Chapter Six

I led us to the nearest exit. It was after sunset, and the street was shrouded in darkness and the glow of the city lights. A blast of icy air hit us as we stepped out the glass doors and onto the sidewalk, and I shivered and pulled the collar of my coat tighter around my neck. Loki appeared to be unaffected by the cold, and instead gazed at his surroundings with a look of suspicion and concern. With his sly expression gone, he made me even more nervous.

"Let's move," he said, "lead us away from here, mortal."

I didn't much appreciate being called "mortal", and I shot him a glare that he didn't seem to notice. However, I obeyed, and we began walking, knowing not where.

I debated on where we could go. It was clear that he wanted as far away from this area as fast as possible, but I didn't know where would be safer. All I knew was I wanted to get out of the biting cold.

"If we get on the T," I started, "we could easily-"

"No," he replied curtly, "we must stay off the subways."

"Why in the world-" I started to ask, genuinely confused.

"Do not question me, human," he spat. "We must stay above ground at all costs. The trains are easily tracked and they are being watched."

"Watched?" I asked, overwhelmed. "Watched by whom?"

"If we make haste you won't have to find out," he growled. He gave me another little shove, less gentle this time. I glared at him, but proceeded to obey his commands.

I didn't know where I could take him that would be safer, especially given that he wouldn't tell me who or what we were running from. So I wandered in the first direction my feet took me, which was toward Quincy Market. I still have no idea why I wandered in that direction, but it was the only place I could think to take him. Plus it was in the opposite direction of my home, and I definitely didn't want this creep knowing what neighborhood I lived in.

I watched him out of the corner of my eye as we walked. Despite his nervousness, his presence was still menacing and powerful. I didn't believe in gods, and I certainly didn't believe he actually was one, but I could definitely see why he would be the closest thing there was to a god. He walked as though he owned these streets, as if he were ruler of this city. He was strong, confident, and cunning, and it baffled me why he needed me. To him I was just another human, whose purpose was little more than to serve him. I shuddered at the thought of what he had planned for me.

We walked down Boylston St. for a long while, and I took great care in avoiding crowds of people. We passed people in front of us as quickly as we could, and I was careful to lead us to the edge of the street whenever a throng of people passed in the opposite direction. Loki kept his head down, and through our efforts, we seemed to escape notice. The pace Loki set was agonizingly fast, and I was practically panting from my efforts to keep up with him. His eyes continually darted from side to side, watching every passerby and looking around every corner. He repeatedly looked over his shoulder, as if afraid someone would follow us.

He seemed to relax a bit once we reached Boston Common, mostly I think because it grew considerably darker. I bit my lip in nervousness, realizing that taking this dangerous stranger to the Common at night was a really stupid idea. This entire night was turning into a never ending stream of stupid ideas.

Loki must have noticed that I was watching him because he gave me a smug little smirk. I glared at him in response.

"You are wise to be afraid," he said, "and yet you willingly came back to me. You humans are so gullible. I bet you're wondering what I plan to do with you next."

"No shit," I growled.

"Oooh, feisty tonight, aren't we?" he mocked.

"I bet you didn't figure that I had my own motives when I came to you?" I spat.

"Of course you did," he replied, "you came to ask me why it is I chose you to help me. You also came to ask what I wanted from you, and what you were about to be thrust into." He saw my look of surprise and laughed.

"How in the world did you know that?" I asked.

He gave me another smug smile. "I am a god," he said, spreading his palms. "I am all-knowing."

"You're full of shit," I retorted with an eye roll.

Loki laughed again. "I like this," he said, his smile widening. "You will do nicely."

"While we're on the topic of what the hell you want from me," I replied, "would you mind enlightening me?"

"I would think your purpose would have been made clear earlier," he replied, "after all, you did a wonderful job spying on the Iron Man for me without me even ordering you to."

"Are you fucking serious?" I exclaimed. "I didn't spy on anyone, and I sure as hell didn't do it for you!"

"You unknowingly did my bidding," he said calmly. "Your purpose is to serve me while I am in this city. You will be my eyes and ears, and you will follow the every command of your king and god."

"You're not a god-" I started to argue, but Loki viciously cut me off.

"Do not talk back to me, human!" he growled. "You will do what I ask, when I ask it. If I need you to guide me, you will. If I need you to spy, or to gather something for me, you will."

I was getting so pissed off at his arrogance that I was relatively unphased by his sudden outburst of anger. "Well if you're a god," I said, "what in the world do you need a lowly human like me for? Couldn't you do anything you wanted on your own without any help?"

