2012
Helicarrier
Somewhere Over the Atlantic Ocean
It was dark. Pitch black dark. Her world had been for who knew how long. Time was nonexistent.
So was she.
A door behind her slid open, causing her slightly pointed ears to prick. She heard footsteps. Then nothing. Her arms tightened in the bonds holding specially cuffed hands in front of her. The blindfold kept her from seeing, but she knew who visited her.
He was one of the only ones who came. One of the only ones who visited her.
Loki didn't count because he was always with her, typically lingering in what she perceived as a corner until he approached with promises of salvation. Occasionally, a robot checked in on her. She didn't know why a robot appeared. Though, she wondered if it was actually fake.
Her tone rasped. The constant cold in the chamber was unlike anything she felt before. It stole her voice. And her soul. She hated the cold, and she couldn't remember why she was captive to it. "I've told you. You've exhausted my knowledge of Thor. What more can you want?"
"What do you mean? I haven't asked you about him since the incident in New Mexico."
She snapped her jaw shut.
The director of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s voice carried further into the round chamber. "Is there something new you'd like to tell me about Thor?"
"You've been in here so many times. I'm telling you I don't know what else I could tell you."
Footsteps disturbed the denser air clinging to the metal floor.
Aura felt Director Fury standing in front of her.
"I'm telling you I haven't been asking you about him." He inhaled a deep breath. "How long have you been hiding your hallucinations from me?"
She paused. The chains holding her to her bed clinking as she settled back. "Did I have food? I've been fed, haven't I?"
"Yes. Aura, I need you to not derail the conversation. You've been in here for a little more than two months. How long have you been hiding your hallucinations from me?"
Her head tilted in the direction she thought him in. "Did the robot bring me my food?"
"I have never sent a robot into this room."
"Your society isn't advanced enough yet, you know. Mr. Stark hasn't finished his arc reactor. I don't think Peggy would allow intelligent machines, anyway. I know she's not the boss, but she's the boss."
"Aura, what year do you think this is?"
"I-I don't know. I can't tell time in here. I forgot how to count seconds. My, my brain is so numb. You've broken my brain with all your questions."
"What have I asked you about?"
"I keep telling you. You ask about Thor, and there's no more information I can give."
Fury sat on the bed next to her. "How about I get you out of here, and we can talk about something different."
She nearly jumped off the mattress. "No. No, I need to be in here."
"Why?"
"I…I don't remember. W-what did you want to talk about?"
He sighed. "I'm sorry I can't spend the day evaluating your psychological condition, but I'm working with a time-sensitive situation. I'm getting you out as soon as this blows over. For now, I need you to tell me about Thor's brother."
"Thor doesn't have a brother."
"You and I both know he does."
Aura swallowed no saliva down her dry throat. Her voice a whisper as she curled up on the opposite side of the bed. "I don't want to talk about him."
"Has he been visiting you, too?"
She turned silent, looking away from the Loki in the corner.
"Has he been visiting you? I need to know."
"No."
"No, he hasn't visited, or no, you won't tell me?"
"No."
"I need more than that."
Her jaw clamped shut once more, and she shook her head. Hair grazing against her skin like razors. While her torso remained well-protected against the cold, her arms and legs lay barren against the element. She couldn't produce a spark of fire if she wanted.
And she had tried. Tried over and over again until the point of unconsciousness. Which was only an extension of conscious darkness. So then…was she ever unconscious? Did she even sleep? Was she awake now?
This was another vision, wasn't it?
"Aura, I need you to communicate with me. Need you to really listen to me. Loki is on the helicarrier. I spoke with him myself. I need to know how to stop him."
"You can't. He's too powerful."
"Yet, we've been able to capture him."
"Only because he wanted you to."
"That's the feeling I'm getting from him."
Aura continuously trembled. What wanted to be on the helicarrier? Was this another one of the robots? Did the robots capture Loki? That made no sense. Loki couldn't be captured by robots. He would simply melt them all with his magic. So he wasn't captured, was he?
This was a test, wasn't it? A test to see if she would betray the people she cared about. Then was this Director Fury was a robot? This whole time he had been the robot. It explained the nonstop questions. Why did he always have so many questions?
The director sighed. "I really need your cooperation. He's killed people. I need to know what to do with him, and you're the best lead I have. Our mythology tells us nothing about him. They can't even agree on his origin story, where he came from, or how old he is."
"My Loki doesn't kill people. You kill people."
"You've killed people, Aura."
Her chin quivered.
"Do you remember that? That's why you're in here. You begged me to keep you in here because you didn't want to kill any more people. You said you needed to control yourself. Tell me how to control Loki so I can keep him from killing more people, too."
