Ave Maria

Eighteen

Chapter 18

Thor was anxious as he stepped into the room that caged his brother, unsure of what he would find. All that time, all those months he'd spend grieving for his lost, dead brother - wasted. Loki had been alive and well all the while, plotting his return. Thor's gut twisted; and that plot involved Maria.

His thoughts temporarily soared to the woman on the other side of the Helicarrier. Her face had looked peaceful enough when he'd left her - albeit a little pale - but he had no doubt that behind those closed eyelids, she was panicking. Thor didn't blame her. To find out that someone like his brother was after her... yeah, he could understand her fear. In all honestly, he would have considered her a fool if she wasn't afraid. Her shock must have wracked her deep for her to have been unconscious for so long. Thor had been reluctant to leave her side, but when she showed no sign of waking any time soon in the room S.H.I.E.L.D had allocated to her, he had other matters he needed to attend to.

He'd never anticipated that Maria would pass out like that. It was simply something that had never crossed his mind. He guessed he had just assumed there was no such news that could shock her like that, not while he was there at her side. He'd never anticipated that his brother would be seeking her out on purpose.

He stepped into the open as the door sealed shut behind him, loosely locking him alone with the God of Mischief. He hardly recognised his brother as the man he knew anymore. Sure he looked the same: leaning against the back of the glass cylinder with his arms folded across his chest and a mischievous smirk across his face, dressed in the same black and green clothes, with the same slick black hair and green eyes. But knowing that he wished harm to someone Thor cared about so deeply, the God of Thunder found it hard to see Loki in the same way.

He wasn't his brother anymore. He was a threat.

Loki's lip smirked even deeper as Thor moved closer. "I knew you would come eventually. You before the others."

"Do not mistake the purpose of my visit." Thor warned, glaring at his brother darkly. His hand clenched and unclenched into a fist, devoid of his hammer. He hadn't trusted himself enough to bring it with him, leaving it back in Maria's room as if the weapon could protect her in his absence. "I have not come here lightly." He waited, expecting his brother to shoot back some sort of snide, cruel remark. He was surprised when Loki stayed silent. He wasn't going to let surprise deter him though. "Give up this plan." He implored boldly. "Surrender the Tesseract and return to Asgard."

Loki barked a laugh. "Let me guess." He grinned, tilting his head back against the reinforced glass. "You wish to save this pathetic world and the mortals that inhabit it from the imminent destruction I will bring?"

"No," Truth, Thor decided. He would not sink to his brother level of deception for this, no matter how dangerous honesty might prove to be. "Just one mortal."

That caught Loki's interest: the grin froze on his face as his green eyes locked onto his brothers, as if trying to detect if he was lying or not. Thor's crystal blue gaze stayed hardened with resolve. "You're serious?" His arms dropped to his sides and he stepped smoothly from the wall. "And who is this one treasured mortal, so valued above all the rest?"

"Do not jest with me brother." Thor growled dangerously. "She is the one you hunt to complete your plans."

Loki ceased his advance in the centre of his prison, eyes glinting maliciously. "I believe the humans have brought her to me rather than I seeking her out, have they not? Is she not brought upon this ship? Did father not instruct you to protect her?" His grin darkened. "They are handing her to me on a platter."

Thor's fists clenched. "I am sworn to protect her. I gave her my word I would not let you harm her."

"Then your word will be broken, for I fully intend to take her for myself."