Chapter Seven:

Love Eternal

Her ears were still ringing as she struggled to her feet.

Despite being shielded by her suit, a direct hit from anything larger than a rock was still bound to do some damage. Stupid aliens and their exploding pods. Luckily it seemed like she was still in one piece, which was more than she could say for the church. What had once been a beautiful, old structure was now reduced to a smoldering pile of rubble. It made her heart ache, but at the same time, to think her wedding was the last act to be performed within its walls, she felt a sort of pleasure.

Shaking those thoughts aside for now, and wow! Does she have a concussion? She feels a bit dizzy. Was it normal for the world to spin like that?

A hand on the arm of her suit kept her standing and she looked up into the concerned gaze of Steve.

"Hey," she croaked, quickly clearing her throat. She moved to straighten once she was certain her equilibrium had finally balanced out.

"Are you alright?" He asked her, his eyes locked on the crushed arm of her suit.

"Eh, you know… still in one piece. Mostly." She ignored the sharp pain that seared through her right shoulder. Blinking tears away that had arose unbeckoned, she took a closer look around where the two of them now stood. The entire area was a cloud of dust and debris.

"Any sign of the others?" she questioned him. She knew the others had to have been fairly close when they were attacked. Were they hurt? Dying?

She pushed that thought away. Now was not the time to panic. She turned to speak to Steve again, only to notice he had vanished somewhere in the dust cloud. A bit annoyed, but not entirely surprised, she decided she would just start looking for the others and make a plan after finding them.

"Loki?!" she called out. The ground was uneven, but she didn't think she would be able to see if she tried to fly. The dust cloud was just too thick and her repulsors would probably only make it that much worse.

"Loki!" she called again. "Bruce?! Rhodey?! Anyone?!"

"Toni?!" a familiar voice shouted.

She blinked. "Bruce?"

Bruce stepped out of the fog, his black suit and hair covered in dust giving him a very ghostly appearance. He had a small gash on his forehead, but it was already healing as they spoke. Chalk one up to the big green.

"Are you okay?" he asked, hurrying to her side.

"I'm good Bruce." She confirmed with a smile (not that he could see it, what with her visor down, but eh, details). "The others?"

"I don't know. Haven't found them yet."

His eyes looked her over until it landed on the crushed arm of her Ironman suit.

"That looks pretty bad Toni, did it go all the way through or is that just the outer casing?"

Toni hummed and studied the arm of her suit. Friday had run a diagnostic on it, but the sensors had been damaged, so there wasn't a lot her AI could tell her right now. She did know it hurt, but that was a concern for another time.

"I'll live. We should try and find the others."

"Loki?! Thor! Clint? Natasha! Fury! Phil?"

"Toni!" Bruce shouted, his tone suddenly panicked. "I found Natasha!"

Toni ran over to where Bruce was as fast as she could in a tin can. She was concerned about the fact that Natasha wasn't the one answering. The closer she got to them, she quickly realized just why that was. It was bad. Black Widow was unconscious, her red hair splayed out around her, her features flat and pale. She had lost a lot of blood; a large piece of metal impaled through her thigh.

Toni took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Is she alive?"

Bruce met her eyes. "Yes, but she won't be for long. She needs medical attention right now."

Toni met his gaze. "Go then. I'll keep looking for the others."

"Toni…"

"No Bruce, she needs you. I got this."

Bruce hesitated, but finally nodded. He swept the red head into his arms and took off through the cloud of dust to search for an ambulance. No doubt there many on their way if not here already. Though an atheist, she prayed to any god who might listen that Natasha survived this day.

Suddenly a thought struck her.

"Clint!" she shouted, her eyes searching the area carefully any sign of the archer. If Natasha had been found here, it stood to reason that Clint shouldn't be too far away. "Clint!"

A low groan caught her attention. Holding as still as she could, despite the chaos going on around her, she waited, intently listening. Sure enough, that same sound, definitely a moan.

"Clint!" she shouted.

"To'i?" came a slurred voice.

