A dark, cold corridor stretched endlessly in front of Loki. He wondered where he was. In the far distance, he could spot a small glimpse of light. The closer he came to the light, the corridor expanded more and more. After what felt like an eternity he reached the end of the dark corridor. Loki recognized the room immediately - it was his room back in Asgard, but in the state when he was still a child. In the corner of his room, he saw a young blond boy standing, which covered his eyes with his hands. "8, 9, 10!" The boy turned around, and he started to search the room. "Thor…" Loki´s heart felt heavy.
The young Thor searched under the bed, in the closet, and behind the curtains. The boy scratched his head and pondered a moment. "Booh!" A young Loki jumped out of the toy chest behind Thor. After the scare, they both started laughing. "Aren´t you two supposed to be in bed?" Frigga asked, standing in the doorway. Both children looked at each other and then back at their mother with innocent smiles.
The scene in front of him started to shift. His younger self lay in bed. Frigga gently tucked him in and sung a lullaby. The softly kissed his forehead. "Good night, Loki." "Good night, mother," his younger self replied followed by a yawn.
Hot burning hands grabbed Loki´s ankles. The solid ground beneath him disappeared, and he was dragged underwater. Pitch black water filled his lungs. He desperately fought against the pull of the fiery hands, but more hands took hold of him and dragged him deeper and deeper.
Loki awakened with a gasp. He climbed lightheaded and wavering from the metal stretcher. His whole body felt heavy, and he was in a lot of pain. He leaned against the wall to regain his balance. Loki´s vision was tinted yellow, and he looked confused at his gloved hands. Metal plates attached to the gloves on the back of his hands bore the carvings of a rune. It was the rune Mannaz, the same rune tattooed on the back of his hand.
Slowly his memories returned and confusion started to settle in Loki´s mind. The last thing he remembered was that he was strapped to an operating table. "Wait!" Shouldn´t he be unable to remember anything? Weren´t they about to turn him into one of these things?
Panicked, he touched his body and the only thing his gloved hands could feel was the dark green and black diving suit with the rounded metal helmet. He tried to say something but the sound that escaped his aching throat was something that rather belonged to an animal. Loki sank to his knees. Tears of despair ran down his cheeks. "No. This can´t be." His head started to spin.
Dr. Jonathan Thorpe and a couple of his assistants watched his newest creation for while from another room over the Security Camera. "How is he?" asked Joseph Graham as he entered the room. "Physically, he is doing well according to the circumstances. He seems to have more difficulties to cope with his current state," Dr. Thorpe answered. "But in time he will adapt to his changed body. What about Amelia?"
"She is with Dr. Campbell at the moment. Do you think we can bring them together?" "Of course," Dr. Thorpe said with a wide grin and motioned to one of his assistants to get Amelia. "We can only test the success of the bonding process when they are together."
Loki sat against the wall of the cell completely apathetic. He never thought he would end up like this. The heavy metal door opened and a white-clad figure shoved a girl inside. Suddenly there was a strange feeling inside him he couldn´t really determine.
The girl was a juvenile of petite build, just 5ft 1" and pale skinned. Her red hair hung loosely on her shoulders. The white hospital gown she wore was a size too big for her small figure. The girl stood fearfully glued to one spot to scared to move a muscle.
"Loki, I would like to introduce you to my youngest daughter, Amelia Graham," proclaimed Joseph over the speaker. Despite the protest of his aching body, Loki got up and glanced down at the girl. He clenched his fists, all the anger and hatred towards Joseph Graham seethed inside him like a fire.
Loki took heavy steps towards her, but Amelia moved away in fear until she reached the corner of the room. Loki cornered her and slammed his fist against the wall next to her. Amelia looked terrified as he towered over her, tears running down her pale cheeks. She trembled with fear. "I´m sorry. I´m sorry," she kept repeating with a shaky voice.
"You can save your apologies!" Burning with anger, Loki wrapped his hand around her frail neck. He wanted her to pay for her father's mistakes. Amelia's yellowish eyes fixed on the yellow porthole of his helmet. Something inside Loki blocked him from going through with his plan. It wasn´t the influence of Amelia´s father, it was something entirely else.
For a couple of minutes, they just stood there and stared at each other, his hand still around her neck. Loki noticed that the pain eased. He thought why this sudden change happened, and he quickly came to one conclusion: it had something to do with Amelia. His condition improved after she was put in the cell with him. Loki pulled his hand away and took a few steps away from her. "What did they do to me?"
Dr. Thorpe, two assistants, and two guards entered the room. "Seems the bonding procedure was a success," Dr. Thorpe grinned. "The reason you couldn´t hurt her is the Pairbond. It´s an unbreakable physical and psychological bond between the both of you."
