When Elise emerged from her bedroom on Thursday, she saw that Loki was in nearly the same position she had left him in the night before. Still, it appeared that he was preoccupied; perhaps he hadn't slept. He didn't acknowledge Elise until she tried to hand him a bowl of cereal, which he accepted with a scowl.
No matter how desperate she was for Loki's attention, Elise didn't want to be the first to speak. She would be dignified, she told herself; she would let him play the ball she had pitched into his court. Unfortunately, that mantra, no matter how true it needed to be, did little to prevent her from thinking about where she might have gone wrong the day before. She pushed herself to recall every single thing she had said and done, anything that could possibly have offended him. Then, unable to find a likely cause for his coldness, she tried to guess whether there had been something she hadn't done.
As Elise's mind busied itself listing the ways she might have wronged Loki, something terrible dawned on her.
"Oh, shit!" she shrieked. "The arraignment!"
"What is it?" Loki mumbled, unmoving.
"Loki, I really screwed up," Elise said, her words forming more quickly than her thoughts. "I should have talked to you about this days ago. We haven't even figured out how you're gonna plead. I don't even know what the charges are, or how you're gonna get there without being seen, or-"
"Be quiet," Loki yelled to silence her. "What are you going on about?"
"Your arraignment is today," said Elise, still frantic. "It's in two hours, and we haven't-"
"That?" Loki chuckled. "You're worried about that?"
"Of course I am!" She wasn't just worried; she was panicking.
Loki smiled as he shook his head. "We won't be going there."
His cavalier attitude was even more disturbing to Elise than the fact that they were going to miss an appearance in court. "Of course we're going," she insisted, "we have to!"
"Turn that on," Loki commanded, pointing to the television, "it has been showing me nothing for hours."
Quickly, Elise powered the television on; it was still tuned to a news network, which appeared to have dedicated all of its attention to one story.
"For those just tuning in," the anchor spoke solemnly, "police are investigating what is suspected to have been a terrorist attack outside of a federal courthouse..."
"Oh my God," Elise breathed, "we could have been-"
"Hush, listen," Loki said.
"As demonstrators and media gathered early this morning to await the arrival of Loki Laufeyson and his lawyers," the anchor continued, "a bomb detonated at the building's entrance, killing two and wounding several others. The police have not yet named any suspects. Stay with us, we'll be here to bring you the latest developments."
"But how did you know?" Elise asked, shaken.
Loki's gaze touched everything in the room but her. "Intuition," he replied stoically.
"I have to call Parmeri," Elise fretted. "I need a phone, I-"
"That is not necessary," Loki interrupted. "Turn that off. It will only upset you."
Though she didn't want to, Elise shut off the television. She went to the couch and sat, inches from Loki, as she worried about her co-workers. She tried to convince herself that if she, always the first to arrive, hadn't been there, they hadn't been, either. But why had it happened at all? Was someone trying to kill Loki? She couldn't keep her composure; she cried.
"Stop that," Loki said.
"I can't," Elise wept. "I'm scared."
"There is nothing to be afraid of." Loki placed his uneaten bowl of cereal on the floor beside the couch before he stood and walked toward the window.
Elise leapt from her seat. "I'm afraid for you," she said. "Someone's got it out for you, and they don't even know who it is yet."
He stood silently for a moment, staring at the curtains, before turning to face Elise. "Do you love me?" His tone was accusatory and unkind.
"I think so," Elise responded gently.
"Then you show it in odd ways," Loki snarled.
"What?"
"Spare me." He began his approach. "You battle with me, you deliberately disobey me, and now, today, you claim that you fear for my life?"
Elise stared at him, baffled. "But I do," she protested tearfully. "And I..." She couldn't say what she knew he wanted to hear.
"You thought you would complete an errand of your own, did you?" The phrase grew louder with each word until he was shouting. "Did you?" He tangled a fist in Elise's hair, yanking it.
"You don't understand," she cried. "You can't understand."
"You're spoiled," he seethed, twisting his hand and Elise's neck with it. "What would become of you if I did not favor you?" Without warning, he let go of her and began toward the bedroom. "Do not disturb me until you are prepared to beg for forgiveness." He slammed the door, isolating himself.
