So... this is the first of the Alternate universes. These are meant not just to be what-ifs, but also to show things I never got the chance to include in the original story. This one in particular follows the lead of: What if Nightingale had been with Loki when it all went down with the Avengers (beginning in Stuttgart). The fic isn't long, only three chapters, only enough to show just how different this verse is. Enjoy!

The first part in italica is the last part of the original Nightingale fic that fits into this universe.

Plan B

(Alternative Universe to Nightingale)

By: Lalaith Quetzalli

When Loki is forced to begin the move against Earth and SHIELD isn't prepared to handle what's coming, Nightingale decides to stand by his side and make sure the forces are ready. The heroes may see her just as one more victim, but she's more…much more. These two are no fools, there was always a Plan B.

The Preamble

There was always a secondary plan, and I was always going to stand by my match.

It was one of our escape-weekends. With just the two of us in a location unknown to everyone else; the time we took for ourselves, free from any and all responsibility… And yet, that Saturday morning, I couldn't help but worry, particularly when I learnt that what we'd been preparing for during the last months was finally going to happen…

"So, it will all go down in the next few days." I returned to the main topic.

"Yes." Loki nodded. "I've done all I could, stalling Thanos so the humans would have time to prepare themselves for the battle, also making sure the right information gets to the right people. It will happen now, whether I want it or not. If I resist Thanos will either kill me or go ahead with the invasion on his own…we both know Midgard stands more of a chance if I lead the army."

"I do." I nodded. "Doesn't mean I have to like it though."

"That human, Fury, has a list of empowered people I'm sure he'll be calling on the moment it all begins." Loki reminded me. "And Odin will be sending Thor as well soon."

"Your brother is not going to take well seeing you again."

"No he won't. Particularly not with the part I have to play. And of course he won't be taking in consideration the favors I've done for him…"

"I will make sure he knows." I had made up my mind.

"My Nightingale…"

"No my Maverick. I've allowed this distance to remain between us this long because I knew it was for the best. You needed to infiltrate Thanos's army, and I needed to be in place in case plan B needed to be put in motion. Once the shit hits the fan, that will no longer apply. Also, we both know nobody is going to even consider the possibility that you're trying to do what's right. So, once the battle is over I will be finding you, I don't care if I have to break into S.H.I.E.L.D.s HQs to do it. Then I will deal with whoever I have to, to make sure everyone knows all the truth."

"You know if you do that, they'll never leave you alone." He said. "Right now you're just a young prodigy to them, a scholar…"

"A nerd, I know." I nodded. "I also know that when Fury realizes how much he's missed he'll be livid. I don't care. All I care about is you, being by your side, I will do whatever is necessary for that to happen."

"I do not know what I ever did to deserve you…"

"You took interest in an eleven-year old who knew nothing of the world, gave her the gift of music and her very first friend." I reminded him tenderly. "Then, at fourteen, you gave her a second chance at life, at a life she could have never dreamed of at first. Then, at nineteen, you decided you loved her enough to make her your wife…It is I who's not sure what I ever did to deserve you. And not because you're a god, or immortal, or a sorcerer…"

"I know. You love me for me." Loki interrupted me. "And that is the very reason why you deserve me. You are all I ever wanted yet never knew to ask for…"

I pressed my body against his, the same as our mouths, and that was enough to lose ourselves in each other all over again.

xXx

That had been on Saturday, and while then I allowed myself to get lost in our passion, by the next morning I knew there was something he wasn't telling me. Still I chose not to insist until it was absolutely necessary, which was that evening (I wasn't about to ruin what was likely to be our last peaceful weekend in a while…no way I would allow myself to think 'ever').

"There's something you're not telling me." I went straight to the point.

He didn't even try to deny it, just sighed before sitting beside me, on my window-seat (we tended to spend most of our weekends in my mansion, as it was far more private than any hotel, only leaving to eat, dance or for the theatre at times).

"They are not ready…" He admitted with a sigh, running a hand through his hair.

"What…?" For a moment I wasn't sure what he meant.

Or more like, I really, really, didn't want him to mean what I thought he meant…

"The humans, S.H.I.E.L.D., the so-called heroes, and especially not Asgard." Loki elaborated with an annoyed huff. "I've stalled Thanos and his Chitauri for a full year! And they still aren't ready. The Agency is more worried about creating weapons, weapons they cannot possibly control…rather than finding a way to protect themselves. The so called heroes…just no, I swear if someone decides to ever get them together they are as likely to destroy the world themselves as they're to save it! And Asgard…Odin is far more worried about the lack of communications brought about by the destruction of the Bifrost, than the fact that a being that shouldn't exist is about to send an alien army to Midgard!"

"Is there any chance the Allfather doesn't know what's coming our way?" I asked.

"If he doesn't, it's because he doesn't want to." My love muttered indignantly. "But then again, he's never cared much about any world not his own. And Thor is so completely focused in his woman…the world could burn and he wouldn't notice as long as it didn't affect her."

Sad, but true. It still didn't help us any.

"What are we going to do?" I inquired, mentally preparing myself for anything.

"We?" He raised a brow.

"Of course we." He should have expected that. "I've told you time and time again I would stand by you, always." I took a deep breath. "Now, does this mean we'll be setting plan B into motion? Or something entirely different?"

"Plan B, with some minor adjustments."

"Then I better send my resignation already."

Yes, there had always been a plan b, even if I never expected we would actually be needing it. I even had my resignation letter ready to go. I just needed to put the right date on it and send it to both Phil and Jane. As part of my contract I didn't actually have to give them a reason besides it being something personal. It's not like I was a vital or critical member of the group…

Darcy phoned me half an hour later. They had just seen the e-mail and were quite surprised by my abrupt resignation.

"Look Darcy…and Jane, and Phil…Wow, did you all get together to make this call? Don't answer that…Anyway, yes, I know it's sudden…I said it in the letter, personal reasons…Yes Darcy, Luka has got to do with it…Luka is my boyfriend Jane. As good as my fiancé in fact… No gals, I've not been keeping him from you. You've known I was in a relationship all along! Darcy, you're the one who drives me to Santa Fe! … Well, we always knew we wanted our relationship to last, we just never talked about dates, or places, or things like that… Yes, we suddenly decided now was the right time … Hey! I take offense to that, I can be impulsive when I want! … No, this isn't really being impulsive. This is me deciding to live my own life, out of the shadow of S.H.I.E.L.D. … Nothing against you Phil. You always knew this day would come. I cannot spend the rest of my life working as a consultant for a secret government organization. That's not how it works… I accepted the job because I thought I could do good through it. Now…now it's time for a new chapter in my life."

