TEN
Everything was a blur. She didn't know exactly what happened from the time she grabbed Loki's hand as they lie on the floor of Stark Tower to the moment her eyes opened now, but she could recall snippets. Each time her eyes had opened she glimpsed different things. First there were the EMT's and SHIELD agents picking her up from the floor. Then the dim lighting of an ambulance. The flickering lights of old fluorescent tubes were next, followed by stark white fluorescent bulbs and white walls. Her last snippet consisted of familiar faces, all of them blurred together, but she could make out Pixie, Cypher, and...Logan?
This time her eyes opened and she could see everything clearly as if she were in control of herself again. Pixie was leaning over her and Ellie reached out to push her away. Instead of moving, Ellie's hand went right through the other girl. Ellie sprang to her feet and turned around. Sure enough, her own body was lying on a hospital bed connected to several wires, but thankfully, no breathing apparatus. Pixie was hovering over her, patting her bandaged shoulder lightly and saying encouraging things she thought would help. Ellie looked around and saw Cypher sleeping awkwardly in one of the guest chairs. No Logan in sight.
Ellie thought about what to do and decided it was best to explore. She didn't know how much time she had before she woke up in the real world. Whether or not she would be able to reach Loki was second to finding out information on where she was. With that, she turned and slipped through the wall. She stepped out into a hall and stopped short at the sight of how many SHIELD agents were posted outside of her door.
"I heard they're letting his brother take him home tomorrow," an agent said as she walked past Ellie.
"But he caused all the destruction here," the other said as they continued down the hall. "He should be kept here and tried here."
The woman shrugged. "That's what I heard."
Ellie didn't even know she was running until she had to stop to make a turn. She found herself zipping in and out of rooms searching for any clues as to where Loki would be held or what was going to happen after. Either way, she needed answers. Fast. She dove from one room to the next, taking only a few seconds to look around for anything useful. A dozen rooms later she came to a screeching halt as she came across a room full of monitors. One of them had a map while several others had video feeds. She looked over everything and did a double take as she found what she was looking for. She took a few moments to ingrain the image into her mind and set off in that direction.
As she descended the last set of stairs she hoped she would need, she slowed her pace and looked around. Sure enough, the security detail at this point had increased significantly. Thor was even pacing outside one of the cell doors as if waiting for something to happen. Without paying much attention to him, Ellie slipped through him and into the cell. Sure enough, Loki was there. He was sitting in the middle of the room on a metal chair. He was badly beaten and chained several different ways to the floor, the walls, and the chair itself. There was even something around his mouth to keep him from speaking. It made her heart ache to see him.
As she stepped forward to touch him, she was stopped in her tracks. Arms wound their way around her waist and she heard an inhale of breath near her ear. "You're here," Loki murmured, his voice full of relief and surprise.
"Did they tell you I was dead?"
He let go so he could spin her around to face him. His hands cupped her face, tilting it up slightly. He looked pristine as a projection, not a touch of battle to weather his appearance. His eyes raked over her, taking in the sight of her, hoping that she was real. "They were vague on the subject."
"Of course they were," she breathed and let her eyes shut as his forehead rested against hers.
"You saved me."
She swallowed thickly and smiled. "Yeah."
"Why?"
There was something in his tone that made her heart ache even more. She pulled away to look at him. "Why? Because..." she stopped and shook her head. She didn't really have a reason; not one that she cared to name at the moment. "Because you... Because..." She took a deep breath and stared him right in the eyes as she forced the answer out. "Because there's something between us and I wasn't ready to give that up."
"I don't think we get much of a say in that," was his reply.
The misery in his voice propelled her forward so she could brings his lips down to hers. As much as she wanted to take him right then and there, she had other, more important things to do. She kept their kiss deep enough to matter, but light enough so she could break away. "What's the plan?"
"Plan?" he asked, his fingers running through her hair. "The plan was to win."
"What's the new plan?"
He grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around so they could both look at his body chained to the chair. "There is no plan." His words were harsh and his body stiffened behind her. "Tomorrow Thor and the others will escort me to a safe location so that he can transport me back to Asgard where Odin will dole out my punishment."
"Transport?"
He nodded against her hair. "The Tesseract." He let out a sigh as he pulled away from her. "It's over. I lost."
She shook her head and turned around to face him, her mind going to overdrive as a thought occurred to her. "You lost the war you started, but it's not over." She grabbed him for one last kiss and pulled away smiling.
He grabbed her hand before she could leave and stared at her with narrowed eyes. "What are you doing?"
"Planning," she replied and without a second thought, pulled free from his grasp and slipped out of the cell as easily as she had entered it. She took a moment to compose herself and then she was off again, going about to collect what she needed to set her plan in motion.
Ellie entered her room feeling confident. She had a plan and it was a good one. However, the agents standing by her side talking to Logan made her hesitant to wake her body in the real world. She looked around, but Cypher and Pixie were no longer there. How long was I out? she wondered.
"You have the guy responsible," Logan said to the agents, his arms hanging motionless at his side. She knew that wasn't a good sign. "I don't know why she went with him, but it doesn't matter any more. I'm taking her home."
"You can't-"
"I can," he corrected and straightened his stance, towering over both of them. "This may be your place of business, but Ellie is one of us, not you."
Ellie cringed at his words. She appreciated the sentiment, but it wasn't true anymore. The agents looked at each other and then back at Logan. "Director Fury-"
"Can take it up with the Professor," Logan said. "She's going home with me the minute she wakes up and I dare you to try and stop me."
Knowing it was worthless to argue more, both agents turned and left. Ellie took that as her cue and closed her eyes. When she opened them again she was staring up at Logan from the hospital bed. He smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Hey," she muttered, her voice hoarse.
He stared at her for a moment and then arched a brow. "When I told you you'd find another partner in debauchery, I didn't think you would find someone like that."
Her lips twitched into a smile. "I-"
"Save it for later, Kid. We need to get out of here first."
"Where are Pix and Cypher?"
"I sent them to the hotel last night. It's not safe here; not for us."
"Last night?" she questioned. If that were true then it was the day of Loki's deportation. She had to act fast if she wanted her plan to succeed. Her eyes sought the clock on the wall. If that was the correct time, she only had a little over an hour. "We should go."
"Smartest thing you've said in a few days," he said and began unhooking her machines. "You gonna be alright?"
"I'll be fine," she replied and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She would have to be. She took a few tentative steps and sighed with relief as she felt herself returning to normal. Her body still ached as though she had ran a marathon and had a fight in the same day, but her energy had stabilized. She looked down at herself and then around at the room. "My clothes?" Her plan would require something a little more protective than a hospital gown.
He grinned and pointed to the bathroom. "There's one of the SHIELD jumpsuits in there for you. Pixie brought in case you woke up."
"Thanks," she muttered and went to change. "How are we getting out of here?" she asked, not having bothered to close the door as she traded one garment for the other.
"The front door."
She grinned. She would like to see SHIELD try and stop them. Then again, if they had a way to keep Loki locked up, she was sure they could stop the two of them if they really tried. She shook her head to clear her thoughts before returning to the hospital room. "Lead the way."
They walked through the halls with confidence. People were staring at them for their boldness of defying Fury's orders. Their conversations stopped as they passed and Ellie saw how quickly their stares turned to recognition. She was, after all, the girl that helped the war criminal. It wasn't until they were outside that Ellie let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. Logan grabbed her bicep and pulled her off to the side, quickening their pace.
They didn't stop until they reached a public street. Only then did Logan let go and slow down. Ellie stopped completely and rested against a building, taking slow, even breaths. She was in shape, but still not recovered from the fight. She took her time to read the street signs and figure out where she was in terms of her plans. She had memorized that map as if life depended on it and knew that she was just three miles away from where the Avengers would be.
"What are you doing here?"
"What do you mean?"
