Chapter Four
Ellie walked down the sidewalk towards her apartment carrying a bag of groceries when her cellphone began to ring.
"Hello?"
"Hey Ellie. How are you?"
"Hey, Jane. It's great to hear from you. How are things down in New Mexico?"
"Things are just okay down there. But I've moved."
"Really?" Ellie thought Jane would never leave New Mexico. She was so intent on her research.
"I got a call for this great job opportunity and I just couldn't pass it up. It's only for a short time but I think it will help me with my research back in New Mexico."
"That's great! So, have you heard from Thor?" Ellie asked tentatively. She knew how it hurt Jane to talk about him.
Jane sighed. "No. But I'm always waiting. There have still been no sightings of any of the disturbances so I think something really must have happened in Asgard to prevent anything from coming through."
"Well I hope things turn out with this new job of yours. I know how much you miss him."
"So. Speaking of men, have you met anyone up there in New York?" Jane asked with a smile in her voice.
"No. I'm not looking to get involved with anyone right now. Things are finally starting to calm down with school and the internship you helped me get. Finding someone right now would totally mess things up for me."
"Are you still hung up on that guy you told me about?" Jane asked. Ellie knew if she could see Jane's face there would be an all knowing grin on it.
"I am not hung up on him." Ellie said feeling a little exasperated. "I only saw him those two times and I didn't even know his name. How could I possibly be hung up on him?"
Ellie wasn't even sure how she felt about him. She knew that she was attracted to him, but the man frightened her somehow. The man had rescued her but deep down she felt that there was something different about him. Something off. Something dark. Something exciting. A shiver went down her spine as she remembered the burning tingle of his touch. Ellie had never even told Jane about the dream she had in her trailer. If Jane knew that bit of information she would have had more fuel for the fire.
"Well I saw that glint in your eye when you told me about him. I think there could have been something there if given a chance."
"That's never gonna happen because I'm never going to see him again." Ellie said feeling regret. "I don't know where he is from and I moved completely across the country. So let's move on from this subject please."
Ellie had reached her apartment by this point and proceeded to put her groceries away while she continued to talk to Jane. Her apartment was a tiny one room affair that she could afford on her minimal income. Jane had helped her get accepted to Columbia University, an internship and the small apartment she now stood in. It was all she needed in her life. But then why, whenever she was alone, did her mind wander to that tall, dark and handsome stranger?
"Are you even listening to me?" Jane cut into her thoughts.
"I'm sorry. What?"
"When are you going to come and visit me?"
"Oh I don't know. I have a school break coming up in a few weeks. Maybe if I can scrape together the cash I can fly out by you." Ellie said even though knowing full well that Jane would pay for her airfare anyway.
"Well let me know the dates and I will price it out. So I will talk to you again soon."
"Goodbye Jane."
"Bye Ellie."
Ellie hung up the phone and stared around her apartment. It was such a beautiful day outside that she didn't feel like hanging out in her little place. So she picked up her book, iPod and wallet and headed out the door. Lounging under a tree and reading a book today was the perfect way for her to relax, get out and get her mind off the tall, dark and sexy stranger.
…..
Loki stood on top of Stark Tower while Eric Selvig was starting up the machine that would bring his army to this world and make him King. He looked out over New York City and his mind wandered to Ellie as it usually did. Where was she? After the tesseract brought him back to earth and he destroyed SHEILD headquarters, the first place he went back to was New Mexico. He wanted to find Ellie. He thought that maybe she could have brought peace to his troubled mind. There had been so many places and things that he had seen since falling into the abyss from Asgard that he wondered if the path he was following was truly the right one. But she was no longer there. She had left the small town.
Loki had gone to Ellie's home to find her but her father said she had moved out. The smell of alcohol just poured out of the man's skin and nearly made Loki sick. Then Bill had recognized him as the man who had walked Ellie home the night she left.
"I thought the little whore was with you." Bill said.
Not understanding what the word meant Loki said, "Pardon me?"
"You heard me. I thought that slut ran off with you after I punished her for fucking around with you." Bill said slurring his words and leaning up against the doorframe to keep himself upright.
