Author's Note: I have SO much fun writing Aspen and Loki's banter. I just had to include him in this story some how. Have you guys seen Loki'd with Tom Hiddleston? It is so freaking hilarious. You should watch it.

14 – Odin's Treasure Chamber – May 15, 2012

Loki stared at the girl standing before him, her last words echoing in his head. I'll die…I'll die…I'll die… He fought against the part of him that felt like it was collapsing under her words. Her green eyes met his defiantly as she waited for a response. For once he had no idea what to say. Here was this human girl who had caused him so much grief and so much happiness, and she was telling him that she was dying. The fury that built up inside of him at whomever had hurt her surprised him. He fought back the wave of magic that wanted to send objects flying and gave Aspen a nod.

"I'll help you," he said.

"Thank you." The relief in her eyes was vivid. She was really afraid though she'd never admit it. "How do I get you out?" Her eyes went blurry for a moment, and Loki was afraid it was a symptom of whatever the serum was doing to her. Then she looked up. "I'll be right back." Before he had the chance to ask what she was doing or tell her how to get him out, she disappeared from sight. He took the chance to compose himself. His surprise at seeing Aspen hadn't yet faded nor had the happiness at seeing her again. He scowled. Why did she keep coming back into his life at the worst times? And why did she trust him? After all he'd done, after he'd stabbed her in the back, played with her emotions to see if she'd take the cuff off of him, she still sought his help. She was clearly desperate, but was she really going to blindly trust him just to save someone? Then he realized why she was so desperate – she clearly didn't want to die but saving herself would never be her first thought in a situation like this. She was in love with the soldier. She was doing this for him. Loki wanted to turn away from the deal, but he couldn't when her life was at risk too.

Suddenly the force field around his cell went down. A few moments later, Aspen came jogging back. "How did you do that?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I, er, just sort of figured it out."

He could tell she was lying, but didn't press her. He wasn't going to argue as long as he was free. "They'll notice I'm gone." He mirrored an image of himself in the cell. Aspen jumped, still not used to his magic. "Put the walls back up. They won't realize it's not really me in there until it's too late." Aspen frowned, biting her lip, but led him back to the control panel where she'd opened the cell.

"What's our plan?" she asked when she was done. She turned to look at him for guidance, and he was once again surprised by the amount of trust she seemed to be putting in him.

"Do you really trust me to help you? You just set me free. I could go anywhere I wanted now. I could project a fake version of me to trick you."

"No, you couldn't," she said with a frown.

"Ah, I see, you have one of those handy little cuffs with you. I should have destroyed all of them when I had the chance," he said lightly. He could only imagine Aspen's rage if she found out the cuff had never stopped him before, had never worked on him. That he'd only wanted to test her to see if she'd trust him enough to take it off herself. The trickster in him hadn't been able to resist.

Aspen shook her head. "I can sense your body heat. Your projections don't have that. They're just flat, no life force around them."

"You can sense all that?" He raised an eyebrow.

"When I told you I was injected with something I forgot to mention that it was a brain stimulant. Basically I have full access to my entire brain right now."

"So that's why you're not afraid of me betraying you. You could outsmart me."

"Something like that. Also, you kind of owe me a favor."

"Do I?"

"I could have killed you a few times in New York, and I didn't. Also I could have turned you in to SHIELD the moment you fell to earth, but I didn't. Clearly that was a big mistake, but I'm willing to set that aside if you just help me willingly. Could we at least be friends?"

He studied her face, so sweet and innocent though he knew she was all fire and passion on the inside. "You want to be my friend?" he asked, weighing out the words.

"Yes?" She tilted her head, green eyes dewy.

"Now who's manipulating who?" he asked, refusing to acknowledge the effect she was having on him. "Fine. Friends."

"Shake on it. Promise you'll help me." She stuck out her hand.

Amused, Loki shook his head. "Last time I shook on something with you, you cut off my powers."

"I told you I don't have a cuff with me," she said. "Don't you trust me?"

Did he trust her? He deliberated with himself and finally took her hand. She gave it a firm shake and let go. "See?" She smiled. "Now how do we break into Odin's treasure chamber?"

…

They found their way to a section of the palace Loki knew would be empty. He opened the door and motioned for Aspen to walk in first. She lifted an eyebrow at his chivalry, but entered.

"You look ridiculous in that guard outfit," he told her once he had shut the door.

"Well I can't help that. It worked." She frowned down at the outfit. "Where are we?" She looked around the room with mild interest.

"My room."

She turned to look at him, and he waited for the reaction he knew was coming. "You brought me to your room?" she asked. "What for, trying to seduce me again?"

"As I recall, you had an equal part in that," he told her.

Aspen's cheeks flushed. "Not true," she said. "Anyway, that has nothing to do with this. Ancient history. I'm not stupid enough to make that mistake again."

