Part One. Chapter Eight.
Mischievous Offer.
It's been days since I've been locked in this room. No book to read, entertainment to watch, or someone to talk to. I'm isolated and on the verge of being driven insane. I had to get out, but with Director Fury heavily watching over me, I was stuck in my own cage of madness.
I glanced at the only window in my room, but all I saw was my reflection. Sometimes, when Fury felt generous, he would take away the window effect that blocked me from seeing anything and I'd get to watch agents walk by. It was entertaining to me. Oh my, Astryd, you truly are going insane...I thought. I threw my head back and hit myself hard in the head. I let out a groan, and banged my head again against the wall a few more times.
"Astryd Selvig is injuring herself." The computerized voice, who has been monitoring all my movements, said in its boring, standard tone.
The door immediately slid open and I stopped banging my head, startled. Director Fury strode in watching me warily. "Miss Selvig, I would appreciate it if you would stop harming yourself." He said his voice tinted with concern.
"I am sorry, but this is driving me insane. I just want to go home...I want to see my father." I begged, and Fury seemed to soften up at the mention of the word father. It was true. I longed to see Erik, but that wasn't under my options at the moment.
"Astryd, you and I both know why-" Fury's hand flew up to his earpiece mid-sentence and he turned away from me, facing the door. "Agent Coulson." He addressed over the Bluetooth. My hearing senses picked up, curiously.
"You found it? Have you gotten some of your men to surround the area...Good...What do you mean by radioactive...Selvig is in on this... Yes, I want you to find out about him...you say he calls himself Thor?-" Nick sneaks a glimpse at me, but I quickly turned away pretending to be interested in the wall.-"Just keep your watch on him...I got to keep my own eyes on another possible threat." With that being said, Nick hung up.
His full attention turned to me, and he caught me staring at him both curiously and puzzled. Thor, I thought. Why did that name sound so personally familiar to me? I know that Thor is a Norse god. Erik told me about Thor and Loki when he realized the similarity to the princes in my bed time stories to the Norse gods. He found it odd that I knew so much about them, especially since Erik grew up with their stories as a child. I shook my head, snapping out of my thoughts. "How many times do I have to repeat it to you? I am no possible threat to anyone."
"Then, why are you so reluctant about telling me what happened the other day?"
I didn't answer; instead I let my gaze leave him and folded my arms across my chest.
"Or do you not remember?” He said, and there was something in his voice that gave me the chills. He sighed. “I don't know how much longer you’re going to keep this up, but I'm willing to play the game, Astryd. You won't tell me anything, that's fine. I just won't let you leave."
"That isn't fair!" I shouted, upset.
"You know what isn't fair? It isn't fair that all these years, you've been lying to us, you-"
"I never lied to anyone of you!" I defended myself a bit angry. I would never lie to them. There is a difference between lying and hiding the truth.
“What about that one time in Willowdale, Virginia? You claimed you didn’t remember, but I know you did. The radar my scientists used on that scene picked up something extraordinary,from another world, possibly, and whatever that was, matched what we found at your high school.It didn’t take me long to put two and two together, especially with your history of causing the lights to go off.”
"You've never asked the right questions." I remarked.
Nick raised an eyebrow at me and nodded thoughtfully. "Okay, then. What caused the explosion at your school?"
"I don't know." I answered, honestly.
"You're lying."
My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. "I am not lying! I speak the truth! If I knew what exactly caused it, I would've told you but I don't, so I can't."
Nick eyed me carefully as if he were testing me. "Are you protecting yourself from us, by not telling us the truth?"
I didn't answer. I was scared of what they'd do to me, but now that he said, it sounds so selfish of me...
"Have you been hiding something big from us, something that could actually be a potential threat -to not just us, but the whole country- all these years?"
No answer. I sat up straight, my body tensing as I felt my emotions go wild once again. Oh no...
"Did you know what you were capable of?"
Don't look him in the eye, I thought to myself, don't...
"Were you the cause of that chaotic disaster? Did you mean to cause harm? Were you planning on bombing the-"
"STOP!" I shouted, covering my ears and closing my eyes. I didn't want to hear any more of his questions. They were making me crack. I didn't mean to cause harm and I definitely didn't plan on doing it .My eyes opened and tears immediately began to well up. I gasped as I felt it; the change stirring up inside of me...
