"So what's our cover story?"

I climb into the SUV, and Loki looks at me as I make myself comfortable on the seat next to him. Whoa, he looks good in a suit!

"Cover story?"

"Yeah, you know, what are we going to say when people ask our names and occupations? I mean, we can't just waltz in and say, 'Hey, we're just a couple of Asgardians who want to ruin your party! Don't mind us!'"

Loki raises an eyebrow at me, amusement in his glowing blue eyes. "I don't plan to. Here," he says, handing me a clutch that matches my dress. I raise my eyebrows slightly and open it as the driver pulls away. Inside, I see that one side has multiple slots for identification cards, and the other side has a pouch containing a tube of lipstick. There are a couple of ID's in the slots, so I pull them out and examine them. One is a debit card, the other a driver's license with my picture on it. My brow furrows as I briefly wonder where they got my picture, and then I do a double take as I look at the name on the card.

"Victoria Hiddleston?"

I give Loki a confused look, and he pulls a black leather wallet out of his pocket, opens it, and shows me his own forged driver's license. Thomas Hiddleston is clearly printed on the card next to a picture of him. "Wife of Thomas Hiddleston," he explains. "Apparently Barton liked your idea."

I frown. "But...I didn't tell him that. Did you tell him?"

"No." Loki looks at me, as though he's waiting for me to figure it out. It takes me about three seconds.

"Oh." I lower my brows at him. "You planted a listening device on me, didn't you?"

Loki smirks. "Took you long enough to realize that. You've been wearing it all week."

I huff and roll my eyes. "Of course I have." I sigh and shake my head. "I need to get a life. Anyway, what's the rest of our cover story? Where are we from? Occupations? Anything else necessary?"

Loki looks at me again, and if I didn't know better, I'd think he's impressed. "I am from the island of Great Britain, and you are British-American by marriage."

I nod. "That'll explain our accents."

Loki nods in agreement and continues. "I own a private charter company in Great Britain, and you are an author. We are attending the gala because we are touring Europe for our first anniversary."

I raise my eyebrows, trying to contain my laughter. "Are we now?"

Loki frowns at me, obviously not finding it funny. His face is deadly serious. "Yes, we are. Need I remind you that if you try to escape or reveal my presence and intentions, you will be disposed of?"

The smile falls from my face, a serious complexion quickly replacing it. I stare at him for a moment, taking his words to heart. I know he means them. "No, you don't need to remind me. I already figured that out for myself, thank you." I sigh. "I'm not going to reveal you, or try to escape in a place I know next to nothing about. I'm not that stupid. Heck, I have no reason to, because Fury's team is going to pick you up later."

Loki nods curtly. I purse my lips, rather annoyed, but I push my annoyance away. It won't help anything. "What is the plan tonight? Do we mingle, or are you starting your brilliant plan immediately?"

"We will mingle with the other guests until Barton is in place, and then we will make our move."

I frown. "Wait, we? I thought I was just coming for show. I am just coming for show, right?"

Loki gives me a hard look. "If I told you that you are here for more than just my cover, what would you do?"

I narrow my eyes at him, pondering his question. I don't care what he has in mind, I'm not killing anyone. But what does he have in mind? In the movie, Loki doesn't have anyone with him in the gala, meaning that I've already messed up the timeline, or I was just not there during those particular scenes. I hope for the latter, and answer carefully, but firmly. "I would ask what you meant. I stand by my promise to kill no one."

"And if I required you to kill?"

I raise my chin slightly, meeting his eyes. "I would say no," I reply calmly. Loki glares into my eyes for a moment.

"Courageous words for—"

"Or foolish."

Loki's brows rise a little in surprise. I know he agrees, but he's wondering why I said that. "What?" I ask. "I am foolish, and we both know it. I should never have been in my uncle's garage in the first place, and then I agreed to work with you just to save my own skin, which would never have happened if I had just kept to myself!" My voice gets louder and louder as I let out my pent-up frustration, and I sit back roughly against the seat, my fists clenched in my lap. "I am not supposed to be here, and now I have the knowledge and ability to ruin everything! One wrong move, one wrong word, and all hell could break loose. Not only on me, but also on you, and the entire universe because of what I know- or rather, who I know about." I glare at him for a moment, and then snap my head to the side, away from his gaze. We are both quiet for a few minutes.

