Chapter 4

"LOKI!" screeched Emmeline from the bathroom. She was sitting in a bubble bath with a glass of champagne and she had something so important to tell him, that no, it couldn't have waited until she was done. Loki entered.

"Oh," he said, and smiled. "You called?"

"Yes I did," said Emmeline, raising her leg out of the water and crossing it over her other one. Loki licked his lips and grinned at her.

"My God, what is it?" he said excitedly. Emmeline widened her eyes in excitement.

"I have been scheming—as you have—for a plan of stealing the Tesseract, and I have something that is perfect."

"Do you? Oh, that's marvelous!" he said.

"We're going to need a car, a briefcase, and a whole lot of lies."

"I have many of those," Loki said, smiling. He sat on the edge of the bathtub and Emmeline looked at him.

"You want to come in with me?"

"I was just waiting for you to ask that," said Loki.


The Tesseract was still unstable, and it was getting worse. The staff of S.H.I.E.L.D. was afraid it would alter the atmosphere with its intense energy levels. Dr. Bruce Banner was assigned to study the Tesseract and find out how to stabilize it. Banner and Stark were in the S.H.I.E.L.D. experiment room watching the Tesseract and tracking Loki. Thor was visiting Jane Foster, his girlfriend who lived on Earth. Agents Barton and Romanoff were in a meeting with Nick Fury and Captain America was in a training session, so Stark and Banner were alone with the Tesseract.

"I know why it's unstable," said Banner.

"Why?"

"There's tension. Emmeline…she has everyone upset and irritable and there's a lot of tension between us. If we don't keep it down, the Tesseract could wipe out the planet."

"How do we do that? I'm pretty mad," said Stark.

"Walk it off." Stark smirked at him. He glanced back at his supercomputer.

"Uh oh," he said. "The levels are rising. We have to keep it contained." The Tesseract glowed brighter and spun in its containment unit, shaking faster and faster.

"Should we call Fury?" asked Banner.

"Does he know what to do?"

Suddenly, Banner saw a thin sheet of ice slowly form on the floor, originating from the stairs.

"Stark…"

"Oh look what you have done to the Tesseract," said Loki, walking in from the stairs. Emmeline was beside him, slowly freezing the room. "You have increased its energy. Thank you. Now if you don't mind, I need it."

Stark started at Loki, but he blasted him to the other side of the room with his scepter.

"Ah, we meet again old friend," said Loki. Dr. Banner began to feel it again. The anger, the heat…the Hulk. Stark looked over at him.

"Don't do it Doc; fight it off," he said. "Take deep breaths." Banner tried to keep it under control but Emmeline walked up to him.

"I'm sorry Doctor," she said. "I didn't mean for it to be this way."

"Why did you?" he asked. Emmeline burst into tears and ran to the corner. Banner followed her and Stark was still wrestling with Loki.

"You can come back," said Banner.

"I wish I could," she said. Emmeline looked really upset. Loki looked over at her and so did Stark.

"Enjoying your betrayal, Red?" he asked.

"Shut up!" she cried.

"I think she really wants to come back," said Banner. Stark walked over to Emmeline and as soon as he did, she turned around and froze both of them in place. Emmeline had been lying. This made Dr. Banner angry, but he kept it under control. Loki smiled.

"Sorry boys," she said. "We need the cube." Loki took out a suitcase and grabbed the Tesseract.

"No!" said Stark. "Okay Doc, remember when I said not to turn into a big green monster? Well I lied!"

"No," said Banner. "It's what they want. I'll destroy S.H.I.E.L.D."

"But they're going to—"

"—I won't be able to stop them. We need to think of another plan." Loki closed the suitcase holding the Tesseract and walked over to Emmeline.

"Look at your marvelous work," he said. She kissed him.

"So long," she said to Banner and Stark. She put her hands over the computer and set it on fire.

"No!" said Stark. Banner sat there, feeling helpless. But he was planning.


