"What have you done?" Dr. Strange snaps, his voice raised as he grabs Loki and I by the arm. His grip is like an iron vice as he drags us through the portal and out the other side.
In seconds, all three of us are standing on top of the grand staircase inside the New York City Sanctum Sanctorum. The dark mahogany floor creaks under our combined weight, the room dimly lit from the large skylight behind us. It's evening, probably just a little after eight pm and the sun is beginning to set. Dusk gives the room a hazy feeling and the familiar high ceilings always make me feel like an ant, even though the three of us are all taller than average. The sprawling mansion seems to be empty, and I quickly sneak a glance to see if Master Wong is around. Thankfully, it's just the three of us.
"How was the meeting with the Avengers?" I say politely, pasting on an innocent smile. I'm not really surprised the old man found us so quickly, in fact, I was kind of hoping he would.
Dr. Strange glances over at Loki and shouts, "He's supposed to be dead! Tell me you did not do what I think you did!"
Loki immediately draws his daggers from his sleeves and puffs out his chest, "It's you." He mutters, lunging at Dr. Strange.
With a flick of his wrist and without taking his eyes off mine, Dr. Strange puts Loki in a straight jacket with a wide metal gag covering his mouth.
I scramble for words. Play dumb and be convincing, I remind myself.
"So, as it turns out, Thanos thought he killed him but only managed to knock him unconscious! Loki's been hiding out all this time! Isn't that wild? And now that Thanos is finally defeated, he's come to find his brother! How crazy is that!"
But to my dismay, Strange doesn't seem to buy it.
"Thanos doesn't make mistakes. You used the time machine, didn't you?" He retorts impatiently, pointing an accusing finger at me.
I pause and try to look contrite by staring at the ground and making my voice small. "I just wanted to help Thor. He was so sad all the time."
"So you decided, to pull a stupid and dangerous stunt, using classified technology behind my back in a foolish attempt to rewrite history?" He bellows, his voice reverberating off the hardwood walls.
"I made sure not to change anything else! Besides I can handle myself!" I shout defiantly, struggling to reign in my anger.
"I keep telling you all, I'm stronger than anyone gives me credit for. I could have fought Thanos alongside the Avengers, but you said I wasn't strong enough! You said I wasn't ready! But I proved my strength by going back in time to save Thor's brother! And I fooled Thanos, all without needing anyone else's help!" I add, raising my voice to match his. Not bothering to hold back my contempt.
"Did you even think of the repercussions?!" He shouts back, exasperated.
Suddenly that familiar feeling of being pushed out of my body takes over, and it's as if I'm far away floating above my body and watching from a distance. Distantly, I register the rage that roils through my foreign body and I watch myself let out a pent-up roar.
"OF COURSE, I WAS FUCKING CAREFUL! You must think I am a freaking idiot! People like you have always underestimated me! Well, I have news for you, Thor still thinks Loki's dead and Thanos thought he killed him! Nothing else was changed! I did everything fucking perfectly!"
"You can't cheat death!" The severity of Dr. Strange's tone stops me cold, and
Just like that, my mind snaps back to my body, and I'm in control again.
"But-" I mumble, feeling ashamed in more ways than one.
"Death will know that something was taken from her and will hunt him down until she finds him and devours him!" He adds his voice low and brimming with fury.
A chill goes up my spine, as Loki cringes next to me. I swallow hard, then shake it off as I regain my composure. "So is this supposed to be some kind of spooky metaphor, or..."
"Death does not like to be stolen from. She will come for him." He replies matter-of-factly, crossing his arms over his chest.
"He's the God of mischief. I'm sure he can handle himself." I snap "So stop fucking underestimating us!!"
Us? Did I just say that aloud? I'm not sure why I referred to Loki and I, as an us. I stare at Strange warily, wondering if he noticed the slip.
Dr Strange titles his head, his eyes questioning me. Oh, yeah, he noticed all right. Then he turns towards Loki and sighs, his demeanor suddenly calm.
"You should have left him alone." He adds sadly, seemingly deflated. "He is a murderer after all."
"Aren't we all?" I snap.
Dr. Strange's head swivels back to me and he looks me sternly in the eye. "Give me your ring." He commands extending his hand.
"What?! but, I earned thi-"
"You have proven you can't be trusted with the sling ring." He waves his hand and the ring vanishes from my finger and reappears in his open palm.
"And, both of the suits you stole from Avengers HQ."
I pull both time travel suits out of my backpack and hand them over. I never intended to keep them anyways.
"Master Wong should never have agreed to train you. There will be no more lessons for you, you're under house arrest... Until you earn back my trust."
"And as for you," his voice grows colder as he turns to face Loki. "I will contact Thor and let him know that he needs to return to earth promptly and take you away. Until then," he narrows his eyes, "do not imagine for one moment that you can escape me."
Then he casts a quick spell, and Loki vanishes from sight.
