QOTC: How old are you? I'm 13, turning 14 on November 10
* * * * *
THE HALLS WERE FLASHING and it was kind of hard to see my way around.
I guess they found out they have visitors, I thought.
I was looking in every room, running around every corner, and I couldn't find Fury or Coulson. Which I'm very grateful for.
I'm actually kind of afraid to be the one to find either one of them. If they captured me the first time in Stark Tower easily, who's to say what's going to happen when they capture me in S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters?
I hope Tony isn't the one to find them either, he'd probably kill them.
I ran into a few agents along the way, but since I found out I was able to just knock them out with magic, I did that instead of doing it physically. I didn't like hurting people that much unless they really deserved it.
My shoes created a small thumping sound against the floor and it was very eerie sounding. I kind of felt like I was in a horror movie. One where the main protagonist is in a hospital and it's completely silent when they're walking down a flashing red (or just illuminated by the color red, not flashing) except for their shoes making small thumping noises. And then all of a sudden, the villain of the film jumps out and kills them.
I really hope my case is different.
I was looking in a room full of computers and I noticed something.
This was the room Steve gave me my necklace in. Speaking of, where is that necklace? And I still haven't figured something out: which mother was the one who gave it to me? Edna or Layla?
My lips curled into the smile at the memory of me and Steve. My mind wandered off to remembering the time when we were crawling around in the air ducts to find some information. And then when the room caught on fire, and the air duct fell.
It wasn't very fun, but the time I spent with him was.
I wish everything was back to normal. Back to the time when I would wake up in my apartment and walk over to my favorite coffee shop, get something simple, and then walk over to Stark Tower and help Tony with whatever he was working on that day. And eventually, S.H.I.E.L.D. would call and need our help for something, and we'd have been brought a helicopter to take us up to the Helicarrier. And I'd talk with everyone while Tony talked with S.H.I.E.L.D. I would tease Clint and Natasha about their feelings for each other, I'd just hang around Banner for a very long time, and then Steve and I would just get into trouble and talk.
I wasn't a very fun life, but it's better than my life now.
"Come back, I see, Tessa?"
My shoulders stiffened. I clocked my gun and whipped around, pointing it at the man in the trench coat.
He also had a gun.
We were both pointing our guns at each other, just staring (or should I say glaring) when Tony and Steve ran in from different directions. They were both out of breath and stared at us, but I could tell Tony knew I had it all under control. Although he was cautiously approaching Fury from behind. I couldn't tell if Fury knew Tony was behind him, although I knew he knew Steve was in here since he entered the room from behind me.
From the same place I came from.
The thought of him following me crossed my mind, but I quickly pushed it away. I couldn't have any distractions at the moment, my life was kind of on the line.
"No, but I have a few questions to ask you."
Before I could even think, the words were spilling out of my mouth.
Why do I always mess everything up with what I say?
"You're thinking I'm going to answer them?"
I suddenly saw a few guards pop out of nowhere, and they grabbed Tony and Steve, pulling them out of the room.
"It crossed my mind." I cautiously said, as I stared wide-eyed at the door where they were both taken. I could hear their screams of protest as they were dragged to God knows where. They then stopped. Did they use chloroform?
"Man, what's up with you guys and using chloroform? That's cowardly-"
"Man, what's up with you and using the word 'coward'?" Fury mimicked my voice.
I narrowed my eyes.
"Now that was uncalled for."
He laughed, looking away and turned his head towards the door they were taken to.
It was closed now.
"We can make a deal. That's the only reason I'm here, otherwise, you'd be dead along with your friends."
"Who, if you've forgotten, were once your friends as well."
Fury shook his head. "Not friends, allies."
"Oh, my bad, then." I hissed.
"Are you willing to hear my," he smiled sarcastically, "-amicable offer?"
"I think you're thinking I'm stupid. 'Cause I know what the word 'amicable' means." I said, my eyes glancing from my gun to his.
"I'm starting to think you don't know what sarcasm is."
"Yeah, well, I didn't think you knew until I taught you myself."
"You're not even that great at insulting people."
I laughed dryly. "I'm not trying to insult you, just trying to make a point."
Fury followed my laugh. "Which is?"
