AN: Thank you everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed! I am glad everyone is liking it so far, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story! I hope to get another update done before break is over, so keep a look out for a quick update ( so long as I do more writing and less reading!).

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Chapter 22: Dead Ringer


Bruce swallowed hard as he transferred the green gem to another machine for analysis. There was something about this one—something different from the other gems—that unsettled him. Even when he was alone in the lab he felt as if someone was there. He had checked the cameras multiple times, of course, but it had just been him and the glowing stone.

Every now and again, against the singing of analytical machines, he would hear a whisper. They weren't sinister voices at all; most of the time they were calm and inviting, but they were unsettling in any case. They spoke of a peaceful place where he would finally be free from the horrors of his other self—an intriguing offer.

"I think this stone is…alive." Bruce muttered, looking at the various screens, "I am consistently reading waves consistent with conscious thought."

To his left, he watched as the small brunette adjusted her glasses and looked at the numbers on the screen.

"The data certainly suggests that." She agreed, "What does it mean?"

Focusing on the stone, Bruce shivered. If the stone did have conscious thought, it was a huge breakthrough for science. The implications of conscious thought existing beyond the confines of a body were massive—the idea that the mind was an independent entity would open new questions in many arenas.

But there were far more pressing questions-questions far more important than what aspects of science such a discovery would shake. No, what was still unknown was what this stone was capable of. The fact that it was somehow living opened up many challenges. How would they control it? Could it control the other stones? Bruce didn't know, and he hated not knowing.

"I'm not sure yet, Kate." He sighed, rubbing his head, "All I know is that I feel very sick."

Kate returned a confused look from her place in the laboratory.

"Do you think the stone is doing it?" she asked worriedly, "Maybe you just caught a cold? It is the middle of winter."

"No." Bruce decided quickly, "It's not some cold. It has to be…"

The man thought back to the videos he had been given from SHIELD. Within the files detailing the acquisition of the gems, there was interrogation footage pertaining to this particular stone. Thinking back to the images he saw only made him feel sicker.

"I watched the interrogation of that Asgardian doctor. I can't remember her name."

Bruce's thoughts were interrupted as Kate dropped something loudly on the metallic floors of the lab.

"Eir?"

Looking cautiously over towards his assistant, the doctor continued.

"Yes, that sounds right." He said slowly, "Anyway, besides the hours SHIELD spent getting information about Loki, they managed to ask her about this stone."

Kate's eyes were wide with interest.

"Wait, Loki?" she asked, typing in data on a computer, "Did you learn anything interesting about him?"

To this, Bruce simply laughed.

"No, not really." He smiled, handing her some new papers, "There was a lot of screaming and threats. I didn't catch much."

Kate remained quiet.

"Anyway, between the screaming I managed to hear that this stone had been making her sick." Bruce explained, "I'm experiencing the same symptoms."

"Well, I feel fine." The woman decided with a smile, "Maybe you should go home and rest? I can finish up from here. I promise—I won't leave the stone out this time!"

Bruce could feel the stinging pain of a headache and the heat of a fever approaching. If he stayed in this environment any longer, he was worried that "The Other Guy" may decide to relieve him of lab duty. He supposed that Kate was skilled enough to finish the analysis. She was certainly a better option than The Hulk.

"Are you sure, Kate?" he asked worriedly, "I hate to leave you here an—"

"Go, Bruce!" she urged, waving him away, "I can take care of myself."

With that, the scientist simply gave his assistant a grateful smile before grabbing his coat and exiting the lab…

Far too sick to notice the satisfied smirk on his assistant's features.


Eir rubbed her eyes as she opened the door to her guest room. Jane had kept her out most of the day and into the evening, talking to her about Asgard and what she should do about her relationship with Thor. The goddess had insisted that she was far from a relationship expert—that even her best relationships were decidedly twisted—and that Jane should simply follow her heart.

It was pathetic advice, really. But Jane was clever, far more clever than most on Asgard even, and the goddess was certain that the mortal could make due with such cliché words. In the end, she was certain that Thor would be heartbroken. In all her years under the command of the royal family, she had never seen the God of Thunder so smitten. Perhaps it was for the best, however.

Perhaps he would finally see who truly loved him.

As the goddess started to hang up her coat, however, her thoughts were halted when a chill ran through her body. In the air was the unmistakable tingle of magic, and the doctor was suddenly left with the notion that she was no longer alone.

"Did you have an enjoyable evening with Thor's mortal?"

Turning around quickly, the woman narrowed her eyes at the younger prince on her bed. His green eyes were avoiding her harrowing gaze, his fingers tracing magic across the air carelessly. Though giving off an air of mischief, she could tell that he had come with much on his mind. She could see a great pain behind the spark in his eyes.

Quite frankly, she didn't care.

"I thought I made it very clear." She whispered warningly, "I don't want to see you."

This time, his green eyes met hers and a small smirk found its way to his face.

"Why is that exactly?" he wondered aloud, "Personally, I thought I had been on my best behavior."

"Get out."

To this, the doctor watched as the God of Lies stood up from her bed and started to walk over to her. Almost instinctively, she could feel her fists tightening and her jaw clenching. He had a smug look on his face, and she wanted nothing more than to slap it off of him.

"Oh come now, Eir." He sighed, "I thought we were getting along famously. What changed?"

She simply narrowed her eyes at him.

"You know well what that time stone did." She muttered bitterly, "I know not what game you are playing, Loki, but you need to leave."

Not surprisingly, the prince didn't move. She knew him well enough to know he wasn't going to listen—not in this state, at least. Loki liked getting what he wanted, he was royalty after all, and the goddess knew he wasn't going to leave until he got just that. What that was, exactly, the Asgardian couldn't tell.

