A/N: Okay, going to be completely honest. I'm stupidly excited about this chapter because everything went down not as I was expecting and I really like it. I hope you all do too. :D Enjoy, my wonderful readers!

Disclaimer: *le sigh*

Rescue

This definitely makes things more difficult.

He doesn't bother stewing over how she got out of prison. He's sure he'll find out soon enough. Just the fact that she's on the loose and obviously back to her old tricks again is enough to make him squirm as it is. Then again, he's not the type to squirm. He keeps a close eye on her as she leans forward to brush her lips against the Siditi man's ear, whispering something quietly into his ear while she pets his hair in a loving manner. His mind unwillingly recalls the many times he had saw her do the same thing, only when they were both much younger. Yeah, he's paid witness to her tricks many times before she turned rogue. In fact, he used to admire them. But now…

"Who is Lorelei?"

The muttered question snaps his attention back to the woman staring up at him in mild confusion. She shifts her eyes back to Lorelei, but it's clear she's trying to recall any memory she has of her. He's certain that the two must have conversed while she was imprisoned here, but it's painfully obvious just how much she doesn't remember those encounters. He wonders if she knows exactly what the sorceress can do.

He sighs faintly before responding, choosing his words carefully. "She is Asgardian and she is a sorceress. Her power, while limited in range of what she can do, is a very formidable one with how she wields it."

"What is her power?"

He watches as the Siditi man finally nods to whatever Lorelei is saying before caressing her arms. She gives him a sultry smile before stepping back. She nods her head in the direction of the back of the room and the man jogs off. He assumes he's sent to go check to see who the intruders might be, considering the man is running in the direction of where Charlie and him first came out. "Compulsion," he finally answers, watching as Lorelei turns her back and looks up at some of the containers lining the opposite wall.

"Compulsion?" Charlie asks, clearly confused.

"She has the ability to bend the mind and compel people to do her bidding. However, she is limited in two ways. One: in order for it to be truly effective, she needs to use not only her voice, but also physical touch. As soon as she makes the physical connection, the compelling power of her words is completely irresistible to the one effected and they are overcome with the desire to please her in any way possible. And two…" He drifts off, feeling his wariness return once again.

Charlie looks back at him, her red eyes shining out of the hood of her cloak. "And two?" she prods.

His jaw clenches again and he does his best to keep his face as blank and impassive as possible. "Her abilities only effect men."

Charlie blinks at him, her face blank and unreadable. Then, shockingly, the corners of her mouth twitch and she faces forward again, a hand coming up to cover her mouth. Her shoulders shake and he realizes it is because she is laughing, albeit soundlessly. He glares at the back of her head. "I hardly think this is the time for laughing."

She releases a quiet huff of air before settling down once again. "I apologize, my lord," she says, amusement still clear in her tone even if he cannot see her face. "I simply was not expecting that. I can see why you are wary of her."

Her voice is still strained in an attempt to not let her amusement known, but damn her for it because she's right. Back in his youth, he thought Lorelei's ability was an amusing one himself. It was entertaining watching her hone it to the extent that she did, practicing on unsuspecting guards and servants, even random people in the market. He let her get away with many rotten deeds back then. However, they're odd partnership came to a swift end when he found out exactly what she was doing and why she was honing this ability to such a degree. She was trying to gather a force to take the throne. But not for herself.

"Why does her ability not effect women?" Charlie asks, snapping him out of his mini-reverie.

"Women do not have a certain… weakness that men do," he answers, mentally cringing at admitting that. Well, that's not entirely accurate a phrase. There are plenty of women that might succumb to her wiles, but she would not need her powers to do that. Men are far more susceptible, something that she has proven countless times over.

Charlie is silent, simply watching the other woman quietly. After another moment of quiet contemplation on both of their parts, she turns around and pushes him deeper into the shadows of their aisle, blocking Lorelei off completely from view. He glances down at her in confusion and see that her face is set in determination. Once they are a few paces back, she looks up at him. "In order to get to Islinde, we have to get around her and basically find our way to the cells, correct?" she asks him.

He nods once. "Correct."

She takes a quick look around to make sure they are still alone—which they are. He's been keeping an eye on their surroundings after all. She swallows thickly before meeting his eyes once again. "I have an idea."