Emmeline and Loki drove in their getaway car that they had stolen from S.H.I.E.L.D. Emmeline was behind the wheel.

"I love you so much!" said Loki, kissing her as she drove. Emmeline saw other S.H.I.E.L.D. cars from her rearview mirror.

"Fury's agents are after us," she said. Loki leaned out the window with his scepter and started blasting them. Emmeline drove faster, but she knew they wouldn't lose them.

"Loki, use the Tesseract to get to the Chitauri realm!" said Emmeline. "Use it now! I'll hold them off!" Loki ducked back in the car and Emmeline leaned out, blasting them with fire and ice. She quickly hit the auto drive button and climbed on top of the car. She kept them at a distance with her fire bombs, and soon Loki called out to her.

"I can't now, you need to heat it!"

She ducked into the window and heated the Tesseract. It was taking a while. Loki looked through the window.

"Hurry," he said. Emmeline tried with all her might and as soon as they made a portal, Agent Barton had caught up to them. Loki took Emmeline's hand as they quickly dived through the portal.


"You've brought a mortal with you?" was the first thing the Chitauri commander said to Loki. Emmeline looked around her. It was dark and gray, and there was nothing but tall rocks as far as the eye could see.

"I've brought more than that," Loki said, revealing the Tesseract.

"The Tesseract! Finally you have brought it. The Chitauri were becoming impatient."

"Do you have my army?" said Loki.

"Yes," said the commander. "They will go with you to Earth and wage war with the humans. They are under your command." Loki smiled and held out the Tesseract to the Chitauri commander.

"Yes! Yes! The Chitauri have the Tesseract!" screamed the commander, holding it up. "And we will tear Asgard apart, ravage their city and destroy their people!"

"What?" said Loki.

"Enjoy your army," said the commander. "The humans have their king."

The Chitauri commander used the Tesseract to transport Emmeline and Loki back to Earth, in the Moscow house. Emmeline slapped Loki.

"Ow!"

"Loki, you piece of shit! They are going to kill all your people! I thought you wanted peace!"

"This wasn't my intention! I thought the Chitauri needed the Tesseract as a power source for their city; I didn't know they wanted to take over Asgard! That's what I wanted to do! Now I have no use for their army."

"What are you going to do?" Loki sighed.

"I don't know."

"We have to fight them."

"We don't have an army. I cannot use their army to fight their own kind."

"Well you can't use them to take over the world either, that doesn't matter anymore!"

"Earth will have to wait," said Loki.

"You need to warn your father," said Emmeline.

"Are you mad? I cannot go back to Asgard without getting imprisoned. Odin will not listen to me, and I am the one that caused it anyway." Emmeline gave Loki a look.

"You know what you have to do," she said, looking at him.

"What? …No. No Emmeline, I can't! He would never help me! I will not!"

"He loves you Loki. He will help you. He loves Odin and Frigga and Asgard. If you tell him, he will help."

"But it is my fault. He will have me imprisoned!"

"The way I see it Loki, there are two choices. One: Asgard gets destroyed, everyone dies, and you get to lose everyone you've ever cared about. Or two: you ask for Thor's help, save Asgard, and possibly avoid imprisonment by becoming a hero. Look at it this way, if you save Asgard, they will want you as their king."

"Ah, that could be a possibility," said Loki. "But I cannot go to Thor."

"Why not? Are you afraid he'll take the credit, or that he won't help you?"

"It will just be another opportunity to show Odin how much greater he is. Thor will be the one saving Asgard."

"But he wouldn't if it wasn't for you, Loki. Odin will see that."

"Odin doesn't see anything."

"Loki you have to do it. For me. For Odin. For Asgard. Be a hero. You put a hard shell over it, but I know you love your father and mother and the people of Asgard. I know you love Thor. You won't let them be destroyed. But you need to understand that they love you too, Loki. You have to believe that." Emmeline saw tears well up in Loki's eyes and he turned away from her.

