All characters, places, events, you recognize belong to Marvel, Disney, and so on.

A/N: Thanks to dristi5683! Hope you enjoy!


Day 179

Puente Antiguo, New Mexico

"Hello, yes, uh, this is Darcy Lewis...No, Darcy, with a "d"...Yes...I'm calling for Agent Malone...Sorry, but I don't think I'm supposed to say, ma'am...Yeah, I'll hold."

Darcy squinted her eyes against the bright sunlight of the New Mexico day. The creaks and clanks of construction equipment cut through the crisp air. Dust occasionally billowed up over the roofs of nearby buildings.

Agent Malone came on the line with a crisp greeting. Darcy returned her attention to the call. "You told me to call and give you a report, right?...I told Jane I was going to take a walk. We've been kind of camping out this weekend in the lab. She's been taking it easy, taking care of herself...no, she hasn't said anything about that. I think she just needed to get away from that place for a while, you know? Well, maybe you don't know, since you seem to love it there, but, like, normal people might—uh, not that you're not normal, Agent Malone...yeah, okay...no, nothing weird...I'll let you know. Okay, bye-bye."

Darcy ended the call and slapped her forehead. "Smooth, Lewis, real smooth."

Day 186

Puente Antiguo, New Mexico

"This is Darcy Lewis for Agent Malone. Yes, I'll hold."

Darcy pushed her dark hair behind her ear and waved at Isabel, who was unlocking the diner for the day. A crash sounded from the construction site and Isabel jumped. Darcy chuckled.

"Agent Malone, hello...Jane's resting, catching up on reading, trying not to work...No, I don't really have anything to report. Except that we're sleeping in our own trailers again...Well, how am I supposed to know what you think is important? Guess I just like hearing your voice...Yes, I will, of course. Goodbye."

Sliding her phone into her pocket, Darcy glanced through the windows of the service station. Jane sat in front of her laptop, coffee mugs scattered on the table. "She's not working on anything for you, I mean."

Day 193

Puente Antiguo, New Mexico

"Darcy Lewis, ma'am, for Agent Malone. Oh, hello, Agent. Um, I didn't expect you to answer...No, that's not my real accent. I was just having some fun...sorry—never mind." Rolling her eyes at herself, she continued, "So, um, about Dr. Foster. She seems to be feeling better...Yes, we watched the eclipse...Of course we're gonna watch the meteor shower, don't be silly, this is Jane Foster we're talking about...No, I don't think she's ready to come back yet. Yeah, I know it's been more than three weeks. You know she calls it the "bleeping prison," don't you?...No?...If you're going to answer the phone then I'll try not to say anything too embarrassing when I call...yes, I realize that will be difficult…'kay, bye-bye."

Darcy ended the call and turned to face Jane, who was shaking with repressed laughter. "Shut up, Foster. I'm totally lying to the government for you, so be nice."

Day 200

Puente Antiguo, New Mexico

"Hello, Agent Malone. Darcy Lewis here...Good morning. How's it hanging?...Do you miss me? Come on, admit it, it's totally boring there without me...oh, you're used to totally boring? I see. Well, tell Erik and Thor that Jane's fine. Don't know what all the craziness was about with the wormhole and whatever...uh-huh...a visit would be cool, but one of you should let her know...Sweet. Thanks, Agent Malone...um, okay, Nicholas."

Jane opened the door of the lab and peered out at Darcy. "Done with your spy report, Agent Lewis?"

"Yeah."

"You okay? You have a funny look on your face."

Darcy nodded. "I'm fine. His name is Nicholas! Agent Malone told me to call him Nicholas."

"Uh-oh," Jane said with a smile.

"Oh, and Thor's coming to visit in a couple of days, so we've gotta act like everything's all normal here."

Darcy didn't know when she would ever work up the courage to tell Jane that nothing was normal.

