Althea
Loki was getting on my nerves. He acted like getting imprisoned and thrown in a glass cage was a normal Thursday for him. I, on the other hand, had started to panic. Around our enclosure, all kinds of scientists and security guards kept a close eye on us as if we were there for their entertainment. I never enjoyed not being in control. The technology had improved drastically from the sixties. Earth and especially shield never felt more foreign.
I had imagined me returning as a hero. Fighting all these years for Fury and saving all these lives should not have put me in the same position with a God that tried to take over a whole planet.
I crossed my arms and stared at the door. At any second they would realize their mistake and even ask for my forgiveness for treating me with the same respect as Loki. He was sitting on a single bench they had placed in the cage patiently waiting. What was he even waiting for?
Fury eventually entered the room. I was still irritated by the way his team handled me but I had missed him. I remembered him with more hair and being more colorful and vibrant. He must have been through a lot as well. He approached me and smiled. A very rare moment for him. I gifted him with my own, excited to see him again.
"What, the hell, happened to you?"
"Excuse me?!"
Not what I was expecting to come out of his mouth.
"You left as a great soldier and went with Carol to help bring peace to two kingdoms only to end up returning with Loki? I still have some hope left that these are not your actions and you are being controlled by him."
This couldn't be happening. I got all defensive, trying to protect my honor and reputation that took me years to build. I was not going to give up everything for a man that almost left me behind for a stone. He made his choice.
"You have to believe me. I was fighting him before the robot came. I was trying to capture him. Thor and I had a plan and he will be here at any moment to vouch for me."
"You can call it whatever you want but they still saw you kissing."
"In her defense, I am irresistible, it is not her fault."
He had not spoken to me from the moment we got captured and he chose this as the time to be snarky. I glanced back at him and gave him a death glare. The smirk that was plastered on his face showed how much he enjoyed infuriating me.
"Althea I'd really like to believe you but I need to have a serious discussion with Thor about you. You will have to stay in here until we conclude on how to deal with this."
I tried to protest against this idea but he did not give me the time to reply. He evacuated the room leaving me with rage building up inside of me. For the sake of Loki, I lost Asterin and Earth. I was physically and mentally exhausted. I had not slept or eaten properly in two days.
I turned to view the ungrateful God that was laying on the bench not giving a care about the world around him. I stood near to where he was resting and waited to see if he was going to feel uncomfortable with my presence so close to his. He hesitantly opened his eyes when he felt my shadow covering him.
"May I assist you with anything?"
"Get up."
"I beg your pardon?"
Loki
I tried to keep a straight face but failed. She was totally annoyed by my actions and sought out a way to make it even. I followed her instructions, curious about what she was going to do next. The key was to remain calm. I peeked myself up and sat at the opposite side of the cage. She followed me with her eyes, wondering why was I so relaxed. She took a seat while contemplating her next words.
"Why did you do it."
"Why did I do what?"
"Kiss me."
She caught me by surprise. I did not know how to address that question. The truth was that I had been wondering why I kissed her as well. It could have been the intensity of the moment. I replied sarcastically to avoid giving her a genuine answer.
"Not my fault your lips were so tempting."
Instead of getting fluttered she narrowed her eyes and raised her tone. She detected the mockery in my voice. I was making her believe that our intimate moment meant nothing to me when that was inaccurate.
"Are you being sarcastic? Am I just a game to you?"
"Why do you care so much? You act as if you have developed feelings for me."
Maybe she had. Deep down I hoped that she would just confess it right there and then, confirming my suspicions. I mentally prepared myself for her answer. I could not have been that wrong. When her lips brushed mine, gifting me with a soft but passionate moment, heat rose to her cheeks and her touch weakened.
A tap on the cage forced us to avert our eyes from one another and to end our discussion.
Althea
Thor...my only chance for salvation. I left my seat and I moved toward the glass once more.
"Thor, you have to explain to them what happened."
"Althea I would, but as it turned out I am not so sure of what actually happened."
"What does that mean?"
He started striding around us and I followed him.
"I do not recall kissing him being in our initial plan. I am starting to doubt your sanity."
I chuckled trying to lighten the situation.
"Me? With him? Thor, you know me better than that."
We reached where Loki was seated. To prove my point I hopped over him while struggling not to pay attention to his gaze or his grin.
"You are aware that the robot suits have cameras on them, right?"
"Bad angle then... How did they even find us so quickly?"
