ARCHANGEL (Marvel Fanfiction)

Chapter 20. Return

"Why do you insist to bring her along when you wouldn't hand her to us?" She watched with contempt as Loki put Elizabeth down gently on the seat and buckle her up. "She belongs to Hydra."

"Belonged, woman. Past tense," Loki said as he turned to face her. "You set me free, and I'll open the portal to space again so your god can come back to earth. That's the deal, let me remind you. She is off limits."

"Our god, Hive, will be very disapproving of you." She chuckled as she turned and walked to the cockpit. "We offered our family and friends for Hive, so he can exist among us and lead us. You, more than anyone, should know that love is weakness."

Loki fell silent. Love, she said?

"We're almost there."

"You do realize that space is a very vast place, don't you? When I open the portal, how do you suppose your god could take notice of that?"

"You need to open it to a specific planet. It's called Maveth," she said flatly. "He will come."

"Listen now, I can only open a portal to a place I can vividly imagine. I can't open it to a planet I've never seen, and in this case, even hear before."

"We will show you the exact location of it. It will be your guide, and you will open it. If you don't, I will hand you back to those S.H.I.E.L.D idiots," she said as she pointed a gun at him, electricity running at its muzzle.

She smiled, "That's the deal, let me remind you."

***

Elizabeth opened her eyes at the sound of birds chirping. She was lying on the ground, shaded by a large tree.

And she was using Loki's thigh as a pillow.

She looked at him confused, trying to remember what happened. Then her memory clarified and she jumped up, glowering at him. Her cheeks flushed with anger.

"You hit me." She gritted her teeth. Loki raised both of his arms in apology.

"You were threatening to 'bring the helicopter crashing down'. I had no choice."

"Yes, you did! You could've left that stupid ambition of yours behind and come with me!" She stared him down. "You're a prisoner of your own, Loki."

"Not if that's what I really want," he whispered. She looked at him in disbelief.

"Then you're just plain evil. What are we doing here? I thought you wanted to invite your ugly alien friends for a party of destroying my home," she said cynically as she rised up and stood on her feet, looking around.

"I never said I would do that."

"This is the town near my sanctuary. How do you know this place?"

"That Hydra woman told me you lived in Utah for 50 years."

"Oh, of course. She must have been your informant for all this time." Elizabeth stomped away from Loki, who quickly got up and chased after her.

"I thought about what you said, and you're right. These humans are your people." Elizabeth didn't stop. Instead, she went faster.

"I promise I won't hurt them. For you." Loki said it loudly, and Elizabeth paused. She turned her head to him.

"Why would I believe that?"

"I give you my word."

"You won't call that ugly aliens here?"

"I won't."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

They gazed at each other's eyes, one to convince and the other to seek the truth.

***

"This is a small town. Only 50 families live here. Sometimes, during Halloween, Father would let me go here," she looked around in nostalgia. Loki had camouflaged their appearances to blend in with the humans.

It was a vibrant town. The buildings were painted in bright colors, but it was too lifeless.

"Too quiet here, but.. It seemed nice." Loki commented.

"It is." Elizabeth smiled. "I wonder where the people are. Oh, and where's that Hydra woman now?"

"I have no idea. Doing her own thing, I suppose."

Elizabeth took Loki's hand. "I'm so proud you made the right decision, eventually." She smiled genuinely at him. Loki figdeted and pulled his hand away softly.

They walked through the valley, looking around the small town. Then they saw a crowd from afar.

"So this is where all those people went to. Come on, let's check." She pulled Loki's hand and dragged him towards the crowd.

Everyone brought their whole family and wore flower necklace or bracelet. Even the babies in their mother's arms.

Elizabeth asked a kind looking woman beside her, "What occassion is this?"

"Oh, you're not from here, are you? This is our town's celebration. Everyone gathered together to thank the God for this town's safety and prosperity despite being surrounded by desert." She explained.

"Everyone, literally everyone, gathered here. Except for the sick ones that couldn't get out from bed. Luckily, today every one is healthy." Another woman beside them suddenly joined the conversation. "It doen't mater what religion you believe in. We celebrate together."

"That's really wonderful." Elizabeth smiled.

Loki moved uncomfortably, and he nudged Elizabeth. "I think you need to know something."

She was busy adoring the flower necklaces and bracelet. "What is it?", she asked nonchalantly.

"I might have done something.. critical."

Elizabeth froze. She gazed forward. Loki went in front of her but her eyes still looked in the distance, not paying any attention to him.

"Elizabeth, look at me." He started to worry that Elizabeth was under Hydra's influence again.

"You said you won't destroy my home," she whispered.

"And I will not! What are you talking about?"

"Then is it just happened to be a flying worm, or is it a Leviathan right there in the sky?" She trembled. Her eyes filled up with tears of rage, fear, and disappointment.

"Liar!" She screamed as she shot Loki with a yellow beam, sending him flying in the air and crashed to a wall.

With tears running down her face, she glared at Loki as he tried to get up from the pile of rocks from the ruined walls. She opened her hands, yellow beams formed in both of her palm. Loki put his hands forward, trying to calm her down.

"Elizabeth, I didn't do it."

She opened her mouth to scream at him, but she pressed down her emotion. She needed to get all these people to safety first.

People around her distanced themselves. They whispered to each other, mothers hugged their children, feeling alarmed towards her. She used this chance to tell them to find shelter.

"Listen, everyone. You need to get out from here. There's alien army coming," she pointed to the sky. People's eyes followed the direction of her forefinger, and they started panicking at the sight of Leviathan.

"Where should we go?" A woman asked hysterically.

"If you go through that gap between the canyon right there," she pointed to the west, "You will find a monastery. Hide there! Now run, quickly!"

The people started rushing to where Elizabeth showed them. She watched them leave and looked up to see the Leviathan flying towards the town.

She drew out her sword and flew to the sky, coming face to face with the hideous creature.