A/N: Hello there, here I pesent to you the first chapter of the new year and we move on in the plot. Hope you all had a great start of 2014. And thanks and greetings to Libras' new followers and those who recently added it to their favourites. You guys are awesome!
I haven't gotten any comments though for quite some time and I really begin to slam my head against a wall. Please, if you have anything to say, even if it's criticism, leave a review. I'll really appreciate it.
Yeah, just wanted that said. So enjoy!
What a curious turn of events.
The Aether, awakened by the proximity of its true keepers, was no longer in its cavity. Rage had darkened his light irises, but all was gone now.
Someone had entered the hidden cavern and the Aether, loath of its confinement, had reached out to the life force of the creature.
A member of the Aesir prince's company.
A hiss was signal of his displeasure. Things had become a slightly different shape. Asgard could wait for the moment and so could his vengeance and final victory.
All meant nothing without the Aether, that most powerful of creations for it would give them back the rule over the dark. The light would be extinguished from the world and the elves of Svartalfheim would once more ascend to former glory.
He gave orders for a group to turn around. A small force would be enough in a fight against mortals. To retrieve the Aether and its current vessel would be their mission.
And the Aesir...he would be spared death so he could watch from afar how Asgard fell.
No one moved as Loki approached them silently, a grin once again dancing around his pale lips. Surprisingly the first one to react was Jane.
"That is for New York." Fara couldn't trust her eyes as she saw the petite woman's palm collide harshly with Loki's face. Apparently fear had given way to anger and her force had momentarily rid the dark-haired man's face of any expression but surprise. Soon however the grin was plastered again on its place, eyes turning to Thor. He raised a brow at him, but his words of course were only audible to Fara.
I like her. Thor did not move, but the ice in his eyes seemed to melt a little at Jane's courage. Now, may I?
Loki held up his hand and Fara explained for the others. "He needs physical contact."
After exchanging looks with Thor Jane nodded to him. "Let's get this over with."
Oh, feisty. His voice black velvet. No one noticed the Vanir blinking as she wished her irritation away. Even she did not know whether it was caused either by his tone or the meaning of his words.
Loki's pale fingers stroked back Jane's hair and placed themselves on her temples. He fell deep in concentration, his eyes not leaving hers as he searched. It did not take long, for the magic within her was strong. So strong. Strong enough to take all light from the world and plunge the universe into total darkness. Would he possess it he would be truly great. Never had he experienced its force in person, but it was nonetheless familiar to him. All too often had he seen it in others' minds. How had she found it?
His head snapped up to Thor. His mortal deserves my credit. I did not believe her so sly. Usually that honour is reserved for me. But unlike his words his tone held no jests.
"What is it?" Thor could no longer hide his impatience.
The Aether.
"The Aether?" Fara repeated in a flat voice, her mind searching for any clue where she had heard the name before.
Thor seemed to catch on faster than her. "The one from mother's stories?
A nod. How did she find it? No one knew where it was hidden.
A thud against the door made them halt. From outside they could hear the sound of hurried orders and frenzy steps. People were shouting as they passed the room. The only intelligible words reaching their ears were 'attack' and 'aliens'. Then the noise disappeared.
Malekith. He's sensed its presence.
"Stay here." Thor turned and approached the door, sliding it open after listening for more sounds.
"Wait, what are you planning?" Fara asked him.
He turned around. "Keep Jane safe. I will be back as soon as this is finished."
"What? No, Thor you can't just leave." Jane stared at him in horror, her expression reflecting Fara's own feelings.
"They will not get you. Just stay here."
You think you can trust me alone with her and the Vanir? Loki's look was one of challenge. His thoughts remained unspoken to Thor but the older man guessed what this mocking expression in his eyes meant.
"Not you, but her." Thor nodded towards Fara. "Stay and all will be fine." Then he stepped outside and was gone, leaving the heavy doors open.
She couldn't believe this. How in the world could he believe Jane was any safer here than in the middle of a fight? Fara sighed, wary of Loki's now free form just two steps away from her. If he'd try to run she doubted she could hinder him. The warm waves of magic she felt pulsating around him were testimony enough of his new-found strenth.
For years she had not felt the sensation of his magic brushing against hers and she blinked several times.
