Loki Misses the Asgardian Prison System

Chapter 93

"James Buchanan Barnes."

He doesn't react to that. He doesn't even look up at the sound of his name. But there's a slight twitch, a small change in his stance, and Loki knows that he knows.

"The fabled Winter Soldier," Loki drawls.

Bucky slows to a stop. Loki approaches him, fading into view and standing by his side. Bucky doesn't look at him, instead staring straight ahead down the empty alley that surrounds them.

"Who are you?" Bucky asks, almost a growl.

"The disembodied voice you met the other day," Loki says. "A friend of Steve Rogers."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Bucky says.

"I think you do," Loki says. "The memories are there. They may be unclear, but they're there." He wasn't so sure he believed it when Steve told him, but now that he knows Bucky recognizes his old, near-forgotten name, he's beginning to think Steve might not be as far off as he'd thought.

Bucky's head remains still, but his eyes flicker toward him. "You're with HYDRA."

"Not so much," Loki says. "I told you; I'm just a friend of Steve Rogers."

"What do you want?"

"I just want to talk," Loki says. "It's all I can do. See?" Loki steps in front of him and puts his hand through the man's chest. "I'm not even here."

Bucky raises his brows. He looks up at the god wordlessly, and Loki pulls his hand back. He proved his point, he's sure.

"My name's Loki," he says. "Have you heard of me?"

Bucky just shakes his head.

"I'm surprised," Loki remarks. "HYDRA must have kept you far from the rest of the world if you never heard that I nearly took it over."

Bucky doesn't respond to that, which is an answer in and of itself. HYDRA did keep him away from the news. He probably doesn't know anything that's happened in the last 70 years.

"Are you with HYDRA?" Loki asks. "I notice you're here alone. Do they know where you are?"

"Are you going to tell them?" Bucky counters.

"I told you, I've no connection to HYDRA," Loki says. "I have no reason to tell them anything. I don't even know who they are."

"You're lucky, then."

Bucky starts walking, straight through Loki as though he can't even see him. Loki doesn't hesitate to follow him. He came here to talk, and they haven't done very much of that yet.

"What did they do to you?" Loki asks. "Some sort of hypnosis, perhaps?"

"Leave me alone."

"I'd rather not," Loki says simply. "Whatever they did to you, you're free now. As long as they don't find you again, you're free." He says it as a statement, but it's more of a question. Is he free from HYDRA's grasp? Or do they still have some sort of hold on him, whether it be physical or mental?

"I don't know," Bucky says.

"How do you not know?" Loki asks. "It seems to me a very straightforward question."

"It's not."

Loki frowns. He's really not getting a whole lot out of this guy. At least he's not as violently unhinged as he was mere days ago. There's been some improvement there, which serves to peak his interest. Something's changed now that he's seemingly escaped HYDRA's grasp. Loki would like to find out what.