WORDS: 5,098
COMPLETED: 8/28/18

My eyes skimmed over the skylight of New York, darkness consuming and disguising my body.

"Ready...?" A voice spoke through the intercom as I slowly nodded.

"You know, this isn't what I meant by hunting a god," I growled as the person on the other line let out a small laugh.

"Oh I know, Ms. (L/N), but my brother will listen to you," The voice spoke again as I rolled my eyes.

Someone named Loki asked if I wanted to catch a god. Now, my father is a professor in both Greek and Norse mythology, so I know my shit.

Loki is the name of the god of mischief. Considered Odin's son by many, but was truly adopted into the family.

  Do I believe in the gods? Absolutely not. But if this Loki has a brother named Thor, I'm going to leave. But, instead, I found myself listening to the male named after the god of mischief.

"Your brother? And he's a god?" I asked as he laughed.

"Sadly yes. A king, as well," He spoke over the earpiece as I gritted my teeth.

"And, let me guess, his name is Thor?" I snapped.

  He went quiet.

  My eyes then trailed back to the storm that was beginning to brew over the city. Bright flashes of purple and white blended together. Then loud thunder echoed over the land. The lightning was close to meeting the skyscrapers.

  Then I watched a bolt hit the top of Avengers Tower and staying there. I slowly arched an eyebrow.

"Loki? What the hell is that?" I asked softly as he hummed.

"We gotta get you into the tower," Was all he answered. My eyes narrowed.

"Why? Tell me what the hell is going on?" I demanded as he shook his head.

"No time. Later. Right now... Find my brother. He's in the Avenger's Tower," He spoke, his steady foreign voice sounding forceful.

"And say what?" I asked quietly. 

"Tell him 'when shadows rise'," He spoke as I slowly nodded.

"Okay..." I whispered timidly.

  I stood up from my hiding spot and sprinted into the city, where a hellish storm brewed overhead. My mind raced as my feet did the same.

  Why was I listening to him? Is Norse mythology real? No, it can't be. Now I just sound crazy.

"Hurry. You don't have much time," Loki demanded, his voice louder and a lot more violent. I ran faster.

  Ducking into alleys and making my way to the tower took a lot longer than I previously expected. I felt myself struggle to fill my lungs with air.

  I was ready to just pass out. But I knew that wasn't an option anymore.

  I stumbled into the door of the tower, being greeted by a wide-eyed man. His name tag read 'H. Hogan'.

"Can I help you?" He asked as I quickly nodded.

"I-Is their someone named... T-Thor... That I could speak with?" I asked softly as the man slowly nodded. He led me to an elevator and selected the top floor.

"You'll find all of them there," He spoke as I slowly nodded.

  Once the doors slid shut, I felt my back press against the cold walls as I slid onto the floor. I panted like a dog and struggled to catch my breath.

"I'm in..." I whispered softly.

  I didn't get a response. That only made the elevator ride longer and prolonged my thoughts of what was to come. The Avengers.

  My dad had told me all about them. About the group of vigilantes who strive to take down any foreign evil. If Loki and Thor are here, aren't they considered foreign evil?

  The elevator doors slid back as my eyes popped wide open. All the Avengers stood at the door, armed to the teeth and ready to rip me limb from limb.

  My eyes looked over each and my brain assessed the problems. But one stuck out.

  Thor, son of Odin. And, in his hand, Mjölnir, his hammer. This is real.

"Thor—"

"Who directed you here?" Tony Stark yapped, his words sharp enough to be their own weapons. I flinched as soon as he started yelling.

"Tony! Maybe a more... Calm... Approach," Steve Rodgers, or Captain America, stated, placing a stern and yet comforting hand on Tony's shoulder. Tony looked over at the man, who now blended in with this time period rather than like he was fresh off the World War II battle front.

"What are you—"

"You don't think we have cameras on the elevator?" Dr. Bruce Banner, one of my dad's old friends, spoke up. He wouldn't recognize me, though. He hasn't seen me since I was a baby. That's when he and my father drifted.

I remembered the elevator ride. I attempted to interact with Loki, but I got no response.

"Are you going to hurt me...?" I asked softly.

"Well, you've come all the way up here for some reason. So spit it out," Natasha Romanoff spoke up as my eyes narrowed. Her eyes narrowed right back at me.