"No, you've got your soldier now," Loki said, fighting to keep the bitterness out of his tone.

Aspen's lips rose in a smirk. "You're jealous," she said with an infuriatingly knowing look.

"Jealous?" he scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself."

She took a stride forward, smile still in place. Clearly insults weren't going to deter her. "No," she said. "That's like the tenth time you've brought up Steve. You're jealous of him."

Loki scowled. "I don't see what I have to be jealous of."

"Insult me all you like," she told him, "but I'm not buying it." She turned away and continued to survey his room. "You never mentioned how gorgeous your home is or that you grew up in a palace."

"I thought it was implied."

"I got that you were in line for the throne, but I guess I'd never thought of you as a prince," she said. "You do act like one though."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"You spend half your time plotting to take over one throne or another. It's all about the self-edification for you."

Loki shrugged. "I know what I want. Why shouldn't I fight for that? It's my birthright."

"We're not going to argue about this right now," she told him. She coughed. "Now why did you bring me here?"

"Because no one is going to come in here. We can talk safely." He paced in front of the window, folding his hands behind his back. "I can't see the city from my cell," he said softly. "For over a month I haven't seen daylight or moonlight." The sun had faded, and he wished that it would come back, but the moonlight was better than his cell. He opened the window to let the cool night air in.

He heard Aspen walk up behind him. "I'm sorry," she said, and he could tell she meant it. He turned to look at her, his heart stirring with that same unfamiliar sensation he always felt around her. He tried to push the feeling down, but it was impossible with her green eyes set on him. "What did your parents say when you came back with Thor?"

If anyone else had asked him about this he would have snapped at them, but with Aspen it was rather more like chatting with an old friend. This surprised him, but he found he didn't mind. "They weren't pleased," he said. "My father sentenced me to life in prison. He forbade me from ever seeing my mother again. No one has come to see me in the time I've been down there, but they have no reason to want to see me."

"They're still your family. Family is supposed to forgive."

"I guess I'm past redemption."

"I don't think so."

"Why?" he asked her. "Why are you so determined to see the good in me after all I've done to you and your world?"

"Because it's there," she said with a small smile. "You're helping me. Isn't that proof?"

"It doesn't erase the bad I've done."

"Redemption isn't about erasing the bad things we've done, it's about learning from our mistakes and trying to do better."

"What if I don't want to change?"

"I don't expect you to change," Aspen told him. "There's nothing wrong with who you are. You just need to quit trying to take over thrones." She said it so seriously that he almost laughed.

"Is that all?"

"Well, you could send an apology letter to the Avengers and offer to pay for the damage you did to New York."

He chuckled. "I'm not sure they'd accept my apology nor am I willing to offer it."

"It was worth a try," she said with a shrug. She coughed again and this time it didn't end. She kept coughing until she was doubled over. A fleck of blood splattered onto her hand. Loki felt panicked. Was she dying now?

"Aspen?" He felt helpless as he watched her cough. Finally she stopped, looking exhausted.

"I'm okay," she said weakly. "Just burning up in these clothes." She swayed on her feet, and Loki caught her, at her side in a moment. Her eyes shut, and he realized she'd lost consciousness. He pulled her into his arms and walked over to his bed, setting her down. He tugged the guard's uniform off, leaving her in her Midgardian clothes. She was breathing easier now, and he sat by her side, terrified that her sickness was progressing so quickly.

After a moment, she opened her eyes. "Did I just faint in your arms?" she asked softly.

"Don't worry, I caught you," he said with a smirk.

She shook her head. "I've fallen so far."

"Who did this to you?" he asked softly. He wanted to rip his head off.

"Someone evil who's trying to take over the world. He found your demonstration inspiring," she told him.

He was silent for a moment, contemplating her words. "I didn't mean for other people to pick up where I left off," he said finally. "I never meant for you to get hurt."

"Yeah, well, sometimes it can't be helped. I just really don't want to die. Not after everything I've been through."

"You aren't going to die. We'll get into the vault and be out before the sun rises," he promised her.

"Can I just rest a few minutes?" she asked. His concern grew. The Aspen he knew never needed to rest when so much was at stake.

"Of course," he told her. "Do you need anything?"

She shook her head. "Can you just stay here?" she asked. "I don't want to be alone."

He nodded, pushing away the impulse to take her hand. "I'm not going anywhere," he assured her.

"I'm scared," she admitted so softly he could hardly hear her. He forgot all pretenses and took her hand anyway.

"I know," he said. "But you're not dying any time soon."

…

When Aspen woke up, she was unsure of her surroundings. A dim afternoon light was coming in through the tall windows, and she didn't recognize the scene outside. Then everything came crashing back to her and she remembered that she was in Asgard. In Loki's room to be more precise. She sat up quickly and looked around.

"You're awake." Loki was standing across the room from her pouring a goblet of wine. He walked over to her and held it out. "Drink this."

