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saw this confusion, chuckling lowly to himself. Loki's feet were planted, as if he couldn't move. Thor, his mouth covered, couldn't speak his mind, but he was also utterly shocked.

"Loki turned to the correct side a long time ago." Alex defended. "Right, Loki?"

She looked to him, but her heart dropped when she saw his face. He didn't look at her, but to the floor.

"Loki?"

Hearing his name again, he looked up. He met her eyes, which were full of confusion and that same desperation she had so long ago. He looked away almost instantly. Loki finally moved, walking across the room, over Heimdall's dead body.

Right to Thanos' side.

"You look confused, Alex." Thanos spoke. His voice never changed pitch, as if his words were enough to instill fear.

"How the fuck do you know my name?" She snarled.

"Loki's been reporting your progress to me ever since the day he held you captive. Why, when I sent him down to New York to wreak havoc on your world, I also gave him a simple task: learn as much as possible about this 'source of energy' I'd heard about. He's done a superb job, don't you think?"

Alex looked back to Loki, who avoided her stare once again. He knew that he would only find hatred in those wide eyes of hers.

"What truly impressed me, Loki, was your idea of keeping one of the stones on her. Keeping an eye on both treasures, at the same time."

Loki simply nodded.

Alex looked down at her chest, the glowing stone at the end of the chain never faltering. She had never understood the capacity of it until now. Loki had remained so mysterious about its power, and she now knew why.

"So, I'll need that." Thanos continued, nodding to her chest. "Once you hand it over, you may join me at my side. Your energy should be enough to wield power from these stones, once I have collected them in their entirety."

"You're fucking delusional." She spat. "And you,"

Loki dared to look at her.

"I should've seen this coming. I should've know people don't change--that you don't change."

If her words hurt, he didn't show it one bit. She couldn't even stand to look at him. What she saw, she barely recognized. The man, who not even hours ago was caressing her gently and lovingly, now was the traitor before her.

"I'm afraid that's not the answer I was looking for." Thanos lifted his gloved hand, the purple stone glowing as he wielded power to use against her.

She held up her hand, freezing the entire glove. Thanos looked down in confusion, then back at Alex. Her rage bubbled up inside of her, causing the stone around her neck and on his glove to flicker.

"I don't know what your plan is, Barney the Dinosaur," She jabbed, raising an eyebrow. "But what I do know is, the next time I see you, or you, I will not hesitate to kill both of you."

She then clutched the glowing blue stone around her neck, and clenched her eyes shut, thinking of the compound.

That familiar twisty feeling engulfed her insides, and she was gone from their view.

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

She teleported back to the Avenger compound, landing in the middle of the living area/kitchen. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she collapsed to her knees. Everything hit her all at once.

Tony had been sitting at the counter, almost spitting out his coffee when she teleported right in front of him. He saw her collapse, running over to catch her. He didn't make it in time, and her palms hit the marble floor. A sob escaped her lips, and he carefully helped her up.

"Alex, Alex, what's the matter?" He spoke, going full dad-mode. "Where did you just come from, and how?"

"He," She sobbed.

"He? Who? Alex, look at me."

She kept her eyes on the floor, tears pouring. She sniffled, wiping her eyes before looking up at Tony. Her face nearly broke him. She looked completely and utterly devastated.

"Loki--he's been working against us this whole time. Against me,"

"That son of a bitch." Tony muttered before sighing. "Let's get you cleaned up, and we'll talk in the morning."

Tony had cleaned the cuts on her face, telling Pepper to draw Alex a bath. Alex, on autopilot, bathed, changing into sweats and an old Stark Tower sweatshirt. She looked at the dark blue hoodie, an exact replica of the one she had brought to Asgard with her.

The same one that had been destroyed with the rest of the city.

Tony put Alex in one of the many rooms the compound had, and something told her the room was designed for her. On the walls were framed newspaper articles about the infamous yet unnamed 'ball of energy' that saved numerous cities from destruction. Alex almost cracked a smile at the thoughtful gesture. He really was proud of her.

She slipped under the silk covers, leaving the closet light on. She tried to fall asleep as fast as she could, trying to forget the day's events. However, the scene on the ship kept replaying in her head. Seeing Heimdall die, watching Loki walk away from her toward Thanos.

