Siren Song

Taste of freedom

     The constant clanking of the chains that connected me to the guards were not enough to keep my thoughts low. I was trapped. Trapped and alone. I ran from everything I knew in search of someplace better only to be met with more guns and chains and isolated cells. I had only had a taste of freedom for a few weeks and it was bliss. But an empty pit in my stomach threatened to devour me as soon as I stepped away from the facility. Everything and everyone I knew was there. What was life like on the outside? Were there other people like me? Are there others with extraordinary abilities? My heart yearned to meet someone who could understand. I ached to hold my neck. The action kept me calm, but I restrained myself. I knew I would find a protruding scar, not the cold metal I was accustomed to. Though I am grateful to have that damned collar off my neck. I felt like a dog wearing that thing. They treated me like one too.
     I was told from a very young age that I was not human. I was something more- something to be feared. Something to be studied. And they did study me. For 13 years they have studied, questioned, isolated, and tortured me. "To test your limits",they said. I didn't seemingly have a limit. I dread the day I find it.
     We continued to walk down the never ending halls. With cameras at every turn, I couldn't take a step in any direction without being watched. Even so, I couldn't help but look through all the windows into the rooms we passed. So much lab equipment! I wonder what they use it all for. I sure know what it was used for where I came from. There must be someone here who is being tortured and studied. Someone like me!
     A wave of excitement swept over my body despite my exhaustion. It's been so long since I've had a good night's sleep. We passed by another room with two men inside. They both seemed to be thoroughly engrossed in their work and yet-I caught one of their eyes. He looked dreadfully tired. I idly wondered what life had put him through to give him such a defeated look. I wanted to speak with them. I wanted to know where I was, but I lost sight of them as we continued to walk. I would've definitely gotten lost by now. So many twists and turns, but the guards never showed any sign of slowing down. I felt my legs tremble a bit and tripped over my bare feet.
     The guard in the front make an exasperated noise as he yanked the chain around my chest making me trip even more. They slowed to a stop to let me pick myself up.
     "C'mon, kid. We don't have all day", the guard said loudly. I winced in preparation for the smack that never came. Their expressions changed to one of slight concern. Heat spread over my cheeks as realization dawned on me.
     "S-", I stopped myself in time to make my attempted apology sound more like a strangled cough. I haven't said a single word since I've been captured. I don't want to break the streak with an apology of all things.
     This is the first place I've been brought to since I was captured two days ago, so this must mean that they have a cell fit to hold me in. If I were to attempt an escape now would be the time. But I don't even know where I am! I was knocked out before I woke here! I could be anywhere! It doesn't help that the place keeps shifting slightly. Are we in a plane? Deep underground? Jeez this place is making me nervous. All these white walls reminds me of the facility. They were so glaring and empty. And they always smelled like bleach. I'm gonna go nuts here. I have to escape. No matter the cost, no matter the casualties. No! Don't think like that! Don't be the monster they said you'd be!
     I can't sing here. There's too many people. They'll get hurt. They'll be killed! But I have to get out of here! Somewhere away from people. Someplace isolated. Just the thought of that made the hollow pit in the stomach churn. Alone forever. Sacrificing my own happiness for the safety of others.
     I was so caught up in my head that I didn't even notice when we were beginning to slow. I was no longer in an empty hallway. I was now thrust into an intricate canopy of metal beams and catwalks. The glaring lights made my head hurt and it took me a moment to adjust the new, open space. Everything seemed to have a soft, blue tint to it. The subdued hue was making me sleepy.
     And then the glint of a glass cell caught my eye. A tall, lean man clad in black leather was encased inside. He had hair just as dark as the leather and bright, blue eyes. They almost seemed to glow. He was such a stark contrast to his bright surroundings. He stood there motionless. He looked so intimidating, sharp, and mesmerizing? Beautiful? What was making my heart stop? Was it fear? Love? I had never been in love before, but I've seen it in movies. And according to Hollywood, you can fall in love with just a look. But then I caught my own reflection in the glass. Scrawny, white hair, bare feet, and terrified eyes. I then remembered who I was. I was not a Hollywood star who feigned love for a living. I was a monster. And my love would kill him. My mother met her end loving me as well.
