"It is the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation."
Steve was about to jump from the rear of the plane, but you grabbed his arm before he could let go of the fuselage, nodding out towards the god who had stunned the large group into silence. "You're no match for him, Captain."
"Thanks, ma'am. That boost of confidence was all I needed." He pulled his arm away and dropped to the ground below; Natasha held position, waiting for you to follow.
"Give him hell," she smirked, waiting for your feet to touch solid ground before pulling the aircraft higher and behind you, it's guns drawn at the ready.
"The last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everyone else, we ended up disagreeing."
"The soldier," Loki panted, "the man out of time." He stood fully and looked from Steve to you, a dark but mischievous glimmer in his eyes, "and a woman misguided, I believe." He took a few slow steps towards you, his hand reached out but not coming close enough for contact. "You belong at my side. I can see your true heart, and it's not here."
You were shaken slightly by his attention, but you held your ground, standing next to the new guy covered in stars and spandex, immediately feeling vulnerable against his powers. Even with Natasha in the jet overhead, you knew this wouldn't end well. Steve took a step closer and pushed himself between you and the Asgardian, now filling the god with a new anger and pushing the Captain to his knees.
"Kneel before me!"
As the fight began, Steve faltered only slightly, surprisingly holding is own against your better judgment that he was no match. You stood silently and unwavering from a vantage point near the jet, waiting until Steve needed your assistance. When he was finally held to the ground and unable to retaliate, you leapt forward to engage Loki, but his hand raised slowly and ominously, wordlessly commanding you to stop.
"And what, my dear, are we to do with you?" He continued to hold Steve down, but his entire focus was on you. "Do you want me to release him?" he asked, his head turning back to look at your new teammate, "or is he just going to be in our way? We can't have that, now can we?"
Without a chance to reply, you jumped slightly when Loki was shot back with a hard crash to the ground, Iron Man now towering over him and quickly joined by Steve to keep him there. "Make your move, Reindeer Games."
~~~
After a minor altercation with another Asgardian that levelled a descent chunk of forest, you were back on the hellicarrier, waiting to watch as Director Fury secured Loki in his cell. Every screen around the table was alight with his face; it drew you in somehow, and all you wanted was to talk to him yourself.
"It's an impressive cage. Not built, I think, for me."
"Built for something a lot stronger than you."
As you looked at the people around the table with you, you never felt more out of place. Doctor Banner was enthralled with what Loki was saying, tipping back and forth slightly as he listened. Steve looked like he was only barely interested, as if his mind were somewhere else completely. Natasha eagerly waited for Loki to say anything at all about Clint, and the new guy, Thor, was looking away with his chin thoughtfully rested in his hand. With so many people wrapped up in their own agendas, it was crazy for Fury to think that this could ever be a team.
"He kinda grows on you, doesn't he?" the doctor chuckled as the screens darkened. You felt his eyes shift to you, as if he knew that your mind was elsewhere; that it was in the belly of the ship, calling you to go to the man who had your complete interest. "(Y/N)? You still with us?"
"Hmm?" you startled, lifting your head in surprise to look at him. Your gaze just as quickly dropped to the floor again as you stood to excuse yourself, standing abruptly and tipping the chair slightly off its center. You stood so quickly that you didn't have a chance to see Tony Stark right next to you.
"No hard feelings, Point Break, you've got a mean swing," he joked to Thor, but grabbed you when you ran firmly into him. "Woah, sweetheart, what's the rush? Don't let me scare you off."
"Sorry...um, excuse me," you mumbled, not even paying attention to who you had run into. You were on a mission of your own; to find out why you couldn't get Loki out of your mind, and if it were somehow by his own doing. Not knowing if it was you or his manipulations that had you so enthralled.
"Where's she going? Did something happen during the apprehension?" Coulson asked, looking immediately to Steve. He leaned back in his chair and sighed, not knowing you really at all to gauge your actions, but knowing enough to see that you weren't okay.
"I think he got in her head. But she seems pretty determined to get him out."
