Hysteria

"She's not speaking, she's not moving. Why doesn't she speak or move?" Loki asked out loud, pacing back and forth in the sitting room in front of the couch, where Alex sat with her knees brought to her chest. She was hugging them tightly. Loki had his hand on his forehead and Lorelei sat on the side watching this with worry. She glanced between the pair of them, perched on top of the chair, with a cautious expression on her face. Loki paused in his pacing and looked up at Lorelei. He gestured toward Alex who didn't even look at his hand, "Do you see that mark on her?"

Lorelei followed his hand before eyeing the mark on her neck. She nodded her head stiffly at it, clearly uncomfortable with how anxious Loki seemed. She answered him, "Yes, yes I do."

"Then you must know that belongs to your sister." Loki said to her with his hand falling to his side. Lorelei glanced up at him, blinking several times before he went on, "That means… that your sister did that to her… someway, somehow."

"And what do you want me to do about that?" Lorelei asked him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Would you want me to take it off her? I do not have the power or will to actually do so."

"You mewling quim," Loki said to her in a hiss, gritting his teeth as he walked toward her, "that is not what I ask of you." Lorelei narrowed her eyes at him as Loki turned his back away from her. He wasn't asking anything of her. He was just pointing it out to her. Maybe she knew about it, maybe she didn't. Lorelei was not a trustful person, just as her sister was, being the little siren that she was. Loki had his hand back on his forehead, dragging it down and breathing into it. It did not take someone with a brain to know what this meant. His plan was positively ruined.

His gaze fell onto Alex, who blankly stared with her hair in front of her face. Her eyes no longer held that wild look she awoke with. They seemed more confused, if anything. She still did not turn to look at him, nor did she have her eyes falling on him. She did not pay any mind to him or to Lorelei or to any outside force. It made him sick seeing the often-bold girl be nothing but a vessel. He wanted her to talk, to look at him, to respond to him. Not how she was then, hollow-like.

Lorelei practically grimaced at him as he tried to beckon Alex again… he had done this at least twenty times in the last twenty minutes since she arrived. "Alexandra," he called to her. The same result happened. She didn't answer him. Lorelei saw the frustration on Loki's face as he tried again, "Alex."

"I do not understand why you are getting so worried over this," Lorelei felt herself say with a sigh escaping her. She uncrossed her legs as she turned her face away. Loki dripped his hand from his forehead before turning his head toward her, cocking it to the side as Lorelei looked abruptly back at him. "She is a mortal, you were planning on killing her anyway. What difference does it really make that she bears the mark that makes it final?" Her voice grew louder as she threw her hand in gesture over to Alex.

Loki stared at her in disbelief for a moment. Did those words just come out of her mouth? Did she… Loki's mouth fell open as he asked her, "What are you implying?"

"You have gone soft for her."

"That is not—."

"Admit it!" Lorelei yelled at him, jumping from where she was perched as she landed on the ground with the precision of a cat. Loki glared at her, daring her to go on as she had her hands on her hips, walking toward him. "You care for her. You have let it cloud your judgment. My sister merely made the decision to kill her for you. You should be happy, not pacing about!"

"Happy…" Loki started to her, dropping his arms from his chest. A small smile had come onto his face, laughing softly to himself. Lorelei stared at him for a moment confused before she matched his smile, laughing with him. At first her laugh was uncertain, but then as Loki's laugh grew louder, she laughed with more assurance. Loki pointed over to Alex, "It is so good that your sister has made that choice for me. She is just so kind." Lorelei nodded after that, still laughing with him as he walked toward her. Lorelei's laugh slowly stopped though as Loki went on, his laughs becoming more and more sarcastic and fake, "We should thank her, maybe throw her a little festival for what she has done… she's done me a great favor."

"Loki—."

The laughs ceased as Loki stopped in front of her, narrowing his down at her and growling, "Shut up."

"But—."

"Your sister did not do this out of the goodness of her heart for me," Loki started again to her, cutting her off swiftly. "Do you actually think that once she gave Alex the mark, that she'd just let her go and let me use her for my will?"

Lorelei's mouth parted at his, taking a deep breath as she turned her head to see Alex. Her eyes went to the mark on her neck that was the mark that did, in fact, belong to her sister. Loki glared down at her as he tilted up his chin, "You know what I find really strange." Lorelei slowly shook her head no to him, but the dark tone Loki had took told her that she should know. Loki went on, "That… you didn't even seem surprised… that you did not take the same reaction or thought as me when seeing the mark."