"I will summon Thor."


Loki and Emmeline knew that if they went back to S.H.I.E.L.D. there would be agents ready to shoot them on sight, so Loki created an illusion and shape shifted into Jane Foster.

"He'll follow this woman anywhere," he told Emmeline. I will bring him outside away from this location, and you stand here to meet me." Emmeline nodded. Loki ran off, acting as if something was wrong, so Thor would follow Jane.

When Loki approached the front door, he knocked urgently and called out for Thor in the voice of Jane. His brother rushed to the door and embraced what he thought was Jane.

"Please, Thor you have to help me! Please!"

"Jane, what is it?" said Thor. Loki started running.

"This way, come on!" Thor ran after him and Loki stopped when he got to Emmeline.

"Emmeline? What…" said Thor. Loki transformed back into himself. "Loki! Brother, that was cruel!"

"Do you expect anything else of me?" asked Loki. Emmeline elbowed him.

"I know," he said to her. Thor raised his hammer.

"Thor please," said Emmeline. "We come in peace." Thor slowly lowered his hammer.

"What have you come for?"

"I've done something," said Loki. "And it's not good."

"That is nothing out of the ordinary," said Thor.

"I know, but this time it was an accident—of the sort. You know I stole the Tesseract."

"Yes, and I am going to beat you for that," said Thor.

"Well I gave it to the Chitauri in exchange for their army, thinking they needed it as a power source, but in reality they intend to use it to take over Asgard and ravage the planet, kill everyone." Thor widened his eyes and grabbed Loki by the neck. He swung his hammer in a circle and Emmeline tried to get to him.

"Stay here," Thor ordered her, and let his hammer lead him and Loki to a forest. Thor slammed Loki against a tree.

"Brother what have you done?!" he screamed. He swung at Loki with his hammer, but Loki ducked and punched Thor in the face.

"I didn't know!"

"You're smarter than that, Loki!"

"Thor, you know it was my plan to take over Asgard! But the Chitauri are coming, and they will kill everyone you care about! Mother, Father, Volstagg, Sif! We can't let that happen! I am being sincere."

"You cannot be sincere! Loki, stop doing this to me! I am sick of your lies."

"I am not lying! Thor, our planet is in trouble! And I can't save it by myself! I can't go back to Asgard because this is my fault!" Tears welled up in Loki's eyes as he screamed at Thor. Thor lowered his hammer and looked at Loki.

"You are telling the truth?" Loki just looked at Thor, trying, but not knowing how he could prove his sincerity.

"I…need your help," said Loki, finally. "You know if I was lying I wouldn't ask you. Go and ask Odin. The Chitauri have probably already invaded."

Loki could tell Thor believed him, and his expression changed to upset.

"You are a fool!" screamed Thor, throwing a punch at Loki. He knocked Loki into a tree, scraping the side of his face, and Loki grabbed his fist at the next punch. He took out a dagger from his pocket and jammed it into Thor's upper leg. He pulled it out and Thor gasped in pain.

"Don't start with me brother," said Loki. "Are you going to help me or not? Asgard is in trouble, and I will find a way to keep it alive with or without you." Thor glared at Loki.

"I will help you," said Thor. "But after this is over, you will go to prison for what you have done." Loki said nothing. He knew that he would. But he loved Frigga and even Odin, as much as he was angry at him, and he would not let his own people die. Loki thought war was essential to peace, but that is not what the Chitauri wanted. They wanted to wipe out the people of Asgard.

Thor and Loki said nothing to each other as they began walking back to where they left Emmeline, both of them bleeding. As they walked, Loki shoved Thor slightly, just for fun. Thor shoved him back. This went on for a couple more steps, and they both laughed, it was quite fun.

"I knew my brother was still in there," said Thor. Loki looked at him.

"We must work together for this," he said.