Unnerved, I ask hesitantly, "What did you do with him?"
"He's upstairs, locked in the guest room, with an enchantment he will not be breaking out of anytime soon."
Relief surges through me and my shoulders sag. I hadn't realized I was clenching them so tightly. A large part of my plan hinged on Strange's reaction to my scheming. I hide a small smile and keep my gaze lowered. Upstairs works perfectly.
Then he adds, his tone stern, "You will be in charge of bringing him his meals. I've made it so that only you and Thor can go in and out of his room. Therefore, you will guard him until Thor arrives and retrieves him." His voice softens, "Can I at least trust you with that Kamilla?"
I nod resolutely. "Of course, Dr. I'll make sure he doesn't get out and that he doesn't hurt anyone."
"See that you do. Now, wait here for a moment." He turns quickly and teleports to the library. Then returns a minute later and adds matter-of-factly, "Thor will be here within the week. If Loki gets out during that time and murders anyone. Their innocent blood will forever be on your hands. Understood?"
I nod silently, my eyes still downcast.
He continues glaring at me then sighs, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Now, I have to go clean up your mess. Your job begins immediately." And with that final command, he summons a portal and steps through it.
I let out a pent up breath as soon as he's gone and stomp into the kitchen. "Well, that could have gone better." I mutter to myself.
I thought he might be mad, but I didn't expect him to take away my ability to teleport. I've been so focused on planning every possible moment, but I didn't expect to lose my ring. I earned that ring! I sigh, my chest burning in indignation. If I don't find a way to get it back, it's going to make things very difficult. My mind roams over everything I just accomplished. "I just brought someone back to life!" I say quietly, marveling with pride.
I proved that I could do exactly what the Avengers did! All on my own, without any mistakes that might fracture our timeline. Even though Strange refuses to acknowledge how impressive it is that I pulled this off with only a week of planning, I'm still immensely proud of myself.
Once I reach the kitchen, I grab the kettle to fill it with water before putting it on the stove. Suddenly I realize how exhausted I am; time travel really took its toll on me. I slump down into the kitchen chair and lay my head on the table. The wooden table is dusty and the surface is hard and grainy against my forehead, but I'm too tired to care. I thought victory would taste sweeter, but I just feel emotionally drained and uncertain. I hate not knowing, it's like having a ghost constantly hovering over my shoulder, vaguely warning me of my doom. I thought that by proving I could do something on my own, Strange would stop treating me like a fragile little child. Afterall, Master Wong told me all about his training and how Strange first broke the rules. I know that like me, he had a bit of a rebellious streak, so I assumed Strange would appreciate my ingenuity and determination. I thought he might be just a little bit proud of me. But I miscalculated, he clearly thinks even less of me now. I groan loudly, I guess I'm never going be able to win him over or convince him that I'm ready to become a Master of the Mystic Arts. I mean, I knew it was a gamble of how he'd react, but I wasn't expecting him to react so harshly! I sigh, I guess I resort to plan B. The high-pitched whistle of the kettle pulls me away from my thoughts. And I get up to pour the steaming water in a glass with some tea and proceed to head to the room Loki's imprisoned in.
"I hope you're decent!" I announce as I open the door to the guest room and slip inside.
I glance around the room, on the right is a small white cot, that's clearly seen better days and next to it is a brown leather sofa. On the other side of the sofa is a small wooden dresser painted white, and there's an ornately decorated mirror hanging above it, that's framed in gold. On the back wall is a closet, that I know is packed with cleaning supplies that have absolutely no use, in this magically self-cleaning house. And to the left, next to a large ancient and dusty bookshelf is Loki, staring intently out the window at the darkened New York skyline.
"So, why did you really save me?" He asks solemnly.
I walk towards him cautiously, thinking about how to respond. I need to get on his good side, so I try to spin my story in a way he can relate to. "I just wanted to prove I could do it. I thought if I did, they might respect me. That they might see me as an equal."
"So you're not really an Avenger..." he prods, his arms folded behind his back, not tearing his eyes away from the window.
"I wanted to prove that I was brave enough to join their team. But they told me I'm too reckless, too inexperienced and too young. No matter how I try to prove myself, they still refuse me." I say honestly, hoping to remind him of his past. Loki turns around to face me his intense green eyes brimming with suspicion. "So, you conspired against the Avengers to save my life, only to have me locked up like a filthy animal?"
I hold my ground unfazed, before handing him the cup of steaming tea. "This will sooth your throat, I imagine it stings pretty bad." I pause for a moment, I need to appear as nonthreatening as possible. "If you must know, I wasn't entirely sure I'd get this far. I thought we would have more time to reach Valkyrie and that maybe she would take you in. She might have stood up to Dr. Strange. I mean, I thought maybe Strange would've confined you to New Asgard, but I wasn't sure-"
"I won't be going back there." He interrupts me flatly.
"What? Why not? That's where the remaining Asgardians live now."
