AN: I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter :) School's about to get crazy again so I thought I'd update before all that. As always, thanks for the reviews/favorites/follows and I hope you like!

I own nothing.

Chapter Eight:

Loki led the way out of the dungeon. He had taken off his green cape and draped it over Waverly's shoulders to stop her from shaking. Waverly didn't know it she was shaking from the cold, the adrenalin, or the immense relief she felt now that she was with Loki. As they climbed the steps, Loki filled her in on the events leading up to her rescue. Waverly was grateful Clint had come to her rescue as well, though she was surprised the archer had worked so well with the god of mischief. But, something had gone wrong. At least that's what Loki thought the explosion must mean. The two men had agreed to face The Other together unless something unexpected happened. As Waverly followed Loki through the creepy passages of the fortress, the feeling of relief she had upon seeing Loki turned into worry for her brother. Despite this, Waverly couldn't help but smile. She had noticed that ever since Loki had freed her, he hadn't let her go. The whole time they walked, Loki either had an arm slung around her waist or he was holding her hand. And not just holding her hand, his fingers were interlocked with hers, something he had never done before. The only time he had let her go was to take off his cape and give it to her. That gesture in of itself was very un-Loki-like. Maybe I should get kidnapped more often. With her free hand, Waverly pulled Loki's cape tighter around her shoulders. It was made of some kind of light material that still provided warmth. It was the same exact color as Loki's eyes. Yeah, Waverly thought with a mischievous smile, he's not getting this back.

After climbing countless staircases and passing through several long, dark corridors, Loki stopped. "This is the entrance hall," he told Waverly. Loki looked nervously around. "Your brother and I split up here. I am not sure where he went."

Waverly felt her stomach twist. "We could split up?" She didn't want to leave Loki's side but if her brother was in trouble, they had to find him.

"No." Loki vetoed that idea instantly. He tightened his grip on Waverly's hand. "I have lost you twice nice. Do not ask me to go through the pain of losing you again."

Waverly looked up into Loki's face. He was looking at her with such intensity, she blushed. Loki never liked to talk about his feelings, at least not without being sarcastic. The fact that he was being so honest with her and the fact that he really had been in pain while she was gone reinforced the vow Waverly had made to herself in that cell. She would never be apart from Loki again.

"Okay," she nodded and squeezed his hand back. "We'll stick together. Where do you think he went?"

A deep, gravelly voice behind them answered. "The archer has gone to his untimely end."

Loki whipped around so fast, he nearly pulled Waverly's arm out of her socket. Waverly turned around as well, stumbling a little over the hem of Loki's cape (after all the god was like 6 feet tall and Waverly barely reached his shoulder).

Standing in front of the open gate that led outside was a creature Waverly had never seen before. It wasn't The Other but he looked similar. His skin was a mix of gray and purple, like The Other's, and he had the same yellow eyes. He was taller though, and more muscled. But he looked beat up, like he just got dragged over a mountain. One of his eyes was black. There were several cuts on his face and arms, most of them still bleeding. He had burn marks on his clothes. The alien walked toward them with a slight limp, but he was still menacing.

Loki pushed Waverly behind him and held his scepter at the ready. "Who are you? Where is The Other and what have you done with Barton?"

"The Other is dead," the alien said. "As for your accomplice, his fate was his own doing."

Waverly's fear was replaced by anger. She forced herself around Loki and faced the alien. "Where's my brother? What did you do to him?"

The alien laughed. "I've done nothing, pathetic human. But I must thank you, girl. You've been excellent bait, though not as effective as I had hoped." The alien's amber gaze turned to Loki. "Now, god of mischief, I have a bargain for you."

Waverly looked from Loki to the alien with wide eyes.

Loki's scepter was glowing blue but he didn't say anything, so the alien continued.

"As I'm sure you've figured out, Asgardian… or should I say Jotun? Either way, I assume you've figured out that I am The Other's master. My name is Thanos and soon I will be ruler of this galaxy; of all realms known and unknown. I offer you a deal." Thanos kept walking towards them. He was now only a few feet away. "I know you thirst for power, son of Laufey. Lead me to the rest of the girl's team. The so called Avengers. Help me eliminate them so that I may seize control of the universe and I shall name you king of whichever realm you choose. Asgard, Midgard, Jotunheim. You will finally be a ruler, as is your birthright."

Waverly watched as Loki took in Thanos' words. The god was breathing heavy and a bead of sweat was working its way down his forehead. Loki's knuckles were white on his scepter. Waverly felt her stomach tighten. Was he actually considering Thanos' offer?

"Loki?" Waverly's voice was barely above a whisper.

Loki turned to look at her. His face softened for a fraction of a second. Then Thanos spoke again.

"A king, Loki Laufeyson," he pressed. "Just take me to the Avengers."

Loki turned back to Thanos. The god had a mad gleam in Loki's eyes. He relaxed his stance and lowered his scepter. Waverly felt her stomach drop to her knees. Her mouth fell open and she felt her blood run cold.

