Chapter 21

Hellfire

My eyes grew even wider as I watched Shade and the man vanish. The room grew silent until I heard a growl. I turned towards the sound. Loki looked like the same Loki who had killed eighty people in less than two days. The same man who waged war in the Manhattan. He looked positively insane. But he didn't fully snap. No. Instead Tony did.

"That asshole! I'm gonna rip him limb from limb! And do it to a badass tune as well!" Everyone stared at him, even Loki seemed surprised by this outburst. Tony picked up Shade's sword. "Where the hell did he go?! I don't even need the suit this time!"

"I do not know Stark. And believe me when I say you are not the only one here who wishes to kill him."

I dropped my head and Coulson looked at me. "What's wrong?"

"We promised Fury that we could protect her." My words echoed through the room and Tony stalked off.

Tony

'Tell Odin what happened.' The thought ran through my head up until the moment I walked into the throne room.

"Odin. We have a situation!" He looked at me and I nearly turned and ran.

"And what might it be man of Iron?" 'The suit still isn't iron.'

"It's Shade." He and Frigga both stood. "The man. He wasn't her father."

"Then who was he?" I shrugged.

"I don't know. Hellfire seems to know though." He nodded and walked towards the door. I followed him to the room where we had all been a moment before. Helfire still hand her head in her hands and the others were sitting around as Loki leaned into a corner, black scratches in his emerald colored hues.

"Lady Hellfire. Do you know who took her?" Hellfire looked up and nodded. She stood, ignoring the tear stains that were showing along her cheeks. She vanished for a minute and then returned with a big leather bound book. She opened it to a certain page and we all watched the center image.

"There." She pointed at the dark figure on the page. He was staring at Shade. Loki narrowed his gaze.

"He was the one who poisoned her." My face paled. I worried about what had happened and hoped that she would be alright.

Shade

A week later

Slap!

The man backhanded me again and I tried desperately not to wince. The chains tightened slightly and I remained unresponsive, emotionless. "I can do this all day Rylenson." He moved to slap me again and I growled, biting down on his hand. He yelled but I refused to let go until I felt blood in my mouth. I released him and then spat at his feet, clearing the metallic tasting liquid from my mouth.

"You sure about that now?" He narrowed his gaze and hit me with his other hand. My head turned to the side with the hit so I didn't feel much. "That was supposed to hurt?"

"So you're gonna act like this huh? And to think I was going to spare your friends." I saw right through his ploy.

"Friends? Oh them? They aren't my friends, just my pets." His gaze narrowed.

"I know however what you share with the lie smith." Anger grew in my chest but I refused to let it show in my eyes or face. Instead I grinned.

"He is merely a toy." The man chuckled, it soon turning into a rolling laugh.

"You expect me to believe any of that? You who spends your time with the god of lies?" I shrugged.

"It was worth a shot. Really I'm just biding my time. Soon you're gonna get tired. Me? I don't need as much sleep as some do. I will get out of here." He glared at me and then slapped me hard enough I saw spots in my vision. I popped my jaw and blood trickled from the corner of my mouth.

"You really have grown strong. But not strong enough to free yourself. He turned and walked out the door, not even bothering to shut it. "I will return in the morning."

The chains loosened a bit from the wall and I hit the floor. I coughed and spat onto the ground. The dagger from the Destroyer incident was in my boot again. I reached down and felt the cool blade. I curled up, wincing at the cuts and broken bones. I sucked in a shuddering breath and tried once more to project myself to Asgard. This time if worked, even though I still felt the chains binding my wrists. I solidified the projection and walked, the image showing every injury I had sustained. The chains were visible but they dragged along the ground.

I walked into the room where the Avengers usually were found. They were all there with piles of books. Hellfire looked up for a second before returning to her book. Then she looked to me again and her book fell from her hands.

"Shade?!" Everyone looked at her and then followed her gaze. They all put down the books and ran over to me. "You're alive!" I could feel as she hugged me. I smiled slightly with a wince.

"More or less." She looked confused and then saw the chains, their end links unseen.

I walked over towards one of the couches, nearly falling once as the pain shot through me. Loki caught me before I could hit the ground and set me on the soft seat. I winced as I straightened out. Someone placed a pillow behind me and I whispered a quick thanks.

"I cannot stay long. I am weak and this isn't helping. I don't know where I am but I know that there are these miniscule dragons that wander through the cell where I'm being held. I can't hear anything of the outside world so I assume I'm deep underground." Loki grabbed a book and began to flip rapidly through the pages. I winced from the pain once more and felt tired. "I must go now."

Before any of them could say anything I was gone and back in the cell. I opened my eyes and saw two golden orbs staring at me. I smiled slightly and ran my hand down the small red dragons back. It was now the size of a rat. She walked over and lay beside me, the only thing that really kept me warm in he dark cold cell. I closed my eyes and soon drifted into a pain induced slumber.

Hellfire

Tony and Loki both snapped after Shade left. Tony hadn't wandered more than ten feet from that sword all week. And Loki had taken to staying in her room. It wasn't...healthy, for them to worry like this. They hardly ate, slept for thirty minutes at the most each day. But day after day for the past week they worked together. One looking for a lost love, the other for their closest friend.

Loki simply growled as he stared where she had laid. Tony however, yelled in frustration and stormed out. I turned my head aside and saw the spine of a nearby book. "Loki?"

"What?" He snarled and I winced, recoiling from his words. He saw the action and mumbled a sorry under his breath.

"It's alright. And would a book of dragons tell us where they lived?" He nodded slightly and I grabbed the book, nearly knocking down the pile. There were five more like it. "Everyone grab a book."

They nodded, each taking a book and sitting down, flipping pages. After almost an hour of careful research I heard Natasha from behind me.

"Here it is! Small dragons that live way underground!" In a flash everyone surrounded her.

"Where?" She pointed to the location and we all paled.

"Oh-" I covered my mouth. Looks like we were all going to Helheim after all.

A/N: Eep! We got to writing and forgot about uploading! But fear not! For there will be at least three chapters today! :D Sorry for forgetting. ~ Shade 3 & Kitteh 01