"When we spoke at the Institute you were getting ready to head out."
"Well, you called me and didn't leave a message. You never call me and if you ever did I thought for damn sure you would have something to say." Her lips twitched into a half smile at that. He had been worried about her. It sent a pang of guilt through her system. "Then the Professor called me and I dropped everything. You scared me, Kid."
Ellie looked down at the ground as she let his words sink in. After a deep breath she looked at him again and asked, "What's the plan?"
He noticed the change of subject, but let it be as he answered. "To bring you to the hotel, get the other two, and then head back to the mansion."
"Do we have to go right away?"
He stared at her. "You're not going back in there to talk to him. I won't let you and neither will they."
She shook her head, "No, that's not why I'm asking."
He narrowed his eyes. "Why not? Pixie, Cypher, and everyone else filled me in on what happened and you haven't mentioned him until now."
She sighed; there was not enough time to make something up. Especially since she knew Logan would figure out the truth much faster than she could handle. "Why bother? Look, everything's been an intense blur since the gala. I just want a moment to gather my thoughts, take a breath, and relax before I answer round after round of questions. Pixie and Cypher will want answers, you'll want answers, Professor X and everyone at the mansion will want answers and eventually, SHIELD will want them too. I really don't want to repeat myself a million times; not yet."
She made her voice extra girly as she ran on and on, knowing it would make him uncomfortable. "I understand."
"Thank you."
"The hotel is across the park, we'll just walk through it instead of getting a cab."
"Perfect," she replied; her plan was becoming much easier than she anticipated minus the time crunch. She smiled at Logan and felt a twinge of guilt knowing what she was going to have to do soon, but she moved through the crosswalk after he gestured for her to go first.
Ellie gazed intently at the park before her, careful not to turn her head too much. Logan was probably already picking up on her strange behavior, she didn't need to help him along. As she saw a glimmer of water her heart skipped a beat. Along the lake's edge would be where the transport would take place. She was close. She slowed her breathing and began to concentrate. This would take most of her power, but she had seen Loki have an out of body experience while still conscious. If Frost Giants were masters of magic like he said, she would be able to do it too.
Her plan centered on it.
With a deep breath and a mental push, she turned and saw her own face staring back at her. She smirked and turned to hurry through the park. About a quarter mile to the left there was a small hill that sloped down to a path large enough for a one-way street. Just beyond that was a little cobble stoned area that overlooked the water. The Avengers were already there, most of them having just pulled up. She didn't have much time. Another car was entering the scene, this one belonging to SHIELD. Ellie knew who was inside so she didn't bother to stay.
She ran back and collided with her body. Logan caught her as she swayed on her feet. "Frost?" he questioned as he turned her so he could look at her.
"I'm so sorry, Logan."
"You weren't yourself, Kid," he said as he wrapped an arm around her.
She reached up and placed a hand on the side of his face. "I'm not sorry for that, Logan. I'm sorry for this," she said and pushed out, an icicle driving into the side of his skull. "I know those hurt the most," she added and watched him slip to the ground. In a little while the ice would melt and he would heal.
The moment his body flattened on the grass, Ellie took off. She forced herself not to run, but it wasn't easy. Her body was alive with what little energy she had left; her adrenaline having kicked in. She got as close as she could to the edge of the park before inching her way down the slope. She crouched behind a car as Thor led Loki into a circular design on the cobble stones. He held a large golden canister; a contraption with a handle on each end and the Tesseract housed safely inside. She took a deep breath as she looked around at the other Avengers and SHIELD agents, sizing them up. A second deep breath as her eyes landed on Loki. Thor lifted the canister, indicating that Loki should take the other handle. Loki's hand went up to take it and Ellie made her move.
She leapt to her feet and sprinted out from behind the car. Before anyone knew what was going on or had time to react to stop her, she was through the line of people, reaching Loki and Thor in no time. In one instant her fingers wrapped around the handle the same time as Loki's and in the next, the three of them were gone.