Baby Barton

Chapter 22 Chloe

"Hello Brother," Loki stands within the glass walled cell, his black shoulder length hair hanging by his face, his greens eyes glistening under the fluorescent lights. Facing you both with his hands behind his back and a little menacing smirk hanging off the side of his mouth as he notices you standing behind Thor.
"Loki, I have brought Miss Barton to visit you, she insisted she see you," Thor presence commands respect, and his arrogance towards Loki is misplaced.
Walking towards the glass, your heart pounds deep inside your chest, palms sweating and your breathing quickens, it has been a long day, you begin to itch, a tremor taking over your hands. Closing your eyes for a second to focus on your breathing, you have a flashback of your first encounter with Loki, the way his emerald eyes pierced your soul as he slid his sceptre into your abdomen. A sharp pain shoots from within you at the memory of it. You try to rid your mind of that day, not allowing yourself to wallow over it. After all it is part of the job.

Steves harsh words ring in your ear, you try to push them out. Ignoring what he said, knowing he only said it because his ego had been bruised.

You open up your eyes, Thor is standing directly in front of you, facing you, hands on your shoulders "If this is too hard for you, we can leave." This is certainly not the hardest thing you've done, because you already done that earlier today, to Steve.
Putting your guard back up, desperately trying not to show any vulnerability, you let a half laugh sarcastically slip from your mouth and push Thors hands away from you.
"Hey asshole, remember me?" You walk towards the glass, waving at him, a smile spread across your face.
He looks you up and down, there is something unconventionally sexy about him, "Have you come to gloat?" He rocks from side to side almost hypnotic.
Thor is irritated by him "enough Loki!" A guttural growl coming from within him.
Thor takes a few strides towards the glass, swinging his hammer threateningly in Lokis direction. You roll your eyes at him, who is he trying to impress?
Fed up of being patronised, you fold your arms and stand in front of Thor, back facing Loki, "give it up sparkles, you're embarrassing yourself now."
You turn and face Loki again, throwing your arms out gesturing for him to talk, because he always has something to say.
"Why else would you come here?" He leans over head almost touching the glass, intimidating you unsuccessfully.
You take a deep inhale as the sickening cravings for narcotics tries to take over your body, making you irritable, and jumpy, "I asked him to bring me," you snap "you tried to kill me, and you failed. Some God you are," you chortle. Lokis face contorts into an insane grin, if he could get his hands round your neck he would do it without hesitation, and the way you are feeling right now, you would let him.
You look passed him into his cell, a small desk and chair sit in the corner, lonely. Why is there a chair and desk but no book or writing equipment? A basic bed resides against the far wall, reminding you of your cot in prison, the familiarity almost makes you want to crawl inside and lie in it.
Loki stares at you as you study his surroundings, "quite finished are we?"
Thor asserts back at him "no more illusions Loki."
What does he mean by that? You look around the room, brows furrowed with confusion, Loki bows "as you wish," and waves his hands, a green mystical fog takes over the cell, and when it lifts Loki is no longer standing in front of you, he is leant against the wall, what little furnishings destroyed, his arms and feet dripping with blood, his face wet with tears and sweat. The sight of Loki reduced to this wreck stirs sinister familiar memories inside of you, you find yourself suddenly overcome with empathy for him.
"For fuck sake, Thor he is injured," you plead with him, "we have to help him!" You run around the outside of the cell frantically trying to find the opening, throwing dirty looks Thors way as he stands leaning against a pillar, not giving a fuck.
Your stomach is churning as you recall many a time in AD SEG, where you would spend 23 hours alone in the dark, your mind playing tricks on you, making you feel worthless and willing you to end your own suffering. Loki needs help, and you need something to take your mind off of Steve, and drugs.
Rushing around looking for a button or keys to open the cell, a blood curdling BUZZ sends shivers down your spine, and Thor puts his hand out gesturing you to enter the cell. "Why would you help me after I stabbed you?" Loki seethes at you, annoyed by your presence.
Not giving one fuck you make your way in, the door closes behind you. You grab his arm to see how bad the cuts are and see that they are superficial, you see broken crockery on the floor and food scattered across the cell.
"You forget you threw me out of a window as well," you sit at his feet, lifting them to assess the damage. Clicking your fingers at Thor you demand a basin of warm water and a cloth to wash them.

***
You sit for over an hour washing Lokis feet and arms, sitting in utter silence, not a word uttered between you. Loki has barely moved, his head tilted as he stares ahead at nothing. Once you washed the blood away you begin tidying his cell, picking up all the broken pieces off the floor. You look out and see Thor watching you both intently almost with a grateful smile on his face.
You slowly walk back over to Loki, taking the damp cloth and gently cleaning his face, brushing his black hair behind his ear, he looks at you out of the side of his eye, face expressionless and when your eyes meet his he looks straight ahead again.

"Goodbye Loki," he continues to stare at the wall "I'll see you again," and just then you saw it, a flicker of a hopeful smile appear and vanish across Lokis thin lips.