Lorelei tried to quickly say, "I do not know—."

Loki interrupted her again, grabbing her head within his hand and forcing her to look at him, "Do not think for one second that I don't suspect you for having something to do with this… before this, Alexandra did not want this to go on. Something happened, and I know you know what. So, tell me," his eyes flickered darkly down to her lips, smirking to himself, "what happened that made her think that, and what you told her, and Amora, and I will think twice before killing you."

"You cannot kill me." Lorelei said to him quickly, though the look told her otherwise.

"I am not truly mortal, neither am I Asgardian. I think you forget that." Loki said to her evenly with his smirk dropping. He did let the image pass of her Lorelei's skin burning under his touch while in his truest form. He imagined her pushing her figure to the ground, watching it break into tiny pieces. Lorelei stared at him for a moment with her eyes widening at the thought. When she remained silent for a while, Loki said through his teeth, "Tell me."

"I will." Loki's hand dropped at the voice, snapping his head over to Alex. Lorelei had time to catch her breath, glancing to Alex whose eyes held a green hue now. She looked directly at Loki, who stared at her in disbelief, as a small smirk came onto Alex's face. "You look like you've just seen a ghost." Loki's head slowly picked up, having his hands fall to his sides as Alex stood up gracefully from where she was.

Loki did not reply to her. He stared at her, looking her up and down calculatingly as she walked around the coffee table. His eyes landed on her hips, swaying slightly side to side. Loki, however, knew all too well. He knew those green eyes anywhere… and they did not belong to her. Loki felt his upper lip curl into a scowl as he said to her coldly, "Get out of her."

Alex tilted her head at Loki confused before asking him, "What do you mean? Nobody's in me."

Loki gritted his teeth as he leaned down toward her. He said again to her, "Get out of her." Alex parted her mouth at him confused before picking up her head curiously. She didn't respond to him, but she looked him up and down, licking her bottom lip as her smirk grew toward him. The corner of his mouth twitched as he questioned, "What did you do to her?"

"Your mortal is petty and weak," Alex said to him, narrowing her eyes. This wasn't Alex. It was all too clear that this wasn't her. "I do not understand your fascination with her. Not even her bite is fiery. She's quite the screamer."

Loki gripped her wrist tightly in his hand, bringing her closer to him and scrunching his face. Her expression didn't change as Loki hissed at her, "What did you do to her?"

She smiled at him mischievously, glancing down at his tight grip that was making her wrist red. "You're hurting your toy." She murmured to him. Loki's face fell at this and he quickly glanced down at his iron-like grip on her before dropping her wrists immediately and looking up at her in disbelief. Her smile grew at this, "Is that how you hold her all the time? When she gets a little unruly for you? You cannot hurt her, no matter how much you want to hurt her right now."

"Not her, you." Loki said. "What do you want?"

"Well, I cannot let someone kill my sister. I may loathe her very being but only I should be the cause for her blood to spill." She admitted to him, glancing over to Lorelei who had her lips pursed as she stared at 'Alex' whose now green eyes smiled at her mischievously before looking back at Loki. "Especially since it wasn't her fault. My sister is extremely innocent. She knew that I was in need of help, and she was only trying to help you. Do not be upset with her." Loki glared over at Lorelei with his jaw clenched. "She came to me, and told me of your plight, and we both were sure to devise a plan to have the mark carved and burned in your mortal's flesh. She did it in your best interests."

"My best interests…" Loki slowly stated, grinding his teeth together as he looked back at Amora. "That… that is for my best interests…"

Amora shrugged Alex's shoulders, "Well… I think this is more to my advantage, than yours. She didn't know that though. After you and I met, I knew that you needed the decision made for you, so I was more than happy to comply to Lorelei's wishes once she saw you beginning to stray."

"I was not straying."

"My prince," Amora held up Alex's hand before holding it to his cheek. Loki didn't do anything but grit his teeth as Amora dragged Alex's gentle touch down it. He held his chin up as her finger skimmed his jawline. "You are fond of her. I see how difficult it is now to not lean yourself toward her touch. I have seen you look at her before; I have heard you beckon to her. Do you think that if the time would come that you could really take her life? I do not think so."

"You know nothing of me." Loki said, ignoring the skimming of her finger that went to his mouth.

He watched a smile come onto Alex's face, twisted and not hers. Amora said to him, "When we have met and I told you that we were friends once, did you really not think that I would actually help you gain your powers? There are other ways other than the Brísingamen. I think you did know that, and too bad you did not choose then. I think we would have been a nice pair on the throne of Asgard."