"Thor. I have a message for you," I snapped aggressively. The man with the blonde hair looked over at me. One of his darker eyebrows arched upwards while the other dipped lower.

"Yes?" He spoke as I looked at him in a stunned manner.

"'When shadows rise'," I quoted as Thor's eyes popped wide open. He wrapped his large hand around my throat and shoved me against a wall.

"Where is he?" Thor asked in an aggressive voice.

"Thor!" Steve Rodgers snapped.

"Who are you?" Thor snapped as I tried to use my fingers to pry his large hands off my throat. I was about ready to pass out.

"(Y/N) (L/N)," I squeaked. Bruce's eyes popped wide open.

"Thor! Stop!" Bruce demanded, ripping the son of Odin off of me. Thor seemed furious with me. But I was too busy gasping for breath to notice.

"Your last name is (L/N)?" Bruce asked as I tried so hard to keep my breathing steady. I managed a quick nod for him.

"Yes," I heaved out, my heart racing on its own. I looked up at Thor, my eyes wide. Bruce came to my aid, laying me on my back, which made it easier to breathe. I forgot he was a doctor and a mad scientist.

"(Y/N)?" He asked softly as I slowly nodded one more time. He closed his eyes and sighed, brushing my hair out of my face.

"How do you know Loki?" Thor thundered over the room. I slowly looked up at his piercing blue eyes. His eyes softened as soon as they met mine; the mortal fool he almost strangled to death.

"My—" Bruce cut me off.

"Don't speak. Your windpipe is sore and you're not helping it," Bruce demanded. I slowly nodded.

"Her father is a professor in both Greek and Norse mythology. Thor, Loki, and Odin are from Norse. So I'm going to guess that she found someone named Loki, found it funny, and then got stuck doing his bidding," Bruce guessed. I looked down and shamefully nodded.

"Everyone underestimates Loki. That's how he wants to seem. Then he kicks their feet out from under them and laughs when they're hurting," Thor grumbled. I looked at the demigod with scared eyes.

"Well then what the hell does that phrase mean? The one she said and you almost murdered her for," Tony Stark spoke as up as Thor looked over at him.

"It means we're running out of time. Loki has something big planned," Thor spoke before his eyes dipped back down to me.

"Tell me, what exactly did Loki tell you?" Thor asked me precariously.

"He... Asked me if I wanted to hunt a god," I whispered softly.

"Questioning belief. You were certain I didn't exist, yet, here I am. It pisses me off how smart he can be sometimes," Thor growled. He looked back to me with narrowed eyes.

"Mischief. I should've been more careful," I softly admitted as Bruce sighed.

"It's fine, (Y/N). Like Thor said, he made you question your belief. You didn't know any better," Bruce spoke up carefully. I looked back at the demigod, who hesitantly nodded.

"Banner is correct. However, now I have to stop my brother. He's going to toy with and taunt me until he can get me to stay his damn phrase," Thor growled.

"Okay, hold on one moment. What the hell does this phrase mean? Why does this instantly mean something bad?" Steve Rodgers asked as Thor sighed.

"If Loki can get one mortal and one demigod other than himself to repeat this phrase, the grounds of earth will split open. It will be the end, or what is considered the end, in most religions. The Omega. The phrase will take place. All he has to do is get me to say it. You were already the foolish mortal," Thor spoke as I nodded slowly. I sat up, my breath finally calming down a small bit.

"How do we stop him?" I asked quietly.

"At least she knows right from wrong," Natasha Romanoff commented as Thor nodded.

"She has reason. Loki was born without any reason unless it appeases his own wants," Thor growled, looking out one of the large floor-to-ceiling windows.

"How do we stop him?" I repeated, my voice more stern and angry. Thor looked back at me with a bit of shock. They all looked at me that way. Then Thor had the audacity to smile at me.

"Stop him? Well... I believe that we would have to use the Avengers. And you. Your father would also be a bit of help," Thor claimed as Bruce's spine straightened up.

"Who said Richard believes?" Bruce asked as I looked down.

"She didn't either. Now she does," Thor claimed, his index finger pointing at me.

"And she can make him believe," Thor spoke as I laughed.

"No. He'll just think I'm crazy," I spoke as Thor shrugged.

