Merciful

Chapter Ten: The Red Room

Last chapter

Then, without any conscious thought, I bent my face down, and our lips met.

You are nearly done. Return to S.H.I.E.L.D.; it's time for the finale.

"I believe Jaida Liao has been compromised."

Jaida

I pulled out my phone, answering it immediately. "Agent Liao. What's up, Director?"

Fury sighed. "I need you to come back. Agents are dropping like flies, and I have the feeling something big is happening. I've assembled the Avengers, and alerted the World Council. My plans are, as of now, null and void. We'll have to go about achieving them in a different way, but for now, we need you. Texas ground base."

"Alright," I agreed. "Anything I should know?"

"Barton and Romanoff think you've been compromised. Be careful, especially bringing Loki in."

"Oh, joy," I muttered. "Okay, uh, mind if we just teleport, or whatever, right into your office."

"Whatever you feel is necessary."

We both hung up, and I turned to Loki. "Alright. You get what you want. Fury wants us back."

Even though he should have been expecting it, Fury was on his feet, his pistol in our faces.

"Oh," he said. "It's you."

"Yes," I replied in the same tone. "It's us."

Fury glared at me, then glanced at Loki. "Is he reliable?"

"He doesn't have to be chained up all the time, and doesn't stab me in my sleep, if that's what you mean," I said.

"That'll have to do for now," Fury said grimly. "We've received a proclamation of war."

Loki

I was not surprised when Fury said that, but Jaida appeared to be.

"What?!" she exclaimed in surprise. "Who?"

Fury cleared his throat, seemingly nervous, a strange look on the normally emotionless spy. "See, luckily it isn't a worldwide proclamation, or even country specific. It's specifically for S.H.I.E.L.D. It's, ah, well, the Red Room."

Jaida stiffened visibly. "What?"

"The Red-"

"Yes, yes, she heard what you said," I interrupted, irritated with the slow motion. "I believe she is wondering how the Red Room still exists."

"Exactly," Jaida said, flashing me a grateful look. "I was there, it blew up. There was nothing left but the charred skeletons of my - of the others."

Fury sighed. "I don't know how, but they've declared war. Unless we give them you-"

"Okay."

"-and Natasha."

"Never mind." Jaida began pacing. "It's been ages, decades. They'll have perfected most of the programs by now. I'd expect - oohhh, the spy network, the Rodent program. Fury, seen anything small and crawly around lately? No? It would be hanging around someone who knew a lot, someone who knew about me… that leaves three people. Loki, any way to see if anyone's in here?"

There was, actually. A small spell, giving me heat vision momentarily. "No one, animalistic or not."

She nodded. "Fury, I need to see Natasha and Clint."

"Probably not a good idea-"

"They have someone on them. We don't need them learning any more."

When Romanoff and Barton entered the office, I had a strange sense of déjà vu, what with the arrow in my face. Looking sideways, I saw Romanoff pointing a gun at Jaida.

"At ease, Agents," Fury said tiredly. "No arguments. I'm going for a coffee, and I want everyone and everything intact when I return."

The two reluctantly lowered their weapons, still watching us suspiciously.

"Sir, they-"

"-are not compromised. Liao was under my orders."

They relaxed considerably, and Jaida smiled apologetically. "Loki?"

"Barton's quiver," I whispered in her ear, having seen the form of the mouse immediately. She nodded, and gestured for Clint to give it to her. He hesitantly tossed it to her, and she reached in, pulling the mouse out by the tail.

"Oh, look who we have here," she hissed. "Gryzunov Tri. I should have swallowed you whole; it would have saved me a lot of time." I had no idea how she knew who it was; it looked like any other mouse.

Of course, as soon as I thought that, the mouse began growing into a man.

"Avian Nine," Gryzunov Tri said. He tried to project confidence, but all of us could see him trembling in fear. "Father missed you; you've been a bad girl!"

"Who is your father?"

The mouse-man laughed. "Oh, so ignorant! My father, is your father? Widow's father? The same! He was the original shifter, sister. He is the reason we can do what we can!"

I winced, watching Jaida and Romanoff stare at each other. "Not possible," Jaida breathed. "He was just a scientist, not the head of the operation!"

"No, see, after the Widow wing defected, Red Room learned a few things," Gryzunov said, slowly gaining real confidence. "They keep a lot more secrets than they used to. They figure that the older you get, the less likely you are to defect. You would know this, had you chosen to stay."

There was a sickening snapping sound, then a scream. "Don't mess with me," Jaida hissed, holding Gryzunov's broken wrist. Her eyes were a bright red, a color they only were when she was an owl. I took a step forward to try and calm her, but she spun around and glared at me. I actually took several steps back in surprise. She looked like a feral animal.

"Jay," Romanoff said, voice shaking slightly. "Jay, we have him, alright? Let's just - let's just go throw him in a cell, someone can question him-"

"A cell won't work," Jaida snarled. "He's a mouse; he'd be able to get out. I need something small enough for a mouse, strong enough that it wouldn't shatter if he tried to change, and a tungsten ring."

Romanoff opened her mouth as if to argue, but thought better of it. She and Barton exchanged looks, before she stalked out of the room.

"I hope you don't have a squeamish stomach," I muttered to the remaining spy, knowing what Jaida was about to do. I, myself, was slightly disturbed at her sudden violence. Sure enough, the room was soon filled with the small snapping of breaking fingers, and horrible screeches of pain. Barton and I winced occasionally, until the screams were replaced with tiny squeaks; the man was a mouse again. Thankfully, he had been easy to… convince. Romanoff had returned with what Jaida had requested. She slipped the ring around the mouse, and shoved it in the small metal case, padlocking it. Giving it to Romanoff, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. I took the opportunity to tap into her mind, slightly startled at the control she had over herself. That had not been a random display of anger, it had been cool, calculated torture.

"Nine. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are not nearly as willing to give up information as you are. You must learn to be strong, and you must learn how to break them."

I turned to look at the young Jaida, eyes widening slightly when I saw her horrible, bloody state. I could barely even tell what color her sundress was supposed to be. The Red Room had taught her to torture by torturing her. They had killed two birds with one stone.

"Get out of my head, Loki." I recoiled at the voice; Jaida. She looked normal again, even spoke in a calm, chirpy voice, but what had just occurred was most definitely something I could not erase from my memory. From the looks on her friends' faces, neither could they.

The final battle begins soon, Laufeyson. Remember whose side you are on.

I forced the presence from my mind, wondering if he knew what I had just seen. If he had, and if he knew who I truly was, then he would know that I no longer knew whose side I was fighting for. Join with S.H.I.E.L.D., the organization that destroyed my plans, humiliated me, and practically chained me to Jaida, or help the group 'free the universe' of S.H.I.E.L.D., the group that had done these horrible things to Jaida.

A/N: Chapter ten. The big, one-oh! Wow. Sadly, we are very near the climax. I expect there to be, at the most, five more chapters and perhaps an epilogue. Yes, I am considering a sequel, but don't get your hopes up. Love you all, and see you later!