"What is the Aether?" Jane turned around to the other woman, eyes fixing Loki carefully before wandering over to Fara.
One of the Infinity Gems. There are six and their wielders have power over one thing each – green for souls, orange for time, purple for space, blue for minds, yellow for reality. A snicker. And red for power. He let his words echo for a moment, careful to lower his voice to almost a whisper. His eyes were dancing with fire and Fara felt uneasy as he continued. There was something in their depths that spoke of so much more, yet she could not understand. Five of the gems are small and oval, but the red one, the Aether, has a liquid form. It grants its master omnipotence.
Fara's gaze was on him as she repeated for Jane what he had just said.
"And that's inside of me?" Jane asked. "Sorry, but I don't really feel omnipotent right now."
No, your body is too weak a vessel for its powers. Its force will simply kill you.
She could not repeat that. "We will find a way to get it out." Fara spoke, placing a hand on the mortal woman's shoulder.
Loki laughed and the sound vibrated against her skull – humourless and dry. And you think this will be so easy? The Aether seeks for a life force to attach itself onto. Once it gets separated from one it will reach for the next. He walked up to her, his chest inches away from her nose as his eyes burned her with antipathy. She did not flinch. Perhaps you want to try it yourself. It will eat away your strength bit by bit until you can't fight it any longer and then it will break free and rip you apart in the process. You'll simply burst open like a bubble.
"And what do you suggest we do instead? Let her die? Not all of us use death as an answer to everything." Fury boiled in her throat as she looked at him with equal annoyance.
She's a mortal, how much longer can she have anyway? Fifty, sixty years? Nothing, an eye blink compared to us, to Malekith.
"She will not die through the Aether. Not if we can prevent it."
You mean if Malekith doesn't find her before and rips it out of her with violence. Yes, I see you've thought this well through.
"I can't see how Thor could let you out of that cell in Asgard."
Oh, you would have me back there, wouldn't you? Tell me, my sweet, why has Freyja really sent you here? Something else laced itself into his words, sharp like a blade as his pulse rushed through his veins. Her eyes widened with terror and he revelled in it. I suspect exile.
She pulled away with a hiss. Her hands trembled with a mixture of sorrow and rage and she slowly remembered where they were. Jane must be-
With horror Fara looked around. They were alone, no trace of the astrophysicist. Oh, no.
A look back at Loki affirmed her suspicions. Damn.
"We have to get her before she gets upstairs. If the elves find her..." She did not finish her sentence but simply rushed out of the room, Loki following her with long strides.
Oh my, what will Thor think of you now you've lost his little mortal out of sight? Mischief covered his words like a layer of honey and she tried to ignore the urge to slap him as they both ran through the corridors and into an elevator. Not one person did they pass and relief washed over her for a moment. The last thing they needed now were S.H.I.E.L.D. officers getting in their way because their high security prisoner had escaped his cell and was running through their base.
Shut up, Loki. She did not look at him, her fingers curled into fists at her sides.
Finally the elevator reached the highest level and they reached the hall in whose end lay the exit to the world above. A shriek escaped Fara's lips when her eyes fell upon the first bodies, dead elves and humans lying in pools of blood. Further away the fight was still raging, although the dark elves's number appearing to shrink more and more.
Jane stood close by, eyes searching for Thor, but the thunder god was nowhere to be seen. Fara guessed there were more people fighting outside, trying to hinder the enemy to enter the base. Her thoughts turned to Natasha who without doubts was somewhere amongst them together with the Avengers.
"Jane!" She shouted, unaware that an elf had spotted them as well.
The woman turned to them the moment Fara noticed the dark figure wind up until her eyes feel on a strange looking object in his hands. "No!"
She did not see Loki rush pass her, but she did see him push Jane away before he threw a dagger at the elf, blade not missing its mark.
Her limbs set themselves in motion as she ran to Jane, cowering down with her as a spell tore through the air above their heads. More elves had noticed them, circling the three of them with held up weapons.
Fara had seen Loki fight before on the training grounds inside Asgard's palace walls. She had seen his daggers close up when he had cleaned them of sand and dust after an exercise session and even held one of the filigree hilts. But she had never seen him move as swiftly as he did now. Blades and magic flew as he appeared to almost dance around his opponents, his strikes nearly invisible in their speed.
