Chapter 4
Later that day
"Are you sure about this?" Bruce asked her as they walked to the conference room to meet with Loki. "We've got all the trash cans cordoned off, the cars barricaded, and the street lamps contained."
Tony laughed. "I miss B movies."
They looked at him.
"That's what this sounds like. Don't deny it."
Jane shook her head and addressed Bruce. "He can't get to me, not with everyone there."
They rounded a corner and she stopped at the sight of him through the glass walls. His back was to her as he talked to a larger man with long blond hair. He seemed at ease even with a squadron of super soldiers surrounding him.
As if he sensed her, his movements paused, then he stood and turned.
They locked eyes and one side of his lips lifted.
"Why does that guy creep me out?" Bruce asked to no one.
Forcing herself not to look at Loki, she took a breath and got them moving again. Steve pulled open the door for her with a kind smile and Sam nodded a greeting. Ever since she'd helped during the convergence, they made sure to stop by her lab whenever they were in New York. Sam made her laugh and Steve was always a comforting presence.
Fury gestured for her to sit between him and Coulson across from the man still watching her every move with a predatory gaze.
"Lady Jane," the blond Asgardian said with a happy grin. "It is a pleasure to meet someone who has so thoroughly enraptured my brother."
"Thor," Loki groaned. "Do sit and be quiet."
Instead of getting upset at his words, the larger man's face brightened even more. He was handsome. She'd give him that.
Loki's eyes flashed a bright green.
She lifted a brow, but ignored him. "We should make this quick. I need to run more tests on the Bridge."
"Is your machine not working anymore?" he asked.
"How did you—"
Natasha's sharp cough reminded her not to give anything away. She'd said he would probe for information.
He leaned over the table toward her. "You need my magic, Jane. You need me."
She did her best to keep her face impassive. "You wanted a meeting with me, and here I am. What do you want, Loki?"
"Have I not made my intentions clear?"
Barton slid an arrow out of his quiver. "You have."
Thor rose to his feet. "Take care, friend."
"Why?" Jane suddenly asked Loki, louder than she'd intended.
The room came to an abrupt stillness. She was sure everyone wanted to know the answer to that particular question as well.
"It is simple," he said flippantly, though his eyes pinned her to the chair like steel manacles. "Without me, you would not exist."
The world could have been struck by a meteor and she wouldn't have noticed. Not when memories of being alone in the snow came crashing into her. Her little hands had reached for the green curtain of lights falling from a dark sky. She'd laughed in delight and kicked her legs about. A fuzzy blanket of nothing had cloaked her from the chill. Erik had always wondered how she hadn't been frozen solid when he'd found her. Now she knew.
She blinked and finally heard the room's commotion. All the while they argued amongst each other and traded threats with Thor, Loki just sat there observing her.
"You remember?" he asked her.
She nodded and everyone quietened.
"What have you done, Brother?"
Thor's horror twisted Loki's features into a blend of rage and anguish. "I did what I had to," he snapped.
"That kind of magic is forbidden. You know this more than anyone."
"I don't care. She was made for me. She is mine."
The God of Thunder's brows scrunched together in disappointment.
"Don't look at me like that. You, who is loved by all, couldn't possibly understand what it is to be alone."
"You had me."
"Asgard has you."
Thor spread his hands. "Our friends, then."
"Yours, not mine."
"Father."
Loki didn't comment.
"Mother."
As the God of Mischief stood with a look that could melt polar ice caps, everyone tensed. "And then she died. Has father told you of my true parentage?"
Thor's face was blank, as if he had a hard time processing his words.
"No? Then, I shall rectify that." Gold flittered down from his head to his toes, exposing blue skin with raised markings and red eyes.
Her twelve-year-old self rejoiced in triumph. She'd been right all along about him.
She glanced around the room and realized her reaction had been very different from the others. They're wide-eyed stares and slack jaws were comical, especially Fury's.
Tony's cough sounded suspiciously like, 'now, I've seen it all.'
Loki turned to him. "Not in the least, mortal. But Jane has."
Everyone's gazes fell on her, and she merely shrugged in response. He was right. This was nothing compared to the Fire Demons of Muspelheim.
"I've shown her much of Yggdrasil and things mortals have never imagined," Loki said. "She is where she is because of me. She is alive because of me." He held out a hand to her. "Come."
If he thought she'd obey like a docile girl, then he was sorely mistaken. She kept her bottom firmly planted in her seat. The others, however, chose the path of action.
Guns, hand repulsors, and an arrow were all aimed at Loki. They shouted for him to stand down in their own unique way as Steve wheeled her chair back and stood in front of her with his shield. She looked around him.
"Enough," Thor yelled over everyone, then he leveled his gaze on Loki. "You are going back home with me, now."
He laughed.
Despite his disconcerting nature and belief she was his, he'd been right about her needing him.
She stood, earning her the room's attention.
"Jane, sit back down and stay out of the way," Fury commanded.
If one more person treated her like an object or a child, she was going to get angry. "If you end the spell over the city and help clean up," she told Loki. "then you can stay with me."
"No," Bruce finally spoke up. "That bag of crazy cats isn't going anywhere near you."
Loki growled, but thankfully, made no move to retaliate.
"His magic is my exotic matter," she said. "I need to learn how to either duplicate or harness it if I want the Bridge to ever work again."
"It's not worth it."
"This is my decision. You can either support me or leave." She looked around at the multitude of dubious faces. "That goes for all of you."
Thor's jaw ticked, but he didn't challenge her judgement.
At Loki's victorious smile, she added, "I don't care that you used your magic to create me. I'm not yours."
He transformed back into his normal Asgardian self and said, "For now."
Author's Note: Jane is my hero. :)
You all are wonderful. I hope you know it. My sister knows it, because I tell her all the time.
Also, we have finally completed Natural Selection. After seventy thousand words cut, it is now marked as complete. Hurrah! If there is anyone out there who read it when I first started posting and is willing to retread it now, I would be forever grateful and will be happy to write you a good sized fic. Just let me know.
Up Next: Mixed POV. Passage of time chapter.