"Not unless I go with you," He spoke up as Bruce sighed.

"The three of us should go see him," Bruce insisted as Thor nodded.

"We'll man the tower. I can track Loki right now," Natasha spoke as Bruce nodded. The two shared a hug before the three of us got into the elevator.

"Listen carefully, (Y/N). Unless you want your father to die, follow through with Thor's plan. For now. I have an idea for something later," Loki spoke as my spine straightened out.

I didn't know what to do. Did I want to listen to Loki? Absolutely not. But my dad was all I had left. I then began thinking about the god of mischief. He could be lying. But he could also be telling the truth.

The ding of the elevator bell brought me back to reality. The three of us walked off the elevator and headed out of the tower. We got into the sports car that Tony was lending Bruce and began driving off to my house. I was stuff in the back while Bruce drove and Thor sat in the passenger seat.

"Does your dad still live in the same place he did when you were young?" Bruce asked as I nodded.

"Yes," I spoke softly.

"Then where are you living anymore?" He asked as I weakly smiled.

"I have an apartment. I'm a Senior in college, so dad thought I could have a bit more freedom this year," I spoke as Bruce nodded.

"What are you studying?" He asked next as Thor messed with Mjölnir the whole ride.

"Anatomy and Physiology," I explained softly as Bruce nodded.

"A doctor, huh," He spoke as I shrugged.

"Nurse practitioner," I replied.

"You wish to help others?" Thor asked, peeling his eyes away from his hammer and looking back at me. I weakly smiled and slowly nodded.

"Yeah," I breathed out. Thor smiled.

"That's very kind of you," He insisted. I smiled back at the demigod.

"I guess. It just feels right," I spoke with a small shrug.

"That means you're a good person. Some people don't feel the need to be kind. Like they shouldn't. Like the universe has never done anything good for them, so why should they be nice for it?" Thor spoke as I sat in thought for a moment.

"You sound like you're taking that personally," I commented as he looked back at me.

"Well, when has the world been nice to me?" He asked as I arched an eyebrow at him.

"Jane," Bruce pointed out as Thor looked down.

"Jane?" I asked with confusion. I don't remember her from Norse mythology.

"His mortal girlfriend," Bruce spoke as Thor shoved Bruce. Bruce shoved the god back.

"Ex mortal girlfriend," Thor insisted. Bruce looked over at the demigod with slight shock.

"Since when?" Bruce asked as Thor shook his head.

"Look, it's not important. Let's just find Loki, kick his ass, and call it a night," Thor grumbled as I looked at my feet.

The car ride was silent until we made it to my house. I was the first one out of the car, my fist bashing against the door in an attempt to capture my father's attention. It was only eleven at night, but who knew. He had class tomorrow.

When the door opened a few seconds later, my eyes widened.

"Why hello," The sinister voice of Loki spoke, a small smirk on his lips. Thor threw Mjölnir at his brother, but he disappeared before he could get hit. The hammer took out a china cabinet and the wall behind it. It also managed to destroy the tiled flooring in the kitchen on the opposite side of the wall.

"Dammit," Thor grumbled. I took off in a sprint through the house.

"Dad?!" I shouted. I sprinted up the steps while Bruce stayed behind me. Thor lurked around the house, hunting for his brother. Hunting for a god.

I ran directly into someone, both of us falling back on the floor. I grunted as the female did the same.

"(Y/N)?" The small voice asked as I looked up at the owner. I scurried to my feet before helping her up.

"Mandy," I breathed out in relief, smiling at her as she did the same. It was my father's girlfriend. They've been dating for a little over two years now. And she was the best.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" She asked before her eyes found Bruce.

"Who is this?" She asked. I looked at her with panicked eyes and shook my head, brushing off all her questions.

"Where's my dad?" I asked quickly. Thor stumbled in behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder to get my attention. I jumped a bit at the contact.

"Loki's gone," Thor whispered.

"Where's Mr. (L/N)?" Thor demanded from Mandy. She was startled by the appearance of Thor. Then again, she was five foot one and he was probably six foot four.

"I-I don't know. He should be in his office," She spoke as I gave her a hug.

She was tense and shaking, but relaxed as soon as I hugged onto her. She relaxed and looked at me.