"Ah," he hissed, "you see, greater things draw my attention. You will make things easier for me."

"What if I don't want to go along with this?" I asked bluntly. "What if I were to tell you that I refuse to be a part of whatever 'plans' you have?"

Loki grabbed my arm and stopped us dead in our tracks. My heart stopped for a moment out of panic and surprise. Loki's expression darkened, and with a single, effortless sweep of his arm, he pinned my back against a nearby tree, plunging us both into total darkness. I became paralyzed with fear, genuinely afraid that I was going to die. He held me by the collar of my coat, and he held me down with just the strength of his single arm He gave me a dark, calculating glare and leaned his face uncomfortably close to mine.

"You would dare defy me?" he growled softly in my ear. "I am a god, you insolent fool." He tightened his grip on my coat collar, causing my airways to constrict slightly. This was clearly a warning.

"I can be very generous, when the mood strikes me," he purred maliciously. He pressed his torso against mine, causing my heart to leap into my throat. "A lovely creature such as yourself may even be worthy of substantial reward, should you cooperate." He pressed his hips against mine suggestively, and I could do nothing but stare at him in blank disbelief. "However," he continued, his tone darkening, "I will not be merciful with disobedience." As he growled that last word, his grip on my throat tightened, and I let out a gagged yelp of pain. His glaring eyes pierced through mine, and it felt like he could stab me dead with his eyes if he wanted. My eyes widened in fear, and I silently pleaded him to spare me. He seemed to like my reaction, for he gave me another smug grin.

"I'm sure you'll make the correct choice now," he said, releasing me and taking a step back. I gasped and clutched at my throat, panting from fear. As I recovered, Loki looked around with that nervous expression from before. His lips parted, and his wide, glaring eyes saw things I did not.

"We've delayed too long," he growled, grabbing my hand and tossing me in front of him. I took this as a sign that we needed to get moving again, so I obeyed and led onward through the Common. The Common was largely empty, so I was able to notice a small handful of men in black suits and coats looking at us from afar. Though they kept their distance, they seemed to be following us.

I looked at Loki in nervousness. "Loki," I started to say.

"I see them," he said. He grabbed my hand, a little gentler this time, and quickened our pace. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the suited men pick up their pace as well. "Your first task," Loki said quietly, "is to lose them."

I had no idea how I was going to do this. We were largely alone and vulnerable in this park. Luckily, we were almost through it, and I figured that once we were back on the streets I could lose them.

Luckily, the crowds started to thicken as we approached Park Street at the other end of the Common. There was a particularly large crowd of people standing by the large fountain not far from the Part Street T stop. The crowd surrounded a small group of men and woman, all in their late 60's, who were holding signs that said phrases like "The End is Near" and "Repent Now." They were drawing quite a bit of attention, and the crowd seemed to swell as we approached.

"The second coming approaches!" one of the men holding a sign shouted. He had a powerful voice that could be heard for a distance. "Those aliens in New York, they weren't aliens, but agents of the Antichrist! It is a sign that the End is Here! Now is the time to repent! Save your souls!"

I looked over at Loki, who rolled his eyes.

The doomsdayers were causing quite a commotion. Several people in the large crowd were shouting back at them, and it attracted a few police officers, who watched from a distance. I dove into this crowd, towing Loki by the hand. I figured that perhaps we could shake them in this crowd, even if it was just for a bit.

"Revelations is coming to pass!" the same man screamed. "REPENT AND YOU WILL BE SAVED FROM THE APPROACHING DARKNESS!"

The crowd parted very slowly and reluctantly for us. I glanced behind us. We had managed to lose a couple of them, but there were still a few that managed to follow us. One tall, well-built man in particular caught my eye. His eyes were a bright shade of blue, and his brownish blond hair was neatly styled in a comb-over on the top of his head. He was very handsome, and he looked very strong and dignified. Loki saw him too, and abruptly decided to take the lead. We practically ran out of the crowd and onto Park Street.

"Above," he stated quiet enough so that only I could hear.

I glanced up as indiscreetly as I could. I could see the tiny outline of a man standing on the roof of a nearby building. His image was faint from the height, and I couldn't make out any details of his appearance. However, he appeared to be holding something. Was that a bow?

"Who are they?" I asked, panting in exasperation.

"They call themselves SHIELD," Loki replied, continuing to glance at our pursuers.

SHIELD. That sounded familiar.

"I take it they're after you," I said.