There were a lot of murmurs going on through the phone, and I could only catch some of them. So much was being left unsaid, and I knew that when the shit hit the fan all three of them were going to take offense to my decisions, particularly the fact that I hadn't said a word of anything to any of them before things happened. But I couldn't tell them.

From the very day I'd first set foot in New Mexico I knew the day would come when I would have to give it all up. I knew it even before that, in fact. It was something I accepted as necessary. Even without the need for Plan B, the day would come when I would stand by my love's side before the rest of the world, and not everyone would understand… I just never expected to like them so much, to become friends with them: Darcy, Jane, Phil… I knew that when they set eyes on me again, standing by Loki's side, the disbelief, shock, probably even disappointment, horror, that I expected to see in their eyes, was going to hurt. And yet, regardless of how great friends they might be, and how much I might care for them, no one was more important than my match to me, no one…

In the end they told me I didn't have to return the next morning if I didn't want to. The girls just needed to do some reports on the most recent (failed) project; they didn't need me for that. In forty-eight hours Phil would pass notice of my resignation to his superiors and that would be that.

"Thank you guys." I told them through the phone. "All of you, you've been awesome friends, the best anyone could ever ask for… I could never forget you Darcy, none of you. You're all very dear to me… Yes, I'm sure we'll meet again someday. Who knows? Maybe it'll even be soon…" I just couldn't resist adding that. "Farewell…Take good care of yourselves… Love ya all…"

"Don't forget to invite us to the wedding!" Darcy yelled right before I hung up.

My love actually chuckled at that.

"Wonder if she'll still say that when she finds out just who I really am?" He commented, only half-sarcastically.

"Well, we'll be finding out in less than two weeks." I pointed out.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" He asked me, very serious.

"Completely." I nodded, just as serious. "We're doing this Loki. I will be by your side, like I've been promising you since the very beginning…"

"It's one promise that's always made me happy."

"I know. No matter how hard things might get, trust me that I'll never regret it. There's no one, and nothing, more important to me than you."

"I believe you."

"Good. Now, we better get some rest. Something tells me things will be getting hectic soon."

"More than hectic. But if we don't deal with it now, they might be even worse."

"I know. Things will work out, you'll see. No matter what happens, everything will be alright."

"We will be together. Anything else is secondary to that."

I agreed completely with that. I truly believed that together we could achieve anything…

xXx

On Tuesday night, our lovemaking was bittersweet with the knowledge of what was coming. I half woke up early, before dawn, sensing him leave, but was too tired to stay up more than a few seconds, sending him my love. Then I spent all of Wednesday morning playing carelessly on the piano in the music room, trying to keep myself from pacing, or doing something else as I waited tense for my love to return. He finally did so late that afternoon. He looked even more stressed out than I had been all day, and had a lost look in his eyes.

"Love…?" I asked, very worried about him.

"I hate that fucking scepter, that frigging jewel!" Loki hissed as he pulled at his own hair. "The power it has…the power I wield with it…it's just…unnatural."

"Loki?" I called again.

I rarely called him by his actual name, but I knew we needed to be serious.

The scepter, which had been given to him by the Titan (or at least that's what we called him), it had a blue crystal that connected to the Tessract, a Mind Crystal. I knew the kind of powers he was talking about: taking control of someone. It was like brainwashing, but not exactly; it was skewing someone's perception so they would do certain things, follow orders, even if they were things they wouldn't have done normally. It made them think it was all their idea, and that they agreed to everything, they never even knew they were being pretty much controlled…

I also knew why he hated it, after how close he'd come to falling under the same kind of mind-control after his time with the Titan and his Chitauri in the abyss. It made me nervous to know how close the whole situation had gotten, how close I came to losing him…

"Oh my Nightingale…" He whispered embracing me.

"Aren't I supposed to be the one helping you?" I asked in turn, laying my head on his chest.

"You do my love, every day, just by being here." He assured me.

For a few minutes we just stood there, in each other's arms, in the middle of the music room, with the darkening garden behind a glass-wall at the back of the room.

"How did things go?" I asked eventually.

"Pretty well, all things considered." He admitted with a sigh. "I got the Dr. as we planned, and the Eye of Hawk. As well as a number of Agents I managed to get out before the whole base collapsed on their heads."

"What do you mean collapsed on their heads?" That wasn't in the plan.

"Turns out my use of the Tesseract to make my entrance caused some kind of catastrophic chain reaction that culminated with an explosion which blasted half a dozen sublevels of S.H.I.E.L.D. HQs, subsequently making everything on top of those, collapse. Taking the cube when I did staved off the reaction enough that a considerable number of agents managed to get out, and the actual destruction wasn't on the scale it could have been." He shook his head. "Still, it was painfully obvious the Agency was not ready, and this is just the beginning."

"It will be alright." I tried to reassure him. "Hawkeye will make the whole thing personal, hopefully enough to make Fury not only call the Avengers in, but to convince them all to work together…without making things worse."

"That will truly take a miracle, my Nightingale." He pointed out. "You know that as well as I."

"Yeah…" Yes, I knew. "Still, one can hope. I will be in close contact with Selvig to make sure he does things as he's supposed to."

"Don't tell me more." He interrupted. "Plausible deniability and all that. The less I know of what you'll be doing to ruin the Titan's plans, the better, in the end."

"I know. Have you made any plan on how we're supposed to contact S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Aside from the general idea we made originally, no. But I'm confident an opportunity will present itself eventually."

I nodded.

xXx

He was right, an opportunity did present itself. It came on Sunday evening, after Hawkeye told my love he needed a distraction and…an eyeball. The last part made me queasy, but I knew it couldn't be helped…or at least that's what I kept telling myself. I'm no fool, I've always known that Loki is no innocent, he's done some bad things, most of them justified, but still. And while I might hate the idea of him killing people, or being responsible for their deaths in any way; I promised to stand by his side, and that's what I'll do. Doesn't mean I won't try to help if the chance presents itself…

The time had come for me to step up to my promises. It was all part of our secondary plan, and as hard as I knew things were bound to get, I wasn't about to back down.