~~~
When your hand touched the cold panel next to the heavy steel door, you paused, unsure of what you were even doing. Why was it so important to talk to him? Just turn around and walk away, forget it, you thought, but even you couldn't convince yourself. As if moving under their own direction, your fingers danced across the security panel, entering your code to open the door. You stood motionless for a moment when you saw him; he looked smaller now, in a cage like an animal, though anything but helpless. He still carried himself with purpose and power, but he was in no way capable of either.
"I had hoped you would come," he said quietly, moving to rest his hand on the glass and lean towards you. "You've filled my mind and I am unable to escape the thoughts of you that are driving me mad."
You had to tell your feet to move, command your legs to push you forward. His voice was different; it was calmer, softer, and almost genuine. But this was Loki, known to be dangerous and courting war with the Earth; you needed to handle this with care.
"I've done nothing," you replied in a flat tone, "it would seem that it's you who's misguided."
A wide grin crossed his lips, growing to a smile with an anger behind it that was poorly masked. "You've got heart, I like that. It's been some time since I've enjoyed such a challenge."
"I'm not here for your enjoyment."
"We shall see, (Y/N). We most definitely shall see, very soon, I think."
Finally fully inside the holding room, you grabbed a chair and pulled it up next to the glass, watching him move to the far side to sit and watch you in return. You had to force yourself to hold eye contact with him, your mind screaming for you to look away, but you wouldn't let him think you to be weak or that you would concede to him. The longer you sat this way, the more you became strangely comfortable in his presence.
"You were born for more, (Y/N). You were born to be royalty. Why can you not see that?"
"Because the only thing remotely close to royalty around here is Stark, and if he hears me say that I'll never live it down," you groaned, looking around the room to figure out if the cameras were active and if he might actually be watching. "I'm not really the ruling-from-on-high sort. You can dress me up but I can't play the part, Loki."
"I like the way you say my name," he whispered, standing to walk towards you. You stood as he neared, a sense of anxiety washing over you. He was in the strongest cell ever made, strong enough to contain the Hulk, and you were nervous. "I would like to hear it again."
"I should...go..." your voice faded, but your feet didn't move and your gaze never left his.
"Say it again."
"Loki...I don't think I should be here." You finally willed yourself to turn away and towards the door, determined to not look back, but as you reached the door, his voice beckoned to you one more time.
"(Y/N), a battle is about to begin. Nothing can stop that." He pushed himself as close to the glass as he could, both of his hands pressed against it as if he could feel you through it. "Though I mean to rule, I would sacrifice myself to protect you. I will not see you hurt because of my own actions."
Taking the opportunity to use the moment, to use his emotions as a gamble, you walked to him and pressed your hands against his. He closed his eyes and smiled slightly, content at the action even if he couldn't touch you. "Then stop it, Loki. Stop it now."
"There is no stopping it. There is only the war." He pulled his hands down and turned away, his head lowered slightly. A few moments passed before he turned back, his expression sad and his face looking almost human now. "Will you be at my side?"
You opened your mouth to reply, not even knowing what words were about to be spoken, when the ship jolted violently and alarms began to sound. You were knocked to the ground by the force, slowly standing again as the ship steadied. In the distance, though not as distant as you would like, you heard the Hulk's growl and ran for the door.
"No! (Y/N) do not go out there! They will kill you. And it will be by my command."
"Then so be it," you replied, quickly leaving his sight, a pain growing in your chest at the sound of his screaming your name as the door shut behind you.
Part 2
"Agent Coulson is down."
You were sitting on the floor next to him when the light left his eyes, your hand over his when it dropped away lifelessly. Reaching up slowly, you touched the side of his neck, waiting...waiting...waiting to feel something, but there was no pulse there, no heart beat that would give you or Fury any hope. "Nick..."
"Medical team is on it's way to your location."
"They're here. They called it," Fury replied in a solemn tone. He looked at you, watching you wipe Coulson's blood from your hands and onto your uniform, feeling completely helpless. "So now what, agent (Y/L/N)? I'm open to ideas."
You took a deep breath, clearing your mind of the anger and hatred that filled you in this moment, having watched as Loki cut your friend down. Remembering the audacity of him trying to lure you away with him, and the look in his eyes when he was rejected. The only reason that you were still alive was because he believed that he cared for you. Right now, you couldn't believe that Loki was capable of anything more than evil.