When they made it back, Emmeline rushed to Loki and kissed him. It took Loki by surprise, but he kissed her back and she put her hands on his face. She ran her fingers along the deep cut on Loki's face and he gasped quickly.

"You're hurt!" she said. "Thor, what did you do to him?"

"It's alright darling, I stabbed him," said Loki.

"You both are going to have to get along if you want to save Asgard."


That night, Emmeline was pressing a cold wet washcloth on Loki's wounds from when Thor beat him up. Loki sat on the floor in the living room, leaning against the wall with his shirt off. He had bruises on his sides and cuts on his face. He had a couple scratches on his shoulders from his green suit scratching him when Thor slammed him into a tree. Emmeline pressed the rag on his shoulders and he flinched.

"Ah!" he said.

"Sorry," said Emmeline. "Why do you two fight so much? You really hurt each other."

"It's all in good fun. And hatred."

"You don't hate him. And he doesn't hate you either." Loki looked at Emmeline and then at the ground.

"Yes he does."

"No he doesn't Loki. I know for a fact that he loves you. He told me." Loki mustered a smile.

"Well if I ever say anything like that, you better not go and tell him," he said. Emmeline smirked at him. Loki put his hand on her back and pulled her close to him. He pushed her to his chest and she could feel his heartbeat. Loki closed his eyes and put his forehead to hers. She felt his breath on her face and their lips met.

"I am going to miss you," whispered Loki. Emmeline opened her eyes and sat up.

"What?"

"I have to go to Asgard and fight alongside Thor. You cannot come with me; you are a mortal."

Emmeline had not thought about the fact that when Loki and Thor went to Asgard, she couldn't go. Mortals were not allowed in any other realm but Earth, so Loki had to leave her and fight the war himself with Thor. This bothered Emmeline. She wanted so much to help Loki and Thor, save Asgard…make sure Loki was safe. She knew he could take care of himself; he had so much power, but she still worried about him.

"How long?" asked Emmeline.

"I don't know," Loki replied. "But Thor and I will go tomorrow." Loki ran his fingers through Emmeline's curls. "You are the only one who truly understands me, Emmeline." Emmeline leaned on Loki's chest.

"I don't want to be here alone," she said.

"You're not alone," said Loki.


"Wait, so we're giving up?" said Agent Romanoff. Thor had called a meeting for all the Avengers so he could tell them what was going on.

"No, we don't need to worry over Loki anymore. Earth is no longer in danger. My brother and I are leaving for Asgard this evening."

"Wait, he's helping you?"

"He gave the Tesseract to the Chitauri, and they turned against him and are waging war on Asgard. He asked for my help."

"Are you sure it isn't a trick?" asked Tony Stark.

"I checked with my father last night. It isn't. Loki is a villain, and he is known for telling elaborate lies, but he cares for Asgard. He cares for father and mother. So we are working together to save it. You no longer have to fight against him for the fate of your planet."

"Well, I'd say that's pretty awesome," said Captain America.

"What about Emmeline?" asked Agent Barton.

"I guess she shall stay. She cannot go to Asgard; she's a mortal. But I must say goodbye to you all for now," said Thor. Natasha hugged him and then so did the others.

"Good luck," said Dr. Banner. Thor smiled at them and left to meet his brother. Loki was waiting for him outside. He had red circles around his eyes as if he had been crying, but he tried to smile at Thor.

"Brother, what's the matter?" asked Thor.

"Nothing," said Loki hastily. "I'm fine. Emmeline was despairing that I had to leave her and…" he trailed off. Thor put his hand on Loki's shoulder to sympathize.

"Can you call on Heimdall to get us up there?" asked Loki.

"I think so. Heimdall will see us and tell father." Thor looked up to the sky and yelled Heimdall's name.

"Heimdall it's urgent!" yelled Loki. "Asgard is in danger!" Just then, a portal appeared in front of them. Thor and Loki smiled at each other and stood under it to be taken to Asgard.