"Well your sarcasm has been distracting, but it's coming back. It doesn't matter, anyways. What's your 'amicable deal'?" I made air quotes with one hand. I was not going to take my gun off of his body for one second.
Be it that it's touching him or not.
"We let everyone go, unharmed and their memories washed. They will all still think you're in Natenheim and have decided to stay and never return to Earth. The grief will still be present, but they won't have a personal vendetta against me. One little thing to add to that as well, they will also think it's impossible for them to reach that realm, so they won't bother your Mother with that.-"
"I personally don't think she'll be bothered by people who are desperate to find me." I spat out.
Fury laughed mockingly. "What? Are you and your mother on good terms?"
"You bet your a-"
"Do you have to use that language?"
"No, but I'm trying to make a point that I am severely pis-"
"STOP!"
I smiled. "What? Curse words have magical effects on you? I never would've guessed."
Fury shook his head. "I know you're trying to distract me to do God knows what or signal someone around here, but just know that everyone that's here and on this ship is guarding this room, currently, and will let no one pass."
I sighed. "What's the other part of the deal?"
"We let everyone go, except you. You stay here so we can save the world."
"Don't you mean universe, you piece of-"
I suddenly noticed Fury's gun had moved a little, and before I knew it, a white-hot, searing pain shot through me.
"Tell Stark that's my payback."
I gaped down at my stomach and saw a little red spot starting to form on my t-shirt. I fell to my knees the pain was so immense, and dropped my gun.
I remembered what he said and held my head high as I looked up. "'Payback'? Are you four?!"
He shot the gun another time and tried to stop it with magic, but the bullet wouldn't stop. It went right into my shoulder, and I smacked my lips together.
I wouldn't scream. I couldn't. I couldn't let Fury know he was causing me pain, I wouldn't do it again.
But on the other hand, WHY ISN'T MY MAGIC WORKING?! It was working earlier! I knocked all the guards out with it, so why wouldn't it work on Fury?!
I cried out as my other shoulder was hit with another bullet, and I fell backwards and onto the floor. Fury walked over to me and stood directly over me. I could feel my blood pouring out of my wounds but I bit my lips.
"You can't kill me with bullets. I'm immortal-"
"Actually, you are not. Longevity is one of your powers, meaning you live longer than an average human being-"
"Well I'm not an average human being, now am I?" I spit out.
Does that mean the serum wouldn't have killed me, just killed my powers?
"No, you're not."
I saw my vision getting hazy around the edges and I only wondered one thing. I decided to mumble it, since I could feel blood rising in my throat.
Great, was this from my shot to the stomach? What did he hit? Did it go all the way through?
"Pardon?" Fury smiled.
"Why are you shooting me if you can't kill me with bullets?" I mumbled a bit louder.
Fury smiled once more, only it looked a bit sadistic. "You said you were getting tired of chloroform, didn't you?"
"You sadistic little-"
"I dare you to finish that sentence." He warned in all seriousness.
"Triple dog? Can I get a hundred bucks while we're at it?"
He then shot me in both thighs, and I instantly jerked my leg upwards and in the air. I tried to grab my thigh and stop the bleeding, but Fury grabbed my ankle and twisted it, making my eyes widen.
"Why are you doing this?!" I seethed through my teeth. Tears were starting to form, but I blinked them away only for them to roll down my temples and into my hair.
"What's it going to be, Stark?" Fury asked, ignoring my question.
What could I do? Or say? That sentence is literally in every book you will ever read, but it's true. I have never understood a sentence more in my life.
I couldn't have Tony and Steve and everyone else utterly distressed because they'll be thinking I never loved any of them. I couldn't have them thinking it was maybe their fault. That they were the ones who had driven me to the point that I'd stay with my biological mother on a realm no one has ever heard of.
But, the upside to all of this would be...
I realized something.
What was the upside to all of this? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Nada. Zip, zero, nothing.
The only upside was for S.H.I.E.L.D.
Anyways, I can't trust them while I'm in my coma. They'll probably kill me for all I know. Not unless to serum kills me first, though.
"Screw. You." I whispered in between gasps. I felt like I was losing a lot of blood. And only from a few gunshot wounds. What's this going to say about me when I'm fighting villains in the future?
If there is a future...
WHY AM I BEING SO NON-OPTIMISTIC?!