"I've been too careless," he growled, "I won't make that mistake again.

He led us through a crowd in a particularly dark section of the street, and when we emerged, I gasped when I saw that both our appearances had changed. Bright red curls now bounced across my shoulders as I walked. Loki's appearance changed completely. He was just as tall as he was, and his face was similar, but his eyes were blue, and he had a scruff of a goatee on his chin. His curly blond hair was styled neatly on the top of his head.

The change of appearance seemed to work, at least for a while, because suddenly we were no longer being followed. I figured that if we were being watched from above it would be best to be under cover of some sort. I decided that the Markets would be a great place to hide. There was cover, and there were always lots of people. I led us down Tremont Street and down the Freedom Trail as fast as I indiscreetly could.

When our destination was in sight, I saw two of the men from SHIELD reappear to our left. One of them was the blond man I saw on Park Street. They looked directly at Loki and started heading toward us. I debated for a moment what to do, and then I saw the tents and tarp coverings of Haymarket.

Perfect.

I quickly led Loki in the direction of the outdoor market and dove under the tarps. If someone was watching us from above, they wouldn't be able to see us in here. Loki seemed to like this idea, for he shot me a quick smile of approval.

We may have lost our pursuer on the roof, but we didn't manage to lose the men following us on the ground yet. I shoved my way through the throngs of people around the vendors, losing myself in all of the pushing, shoving, and shouting.

"Two fo five dolla!" one of the vendors shouted at us as we passed, waving at his collection of pineapples.

I wove my way through the market and tried to put as many shoppers in between us and our pursuers as I could. I nearly stumbled over a Middle Eastern woman pushing a cart full of groceries, and we bumped into an African American couple and their four children. I stole a glance behind us. We managed to lose one of the SHIELD agents, but the blond one continued to follow us.

We rounded the corner and onto another row of covered market vendors. To our left a group of men carried crates full of ice and dead fish out of the back of a truck. They loaded them onto hand trucks and were about to roll them down onto the street. I glanced behind me and saw that the blond man was gaining on us. It looked like a confrontation was about to happen if I didn't do something quickly. At that moment I saw three men start to roll the crates off the truck, down a wooden ramp, and onto the street. I bolted around them as they did so, barely missing the man in the lead. The SHIELD agent behind us, however, crashed into the man and his fish.

"Sorry!" I heard him shout as he stumbled.

The man with the fish started shouting at him in Arabic, waving his arms in anger.

"I'm really sorry sir-" the blond started to say, holding up his hands in a peaceful gesture.

The man continued to shout in Arabic, gesturing from the blond to the fish and back. He waved his fist at him, which then caused quite a commotion in the crowd around us. I smiled at my accomplishment and darted onto the next street and away from Haymarket. I could see the towering outline of Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market materialize into view.

"Barton," Loki spat, "he's still watching us."

"Where?" I asked flabbergasted.

"Above," he grumbled.

Once we reached Quincy Market, I led us inside. We had lost our pursuers, but it was unsettling that we couldn't lose the one who was watching us above.

"We're too conspicuous as a pair," Loki said once we were safely inside. "That's how he keeps finding us."

"But there's so many couples," I replied.

"Don't underestimate him," Loki retorted, "he was once in my service. He is not to be taken lightly. We're safe for now, but once we leave this place he'll see us again."

"What do you suggest we do?" I ask. "Obviously disguises aren't working."

"We need a distraction," he said, "and we need to vanish."

I led us into the center of Quincy Market and away from the windows. We ascended a small staircase and into the main eating area. The sound of people conversing resonated and amplified in the dome above us. We sat down at a table and rested for a moment as I contemplated what to do next. I could sort of see why he wanted my help. I knew this city intimately, and I knew that I could figure out a way to lose these SHIELD people and hide us. However, at the moment, I was so tired and overwhelmed that I didn't know how to go about this.

Loki looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "We can't linger here," he said.

"I know," I spat, "I just need a minute to think."

I propped my elbow on the table and rested my chin in my palm. I was drawing a complete blank, and for a moment I started to panic. Then, behind me I heard someone shout "Woo! Bruins!" I turned around and saw about ten people, all in Bruins jerseys, make their way through the crowd. They were exuding enthusiasm, and they may have been a little tipsy too. I looked around and saw that there were other crowds of Bruins fans too sprinkled here and there, all wearing their team gear.

I looked at my watch. "Bruins game," I said to myself.

"Hmmm?" Loki asked, giving me a curious look.