Loki procured a dress for me just for that night. It was sand colored, with semi-transparent short-sleeved, v-necked, knee-length asymmetric dress with what could be called an ice blue flower on my right hip. With that I wore a collection of thin silver bracelets on my left arm, along with my nightingale pendant and triquetra earrings, black strappy flats and a black and ice blue clutch-bag; the deamarkonian and the claddagh tattoo remained unseen. My hair was in loose curls over my shoulders and down my back, as my love liked it. My match, for his part was wearing a very elegant dark gray suit with a green scarf around his neck; the scepter, turned into a cane for the time being, was held loosely in his right arm, while I held onto his left.

After using the Shadow Paths to transport ourselves (well, Loki used them, I tagged along), we appeared in the shadows of a few trees close to a huge building where a party, a gala, seemed to be taking place; I understood the reason for the fancy clothes right then. It took just listening to some people passing talk to realize we were in Germany, though I still didn't know where in Germany exactly, I didn't ask either, it wasn't that important, not right then.

"Do we have to get to work right away?" I asked softly.

"No." He smiled at me.

I knew that the moment we stepped out of the shadows all bets were off. We were a distraction for what Hawkeye was doing, which meant we weren't being stealthy. Loki would be seen sooner or later, and everyone would notice I was on his arm. He directed a last look in my direction, as if silently asking me if I was ready, I just nodded and straightened to my full height (which, granted, wasn't much, but still).

We entered the building along with a number of other people, a quick spell from Loki stopping the security people at the doors from asking us for invitation, identifications, or anything of the like. They didn't even seem to notice that we didn't have any coats, unlike other guests.

The place was huge, and the luxurious and elegant decorations hinted to a lot of money; the event must have been organized by either a millionaire, or a politician, or maybe he or she was both. In any case, we had things to do there. I turned to ask my love who it was that we were looking for, when he smiled and extended a hand to me, theatrically bowing his head.

"Would the lady do me the honor?" He asked in a very Shakespearean tone.

"The lady would be delighted." I replied with a small giggle before placing my hand in his.

We began dancing right then. It was something I enjoyed a lot, dancing with him; we did it quite often, either when we went for dates to England, Italy, France, or some other part of Europe, or just in the mansion, with Loki placing a spell on the instruments from the music room so they would play the music.

We shared a number dances together before walking for the refreshments table; I had some water, since alcohol was just not my thing, he chose a martini for himself. After that I followed him to the second floor; from where we had a perfect view of everything going on. I watched him as he looked for his target (I hated seeing it like that, but I still knew what we were there for). He either couldn't find him or decided to leave it until later, and instead escorted me to a nearby balcony.

The view was wonderful. Germany in the middle of the night, while there was so much light on the ground that not many stars could be seen, the sky still looked quite pretty. Also, despite it being May already, the night was still a bit cool, which prompted Loki to embrace me tightly to his body in an attempt to preserve body heat.

And so there I was, in his arms, my back against his chest. I was so small when compared to him that I couldn't even reach his neck, but I was in a good enough position that, just twisting my head a little, I could place my ear right above his heart. The sound helped calm me and steel my nerves for what was coming. I could hear Loki sigh briefly before he kissed the top of my head, I just let out a breath, the time had come, and we both knew it.

Without saying a word he slackened his hold on me, allowing me to turn in his arms to face him.

"Let's do this." I stated, with more confidence than I actually felt.

"You know you don't have to do this…" He reminded me one last time. "I can still get you back to the mansion and then come do this one my own…"

"My mind's made up, love." I assured him with a smile. "I'm not backing down."

He nodded. He had given me a last chance, the time had come to get on the move.

"Let's do this." He agreed.

With that I took his arm again and we stepped into the building. It took no time to get to the stairs. We stepped down them slowly, surely, projecting all the image of a rich couple; then, as we reached the lower floor, I let go of his arm.

Loki was efficient. He knocked out a man close to him with a hit from his cane. The man would be quite sore when he woke up, but aside from that nothing had happened to him. On the other hand, the move called everyone else's attention. I wondered at the fact that they had all just seen one man hit another, straight on the face, for no reason at all, and yet instead of trying to get away, they were all just standing there, like fools.

My love's next actions, at least, got a more logical response: the people around screamed as they watched him take hold of the scientist who had been talking on a microphone earlier. I turned away as Loki raised a device meant to allow Hawkeye to get the eyeball he'd asked for.

Finally the people began fleeing the building. They didn't make it very far, as Loki followed right after them, shifting his gray suit into his Asgardian tunic, leather and armor. I followed just a couple of steps behind, just taking a second to send a slight pulse of magic to the unconscious scientist, I couldn't give him back his eye, but I could make sure he would not bleed out and die because of what had happened.

Loki shot a blast of energy from the cane turned staff to the police car approaching us. It hit the engine, making the vehicle flip and the skid upside down. I raised my own hand a second before the vehicle had hit the pavement upside down, focusing on making sure the people inside wouldn't be too hurt. I hoped it would be enough.

I stayed back as Loki called on a number of illusion-clones to herd all the people who had just fled the gala, and then the act was on:

"Kneel before me." He called authoritatively. "I said kneel!"

Eventually everyone did, terrified by the power already being displayed. Of course they did not know that most of what they were seeing were illusions; I was actually worried as I noticed they were flickering. That was never a good sign.

I didn't bother hiding from the cameras, as part of the distraction I was supposed to be seen. So I made sure to stand where people would be able to look at me, and with the fact that I was still on my feet they might even be able to realize whose side I was on; still, at the same time I made sure I wouldn't end up bothering, either my love, or anyone else (because we both knew S.H.I.E.L.D. would be sending someone sooner or later…)

"Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state?" My love was certainly laying it on thick as he strode in between the kneeling people. "It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel…"

I would have rolled my eyes at his theatrics, but if the cameras were filming me it might look strange. So I stood there, as impassive as I could possibly be.

And then…one thing my love and I hadn't planned on: an old man got on his feet. We had not contemplated something like that happening, though we probably should have. I worried briefly wondering what my match might decide to do, though I didn't let it show on my face, staying where I was, not moving at all.

"Not to men like you." The old man declared with a strength I had to admire.

"There are no men like me." Loki replied in a somewhat snobbish tone.

"There are always men like you." Was the man's reply.

I had an idea in that moment, of who that man might be, not personally, but as part of a whole. A Jew…and if he was a survivor from the camps, like I suspected, that might explain why he was refusing to kneel before Loki. That still didn't help our situation…

"Look to your elder, people." The God said coldly. "Let him be an example."

