Stars Have Fallen - A Loki Love Story (Marvel/Avengers)

4

• • •

"So, you have name?" Steve asked the girl as they and Thor waited for Tony in the main Avengers lab.

To his surprise, the girl hesitated, then shook her head. No name. At least, none that she was aware of. "Oh," Steve responded awkwardly.

"How about Omara," Thor suggested in a jolly tone, "a beautiful name, for a beautiful woman."

The girl gave him a bizarre look of confusion; she'd no idea how to react to such a compliment. "No," she said plainly.

Thor frowned at the failed attempt of making her smile. "How awkward," Tony snickered as he entered the room, having heard the short conversation. "I mean, not for her," he clarified, "she doesn't really look like she cares, about anything. But you," he paused, pointing to the demigod, "don't you have a girlfriend?"

"I was just being kind," Thor explained with a slight look of annoyance.

Tony smirked and walked over to the girl, a pair of scissors in hand. She flinched away at first, alarmed by the speed at which he moved. "Calm down," Tony huffed, raising an eyebrow, "I'm just gonna rip this a little bit..." He continued, snipping off a tiny piece of her suit's sleeve, "..there; all done."

The girl lifted her sleeve and looked at the small tear, watching it fill back out and regenerate. Tony looked astonished at this, but then frowned. "Sorry, I lied," he admitted, not actually sounding sorry, "I need this, too." He slowly moved the scissors up to her head. Gently, he snipped off a few hairs. The girl shuttered at the sound of her hair being cut, sneezing as some fell into her face.

Shaking her head after the sneeze, she scrunched her nose and wiped the hairs away. Thor and Steve couldn't help but find this amusing. "Okay, everybody out," Tony ordered after setting down his samples.

Again, the girl jumped a bit, but she was already growing used to Tony's loudness. She took Thor's arm and let him lead her out, followed closely by the captain. Once away from the lab, the demigod spoke. "I should check in on Loki," he inquired. Turning to Cap, gestured to the girl, "will you look after her?"

The girl grew alarmed, eyes widening. "No," she argued, voice much stronger than they'd ever heard before. Thor gave her a wary look. "I will come with you," she insisted much more quietly.

"I don't believe that is a good idea," Thor warned. But the girl only stared at him; she was not letting go. Not wanting to anger her and risk another explosion, he nodded. "Alright, then," he accepted, turning his attention to Steve again, "let Tony know where we've gone."

"Just try to be back before I have to let him know," Steve prayed, not wanting to have to tell Tony that this obviously powerful girl was paying Asgard's biggest villian a visit. The demigod nodded, then left with the girl.

• • •

It was a silent thirty minute drive to the SHIELD compound. Of course, SHIELD also opperated at the Avengers tower. But their prisoner was not being held so close to civilitation. Loki was locked away in a compound about a five miles outside of the city.

The rain continued to pour down outside. Thor and the girl exited the car and made there way over to the facility. "Who is Loki?" The girl asked curiously, her first words since they were at the tower. The name sounded familiar.

"He is my brother," Thor explained with a heavy sigh, "and he has done this world wrong."

"..A bad man..?" The girl wondered.

Thor gave her a somewhat sad smile. "Anyone else would say yes," he admitted, "..I believe he is only lost."

The girl gave him a frown of her own. "It upsets you," she observed, reading his emotions like a book, "I am sorry."

Thor smiled down at her genuinely. "Thank you," he answered, "you are kinder than most."

"I understand," the girl went on as the entered the building, "..being lost."

Inside, the lights were bright. The girl clasped her hands around Thor's forearm once again, not wanting to be accidentally seperated. Thor led her to an elevator. When the doors opened, the two entered. One woman was already inside. The girl, however, hesitated.

"Don't worry," Thor insisted, "this is safe." Finally, the girl let him lead her inside. The doors closed as Thor pressed the basement button. "See? Not so bad," he proved.

The other woman in the elevator gave him an awkward look, unable to see the nearly invisible girl. Seeing her confused look, Thor explained as if it were casual, "my friend; she is invisible."

The stranger raised her eyebrows and forced an awkward smile. When the elevator stopped and opened, she rushed away. Thor took his time, however, not wanting to move the cautious girl too quickly through the new environment.

In the basement, the lights were dull, making the girl much more visible. She grew more comfortable out of the bright light's shine. Thor led her back quite far and past many sets of guards. Finally, they stopped just outside of a glowing, yellow, transparent wall. On the other side stood a tall, slender man with medium-length dark hair.

His back faced them, but when he turned, the girl was astonished. He was handsome, with sharp features and skin almost as pail as her own. It was a face that triggered memories to come back. Her mind began to settle for the first time since the explosion she had caused. The explosion, which she could recall now was caused by her crashing into the planet. And she knew this beautiful man.