"I have been feeling miserable as of late." He admitted quietly, "Were you not tasked to heal me? My brother would be disappointed to know you have been avoiding your job."

She couldn't tell if he was lying or not.

"I spared your life from the horrors that befell Asgard." She countered, "You are alive. I need not do more to please your brother."

For some reason, a hurt expression washed over his features. She could sense that her answer was the one he didn't want to hear.

"And what will become of me when this is over?" he asked quietly, "My mind will still be in ruins. You will have done nothing."

Eir could feel her heart quickening under his words. If they survived, it wouldn't matter if she healed his mind. In the end, all of Asgard would still see him as a villain. Short of saving their home, the realm would see him as nothing more than a banished prince. The Royals would have no choice but to lock him up again, doomed to centuries of torture and filth.

A fate, she too, would share for saving him.

"What is wrong with me, Eir?" he inquired seriously, "I suspect you don't want me healed."

Though not willing them to, the goddess could feel angry tears well up in her eyes. His eyes remained fixed on hers—seemingly boring through her —and it unsettled her. There was a painful truth to his words, a truth she had been trying to deny, and it shook her. Feeling the warmth of tears fall down her face, the doctor kept a defiant glare on the prince.

"Do you want to know what's wrong with you?" she asked shakily, "You're a sociopath! Your inferiority complex drives you to do anything to get power—you don't care who you hurt to get what you want."

Eir ripped her glare from his and gripped her fists so tightly she knew she drew blood.

"You are so consumed with wanting to be your father's favorite, that you ignore the people that love you!" she hissed, "My magic cannot fix the fact that you're a spoiled prince who cannot open his eyes!"

The goddess cringed as a cold hand came and grabbed her neck. Loki's face was positively rage-filled, his eyes glowing with an anger she had not seen in some time. Closing her eyes, Eir shivered as she felt his chilled breath on her neck and his fingers tighten against her skin.

"I'm not spoiled!" he growled, "You don't know the pain I've been through! You don't know how great true power feels!"

Before she could stop it, a bitter laugh left her lips.

"I am the greatest healer the nine realms will ever know." She muttered, matching his angry stares with a defiant one of her own, "Do you truly think that comes without the burden of power?"

His gaze remained fixed on hers, filled with contempt.

"Power has bestowed upon me an unbearable guilt." Eir admitted, "I am haunted by the screams of people I was powerless to save in my youth. I still see the heartbroken faces of parents whose children I couldn't save. If you truly understood the pain true power brought, you would know it wise not to court it!"

His hands remained locked on her neck as the silence passed between them. It was in these quiet moments that the goddess realized just how close they were—just how cool his angry breaths felt against her lips, and just how rapid his pulse felt against her skin. Swallowing hard, the goddess tried hard to keep her thoughts in the moment.

She tried hard to stop her eyes from traveling from his eyes to his lips.

Seemingly realizing their situation, Eir noticed that Loki let go of her quickly and created a healthy distance between them. In the mirror across the room she could see the distinct mark of a hand on her neck—red and bruising. To this image, the prince looked on in disgust. For the first time in a while, Loki looked as if he was truly ashamed of himself.

"I apologize I—" he stuttered, "I didn't mean…I don't want to…"

Letting out another groan, the God of Lies increased the distance between them and put his hands to his forehead. He let out a crazed, muffled scream—running his long fingers through his hair in anger. Standing silently, the goddess watched as the man seemingly battled with himself, the expression on his face filled with a mixture of self-hatred and grief. For the first time that night, she felt sorry for him.

"Loki, tis alright." She lied, "Truly, I—"

"No." he interrupted bitterly, "Nothing is alright."

He grabbed his hair and tried to contain his frustration.

"I am not in control anymore." He admitted ashamedly, "I don't know who I am."

For reasons she didn't want to admit, her heart broke as he spoke. The man that stood before her was not the version she had seen only moments before. The man that stood before her now was the broken version of the monster she had come to know. The man that was standing before her was losing his grip on self-control and identity, and it was hard to watch. Suddenly, the extent of his mental turmoil had become all too apparent.

Watching him suffer only made the pain in her chest tighten.

"Why are you here, Loki?"

Though it was only moments, the silence between them seemed to last for ages.

"I want you to do your job."


Bruce yawned as he lay back in his bed, the lights from the city creating patterns against his walls. It was a modest apartment, just far enough from Stark to keep his sanity. It was his own little piece of serenity, a place in the hectic city where he could feel at home. Since returning to his abode, he had even started to feel better. His headache had subsided, the shivers had stopped, and he was finally ridden of the haunting whispers. It seemed, logically, that the side effects were based on proximity.

Smiling to himself, the scientist was finally happy they had completed their experiments. The stones were capable of unimaginable things—their experiments proving that they were capable of travel through space-time and altering the laws of physics. If properly used, he was certain the Avengers could tackle any opponent. Whoever Loki was scared of wouldn't stand a chance, in the end.

Ready to rest for the night, Bruce raised his hand to his light—only to be stopped by the buzzing of a phone. Seeing the name on the caller-id, Bruce could feel his stomach turn.

"Fury?" he answered, "It's almost one."

"I don't care how late it is, Banner." Nick returned angrily, "When was the last time you saw Kate?"

Blinking in confusion, the scientist looked at his watch.

"A few hours ago, why?"

"That's impossible."

Bruce could feel his heart racing as he heard Nick yelling at people in the background. He was certain he had seen Kate—they had been working together non-stop. If Fury really wanted answers, he should have just checked Stark's many security cameras.

"Is everything alright, Fury?" Banner finally asked, "Listen, I can call her up a—"

"She's dead." Nick interrupted, "NYPD found her body. The coroner says she's been dead for days."

Bruce just dropped the phone.


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Next chapter will be quite long, so stay tuned!