Loki searched the woman before him. He looked over her bloody form, noticing all the cuts and lacerations across her skin. Noticing the deep crimson stain in her stomach region. Anger boiled within him. "What happened to you? Who hurt you?"
Aura dropped her gaze, subconsciously covering her midsection. She hated causing him concern. Especially when he focused on her. But she couldn't lie. She didn't know how to properly lie. Especially not to someone who had a reputation of having a silver tongue. "The jet was shot down, and a few of the invaders gave me trouble, but I'm okay."
His eyes burned. "I told those men to protect you with their lives. When I find them—"
"The agents are dead." Her voice remained quiet. "They did their best; they sacrificed their lives. I'm alright, though. It looks worse than it feels."
"If someone hurt you—"
"My other form already took care of the ones who assaulted me. Only the strange alien creatures attacked me. I'm alright. Please believe me."
He studied her gaze. Not wanting to upset her further about her injuries. Even though he knew she downplayed her condition. It wasn't to impress him. No, she disliked attention, even if she didn't realize she was the center of his world. However, one question plagued him more than the rest. "Do you think I'm an illusion?"
She swallowed. "I…" Blinking, she grabbed one of his hands and placed her palm on his. "You never could pass one of your duplicates off on me. Or Queen Frigga."
Loki's gaze flickered to their hands. "That doesn't answer my question, love."
Aura looked at the large machine whirring with blue energy. She didn't want to answer his question because she didn't think she knew the answer. The only thing she could do was redirect the conversation. "What's that?"
"It's," he took a deep breath but kept his eyes on her, "it's what sustains the portal."
"Why does the portal need to be open?"
"It allows the Chitauri to come through."
"What are the Chitauri for?"
He sighed through his nose and closed his eyes. Her questions were so innocent, but he knew why she probed him. She wanted him acknowledging the reasons for his actions and to decide if they were worth continuing. How many times had they gone through this process before?
The process to bring him back on track when he became lost in his passions.
His hand graced her cheek as he smoothed a strand of hair behind her slightly pointed ears. Did she even know how she cared for him? Did she know how much she helped calm and clear his mind? Or how much it meant to him she never judged his answers?
The only time she judged—or whatever she could attempt as judgement—was when he wasn't completely honest with her. "The Chitauri are for me, love. They're for me so I could fulfill a plan that evolved into avenging your capture."
Aura gave one slow nod. "So you already planned an invasion on Midgard?"
"Yes. Can you recall my account of the Titan?"
She searched him. Something…something wasn't right with him. She didn't know what exactly plagued him. But the longer they left their hands together, the more she felt the presence of magic that wasn't known for being his. "I remember."
Loki slightly smiled, pleased she actually knew of their conversation in the small carrier. "This was actually to warn Midgard of him, but when I found you, I couldn't restrain myself any further. They needed to pay for what they had done to you."
Her gaze traveled to the portal machine once more. Then she returned to him. "But this isn't how we do things. So many people have died."
"I-I know. But no price is too high for you, my dear. I've told you this before." His brows knitted. "Is this why you're so stiff with me? Are you upset with me? Or do you still question my existence?"
She withdrew her hand from his. Slightly turned away. Played with layered strands of hair as she fought her pounding heart. "I don't know."
"Aura—"
"I said I do not know."
His jaw set. He knew who was at fault for this. Flexing his hand, he summoned the scepter to his grasp. Moved to Fury and forced him on the ground, removing his magical bonds. Knelt on his back while lifting his head.
Tony started forward. Held out placating hands. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. This isn't how we do things, remember?"
Thor tripped the mortal without looking at him. Dropped Mjolnir on him. "This is not your fight, Stark."
He tried pushing himself up, but with the hammer on his back, he was pinned to the balcony. "You're siding with him now? Is Loki controlling you, too? Does he just get to control everyone?"
Thor crossed his large arms. "I am of my own mind. Loki has always been my brother, and I will stand by him. But I will ask you this. How is he in the wrong when your people have been holding one of our own hostage? On Asgard, this is considered an act of war. His reaction is appropriate."
