Just Breathe

Chapter 3

The next couple of moments were a blur. They happened so fast that anyone you asked would've had a different version of what transpired.

"Zee. Please. You need to calm down!" Loki tried to pacify you.

"If you tell me to calm down one more time, I swear to your gods I will blow up this whole building!" You took in a lungful of air and blew it against Loki pushing him up against the wall. The attack caused alarm in the people watching from outside.

Bucky opened the door trying to get in but the gale force winds were too strong for him to push the door open. You stopped when you need to catch your breath. Loki took this opportunity to transport himself behind you and cover your mouth with one hand and wrap your arms tight into yourself with the other.

Bucky took this as a sign to finally enter. Sam followed suit, "Are you ok, man?" Sam asked Loki. Loki simply nodded his head.

"Get Rogers down here now!" He commanded Sam.

When you saw Bucky approach, you started screaming in Loki's hand. You moved and squirmed trying your hardest to get out of his grasp. You didn't know what you were going to do. Get your well-deserved revenge and attack him? Or, run away, scared that he was going to hurt you again the way he did so many years ago.

The closer he got, the more hysterical you seemed to get. Loki noticed. "Barnes, I suggest you leave the room this instant. Unless you'd like your funeral pyre where you stand?" Bucky was confused but started backing away slowly. As soon as he left your sight, you broke down crying in fits.

"I'm going to take my hand off your mouth slowly, darling. Please don't hurt me." Loki eased his hand off your lips. His fingers were wet from your screams and tears.

"Why did you let him go?! Why did you restrain me?" you yelled at Loki. You squirmed in his arms. He still had not let you go. "Let me go! Let me find him!"

"And do what, Zee? What is going on? Now I know I'm not your favorite person..." you growled. "...But I'm the only one willing to help you here. Especially since you've isolated yourself from everybody else! So you either tell me what's going on or you go back to the cell downstairs for everybody's safety!"

"You're just as bad as he is!" you growled to him. You turned in his embrace to face him and started beating at his chest. Tired and shaky. Crying and exhausted, you fell limp in his arms. Loki caught your body and picked you up, placing you back on the gurney.

You wailed, loudly. You turned over to the other side, your back towards Loki, not wanting to face him.

Loki started in a soft voice, "Darling, I..."

"Beg. You wanted me to beg. To see in my mind. To know what happened. OK then. Do it! See what happened. See why I hate him so much!" You gritted between your teeth.

Loki found himself inside a padded room. It smelled of urine and vomit. He looked around, noting the small dimensions, and the dim light suspended from the ceiling. He heard small grunts and punches from behind him and turned.

He saw you crying with your hands up to defend yourself from an attacker. "Pick her up!" He said. Then Barnes stepped into the picture.

But it wasn't Barnes. It was The Winter Soldier.

He held you up by your throat with his left metallic arm. As if you were nothing more than a ragdoll. They had gagged you so you couldn't breathe out. There was an oxygen tank in the corner with a mask ready in case you decided to stop breathing. By the looks of the blood and snot on the mask, they've used it on you several times already.