Green Tinted Glass

Lucia watched Loki from the shadows. He prowled about his cell, hands clasped behind his back. As Thor entered, heavy boots thumping on the ground, Loki turned to face him. 

“Thor.” He spat, “Now you come to visit me.” He leaned down, towards the force field. “Why?” He growled, anger twisting his face. “Have you come to gloat? To mock?”

“Loki, enough.” Thor cautioned. “No more illusions.” 

Lucia stepped out into the light as Loki’s form collapsed in on itself in a green glow. His pristine cell disappeared, giving way to a mess of destroyed chairs, tables, and ripped books. Loki sat at the back of his cell, clothes rumpled and hair frizzy and unkempt. His skin was paler than usual, with dark bags under his eyes. Lucia could see tear tracks on his face. 

She felt a pang of sympathy for him. He had clearly loved his mother very much. She shut the feeling out- this was the man who had killed her friend. She would not fall for his tricks, no matter how convincing they might be. 

“Now you see me, brother.” Loki said, his face and voice devoid of emotion. His dead eyes locked on Lucia’s. “Agent.” He acknowledged.

Thor walked around the edge of Loki’s cell, getting as close as he could to his brother. 

“Did she suffer?” Loki whispered, his voice cracking.

“I did not come here to share our grief. Instead I offer you the chance of a far richer sacrament.”

Loki nodded, “Go on.”

“I know you seek vengeance as much as I do,” Thor continued. Help me escape Asgard, and I will grant it to you—vengeance. And after, Midgardian justice.” He said, looking back at Lucia. 

Loki considered and then gave a rueful chuckle. “You must be truly desperate to come to me for help. What makes you think you can trust me?” 

“We don't.” Lucia said firmly, speaking for the first time since they arrived in the dungeon. Her voice softened. “Frigga did.” 

“But you should know that when we fought each other in the past, I did so with a glimmer of hope that my brother was still in there somewhere.” Thor added, “That hope no longer exists to protect you. Betray me, and I will kill you.” 

Loki hummed his approval. “When do we start?”

—

Lucia, Loki, and Thor paced through the palace. Loki had summoned a set of armor onto himself: a less blingy version of the one he had worn when attacking New York. He had also magicked his hair and face to be neat, though Lucia didn’t know whether it was another illusion or the real thing. His mood had turned, and he strode with all the arrogance of the prince that had attacked Earth. A complete mood switch from the wreck he had been earlier. That made Lucia suspicious. Killer. Strategist. Alien prince. She reminded herself.

“This is so unlike you brother!” Loki goaded, “So clandestine. Are you sure you wouldn't rather just punch your way out?” He smiled devilishly. 

“If you keep speaking, I just might.”

“Fine, as you wish. I’m not even here.” Loki’s form shifted into that of a guard. “Is this better?” 

“It’s better company, at least.” Lucia huffed. 

“Still, we could be less conspicuous,” Loki said, and with a green glow he transformed himself back to normal, but illusioned Thor to look like Sif. “Mm, brother, you look ravishing.” He smirked. Lucia choked down a laugh. 

“It will hurt no less when I kill you in this form.” Thor-as-Sif said. 

“Very well. Perhaps you’d prefer one of your new companions?” Loki winked at Lucia and shifted his form again. Lucia raised an eyebrow as Steve Rodgers smiled at her. 

“Oh, this is much better! Ooh.” Loki exhaled, his voice sounding exactly like Steve’s. “The costume’s bit much. So tight! But the confidence… I can feel the righteousness surging!” He raised his fist, walking backwards so he could face Thor. “Hey, d’you wanna have a rousing discussion about truth? Honor? Patriotism? God bless Ameri-” 

Loki grunted as Thor shoved him against a pillar, Lucia retreating into the shadows. 

“What?” Loki protested, returning to his regular form. Thor slapped a hand over Loki’s mouth and gestured with his head towards the group of guards that was passing them. Loki stayed silent till they passed, and Thor released him. 

Loki rolled his eyes. “You could at least furnish me with a weapon.” He said, “My dagger, something!”

Thor sighed, taking a small dagger from a concealed spot at his belt. 

“Finally, a little common sense.” 

Before Loki could grab the weapon, Lucia clampedS.H.I.E.L.Dhandcuffs around his wrists. He scoffed, holding them up and tilting his head in question. Lucia smirked. “And here I thought you liked tricks.”

Thor chuckled. They continued down the hall until they reached a secluded exit point. 

“This is the meeting place.” Thor said. “They should be here soon.”

Right on que, Sif and Jane came out of a passageway. They hurried down the hall to meet them. Jane pointed a finger at Loki. 