"It seems we have a mutual understanding, then."

I look at him, realizing what he means. Of course. He's in the same boat I'm in. In a way, we're both being controlled by Thanos. Loki through mind control, and me through the threat of the future. And neither one of us can speak of what we know. "Yeah...I guess we do," I agree quietly. I meet his eyes, which aren't glowing quite as brightly as before, and a silent understanding passes between us. We are more alike than I first thought. I am not completely alone in this world. If anyone understands my predicament, it's Loki.

The rest of the ride is in comfortable silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts. When we finally pull up to the museum, we sit for a moment, unmoving. I'm actually about to do this. Then I sigh quietly and look at Loki. "Well, shall we?"

Loki nods, and we both get out. Time to shine, Victoria. Loki walks around the vehicle and offers me his arm like a true gentleman, and I take it with a smile, slipping into my role as Victoria Hiddleston. Boy, would my friends at home be jealous if they could see me now...

Loki walks me inside, briefly stopping at the door to be admitted into the grand entryway. The ceiling arches high above us, and beautiful music floats through the enormous area, produced by a group of violinists in a corner. I look around with wide eyes, taking in the beautiful architecture surrounding us. "This place is beautiful!" I breathe.

"It's tolerable," Loki replies. He, too, is taking in the architecture and various displays of ancient artifacts scattered around the room. I look at him with a frown, and then remember where he grew up.

"That's right, I forgot you grew up in Asgard." Loki tenses at the mention of his childhood home, but I decide to ignore it in hopes that he'll open up. If what he said is true, then Asgard is now my home as well. "I'll bet this is a far cry from the beauties of the Realm Eternal."

"It is indeed," Loki replies, his voice a little more tight than usual. I sigh quietly. I guess I'd better leave it at that...

Over the next hour, Loki and I move around quite a bit, looking at the various displays of ancient artifacts and speaking with multiple people. For a few minutes, he and I are held up by a sweet older couple who are eager to congratulate us on our "first anniversary". The lady wants to know how Loki and I met, where we went for our honeymoon, and makes sure to mention how good I am at choosing men before the conversation is over. I am rather embarrassed by the time we are able to slip away, and my eyes must have been playing tricks on me, because I could've sworn I saw the slightest bit of red on Loki's cheeks as we walked to another area of the gala. I have to say, though, I am surprised at how polite Loki has been tonight. I didn't know he was capable of it. "What a sweet couple," I comment sarcastically. Loki smirks.

"Yes, overly interested in our personal lives. Most kind."

I laugh. "No kidding. I wasn't expecting tonight to be so much fun," I say with a mischievous grin. Then something catches my eye. "Oh, look at that sculpture!" I drag Loki over to it and examine it with wide eyes. "Gosh, this must be hundreds of years old!"

Loki looks at it with barely concealed indifference. I watch him with brows furrowed. "Is Asgard truly so beautiful that this doesn't even phase you?" I ask, gesturing to the room around us. He looks at me, a mixture of emotions in his eyes, while his face remains confidently neutral.

"Yes," he answers simply. I stare at him in wonder.

"I wish I could see it," I say quietly. Loki gives me a bitter smile.

"It's not as glorious as you think, Victoria."

I shrug. "Perhaps not. But if it's more beautiful than this, I don't think I would notice, at least not at first. This is what I grew up with." I look around us. "I would love to see something more, especially if Asgard is my home world in this universe." I return his bitter smile. I know he understands what I mean. He offers me his arm again, and we walk off, both quiet.