Day 203

Puente Antiguo, New Mexico

Jane shut the water off and reached for her towel. The bathroom was cramped, but staying in the trailer felt like significant life progress. She stepped into the main cabin to finish drying off. A familiar beat in her belly made her pause. If she hurried, she had just enough time to towel-dry her hair before the nausea got the best of her.

The distasteful dance had become predictable. Every morning, roughly half an hour after she got up, a wave of nausea would swamp her for ten minutes. Afterwards, she'd be fine the rest of the day, provided she didn't let herself get too hungry or drink too much coffee. Darcy had tried to persuade her to see a doctor, but she'd refused. This sickness was obviously a side effect of working with the Tesseract. A doctor wouldn't be able to do anything. And she was in good company. Many scientists had suffered for their craft—Marie Curie, for starters.

Oops, here it comes...Jane ducked into the bathroom. A while later, she brushed her teeth and splashed water on her face, then studied herself in the mirror. The dark circles under her eyes remained, but otherwise she looked healthy. While she genuinely missed the Tesseract, the distance seemed to be doing her good.

oooOOOooo

Shaking her head in frustration, Jane scanned the web page again while twirling a lock of her hair. Nearly a month of searching, and she was no closer to understanding the meaning of the marks on her wrist. Even her underground IT guy had been unable to help her. Searches on alien artifacts and spontaneous scarring had led to either sites run by individuals of dubious mental stability or to dry articles in dermatological journals.

Johann Schmidt had worked directly with the Tesseract. Had he or any of his henchmen been marked in a similar way? She'd love to get her hands on Arnim Zola's classified files. Jane scribbled a couple of notes about this latest dead end in her notebook, then turned back a page. Algiz, Sowilo, Hagalaz, Thurisaz, Uruz...her search hadn't been entirely fruitless. She had found loads on Old Norse runes. Before her nightmares, she had barely been aware of Norse runes. How could her subconscious have provided her with a real incantation to use against the Destroyer?

Add that to the list of impossible things in her life right now...

"You ready?" Darcy asked.

...including the fact that a demigod from outer space was coming to visit. Jane hid the two drawings between leaves of her notebook and stuffed it into a tote bag. She'd already stashed her personal laptop in her trailer.

"Yeah, I'm ready," she said. "What time is the Quinjet supposed to arrive?"

"Thor said he'd be here around half past one. I thought we could walk out to meet him."

Jane paused. "Won't that send the wrong signal?"

"Still nothing, huh?" Darcy rolled her eyes. "I don't get it, boss-lady. I mean, you've seen him, right?"

Jane rolled her eyes back. "He's just not my type. Anymore. I don't know!" She threw her hands up in frustration. "I don't know why it matters, anyway. What are the real chances of me, plain Jane Foster, ending up a princess of Asgard? I can't imagine Thor's parents would be too thrilled if he presented them with a puny mortal chick as their future daughter-in-law."

She set the tote down and grabbed her jacket off the arm of the couch. Suddenly, the room went dark and Darcy shrieked.

"Are you okay?" Jane ran to the door of the lab. A tornado was dropping out of the sky in front of the service station. As had happened in the lab at JDEF, time slowed to a crawl for Jane. She turned to check on Darcy. The younger woman had dropped into a crouch, her hands clasped protectively over her dark head. Satisfied, Jane looked up to the sky. It was clear blue everywhere but directly above them. She frowned, then faced the menace.

"Since when are tornadoes red and silver?" she muttered to herself. "Oh, for Pete's sake," she scoffed, exasperated. "Darcy, it's okay! You can get up. It's just Thor."

The God of Thunder touched down with a flourish, grinning at them while he spun Mjolnir.

Darcy ran to Thor and smacked his arm. "Thor! You nearly scared us to death."

Still unable to hide his amusement, Thor bowed low. "Pardon me, my ladies."

"Where's the Quinjet?" Jane asked.

"I've been confined to a relatively small space for long enough. I requested permission to fly on my own. It took some doing, but here I am."

"Here you are," Darcy repeated. "Welcome back to Puente Antiguo."