“You’re…”

“I’m Loki, you may have heard of m-” 

Jane slapped him across the face. 

“That was for New York!”

Loki chuckled, “I like her.” 

Lucia gave Jane a hug. “Doctor Foster, good to see you again.” 

“I wish the circumstances were better.”

“You two know each other?” Thor questioned. 

“We collaborated on a quantum mechanics project in college.” Jane explained. Lucia smiled. That project had gone up in literal flames, but at least they had proved their professors wrong. 

“Fun times.”

“There they are!” A voice shouted, and the five of them turned to see a group of guards charging at them.

“Go!” Said Sif, “I'll hold them off. Take her.”

Thor nodded, herding Jane out of the building. As Loki made to leave with them, Sif drew her sword, holding it to his throat. “Betray him, and I’ll kill you.”

Loki chuckled. “It’s good to see you too, Sif.” He turned and followed Thor. 

They ran through the palace towards the throne room. It was in shambles from the Dark elves’ attack. And right in the middle, the lovely alien spacecraft that was their ticket out of Asgard. 

Volstagg emerged from the rubble, brandishing his battle ax. “I will give you as much time as I can.” 

Thor grabbed his arm. “Thank you my friend.” 

Lucia nodded to him as she passed. “‘Til we meet again.”

Volstagg stopped Loki as he made to walk past. “If you even think about betraying him…”

“You’ll… kill me? Evidently there will be a line.” 

Volstagg sighed and let him pass. 

The four of them gathered in the control room of the spacecraft. Lucia studied the intricate designs engraved into the sides of the ship. It seemed to be made entirely out of black rock. How on earth does something like this fly? She pondered. Thor began pushing random buttons in an attempt to power it up.

“I thought you said you knew how to fly this thing?” Loki said.

“I said ‘how hard could it be?’” Thor continued pushing buttons.

“Well whatever you're doing brother, I suggest you do it faster.” 

“Shut up Loki!”

Lucia noted the dull clink of armored guards outside the ship. Volstagg couldn’t fight them off forever. They were running out of time. She rubbed her temples. She had a persistent headache, and the two god’s bickering wasn’t helping. 

“You must have missed something.” Loki insisted.

“No, I didn’t, I’m pressing every button on this thing!” Thor said, smashing every button in sight. 

“No, don't hit it, just press it gently…”

“I am pressing it gently!” Thor roared.

Lucia cleared her throat, and pressed a large button in the middle, shaped like a ball. Blue lights came on throughout the ship, holographic displays revealing themselves. Both brothers turned to her.  Thor looked mortified. “How did you-” 

“Just a hunch.” Lucia said, ignoring Thor’s glare and Loki’s approving smile. 

“Right. Let's get this thing moving.” Thor said, positioning himself at the controls. 

The spaceship rose into the air, destroying the columns of the throne room one by one.

“I think you missed a column.” Loki quipped. 

“Shut up.” 

Lucia chuckled softly. They reminded her of her relationship with her own brother. They smashed through the throne room wall and into open city air. Thor ducked and weaved through the bridges and arches of the city. 

“Look, why don’t you let me take over? I’m clearly the better pilot.” Loki said. 

“Is that right? Well, out of the two of us, which can actually fly?” Thor countered. 

“And out of the three of us, which one has wings?” Lucia said. Thor ignored her, focusing on a particularly difficult maneuver.

“I’m feeling a little-” Jane didn’t finish, collapsing to the floor. Lucia rushed to her aid.

“Oh dear, is she dead?” Loki said, an annoyingly hopeful tone to his voice. 

“Jane?” Lucia said, softly patting her cheek. 

“Jane, are you alright?” Thor called, not daring to glance over his shoulder for fear of crashing.

“I’m OK.” Jane replied breathlessly. Housing the Aether was taking a toll. 

They zoomed through the sky. Thor accidentally chopped the top of a tower off. Loki opened his mouth to speak-“Not a word.” Thor cautioned. 

Three Asgardian spaceships caught their tail, following despite Thor’s tricky maneuvers.

“Now they’re following us.” Loki noted.

The spaceships opened fire, and their craft was hit with a barrage of golden energy blasts.

“Now they’re firing at us!”

“Yes, thank you for the commentary Loki, it’s not at all distracting!” Thor bellowed.

“Go through that tunnel!” Lucia suggested. They could lose the wider Asgardian ships in the narrow passage.

Thor heeded her advice, flying through a tunnel flanked by two statues. One of the statue's heads caught the tail of the ship. 

“Well done! You just decapitated your grandfather.” Loki quipped.

