In The Shadows | Loki

YOU HAPPEN TO BE A PART OF THE PLAN

"You guys are extremely rude, just so you know!" The guards drop me in Jane's chambers without hesitation. The doors close behind them, and I sigh, letting my shoulders drop.
        "Ophelia? Are you okay?" I turn to where Jane is sitting on the bed, looking at me curiously. "Why didn't you just use your powers to make them stop?" I purse my lips.
        "Every use of my powers drain me. I'm going to ration them as best I can." I reply, moving to sit on the bed next to her. Jane frowns, shifting her position slightly.
        "How long do you think we'll be here?" I shrug.
        "I'm not sure. I do know Thor won't like this when he finds out, but I'm also not sure how much he can do." Jane moves forward slightly.
        "But?" She prompts.
        "Knowing Thor, we won't be here for very long." I smirk, and she relaxes back. "Honestly. Lets just rest as much as we can." I lay back on the bed. "I have a feeling I'm going to need it."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

        "You've been requested." A strong voice knocks me out of my half-asleep state. Jane moves to stand. "Not you." I pull myself to my feet, quickly fixing my disheveled appearance.
        "And Jane?"
        "She is to stay here for a while longer." The guard replies stiffly. I nod, glancing back at Jane before following the guard out the door and down the hallways. He stops suddenly, and I look up in confusion.
        "Lady Sif, my debt to you is paid."
        "Agreed. Thank you." The guard turns and leaves, and I face the warrior in front of me. She gives me a long look. "He owed me a favor."
        "I noticed." My reply makes the corners of her lips twitch in a small smile. "Just one question. What about Jane?" Sif's smile immediately drops.
        "Thor needs you right now, not her. We'll retrieve her soon if everything goes to plan." I raise an eyebrow, but motion for her to lead the way. It's oddly quiet as we move through the halls, and I realize quickly that Sif is taking me through back ways. Little used hallways and servant's stairs. "Thor seems to believe you are extremely powerful."
        "I tend to be, when I'm not dying." My blunt answer surprises her. "He did tell you how I get my power, yes?" She nods. "Well, it adds up. Quickly."
        "And you have a hold on it?"
        "It'd be disastrous if I didn't." Another curt nod. "What does Thor need me for?"
        "To get Loki on our side. We're going after Malekith." I let out a small, humorless laugh as she peers around a corner, and she turns to me curiously.
        "You don't trust me because you believe Loki trusts me."
        "If I didn't trust you, it would be because I didn't know you. I do trust you because you saved the life of my queen." She replies after a long moment. "I trust you because Thor trusts you." I nod at that, and it goes quiet for a while.
        "So." Sif turns her head to indicate that she's listening. "How long have you had a crush on Thor?" She starts, eyes wide. I smile. "It's not hard to see, and one of my  powers is reading minds." Her hand moves to her head. "I don't use it, but you did just confirm my suspicion, thank you."
        "I can see why Loki might like you." She scowls.
        "Ophelia." I'm surprised when I see Thor. "Do you think you can convince Loki to help us?"
        "You seem to think I can." I shrug. "So lets go. Lead the way." He looks to Sif and gives her a single nod, and she disappears back around a corner. Thor leads me down a small, servant's stairway. We go deeper and deeper until it breaks into a large room. It takes me a moment to recognize the dungeons from outside. Thor leads me to the one in the center, staying along the one solid wall. He motions for me to stay hidden for a moment, showing himself to Loki.
        "Thor. Come to visit me after all this time? Why?" Loki asks.
        "We need your help Loki." Thor says in a hard voice. Loki lets out a low, humorless chuckle.
        "Oh how far the mighty have fallen." Loki murmurs. "What makes you think I will help you? What makes Odin believe that I-"
        "The Allfather doesn't know I am here." Thor's interruption makes Loki go silent for a few moments. Thor looks to me, and I have a feeling Loki follows my gaze.
        "Is your beloved here with you?" He asks, venom lacing his tone.
        "Thor, I'm your beloved? How the hell do we break it to Jane?" I ask, stepping out. "That's going to be a rough conversation." Loki stills, his eyes scanning me. I send him a small smile. "How are you doing Honey? You lost all of your prison friends." He scowls.
        "Why are you here? To convince me to join?" He mocks Thor, and I shake my head.
        "I honestly don't know why I'm wasting what little time I have left here." His eyes narrow. "I could be out perusing Asgard, or I could go home. But Thor asked me for help, so I'm here."
        "Little time you have left?" He repeats.
        "Well, I'm dying, so there's that." I shrug. "I think I am, at least. Whatever's in Jane's system keeps attacking me, and using any power for a little while makes me feel like I'm dying. It's getting worse. Let's just say I read between the lines." Loki looks to Thor, who nods once. "Anyway, I'm just hoping whatever this Malekith guy does to remove the Aether from Jane might help me out. You happen to be a part of the plan to help." I frown and turn to Thor. "Which I haven't been filled in on, by the way." He raises an eyebrow. "Just saying."
        "You think she can convince me to help you?" Loki asks.
        "I think," I begin, stopping whatever Thor was about to say, "that you both owe me."
        "Excuse me?" Loki asks, a curious look crossing his face. I cross  my arms over my chest.
        "Look, I get it. You saved my life, and I saved yours. That entire life debt situation is done with." I frown settles on his face. "But I just saved your mother," I glance at Thor, "and your "beloved."" Thor looks down, and I look back at Loki. "Not to even mention the fact that I was the only person that realized that you weren't exactly you when you tried to take over the world. I trusted you not to kill me when you came back to your senses, and I was right to trust you. You saved my life instead." It's silent. "Look, I trusted you, you can trust me.
        Loki's jaw is set, and he doesn't say a word.  I sigh. "You do realize that if our plan fails because you aren't there, Malekith will destroy Asgard. Honey, you'll be destroyed with it." Again, neither of them say anything. I sigh. "Fine. There you go Thor. That was my attempt to bring him to our side. I'm leaving." I walk away, and neither of them try to stop me.
        I'm almost out of earshot when Loki speaks.
        "Is she really dying?" My footsteps falter, and I slow, listening. If I had been normal, I wouldn't be able to hear a thing. I was lucky.
        "She and Mother both seem to believe so." Thor replies. "And if what's in Jane is killing Ophelia, then it's killing her as well."
        "An infinity stone tends to do that." I walk quickly, moving up the stairs. If Thor could convince Loki to join, more power to him.
        I wait about ten steps from the entrance to the hallway, sitting on the stairs with my back against the wall. I was in the shadows enough that no one could see me either way, and I could hear anyone coming. I hear a pair of footsteps coming up the stairs after a while, and I crane my neck to see Thor, Loki walking by his side. I pull myself to my feet with more difficulty than I was used to, a hand gripping the rail for stability.
        "Are you going to fill me in on the plan now?"