THINK OF A WAY OUT, TESSA, KILL HIM IF YOU HAVE TO.
I glanced over at my gun I had dropped and looked back at Fury. He was still standing above me, his gun only had 1 bullet left, and I'm pretty sure it was meant for my head. Maybe I could be killed with bullets, I'd never know.
Oh, wait...
I tried to stand up, but as he was distracted by my sudden movements, I snatched up the gun and whirled around, hitting him in the side of the head with it. I couldn't shoot him anywhere in the chest, since I knew he had a bulletproof vest on.
It was basically required if you worked here.
Not literally, but after Coulson's incident with Loki (which I still don't know how he survived), everyone started wearing them for their own protection.
I didn't, though.
I'm a girl, my fighting instincts come to me as soon as someone hits me.
He whirled around too, and punched me in the nose before I could click the gun off safety.
Why did I even do that in the first place?!
Blood instantly started to pour and I wiped some of it away.
If I'm going to have a bloody nose and get my butt kicked, I should look like a badass while doing it. Like those people in the movies, how they have bloody noses when they're fighting and end up winning.
I don't know if bloody noses are good luck, but hopefully they are because that's at least one thing I could think about on the bright side of this situation.
I clicked the safety off and shot at Fury's shooting arm, only I realized a gun is actually pretty hard to shoot.
Damn, it's not as easy as it is in the games...
I completely missed and shot at his leg. It wasn't much easier, and that only left me five bullets.
And hopefully these five bullets save my life.
Fury wasn't shooting at me and I remembered he only had one left. He was waiting for the right moment.
AND I DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO THINK OF BRINGING MORE BULLETS?!
Did Fury?
Obviously not or else he would've reloaded when he had the upper hand.
"I really hope you make the right choice here, Tessa." Fury said with some sort of emotion etched in his voice.
Only I couldn't put my finger on it.
It kind of sounded like desperation.
"How about I make you a deal instead?" I offered.
Fury laughed sarcastically. "Sure, Tessa! I'd love to here it!"
I rolled my eyes angrily. "You let us all go free, including me, and if I find out I am to source of this 'upcoming desolation' I will kill myself."
Fury laughed again. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"
"Because I care about all those people too! A small amount of them being people I love and want to protect. I wouldn't want them to die and me to live, because that is selfish. You're right there, but why?"
"Do you want to shake on it?" Fury suggested.
The spur of the moment made me oblige and I stepped forward and lowered my gun. "Okay."
Before I could even have any thoughts, another pain rippled through me, only it was in my back. Fury unwrapped his arms around me and I slowly fell to the floor.
I didn't have control over my body, and I didn't know he never pulled the knife out.
It was a lot longer than the one I used in the Balance, and a lot more painful.
I stared down at it, in too much pain that I couldn't comprehend anything. Fury just literally stabbed me in the back and didn't even bother to pull it out. I fell to my knees, and then backwards, falling on my back, making the knife push through my entire stomach and out the front of my shirt. It was bloody and it instantly made a pool of blood surround me.
"W-why?" I choked out.
Blood was spilling from my mouth and I just couldn't swallow it. It felt like my energy was being quickly drained from me and it was getting hard to speak. It was getting hard to breathe.
"I couldn't take your word for it." He said quickly. "But I don't think a knife's gonna be enough."
"Wha-?"
He quickly lifted the gun and pointed it at my head, but Loki appeared out of nowhere and raised his arm. The bullet instantly turned around and hit Fury in his shoulder.
He yelled out in pain and I used some on my energy to roll my eyes.
I got shot in the stomach, both shoulders, both thighs, and currently have a long knife the size of a freaking sword through my stomach, and he screams over a bullet to the shoulder?
Okay, because that makes sense.
Loki's eyes darted to me and his face instantly changed. He looked very pained and his eyes widened and narrowed as he heard Fury getting up. If this situation was anything comical, Loki would've have steam ejecting from his ears he looked so ticked off and angry.
Loki ran towards him, pulling out his knife and swiping it in the air threateningly before reaching Fury. He twisted and struck and was hit a few times, but Fury seemed to have him under control. He kept darting his eyes over to me for a few seconds before Loki pounced on him, but his eyes held something I've seen before.
Pride.
He was proud of what he did to me.
