Chapter Eleven: What's Next?

Agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. were walking into the lab, carrying boxes, as Darcy, Jane, and Erik entered.

"Come to steal more of our stuff?" Jane snapped at Agent Coulson. "What do you want now? Our dishes? Our clothes? Our – "

"Actually," Coulson cut in calmly, "We're here to return your equipment. You're going to need it to continue your research."

"…Oh." Darcy sucked on her lips to keep from smiling at Jane's reaction.

"We've brought your notes and some of the smaller items. We will deliver the rest of your equipment tomorrow morning," he continued.

"Well." Jane tossed her head, flicking her hair behind her shoulder haughtily. "Good."

Coulson smiled blandly then turned to Thor and extended his hand. "I don't believe we've met," he said. "I'm Agent Coulson, with S.H.I.E.L.D."

Thor gripped Coulson's forearm, saying, "Well met, Son of Coul. I am Thor, Son of Odin. And this is my brother, Loki." He gestured to Loki who inclined his head regally. "We are from Asgard, the Realm Eternal."

Coulson blinked but his smile never cracked. Darcy was impressed with how calm he always was. "Cool as a cucumber," she murmured to herself.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Thor. Loki." He nodded to each as he said their names. He released his hold on Thor's arm and cocked his head curiously. "Would you mind debriefing us on the battle that occurred here today?"

"Ah, yes," Thor said. "I'm afraid there is some unrest between Asgard and Jotunheim…" Loki snorted, and Thor shot him an annoyed look. "Through a small mishap," he looked pointedly at Loki who narrowed his eyes at him, "the Jotuns were able to travel into this realm with ill intent."

"You will be pleased to know I have destroyed the entryway through which they came," Loki cut in smoothly. "They shall never be able to return."

"You were the one steering the robot, then?" Coulson asked calmly but with a hint of irritation.

Loki froze. "…Perhaps."

"Is there a reason you fired on us?" he asked, still smiling blandly.

Loki quirked a half smile. "Well, you did ask the Destroyer to identify itself. And as it cannot speak, it identified itself by…destroying." He smiled smugly and added, "I was merely honoring your request. You might note it fired only on your vehicles, not on your men."

Coulson nodded, his lips pressed together in annoyance. He looked down for a moment and his trademark bland expression settled over his face again. "If the…Jotuns, was it?" he looked to Thor for confirmation. Thor nodded. "If the Jotuns' quarrel was with Asgard, why come here at all?" he asked.

Both Asgardian men suddenly looked like children caught being naughty and Darcy couldn't help but snort in amusement. Everyone turned and looked at her. Oops.

"If I may," Darcy said, "I think I can answer that for you." Coulson raised his brows curiously. "Darcy Lewis, Earthling, born and bred." She waved. Nobody waved back. Fine. "If I understand correctly, the Jotuns didn't intend to come to Earth. They intended to go to Asgard. Am I right?" She turned to the Asgardians. Thor nodded while Loki eyed her warily. "But there was a little navigational problem with the portal they were using, and it dropped them here, in New Mexico." She shrugged. "Oops." She glanced at Loki and his gaze softened when he realized she wasn't outing him as the cause behind said problem.

"Then why fight us if we weren't their target?" Coulson asked.

"Ah, well, I think that might be my fault," Thor rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. "I may have angered them recently…"

"Definitely angered them. No maybe about it." Loki interjected.

"Yes, thank you, Loki," Thor said sourly, glaring at his brother. "When they saw I was here, they took their opportunity to attack. I sincerely apologize for the trouble my presence has brought your realm. It was unintentional on my part."

"Apology accepted," Coulson said. "Will you be staying here long? I have more questions."

"I shall," Thor said. "I have pledged an oath to protect this realm. My brother and I will be remaining here for the time being to ensure your safety."

"I thought you said the Jotuns will never return?" Coulson looked to Loki.

