In The Shadows | Loki

AND THEY CALL ME THE GOD OF LIES

"What are you doing?" I turn to see Nat in the doorway, and I bring a finger to my lips, motioning for her to be quiet. She raises an eyebrow, walking quietly over to me.
        "I'm making Clint and Loki talk. I'm waiting for shouting, or for pain when Clint punches him." I murmur. "I go in, break it up, and do whatever I need to do." Nat shrugs, nodding once. "What did you need?" 
        "I got some news from Fury that you need to hear." I turn, raising an eyebrow. Nat's frown brings a sense of dread over me, and I straighten.
        "Nat, what's wrong?" She hesitates, and I turn at a new sound.
        "Oh. You found her." Steve looks a little surprised.
        "Two of you were looking for me? What the hell is happening?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest. The two of them exchange a look, and I frown. "Tell me what's going on. Now." 
        "Your brother was found dead in his cell this morning." I blink slowly, the words sinking in. "Ophelia?"
        "Suicide or murder?" I ask quietly, my eyebrows furrowing.
        "Ophelia-"
        "Murder." Nat cut Steve off, stopping his attempt to calm me down. "Two other members of his team were dead too. We think it was whoever hired them." I nod once.
        "Has anyone told Cordelia? My parents?" I continue, and Nat shakes her head.
        "Your parents are still serving the rest of their time, and Fury wanted your opinion on Cordelia." Steve gives Nat a disbelieving look. "What? I'm not going to not tell her." 
        "What's going on?" I turn at the new voice, forcing a smile on my face when I see Clint and Loki coming out of the kitchen that I had forced them into. I force a smile on my face, glancing between the two.
        "You didn't kill each other. That's great." Clint immediately frowns.
        "Something is wrong. Loki made us stop our conversation, and Steve looks panicked, so you aren't going to try and fake your way out of this." My smile falls as I turn to Loki.
        "You said you couldn't feel my emotions." I accuse. 
        "I can't. You have to remember though, Love, pain is pain. Whatever they just told you made you upset enough that your heart is aching." Loki looks concerned overall, watching me for any sign that might tell him what is going on. I let out a long breath, shaking my head.
        "I think we need to move Cordelia and her fiancé, or at least give them a protection detail." I finally tell Nat. "I'm guessing whoever killed Henry and his men likely only killed a few of them because they knew who they were working for. Henry didn't even know a name, but he saw a face."
        "Your brother is dead?" Loki whispers, looking startled. I nod once.
        "I'm guessing it was whoever was after me. They were probably tying up loose ends. Seeing as I didn't look into the minds of the other two, they didn't have to worry much." I shake my head. "Do we have any idea who hired them?" Nat shakes her head. 
        "Fury has a task force on it." I nod, frowning.
        "Fury is still mad about the bond, right? That's why you're playing messenger?" I ask, causing Nat and Steve to exchange yet another look. 
        "Can you blame him for being frustrated with the situation?" Steve asks, I shrug.
        "Yeah. Yeah, I really can." I shoot back. "He can be as frustrated as he wants, but he doesn't have to act like a child and give me the silent treatment!" Steve looks surprised by my angry tone, but Nat looks like she was expecting it. "My brother died in his care. He can act professional and tell me himself if something like that happens. I don't care if he's mad that his most powerful asset is bonded to someone that he doesn't like. This is ridiculous." 
        "Love." A cool hand rests on my forearm, and I have to resist the urge jerk away from the touch. I look at Loki, not missing the glance he shoots Nat. 
        "What?" I ask, frustrated. He stays quiet for a few moments, letting the quiet sink in. It takes those few moments for the pain he had mentioned, the pain that he must've felt, to sink in. My chest felt tight, and each beat of my heart was a new wave of painful emotion. I press my lips into a thin line, not sure what to do.
        "I'll make sure Fury moves your sister and her fiancé." Nat says quietly. "And I'll be sure to let him know how you really feel about it." I nod once, looking down. 
        "We gotta figure out who hired him." I say after a moment. "If they're serious enough to tie up loose ends, then they're serious enough to find another way to get what they want." I straighten, gently tugging my arm from Loki's grip. "And tell Fury he doesn't have an agent until he sorts his stuff out. I'm not playing this game." Nat raises an eyebrow, but nods. "I'm.. I'm going to go figure out what to do." 

Loki~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

        I watch Ophelia quickly leave the room, feeling the pain she carried with every heartbeat. Clint turns to Nat, crossing his arms over his chest. "Seriously Tasha?" He asks angrily. "Her brother is dead, and Fury is-"
        "Trying to figure out who's after her." 
        "He's not going about it the right way." Clint shoots back.
        "He's hurting her." I add. Clint glances at me with a small frown. "Grief is pain. You should all know that. Your director is just making that pain worse for her." 
        "He was hoping she would do that." Nat nods towards the door Ophelia had left out of. "If she isn't officially an agent, SHIELD can't keep tabs on her, meaning that if there's a mole..." I purse my lips at the thought, glancing at the door. 
        "Why not just tell her she needs to be fired? Is this not more than necessary?" I ask, looking back to the Captain and Natasha. "And what would he have done if she hadn't quit? Do aggravating things until she couldn't take it anymore? Push her when it wasn't necessary? How much is your director willing to hurt her to keep her safe? How far is her team going to go?" 
        "You can't tell her." The Captain quickly interrupts. 
        "It's impossible for me to lie to her, Captain." I counter with a sneer. "Just think, if she had stayed with you, you could have lied to her much easier. You all could've." I shake my head, taking a step back. 
        "We'll do the lying, you just can't tell her." The Captain persists. "We're just trying to keep her safe." I turn to leave with a scoff.
        "And they call me the God of Lies."