Loki was shocked and angry. "Why?! Why his daughter?!" Loki thought. "Was this some kind of cruel joke from Joseph?" "I tweaked the effects of your bond a bit; let's see how good it works." Dr. Thorpe nodded to his assistant, which pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at the girl.
"What are you doing?" Amelia asked terrified. Loki suddenly had a strange pushing feeling. "Stop him! Stop him!" A voice in his head kept repeating, to his own surprise it was his own voice. The image of the gun started to flicker in his mind, but it was from Amelia´s perspective. A flood of emotions washed over him. Loki fought the urge to step forward and grab the gun. "I´m not a slave. I´m not his slave!"
The assistant lowered the gun and fired. The moment the bullet hit Amelia´s lower leg, Loki cried out in pain as well. He hunched over and gripped the same spot on his leg. "What the hell?!" It dawned on him, what Dr. Thorpe meant, by "tweaking the bond".
"You see what I changed or should I say feel? If someone is hurting her, you will feel it too. However, the most crucial point of the Pairbond is, with or without my little improvement, is that if you should try to run away or if Amelia dies, you will die too. Perhaps a bit faster, perhaps a bit slower, but death will certainly come and it won´t be an easy one," Dr. Thorpe explained to him, his tone growing darker.
Loki was baffled that Joseph would let someone intentionally hurt his own daughter. There had to be other ways to demonstrate this connection than to simply shoot her in her leg. He cursed in his head and still clutched his leg in pain.
Dr. Campbell stormed into the room and rushed over to Amelia. He was a tall and lean man in his late thirties to early forties, with short brown hair and brown eyes. Amelia cried from the pain and kept her hands on the wound to stop the bleeding. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" he shouted furious at Dr. Thorpe.
"It´s okay, ssh. Let me have a look." He talked soothing to Amelia and inspected the wound. "Seems the bullet went through in a clean line," he explained to her. Dr. Thorpe looked displeased with Dr. Campbell´s behavior. "It was just a necessary demonstration," he justified his actions. "And I had her father´s permission."
Dr. Campbell let out a disgusted grunt. He carefully picked up Amelia and went towards the door. "If you excuse me, I have to take care of her injury," he hissed and gave Dr. Thorpe a dirty look before he left with her.
Shortly after that everyone left, Loki was alone with his thoughts, the pain in his leg started to subside. Loki wondered what will happen now, he didn´t want to be Graham´s puppet nor did he won't be the babysitter for a teenager. The suit would make it possible for him to enter the depths of the ocean, but it wouldn´t have any use if he would just die shortly after leaving.
In the meantime, finished Dr. Campbell the bandages around Amelia´s lower leg. "The effect of the painkillers should last for a couple of hours. I will get you crutches and some painkillers for later," he said calmly. Amelia just nodded and Dr. Campbell left the room.
Amelia took the chance to change from the hospital gown back into her normal clothes. After she dressed again, she wore a dark green skirt, white blouse and pale pink cardigan only her left shoe, because of the bandages on her lower right leg and foot.
Amelia was still terrified from her first encounter with Loki. Her father didn´t tell her much about him, just that he was a criminal, and he was from Asgard. Amelia always thought that Asgard and the mythology around were just old fairytales like her father and teachers always told her, then they talked about the different religious beliefs.
Dr. Campbell returned and noticed how thoughtful and worried Amelia looked. "What do you think about Loki? He really didn´t make a good first impression." "I don´t know. Honestly, he terrified me. If it wasn´t for the Pairbond, he would have killed me," she said softly. "But I can understand his anger, after what he has been through."
Dr. Campbell shook his head. "I know, but he can´t blame you for your father´s decisions," he replied and took a deep breath. "I´m sorry I couldn´t change your father´s mind about this idea."
"You know how stubborn father is. I guess I just have to make the most of it and perhaps Loki will trust me one day," Amelia smiled wearily. Dr. Campbell softly squeezed her shoulder. "I really wish I had your positive outlook on things. In that aspect, you´re a lot like your mother," Dr. Campbell mused.
Shortly after, Joseph entered the examination room. "It´s time to go. Are you ready?" Her father sounded impatient and didn´t even ask how she was. Amelia said goodbye to Dr. Campbell and followed her father slowly on the crutches.
"You must lose your fear of him. After all, you two are sharing a special bond now," Joseph rebuked coldly. "Remember your responsibilities in the coming years, there will be no room for doubts and fears." "Yes, father," she mumbled tiredly.
After they picked up Loki from his cell, the three made their way to the Atlantic Express. The underwater railway brought them to Olympus Heights. Rapture´s elite resided in Olympus Heights and that was clearly visible by the extravagant architecture, fine decorations, and the spotless cleanliness. Amelia sighed in relieve as they finally arrived the spacious and luxurious Penthouse of Graham family. This penthouse once belonged to Frank Fontaine. After Fontaine´s death, Joseph took ownership of the penthouse and had it rebuilt according to his ideas and wishes. The layout of the place changed completely over the decades.