     I tore my hungry eyes away from someone I could absolutely not love to another man who stood outside the cell. Head to toe in black leather (what? Is everyone supposed to wear leather here?) and an eyepatch. He had dark skin and much darker eyes. I could feel his calculating gaze. Those dark eyes. That eyepatch. I caught my gasp just in time.
     "I know you!", I said in spite of myself. Dang it! I broke my streak! I must sound like such a child! Of course I don't know him. But I do. I'm certain I've seen his face somewhere. Why does he look so familiar? His face gave away nothing. If he knew me, I wouldn't be able to tell. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat suggested that he doesn't know me after all. But I know him. I just don't know from where yet. He finally broke his composure with a slight smirk.
     "I'm so sorry to hear. When someone says that, they usually follow it up with 'you killed my mother'" He tossed out the statement so casually. His voice was so suited for his demeanor. So deep and rough. I can't wait to use his voice.
     "Oh, you didn't. I did.", I responded without thinking. My heart plummeted to my stomach. What the hell was that, Echo? The whole room took on a new atmosphere. The man with the eyepatch, the man in the cell, and all the guards looked at me. Some looked like they didn't know whether to take me seriously or not. Others felt I was serious and needed a mental evaluation. I groaned internally. Please shoot me. The man in the cell seemed to find it amusing and laughed to himself quietly. My heart sped up.
I made him laugh! It was a joke about me killing my own mother, but I made him laugh!
     The man with the eyepatch walked over to me slowly. The sound of his heavy footfalls contrasted so vastly to the smacking of my bare feet on the cold metal floor. The sound was so imposing. I felt my fear grow with each footstep. His heartbeat stayed steady.
     We were face to face now. He eyed me intently.
     "Where are you from?" He said these words carefully. For what reason I have no idea. I also had no idea where I was from. No one told me what country I lived in. No one told me anything pertaining to outside the facility. I didn't even have a last name.
     "I'm not sure." He raised his eyebrow slightly, as if he didn't believe me. I wouldn't believe me either. "And even if I did know, I couldn't tell you."
     "Name?" He was quick to fire off another question.
     "I can't tell you that either."
     "Birthday?" He asked hopefully. I shook my head, resolved that I would reveal nothing. I must look pathetic. Twenty years old and don't even know where I came from. I knew nothing about myself and I know nothing of life here. I'm guessing that's how they wanted me to feel. If I knew nothing of life outside the facility, I would always be too scared to leave. I went to reach for my neck again, but again I stopped myself. The man was quick to notice this.
     "Let me see that," he demanded. He went to reach for my chin and I flinched back defensively. He must've seen the terror in my eyes. "Please." He said this a bit softer. I wanted to trust him. I wanted someone to latch onto so I won't feel so unsteady. Was that why I was struck by the man in the cell? Was it not love I felt, but the need to be protected by someone? Am I that weak?
     I lifted my chin reluctantly, baring my gruesome scar to this stranger. I hope he doesn't think it's ugly. I wish I could see his face. The glaring lights on the ceiling hurt to look at. My eyes darted around in search of a dark point to fixate my gaze on, but there were no shadows. The lights were too overpowering. Why did everything have to be so bright? I felt the man get closer to my neck and sweat began to form on my head. He's so close. I can feel his breath. Please don't touch it. Please don't touch it. Please don't touch it.
     The moment his probing finger made contact with the scar, it's like I wasn't even there anymore. I was back at the facility. I was writhing on the floor feeling helpless as the electrical currents from the shock collar seized my muscles and rendered me immobile. I was completely at the mercy of whoever was nearby. The pain finally let up and I was able to catch my breath. I clutched my neck gasping as I glorified this feeling. That hurt so bad! And it wouldn't have even happened if I had just done what I was told!
     My vision allowed me to see a pair of boots beside my shaking body.  Then one of them flew into my stomach with a swift kick knocking out all the air that I had been sucking up. I began to sob quietly as the pair of boots made their way to the cell door.
