Here we are! We've finally reached The Avengers. Obviously, this chapter will contain many a spoiler for the movie, so if you haven't seen it, don't read this. Though I don't know many people who haven't seen it, it's amazing! Remember once again, just like with Thor I'm not typing the movie out line by line. Think "deleted scenes"!

Thanks once again to each and every person who took the time to read this story and to those of you who left reviews! I adore your feedback and even though I don't get around to replying personally to all the reviews left here, I honestly appreciate them more than I can say.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a big one, the longest I've written for this story so far!

Tension hung heavy in the Asgardian Throne Room as the words that Heimdall had just spoken had time to sink in. No one there truly knew what to say, for what was there to say? Loki was in Midgard. Loki was now in possession of one of the most powerful weapons in existence. Loki had to be stopped.

Thor could hear blood rushing in his ears. He couldn't believe this was truly happening – Rosa had been right. His brother was out there, alive. He suddenly felt a great wave of hope swell within him; they would reunite and everything that had happened would be forgotten. All would be fixed, Loki would come home and his family would be whole again. He glanced over to Rosa expecting to see her perhaps smile a little, expecting at the very least for her to react. But she just stood there, still as stone, staring at Heimdall with her jaw set tight.

She looked up at him and that fleeting moment of eye contact caused Thor's hope to falter. There was hurt in her eyes, despair. She had dreamed of what Heimdall now spoke of, she had seen it. Whatever Loki had done to attain the Tesseract, it was not actions of peace. People had most certainly suffered.

Heimdall went on to report Loki's attacks, the destruction he had caused, the lived it had cost. The atmosphere within the Throne Room became – if possible – all the more tense. Rosa glanced towards the King. He looked so tired, as if the weight of all the world rested upon his shoulders and she supposed that really, it did.

"He does not only attack Midgard's protectors but their commoners too." Heimdall went on. "He is amongst their people now. He and those under his control mean to obtain a substance known to the Midgardians as iridium. He is planning something My King, building something. He has no intention of being stopped."

"Of course he will not stop." Thor spoke up, his voice quivering slightly as he fought to keep his anger under control. "Loki knows that Midgard is of great importance to me. He knows I have allies there, friends. He targets their planet because I hold it dear. He will not stop until he has torn their world apart. He means to exact revenge."

Odin moved towards Heimdall. He moved slowly, needing the full support of his staff. He had grown so weary since Loki had fallen.

Odin had been woken from his sleep prematurely in order to save his sons from plunging off of the Bifrost. It had taken all the power he possessed to pull himself from his slumber but he refused to go under again. The Kingdom had needed his guidance in those times more than ever before. After all, a member of the Royal Family itself had almost brought war to Asgard, he had almost destroyed an entire realm, and though the information had never been officially released to the Asgardian public, there were whispers that he was, in fact, a Frost Giant. His people had needed him, and so he had been there.

"I shall go to Midgard to retrieve Loki and the Tesseract. It should never have been allowed to lay in the possession of mortals. Thor, you will watch over Asgard until my return."

"Father," Thor dropped to one knee before the King, his heart drumming in his chest. "You are not strong enough for a journey to Midgard. I beg you to send me. I promised the mortals that their planet was under my protection. I will do whatever is necessary to bring Loki back to Asgard."

As Rosa watched the exchange, a sickening feeling rose up within her stomach, one that she had been trying to ignore since the first time she had felt it. This was not the first time, ever since the dreams had started this feeling had been creeping up within her, growing stronger and stronger each and every time, no matter how hard she fought it... It was doubt.

She never would have thought Loki to be capable of such acts of evil. Never would she have believed that he would intentionally hurt anyone. Yet over and over again, he seemed to be proving her wrong. How could that kind and gentle Prince she had been so shy of in the Royal Library have turned into this? When had he become so cruel?

The thought weighed heavy in her heart. If he was still in there, her Loki, the Loki she knew, he needed her. She could make him see reason. She could bring him home.