Elise dropped to her knees. She knelt there, sobbing, as she berated herself for violating Loki's trust. She was his only friend, the only person he could rely on, and she loved him. How could she have done something so awful? What if they had gone to court, and what if she had lost him? She had been selfish, and she wouldn't forgive herself until he forgave her, too.
She ran to the bedroom. "I'm sorry!" Elise wailed. "Loki, I'm sorry!" She went quickly to where he stood and tried to kiss him, but he turned his head away, unresponsive.
Her distress overwhelming her, Elise fell to the floor to cry at his feet. "I'm so sorry," she gushed. "I was stupid. How could I have been so stupid?" She paused to catch a few sharp, short breaths. "I love you, I do. I'll never lie again, I swear."
"Good," Loki said, his voice quiet but steady. "Get up, then. Stop weeping."
Slowly, Elise rose, inhaling deeply as she did. "I'm sorry," she sighed, just to drive the point home.
"I know," Loki replied. "Undress. Get into bed."
Elise sat at the edge of the mattress and tried her best to stop her tears as she unbuttoned her blouse. When she was naked, she slid between the covers and lay on her side, waiting. She watched adoringly as Loki slowly and methodically removed every piece of armor from his body, shedding every iron and leather thing that adorned him until his slim, sturdy frame was all there was left to gaze at. He didn't speak or smile until he sank into the bed with Elise.
"On your back," he said.
Obediently, Elise rolled over. Loki draped his body over hers, resting on his forearms, and he spread broad, lush kisses along her breasts, her throat, and her jaw.
"This is a cruel world," he hissed when he reached her ear. "Many forces are at work, many forces that would keep you from me."
"They can't," Elise whispered hoarsely.
"Your love for me cannot waver." He sighed tensely against her neck. "Elise, you must deny me nothing."
"I won't," she promised weakly.
And she didn't, at least not that day. Elise didn't complain, not as the pressure his hands applied threatened to snap her wrists, not as he went too deep, and not as he marked her shoulder with the indentations of his teeth. She gave willingly as he took what he wanted.
"Tell me," he said, "who is your king?"
"You are," she panted. "You."
He seemed to lose his breath. "Say my name."
When she did, it was over, but Loki didn't leave. He held her head firmly in his hands, staring intently, his brow furrowed as he searched for something.
"What is it?" Elise asked.
He bared his teeth in a wicked grin, and he seemed to shake with excitement. "I will tell you a secret," he said. "Can you keep it?"
Something wasn't right, but despite the knot in her stomach, Elise nodded.
"No," Loki laughed, shaking his head. "No, it would devastate you. I cannot."
Elise knew that he was going to reveal something awful, but her curiosity was piqued. She wriggled from beneath him to sit up in bed. "What are you saying?"
A low chuckle escaped the pit of his throat. "A war is coming," he said. "I have set the fires, but the Midgardians will fan the flames."
"What are you talking about?"
"The explosives," he said. "Your realm will soon discover who Wen was. He was a fanatic, an immigrant, and your people, Americans... well, you cannot abide an act of war done by a Chinese man, can you?"
"No," Elise cried, her eyes widening at the realization that she had been a accomplice, a mule. "No!"
Loki pressed his hand tightly over her mouth. "Shut up," he snarled through gritted teeth. "Shut up."
Elise screamed into his palm, but there was no resisting the strength with which he pinned her.
He continued. "The Koreans will attack when tensions are high. The Chinese will see the threat your people pose, and they will turn their heads as their allies ready their weapons."
It was horrible. It was a nightmare. The guilt she felt was even heavier than Loki's body on hers.
"Do not fear," he went on. "You and I, we will be unharmed. I have given their weapons the power they need to enter your people's territory. I will bring them the Tesseract. And just when it seems that all is lost, when your realm has been destroyed..." The smile returned to his lips. "I will stand atop the ashes of your civilization as king, and you will be my queen."
Finally, his hand left Elise's mouth, though he still pinned her between his thighs. As much as she had wanted to loudly and wildly protest before, Elise was rendered nearly speechless, and despite her savvy and her lengthy education, her only response was a fragile whisper:
"Please don't."