"Indeed, it is so. However, the threat my brother speaks of is much larger than a small battalion of Frost Giants," Loki said. "We are here to protect Midgard from Thanos and his Black Order."

"Midgard?" Coulson questioned.

"Earth, whatever," Loki flicked his hand dismissively.

Coulson nodded his head thoughtfully. "Perhaps we should schedule a meeting to discuss this further," he said. "It seems there is a lot of ground to cover here."

"I do believe that would be wise," Loki agreed.

"Good. I will contact you with the details tomorrow." Coulson then turned to Jane. "Your research is impressive, Dr. Foster."

Jane eyed him suspiciously. "And…?" she questioned, clearly unsure where he was going with this.

"And we'd like to offer you a job. We'd fund your research and provide you with whatever equipment you need."

Jane's eyes lit up with excitement, but she remained cautious. "What's the catch?" she asked.

"No catch," Coulson said. "It appears our interests are currently aligned. We want to know more about interstellar travel, and it appears your research is closing in on it. Is that right?"

"Yes," Jane nodded. She glanced at Erik, noting his worried expression then turned back to Coulson. "Would I still be able to live my life?" she asked.

Coulson frowned. "What do you mean?"

"What happened to Dr. Banner?"

He blinked then calmly replied, "Dr. Banner rejected our offer to work for us."

"Yeah, and then he disappeared!" Jane exclaimed.

"Ah." Coulson nodded. "He's flying under the radar, so to speak…by his own choice. He's in South Asia right now, if I recall correctly."

"Not exactly flying under the radar if you know where he is," Erik muttered. Coulson smiled mysteriously.

"Dr. Foster," Coulson said, "we simply want to fund your research and learn from you. You can still live your life."

Jane bit her lip then turned and looked to Darcy who smiled and nodded.

"Alright then, you've got yourself a deal," Jane said, extending her hand cheerfully. Coulson smiled and shook her hand then glanced curiously at Darcy. She grinned and gave a little finger wave. Though his bland smile remained the same, his eyes crinkled in amusement.

Coulson nodded politely to everyone in the room and said, "I'll be in touch." He turned on his heel and left the lab, the remaining agents trailing after him. Nobody said a word until the taillights of his vehicle disappeared from view.

"How odd…" Loki murmured.

"What?" Thor asked.

"It's one thing to know objectively how primitive Midgard is compared to the rest of the civilized universe..."

"Hey now!" Jane exclaimed indignantly.

"…and it's another to actually experience it." He ignored her. "Thor, they have barely even left their planet. And even then, just to travel to their moon. The name Thanos meant nothing to them. The Black Order merely inspired curiosity, not fear." He looked appalled.

"You're not wrong, Loki," Thor said. "However, I believe there is more to these mortals than we perhaps yet know."

Loki wrinkled his nose. "Forgive me, brother, if I do not share your optimism," he snarked.

Darcy could swear she nearly saw steam coming out of Jane's ears as her friend puffed up and said, "Now listen here! Just because – "

"Perhaps," Darcy interrupted loudly, "you could help us catch up with the rest of the civilized universe," she wiggled her fingers in air quotes, "so we won't be at such a disadvantage." She raised her eyebrows and tilted her head as she stared the gods down.

"Ugh, where to even start?" Loki complained.

"How about with either the Bifrost or some kind of spaceship?" Darcy suggested.

Jane bounced on her toes, anger forgotten in her excitement, "Ooh! Yes! The Bifrost! I vote the Bifrost."

Loki turned to Thor, "Is that even allowed?" he asked.

Thor shrugged, "When has that ever stopped you?"

"True. But I confess I'm not too keen on random Midgardians showing up in the Realm Eternal without warning. And I'm sure the Allfather would be none too pleased."

Thor scratched his beard and replied carefully, "Midgard may not have the resources to power the Bifrost independently. However, we could possibly build a version that relies on ours to activate it. What do you think?"

