Cassandra escaped the drifts, slogging her way to the shoveled path cutting a ribbon through the park. It was cold. Very cold. She rubbed her arms wishing she had grabbed her coat before leaving.

A man in a green peacoat walking his dog gave her an odd look as she stopped to adjust her slipper. He said something in Norwegian.

Without understanding a single word Cassandra realized how crazy she looked to him. Muttering a spell, she altered her robe into a pair of sweatpants and a heavy sweatshirt. Her slippers transformed into hiking boots. Then she cast a warming spell to ease the chill from her skin and wet hair.

Witnessing every second of her magical makeover, the color drained from the Norwegian's face. His blue eyes widened in fear. Tugging on his dog's leash the man sped up, his wispy blond hair flopping around his head. He cast frantic looks over his shoulder in her direction to make sure she didn't follow.

She was too emotionally exhausted to care what the stranger thought of her. In the twenty-first century she didn't have to worry about him gathering up his buddies in the village square to come after her with torches and pitchforks.

Hopefully.

Loki's heartbroken expression swam to the forefront of her thoughts. Cassandra squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block the image. How could he do this to her? She loved him so much.

Tears streamed down her face.

Why hadn't he trusted her with the truth about Goose? No matter how awful she would have faced it and accepted the consequences.

A voice shouted excitedly in the distance.

Cassandra turned to see the Norwegian dogwalker about a hundred yards away pointing at the sky.

Craning her neck, she looked up. Thor shot through the clouds like a bullet, red cape flapping wildly behind him. Groaning, Cassandra hurriedly ducked beneath the naked branches of an aspen tree. She couldn't deal with Loki's brother in her current emotional state.

From her hiding spot she watched the Norwegian man gesture and wave to get the god's attention. He shouted something and pointed accusingly in Cassandra's direction.

Shit.

Her fingers brushed against the rough bark as she darted for a thicker trunk to hide behind. Thor arrowed down toward the Norwegian, landing on the ground in an explosion of white powder.

The dog yelped and barked furiously at the god's hunched figure cream colored fur standing on end. Thor raised his head slowly, his eyes glowed with pure electric light. He squeezed the hammer in a fist.

Cassandra watched him rise slowly to his feet, towering over the Norwegian man. Lightning sparked all around him. Something was wrong.

Thunder rumbled violently overhead. Angry clouds spiraled down toward the god's hammer. With horror Cassandra realized he was going to strike the Norwegian and his dog.

Dashing out from her hiding place, Cassandra sprinted toward them, putting everything she had into her limbs. Summoning a mystic whip, she skidded in front of the Norwegian, snapping her weapon around the hammer. "Run!" She yelled at the man.

Scooping up his dog, the Norwegian dove down the path in a desperate escape. Wind whipped at her hair and clothes, a powerful gust nearly bowled her over but she stood her ground.

Gritting her teeth, Cassandra held onto current of energy rippling from her hands. The end was starting to fray from the strain of holding Thor back. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She shouted to be heard over the storm's clamor.

No emotion crossed Thor's blank face. "Cassandra Pierce, you are coming with me!" He boomed.

Electricity rippled from the god's broad shoulders like living tentacles. Digging her heels in, Cassandra pulled on the hammer's shaft, muscles burning with the effort of trying to do the impossible and pull the weapon free of Thor's hand. "Thor this isn't funny. People are going to get hurt if you don't calm down. If this is about dinner I apologize. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

The whip finally snapped, sparks shooting into the air. Cassandra lost her mental hold on the weapon, and it vanished. Biting her lip, she raised her hands palm out, conjuring a pair of shields. What the hell was wrong with Thor? He acted like a brainless zombie.

What happened to the affable giant with an easy grin?

Free, Thor spun his hammer like a fan blade and shot forward with a burst of speed. Cassandra bent her knees and raised the shields above her as the hammer descended.

The blow sent out a shockwave of energy leveling the trees in every direction. Cassandra was driven to her knees, her shields rippling with the effort of blocking the attack. Wood shrapnel sliced across her cheek, and a trickle of blood dripped down her jaw.

Fear lodged in her throat. Cassandra had had no idea how powerful Thor was. After sparring with Loki she believed she could manage to survive an Asgardian in combat but Thor was on an entirely different level. Raw brutal power with none of Loki's finesse.

Thor flung another lightning bolt. She dodged to the left, tumbling into a pile of snow. Shaking her head, she looked up as the lightning slammed into a parked car. The vehicle exploded, the vibrations shattering the windows of a nearby coffee shop.

People fled screaming as bits of car and fire rained down all over the street.

Cassandra swore, clambering to her feet. The Mirror Dimension. Okay. She could do this. Grabbing a ball of energy, she flicked her fingers.

The air rippled and crackled spreading around Cassandra and Thor in a large circle. The light from the burning car shimmered over the fractured mirror texture of the Mirror Dimension. Breath sawed in and out of her lungs as she brushed snow off her legs with trembling hands.

She did it. Cassandra staggered back from Thor. The hammer flew back into his hand.

"Cassandra Pierce. You will come with me now!"

Of course, now she was trapped alone with a crazy god she had no hope of defeating.

Brilliant plan, Cassandra.

*************************************************************************************

A massive fireball ballooned into the sky. Loki sped from the portal to the park, a wave of heat crashing over him. He ducked, tumbling among the trees to avoid the falling debris.

