13. It's an unlucky number, I've heard.

Huge clanging bells.

That was the first thing Naz could understand when she began to wake up. Then the smell of smoke and something bitter at the back of her throat.

She sat up to find herself in what looked like a huge box of glass. She stood up from the cold floor and looked ahead. She seemed to be in some sort of warehouse--

"We're underneath the ground."

She turned around, "Loki?"

He was sitting in his glass container-cage, glaring at everything his eyes could see. His right cheek was heavily bruised in what looked like the shape of a shoe heel.

"Are you okay? Why aren't you healing?"

"I'm fine. Magic is..." he set his jaw stubbornly, "not available at the moment. I ran out."

"Okay," she nodded, swallowing. We just need a plan, we'll be fine. "You said we're underground?"

"I can feel it," he replied. "That and the tremendous amount of energy surging over our heads."

"Is it the spacevault? It's going on? We have less than hour left now, right? What happened to Tony and everyone?"

He shrugged, "Yes, yes and I don't know."

"Then we got to get out of here and destroy it," she said, running her fingers across the glass. She pulled back and the punched the glass with all her might. Her scream of agony echoed around the room, "Son of a bitch!"

"You really thought I didn't try to break it?" Loki scoffed. "I've already tried and it's not—"

She punched the glass again and again.

It did not break but the spot where she had punched was red with blood. She was heaving for breath when she gave up and sat back. She looked at Loki across the distance sitting against the glass, glaring at the floor.

"How can you just sit there?" she shouted.

"They always knew where I was. All this time, Thanos knew exactly where I w--"

"Of course, we knew where you were," Ajax stepped into room, a couple of doctors trailing behind him wheeling over a trolley with equipment. "The first thing the Commander ordered was information review. Our team went through every file in the place and then we set out to every agent and asset in the state—you see, Thanos sensed you weren't very far—and sure enough there you were at a mutant's house. Nazneen Naqvi, SHIELD asset and Loki's safehouse-keeper, I am just coming to you in a sec. Where was I? Ah, yes, Prince Loki, the Commander knew where you were from day one. He didn't want you spinning some evil plan so he let you be where you were. And yes that glass is the same material Fury got made for the Hulk so it will hold you two in."

Ajax turned to Naz, "Yes, darling, let's get started now, shall we?" He looked towards the doctors, "You got her vitals up and running?"

One of them clicked something on his laptop and nodded.

"Your arm has been injected with a chemotech sensor. I'm meticulous with my research," Ajax smiled. "Now, my company hasn't given me a lot of time. Usually I need a few days. Just a couple, mind you. I'm top of my league in mutancy but I need to scram within half an hour with an active mutant to show for my work. Our sensors and bugs around your house indicate clear mutant levels in your recent activity so I know your powers are not wholly latent. Come on, then, show me."

Naz stared at him, at the doctors, at Loki and then back at Ajax, "Why?"

"What do you mean why?"

"Our world is going to die because you're handing over Loki to Thanos," Naz asked, her mind buzzing as she wondered how to get out of this mess hoping Ajax would go on talking just enough to give her time to think. "What can you hope to get out of this?"

He raised his eyebrows, "The world isn't ending, the Commander is just going to change it. It will be better. We're making it better and you're going to be a part of it."

"You seriously believe that?" Naz shook her head. "Tell him, Loki."

"I'm afraid I don't have time for little fairytales at the moment. You should be happy the Company is recruiting you. They will give you direction and you get paid for the work, kind of like SHIELD. We have a temporary partnership with the SHIELD at the moment but my company is way better than these bunch of losers. Now, enough talk. Time to be a mutant."

"Leave her alone," Loki said.

"Oh the Prince speaks," Ajax grinned. "Great. Now, shut up. Nazneen, I can be quite persuasive, I advise you not to test my patience."

"Uh," Naz began.

"She can't control it. You're wasting your time. Better find yourself another mutant and let this one go."

"Has he got the hots for you?" Ajax smirked at Naz. "That would be just too cute...if he had a heart. Worry about yourself, loser. And Nazneen, I know, I know you can't control your powers yet. No problem. Dr. Ajax never lets his experiments down. Go on give it a try. Transfer your conscience to Boris here."

Boris shifted uneasily, "You're sure this is safe?"

"You volunteered, didn't you?" Ajax commented dryly. "We've got a clock ticking, Nazneen, get on with it."

"I don't know what that is," she said, staring back defiantly. "And even if I did, I would never do it for someone like you. Go to hell, Ajax."

"Start with the Volts. Point 1, Drew."

Naz cried out as she felt her body rock with several volts of electricity. She swayed on her spot, spitting, "W-wow, that tickled."

"We've got ourselves a talker," Ajax looked impressed. "Point 2, Drew."

"Stop it!" Loki shouted, getting up.

"Raise it to Point 3, Drew. You should know the scale goes to 10, mutant."

Naz fell to the floor, "Go to h-hell."

"I'll kill you," Loki shouted. "Let her go. She can't do it. Let her go. Please."