Tear ducts frozen, she couldn't physically cry, but it didn't stop the rush of emotions. "I didn't want to. I…I didn't want to. I couldn't help it. But I did. I killed every single one of them. I'm so sorry. I keep apologizing, but you won't forgive me. How can I get you to forgive me?"
"I don't know why you think I haven't forgiven you, but you can start by telling me about Loki. We don't have a lot of time here."
"No, it won't work. I already tried that. I already told you everything. You shot me for my betrayal."
"What are you talking about?"
She doubled forward onto the bonds, dry weeping. Choking on the air. "I…I'm sorry. I'm dead. I've died. This isn't Valhalla. I wasn't a warrior."
Exasperated concern edged Fury's voice. "You have really gone off the rails. I knew this would happen, but I decided to go against my better judgement. Aura, I need you to repeat to me what you told me before. I promise I won't shoot you. I don't even have a gun on me."
"That's a lie. You always have a gun on you." Aura slowly straightened. Stared directly ahead, despite only seeing the black void. She honestly didn't care where the voice came from. "You're going to die."
"Why?"
"You brought him here, and you're going to die."
"He's been on Earth for three days, and he has not made a single attempt to rescue you. No one knows you're here but me. You are my secret so no one can use you as a weapon. That's what you wanted, remember?"
Her volume rose. "But you wanted them to experiment on me! I was going to be your mind controlled weapon to kill the aliens! I was going to be your evil slave!"
"Aura, I never authorized experiments on you. I promised you I wouldn't do that, and I gave no such order. I am many things, but I do keep my word."
"Why do you think I killed the soldiers, hmm? Do you honestly think I would attack them like that unprovoked? Noooo."
"Those soldiers didn't act under my orders. I honestly can't tell how broken you are."
"Exactly."
"We're wasting precious time. You need to tell me everything you know about Loki, and you need to tell me now. I need to get a handle on the situation he's caused."
"No. I already told you. I'm not repeating myself."
"That's all you've done since I came in here."
She walked on her knees until she fell off the bed. Her knees now on the floor and her arms suspended above her. From behind the blindfold, she drilled corner Loki. "You listen to me, you robot. I will not tolerate this anymore. I'm done. No more hallucinations. Leave me alone."
"This isn't a hallucination. You're delusional, and you think this is a hallucination. Get back on the bed before you hurt yourself."
Aura didn't move. "If this is real, how come that's the exact thing you've said to me all the other times you've spoken with me? If this is real, why are you making the same promises you can't fulfill?"
"What promises have I made? You said I've only asked about Thor. I'm asking you about Loki. You need to answer me right now."
"No," she screeched. Then she coughed, head falling to the side.
"Why do you continue protecting him when you've alluded he's been visiting you. If he's visited you, why hasn't he rescued you yet?"
"He has rescued me. He's rescued me, and he's right there right now to prove it."
There was a pause. Then a relieved exhale. "Aura, he's not there. Did you know he found a new interest? Her name is world domination. You need to let him go."
"You need to let him go."
"He doesn't love you, Aura. Give him up to me. Because even when he's right there, you're still here. You're not rescued. Give up his illusions."
Her voice returned to a whisper. "He loves illusions."
"See? He's been tricking you all this time. Tell me what I need to know."
She broke into non-tearing sobs again. "All this time…go away. Go away, you, you robot. Leave me alone. I don't want to see you anymore."
An explosion rocked the helicarrier.
"Mother—look, I need to take care of this. You're safe in this room, but I'll be back as soon as I can to get you out." Hurried footsteps ran out of the room.
The door closed with a hiss, but Aura didn't pay it heed. She barely sat on the floor, dangled by her short chain. She wasn't aware of this, either. The only thing she paid attention was the gnawing pit in her stomach, the flameless void in her mind. The hollowness of her heart.
Loki had been there. Just as he always had been since she plunged herself in darkness. With his short, slicked back hair and quirky little smile. He was there. Even now, he beckoned for her to join him in the corner, but she couldn't move. "Aura..."
"Stay away from me," she screamed. "Leave me alone. I don't want to see you anymore."
"I've been searching everywhere for you. I'm not leaving you."
"No, you haven't. You never searched for me. You…you…" Another coughing fit overcame her.
The blindfold lifted off her face. But this was not new. This happened every single time, and her heart couldn't take it anymore. It was still dark. Loki hadn't moved; he still stood in the far corner. He never left. Why didn't he leave? Why couldn't he leave her alone?
"What have they done to you?"
"Everything I told you before. Get away. You and Director Fury and, and the robots are fake. You're all fake. I'm dead, and this is my punishment for not dying a warrior's death. I'm not in Valhalla."
"No, you're not in Valhalla. You—"
"Ha! See? You always say that. You always tell me I'm not in Valhalla. I know I'm not. I don't know where I am, but I'm not alive. You're an illusion. You've always been an illusion. That's all you care about. None of this is real. You're not real."