Loki noticed what Fury's eyes held as well and he grabbed a hold of Fury's head and put his knife to his throat.
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you." Loki seethed.
Fury laughed and said, "Because we can save her."
"Please...you were planning on... killing me the... whole time." I managed between breaths. It was getting really hard to breathe now.
"That's not true-"
"You just don't want to die. You're saying crap because you finally don't have the upper hand." I said smoothly. Not in a way were I was being smooth about it, my voice came our soft and silky. No pants or gasps of pain, surprisingly.
Fury lifted his gun and Loki saw it coming, only he was too late. Fury pulled the trigger and I tried to roll out of the way, only I wasn't fast enough.
It hit my head was all I could think. Oh my God, it hit my head! I'm going to die!
Loki finally snapped and twisted Fury's neck to make a horrible, disgusting sounding 'pop' echo through the room. The gunshot was still echoing, or maybe it was just in my ears.
I rolled over onto my back again, forgetting the knife was still there, and groaned in pain. Fury was dead, so now I could show signs of pain.
"Azeli!" Loki breathed, and my glossy eyes tried to fix on his face. They wouldn't.
"I'm s-sorry." I choked.
Great, I'm back to choking out my words now.
Loki chuckled a little. "For what?"
I couldn't do anything. I couldn't move, or talk, or really even breathe.
Loki's face contorted in fear. "Azeli? Azeli! No, don't die!"
My eyes moved a little to see his panicked face. What do I do? I'm clearly not 'going to the light' and I'm not dying either. If I am going to, I hope it's not like this. Kind of like the Balance, only everything's getting fuzzier by the minute. Or mabe that's just what happens until you die.
"What do you want me to do to help?"
I was able to open my mouth and form two words that sounded gargled: "Find Tony."
* * *
Loki returned with Tony minutes after, and I didn't even wanna know how he found him and got him out safely.
The only thing that mattered to me was that I was still alive and had to go through the agony of watching Tony process the thought that I was going to die and he couldn't do anything about it. My death was coming sooner than expected, and my vision was almost too fuzzy to make out who was who.
Tony was crying and I couldn't tell if I was or not. My body wasn't moving right with my emotions. It felt like my soul was aching and crying and screaming in agony, but my body wouldn't do anything.
My body was dead, and now I was waiting for my brain to die too.
Apparently, souls don't die. They're sent somewhere, I don't even care where, as long as it's not like the Balance. I hope there's people there, and I can find a home.
Tony kept blaming himself, saying that it was his fault that I had been stabbed and shot in the first place. He thought it was all his fault because he let them take him and Steve away. He thought it was his fault that I'm dying.
Really, it's my fault. I was stupid enough to let my emotions take over and trust Fury, and he took that to his advantage. It only took one split second, and I was already dying.
"T...ony-" I tried to say.
He whipped his head towards me. I was still in the same spot, and Tony had seated himself next to me with his elbows on his knees as he cried.
"Save your breath for your goodbyes, Tessa. I'm sure everyone wants one." He sighed. "I am sorry that came out much cruder than I meant for it to be."
I'm sure my eyes are glossed over now, and probably gives someone the impression that I'm dead, but I'm not. I can still think, hear, see a little, and speak a little. Not something I'd recommend as a lifestyle, but it's what I have now and I can't argue with that.
"I don't think she's going to be saying her goodbyes." Loki interrupted. What? Why?
I'm not complaining, I swear.
"We're having a family moment here." Tony said rudely, not even looking or glancing at Loki.
Well, Tony, what you said earlier made it sound like you think we're not even related at all.
"I think we have a cure."
Tony laughed. I tried to, but only spit up more blood. Tony had been keeping my chin clean when I accidentally spit some blood up, and I eternally thanked him.
If he hadn't been doing that, I would've died from disgust.
He quickly grabbed the dyed-pink (from my blood) towel and wiped it off my chin.
"Wh...at's th-"" I croaked out.
Loki gave me a sad look. "I have to tell you privately."
Tony glared viciously at him, but replied with a simple okay. As he left the room, Loki took Tony's old spot on the floor.
"Can you...take the...knife out...please." I gasped.
Loki shook his head. "It's keeping in a lot of blood."
I didn't laugh. "I...don't think I...have any blood...left."