"I do not believe for a second that you would have done so." Loki said to her immediately. Would she have really helped him once he gave up his search? Her hand fell onto his neck, her thumb smoothing itself in its middle before Loki went on, "You are not the most trustful person in all of the Nine Realms."

"Neither are you. But I have given you your chance, and you did not take it. So when I paid your little Alex a visit at her… job, if you could even call it that, I was sure to have Lorelei tell her of my presence and tell her to not tell you, and to not continue it with you any more." She had let that hang in the air for a moment. Lorelei had cast her eyes down almost guiltily to the ground before she felt her sister's eyes on top of her. Lorelei immediately picked up her chin. "Of course, we did not know for sure if we can get her alone for a moment or if she was actually going to do it… but she did." Amora looked back at him.

"There was no option you gave me, even if there was I would not take it from you." Loki stated to her, nodding his head, "Count on that. I know why you truly did this, and it was not to make this no other option."

"I do not think that you can do it still, my prince." Amora stated dropping her hand from his neck. She shook her head before sighing to herself. "I know… that this must be a burden that you must carry. A heavy burden, might I add? How heavy is it when you have to put down your pet that you have grown so attached to?" Loki felt his upper lip curl into a scowl. "But I also know that… it would not be a burden to me if you hand her over. With her gone, Loki we both could take Asgard together. I have another way to help you and—."

"No," Loki growled at her. "If you believe that this will make me want to align myself with you, you are wrong. It makes me want to wring your neck."

Amora looked at him incredulously, taking a step back as Loki's eyes darkly glazed over her. "… Really?" Loki did not answer her, but she could tell by the way he held himself that he was serious. The smile she had on Alex's face left and was replaced firmly with a snarl, "You'd give up the throne because of a mortal?"

"I am not giving up the throne for anyone. I've need said I was going to."

"Well, you are. Because when you least expect it now you will find yourself dead on the floor."

Loki laughed at this humorlessly before stating to her, "Oh then, I will gladly see you in Hel with me. But… know this," Loki held up his finger, looking at her with a tilt of his head as a bemused grin came onto his face, "I will not let you take Alexandra from me just because you have branded her as yours. That is not how this works."

She laughed in disbelief, staring pointedly at his finger. She then raised her eyes to him, "You'll regret those words."

"I won't." Loki deadpanned with his grin falling from his face. "Now… get out." She stared at him for a moment, admonished, before she took several steps toward him. Loki held his head up, waiting for her, and then after a moment of silence they watched Alex's head being tossed back. Loki immediately jumped forward, hearing her draw in a loud breath. "Alex," he called to her, watching her suddenly fall forward. Loki held out his arms and caught under her under hers. He looked down at her to see her eyes drooping shut, briefly looking up at him. Then her head fell against his chest weakly.

Loki grinded his teeth together, closing his eyes for a moment. "Loki… I had—."

"If you are still here by the time I open my eyes, expect you to be dead." Lorelei's eyes opened wide at this and just as Loki's eyes opened again, Lorelei was gone. Loki picked up his hand, holding Alex to him and turning his head toward the spot she stood. He let parted his mouth before glancing down at her, seeing her face peacefully look like she was asleep. He frowned down at her before adjusting himself so that he was able to carry her. Loki held her against her chest, glancing down to watch her hand dangle down before going to the bedroom.

Gently, he laid her down on her side of the bed that she pointed out to him weeks ago, and carefully put the covers over her. Loki could barely look at what was on her neck any more. His eyes were firmly locked on her face as it turned slightly on the pillow. Briefly, he had his hand on her forehead, letting his fingers gently brush against it.

Loki moved down to her feet, sitting down at the foot of the bed with his hand to his mouth, looking blankly forward. He glanced over at her motionless body, swallowing to himself before closing his eyes. Then glancing away from her, he chuckled darkly to himself, looking up at the ceiling as if the All Father was watching this from above with a somewhat knowing grin. "Is this… your idea of punishment for me for not abiding to your worthless rules? Making this final so I would not have any other choice? I see now, Odin. I hope you are amused up there."

He did not receive any sort of response. His hand slipped onto her leg, gripping it in his hand gently as his eyes found her face. He shook her leg gently before beckoning out to just as he did before, "Alex." There was no answer, but he saw her chest move up and down. He tried once more, "Alex."