His voice cracked. "I am real. I'm right here."
The cuffs were removed from around her wrists. Another thing he always did to "prove his existence." She knew this was another hallucination. Her arms remained above her. Besides, if he was real, she would've heard the door open, and it hadn't.
"Aura, please, look at me. I-I'm right here."
"No. Get away from me. Stop torturing me. Leave me alone. Why can't you just leave me alone?"
A hand found its way to her cheek, but she knew not to trust it after the first eight hundred times it happened. Not that she had ever felt it on her exposed skin, but the fact she felt the pins of pain now proved it to be fake. It was all fake. Even the darkness was fake.
"Aura, I am real." More cracking of the voice. "Please believe me. You were taken from me, but I've found you. I found you, and you don't believe I'm real. I'm right here. I am right here."
"That's the only thing you ever say! You are not. You are not real. I know you're not. Leave me alone. Please let me have peace. I can't be tortured any longer. Take my soul already and leave me alone."
Two hands grabbed either side of her face, and something pressed against her lips.
Aura's body slowly relaxed as a tingling sensation moved across her head. Her arms fell to her sides. Then her eyes snapped wide. Her arms moved. They never moved before…
He knelt in front of her instead of standing in the corner. His appearance had changed, and tears flooded his face, which was barely inches away from hers. It was his lips that were pressed against hers. He stopped and opened his eyes.
"Loki?" she breathed.
"Yes, my love, yes. It's me." He rested his forehead on hers. "I'm here. I'm real."
"How do I know it's you?"
"This isn't where I wanted to kiss you for the first time, but I couldn't think of anything else to do to prove my validity. Have any of my illusions kissed you?"
"No." Aura swallowed, her brows knitting.
Loki gently smiled. Caressed her face with a thumb as tears continued streaking his cheeks. "My Aura. I've found you. It took me too long, but I'm here. I'm here to rescue you."
"No." She suddenly pulled back. "No, you're not. Something isn't right." Her glazed stare searched him. "Something's wrong. You're eyes are blue, not green. Why aren't they green?"
He exhaled through his nose and looked down. "A lot of things have happened since we last saw each other. I—"
"Get away." Breaking free from his hold, she weakly scrambled back onto the bed. Volume rising again. "Get back. Leave me alone. You're not here to rescue me at all. Go away."
His eyes momentarily closed. He stood. "Aura, you need to believe me. I don't know what to do with the pain you're causing me. How can I make you believe me?"
She looked at him then the corner. The usual Loki stood there still. He grinned. Her eyes flitted back to the one in front of her. Two Lokis? This was new. There had never been two Lokis before. This proved the robots were real, then. This was a new form of trickery.
A new form of torture.
Her chest rose and fell irregularly and shallowly. She figured it out. She knew where she was. Yes, she had died. And she was in Hel. Even the Midgardians described it as a place of eternal nightmares.
That's what this was. This whole time, she had been in an eternal nightmare, and it was because she resided in Hel. She didn't die a warrior, after all. She killed those people for nothing. She faced her fears for nothing. Nothing mattered.
The Loki in front of her glanced over his shoulder. His brows furrowed when he returned his attention to her, tone dejected. "What have they done to you? What's wrong?"
Aura thrust an accusing finger at him. She couldn't keep it up for long, and it quickly dropped. "You're wrong. You're always wrong. I know your game. You're here to make me tell you how to stop him. I won't tell. You're all going to die. You can't stop him."
He studied the floor then lifted to view her once more. "You have stopped me. I don't know how to handle this situation. I expected…I didn't know what to expect. But this? Please. Let me help you out of here." He held out a hand.
She shrieked at him, tumbling off the other side of the bed. Groaned. Every movement sent thick needles into her muscles. Her eyes closed as waves of pain washed over her. Grimaced. "N-no…" She slowly curled up into a ball. "No."
"You know I hate using my magic on you, but you're leaving me no choice."
Her eyes opened. Body shuddering. She couldn't maintain her warning demeanor. All her energy drained into the icy floor. Evaporated into the bitter air. She could barely breathe. "No. Go, go away. I don't," she inhaled a sharp breath, "I don't want you anymore."
Loki flinched. "I'm not leaving you in such a state. I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me." Stepping around the bed, he waved a hand.
Aura watched a stream of green magic float toward her. She swallowed. It couldn't reach her. She couldn't allow it to reach her. It would only transport into another nightmare. Why couldn't her soul die already? Did souls die? How could she kill her soul?
She reached out an arm. Clawed at the smooth floor. But she didn't move. She didn't have the strength to pull herself anymore. Not that it mattered. The magic enveloped her, swallowed her whole.
Then she fell unconscious.