"What's going on, Sweetie?" She whispered.

"Nothing, Mandy. Just... Try and get some sleep. I'll see you later," I spoke with a small smile. She carefully nodded and went into their room, closing the door.

"This way," I spoke, nodding down the hallway to my father's office. It's crowded in books and knowledge. It's so cramped in there, it make my brain hurt. I have no idea how he can sit in here for more than five minutes without having a mental breakdown.

We opened the door and my eyes widened. Not because of the demigod, but because of how empty the room was. All the books closed and put away. The desk dusted and bare other then a cup of pencils, a photo of my mom, dad, and myself, and my father's MacBook.

"Loki—" Thor seethed, but I stopped him by placing my arm over his chest.

"Where's my dad?" I whispered softly. Loki looked at me and smiled, his dark eyes full of glee.

"Professor (L/N)? Ah, smart man, he is. Knew who I was. Knows who my brother is..." Loki mumbled, a dark and sinister smile on his lips.

"Where. Is. He?" I growled as he laughed and walked towards me. Thor pushed me back behind him.

"You see, that's the thing. I don't feel like telling you, mortal," He seethed as Bruce stood at Thor's side.

"Where, Loki?" Bruce seethed angrily as Loki laughed.

"Banner. How nice to see you again," Loki piped as I scooted closer to Thor out of instinct. I wrapped my arms around one of his arms. He didn't seem to mind.

"Loki!" Thor snapped, making me flinch and his annoying brother fall silent.

"Her father is with me. Where am I? That's quite a good question. Even I don't know," Loki spoke with a laugh. My heart sank.

He wasn't even here. Thor gritted his teeth.

"I'm going to find you, Loki. And I'm going to kick your ass back to Asguard," Thor snarled.

"Good luck with that," Loki spoke with an annoying smirk. Then he vanished into thin air.

My heart hammered in my chest as Thor looked back at me. He grabbed onto my shoulders and began talking to me. But I couldn't understand anything he was saying. It was like my body froze and decided that it didn't want to take anymore. No more bad news. No more anything.

"(Y/N)!" Thor screamed, resulting in me blinking rapidly.

"Hmm?" I murmured.

  He sighed with relief.

"Thank goodness. I thought I'd lost you," He spoke before slowly nodding. I arched an eyebrow.

"I-I mean... In the essence where you would've never woken up again," He instantly corrected himself as Bruce let out a small laugh at Thor's attempt to be smooth. I rolled my eyes at the two.

  That's when Bruce's phone rang. Thor and I looked at him as he answered his phone.

"Hey, Nat," He spoke with a small smile. His smile fell as he nodded. He removed his phone from his ear and put Natasha on speaker phone.

"Listen up. I found Loki's location like I promised to. Okay? Currently, he's seeking residence in Queens. Got it?" Natasha spoke quickly. Thor nodded.

"Yes. Loki is hiding in Queens. We got it. Thank you, Romanoff," Thor spoke, hanging up on her. Then we were on the move again.

"Who was that woman?" Thor asked me as we walked out.

"Hmm? Oh, Mandy? She's... My mom," I spoke as he shook his head.

"No she isn't. Your mother was the woman in the picture on your father's desk. I can tell. You look a lot like her," Thor spoke with a friendly smile. I weakly smiled as well.

"You're right. Mandy is my dad's girlfriend," I spoke as he slowly nodded.

"Then... What happened to your mother?" Thor asked. I looked to my feet before looking back at Bruce. He was pale. And he wouldn't look at me.

"Dad told me it was a lab accident. Something went wrong in an experiment she was running," I whispered quietly.

  Thor nodded.

"I am sorry. I know how it feels to lose those close to you and those you hold so close to your heart. It's a dangerous world. A dangerous universe," Thor spoke carefully, his eyes looking up at the stars. I carefully nodded and looked up at the stars with him.

"Yes. It is," I whispered.

"C'mon, guys. We've gotta get going," Bruce spoke, making the two of us nod as we jumped into the car. We had to hurry off and get to Queen, that way I could get my dad back. I needed to get him back.

  We drove to Queens in record time, midnight finally occurring. We hopped out of the car and onto the street where we found ourselves in a crowded town. Or, it would be crowded in the daylight.

"Queens..." I mumbled, looking around as we all heard a strange snapping sound followed by a car alarm going off.

