Chapter 11: Welcome to my world

The debrief was very, very boring. Alexis spent the whole time making stupid faces to hide how she felt at Loki and Luke, who were ignoring each other. Alexis thought it was stupid. Luke had Jake, and there was no need for him to be jealous of Loki. He was her best friend and nothing was going to change that. Anyway, Loki wasn't her type and she wasn't planning on getting hurt that way.

Good.

Shit he heard.

"Alexis, pay attention. Now, since the past couple of days have been a bit of shock with all the new members, you've got a week off. Oh and by the way Spiderman is going to be living in the tower. Not that I like that he's joined but…." He walked out the room muttering to himself. Clint and Natasha rolled their eyes at each other.

Alexis transported herself to her room. She'd built her mental walls so high that even Luke hadn't realised how close she was to breaking down. She'd nearly died, and she hadn't fought it. She thought that know that she'd begun to move on, she would fight it. But she didn't. She curled up into a ball against the wall and began to cry.

The next day, Jake walked past the door to Alexis' room and smelt burning. He ran to the lounge and found Loki and Luke arguing over what to watch.

"Guys just shut up. Alexis' room smells of fire." Loki and Luke looked up at Jake, and pop! Loki disappeared. Luke growled and ran off to Alexis' room. He kicked the door down, not even bothering to knock. The sight that met him was horrific. Everything in the room was burnt and smoking and in the middle of it, Alexis. Loki was moving towards her but stopped. Alexis glared at him, her face red and puffy.

"Take one step closer and I will obliterate you, puny god." Jake began edging towards the door. He wasn't very good with upset girls. Luke just leaned against the wall and let it play out.

"Have you been talking to Dr Banner?" Loki asked mockingly, but started to back off.

"No I just hacked SHIELDS database a couple of weeks back with Tony."

"That explains everything. Have you calmed down?" Loki needed to talk to her. Alone.

"Um yere I think so. Why?" Alexis was slightly confused. Her mental guard was down and Loki slipped into it. He found his worst fear. Wait what? Puny god or not he did NOT have a worst fear.

"I need to speak to you privately." What he was going to tell he was a secret. A major, 2000 year old one. No biggy.

"No. If you tell her you tell me." Luke finally spoke up. He wasn't going to let Loki take advantage of Lex's current vulnerability so he could mould her into him. No.

"Luke please…." Alexis began to beg him but he interrupted her.

"Lex, don't you see what he's trying to do? He's trying to turn you into him." Luke was beginning to get angry at her. She was different.

"LUKE I NEARLY DIED AND YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT THAT. DON'T YOU KNOW ME? GET THE FUCK OUT MY ROOM!" Alexis had had enough. He was meant to be her friend.

"Lexi, Lexi please calm down." Tony came rushing into the room. Jake slipped into the room behind him. Once he saw where the conversation was going he'd gone and got Tony. As soon as Luke met him, he saw that Tony and Alexis' bond was stronger. Almost paternal. Tony pulled Alexis into a hug, and she began to sob silently. Jake grabbed Luke's wrist and pulled him towards the room they shared. They needed to talk.

"Dad, it's okay. I need to talk to Loki alone. Please, 5 minutes." Alexis looked up to Tony's face and did a puppy face. Damn, Tony thought, it's more effective that Thor's.

"Of course Lexi, but I don't want you in a room alone with Luke again." Tony was worried.

"Because he'll hurt me?"

"No, because you'll hurt him. I'd probably come home and find him dangling out the window."

"You know me well already dad. Thanks." Alexis stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. Tony smiled and walked out the room. As he closed the door behind him he realised something. She'd called him dad.

"Okay, reindeer games, what's this big secret?" Alexis turned to Loki, hands on her hips.

She's cute.

I heard that.

"You nearly died, but that's not going to be the first time that'll happen. Problem is, if you die, me and Luke are going to be highly affected because of the bond. I'm going to teach you an invincibility spell that until I found it hadn't been used in 2000 years. There is a chance that you won't survive the spell. Are you willing to take the risk?" Loki needed her to say yes. She was his Achilles heel, in more ways than one. He couldn't let her get hurt.

"Of course I am. Can I ask a favour?" Alexis knew that this was the best option.

"Depends what it is." Loki knew from experience that some favours weren't worth it.

"Completely bond our minds while we do the spell. I need to have someone there to catch me if I fall." Which I will.

"Alright. Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

They bonded their minds and began to cast. It was spectacular. Their mind looked like a tapestry, threads of gold and green, with a small amount of blue. Alexis saw what Asgard looked like, and all the other realms and Loki got an insight into Lex's past. As the spell began to finish, the glow began to subside. Due to the amount of energy they used to cast the spell, they both collapsed onto the remains of Alexis' charred bed.

"Wow." Alexis was breathless. Asgard was amazing. But what she saw of Loki's past….. It seems they were more similar than she thought. "Can I ask you something, well two things?"

"Again, depends what they are." Loki was confused about what she needed to ask.

"Okay number one, why me? Why teach me, an outcast and misfit a uber secret spell?"

"You're not an outcast or a misfit, your Alexis. I can't let you get hurt because then I'd be compromised. And anyway, I don't want you hurt."

"Okay number 2, when you've nearly died, did you give up? Did you just let death take you or did you fight."

"I gave up. I had nothing to fight for."

Alexis reached over and placed her hand over Loki's. "We both have something to fight for now. Would you mind staying with me tonight?" Alexis pulled a puppy face that rivalled Thor's. He couldn't resist.

"I'll stay."

"Thank you." Alexis rested her head on his chest and fell asleep, and he followed.