Stark inhaled a deep breath, muttering underneath it. "Then I guess this is it. So much for the earth's mightiest heroes."
Loki held the blade of the scepter under the director's throat. "What did you do to her?"
Fury attempted glaring up at him. Un-phased by his current predicament. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"
"Then I have no use for you." Lifting the scepter, he brought down the weapon's point above the director's head.
"Wait!"
His head whipped up, and he instinctively froze at the voice.
Aura's eyes glistened with tears. "It's not his fault. I was the one who put myself in that chamber. Director Fury argued against me, but I made him do it."
"What?"
"Yes. I needed, I needed to be in a place where I couldn't hurt people. He didn't want me in there. He gave me other options. He's been taking care of me since he took over S.H.I.E.L.D. The cold chamber was my choice."
Loki glanced down at the mortal before releasing him. Slowly straightened. "I don't understand why you would do this to yourself."
Her face went into her hands. "Because I'm a demon! You saw me. I'm evil. I hurt people, Loki. I killed people. I've been used for many of Midgard's centuries by evil people. I couldn't, I couldn't live that way any longer."
Leaving Fury to his own devices, he appeared at her side in a heartbeat. Wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "No, no, no. You are not evil. You are the purest being to ever exist in the universe. You simply have a power you don't understand. But it's okay. You're okay. I am the evil one."
She buried her head into his armored chest, her tears freely flowing. "I don't think you're evil. You just seem misguided right now. I don't know what's wrong, but you're not evil. You've never been evil."
He placed a hand on the back of her head. Glanced at the scepter in his other hand. "I think you're the only one to truly believe that."
Fury rose and brushed himself off. "I would hate to inconvenience this…touching reunion, but can we get this portal closed? I'd like to save what little of Earth I could."
Loki glared over his shoulder, the stone in his weapon subtly glimmering. He held Aura closer. Pressed his lips to her forehead and mumbled more to himself than anyone else. "They have to pay. They have to pay. They must pay."
Aura shifted enough to free her arms. She found her beloved's gaze. Removed his helmet and gingerly placed it on the ground.
He searched her. Swallowed at her disarmament of him.
"They have already paid." Taking his hand, she led him to the portal's machine. Occasionally checking on him, making sure he willingly followed. She couldn't force him to do anything, but she tried her best keeping him on the right path.
Selvig suddenly emerged in front of the CMS device. Outstretched his arms. "You cannot take the universe away from me. I have worked too hard. I won't let you."
Loki heavily sighed. Extended the scepter and touched the Midgardian's chest with it.
The scientist's eyes momentarily swirled black before returning to their natural color. He inhaled a gasp. Blinked and stumbled. "What's…what is going on?" Recovering, he noticed Loki and stumbled back. "What do you want with me now?"
"I'm here to close the portal."
Erik's brows scrunched with disbelief. He looked at Aura, who nodded. "If that's true, then I think I built a fail-safe. The scepter should be the key."
Loki eyed him then brushed past. Stared at the tesseract within the machine. Took a deep breath. Part of him didn't want to touch it. Part of him, the majority of him, desired leaving the tesseract in its current condition. It was so beautiful.
His arm twitched when someone laid a hand on it. He somewhat startled. Noticed Aura standing right next to him.
She gave a reassuring nod. "You're not alone. I'm here, too."
He smiled. Without allowing further thought, he thrust the scepter through the energy barrier. Yanked it out.
Selvig sought shelter behind Fury.
The tesseract surged before relinquishing its beam. The portal above momentarily closed, cutting off the supply of invaders.
A slight wave of disappointment settled over Loki. He wanted more. More unruly destruction. More mortal death. They deserved more. For what they did to the one he loved, they deserved to have—
He felt another squeeze on his arm. His brows slightly furrowed, and he looked down.
Aura nodded again, gently smiling. Rested her hands on either side of his face. "See, it wasn't that hard, was it? If you were truly evil, you wouldn't have closed the portal. For what it's worth, I'm proud of you."
Loki searched her. Thin trails of tears traced his cheeks. "I missed you so much. I missed you more than you'll ever know."