Fara, get away right now!
She averted her gaze from him as she motioned for the other woman to get up and come with her and they ran behind a severely battered car that stood not too far away. "Keep still." She told Jane as she peeked carefully around its dented frame, eyes fixed on Loki and the three elves fighting against him.
Her breath stopped in her throat as she watched him duck from a hit only to turn and throw a kick at the masked elf.
But more and more seemed to come, some shooting at him with energy guns, Loki averting the powerful missiles with spells. His movements slowed down the more time passed faintly yet unmistakably and without thinking she send her own spells out to push away an elf who had tried to strike at him from the back.
She realised her mistake too late when some of the elves turned around, their empty eyes fixing her. Jane beside her reached for her hand, tugging at her with force. "Come on, we have to get away from here."
Her comment that they'd landed in this position because Jane had not listened to Thor in the first place stuck in her dry throat when one of the elfish guns almost hit Loki grazing his biceps by a hair's breadth.
The elves drew nearer to them, weapons held out.
"Hi, guys. Sorry to interrupt, but you really need to leave." Iron Man's red suit flew into Fara's sight as he landed in front of the car they were hiding behind. "Wait a moment, is that Loki?" She saw Steve and Thor run towards them as well, the latter's eyes widening in shock as he saw the two women.
The seeress had no time to explain as the elves quickly engaged them in combat. Mjolnir's thundering strikes ruptured through the air and a blast of energy flew over the cars rooftop. Jane and Fara managed to duck down in time.
The sounds grew quieter; the noise ebbed away until they could no longer hear the clashing of blades or slamming armour.
Tony's voice was the first they heard when he stepped around the car and helped them onto their feet. "Ladies, everything alright?"
They both nodded and Fara spotted Natasha and Clint as they talked to some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Nat seemed uninjured and she let out a breath in relief.
Thor's voice tore her sight away from them. "You couldn't keep her away for ten minutes, could you?" He said, but behind the anger in his eyes relief at Jane's wellbeing became visible.
"No, because I won't just let you run into a fight while I simply wait for you to come back unharmed." She ran into his arms and their lips crashed into a passionate kiss.
"Hey get a room you too, will ya?" Tony shook his head. Then his eyes fell back to the dark figure in the background and the others soon followed his gaze.
Natasha and Clint approached, together with agents who instantly raised their guns at him, watching his every move. Loki was crouching over a dead elf, hands on the mask's edges. Malekith knows Jane's face now and that The Aether resides within her. He stood up. This was just a foretaste of what is yet to come. He has watched from afar.
His eyes did not leave the elf as Fara repeated his words to the group. Slowly he rose unto his feet and the firearms around him followed him.
The Vanir's eyes fell unto his left arm, emerald cloth torn and soaked in crimson liquid. She opened her mouth, but Thor had apparently seen it too and was faster in reacting. "Your arm."
A grin softened Loki's tense features and they all saw the burned muscle tissue stitch itself back together and hide behind layers of new skin. Now that his magic was back he had no difficulty in healing himself.
"How did he get out of his cell?" Clint had drawn an arrow out and his bow joined the guns.
Loki wanted to snap at the annoying man, demonstrate to him that he was capable of more than just getting out of a glass cell. He had not paid attention last time it seemed. But his eyes flickered from him when a female voice penetrated his thoughts.
"Don't shoot. He protected us from their attacks." Jane said. Steve motioned the agents to lay aside their weapons.
"The fight's over."
The silence held its walls up like a brick fortress and for a moment it appeared as if they wouldn't comply. Fara's heartbeat rushed inside her ears, the coldness creeping underneath her clothes as she watched without daring to blink.
The guns were lowered to their owner's sides, but the men didn't move their eyes off Loki.
It was Thor who spoke again, without a smile, though between the cracks of his tense voice Fara thought she could hear the streaks of honest sympathy.
"Thank you, brother."
He stepped up to Loki and placed one hand unto the other man's shoulder, nodding his head once in silent gratitude. Loki returned the nod, for once all mockery wiped away from his eyes and Thor turned to lead Jane and the others back to the elevators. In the corner of her eye Fara caught a glimpse of Banner, wearing a different pair of trousers and being offered a jacket by one of the officers.