Following the sound, she soon located the archer. Clint was trapped beneath a large pile of debris. Much like Natasha, he was pale and sweaty, but she wasn't sure if it was due to the obvious hard knock he had taken to the head or if there was a much more serious injury buried just beneath the rubble.

"Clint…" she whispered, hurrying forward.

The Archer flinched when she touched his shoulder, turning quickly and breathing a sigh of relief when he saw who it was. He pointed to his ears to indicate he had lost his hearing-aids at some point.

She nodded and began to sign.

"Are you injured?"

Clint signed back. "I don't think so. Head hurts. Just trapped. Can't feel my left leg."

Toni felt her chest tighten as she knelt beside him and began to remove rocks. The two had been at it for a few minutes when the crunch of gravel alerted her that someone or something was coming towards them from behind. She touched Clint's arm and he quieted at the warning, the cloud of white surrounding them suddenly eerie with the unknown.

Just as she raised her blasters in preparation, a large shadow took shape and Thor burst out, his hammer at the ready. Both froze at the sight of one another.

"Lady Antoinette," he greeted with relief, "I apologize for startling you, but I am very happy to see you alive and well."

She let out another carefully controlled breath. "You too big guy. Quick, I need help freeing Clint. He's badly injured and this rubble is pinning him down."

Thor's eyes widened and he hurriedly moved to assist her in her efforts to unbury the archer. Toni and Thor had just gotten the archer released when a familiar voice drew their attention. Both watched in stunned silence above them as Loki floated above the earth in full battle regalia.

"Loki?" she whispered.

Thor frowned. "My brother is many things Antoinette, but sacrificial he isn't. I assume he has a plan of sorts and we undoubtedly will be the last to know."

AVNGRS

Loki was thrown back by the force of the crash. His magic protected him, but his first thoughts weren't on his own safety, but on that of his wife. She was somewhere in this cloud of white and he wanted nothing more than to find her, but he had to hope her suit had kept her safe. Right now, he had another concern.

Thanos himself was obviously not here, but he had no doubt the Mad Titan was watching the planet and waiting for word of his capture. Loki knew if he was not found, the Man Titan would watch this planet burn just for spite.

"They are here for you, aren't they?" A voice growled from his right.

He sighed and turned an evil glare on the director of Shield. The man had, unfortunately for Loki, been the first human he had encountered after the explosion.

"Most likely."

Fury's look was dark, but surprisingly he said little more. Loki figured it was more due to his recent marriage with the former Ms. Stark that had silenced the director, than the anything Loki had done.

"Do you have a plan genius?" the director asked him.

Loki turned to stare at the mortal. "Make sure my wife is kept safe of course."

"Your wife?! What about the rest of the planet?" The director fumed, "are you just going to let Earth burn while you take your wife and run?"

"They are here for me, director!" Loki hissed, "if I do run, what do you suppose will happen?"

Fury hesitated. "They'll leave too."

"Exactly."

"And Stark? Are you going to turn her into a fugitive as well?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "My wife, my problem. Just sit here and watch." Glancing up at the small pod sitting high in the sky, far above the others, he smirked. He knew exactly what needed to be done. "Good director," he winked and vanished with a snap of his fingers.

Loki swore he could still hear Fury cussing him out as he appeared right in front of the pod.

"Show time," he whispered and began to put on a show like only the god of mischief can.

AVNGRS

Toni and Thor saw Clint off on an ambulance before turning to watch Loki. They couldn't hear anything being said, but it was obvious Loki was ranting as only he can, but something about the scene ran false. She wasn't sure what it was exactly, but something… something was different about her husband than usual. Was it because he was using magic?

The few pods still flying around suddenly swarmed his position, but then suddenly Loki took off like a shot, laughing manically the entire time and taunting his enemies. He tossed spells at them, one after another, and Toni wondered what good it would do to just piss them off like that. Still, she noticed they were completely absorbed in watching Loki and were no longer attacking Earth. Was that his plan?

"Come and get me Thanos, if you dare!" he suddenly shouted and shot up through the clouds, the pods following close behind.

"Loki, BROTHER?!" Thor shouted eyes wide. His fear for his sibling once again battling the Mad Titan had his emotions whirling. A large thunder cloud began to form above the earth and lightning began to streak throughout.