She followed suit in his cries. "I missed you, too. I thought about you every day."
He threw his arms around her and held her close. Buried his head in her neck. "I thought I had lost you. I was so afraid I'd never find you." His legs weakened.
Her body trembled as she lowered to her knees with him, both of them now sitting on the balcony. She openly wept with him and repetitively stroked the back of his hair. "I'm here now. You found me. I'm present. You saved me."
Fury allowed a short, exasperated laugh. "To think, all this time, I had the one thing that could bring him to his knees."
Loki clutched the one he held most dear. "I love you." Kissed the top of her head. "I never stopped loving you."
Aura allowed herself to be held, having desired nothing more for as long as she could remember. "I never stopped loving you, either."
Stark held up a hand then dropped it. His movement still limited. "Oh, my god. Can I say something? I'm going to say something. This was seriously about you needing to get laid? Are you happy about what you've done?"
Loki's eyes snapped wide, and he removed himself from Aura. Deliberately rose and faced the prone mortal. His vindictive tone emerged. "Do you honestly believe this invasion is about a primal need you think I can't control?"
Thor called Mjolnir to himself. With his free hand, he lifted Tony up and stood him on his feet. Kept a grip on the back of his neck. "Your words are unwise, Stark. All you have done is pissed him off."
Loki stalked forward, the scepter held firm in his grasp. "This is about saving her from the likes of your kind. Do you know what they did to her? Allow me to show you—"
"Loki, no," Aura cried. She moved in front of him and placed a hand on his chest. "No. No more violence. No more bloodshed. You have me. I'm here. We're together again. It's okay."
One of his eyes twitched, and he rubbed it as he turned away. "Th-they need to pay. Every last one of them. Every last one."
Her eyes darted over him. Something infiltrated his mind with the way he continued resorting to ire. He was normally so composed and only vented in private. She kept her voice calm. "Can you look at me?" She wrapped her fingers in his free hand when he didn't respond. "Please, Loki. Look at me."
Shamefully, he faced her. Kept his blue gaze down.
The tips of her fingers glowed with white magic. She returned her hands to his face. "I don't know if this will break whatever has a hold on you, but I love you. Nothing you've ever done will change that. I know why you unleashed your wrath upon this Realm. In a way, I'm happy knowing you'll go to such lengths for me, but I know you know this isn't right. Let go of your anger. Release you hatred."
His eyes fluttered closed, and he melted into her healing magic. Relished in its warmth and restoration. Oh, how he missed her gentle touched. Yet, it conflicted with the forces at play in his mind. Fought against the partial control over him.
The darkness of his mind, aided by the stone within the scepter, consumed him once more. He grimaced, lip curling. Flashes of Thanos and the Other appeared in various locations. Each time, they emerged closer and closer. Until the Other's hooded form materialized next to his face.
Loki's chest rose and fell with hard breaths as the Other snatched his hair and pulled his head back. His eyes traveled to Thanos, who now towered over him.
The Titan maliciously grinned. "You have yet to know true pain."
Sweat beaded across his skin. He knew where this tunnel of thought would lead. He swallowed. Steeled himself the best he could. Then relived every varying degree of torture he suffered on that ship. Relived every unending nightmare fueled by constant agony.
"Loki?" It was Aura who spoke the soft inquiry.
Everything within his brain immobilized. Her voice sounded so faint, yet it tugged at his heartstrings. The concern and caring reaching through his darkness, as it always had. He only needed to find her.
His physical self subconsciously pressed Aura's hands harder against his face. In his mental void, he frantically searched for his light. He knew she literally stood in front of him, but he didn't realize how much he allowed the stone to control. Or just how far he dove into ill intentions. And only he could climb out of the hole he buried himself in.
"Loki?"
Her echo pushed him on. His head leaned into her hands while his mental form turned around. And there, in the distance was his light. His reason for walking the good side of the chaotic line. All he had to do was reach her.
Thanos swirled into existence. Planted his ghostly form in between Loki and the girl. He glanced over his shoulder. Smiled again. "You forget I control you. You are my pawn to move. Since you need another lesson in servitude, I'll make sure her pain is worse than anything I did to you."
