Two days later, Marley had just finished a training session with Natasha that left her lying on the mat with the wind knocked out of her. The gorgeous red-haired spy stood over her with hands on hips.
"Are you okay?" There wasn't a lot of sympathy in Nat's voice.
Marley nodded since didn't have the wind to speak. Once she was able to pull herself off the floor, she saw Wanda had come into the training room, looking as if she'd been training as well.
"Wanda," Marley was happy to see her. "Are you helping too?"
"With Steve and Bucky out on a mission, Wanda and I are going to do your training in the cell today. Would that be okay?" Nat asked.
Marley nodded. Actually, she liked that idea. Nat knew her well. Maybe she could learn something new by the time Bucky and Steve came back. They would be pleased and a little less worried about her.
After a quick lunch, they headed for the cell where the technicians were getting ready. Nat took her place behind the shield Steve and Bucky used. Wanda stayed out in the center of the floor with her.
"It's going to get hot," Marley said apologetically.
"I'll keep that in mind," Wanda said with a small smile. "Go ahead."
If only it were that easy. When they'd dealt with the HYDRA troops sent to the compound, her fear for herself and those trying to protect her had been impetus enough to summon her powers. Before that, it had been a struggle to reach in and use fear.
"Are you okay?" Wanda asked.
"I am. It's just… I'm not able to just use my powers. It's coming. But usually they come on full force when I'm scared or trying to protect someone…"
Wanda nodded. "Let's change your mind set then. Your powers are part of you. They are at your command, not the other way around. Remember that."
Marley considered that as she watched red energy emerge from her friend's slender fingers. "See this? How small? Have you ever thought about doing something simple like this?"
Marley shook her head.
"Put out your hand," Wanda directed her, and Marley did, palm up. "Now, imagine just a small flame there in the palm of your hand. It doesn't have to be an enormous ball of fire. Just a simple flame. Can you do that?"
Staring at her empty palm, Marley focused, trying to imagine just a single flame. Something small that she could control. It took a moment before the finger of flame emerged, but it did, flickering softly on her skin.
"There you go." Wanda looked proud. "You see? You didn't need to be afraid to produce that."
No, she hadn't. Pleased, Marley kept it going.
"Can you make it taller?" Wanda prompted her.
Focusing again, Marley stared at her flame and watched as it elongated, stretched into a shape that was triple the size of the original.
Wanda laughed, pleased. "See? You can do this."
"I can." Marley grinned, wishing Bucky were there to see this. And Steve. But then maybe she could get even better by the time they returned from their mission.
For the next hour, at Wanda's direction, Marley created more flames, small fireballs that levitated over her hand. She discovered she could send flames out as a flamethrower did, in hot streaks across the air to hit the shields placed around her. Her confidence grew in leaps and bounds as they continued to work their individual magics, creating quite a light show for Nat and the technicians.
"Ready for something bigger?" Wanda asked in challenge.
"Maybe," Marley was feeling better about it now than she ever had.
"Then create a fireball, doesn't have to be huge, and send it towards one of the shields. But, stop it before it reaches the shield."
Oh, that would present a challenge. Until today, Marley didn't realize that she could actually control the fire she created. They'd played around with flames and fireballs today, and she'd found that she could control them on a small scale. But the huge destructive fireballs produced by her fear? How in the world could she control them?
"What's wrong?" Wanda asked.
Nat looked up from her phone, moved in closer when she noticed everything came to a stop.
"You okay?" Nat asked, trying to figure out what was going on. She'd been taking pictures of Marley over the last several minutes on her phone as she tested out her powers.
"You sent pictures to Bucky?" Marley asked, seeing it in Nat's mind and smiling.
Natasha didn't try to hide anything. "He asked."
"Did he?" Marley's heart soared at that.
"Romance later," Wanda told her. "Focus. Where's that fireball?"
Taking a deep breath, Marley created the fireball between her hands, holding it there as she'd just discovered she could. Picking one of the shields by the door, Marley pushed the fireball at it. As it sped toward the shield, she tried to mentally pull it back at the last moment. It burst brilliantly against the shield.
"Again," Wanda commanded. "It's not as easy as it looks. It will take practice."
Marley studied her for a moment. "Not sure I'm going to be able to pull it back."
"You can," Wanda assured her. "Try it again."
Gathering another fireball, Marley held it between her fingers and sent it with less force towards the shield by the door. Again, she wasn't able to stop it before it hit.
"Damn it!"
"It's okay," Wanda told her. "If it were easy…"
In frustration, Marley amassed a huge ball of fire and slung it angrily at the shield and it struck just as the doors to the cell flew open. Two large men abruptly halted as the enormous ball of fire exploded around them, blue light shielding them from the angry flames she'd sent. Marley cringed in fear as she watched the scene unfold.
"If it were easy," a beautiful male voice uttered, "anyone could do it."
The taller man lowered the blue magical shield he'd created, a wide smile gracing his angular face. His bright blue eyes were fixed on Marley as he walked towards her.
"Who is this bright angel, brother?" he asked, the light shining off his black hair. "I've not seen her before."
It took Marley a moment, but she figured out who they were. Thor was one of the Avengers. She remembered the attack on New York only a few years ago and his brother had led that.
Loki came to a stop before her, towering over her at his great height. Dressed in black from head to toe he had an undeniable elegance and beauty about him. It didn't mask the fact that he was also deadly. She knew a second before he took her hand what he was going to do. Taking her hand, his skin sizzled against hers. He brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles in a great show. His lips were ice cold on her skin.
You are a beauty.
Marley started, pulling her hand away. Loki could read minds?
Just as you can, my dear.
"Enough brother," Thor's voice was loud and booming. "We've come looking for you, Lady Natasha."
Giving him a huge hug, Natasha smiled. "Thor, where have you been?"
"A long story," he said, his handsome face was shadowed by many worries. Marley saw that he'd just suffered a great loss and that he was worried about a good many things. There were threats to the earth coming and the potential disaster she saw in his mind was frightening. "I was hoping I might speak with you and our fellow Avengers as soon as possible."
Natasha cast a worried look over the shoulder to where Loki still towered over Marley.
"I'll take you and Loki to Tony and Bruce then," Natasha told him. "Clint and Steve are out on a mission until later. Wanda? Will you see Marley back to her rooms?"
Before Wanda could speak, Loki said staring at Marley, "I'd be very happy to help these two ladies continue with their training if they wish. I'm a bit of a conjurer myself."
"We were just retiring," Wanda interjected. Taking Marley's arm, Wanda pulled her away from the raven-haired god and toward his brother. "Thor, this is Marley."
Thor's smile was friendly but tired. "Lady Marley, it is an honor to meet you."
"And you," Marley told him. While his mind was troubled, it was clear and purposeful. His heart was kind.
"Marley?" Wanda's voice sounded far away.
"I'm okay," she told her friend. Things were starting to fade to black around her. Normally, Bucky was here. But he wasn't just now. And things felt… off. "I just need to get back."
"We'll let you go. It sounds like you have important matters to discuss," Wanda told them, wrapping an arm around Marley and steering her towards the door.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Marley," Loki smirked at her.
Do get some rest. Wielding all that power must be quite taxing.
Glancing back at Loki, Marley felt uneasy. He had the palest blue eyes and they were so bright on her. When she tried to peek into his mind, she was met with the image of wall of solid ice.
Oh, no, my dear. I'm no simple read. Besides, I can't have you going through my secrets now, can I?
Shivering, Marley let Wanda pull her from the cell and take her back to her rooms. She couldn't put her finger on why, but Loki… scared her.
After Wanda had delivered her back to her rooms, Marley had a shower. The water was as hot as she could stand it and yet, she couldn't get warm. Pulling out a pair of flannel pajamas, she climbed into bed even though it was ridiculously early, watching a show she'd promised Nat she'd binge watch on Netflix. Still feeling chilled to the bone, she pulled another blanket down from her closet. For long moments, she lay shivering beneath it.
When she finally drifted to sleep, she dreamed of space. A large creature, not of the earth sat on a great throne with a court of creatures around him, the likes of which she'd not seen in real life. One of those kneeling at his feet was dressed in rich green and gold, with golden horns adorning his helmet and adding to his incredible height. He laid something at the feet of the creature on the throne, and in her dream, Marley tried to stretch up on her toes to see what the offering was.
As if he sensed her presence, Loki smiled at her over his shoulder. Rising to his feet, he stalked her, walking in her direction with determination.
Wake up! Wake up!
Bolting upright in bed, Marley gasped for breath, relieved to be awake, the nightmare over.
"You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" Loki's voice was a whisper by her ear.
Marley froze as he crawled over her, dressed in the same black suit he'd worn earlier. His huge hands grabbed her shoulders, forcing her back down on the bed, pinned beneath him.
Marley screamed in terror. She couldn't move. When her hands went to try to force him away, they went through him as if he were just a projection. But how…?
"My bright angel," Loki whispered. "You are a treasure, aren't you? The foolish mortals who gave you all that power did so quite by accident. They'd have no idea what to do with you if they possessed you. Oh, but I do…"
Loki's head lowered, and Marley continued to cry out, turning her head to avoid a forced kiss she didn't want.
"And I will possess you and all that fire, angel," Loki said against the skin of her face. "I promise you I will."
The bedding all around her burst into flames as Marley kept screaming. Loki didn't seem to notice as he leaned in to try and take her mouth…