It took me all I had not to move a muscle even as I wondered if he was truly about to murder an innocent man. Granted, other people had already died, on Hawkeye's side, and on my match's orders, but I just wasn't sure if I could stand there and watch it without doing anything. And then, as he raised his staff I sensed something, something I was sure he'd sensed too.

Loki fired a beam from the staff, but instead of hitting the old man it hit Captain America's shield, as he had arrived from spirits-know-where and got there just in time. The attack was deflected by the shield and hit my love, throwing him to the ground among some of the still kneeling guests of the gala. I had to bite my lip not to scream and lock my muscles so as not to rush to his side immediately.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing." Captain America stated in a hard voice.

"The soldier…" Loki called dramatically as he got on his feet. "The man out of time…"

"I'm not the one who's out of time." The Captain quipped.

A stylized black plane arrived from behind the Captain, obviously his backup, and we all heard a woman call something over the speaker, though I did not pay much attention.

The people finally had the good sense to begin running, right as the illusion-clones flickered off for good and Loki and Captain America began fighting. I followed the exchange with my eyes until, abruptly, my love knocked the super-soldier's vibranium shield to a side, the side where I was standing. It took me by surprise and I had to through myself to the ground on the opposite side from where the shield to be spinning, It still went right past the spot where I'd been standing just a moment before.

The small yelp I let out as I ended half on my knees, half laying on the ground made my love react. He attacked Captain America furiously, in a matter of seconds getting him on his knees, the base of his staff against the back of the super-soldier's head.

"Kneel!" Loki hissed.

"Not today." The man replied stubbornly.

Somehow the man managed to twist and deliver a spinning kick to my love, throwing him a few feet away. Then their fight resumed.

I kept an eye on the black vessel in the sky, I didn't think they would fire with the risk of hitting their own soldier, but I still worried. And then one more person joined the party…

"Iron-Man…" I couldn't help but whisper.

The song that began blaring out of the plane's speaker's caught me off-guard. It wasn't really my kind of music, and even with the dramatic entrances my match so loved, it seemed a bit much.

The Captain was on the ground, and Loki was about to attack him again, when they both stopped to see who it was that had just arrived. The distraction, however brief, cost my love (though, on hindsight, it most likely was intentional). Iron-Man fired some kind of attack from his palms, it hit Loki and sent him flying a few feet, landing on the steps, not too far from me.

It took all I had not to scream out my love's name as I saw him laying there, especially when he was so close to me.

"Make a move, Reindeer Games." Iron-Man challenged as he landed.

When he proceeded to prepare over a dozen guns in all sizes that seemed to be a part of his suit I couldn't help but huff quietly. That truly was overkill.

For all answer my love raised his hands, allowing his armor to vanish.

"Good move." Iron-Man backed down.

I decided that would have to be good enough, as I hurried back to my feet, stumbling a bit as a foot caught on the edge of my dress (I just hoped I didn't ruin it, the dress was gorgeous). Then I rushed to Loki's side.

"Hey!" The two 'heroes' cried out, in obvious shock at my presence there.

"What the hell is going on here?" Iron-Man demanded, drawing his guns again.

I could see the way my love's eyes hardened, he didn't like Iron-Man threatening. Being careful not to be noticed by the other two, I placed a hand on his arm, trying to send some reassurance. It was the way things were supposed to be.

"Ma'am…?" Captain America called.

With that I turned to look at them, raising my head in what I hope was confusion, letting them see my bright blue eyes…

xXx

The trip to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s helicarrier was not pleasant, not at all. I had to listen to Iron Man insulting my love, everyone calling me a victim like I was some stupid girl who didn't know better, had to stay immobile as Thor appeared out of nowhere and then left the plane with my love, and then as the other two so-called heroes followed. They did not care about Loki, obviously, they just cared about the fact that they wouldn't be able to use him for their purposes if Thor helped him, or killed him…

I wanted so much to do something, anything, but we had a plan, and I had to stay put. Stay where I was, pretending to be in some kind of daze, while the two piloting the plane talked about my love and I as if I weren't there…

Eventually I managed to calm down my nerves some, when Iron Man and Captain America returned, Thor and Loki with them. They all seemed quite tense, and Iron Man's armor seemed to have been damaged. At least my love was unhurt.

"Who's the lady?" Thor asked, obviously only noticing me right then.

"We do not know yet." The Captain told him. "All we know is that she was with Loki in Germany, and appears to be under some kind of spell."

I held back my snort, hiding the rolling of my eyes by closing them, even as I heard my match snicker inside my mind. Granted, we had planned exactly for that, but did they have to be that… that… naïve?

*Idiotic is a better word.* Loki corrected in our heads.

*I thought we were trying not to give out anything.* I murmured, my voice a whisper even inside our own bonds.

*I am bored.* My lover drawled. *And we really aren't giving out anything. Thor is quite stupid, especially when it comes to magic. He thinks they're little more than parlor tricks. Even though he himself has it…he does not realize it. He's wasting so much potential…*

*He's an idiot.* I agreed. *Does he know who I am?*

*I have mentioned you, my Nightingale, before him, Sif and even the Warriors Three.* Loki nodded. *But considering how little any of them actually listen of what I've got to say, I doubt very much they would be able to make the connection, even if you were to use that name.*

*It might make for an interesting mind-game, don't you think?* I suggested.

That made Loki smirk outwardly, something that immediately put everyone in the plane (except me) on guard. Really, with my love bored, it was better if I found something for him to entertain himself with, less dangerous in the long run. And he so loved mind games…

xXx

Two guards escorted me down from the plane and into the helicarrier. Unlike my match I wasn't in chains, though the guards still kept a close eye on me. Still preferable to the heavy chains and eight armed guards leading my love. We walked through several halls, I could see the people looking at Loki with a mix of fear and hatred, and at me with confusion. I didn't say a word, just kept my blue eyes fixed straight ahead of me, moving at a slightly slower pace than usual; it made me seem weaker than my size already did, and it allowed Loki the time to build on more of his act. And no one even realized it…

After they lead Loki to his new accommodations the guards escorted me to the medical bay. Where they stood guard while the resident doctor examined me. Of course they didn't find anything special. It's not like they would be able to sense Loki's magic on me, or lack thereof. We had been too careful for that.

After the exams were finished the same guards lead me to the bridge, where I could hear Fury, his second: Agent Hill, as well as Phil and the ones who were to become the Avengers.

"…And I would like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys." Fury was saying right then.

"Monkeys?" Thor asked, obviously confused. "I do not understand…"

"I do!" The captain exclaimed right then. "I…I understood that reference."