OoO

A figure in a black hooded cloak moves swiftly across the grated flooring of the prison cells, red eyes darting from cell to cell, trying to locate the one from her memories. She'll be damned if she leaves without finding her. The prison level of this ship isn't nearly as big as she thought it was, but there are many aisles so it's taking a lot longer than she was planning to locate the little girl. And she really shouldn't be so surprised that it is so difficult. After all, they stole her for a reason so they're going to make sure that keeping her in one place and preventing anyone from taking her is going to be a difficult task.

She makes it to the end of the aisle and peeks around the corner. Not finding anyone, she slips around the turn and peeks down the second aisle as well. Again, nobody appears to be lingering here. In fact, not a single living soul resides in these rows of small cells. The fact that there are no guards lurking about is not surprising if there is no one to watch and guard. But someone should be stationed near Islinde. She should focus on that, rather than walk down each and every aisle. She counted at least ten when she walked into this level.

She takes a quick survey look around the level as a whole. She did it once when she got to the level and noticed that there was a walkway encircling the entire room, one door on each of the black metallic walls. She keeps a wary eye on all of them just in case someone walks through one of the doorways. She would be spotted immediately and she can't afford having someone walk out and see her now.

She makes her way silently across the space to the other aisle, thankful that she wore soft-soled boots instead of her standard flats for this impromptu trip. It makes moving about silently much easier. She peeks around that corner as well and finds it to be empty as well. She continues this course of action for three more aisles before finding exactly what she was searching for. A lone woman stands in the center of the aisle, a little closer to her than the other end of the rows. She is Skarvi, with long blue hair tied into a loose bun at the base of her neck. She wears the teal tunic matching Lorelei's dress and tan slacks, black slippers on her feet. No other jewelry or adornments decorate her pale pink skin. Her face and eyes are locked on the cell in front of her, a gentle hand placed on the outer wall. She can't make out who might be inside, but it must be Islinde.

She stands there watching the foreign woman for a moment, a hand slipping under her cloak and pulling out a plain throwing dagger. She grips the handle in her hand, calculating the distance in her head and the best course of action given the angle she is at. It would just be best if she were to toss it while moving out of her cover spot, taking her out immediately. Then she can retrieve Islinde and get the hell out of here.

Before she can implement this plan though, the woman speaks. "I know you are there," she calls in a heavy accent. "You have no reason to be wary of me. I will not stop you."

Blinking in surprise, she takes a tentative step forward, still gripping the blade tightly in her grip. She stands there, red eyes burning into the other woman. "Why won't you?" she asks.

The woman turns her head finally, her all-black eyes meeting hers. She is shocked at the tears that are streaming down the woman's face. If you weren't looking at her, you would never know that she was crying. "My children," she mutters slowly. "My children are dead. That is why I will not stop you. Nor was I planning on stopping you to begin with." She grins sadly. "I am glad to see you at least remembered my warning."

"You were the woman who told me to return within seven days," she states, taking a cautious step forward.

The Skarvi woman nods. "I gave you the key to returning here and told you to come back within that time frame. I am sorry for all that I have done." Her gaze returns to the cell that she is standing in front of, her hand still pressed against the wall. There is a gentle silver glow coming from her palm and infusing the silver metallic surface. "I stalled the ship for this long, but I will not be able to do it for much longer. You must take her and return home."

"Why did you decide to help me?"

She sighs faintly. "I discovered the death of my children the day the Goddess decided to send you back. There was no point in my aiding her any longer."

She continues to creep closer slowly, keeping the dagger firmly in her hand. She has no reason to truly trust this woman, even if she has yet to do anything to indicate foul intent towards her. She spares a quick glance inside the cell once she is able to really see it. The room is scarcely decorated. There rests a single cot laid against the back wall, a table and chair directly in front of it. The walls on either side have black blankets cutting the other potential occupants off from viewing the person inside. Nestled under the black bedding of the bed is Islinde, completely asleep. Her eyes dart to the cell right in front of her and to the left of the one currently holding Islinde. She notices a pair of golden shackles inside as well as the lingering traces of water vapor. That must be where she was held.

"I am keeping her asleep," the Skarvi woman explains. The silver glow of her hand brightens slightly before cutting off completely. "There is no reason for her to witness anything that is about to take place. The spell will hold for the next two hours." She lowers her hand and turns to face her. "This is the least I can do for her. From one mother to another."

