Lost in Time (Loki)

20 | The Escape

I followed Agent Coulson out into the hallway, catching up to him, so that I was pacing by his side. He turned to face me, a confused expression on his stressed face. "Who are you?" He inquired.

I smiled grimly, as we approached the cell level. "I'm Abi," I introduced myself. "I'm here accompanying Thor." He nodded as we continued to walk. "We need to bring backup to the cell level," I informed him quickly. "Thor told me to get you."

"Alright," he responded, turning a sharp corner, almost causing me to slip in my mad rush to follow him. He opened a door, using his special pass and we entered a storeroom of sorts. It had various high tech weapons. Much more technologised than the weapons on Asgard. It was quite fascinating.

He picked up a lethal looking gun, holding it under his arm, while beckoning me with a tilt of his chin. I nodded, following him out and shutting the door behind me. We power-walked towards the cell level, twisting around corners in the hallway, until we reached the familiar room.

We stopped outside the room and Coulson peeked inside, but he did not enter. Instead he continued to an almost invisible sliding door in the wall and used his key card to open it. We snuck in through the door, and I realised we we on the path that spiraled down around the cage in the cell room—it was the door Nat had exited through earlier.

The door closed silently behind us, as we snuck up the staircase. Coulson wielded the gun in front of him, holding it poised. I had no weapon of my own, so I merely walked beside him,with my hands raised in preparation.

"They humans think us immortal," I heard Loki say casually. "Should we test that?" I perked up, noticing his voice, significantly louder and clearer than it usually was, from inside the cell. I peeked over the rim of the floor, to see Thor inside the cage, rather than the raven-haired prince. I whipped my head around, to see Loki standing by the control panel, one of his mind-washed guards patrolling the area.

I shook my head in chagrin, internally groaning at his immaturity, as the guard made his way towards us. Suddenly, Coulson leapt forward, thwacking him over the head with his gun, causing the unsuspecting guard to fall to the floor.

Coulson quickly turned to me. "Stay down," he whispered, before walking towards Loki, who was not yet aware of my presence

I quickly ducked back towards the sliding door and pressed the small button to open it. I slipped out and ran back up the corridor, towards the main door to the cell room. I hid behind it, listening to the conversation happening inside.

"Move away, please," Coulson ordered politely, his quiet footfalls audible on the metal floor. "You like this?"—I assumed he was referring to the gun in his hands. "We started working on the prototype after you sent the Destroyer."

I winced at the memory, leaning forward to observe the scene. I stepped slightly into the open, catching Thor's gaze, as he looked out from the cage. He shook his head ever so slightly, as I inched forward.

"Even I don't know what it does," Coulson continued, edging towards Loki, who was standing nonchalantly, by the control panel. "Wanna find out?"

Suddenly, Coulson groaned in pain, and I whipped my head to face him, only to see Loki, behind him, his scepter speared through Coulson's chest. I gasped in horror, as the original Loki—which I now knew was an illusion—faded away.

The real Loki turned to face me, obviously having heard my intake of breath and stopped. He removed the scepter from Coulson's body, letting it slump to the floor. I watched with wide, fearful eyes, as Loki walked towards me, though I did not step back or move. I could see Thor, watching out of the corner of my eyes, as Loki advanced towards me.

I held my breath as Loki stopped directly in front of me. He looked down at me, expressionless, for a moment, before turning around and approaching the control panel. He pressed a button, which caused the floor beneath the cage to open up. An intense wind blew up into our faces, and I squinted my eyes against its force. I eyed Loki suspiciously as his hand hovered over the panel.

I could see Thor's unease too, as he watched his adoptive brother playing with buttons that could be fatal to him. Thor took a small step back. As Loki turned to face him, his hand still hovering over a red, lethal looking button. My eyes widened in realisation, and I lunged forward, but not quickly enough. Loki hit the button forcefully, causing Thor's cell to drop from its position before us.

I listened in horror, to the metal scraping sound, as the cage fell further still. Once it dissipated, I turned to look at Loki, who was staring at where the cage had just been, mere seconds ago. He turned to look at me, clicking his fingers in satisfaction. I stomped towards him.

When I reached him, I raised my hand in anger, bringing it up towards the side of his face, but just before I could strike him with my closed fist, he grabbed it in his large palm, stopping me inches away from his cheek. He stared down at me, a mixture of emotions registering on his face, as I glared at him relentlessly.

I ripped my hand from his grasp, and he let his own hand drop to his side. I blew a strand of hair out of my face, squaring up to reach closer to his height. "What the hell was that?" I yelled into his face, seething. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Loki remained silent as I continued to rage. "You think you can go around hurting people, pulling this shit on your own brother?" I ran my hands through my hair in angst, pulling at the roots on my scalp in frustration. "You must be truly messed up in the head to be able to do something like that!"

He stared at me, emotionlessly, before finally speaking. "I told you I can't change," he reiterated. "What did you expect?"

I stomped my foot in anger, whirling away from him and marching over to Coulson. I leant down beside him, feeling his wrist for a pulse. I could hear the swish of Loki's armour as he turned away. Then—much to my relief—Coulson spoke up.

"You're going to lose," Coulson uttered, directing his demeaning comment towards the god.

Loki stopped in his tracks, turning around to face us. He snickered narcissitically. "Am I?"

Coulson stared past me at the raven-haired man, as I held onto his wrist, tightly. "It's in your nature," he continued.

"Hmm," Loki uttered, stepping forward. "Your heroes are scattered," he pointed out. "Your floating fortress falls from the sky." He stopped a few metres away. "Where is my disadvantage?"

I glared at him as he taunted the dying man before me, but Coulson's next line startled Loki slightly. "You lack conviction," Coulson stated, staring up at Loki.

Loki stared incredulously at the agent. "I don't think I-" Suddenly his remark was cut of by a loud bang. The gun in Coulson's lap suddenly went off, forcing Loki back and making me lurch to the side, letting go of Coulson's hand.

I jumped up, as Loki flew through the wall, smashing it to pieces with his impetus. I turned to Coulson as he chuckled. "So that's what it does."

I knelt down beside him and leaned over him, grabbing his mic from his wrist. I brought it to my lips, pressing the button on its surface. "I need a medic," I called desperately. "In the cell block. Coulson's down."

There was static for a while, before a familiar voice answered. "On my way, Abi," Fury said through the comlink.

I sighed in relief. "I have to go after Loki," I informed, standing up and taking the wristband with me., "He's escaped."

"Roger that," Fury responded. "Don't let him get off this ship."

I snapped the wristband over my arm and turned back to Coulson. "The medic's on their way," I told him quickly. "You'll be okay."

Coulson just stared up at me. "Go get him," he encouraged, to which I nodded vigorously and ran off after Loki.