I would have rolled my eyes right then, if it weren't for the fact that the guards chose that very moment to open the door I was standing behind and guide me inside (or rather, they practically pushed me in, but still).

"Director, we brought her." One of the guards called to Fury.

"The exams do not reveal anything sir." The other added. "Whatever the reason was for her to be there, we do not know it."

"Who…?" Someone began.

"Silbhé?!" I recognized Phil's voice as he exclaimed my name.

"Coulson?" Everyone turned to him instantly.

"Do you know who she is?" The redhead who had been on the plane seemed particularly interested in my identity.

I wanted so much to move and talk right then, reassure my friend that I was alright…but that would mean going against the plan, so I stayed impassive.

"Professor Silbhé Salani." Phil introduced.

"Professor?" Stark inquired. "She looks a bit young for that."

"She doesn't seem to be more than a child." Rogers added quietly.

"She's twenty, finished her studies at nineteen." Phil elaborated. "She has Masteries in European History, Myths and Folklore and Literature, as well as being certified in ten languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Greek, Gaelic, Norse and Latin."

Stark let out a low whistle at the list.

"She's a genius." Dr. Banner stated.

"She was with Loki." Fury pointed out, looking at his trusted man. "Why would he be interested in her? What could she have that he may have wanted?"

"She's our Norse expert sir, or at least she was." Phil pointed out. "Worked from last September to last week as part of Ja…Dr. Foster's team. She also led lectures on what we might find outside our planet, according to what Thor told Dr. Foster during his visit last Spring." He sighed. "She sent us her resignation letter last Sunday."

"When did you last speak to her?" Hill inquired.

"On Sunday." Phil nodded. "After we received her resignation letter. Dar…Miss Lewis and Dr. Foster were concerned about her reasons for wanting to leave, since she didn't cite anything beyond it being personal. On the phone she mentioned her boyfriend, Luka, and implied that they would be marrying in the close future. Claimed she never planned on staying with S.H.I.E.L.D. forever." He sighed. "Really sir, her contract allowed for her to leave without much warning. She was just a consultant."

"She had something Loki wanted." Fury insisted. "And I want to know what."

Phil went to stand in front of me, taking hold of my chin to raise my head so my eyes would meet his, he gasped and staggered as he truly looked at me.

"What?" Everyone asked instantly.

"Her eyes are blue." Phil answered quietly.

"What about that?" The redhead, Natasha Romanoff wanted to know.

"We noticed they were glowing strangely back on Germany, but still…" Stark shrugged.

"Silbhé's eyes aren't blue." Phil explained with a shake of his head. "They are hazel." He brought the picture from my file up on the nearest screen to prove it. "Whatever has happened to her, the change in her eye color may be connected."

"You know, it's the same shade of blue as the jewel in Loki's scepter." Banner commented.

"It's the same shade Barton's eyes were when he turned." Hill added in a low tone.

"So Loki's magic is connected to it somehow." Fury nodded. "Anything we can do to change it?"

"I do not know sir." Phil replied, before turning back to me. "Silbhé…? Professor Salani, can you hear me? Can you understand me?"

I cocked my head to the side, slowly blinking once, twice, three times, making it seem as if I were pushing against something.

"Silbhé…" Phil called again.

"Hey Phil…" I called, feigning effort and tiredness. "What's going on?"

"Do you know where you are?" He asked me.

I opened my mouth a couple of times, pretending I didn't know what to say, or simply couldn't speak, before finally saying something.

"Tanzen…" I whispered in apparent tiredness, purposefully shifting to German. "Luka…Wir gingen tanzen…"

"What is she saying?" Rogers asked, confused.

"Dancing." Stark enlisted before anyone else could. "Luka, I'm presuming her boyfriend, then she said, 'We went dancing'. That was it."

"What…?" Everyone seemed thoroughly surprised.

"She was speaking German." Stark clarified.

"And you know German…" Hill stated the obvious.

"I know over a dozen languages." The millionaire stated proudly. "I've said before, and I'll say it again. I am a genius. Languages are one of the few things that truly give me a challenge, and I enjoy learning new ones. The lady knows some I do not, like Gaelic and Norse, I've never needed them before so…I still might have to see into that…then again, I also know a number of languages she does not: like Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Polish, Arabic…"

"How come I did not know any of that?" The redhead inquired. "I worked for you for a year…"

"Wouldn't you like to know that…Natashalie…?" Stark's sarcasm was quite obvious.

As entertaining as the argument was, I still needed to finish my part of the plan before they grew distracted, or I made them suspect me by 'fighting off Loki's influence' for too long.

"Namhaid…Ionradh…Chitauri…" I called in Irish in what I hope sounded like an urgent voice, before switching to Spanish. "Verdadero líder…" One last time, to Norse. "Titan…"

With that I looked far enough up to make it seem like my eyes were rolling to the back of my head, then closed them and dropped to the floor, appearing to faint. I never actually hit the floor, Phil caught me, yet I didn't react to his touch, not in the slightest, keeping my body completely limp and my breathing slow and easy, so no one had any reason not to believe I'd fainted.

"Was she fighting Loki's control?" I heard someone ask, though I wasn't sure who.

"She mentioned the Chitauri, she knows about the chitauri!" Thor's voice I did recognize.

"Someone tell me what exactly she was saying!" Fury demanded hotly.

"The first was Irish." The redhead stated. "I don't know much, but I believe she said something about an enemy and an attack, or invasion, something along those lines…"

"It makes sense if she somehow knows about the Chitauri." Hill added.

"But how does she even know about the Chitauri?" Rogers wanted to know.

"Do we know how long she's been with Loki?" Banner asked next. "I mean, if the last time anyone heard from her was a week ago…"

"He might have taken her at any point from there to today." Stark finished from him, following the doctor's line of thought. "She might have heard or seen something." After a moment of silence he added. "The second language she used was Spanish. The words translate, literally, to 'True leader'. A true leader of the chitauri?"

"You mean Loki isn't the top-guy?" Rogers seemed disbelieving.

"Someone is giving my brother an army, we knew that already, it's the same individual who wants the Tesseract." Thor pointed out. "Loki wouldn't say who that was."

"She knows." More than one person said at the same time.

Chaos was absolute, with everyone making questions, demanding answers, all at the same time. At some point I could sense at least one person coming too close, it made my instincts scream at me to run; I focused all my will on quenching that instinct and staying limp on Phil's arms.