"Thank you, Darcy," Thor said. "Hello, Jane. It's very good to see you."

"Hi," Jane answered.

The three of them endured a beat of awkward silence before Darcy stepped in. "I'm cold! Let's go inside."

Jane mentally braced herself when she heard heavy footsteps behind her. "Are you well, Jane?" Thor placed a solicitous hand on her elbow. She fought the urge to shake him off.

"I'm fine, thanks."

Darcy pointed at the duffle bag Thor was carrying. "Is Mew-mew in there?" The three filed into the lab. Thor set the bag down just inside the door.

He nodded. "Yes, Mjolnir is in there. Mjolnir."

Darcy paused while taking off her coat and shrugged. "That's what I said. Mew-mew. So, is that duffle worthy?" She tugged in vain on the handles of the bag.

Thor laughed. "Worthier than you, apparently."

"Hey!" Darcy protested, which only made him laugh louder. "That reminds me, we've gotta play Space Invaders. I found an old console and TV in the closet."

"I didn't understand most of that, but you can teach me."

"Sweet!" Darcy clapped her hands.

He glanced at Jane, who was still standing by the door, wearing her jacket. "Will you play with us?"

Jane shook her head and said, "I'm going to make coffee. Either of you want any?"

"Coffee sounds good," Darcy said. "Caffeine first, then Space Invaders." Both she and Thor sat at the dining table while Jane brewed a fresh pot of coffee. Darcy drummed her fingers on the table. She smiled self-consciously at Thor. "So…"

"I was glad to see signs of recovery as I flew over the town," Thor said. He looked to Jane for her reaction, but she didn't answer.

Darcy piped up, "How are things going at Castle Grayskull, He-Man? How's Erik?"

"I don't know about He-Man, but Erik Selvig seems well. The project has been quite slow, however. Erik assures me that the only difference between previous tests and these latest ones is that—"

"Jane's not there," Darcy interjected.

"That's correct," Thor affirmed. "The Tesseract has evidently developed a preference for Jane, and it seems to be choosing not to participate in experiments now that she is gone."

Jane set a mug of coffee in front of him. "This isn't merely a social visit, is it?"

Reluctantly, Thor answered, "Erik Selvig asks you to return immediately. He believes no progress will be made while you're away."

Darcy watched the interaction like a tennis match.

Jane shook her head sharply. "No way. I'm not going back there."

The Asgardian sighed. "I fear you do not understand what is at stake."

Jane drew herself up and smiled, tight-lipped and dangerous. "As far as I'm aware, we were feebly trying to mount a defense against an unknown entity. I don't believe Erik needs me to do that. If you have more information, Thor, I'd love to hear it."

At his silence, she nodded her head. "That's what I thought. I'll be in my trailer. I, uh, have a phone call to make."

Thor stood and held his hand out. "Jane, I'm your friend. I'm only recommending what I believe is best for you."

Halfway to the door, Jane froze. "My friend?" she asked, icicles hanging off the words.

"Yes," Thor smiled. Darcy winced. "Pay attention to the tone of voice, Space Dude," she whispered.

Jane turned to face Thor. "Do friends lie to each other? Do friends use each other?"

The smile slid off Thor's bronzed face. "Are you still angry that I could not return to you sooner?"

"No, Thor. I'm not angry about that. I'm furious that you were not honest about your reason for returning. And you have the gall to call yourself my friend."

"Heimdall saw—"

Jane stalked toward him. "What did Heimdall see? You were always quite vague about that. Even now, when you say that I don't understand what's at stake, you don't want to give me real information. You just want me to blindly trust you."

Thor raised his eyebrows in supplication. "Darcy? Might I receive some assistance?"

The younger woman resolutely shook her head. "No way. Nuh-uh. You're on your own."

Jane slapped her hand on the table, startling both Thor and Darcy. "Screw it. I'm tired of this game. I know, Thor. I know Loki showed up at JDEF and threatened to take the Tesseract."