Loki looked down at the earth, his eyes narrowed in obvious anger.

"Wait Thor!" Toni shouted, running to the god and gently touching his arm, "Wait. Let him go."

Thor hesitated, but when he met his new sister's eyes, he nodded.

"Very well."

The storm dissipated, but Loki continued to look down and Toni knew he was looking at her. Then as suddenly as he was there, Loki and the last of the fleet vanished into space.

"What just happened?" Steve demanded, suddenly appearing out of nowhere from within the dust cloud. Luckily it seemed to be fading a bit.

Toni was silent, ignoring his presence completely as Thor began to explain. She stared up into the sky, her brows furrowed. He had a plan… right? He wouldn't just… no, he wouldn't just leave her, would he?

A sudden hot breath against her neck and a familiar hug from behind had those thoughts vanishing in a single beat of the heart. Still, despite not being surprised, tears came unbidden and her hands trembled as she gripped his that rested gently over the arc reactor.

"I knew you didn't leave me," she finally replied, voice shaking despite all attempts to keep it steady.

"Never," came the soft response with a light kiss behind her ear.

She felt the cold of his skin against her own and she nearly melted into his embrace. Loki closed his eyes when he felt her shaking against him. He had scared her, even if unintentionally.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear as he slowly trailed kissed down the side of her neck. "I'm sorry I frightened you."

Toni shook her head and turned around to face him. Tears slid down her cheeks and she gently smiled as he wiped them away.

"You know that I would always come back for you, even if I had left, right?" he asked her, his own voice now trembling ever so slightly.

She hesitated and he noticed. Sighing, he pulled her closer to him and buried his face in her hair as she gripped his robes. "I love you, Antoinette Edwina Stark-Laufeyson. I made you a vow and I'll have you know, I never break my word."

"Sounds nice, that name." She chuckled, her face buried in his chest. "Say it again."

"Antoinette. Edwina. Stark. Laufeyson." He repeated it slowly, each name spoken with a kiss directly after. "My wife, for all eternity."

"Eternal love," she confirmed, and if the two seemed to glow, well… who was to say.

EPILOGUE

Toni stood on the balcony of Asgard, looking down at the beautiful, gleaming, capital city of her husband's homeland. Odin had at least been respectful upon meeting his adopted son's soulmate, whereas she and Frigga had hit it off splendidly. The people of Asgard had at first seemed a bit hesitant to speak with her upon her initial arrival, but these past couple days, she had made an effort to walk amongst them and she could only hope in the coming years, they would accept her as one of them, because that was exactly what would soon happen.

Ah, Time. It was a funny thing that.

As per Asgardian custom, the soulmate of a god, should they be Mortal, is given a golden apple to eat. A golden apple that would make her immortal. The very thought seemed ludicrous when logically considered, especially for someone with her scientific mind. Then again, magic in her own opinion was its own sort of science, so maybe the same could be said for this 'apple' as well.

"My wife," Loki hissed in pleasure. He would never get tired of saying those words he thought, as he pulled her into his arms to rest his chin upon her head. "What is that fascinating brain of yours thinking about now, hmm?"

Toni turned to him fully and stared into his beautiful green eyes. My god, how she loved this man.

As if reading her thoughts, he let out a predatory grin. "Shall we partake in a hint of mischief this night? You only have so many moons before our ceremony here on Asagrd. We should enjoy ourselves. No doubt mother has many events planned for you to review before our bonding."

Toni snorted. "Of that, I have no doubt." She smirked and stretched up, allowing her arms to encircle her husband. Mmm, husband, what a sweet word. "A little mischief, sounds like just what I need right now."

His eyes pulsed with magic at the pleasure her words elicited, but then he hesitated.

"The Apple, have you eaten it yet?"

Toni sighed and shook her head. Dropping her arms, she walked past him and slowly uncovered the apple she had stowed away. It was beautiful, but she felt an uncertainty. Her life hasn't been the easiest and the idea of it never ending… well, she just wasn't certain she wanted to live forever.