Loki shook his head again, looking down at his lap.
"What's the...cure?"
All of a sudden, the haze started to take complete control of my vision, and I couldn't see anything. I could hear Loki saying something, and he was probably telling me what the cure was, only it sounded like I was underwater.
I could make out some words though: "Azeli? Can you hear me? Wait, you're not breathing?!"
My vision was starting to get a little better. I could at least see a little through the haze. I saw Loki's panicked expression, like he didn't know what to do.
Damn, I'm surprised I haven't bled out yet. Considering the circumstances, and how many bullets I have in my body, I'm even going to mention the knife completely impaling my stomach, I should've been dead a long time ago.
Maybe it's my 'immortality.'
But if I am immortal, how am I dying from a knife and bullets? It doesn't make any sense.
I saw Loki was panicking, and I closed my eyes. The haze was giving me an immense headache.
I could still hear him though.
"This can not happen again." I heard Loki mutter. I opened my eyes to see what he'd do just to see him lift his hand up.
The air was shimmering around his hand and then he summoned a knife.
What was he gonna do with a knife? The idiot. I already have one impaling me.
He gently rolled me onto my back and I hissed in pain. It was almost unbearable: white flashes flashed in my eyes. Although they were kind of hard to see over the haze.
"Sorry," he murmured.
All this pain better be worth it.
He ripped the knife out of my back.
I shrieked in pain and tears started to flow from my eyes.
I thought he said to keep the knife in; it was holding all of my blood. Or what was left anyway.
I managed to gasp out that thought, but he just glared at me.
He rolled me back onto my back and then looked at the knife he summoned. I guess he was thinking of what to do with it. He had to of had something in mind, or else he wouldn't have summoned it.
He, all of a sudden, stabbed me in the stomach. Right where the first knife's tip was.
I widened my eyes and shrieked again. This was almost more unbearable than taking it out.
Seconds ticked by and nothing happened. All that happened was that I lost more blood.
"I thought it would work."
"You...you a-are an i...idiot."
I could literally feel the life draining out of me. Like my life was water: it moved so quickly and smooth, although the pain didn't match that definition.
A bright white light suddenly blinded my eyes and I had to close them. My hands suddenly felt stronger than ever and I pulled the knife from my stomach.
There wasn't any blood on it.
I noticed the details were intriguing, there were terrified faces occupying the handle. Only, in my gut, I could tell there was something about this knife that just didn't feel right.
I sat up from my spot on the floor and realized that the bullets were still in my body, and they were causing loads of pain to shoot throughout by body. I fell back onto the ground and let the knife slip from my hands.
Loki grabbed it and stood up and the image shimmered away and then was gone. He dusted off his clothes and sharply turned his attention towards the door that burst open.
I tried to sit up and look at who it was, only a burst of energy spread through my body and I jumped up off of the floor.
I hugged Thor as hard as I could, which wasn't very hard considering the bullets were still occupying my body. He smiled and squeezed me back. "I'm happy you're awake."
"I expected her uncle to come in, Thor, not you." Loki said.
"I take offense." He smiled. "But I have news."
I raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"The Bifrost is ready for us to travel upon."
"Oh." Loki and I said at the same time.
"But I thought you said in at least 2-3 months." I told him.
"That's something we can ask once we're there."
"'We'?"
"You're coming, aren't you?" Loki asked, stepping forward.
"I never thought about it before," I admitted.
"Would you like to?"
I shrugged. "Sure. Okay."
Tony's reaction didn't even cross my mind once.
"Great," Thor smiled, "We can leave tomorrow or the day that follows."
I nodded and he left the room, leaving me and Loki alone.
I strode (well, not technically, my legs were killing me) over to him and hugged him tightly. I didn't even care if it hurt me, it was worth it.
"You're gonna hurt yourself if you squeeze that tight." He chuckled.
"Okay, then." I let go of him. "When's the next flight to Asgard?"
* * *
I had gotten all the bullets removed and rested up for a day or two. Thor said we leave today. Loki's been acting quite strange but I already know why.
This is his last day on Earth. Being a free (not technically) man. He was very upset, but Thor said I'll be able to see him in the dungeons. He'll make sure of it.