Thor sat down heavily. No one made a sound for a long moment. "How did you find out?"

"You and Erik have big mouths. I overheard you arguing about it."

"Then you know I wanted to tell you. Erik was afraid the news would provoke a relapse of your condition."

Jane shook her head. "That doesn't buy you any brownie points. Since when is Erik Selvig the boss of you? You didn't tell me. The project didn't stall because I'm not there; the project stalled because you and Erik concealed absolutely critical data."

"I'm sorry. I truly am, Jane." Thor ran a hand over his face. "Now that this is in the open, would you come back and help us?"

"What? You're unbelievable! You—"

Darcy jumped to her feet. "Thor! How about Space Invaders? Now seems like a really good time."

The lab door flew open; Jane stomped across the parking lot to her trailer.

Thor groaned. "This is not how I imagined this visit."

"Give her some space. And you know what you need to take your mind off your problems? Good old fashioned video games! Come on, whaddaya say?"

He looked at the door settling closed. "All right, Darcy Lewis, I'll play with you."

"Yes! I'm gonna hook stuff up. Could you move the couch over by that television so we have a comfy place to sit? You can handle it on your own, right?"

"Of course."

Darcy knelt to connect the components. "Let's see, we need this to go here and this to go...no, this should connect here…" A few minutes later, she stood up and announced, "Ta-da! Just like riding a bike. I'm going to grab some chips. Want anything?"

Thor didn't answer, so she said, "Hey, want a Coke?" When she still heard no response, she turned around. The huge Asgardian stood with his back to her, unmoving.

"You okay, big guy? Can I get you a drink?" Darcy called. She felt a pulse of sympathy. This whole mess was hard on him, too.

He suddenly came to life again. "Yes, I'd like a drink, please. Strong Asgardian ale would do nicely."

"How about a can of Coke and Space Invaders instead?"

oooOOOooo

Day 204

Puente Antiguo, New Mexico

"It's open," Jane called.

A large blond head appeared around her door. Crap. She had expected Darcy. Her mouth drew taut and she cinched her dressing gown more securely.

"May I come in?" Thor asked quietly. "Darcy said coffee would be ready in a few minutes."

"I guess." Frigid air seeped around her bare ankles. "Hurry up, you're letting the cold in."

Thor stepped inside, bowing slightly in the small space. After an uncomfortably long pause, it seemed to dawn on him that she wasn't going to speak first. "Do you know what this is?" He withdrew a square of lined paper from a pocket, unfolded it, and laid it on the table.

Panic clawed at her throat and dropped boulders into her tender belly. There lay her sketch of the angular mark on her wrist. "Do you?" she whispered. Any louder, and her voice would crack.

Without invitation, Thor sat down. The tiny trailer creaked in protest. "Yes. I do. I found this among your belongings. Because we are friends, I would like to give you a chance to explain."

Anger replaced the panic, and it loosened her tongue. "And why were you snooping through my belongings, friend?"

"Darcy asked me to move the couch yesterday. When I did, a satchel of some sort fell over and the contents spilled out. This drawing was on top."

Jane cursed loudly inside her mind. She had forgotten her tote in the excitement of Thor arriving in a tornado. Fighting for the upper hand, she forced sarcasm into her voice. "I'm not sure how this is any of your business. I came across this symbol during some research, and I sketched it in order to identify it."

Thor frowned. "Where did you find this? What sort of research were you doing? I must warn Heimdall."

"Heimdall? Why bring him into this?"

Thor ran his hands through his hair in a classic expression of frustration. "Because this is tantamount to a declaration of war."

Jane's head snapped up. She knew her mouth was hanging open, and she tried to tell herself to close it, but the connection between her brain and her body appeared to be delayed. Say something! Be cool, she commanded herself, but all that squeaked out of her traitorous vocal cords was, "What? What is this symbol, Thor?"

"This is Loki's rune mark."

Her heart had never beaten so painfully before. It was pumping frantically, but no oxygen was getting through. Her ears roared with the sound of her own blood rushing futilely through her veins. Spots swam in front of her eyes.