"You should rest now Amelia," her father suggested. "Follow her!", her father ordered Loki, before Amelia went to her room. "He will reside in your room. As your protector, he has to stay by your side." Amelia felt a lump forming in her throat, but she didn´t dare to talk back, and they went to her room.
Amelia´s room was spacious. Dark wooden floor contrasted by pale blue wallpapers. The side of the room, where her bed stood, had a big picture window. When Amelia lay in bed she could still watch the ocean and its inhabitants. Opposite to the bed was a door that leads into her bathroom. Next to the bathroom door was a makeshift bed placed made from a sturdy metal frame and two mattresses. The makeshift bed was placed there according to her father's orders.
Amelia sat down on her bed stiffly. From the corner of her eye, she could see that Loki turned towards her. She didn´t dare to move an inch and grew more and more anxious. Her nails duck in the palms of her hands. Amelia kept her eyes on her knees and listened to his breaths. From the sound alone, it was hard to determine his mood. Amelia was relieved then Loki suddenly turned away and sat down on his bed.
Amelia took a deep breath, lied down on her bed and carefully propped her injured leg up on a pillow. Dr. Campbell told her to stay in bed and avoid as much stress as possible for her leg. For a while, Amelia just stared out of the window and watched a couple of fish pass by, until she fell asleep.
The throbbing pain in her leg woke Amelia up. She sat up and her gaze met Loki´s. He let out a deep rumble and clutched his leg. "I´m sorry, just give me a second." She grabbed her crutches and went to her bathroom to pour herself a glass of water to take the painkillers.
After she retreated to her bed, someone knocked on her door. "Come in." Amelia was glad to see her half-brother Walter enter the room. Both siblings were close, despite their age gap. The blonde haired man eyed Loki suspiciously. "Did he hurt you?" Walter asked and mentioned to her leg. "No, no," Amelia denied quickly. "It was Dr. Thorpe´s assistant. They wanted to demonstrate the new Pairbond."
Walter sighed and sat down next to his half-sister. "These goddamn bastards. Typical for our dear father to-" "Don´t be angry, you know it will be healed soon. Anyway, how are the wedding preparations going?" Amelia asked to change the subject. Walter smiled at the thought of his wedding and his future wife, Su-Ji Suchong. "Pretty good, but we are quite nervous."
Dinnertime came and Jean, the cook of the family, brought two dinner trays on a small cart to Amelia´s room, one for her and the other for Loki. The tray for Amelia had foldout legs, so she could eat in bed. Jean gave the new resident a suspicious look and left Loki´s dinner on Amelia´s desk.
After Amelia ate her dinner, she noticed that Loki didn´t even touch his meal. She thought that he must be hungry and require normal food. She doubted that her father would instruct Jean to cook an extra meal if it wouldn´t be eaten. Maybe Loki didn´t want to take his helmet off while she was around.
"I´m going to the living room for a while," Amelia said with a soft smile, before leaving her room. Amelia was pleasantly surprised to see the empty tray on her desk after she returned an hour later. She knew it would take quite a while to earn his trust, after all, he wasn´t an ordinary Big Daddy.
Later that night, after Amelia was soundly asleep, Loki went inside the bathroom. He stopped in front of the mirror and took a few deep breaths. With shaky hands, he took hold of the clips that kept his helmet tightly shut. He was afraid of what was hidden beneath the helmet, but he needed to know it.
He opened the clips, disconnected the oxygen tubes, which connected his helmet with the tanks on his back, and closed them, so he could breathe normally. His heart hammered in his chest as he lifted the brass-colored helmet off his head.
Loki dropped the helmet in disbelief, as he saw his face. "What did they do to me?" Tears filled his eyes, and he had to support himself on the sink. With an angry growl, his fist hit the mirror. Dozens of shards fell into the sink and to the floor. They turned him into a monster trough and trough.
The shattering of mirror caused Amelia to jump up in her bed. Her eyes wandered over to the bathroom door. She could see the bathroom lights from under the door. A lump formed in her throat.
Loki put his helmet back on and left the bathroom. His gaze rested on the red-haired girl. She looked at him with worried and saddened eyes. He clenched his fists in anger. "Stop looking at me like this!" Loki went over to her bed with heavy steps. He roughly grabbed Amelia´s shoulders, pressed her onto the mattress and threw her blanket over her head with a frustrated growl.
Amelia was puzzled but didn´t dare to protest or say anything. She pulled the blanket from her head, rolled onto her side and tried to fell back asleep. Amelia had an assumption, what he did in the bathroom and why her bathroom mirror was now broken.
Hi, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The chapter ended up a bit longer than I thought.