"Director, this was never going to work if they didn't have something..." you paused, searching your mind for the answer, "if they didn't have something to bring them together. Something that made the fight worth it enough to be a team." You glanced down as the medics lifted your friend from the floor and onto the gurney to take him away, suddenly seeing the answer clearly in front of you.
"I think we might have it now."
~~~
This had to work. If the team had any chance of stopping Loki or this army that he had ready, you needed to get the Avengers to work together. "Alright, Phil, help me out," you mumbled to yourself as you opened his locker, pulling the small pile of Captain America trading cards out and into your pocket. You closed the door gently, leaning forward to rest your forehead against it, taking a moment alone to say goodbye to your friend and mentor.
"Sentiment."
Your spine stiffened at the sound of Loki's voice behind you, and your blood ran cold. When you turned to face him he was nothing more than a hologram, faltering in its image slightly as the distance between you grew greater. "What would you know of sentiment? You tried to trick me into thinking that you cared about me somehow," you snapped, "which I never really believed anyway. You were going to use me against my own team. You know nothing of feelings, of sentiment, of love. You're nothing, Loki."
The image of him stomped towards you with an angry expression, making you step back reflexively, even though he wasn't real. "I am not nothing, (Y/N). You shall see that soon enough. When this is done, you will see that by my side is where you belong. You will see." Loki's image was now directly in front of you, so close that your bodies would be touching if he were real. "And I do care for you, darling. Very much. From the very first moment, I knew. I think that you did as well." His false hand reached up to touch your cheek, but it passed through you; in that moment you swore that you felt it, and against your better judgment, all you wanted was more.
~~~
Nick had given quite the speech about the team, using the cards you had retrieved from Phil's locker as the dramatic point maker that you hoped it would be, but you didn't know if it had worked. You followed Tony to the holding area, standing silently as you watched him stare at where the cage had been, wondering what could be playing out in that genius mind of his.
"Mr. Stark,"
"Call me Tony."
"Tony," you agreed silently, "he was just doing his job."
"He was an idiot."
You smiled slightly, not really finding a valid point to argue that with. "I'm starting to feel like we all are. How the hell are we supposed to do this? The team is scattered, if it's even a team..." Your voice faded as Steve entered the room, crossing his arms and leaning against the bulkhead, watching the two of you from across the room.
"(Y/N), I need to know what's going on between you and Loki."
"You and Loki?" Tony asked in total surprise, turning to you with wide eyes. "What the hell does that mean?"
"It doesn't mean anything," you replied, holding your hands up in surrender, "he seems to think he has feelings for me, if he's even capable. I think his play is to get inside my head to help him keep this team apart."
"Is it working?" Steve's tone became deeper as he moved towards you, glancing up at Tony as he approached. He stood close, backing you up into the wall with his proximity and his towering height over you. "I need to know where your loyalties are, (Y/N)."
Tony responded, putting his hand on the Captain's chest and pushing him back slightly, "hey, maybe lay off the kid, huh? If her loyalties were with Loki, why would she be standing here trying to help? I think we've lost enough people in one day; we don't need to start pushing more out." Tony looked at you with anticipation, wanting you to back him up.
"Believe me, Captain, I'm on your side. Loki means to start a war, and we are nowhere near ready. He made this personal when he took out Coulson." You pulled yourself away from the wall, ducking under Steve's arm, pacing back and forth as you voiced your inner monologue. "He hit us all right where we live, why?"
"To tear us apart," Steve offered.
"Yeah, divide and conquer is great, but he has to take us out to win," Tony agreed. "He wants to beat us; he wants to be seen doing it."
You continued to pace past the two men, trying to find any clue that would lead you to Loki, anything that would get you to him so you could try to convince him to stop. If he really cared about you like he claimed, then you might be the only hope of avoiding an all-out war. "Loki's a full-tilt diva, right? He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered..." your voice faded as your gaze shifted to Tony, both of you immediately understanding.
"Son of a bitch."
