Jeez, I'm not good at deadlines. I'm an impulsive writer, people. It's really hard to hold myself to schedules and deadlines. For a while I lost a bit of my drive for this fic, but I won't abandon it, I promise. I'll do my best to post the next chapter a bit sooner, hopefully less than over a month. I've also been working myself to death on several other stories that may or may not go anywhere. Add that to family and school, and you get a whole lot of procrastination. I promise the next chapter will be longer, but for now I hope you like this one!

Oh, and one more thing: I've been thinking of asking you guys trivia questions or the like, just for fun. They'd be something like: Who, in Mighty Avengers #1, possessed Tony Stark and turned him into a woman? So tell me if something like that would be fun, or just stupid. Thanks!

I squeezed my eyes shut, let my arms go limp and lowered my head. Once the engines had stopped, I heard footsteps approach the door. Light shined orange through my eyelids, and a rough hand gripped my arm and pulled. I was dragged out of the closet and thrown from the plane onto a metal floor. Damn, it hurt. A hiss escaped my lips before I could stop it, the pain from impact forming bruises. Luckily, it could barely be heard over the howling winds that whipped through my hair. Pushing myself up with red and stinging hands, I- Wait.

My eyes cracked open, being greeted with another surprising sight. The wind whistled past my ears as I took in the Manhattan skyline stretching out before me. We were incredibly high up, farther than most of the other skyscrapers I glimpsed. Of course! Stark Tower, which I knew exactly two things about. One, it was built and owned by Tony Stark, duh. And two, a bit more terrifying, it was the exact center of the enormous battle that would take place. Oh no. I looked out upon the bustling city, when a voice came from behind me.

"W-Who's this?"

The words practically shook in the air, sounding oddly forced. Turning my head, I gazed upon the man speaking. The voice fit him perfectly, as he, for the lack of a better word, was a mess. The balding, middle-aged guy was sweaty and unkempt, his clothes well-worn and his receding hairline sticking out every which way. There was a wild look in his red-rimmed eyes, clouded over by a misty blue. I flinched internally at the sight of that accursed color. Why did it seem to follow me wherever I went? I recognized the feeling of pity that briefly appeared in my mind, knowing this man was too, under Loki's control. And from the look of him, it seemed to be driving him insane. My observations were cut short by a shove that pushed me nearer to him, revealing the complex machine hidden behind.

"This, Selvig," Loki purred, "Is your...energy."

Stupid me should have realized what he had meant, but then, I was hearing nothing. I only stared at the object locked into the device behind him. The Tesseract. The moment it caught my eyes I was transfixed, and everything else became nonexistent. Strands of silver light flickered and danced inside, my pupils dilating as I watched. Like a Siren crooning her shimmering melody, I was hypnotized completely. Everything was slow and silent, the cube pulling whispers from my mouth as I gazed deeper and deeper into its milky depths. So many strands. So many stars, so many paths, reaching farther and farther, stretching into eternity. I could see them all. For a split second, I could see, I could comprehend everything it had to offer, truly understand the indescribable vastness of space. My heart beat once. And then, it was broken.

"Yes, I remember her! Appeared out of nowhere, touched the Tesseract, right before you arrived." Selvig babbled. Wait. He had been there, seen me arrive out of thin air! If he got through this.. Maybe. Maybe there was a chance. My heart leapt at the thought, but I held it down. No, for now I had to wait. "And you're saying she, she harnessed some of her power? B-but how?" He stuttered.

"Yes, the power of the Tesseract somehow flows through her..." Loki confirmed stiffly. "But she refuses to tell me how.." Then, his tone changed, something that made my stomach drop. "Now.." I felt his hand once more grab my arm, and he pulled me to my feet. I reluctantly let him, but my head refused to rise.

"Look at me, you wench." He hissed, his voice seething with venom. Just like the snake he was. I did not look. "Look upon you king." His grip tightened, the nails biting into my skin. Loki let a bit of agitation through, his voice rising. My muscles tensed.

"I said, look at-"

He was promptly cut off by my fist coming in contact with his face.

Let me tell you, it was the most utterly satisfying thing I had ever done.

Well, before I died. Or at least, I was pretty sure Loki was going to kill me now. Judging by the murderous fury burning in those icy blue orbs, my hunch was right.

"Just for that, you worm, I won't kill you quickly." If words were daggers, these would be dripping with poison from a Black Widow. If she were here, I imagine things would have turned out differently... I wanted to be frightened. I wanted to break down once more, to crumple in his grip. The acid that was fear threatened to boil over my eyelids, but something held it back. My eyes stayed dry. My voice was silent. I was scared out of my wits, I couldn't deny that. But my face stayed like stone.

No, I would not give him the satisfaction.

And so I stared into his eyes, unwavering, unmoving. He glared back. It felt like a solid minute as our gazes clashed. His fingers still held my arm aloft, the other hand gripping the scepter. His eyes flashed, and this time it was not a trick of the mind. There was freezing hatred, then- a flash of green - a ruling king - an icy wasteland - darkness-monsters-blue.

And then there was pain.

A scream burst from my mouth, high and sharp. Glass may have shattered, I couldn't even remember. I fell, the sudden excruciating feedback jolting my brain, but something held me up. My hands writhed, trying to clutch something, to squeeze it in reaction. Something wet dripped onto my cheek. Pupils, shrunk to pinpricks, darted up and saw something that made my heart stop.

Loki, still gripping my forearm, a smug little smile adorning his pale face. God, I wanted to punch him again. Then, my heart dropped, the source of the searing pain found.

Blood.

A long, straight line, crimson liquid seeping from my palm down to the inside of my elbow. It was now trickling out at a steady, sickening rate, and my stomach churned. A rich, deep color, bathing my skin in the blood that ran beneath it. A drop slipped down my arm, simultaneously sending a chill down my spine.

For a second, my mind entertained the idea that it was an illusion. A trick, played on me by Loki to laugh at my shocked face. No, it couldn't be. The pain that rippled through my nerves proved me wrong. Yes, the blood that kept coming, shimmering with a strange blue tint, was real. My voice was blurry but I could feel everything. Tears finally beaded on my eyelids. My voice was a harsh whisper.

"Oh god..."

"I am your god, you weak, pitiful wench."

Sounds were muffled. My mind registered him dragging me nearer to the Tesseract and handing my forearm to Selvig. He said something I didn't pick up on, and the controlled scientist nodded like a zombie. I was in shock, I suppose. No brain activity, reaction, thoughts or panic. Only a blank, empty stare.

Then, he pushed my shimmering, bloodstained hand onto the Tesseract.

My cloudy eyes only watched as my palm, fingers laid flat and numb, gently touched the glowing cube. There was a swirl of blood red, a spike of hot pain like lightning, and then, the Tesseract began to glow brighter and brighter. It felt like the air was sucked out of my lungs, leaving them hollow and dry. The pain came back in full force, but was dulled by something even greater.

I was so tired. The energy that had somehow kept me going for so long vanished in a second.

I fell back with no one to catch me this time. Hollow, drained, empty. Useless.

And I watched the portal to a sea of inky blackness open above me, before I fell into the dark once again. Maybe this time I could finally rest.