Every moment they had ever shared crossed her mind. She thought, was I making it all up? Did he even love me? Or was it all really a lie?

Her nightmare-come true was the main thought that projected in her dreams that night. She jolted awake countless times, before finally waking in the early morning.

She walked into the kitchen, yawning. "Tony, I kind of left your suit on the alien planet Sakaar."

"Good morning to you too. I'd be more angry if that made sense." He slid her a mug. "Drink this tea, and explain to me what the hell has happened since you left Earth."

Alex slowly sipped the tea from the mug, her tongue retreating when it was slightly singed from the temperature.

"Why'd you make it so hot," She muttered.

"It's tea."

"It's hot."

"Who drinks cold tea?"

"I don't know." She whined.

"Focus, Sparky. Tell me what's going on."

"Well, we had to save Asgard from Thor and Loki's long-lost sister, Hela. The Goddess of Death. But, we fell out of the Bifrost, and ended up on this crazy planet called Sakaar. Bruce was there. But, as the Hulk." She looked to Tony to make sure he was following.

He looked utterly confused. She continued anyway.

"We escaped Sakaar, but then we had to save Asgard. Which, we didn't do. Asgard actually has been blown to dust. Then, while flying away in the Grandmaster's spacecraft, a huge ship attacked us. Killed half the ship. Thanos, this giant purple dude, is behind it."

She suddenly dropped the mug, the ceramic cup shattering on the floor. The tea was everywhere, but Alex jumped out of the chair she was in.

"He had a stone, and said he needed to collect all of them." She paced, clutching her necklace.

"You weren't making any sense before, and now you really aren't making sense."

"Loki is working with him. He has been since the attack on New York, Tony. Thanos sent Loki here, back in 2012."

"So that bastard has been lying to all of us."

"Me especially." Alex shook her head. "It doesn't matter right now. Something big is coming, like you said."

"Alex, slow down. You need to process this,"

"There's nothing to process. Loki screwed me over once, I was stupid to think he wouldn't do it again."

Tony walked over, slowly sitting Alex back down in her chair. He cleaned the tea up, letting her sit there in silence.

"Saw the rock on Pepper's hand. I'm glad you two worked things out." She said, breaking the quiet.

"Me too. God knows I don't deserve her for what I put her through."

"We'll do anything for the ones we love, won't we?"

Tony looked at her twiddling with her fingers.

"I know you loved him." Tony spoke. "I could see it."

"It feels different this time."

"What does?"

"The betrayal."

"You're not shocked this time."

She shrugged. "I just thought...we'd been through so much since that. I thought it was real. He seemed so real."

"He's the God of Mischief." Tony deadpanned.

"I don't know. Maybe I was too blinded to see why we wouldn't work."

"You'll get through this, Alex. We could use your full focus now, anyway." Tony squeezed her shoulder.

"You have it. I missed fighting by your side, anyway. The whole Avenger 'civil war' thing was fun, but, we're all better as a team."

"Did you have fun? I didn't really have fun so much as a heart attack or two."

"That's only 'cause you lost."

"Sure." He rolled his eyes. "Hey, meant to ask, what'd you think of the kid? I think he shows real promise."

"He does. Immature, but he's got potential."

"You had to grow first before becoming one of us."

"And so will he." Alex smiled. "What's his name?"

"Peter Parker. Or, as he'd prefer, Spider-Man."

"Jesus, even the kid has a name. I'm really slacking here."

Tony laughed.

"What do you say we go on a run?"

"Sure, Tony."

She back to her room to change into running attire, trying not to take too long. She fastened her hair into a ponytail, and stopped to look at herself in the mirror. Her face was still slightly puffy, and the cuts were still fresh.

She didn't like the weakness that was evident in the girl that stared back at her. Alex silently promised herself to be strong this time. She would not let this stand in her way, for she was better than that. She was incredibly strong, and would prove it.

Loki had betrayed her, but it didn't matter. She would pick her head up, put on a strong face, and lastly, kick some ass.

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𝚕𝚘𝚔𝚒 𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙.