Warnings: References to Death and Blood

Chapter 9

The sound of the Hulk's roar ran like a thousand bells in Eli's ears. Eli's head was suddenly clear of whatever fog that clouded her judgment. Loki pulled away from the girl's swollen lips and smirked at the sounds. He bent his head down so he could meet his lips with Eli's once more, but the sound of the Hulk's rampage shook the small girl to her soul.

When Loki's lips met Eli's she used all the strength she could muster to push Loki off of her. She almost fell to the ground when his body wasn't supporting hers anymore. Eli steadied herself with deep breathes, and looked everywhere except at Loki.

"What's wrong, dear?" Loki taunted. "Moments ago you were fine with my advances. I dare say that you enjoyed them to your core."

Eli shot the hardest glare she had ever made at him, looking directly into Loki's green eyes. He was not daunted by the severe look. In fact, the leather clad man laughed at the girl.

"You know that your heroes will fail. You've already admitted that." Loki's locked onto Eli's lips. "You can do nothing now, but kneel at my feet."

An image lofted it's way into Eli's mind, putting cracks in her resolve. She couldn't help it when her eyes shot down to the god's groin and lingered there, before gazing back into Loki's eyes. "Is kneeling all that you would have me do?" the sound of her wonton voice made Eli cringe, and she once more hardened herself.

"My heroes will win," Eli said with so much conviction that Loki's smirk turned to a glower and he approached her threateningly. Quickly as she could, Eli once more focused on Kitty's powers. It was considerably harder that time, but she was able to slip out of the cell just as Loki reached out for her. Eli nearly fell over, and she had to lean on the railing to keep her balance. Eli adjusted her dress, cold wet hair fell into her face, and pushes it back.

"It takes so much out of you," Loki mocked Eli. "All that you could accomplish was an escape no more than a few feet away. You won't be able to get away from me once I'm freed."

"You won't be freed," Eli bit back. "I can assure you that there are agents on their way here right now. They are going to make sure that you don't get away. But in the mean time, I wanted to ask you a question.

"A warm light for all mankind to share. Was a jab at Tony wasn't it." Eli more stated than asked. "Which means that you're planning something that has to do with Tony. You already used Dr. Banner…"

Eli paused as she realized what he meant to do. Her eyes shot up as to meet Loki's. Mirth was in his eyes at her realization. Immediately, Eli turned on her heel and headed for the doors so she could find the nearest S.H.I.E.L.D agent. Her travels were cut short when the Helicarrier started to tilt to one side. Eli had to once again grip onto the railing to stop herself from falling. Eli shot a glare at Loki who simply smiled at her.

Eli regained her balance and once again started to head for the door. Eli almost smiled when two S.H.I.E.L.D agents entered the room. They're guns didn't lower when they saw Eli, and the girl almost groaned in frustration.

"Put your hands in the air!" one of them yelled.

"If I do that I'll fall," Eli said tiredly. "I'm going to need some help…" The two imposters looked at each other, before one of them approached Eli. He used one hand to reach out to her, and had the other hold her gun. Eli grabbed his hand, and he started to pull her up. He practically dragged her toward the other man. When they were close enough, wrenched her wrist out of the first's grasp, and did a standing back flip, letting both of her heels kick the first man under the chin. The first fell backward and dropped his gun. Eli bolted for it and had it in her hand when the second man slammed his foot down on her hand, nearly breaking it.

Eli then did a crouching hand stand and pushed herself up as hard as she could, landing two good kicks to the second's stomach. Eli flipped herself onto her feet and the first grabbed her from behind. Eli used the first's momentum to flip him over her shoulder. Unfortunately, the first man kept his grip on Eli and she too flew forward in a summersault. They landed on the second man.

Eli gripped the first's fingers and bent them backward, and he quickly let go. Eli quickly got up and punt kicked the first imposter, effectively knocking him out. As the Helicarrier tilted more, Eli lost her balance and slid toward the cell. The second imposter barreled toward her. Just when the second was within touching distance, Eli ducked down and slid under the railing, and held on for dear life. The second man was unable to stop, and fell to the bottom of the hanger. Eli heard a snap. She knew that the man had broken something, and he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.

With some effort, Eli pulled herself back up walkway. Loki smirked at her as she looked up at him. She had bruises and cuts that weren't healing like before, and her tights had holes and runs in them now. Her dress was wrinkled and torn at one of the shoulder. Eli scowled at Loki.

The room's doors opened again and two more S.H.I.E.L.D imposters came in, one of them had the scepter. Eli did groan this time. One of them came directly up to her and punched at her. She was able to block all of his strikes, but she wasn't able to attack back. Her body was becoming more and more exhausted, as she was backed into the cell.

Finally, Eli was able to get in a good punch to the head, but it was too slow, and the imposter grabbed her head and slammed it into the glass of the prison that held Loki. Eli dropped to the floor in a daze.

"Please be more careful with the things that belong to me," Loki said in a faux concerned voice. If Eli was looking at him, she would have been able to see the rage that simmered just behind his eyes at her treatment.

One of the other imposters opened the door to the cell, and Loki walked out as though the incline of the Helicarrier didn't effect him. He rounded the corner and walked toward Eli. He lifted her and dragged her toward the control panel. He bent down and whispered in her ear.

"I want you to have a front row seat to the destruction of your heroes," he said with bite. Eli looked up at him, would her heroes fail, was the question that ran itself in circles in her mind. She remembered what Phil said to her.

"My heroes will never fail," she said finally. "Not against you or anyone else." Loki looked down at Eli with gentle eyes, and he brushed the bleeding bump on her head with gentle fingers.

"I will kill your heroes," Loki said this with a voice colder than the deepest depths of hell. He let go of Eli as another person held her back. Eli looked down, and forced the wretched feelings of doom and sadness back to the depths of her soul.

"Sir, Thor is on his way to the Detention Center, and is head straight here." The one who fought Eli said. Eli struggled in hold of the one who was holding her.

"We shouldn't disappoint now should we," Loki said while he placed a hologram of himself within the cell. Eli slammed her heeled shoe into the imposter's shin. His grasp loosened and Eli took a deep breath in and swung her body around to back elbow the man in the temple. The impact of the blow stung Eli's arm. She spun back around and yelled,

"Tho-!" Loki had walked up to Eli and back handed her. He hit her so hard that her cheek was cut on her teeth. Eli was stunned for a moment and then spat out blood from her mouth. She looked up to see Loki glaring death down at her.

Suddenly, Thor burst into the room, only to see a fake Loki leave the cell. Thor tackled the hologram and was sent flying into the cell face first. Thor looked around confused, until his gaze landed upon Loki and Eli. The two were glaring at each other. Finally Loki looked away.

"Are you ever not going to fall for that?" Loki said with little amusement. In an attempt to free himself from the cell, Thor uses Mjolnir to break the glass. The glass cracks but does not break. Even Loki staggers as the entire hanger jerks with the force of the blow. Eli takes that moment to place herself between the control panel and Loki.

Loki, who is more concerned with Thor, doesn't notice Eli's movements. "The humans think us immortal." Loki said as he moved to the control panel. "Should we test that?" Loki was stopped, by Eli who firmly placed her body between him and control panel. Rage boiled in Loki's eyes, but Eli didn't waiver. The look in her eyes told Loki that the brunette wasn't going to move without a fight. In a rage, Loki slapped her across the face. Her head shot to the right, the force of the hit caused her to crumble to the floor. Eli spat out more blood. The left side of her face felt on fire. Thor jumped to the glass and pounded it with his fist. Loki lifted the glass covering the eject button and smirked at his once was brother.

The other guard that had been in the room suddenly made a grunting noise and fell to the ground. Phil Coulson stood there with a rather large gun in his hands. Eli smiled up at him. She was never so happy to see someone in her life.

"Move away, please," he told Loki. Loki backed away from the panel, and stepped toward Phil. Both Thor and Eli looked pleased. Eli stood to her feet shakily. "You like this? We started working on the prototype after the sent the Destroyer. Even I don't know what it does." Phil powered the gun up, "Wanna find out?"

Suddenly, the scepter cut through Phil's chest, and he gasped out. Thor and Eli screamed out "No!" Loki, who had been standing next to Eli, had teleported to Phil. Eli ran up to Phil as he fell to the ground. Loki smirked at Thor and motioned to the blood on the scepter.

"Phil! Phil!" tears were falling from Eli's eyes. It was the first time she had cried since Tony had gone missing. "Phil, just hold on! I can help you!"

Eli put pressure on the gaping wound on Phil's chest. Blood poured out of the wound and covered Eli's hands. "Phil, just keep your eyes open okay! Help! Someone help-!" Loki pulled Eli away from Phil. "No! NO!" Eli struggled against Loki as he dragged her away from her dying friend.

"The only thing you should be caring about now is me and me alone!" he yelled at her as he forced her to look at him. Tears fell from Eli's eyes and she took unsteady breaths.

"I couldn't care less about you or your wellbeing!" Eli spat. "I hope-" Loki didn't let Eli finish. He tossed her away from him with such force that hit the wall with a resounding thud. The back of her head slammed against wall, leaving a specks of blood. Eli felt her body begin to shut down, and in a panic, focused on Logan's mutant abilities. Slowly she felt the tell tale prickles at the back of her head. Loki stalked off to the control panel. Thor looked helplessly to Eli and Phil, and then to the ground. Loki locked eyes with Thor, and pressed the button, letting Thor plummet to the ground.

Eli could see that Loki was making his way back toward her. Then she heard Phil's voice.

"You're going to loose," he said, his voice was weaker than before, but Eli could still hear his resolve. More tears welled in her eyes as she looked at her friend. Loki turns away from Eli and scoffs at Phil.

"Am I?" he said.

"It's in your nature," Phil said with a deep breath.

"Hmm," Loki was just barely amused. "Your heroes are scattered. Your floating fortress falls from the sky. Where is my disadvantage?"

"You lack conviction," Phil said, and Eli sobbed out at his words. Those same words once saved her life.

"I don't think I'm-" Loki was cut off by a blast of orange energy from the gun that Phil still had in his hands. Loki is thrown through another wall.

"So that's what it does." Phil said amused, and then his tone more serious. "And don't you ever hit her again."

Eli sobbed louder that time. The injured girl tried to move toward Phil, but every time she tried, her head would spin and she would fall. She locked eyes with Phil as her vision began to tunnel. She felt someone pulling at her. She could tell that it was Loki, by the feel of the hands pulling her up. She suddenly remembered what Loki was planning.

"Phil…Phil, tell Tony…" Eli's vision was now completely black. "…it's…Tony…tell him…" Eli wasn't able to form a complete sentence. The darkness took her into blissful unconsciousness