Fairyfinder: I'm glad you enjoyed the reference and like the story! Also thank you, that is one of the best compliments I could ever receive. With fantasy/scific the goal is to write so it is realistic enough that if those thing exist this would happen. Here is a chapter for you.

JediTara: Poor Anya is right... you have no idea...(yes, I am evil)

Geust: Thanks! Here is an update!

Trigger warning: violence. Sorry, by the way, for the delay in updating. On a random note, is anyone else super pumped about Age of Ultron coming out?! Anyway enjoy the story, please remember to follow/favorite/review.

Chapter 35: Ruined Clothes

*** DSB:8- Morning – NYC - AF***

For a moment Anya forgot what had happened. She was hovering on the edge of consciousness, and in the moment she felt peace. Then she took a breath and tried to move. Pain radiated through her whole body. She gave a silent cry. That was when she remembered; it all came back to her in a rush. She was surprised she was alive.

Deciding to play it safe in case she was being watched, Anya kept her eyes closed and tried to determine what was going on.

She was still lying on the floor, but a few things were different. The first thing she could tell was that she was lying on her back. Secondly, while her back and feet were cold her front was warm. Thirdly, her right arm was awkwardly stretched out to the side. Anya opened her eyes. Sure enough she was still in the basement/garage and on the floor, but she had a blue blanket over her, her shoes were gone and her right hand was handcuffed to the bolted chair on her right. Lifting the blanket and looking down at herself, she was surprised to see that her wounds were bandaged. The bandages explained why she wasn't dead. She also noticed that her pants and shirt were bloody and torn from the knife wounds. That was irritating. It's not like nice work clothes were cheap, she thought bitterly to herself.

Unfortunately for Anya, not a moment after she woke up, she sees someone walking towards her. It was the mercenary with lighter browned hair who had been ordered to watch her…Jack, yes that was his name.

"You alive?" he asked in almost a southern accent, which seemed random to Anya.

"Yes," she managed to croak out. Her throat was too dry to really talk.

"Good, I didn't feel like being killed today," was his response.

Before the guard walked away Anya had to try and ask, "Water?"

"You want water?"

"Please"

The guard scratched his head. "Well, I'm not supposed to help you. See, I only bandaged your wounds so you wouldn't die."

"I'll die without water…and food…" Anya managed to gasp out. The pain worsened the more she tried to talk. Her throat felt like parchment paper.

The guard looked at her considering before turning and walking away. Anya almost wanted to cry. She turned her head and saw him at the guard table. He picked up a water bottle and walked over towards her. She felt instant relief.

"Now, don't try anything," he warned before approaching her. Anya simply gave a small nod. She was too weak to try anything and besides what was the point? She had to stay there; her "master" had ordered it.

The guard slowly knelt down by her head. He placed his hand under her head and lifted it up slightly before pouring the water into her mouth. The relief was wonderful…and short lived. He only gave her a tiny bit of water before he stopped pouring it out. What concerned Anya was that he didn't move away immediately. He simply set the water bottle down next to him, but continued to hold her head up as he stared at her.

"Thank you," she quietly told him.

The man shook his head. "It is a shame," he said quietly while looking at her. The man, Jack, continued, "You are quite beautiful…and I don't like hurting women…but you have to follow orders." As if he had reminded himself by saying the word 'orders', he quickly lowered her head back to the ground, stood up and walked away.

Once he walked away and sat down at the table, Anya felt like she could breathe again. She wondered if she was going to survive the day.

***ATST – SHIELD Base in Penn. – TF***

Thor was currently lying on a bed, in a spare room at the SHIELD base. Staring at the ceiling he wondered how it had all come to this. His adoptive brother had always been a bit misguided. Loki had not connected well with the others at home and was a natural trickster. But never, in the 200 years they had been brothers, had Thor envisioned this occurring. His adoptive brother had gone mad with power. Loki was hunting him and his friends across this planet. Now his love's life was being threatened, his new friends' sister had been made a slave, and the same sister was saving his love from his own brothers' wrath.