We don't look at many of the sculptures and other artifacts after that. We mainly just drift from group to group, mingling with the other guests as we wait for Barton's signal. After a while, we go to a refreshments table for a drink, and I sit down in a nearby chair since my legs are beginning to tire. I don't wear heels very often. Loki stands next to me, observing the other attendees with a watchful eye. I look around as well, but my eyes are more drawn to the beautiful, ancient artwork on the ceiling and walls. I recognize one of the wall murals, and I squint at it, wondering why. Then I realize it's the one from Avengers 1, the one on the second level that Loki passes by when headed down the stairs to start his distraction.

Just then, Loki walks around in front of me and offers me his hand. "May I have this dance?"

My eyebrows shoot skyward, and I glance behind him to see several couples already on the floor. "Ah, yes," I respond with a smile, taking his hand and standing. He takes my drink and sets it on a waiter's tray, then leads me to the other dancers. "That was a little sudden," I comment. He turns to face me and places one hand on my waist and the other in my left hand.

"The guards were watching us," he explains.

"Oh."

The music begins, and I silently thank my mother for forcing me to take a few lessons in dancing for prom a couple of years ago. I at least know what I'm doing, though I am by no means a good dancer. Loki, however, is an excellent dancer and a perfect gentleman, covering over my mistakes easily and gently leading me around the dance floor. It only takes me a few moments to relax, and when I do, I stop making so many mistakes. "You are a very good dancer," I observe. Loki smiles slightly.

"My moth- Queen Frigga taught me," he answers, his smile dissolving quickly. I can't help but notice the pain in his eyes when he mentions his adoptive mother. I smile gently at him.

"Well, she certainly knew what she was doing. Didn't she teach you your magic as well?"

Loki tenses a little. "Yes, she did."

I bite back a sigh. He's always so tense when I talk about his past life. I decide to change the subject. "How much longer do we have before Barton is ready?"

"Half an hour."

I nod, glancing around at the various guards in the room as Loki twirls me and then pulls me back to him. None of the guards are watching us now. "Where will I be while you are causing your distraction and getting captured?"

"One of my men will escort you back to the jet beforehand."

I look back at him. "I'm not going to help with the distraction?"

Loki shakes his head. "There is no need."

I smile gratefully at him. "Thank you."

He nods in reply, and the dance ends. We both join in the applause, and then Loki holds out his arm for me to take. "You were looking at the wall mural earlier. Would you like to see it up close?" he asks. I smile, a little surprised at his sudden offer, and slip my arm in his.

"Yes, I would!"

We walk up the grand staircase leading to a long balcony that overlooks the main area, and I can't help the gasp that escapes my lips at the sight of the gorgeous painting. "Wow," I breathe, moving closer to it. The ancient work is still beautiful, despite its age. "Does Asgard have wall murals like this?" I ask without looking at him.

"Yes," he answers, not sounding tense like I was expecting. I glance at him, and realize he's lost in thought. I smile to myself and continue to examine the mural, taking in its intricate details. The style seems similar to something Michelangelo would have painted, but I'm not sure. I wish I had paid more attention in art class...

A few minutes later, Loki looks at me. "It's time."

I sigh and nod. "Alright." I look down at the the gathering from the balcony where I'm standing one last time, and then turn to my captor. "Thank you for tonight," I say with a slight smile. "I've never been to a gala before, and I've certainly never been to Germany. Even though I was forced to come, I have to say I've greatly enjoyed it."

One corner of his mouth turns up. "As have I, Victoria."

My smile widens, and we walk across the balcony and into an adjoining hallway. One of Loki's men is waiting for us at the end of the hallway. "Have fun getting captured, your highness," I say with a grin, moving to stand beside Loki's henchman. Loki looks at me for a long moment, causing my smile to fade slightly. Then he bows his head to me.

"It was a pleasure, Victoria."

Then he turns and walks away. I frown after him, wondering what that was about.

"Come, Victoria," Loki's henchman says. I turn to follow him, but glance over my shoulder at the retreating form of my captor. Odd...

Author's Note: Hello everyone! I hope you're enjoying this! We've made it to twenty chapters, but there is so much more to come. I'm so excited to share it with you!

Thank you for reading!

Signing off, AuthorsDream.