Still no answer. Loki licked his bottom lip, turning his head away from her. "Alexandra, please… I do not like seeing you like this."

She remained still.

Loki opened his eyes from where he now stood to hear Lorelei's voice. "Please," she started to him. Loki felt himself shift his jaw annoyed before turning his head at her. She had a pleading look in her eye as she said to him, "I did not know what I was doing when I went to Amora." Loki did not reply to her, he only blinked as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I… I thought that you were not yourself while you were with her. You needed to get back on track and that was the only way to do so to ensure that you would do what you must. I did not even think of her true intentions."

"I am not of the forgiving sort." Loki told her, turning his head away from her. "Now, leave." He watched Alex move her head to the other side of the pillow. It was the most she moved since he laid her there, and he was watching her since then. Lorelei did not listen to him. She looked between the mortal and him, taking a deep breath before she dared herself to step toward him. "Why are you still here?" Loki asked her, still sensing her presence.

Lorelei swallowed, "I am not asking for your forgiveness. I do not expect you to forget this."

"Then what do you ask?"

"You still need my help," Lorelei said to him. Loki did not bother to glance even her way at that, though he knew that she was correct. Even if he did not want it now they needed it. He was not going to give her the satisfaction in admitting that she was right. Loki felt her come to his side and slide her hand onto his shoulder. Loki took in a sharp breath. "You cannot ignore the fact, that you are powerless and that my sister wants your head on a pike right now. Either way, the mortal is going to die, she no longer has that safety blanket of you. But she will be in worse hands if she was in Amora's possession than yours."

He nodded stiffly after her, "I know."

"I can have no one pay mind to you both while looking for the Brísingamen, and I will lead her off your trail."

"Like you were supposed to do last time, and yet here we are." Loki gave her a fake smile before shrugging his shoulder out of her gentle grip. His smile dropped as he walked away from her, sitting back down on the bed. He watched Alex's features for a moment, hearing her stir slightly on the bed. She had been like this for hours now. It was in the noon of the Midgardian day, and Loki did not know when she would actually stir. Loki heard her take in a large breath. "When will she wake?"

Lorelei looked at the god with pity before answering, "An hour, maybe less, maybe more. She did just endure torture and my sister did just possess her. The mark would have taken a lot of her."

"Is… is there a way for you to quicken this?" Loki asked her, swallowing thickly and resting his hand on Alex's leg. Lorelei shook her head no. "Do you want to help us?"

"Yes."

"Then get me a glass of water," Loki ordered her, looking over at her with his brow furrowed. "The glasses are in the top cabinet over the faucet, and then after you give me the glass of water, I want you to wait for us in the sitting room… so when she stirs, we know what we do next right away."

"Yes… yes, my prince." Lorelei said slowly, before going to do what he asked. However, Loki stopped her before she left the room.

He warned her, "If you leave, I will know." He did not even have to threaten her to stay. Lorelei understood as she left the room. When Loki had received the water, Lorelei closed him in the room with her. Alex did not stir or move any more, except for light movements, and by the minute, Loki felt himself grow impatient because of this. He did not want her like this any more. He did not like her like this. She looked like an empty shell, when he knew all too well that she was anything but. There was no way he would allow her to continue to be like this.

He tried waking her himself, but shaking her leg, calling her, whatever it would usually take. She did not stir with any of it. Loki was tempted to throw the glass of cold water onto her face, maybe then it would cause her to be awake.

He gave up eventually, falling back onto the bed, and crushing her other leg without even realizing it while dragging his hands down his face. He then heard the woman groan loudly as she shifted in the bed, the sheets being pulled. Loki's eyes opened at this before sitting up, looking at Alex's face for the slightest sign that she was truly awake. She turned her head to the other side before shifting herself. Loki was silent, waiting for her. He saw her hand stretching out as she was stirring awake. Loki gulped inwardly before reluctantly gripping it within his hand. He softly called out, "Alex?" At this, she moaned, shifting her shoulders.

Loki looked down to her hand and saw her wrist, red and worn. He tried hard to not frown down at it, or close his eyes because of it. He glanced back up at her to see her eyes slowly open, squinting at first as her teeth clenched. Loki did not say anything, not letting go of her head just yet, when she didn't notice him. Her feet slipped from underneath as her lips curled into a sneer. She tried to sit up, seething as she did this and closing her eyes tightly, using her hands to aid her. With her free hand, she rubbed her forehead. Her voice was hoarse when she spoke, "Christ."

