CHAPTER FIFTEEN —
( Yes, ma'am. )

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Evelyn, Natasha, and Steve boarded a Quinjet to take them to Germany, with Natasha flying it.

"How're you feeling?" Evelyn asked Steve as they sat side-by-side on a bench.

"It's good to be back saving the world," he said.

"Alright, lovebirds. I've parked us down around the corner of where Loki is. You might want to get out because he's attracted a crowd," Natasha informed the duo.

"Thanks, Nat," Evelyn said as she opened the back of the quinjet. She and Steve hopped out and quickly approached Loki, who had produced holograms of himself standing intimidatingly around a group of civilians.

"Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state?" Loki grinned at everyone who was kneeling in front of him.

"That son of a bitch," Evelyn mumbled.

"Language," Steve mumbled.

"It's the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel," Loki finished his speech to a crowd of Germans, some of whom probably didn't even know what he said.

From the crowd, an elderly man stood up and faced him. "Not to men like you," he said.

"There are no men like me," Loki laughed.

"There are always men like you," The man said. Evelyn nudged Steve to signal that they should get going, and they hurried over towards the man.

"Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example." Loki pointed his sceptre at the old man and was about to execute him when the light glowed a bright blue. Just as the energy beam shot out, Steve jumped before the man with his shield facing Loki. The beam rebounded from the shield and hit Loki instead.

Evelyn stopped before the man and helped him up after he fell from shock. "Danke," he said.

"Bitte schön," Evelyn smiled back and then turned around.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing," Steve told Loki.

"The soldier," Loki chuckled as he used the sceptre to stand up. "A man out of time."

"He's not the only man out of time," Evelyn stepped out from behind Steve. "You're over a thousand years old, and you finally need a walking stick? I congratulate you."

Loki chuckled, then opened his arms out. "My dearest Evelyn. Oh, how it is lovely to see my beautiful daughter again."

Steve turned towards Evelyn in question. "What? I told you my father was out of the picture," Evelyn shrugged. Above them, the Quinjet hovered with a machine gun pointed at Loki.

"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down," Natasha ordered.

Loki sent a blast at the Quinjet. Natasha manoeuvred away from it just in time, giving Steve time to throw his shield at Loki. They both began to fight as Evelyn stood to the side just in case Steve needed her. Loki flung Steve to the ground. Steve then threw his shield, but Loki swatted it away. Eventually, Steve was knocked down by Loki, who pointed his sceptre against Steve's head.

Evelyn ran up to Loki and kicked his chest with such impact that it knocked him back. He looked up at Evelyn and sighed.

"I'm not going to hit my daughter."

"That's your problem."

Evelyn punched his face, then ducked under a swing of his sceptre. She kept kicking and throwing punches his way, some making him and some not. Eventually, she could knock the sceptre away and unsheathe her katana to point it at his throat. "Stand down, Loki."

ACDC's 'Shoot To Thrill' began playing through the Quinjet's speakers. Evelyn didn't allow herself to react as her gaze stayed on Loki. Iron Man landed beside her and aimed his blasters at Loki

"Make your move, Reindeer Games," Tony's robotic voice said. Loki placed his hands up in surrender and made his armour materialise away. "Good move," Tony said and got rid of his weapons.

Steve came running up beside Evelyn and Tony and looked down at Loki. "Mr Stark," he greeted.

"Captain," Tony greeted back

Tony took the face mask off and looked at Evelyn. "Evie! I hardly recognise you. You look—wow, better than I remembered." Evelyn rolled her eyes.

"I would advise you not to flirt with my daughter before me," Loki glared at Tony.

Evelyn walked up to Loki and cuffed his hands behind his back. "Come on, we are going to go have some Father-daughter time," she told him as they all began walking towards the Quinjet that Natasha parked. "Like, coming to my work. Meeting my friends. Seeing my place. Things like that."

"Oh, how I have waited for moments like this," Loki sarcastically said as Evelyn got him to sit on the bench. She sat down on the one opposite him and rolled her eyes.

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It was silent in the Quinjet. No one decided to talk. Tony and Steve were standing off the side, Natasha was flying the jet, and Loki and Evelyn were having a staring contest.

"Not a word," Natasha said over the headset to Fury. "Even Eve's being strangely quiet."

"I don't like it," Steve said to Tony.

"What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?" Tony asked.

"I don't remember it ever being that easy. This guy packs a wallop," Steve looked back at Loki.