"When you're ready to apologize for disobeying me, we can try again."  My father punctuated his sentence with a slam of the metal door. I tried in vain to reach out to the sounds of his fading footsteps.  "I'm sorry." I felt myself blackout from the pain and exhaustion.
     I opened my eyes again to see the man with the eyepatch across the room from me. All of the guns had their guns drawn and pointed at me. Wasn't he just right in front of me? Why did he back away? And why was I on the floor? I looked down to see myself a tangle of chains. Oh god, what did I do?
     The man approached me, much more slowly and cautiously than before. Did I scare him? I looked to the man in the cell. He seemed to reassess his viewpoint on me, like I had suddenly become much more interesting. I returned my gaze to the man who was now looking down on me.
     "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that. Did I hurt you?" I asked. Now I really sound like a child. No one is going to believe me when I tell them how old I am. He considered my apology for a moment, but he didn't answer my question. He gave a quick nod to the guards as they hoisted me up and began removing chains.
     The man stepped to the cell and opened the door with a button. It made a sound like gas being dispensed from a pipe. Nothing like the screeching sound I was familiar with. He looked at me expectedly. My heart sunk as I willingly allowed myself to be trapped. My feet felt like ice as I stepped inside the thick glass prison. My eyes locked with the mysterious man as the door closed behind me. Such a beautiful blue. I could get lost in those eyes. I wonder what his voice sounds like.
     I turned around to try to keep the eyepatch man here as long as possible. Maybe the longer I talk with him, the easier it'll be to remember him. He was already walking away. No! Don't leave me alone with him!
     "Wait! What's your name?" He stopped just before the entrance way. He didn't turn around as he spoke.
     "I am Director Fury." He continued to talk as he left. "And you shouldn't turn your back to that man. He's killed a lot of people to earn his place in that cell."  I listened to his fading footsteps for as long as I could, but the further he got from me, the more his footsteps were drowned out by other sounds. I could hear voices. About 5 of them. They were all arguing. I could only pick out a few words. Most of them I couldn't even understand. Something about a tesseract and a suit? The more I listened, the more confused I got. Then I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight. I was being watched.
     I placed my back against the glass wall as casually as I could manage, but the man saw right through me. He gave a slight chuckle before pacing back and forth in front of me. He never took his eyes off me. It made me nervous. I just couldn't tell if it was scared nervous or love nervous. Probably just scared nervous. I don't have an ounce of life experience to be able to tell if I was in love with this creature. I began to note his strange appearance. At a glance it would seem he was wearing some type of tailored trench coat, but it was just all so strange. Angular shapes, geometric patterns, and sharp shoulders all lined with gold and green. His skin was so pale; It might even be as pale as mine. His cheekbones were sculpted to a perfect point and his dark hair was styled in a disarray of spikes. Everything about this man was sharp and angular. He stepped from one side of the cell to the next without missing a beat.
     He seemed to move like a jungle cat. So sleek and agile. Would I be able to tell when he was going to pounce? If he attacked me, could I fend him off? Could I fight?
Wouldn't have to fight if you would just sing. No. That was the easy way out and it would easily kill him. He probably wouldn't even attack me. He's just trying to scare me. Psyche me out. I focused on the sound of his heartbeat. So steady, but strained at the same time. I smirked a tiny bit. I was right. He was just trying to intimidate me. Maybe I don't have to worry about him. Or maybe he just doesn't feel fear. I pushed that haunting thought out of my mind.
     I did have to worry about the cell though. If it truly was made out of glass like it seemed to be, then shattering it would be easy. I've shattered glass much thicker than this. But this man would not survive that. There's no way he would still be alive after hearing it. I looked into his striking blue eyes again. Am I willing to kill this man in order to escape? To toss a stranger's life aside so quickly just to see the outside. Am I that kind of person?
     "Tell me what it is you're pondering so hard on." I looked back at him to see he had slowed down his pace considerably; the way one does during a conversation. Oh and that voice! I knew it wouldn't disappoint! It was smooth like velvet, deep, and alluring! It fit him so well! My heart swelled at the sound.
