I look at Loki, and his gaze chills me to the bone. I know right then that if I don't perform, I'm dead.

Swallowing hard, I turn to the doctor, who now has a frown of confusion on his face. "Dr. Selvig, mind if I ask a few questions about your work?"

Selvig instantly brightens. "Of course not! Anything! What do you want to know?"

"Um, first of all, how is your work coming? Are you having any problems, or is everything moving smoothly?"

"Well, we're coming to a standstill, actually," Selvig replies. "We need a certain type of metal called-"

"Iridium." Well, that was easy.

Selvig blinks. "Yes, how did you-"

"I know a lot of things. Like the fact that you'll have your iridium in the next couple of days, depending on when that German gala is." I sigh, and turn back to Loki, having the information I need. "When you go to Germany, you will make yourself known with the intention of getting captured by SHIELD. You'll let them take you, and have Barton track you so that he knows where you are. In the meantime, you'll try your best to divide the team Nick Fury has assembled, pitting them against each other. When this device is ready, Barton will break you out, and you'll head back here to finalize your operation. Once everything is ready, you'll head to downtown NYC and put your plan into motion, letting the Chi-"

Loki holds up his hand, silencing me. Maybe he doesn't want everyone to know his plans to take over the earth. I smirk. Of course he doesn't.

"Impressive," he says. "But not good enough." I frown, my heart rate picking up again. What does he want now?

"Everything you just told me you could easily have gathered by asking questions. All you've told me is my plan. Nothing more."

Oh. I do a mental facepalm and roll my eyes. Thankfully, I'll be able to fix that without giving away too much information. "Right. Um, when you are making yourself known in Germany, several of the Avengers will show up. Lesse... it'll be Captain America, Tony Stark, and Black Widow. And you're going to get kicked in the face. Literally. Then you're going to surrender and go with them, and..." Should I tell him this? "...someone else will try to capture you."

Loki eyes me. He obviously still doesn't trust me. "Interesting claims. You seem to know a lot about my plans." He looks straight into my eyes, and I know he's about to test me again. Uh-oh. "Tell me, if I asked you to join me, would you?"

I furrow my brows at the sudden question, indignation rising in my bosom. Join him? Is he joking? I give a mirthless bark of laughter. "What? Join you? In taking over the world? Taking hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent lives? Are you kidding me?"

Loki's eyes narrow in anger, but I don't care. This is crazy! How dare he try to take over earth?! How dare he ask me to join him?! My fear is gone as I look straight into his eyes. I hesitate only slightly. What I'm about to say could easily cost me my life.

"Never."

Loki holds my gaze for a moment, anger in his eyes, and then he smirks. "Brave words. But they won't help you." He lifts his scepter.

My heart rate spikes. He's going to- My entire body tenses, and a hundred options race through my mind at once. But none of them will work. I'm surrounded and outnumbered. It's over.

NO!

The scepter stops just before hitting my chest. Loki's face contorts in confusion, then rage. Barton, still standing next to me, stiffens, and Selvig stumbles backward, eyes wide. Loki jerks his scepter back and looks around, searching for something. "Find her!" he practically roars.

Find who?

Loki turns back to me. I frown at him, confused. "What's-"

His gaze passes through me.

What the...

HE CAN'T SEE ME!

I stare, open-mouthed, as Loki continues his visual search, turning full circle, hand gripping his scepter so hard that his knuckles are white. I look down at myself to make sure I'm still here. I can see myself just fine! Why can't he see me? What is happening?!

I hold my hands up in front of my face, examining them. How am I doing this? Then, I become aware of something on my skin that I have never noticed before. There is a slight...glow? As I focus, the glow gets a little brighter, and I can feel something like adrenaline or energy pulsing through my body, but it's different. I think I can control it... What the heck?! Horrified, I release the energy, and it stops immediately. I stand there, staring in astonishment at my hands, which are no longer glowing. Then I look up, realizing my mistake.

Loki is staring at me, a mixture of amazement, confusion, and the remnants of anger on his face. I slowly start to back away, but he holds up his hand. "Wait." He doesn't sound angry, which surprises me. In fact, he actually looks intrigued.

I narrow my eyes, ready to turn invisible again and make a break for it. "Why? So you can mind control me? Use me to your advantage? Why should I wait?" I say angrily.

Loki slowly bends down and lays his scepter on the ground, then stands back up. My eyes dart from him to his scepter. What is he doing? He looks into my eyes again. "You don't know how to control your power."

I frown, then look down at my hands again, and realize that they are...flickering. The glow is flickering. I try to focus and make myself invisible, and it works for a moment. But then it goes back to flickering. I growl with frustration. My emotions are running high as a result of all this, and I know I have to get control of myself. I take a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down.

"Good." My eyes flick back to Loki. He looks pleased, maybe even impressed. "Control your feelings, or you won't be able to control your power."

I frown. What? Did he just...

I look down at my hands again. The glow is gone, and my heart rate is going back to normal. I look back up at Loki to find him watching my every move. His eyes are calculating, discerning, like those of a snake. It makes me want to shudder.

Suddenly, I realize that everything has gone quiet. I quickly look over my shoulder, realizing that everyone in the underground lair is watching me. I turn back to Loki, not sure what to do. If I try to go invisible again, he'll order them to attack me, and since I don't have full control of the ability to turn invisible, I won't be able to get away.

"Victoria, there is nowhere for you to go."

I glare at him, but say nothing.

"I can help you control your power," Loki offers. I narrow my eyes again.

"And then what? Serve you? Kill for you? I don't think so."

Loki laughs a little, the sound sending shivers down my spine. "But you don't have a choice, do you?"

I clench my fists, anger rising again. "I do have a choice! As long as I have breath in my body, I have a choice! And I refuse to-" My tirade stops as I see Loki glance at someone behind me and give a slight nod. I try to turn around, but someone grabs me from behind, and a needle pricks my neck. I struggle violently, but my strength seems to abandon me. Panicked, I look back to see Loki smiling smugly.

Then my world goes dark for the third time today.