"Still, you are pretty spry for an older fellow. What's your thing? Pilates?" Tony asked.

"What?" Steve asked.

"It's like callisthenics. You may have missed a couple of things, you know, doing time as a Capsicle."

"Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in," Steve said.

"Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you."

Steve looked back at Loki and then at Evelyn. "So he's your biological father?"

"Yeah, can't you see the resemblance?" Evelyn asked, gesturing between her and Loki. They looked very much alike, with hair, eyes, height, and skin colour. Suddenly, thunder and lightning struck the jet, making it shake violently.

"Where's this coming from?" Natasha asked wearily.

Thunder rumbled overhead, and Loki stared out the window intently. "What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?" Steve asked.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows," Loki mumbled.

"I think we're about to welcome the God of Thunder," Evelyn announced.

There was a bang on the roof, and Tony thought it would be a good idea to open the back of the Quinjet. Thor landed on the ramp, and when Tony was about to blast him with his repulsers, Thor hit him back with his hammer. Thor marched up to Loki and grabbed a hold of him, and Loki grabbed onto Evelyn, dragging her with him.

Evelyn groaned as they neared the edge. "Family meeting," she called back to everyone else on the jet, and Thor flew out.

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The wind brushed past the trio, making Evelyn's hair go crazy in the wind. She held Thor as tightly as possible, especially as the earth drew closer. Thor suddenly slammed Loki into the top of a mountain but held onto Evelyn so she wouldn't fall.

Thor raised Mjolnir as he looked down at his brother. "Where is the Tesseract?"

Loki laughed, "I missed you too."

"Do I look to be in a gaming mood?!" Thor asked. Evelyn decided to sit to the side and not interrupt, considering it looked like a brother talk.

"Oh, you should thank me. With the Bifrost gone, how much dark energy did the Allfather have to muster to conjure you here? Your precious Earth," Loki asked. Thor dropped Mjolnir, causing the mountain to quake.

Thor walked over and picked Loki up, his gaze softening. "I thought you dead," he said softly.

"Did you mourn?" Loki asked.

"We all did. Our father—"

"Your father," Loki interjected. "He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?" Thor let go of Loki, who walked away.

"We were raised together, we played together, we fought together. Do you remember none of that?"

Loki turned around. "I remember a shadow. Living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss. I was and should be king!"

"So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights? The world your daughter lives on?" Thor said. "No, the Earth is under my protection, Loki."

"I don't care what happens to all of them. I only care for my daughter," Loki spat back. "I deserve to rule them. Hopefully, with Evelina by my side."

"You think yourself above them?" Thor said.

"Well, yes."

"Then you miss the truth of ruling, brother. Throne would suit you ill," Thor said. Angrily, Loki shoved his brother to the side. He walked back up to the ledge and turned around.

"I've seen worlds you've never known about! I have grown, Odinson, in my exile! I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I wield it—" Thor cut Loki off.

"Who showed you this power? Who controls the would-be-king?" Thor asked.

"I am a king!"

"Not here! You give up the Tesseract! You give up this poisonous dream!" Thor took a deep breath. "You come home."

"I don't have it." Thor conjured up Mjolnir and pointed it at Loki. "You need the cube to bring me home, but I've sent it off I know not where."

"You listen well, brother. I—" Thor was suddenly tackled off the mountain by Iron Man.

There was a brief silence.

"I'm listening," Loki said.

"You think I'd stand by your side as you rule?" Evelyn asked him as she walked over to the mountain's edge and sat down.

"I hoped you would," Loki said as he sat beside her.

"I'm sorry, Loki, but after everything I've been through, I won't let another person rule over my life and hurt those I love," she told him.

He sighed. "I know."

Thor and Tony fought for a short while, with Thor blasting Iron Man with lightning and Iron Man fighting back with his repulsers. Suddenly, Captain America's shield ricocheted off Thor and Iron Man, stopping them. They looked up to see Steve on top of a fallen tree with his shield back in hand. The fight ended with Thor leaping into the air and smashing his hammer against Steve's vibranium shield. No damage came to Steve, but the forest's surrounding trees all fell.

Evelyn stood up after all of the men rose to their feet. She called out, earning their attention, with Loki even looking up at her. "If you three fight each other again, I will personally beat the crap out of all of you. Understood?"

There was a chorus of, "Yes, Ma'ams."