Unfortunately, more Asgardian ships greeted them on the other side of the tunnel, as well as an armored turret. Thor struggled to dodge the blasts from it.

“You know this is wonderful.” Loki said angrily, “This is a tremendous idea; let's steal the biggest, most obvious ship in the universe and escape in that. Flying around the city, smashing into everything in sight so everyone can see us, it’s brilliant, Thor, truly brilliant!”

Lucia shoved Loki out the side of the ship. 

“That was satisfying.” She sighed, and promptly jumped out after him. With the help of her wings, she landed softly on the Asgardian ship flying low to the water below them. Loki was not so lucky. He landed roughly, groaning slightly as he got up.

“I see your time in the dungeons has made you no less graceful, Loki!” Laughed Fandral as Thor landed beside them, an unconscious Jane in his arms. 

“You lied to me.” Loki said to Thor. “I’m impressed.”

“I’m glad you're pleased.” Thor said, gently laying Jane down. “Now do as you promised and take us to your secret pathway.”

Loki nodded, smiling, and moved towards the controls. Lucia put her dagger to his neck. 

“No funny business.” She warned. 

Loki grinned. “Of course not.” 

He pushed the ship faster and sped towards the mountains, a mad, mischievous look in his eye.

A golden blast whizzed past Lucia’s head, and she turned to see another small ship pursuing them. Loki expertly dodged the blasts, smoothly pulling their ship above the attacking one.

“Fandral!” Thor ordered. 

“Right.” Said Fandral, grabbing hold of a rope that was tied to the side of the ship. “For Asgard!” He said, and swung off the side of their ship, landing on the attacking one beneath them and swiftly dispatching the guards. “Nothing personal, boys!” He said as he knocked the final one down. Fandral gave them a small salute as they sped away. Thor nodded in acknowledgement, and Lucia returned it. Despite his knack for annoying everyone around him, she would miss him. 

They sped across the ocean surrounding Asgard, straight towards a massive rocky mountain that sprung up from the water. 

They were getting a little close. 

Too close. 

“Loki…” Thor cautioned. 

“If it were easy, everyone would do it.” Loki said with a small smirk. 

“Are you mad?!” 

“Possibly!”

“Oh shit!” Lucia said, crouching down in the ship as they flew into a very narrow cave very, very fast. The sides of the cave seemed to have crystal running along it, that almost looked like the bifrost…

With a lurch, they were teleported through space in a process that was similar to traveling through the bifrost, but much faster and much, much worse. 

They came out the other side miraculously intact, the ship skidding across the barren black sands of the world they had landed on as Loki exclaimed, “Ta-da!” in a sing-song voice.

“Well done.” Lucia said begrudgingly, clamping a hand over her mouth as she struggled against the urge to vomit. She sat up more comfortably, releasing her vice-like grip on the side of the ship.  Lucia looked out at the dark landscape. “So this is where the dark elves live? Seems appropriate.” The landscape was barren, deserted. Hills of black sand and stone went as far as the eye could see, only interrupted by the ruins of what she assumed were once great cities. 

“Yes, Svartalfheim.” Thor replied, placing a blanket over Jane, who was barely conscious, her veins tinged an uncanny bright red. 

“What I could do with the power running through those veins.” Loki said, enviously eyeing her up. 

“It would consume you.” Thor dismissed, coming to sit down between them. 

Loki hummed. “She’s holding up alright… for now” 

“She's strong in ways you’d never even know.” Thor said, his eyes never leaving her face. 

“Say goodbye.” Loki suggested grimly. Lucia gave him a warning glare.

“Not this day.”

“This day, the next, a hundred years, it's nothing!” Loki snapped. “It's a heartbeat. You’ll never be ready.” Lucia was shocked at the pain in Loki’s voice. Perhaps he, too, had had a mortal love once. “The only woman who’s love you prized will be snatched from you-” 

“And will that satisfy you?” Thor interrupted. 

Loki breathed a rueful laugh. “Satisfaction’s not in my nature.”

“Surrender’s not in mine.” Thor countered. Lucia knelt down by Jane and put a pillow under her head, trying to make sure she was comfortable. 

Loki smirked, his voice taking on a mocking tone. “Son of Odin…” 

“No, not just of Odin! You think you alone were loved of mother? You had her tricks but I had her trust.” 

“Trust?” Loki questioned, anger souring his features. “Was that her last expression? Trust? When you let her die?!”

“What help were you in your cell?”

“Who put me there?” Loki asked, deathly quiet. “Who put me there?!” He raged. 

“You know damn well!” Thor shouted in response, shoving Loki against the side of the ship. “You know damn well who!” Thor raised his fist to strike him, but stopped, a pained expression on his face. “She wouldn't want us to fight.” He said, his voice returning to a normal volume, his anger disintegrating. 