Loki took a few steps towards Thanos. "It is my destiny to be king. I was born to rule." Loki lifted his scepter and examined the tip while he continued. "But, if I am to rule. It will be by my own hand; not because it was handed to me." In a flash, Loki twirled his scepter so it was pointed at Thanos. He shot a bolt of blue magic at the alien's chest.

At that same moment, an arrow whistled through the air above Waverly's head. It struck Thanos' shoulder just as Loki's magic made contact. The combined force sent him flying back towards the front gate.

Waverly spun around to look for the source of the arrow. At the bottom of a staircase to their left, Clint was leaning against the wall, his bow in hand. He looked just as bad as Thanos. He was bruised and bloody. His clothes were tattered and he looked like he had just survived an explosion… which, knowing her brother, was probably likely.

"Clint! What's –"

Clint held up a hand to stop his sister. The archer turned to Loki. "For a second there, I thought you were going to accept his offer."

Loki swallowed. His face was paler than usual and he seemed shaken up. "F-for a moment, so did I."

Near the front gate, Thanos groaned but didn't move. For the moment, he was unconscious.

Clint knocked an arrow. "We'll talk about that later. We've got bigger problems right now."

Loki nodded. "Is it true The Other's dead?"

"Yeah." Clint walked over to his sister and gave her a quick smile. "Glad you're safe, sis. You all right?"

Waverly nodded, too stunned by what had just happened to speak. Had Loki really almost accepted Thanos' offer?

"Good. We'll talk later. Right now, we need to get out of here."

There was more groaning near the gate. Thanos rolled over.

"I'm sure the three of us can handle him." Loki said, nodding towards the alien.

Clint shook his head. "No. It'd take the whole team. This guy's got mad powers. He just survived a ten story fall."

Waverly found her voice. "So did you."

Clint laughed. "I fell down some stairs. Not out a tower window. I'll explain in the jet. We gotta go." The archer, bow still at the ready, took off towards the door. He walked quickly, but like Thanos, whatever had happened in that tower left Clint with a limp.

Waverly looked at Loki. He wouldn't meet her eyes but he took her hand and followed Clint. The three of them hurried past Thanos and out onto the front steps of the fortress. Waverly saw two more aliens lying unconscious on the stairs, arrows protruding from their necks. Her brother's handiwork. They had just reached the bottom stair when Thanos yelled behind them.

"Foolish mortals! Your suffering will be great."

Waverly chanced a glance behind her. Thanos was on his hands and knees at the top of the stairs. His face was contorted in a mix of pain and rage. He held his hand up, palm pointed at Waverly, Loki, and Clint. Waverly had seen Tony use this gesture all too often. Her eyes widened. "Duck!" She yelled and threw herself to the ground, pulling Loki down with her.

Beside Waverly, Clint hit the ground with a thud. Just in time. Waverly felt the heat of Thanos' energy blast sear the back of her head as it soared over them, missing by just inches. The second the blast had passed, Clint rolled to a firing position.

"Run! Get Waverly to the jet!" He yelled at Loki. "She can start the flight sequence. I'll hold him off and meet you there." Clint pressed some buttons on his bow and the quiver of arrows on his back whirred and spun.

Loki nodded and stood, pulling Waverly up with him. He tightened his grip on her hand and turned.

"No!" Waverly planted her bare feet firmly on the rocky ground. "Clint, I'm not leaving you!"

"Waverly, go. I'll be fine as long as I have exploding arrows, I can hold him off."

"But Clint –"

"Waverly, there's no time to argue! Just go. I'll be right behind you." Clint fired one of his said arrows, knocking Thanos back to the ground and simultaneously blowing a hole in the stairs.

With a pained look at her brother, Waverly sighed in frustration and allowed Loki to pull her along.

They ran towards a mountain range. In the middle of the tall, dark peaks, a volcano spewed gas and smoke into the atmosphere. Every few minutes, Waverly heard an explosion behind her that told her Clint was still keeping Thanos at bay. But how many arrows did Clint have left? Waverly knew he usually carried an even dozen. He had used two to take out the alien guards and one to cause that first explosion she had heard in the dungeon. Waverly lost count of how many times Clint had fired since she and Loki had made a run for it. Would Clint have enough?

As Loki ran, he dodged clouds of yellow steam that billowed from deep cracks in the planet's surface. He nimbly dodged small rocks and boulders. But, being barefoot and still without the athletic ability granted to her by her Ice Hawk powers, Waverly stumbled along behind the god. She had already fallen twice, ripping a hole in both her pajama pants and Loki's cape. The third time Waverly tripped, Loki growled in frustration.

"Oh this is ridiculous." Loki effortlessly lifted Waverly off the ground. He titled his lips into a mischievous grin. Quick as a flash, Loki swept one arm behind Waverly's knees, the other wrapping around her shoulders. With a startled 'yelp,' Waverly was lifted off her feet. Loki cradled her against his chest. Loki looked down at her, giving her another one of his signature smiles. "Shall we be off?"

Loki didn't wait for a response. He took off running again. As he ran, Waverly bumped up against his chest. She felt totally useless. She knew Loki was stronger than a human, being a god and all. He was strong, he had muscles, but still, he was no Thor. Waverly felt bad that Loki had to carry her all the way to the jet and that Clint had to hold off Thanos while she couldn't do much more than fall on the ground. Tears came to her eyes. She was hurt all over. She was scared for her brother, for Loki, for herself. She just wanted her powers to come back all ready.

