Chapter 21

Never had crossing a couple of corridors been so painful to me. At first, it was because of Loki. His mind reappeared in the storage room only when we were quite far from it. Too far for me to conjure any pretext to go back there. But it was better not to come back to him right now. My speech would be efficient only if he had enough time to think about it, and I wasn't as madly in love with him as not to stand being separated from him for of five minutes. Still, I was worried about him. About us. Would he completely reject me now that he knew what I wanted out of our relationship? Yet there was not much I could do. Loki would change for nothing but himself and his interests.

Then, when I decided to let go of this thought, I noticed how people were looking at me. Some were just curiously staring at me, but others were openly glaring at me. They held me responsible for what happened, and they weren't that wrong since I was the one who led Loki here. However, he did say he spared them for me, so hadn't I been here, they may be dead. But then, hadn't I been here at all, who could tell what would have happened? Would Loki have failed his invasion by now? Did I manage to delay his plans? I wasn't as presumptuous as to think I could restrain Loki's will. The God of mischief does what he wants.

Anyway, I was glad Steve was escorting me, because I found one or two soldiers whose hostility was so strong I could feel it as if they were just beside me, and not on the other side of the bunker. Of course, I could defend myself, but I still felt bad for what happened and messing up with them while their friends were struggling to survive would make me feel even worst.

I woke up from from my daydream when we suddenly stopped walking. Steve told me to wait outside, and then got in the room before which we had stopped. I quickly understood why he told me that. Since the room obviously wasn't soundproof, after a short quiet moment, I heard people shouting. It wasn't hard to guess Fury was in there with the Avengers who hated me. Maybe at least they would be quieter when I get in. I considered running away, but I would have to face them sooner or later.

Of course, they had send Steve to make me confide in him and get information. But I wasn't mad at him or anyone for that. I wanted them to know my feelings for Loki. They could say that I'm compromised, and do anything necessary in order to prevent the Asgardian from using me. I just hoped that they wouldn't leave me any choice. Well, not that I expected them to.

Just as I chuckled, the door swung open, which cut short to my laughter.

"Come in," Barton coldly ordered me.

He got back in the room right away, not waiting for me to follow him. Was he too disgusted with my presence to stay with me for five seconds? The discussion to come was going to be fun.

As I guessed, all my friends were here to welcome me with icy stares. That is, except Steve who looked a bit confused. I sat down opposite them at the large table in the middle of the room, and then Fury began to scold me.

"Do you realize what kind of person Loki is?"

"Yes. Maybe more than you do."

The director then glanced at Barton who shook his head.

"Listen, I'm a big girl, I know what I'm doing. Loki has to be stopped and I'll do everything I can to do so. My method is just different from yours: while you use brute strength, I try to make him change his mind."

As they were doubtfully staring at me, I took it that they didn't find my explanation as simple as I did.

"If you want so much to help us, why don't you tell us where Loki is hiding?" Natasha asked.

"I would if I could. But he left in a plane with a pilot, and he's too far for me to locate him."

"How convenient," she answered. "The absence of camera in that storage room was convenient too, wasn't it?"

"If you're so sure that I'm Loki's accomplice, why don't you put me in a cell like last time? At least I would be safe from him."

"You love him and yet you fear him?"

The disbelief in Fury's voice was so strong I didn't dare to argue with him.

"It's complicated and I doubt you care about the details."

During the silence following my answer, they seemed to understand their speech wasn't about to change my opinion of Loki. Fury looked briefly at each of his Avengers, and each of them nodded in an unspoken agreement. Their silent discussion was becoming really annoying. I was tempted to read Fury's mind to finally know what he wanted out of me.

"So, will you lock me up or not?"

"Yes, for now," SHIELD's director answered.

"For now?"

"Miss Romanoff will show you the way."

My dangerous curiosity once again got the best of me. While the Black Widow and I walked out of the room, I got just enough time to search Fury's mind for answers. I had done it so many times before, that now, with my Asgardian magic, it took me only a few seconds to find what I wanted without even being noticed. Before his fake leaving, Loki had left a message in which he demanded that SHIELD hands me to him the following day at the Statue of Liberty. Apparently, they had decided that even if they didn't trust me, they would take this opportunity to try to catch Loki.

Since we both remained silent while we walked to my cell, my mind was left to wonder about what I just learned. Why would the God do such a thing? Loki said he send me here to steal anything that could ruin the Avengers' reputation, but it seemed he had an entirely different idea at the back of his mind. Why else would he bother addressing a message to SHIELD without telling me about it? Whatever his hidden agenda was, it didn't sound good. I had to find out what it was, but how?

"What's on your mind?"

Romanoff's question startled me. For one second I had forgotten I was the only one able to read minds.

"Loki, for a change."

"If you love criminals so much, why do you refuse to help SHIELD by reading their minds? You should enjoy it."

