ARCHANGEL (Marvel Fanfiction)

Chapter 19. Betrayal

The view was extraordinary. The yellow flowers swayed softly, blown by the wind as the mild breeze washed over their body. The blueish mountains from afar, covered in mist, made it looked even more magical.

"What are we doing here?" Elizabeth whispered dreamily.

They were sitting facing the scenery, Elizabeth leaning to his chest. Loki wrapped his arms on her stomach and put his chin on Elizabeth's head.

"We should be helping them," she continued.

"Shh. Let's enjoy this for a moment." He kissed her head.

Elizabeth smiled and put her hands on Loki's. "Just 10 more minutes, and then we must head back."

"Hm. Approvable."

Elizabeth laughed and she could feel him smiling too, even without looking at his face.

It felt like heaven, being alone together with him in this Canola field. No one to interupt, no one to judge.

***

S.H.I.E.L.D Headquarters

"What is happening?" Dr. Banner asked as soon as he arrived at Sector D. Thor, Tony, Steve, Natasha, and Nick Fury were there.

"Someone planted 2 explosives in there," Director Fury growled. The medics were treating the victims. Some got very serious injuries.

"How is it possible? How did they pass the securities and detectors?" Natasha asked.

"I'm not sure. I don't want to speculate but this might be the work of someone inside."

"Spy? Intruder?" Tony asked, and Nick Fury nodded grimly.

"But who? Do you have any suspect?" asked Steve.

"No, but we'll find out. Where is Elizabeth and Loki?"

"They're nowhere to be found, Director," Maria Hill suddenly showed up behind them. "We have searched everywhere. Instead, we found this."

She raised her hand, a metal necklace inside her fist. Dr. Banner ran and took it from her hand, examining it.

He lifted up his head with a grim expression. "This is Loki's necklace."

***

Elizabeth took one last glance at the mountains and the flowers, trying to engrave this picture in her mind so she could forever remember how it looked like. And how it made her feel.

Loki took her hand and suddenly they were at the headquarters. The Avengers and Nick Fury were talking with their backs facing her, and she called out to them as she ran closer.

Her steps stopped when they turned to her with such cold face. She did not expect them to react that way, when they usually treated her nicely.

She narrowed her eyebrows and was going to ask what's the problem, when suddenly the agents, probably 10 of them, pointed their guns at her and Loki.

She froze in shock. "Wh- what is this? Why are you doing this?"

Nick Fury stepped closer to her. "Did you work together with Loki and put bombs this place?"

"What are you talking about?!" She turned to Loki, "Loki, please tell them what really happened!"

Loki just looked at her with flat face. Elizabeth's heart pounded. "Loki!"

"You have failed me again, brother." Thor growled.

"Elizabeth, we trusted you and it was our grave mistake," Steve said with chilling calmness.

"I swear-"

"You were Hydra. It was probably programmed to you without you knowing," Nat said.

"No," she whispered. Tears building up in her eyes. She wished she could deny it and convince them that it wasn't true, but she couldn't. Her tongue were stiff.

"You can't be here anymore. You need to leave," Tony said.

"Please-" she took one step forward to convince them but the agents blocked her way with guns pointed at her chest.

They pushed her back to stand beside Loki. She looked at him, couldn't figure out what to feel towards him.

Loki nodded reassuringly and he took her hand quietly.

She felt wind rushed to her face. When she opened her eyes, the agents were gone.

They were in a totaly different place. Loud noise surrounded them. A second later, she realized where she was.

She was inside a very big helicopter.

"You're finally here," said a female voice.

Elizabeth turned around to see a familiar lady in a white coat, her blonde hair tied to a bun.

"The mission was successful. The explosion distracted them all and they foolishly left these space objects unguarded," she smiled with satisfaction. "Some things just never change."

"You.. You're the one who treated my injuries in the lab," Elizabeth was almost sure it was her.

She didn't respond to her. Instead, she talked to Loki. "The things are in that box." She pointed to a very big, metal box behind her.

Loki nodded and walked to it, carefully opening the lock. Blue light radiated from inside it.

Loki reached out his hand and when he lifted it up, the Scepter was in his grip.

Elizabeth watched in horror as Loki reached his other hand down and pulled out the Tesseract. He closed his eyes and sighed as he felt the power in both of his hands.

"Loki, what are you doing?" she asked furiously.

Loki put the Tesseract back in the box and lock it, but kept the Scepter in his hands. He kneeled in front of Elizabeth, who was still on the floor.

"Everything's going to be alright now." He rubbed her hand.

She snapped it off. "You betrayed them!" Elizabeth was very infuriated that her body started shaking. "How could you?"

"Elizabeth, please. They didn't even appreaciate you enough, why are you defending those men?" Loki looked deep into her eyes, pleading. "Together, we can rule this world."

"By killing humans, Loki! They are my people!" She screamed. "Take me back. I will protect earth, even if it means to fight you."

"And what will you do? Convince the Avengers? They don't trust you anymore, Elizabeth," Loki said with a low voice. "They have branded you as a traitor."

Elizabeth chuckled in disbelief and wiped her tears. "Is that why you take me away to that field? So they would suspect that I'm your- your accomplice? You did that on purpose?"

"That's not entirely true-"

"So it's partly true," she looked at him, feeling hurt and betrayed. "I thought you changed."

Loki gritted his teeth, losing his patience. "I don't change. This is who I am. I am the descendant of the Frost Giant's king, it is in my nature. This is what I want, and nothing can stop me. Not my brother, not my mother, not even the King of Asgard!"

Slap!

Elizabeth found herself sobbing after she slapped Loki's face. He froze, his hands slowly lifted up and touched his flushed cheek.

She stood on her feet, looking down to Loki. "Let me down, Loki. Now. Or you know damn well that I can bring this helicopter crashing down," she threatened.

Loki slowly stood up. He searched her eyes and said softly, "I'm sorry."

Then, in the speed of light, he hit her nape and caught her body as she fell unconscious.