The Rise to Heroism {Loki Laufeyson} Book One

Chapter Twelve

I open my eyes. I'm shrouded in darkness and in an alien room. Something burns brightly beside me and I switch to my side. Illuminating the darkness was the glass tile communicator from S.H.I.E.L.D. I pick it up, pressing my right thumb to the scanner and watch as the home screen unfolds before me. Each option is displayed in the air above me and as I start toward the call app, 11 missed calls flash across the screen - each from HQ. Great, they must be going off their rockers by now.

"Where the hell have you been?" Tony practically screams in my face. The blue tinge of the hologram does an incredible job of accentuating the dried blood plastered on his face. His whole body is covered in cuts and bruises and I ponder over asking him where he got them, but I push it away, deciding against it. He looks a tad too irritated to answer my equally as annoying questions. "We haven't been able to contact Blaine and you've completely fallen off the map."

"I know, I'm so sorry." I say, feeling guilty about leaving them in the dark. The truth is, I hate giving them these daily diary entries. But I know that without them, I can never clear my already tainted reputation.

"Where are you?" Tony cocks an eyebrow.

"That's the thing. I don't know." I sigh.

"What do you mean you don't know? Aren't you at the compound?" Steve emerges into the hologram. He, too, is covered in slashes, fresh blood oozing from the various wounds across his chest. His uniform is ripped and stained with scarlet - whether it be his own, I've no idea. Either way, I do not intend on asking them.

"No," I don't know why I decide to lie. Maybe it's for Loki's sake - maybe it's for mine. I guess it's to cover both of our asses. I mean, I can't imagine what the Avengers would do to me if they found out I was having 'relations' with the one person I was supposed to take down - the man almost responsible for the enslavement of the earth. And in thinking that, I reconsider what I'm about to do, but it's too late. I can't go back now. I'm in too deep and I refuse to let this go until I fulfil my purpose on this mission. "They had a promotion ceremony and that night, we had a few drinks that were obviously spiked and woke up..." I look around. "Wherever 'this' is."

"Where's Blaine?" My heart hurts at the mention of his name but I try not to let that surface. I don't want to talk about it just yet.

"I haven't seen him for days." Memories of Blaine's body hitting the dirt flash in my mind but I push them away.

"Are you okay?" Steve squints.

"I'm fine, mom." I snap, immediately feeling terrible, but the adrenaline of lying pumps through my veins and that guilt quickly subsides.

"Hey, I'm only concerned for your safety. If anything happens, be sure to call us okay?" Steve raises his eyebrows.

"Cap-"

"Please, Steve." He politely corrects me with a wide smile.

"Steve, I'm okay. I swear." I assure him but something in his eyes tells me that he's not completely convinced.

"I know, I trust you on that. I'm just saying-"

"Take precaution." I assume and he nods, blinking.

"Yes, actually."

"Thanks, but I have enough training to take care of myself."

"Good luck." He smiles. I wave my hand through the image, watching the particles dissipate into the home screen. As I turn off the communicator, I sigh and let all of the nerves in body fall away, relaxing and shutting my eyes, laying the glass tile back on the night table and falling asleep, watching images of blood and sounds of scream behind my eyelids.

***

"There she is!"

   I wake with a jolt. A pair of strong arms have slung me across their shoulder. Too groggy to react, I just stay limp in their arms until they throw me into a truck. Before me sits Blaine, his black hair hanging low in his eyes. It casts shadows over his pale complexion. 

   "Blaine?"

   He looks up. My heart skips a beat. Green-blue eyes stare back at me. "Good morning, darling." Says his voice, but it definitely isn't him.

   "Loki?" I ask and he nods. "What's going on?" I sit back, irritated.

   "Your little late night chat with the Avengers last night caused them to arrive and scope out the place. They're taking us back to HQ." I can tell that Loki was trying his best to maintain a believable American dialogue.

   He leans over and whispers. "Your Midgardian diction is much too juvenile for my liking."

   "You're doing just fine, Silver Tongue." I grin and he narrows his eyes at me,gesturing to the S.H.I.E.L.D agents behind the wheel of the truck. Oops. Me and my big mouth sometimes... I had almost revealed yet another secret to people I don't know. What is wrong with me?

   I slip a blade from the sheath strapped to my thigh. He reaches out, pressing my hand to my side. "Patience darling, for our show has just begun." He whispers.

(UPDATE MARCH 2015: I was adding gifs to these chapters and realized that I left out a really crucial part to this chapter! Sorry! You guys must've been so damn confused... haha! But it's there now, so hopefully you now understand how Becca and Loki show up at Stark Tower without being detected. Enjoy!)