"I'll take it from here. Help Cassandra." Stark flew off, blasting bits of metal to stop them from falling onto the people.

"It's Iron Man! We're saved!" People cheered.

"Get out of the street! Evacuate the area!" Stark ordered, hovering in the air until they obeyed.

Loki scanned the park, finding no sign Cassandra or his brother. He knelt beside a scorched crater, dragging his fingers through the ash. Thor had definitely been here.

There was only one place Cassandra would have taken him. Loki realized. The Mirror Dimension. He wheeled around spotting Stark above the trees. His mouth flattened. As much as he hated to admit it, in a battle of brawn, Iron Man could hold his own against Thor. Loki sent up a blast of green magic to get the man's attention. "Stark! They're in the Mirror Dimension! Come with me!"

*************************************************************************************

The vibration of the hammer's passage ruffled Cassandra's hair. It slammed into a tree, shattering it in a wave of lightning. Summoning a ball of fire to her hand, she flung it at Thor.

She missed and the fireball slammed into a snowbank.

Spots darkened her vision. Cassandra panted, her legs shaking with fatigue. Only sheer willpower kept her from toppling over into the snow. She didn't know how much longer she could endure this. Thor was relentless in his current state.

His empty gaze no longer glowed with his power which hopefully meant he was wearing down too. His arms emitted small sparks that slithered up the hammer. "You delay the inevitable, Cassandra Pierce."

Yeah, yeah. Tell her something she didn't know. Cassandra wiped the blood from her cheek. She gazed down at her red streaked palm.

Blood.

Blood was powerful fuel for spells. But Kamar Taj forbid the dark practice.

What if she used the blood to strike at Thor using a fire spell? It would be with her own blood so no harm would be done to another living creature.

No. Cassandra flinched guiltily. If she did that she'd be no better than Morgan le Fey.

Thor swung his hammer, leaving her no more time to make a choice. Cassandra ducked, the hammer gliding over her head, but she miscalculated and her foot caught on a boulder hidden in the snow.

She plowed into the snow face first. Pressing her palms in the snow she tried to rise but her arms buckled beneath her. Cassandra's head slumped against the ground as a pair of boots appeared in her vision.

A hand seized her by the collar of her sweatshirt and lifted her. She dangled in Thor's hold like a limp rag, her limbs as heavy as lead weights. Cassandra's stomach lurched and she thought she might be sick.

Her hand twitched as Thor brought her to within inches of his stern face. Damn it. She had no strength left.

Cassandra fought against a wave of despair. Why did this always happen? No matter how hard she trained she could never win. She failed her mom. She failed Tony. She failed everyone.

Lifting her chin, Cassandra met Thor's cold gaze, resigned as he lifted his hammer for a final blow. If she couldn't win, then she'd at least face her fate with dignity.

"Cassandra!" A familiar voice rang out, piercing the darkness.

She jerked with a gasp, her gaze flying toward the speaker.

Loki sped across the park long cape tail spinning behind him, daggers clutched in his hands. Sliding to a stop three feet away his boots kicked up powder. "Thor! This isn't you! You would never hurt an innocent person!"

Thor's head turned mechanically, his expression granite. "My orders are to bring Cassandra Pierce. Do not stand in my way."

"Bring her to who?" Loki demanded, eyes darting over to her. "Who ordered you to do this?"

Thor didn't answer. He turned back to Cassandra. "It must be done."

The hammer barreled toward her face. Cassandra struggled to raise her hand. Loki screamed, throwing a dagger at his brother's head. "No!"

The blade sliced through Thor's hair, sheering off a hank of blond hair.

She tried to summon her power. A few orange sparks tickled her fingertips. More. Her fingers curled into a fist. More.

More!

Power exploded from her slamming into the god. Cassandra flew backward, tumbling along the ground, her body cutting a channel through the earth. Moaning, she rolled to a stop. "Did it work?"

Thor crashed down in front of her.

"I guess not." She wheezed, her chest burning with the effort to breathe.

Spinning his hammer, Thor built up momentum. He scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder. Before she could catch her breath he shot into the sky.

*************************************************************************************

Loki watched as Iron Man pursued Thor and Cassandra. Halfway up, the suit's thrusters sputtered and died.

"What the hell-" Stark's exclamation cut off as he plummeted to the ground. The suit landed in a heap. "This shouldn't be happening. Jarvis, run diagnostics."

In a flash Cassandra's staff clattered at Loki's feet. He kicked it away angrily. "You're too late!"

The stone atop the staff glowed slightly and then floated over to him. His hand snapped up and clasped around the smooth polished wood. Loki tried to pry his hand free, but it wouldn't budge. "This is ridiculous!"

Thor appeared to be under some sort of mind control. How his brother hand fallen prey to a sorcerer worried him. A picture of Cassandra's terrified face flashed across his mind. Loki rested his head against the staff. This was all his fault.

If he had been honest with her from the start, then she wouldn't have run off and ended up being abducted by his brother.

Stark clanked over to him, his mask snapping up. "Listen, Sideshow, we'll get her back."

"How can you be sure?" Loki's anger spilled over, the superhero making an attractive target. He shoved the man. "Why do you even care? You're not Cassandra's father!"

An uncomfortable look stole over Stark's face. "Actually...as it turns out...I am."

A/N: Yay! I could finally reveal one of my plot twists! Tony is Cassie's daddy! That's why he's been in the story so much!