Rosa finally stepped forward, her heart fluttering. She knew she had to word what she would say quite delicately if she were to convince Odin to hear her. She fell to her knees before him and bowed her head respectfully.

"Allfather… My King, permit me to go with Thor-"

"Rosa," Thor cut in hesitantly.

"I will make Loki see reason. He will listen to me. There need not be any further bloodshed."

The King studied her, his scrutinising gaze boring into her with his one unblinking eye. "It has reached me that since he fell, you have searched for sign of Loki's whereabouts?"

"Yes, your Grace-"

"You will remain in Asgard, Rosa." He said calmly, resolutely. "You are far too emotionally invested in this to risk your involvement.

Rosa's face burned with shame, she knew the King was thinking of her hysterics upon the bridge when Loki had fallen.

"He is your family," Rosa answered. "Yours and Thor's both. We are all invested in this. Why should I have any less right to try to help him?"

"Because I am your King." The echo of Odin's words hung in the air as he grew impatient with her. "And I have spoken."

Unable to control herself, Rosa spoke again, malice in her tone. "With all due respect, My King-"

"You will remain here." Odin said firmly, his voice taking on a new sort of power. "And mind that you do not speak out of turn again."

Rosa cast a pleasing glance over Odin's shoulder to Thor who watched on. He looked as if he were about to speak but then seemed to change his mind and turned his gaze away from her. Rosa's heart sank, she lowered her head.

"Yes, my King." She murmured gently before righting herself and stepping away from the Allfather.

Thor tried to catch her gaze but Rosa adamantly refused to look at him. She felt betrayed. It was her after all, who had spent every day since Bifrost was destroyed searching for Loki. What right did they have to deny her the chance to find him?

They are Royalty, she reminded herself bitterly. Do not forget your place…

"Thor," Odin's voice pulled her from her thoughts and she looked up to watch as Odin turned to face his son. "I send you now… to Midgard."

The Throne Room suddenly grew darker. The candles seemed to dim though in truth they burned just as bright as they had before. A wind rose, yet the night had been still. And the ground began to tremor, gentle at first but soon growing stronger.

"I entrust you with the duty to find the traitor, Loki, and the Tesseract, and the return with them to Asgard."

Black storm clouds began to brew around Thor's feet, growing larger and larger as the Allfather spoke. Tiny spikes of lightning shot out from every angle and struck at Thor's armour but he remained unaffected. He continued to stare up at his Father, Mjolnir clenched tight in his fist.

By her side, Rosa began to work her fingers. She felt the now familiar tingle of her magic rising within her as she moved her hand gradually getting faster until each finger moved so quickly they looked like trickling water. She eyed those around her cautiously, but they remained oblivious to her actions, far too absorbed in the dark power Odin was calling upon to send his son across the realms.

They backed away in fear as the storm clouds grew larger until they engulfed Thor completely and the Throne Room was filled with a powerful wind, knocking over candle stands and sending hair and garments into a terrible array of mess. Just as quickly as the clouds had gathered, so too did they quell and disappear. When they had dissipated completely, gasps were heard as those present discovered Thor to have vanished. Few had ever seen the power that the Allfather was capable of.

The Gods and Goddesses who looked on as Thor was cast into Midgard were oblivious to the fact that Rosa now clutched seven strands of golden hair in her hand.

It was then that Odin collapsed, the amount of power it had taken to send Thor away had proven too much for him. Many ran forward to help him, frightened by the sight of the Allfather looking so weak. Rosa took the opportunity to back out of the Throne Room unnoticed. No sooner had she slipped out of the door did she break into a sprint, flying through the corridors towards her bedchambers with the golden strands of hair clutched tight in her fist.

As soon as she reached her chambers, she threw open the doors and ran towards a table in the corner she'd set up long ago. It resembled one that had once stood in Loki's room, covered in foreign ingredients and strange objects (many of which had been given to her by the Oracle) and in the centre sat a large basin.

