A/N: As I'm going on holidays from Thursday to Saturday, I thought it fair to post more... ^^

14. Farewells

Liana's POV

Before I knew what was happening, after my friends all threatened a lightly wounded and sore Loki, I was sitting in the Helicarrier debrief room.

Fury and Hill were both looking like two people who typically passed from intense concern to huge relief.

Thor stood up, as usual, threatening the whole room with his height, while Tony had been helped out of his now useless Mark VII by both Bruce and I.

Natasha and Clint were sitting so close to each other I thought there had been an advance in their relationship. But obviously, there hadn't been. Clint wouldn't have looked that tired if there had been one.

I was sitting between Rogers and Hill, who was stealing glances to me when she thought I wasn't looking.

Fury eventually put his hands on the table. "First, I wanted to congratulate you. All of you. You showed a high team spirit earlier, and that's what was wanted from you."

We all nodded.

"Now, for the personal debriefs. Captain Rogers, might I add that your leadership has been far better than I expected it to be. I think you might be our team leader from now on."

Steve bowed his head. "Thank you, sir, but I wouldn't have accomplished that without the others." I smirked. Always that shy modesty.

Fury nodded but didn't comment. He passed on Tony, who was sitting right to Steve. I frowned. So I was going to be last? That wasn't reassuring! "Stark, brilliant use of self-control, and I'm sure everyone here will agree that it would have been a shame if you hadn't returned. Nevertheless, I think I might offer you something for your exceptional lack of selfishness during this whole matter."

Tony smirked and pushed his sunglasses on his nose. "Holidays would do good to everyone."

Fury nodded. "Accorded. Barton, good to see you on good tracks once again. When you return from your...retirement, I must ask of you a detailed report on your...let's say...personality problem."

Clint's eyes darkened. He didn't want to talk about it, I could tell. I swore myself to save him a personal "consultation" for later.

"Romanoff, great use of self-control as well, and thank you for closing the damn porthole."

She nodded. "It wasn't my idea. You should thank Dr Selvig for that."

"Already done. Banner."

Bruce snapped his head at Fury. The poor guy looked as concerned as he was on his first day.

"I think we all agree that Hulk was very useful today. He might be congratulated as well."

"Sure. He will appreciate it." He clenched his fists and looked around stressfully.

"Thor. Well, thank you for protecting the Earth."

The booming voice echoed. "I swore an oath. I am not one to break them."

Then, all eyes were on me. Nat's were still angry and suspicious, Tony's were amused, while Thor's and Clint's were torn between concern and wonder. I couldn't see either Bruce's or Steve's.

"Sir?" I kept my voice up, in case, I didn't want to sound stressed.

"Agent Noname. Your case has been hardily discussed amongst our sphere. Whether or not you were to be incarcerated, for example."

I sighed. "Get on with it. Am I considered compromised or not?"

Clint huffed. "As if you weren't."

I shushed him with a glare.

"No, you're not considered compromised yet. Still, one of the conditions for your rehabilitation was that I had to inform Loki of your prior mission."

My hands fell on the table in two balls. My eyes were sending bullets, I knew it. "You what?"

"Earlier today, Loki was informed your mission was to get to know him and to find a weak point. In which you failed. Close, though."

My vision blurred as tears came up my eyes. Against all will, they locked on Thor's. His sky blue orbs were sorry, I could see. Whether for me or for his brother, I couldn't say.

I shot up. "Thank you sir. I'd rather get out of here before my own version of Hulk destroys the ship. Good day to you." I escaped the room and ran to the only place I was sure to get peace.

Loki's former cell.

The pod's previous emplacement was now empty, but I still could sit on the metal floor and cry as much as I liked.

The bastards. They had told him I was on a mission to seduce him!

What was he thinking of me?

The worst of this was, I had told Fury I was on a mission, but not that kind of mission. My personal mission had been to be sure Loki was truly loved for once in his life, and who better than a being so similar to him to feel that for him?

Loki and I were like soulmates. I was tempering his bloodlust somehow, and he was lighting my dead soul into a blazing fire.

He was the seaweed, I was the water. He was battling against currents, I was calming his pain.

I felt so horrible.

For once, I had found someone I wanted to care about, I wanted to love with all my heart and soul, and he had been stolen to me by a heartless S.H.I.E.L.D director.

My sobs eased a bit.

I wasn't alone.

o°o°o°o°o°

Clint's POV

I hated to see Li cry. She was such a strong person. The only times I really saw her cry, she was shattered to pieces, her mind and soul were ripped apart, and I had had to glue them back together.

This time was no different. As soon as she had escaped the debrief room, I had asked Fury to follow her. Nat had sent me a warning glare, but I couldn't care less.

