♤Magical Entertainment♤《 Loki X OC 》

Chapter 9 ~ Taking the stage

Recap:

"Let's show them magic."

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A few moments after Peitho was announced, black smoke slowly started to creep out from underneath the curtains. Some rolled out onto the floor, while some blew up into the air, and soon it became impossible to see anything inside the dome of thick smoke. The smoke on the floor slowly made its way over to the platforms by the walls, climbing the stairs and snaking around people's feet. Natasha looked over at Loki.

"Is that illusions, or what's going on?" She asked quietly. Loki bent down in his seat and touched one of the tendrils. It swirled up his finger before retreating like a dog sniffing a hand before finding something more interesting.

"I don't know. It looks and feels like real smoke, but it has a mind of its own," Loki answered, straitening his back once more as he turned to look at the drapes again. A small head stuck out from behind them, looking around nervously.

"Is that her?" Natasha asked.

"No, she is one of many failed experiments of this place. Number 22 1B, to be exact. They tried to make an aquatic humanoid but realized that the mermaid route had too many downsides, so they scrapped her," Tony read from the girl's file that he had brought up on his glasses, using a small camera in said glasses to run facial recognition on her.

"Now that is a good illusion," Loki commented. They looked up to see the girl swimming out from behind the curtains as if she was in the water. To Loki, it was obvious that she had illusions covering her tail and body since they flowed and flickered black like a ripple with her every move, but for some reason, he couldn't see through them, which was mildly frustrating. A master sorcerer with 1 000 years of training couldn't see through an untrained mutant's illusions. To say he was impressed with her skill would be a shameful understatement. To the rest of the guests in the audience, she just looked like a beautiful mermaid, and there were many ohs and ahs as she swam towards the middle, stopping short just before the circle and nervously looking around the room as if searching for someone.

"Come in, come, my child. We mustn't lurk in doorways. It's rude. One might question your upbringing." Everyone turned to the voice that spoke up from the middle of the room. The smoke had risen into a pillar as the voice spoke before a tall, beautiful, young Latina emerged from it. Wolf whistles and catcalls rang throughout the room as she sauntered over to a table with a big mirror that had appeared out of the smoke and sat down on the stool in front of it. Tony let out a low whistle at her outfit. Nat raised an eyebrow at him and shook her head before bringing her attention back to the scene in front of them.

"Now, then, you're here because you have a thing for this human, this prince fellow. Not that I blame you, he's quite the catch," she chuckled as she fluffed her raven hair in the mirror. The smoke formed a dark red lipstick that she picked up and applied to her lips.

"Well then, darling, the solution to your problem is simple. The only way to get what you want is to become a human yourself." The woman looked at the girl portraying Ariel through the mirror.

"Can you do that?" She asked with wide eyes. Music started playing from the speakers, starting up to Poor unfortunate souls. The mutant gave a knowing smirk before changing her demeanor to one of sympathy as she turned to the mermaid again.

"My dear, sweet child. That's what I do. That's what I live for, to help unfortunate merfolk, like yourself, poor souls with no one else to turn to." Peitho gracefully rose from her seat and put a long nail under Ariel's chin, who flinched at the contact. The mutant seemed amused by this as she backed away, with the smoke following her every move, clinging to her long black skirt. Then she sang, and that voice was a sound that could never be forgotten. It sparkled with malice, beautiful yet terrifying, alluring and powerful like a siren.

~I'll admit that in the past. I've been a nasty. They weren't kidding when they called me, well, a witch. But you'll find that nowadays, I've mended all my ways. Repented, seen the light, and made a switch. True? Yes. And I fortunately know a little magic. It's a talent that I always have possessed. And here lately, please don't laugh. I use it on behalf, of the miserable, the lonely, and depressed. Pathetic!~

Peitho created sparkles from her hands as she moved away from Ariel. She pointed a finger at her before making a gesture out to the audience, making three upward motions with her arms, and, one by one, three people stood up in beat with the labels. She paused in her step and looked them up and down before delivering the last line in a dry, disgusted tone as whispers echoed her sentiment from every corner of the room. The people who had stood quickly sat down again, looking embarrassed.

"Did she make them stand up?" Tony asked hurriedly.

"Going by the looks on their faces, I would say so, but I don't know," Nat answered, focused on the performance.

~Poor unfortunate souls. In pain, in need. This one longing to be thinner. That one wants to get the girl. And do I help them? Yes, indeed!~

Once again, two more people stood up, an overweight lady on the other side of the room, and, to their surprise, Loki stood as well. When Peitho laid eyes on the man, she paused for a second. Her expression turned confused before returning to the confident mask and continuing her performance.

~Those poor unfortunate souls. So sad, so true. They come flocking to my cauldron. Crying, "Spells, Peitho, please!" And I help them, yes I do!~

"Loki, why the fuck did you stand up. She's seen you," Tony cursed as Loki sat down with a confused expression.

"Do you think I did it willingly? It was the lady," Loki snapped back as he studied the mutant who twirled and swayed down on the floor, enthralling her audience with song and movement.

"We have to get out of here before she passes on the information," Nat dictated and stood up.

"What about the veils?" Tony asked.

"We've got everything we need and no time to argue. Let's go," Nat whisper yelled. The boys stood up as well, and they made their way out of the building as confused and suspicious looks followed them. Tony hailed them a taxi that stood outside, and they sped away toward the hotel to pick up their things before hopping in the cab again and taking it to the airport.

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Why were there more illusions?

She had thought she was the only one that could create them. Clearly not. Why were they here? What did they want? Who were they? So many questions. So few answers. She and Laŭra were done with their performance, and the whole way back to her prep room, the only thing the Latina could think of was that green shimmer and waves that covered the man she forced up. When she thought about it, she had seen two more people covered with the same green as him. Why would they need to wear illusions anyway?

"They're not supposed to be here," she mumbled, not realizing she spoke out loud. Her handler's head snapped towards her.

"What, minx? You know I hate it when you mumble," He demanded, irritated.

"There were other illusions than mine tonight, sir," she answered, looking to the floor. He studied her for a long time before hurrying them toward her prep room. He pushed her inside and took off her handcuffs.

"No more performances tonight. Get ready for bed," he ordered before leaving and slamming the door behind him, probably off to report her observation to the matron. Peitho sat down in front of a mirror and started removing her makeup. She had just time to throw the cotton pads into the trash before her handler threw open the door, making her jump.

"Be ready. Five minutes. You're being moved." He informed before slamming the door shut and running off again. Peitho scrambled off her chair and struggled out of her outfit. Slipping her nightdress over her body, she pulled her hair into a bun at the back of her head. Rushing to the bathroom, she brushed her teeth and fulfilled her other needs as well. Someone banged on the other side of the door. She ran out of the bathroom and fell to her knees just as her handler and three other men came into the room. Her handler came up to her and pressed a button on her collar. It triggered a needle that shot into her neck, making her incredibly dizzy. Anesthesia. Probably enough to knock out a horse just so they could be sure that she stayed asleep.

"Sweet dreams, littleminx," he bid her before she slumped to the floor, blacking out.