There must have been a Bruins game going on tonight, and according to my watch, it was almost time to start seating people. All of these Bruins fans were finishing their dinners in Quincy Market before they made their way to the game. After all, the TD Garden was just a short walk from here.

I gasped. The TD Garden. It was perfect.

I had been to a Bruins game before. The sight is unlike any other. There would be over 17,000 people there tonight, all gathering in the same place, all wearing pretty much the exact same thing. The arena and the surrounding area turned into a sea of black and gold as Bruins nation united. It was so easy to get lost in it and become one of the masses.

I quickly stood up and raced to catch up with the crowd of Bruins fans leaving Quincy Market. Loki bolted after me in surprise.

"Care to enlighten me?" he asked.

"I have an idea," I said, gesturing to the crowd of Bruins fans in front of us. "Loki, can you make us blend in with that crowd?"

He nodded. In a small flash of green light, our appearances changed again. My hair was back to its original color, though it extended halfway down my back. Loki looked a little more like himself again. The beard was gone, and his hair was black again. I looked at our clothes and saw that we were both wearing Bruins jerseys, jeans, and sneakers, just like the crowd in front of us. We both also had black Bruins ski hats on top of our heads. We looked exactly like the Bruins fans in front of us.

We gained on them just as they opened the doors and stepped back out onto the street. We walked directly behind them, and I did my best to pretend like we were part of their group. As we walked toward the Garden, more groups of fans, all in the same jerseys, joined us. The number of people in Bruins gear increased the closer we got to the Garden.

Once we reached the Garden, we melted into the sea of black and gold. Just as I predicted, there were thousands of people gathered here, and we were able to seamlessly incorporate ourselves into them. I knew we couldn't get into the game itself without tickets, but I led us into the Garden anyway, hoping that we would officially lose them if we did. Once inside, Loki pulled us to the side and away from the crowds.

"Good work," he said, putting his hand on my shoulder and smiling.

"Are they gone?" I asked, looking around to make sure we weren't followed.

"Yes," he replied, "even Barton cannot find us. We're safe for the time being."

"What do we do now?" I asked.

"Nothing yet," he answered, "we must wait here until they look elsewhere for us."

"Well we're not going to be able to stay out here much longer without looking suspicious," I said as I watched throngs of people make their way through the gates and into the arena. "Can you and your tricks get us in?"

Loki chuckled and nodded.

Author's Note: Wow…so…life happened. It has been forever since I updated this story and I am SO SO SOOO sorry that I fell off the map for so long. It's a long story that I detail in my profile bio, but in short a lot has happened in the last five years since I last posted on this story. Dealt with an abusive marriage and a divorce, more crap relationships, job changes, unemployment, family deaths, and crushing mental illness. I have a whole laundry list of things that have helped kill my muse and stall this story. I know I can make a thousand excuses for not updating, but in the end it is you the readers who have suffered. And for that, I am tremendously, painfully, deeply sorry. Neglecting my fanfics, including this one, is a major regret of mine, and I am so sorry for leaving you hanging and for letting this story fall by the wayside.

With that said, I need your help. As I'm sure you know, this story was published before Thor: The Dark World was released. So this fic is based on the MCU's first phase! (holy moly this fic is old!) And considering this is part seven of the story, there is no way in hell I am going to be able to adjust this story to accommodate for the events of the last two phases of the MCU. I have changed the story description to label this as an AU between Avengers 1 and Thor 2. But I need your help/opinion on where to go from here.

I went through an old harddrive and found this story again. I wrote this in a dark period of my life, but in some sick and twisted way I still like it. This is a chapter that I had apparently written in 2013 but never got around to publishing. So I uploaded it as a way of gauging people's interest in the story. Are you still interested in this story continuing, knowing it is going to be an AU and ignore the events of MCU phases 2 and 3? Or should I discontinue it? I want to keep it going, but if the interest isn't there I will focus my muse on my Star Wars fic. But if you guys are not interested, I will leave this fic in the dustbin of history and discontinue it. Though I will warn you, if I do continue it, over the last five years my writing style has changed a bit. It's a natural part of getting older. And if I continue it, according to my notes some of the X-Men are going to get involved shortly (would that be considered a crossover? I'm so confused, Disney…)

So please leave me a PM or a review and let me know what you think of this story, what you want me to do, and most of all if you want to see it continue. All hell is going to break loose in this story soon if the verdict is to keep it going. So leave your thoughts and as always, thank you so much for reading and for sticking with me for so long! You guys are wonderful human beings and I do not in any way deserve you as readers and fans.