Chapter Forty-Five - Beware the Bartons
Upon awakening, Jahla found herself surrounded. Loki knew that Jahla wasn't accustomed to being around people. She'd been alone in the mountains since she was a child and preferred her own company for the most part. The sorceress pushed to her feet, but shrank back when the guards stepped closer with their swords ready. Clint and Natasha also made a show of drawing and reloading their guns.
"Calm yourself," Frigga said with authority, her posture stiff. "I am Frigga, Queen of Asgard. Your attitude over the next few minutes will determine if you remain my guest or become my prisoner."
Loki fought the urge to smile. Frigga didn't often use her position to threaten, but when she did, it was always an inspiring performance.
Jahla turned to him when Loki approached. Apparently she remembered some of what he'd said to her while under the mind effects because she inquired, "How do we stop the double?"
"We're going to take his powers."
Her features tensed. "He does not trust me now. I won't be able to get close enough to strip his magic."
"We're hoping he'll come to us; and I don't think it will be as hard as you're imagining."
She took a moment to consider. "What happens after I help you?"
Loki didn't know, but he could tell Jorn and Mahlora wanted to know as well.
"A trial will be held to examine your crimes," Frigga informed her. "The All-Father will decide your fate, unless Queen Farbauti requests your release for trial in the Jotunheim."
Jahla distracted herself with an inspection of her healed arms. She appeared accepting of the situation, though that wasn't too surprising to Loki as he'd heard more than most about the abusive childhood she'd endured in the hunters' village. Even after gaining her freedom, she believed that her destiny was only to find more misery and pain.
Loki felt pity for her and recognized the significance of the path she'd helped set him upon. Even now, as Cami stepped close to cuddle up to his side, he suspected that he would eventually forgive Jahla for the suffering she had inflicted on him.
Three groups talked around him, yet Clint didn't feel comfortable joining any of them. Natasha, Frigga and Pepper directed servants in the final details of the wedding arrangements. Loki made the formal introductions between Jahla and her grandparents and now the four of them were in an awkward deliberation at the back of the room. Also deep in discussion, Jane, Cami and the techs fine-tuned the security system based on new information collected from a brief scan of Bad Loki in Jahla's cave.
Clint felt grateful to have Cami included, smiling and interacting with people more her own age. His sister hadn't been quite the same since being cursed; and not much had gone her way in a while.
Natasha wandered over to ease into a chair at Clint's side. "I'm not sure how helpful I'm going to be here."
The temptation to join their comrades in the Jotunheim prodded at Clint too, but he wasn't leaving the palace when Bad Loki could appear at any moment. "I feel like I need to keep an eye on things."
"Always the protective papa bear," Natasha teased, resting her head on his shoulder. "You know, Papa Bear is cute and kinda catchy. Maybe you should put in a request for a change in code name."
Though he knew she was kidding with him, Clint said, "Only if you swap out Black Widow to be Mama Bear."
Her nose wrinkled and lips pressed together in silent objection.
"Guess we settled that," he joked, skimming his cheek along her silky curls. "What important decision should we make next?" Clint thought he'd at least get a chuckle out of her, but she turned away from him to survey their surroundings, prompting him to inquire, "What's on your mind?"
Her doleful gaze flitted back to him. "The wedding isn't going to happen, is it?"
Immediate hurt and anger arose in him at the idea. They had a thankless job, full of danger and laden with emotional baggage. They walked the darkest paths, hunting the worst of men so others could blissfully go about their own lives. Why shouldn't they be granted this one wish?
"Yes, it will," he insisted. "If not today, then soon." He kissed her hair, inhaling the combined scents of her shampoo and rose perfume, which helped calm him. "I'm too stubborn to not keep my promise."
Natasha brightened with his resolve, even offering a smile that warmed her features. "That's true."
Clint snuck her another kiss while no one was looking. Then he regretfully broke topic, nodding toward Loki's group. "Whatcha think they're up to over there?"
"I'm not sure. Looks more serious than a family reunion."
"I'll go ask."
"I'm going to check in with Heimdall." Natasha lifted off his shoulder and activated her communicator.
Loki saw Clint coming and stepped back to open up their circle to admit him.