"After what happened the last time, they now have scientists monitoring the city for a large amount of radiation gamma in the atmosphere. They know if someone uses the stone from now on."
He stopped pacing and his expression hardened.
"Althea, we can not be sure that you are not being controlled. Unfortunately, you will have to stay in there. Tomorrow they will move you to another facility away from the city. Their scientists will run tests on you and if the results are positive you will be freed."
How dare he abandoning me? The icy look on his face made me furious. He turned his back on me to leave the room. I hit that thick layer of glass with my fist in a try to get his attention. A percussive sound echoed off the lab's walls. His only response was a glance over his shoulder before the mechanical sliding doors closed behind him. I did not manage to get a proper reaction out of him but the security guards got startled enough. Dozens of guns pointed my way.
"Hurts doesn't it? No one believing you?"
I sat back down, defeated and scared.
"Do not act like you and I are the same. Nobody calls me, the God of mischief."
He smiled and laid on the floor, unbothered from my comment. He used his hands as a pillow and tried to fall asleep.
"How are you not fazed by all of this?"
Without losing his grin or opening his eyes he replied.
"After so many times you get used to it. Try to rest."
"You have been nothing but annoying all night long. I'm not going to let you be. You are the only form of entertainment I have."
He chuckled and turned his head to face me. He looked so kind and loving when he smiled. How can someone be called evil and possesses such an angelic face? We tried to hide our thoughts and feelings but our eyes spoke for us. There it was again... that warm sensation that filled my heart and cured my soul. I really hoped he could not read my thoughts or hear my heartbeat.
"Now that you have my attention, what do you want to talk about?"
"Why can't you just teleport out of here?"
"If I can not walk out of a place, I can not teleport out either."
It made sense. That conversation ended quicker than I wanted. I still had his attention I just needed a subject. Then, I had a dangerous idea.
"If you were not foolish enough to throw your knives, who do you think would have won?"
"Well, me of course."
I scoffed. "It is adorable that you think you had a chance."
He sat up straight, amazed at my confidence.
"Let me remind you that I was only defending myself and I did not get the chance to strike back. You must thank me for that."
"Oh really? How about this. You and I, right now."
"Are you flirting or starting a fight?"
You choose..."
He laughed once again, making his eyes crinkle at the corners. This image suited him so much.
"I am not going to fight you."
Loki
I had not felt like this in years. I could not contain myself from smiling. For once all kinds of thoughts of conquering the world, my family, or Asgard slipped away. I did not care that I was locked up and I had not figured out yet how was I going to escape. All I wanted was to tease her and see how it would turn out.
"If I continue to annoy you, will you fight me then?"
"You might as well try."
"I made an effort to find information about you a couple of days ago. Luther had so many books and chronicles about Thor and Odin but you were hardly mentioned. You did not help with many of their battles or build a relationship with any of the realms. What were you up to all this time?"
She got under my skin rather quickly. I felt uncomfortable with the topic. I was still calm but it would not take long. I did not expect her to actually find a way to infuriate me that effortlessly.
"My brother is more of the warrior kind anyway. Think of it logically. If we both died on the battlegrounds the kingdom would be deprived of a true heir. Someone should always be left behind, for safety reasons."
"Valid answer my Prince, I applaud you. It took you only a few seconds to dodge my question but I still have some aces up my sleeve. You see...the books were not my only source of information. I have spent a lot of time with Thor and we both know how much he loves narrating stories."
I realized that this conversation was not going to end well. She was aware of it too. With one breath she made her point as quickly as possible before I could react.
"I remember him using the word envious a couple of times to describe you. He was not wrong, was he? Everyone loves him. Every Asgardian, even your father. You have always lived in his shadow as the forgotten Prince. Patiently waiting for your glory and recognition. That day never came and since you could not out stage Thor as the hero you decided to be the villain."
Before I even realized it, my hand was around her throat. I lifted her to her feet but I was still towering over her. The happiness I had felt, vanished. I did not enjoy how she put my feelings into words.
Even in my darkest moment, I could not hurt her. My hand was simply decorative around her neck. She did not even blink.
"Why are you not fighting back?"
"You are not hurting me... I just wanted to see if you had the power to do it."
I lowered my tone. How could I stay mad when she was inches away?
"Do not do that again."
With my peripheral vision, I saw a lot of movement around us. A crowd of agents ready to intervene to save the poor creature from my grip.
Finally...a plan to escape.