Universal Headaches

Chapter 12

She couldn't see. Something had been shoved over her head and was starting to smother her. Instinctively she lashed out, kicking her legs and back arching. Her mind was buzzing without her really understanding full thoughts.

"Let me go! Let me go!"

But they didn't. Her arms were yanked behind her back and bound with cold metal bracelets. Sutton seized and then kicked out again, making contact with something that felt like a shin, but she was already being forced into a seat and belted in.

"Miss Regan, I must insist that you calm down."

She hadn't heard that voice before and the panic only swelled.

"I didn't do anything! Let me go!"

"Miss Regan, if you don't calm down I will have to sedate you. Is that what you want?"
"No! Please, I swear I didn't do anything. Just let me-"

She continued to attempt to pull herself away from the hand that was gripping her upper arm. There was a grunt, and a clicking as if something were being opened. And then something bit at her neck and Sutton felt herself slip away.

It seemed like she'd just drifted off when she was suddenly alert once again. She didn't feel exactly real, like maybe she was just a floating feeling, but when she looked down she could see herself. She waved her arms around, smacked her thighs.Solid and tangible. It was dark all around her though, and Sutton took a few hesitant steps into the void.

"Hello?"

Despite the lack of anything, her voice didn't echo around her like she thought it might. It just shot out into the distance and left her alone too. A slithering voice answered her instead.

"You stupid creature."

Sutton recognized that voice. She had once listened to an entire audio book being narrated in that voice. She whirled around and came face to face with none other than Loki.

"What's going on," she snapped. She could remember the chase up to this point. There was still a pumping panic rushing through her like the adrenaline was still with her. "Where are we? I thought-"

"That you had gotten yourself captured? Of course you have. You have been drugged. We are in your mind. Surely, you must have realized?"

Sutton spun in a full circle but it was still an inky void save for her and Loki. He was back in his Asgardian casual wear and sneering disdainfully at her.

"If this is my mind, then are you-"

"A figment of your subconscious? Don't be daft. You have continuously given me much more credit than you realize, mortal. Your people are proving to be very useful."

His face split into a grin as he said this and it gave Sutton shivers.

"Why are you here," she deflected. There was only enough room in her mind for one Loki mystery at a time. And she still had yet to solve the first one. "You all left me to myself! And if you think you can get me to tell you where I am so you can kidnap me, you're out of luck!"

Loki's smile disappeared as quick as it'd come and he took one menacing step towards her.

"Pathetic woman. If I wanted to find you, I wouldn't need your assistance."

Sutton threw up her chin and scowled at him like she hadn't dared before. She blamed the drugs.

"I'm sure," she said coyly. "Because you've continually showed yourself to be more than capable."