Guardian

Chapter 9

1265.

Her captors has grown lazy, not bothering with as many restraints as Isabelle was left too weak to move at the ends of each day. She didn't understand what she had done to deserve this, why was being different such a crime? All she knew was that she had to get out of there.

She had noticed how her captors had slackened, it was their own hubris that would allow her freedom. Still, there were many days where she was far too weak to even attempt an escape. So she tried to reserve her strength as much as she could, playing the part of a worn out captive so that they would end her days early or not push her as far.

On the day she planned her escape, she woke early, able to use the darkness as a cover while still having regained some energy by sleeping. The guard outside her cell had dozed off, as this particular guard often did, making him the perfect target. She reached through the bars of her cell, the lack of nutritious food allowing her arm to be skinny enough to do so, and latched on the the dagger sheathed by his side.

Before he could wake, she silently drew the blade across his neck, slicing his throat. His body fell limp and she used her power to force open the cell door, cringing at the clang of the bars hitting the ground. She hesitated for a second to hear if there were any guards running to detain her.

Satisfied that the coast was clear, she began to run from her cell, knowing that if she could just get far enough away then she would be safe. She would have to live her life on the run, but at least she would get the chance to live it. As she ran, she grasped the fallen guard's dagger tightly in her hand, ready to use it against anyone who tried to stop her.

-

(Olivia's POV):
I got home from work the next day and found myself rather thankful that it was Friday. Now I could focus most of my efforts on making sure that Loki didn't kill anyone and perhaps even get information about Asgard out of him. The way he had shown me kindness the night before had made me hopeful that I could get through to him, but I knew I would have to tread carefully.

However, as I scanned the apartment, I found no sign of Loki anywhere. Fear set in that I had let the crazed Asgardian loose on New York and I knew that I had to find him if it was the last thing I did. There was one place I had yet to check so slipped into my room, calling out his name, in case he was snooping around in there.

"Yes, my dear?" My head spun around to find Loki wearing nothing but a towel around his waist, his black locks dripping water onto his bare chest. My eyes locked onto a droplet traveling down his pectoral muscles onto his abs and rolling across his pelvic bones before being consumed by the cloth of the towel.

"So-sorry, I didn't know you were washing up, I was just wondering where you had gone, that's all," I managed to get out, prying my eyes away from his body and forcing myself to look at his face.

He must have noticed my distraction because a playful smirk danced upon his lips, "worried that I had slipped out on a rampage?"

"More like worried that you were trying to open a portal to lead an alien army into Earth again," I shot back.

"Well, I have yet to be discharged from Dr. Davis's Emergency Care for Injured Animals so I would never dream of leaving this apartment without permission." Sarcasm oozed from his words but then his personality shifted slightly as he inquired, "speaking of which, would you care to attend my wounds while my clothes are not impeding you?"

I nodded and stepped towards his dripping body, admiring how well everything was healing. You would never have known that he had nearly died just a couple of days ago with the innocent scars dotting his skin and the nearly non-existent bruising that remained. Even his sprained wrist no longer seemed to bother him much, although his finger still appeared to be on the mend. I figured that I could take the sutures off now that the wounds I had stitched together appeared to be closed so I placed my hand on one of the scars, just checking to see if the temperature indicated an infection or not.