~~~
"This is why we strap in, Cap," you groaned, your stomach flipping and feeling full of knots as Clint tried to land the jet as safely as possible, still barely maintaining control. Steve had grabbed onto a roll bar on its roof, struggling to keep his grip as his body swayed with each movement of the plane. "I swear if you fall and land on me, I'm throwing up on you, Steve."
"Noted."
You did your best to keep your mind off of the building nausea waves with each motion as Clint finally brought the jet to the ground. Throwing off your harness you rushed behind Steve from the back of the jet and stood marveling at the war zone around you. At the limits of your vision you could see Thor and Loki atop Stark tower, fighting for control. "We need to get back up there!" you shouted above the commotion.
"Hey sweetheart, let's not keep your boyfriend waiting!" Tony swooped down and grabbed you around the waist, hurrying to get you to the roof of his building. He lowered himself just enough to release you safely, moving quickly to avoid a blast from Loki's scepter and returning to the battle below.
"What are you doing here?" Loki asked angrily, reaching down to grab you and pull you to stand between him and Thor. "You are not meant to be here, (Y/N)."
"Then release her, Loki," Thor commanded. "Release her now and put an end to this."
You could feel a low growl and a laughter in Loki's chest as he held you to him, beginning to back away towards the tower's ledge. "Loki, please, you don't want to do this. You need to stop it."
"No, it's too late," Loki sneered, pulling the two of you over the edge and onto a Chitauri speeder passing by. "Hold on tightly, my love. I should not wish to drop you now that I finally have you."
"I won't be yours as long as this continues, Loki."
"Do you not see, (Y/N)? This is now for you as much as it is for me. We will rule together, as I have said all along." His attention quickly shifted to his left, his eyes focused on something in the distance that you couldn't see. "Such valiant effort, but so wasted," he mumbled, reaching out to grab Hawkeyes arrow from the sky just before it connected.
You heard the small beep from the arrowhead and clutched around Loki's waist tighter, knowing what was about to happen. Seconds later you felt pain throughout your body as you landed on the roof of the tower, rolling to a stop when you hit the wall. Natasha landed right behind you, positioning herself between you and the Asgardian.
"Come on, we need to shut this down!"
"You are all of you beneath me!" You pulled from Nat's grasp at the sound of Loki, rushing towards him to see the Hulk holding him back from getting to you. "I am a god, you dull creature, and I will not be bullied by-"
You winced watching him be thrashed by Hulk, seeing the ground smash beneath him with each hit. Once it stopped and the Hulk left him, you rushed to his side to both keep him in control and to check on him. "I told you, there was no way to win," you said quietly, your eyes deliberately kept up from him, watching Natasha as she closed the portal once and for all. "We never would have worked out, Loki. You don't listen to me."
"You were chosen for me centuries ago, my love. Do not give up on me so quickly."
Your eyes widened as you finally looked at him, seeing a mischievous grin cross his lips. Before you could ask him to elaborate, Steve's hands were around your arms, pulling you up and into the group, separating you for the last time.
~~~
You wanted to know what Loki had meant, but the answer wouldn't be coming today, not that he would have been likely to tell you anyway. He seemed to take a great deal of pleasure in leaving you with the questions that now consumed you. Watching as Thor led him away in shackles and muzzled, it felt as if you would never have your answers.
"I can return, if you should need me to, (Y/N)," Thor said quietly, glancing back to his brother. "If I learn anything, I will contact you."
You nodded wordlessly, your eyes still on Loki. You watched as his fingers wrapped around the casing that held the Tesseract, the thing that brought him to Earth in the first place, but now you wondered if there was more to it; if he had come for you as well. Looking around the circle to each member of the team, you stopped to hold your gaze with him for just a moment before turning your back to him, holding your breath as you heard him disappear, not knowing if you would ever see him again.
"Hey, you okay, kid?"
"Never better, Mr. Stark," you replied with your best convincing voice, grabbing your gear to head to your car. Your phone buzzed in your pocket so you stopped briefly, reading the message quickly and trying to hold in your excitement as he watched you.
T.A.H.T.I. is underway. I need you there.