When he had heard what had occurred, Thor had been half-convinced that he should turn himself over to his brother's fury. Only after listening to the Son of Coul's words and pondering for a while had Thor realized that turning himself over would accomplish nothing. Thor had been tempted, at the time, to leave this hidden base and wander outside. Seeing the stars would comfort him; the stars reminded him of his dear Jane as well as his home and Heimdall.

Hopefully Heimdall had explained the situation to his father. Maybe the Allfather will send assistance, Thor thought suddenly with hope; hope that quickly died when he realized that to be impossible. The dark energy his father used to transport him to this world had caused a great strain on the AllFather. No. No reinforcements were coming. It was up to them. Feeling discontent and unable to lie still any longer, Thor left the darkened room to seek out his friends.

***NYC-Later Afternoon- LF***

As Loki cast his gaze upon his city, he couldn't help but reflect upon the worms below him. They were truly pathetic creatures; ever grasping at small insignificant things throughout their short lives. They had no real promise, which was not surprising since they died so young. They held so strongly to the ridiculous notion of freedom despite the fact that they clearly did not want it. Study of their current government and way of life revealed that.

Yet they had the nerve to fight against him. It was a good thing, Loki realized, that he had thought to expand his power by taking over the military and government, including the state ones. That helped crush even the idea of rebellion. Those who had instantly taken up arms after he had announced his rule were already taken care of, courtesy of his military. Of course they were no real threat to him. They were merely ants. The only threat was the Avengers, not that he would even call them that. No, they were more of an annoyance: a thorn in his side.

A thorn that will be removed soon, Loki thought to himself. His plan was nearly perfect. He knew his "brother". The oaf would come running for "his Jane." Now Loki only needed to find her and end it all. Then he could look to other countries. Well, the countries that hadn't already sworn allegiance to him. Over the past few days different countries had been contacting him, swearing their allegiance; they claimed they hated the previous government and would support him. They were all cowards.

Technically, Loki knew he could start dealing with other countries now, but it would be nice to have things dealt with here before focusing outward. Besides, it wasn't like he didn't have the time. He was young after all and could afford to wait. Not that he would wait long when it came to the Avengers. They would fall soon. He just needed that slave girl to follow orders. Loki knew he could have another slave search for Jane Foster rather than wait, but it would make victory that much sweeter if the Avengers would fall by her hands, a fellow mortal not under the Tesseract's power. Besides, it would put the girl in her place. He knew that she hated to harm others. Her defending of the weak told him that. What sweeter way then to break her in than by ordering her to do that which goes against her core nature? Maybe this way he would find what she was hiding. That and he needed to punish her for daring to disobey an order.

Thinking about the girl, Loki decided to see how much her disposition had changed since yesterday. Then he needed to go meet the former leader of this land to discuss some changes he wanted to make in the country.

***SPST- AF***

When is this going to end, was Anya's desperate thought. The fact that waking up on the concrete floor, wounds taken care of, and being given water were the highlights of her day made Anya depressed. Coughing, Anya spat up blood. She was back in the cursed chair trying to breathe with what she suspected were a few broken ribs.

Not long after Anya had been given water the other guards came down. She had been bold enough to ask to use the restroom, which they had thankfully permitted. Although, the bathroom had been searched for potential weapons and she had been searched on the way out. In a way, it was a good thing she hadn't been fed or given a lot of water for however long she had been down there. It meant she didn't have to ask often to use the restroom. After using the restroom, the "fun," as the main brute called it, began.

They had tied her to the chair and then the darker-haired muscle man had asked her very simply if she would follow Loki's order. She had responded very politely, No. Since then they had been taking turns beating her. After a hard hit to the gut, which caused her to cough up blood, they decided to "take a rest." Anya, trying to fight off hunger pains and pain in general, barely heard the elevator ding.

