Fallen Star

Chapter 8

(Jane POV)

Jane bounded through the doorway and yanked the door shut behind her, scrambling for the lock. She didn't even bother to yank the switch as she sprinted down the stairs; she knew the basement well enough to make her way through the dark.

The door was metal, left over from the old part of the house before it had been renovated in the 1970s. Before the kitchen had been updated, it had been little more than the entrance to the storm cellar, a giant basement that served both as a sanctuary from tornados and a place to store food for the winter.

Jane had set up her laboratory in the basement, a place she felt safe and peaceful and alone. There was a lab table set up near the steps, covered in papers and reference books. Next to the table was a large dry erase board with half-scribbled calculations, hastily written over each other. There were shelves full of chemicals scattered around the room, some in glass vials and some in metallic containers. A desk along the wall held microscopes and scales and glittering lab instruments. The floor was a minefield of boxes and cases and toolboxes and junk. She'd always planned to clean it but never got around to it.

And in the corner, by itself, was her transdimensional circuit.

She started working on it almost as soon as Thor had disappeared. She insisted it was so she could help S.H.I.E.L.D. communicate with other life forms, but she knew in her heart it was because she hoped to make contact with Thor again.

If she was truly honest, there was even more to it than that. The machine didn't just have a speaker or a screen—there was a platform to step onto. She was trying to create a bridge. Thor had told her there were different ways to reach his world, and she was determined to find one. For months, she'd worked tirelessly, but the closest she'd come was opening up a swirling abyss glittered with millions of stars. That was the problem—she didn't know how to guide the portal yet and open up a gate that would lead her where she wanted to go.

But now, she didn't care what portal she opened up. She easily wound her way through the boxes, reaching the machine and feeling for its control panel. It would need to turn on, and it would need to warm up, and it would need time to pull up a portal. But maybe, just maybe—it was as good a plan as any.

She turned the machine on, hearing its low purr as it began to vibrate slightly. It would take at least fifteen minutes for it to really turn on and respond to commands, though it already had a portal location programmed in—the last one she'd tried.

Above her head, she could hear Loki pounded against the door, shouting threats that would have made her heart freeze if she wasn't already so terrified. At least this door was harder to break down. It would buy her time. But she knew it wouldn't hold against Loki's fury forever. She had to find something to defend herself with or she'd be trapped in the basement with a murderous demi god.

"You can't escape me forever, Jane Foster!" Loki shouted from behind the door. "When I'm through with you, you'll wish your precious Thor had never come to earth! You'll curse his name!"

Jane crouched in the darkness, feeling the panic well up inside her and threaten to overpower her reason. She forced herself to take some deep breaths, which helped her calm down. She couldn't lose her head now.

There was a terrible wrenching sound like a train being ripped apart, and a shaft of light pierced the gloom. Loki had torn open the door.

Jane instinctively froze, huddled in the corner farthest from the steps. She heard the god's low, rich chuckle as he slowly descended the steps.

"Are we back to hide and seek, little mortal?" he called out, glancing around the darkness. His voice was soft as velvet, but there was a terrible undercurrent. "I found you once and I can find you again. And when I do, you can't imagine the things I'll do to you."

(Loki POV)

Loki scanned the darkness, his supernatural senses sharper than Jane realized. He didn't hear her—yet. He heard the faint humming coming from the corner, though, and it piqued his interest.

He took a step forward and crashed into one of the dozens of boxes littered along the floor. He stumbled and muttered a Norse curse but kept his footing.

"So that's your plan, my lovely little scientist," he said with a wry smile. "It will take more than a few obstacles to deter me."

He advanced more cautiously now, still stumbling but making progress. The woman could be anywhere, but if he listened hard enough… there! Above the drone of the strange vibrations in the corner, he heard it: breathing.

His smile widened. Poor sweet Jane was trying so hard to be quiet, but she had no idea how easily he could follow her breathing. And he was more skillful in the art of silence than a mere human. He would reach her before she ever knew what happened.

And when he did—oh, when he did… His anger had cooled somewhat after the first sharp spike brought on by the unexpected attack, but it was no less dangerous at a smolder. Part of him admired the earth woman's audacity and fortitude. He could see why his brother had been so smitten. But a darker, stronger part of him longed to crush that resilient spark. He wanted to strip her of everything and leave her crumbled on the floor, naked and humiliated and broken. It would be a long, terrible, excruciating process—and it made his blood burn with anticipation. There were so many things he could do to that soft, beautiful, helpless woman—violent things, s****l things, violent and s****l things.

Step by step, he drew closer to Jane like a shark circling a swimmer. Finally he was close enough he knew he could reach out and touch her. She must have sensed his presence, because he heard her stiffen. He almost chuckled at the futility of it all, but he didn't want to give away his position. It would be a delicious surprise.

(Jane POV)

Jane sensed him far before he grabbed her, and her heart plummeted. She didn't know how she knew, but she could feel his presence like smoke twisting around her. And with that recognition came the awful realization that he was going to get her.