"Have you guys figured out how you're going to do this?" Clint asked. His eyes scanned the group, but settled on Jahla as she stood taller than all of them and her exotic appearance, a mesh of Elven and Jotun characteristics, was intriguing.
"He will not come," Jahla said to Clint. "He knows you've been setting a trap."
Loki confirmed, "It's a definite possibility. We don't know how often he's been hiding around the castle or S.H.I.E.L.D., observing our plans prior to the completion of the new security system. He knows we want to keep Jahla alive. So, strategically, he can wait us out."
Jorn touched Loki's chest. "We have a path into his soul," he said and shifted his uneasy gaze toward Clint. "We should use it."
Clint didn't know what Jorn was trying to say, but Loki, Mahlora and Jahla all seemed to be tuned into his meaning.
Loki gave a hesitant nod.
"No!" Clint said with returning anger and an intense urge to protect. He leveled Loki with his most threatening and authoritative stare. "Don't you dare agree to something without explaining it to me first. What are they going to do to your soul?"
Loki looked a bit stunned by Clint's reaction and couldn't completely mask his own apprehension.
Jahla stepped forward, yet stopped when Clint instantly backed away from her. Though her chill wasn't nearly as severe as a full-blooded Jotun, it still prickled his skin and put him on edge. She said, "We can hurt the double."
Loki further explained, "If they agitate the connection between our souls, make the sensation unpleasant enough, we might still be able to lure him in."
The room had quieted. Everyone's eyes were on them.
Cami hurried over. Her voice was panicked as she declared, "I don't like this idea."
Loki tried again to control his features and speak with assurance. "I will be fine."
"I don't trust her," Cami said. "After all she's done to both of us, you're really going to submit to her magic?"
Loki continued to insist that he would be fine under Jorn and Mahlora's supervision, but Cami wasn't convinced and stood her ground.
Clint was watching, but his focus began to drift. The people faded away, the room darkened and the air grew thick with smoke. The wall before him was almost unidentifiable as scorch marks and long cracks appeared on its surface. Large chunks had been blown out of the stone. The heavy red tapestries were blackened and on fire.
He whirled around, taking in the room and found everything in ruin. The workstations and equipment crates were demolished, scorched and scattered. The remnants of a small lantern burned in its own green flame in the corner. Bodies of both friends and strangers littered the floor. Loki's shaking, bloodied and partly burned form sat among the lifeless, his head down and chest heaving as he openly sobbed.
Clint didn't want to see the dead or his friend in so much pain. He shut his eyes, praying to awaken. Then he heard the crunch of rubble under hard soles and a cold, patronizing voice. It was the same that had haunted his dreams for so long after the Battle of New York.
"Did you honestly believe that you could protect them from yourself?"
"Leave me alone!" Loki screamed while the double laughed.
Dizzy as he snapped back to the present, Clint grabbed for Cami and Loki's arms to help steady himself, startling them out of their heated, escalating debate. It took some effort to sift through the lingering images and find his words. "Incoming," he warned and pointed in the general direction of the corridor. "Evacuate this room!"
Frigga signaled the guards as the group rushed for the workshop across the hall. Loki and Natasha pulled their guns and took positions outside the command center doorway with Clint.
"What did you see?" Natasha whispered.
Drawing his sidearm, Clint gave the simplest description he could think of on the spot. "Fire and death."
Loki peered cautiously around the corner and directed Clint's attention to the swirling, magical gateway that appeared beyond the workstations just as a large fiery sphere flew out of it, crossing the room and slamming into the back wall. Then at least a dozen armored, brutish and monstrous-looking men marched out of the portal. Most carried swords or maces along with broad shields. A few had heavy crossbows. Behind them followed a tall, wiry Elf in red and black robes with the telling blue glow to his eyes and flames flickering on his fingertips.
Finding no one in the room, the invaders began smashing electronics and overturning the workstations. Frigga's guards looked anxious to get in there. Clint kept them back with a hard gaze. They had to act smart or some of their people were going to die.
