Illusions | Loki & Jane

15. Thor

Jane walked behind Darcy and Erik as they made their way back to the lab, feeling a wave of disappointment wash over her. She desperately wanted to join Thor in his strange quest to reclaim his—well, whatever it was. She couldn't quite explain it, but this man had stirred something inside her. For over three months, she hadn't thought of John, yet now this blond stranger had entered her life, and suddenly, suppressed memories resurfaced. Thor reminded her of John in some inexplicable way, despite their differences; it was his confidence and the way he spoke that echoed John's voice. Plus, there were the stories about Norse mythology she had first heard from her ex.

She felt an urge to talk to John in that moment, to tell him she might have met the real Thor. He would probably mock her, saying something like, "Jane, I knew you were destined to find the true God of Thunder. And while you're at it, could you let him know it's not necessary to make it rain so much in the fall? Thanks!" Jane chuckled to herself, but the laughter quickly faded, replaced by the familiar sadness. She would never talk to John again; he was gone, and he clearly didn't want to see her ever again.

It was strange—when Thor was around, she could think of her former lover without pain. This muscular stranger brought John back into her thoughts, reminding her of home in a way that left her feeling disenchanted when Erik insisted she couldn't go with him.

Suddenly, Darcy and Erik froze in front of the lab, drawing Jane's attention. She followed their gazes and gasped at the scene unfolding before them. Cars were parked haphazardly outside, and people were streaming in and out of the building, hauling their scientific instruments and documents. Jane inhaled sharply and sprinted toward the men loading equipment into a car. "What the hell is going on here?!" she yelled, frustration boiling over when the men ignored her.

"Hey!" She tried to yank her equipment from one of the men's hands but was met with resistance.

A man approached her slowly, wearing a serious expression. "Ms. Foster, I'm Agent Coulson with SHIELD."

"I don't care who you work for; you can't do this!" Jane retorted, fury rising within her. She couldn't understand the audacity of these agents stealing her equipment right in front of her. Why wasn't Erik doing anything?

"Jane, this is more serious than you realize. Let it go," Erik whispered in her ear, his brow furrowed with concern.

"We're here investigating a security threat. We need to appropriate your equipment and all your atmospheric data," Agent Coulson explained calmly.

"By 'appropriate,' you mean 'steal'?" she shot back, but Coulson didn't respond. Instead, he handed her a check. "This should more than compensate."

Jane didn't even look at the check; she threw it to the ground in frustration. "I can't just pick up replacements from RadioShack! I made most of that equipment myself!"

"Then I'm sure you can do it again," he replied, unfazed.

"And I'm sure I can sue you for violating my constitutional rights!" she countered, her voice rising.

"We're the good guys, Ms. Foster," Coulson said, attempting to walk away.

"So are we! We're on the verge of understanding something extraordinary!" She pulled out her notebook, brandishing it at him. "Everything I know about this phenomenon is in that lab and in this book. No one has the right to take it from me."

Coulson signaled to a man nearby, who promptly ripped the notebook from her grasp.

"Hey!" Jane cried, reaching for her notebook.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Coulson said with a disingenuous grin, walking away toward a waiting car. As the men piled into their vehicles and drove off, leaving the three scientists stunned, Jane felt the weight of despair settle over her.