He leans forward and sneers, his voice dark, "Because there's nothing to rule. Now get out of my sight!" He waves me away. "I grow weary of your company Little Witch."
"Okay easy tiger," I say putting my hands up in mock surrender. "I can take a hint."
I turn to leave. "Oh, I almost forgot, Thor will be here in a week, I'm to guard you until then. So, if your Lordship has need of anything, let me know, my liege." I taunt with a mocking bow.
"I need you to stop your incessant jabbering." He snaps, his voice tight.
I mime zipping my lips shut. "I'll be quiet as a mouse." Then flash him an innocent smile as I leave the room.
I go next door to what has been my bedroom for the last two years and change out of my clothes and black boots into my comfy blue pajamas. I glance in the mirror and am caught off guard by how dark the circles are under my eyes. I usually haves small bags under my eyes from lack of sleep, but it's never this noticeable. Normally I would consider my wide violet eyes and arched eyebrows to be my best feature, but now I just look haggard; the black circles contrasting starkly against my honey-brown skin. My bruised nose protrudes from my face, and my normally plump lips are pale and blistered. I wrestle my thick, curly brown hair into a braid and sigh. I have been so busy planning, that I've barely eaten anything. I rub at my eyes, feeling drained, then grab a large blueberry granola bar from my purse and eat it quickly. I pick up my phone from my nightstand, before plopping down on my bed and checking my messages. My inbox is empty, I don't know what I was expecting, it always is. I open the Spotify app and turn the volume up full blast. The music of The Rolling Stones comes screeching out and I use my magic to amplify the sound. I smile ruefully, I'm not above tormenting him a little bit. You're not getting any silence tonight. I think to myself with a grin. I glance at the clock, it's only 8:30, I'm never in bed this early, but since I'm on house arrest and I no longer have my sling ring, it looks like I won't be going out tonight.
Restless, I let my mind wander. I wonder how Wong, will react to what I've done. Strange and I haven't gotten along since we first met a few weeks ago, but Wong is another story. He was the one who agreed to train me, after I waited at his door for five weeks begging him every day to teach me magic. I've been training under him for the last four years, until Strange showed up and took over. I hate to admit it, but I've grown a little bit fond of Wong. He may be a man of few words and somewhat distant, but I know he's got a soft spot for me. A soft spot I sometimes take advantage of, but appreciate nonetheless. I don't expect him to be as upset with me as Strange was. But if he is, I steel myself against the disappointment, I'll get over it. I don't need him anyways; I don't need either of them. I try to silence my thoughts and lose myself in the music for a while until I find myself yawning. I switch off the music, and try to make my mind blank, in an attempt to avoid my usual nightmares. Then like every night, I do multiplications in my mind until I fall asleep.
-------------------
Loki:
My thoughts are racing, I know this girl isn't telling me the whole story. And I don't believe for one second, that Thor is actually on his way. I grimace, he probably doesn't even know I'm alive. I never trust the humans. I sit down on the tiny cot exhausted. Disgusting! This is no place for Asgardian royalty! Disappointment and bitterness flood through me, like a torrential waterfall. A small part of me hoped that the people of Earth would welcome me as a hero. As if they had, what? Forgiven me, like Thor did? I scoff. No. It's foolish of me to hope that anyone will see me as anything other than a villain. Humans do not forgive and they do not forget. I would be better off in New Asgard, at least they see me as the respected leader who saved them from Hela. I sag, despair filling my thoughts. Being there only reminded me of my failure to save them from Thanos. Half of our people murdered! Even the women and children were slaughtered like cattle, as if they were nothing! As if they were humans! I force myself to swallow, my grief palpable and bitter on my tongue. So many Asgardians died screaming for my help and I... I just couldn't save any of them. I hang my head in bitter shame, their screams echoing through my head. I tried, but I failed to prevent their deaths, and now there are so few Asgardians left. I simply can't bare to face them anymore. I bury my face in my hands, overwhelmed with pain. I've lost so much. My people, my home, my throne, my brother and both of my parents. I've lost everything!
I shudder with pent-up sorrow. Just when Odin finally decided to accept me for who I am, he left me!
Everyone always leaves! Then you have to leave them first! I think to myself. I push my guilt and sadness away and sit up smoothing out my hair. "I am a God. I don't need anyone." I announce determinedly. I force my emotions aside, feelings just get in the way anyways; I don't need them. And I will find a way to escape this god-forsaken planet and find my brother!
"What is that dreadful noise?" I ask aloud, as music begins blasting from the other side of the wall. I cast a spell to make my room soundproof so that I can focus on my thoughts. Wretched humans! How I loathe this planet!! This sorcerer may think he's stronger than me, but I've got plenty of tricks up my sleeve and I will eventually find a weakness in his enchantments. I narrow my eyes and I will most certainly find out what that little witch is really up to, and force her to set me free! I smirk, humans are no match for my power and intellect, they will regret imprisoning me here!