Months went by and the two friends continued their midnight meetings in the park-sometimes Loki would even visit Eris in her room. According to the girl, she was still sick and her mother didn't want her outside. This worried the god and so he started visiting her in her room instead. They would talk and play games as well as explain things to each other about their worlds. Eris would show him and teach him how to use certain technology and in return, Loki would tell of his culture and customs back on Asgard. But soon enough, his visits became less frequent as he became more involved with the Chitauri and the tesseract. He had planning to do, his life depended on it-if his takeover failed, unspeakable things would happen to him. Even though she felt lonely without her friend, she never complained, she only held onto Loki that much tighter. While things were looking up for the god and his plans to take over New York, the girl was slowly getting sicker-at least that's what her mother kept telling her. She didn't feel sick, she felt fine most of the time. But whenever she got worked up, she would develop a life-threatening fever, making it hard on her to live happily. She was always trying to make sure she stayed calm. And then one day, Loki didn't come back. He was gone for almost a whole month before she ever saw him again. And it wasn't in the most ideal way.
While Eris sat at the counter coloring, her mother watched the news intently. The girl looked up from her booklet to see her raven haired friend on TV. She immediately hopped down from her chair and ran to her mother's side.
"Mommy, what's happening, what are they doing to him?"
Eris asked, panic and fear shaking her voice. Her mother looked down at her with a smile.
"Remember when I sent you away to stay with aunt Jane for a few days?"
She inquired slowly. Eris nodded.
"That man was doing bad things to the city so they're taking him back to where he came from."
She explained happily. Eris' eyes filled with horror and she sprinted straight to the door.
"Baby! Come back, you know you can't go outside!"
Her mother shouted, but her words didn't reach the girl's ears. She kept running, as fast as she could. She had to say goodbye, they couldn't take him yet! She wasn't far now from where they were and even though every part of her ached, she pushed on. She stopped, there he was, next to a man with long blond hair. Eris pushed through the gathering news reporters and even The Avengers before she was finally grabbed.
"Hey, hey, hey! You can't go over there!"
The man said. Eris refused to let him keep her long, she kicked and squirmed, trying to get out of his hold.
"No! Let me go! I have to-"
She started crying and screaming. Another pair of hands grabbed her, a gentler pair belonging to a woman with red hair.
"Sweetie you can't go there, it's dangerous, that man is dangerous."
She tried to explain but Eris wouldn't listen.
"He's not! He's my friend, I have to say goodbye!"
She cried, her voice desperate. The woman just shook her head and kept a tight grip on the girl. She tried to break free but she was no match.
"Loki!"
She screamed as loud as she could. He looked up and search for the source of the crying plea. He spotted Eris at the front of the crowd, one of The Avengers holding her as she reached out hopelessly for him. He elbowed his brother to get his attention and the god glared back at him. Loki tried to gesture to the girl but with the muzzle keeping him silent, it was rather pointless. The blond god sighed and undid the muzzle so his brother could speak.
"Make them let her go. She just wants to say goodbye."
Loki said, still in a foul mood. Thor looked to the little girl still trying to wiggle out of agent Romanoff's hold and then back to his brother.
"You know her?"
He asked, skeptically. Loki sighed.
"It's a long story."
He dismissed. Thor glanced back at the girl.
"Agent Romanoff,"
He called to the woman. She looked up at the god in acknowledgement.
"Let her go."
He stated simply. The red head looked bewildered by his request but reluctantly released the child in her arms. She ran right to Loki as he knelt down for her to embrace him-he couldn't return the affection on account of the hand cuffs. Even with her being so small, Loki could swear she was almost at the point of choking him with her hug.
"I see you've come to finish me off yourself."
He chuckled dryly. Eris shook her head and sniffed.
"I came to say goodbye! You were gone for forever! I counted..."
She whimpered into his shoulder. He pulled her away and held her small hand in his.
"I know, and I am sorry. I never intended-"
A sob coming from the girl interrupted him and he sighed, resting his forehead against hers. She was much warmer than usual and this concerned him.
"They're taking you back to Asgard?"
She asked, already knowing the answer. Loki shut his eyes and nodded grimly.
"But...you'll be back, won't you?"
She feared the reply she would get from her friend.
"Eris-"
"Promise...to come back..."
It was not a question, but an order. Loki shook his head.
"I can't."
He whispered, earning another sob from the child. It hurt to see her in so much pain because of him. The god lifted his arms and looped them around Eris, pulling her tightly against his chest.
"I need you to be brave for me."
Loki murmured. The girl pulled away a little and nodded.
"Good girl."
He praised, kissing her forehead tenderly.
"Will we still be friends...after you leave?"
She asked, tear tracks staining her cheeks.
"Always."
He promised with a sad smile. Eris forced a smile and Loki let her go. He stood and Thor fastened the muzzle back on him. With one last longing glance, Eris stepped away from the two and watched as a blinding beam of light enveloped them. As the light dissipated, she could see that they were gone. She could feel her heart pounding in her head, feel her blood pulsing all over her body. Her ears and cheeks turned red and her head began to burn excruciatingly hot. The unbearable heat spread to the tips of her fingers and toes, she felt like she was on fire all over as the heat grew even hotter in her chest. She fell to her knees, whimpering in pain as tears streamed down her cheeks. Even her tears burned her. Everything around her might as well have disappeared by then, she couldn't focus on anything else but trying to get her 'fever' down. She tried taking deep breathes but every time she did, it only crippled her further in agony. She could only faintly hear something, a voice sounding so far away. Eris opened her eyes to see blue flames coming off of her arms and her whole body.
"Eris!"
She looked up to see her mother running up to her with sheer terror on her face.
"Mommy don't!"
The girl shouted, taking a few steps back. Her mother didn't stop and approached Eris slowly, cautiously.
"Honey, you have to calm down! Take deep breathes, baby."
She told her daughter as calmly as she could.
"I can't, it hurts!"
She sobbed, clutching her chest tightly.
"Come on, you have to, baby. Deep breathes for mommy."
Her mother continued. Eris shook her head furiously, unable to calm herself the way she used to.
"What's happening to me?!"
She demanded, expecting her mother to know.
"Baby, please! Calm down, it's okay! Breathe!"
The woman instructed, her voice more distraught than before. She collapsed again, black on the edge of her vision from lack of oxygen. With a sudden release, the pressure and heat on Eris' body vanished-but with a consequence. In a large burst, the energy and heat exuded from the girl in a forcefield of fire, killing her mother almost instantly. The girl couldn't see anymore, or feel anything but relief as the cold washed over her and she fell unconscious.