The Before [Prequel- Part 1]

"It's okay..."

They used my blood to remake the magic-canceling serum, so it works against me as well as Catherine. After that, it was just a lot of pain. Nothing I couldn't handle, but that's not to say it wasn't painful. All I could think about with every knife slash and punch was that Catherine went through all this for months when she was only fifteen.

When they brought me back to her cell, my blood boiled at the state she was in.

Her arms and legs were still chained to the wall, and not only was she unconscious; but she was also covered in blood, more than when I first got here.

I need to find a way to get her out of here. At any cost.

~~~Catherine's pov~~~

Tears formed in my eyes as Whitehall stalked over to the god, who I had deep feelings for, gripping the knife tightly.

"Don't! Please!" I pleaded.

I wasn't going to let him go through the same pain I did. I care about him too much.

It started with one knife slash on his upper arm, which was tied behind his back.

He winced almost unnoticeably. Not giving Whitehall the satisfaction of seeing him in pain.

My heart was beating out of my chest as he got ready to strike again.

"Wait!" I yelled, causing Whitehall to turn to me. "You don't want to hurt him. You want to hurt me. I killed all those agents. Me. Not him. I'm responsible for the deaths."

He walked over to my spot on the wall, contemplating what I said.

"Remind me what the consequences are. I don't care. Just remember who is really to blame for taking out your entire division of Inhuman soldiers. For letting the Winter Soldier get away." I held back tears as I openly encouraged that he hurt me.

"Catherine, don't..."

I looked past Whitehall, who was standing in front of me, and saw Loki staring at me with pleading eyes.

He didn't want me to bring this upon myself.

"You make a good point, Witch. You did all that. And that calls for an extra special punishment." He got out the jumper cables he was holding earlier and hooked them up to a battery.

"Loki, I'm sorry. I am so sorry." I managed through tears of fear of what was about to happen.

Let's just say this isn't the first time they've used the jumper cables on me.

The cables made contact with my skin, and it felt like my body was on fire. I cried out in pain, and soon the cries turned to screams.

This is it.

That's what I thought with every shock. This'll be how I die.

"Stop!"

The burning sensation paused, and I gasped for air.

I could see Loki on the ground, fighting to get away from the guard and reach me.

Whitehall dropped the cables and stood between us.

"Wait. No, don't tell me that..." He trailed off, laughing. "This is too easy. I mean, really. The two of you, trying to stop the suffering of the other. Is this love? Love between a god and a witch?" He looked at me, asking if he was right.

I can't answer. He'll use it against me.

If I say yes, he'll kill him to make me suffer. If I say no, he'll still kill him, but because he'll be convinced that Loki serves no further purpose.

I was stuck.

He started laughing again, taking my silence as an answer. "Well, then, I have the perfect punishment in mind."

He unlocked the chains on my ankles and wrists, letting me drop to the ground. Since I was still weak from the electrocution, he hauled me to my feet and had me stand in front of him, holding my arms behind my back.

"Agent, finish the job and show the witch her punishment." He instructed, tossing the guard behind Loki the jumper cables that were still hooked up to the battery.

That's when I realized what they were going to do.

"No!" I cried, tears falling as the fear set in.

They were going to kill him.

Loki's fear-filled eyes bore into mine as the inevitable was doomed to happen.

"It's okay..." He whispered to me gently, giving me one last smile.

"Don't do it, Whitehall! Please! I'll do anything!" I begged, but it was no use.

Seconds later, the guard clamped the cables to his chest, and he fell to the floor lifeless.

"No!" I screamed, breaking out of Whitehall's grip and running to Loki's side, the sound of my heart pounding inside my chest becoming deafening.

I grabbed his hand, desperately searching for a pulse, but it wasn't there. And he wasn't breathing.

"You can't be gone! You can't be!" I cried, holding his limp body close. "Please come back to me..."

He was gone. And I never got to tell him.....

"No! No! No!" I was sobbing hysterically, the loss weighing heavily on my soul.

Without warning, the guards pulled him out of my grip, removing him from the room.

I couldn't do more than break down on the floor and cry harder.

They killed him! He's dead, and it's all my fault!

~~~Loki's pov~~~

"It's okay..." I tried to give her a final reassurance.

It wasn't going to be okay. Not for me or her. They were going to kill me and make her watch.

Electricity coursed through my veins, and I collapsed. The last thing I saw was Catherine begging me to wake up.

Soon after, I blacked out, the heavy feeling of sleep taking over.

I thought that was the end. I would never again see Catherine's smiling face or hear her mesmerizing laugh.

At the very least, I'll be with my mother again...

Then, I woke up.