Rosa waved her hand over the basin, feeling her skin tingle. As soon as it filled itself with water, Rosa placed a single strand of the golden hair into the liquid and watched impatiently as an image began to swirl before her. She leaned over it with bated breath.

Thor leaned against the curved inner wall of the S.H.E.I.L.D. aircraft as they sped through the darkness. The metal man, Stark, chattered away incessantly in the background to the woman flying the plane but Thor did not take in much of what either of them were saying. He stayed focused on his brother instead. He had changed so very much. There had always been such a harshness in Loki but never had it been so close to the surface. Before that day, when the Bifrost fell and his brother along with it, Thor had always seen Loki as one who tended to lean more towards the darkness. After all, what was one to expect from the God of Lies and Mischief? Though he had always thought him to be good. He was not naïve to the whispers others had passed around regarding Loki, but he had thought them stupid – people just didn't understand Loki as he thought he had. It caused his heart to grow heavy to see him like this, for him to have fallen so far.

"Loki…" Thor said gently, keeping his voice low so not to attract the attention of the others. "I beg you to see reason. There is nothing for you here."

Loki's eyes flicked up to meet his, a glint of amusement shining within them. He wondered how many of these pathetic speeches he would hear from Thor before his plan was fully executed. Did the dull lump truly think that there was anything he could say to convince him to return to Asgard? To face the punishment and imprisonment that surely awaited him there? 'There was nothing for him here'? Loki scoffed, there was nothing for him there.

"Please Loki… come home. It is not too late. Rosa will-"

Quick as lightening itself, Thor was slammed back against the wall of the aircraft, the full weight of Loki's body pressed up against him. As Loki pushed his forearm hard into Thor's throat, he struggled to inhale. He could do nothing but gaze at the dark haired man who had attacked him, far too shocked to react.

"Do not dare speak that name to me." Loki snarled.

Thor stared at the man before him in astonishment. In those few moments he had become totally unrecognisable. Any trace Thor had been able to make out of the boy he had grown up with only moments before had vanished completely. Poisonous… he had looked poisonous.

Within seconds, Stark and the Captain had leapt up and taken hold of Loki, hauling him away from his brother. Each of their faces etched with shock and disbelief that Loki had been capable of breaking through his bindings with such ease. As they forced him back into his seat he went willingly, though his dangerous glare never diverted from Thor.

A rapid knocking upon her door drew Rosa out of her dazed state. She whipped around in surprise but remained still. She was not going to let anyone in at such a time, she was not going anywhere.

She hoped desperately (and admittedly quite naively) that if she did not answer, they would leave her be, perhaps look elsewhere for her at least.

"Rosa!" came the angry voice of Sif. "Rosa, you open this door at once! If you are doing something foolish in there I will have no choice but to go to the Allfather! Do not put yourself in danger at a time such as this, Rosa!"

The door suddenly opened and Rosa took hold of Sif's arm then hauled her inside before slamming the door closed again.

"I am not doing anything I should not, Sif." Rosa told her simply, as she hurried back over to the basin which was giving off a faint glow.

Sif eyed it warily as she approached. Craning her neck so that she could keep a safe distance, she peered into the bowl before Rosa who hovered over it hungrily. Her hands started to shake at the sight of Thor's image dancing on the surface of the water. Her stomach clenched, she had known Rosa was involving herself with magic but never had she suspected that it was to a point where she was capable of conjuring images from across the galaxy. That was no small feat of trickery.

It had not been until Loki himself had begun to dabble in the arts of magic all those years ago that the Asgardian's had begun to mistrust him. It had soon consumed him, become part of him. To the point where, upon the battlefield, the Trickster had protected himself with spells rather than weapons.

Sif would admit that she did not know much about magic, but she did know this; it changed you. It awakened something dark within anyone who dared to attempt to control it. She feared it. And she feared now for Rosa.