"I do not love criminals," I answered with a bored tone. "Loki did horrible things, I know, and I hate him for that. But there's more to him than meets the eye... In fact, we're like Barton and you."

As soon as I said that, Natasha stopped short. Oh, I was so going to regret my words.

"What do you mean?" she asked, frowning at me.

"Well... I read your file after I woke up in the Helicarrier and your past isn't that better than Loki's present," I said very quickly in hope my sentence would be just as fast.

Her mind radiated with shock at the fact that I lumped her together with Loki, but she managed to contain most of it. She just frowned a bit more before walking on.

"That was different. I had been mislead while Loki is fully conscious of what he's doing."

A fun unfunny fact was that her tone was just as intimidating as the Asgardian's. That's why, in the same way I now dared to talk back to the God, I found the courage to contradict the Black Widow.

"Of course, Loki isn't a saint, but I'm not sure he does that on his own free will. I saw him being frightened by the Chitauri leader, Thanos. He could very well be forcing Loki to do what he does. And Loki's lucid, if he thinks he has no chance against him, he must be resigned to his fate of doing what he's told."

"Or he must be really deviant."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. I didn't even know why I told her that. I guessed I got too attached to Loki to let her criticize him. Or I was desperate enough to hope being understood by her.

"I'm just saying that maybe he only needs somebody's help to change. But if I'm wrong, you'll be here to stop him, so I don't risk much."

It's only when I heard my weak voice that I realized how sad I really felt about the outcome I evoked.

We stopped soon after that in front of a fortified door, which was no doubt leading to the detention area. I was grateful for this interruption since Natasha was one of the last person in front of whom I wanted to appear weak. She showed a pass to a guard who opened the door. I expected the Black Widow to entrust me to him but we continued to walk. Since I had some time left before being secluded for I didn't know how long, I took my turn and asked her a question.

"Do you know why Barton hates me so much?"

"What makes you think he does?"

"Firstly, he's always looking daggers at me, and secondly I can feel his mind emitting hostility without even reading it."

Natasha looked amused, I didn't know if it was because of my worried face or of a private joke with the hawk.

"Why do you care about his approval?"

"Well, I'm not very fond of being despised. Besides... I feel threatened by him."

"As you should be."

"Why? I did nothing to him."

"But Loki did, and he loathes him for that. So, considering you also have a mind-controlling power and that he thinks you're on Loki's side, you'd better watch your step."

That definitely was no good news. Barton had just been promoted to the first place in my top five of people who freaked me out. Damn, Loki was getting outdistanced: with the purple alien and Barton, Loki was now in third position. I should keep this to myself since he was capable of torturing me just for the sake of being first.

We finally reached my new cell which was similar to the one I had before ending up in Loki's. Natasha simply told me to enjoy my stay before closing the door on me. Very nice of her. Barton and her were a well-matched couple. I wondered if the same could be said about Loki and I. That would be hard, considering we're not even a couple.

Having nothing else to do, I laid down and looked for the Asgardian's mind. He wasn't that far, maybe outside of the detention area. As soon as I established a contact, Loki scolded me.

'Did you not you remember you were not supposed to let yourself being caught?'

'They all think I'm your accomplice, so they would never have let me unattended.'

'From what I heard, you did noting to convince them not to lock you up.'

My guilty silence said more than any word I could have told him. How could he know about this discussion? As he didn't seem to be in a good mood, I knew better than to tell him anything he didn't want to hear.

'I'm sorry, I assumed a stay in a cell was inevitable.'

'It is too late for excuses,' Loki replied sternly.

'Then how can I make up for it?'

I smiled inwardly as I asked him this question, for I knew this was exactly the kind of thing he loved to hear me say. However, all amusement vanished when I actually felt him smirk evilly. Only him could do such a thing in a mental conversation.

'I will think about it,' he promised me with his up-to-no-good tone. 'For now, I need you out.'

'How? I just got in, anything I'd do would look suspicious.'

'You will not have to do anything but obey.'

I was about to ask him what he meant, but the answer came by itself. Indeed, a man dressed as a SHIELD agent wearing sunglasses opened the door of my cell. I frowned, and my first reaction was to examine his mind. Of course, he was being controlled by Loki.

"Mr Fury wants to see you, Miss Nash," he announced, motioning for me to get out.

I eyed him suspiciously. Was it that easy to get me out? It seemed it was, since none of the guards behind the one-way mirror at the back of my cell found it odd. I reluctantly followed him out and through several long corridors. Not knowing what Loki had in mind was stressing me out, but I was beginning to get used to it. What I feared right now was running into one of the Avengers or Fury in person. What would I tell them then? To avoid this kind of situation, I mentally scanned the area. The good news was we were far from them, but the bad one was we were walking right toward Loki. Will he talk about our discussion in the storage room? Will he punish me for letting SHIELD put me in a cell? My growing apprehension was driving me mad.

Yay! I'm on time for my monthly update!

Please, Santa, bring me 5 more reviews for Christmas so I have 100 :3