Without a sound, she felt a hand lash out and grab her around the neck. She didn't even have the chance to grasp as Loki's fingers dull into her throat and lifted her off the ground. She scratched desperately at his fingers but it did no good. Perhaps the most terrible thing was not being able to see him—it was like being strangled by darkness itself.

"Found you, little cygnet," a voice drifted out of the darkness, filled with terrible malevolence. "I win. And now I get my prize."

Jane thrashed wildly, desperate to suck air into her screaming lungs. She felt herself being carried forward as Loki stepped backwards, leisurely picking his way back to the foot of the stairs where there was more light. It seemed like an eternity as she hung in space, fighting for air, and her vision began to dim.

"Ah, here we go," Loki said, noticing the dangling light cord for the first time and reaching up with a casual grab to pull it. "I prefer to see this next part."

Light flooded the basement, bringing the demi god into sharp focus. It was hard for Jane to focus on his words—everything was melting together. She still tried to break free, but her muscles felt so groggy.

Loki watched her with amusement. "Don't worry, dearest, I won't let you die—not yet, anyway. We're going to have a lot of fun together first."

He released her and she crashed against the lab table and bounced onto the ground, where she clutched her throat and sucked in air. Everything hurt, and she couldn't stop tears of pain and terror from escaping her eyes. Loki grinned down at her, terrible in his absolute power.

"Ah, now there's a better position for Thor's beloved," he said. "It fills my head with all manner of pleasurable fantasies… well," he added with a wry chuckle, "they won't be merely fantasies for long. Come on, little human, show your god some adoration."

Jane grit her teeth together as her terror was replaced by fury. This demi god thought he could come to earth and take whatever he wanted and hurt whoever he wanted and by God, she'd had enough of it. She pushed herself to her feet, legs still so shaky she had to grab the lab table for support. But there was no way she was going to stay on her knees in front of Loki.

"Go to hell," she hissed.

He frowned, the amusement dancing in his eyes quickly replaced by something harder. "The battle is already lost, woman," he said, voice sharp as glass. "You'd do well to know your place and beg for mercy. If you please me well enough, I'll let you live."

Jane felt an insane giddiness well up inside her as she truly decided to stop fearing the demi god in front of her. If she was going to die, she was going to die. But she would do it standing up. Gathering all her courage and determination and insane bravado, she drawled out, "Go screw yourself… you arrogant. Spineless. Pathetic. Bastard."

Suddenly, the temperature seemed to drop ten degrees. Loki started to shake, his eyes filling with insane rage—and lethal hate. Jane had meant to defy him and just get the ordeal over with. She never expected this result.

"How dare you?" he snarled, pulling back an arm and striking her so hard across the face that she spun into the wall. Pain exploded up across her cheekbone as though the bone itself had snapped. She gasped in shock, barely able to register what reaction she'd caused.

Before she had time to even understand what happened, Loki was on top of her, grabbing her by the hair and flinging her back up against the lab table so hard the breath was knocked out from her. Her head felt like it was on fire. She straightened up and made a desperate lunge for the stairs, but Loki was already grabbing her by the hips and smashing her into the desk, where she bounced off onto the cold ground. She saw him advancing and crawled backwards, terror overriding all other thoughts.

"You wretched quim," he spat. "You have no right! I am a god! And you are nothing—just a pretty bauble that caught my brother's attention for a day. He won't remember you in a month. There's a reason he never came back for you."

Jane tried to block out his wicked words as she kept backing up. Her mind screamed at her to do something—anything! She could never escape like this. She needed a plan. She needed to—

Suddenly Loki lashed out, kicking her right between her legs. Jane instinctively doubled over, the pain threatening to knock her out. But as soon as she did, Loki kicked her again, this time catching her under the ribs. She felt like she'd been stabbed by a butcher knife.

Her mind threatened to stop functioning as she was enveloped in a world of pain. Loki grabbed her by the hair again, lifting her and slamming her into the desk. She whirled, trying to make a dash for the stairs, but he was already on top of her, pinning her between the desk and his body. With her free arm, she grabbed for anything to defend herself, but Loki caught her under the shoulder and jerked viciously. There was an almost inaudible pop as excruciating pain seared through her left side like a thousand stinging wasps and she screamed uncontrollably, arching against his body.

"That's right, Midgardian, scream for me," he growled, yanking on her dislocated shoulder again and sending a fresh wave of agony up her arm. She screamed again, feeling her legs start to buckle.

"Stop, please!" she pleaded, forgetting her pride and resolve. She just wanted him to stop hurting her.

He laughed then, a heartless, pitiless laugh. "Begging won't do you any good," he replied with a terrible smile, his fingers raking down her front and tearing away the remainder of her shirt. He forced his legs between hers, pushing her up onto the desk so that she was flat on her back, her legs dangling over the sides. "You'll learn what happens when you defy your master," he continued, grinding himself against her as he reached for her jean zipper. His fingers slipped under her jeans as he groped for the top button. Jane jerked franticly, trying to kick out with her legs, but he just drove into her hard, grabbing her throat with his free hand forcing her to look into his gleaming eyes.

"Enough games, scientist," he said, his voice husky with an awful mix of lust and hate. "We still have so much to learn about each other. I will tear you apart from the inside out."