Raising her head she saw the men standing at attention. Ahh, the dictator arrived, she thought to herself. To Anya, Loki looked angry when he saw her.

"What is the status?" he questioned, stopping in front of her. His eyes seemed hard. Anya wondered how pathetic she looked to him at that moment. The thought angered her.

"She refuses to cooperate," the dark haired man answered.

"Really?" Loki paused for a moment before asking her, "Well slave, have you changed your mind yet?"

"Have you changed the order yet?" she sarcastically responded in a dry raspy voice.

"No"

"Then you have your answer."

Loki stared at her. She must have be wrong, but she almost thought she saw a glimmer of admiration in his eyes.

"Do your job," Loki commanded the men.

"Sir, we have done everything that will not leave a permanent scar, as per your orders."

Anya wanted to tell him that was a lie. The stab wounds would leave scars. But that would be unneeded provoking so she kept her mouth shut.

Loki sighed, "Fine, just don't maim or kill her." Then he walked towards the elevator, "Also try not to injure her face. We do have to look at it later," he called out before getting on the elevator. With the closing of those doors, fear rang deep in Anya's gut. It only increased with the look two of the men were giving her. Only Jack, her night guard, didn't respond with an evil glare. Instead, he looked tired. Anya realized he was her only hope, but seeing as how the other two men ignored him she doubted there was anything he could do.

"Well then, pet, let's have some fun shall we?" the dark haired man spoke.

***Later in the Evening in Penn. – TF ***

Tony couldn't breathe. To say his world was shattered would be an understatement. It was all over his hands. He was kneeling in it. It was splattered across his face. The salty iron smell filling his nostrils. The warmth of it almost burned on his cold face. It was her blood…his sister's blood that was covering him. Loki shot her in front of him…laughing. Tony tried to lunch forward to kill the man. He would beat him to death. Vengeance was his only thought now. But even in that he was denied. Cold iron clamped around his wrists held him in place. He realized there was no escape. No vengeance. No hope. Everyone else was dead. They had failed. He had failed. Loki pointed the gun at Tony's head, "Any last words?" But he had none. At this point he longed for death. Then he heard the click of the gun, but only started to register the sound of it firing before darkness claimed him.

"Ahhh!" Tony awoke screaming. Startled by the change in scenery, he looked around him gasping for air. He tried to slow his breath. He was in the lab….they had been waiting on some calculations when Tony had rested his head for a moment….it was only a dream…it was only a dream. By the time his breathing was under control, he saw Bruce run into the lab

"What's wrong?!"

Tony gestured with his hands for Bruce to calm down, "Nothing…it was just a dream…"

His sciencebro took a deep breath and sank into his work station chair. "That must have been some dream," he noted.

Tony, wanting to change the subject noticed a Styrofoam cup with a lid in the scientist's hand, "Is that coffee?"

Bruce grimaced, "Yes, they didn't have tea."

Tony shook his head, "Of course not. Coffee is life blood." Feeling a bit more stable Tony stood and headed towards the door. "I'll be back," he told his friend who just nodded. He needed to get some coffee; maybe that would help shake the dream off. It felt so real. Tony realized the only thing that would make it better would be to see his "family" safe, all of them: Anya, Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey.

Tony grimaced, thinking of Rhodey. Tony had been tempted to call Rhodey for help, but considering the President and military leaders were turned, he didn't know if Rhodey was too. He hoped he wouldn't have to fight his friend. He was also thankful he hadn't given Rhodey the suit he was building yet. The Avengers were on their own. They would manage. They had to.

A/N: Mwahaha and I leave it there. A bit of anxiety/suspense is good for you all. Anyway, review and tell me your thoughts, especially regarding Thor's thoughts since I don't write his view often.

Side note, while this chapter is shorter than the last few, please consider that it is actually four pages long in Word. That being said, please don't review and ask me for longer chapters. I write and end a chapter wherever it's natural stopping point is; although, I try to keep them around the same length of 2-3K words.

Till next time! God bless!