Thor swiftly moved to her side. "Jane!" He rubbed her back roughly and she finally remembered to breathe in great gasps. Pressure squeezed her temples, as though something were trying to push its way into her brain. She shook her head and pushed it away by sheer willpower. Life-giving oxygen returned to her organs, to her limbs.

Two thoughts crystallized violently: I have Loki's mark carved into my skin. And it's a declaration of war.

"I'm sorry, Jane. I didn't think about—I was so focused on what I wanted to know. I'm so sorry. I should have considered..." Thor continued to rub her back as he muttered mindless apologies. He apparently assumed her reaction was caused by the PTSD. A hysterical giggle bubbled up. Never could she have imagined being grateful for those hellish nightmares.

She held up a hand. "Just...just give me a minute, okay?" He shifted so she could slip by him into the bathroom. Jane shut the flimsy door and gripped the sides of the sink. She raised her head. Brown eyes stared back at her—exhausted, confused, frightened. Her wrist burned. Jane yanked her sleeve up and stared at the symbol engraved on her skin. Loki's mark. A declaration of war. How? When? Why?

oooOOOooo

Thor headed back to the service station while Jane dressed. Darcy said, "Jane just texted. Big news, huh? Want some coffee?"

He sat in a dining chair, head in his hands, blond locks slipping over his shoulder to touch the wood of the table. "No, thank you." What sort of tangled web was this? Loki had evidently spent much longer on Earth than anyone had previously suspected, long enough to leave his rune mark somewhere. A part of Thor was glad that his brother was alive, but a larger part was afraid Loki had drifted somewhere beyond redemption.

He had to report this development, but he didn't have enough information yet to present to either Asgardian or Midgardian authorities. Jane knew more than she admitted. Fear was plain on her face when she saw the drawing, even before he told her what it meant. A hint of nausea tugged at his insides as various scenarios played out in his imagination.

oooOOOooo

The drawing lay on the table. Jane leaned against the kitchen island, arms crossed over her chest. She and Thor faced each other warily. "So. What now?" Jane asked.

"Where did you come across this symbol?"

"First you give me some information."

"I don't have time to negotiate. This is Loki's rune mark and it signifies a grave threat. I must report what I've seen—to Asgard, to SHIELD. Since I discovered this drawing here, they will overrun your lab again, looking for information, unless you can direct me elsewhere."

"Go ahead. They've already gone through all my stuff. If you take me back to JDEF, the Tesseract will find a way to protect me. The way I see it, I have the upper hand here."

Darcy's respect for Jane upped a notch. The girl was stone-cold bluffing. Did Thor realize that?

Tense seconds ticked by. Thor's face betrayed none of his thoughts. Finally, he bowed his head and slid into a chair. "What would you like to know?"

"What is a rune mark, and how is it a declaration of war?"

Thor folded his hands on the table. "In many of the Nine Realms, unique runes are created for those of noble birth. I have one, too. They are most often simply a substitute for a signature on a contract or a decree. But Loki..."

He paused, and Jane prompted, "Go on."

"In the hands of a seidr wielder, a rune mark is deeply powerful. Loki is one of the strongest mages alive." Turning to Darcy, he asked, "Might I trouble you for that refreshment now?"

"Sure thing," Darcy said, and poured him a large mug of black coffee. Thor downed the contents in one long gulp, then nodded his thanks.

Thor continued, "This is difficult."

"Try me," Jane said with a heavy dose of sarcasm. "I sometimes understand hard things."

He recoiled slightly, as if wounded by her remark. "I wasn't referring at all to your ability to comprehend. I doubt my capacity to adequately explain."

"Oh," said Jane, subdued.

"The best way I know to explain is this: by inscribing his rune mark on an object, Loki lays claim to it."

Jane's face paled. Darcy wrinkled her nose.

"You mean it's like writing my name on my lunch bag when I was a kid?" Darcy asked.