I was also kind of nervous to go to Asgard. Odin has this giant grudge against my mom for something, which means he'll probably hate me for it too. I don't know what went on between the two, all I know is that it's probably bad since he banished Mother Nature herself. She's probably the strongest individual (not being biased here) that I've ever read or heard about. When you think of Mother Nature, you think of her basically running the nine realms. But it's not like that.
She runs one realm called Natenheim that's fueled by her emotions. Example being if she's happy, it's sunny outside. If she's frustrated, there's most likely a tornado. I'm still trying to decipher what snow would be...
"Tessa?"
I looked up from my lap. Oh yeah, I was back in my apartment. It felt nice to be in here, although it made me feel really anxious. This was where 'the Other' attacked me, but hasn't attacked since then. It's kind of bothered me, and made me a bit paranoid. Because what happened to them? They certainly didn't vanish into thin air.
Oh, god, I really hope I haven't jinxed it. Tony jinxed Fury and Coulson finding us the first day this whole adventure started. Speaking of, what happened to Coulson...?
"Hey, Steve." I greeted him. "How'd you get into my house?"
He held up a finger. "Technically, it's an apartment."
"Right. Well, either way, how'd you get in?"
"You left your door unlocked. I guess it's a habit for you." He laughed.
"Not really, actually." I shrugged.
"Okay, that really wasn't the best way to start off this conversation." He said, rubbing his face with his hands as he sits on my bed.
"Not really." I chuckled.
"Look okay, I'm gonna get right to the point. I don't want you to go to Asgard."
That kind of took me off guard a bit.
"To be completely honest, I don't want to either. I think it's the nerves or something like that. Or maybe it's just that gods intimidate me horribly..."
"It's not required for you to go. Loki and Thor can go on their own and you can stay down here with me and Tony." He suggested, his face lightening up.
"Please don't make me choose, Steve. I already have a lot on my mind."
"I know, I just think Stark's taking this all a bit-"
"A bit what?"
"I wasn't going to insult him Tessa." He laughed. "I'm only saying this for Tony's sake. I think you leaving is going to tear him apart."
I couldn't think about it. The more I thought about Tony, the more I wanted to stay. But I couldn't leave Loki up in Asgard's dungeons all alone. He had to have company. Besides, I kind of wanted to meet his mom.
"I have to go, Steve, I just have to. It's not like I'm moving there, I'm just staying there for a while. I may even find a new villain to fight." I smiled. It was thrilling, really. Just not when they're trying to kill me.
"Oh, God, please don't say that, you're gonna jinx it."
I smile a little. "You're turning into me."
"Is that a good or a bad thing?"
* * *
We stood at the place Thor said Heimdall would send the Bifrost. Tony was murmuring something about how this is where Thor and Loki departed when Loki tried to destroy Manhattan. We all three stood facing everyone else. Tony and I had a teary goodbye, but at least he understood that I was coming back. And I was coming back.
No matter what.
I invited Steve to stay in my apartment for a little while after, and I finally persuaded him that I was most definitely coming back.
"I guess this is farewell." Thor said to everyone as all their heads turned towards him. As everyone was distracted by Thor or talking to him, Loki pulled me aside by my arm.
"Are you sure you want to come? I remember you telling me about the grudge he holds against your mother, and he's definitely one for holding those, and I'm afraid he's going to hate you as well."
I shrugged. "It doesn't matter if he does or not. It won't affect me, he sounds like a giant-"
"Farewell, friends, I'll return soon." I was cut off by Thor saying goodbye to everyone. Why am I always cut off before saying my insult?! It's not always going to be a cuss word. Most of the time it probably will be, but...
"Heimdall, when you're ready."
The last thing I saw before my eyes were blinded by flashing colors were Tony's, and how he looked as if he'd cry at any moment. And suddenly, as I was pulled off the ground by an invisible force that only the Bifrost held, I regretted my decision to travel to Asgard.
* * * * *
And that, was 'Loki || A Loki Fanfic'
I hope you all enjoyed reading, and I hope to see you all in my future books!
Farewell, friends. :D
p.s. if you paid attention to the knife, it was the one sigyn tried to use on loki a lot of chapters ago. it will be very important, as you will read in the epilogue that will follow. :D
Written: 06-15-15, 06-16-15, 06-17-15
-gray
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