What the woman I loved and who kept rejecting me thought about Liana didn't matter.

Liana was the only one to truly know I felt something else than friendship for Nat. And she was the one I always confided in when I needed it.

I couldn't let her cry.

I sat next to her in the detention room, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

She quickly wiped her tears away. In vain, because others were replacing them as soon as they disappeared.

"I'm sorry, Li. I really am." Could I say that? That I was sorry she had fallen in love with the man I hated the most in the whole universe? Yes, I probably could. After all, she wasn't in the best terms with Nat either.

She sniffed. "No, you're not. You think I'm better without that weight on my shoulders."

I tilted my head to the side. "True that. But, hey, I still don't wish you to be unhappy, Deadmeat."

She turned her head to me, her now read eyes almost smiling. "You're keeping up this stupid nickname?"

"I think it suits you. And besides, I'm the only one to use it."

She put her head on my shoulder. "Clint... What was it like, being cursed?"

I winced. Though I knew she would bring it up, I wished it hadn't been before a long long time. "I don't know. Like being cornered in one side of your head and not having the control of your body. Like being wiped out of yourself. Like you weren't existing."

She shuddered. "Natasha thought I was cursed, didn't she?" I nodded. "I'm glad I wasn't. And yet, if I had been, I wouldn't feel that bad."

"Why are you feeling that bad anyway?"

She looked up a little. "Clint. Remember when I once told you I couldn't hook up with anyone because I was an old lady?" I nodded once. "Well, I think I've finally found someone older than me who doesn't look like my grandfather."

I sighed. "I wished it wasn't him, though. You could have settled for Blondie instead."

She chuckled sadly. "Oh, goodness no. Thor's boring. He's too perfect for his own good. And I don't like blondies anyway." She looked up at my hair, and I smirked. "Except you. 'Cause I like your ass."

I chuckled. "My ass. Always that part of my anatomy. Not my intellect, not my muscles. No. My ass." I laughed lighter. "Women."

She pinched my arm. "I'm not a woman. I'm old enough to be your grandmother, if not more."

"Whatever you're saying, Grandma." I then stiffened. "Have you found out why I didn't kill you that day?"

She shook her head on my shoulder. "No. Selvig says it didn't think of me as an enemy, but neither as an ally, so. I really don't know."

"Guess he would know."

She frowned. "I can't see him, Clint. I just...can't."

I kissed her hair for comfort. "Of course. I understand. He'd be all hatred and everything, now. Guess he's like that all the time anyway, so, that wouldn't be an improvement."

That didn't make her smile. "I hate the thought of him hating me. Not when I am innocent."

"That's the problem, Deadmeat. You're not innocent."

She looked up at me. "I'm not?"

I shook my head and gazed into her eyes. "Fury said you proposed this whole psychological thing in the first place. Getting his profile to try and heal him. Guess the only medicine he needed was a little hug, after all. Had I known, I would have done it from the beginning."

She shook herself out of my grip and slowly got up, her cheeks still baring the traces of her tears. "You're supposed to comfort me, Clint, not to bury me six feet under."

I got up too and stared at her, deadly serious. "That's what friends do. They are honest."

She exited the room without looking back at me.

I may have hit a nerve, but I think it'd sink in one day or another.

o°o°o°o°o°

Loki's POV

Betrayal. That word had spread through my whole life.

Odin. Thor. Sigyn. And now Liana.

Everyone was betraying me.

This time, I almost believed her.

She had been so caring, so...natural. I couldn't have seen the lies behind the truths.

Traitor.

She had stolen my feelings as easily as I could make myself many.

And she had broken me as easily as I had sent this metal man through that window.

Betrayed.

Humiliated.

Tortured.

Loki, God of Mischief and Lies. Broken to the bone.

And handed over to my adoptive brother for a court in Asgard.

I couldn't care less. I was dead inside.

They put a muzzle on my face. I let them. Couldn't even care about telling them it couldn't help my magic from destroying every single one of them.

There she was. With them.

She wasn't looking good, but she wasn't looking devastated either.

My heart fell a little deeper in my heels.

Liana. She was the Goddess of Mischief and Lies.

Thor handed me the other side of the Tesseract's device, which would drive us "home". I took it willingly.

Everything to get me out of there. Far from her.

Her eyes locked on mine, and I took a last glimpse of water blue before being sent upwards.

Liana. A liar.

No. I wouldn't ever set a foot on Midgard again. That race was evil.

And they called me the Walking Devil.

What do you think?

I'm so sad poor Loki had to suffer like that. He's so loveable...

Yet, it had to be done. 'Cause now, they both have to reconstruct themselves before being reunited. If they ever are. Spoilers!

Review, please!