Her hand fell over her face as she scanned the left side of the room. She seemed almost confused as her eyes fell over the familiar settings. She furrowed her brow at everything in the room before moving her head slowly, tilting it this way and that as if she was shocked to move it. Her hand went to her stomach, touching it and feeling for anything. Loki followed her hand as she dug her finger in different stops as if to see if there was anything that was still there. Alex breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment. She still did not look his way.

He saw how she swallowed before looking down at her neck, wincing while doing so. Her hand floated up to there, tracing the star-shaped mark that represented the Brísingamen's form. Loki heard how her breath shuddered, her mouth falling open. She said slowly in realization, "T-That was real…" He felt his chest grow tight as she continued to circle it. "It… it was all real."

"Alexandra…" Loki started to her after a moment, bringing attention to himself. His soft voice made her pick up her head immediately before she slowly looked over at him, with her eyes wide. She did not let go of his hand, but by her frightened gaze, Loki could tell that she knew what he planned to do with her, and that she was afraid of him at this moment.

Her face had fallen once she looked over at him. "You—."

He hushed her immediately. "We will talk of it later. For right now we have much more pressing issues." His eyes went to her mark reluctantly. Alex took in a slow breath, glancing down at her mark again. When she looked back up at him, the soft and frightened gaze was replaced with a hardened expression coming onto her face.

"Tell me," Alex started to him, her voice trembling as she spoke. Loki could already hear the anger that was branded in it. "What is more pressing than this?"

"Your next move." Lorelei said to them both, opening the door to the bedroom. Loki immediately had let go of her hand in Lorelei's presence. Alex glanced down to where he held her hand questionably before looking back at Lorelei. "Should I give you two a moment alone?"

"Yes."

"No."

They both replied at the exact same time. Alex stated 'yes' while Loki stated 'no.' Alex looked at Loki abruptly, tilting her head slightly. Loki did not look back at her. "This is more important than what we have to discuss," he said to Lorelei.

Lorelei looked between the two of them before nodding her head stiffly, "Agreed. Alex, I want you to drink the water I have given you." Loki clenched his jaw at Lorelei's sudden politeness toward Alex as she gestured toward the glass on the nightstand. He did not say anything yet. Lorelei looked between Alex and Loki before stating quickly, "I will see you both in your sitting room." With that, Lorelei left them both in the room together with the door wide open.

Loki loosened his jaw as he laid his hand on her leg, looking over at her. Alex looked down at his hand almost in disbelief. He began to her, "After she leaves—."

"Get your hand off of me," Alex scowled at him, pushing his hand off of her leg. Loki snatched it to bring to his side as Alex glared at him, throwing her covers off of her. She went to throw her legs to the side, but grimaced once she had done it too quickly. Loki attempted to help her up, but she denied his help immediately by holding out her hand to him. Loki's hands retracted as she said to him, "After she leaves, we'll talk then."

Loki slowly stood up, hearing her grunt as she straightened herself up. His hands were already out to catch her when her body swayed toward his side. Once he caught her, Alex tried to push his hands off of her angrily saying, "I'm fine."

"Obviously, you're not." Loki said, gripping her arms gently in his hold as he tried to direct her out of her room.

"Let go of me and let me walk by myself," she told him coldly, trying to leave his hold, but Loki was firm in leading her out.

He shook his head, "Let me help you."

"So you can kill me after?" Alex snapped at him, turning her head toward him. Loki froze where he stood, looking down at her with his fallen face. Alex narrowed her eyes at him until Loki's hands loosened from her arms. She stared at him for a moment as she slowly straightened herself again. With a shake of her head, her voice broke as she said, "Don't ever touch me again." Loki parted his mouth at this seeing her eyes tear up as she continued to stare at him. He swallowed, holding up his chin before turning his head slightly as she walked away from him quickly to go into the sitting room.

Loki stood there for a moment, contemplating, before looking to the glass of water that was idly standing there with bottles of beer that were probably warm by now. He walked over to the nightstand before taking the two bottles of beer, ignoring the water, before walking out.

I wasn't going to split the chapter, but I felt that it would honestly be really long if I kept it all in one. But, thank you for all the support I have received from the last chapter and thank you for reading this chapter! Hope you enjoyed it! (Finals are almost done! Woot!) I'll see you next time!

Love always,

Tiana xoxo

Review Reply

Carman Rae: Panera Bread is so awesome, I love that place lol, and I hope you enjoyed your broccoli and cheese soup! I'm happy that you are trying it because of this story! Thank you for reviewing