"He's found him." Rosa told Sif, pulling her from her thoughts. "He was apprehended by some mortals of power and Thor returns to their headquarters now. Loki has hidden the Tesseract."

"Rosa-"

"They cannot return home until Thor finds it."

"Rosa-"

"This all seems too easy Sif, he's up to something."

"Rosa."

Rosa finally lifted her gaze to meet Sif's eye. She had seen the way Sif had reacted to the basin, to her magic. She did not wish to argue about it at such a time. She had already been denied permission to journey with Thor to retrieve Loki, so what was she expected to do now? Sit around patiently to see whether they return at all? No. If that is what Sif were to ask of her, Rosa would deny her. She had waited for sign of him for far too long.

"What is it Sif?" She asked, hearing the tension in her own voice.

"Are you alright?" Sif asked gently, placing a kind hand upon Rosa's.

The question caught her off guard and she tensed. Sif had never made secret of the fact that she despised Loki. She never once spoke the words directly to Rosa herself, but she made it more than clear that she truly believed Loki got what he deserved. He had never been kind, he had never been good and he had never been one to be trusted. Rosa had become a dear friend to her and she couldn't for the life of her understand what it was she had seen in the foul Prince. She could not understand why she would ever want to find him again. She believed that the best thing that could have happened to Rosa was Loki falling into oblivion, never to be heard from again.

Rosa knew this. So Sif's soft concern moved her more than she ever would have expected. Tears welled in her eyes and though she was well aware that Sif had seen them, she blinked them away quickly.

"I'll be fine." She answered stiffly, leaning over the basin once again to see Loki being escorted into the SHEILD facility and locked in a glass cage.

"Is this love, Agent Romanoff?" Loki sneered. The very word left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Love is for children, I owe him a debt." The woman folded her arms resolutely and her answer left Loki dissatisfied. He wanted to scoff at her sentiments. He wanted to laugh at the foolish girl for having feelings that made her weak, pathetic.

For that's all that love was; weakness, stupidity, vulnerability. He had learned it the hard way and he despised the notion now. He had offered it to a weak girl and in doing so he had given her to power to break him. And how she had broken him.

Thor uttering that name earlier on their journey to the SHEILD carrier had sparked such rage within Loki. She was a thought he had done his best not to dwell upon for two years now and the mention of her had caused him to lose his composure. He could not afford to let it happen again.

Still, the very thought of it threatened to consume him once more. He wanted this mortal to feel the pain of it. He wanted her to suffer for it.

"But I like this." He smiled at her, his eyes filled with a deadly glint. "Your world in the balance and you bargain for one man."

There was something about this mortal woman's eyes, something that reminded him of… He clenched his jaw and willed the thought away. He could not afford to grow angry now, not when the pieces were just falling into place.

But she remained so calm. So composed. Perhaps it was just that Thor had planted the thought in his mind but once again her eyes met his and just for a fleeting few seconds it reminded him of… It sickened him. She was nothing but a weakmortal, a thing.

As he spoke his poisonous words to her the anger within him rose, it grew white hot and seeped out of every pore on his body. With a snarl he slammed his fist upon the glass that separated them and felt a tiny spark of satisfaction as she jumped back from him slightly. He lapped up the fright in her eyes.

"I won't touch Barton, not until I make him kill you. Slowly… intimately… in every way he knows you fear. And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work and when he screams, I'll split his skull. This is my bargain you mewling quim."

"You're a monster." Those words again… the words that haunted him.

"Oh no," he replied coldly. "You brought the monster…"

And just like that, she regained her composure.

So she had figured out his plans, it was not as if anything could be done to stop him now. Everything was already in motion. Loki scowled to himself, knowing full well that love had caused him weakness once again.

As the two Asgardian women hovered over the images dancing in the basin, the tension in the room grew heavier. Neither really knew who had reached for the other's hand first but they clutched onto one another now for dear life. It was torturous, staring at the events unfolding worlds away and being totally powerless to help any of them.