"Good news?"
"Yeah," you sighed, "and it's about damn time."
Part 3
"Agent Coulson is ready to return to active duty, but he has no recollection of what happened. I need you at his side to make sure it stays that way."
You huffed in disbelief and gave Fury a small chuckle at the idea that you could contain Phil in any way. "You really underestimate him, you know. He's gonna figure this out, and when he does, he'll come for you."
"Well then you'll be out of a job, agent (Y/L/N). If he gets to me, I get to you."
"I will roger that," you sighed with a small nod, grabbing your bag and heading towards the jet, but within a few steps a crash of thunder and a blinding light stopped you. You swore that you felt your heart stop; it had been months since he had left with Loki, and you honestly thought that you wouldn't hear from either of them again. Before you could turn to look at him on your own, Thor's hand was on your shoulder and pulling you in his direction.
"(Y/N), he will be here soon. I came first to give you warning."
"Warning? Why would I need warning? What is he going to do?"
Thor had an almost panicked look in his eyes as he looked over his shoulder at Nick, who was now nearly at your side. He turned back and took your arms in his hands with a firm grip that you knew would leave bruises behind, but you resisted showing any reaction.
"Thor, what is he going to do?" you asked again.
"He is coming to take you home."
~~~
Nick brought you and Thor into a holding cell, the most secure place he could think of to keep Loki away from you, if such a place even existed. You were sitting across from him, with Thor standing at your side and Mjolnir in hand, watching anxiously for something to happen. If anything, the two of them were making you more nervous than whatever Loki could do, and your mind began to race.
"Thor, you said that he's 'coming to take me home', but that phrasing makes it sound like he's returning me there; as if I was here on some sort of vacation. Like it's my home already."
The Asgardian didn't reply, continuing to watch out the large window of the cell to avoid your discussion. You turned to look at Nick, who also avoided your gaze and wore an uneasy expression, only making you more aggravated and uncertain.
"Fury, I know that you know something. I know you don't think so, but you're about as good of a liar as Rogers." Frustrated when he still didn't respond, you stood from your chair, harshly pushing it back until it slammed against the wall. "If you don't tell me what you know right now, so help me-"
"(Y/N)," Thor interjected, grabbing your shoulder and pushing you down into another chair, "you must stay here and remain calm. I will give you answers, but you must be patient."
"Like hell I will," you growled. "Loki said that I had been chosen for him centuries ago. I can't get that sentence out of my mind, and if you know what he meant, then I deserve to know right now."
Nick shook his head and looked to Thor, standing now and grabbing his phone to text a message out with a deep sigh, "so, you wanna take this or should I?" He glanced out the window and watched as the jet that was supposed to take you to Phil took off without you.
"You may go."
Now you were completely taken aback, staring at Fury as he walked past you, shaking his hand off when he tried to give you a supportive touch on your arm. "Hey," he huffed, "I didn't know about what he's going to tell you until a very short time ago. I was sending you out to Coulson to protect you, so please, give me a little credit for that."
"He said you can go," you sneered under your breath, "so go."
Once Nick had left the room and the door was firmly closed behind him, you stood and stepped up to Thor, standing in front of him with as much authority as you could muster in the face of the impressive god, who was much taller than you remembered. He looked down at you with a sad expression, holding your gaze long enough so that you grew uncomfortable and took a small step back.
"You look like you're examining me," you said. "Why?"
"There was a prophecy, centuries ago, that I fear that I cannot stop." Now that it was only the two of you in the room, he let some of his guard down, pacing back and forth with his hands nervously wringing together. "When my father adopted Loki and he was taken from Jotunheim..." his voice faded away as he paused, stopping to look out the cell window, as long as it were anywhere but at you, "you were taken as well."
"I'm sorry, what did you just say?"
"The prophecy told that you were to be betrothed to Loki and that together you would rule Jotunheim to become the most powerful of the nine realms. So powerful that you would rule them all. When my brother was adopted it was the perfect time to separate you, and Midgard was believed to be the best choice in which to hide you." When Thor stopped to finally look at you, he hurried to your side and sat you down into the chair, worried that the paleness now in your face was a sign that you might faint.