"Look at you, being diplomatic," Darcy elbowed Thor with a grin. He smiled, pleased with her praise.

Loki looked at the ceiling thoughtfully, ignoring them, as he considered. "So they would be requesting permission from Heimdall to connect the realms…that might work."

As Loki began to mutter to himself and Jane crept closer to him to eavesdrop while scribbling notes in her journal, Thor turned to Darcy. "The Frost Giants have been defeated, Jane is working for S.H.I.E.L.D., and my brother and I are here to stay a while. Much is changing for Midgard. What do you suppose will happen next?" he asked with some significance, wary of the others in the room.

Darcy blew a puff of air out and shook her head. "Hard to say," she admitted. "With both of you here…" she trailed off as she thought about the Tesseract currently being in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s custody. Last time Loki had come to Earth with its help, but he had been sent by Thanos. Even without Loki, chances were good that Thanos would utilize the space stone connection some other way. "I'd be curious," she spoke carefully, "about what other projects S.H.I.E.L.D. is working on."

Thor nodded thoughtfully. "I would seek fresh air," he said. "Care to join me for a walk?"

"Sure!" Darcy grinned and looped her arm through his as they headed outside where she could fill him in more fully on her thoughts.

Later that night, Darcy woke with a gasp from an uneasy dream where Hulk and Thanos were combined, and Dr. Banner would transform into Thanos to search for the infinity stones. She rubbed her eyes and groaned, grateful that the creepy dream was fiction. As she cracked her eyes open, she became aware of a soft, ethereal glow in the room. She turned her head to the source and was surprised to see Loki standing there, arms crossed and leaning against the door frame. He was regarding her thoughtfully.

"What are you doing?!" she whispered furiously, her vocal cords not quite working yet to give her the volume of indignation she felt was warranted for this invasion of her privacy.

"You were having a nightmare," he murmured, still eyeing her pensively.

Darcy was slightly taken aback. "And you woke me up?"

"Mmm."

"…why?" she asked, hesitantly.

Loki didn't answer and Darcy was unsure what to think. She knew some of what he was capable of, and he frightened her. She knew him as a megalomaniacal villain, but, she reminded herself, he is also Thor's brother. And circumstances on Asgard had clearly changed if he was here rather than falling into the abyss.

His scrutiny of her was making her uncomfortable, regardless. "Look," she said, trying to keep the bewildering bite of irritation and fear out of her voice, "I don't know how it is in Asgard, but on Earth, you don't just walk into someone's bedroom and stare at them. It's weird, dude. God, or not."

He didn't move.

"I do appreciate you waking me up from the nightmare."

Still nothing.

Darcy raised her brows and nodded toward the door, "Now, if you don't mind…."

Loki suddenly pushed off from the frame and moved briskly toward her, crossing the room in two long strides. Darcy yelped and before she could utter a what-the-heck-are-you-doing, he pressed the heel of his hand against her forehead, gripped the top of her head with long, strong fingers, and said, "How do I die?"

The last thing she saw before her eyes closed involuntarily were his eyes, irises glowing green against his pale face, which was set with grim determination. She saw darkness and then a memory played out in her mind like a movie. She tried to stop it, tried to open her eyes or think about something else, but Loki's will was strong against her mind and she didn't know how to fight it.

She was in New Asgard, visiting Thor. Half the population of the entire universe was gone, and Jane was among their number. In the memory, Darcy was sitting on the couch in the little house Thor and Korg shared. The room was filthy, take-out containers strewn about with half-eaten food and empty beer bottles littered the floor space around the chairs. Thor sat across from her in an armchair. His arms were softer, and he was developing a beer belly. His hair and his beard were long and unkempt. His shirt was stained. He looked terrible and was clearly depressed.

Memory-Darcy grimaced slightly at the state of the room and the state of her friend. She casually pushed an empty pizza box further down the couch and looked around, searching for something to say. Finally, she leaned forward and placed a hand on Thor's arm. In a soft, compassionate voice, she asked, "How's space?"