He gritted his teeth. Amalgamating with his magic, he lunged forward.
The physical Aura noticed the sweat on Loki's face. While his eyes remained closed, she watched his face go through a myriad of emotions. His grimaces wrenched her heart. Was she hurting him? But he held her hands against him. So she didn't hurt him?
A light caught the corner of her eyes. She looked down. He still held the scepter. Held it hard enough his knuckles turned white. The tip of it glowed. Radiated the same peculiar energy that had a hold on him.
She glanced at his face. Flattened her lips together then returned her attention to the weapon. Removing one of her hands from him, she grabbed the scepter. An electrifying sensation coursed up her arm.
Her jaw set as she tried prying it from his death grip. "Loki?" She needed him to let it go. This had to be the thing affecting his mind. With the signatures coming from it, it most definitely was.
All the nerves in her arm tingled with feelings she didn't like. The power in the scepter wasn't malicious. Yet, it wasn't exactly benevolent, either. It was neutral. But it wanted control because it already had it.
Aura pulled on it with the little strength she could muster. "Loki?" After a hard jerk, she managed releasing it from his hand.
The glowing within the weapon subsided.
She exhaled a sigh of relief. Threw it toward Director Fury. It could become his problem. She didn't want it anymore. Shaking off the sensations in her arm, she replaced her hand on his face. Dedicated her attention to him.
Loki's expressions became almost unbearable to watch. Had she made everything worse? Did she only escalate the situation? He clearly battled something in his mind. Was her magic not enough? What did she do?
Her heart raced inside her chest, and she breathed heavily through her mouth. What did she do? He was in pain; she could see it. She didn't want him to suffer. Of course her healing abilities were inadequate. Why did she think they would work? She had failed. But what else could she do?
There was another thing she could try.
Aura's eyes lifted. It somewhat worked on her, didn't it? She swallowed. Here went nothing. Without a second thought, she pulled his head down closer to her. Pressed her lips against his.
In that moment, everything within her stilled. Everything quieted, because she felt him. She felt all of the grief within his soul. The longing, the fear. The innate desire to find her. It broke her heart, knowing he endured the same reactions to their separation as she. She wasn't worth this much distress.
Then, she suddenly felt joy.
"Aura."
She startled, opening her eyes.
Loki stared at her. The emerald color returned to his gaze.
Her brows knitted with happiness. "I didn't…I didn't think I could—"
"You've always been able to help me. You don't allow yourself to see it." He held up her hands and kissed her knuckles. You are my gentle spirit, love."
She giggled a bit.
Thor discarded Stark and approached his bother. Took him by the shoulders and looked at his eyes. "You are no longer under a spell?"
Loki sighed, the burden of the stone no longer on him. "No, I'm not."
He leaned in, whispering. "Shall I tell her you fancy her? Because I believes she fancies you."
The mischief god opened his mouth for a smart remark but caught himself. Patted his older brother's arm. "You know what, Thor? Don't change."
Tony looked from the group of Asgardians to Fury. "Are we just going to let this happen?"
The director inspected the scepter in his hand. "I learned my lesson the first time. I'm not coming between them again. If you want to try, be my guest."
Stark shook his head. "What about the existing Chitauri? Do they all die now? What happens?"
Loki detached himself from Thor and Aura and approached the trio of mortals. "The Chitauri have a hive mind, but they remain connected no matter how far away they are from the control ship. You'll have to exterminate them. What's your shtick again? Midgard's Avengers?"
Tony's brows rose, but a distant ding cut him off.
Steve Rogers, flanked by Barton and Romanoff, marched onto the balcony. "Does somebody want to explain to me what the Sam Hill is going on here?"
Stark's head cocked. "Yeah, Nick, you wanna explain how S.H.I.E.L.D. has been keeping an Asgardian child captive in its basement since it was the S.S.R.? Or how she knew my father? Or why she's had these healing powers, and we haven't been using her to cure cancer?"
The rest of the Avengers glared at the director.
Fury deeply sighed. "The only ones who knew of her before me were Peggy Carter and Howard Stark with a handful of others who helped in her apprehension."
