Chapter 37: Loki

Thor was kneeling in a rubble-strewn street beside Jane when Loki arrived.

For a moment, he wasn't sure that Jane was alive, but as he drew nearer, she began to sit up with Thor's help. She saw Loki and gave a weak smile as he came over. Her shirt was wet with blood and bore burn marks, but Thor had already torn strips off his cape to form makeshift bandages.

Thor nodded a greeting. "See you got the ship," he noted.

"And you got the girl," Loki replied with a smile. "As always."

A slight smile curved the corners of Thor's mouth before he sobered again. "She needs a hospital."

"I'll be fine for now," Jane replied. "Just get me into that shop over there and I'll wait this thing out," she added, gesturing to a café with smashed windows.

Thor nodded reluctantly and gently scooped Jane up. He was back moments later. "Do we still have the Gauntlet?" he asked.

Loki nodded. "Yes."

"Good." Thor pulled out the Aether from the folds of his cape and frowned at the box of red mist. "How do we turn this into a Stone?"

Loki held up the scepter. "With this."

Thor looked dubiously at it. "How?"

Loki shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure. Put it on the ground."

Thor's frown deepened as he complied. "I hope this is wise, Brother."

Loki chuckled. "It's definitely not."

"What?"

Loki shook his head and gave Thor a "go on" gesture. Thor gave him one last questioning look, then brought Mjolnir down and smashed the Aether's container.

Instantly, the Aether snaked into the air, spreading out and drifting around the brothers in red and black ribbons.

Thor turned in place, eying the substance warily.

But Loki stepped closer to the Aether. He raised his hand and it snaked toward him. He stared at it as it approached, as though hypnotized by the swirling energy. It was very pretty, he thought.

"Loki…" Thor growled, worried. "What are you doing?"

Loki ignored him, raising the scepter so that the tip of its blade touched the Aether. There was a moment of stillness.

Then the Aether exploded into motion – a whirlwind of dark energy with Loki at its center.

"Loki!" Thor yelled, but Loki tuned him out, focusing all his attention on bending the Aether to his will with the scepter. And slowly it began to work.

The Aether vortex grew smaller, condensing at the scepter's tip. Slowly it formed the red Reality Stone, until all that was left was the Stone hanging in mid-air.

Loki lowered the scepter, breathing hard. That had been harder than he'd expected. He reached out cautiously and took the Stone from the air. Nothing happened. Loki smiled, tossing the Stone and catching it again. "Beautiful." He turned to Thor. "Let's go find the Gauntlet."