She blinks at her, surprised by her actions. "Thank you," she mutters, unsure of what else to do or say. "What is your name?"

"Just call me Nebula. That is what my name means in my language."

She nods, acknowledging her request. She hears the faint hiss of a door opening on the other end of the room and she knows she is running out of time. She pulls out another dagger from the inside of her cloak, her eyes darting to stare at the other end of the aisle. She can hear the heavy footsteps heading straight for them, followed by the faint lilting and slightly echoing voice of the sorceress. She takes a step forward, putting Nebula and the cell containing Islinde at her back. "I am assuming that cell is locked?" she asks the silent woman behind her.

"Yes. Only I or another magic user can unlock the cell without using the main system."

She nods. "Do not let anyone inside." She flips her blades around so they are lying against her forearms, waiting for the two other occupants in the vast hall to reach them. She conceals her hands using the edges of her cloak, making sure the hood is leaving her face mostly in shadow underneath the bright lighting. The element of surprise will have to be her aide in this fight.

It only takes another moment before both of them round the corner. Lorelei is clinging to his arm, holding it quite tightly. She focuses her attention on the female Asgardian, noting her pleased little smirk and dancing blue eyes. They both walk forward a few steps before coming to a halt. Her eyes jump up to take in the tall man basically escorting her. "I see you failed," she comments.

He cocks his head to the side. She notices his long black hair is more disheveled than it was before she left him and she can't help but mentally cringe. She can guess why it looks like that. His green eyes stare at her, showing complete clarity. He stands completely relaxed next to Lorelei, his free arm loose at his side, feet braced so his weight is spread evenly. "I would not call this a failure," he responds.

"You were supposed to kill her, Loki," she points out. "Not get snagged in her web."

Lorelei laughs, her voice sounding like bells. She is certainly keeping the compulsion spell going, even though she already has him. "You really cannot blame him for coming to my side. After all, who could honestly resist me?"

She scoffs. "Plenty of people, trust me on this."

Lorelei's eyes narrow in anger. She turns her body so her front is pressed completely against Loki's side. "Are you going to let her talk to me like that, love?" she asks him, her hand trailing across his metal clad forearm, up to his shoulder and across his chest plate. Her voice still has that echoing quality to it and she mentally cringes again.

Loki glances at her out of the corner of his eye. "Of course not," he responds.

Lorelei smiles wide. "Good. Take care of her. I will give you quite the prize for your services." She leans up, wrapping a hand around the back of his neck and pulling him down into a deep kiss. He follows along, closing his eyes as soon as their lips made contact. She can't help the glare that pulls at her eyes watching the display. Lorelei pulls away, taking a step back and grinning at her in a devious way which only furthers to piss her off. Loki turns his eyes back onto her, his hands flexing slightly at his sides. She lowers her body slightly, spreading her feet apart so she is better braced for anything he might throw at her.

He rushes her. The move surprises her but she doesn't allow it to distract her. She side-steps his attack, bringing her arm up to block his punch. She flings the side of her cloak out so it's draped over the back of her shoulders and stays out of her way so she can actually fight him. After all, this is not going to be an easy fight. She leads the fight back. Nebula has her back completely pressed against the front of Islinde's cell, trying to stay out of the way to the best of her ability. She does her best to not draw his attention to her or Islinde, but she is certain he isn't focused on that. After all, he has orders to get rid of her, not Nebula or Islinde.

She spins away from him suddenly, throwing one of her knives out to the side. It sticks into the metal surface of the cell, but she pays it no mind. While he is distracted by her odd throw, she unties the cloak from around her throat, keeping a loose hold on it. Once his attention is back on her, she whips out from around her and throws it at him, simultaneously throwing a burst of green magic at the door her knife landed in. The door slides open effortlessly while Loki bats the offending material away. He rushes her again before she can dart inside. He manages to get a hold on her wrist when she brings it up to swipe at his chest with the knife held there. She brings her other hand up to punch him and he grabs that too.

