Sacrifice | Loki

It's Not Him

"Anna, it is too dangerous. He is a criminal!" Steve protested.

"He is also my friend. It is my life to bargain Cap," I retorted.

"Anastasia, I'm afraid Steve is right. My brother-"

I interrupted Thor immediately.

"Exactly! Your brother. He is your brother yet you cannot tell that he is not himself? His eyes are no longer the color they were before and his personality has changed completely. You cannot tell me that there is no resemblance between his eyes and those of Eric Selvig,"

The room fell silent, which was shocking seeing as Tony was present. Natasha and Bruce looked at me disapprovingly while Fury seemed slightly intrigued as he watched the camera feed of Loki's cell. The deafening silence was interrupted by the director himself.

"You were close to Loki in the past?" he questioned.

A hard lump formed in my throat as an inundation of memories came flooding into my mind. Fury groaned in pain and I stopped the flow of thought from reaching his mind. I was gifted with telepathy and telekinesis by the gods of another world long ago. My powers allowed me to enter the minds of others and see their memories, bend them to my will, and share memories as well as thoughts. My emotion had allowed some of the memories to slip through the cracks of my mind and begin to flow into those around me. Unfortunately, my telepathic powers were painful to the receiver unless it was expected and they opened their minds for me.

"I am sorry," I muttered, looking down at the floor.

He simply nodded his head in response.

"So, how do you expect to be able to find out whether or not he is being controlled?" Fury asked.

"I break down his mental barriers. If there is a presence that is not his own, then he is being controlled, or at least forced into doing the bidding of another."

"Well I for one, hope that there is no big bad alien controlling a god. The god himself is already enough trouble as it is," Tony quipped.

"You are not going down there," Steve stated finally.

"Oh really?" I smiled, looking at him devilishly.

Tony gulped dramatically and Steve took a step back.

"I recommend you keep an eye on the camera, Director," I huffed, pulling the knife from the sheath on my hip and teleporting into Loki's cage.

The plan was simple. Or, so it had been before I impulsively entered a confined area with a dangerous god. Loki's green eyes snapped up to meet mine and his mouth began to open, but he was only able to let out a choked sound before his pupils dilated and his eyes were pale blue.

"Loki," I murmured, standing calmly as the god approached.

He glared harshly, his eyes cutting through me like knives.

"Not Loki.." I reminded myself, using telekinesis to lock and hold the doors to the room shut.

No one was going to stop me from helping him. I would not watch him become the monster he so despised. When Loki was only a step away, I extended the knife towards him.

"If you wish me dead, so be it," I sighed, handing him the knife.

He greedily snatched it from my hands and was behind me, knife to my throat in an instant. I forced myself to remain calm and relaxed, showing no signs of retaliation.

"-But, I know this isn't you Loki."

I felt him go rigid behind me and the knife was removed from my neck with shaky hands.