"What is that thing?" Sif murmured in horror as a great green beast attacked Thor. It was strong. And angry. Able to knock down the God with ease.

"It's the man from the lab, Bruce Banner." Rosa replied with a quivering voice. "It seems that the mortals of Midgard are capable of a great deal more than we assumed."

"Where is Loki?" Sif asked impatiently. "This was his doing, he means to escape! Can you not see if he is still locked in there?"

Rosa only shook her head, thinking the same thing. "I can look only upon Thor. I was unsure whether I'd be able to conjure images this far away at all. I took some of Thor's hair before the Allfather sent him away so that I might watch over him."

Sif clenched her jaw, utterly frustrated. She hated being powerless. And never had she felt more so than she did now.

They looked on, totally useless as Thor battled the green giant until one of the SHEILD agents in an aircraft lured the beast away. Thor – clearly thinking along the same lines as Sif – made off immediately to find Loki.

Loki plunged his sceptre so deep into Coulson's back that the spike protruded out of his chest, a nasty snarl upon his features.

Rosa's breathing hitched and the blood drained from her face. It was the first time she'd seen him kill someone. Until that moment, it had just been another tale, another horrible part of a story just before the happy ending. But what this was too real, the blood on his staff – on his hands – was too real.

She felt her skin begin to crawl as Loki made his way towards the control panel of the cage. Thor watched his brother helplessly. He looked so wounded, so betrayed.

"He's going to kill him, Rosa!" Sif backed away from the basin unable to breathe. She needed to get to him, she need to help him. How could she – and Asgardian Warrior – just watch idly as the Prince was put to death?

"It is fine, Sif! He won't do it!" Rosa yelled at her, her confidence wavering.

Rosa barely registered at all that Sif was screaming beside her. She watched helplessly as Thor plunged to earth. It was a cruelty to a woman such as Sif to be forced into the position of a spectator. Had she been there she would had fought, she would have willingly laid down her life so that Thor might live to stop Loki, like a true warrior should. But instead, she stood over a basin of water, worlds away, watching helplessly as he fell.

The pair almost collapsed in sheer relief as Thor managed to break free of the containment unit just as it were about to make impact. Rosa let her hair hang around her face, hiding from Sif the tears that welled in her eyes.

"He… he pressed the button… he tried to kill him…" he's really gone…

A tear slipped down Rosa's cheek and she leaned down, slowly dipping her face into the water.

"He's really gone, isn't he?"

Thor's hand stilled, he did not pick up Mjolnir. He knew the voice. He would know her voice anywhere, but it sounded different, foreign – as if he were only picking up the echo of her spoken words. He looked around him but did not see her, he was alone with only Mjolnir by his side. His hand clenched and his heart grew heavy as he realised that while she remained in Asgard, she had been watching, she had seen everything.

"Rosa?" He said gently.

"You did not wish for me to see it firsthand… that is why you agreed with your Father when he thought it better for me to remain here in Asgard."

Thor lowered his head.

"Somehow you knew… you knew he'd be lost to us. I suspected as much but I held too much hope that maybe we could help him. You were protecting me, like you have for years now… Thor, do what you must to keep Midgard safe, and know that if it comes to it, if you must- if you must stop Loki… you will face no blame when you return."

"Rosa…" Thor's voice was strained, his throat tight. "What Loki plans on doing to this planet, what I must prevent from coming to pass. You must know that if I cannot persuade him to-"

"He has killed people, Thor… he's done such terrible things."

"Rosa… it was you who refused to give up on him. You who searched for him every day since he was lost. Surely you do not wish for this to be his end."

Her voice shook with emotion. "Of course I don't. Of course I want him to come home, for him to be with me again… but we cannot allow more people to suffer because we hold onto hope for one that is lost."

Thor clenched his jaw and looked up, towards Rosa, though he knew he would not see her.

"Do what you must, my dear friend, and be at peace with it."

Thor then took hold of Mjolnir and lifted it skyward.