"That's enough!" Phil ordered right then. "Stand back. You won't be getting any answers with her unconscious right now!"

Silence was the answer, though I could sense them backing down. Then my body was jostled as Phil got on his feet, holding me in his arms bridal style.

"With your permission director I will take her to one of the bedrooms." I heard Phil say. "I will talk to her once she wakes up, hopefully she'll be able to tell us more."

"Make sure there are guards outside that door." Fury ordered.

"I hope they will stop anyone getting in as well as they will stop her from getting out." Phil commented in a half-sarcastic tone.

I could have smiled right then. Phil knew something was very wrong with me, even if he saw me mostly as a victim right then, and still he was doing his best to look after me.

I gradually relaxed into his arms as he moved away from the bridge; falling asleep before I was actually placed on a bed.

xXx

The next morning I woke up to find myself in a cot in a small room somewhere in the helicarrier. I could sense my match a considerable distance away, probably on the other side of the vessel we were on. He sent a slight pulse through our bond to show he knew I was awake.

I didn't say a word and was very careful not to look around too much, as I suspected there must be at least one camera somewhere in the room, filming me. My suspicions were confirmed for the most part when, shortly after I woke, a young Agent entered the room carrying a tray with some breakfast: lemon tea with honey and toast. I knew Phil must have had a hand in it, since there was no coffee, and he knew how much I disliked it.

The Agent greeted me with a mix of respect, curiosity and another emotion I couldn't quite make out. I had no way of knowing how much information about me was public around the helicarrier. Still, in the end it didn't matter, I didn't say a word, I didn't react to anything anyone said: not the Agent who brought me breakfast; not the guards standing outside the door, who would stare at me through the thick window-pane; not the Agent who took me a change of clothes (plain dark gray cargo pants, a white sleeveless top and a jacket the same color of the pants; they belonged to someone considerably taller than me, but I ignored that fact, pretending not to notice at all). It was part of the plan we had made. I'd never tried my hand at acting, and wasn't sure how good I might be, so we had decided not to pretend that I was completely brainwashed and supporting his supposed plan of world domination. Instead I was to act as if I needed him (which I did, in a sense, but that was beside the point), as if I were some sort of zombie without him; pretending to fight against the control every so often to give small clues to the others. For that last part I'd chosen Phil, as I trusted him and believed he would take the clues seriously.

I had no idea what time it was supposed to be. I could see through the rather small window that there was light outside, and the sky was blue; but since I had no idea where exactly in the world we were flying…still, it did not matter much, the next important part of the plan would not take place until Loki's rescue mission arrived…

I was getting very bored when, suddenly, I felt Loki pulling slightly at our bond. Knowing he wanted to communicate with me I laid down on the bed and closed my eyes, pretending to sleep. Instead my mind was filled with images. At first it was a rush, the confirmation that even if my love was 'trapped' in that steel and glass cage, he was still keeping an eye on everything. Eventually he settled on one image, a conversation going on in that very moment, in a corner of the main bridge.

Phil guided Thor to a nearby screen, bringing up Jane's file.

"As soon as Loki took the doctor we moved Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis." Phil reassured the blonde Asgardian. "We've got an excellent observatory in Tromsø. Jane was asked to consult there very suddenly on Wednesday. Handsome fee, private plane, very remote. They'll be safe." He sighed. "We would have extended the same courtesy to Silbhé, but she was no longer with us when it happened. Makes me wonder, if she had been, would we have been able to protect her…"

I wanted so much to comfort Phil, it's not like what was going on with me was his fault in any way…it was my choice. I hoped I would get the chance to explain things to him when it was all over…that is, if he even wanted to listen to me when it was all over.

"I do not know the Lady Silbhé." Thor stated thoughtfully, as he looked at the screen. "But if she's friends with Jane and Darcy I'm sure she must be a wonderful woman. I cannot imagine what Loki was thinking when he took her… Do you think he might have hurt the man courting her? I do not remember his name, but he was mentioned yesterday?"

"I honestly do not know." Phil admitted. "I haven't the slightest idea what the man looks like even! The only one who's ever met him is Darcy, and even that only happened last week, when she drove Silbhé to meet him for their weekend getaway…that was two days before we received her resignation letter…"

"You think it's possible Loki might have gotten to her already by that point?" The Asgardian seemed to notice the same detail the Agent already had.

"Don't know." Phil sighed. "Considering the big entrance I've been told Loki made in S.H.I.E.L.D. HQs on Wednesday I would say no…but the things he's done in the last few days, the people he's taken…it all seems too well planned for a spur of the moment; and he could only have planned that if he knew the people."

Thor nodded, seemingly considering Phil's words.

"Thank you for looking after Jane and Darcy, they are both dear to me, if in very different ways." Thor stated. "It's no accident, Loki taking Erik Selvig. I dread what he plans for him once he's done. Erik is a good man."

I knew very little of Erik, having barely known him, but for what Jane and Darcy said of him, he was, a very good man. I hoped what we were doing to him wouldn't end up ruining his life.

"He talks about you a lot." The Agent commented. "You changed his life. You changed everything around here."

"They were better as they were." The Asgardian said with a sigh. "We pretend on Asgard that we're more advanced, but we…we come here battling like Bildschneip."

"Like what?" Phil was obviously confused.

"Bildschneip." Thor repeated, seeing the confusion. "You know, huge, scaly, big antlers. You don't have those?"

I heard Phil's denial even as Loki pushed the image of one such creature at me. It was truly awful, like a monster from the dark version of fairytales, or one of those ancient Greek myths…

"Huh! Well they are repulsive, and they trample everything in their path." The blonde explained the metaphor before walking to the huge window. "When I first came to earth, Loki's rage followed me here and your people paid the price. And now again…" He shook his head. "In my youth I courted war…"

"War hasn't started yet." Fury interrupted, approaching them. "You think you can make Loki tell us where the Tesseract is?"

"I do not know." The Thunder God admitted. "Loki's mind is far afield, it's not just power he craves, it's vengeance upon me. There's no pain that would price his need from him."

"A lot of guys think that, until the pain starts." Fury pointed out calmly…too calmly.

I couldn't help it, even with my eyes closed and my mind mostly separate from my body, I snarled. If anyone so much as thought about laying a finger on my love…then all bets were off.

"What are you asking me to do?" Thor asked, suspicious.

"I'm asking, what are you prepared to do?" The Director asked in turn.

"Loki is a prisoner." The Asgardian reminded him.

