The Girl in the White Gown

Victoria stumbled towards a standing position looking at the God of Thunder who stood before her. His hammer had almost smashed her face in.

"Just fucking great," she mumbled while getting her balance. She looked from Thor to Tony.

Tony finally got his Iron Man suit on, but flew off to help the other Avengers fight the rest of the alien invaders.

"It looks like you'll be safe now Victoria," said Iron Man and he flew away out the window that Thor had come through.

"Yeah that's fine. Leave me with these two. Lucky me," said Victoria sarcastically.

Victoria looked at Thor and their blue eyes clashed together.

"So you're Thor. Nice to meet you under the circumstances," she said groaning in pain.

She didn't put her hand out to shake his.

Thor stomped over to her in large strides and grabbed her by the throat. He lifted up so she was dangling in mid air. Victoria put her hands on Thor's struggling to breathe.

"What are you doing?" she choked out.

"Did my eyes deceive me or were you really going to set my brother on fire?" asked Thor.

"The entire city is crumbling and you ask me that?" gasped Victoria.

She started to cough.

"Oxygen becoming an issue," she gasped aloud. She was beginning to see stars.

Thor set her down but didn't let go.

"Loki may be trouble, but he is of Asgard and will face Asgardian punishment," said Thor.

"Isn't death good enough?" asked Victoria.

Thor glared at her. She saw a small vein throbbing above his eyebrow.

"Okay I'm shutting up now," said Victoria in a panic. She was pushing the limit as it was.

"Oh dear Thor; always the hero," said Loki who was also standing up and his scepter was aimed right at Thor and Victoria.

Both Thor and Victoria froze and didn't move.

Thor moved Victoria so he stood in front of her, shielding her. Victoria widened her eyes to see how tall Thor really was compared to her.

His huge arms were twice the size of her legs. She ducked behind him, being careful not to step on his red cape.

"Brother, let the girl go. She's innocent. She doesn't have to die," said Thor.

He was trying to reason with his brother.

"I'm not your brother. Why do I have to keep repeating that to you?" asked Loki. He was getting agitated.

"You are, no matter what circumstances we are under; are family," said Thor.

"Do you think bringing up family is going to keep you or her alive?" asked Loki.

"No," mumbled Victoria answering his question. Loki heard her.

"No indeed," said Loki.

In a flash there was a blue light coming towards them.

Thor grabbed Victoria and used his body to shield her from the blast.

His muscles cushioned her fall.

Victoria looked back at Loki who was advancing towards them with an angry look plastered on his face.

She then looked back to look at Thor.

"Is he always this charming?" asked Victoria after Thor landed on top of her.

"Get up and run," said Thor.

He lifted her up quickly just in time to miss another blue flash.

Victoria was tossed towards the broken elevator.

"But," asked Victoria looking at Thor with pleading eyes.

"I said run!" yelled Thor in a deep voice. He swung his hammer and met Loki in battle.

Debris flew everywhere from the blast from the two magical items.

"How noble of you Thor; playing the hero," taunted Loki.

"You have no right to do this to the world I love," said Thor.

Loki got the upper hand when he kicked Thor behind the knee.

Thor kneeled down in pain. Loki placed the scepter above his head.

"Once I'm done with you, I'll take her and make her suffer a pain worse than death. And maybe I'll take that beloved Jane of yours as well," growled Loki.

Thor raised himself up, hitting Loki in the jaw with his iron like fist.

Loki retaliated by doing a round house kick and smashed Thor into a wooden beam that was protruding from where the elevator had once been.

Victoria ducked out of the way when the wooden beam almost hit her.

"What are you still doing here? I said to get out of here!" yelled Thor. He grabbed her by the arm and flung her to the side.

Victoria looked left and right. She had nowhere to run. But then it hit her. If there was an elevator there had to be a pair of stairs to run down. It wasn't like Tony to have a backup plan or an escape route.

Victoria saw another glass door hidden behind the back counter of Tony's lair.

She ran to it, covering her head from where debris was still continuing to fall from the roof.

She slammed her body into the door and it opened revealing a hidden staircase.

Victoria took two to three steps at a time running for her life. She dared not look back.

She tripped a few times, but managed to keep on going downwards.

Just then a huge light erupted from above her, blocking the rest of the staircase with the remainder of the roof.

"Aah!" screamed Victoria, jumping backwards out of the way.

"Leaving so soon?" asked a familiar voice from behind her.

Victoria spun around and was met with Loki who was bleeding from his head.

Victoria was again trapped. She couldn't run up the stairs and she couldn't run down the stairs.

"Now what do you want?" asked Victoria; very well aware of the answer.

"You have been so much trouble to meet since our meeting in Germany and now I am ready to do what I should have done that night," said Loki.

"Oh really? And what may I ask is that?" asked Victoria.

He raised his scepter and Victoria screamed loudly.

She felt a searing pain in her stomach and looked down.

There in the middle of her stomach was the scepter.

Loki had stabbed her.

Victoria doubled over and grabbed the scepter with both her hands, wanting to pull it out. She looked from the scepter to Loki.

She gagged in pain.

She opened her mouth and blood spilled out. She spit it in Loki's face and then collapsed right there on the stairs.

I guess the Avengers can't save everyone. Where is Thor? She thought.

Loki kneeled over her, admiring his work.

The red blood stained her white dress.

"There's that's better. I knew red was a better color on you than white," sneered Loki.

Victoria looked at him, not wanting to show him the pain on her face. She didn't want to give him that satisfaction.

"Why?" she asked him in a small voice. She looked into his gray eyes and didn't see anything. He was an empty shell with no remorse. How did this guy fall so far?

"Because you are such a pain in the ass," said Loki.

Victoria breathed steadily, looking at Loki.

"You know you didn't have to do this," she said.

She had very little breath left.

"You stupid little girl. You were the perfect example. And the only reason you lived this long was because I allowed it," said Loki, petting her black hair.

Victoria took her hand off the scepter and brushed her hand on Loki's cold cheek, leaving a thin trail of her blood behind.

"I forgive you," she choked.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Loki removed his staff from her stomach and admired the blood on the opposite end.

"I never asked for your forgiveness," he said. He stepped over her body and retreated downstairs to the road below to join his alien brethren.