"Yes," Thor said. "if you could enchant the bag so no one else could open it or eat the food inside. Loki once stole a new suit of armor from me, right before a royal processional, by marking it with his rune. I had to parade before the whole Council in my undergarments. Father was not well pleased."

"What a jerk!" Darcy scoffed.

"To be fair, I had twisted the horns of his helmet into a bow. He looked ridiculous." His expression softened for a fleeting moment, as if he were going to smile.

"Is your rune mark on Mew-mew?" Darcy had seen Jane's reaction. She needed to keep Thor's attention on her until Jane recovered.

Thor grimaced. "Mjolnir. And, no, that's a different sort of enchantment."

"So Loki can, like, just abra-cadabra his name on stuff? What's keeping him from just running around, slapping his rune mark on everything?"

Thor nodded. "Fortunately for us, it requires a great deal of magical energy to place one's rune mark on an object. Loki cannot afford to waste his energy."

Darcy tilted her head in her best imitation of an airhead and asked, "So, could Loki put his rune mark on, like, an animal or a person? He can't, right? 'Cause that's totally bizarre. I mean, eww."

Thor got up to refill his coffee mug, and Darcy quickly squeezed Jane's hand. "Runes can be inscribed on a person, yes. But that is a different ritual, much more complicated. Both parties must participate. I very much doubt that Loki could have performed that rite here on Midgard. No, it's much more likely that he has claimed some fortress or cache of weapons."

oooOOOooo

"By inscribing his rune mark on an object, Loki lays claim to it."

She'd expected something along those lines, but hearing Thor say the words out loud shook her up. "I'll tell you how I found it," Jane blurted out.

Both Thor and Darcy stared at her. She had to tread carefully here, to ensure Thor believed her story. "Since my return to Puente Antiguo, I've been researching unexplained phenomena. I hoped to find some pattern that would fit what we know about the Tesseract.

"A couple of weeks ago, I, um, came across a chat room of people who claimed that they'd experienced odd force fields in the last year. I stopped to check it out because of what happened in the lab at JDEF. One of the people posted a photo of this shard of metal with a strange design on it. I drew the design because there was something about it that reminded me of the Destroyer."

Thor leaned forward. "Where did this take place?"

Jane sighed. "I don't know. The day after I found that site, it was gone. Completely gone. I'm glad I drew the design when I did."

"I must share with Agent Coulson and Director Fury what you've learned. Please excuse me." Thor retrieved his government-issued phone and walked outside into snow flurries.

Jane and Darcy stared at each other for a long while, until Darcy spoke. "What is happening?"

"Well, according to Thor, I belong to Loki now." She giggled a bit hysterically.

Darcy nudged her. "Hey. That's crazy. We're going to figure this out."

"Yes. It is crazy. Am I going insane? It doesn't make any sense, Darcy. How could Loki have branded me? Thor said that both people have to participate. And there's no freaking way I consented to that."

"Maybe Thor's wrong."

Jane stared at Darcy, a faint glimmer of hope in her eyes. "What?"

Darcy shrugged. "Well, Thor's kind of on edge about Loki, right? I mean, Loki showed up at JDEF, then disappeared, and no one knows where he is or when he'll turn up again. Thor hasn't seen the actual mark, just a drawing of part of it. Maybe it's kind of like a witch hunt—Thor is seeing what he wants to see."

"Oh, Darcy, I hope you're right. I don't know how much more my mind can take."

"We definitely need more information. And I think I know how to do that without making him suspicious. But first, let's go to Isabel's. I'm hungry."

oooOOOooo

"What did Coulson say?" Darcy asked. Thor had joined them as she and Jane were finishing their meal.

"That surveillance will be increased, but nothing can be done unless we know where to look." He accepted a menu from Isabel with a smile.

"More coffee?" Isabel asked.

"Please," Darcy answered.

"Not for me, thanks," Jane said.

"Really? You drink more coffee than anyone I know. Are you sure you're not, you know—"

"Just trying to cut back."