Thor made a strangled sound at the old joke, half-chuckle, half-sob. "Space is terrible," he said. Memory-Darcy squeezed Thor's arm and he placed a hand over hers. "My mother is dead. My father is dead. Half of everyone is gone because I wasn't strong enough. And yet the worst of it is that he killed him, Darcy. My brother. My Loki is gone forever." He sobbed and then he slammed his fist against the arm of the chair, causing her to jump. "We were just getting better! He was the brother I remembered from our childhood! We were making plans together!"

"Is it possible…I mean, we've thought him dead before…could he be…?" she trailed off, unwilling to voice 'alive' in that moment.

"No," Thor said miserably. "I think this time it was for real. Thanos…he crushed…" Thor sobbed. "He crushed his neck!" He buried his face in his hands and Memory-Darcy knelt next to his chair, nudging bottles out of the way with her knee while she rubbed his back.

The memory suddenly ended, and Darcy snapped her eyes open. Loki released her head and stumbled backward. He looked at her with a haunted expression, "How?" he breathed. "How does it come to this?"

Darcy rubbed her aching forehead and inhaled to yell at him, but before she could get a word out Loki grabbed the back of her head with his left hand and pushed her hand aside with his right, gripping her forehead again.

This time Darcy found herself in the observatory in Tromsø, watching international news footage of the Chitauri invasion in New York City. The camera was shaking, blurring in and out of focus as it zoomed in on the portal in the sky through which a Leviathan was emerging. Newscasters were talking excitedly in Norse and Memory-Darcy was gripping Jane's arm as they stared at the screen, transfixed. The news program cut to a different view from a rooftop across the city. Once again, the camera was shaking but it showed the Chitauri flying by on their skiffs. A blur of red and silver streaked past the camera. Jane yelped, "Was that…?"

Memory-Darcy gasped, "Oh my god, I think that was Thor…"

"He's back," Jane breathed in awe.

"Woah!" Memory-Darcy exclaimed, "Who is that?" the camera had zoomed in on Stark Tower where Loki stood in his battle regalia, holding the mind-fuck scepter. "D'you think he's part of their group? Like, with Thor and Captain America?"

Jane's brows furrowed as she watched intently. "…No, I don't think so. It looks like he's with them. Like he's their general or something…"

The memory ended abruptly, and Darcy felt herself falling back on her pillow. There was a familiar metallic zing and whoosh overhead. She sat up groggily, holding her forehead again, and squinted against a blinding light. Thor was storming into the room in his battle armor, Mjolnir in hand and glowing brighter than ever, advancing on Loki who was sprawled on the ground, groaning. Thunder crashed outside, rattling the windows.

"What did you do to her?!" he roared, bending over Loki and grabbing him by the collar. "I swear, if you have harmed her, Loki –"

Loki squinted and raised his hands placatingly, "She is unharmed!" he said quickly. "A minor headache at most."

Thor growled and another crack of thunder shook the room. He placed his hammer heavily on Loki's chest before turning to Darcy. Although it was nighttime and the lights were off, Darcy's room was as bright as if the sun were shining directly in it. She held a hand to her brow, trying in vain to shield her eyes from his light. She was squinting so hard she could barely make out his form, so she gave up trying to see and closed her eyes instead. She could feel the light, the warmth of it, as he approached. A large, warm, calloused hand slid across her cheek, holding her head gently in its palm. "Are you alright?" Thor's voice rumbled gently.

Darcy nodded against his hand. "Yeah, I'm good."

She felt the fingers of his other hand gently running along the back and sides of her head, checking for injuries.

"He didn't hurt me," she said. "He was looking at my memories." Thor sighed and his fingers stopped moving across her scalp. He cupped her head between both of his hands, and she felt him rest his forehead against hers.

