Megin Odinson

FIVE

I make a few wrong turns but I eventually end up in the lab. The lab is busy. Soldiers, who are now under Loki's control, run around doing tasks. The doctor is setting up a machine. Loki appears to be supervising.

"Hey, Loki. Barton said you wanted to see me."

"Yes, yes." He sits down off to the side of the lab. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. I just stand there, quietly.

"Are you going to sit across from me? I haven't got all day, darling" Loki snaps at me. I sit down across from him. He puts his hands on his scepter. I do the same. I know what we are doing now. We are going to visit The Other. The Other is going to help us.

I close my eyes and meditate. The scepter materializes us into the throne room of The Other.

I open my eyes. Loki is already standing. I hurriedly got up. The Other appears from the steps.

"The Chitauri grow restless," The Other states. Loki rolls his eyes.

"Let them go at themselves. I will lead them into glorious battle," Loki brags. He smirks at The Other. The Other is not amused.

"Battle? Against the meager might of Earth?" The Other scoffs.

"Glorious, not lengthy. If your force is as formidable as you claim," Loki shoots back.

"You question us? You question him? He, who put the scepter in your hand, who gave you ancient knowledge and new purpose when you were cast out, defeated?" I don't know who The Other works for. I only know he is very, very powerful and we do not want to cross him.

"I was a king! The rightful king of Asgard! Betrayed!" Loki yelled angrily. This is bad, Loki needs to control his anger with The Other. We need The Other if he wishes to rule Earth.

"Loki," I tug at his sleeve. "Loki. We need them. Don't act rashly."

"Listen to your sister. Your ambition is little, born of childish need. We look beyond the Earth to greater worlds the Tesseract will unveil."

"You don't have the Tesseract yet." Oh, Loki. Does he not understand we need them? Why must he taunt The Other?

The Other charges at Loki. Loki looks away bored. I stop The Other in his tracks. He struggles to move in my bonds. I slowly start to close my hand. The Other struggles to breath. I look to Loki to see what he says to do. Loki isn't paying the slightest bit of attention to now-dying The Other.

After what was actually a few minutes, but what probably felt like hours for The Other, Loki walks towards him.

"I don't threaten, but until I open the doors, until your force is mine to command, you are but words. I have the power." I slowly start to release The Other.

"You... do not have... the power... She does," The Other chokes out. Loki looks mad. He raises his scepter at The Other. I release my power onto Loki. He fights against my hold.

"Enough. We are on the same side. We are not enemies," I reason. I release them both. Loki glares at me. The Other looks impressed.

I feel faint. But, I stand strong. I have used too much of my power recently. Holding two powerful beings at the same time is hard. Combine that with bringing down a large building and shielding Loki, myself and the others, its a wonder I'm still standing at all.

"You will have your war, Asgardian. If you fail, if the Tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where he can't find you. You think you know pain? He will make you long for something as sweet as pain." Loki looks uncomfortable now. The Other stares him down. I pray to Father that neither one of them tries something else. I don't have it in me to stop them again.

"And you," he turns towards me. "You will get the wonderful opportunity to meet him. You will have a choice, join him, or die. Let me tell you, neither is a good option for a child." He laughs. I don't. I'm terrified.

Loki grabs my hands and put them on the scepter. We materialize back in the underground lab.

I feel tears building up in my eyes. I don't to join whoever The Other works for. I just want to be loved. Oh, why is my life so hard?

Why must I feel this way?

My tears spill down my cheeks. I look away from Loki. He mustn't see me weak.

Loki looks down at me. He kneels down so that he is at my height. He uses his hand to gently turn my head towards him.

"Megin, it will be ok. We will conquer Earth and you will get the love of millions." I give him a small smile. "Go head on back to wherever you were before. Barton should be done talking by now."

"What are they talking about?"

"You," Loki smiles. "Go on now."

I leave and head back to the lounge. It looks like Barton has left. Molly is sitting on the couch with her head in her hands. She is bent over crying. I open the door and Molly immediatly sits up.

"Hey, Meg!" She says cheerfully. She wipes away her tears and smiles at me. "You look tired. Why don't I go get you a blanket and you can rest."

"Thanks, Molly," I decide to ignore her tears. I don't have any energy left to devote to anything other than sleep.

Molly brings me a blanket and I lay down on the couch. It doesn't take long for me to fall asleep.