He pulls her in close and she glares up into his face. He smirks faintly and winks. She can't help the small smirk that traces her lips either. He squeezes her hand just shy of painful and she drops the other knife, a small cry of pain leaving her. He pushes back, shoving her unceremoniously into the cell. She lands in a heavy heap on her side. A burst of red light flickers into the corner of her vision and the cell door slides shut. She glares at the glass before making eye contact with him again. His hand is pressed against the side and she can feel the temperature of the room drop drastically, her breath coalescing into little bursts of white clouds as she breathes heavily.

She stands and moves to the front of the glass. She watches as Lorelei stalks over to him, looking completely pissed off. "I told you to take care of her!" she yells at him.

His hand falls from the cell but the temperature continues to plummet. He turns to regard the irate Asgardian woman. "I did take care of her. She will be unable to leave the cell under her own power, correct?"

Lorelei glares up at him and it's a pretty impressive glare. She closes her eyes in utter annoyance before sighing. "Fine. I guess this will do." She reopens her eyes to connect her blue eyes with her own fiery ones. "I would prefer it if you killed her. It would add a horrible sense of irony to the whole situation. But, I suppose this will do for now."

Loki leans back against the glass, crossing his arms in front of his chest. She stands behind him and slightly to the side, quietly watching Lorelei while she stares back at her. "Now there is only one thing to take care of," Loki mutters, capturing the Asgardian woman's attention.

"And what would that be?"

A distinct red glow falls across him starting at the top of his head and falls slowly down his body. Her own face contorts into a pleased grin as he watches the immaculate and very convincing illusion fall away activating her own magic to do the exact same thing. Lorelei stands there, her mouth slack in shock as the people in front of her switch places. Loki crosses his arms across his chest, mimicking Sigyn's own pose outside the glass cell. He smirks at the shocked woman, entirely too pleased that this very simple plan actually worked.

Sigyn straightens her posture, cracking her neck lightly. "The last thing," she continues, her voice restored back to its higher note now that she isn't holding his guise, "is to take care of you."

Now that she isn't wearing that black cloak, he can distinctly make out the red glow that passes down from the back of her neck, across to her shoulders and down her arms. Her sleeveless tunic certainly allows him to watch the intricate workings of her fire. He takes a step back from the glass as she takes a step forward. Lorelei backtracks from the now glowing woman and he can't help but smile in amusement. My, how the tables have turned.

He turns his back on the circling women and focuses his attention on the shackles attached to the metallic wall. The utter chill of the room is still plummeting quickly and he is counting on that. His hands trace the bolts. He brings forth his Frost Giant side, watching as his hands change to blue. He traces the metal pieces and watch as the bolts completely freeze over. He stands back up fully, swinging his leg up and around to kick the pieces with the heel of his boot. The metal pieces snap and the shackles fall to the metallic floor in a clanging heap. He picks them up gingerly in his hands and returns his attention to the fight that is going on outside of his cell, walking over to the glass.

Lorelei is avoiding Sigyn quite well, all things considered. Sigyn, for her part, is doing her best to just blast the woman, sending fire out of her palms to try and corner the woman. Neither seem to be gaining an upper hand. His eyes trail down to the shackles in his hands. It is imperative that they at least knock the woman out. While these shackles will contain her, it will not cease her voice and that is where her true power lies. While he wants to join the fight and subdue Lorelei, if he were to do that, it would be all too easy for Lorelei to graze him and then have control over him. No, he has to trust Sigyn to be able to do well on her own.

If this was Charlie, he would have no reason for concern. While she still cannot best him in their sparring sessions, she is still considered one of the best fighters on Asgard on the same level as Lady Sif. However, the woman currently fighting is Sigyn and he just does not know her skill in fighting. She obviously has a basic understanding and can, in fact, protect herself. But it is also clear from her dependence on her fire that her physical capabilities are lacking.

However, her ability with magic is much more advanced than Charlie's. After all, she was able to conjure and hold that illusion for as long as she did. Charlie would never have been able to do that.

Lorelei pulls out a knife from a sheath attached to her thigh and tosses it at Sigyn. The blade scratches across her arm, but otherwise soars off into the distance to clatter against the floor. Sigyn stares down at the cut before her eyes dart up to stare at Lorelei. The sorceress just so happens to be smirking and his eyes narrow. There is no reason for her to feel triumphant considering her attack completely failed. Sigyn stands in front of her, her right hand held out so the palm is facing Lorelei. Her red glow seems to diminish somewhat while she breathes heavily. She seems hesitant to blast the woman in front of her.