When she reached the workshop, Cami accessed everything that could give her information: drones, cameras and microphones at the workstations, the team communicators, security sensors and the magic detection device. Patching together the details in her mind, Cami got a quick and reasonably precise idea of the threat. Her magic also provided her a viable option to fight these foes as the STAVs were parked right outside the command center at the garden entrance.
Cami tapped Fitz and Skye. "Help me?" she asked, and they strode together toward the corridor.
"Where are you going?" Dr. Simmons asked, rushing to catch up.
Pepper and Jane both tried to call them back, but Cami didn't want to waste time explaining.
"Protect them," Frigga ordered the two guards stationed at the door and they fell in behind.
Cami focused, connecting to the team communicators, "I have an idea. Keep our people out of the command center."
"Roger that," Clint responded, craning around Loki and Natasha to meet her gaze with a look of worry.
The next doorway up the corridor led into a type of parlor or sitting room. Cami ran through, slipping out the opposite door onto a terrace then hopped the railing.
"We are out of bounds," Fitz quietly alerted the group as they landed together in the grass. "There are no sensors or field generators outside the palace."
Cami assured him, "We're not going to be out here long."
One of the guards inquired, "How can we assist you, Lady Camille?"
Cami pointed toward the wide, double doors into the command center. "We'll need those doors open. Wait for my signal then get out of the way."
The guards moved forward, staying low to avoid being seen through the windows.
Next, Cami indicated the distant STAVs. "The cars can be remote operated. There's a small, silver switch on the upper left driver's panel to take them off manual. Leave the rest to me."
Skye nodded, but seemed perplexed. "So we sneak over, flip them to remote control and… then what?" She looked up at the high railing and to both sides. "We're not getting back inside the way we came out."
"Then we'll ride in," Cami decided and pushed to her feet. "Come on."
The brief, uncertain mutterings from the others silenced as they left the cover of the building, dashing for the armored cars left out in the open, recharging their batteries in the sunlight. Cami activated the cockpit releases with a prod from her magic; and they scrambled into the seats, flipping switches and pulling on safety belts. Cami powered up all three cars, the various systems booting up within moments.
The guards cleared out of the path as Cami raced her STAV across the grass and up the short stairs into the command center. She barrelled through one group, sharply turning the wheel and punching the brake pedal to force the vehicle into a controlled slide that got her pointed in the right direction. As she'd hoped, the vehicle ended up far enough to the side to provide cover for those in the corridor and accommodate the other two STAVs that roared in under her control and also slid to a stop.
The targeting computers locked onto their uninvited guests and opened fire with armor-piercing rounds. A deafening noise followed, lasting only a quarter of a minute, then an abrupt, heavy silence.
A light haze hung in the air as Clint, Natasha and Loki came around Cami's STAV to get into the room. The guards also entered, checking the dead, while others crowded into the doorway.
"No talking," Clint said into the comm, holding his finger in front of his mouth as he headed for the far corner and the stack of empty supply crates. He pushed and hauled them out of his way until he found and lifted out a small green lantern. Natasha stepped past the terminals and bodies to meet up with Clint as he walked the lantern over to the portal, which displayed the battle waging in the Jotunheim, and flung it through.
"Now what?" She shifted her attention between the chaotic scene and the carnage at their feet.
"I don't want to wait for Bad Loki to send anything else through this thing," Clint admitted.
"Can we close it?" Natasha asked Loki, who shook his head.
Dr. Fitz climbed out of the STAV, suggesting, "With a few calibrations to the detection device and security system, I think we can put a force field around the portal and any other that appears within the palace." He turned to Skye, Simmons and Jane, handing out tasks and leading the group back to the workshop.
Cami finally left the cockpit. Nausea squeezed her insides and spun her head at the sight of the bullet-riddled bodies with their lifeless eyes and spreading pools of blood. She ran for the gardens, hurtling down the stairs to vomit in the grass. Luckily, there wasn't much to throw up. She spit to help rid her mouth of the nasty taste, held her middle and took some deep breaths.
She sensed Clint's distinct energy as he approached. He put a strong arm around her shoulders, drawing her trembling frame against him as she straightened.
"You alright?"