She took the goblet and sipped at the crimson liquid. "How long was I out?" she asked.

"All night and morning." His tone was indifferent, but his eyes told a different story.

"I don't think I have a week," she said finally, setting the goblet down on the table next to the bed.

"No, I don't think so either," he replied. "That's why we need to do this tonight."

"You have a plan."

"Yes. Are you feeling strong enough?" he asked.

She nodded. "Strong enough." She rose, and the dull ache in her head increased. She forced herself to focus on Loki's words though as he spoke.

"This is what we're going to do," he said. "Right now most of the guards are off fighting for justice or whatever it is you Avengers do. Thor is leading them, and he means to bring peace to the nine realms." He said it scathingly, but the pure hatred he'd shown in New York was gone. "There will be less guards on duty. Tonight they will switch around places, and that's when we'll come in, disguised as guards."

"Won't they notice if there are two extra guards?"

"Leave that to me."

"You're not going to kill them, are you?" she asked at the mischievous glow in his eyes.

"Kill an Asgardian guard? That would be treason." Aspen rolled her eyes. "I'm going to cause a distraction. You will stay behind to guard the vault and the others will come running to subdue whatever havoc I decided to wreak."

"This sounds like New York all over again."

"Relax, I don't have any Chitauri this time. I can glamour both of us so you can do away with that oversized guard uniform. You'll need to be fast and agile if you want to get in, grab the Eye, and get out again."

"Are the guards the only security measures for Odin's treasure chamber?" Aspen asked with a frown.

"No. An alarm will sound if you take anything out without authorization. Or unless you're Odin yourself."

"So how do we get the Eye then?" she asked impatiently.

"We don't. Odin does."

"Yeah, I'll just walk right up and ask if I can borrow it, shall I?" She did a double take when an older man appeared before her, a patch over one eye.

"I did mention I can shape shift, didn't I?" he asked.

"How do you do that?" Aspen asked. "Do you think I could?"

"With your newfound abilities?" he asked, shifting back to himself. "I'm not sure, but we don't have time to mess with that. Something tells me, the more you use them, the worse you get."

"I won't use them then. Once I have the Eye, is there a way to glamour it to make it appear it's still there?"

"Yes. It won't last forever, but it will give you a head start. What are you planning on doing once you deliver the Eye into enemy hands?"

"I hadn't gotten that far. Once I'm healed, I can start planning that out."

"You think he's going to just let you go when you hand it over? Are you really still that naïve? Did I teach you nothing?" he asked. Aspen shifted uncomfortably. "You trust too easily, Aspen," Loki told her. "He isn't going to just let you go. He's going to kill you and your soldier and your parents once you all live out your usefulness to him. You're a danger to him. He has no reason to keep you alive."

"Then what do I do? I can't not go back. Is there a way to give him a fake Warlock's Eye?"

"We don't have time to forge one, and my illusions can't travel across worlds like that."

Aspen fought back her despair. "I'll have to figure it out when I get back."

"Don't underestimate the Eye's power. It will ensnare you too."

"Underestimate an ancient relic guarded by Odin himself? Not likely."

"Aren't you immune to mind control though?" Loki asked narrowing his eyes. "On the Helicarrier when I tried to use the staff on you."

"I hadn't forgotten."

"It didn't work."

"My parents injected me with an Immunity Serum that would make me insusceptible to mind control. Would it work with the Eye?"

"If it worked against the Tesseract's power, then yes, I believe so."

"I think they used some of the Tesseract's power to create it – the serum that is."

"That would make sense."

"He'll know I've been injected with it though."

"All the more reason to kill you. I'm not sure your soldier will be immune."

The thought terrified Aspen. "He could turn Steve against me?"

"It's possible."

"Why do people do this?" Aspen asked. "Crave power like that?"

Loki was thoughtful for a moment. "The world doesn't always accept us for who we are," he finally said. "Sometimes we need to take it for ourselves. Sometimes that's the only way to be anyone."

"I still don't get it."

"That's because you're selfless. You don't crave power. It's what makes you so human and yet so inhuman."

"Thanks. I think..."

"There is one way that you can turn this in your favor," Loki told her.

"What's that?"

"Take the Warlock's Eye for yourself. Use its power. Then everyone will obey you."

"I don't want that power."

"Even to defeat your enemies?"

Aspen struggled for a moment. She hadn't thought to use the Eye herself, to force Stewart to cure her and set them free. "But wait, he injected himself with the Immunity Serum too," she suddenly realized, voicing this aloud. "He'll be immune too."

"But everyone else won't."

"Who knows what he'll do. He's building an army."

"An army he wants to control. He'll be the only one with the ability to overcome mind control, trust me. Once you've taken care of him, send the Eye back through the portal if you don't want its power. I'm sure Odin would be glad to have it back."

Aspen nodded slowly. "It might just work," she said. "Let's get started."