Loki's face changed. He looked disgusted, glaring at Elise as though the two words she had just spoken were the two worst in the language. Then, something more familiar seemed to take hold; anger. Elise watched helplessly as he raised his hand.
"Don't," she wept. "I love you. Don't."
But he did. He struck her head with such force that her brain skipped what was apparently a massive piece of time. When Elise next opened her eyes, Loki was clothed - helmet and all - and standing at her bedside.
"Good," he said, "you're awake. I regret leaving you this way, I truly do, but there is something I must attend to." The flash that marked his departure sent a screaming pain through Elise's forehead.
When Elise sat up, the world seemed to shift and shake. There was a ringing in her ears and her vision was blurred, clouded with blotches of shadow and light. She strained to remember just what had happened to her, but the more she did, the more unbearable the pain in her head became. She stood, and her skull weighed heavy on her neck. Finding it too difficult to stay on her feet, she plopped down on the couch to rest. Closing her eyes only made matters worse; she became motion sick despite her every effort to sit still. She tried to talk just to be sure she still could: "Loki, help," she uttered, and of course, he didn't come.
Tired and thirsty but unable to get up for a glass of water, Elise slumped in her seat, then let herself slip onto her side. She was confused; her mind was omitting memories. Even greater than her desire to think clearly was her desire to sleep, and with her head on the couch's arm, she did.
When she woke, she felt even worse, the ringing in her ears replaced by a voice:
"Wake up. Hey, wake up."
What she was hearing was real, and when she realized it, she opened her eyes to see the speaker's distantly familiar face. She recognized him, but it took her quite some time to remember who he was.
"Oh, wow," Elise breathed, too sluggish to express enthusiasm or surprise, "Captain America's here."
In plain clothes, he looked trustworthy, his face full of compassion as he knelt beside her between the couch and the broken coffee table. "Stark, she's up," he called, turning his head. "You hear me? I think she's gonna be okay."
"Oh, great," a second voice answered grumpily. "Let's ask her which government building she's gonna bomb next."
"Is that Tony Stark for real, Captain America?" Elise groaned, her thoughts barely translating to speech. She felt the intractable urge to keep babbling. "I don't feel good. Can you come back tomorrow? I'm sorry."
"Call me Steve," the Captain responded before turning away again. "Stark, he really did a number on her. We should take her to the hospital."
"No, yeah, take her to a hospital." Stark's sarcasm was obvious, even to Elise. "That's a great idea. What damage could she possibly do in a hospital?"
Elise head throbbed as she tried to interpret everything being said. "Can I really call you Steve?" was all she asked.
Steve ignored her. "This is serious," he urged. "Take a look."
Tony Stark approached the sofa and crouched beside the Captain. "What's wrong with her?" he said. "Other than the obvious, I mean."
"Elise," Steve said, "this is important, okay? What did Loki do to you?"
Elise shut her eyes. "I just wanna sleep."
"No, don't do that." Steve stood. "Come on, Stark, can't you just suit up and fly her over?"
"Not with a head injury," Stark replied. "Are you trying to scramble her brain?"
"Then call an ambulance," Steve said.
Stark sighed. "Fine," he said as he readied his cell phone and went to the kitchen. "Keep an eye on her."
Steve knelt back down. "Elise, you gotta stay awake, okay? What did he do to you?"
"No," Elise argued, becoming agitated. "I need to sleep, I'm sick."
"You're not sick. You probably have a concussion."
"Where'd I get one of those?"
"That's what I'm asking you." It seemed Steve was as frustrated as she was. "Did he hit you on the head?"
"Loki?" Elise replied absently. "Nah, he wouldn't do that."
"What? Why not?"
More pain shot through the side of Elise's skull, and in its wake, it left a fog. "No, that doesn't make sense," she whispered, forgetting the question as the room went dark and blurry.
"Stay with me," Steve said. "Stark," he shouted, "is the ambulance coming?"
"On their way," Stark replied as he moseyed back into the living room. "What're you two talking about?"
"Talkin' 'bout Loki," Elise said. Her own words sounded funny to her, and she laughed until the building pressure in her head dissuaded her. "It's dark in here."
"She sounds drunk," Stark commented. "You sure she's not just drunk?"
Steve shook his head as sirens grew louder outside the window. "This is a new low," he said, "even for Loki."