Sorry, I spent the night in a no-internet zone (my grandmother's house) so I'm glad I got to posting a chapter. Thanks!


Chapter 10

Interview and Escape

Loki paced around the cage, thinking. Amber was asleep and he was enjoying the silence. She was annoying, but also small and funny. He couldn't stay angry with her, but he had a plan to get her back. He was still figuring it out. But he could sense a presence behind him that he first had to address. "There's not many people that could sneak up on me," he turned around to find Natasha Romanoff standing outside his cage.

"But you figured I'd come."

"After. After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm. And I would cooperate."

"I wanna know what you've done to Agent Barton."

"I'd say I've expanded his mind," Loki grinned, speaking the partial truth.

"And once you've won, once you're king of the mountain. What happens to his mind?"

"Is this love, Agent Romanoff?" Loki mocked.

"Love is for children, I owe him a debt."

Loki sat down opposite from here, watching her, "Tell me."

She pulled up a chair and sat down as well, looking at him, "Before I worked for S.H.I.E.L.D, I, uh-well, I made a name for myself. I have a very specific skillset. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on S.H.I.E.L.D's radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me. He made a different call."

"And what will you do if I vow to spare him?" Loki asked, intrigued.

"Not let you out."

"Ah, no, but I like this. Your world out of balance and you bargain for one man?"

"Regimes fall every day. I tend not to weep over that, I'm Russian…or was."

"What is it you want?" Loki asked her.

"It's really not that complicated. I've got red on my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out."

"Can you?" Loki asked, enjoying the immediate change in her face, "Can you wipe out that much red? Drakov's daughter? Sáo Paulo? The hospital fire? Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself is going to change anything?" he stood, angrily, though happy to watch her squirm, "This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer-PATHETIC! You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away!"

Loki slammed his fist against the wall of his cell, making Romanoff flinch and causing Amber to wake up, startled, "I won't touch Barton, not until I make him kill you! Slowly. Intimately. In every way he knows you fear! And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams I'll split his skull! This is my bargain, you mewling quim!"

Natasha turned away, disgusted and distraught. "You're a monster," she said quietly, in a wavering voice.

Loki laughed, "No, you brought the monster."

Natasha turned back, fully poised, "So, Banner, that's your play."

"What," Loki asked, confused.

"Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, I'm on my way. Send Thor as well," Natasha said through an earpiece. Then she turned back to Loki, serious expression on her face, "Thank you for your cooperation." She walked out of the room, leaving Loki frozen.

"Wow," Amber said, making Loki grind his teeth, "Intense."

He turned around and scowled at her. Her grin shattered and she backed away, crouching, her eyes turning bright, fearful blue. He smiled malevolently and walked toward her, cornering her. He leaned over her and used magic to project himself next to him as well. She pressed herself into the wall and curled up, shrinking in on herself like a collapsing in like a tent. She was baring her teeth and her eyes were darting from one Loki to the other and she continued to look between him, Loki to Loki. He kept walking toward her, sloping over her, still smirking cruelly. Finally she looked at him, the other him, and snapped out with her leg.

The fake Loki felt nothing. The real Loki, however, felt pain. She had snap-kicked him in the groin. He doubled over in pain, gasping, and the illusion disappeared. Amber grinned, until, that is, he tried to grab her. She ducked under his arm and whirled around him, bouncing off the walls and laughing her head off. He eventually started laughing too, and soon they were slowing for breathe. Loki looked at her again, and saw that to his amazement, her eyes were a new color. Bright, sunshine yellow. It was the first time he had seen her happy before, and suddenly he felt it too. Damn it! It was contagious!

He shook his head to clear it, and found that it was full of the image of her eyes. He grabbed his face, and sighed into it, releasing the mental picture. It was time to think. No doubt his soldiers would be coming soon, and he had to be ready. But she looked so happy, and she was a little kid, and he couldn't help but smile as well. She was funny, young, and a little bit menacing when she had to be. He somehow knew she could be a powerful ally, if she ever gained her full strength, but until then, why not help her out, get her there. She was basically a magic novice, and he was quite experienced. So he would teach her. The fun way.

She was hanging by her feet in seconds, and Loki was chortling at her. She flashed him a dirty look, and shut her eyes, all emotion drained from her face. She closed her mouth tight and he could see her fingers twitching. Suddenly he was on his knees, freezing. Well, not freezing. He couldn't physically feel cold temperatures, but other things happened to him when it got cold enough.

Like, for instance, him turning into a blue, red eyed, ten foot tall frost giant.


Amber felt herself drop to the ground as she watched the large, blue thing that was Loki. She thought it was awesome. She walked around him once, then backed away, taking the image of him in blue and adding it to her ever growing list of things she should bring up when he was most angry. It went as soon as it came, and he was immediately back to normal. She stared at him, still grinning. He looked at her fleetingly, then looked away. She shrugged and walked to her normal place across from him and sat down, exhausted. Only then did she realize just how cold it suddenly was.

She sat there, shivering, trying to close her eyes and sleep. Her breathe was coming in quick gasps and she could see it in the air. This was what happened when she tried to freeze the water particles in the air. Damn her curiosity.