“Well she wouldn’t exactly be shocked.” Loki said, raising an eyebrow and a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. 

Thor smiled sadly. “I wish I could trust you.” He turned away, walking to the other end of the ship. Loki’s face fell, slight shock on his face. 

“Trust my rage.” He whispered. 

Thor said nothing.

—

A short while later, Jane woke up. Her sclera was black. 

“Jane.” Thor said. She ignored him, turning to face the massive spaceship that they were flying towards. 

“Malekith.” She stated. When she turned back around, her eyes were back to normal. Creepy, Lucia shuddered. 

“Let's land. Before they spot us.” Lucia suggested, and Loki maneuvered the ship down behind a small hill. They climbed to the top, where they could see Malekith's ship landing from where they crouched, avoiding his detection. “How’re you holding up?” Lucia asked Jane. 

“Alright, I guess. Given the circumstances.” 

Lucia could see faint swirls of dark red undulating beneath her skin. She shuddered, turning to Thor. “Tell me again what exactly this… thing is, that’s using her as a host?” 

Thor opened his mouth to speak, but Loki interrupted him. “The Aether. It’s a powerful artifact. Before Malekith’s time, it was a stone of immeasurable power.” 

“A stone?” Lucia prodded. “One of a kind?” 

“No. There were others, each holding the power of an element of the universe itself.” Thor answered her. 

“I knew that.” Loki muttered. 

“Yes, they were called…” Thor trailed off, trying to remember.

“Infinity stones.” Loki finished, a dark look in his eyes.

Lucia could tell he knew more about the subject, but before she could prod further, Thor began to explain his plan to deal with Malekith. Once he had finished, Lucia let out a long breath. “I don’t like this.” She said softly, as she watched Malekith and his elves advance. It was a smart plan, but it had the potential to go very, very badly. 

“All right, you ready?” Thor asked Jane. She nodded.

“I am.” Loki interjected. Thor and Loki stood, revealing themselves to Malekith. 

“You know, this plan of yours is going to get us killed.” Loki stated. 

“Yes, possibly.”

Loki held out his manacled wrists expectantly. Thor did nothing. 

“You still don’t trust me brother?” 

“Would you?” Thor said, releasing him from the handcuffs with the key Lucia had given him. 

Loki rubbed his hands together appreciatively. He gave a light chuckle. “No, I wouldn't.”

Loki’s dagger flashed, and he grabbed hold of Thor, stabbing him and shoving him down the hill towards Malekith. Lucia gasped. 

“Thor!” Jane said, jumping up. “No!”

Loki ran down the hill after Thor, and Jane after him. Lucia crept down, going from outcrop to outcrop, making sure to stay out of Malekith's sight. 

“You really think I cared about Frigga? About any of you?” Loki said, voice raw, as he kicked Thor where he lay at the base of the hill. Thor grunted in pain, rolling over with the force of the blow. “All I ever wanted was you and Odin, dead at my feet!” 

Thor held out his hand for Mjolnir, but before his hammer could reach him, Loki cut off his hand with one swing of his dagger. Thor screamed in pain as Jane rushed to his side. Loki grabbed her by the waist, tearing her away from him. 

“Malekith!” He shouted, “I am Loki of the Jotunheim, and I bring you a gift.” He shoved Jane towards Malekith, and she landed roughly at his feet. “I ask only one thing in return: A good seat from which to watch Asgard burn.” 

Lucia spied from her hiding place behind a rock about 20 feet away. Well, this is going swimmingly. She made a mental note to look up Jotunheim if she ever made it home. 

Malekith considered Loki, and his henchmen -a large, hideous creature- spoke in a gruff, devilish sounding language. Malekith walked over to Thor. 

“Look at me.” Malekith commanded, turning Thor over with a kick. He held out his hand, and Jane rose into the air. 

Oh shit, here we go…

Lucia watched as Malekith extracted the Aether from Jane, its dark red mass looking like tentacles of blood as it was pulled from her. At last, it was all out, and Jane dropped to the floor. 

“Loki, Lucia, Now!” Thor shouted. 

With a flash of green light, Loki removed his illusion, and Mjolnir shot into Thor’s hand. Lucia rushed to cover Jane as Thor sent a spike of lightning into the exposed -and therefore vulnerable- Aether. A great boom sounded as the Aether was shattered. Nobody dared breathe. 

Then, slowly, the fragments rose through the air and amassed themselves in front of Malekith. Then the tendrils reached out, and they started to fuse. Malekith roared, whether in triumph or agony, as the Aether entered his body. 