"Then why do I feel like he's the only person on this boat that wants to be here?" Fury demanded, obviously annoyed by the whole thing.

He was right, at that, but we weren't about to let him know that, or why exactly that was.

The scene cut off around that point, Loki sending me a message that he would let me know if something else happened that I needed to be made aware of. I was still taking deep breaths, trying to calm myself after Fury's words, before I did something that gave me away, when I heard the electronic door to my room open.

"Silbhé…?" I heard Phil's voice calling.

I blinked a few times, pretending just to be waking up as I turned my head in the direction of his voice. He was standing there, dinner on his hands, and my clutch bag was on the tray as well.

"Thought you might be hungry." He explained. "Mind if I eat with you?"

I cocked my head sideways, not actually answering, though I did scoot back on the bed, sitting against the headboard to give him space to sit and place the tray.

"I brought your things back to you." He told me as he settled down. "I will admit that both Fury and Hill checked through your purse. They were trying to find out how you ended up with Loki in Stuttgart last night. Particularly since we couldn't find your name in any flight, train, ship, or any similar transportation records. If you could just tell me, well…What's the last thing you remember exactly?"

"Luka…dancing…" I answered, this time in English.

Quietly, I began picking at my dinner.

For a few minutes we just ate. Phil seemed to be quite at peace with me there, unlike everyone else I'd seen throughout the day. It didn't seem like he was expecting me to attack him at any time…which was good. It meant he still trusted me, and that was very important for the plan to work. I just hoped the trust would last long enough…

"The last word you said last night." He spoke as we were finishing dinner. "Could you say it again? We've been working on the things you said in any way we can but we're a bit unsure of what exactly you were saying there at the end, especially the last word, because of how you kept switching languages."

"Titan…" I repeated, practically spitting the word.

"Titan?" Phil repeated questioningly.

I nodded, hoping it would help.

"Is this the person who's behind the chitauri who wish to invade Earth?" Phil asked. "The one who's ordering Loki?"

I could hear the implications of his words. He still didn't realize that Loki wasn't really on the side of the chitauri; but since for the time being such realizations could bring about my love's death, I didn't exactly regret the misunderstanding. It was also the reason why I wouldn't say the exact name of the one behind the chitauri, though both Loki and I knew it. There was a lot about him, his power, we did not know. What if my saying his name called his attention to me? What if he began spying on me, on us, and discovered the truth about my match's loyalties? Or worse, found a way to manipulate him into actually doing evil? That couldn't be allowed. So word games had to be played…

"The Titan." I repeated, then tried to give them more clues, the only way I knew how. "He's courting death…wants destruction…absolute destruction…he's mad…the mad Titan…Lord of the Endless Abyss…"

I began babbling under my breath after that, switching languages every so often, making it seem like I was either too stressed out by the whole situation, or that a spell was stopping me from saying more. Whichever Phil believed to be the reason, it was enough for him to place a hand on my arm, stopping me.

"That's alright." He assured me. "We'll find the way to make this right. I promise you Silbhé."

I sighed quietly, turning my attention to my purse.

Conscious of the eyes on me I opened it, quickly making sure everything that should be was in there. The money was, as well as my ID Cards, a debit card, passport and visa; there was also a kerchief, a small mirror and a lipgloss. I noticed two particular objects were missing but made no mention of it, choosing instead to focus on the last item in the bag, which I brought out. It was a semi-translucent white silk bag, inside which was my flute.

"You know, that's a very beautiful instrument." Phil commented right then. "I researched it on the internet. A dizi flute, Chinese, transversal. They're almost always made of bamboo, jade ones tend to be collectible items; either museum pieces or custom made…"

"Gift from Luka…" I answered simply.

I was quite sure that, with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources he must have known that already; as he should have known the piece was custom made. Still, I said it.

"Would you play for me?" He asked.

I twisted my head slightly as I thought about that. I rarely ever played for anyone who wasn't my love or myself. And yet…playing relaxed me, relaxed us both, and I knew he would be able to listen, with how he was keeping track of everything going on. So in the end I didn't say a word, just brought the flute to my lips, and began playing.

I didn't try to recreate any particular melody, just playing the notes guided by my instinct, and my feelings, a rhythm that soothed me.

Phil stayed for a while, just listening to me play, until eventually his earpiece rang, someone was looking for him, most likely Fury.

"I have to go." He told me as he took the tray, placing my bag on the bed by my feet. "I will see you tomorrow, will try to get you better clothes."

I just nodded slightly, before resuming my playing, not even turning to watch him leave the room. No, I was finally relaxed, I wasn't giving up my music. There was also the fact that I could sense my match's contentment through our bond. He was, indeed, listening to my music, and he liked it. So we were both at peace in that moment.

xXx

The next morning things went more or less the same. Except for when a change of clothes was delivered and I was guided by Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, herself (the redhead to-be-Avenger whom I'd finally been able to connect to the things Hawkeye said).

"Phil got you this." She said, throwing a small bag in my direction.

It contained a change of clothes, of my own clothes, which had been in the house I shared with Darcy and Jane. I imagined the gals must have started packing my things after it was suggested that I wouldn't be going back. I did not know, I was so busy working on the details for 'plan b' that I never stopped to think about my things back at the house in New Mexico.

The ensemble consisted of a white top with a print of navy lines that went in different directions, steel gray slacks with a silver belt, a short, long sleeved jacket a shade darker than the lines in the top and calf-high synthetic boots of the same color. As well as the out clothes there was a change of underwear and my toiletry bag.

Barely managing to hide my delight at being able to shower and get dressed in clean clothes that were definitely my own, I followed Romanoff to the bathroom. I didn't comment on her standing outside the shower stall where she'd guided me (the bathrooms were obviously shared by all the people on board, or at least all the women). I just stepped into the stall and closed the door behind me before getting undressed.

I took my time washing my hair and then my body, as I hadn't been able to do so the previous day, only changing the gala dress for the borrowed clothes. After a while I stepped out of the stall wearing everything except the boots and jacket (which I'd left in the bedroom) and trying my best to towel-dry my hair.

Back in the bedroom I was zipping up the boots, when the redhead finally spoke for the first time:

"So you know Phil…" She called in what probably was a cheerful tone for her.

I finished zipping my boots with deliberate slowness, arranging the pants legs over them before I straightened up, looking at her silently.