She curled up, all appendages drawn in close to her body, and leaned up against the glass. She could barely feel her toes and it struck how long she had been without food. Her stomach grumbled and she hid her face close to her body. Her eyes closed and her teeth gritted. Suddenly, the cold feeling went away. She looked up to see Loki, sitting next to her, smiling. She leaned up against him and closed her eyes again, relaxing and huddled near him. She slept well that night, and awoke refreshed and ready for a new day of turmoil and boredom.

Loki was asleep next to her and she shook him awake, backing out of the range of his arms. He didn't stir, so she slowly advanced toward him, ready to spring back at any moment. She poked him, and yelled as he awoke and grabbed her wrist. His eyes adjusted and he let go, grinning. Then he ruffled her hair and got up, sighing. She walked to the other side of the cage, near the door. Something was happening out there, outside the detention room. Yells and booms resonated from above and below. Loki looked alert and Amber couldn't blame him. Her reflexes were going haywire as she tried not to flip out and jump at every sound. Manhattan for her was a predator versus prey scenario, her being the prey.

She really did jump when Loki grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. She looked at him inquiringly and he sighed again, "There are people out there, my people. They won't hurt you if you do that thing where you hide yourself. Best do that for everyone, so you don't get shot and die in agony."

She glared at him for a second, then burst out laughing, "You're joking, right? I've been invisible ever since I woke up! My prey instincts are, like, making me crazy! Of course I'm invisible. You shouldn't be able to see me! And as for getting shot, well, I've had worse." She smiled and looked out of the window again, excited. What was going on? She could here gunshot and screams of pain, along with the unmistakable whirring of helicopters. She turned back to Loki, but he was gone.

God, she hated him. She looked around, and then sat down, bored again. Nothing was happening. Why did all the agents get to have all the fun? She wished she was up there, getting shot at by random people. But she was stuck here, safe, in an uneventful room with an invisible psychopath. So unfair.


Loki was standing right in front of her, looking down at her tired face and slouched posture. He enjoyed watching her. It was funny, seeing her fight her animal-like instincts and remain sitting. He could see her muscles clench every time a thud was heard, or a scream, or a gun. It was as if she was having a miniature seizure as she fought to keep in control of herself. She was looking for him, with an element of worry, and he felt a connection to her that he had never felt to anyone. He bent down and placed a hand on her shoulder. She shuddered, losing control of herself and all hell broke loose.

She howled and he grinned, not reappearing. Her eyes flashed and her teeth bared. She looked around wildly, and he felt himself reach out to her. He stopped himself and laughed out loud. She twirled to face his general direction and he backed up. She had the look of a wild animal, fearful and willing to kill. She was like a lost puppy who had been hit to many times, sad and afraid. He instantly regretted grabbing her and knelt to her level, appearing. She looked at him and then slapped him full in the face.

He stumbled backward, holding his cheek and glaring at her, angrily. She glared right back and stuck out her tongue. He walked away, secretly smiling to himself. He would still get her back, he would find a way. She was a tough one to prank, mostly because she had better senses then many. But he would find a way.

A guard, one of his, burst into the room. Loki nodded to him and indicated the control panel. The man crossed over and flipped the switch that opened the door. Loki got out and Amber practically leaped with joy for freedom. She ran around the room, jumping and bounding all over everything. Finally she halted on the opposite side of the room, and shook herself. Loki dismissed the soldier and then turned to her, "Are you coming?"

She stared at him for a second, as if he was crazy. She apparently couldn't believe what she was hearing, and he felt a twinge of guilt in the pit of his stomach. He repeated, "Well, come on!"

She really glowed, light emitting out of her, and she beamed from ear to ear. She stared at him, and he gestured for her. She jumped clean over the cage did the strangest thing she'd ever done.

She hugged him.

Her arms were laced around his waist and he felt all warm and fuzzy inside, and not like that acid feeling before vomiting. She was surprisingly warm, and he could feel her ribs sticking into his abdomen. She let go quickly, still glowing.

He felt himself grinning down at her, and she at him. He ruffled her hair, "You might want to stay here, because I've got something entertaining who should be here in a minute. Stand back watch."

She did, walking back to stand by the panel. He watched her walk away and then hid near the door, projecting himself back in the cage. He heard a rumble, an annoying sound that could only be produced by his idiot brother. He made himself walk down the ramp just as Thor blundered in, carrying Mjölnir menacingly.

He saw fake Loki walking out of the cage and ran at him, tackling him in the waist. Well, actually, going through him, and crashing into the other side of the cell. Loki appeared at the console and closed the door. Thor stood there, confused.

"Are you ever not going to fall for that?"

Thor slammed Mjölnir into the glass, and the cage shuddered but only cracked. Loki stood there in caution, as did the new guard that entered.

"The humans think us immortal. Should we test that?" Loki asked, hand hovering over the button. But then his guard dropped like a stone, and Agent Coulson entered, a large weapon in his hands.


I was thinking of continuing the to another book after I finish this one. Please send me your responses.