Intertwine

13 - There's Always Revenge

ALINA

"Are you sure about this?" Tony asked me as I checked my blood sugar levels on my bed. I'd already taken my heart rate. It was just the usual evening tests, just this time tensions were higher. I was about to walk into a cell with one of the most dangerous criminals in the world.

"Me? Of course not." I shrugged. "Are you ever sure about what you do?"

He shrugged and gave me a look as though to say touché.

"Besides. He's not going to kill me, not if he ever wants to get out. There was no reason for him making sure I stayed alive all that time if he just snapped my neck now."

"Do you even know what kind of bargain we want?" Tony stood up as I did.

"I don't know what kind of bargain you guys want, but I want him up here with Roara. It would be useful if after that he'd help us take down the guys who shot her. I'm doing this for her, not the rest of you. It just so happens to be that she's the key to everything you guys want to know, and what the scientists wanted." I sighed. "They call themselves the Ascendency. They want to ascend. My Russian isn't very good, but from what I could understand and from what Loki told me, they want to be able to 'ascend'. Become more than they are. But it's dangerous. I was the only one to make it through the process and that was only because I kept inflicting my own pain onto the scientists. They only put me through so much. I can't heal myself though, so that's pretty sucky. They wanted this girl who had been through the process and had come out the other side already. Loki told me he was working with them for her. To throw them off her scent. They had photos of her home Tony. I didn't even clock it at the time, but when Wanda said she had wisteria around her door... I don't think Loki was there to help them. I think he was tricking them."

"Why you?" Tony thought aloud. "Why did he make sure they didn't kill you."

"I honestly don't know." I admitted. "I suppose I'm going to find out though."

"I don't even know why I'm letting you do this." He rubbed his face. "Fine, alright."

I gave him a quick and awkward hug. "It'll be fine." I flashed him a smile and disappeared down the corridor.

Loki was sat on his chair this time, leaning forwards in anticipation.

"You asked for me," I raised my arms. "Here I am." I nodded to the camera. The glass panel disappeared and I stepped inside, hearing it seal behind me.

"How is she?" Loki asked me. He seemed... almost broken.

"Not great." I sat on the bed.

He ran a hand through his hair. "This is for her, you understand. Not for them."

"You think I'm here for them? She didn't need to break me out, she wasn't there to save me."

"I think you're here for yourself." He replied cooly.

"Perhaps a bit. Why did you stop them from killing me? And why not break me out like she did?"

He rolled his eyes. "You think it wouldn't look suspicious if I stopped them from killing you and suddenly you escaped? You were too weak to get out of that compound alone and I was not going to let you interfere with the trust I'd built with them."

"Why did you save me Loki? Why not the others?"

"Honestly? I don't know." He shrugged.

We sat in silence for a moment. "Do you want to feel it?" I asked.

"No." He replied.

"Well I've been holding it for about 10 minutes now, it's getting rather painful to keep in." I grimaced.