Janet gasped, her eyes opening to a world of white. She thought she was lying flat on her back, but she couldn't feel anything. Her limbs were numb and weightless, and something was hissing. What kind of nightmare had she fallen into this time?
"Janet? Can you hear me?"
She opened her mouth—tried to speak—but her throat was bone-dry.
"It's me—Stephen. I'm here to rescue you."
Was this another cruel dream? Another illusion meant to torture her with false hope? Janet blinked, her brow furrowing in confusion. Someone was leaning over her—someone wearing a scarlet cloak.
"Come on. Let's get you out of here."
A weak moan was all that emerged from her lips as the figure bent and easily lifted her. The white world turned black. Squinting in the darkness, Janet strained to better see the blurry face of the man carrying her.
"Stephen?" she croaked.
"Don't be afraid," he assured her. "I've got you. You're safe now."
That was his voice. His eyes that glanced down at her. Could this be real? Was she finally free?
Hearing a muffled crackling sound, Janet managed to slightly turn her heavy head. A green light sparkled and danced across her vision, and she stared at it, mesmerized. It was coming closer—or were they moving toward it?
A wave of cool energy splashed over her face, her stomach lurched, and she shut her eyes as a strange tingling sensation began in her fingers and toes. Groaning with discomfort, Janet squirmed.
"Where…?"
Dim, warm light. Towering columns. Stephen carefully laid her down on a black couch with a curved back, and she savored the fresh air drifting in through a nearby archway.
"Can I—?" her voice cracked, and she forced the next word from her parched throat. "Water?"
Moments later, a freshly filled glass was offered to her, and Janet sat up to receive it. But the room was spinning, and only then did she realize that both of her arms and legs were being tormented by a constant tingling. Raising her trembling right hand to reach for the glass, she quickly thought better of it and returned it to her lap.
"Here," Stephen suggested, kneeling and then lifting the water to her lips.
As the cool liquid soothed her sore throat, Janet noticed that her vision was slowly coming into focus. The room was as expansive in size as its appearance was expensive, and beyond the lofty archway was an incredible view of Shadow City.
"You are a guest of House Osiri now. Soon, your memories of imprisonment will be all but forgotten."
She nearly choked, her eyes going wide as she looked at him. "What? I-I can't—"
She succumbed to a fit of coughing and was unable to finish.
"Relax," he assured her. "The people of this city know Dusk by her mask, not her face. This family is no exception."
"But…the officers. The guards at the prison…"
"They will search, but not publicly. No one has ever escaped Bedlam Purgatorium, and they want to keep it that way."
Janet's brow furrowed. "How…how do you know that?"
Stephen rose, and she watched him with increasing uncertainty. Something didn't feel right.
"Because I've been watching. Because I've been blending in while you and your friends have been busy demonstrating your complete lack of discretion."
She stared at him, her lips parting in dismay. She had no idea who this stranger was, but he was definitely not Stephen.
"Who are you?" Janet demanded as her heart began to pound.
The man pretending to be Stephen regarded her with a condescending smirk. A green light appeared at the crown of his head, rippling all the way down to his toes. And as it moved, his disguise peeled away like a snake shedding its skin. Pale, angular features framed by raven locks emerged, deep-set eyes glittering dangerously in the darkness.
"You…" she breathed. "I know you."
"Of course you do," he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. "That's what you all think. I'm the monster who destroyed New York—nothing more, and nothing less. You Midgardians have such a simple view of the universe—always have."
"If you're waiting for me to disagree with you, don't hold your breath," she responded flatly.
He raised an eyebrow. "A Midgardian without an over-inflated ego? Fascinating."
"Get to the point," Janet snapped. "Why did you free me?"
"Because your companions have failed to do what I instructed," the Asgardian answered, his voice hardening. "I told them to find Doctor Strange and take him back to Earth. I told them not to draw Thor deeper into this tangled web, and they have done exactly the opposite. Because of you."
"What do you have to gain from them leaving?" she countered. "A more vulnerable Shadow City?"
"The fate of this wretched place is the least of my concerns. While they are here, it is Earth that is left unprotected."
Her brow furrowed, her eyes narrowing. "What are you saying?"
"Return to Earth—now," he insisted. "Before it is too late."
"Is that a threat?"
"No. It's a warning. Midgard needs more than their precious Captain and their Iron Man in order to withstand what is coming. As much as it pains me to say it—they need Strange. They need the Scarlet Witch. And it is likely that they will need my brother as well."
"For what?" Janet asked, her heart thumping loudly in her ears. "What's coming?"
"I think you know."
If there had been any color left in her face, it was certainly gone now.
"Do not seek him out, Janet," Loki said solemnly. "If you do, Strange will follow, and countless lives will be lost."
"So you expect me to sit back and wait for him to invade our home?" she demanded.
"If you want to win—yes."
She gave an exasperated sigh and shook her head. "I can't leave Shadow City—not yet. I have unfinished business here."
He blinked, appearing to be genuinely taken aback. "You continue to surprise me, Miss Carlisle. First, you refuse to defend the intelligence of humankind. Then you say that you have no interest in protecting your homeworld because you have a crime lord to kill."
"That's not what I said."
"But it's what you meant."
Janet rose swiftly, fighting to overcome the dizziness that assailed her. "No. The truth is that Blastaar has ties to my brother. If I can track him down and make him talk, I can find Jack. If I find Jack, I can stop this invasion before it ever begins."
"There are a lot of 'ifs' in your plan," Loki replied skeptically.
"Bad odds don't scare me. I've been working against them my entire life."
He said nothing for a long moment, considering her. She was breathing hard, the fire of her determination chasing the chill from her bones.
Finally, he nodded. "All right. There might be a way for you to learn Blastaar's whereabouts. The Sinue family is throwing a party in three days, and all of the elite houses—including the Osiri—will be in attendance. There are whispers that House Amon is secretly supporting Blastaar's endeavors. I can get you in as a guest of House Osiri, and then you can make any personal inquiries you desire."
"That…sounds good," she admitted. "But what if someone recognizes me?"
Loki smirked. "Fortunately for you, it's a masquerade."
"Well then," Janet answered with a devious smile of her own, "what are we waiting for?"