Loki Laufeyson - The Experiment {1}

Chapter Forty One - I Can't Remember

LOKI POV

I hated seeing Emily this way. Trembling. Pale. Scared. Her eyes were so wide and full of fear, it made me curse myself for not being strong enough to get through the wall in her mind. The screaming wall. When I entered her mind, all I could hear was screams, screams of pain. I didn't know who they were from, but they gave me such a horrible headache that I couldn't stay in there for longer than five seconds. And judging my Maximoff's winces, she was experiencing the same thing.

I saw how quickly Emily surrendered to sleep when Maximoff laid her down and I watched her carefully, noticing how rapidly her chest was rising and falling. I knew she would have a nightmare at some point, whether it was her mind or HYDRA conjuring it up. Thor had told me this morning that she had two nightmares last night while I was up on the roof. I cursed myself for not being there for her, but I couldn't be around all of the other mortals at night. I was weakest at night, I could be attacked at any moment, and I wouldn't have any warning. I could only sleep back in the compound when my door was triple locked, along with my window. That's why I stayed up on the Barton's roof for the whole night, and partly because I wanted to keep watch in case HYDRA appeared out of nowhere and decided to try and attack.

"Reindeer Games." Stark's voice broke through my thoughts and I tore my gaze away from Emily to look over my shoulder at him. "Keep an eye on her." I nodded tightly and watched as all of the mortals walk out of the front door onto the balcony, including Laura. I knew they were having some sort of meeting, but I couldn't care if I wasn't part of it. They never included me in anything anyway.

I dragged my attention back to Emily and saw her still in the same position as before. I sighed and sat down on one of the mattresses, not caring whose it was. I tried to reach out into her mind again, but I was met with her mental wall, which thankfully wasn't screaming this time, but still remained stubbornly in place. I sighed and pulled back my magic, watching her as she rolled over in her sleep.

"Reindeer?" A young voice spoke from behind me and I spun around to see Barton's daughter standing literally right beside me. I had no idea how the hell she managed to sneak up on me.

"That's not my name." I narrowed my eyes at her before looking back over at Emily, trying to forget that the girl was there.

"That's what Starky calls you." She replied in her way too happy voice.

"Yeah well that's not my name." I grumbled, not in the mood to talk with a Midgard child. "And that's not his name either."

"That's what Daddy calls him." She parroted back and it took all myself control then to not snap at her.

"Yeah well that's not his name either." I grit out through clenched teeth, keeping my eyes on Emily.

"You like her don't you?" She changed topics so quickly that I blinked, trying to process what she said.

"What?" I looked back over my shoulder sharply at her again.

"Emmie" The child replied, grinning. My eyes darted to Emily and then back to the girl.

"No I don't." I shook my head immediately.

"Yes you do." She giggled. "You always watch her."

"I do not!" I retorted, crossing my arms before realizing how stupid I must have looked arguing with a tiny mortal child. "What do you want?"

"Can you come play with me?" She held out some weird kite thing. "Everyone else is too busy."

"No." I turned my back to her and focused on Emily instead.

"Please?" She wined and I grit my teeth.

"No." I forced through my teeth. "Ask someone else."

"Okay." She grinned happily and I looked back over at her, raising an eyebrow at how quickly she gave up. "Have fun staring at her."