Winter's Hearts

Chapter 37

After you passed the stupid assessments for Fury things went back to normal at the tower, or as normal as life at the tower ever went. You went out on missions with the team and spent the rest of the time with your husband. You slowly started going out on missions alone with Loki. Cap was right that you two were a good pair for them and you wouldn't forget the looks on the bad guys' faces when they saw the Angel of Death and Loki of Asgard coming to take care of them. Usually they just fled when you showed up. It reallyfreaked them out when they saw the shadow of you flying above them and their screams were so delightful when you caught them to deliver them to shield.

"Hey, smurfs, Cap has a mission for you," Stark greeted you when you came down for breakfast one morning. You and Loki both rolled your eyes at Stark's stupid nickname. At least it was better than the Bobbsey twins.

"This better not be a trick to keep Loki from pancakes," you told Stark as it was pancake morning and Loki was obsessed with his pancakes.

Stark huffed and rolled his eyes. "It's not. Cap really does have a mission for you,"

You nodded and took Loki's hand to walk with him to the office space on the main floor where Cap would be if he really did have a mission for the pair of you. "Hey Loki, Kyrie," he greeted you, looking up from the stack of papers in front of him.

"Hey Cap," you replied with a smile. You'd gotten comfortable with the team in the last few months. They'd come to really like both you and Loki, especially since your wedding. They'd forgiven him for the alien invasion, finally accepting that it was mind control and not his fault. "Stark said you have a mission for us?" you asked him.

He nodded. "I do. It shouldn't be too difficult. We got word there's a group of Hydra agents setting up shop in an old warehouse downtown. Can you two check it out? Discreetly? We'll all go clear them out if there's something shady going on,"

You nodded and spoke up for the two of you. Loki still tended to be more reserved around the others and usually let you speak up for the pair of you instead of doing so himself. He still didn't quite trust that the others accepted him. He was always so observant about everyone but himself. "As long as we can go after I feed this loon his pancakes. He gets grumpy if he doesn't get his pancakes on pancake morning," you teased. Annoying your husband was fun. For you anyway.

"Kyrie~" Loki whined. He didn't appreciate when you teased him so much in front of the others. If you weren't careful he'd retaliate. He could be mean when he retaliated, so you were still careful not to annoy him toofar.

"What, Lohk?" you asked innocently. He huffed and stuck his tongue out at you. You were both over a thousand years old and such mature married adults. Yep, so very mature.

Cap chuckled. "Yes, you can head out after breakfast. I sent the address to your phone," he added. You nodded and took Loki's hand to lead him to breakfast. He was easily mollified for your teasing with the generous application of way too many pancakes.

You both donned your armor before you left the tower and teleported right outside the warehouse in question, both hidden under an invisibility spell. There was a reason Cap had sent the two of you for recon. You were the best options to spy on humans without being seen. You slipped silently into the warehouse.

/Looks empty/ you told Loki telepathically. You usually didn't have much need to use your telepathy skills, but it was vital on missions where you were invisible and trying not to be noticed.

/So it does. I dislike it. It doesn't feel right/ Loki replied and you felt him draw a dagger. You drew one as well and made sure your dragonfang blade was loose in its sheath. You explored the main level of the warehouse without finding anything out of the ordinary. But it still felt wrong. It felt inhabited, though there was nothing in the whole warehouse until.

You pointed to a bookshelf. You could feel the air current coming through it and knew the tell-tale signs of a secret door. You and Loki searched and he pulled the book that opened the secret door and you walked through. You insisted on taking lead and Loki knew better than to argue with you.

You were his Valkyrie. It was your job to make sure the room was clear for your charge. You had to defend him from threats. The room was a large room with a bank of computers at the far wall. It appeared to be empty so you stepped inside and made your way toward the computers.

A lot of things happened all at once while you and Loki made your way across the room, even invisible.

The bank of computers all turned on.

Some kind of powder came falling from the ceiling and clung to you, despite that you tried to shake it off. You were outlined in white powder. So was Loki and the stuff clung to everything in the room.

Doors opened from every direction and guns pointed in, firing in the same instant.

Except it wasn't guns

It was tasers

And you were both on the ground writhing in agony moments later, invisibility spells broken.

You fought.

You fought hard and managed to keep your feet for an instant longer than Loki had.

Loki!

Your Loki who was terrified of storms!

You had to save him from the lightning.

He was afraid.

You had to save him.

Your body twitched and spasmed around you and you were filled with pain and rage.

You tried to desperately to move, to help your Loki.

He needed you.

Your charge was in pain and needed you.

And you couldn't

Fucking

Move

Men swarmed in, wearing rubber gloves and lifted Loki so he was kneeling across from you. They hauled you to your feet, disarming you before they turned the electricity off.

The problem was that they had a gun held against Loki's head.

You stiffened, unwilling to risk Loki's life. You couldn't move even that short distance before they fired the gun. And somehow your magic wasn't working. You didn't know how or why.

"You are going to do exactly what we tell you and we let your husband live," a male voice told you from one of the computer screens.

It was the one leash they could have on you: Loki's safety. You were duty and honor bound to do anything and everything in your power to save your charge.

Loki tried to signal you to stop, to not agree, to run and leave him behind.

You gave him a firm look. You recited that piece of your oath. You swore to protect his life above your own with those words all those centuries ago and you wouldn't go back on your word now:

"My life ever before yours,"