"In the flesh," Bruce grumbled as I looked around. My eyes were narrowed down as I tilted my head to the side. I was trying to locate the thing making all the sounds. It seemed to be moving all around us.

"Loki..." I whispered as Thor nodded and got Mjölnir at the ready. His teeth were gritted and I felt one of his hands grab onto mine. My eyes narrowed as we all watched a figure drop down in front of us. I wasn't that great at knowing things, but I was almost certain that Loki didn't have the body that seemed to belong to a masked high-schooler.

"Wait," I stopped Thor, my arm going over his chest to stop him. His eyes narrowed into the distance.

"Mr. Thor?" A small male voice spoke up. I was right. Definitely a high-schooler. Thor instantly relaxed and let go of my  hand as the kid walked into the light and out of the shadows. He was dressed like... A spider boy?

"Kid? What are you doing out here?" Bruce asked as the kid's masked, yet spider-like, eyes widened.

"M-Mr. Banner? O-Oh... Um... I was just on patrol for the night," The kid spoke as Bruce nodded.

"Okay... Um... By any chance, have you happened to see Loki?" Bruce asked as the kid hummed and climbed up to the top of a light post. He closed his eyes and sat in silence for a bit.

"He's down 4th Street. A building called Lambert and Son's Auto Company," The kid spoke.

"How'd you do that?" Bruce asked as the kid hummed.

"I don't really know what it's called, but Mr. Stark calls it my Spidey-Senses," The kid spoke as Thor smiled.

"The name fits you," Thor told him as Bruce smiled as well.

"But thank you, Kid," Bruce spoke as the kid nodded.

"No problem, Mr. Banner. Good luck finding Loki," The kid spoke with a wave before shooting a spider web from his hand and slinging his body up to the roof of a nearby building. I weakly smiled and looked back at the boys with a weak smile.

"Friend of yours?" I asked as they shrugged.

"Co-worker," Thor spoke up, his big blue eyes glaring into my eyes as I smiled sweetly.

"The Avengers hire kids now?" I asked with an arched eyebrow. The two of them laughed.

"Kids who have spider-like abilities? Of course," Bruce spoke as I arched an eyebrow.

"So you're all a team of misfits?" I asked as the two nodded.

"Pretty much," Thor claimed as Bruce shook his head quickly.

"We've got to hurry," Bruce insisted as we all nodded in agreement, the three of us heading off to find the street that the young spider-ling had told us to find. Running up and down different streets, we kept going until we found it.

"There," Thor spoke, pointing at the sign to the small business that the teenager told us to come to. We entered it, finding the place completely empty except for two staircases; one that led upstairs and one that led downstairs.

"We'll split up. Thor, you and (Y/N) go upstairs. I'll search the basement," Bruce spoke as I slowly nodded. Thor did the same.

  We headed up the stairs as Loki exhaled a deep breath, his body standing on the opposite side of the room. He was looking out a window.

"Brother," Loki whispered softly, turning to look back at the two of us. He smiled wickedly when his eyes found me.

"And you brought the lost mortal fool," Loki commented as Thor shook his head.

"Leave her out of this," Thor snapped angrily. Loki only rolled his eyes.

"She's the reason you're here. If you weren't attracted to mortals, then you'd still be in Stark's damn tower in the middle of New York City," Loki seethed at his brother as my eyes widened and my cheeks turned a hue of dark crimson. Thor was so pissed that he wouldn't even look away from his brother. And the look in his eyes could probably murder an entire civilization.

"Must be nice, brother. She already knows your entire past of destruction and conquest because of her daddy. And, yet, she still came here with you. And she likes you," Loki hissed. My stomach churned.

  How did he know that...?

"Where's my father?" I snapped angrily. He looked over at me and chuckled.

"Safe. More safe than you are," Loki claimed with a small smile. The next thing I knew, I had a knife against my throat and someone's body was pressed against my back. My eyes widened as I watched Loki smirk. However, when I looked back, Loki was the one holding me as well. My eyes widened as I looked back at the Loki at the front of the room. He vanished.

"I'm going crazy..." I whispered softly as Loki looked back to his brother.

"Say it. Or I'll spill her blood. You and I both know that mortals are disposable," Loki snapped with a snarl on his face.

