Chapter 1

Loki knew how to be patient. He still had cards that he could use. He wasn't left completely defenseless. His scepter was taken away and under the S.H.E.I.L.D's supervision. He needed to figure out how to get out of here, but with his mouth completely muzzled like a goddamn dog and his hands chained together behind his back, he couldn't take it off. He closed his eyes, trying to find someone who could help him out of this predicament. His other alliances wouldn't work; they ended the moment he fell from glory. That was okay, he would get back up. He always got back up when he fell.

His mind went out, searching for someone who could hear him and he kept getting a feeling of shadow, of blood. He saw a woman with black hair, midnight and her eyes were practically golden. He had to be careful of his words. "Can you hear me, woman?"

She was startled a moment and her eyes glanced around. There were blurs of other people around her, but she was the only clear one he saw. She didn't acknowledge him at first, instead turning into an alleyway, and then she spoke, "What is it that you want? Why are you in my head?" No cliché 'who are you' but instead straight to the point.

Loki had to hide a laugh, "I'm talking to you telepathically. I'm not in your realm but elsewhere. Silence realm actually." He paused, "I sense remorse in your heart and in your head. You have a heavy regret. Get me out of this realm, or at least find a way to do so, and I'll help you relieve your burden."

This made her freeze and her eyes widened, "Do you have any particular idea about how I should go about this? Also, I'd like to know who it is I'm helping. My name is Nerieta, not /woman/, thank you very much." She adjusted her purple jacket uncomfortably. Actual clothes made her itch since they rubbed her scales wrong.

"There are dimension rips around in your world that leads to other realms. It should be quite easy to get to my realm. I'm quite sure your kind has a tendency to get into places they're not welcomed at." Loki scoffed, "However, I don't know how you'd get into the rips. Either you can find someone who knows what you're talking about or perhaps maybe you can sense them yourself."

"I could...try," Neri conceded and furrowed her brows, "You don't have any rush, do you? It make take me a while to find the right one of these...rips. What exactly am I feeling for?"She paused, "You didn't tell me who you were."

Loki sighed, "I'm Loki, one of the many gods of Asgard." He was thoughtful. "You're feeling for something that's akin to...tension. It depends on what you interpret silence. For me, it's pressure. I hate silence. There's not a sound. Not anything. I'm in no rush. Just do /not/ forget me."

/Hey now, calm down. I know...what it's like to be forgotten. So don't get your panties in a twist,/ Nerieta smiled as she excited the other end of the alleyway, "I don't mind if we keep talking as I look, either. So you're the guy who ripped this place apart a year ago? Damn."

"It's been a year since I've been here?" Loki cursed to himself. He had waited too long. He should have sought help earlier, "Time doesn't flow here. I was unaware. Is the city still in shreds or has it rebuilt itself? What do you know about the Avengers?"

"The city still has it's bad spots, but it's pretty much back to normal," she ran her fingers through her hair, "The Avengers pretty much keep to themselves, though I've heard on the streets they got a new recruit that can use ice."

"A year and they're already healed practically? Humans are resilient creatures." Loki mused to himself. Yes, they were. He liked that pride. He had that same pride, but the bad thing was...he knew how to break it. He caused fear once. What's to say he couldn't do it again? "An ice user? All that means to me is that they had an extra member and trouble."

The reptile shrugged, and then felt stupid figuring he probably couldn't see it, "I don't know, civilian's can't exactly go up to them and ask. Let alone a person like me." She hummed to herself, "Though I could /sneak/ into their base and find out."

Loki was thoughtful, "The S.H.E.I.L.D morons have my scepter. If you can sneak in to their base, grab that while you're at it. It's pretty much my weapon of choice, if you'd like to call it that."

"To each their own, I have one, too. It's a katana...er...curved blade," she caught herself, figuring he probably didn't know what she was talking about...being from a different realm and all. Her hand went to her side where she kept it; she had a permit for it, so it didn't matter if she wore it around or not. She wandered through alleyways, searching for that rip. It wasn't until she made a round towards the warehouse downtown that she thought...why not? She continued to the place where she basically lived. No one came down here; it was where the thugs and thieves roamed. Perfect for her, considering if anyone saw her no one would call the cops or believe them.

"A katana? You'd find those in Japan wouldn't you?" Loki was impressed. Katanas were light, curved yes, but it took skill to wield them. "I'm impressed."

The snake smiled, "I am, as well. I didn't think you would know what I was talking about. I am from Japan," she reached the warehouse, and she started searching for that one spot that she could sit by for /hours/ but no one else ever came /close/ to.

"Your name doesn't sound very Japanese…" Loki said attentively. "I cannot tell if you have an accent or not. Telepathy only gives a "voice". Personalization all comes from the words."

"Indeed. My mother was quite creative, she kinda made it up. My last name is Mikadzuki," Neri chuckled. Soon, going up the stairs, she rounded a corner and saw the room she had been looking for. Lots of criminals resided in the building, but this room looked like it had been long abandoned. She walked into it, and taking a breath, she reached her hands out to her sides, and slowly the room's shadows, even though it was only mid-day, started to envelop the entire space, turning it nearly black.

"Mikadzuki. It rolls off the tongue. I'm pretty sure I butchered it though." Loki chuckled. "You have a good name. Do you have siblings?"

There was silence for a moment, as Loki neither saw nor heard her anymore. God, did he hate the silence. Where did she go? Then, after what seemed like forever to the mischievous god, he felt his hair move, and deft fingers worked at the back of his neck. If the world had even a smidgen of sound, his relieved gasp would've been heard when the metal fell from his face. Then he felt tugging at his chains, and he could look behind his shoulder now, "Yeah, I have a little sister," she continued their conversation without missing a beat as she worked a bobby pin in the key hole.

Loki bit back his words. As much as he was free from the muzzle, the realm was still Silence. Any sound would disappear, it wouldn't exist. Unfortunately he would have to wait until he was in the outside world to try to speak again. "Is that why you fell of nothing but regret and burdens?" He questioned. Personally he didn't care if Neri was in her sister's shadow or not. What he wanted to know was what the hell he signed up for and how much trouble it was going to bring him. The chains fell off of his wrists and he rubbed them absently.

"She thinks I killed someone dear to both of us when I did not. Like a coward I ran and did not tell her the truth," Nerieta stood up, "This was three years ago."

Loki snorted. So all he had to do was give this girl a smack over the head to regain her courage to tell her sister the truth? Good one. "So then find her and tell her what really happened. Or do you need a /god/ to back you up on that?"

Nerieta hissed at him, the snake-like sound penetrating even the link, "There's more to it than that, /Loki/."

Loki heard the snake hiss and his interest was piqued once again. She was a snake? Then that explained a little about how she found the rip so easily. She must have powers. He looked at her evenly. "Nothing ever is simple. When we reach Migard, tell me what I have to help you with. You got me out of here, but I have a feeling that you'll want to tag-around. After all, isn't revenge or whatever you're going to do so much sweeter when you're up close and personal with it?"

"Indeed," The reptile settled back down, shifting her jacket again, and then she stepped back through the rip, not even caring if he managed to follow or not. Talking about her sister and whether or not she should tell her always got her on edge. If this worked, whatever it was, she was sure she would get what she wanted and more.