As Rosa pulled herself up from the basin she sucked in a desperate, shuddering breath. She stumbled, disorientated at finding herself once again in Asgard. She was dizzy having performed magic beyond her capability but it was a risk she felt she'd needed to take. Thor had needed to hear those words. A burden rested upon his shoulders far heavier than any other in Midgard who would stand to fight Loki.

Sif stood by her, fear evident upon her features, something she never allowed past her mask of composure.

Rosa opened her mouth to speak but instead let out a sudden shriek of agony. White, hot pain seared through her skull and caused her to drop to her knees, clutching at her head. Vaguely, she registered that Sif was by her side, calling her name, supporting her weight but the pain seemed to consume her

A small line of blood trickled from Rosa's nose and it looked all the more horrifically red against her completely pale skin, all the colour had drained out of her when she had fainted. Panicking now, Sif ran to the door and wrenched it open, she screamed for the guard standing at attention to send for a healer. She slammed the door shut again and turned back to return to Rosa's side just in time to see her eyes flutter shut as she lost consciousness.

The time had come. He would call them forth, the Chitauri. They would come and they would burn everything…

And he would not feel anything for mortals and their cries for help. He would not feel regret… their screams… their blood would not keep him awake for hours on end each night.

Loki shook the thought away and gritted his teeth.

He felt nothing for these beings, he told himself. They were insignificant weaklings. After all, was he not more likened to the Chitauri than these pathetic humans? Was it not time to embrace the fact that he was a monster?

His hands clenched around his sceptre as the Ironman landed upon the Tower and stared him down. He would have this world. And it would fill him with pride and with purpose… or his would feel nothing at all ever again.

It was better to feel nothing at all than pain… than loneliness.

Rosa twitched as she felt a damp cloth being pressed to her temple. She jerked away from it and groaned, struggling to open her eyes. When she finally managed it blurred images slowly focused form the faces of Sif and a Healer leaning over her.

"Are you alright, dear?" The woman asked gently with a smile.

Rosa jolted upright, swinging her legs over the edge of her bed.

The woman put her hands upon Rosa's shoulders immediately. "Oh, you don't want to be doing that just yet, my girl. You've had quite a turn-"

Rosa brushed her hands away and stood. "Get out." She ordered, hurrying back over towards the basin.

"Rosa-" the Healer began.

"Out!" Rosa said again, firmly. She filled the basin with water once again and threw the remainder of Thor's hair in with it.

The Healer gave Sif an uncertain look who nodded reluctantly, guiding the older woman towards the door. "I'll stay with her." She murmured, "And I will call upon you personally if anything should happen."

As soon as Sif closed the door behind the disgruntled woman, Rosa spoke.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Hours. Rosa, you should rest-"

"I saw him." Rosa cut her off. "It was different this time… I can't explain it, it was if I were inside his head. He's still in there, Sif. If I can just speak to him…"

The images swirled to reveal Thor just as he arrived atop Stark Tower where Loki stood, overlooking the city in turmoil. Rosa gripped the sides of the basin and did her best to level out her breathing. She was not ready for this, she need more rest. Adrenaline was all that was keeping her going at this point.

As Loki stabbed Thor in the side Rosa screamed out, horrified. Without though she took up a silver dagger from beside the basin and sliced open her palm. She ignored the searing pain and plunged her bleeding hand into the water.

The world around her shifted and suddenly she was stood by Thor's side, surrounded by chaos upon Stark Tower. For a fleeting moment her eyes met Loki's and she saw his pure disbelief at her presence. Rosa opened her mouth to speak but immediately felt faintness overcoming her. She was not strong enough for such magic, she had known that but she had had to get to Thor. She felt life draining from her and as everything around her began to fade she reached out just far enough to take hold of a handful of Loki's raven black hair.

No sooner had she appeared was she gone again. Thor took the opportunity to use Loki's state of shock to his advantage and he lunged at his brother. He had him in his grips for mere moments before Loki threw himself off of the building and disappeared in amongst the chaos.