"I will not stop, until I unveil the truth. What is there that you don't want me to know, Astryd? I've done nothing but wait, and your time is up. You either tell me or I'll force it out of you. Does Erik know?" Nick said.
"No," I answered, shakily under his cold, hard stare. The way he stared at me was as if I were an alien. He turned away from me and whispered something into his earpiece, so quietly and unexpected, that I didn't hear.
"Why are you crying? Are you guilty of something? As far as I know, you are innocent but I have my doubts."
"Can you please stop?" I begged, trying to maintain my calm before I would explode.
"Astrocious." He mumbled, his eyes fixed on me.
I hopped off of my bed, eyes wide. "Don't call me that," I said. How did he know about that? Who told him?
"A true, caring person does not inflict harm upon anyone. I didn't want to tell you this, not now when you're at this state, but something happened...to Erik. He was at your school the time of the explosion; he had gone to pick you up early because I had requested it. He made it farther in than the officer did, and when the explosion occurred, he was heavily harmed. That's why I wouldn't let you see him. It wasn't because of you; it's because he's at the hospital in critical condition. You know the cause, I know you do. And the more you hide it, the more you are finding yourself guiltier in this situation..." He trailed off as he began to back away for an unknown reason to me.
"No, you must be lying!"
"Erik is hurt, because of you. He-"
"ENOUGH!" I cried, my palms facing his face and shooting out blue fuses. My heart beat quickened as I realized what I have done. Fury moved out of the way, the tail of his coat getting caught in the heat and falling into ashes below him. He stumbled to the floor, eye wide as he stared up at me in astonishment.
I fell to my knees. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...," I cried into my hands as my skin and body changed to its normal state.
**
Laufey stared at the frozen state of the sorceress. The power she had used on Astryd was too much for her to endure, and she was dying. Her suffering was horrible, and it came to a point where she kneeled before Laufey begging for him to end it. He had. He froze her, and has kept her in the spot he did it on, going on with his life as if she never existed. That was his most gracious offer. He had got what he wanted from her, but was disappointed with the results. He wanted Astryd; he wanted her power.
The sound of unfamiliar footsteps against the cold, hard ground caught Laufey's attention. The steps soon came to a halt and Laufey raised his head to see the mischievous 'Asgardian' prince before him. He wondered if Loki knew of his true heritage. "Kill him." Laufey spoke.
The guards began to close in on Loki, but even then, he showed no fear. "After all I've done for you?" Loki said.
Laufey and Loki shared a look of understanding, and Laufey waved off his guards dismissively. He sat back on his icy throne, eyeing his unwanted son. "So you're the one who showed us the way into Asgard," his raspy voice spoke.
"That was just a bit fun, really," Loki shrugged, smiling lightly. He then opened his mouth to speak again, “to ruin my brother's big day and to protect the realm from his idiotic rule for a while longer."
The disgust and disapproval of Thor was clear in Loki's voice. There no doubt that Loki was wise, wise enough to be a king. Laufey sat up, accepting to hear Loki out. "I will hear you."
Loki took a step forward, the icy wind not bothering him at all as it blew against his pale face. “I will conceal you and a handful of your soldiers, lead you into Odin's chamber, and you can slay him where he lies."
Laufey gave a small nod, thoughtfully, actually considering his offer. But there was one thing. Laufey's ruby red eyes stared into Loki's pale green ones. "Why not kill him yourself?"
The prince tried his best at concealing a snort, but it was no use, it came out anyway. "I suspect that the Asgardians would not take kindly to a king who had killed his predecessor. Once Odin is dead, I will return the casket to you."
Laufey, the king of Jotunheim, rose to his feet intrigued by Loki's strange offer. If he could get the casket, he could use it to get to Astryd…
"And you can return to Jotunheim to all it’s...,"- Loki's eyes wandered about Jotunheim for seconds, trying to find a good quality about it but found none.-"...glory." He finished.
"But I must know one thing," Loki began and continued when he received Laufey's nod. "Why is the casket so important to you?"