"What's wrong, princess?" Lorelei calls to her. "Suddenly scared of a little fire?"

Sigyn lowers her arm and winces suddenly. Her red glow completely diminishes and disappears into her skin once again. "The poison," she mutters.

"Oh, you do remember that. Very good. Well, now you're on my level." Lorelei pauses, her eyes widening in mock surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry," she says, holding up a hand. "You're actually not on my level."

Sigyn narrows her eyes angrily. "You're right, I'm not on your level," she tosses back. "I'm actually far above you. I don't steal defenseless little girls from their families without even facing them, like a coward."

"Oh, princess," Lorelei coos, her face falling into mock sympathy. "Nebula really did a number on you." She grins wickedly, her eyes darting to stare at Loki. "Does it hurt, Loki? Knowing just how much I took from you? Knowing that you will never get her back? Does it hurt just as badly as you hurt me?"

He smirks at her. "Do not be so sure about that, Lorelei," he responds quietly, his voice low and dangerous. "You have not won this fight yet."

"It does not matter if I have won or not, not with this," she answers, her eyes darting back to stare at Sigyn. She is watching the exchange with caution but complete confusion. "I have already won something far greater than that." She laughs then. "I have stolen your love from you. You do not have to admit it, but your heart is broken. Just like mine was."

Sigyn continues to stare at her in confusion, but her red eyes dart to look at Loki for only a moment. Loki glares viciously at Lorelei. They may have been friends once. But that changed long ago and now all he wants do is remove her from the very face of the universe.

Sigyn grabs the decorated dagger from her waist and unsheathes it, holding it tightly in her fist. Her eyes narrow in determination. She flips it in her hand so she is holding it by the blade before tossing it hard at the ground right in front of Lorelei. She holds out a hand and a red glow shoots out of her hand and straight towards the knife. As soon as the magic enters the hilt, the entire room is sunken into darkness.

Loki's eyes dart around for any ounce of light, but he finds nothing. He is surprised at the ability of the blade. He knew it could shroud an area in darkness, but he did not know it would be so dramatic. He hears Lorelei cry out in surprise before hearing the sound of the door in front of him hissing open. A gentle and familiar hand encompasses his own, smoothly taking the shackles from his grip. "Stay in here," she whispers up to him. "I'll take care of Lorelei."

He allows her to take the shackles and do as he's told. He doesn't hear her walk away, nor does he hear the clanking of the shackles. He does hear Lorelei's cursing and stomping around. He hears what sounds like someone running into a glass panel and then more muttered curses. He smiles. The blade also has one unique ability: the one who casts the magic into it is not effected by the light shift. So Sigyn can see perfectly fine whereas everyone else cannot.

It isn't long before he hears the sounds of a resumed fight, but a much more stressed one on the side of Lorelei. He wishes he could also see it, but he's far more content with letting her do whatever it is she is doing and simply seeing the aftereffects. He leans a shoulder against the doorjamb and waits for the sound of the struggle to cease.

It takes maybe five minutes, but the light finally returns slowly to the room. He smirks at what he finds. Sigyn managed to loop the end of the chain into one of the openings into the grated floor, giving it an anchor for the struggling woman held at the end. Lorelei is bound by the shackles, straining against their hold but to no avail. They will never break, made with the strongest metal known to Asgard. Sigyn picks up the dagger from the floor and stares at it before her eyes dart back to stare at Lorelei.

Loki steps out of the cell, making sure to keep a wide berth around the sorceress. He walks over to Nebula, who is still standing with her back pressed to the glass of his daughter's cell. Her eyes are wide, but he is surprised she did not make her escape. She turns her head towards him once she notices him moving towards her and she moves out of the way of the cell. He keeps his eye on her, but he really has no reason to believe that she is going to hinder him getting his daughter. He places his hand against the doorway and it slides open with a gentle hiss.

He takes a step inside and quickly walks the few meters to his daughter. He pulls back the blanket and takes her in. She has absolutely no injuries that he can see, but she is still dressed in the same green dress he helped her get into almost three weeks ago. Her hair looks to be perfectly clean, but that is no real indication of how well she was treated. She's still fast asleep, a hand curled by her face and her hair spread out all over the pillow. He scoops her up and cradles her against his chest, turning and leaving the cell.