"Rosa!" Thor cried out, waiting for her to respond but she was gone.

"Rosa!" Sif was on her knees by her side, shaking the woman's limp body. She was not breathing. "Rosa! Wake up!"

Rosa sat up suddenly, her eyes shot open wide and her head lulled from side to side. She sucked in a deep and shuddering breath and the blood trickled from her nose over her lips which were moving more rapidly than Sif would believe anyone was actually capable of. When Sif looked into Rosa's eyes she gasped, horrified. Her pupils had disappeared. Blind, white surfaces were all that stared back at her.

"You are not strong enough, child." Rosa croaked in a voice that was not her own.

Sif edged cautiously towards Rosa, totally at a loss of what to do. She looked to be under some heavy sort of trance. Was this Loki's work? Had he managed to do this to her while she had been in Migard? It had only been seconds…

"I saw him," Rosa spoke again, this time in her own voice. "I have to keep trying."

"Rosa?" Sif tried, but she went unanswered, Rosa seemed to be completely unaware of Sif's presence.

"The efforts will kill you..." Rosa croaked, her head rolling to the side once again.

"Then help me," Rosa's true voice begged. "You could do it, you have the power."

"It is true… but my assistance will come at a price… and you will pay greatly, child… are you prepared for that?" The voice droned again and dread filled Sif.

She took hold of Rosa and shook her violently. "Rosa! Wake up!" She screamed, slapping her as hard as she possibly could. The motion left her hand stinging yet it had no effect on the woman before her.

"I don't care… just help me save him." Rosa's voice was as fragile as shattering glass.

A cruel laugh crawled up from her throat and an ugly smile graced her features. "Very well..."

Rosa's eyes closed and she let out a long breath. When she opened her eyes again she seemed only slightly disorientated. Sif watched guardedly, inching away slightly as Rosa turned to face her. Some of the tension in her shoulders eased ever so slightly when she saw that Rosa's eyes had unfogged. She stared at her with crystal clear, blue pupils and a calm smile upon her face.

Sif stood quickly as Rosa rose to her feet. She left a fair few feet between them, unnerved by the sudden unnatural calm that possessed Rosa after such a turn.

"Rosa?" she asked hesitantly, edging only slightly closer to the woman before her. "Rosa, are you alright?"

Rosa inclined her head gently to her friend before turning to move towards the basin of blood and water. "Do not fear me, Sif. All is well."

"Rosa, what happened to you? You spoke in two voices. You-what are you doing?"

She watched in utter horror as Rosa waved a hand over the basin, the liquid drained away into nothingness and refilled itself again with clean water. Rosa dropped the black strands of hair – Loki's hair – she had been holding into the basin and then took up the silver dagger which rested upon the table beside her. Sif launched herself forward and took hold of Rosa's wrist.

"Have you lost your mind?!" She gasped, glaring at her friend. "Rosa, don't do this. He isn't worth your life!"

"It is almost over now, Sif. They will be home soon." Her skin suddenly became white hot and Sif hissed, releasing her grip instantly. She looked down hurriedly at her hand but saw no injury. Her eyes met Rosa's once more and she found herself unnerved by the calm gaze she was returned.

"Do not be afraid." Rosa murmured before taking the knife to her wrist and plunging her arm into the water.

As soon as Rosa's hand was engulfed in the liquid she felt the world sway around her and suddenly the sounds of chaos filled her ears. Explosions… cries for help… it was all just background noise as the sound of her own heartbeat filled her, consumed her. She was in Midgard again, in Tony Stark's tower, but this time she felt strong, in control. She gazed around and her breathing stilled when her eyes fell upon him at last. Slowly, he was pulling himself out of a crevice he was imbedded into in the ground. He had not yet noticed that she was there.

"Loki…"she breathed, taking absent steps closer to him.