"I think the baby is offended to have a murderer for a mother," Cami tried to joke, but came off sounding pathetic as emotion tweaked her voice. She took in a breath and held it, recognizing from the pounding of her heart and shaking hands that she was coming down off an adrenaline rush.
"The first kill is always rough," he sympathized. "No amount of training can prepare you for it."
Images of the dead men prodded at her. She'd never considered how awful the reality of field work could be. "How many people have you killed?"
Clint stiffened, his frown deepening. "I don't count," he muttered, "but lots." He caressed her cheek recently healed from his arrow. "Maybe you shouldn't be here, kiddo."
Her chest warmed with sudden upset, which renewed the intensity of the nausea. She shirked out of his grip and backed away, bumping into Loki who had walked up behind her. "I'm not a kid."
Clint's tone grew stern. "That last vision made it clear that Bad Loki isn't playing favorites anymore."
A chill touched Cami as Jahla also approached. "If we fail, her power can kill him."
"That is not what we want," Clint said. His gaze settled on Loki, who silently acknowledged the sentiment behind the insistent words.
"Is that why you cursed me?" Cami asked the sorceress. "Because I could kill your monster?!"
"Yes," Jahla answered, holding Cami's gaze awhile, which made her think that the sorceress was trying too hard to appear truthful. This idea was further supported when she averted her eyes from Loki, unable to repeat the stare for him.
They slept together, Cami remembered, feeling quick pressure in her core that also caused her nausea to flare. This wasn't a new discovery, and she generally wasn't the jealous type. Yet, Cami's instincts told her that a recluse like Jahla wouldn't throw herself at just anyone. Loki had probably seduced her, which made the possibility of a lingering attraction more likely.
Natasha interrupted the tense silence. "There are no security measures out here. Everyone inside."
Loki gripped her shoulders, but Cami stayed focused on Jahla, her mind racing. She accused, "Maybe you were angry that I stole their attention away from you."
Jahla's eyes narrowed into a glare. "You are vain and stupid!" she spat back.
Natasha called out with more authority, "Break it up and get inside!"
Cami had to push past Loki and evade Clint, who was grabbing for her, to pursue Jahla into the command center. She sidestepped Natasha and sent a small surge of energy into the already damaged panel off to her left, causing bright, popping sparks to shoot out of it.
"You picked this fight, bitch! Want to tempt me?"
Jahla tensed, baring her teeth in a show of aggression, but had time to regain her composure as Loki separated the women. Cami continued to glower in Jahla's direction until she saw that everyone was looking at her like they would a spoiled, tantruming child.
Loki grasped her hand, gently pulling Cami into the solitude of the dining room. He took a seat, surrendering his height advantage, which should have eased some of Cami's anxiety, but actually made her feel worse. It was difficult for her to keep eye contact with him as she waited for his criticism.
"I recognize what you've been through," he started in a low, sympathetic tone, "and your desire to prove yourself—but we need Jahla's help."
Cami fidgeted, attempting a step back when he reached out and took her hands.
"Is this jealousy?"
"No."
"Good; because there is no reason for it."
Cami knew she was reacting to all the pent up feelings of inadequacy and hurt that had piled up for months. This revelation would have impressed her former therapist; and if Cami was mature enough to have it, then she should be able to respect his position on the matter.
"Sorry," she said. "I'll stop being a brat."
He stood, gathering her close to kiss her head and smooth her curls. "I'm rather fond of my brat," he insisted with adoring eyes, "and I'm going to find a way to make this all up to her."
It was the perfect moment to ask for anything her heart desired because he'd likely try to move heaven and earth to deliver it. She just wanted to be with him. He made her feel needed, accepted and safe. No object could ever truly embody those sentiments for her.
"I know what I want," she admitted.
His eyes brightened with keen interest.
"I'm going to teach you how to tango."
Loki looked a little surprised. "That's all you want? For me to learn a dance?"
"It's my favorite dance," she said, offering him a sultry grin. "The tango is practically foreplay on the dance floor."
He leaned down to nuzzle her ear and whisper, "Well then, I can scarcely wait."
Skye poked her head into the dining room, clearing her throat. "Uh, Cami, we desperately need your help."
Cami wished their moment could have lasted a little longer. She answered with a weary sounding, "I'm coming."