She knew Natasha tried to catch her eyes - to ask what had happened, why Loki was out, not to mention why he had fought on their side – but she evaded her friend's questions with a smile and a headshake.
They got back into the lower levels. Similar to the first day Loki was flanked by S.H.I.E.L.D. staff, though the handcuffs were missing this time.
"Fury wants to speak to us." Clint told them after a brief exchange with one of the agents they passed.
The seeress tried to ignore Loki's chuckles in her head as she followed them to the control centre.
She hadn't seen them.
Her last vision had been of Malekith in Asgard – a ploy. Someone had found a way to manipulate her power, no doubt. Whatever she saw from now on she couldn't trust it, couldn't trust herself. The idea was ridiculous, yet fear grabbed her at the thought Malekith being in her head.
What else could he control?
In her worry she did not pay much attention to the warm threads of magic that engulfed her own, soothing and familiar in their comfort. Fara simply let the sensation embrace her for a moment. It was gone as swiftly as it had come.
The chuckles had ended.
"Alright, can anyone explain to me what that was for?" Nick Fury's voice greeted them as the company took seats at a round table. Darcy came rushing into the room, crashing into Jane with her arms held out until she hugged her friend tightly.
"Where were you, I've searched the whole building for you!" Her words came out in a blur some of them struggled to keep up with. "Thor told me you'd be downstairs with Fara and-"
"Yes, this I'd like to get clarified too. What the hell happened to get Loki out of his cell? And why where you three" He motioned to Thor, Jane and Fara. "with him without my knowledge in the first place?"
"I can explain." Thor said, but was interrupted.
"You see, Thor" Nick stepped closer, his uncovered eye narrowed as he stared at the taller man. "We have rules here, rules that are meant to protect ourselves as well as the rest of the planet's population. Someone like you should know the value of such regulations."
"He has met Asgard's justice, there's no need for you to seek any more vengeance."
"Oh, I have all the right in the world to seek vengeance from him. He killed eighty people and wished to rule our planet. Coulson died because of him."
"And Loki has already faced part of his sentence. As much as I understand your sorrow, if you don't stop this desire for revenge then you are no better than him." Thor spoke. "For now he has helped us and fought on our side. Should he betray us I will make him regret it personally, but until then I will accept his help."
Fury did not counter his statement, but sulked down his emotions. There were more urgent matters to discuss.
"How did they find us here?" Steve, who had quietly watched the exchange, could not keep his gaze from flickering once to Loki and back to Thor.
"They sensed the presence of the Aether." Thor said.
"The what?" Darcy asked when the Avengers exchanged confused glances. The golden-haired god explained to them the Infinity Gems, while Fara could feel Loki's amused looks wandering from face to face.
"So they know now that it's Miss Foster they're after?" Natasha said.
"Didn't you see them coming?" Tony looked at Fara.
She answered after her eyes lowered themselves to the metal plane before her. "No, they were hidden from my sight." Then her gaze flew back up to meet his. "I saw a different picture – Malekith and Odin celebrating a truce between the races. Somebody wanted me to see that."
A hiss escaped Thor's lips and she heard Natasha on her left gasp. "You mean to say the Accursed has found a way to manipulate you?" Thor's fist collided with the table, not fiercely enough to break it, but the wood trembled warningly. "Sabotage from within, that's his plan."
Loki watched, his fingers that had played with a pen seconds before stilled in mid-motion when he heard the Vanir and Thor speak of manipulation. So this was the elf's chosen strategy. He had to admit he was impressed, despite the bile rising in his throat at the thought. To change people's prophecies was a feat of much craft and skill. More than the elves of Svartalfheim should be capable to conjure.
He was so far away in his thoughts that he didn't notice his eyes had wandered to her and when he did he didn't tear them away for unknown reasons. His jade gaze fell upon her fast moving lips, her flushed cheeks burning with the remains of adrenaline. If he concentrated enough he could hear her heartbeat inside the layers of his mind, where hers shone brightly like the centre of a star.
She was scared - scared that she could no longer trust her own body now that Malekith had found a way to sabotage her most intimately.
The all-too familiar roaring returned in the back of his skull, but for once he didn't pay it much attention as he simply concentrated on her.