Sometimes, she swore he could read her mind, because he suddenly spoke the exact words she needed to hear.

"You must eat an apple every hundred years to continue to live as an immortal. Should you stop, your body will, slowly over time, age as it once had."

She turned to him, her eyes locked with his own. "So, if I wanted it to end…"

He nodded, but his action was stiff and his eyes jumped around, never quite looking at her. "I know we have yet to bond, so if you are hesitant about spending an eternity by my side, I understand that you might…"

"No! No Loki, that… that isn't why I'm hesitant," she sighed. "Loki, I am not a good person. I don't know if I deserve to live a thousand-some years or even an extra hundred. All my mistakes, all the lives I took when I sold weapons, their blood is on me. I…"

"Antoinette," Loki interrupted, his gaze sharp. "I am not a good person either. I too have taken lives. I also do not deserve this gift of eternal life, but it has been given to us anyways, by the grace of…" he grinned, "…god."

Toni snorted, rolling her eyes at his bad pun, but when his shockingly cold hand found hers, well, she knew right then that she could go on living, if only for the sake of the man at her side.

"So, do you think I could develop a tree of these on earth?"

Loki huffed, amusement clear as she continued to ramble on.

"Could you imagen it, Loki? All the cures we could make with something like this? There has to be a way to break down its composition and find the base elements and then if I can just duplicate that, I could…"

Loki laughed. Toni stared at him. "What?"

He pulled her in for a fast kiss. "Nothing, your mind is just dazzling my dear, that is all."

She huffed, crossing her arms. "I could have told you that." She flashed him a cheeky grin which he could only roll his eyes at as she turned her attention back towards the apple.

"Well…" she glanced at him, "here goes."

Loki watched her as she took her first bite and then another, and another. He watched until she consumed the entire thing, core and leaves included and with that final bite, he felt a strange sort of relief fill his entire being. Finally, finally, they could be together forever.

"Strange," She frowned, studying her hand as though expecting to see a change. "I don't feel any different."

He hummed. "It will come with time. You are immortal now, but the your increase in strength and speed will be gradual, growing with time."

"Oh." She blinked. "Weird. So, I'm like Captain America now, just the 'apple' version."

Loki sighed. He had a feeling life would never be boring with her around. "You're a goddess now, not a super soldier. You are much more than that Captain of America ever could be."

Toni hummed. "Eh, I guess."

Loki just shook his head as she smirked and moved past him, once again looking over the city. Her city, she realized. She was now a part of the Asgardian race.

"A goddess…" she whispered, "Wait, so what am I the goddess of?"

Loki chuckled. "That my dear, is a question you must answer."

Toni hummed. "I could be the Queen of Iron!"

Loki raised an eyebrow. "I think that's taken, but anyways that wasn't what I meant in the first place. As the apple affects you, all Asgardians awaken a power within themselves. Upon discovery of that power, your true self will become known. It's all a lot of waiting, meditating, and pondering, but in short, when we bond, you will be given a title and when you awaken your true self, you will be given another. For example, I am Loki, Prince of Asgard, god of Mischief and Fire."

"I thought it was lies?"

"That's a myth."

She huffed. "You're a myth."

He glared at her, but it was lost on the former mortal as she hummed and skipped past him.

"Still, I wonder what my title will be. If your father is the one labeling me, I don't expect much."

Loki snorted. "Be thankful then, that he is not. Our seer, who is my mother, will be the one to label you. She can look into the soul and know thy true self; that was her ability that awoke as a child upon eating the apple. It is something she has since done for all children of Asgard and what she will also do for you the day we bond. Of course, as I said, you will only receive one of your titles that day and another when you are fully revealed."

Toni hummed. "I still think Queen of Invention or Technology or something would be cool."

"It's goddess," he corrected again.

"Eh, Queen, goddess, it's all about the same," she teased. "The Iron Queen, goddess of Invention. Doesn't it sound cool?"

Loki just chuckled and rolled his eyes. The love he felt for this woman, it went beyond words.

"That," he stated, his eyes marveling at her smile, "that sounds just perfect."

Sequel in the works!