There was another explosion behind them. Waverly looked over Loki's shoulder. A cloud of smoke obscured Thanos' fortress but Waverly could just see a human sized figure running away from the castle, towards the mountains. It had to be Clint. As Waverly watched, Clint reached over his shoulder, grabbed an arrow, and loaded his bow. He spun and fired, running backwards and taking only a fraction of a second to aim. Yup, that was the great Hawkeye. Waverly felt herself calm a little. Her brother clearly had things under control. At least for the moment.

Waverly looked back around. Now that Loki was carrying her, they had almost reached the foot of the mountains. "The jet is concealed on an outcropping about three hundred yards up," Loki panted.

"Why don't you just teleport us up?" Waverly asked. She wondered why this question hadn't come to her sooner. They could have avoided a lot of running and tripping.

"That's a volcano," Loki said. "If I misjudge the distance, even by a little, we could end up inside it. I don't know about humans, but I am definitely not fire proof."

"Fair point," Waverly conceded.

They reached the mountain range in hardly any time at all and began their ascent. It wasn't easy climbing while carrying Waverly, but Loki was determined that they'd both make it out of here alive and with Clint. Loki reached a relatively flat slab of stone and set Waverly down for a moment. He rested his hands on his knees, panting. Loki had noticed that the explosion behind them had stopped. Obviously Barton had run out of arrows. Loki looked out at the expanse below them. He could see a figure, Clint, running towards the mountains. He was maybe 100 yards away. Then, there was a beeping in Loki's ear that caused the god of mischief to jump with surprise. Waverly looked at him curiously.

Clint's voice sounded in Loki's ear. He had totally forgotten about the communicator. "Out of arrows. On my way. Is the jet fired up?"

Loki fumbled around his ear before locating the button that would allow him to respond. "Nearly there." He turned back to Waverly. "Your brother's out of ammo. We must hurry."

Waverly nodded. "Don't bother carrying me, I'll be fine. Let's just get to the jet."

Loki shook his head. "It'll be faster if I carry you. Trust me." He crouched down and patted his back. "What is it you Midgardians call this? A horsey-back ride?"

Despite the situation, Waverly laughed. "Piggy-back." She pulled herself onto Loki's back and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck.

Once Waverly was secure, Loki took back off up the mountain. He was exhausted and drenched in sweat, but he knew he had to keep going. Loki silently cursed himself for never taking training as seriously as Thor had done when they were children. While Thor had always been strong and athletic, Loki preferred to immerse himself in his books and magic; Loki's most powerful weapon was his mind. Sure, Loki was fine in battle, but that was different. Loki's battle strategy involved well placed attacks, knowing the enemies weaknesses. It was more of a work out for his mind than his body. But Loki pushed the tiredness from his mind and pushed on. Plus, having Waverly finally back at his side (or on his back as the case might be) gave Loki renewed strength and vigor. They were nearly there.

"The jet is masked," Loki said over his shoulder. "It is invisible. Will you know how to get inside?"

"I can handle it." Waverly said. "Just get me there."

Loki's muscles screamed in pain. He wanted nothing more than to just lie down and go to sleep. Even this rocky mountain looked comfortable. But, they weren't safe yet. They had just reached the crest of the outcropping where the SHIELD hyper-jet was located. He pulled himself and Waverly over the edge and bent down so Waverly could slide off his back.

"It's roughly there," he said, pointing to what looked like empty space.

Waverly nodded. She headed cautiously towards the spot, her hands feeling around in the air in front of her. Loki took that moment to catch his breath. He knelt on the ground and looked out over the landscape below. He couldn't see Barton. Loki lifted a hand to his ear and activated the communicator. "Barton, where are you? We've reached the jet."

The voice that answered sounded just as exhausted and beat down as Loki felt. "On my way up."

Loki nodded to himself. He got back to his feet and turned in time to see Waverly deactivate the jet's cloaking mechanism. The hatch door opened with a 'whoosh' and Waverly disappeared inside the cockpit. Loki quickly followed. By the time he reached the cockpit, Waverly had already strapped herself in the pilot's chair. Her hands flew wildly over the jet's control panel, her fingers a blur as she pressed buttons and activated switches. Loki collapsed into the copilot's chair as the jet engines 'whirred' to life.

"Where's Clint?" Waverly asked, not taking her eyes of the many blinking gauges.

"I'm here!"

Loki jumped. He hated how sneaky these SHIELD agents could be. He hadn't even heard Clint approach. But sure enough, there he was, leaning against the hyper-jet's hands. His face was covered with dirt and grime. He was panting.

"Let's… get out… of here."

Loki nodded in agreement.

"All right," Waverly said. "Hold on." She hit a button and then pulled the throttle. With a jolt, the jet took off. Loki felt his stomach twist into a knot. I definitely do not enjoy flying the Midgardian way, Loki thought as he shut his eyes to the scenery flashing by him in a blur.