They had failed. 

Malekith and his henchman turned to leave, and his thugs advanced on the four of them. Thor swung at one with his hammer, knocking it to the ground. Lucia stood in front of Jane, daggers raised, as one charged towards them. It raised its sword, but Lucia didn’t give the creature time to bring it down, slashing out at its throat with her dagger. It dropped to the floor with a thump as Lucia helped Jane to her feet. 

“Come on, let’s get you somewhere s-” Suddenly Loki shoved them both to the side as a grenade went off, sucking all matter near it into some kind of miniature black hole. Loki was too close, and gasped as he was pulled into the air towards it. 

Lucia leapt into the air, wings extended, pushing him to the side just as it closed. They landed harshly in a heap on the ground. 

“Why, thank you Agent.” Loki groaned, the ghost of a smile peeking through the very real fear on his face. 

“Shut up.”

They turned to see Malekith had almost made it to his ship. Thor spun his hammer and was thrust forward through the air towards them, landing a hit on the henchman creature but being thrown backwards roughly as Malekeith’s ship took off and disappeared into the sky. 

“That’s gonna leave a mark.” Lucia huffed. 

“I’m afraid we have our own problems to worry about.” Loki said, and Lucia realized they were being surrounded by the dark elves Malekith had left behind. 

“Alright then,” Lucia said, raising her daggers, “bring it on.” 

The elves attacked, and Lucia swiped with her daggers furiously, blocking and slashing in a flurry of moves. Loki did the same, moving with a fluid grace the likes of which Lucia had never seen. 

One elf came charging at her with its spear, and she grabbed it by the shaft, twisting and forcing it out of the elf’s grip. She landed a kick to its chest and finished the creature with it's own spear. Just then, an elf came up from behind her and kicked her leg in with a force Lucia knew had shattered bone. She cried out in pain, twisting on the spot and shoving her dagger through the elf’s eye socket. They both fell to the ground. 

“Fuck.” Lucia breathed raggedly, the white-hot pain threatening to make her black out. Her leg was definitely not supposed to be at that angle. 

She heard a cry from behind her, and turned around, throwing a dagger into the skull of an elf that was attacking Loki from behind. He finished off the last one, and nodded to her in thanks. 

“Help me up.” Lucia said, extending her hand. Loki grinned, standing over her. She rolled her eyes. “Please?” 

“My pleasure.” Loki said, hauling her to her feet, where she promptly pushed him back. 

“Ass.” 

He chuckled, but then his face grew worried as he spotted something behind her. “Come on.” Loki said, brushing past her. Lucia turned around and saw Thor losing badly to Malekith’s henchman. 

“Shit.” she said, beginning to half limp, half hop towards the fight. “Oh no, don’t help me, I’m fine, just a shattered tibia, probably.” She muttered to herself. She went as fast as she could, making her way over to where Thor was, to put it simply, getting the shit beat out of him. 

The henchman was about to deliver the final blow, when Loki thrust a sword through its gut from behind. The creature looked down, confused, and then turned around to face Loki. 

Lucia knew what would happen a second before it did. 

The creature grasped Loki by the sides and shoved him forward, onto the very sword that was running through its own chest. 

“No!” Thor yelled. 

Loki made a choked sound, and grunted as the henchman threw him to the ground. 

“See you in Hel, monster.” Loki choked out, and the creature realized a second too late that Loki had placed one of those freakish grenades on its back. The creature howled as it collapsed in on itself, and then vanished into nothingness. 

Thor rushed over to his brother, pulling Loki into his lap. 

“No, no, no, no. Oh, you fool, you didn’t listen.” Thor said, just as Lucia finally reached them, falling to the ground beside Thor and biting back a scream as pain shot through her leg. 

“I know.” Loki panted, “I’m a fool. I’m a fool..” He shook with pain, and Lucia couldn’t help pitying him when she saw the terrified look in his eyes. Even if he did deserve it…

“Stay with me, Okay?” Thor pleaded, brushing the hair out of his brother's face. Lucia pressed her hand to Loki’s wound, trying to stem the bleeding, but it was no use.

“I’m sorry,” Loki whispered frantically, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry-” 

“Shh,” Thor whispered, cutting him off, “It’s okay. It's alright.” Tears began to fill his eyes. “I’ll tell Father what you did here today.” 

A ghost of a smile danced across Loki’s lips. “I didn’t do it for him.” 

Then his eyes closed, and his head went limp against Thor’s hand.

“No!” Thor shouted, tears falling over his brother's body. Lucia removed her hand from Loki’s wound. It was too late. 

Loki was dead.