Ajax ignored him, crouching beside Naz, outside the glass, "Listen, if you don't even try to activate your power, you'll go on suffering. Just help me out here and my eardrums won't need to hear the shrillness of your screams. We both win. Or Point 6, Drew."

She stared in his direction, vision blurry, shivering, "I-I...can't...d-do it."

"You're thinking too much. Let go of your thoughts, your body, your mind knows what to do. Stop controlling it."

He looked for some sign and when didn't get any he growled, "Point 10, Drew."

"But—"

"Do what I say."

With a thud, Naz was motionless.

"Let me out!" Loki was shouting, pounding at the glass, screaming his throat raw. He called up on his powers but there was nothing, nothing he could do except watch her die in front of her eyes. No, no, this couldn't be happening.

"Give her a shot of adrenaline," Ajax's voice was cold.

Naz woke up, gasping, retching.

"Why isn't your DNA activating!?"

Naz started laughing, even though it sounded a lot like crying, "Well...isn't that bad...for you."

Ajax stared at her, his gaze steely, "Drew, put on the water. Listen to me carefully, Nazneen. I have no use for you if you are not an active mutant but you will be. I have never failed at my job. Usually mutant DNA can take some...how shall I say it? Persuasion? It is pretty compatible with survival instincts so maybe up till now you haven't realized just how much your life hangs on your mutancy. Maybe a quick shower and some time to think will enlighten you. I hope you know how to swim. Oh wait—" he smiled as he opened her SHIELD file, "—you don't. Pity."

Naz frowned.

"As we speak water is trickling into this glass container and as you have noticed the glass will not break, no matter what you try. But you will drown and if your mutancy doesn't activate, you will die. I am making this easy for you. Very easy. See this trolley here. You just have to move it, with your mind. You've done that before, right? Deflected a moving arrow. This can't be tougher, especially when you have this kind of motivation."

Naz watched with horror as the water poured in around her, rising up from the floor, already two feet high.

"You've got five minutes, darling. We'll leave you to it but we'll be watching," he pointed at the cameras around the room. "C'mon, boys, let's give Miss. Naqvi some privacy."

Naz hauled herself up and walked to the edge of the glass, reaching into the water to find out where it was coming from. Oh God, it's coming in from all over the perimeter. I can't stem it. So, she tried to break the glass again, this time probably breaking a finger or two, her hand a mangled mess

When she stopped and fell back into the water, the poundings hadn't stopped. She gave Loki a watery smile, "I think you should listen to your own advice and stop punching the glass. It won't break."

"You are going to die and I can't think of any way out," he said, angrily.

"If the Avengers don't stop it, you're going to die too and I can't think of any way out," she replied, blinking. She placed her head in her hands so Loki wouldn't see the helpless tears falling across her face and disappearing into the water. Her body was raw, paining in every joint, muscle and vein. The water had already reached up to her shoulders. The container was max 10 feet high. Very soon, there would be only water around, cutting off the air supply.

"Just move the table," Loki said. "Just do it."

"I can't," Naz replied. "My powers are useless. They don't work. At least not according to my wishes. I'm such a—"

"Shut up and just try," he said harshly. "You're not even trying. What is wrong with you? You will die."

"It is easy for you to say."

"Just try."

Naz glared at him and then looked at the trolley, "Fine." She raised up her hand unsteadily and closed her eyes. She tried to remember how it felt. One arrow whizzing towards them and she had managed to deflect it. Above them at this moment, there was a spacevault which could destroy the world. In front of her was the one person who was the key to it and if Thanos got his hands on him...it was all over. If she could use her powers, just once, just once, please, she could save him and the world. The water pushed her up and she was, at times floating now, but she could feel it. A familiar buzzing throughout her body, as if all she needed to do was reach to it.

The trolley shuddered once and then fell back, its instruments scattering across the floor.

Loki screamed at the cameras, "Turn off the water. She's done it."

Behind the doors, Ajax looked through the screen unflinchingly.

"Sir?" Boris asked.

"It's activating. Just give it a few more seconds."

Inside the room, Naz hadn't stopped either. She was holding her breath almost subconsciously, unaware that the water covered her now. So the glass is bulletproof and fancy but just how fancy?

Loki stepped back as he his glass case shuddered, "No, idiot, shatter your container. You're drowning!" He understood then. Naz knew just how much she could do with her powers at the moment and that much was just enough to let one of them free, and she had chosen him.

He looked around the container, as his brain worked out just how many—or rather how less—seconds she had to live. If only he had his powers. That bloody chip. If he ever got out of this, Tony wasn't going to live.

His eyes widened suddenly. The chip. His fingers touched the back of his head expertly. His skin had healed flawlessly, even the stitches couldn't be felt but he knew where the chip was.

"Are you sure this will work?" Steve had asked worryingly looking at Tony finish the stitches.

"I doubt," Loki had smirked, "but points for trying."

Tony had rolled his eyes, "Your skin is already healing and the chip is in sync with your nervous system. I'm the only one who can take it out without you short-circuiting so smirk all you like, Rock of Ages, but you're as magical as a three leaf clover."