     "You have a beautiful voice." He stopped and processed my words a short moment. Probably wondering if it was a genuine compliment. He must have decided it was and started to advance on me. I panicked and wished I could disappear. I couldn't possibly get closer to the wall. There was nowhere to run. He stopped suddenly about five inches from me. I couldn't hear his heartbeat over the hammering sound of my own. It was so loud that I was sure even he could hear it.
     "Im pleased to hear you're so fond of it, but I feel as though you're avoiding my question." I felt my face grow hot as I tried not to panic. I have a bad habit of telling the truth when I'm nervous.
     "I was just wondering if you were going to kill me?" It was honest, but not quite on the mark. I could see the camera in my peripheral vision and I'm sure Fury would be notified if I were to say I was thinking of a way to escape. God, that camera. I hate that thing. There's one just like it in my cell in the facility. The man chuckled lowly in a way that made my stomach flutter.
     "Not unless you give me a reason," he stated. He seemed to be more relaxed with me. Relaxed enough to carry on a conversation this long, at least.
     "I'll do my best to avoid that." He chuckled again. I cleared my throat nervously. "I don't think I ever caught your name," I urged. I felt like I was pressing my luck asking for his name as this guy was obviously a loose cannon. To my surprise he replied in a perfectly polite, almost gentleman like tone.
     "I am Loki, of Asgard." Asgard? That explains his strange clothes. He looked at me expectedly. He obviously wanted my name in return, but I felt reluctant to say. Giving out any personal information could mean trouble for me. I had to be careful about the questions I answered. A name could be all a clever man needed to find out everything about me. And I've run too far to be stopped now.
     "Sorry, but I'm not too keen to give my name to a stranger. Especially not to a murderer." His expression was nothing short of bemused, but his tone told me he wasn't too happy about my answer.
     "You should be careful about your tone with me. I do not tolerate disrespect and I'm not known to be forgiving." His demeanor had completely changed. I once again pressed my back into the wall as much as possible.
     "I'm gonna try to ignore the threatening implications of your sentence and give you a nickname. Sound okay?" I regretted each word as soon as I said them.
     "Fine," he said in an aggravated tone.
"It's Echo." His face fell. It looked like he had never had to deal with someone as frustrating as me for this long without killing them.
"You've got to be joking." I narrowed my eyes.
"Says the guy whose name is 'Loki'." He slammed his fist on the glass wall directly next to my head. The sound echoed through our cell and rattled my ears.
"Play nice, you two. I don't want to have to come in there and break it up," Director Fury's voice rang through a speaker on the wall opposite of us. I looked at Loki's emotionless face. I honestly would've rather seen him angry. His blank face and empty eyes made him seem less human.
  He turned his heal to me and sauntered off to the metal bench at the far end of the cell without another word. Director Fury was right. I should've been more careful. He'd kill me in an instant if I got in the way of his goal. I wonder what his goal is? Can't be anything good.
     The booming sound of an explosion bounced between my ears accompanied by a sudden tilt. I reached out for anything to hold onto, but there was nothing I could grip. I met the ground with a thud and looked at my cell mate. He seemed perfectly unaffected by it all.
     "What the hell was that?" I asked, knowing he probably wouldn't answer me. We tilted at such an extreme degree. It lead me to believe my earlier hunch was right. We have to be in a plane. God I hope we're not over water. My heart thudded and threatened to beat out of my chest. I thought my situation couldn't possibly get any worse, but then I heard a violent roar stretch across the room. What the hell kind of animal could have made that noise? What other monsters are they keeping in this place? Loki placed a psychotic smile on his face.
     "Don't tell me you're enjoying all of this," I accused. His smile didn't waver as he made his way towards me. He squatted down to my level and sighed in an apologetic sort of way. It made me nervous.
     "Terribly sorry, but I have a pesky feeling you're going to get in my way." He shot out his hand so quickly I didn't have time to guard my vulnerable throat before I was greeted with darkness.