His eyes shot up at the sound of the voice. A voice he would know anywhere. A voice which haunted him. Their eyes met and his gaze became impossibly cold though he seemed unable to move, taking in her image, a sight he thought he'd never see again. She seemed both willing and hesitant to come any closer to him, suddenly unsure of what to say, what to do.

She had searched the galaxy for two years, and now that he was finally before her again, she was at a loss of what to say. Her heart was positively bursting, being so near to him yet an unbearable sadness weighed down upon her as she was now filled with new knowledge of what he was capable of, what he had become.

He'd once been so gentle, so caring. She'd seen such wonder in him, he'd been everything to her and over the years she had wanted nothing more than to have that back again. But was it really possible? Was Loki – her Loki – still in there, beneath the horrid layers of evil that seemed to make up the man before her?

Vaguely, Rosa registered that the one they called the Black Widow was attempting to take possession of Loki sceptre. She didn't quite understand how she was aware of it – perhaps it was the Oracle's power within her – but she knew she had to keep Loki occupied. He had fought too hard to achieve so much destruction and chaos, he would not surrender it easily. If he caught the Romanoff woman attempting to foil his plans, she would pay sorely.

When Rosa reached him, she slowly knelt down by his side, taking in his features. The joy was back again, just like that. The love for the man before her… and she allowed it for just those few precious moments to consume her. He had changed so much, his features were cold and sharp, his eyes vacant and cruel. But still, it was him. It was Loki, and she allowed herself to hope, even though she knew she was being naïve.

"I thought I'd never see you again." She murmured gently and ran her hand down his jaw with a feather-light touch, still barely believing he was there. "I've missed you so much..."

He allowed her to touch him but he did recoil from her ever so slightly, his features contorting. He seemed unable to look away from her though he was careful not to meet her eyes.

Tears welled in Rosa's eyes as they stared at one another in silence, totally overwhelmed by the others sudden presence after so long apart. Neither of them had been ready for this, it became apparent.

"Do you care about this world?" He asked her at last.

Rosa hesitated, thinking it to be a trick question. The man before her was a stranger now, capable of such cruelty… dare she answer him at all? Never had she feared Loki before, but now… now she truly did. The faces of Matt and Travis flickered in her mind. Of the help they willingly offered her. She thought of Darcy and her lumpy couch. Of the man that had almost hit her with his car in the small town. Of the way Jane had looked at Thor…

Rosa's shoulders slumped slightly, what could she do but answer him honestly?

"Yes…" she murmured.

Loki smirked. "And you have come to rescue them from their destroyer."

"I have come for you. I know this isn't you, Loki. You cannot truly want to cause such pain."

A familiar feeling of faintness touched her mind and Rosa shook her head slightly. She met Loki's eye again and his gaze was guarded, curious. Her heart filled with sadness, soon it would be over – this moment. Soon she would be worlds away from him once more.

"I have not much time." Rosa said and gestured to herself. "This is a projection, I know not how long I can hold it. I'm waiting for you in Asgard."

Loki let out a small, bitter laugh. "I see you've not been idle in my absence."

"I've been looking for you…" She replied, her eyes wet with unshed tears.

It was then that Loki looked up and spotted the Black Widow reaching for his sceptre. He growled and made to lift himself to his feet but Rosa pressed her hand against his chest. His eyes shot up to hers, realising immediately that she had been aware of the red headed woman's actions.

"It's over, Loki." She told him, her voice still so gentle. She looked down at her hands and saw that they were beginning to fade. "It's done… come home. Please, come home."

Loki leaned back, defeated, and watched as she disappeared.

I can't even tell you how excited I am to post the next chapter! I'm already almost finished writing it, I wrote a chunk of it MONTHS ago. I'll update ASAP! In the meantime, please review!

What did you think of this chap? I hope I pulled it off; covering the whole of the Avengers in the one chapter!

I really hope you enjoyed it everyone, I'm looking forward to reading the reviews! And I promise to upload the next chapter as soon as I possibly can!