He started patting his pockets. Where was it? Where was it? He smiled slightly feeling the cold metal of a knife in his shaky hands. The small, thin butter knife he had stolen from Naz's kitchen back when he had been so sure he would have to kill her.

"Poetic," he commented and raised it high before plunging it into the nape of his neck. Hot blood flowed down his neck and he winced as his expert fingers felt for the chip amid the flesh. He traced the small tiny, almost imperceptible piece and opened his eyes once, just once, to look at her and then yanked out the piece.

And just then, Naz took a breath, she had to. She inhaled water and coughed, shock making her inhale more. Her lungs were on fire and dark spots littered across her eyes. Why wasn't the glass shattering, she miserably thought as her body weighed down against the water.

She pushed a single last desperate pulse across to Loki's container right at the moment his power exploded.

So much power overwhelming him, he could sense every being in the building around and above them, he could hear every whisper, every breath and his body was aflame with his magic. The glass shattered around him as if it was tissue and he only needed to think to shatter Naz's container. Water billowed around the room as he rushed to her.

"Naz? Naz!"

She wasn't breathing and he nearly burnt her with his overflowing magic as he tried to heal her because no, no she couldn't be dead. Not like this. No.

He pumped her chest, his magic coursing through her for signs of life and finally she spat water and woke up gasping. She looked around with staring, scared eyes and then lay back breathing deeply, "Don't worry...pretty strong girl here."

"Come on, we got to go," he pulled her up after healing her hand in a second, hiding just how wide his relieved smile was.

"Yeah, yeah, I just nearly drowned. Give me a break," she said, following him. "Wait, why are you bleeding so much?" She touched his neck, hoping to stem the flow but found no wound. "Wha—"

"I pulled out the chip. I have my magic now."

The doors opened and Naz flinched seeing Ajax with Drew and Boris standing with their guns. It was over so fast she didn't even see most of it. One second, Loki was beside her, the next he was breaking Ajax's neck as Drew and Boris lay dead on their floor.

"HOLY SHIT! You killed them!" Naz shouted.

Loki walked over the bodies and it was then that Naz understood that this fearsome being who exuded dark power and a certain madness was Loki at his full potential. He was unstoppable now. He could run right now and escape it all. Thanos couldn't catch him now if he had a headstart. She realized, he would be leaving soon and so many lives would be saved, wouldn't they?

"Are you coming or just going to look at me like I'm Voldemort?" he called her over to the lift.

"I'm coming but dude, just knock them out next time, okay? Killing is bad, Loki!" she said, getting into the lift.

He looked at her, his green eyes gold with light, "You sound like a child, Naz. Grow up."

"And you sound like a—" the lift opened and they heard a roar from somewhere nearby. The place was covered with arrows, dead Chitauris and rubble. A wave of nausea passed through Naz as she told herself firmly not to look at the floor.

"It's the bumbling green animal," he said, with a frown.

Naz's eyes widened, "You mean that's Bruce?" Another roar echoed through the corridors.

"Or what's left of him."

"Which way is he?" she asked as they stood at the meeting point if three passages.

He listened, "Left is Banner with Romanoff. Right is Rogers and Thor. Spiked heart rates, all of them. Don't know about others. Can't sense them."

Does that mean Tony and Clint...? "They're not dead, right?" she pleaded.

"We've got bigger things to take care off," he cut across.

She clenched her jaw, "Fine, I'm going for Steve and Thor. You go for Bruce and Natasha. And then we get out of here"

"I'm going for Thanos—this ends now, once and for all—and you're getting out of her—"

"You little shit. We're not going to let our friends die. And don't even think for one second that I'm letting you go to Thanos alone. If and that's a big if—you need a 'yes' from Steve for that—we do plan to take Thanos down once and for all, we need everyone against him."

He stared at her, angrily, "You're the most irritating woman I've ever met."

"You don't have standing credentials either, Loki!"

"Fine, let's help the fools who didn't listen to me and walked right into a trap but I'm not going towards the Hulk."

"Fine, I'll go that side."

"Fine."

"Fine."

They ran in opposite directions.

Naz stopped and turned, "Take care of yourself!"

"I'm a God, mortal," he turned to comment snidely. "You take care of yourself. Remember we've got twenty minutes. Be out by then or you'll get caught when I'm torching the place down. Don't expect me to come running in to save your asses."

"Blah blah, Loki," she laughed, waving him away.

The real Loki stepped out of the lift once the corridor was silent, hearing the footsteps of Naz and his illusion recede in the distance. He walked straight ahead with a look of determination, stooping only to pick out a grenade from one of the dead bodies. He pulled out the pin and threw it behind him, sealing off the only entrance. There was now just him and Thanos in the spacevault at the end of the corridor. His magical armour glittered as it covered his body, readying him for battle.

"Loki, I have been waiting for you."

***

Long chapter, right? Did you enjoy it? *wiggles eyebrows* There's probably 2-3 chapters left now so it would a be a good time to tell you guys to stock up tissues if you are allergic to character death(s)? *grins evilly like Supernatural writers after the finale*

Votes and comments will inspire a super quick update, just saying ;)