He turns to Nebula then. "Thank you for making sure she stayed asleep," he mumbles to the woman.

Her eyes dart up from the floor to look up at him. They are wide. "It was the only thing I could do to help," she mutters before her eyes dart to stare at his wife who is still staring at Lorelei. "I would recommend leaving immediately. The ship will be able to move soon and it is best for you all to be gone from this place."

Hearing this, Sigyn turns to look at the Skarvi woman herself. "What about you?" she asks. "You helped me. I remember you. We can't leave you here."

Nebula grins, but it is a very sad smile. "Leave us. We will be alright."

No. They will not. She is lying and he can read those signs on her body language like he can read them from a book. He has a feeling that as soon as they are off this ship and it is heading towards wherever it was initially going, everyone on here will die. Especially if Lorelei is not on board with them.

He can't worry about that, though. He needs to get all of them back to Asgard and quickly. He can already feel the rumbling under his boots indicating that the engine seems to be powering back up.

His eyes dart to stare at Lorelei who is still struggling against the pull of the chains. How is he going to take her back to Asgard? There is no way he is going to leave her here to cause more havoc than she already has. No, she needs to return to the dungeons from whence she sprung free. But, without the collar, she is still very much a danger. Sigyn watches him quietly. She is already made aware of this fact. They discussed it quickly when they were working on this plan. Her voice is where her true power lies, her touch nothing more than focus for it. Unless they can silence her, she still has the ability to spring free. Asgard's greatest craftsmen had to fashion a collar for her the first time she was imprisoned. It blocked her from using her voice. Without it, getting her back to Asgard will be difficult.

Sigyn grips the blade tightly, her jaw clenching. His eyes spring to hers and he notices the distress in her eyes as she watches him. She swallows thickly before finally speaking. "I know what to do so we can return her to Asgard. Just, leave it to me."

He watches her without protest as she marches quickly over to the shackled woman. She grabs Lorelei roughly by her hair and pulls her head back. Loki's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. While his wife is not kind when it comes to fighting her enemies, she also is not cruel. He has never seen her resort to hair pulling. He steps a little closer to her in order to hear exactly what she is saying to the other woman.

She is holding the flat of the blade against Lorelei's throat, but the red glow of her magic is seeping into the hilt of the blade. The knife as a whole starts to glow a blue-green in color, something he has never witnessed before. "Listen here, Lorelei," she mumbles quietly. "Like my very own fire and magic and will of my own, your will is no longer yours to wield. Listen to my voice and follow my commands and know that you will obey me to the end of the universe." She pauses and he watches, dumbfounded, as the light in Lorelei's eyes dim giving them a blank stare. Sigyn swallows thickly once again before continuing her speech. "Your voice is now lost to you. You will not be able to speak or mutter a sound until I tell you you are allowed. Nod if you understand."

Lorelei stares into the ceiling blankly, but nods nonetheless. Sigyn nods once before stepping back, drawing the knife from her skin and sliding it back into its sheathe at her hip as quickly as possible. Lorelei sits exactly where Sigyn left her, staring blankly up and not muttering a word. Loki stares at Sigyn in muted awe. Just what was it that he witnessed?

Sigyn finally looks at him, her head still tilted towards the ground. "We should go," she says quietly.

He blinks hard, snapping his attention back to the present and the situation they are both in. He nods once, reaching out his free hand for hers. She leans down, unlooping the end of the chain from the floor. "Stand, Lorelei," she commands. The sorceress does and she moves over to stand beside Sigyn. She reaches out with her right hand and takes Loki's left, her eyes downcast and staring at the floor. He still doesn't know what to make of this, so he decides to leave it alone and ask her about it later when they get back to Asgard and a few things have been cleared up.

His eyes dart to stare at Nebula over Sigyn's head. She is watching them all, a small sad smile on her face. He wishes vaguely that he could have at least had the chance to talk to her and figure out all of the complexities of the rune magic she placed on Charlie. But, he feels that he knows all that can be known. He gathers his magic around him, reaching out to his three passengers to ensure they travel with him. He continues to watch Nebula until the pressure changes and his ears pop. She mutters something right before the darkness completely overtakes his vision and he is only barely able to make out her words.

"I'm sorry."