"It holds power...unlimited power that I want. And once I get my hands on it, I can get rid of Odin's unwanted spawn." Laufey explained surprising himself that he answered. He found himself trusting the mischievous prince, despite his reputation.
"I believe you are mistaken. I know that I am not Odin's, and I definitely know that Thor is not unwanted. He is the favored one...always has been."
Laufey grinned. "But you have forgotten about someone else, someone who was very special to you when you were a child."
Loki's eyes widened in realization. He was referring to Astryd, the Asgardian princess, but she was dead. Odin had claimed her dead. Loki's stomach seemed to drop. Has Odin lied about her truth, too?
"Is she alive?" Loki asked.
"Yes, but I will tell you no more of it. She is of my business now since you Asgardians have seemed to have forgotten about her."
Loki nodded, pretending to understand, pretending to feel as if this news meant nothing to him. But it did. His dearest sis- Astryd was alive, and the guilt he had lived with before was now gone. He had not led her to her death. "So, do you accept my offer then?"
"I...accept." Laufey grinned.
Loki mirrored his grin, but his reasoning was different. Laufey was a fool to fall into his trap. If he ever thought that his own son, the one who he had left to die, disgraced, would side with him and help him, he had another thing coming. But most importantly, the reason he grinned was not out of mischievousness but out of happiness and relief.
Astryd is alive and he is going to see her.
**
Erik’s eyes landed on a cart full of books. There was one in particular that caught his eyes: Myths and Legends of the Norse. Could that be the answer to his problems? He doubted it, but picked up the book anyways. His eyes skimmed through the book, and he had an A-ha moment when his fingers stopped flipping the pages.
It was about the notorious rainbow bridge Jane had claimed that Thor knew all about. He looked onto the next page to see a page about Thor. He was just about ready to put the book back when his eyes caught glimpse of a name. Astryd. His eyes widened. Could this be a coincidence? He asked himself as he continued to read further on.
Thor is the god of thunder and Loki the god of mischief. Their sister, Astryd, never attained a title of her own since she is lost. She’s now known as the lost Princess of Asgard.
**
A whole day had passed. No one has gone to see me or check up on me, not even Director Fury. The guards had run in, after Fury's ordered them to, and took me to a new circular room made out of glass. There was a strong feeling in my gut that told me that being isolated and locked in here was bad. My hand touched the cool, indestructible glass and I knew it was built for something strong, maybe even stronger than me.
At least, they had the courtesy of leaving a couch inside for me to sit or lay in. Things could've been worse, much worse. This glass cage was inside another room, an empty one at that. The only other thing there was besides this cage was a control station for it, but other than that, there was nothing.
I wish Director Fury would come in. I wanted to apologize to him, and, perhaps, tell him the truth. I could've killed him and I hated myself for that. What if I did? Would I be able to live with that burden? Would Erik and Coulson ever think of me the same way, again?
I let my head fall into my hands and wept for the third time in the past twenty four hours. Am I becoming a cry baby now? I asked myself disgusted. Why are you even crying, Astryd?
The air turned cold, causing my crying to abruptly stop. I raised my head and saw a blurred, tall figure standing in front of me. "Director Fury, I am terribly sorry. I didn't mean to cause any harm to you. I was just angered and upset, I couldn't control myself any-" I stopped mid-sentence as I realized that the figure before me was not Fury after all.
I gasped.
His wide pale green eyes stared at me curiously. His shoulder-length hair was brushed and held back with gel, skin pale, and lips a bit pursed. There were bags under his eyes, showing his tired and weary state. But what made me gasp, was the aura I received from him; a mischievous one at that.
"Loki?"
Ahg, so Loki & Astryd just came into contact with each other! What do you think will happen to Astryd, especially after almost injuring Nick severely? Or what do you think Loki will tell her? Should she recognize who he really is or just by his Norse mythology stories? ^.^
I was originally going to split this into two chapters, but sometimes I think I can do crystal meth & then I think...mmm, better not. XD LOL *kudos if you got the reference*
ALSO DID ANYONE SEE THE IM3 SNEEK PEAK? It wasn't much but still...THE FEELS!
Please leave your thoughts below!