Chapter 3

Iris was coming around from whatever Scott had drugged her with. Tied to a bed, so she was almost standing, she shook violently. Her arms and legs were bound to the bed frame. She could not feel an ounce of her power. She was helpless. She was alone. She felt so empty inside.

"Ah, nice to see you finally join the party." Iris followed the direction of the voice, sluggishly. Scott sat in a chair, about 3 feet away to her right.

"What… What did you… did you do… to me?" Iris rasped. Scott chuckled darkly. He crossed his legs, leaning forward with his head on his hand.

"You were not meant to find out so early on. It was my own fault, for leaving that DAMNED computer on. I had hoped to confront you myself, offer you a better position with us," he murmured. Scott stood then, cracking his knuckles. He walked forward, staring intently at Iris. Like a predator stalking his prey.

"W- Why? I … I haven't done anything." Iris was groggy. She could barely concentrate on anything. She felt queasy, and weak. She was not used to feeling like this.

Scott grabbed her by the chin, squeezing hard. "You're all freaks," he spat, "and you disgust me." He slapped Iris. Hard. She let out a breathy cry. He stalked around the bed. Again, and again. Iris could tell he was debating something. She could see he was in deep thought.

"What do you want from me?" Iris tried to sound more domineering, but she was just so tired.

"I want information, and you're going to give it to me." Scott grabbed something from behind Iris' bed and brought it in view for her. It was sharp, very sharp.

"I don't' know anything, I swear," she sobbed. Scott slid the knife along her arm. Iris screamed.

"Where is the tesseract?!" he demanded. Iris sobbed, shaking her head. This could not be happening. She had no idea what a tesseract even was. She raked her brain trying to think of something, anything that might help her get out of this alive.

Scott slashed at her face. Iris cried out. She screamed. He punched once. Twice. Her jaw, her stomach. She screamed.

"I was prepared to let you off easy, a simple serum to have you spilling all their dirty little secrets. This, though, is much more visually appealing. I am sure your Avengers will have lots of fun watching the footage when we send it to them. It'll be a nice reminder of our capabilities, don't you think?" he smirked at her. Iris spat at him, blood and saliva mixing in with the sweat dripping down his forehead. "Why you little-!" A kick this time. Iris heard a snap and blacked out from the pain.

"Not so tough without your powers now, are you?" Scott sat back in his chair, spinning the knife against his finger. He pressed a button on the chair. "Send in someone to clean her up a bit. She won't last long at this rate, and we need to know what she knows." A buzzing noise sounded.

"Right away, Sir," came the reply.

Sometime later, Iris came back around. Her body screamed with pain. Her throat was hoarse, and her eyes felt dry and itchy from the crying. Futilely she tried to access her powers again, but there was nothing. She had no idea what they had done to her, but she was so deeply sorry for not realising how dependant on them she had become. If she got out of this alive, she would make damned sure she had more physical training and endurance.

She tried to think back to an earlier conversation about what to do in a situation like this, but she was coming up blank. She could not think past all this damned pain. She was thankful though, that she was alone. It gave her time to think. Or at least try to. There had to be something she could do.

"I think I can help." Iris looked in horror as a woman materialised out of thin air before her. This woman was terrifying. Her eyes were as black as night, like the devil himself. She had blood dripping down from a cut above an eye, and her nose. With a start, Iris realised that the woman looked awfully like herself.

"Who are you?" Iris' voice was itchy and dry sounding. The other Iris stared at her with amusement.

"Isn't it obvious? I am you. Well, the other you. I am the manifestation of the darkness. Specifically speaking of yours of course." Her voice was strange. It had almost an undertone, a bass of something that scared Iris to death. It was the most single terrifying sound her ears had ever heard.

"What ... darkness? I'm so confused…" Iris' voice trailed off. She was finding it extremely difficult to concentrate on anything. She felt so floaty, almost like she was swimming through fog. The other Iris narrowed her eyes.

"Listen to me carefully, mortal. I am the darkness that lives inside of every person on this stupid planet. I am the monster that parents tell their children of at night. I am not just a nightmare. I AM the nightmare. I have been quietened down by whatever those men injected with you, but I need you alive. You are too close to the edge and I do not like it, but I need you to keep. Those. Eyes. Open!" The other Iris smacked Iris across the face. It did not hurt, but it felt like an electric shock. She jerked, fully alert. She was so tired. She was so weak. She was not sure how much longer she could take. Iris knew that as soon as Scott came back that she was done for. She would be toast. HYDRA was known for their torturing methods, and so far, Iris had gotten off relatively lightly, all things considered.

"That hurt, I think," Iris chuckled weakly. A tear slid down her face. Iris was ready to give up. She had tried. She had tried so damned hard.

"I will not let you give up now!" The other Iris stepped closer to Iris, wiping away the tears that were flowing freely.

"I can't take anymore. You and I both know that when Scott comes back, he will want an answer. I cannot give him that information. No one knows where I am, and even if they did, they would not waste their resources just for me. I'm not worth it," Iris sobbed. She let the pain in. Everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. The fear, the rejection, the ache that ran deeper than her bones.

The other Iris held Iris' face in her hands. She forced her to meet her gaze.

"You silly girl, he is coming for you. He is coming for us. He will stop at nothing to see you safe." Other Iris' eyes changed colour, they bled to the deep green blue that was Loki's. It was not her face she was seeing anymore. It was his. It was his. That deep intensity she always felt with him. The eyes that said more to her than he ever spoke. Those nights they had spent with each other, sharing in each other's pain. Their ups and downs. Their mistakes and their triumphs. She saw it all. She saw every moment they had ever shared together. From that first fateful meeting when she had not put the lid on the blender properly and had chucked bolognaise sauce over them both when it was her night to cook for them all. The first time he had played a prank on her, so she had gotten him back by putting raw eggs in his shoes. The first time she had cried with him. The many times they had laughed together. Fought each other. Trained together.

"Argh!" Iris screamed. Violent tremors began overtaking her. She could not stop them. She was losing consciousness.

"Stay with me mortal. Hang on, please. He is close. I can feel his rage from here…" Other Iris faded from Iris' view. The door flung open, crashing a short bit away from her. She was fading quicker now, she could feel the want to slip into that dreamless, fuzzy emptiness. Then she saw him. In all his brilliant God-like glory. The rage emanating from him. It had an almost crazy edge to it. She smiled briefly, though it pained her.

"You came for me…" she whispered. Loki stormed over, snapping the cuffs holding Iris to the bed. He lifted her up into his arms, holding her tightly, but oh so gently. He was careful not to aggravate her injuries further. Iris felt a wash of energy surrounding her. It felt like home. It felt like him. She looked up at Loki's face, staring at him through the blurry tears that came harder. Sobs wrecked her, coming harder and louder. The terror of her situation finally hitting the apex. The relief that he had found her before she had died.

"Did you really think I wouldn't have come for you, darling?" his voice was pained, but shock and anger were still evident in his tone. Another tremor overtook Iris, and Loki watched as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Loki swore, and with a flash of brilliant green light, they disappeared from the torture chamber.