After Isabel took Thor's order, Darcy leaned toward him. "I have an idea," she said, a conspiratorial tone to her voice. "We have legends and so about you all god-type dudes, but not a lot of real information. I propose a database. Jane thinks it's a good idea. We could know better what to watch for. Whaddaya say?"

Thor considered her suggestion. "That sounds brilliant, Darcy."

Beaming, Darcy fished a pen out of her purse. "Pass me that napkin. Thanks! Let's start right now, 'kay? So, you're Thor Odinson, Asgardian," she said, jotting down notes.

"I'm Aesir, actually."

"Pardon?" Darcy frowned.

"Our race is called 'Aesir.' Like yours is 'human.'"

"Okay. From Asgard, race Aesir. You're blond, with blue eyes and impressive muscles. And you're how tall?"

"Six foot, five inches tall."

"Uh-huh, and you weigh how much?"

"Around 300 pounds."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Ohhh-kay! And, let's see, you've got Mew-mew, and you can fly and summon lightning. What else do we need to know about you?"

He cleared his throat. "Some say I'm a decent warrior."

"Great! Thanks. Could you pass me another napkin? Since we've been discussing Loki, let's do him next." She shot a quick glance at Jane. You okay to do this? Jane lifted her chin ever so slightly. Do it. "Name, Loki Odinson, also Asgardian—I mean, Aesir. Probably looks a lot like you, huh?"

"Got your farmer's breakfast, blondie." Isabel slid a loaded plate in front of Thor.

"Thank you, Isabel," he said. "I look forward to this feast. You are an excellent cook. Judging from the amount of people I see in here, all of Puente Antiguo shares my opinion."

"Thanks," she said. "A lot of them are construction workers. They keep me up on all the gossip."

Darcy raised her eyebrows. "Construction gossip? I didn't know that was a thing."

"Yeah! They tell me who the good foremen are, which workers screw around, and when interesting things happen on the job. Couple weeks ago a guy almost fell out of the crane. Oh, and yesterday, they showed me this perfectly preserved green silk ballerina shoe they found in the old inn. They're calling it the Cinderella slipper."

"I understand that reference!" Thor said. "May each find his princess."

Isabel laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "You're a good guy, Thor. I'd better go take care of the other good guys, too."

Darcy waited until Thor had eaten a couple of eggs and several slices of bacon before proceeding. "So...Loki? Blond? Blue-eyed?"

"Actually, he looks very different from me. I never understood it while we were growing up, but when I returned to Asgard, I learned that Loki is adopted. He was born Laufeyson, a Frost Giant."

Jane stared out of the window, giving no indication if she was listening. Darcy continued, "A Frost Giant? So he's all icy, or what?"

"I've never seen him in his native form. His usual appearance is Aesir-like. He's only slightly shorter than I am, but much leaner."

Darcy wrote all this down, business-like. "Hair color?"

"Black."

"Eyes?"

"Green."

Suddenly dizzy, Darcy stared at the napkin. She couldn't bring herself to look at Jane.

oooOOOooo

A green nebula…

There are no men like me

Kai…

Run away with me…I don't want to let you go…

You seem different...it's like you're real…

I would be bound to you forever…

A green slipper...

Wave after wave of memory assaulted her. The utter absurdity of her life, the cruel irony, mocked her. She had always striven for what others considered ridiculous, unbelievable. Be careful what you wish for… Her theories had been proven, but she had been battered and broken—a victim, not the victor. What was to become of her? To whom could she appeal? A cold certainty settled in her chest. She wasn't guilty, but that wouldn't matter. She bore Loki's mark. There was no way out. If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me.

"Excuse me, will you?" Jane clumsily pushed herself out of the booth. "I, um, I just remembered I have to go verify some data." Her voice was ragged, her movements uncoordinated.

"Now?" Thor asked. "Should I go with you?"

Jane was already halfway to the the door of the diner. She had to escape, to get away from her life.