"How did he know it was me?"
"I am not certain," he replied, "but when he saw you on the team at Stuttgart, he knew. And now I fear that even if I attempt to protect you, or hide you again, the prophecy will be realized and that I am no match for fate."
You sat quietly for a long time; a very long time, lost within your own mind, thinking of what that other life would have looked like. The life you had here was fulfilling at it was yours, not guided by anyone other than yourself, and a life with Loki would be anything but your own. Looking at Thor, you could see that he really was afraid and it only made you more uncomfortable to know that he was not infallible as your new protector.
"Let him come," you finally whispered.
"No, (Y/N)," Thor said in shock as he quickly moved to stand over you, "you don't understand what you are saying. If the prophecy comes true-"
"I still have free will. I still have the choice to refuse to go with him. The prophecy would require my agreement, right? To rule together, I would need to actively participate in that."
"I fear that he can make you participate, even if it is not what you want, (Y/N). There is so much more at stake here that I don't think you realize."
Feeling stronger in your resolve, you stood again, taking Thor's arms in your hands and smiling at how small they looked against his muscles. "Well, my reluctant brother-in-law," you smirked, "perhaps my first act of rule will be to stop my reign before it even starts. Let him come."
Part 4
"You're crazy."
"That may be true, but it's all I've got, Nick. Let me have it."
Fury studied your face for a few minutes, gauging your emotions and if you were compromised by the situation growing more tenuous by the minute. Loki was on his way, and would arrive any moment according to Thor, so decisions had to be made. "What makes you think that you can control it? What are you going to do?"
"I am of Jotunheim, so I suppose I'll make it up as I go," you said with a smirk, turning to look at Thor who gave you nothing but a look of disapproval. He was completely against allowing Loki anywhere near you, much less allowing you to run to meet him. You had worked out somewhat of a plan, but with limited time to solidify it, all you could do now was to forge ahead and hope for the best.
"Thor," Nick sighed, turning to the god, "are you taking responsibility for this? You'll be there?"
"I don't need a babysitter!" you exclaimed, slamming your hand down on the table in front of you. The floor shook beneath it and the walls rattled, much to Fury's surprise, but not to yours or Thor's. Seeing the shocked look in his eye, you calmed yourself and maintained your composure for your director. "Sorry, sir. We've been working on that."
"We've unlocked potential within (Y/N)," Thor announced. "Heimdall has given us much insight on her abilities and how she can use them to her advantage, though I still do not agree."
You took a deep breath and closed your eyes, trying to center yourself rather than allowing your frustration to get the best of you. With a slow exhale, you opened them again, looking at Nick cautiously, though your voice was deep and ominous now. "Nick, we're running out of time. Give it to me."
Nick looked at you and then to Thor, shaking his head when he realized that he had no argument that would stop you from getting what you wanted from him. You didn't want to leave with Loki, and he didn't want you to go either, but seeing no other way, he left the room for several minutes only to return with the only thing you could think of to stop Loki's plan. He extended the scepter to you with hesitation, but when Thor moved to stand behind you, he released it into your grasp. As your fingers wrapped around the ornate handle, the blue stone began to glow.
"Whoa," you shuddered with a whisper, your eyes widening at the sensation that flowed through you. "I get it now."
"Get what?" Nick asked with a slight tremble in his voice, taking a step closer to you with his hand resting over his weapon. He was suddenly fearful of you.
"I've never felt so powerful. I can't let him get his hands on this again."
~~~
You sat in your room, waiting as patiently as possible. Loki would find you easily enough; you didn't need to be in an open area or announce where you were. Thor had left you alone, though he was within feet of you in an adjoining room on the other side of the wall. Loki would know he was there as well, but there was nothing you could do to stop that. After only minutes of waiting, he appeared.
"Hello, my darling."
"Loki."
"You were alerted to my arrival," he said. It wasn't a question, and you knew that he was aware of his brother's proximity. "That's of no concern. However, I've come to you with a remarkable opportunity. Just as I said, you were meant to rule at my side, and I am here now so that our future together can be realized." He took a seat next to you and took your hand in his, bringing it to his lips. The sensation sent a chill down your spine.