"Don't," I barely managed to choke out.

"Don't touch my daughter," The voice of my father spoke from the doorway as Loki turned the two of us around so I could see everyone in the room but Loki.

"Thor, what's happening?" Bruce asked. My dad refused to look at his old friend. Maybe there was still needed space between them, but maybe he was just more focused on the fact that he daughter was about to be murdered by the god of mischief.

"I won't say it," Thor spoke, his eyes glancing between Loki and I. He wouldn't look at the other people in the room.

"Loki," A strong voice boomed throughout the room. I glanced back and saw something new in the god of mischief's eyes - fear. The voice was female, and caused a smirk to blossom on Thor's lips.

  A new individual entered the room. Mandy.

"Mandy?" My father asked. She didn't even look at him. Her eyes were glowing a vibrant green as she stared at me and Loki.

"Thor requested I talk to you. He warned me that you were going to harm little (Y/N)," Mandy spoke, her blonde hair beginning to glow the slightest bit. Small slivers of silver began to lace through her strands of hair. Her pure white skin began to glow.

"Mandy...?" My dad breathed out in confusion. I was equally as confused.

"Eir," Loki seethed as my eyes widened.

  Mandy is Eir?

  Eir is the Norse goddess of healing. She was one of Frigg's handmaidens. And she was my father's girlfriend.

"Let go of her. Now," Mandy threatened him, her glowing green eyes narrowed with concentration.

  Loki carefully let go of me, his eyes narrowed down. She extended her hand and a glowing golden ball stuck to his chest. He looked down at it with horror. Thor smirked. Loki vanished.

"W-What...?" I whispered as Thor ran up to me and pulled me into his chest in a tight hug. My eyes widened, but I hugged him back.

"The golden orb sent him back to Asguard, his powers forced off by the energy the orb creates," Mandy explained as my father approached his girlfriend that we'd now discovered was a goddess.

  Mandy grabbed my father's hand and weakly smiled.

"I apologize for not being able to tell you, Richard. However, I want to stay in a relationship with you. If that's okay," Mandy breathed out as my father smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. Okay," My dad spoke with a small smile. Mandy looked up at Thor.

"And what have you chosen to do, son of Odin?" Mandy asked as Thor looked down at me, who was still hidden in his arms. I looked up at his piercing and bright eyes. I weakly smiled.

"I think I've chosen to see where this path leads," He spoke as I managed to smile a bit wider. Mandy grinned and walked over to us. She placed her warm fingertips against the skin on my neck, which healed the small cut that Loki had given me with the knife.

  He laced our fingers as Mandy looked back at my father.

"Richard, are you okay with the fact that your daughter has chosen to form a bond with a demigod?" Mandy asked as my dad smiled.

"If you ever have any questions, you ask me," He stated firmly to me as I smiled weakly and nodded.

"Alright," I carefully agreed.

  Thor grabbed my hand, our fingers lacing as we made our way out of the building. Maybe this would be good for me. Maybe it would be very bad. But who could tell?

  All I knew was that I was willing to give it a chance.

- - - - - - - - - Two Months Later - - - - - - - - -

I sat next to my father, Thor's hand encasing my own. The concrete curb made for a small place for us to sit for the time being. Ice cream cones were in our hands as I looked over at my dad.

"Do you want to tell me why you wouldn't talk to Dr. Banner?" I asked softly. I've asked him this question everyday for the past two months. Ever since that night.

"Bruce is a good guy. He really is. He wants to know. He wants to learn. He wanted to experiment on himself," My father spoke in a soft voice.

"Yeah. That's how he turns into the Hulk, correct?" Thor asked as my father nodded.

"Correct, Thor. Your mother... She volunteered to help him with this experiment," My dad spoke as my eyes widened. Pieces began falling together slowly.

"Bruce Banner is an amazing person, but I will never forgive him. Not ever," My dad muttered softly.

"He killed mom...?" I asked so hesitantly. The wind picked up as storm clouds rolled in. Both my dad and I turned to Thor and looked at him with concern. He seemed distantly angry, however we both knew he was angry at Bruce. Thor knew that mt my mother was a really touchy subject. And now to find out that such a close family friend was the cause of her death? It truly was heart shattering.

"Yes..."