That's when Loki began to understand. This man was the one who had hit her and bruised her beautiful face. Loki slowly stepped towards Bill. Bill looked at Loki as he advanced with fear in his eyes. He desperately tried to shut the door but Loki put his hand up to stop it. With a shove Loki pushed Bill back into the house and shut the door behind him. That was the last time Bill was seen alive.
Not knowing what had happened to Ellie, Loki had decided to proceed with his plan to take over the earth.
(Enter the battle scene from the Avengers)
…
After having spent a peaceful afternoon in the park reading her book, Ellie made her way back towards her apartment. She stopped at a street side café for a late lunch. She was reading some more of her book and eating a small salad when everyone began screaming and running around her. She looked at people who were in sheer panic. Looking up she saw things flying in the air and had no idea what they were. Dropping her book, she ran out into the street with everyone else trying to get back to her apartment. Pieces of the buildings started to fall around her as the strange flying machines fired at people and the buildings. Iron Man buzzed overhead as he was trying to take out some of the creatures. The next thing she knew a huge flying worm like creature came around the building. The last thing Ellie remembers was a ton of mortar from the building falling on top of her.
….
(Enter more battle until the Avengers capture Loki)
All beat up from the smashing that the Hulk delivered on him, Loki walked out of Stark Tower to a waiting police van surrounded by the Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, and his brother Thor. He kept trying to think of ways to escape and they all knew it. Thor had a tight grip on him even though he kept attempting to pull away. He was shoved into the van and driven to a nearby hospital where there was a SHIELD jet waiting on the roof to take them back to the helicarrier.
As Thor was pulling Loki out of the van an ambulance pulled up and a gurney was being pulled out of the back. Loki knew many people had been injured and died in this battle but at this point he did not care. Thor still had a tight grip on him when he glanced at the gurney and nearly broke his arm trying to pull away from his brother.
Ellie laid on that gurney. She was seriously injured. He could tell, even through the dust and mortar, by the pale color of her skin and the cuts and bruises that covered her from head to toe. Loki's heart broke. This was his fault.
"Oh no! Ellie!" Loki whispered.
He went limp in his brothers' grasp. Thor looked at Loki seeing that for some reason all the fight had left his brother. He followed Loki's gaze and saw what looked to be a young woman lying on the gurney. He found it curious that after all the death and destruction that he had caused, why would one injured young girl affect his brother.
Thor dragged Loki away but his gaze never left Ellie's face until he could no longer see her.
….
Loki waited in the holding cell at SHEILD surrounded by armed guards. He knew they would be no match for him but he felt there was no reason for him to fight anymore. Ellie was most likely dead by now. Her injuries looked serious and they were all because he had to think himself above everyone else. As he sat there, Loki wondered what had changed in him.
Now he would just have to wait until Thor took him back to Asgard. Then he would have to face Odin. He feared what his father would do to him after all that he had done to everyone. The lies and manipulation were not easily forgiven but he would take the punishment no matter how severe. Nothing they did to him would make up for what he had done to Ellie.
Facing his father would be bad enough, but facing his mother didn't even bear thinking. She was such a loving woman that he could barely comprehend how much he had hurt her with the things he had done. Loki had saved his father from King Laufey, but he had let the giant into Asgard in the first place. That is when he realized what Ellie had done to him. She made him feel again. Ellie helped him feel something other than pain.
"It is time brother." Thor said as he entered the cell. "You must wear these."
Loki looked up at what his brother carried and almost wanted to laugh. Thor held hand cuffs and a mask. He knew that Thor felt it necessary but Loki had no intentions of fighting him. He was going home to the place he loved knowing full well he would not receive a warm welcome and he would go willing.
They were escorted by all the Avengers to the bifrost sight in Central Park where in a few moments Thor would take him home using the tesseract. He glanced at all their faces. The looks they gave him let him know what they really thought. They were happy he would no longer be their problem.
Thor held up the tesseract for Loki to grab the other end. Thor nodded and said goodbye then they disappeared into the bifrost.