"I didn't think I'd see you again. It was quite a shock when Thor told me that you were coming back." You pulled your hand away but he quickly took it again, this time clasping both hands around it to hold it securely on his lap. "A small part of me missed you."
"Only a small part?"
"The small part that likes sarcastic and egomaniacal gods, yes."
A smile grew across his lips, but it wasn't warm or welcoming at all, but more of an obligatory motion to cater to the moment. "That's a very specific part. But was there nothing more? There's a connection between us, (Y/N). Surely you know that."
"I know what I've been told, yes." You pulled your hand from his and stood over him, doing your best to maintain your presence and not give into your own nerves. "You don't care about me, Loki. You certainly don't love me. You're here only to fulfill the prophecy, and I know that, so please let's dispense with this whole act, okay?" Taking a few steps back, you positioned yourself between him and the closet that held the scepter, being careful to not lose your ability to grab it at a moment's notice. "There's no throne. There's no version of this where you come out on top."
"If you know of your true heritage," he paused, standing and taking long strides towards you, "then you know that you are born to follow me. You are born to follow as my queen, and nothing can stop that."
"That's not a choice that I'll make, Loki. Fate be damned." With each word you inched closer and closer to the door that would produce the scepter, waiting for the right moment. "You can't force me to go with you, but I can certainly keep you here with me."
"Darling, even you cannot stop me."
You turned and grabbed the scepter, quickly looking back and holding it towards the Asgardian defensively. Over Loki's shoulder, you spotted Thor standing in the doorway, ready to assist you if necessary. The look on Loki's face was a mix of surprise, fear and desire; it was a desire to hold the scepter again, and to feel that power wash over him as it had done before.
"Kneel before me," you said, trying to sound confident.
"What?" he whispered.
"I said, kneel!" you pressed, pushing the end of scepter into his chest and watching the stone begin to emanate its blue glow. As it touched him you could see the glow spread through his chest, up his neck, across his face and into his eyes as they turned a bright blue that matched the stone. His expression almost immediately calmed and he looked at complete peace with following your command.
"Yes, my lady."
Thor moved in behind him and waited, watching you wield an almost uncontrollable power over his brother, waiting for you to finish the plan. "(Y/N)?"
"I'm not going with you, Loki," you said in an unsure voice, losing the authority in it that you had only a moment ago. "I will not lead at your side, now or ever."
"Yes, my lady."
You were taken aback by the power you had so easily stripped from him, noticing the softness in his features as he looked at you, hanging on your every word to direct him. It was almost childlike in his eagerness to do your bidding and to make you pleased with his efforts. "Do not return for me. Do you understand?"
"Yes, my lady."
"Thor," you whispered, "take it from me. Before I refuse to release it."
~~~
"So let me get this straight," Tony said with his arms crossed and an inquisitive expression, "you're supposed to be one of the greatest rulers of all the realms? And you turned that down? Wow," he sighed, "anything you do on Earth is just gonna pale in comparison to that, don't you think?"
"Helpful, Tony. You really know how to make a girl feel better, you know that?"
Steve walked towards you and handed you a beer from the bar at the new Avengers tower, taking a seat next to you. He watched and waited for you to remove the cap, but he grabbed it from your hands only seconds later to do it for you. "Don't listen to Tony, (Y/N). I think we might have something for you here, if you're up for it. I mean, it's no Asgard or Jotunheim, but it's not too shabby," he chuckled, waving his hand around the room.
"Not too shabby? Not too shabby?" Tony gasped, clutching his chest. "This tower is state-of-the-art, I'll have you know. Top of the line."
"Anyway," the Captain continued, "I thought you might want in on our next mission. It would seem that somewhere between your hands and a transfer to a secure SHIELD lab, the scepter has gone missing. We thought maybe you had some skill in helping us find it."
"I can give it a try, sure." You grabbed the tablet from Steve's hand and looked over the plans, opening the map to see where your first travels with the Avengers would take you, but you didn't recognize the area. "Where the hell is Sokovia?"