Steve started forward. "Peggy?"
"Yes. Her code has been A-001, as she's the first alien S.H.I.E.L.D. encountered. Extraterrestrial science was still in development, and after the Red Skull incident, they were hesitant to let her wander around. Turned out, she had an uncontrollable alternate form."
Aura stood behind Loki, using him for protection as she peeked around him. Avoiding everyone's stares.
Fury continued. "She's been on Midgard since the Middle Ages, and her reputation isn't a good one. I was told she had the potential to be dangerous, and after the Colonel debacle, I decided I was the only one who needed to know about her. Clearly, it wasn't the best decision, but it was the only reasonable option at the time."
Barton inclined his head to the still-crumbling city. "So what's the deal with the invasion?"
Stark lifted up a hand and pointed at Loki. "Talk to Rock of Ages."
The mischief god slowly smiled. "Ask your director."
Everyone returned their attention to Fury.
Fury inhaled a deep breath. "Aura is Asgardian, and he thinks I've been holding her hostage. But I can assure you she was never mistreated by me, Carter, or Stark.
Romanoff's head tilted. "So, for decades, S.H.I.E.L.D. has had possession of an Asgardian? And another Asgardian waged war to get her back? Sounds like something Russia would do, has done. I no longer find the invasion surprising."
Thor puffed out his chest. "She is no mere Asgardian. She is my brother's kjæreste."
Slevig held up a finger. Wanting to be of some use to the conversation. "That means girlfriend for those who don't speak Norwegian. Or Asgardian, apparently."
Rogers whipped his head to Fury. "S.H.I.E.L.D. kidnapped Loki's love interest?"
Fury looked skyward. "No! We kept her from being used by the rest of the world. The Colonel and other soldiers have proven another organization may be at play within our own."
Stark crossed his arms. "No, I think it qualifies as kidnapping."
"Can we focus on the more important matters at hand, please? There are Chitauri all over the globe. Shouldn't you all be killing them? This is what the Avengers Initiative is for."
Thor crossed his arms in turn. "I will be returning to Asgard with Loki and Aura."
Fury eyed the partial light elf, who remained silent from behind her protector. "From my understanding, she was banished. You really think they'll take her back?"
"I am a prince of Asgard, a potential heir to the throne. My words can weigh as heavily as my father's. She will be granted passage."
Loki blinked a few times. Slightly taken aback by the thunder god's words. But pleased, nevertheless. Then he looked at the director. "So long as it's what she wants, I'm taking her with me. Should you want to stand in my way again, I will be more than happy to finish decimating this petty Realm."
Fury sighed again. "I think we can come to arrangement. We both had good, albeit construed, intentions. We both handled this situation in the worst way possible. But, I think we can fix this. You never return to Earth, and I'll leave you—and her—out of my reports."
Thor subtly brandished Mjolnir. "Should you ever come across another Asgardian again, I suggest you return them to Asgard. Heimdall will open a portal for them if they call upon him. Keep another one of us under your so-called care, Loki will not be the only one you will have to fight."
Loki's fingers wrapped around Aura's. "What would you like to do, love?"
Aura looked up at him. "Anything with you."
He smiled. Rose a brow at Fury. Then teleported his trio away from New York, making them all appear on abandoned cliffs of Norway.
Thor looked around at the abrupt change in location. "This is not Asgard."
"No. I have to prepare a spell for that trick."
"Nonsense. I will simply call Heimdall." He looked up.
Loki placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't bother. You sided with me, so he won't answer you. This is why all Realms have back doors. We'll get to Asgard." A realization hit him.
Thor tilted his head. "Why are you smiling like that?"
"They still have to deal with the Hulk. I may or may not have forgotten he's under the influence of the scepter. But I'm sure they'll figure it out. We'll call it a little going away present."
He chuckled a bit. "Banner will keep them more than occupied. Why bring us here?"
"I needed a place where I could think unimpeded. If I stayed there any longer, I would've stabbed someone. Plus, I wanted to leave before Fury could change his mind about Aura."
The thunder god's smile dropped. "Where is Aura?"