"What did he see?" he asked, resignedly.

"You, telling me how he died, and some of the Chitauri invasion. That's all," she whispered. Thor was silent for a moment, though he rubbed his thumbs soothingly up and down against her temples as he thought.

"Loathe as I am to interrupt this nauseating moment," Loki spoke up from the floor, "it is becoming increasingly difficult to breathe." Darcy heard the crackle of lightning from outside before an ear-splitting boom shook the room once again.

"In your own time, of course," Loki replied calmly. "It's not as if I'm slowly suffocating."

Thor sighed again and Darcy felt the tickle of his whiskers as he brushed a soft kiss on her forehead before gently releasing her. She heard Loki's gasp of relief as Thor presumably removed the hammer from his chest.

"Must you always resort to – " Loki's complaint was cut off abruptly. Darcy squinted her eyes open and peered through her lashes. Thor's back was to her so she couldn't see his expression, but Loki looked cowed.

When Thor spoke, his voice was deep and authoritative. "Brother."

Loki eyed him cautiously as he stood. "Strictly speaking," he began.

Thor cut him off. "We were raised together. Played together. Fought together. You are my brother, whether you wish it or not, Loki."

"So you know," Loki said, a spark of indignance in his voice.

"Only very recently. You knew before I did."

Loki's eyes flicked toward Darcy. "And just what else have you learned recently? Brother?"

Thor was silent a moment, and then he holstered Mjolnir through a loop on his belt and placed a hand on Loki's shoulder, startling him. "We have changed what was to be, Loki. For your sake."

"My sake?" Loki's disbelief rang clear.

"Aye, brother. You were to fall into the hands of Thanos, suffering his tortures for the next year, until he release you upon this world, altered in your mind."

Loki sniffed indignantly and shrugged Thor's hand off his shoulder, "My mind is strong, I assure you. Whatever tortures of the body I might endure, my mind would survive intact."

"Not against the mind stone," Darcy spoke up. Both gods turned toward her. Thor was still glowing so brightly she couldn't make out his features, but Loki's expression froze, a look of dawning horror creeping into his eyes.

Don't worry, Darcy thought in Loki's direction, things have changed. You're safe from him here.

Loki blinked and an odd look came over his face – half relief and half suspicion. Darcy was able to see his expression a little clearer as Thor's glow slowly faded and she smiled, for it was the first time she'd ever seen (or heard of) him at a loss for words.

A soft knock sounded at the door and Erik slowly poked his head in. "Is everything okay?" he asked cautiously. "I heard thunder…"

Thor grimaced. "All is well, friend Erik," he said. "I apologize for waking you. My brother and I had words."

Loki rolled his eyes and grumbled quietly that the hammer was named Mjolnir, not 'words.'

"Don't worry about it," Erik said. "Honestly, I'm not sure whether I'm supposed to be awake days or nights anymore. Astrophysics can be confusing that way." He looked at Darcy, "You good?"

She gave him two thumbs up. "I'm good!"

Erik nodded. "Good night. Morning. Whichever." He withdrew his head and shut the door.

Thor took Darcy's hand in his own and brought it to his lips, placing a soft kiss to the back of it. He held her gaze as he spoke, his breath hot against her hand, "Come, Loki. Let us leave the lady to her rest." He smiled and gently released her hand as he backed away. Darcy's heart was pounding and butterflies were fluttering in her stomach. Finally, he broke eye contact as he turned and grabbed his brother's shirt, hauling him from her room.

Once the door closed behind them, Darcy released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The room was plunged back into darkness, and she blinked away the afterimage of the Odinson brothers as her eyes adjusted. As she sat on her bed in the dark, waiting for her pulse to slow and the butterflies to settle, Darcy whispered, "What's next?"

The End

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! While there is more to this story that I'd like to tell, with the end of the first Thor movie comes the end of this set of chapters. Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed - your words encourage me to keep writing!