"It's obvious Phil likes you." She went on. "Considers you a friend, and trust me, he doesn't have many. He also believes that even though we found you with that psycho Loki, you are not bad. He believes you can help us. That you can give us information…I'm not so sure, but then again, I wasn't the one found in Loki's company…"

I remained silent. I wasn't stupid, after knowing the redhead was the Black Widow I knew the kind of woman she was: master assassin, spy and interrogator. I was quite sure she was trying to interrogate me in some less-than-obvious way, but how much information would she be able to get when I didn't say a word?

"I wonder, does Loki even care about you…" She went on. "He hasn't asked about you, not even once. Even when we were bringing the two of you he never said a word to you…are you under his spell, or just another foolish girl with no idea what the world is truly about? Another stupid little girl thinking with her heart…"

So that's how it was going to be, she was going to try to use Loki, and my feelings for him, against me…My fury began rising despite myself, and my understanding of what she was doing. Who did she think she was to call me foolish, or stupid? And what did she know of the heart? She was a spy, and an assassin, she didn't have a heart! Ok, that was a bit excessive, and even I knew it, didn't change the fact that I was really angry at her in that moment.

For a second I truly wanted to attack her, wanted to hurt her in any way I could: physically, mentally, emotionally, magically…then I felt Loki's comforting presence all around me, it was as if he were holding me in his arms…and I calmed down. Enough to be fully conscious of my actions yet again.

I got on my feet, walking slowly but purposefully to the redhead, I didn't stop until I was so close our bodies were almost touching. I could see the tension in her body, like an instinct of hers was pushing for her to step back, but her pride didn't allow her to. I didn't say a word, just fixed my eyes on hers. I knew how strange my eyes looked in that moment, that bright unworldly blue. I just stared at her for a long while, before eventually spinning around and walking to the other side of the room. I picked my flute up from the bedside table and began playing it softly, all the while keeping my eyes on the small window. I could watch through the reflection when she silently left the room.

*Are you okay my Nightingale?* I heard Loki's voice in my mind.

*Fine my Maverick.* I assured him. *I just let the Black Widow get under my skin.*

*You did well, holding back, not speaking.* He assured me. *I'm sure she'll be coming to me soon. Then I'll be able to have some fun for the both of us…*

*Be careful.* I said with a mental eye-roll. *Remember that the more you antagonize her, all of them, the harder it'll be to convince them that you're one of the good guys.*

*But I'm not one of the good guys.* I could hear his mental chuckles. *I'm just not currently against them, that's all.*

*Oh yeah, spirits forbid you be seen as a good guy…*

*Yep. They're all so boring…*

I couldn't help the off note that came from my flute as I did my best to hold back the laughter. Loki had managed what he wanted, getting me on a good mood once again, I was ready for whatever (or whoever) they sent next.

I was completely alone for the rest of the day. At some point an agent brought me lunch, something simple and generic, but he left immediately. I ate before going to sit on my bed, meditating some to stay calm. I wasn't sure how long it would be yet until the controlled agents arrived to get Loki, but I knew once that moment came everything else would happen fast, so I had to be on top shape for that.

Meditating, while it helps a person relax and rest, it also helps them review their own memories. And my most recent memories were no good. When the song came it wasn't exactly planned, but I just couldn't help myself. Still on the bed, with my eyes closed and my legs crossed I began humming and swaying slightly, and then I began singing:

"Where are the heroes

In my time of need?

Is my crying not loud enough

Or have they gone all numb…?

They just stand and stare

Out of the rain

Thinking but not acting

That they're not to blame…"

"Falling and crawling

A fight to stand up

Memory still haunts me

In the dead of night…

Over and over

I felt so small

But one day I'll be stronger

And you better watch out…"

Really, Iron Man, Captain America, even the Black Widow, they might be seen as heroes by the people in general; but I would never support them over my match. They called themselves heroes, like that made them superior to everyone else, like that gave them the right to stare and judge…they were nothing special! They were people, like everyone else. If anything, being heroes should mean being held to a higher standard, after all, they were considered as examples to follow. They had responsibilities, as they had rights. And as soon as I got the chance I would make sure to remind them of that. Maybe my song would help that too!

"I will overcome,

Your violence, their silence

Although,

It can't be undone

I will overcome,

Knowing that I'm not the only one

I will overcome,

It's the only way to carry on…"

One day I would overcome…well that day had come. I was in that helicarrier, being seen by some as a victim and others as a criminal. I had been approached by Fury's most trusted man (His one good eye, Loki told me the Director called him sometimes) and the best interrogator S.H.I.E.L.D. had. And I knew things would only get harder. Still, I wasn't about to give up, no matter what. I was standing up for my match to the end of time. And maybe, just maybe, one day I would get the so-called heroes to see how much of a hero he himself was.

"Where are the saviors

Afraid of the toll?

Sorry do my nine inch nails

Slash your soul?

Such heroes

Throwing stones

Straight at the one

Who is standing alone…"

"Twisting and turning

It's always the same

Truth is never honest

When you're to blame…

Pushing and pulling

Never give in

One day I wish

You'll see you're not so beautiful within…"

One day they would see, one day I would make sure they could see. I truly believed that. Beyond Iron Man's snarkiness, Captain America's self-righteousness, Thor's preconceived notions and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s tags; one day they would see what Loki was truly made of, and with that, they would also see all the mistakes they themselves had made, and kept making. No one is perfect, not humans, not even heroes (I know I'm not perfect either), I would make them see that, I would make them understand…if it was the last thing I did in my life…

"I will overcome,

Their violence, your silence

Although,

It can't be undone

I will overcome,

Knowing that I'm not the only one

I will overcome,

It's the only way to carry on…

Run and run…

Run and run…"

I had been hiding for so long…in one way or another. On Loki's side, no one knew I existed, on my side, even the few who knew I was in a relationship hadn't the slightest idea just who he was. I understood the necessity of such secrecy, it was why I'd never complained about it, but still, I couldn't help but wish it would end; that we both would finally stop hiding, finally stop running. Let the world find out that I love Loki, let them find out that he has someone willing to stand by him no matter what; and if the world doesn't like it…I do not care, because I will keep standing by him no matter what anyone says. I will always be with him…

"I will overcome,

Their violence, your silence

Although,

It can't be undone

I will overcome,

Knowing that I'm not the only one

I will overcome,

It's the only way to carry on…

I will overcome…"

I would overcome anything…everything…no matter what, I wouldn't let anyone stop me, not when it came to being there for my match, because my love for him was too great to let anything in this world, in any world, stop it, stop me…