Absence

The state of not being present

"My dear Fury, what is this? Another visit and so soon?", Loki's sarcastic voice welcomed her into his dark room. He was resting against the softness of his bed, glancing toward the ceiling with his hands pressed against his chest. She thought it strange that he laid on top of the black duvet like he was afraid of creasing his outfit. She was surprised he was pretending to sleep at all. There were too many questions and not enough answers about the God. It summed up his existence.

"Thor needs my help", Fury spoke with a low voice. In her arms, she plunked down a new assortment of novels that had fascinated her greatly. And mostly novels about himself. He loved to read of his own brilliance. It gave him a rare moment of peace in her eyes.

"When do you leave?", Loki spoke with a cruel eagerness that masked the pain of being put below his brother once more.

"An hour", She responded with a huff of agitation, crossing her arms over her chest.

"If you die on Earth, do find it in your heart to leave me alone in the afterlife", His eyes didn't tear from their spot on the ceiling, like the painting above him would move if he looked away for a second.

"And I you", Fury spoke with sarcasm, imagining he had said something along the lines of a goodbye. "No, I can't stay. No matter how much you beg. I must go", She continued with a dramatic tone that embodied a bad soap opera. He didn't acknowledge her performance but she saw a smile creep on his lips if only for a second. Fury sauntered over to him, nudging his boots with her fist.

"Be good", She warned, making her exit to the door.

"Why?", He responded without thought.

"That's the spirit", She ignored his response and swung open the black door. She was gone.

Fury was away for just over three weeks with Thor who had struck trouble in Alaska. He had been captured by agents of Hydra, a dark secret organization. She found him contained in a thick-walled cell underneath the snow. She made sure they hadn't touched him, that he hadn't endured the torture his brother had. Humans fought them. But who would win against a God and a sorcerer?

It took Fury weeks to convince Thor to return to Asgard, if only for a day. He was different, unforgiving in a way. It was a sight he hadn't wanted his friends to see. He needed Fury's recklessness that wasn't bound by loyalty. He needed it to find who he was without a mother and a brother. Fighting whoever dare challenge him made him feel a whole lot better.

Fury had convinced Thor to return to Asgard for Loki's funeral but in return, he brought with him unforgivable weather that drenched whoever should venture outside. Among the grief of his brother's death, Jane felt their relationship too hard to maintain and left him through a letter she wrote. He was miserable. He had dragged her down not too far behind him with his sulking mood. But they were back. Back on the luminescent bridge that would lead them to the golden palace.

"It is good to have you two back", Heimdall spoke over the pattering of rain against the bridge. Thor bowed his head in acknowledgement, his once delirious happiness was overshadowed by the pain of Loki's funeral. Fury thanked the orange-eyed gatekeeper who looked concerned for his friend. Her feet struggled to keep up with Thor's bounding steps that waded through the rain.

"Hey", Fury's soft voice slowed his vigorous steps. He turned his head to meet her blue eyes. "The Thor who wasn't bound by any law holds no place here", She warned him, placing her hand against his exposed arm. He looked back to the palace, breathing out heavily. The grey clouds above him swirled with anger, lighting the sky with electrified lightning. The thundering drops of rain lessened but still blurred the golden palace with its heavy fall.

"Better", She commended with a half-hearted smile.

They entered the palace through the cobblestone courtyard that was lit with orange circular lights mounted upon golden pillars. Fury's eyes crept to the highest window on the left wing of the palace. Through the rain, she couldn't see a thing. His month was up, maybe he had returned back to the spirit world. She wanted to find out. Though she much enjoyed Thor's company she had all about she could take of the man. She thought it wise to part ways before he found Odin.

"Fury", Thor's booming voice halted her steps that veered to the rear entry of the left wing. It was a small arched door with 4 square pieces of glass to look through. His blonde hair was miserably drenched and his armour shiny with rain droplets that slid off his chest. He stood close to her as he always did, with no sense of personal space whatsoever. His skin was always radiating with an inhuman warmth when he stood to close. like a blazing furnace. She imagined the rain sizzling against it, unable to dampen its fire.

"Thank you, Fury", Thor gathered her by his side, his arm draped across her back. He squeezed her against his metal-bound waist with a smile and ruffled the stiff hair in her ponytail.

"You're welcome, Lightning", Fury spoke with a lightness in her voice. His subtle affection was a humbling feeling. It meant she had brought him back from the point of no return. He was becoming himself again. She viciously patted his back with a smirk, startling him slightly with the slapping sound.

"Be good", Fury's luminous eyes shined through the darkness of the sky. He smiled at her remark and returned back to the cobblestone path. Watching. Just watching her form disappear beyond the arched door. His smile dropped with her out of sight and his jaw clenched with thought. She was playing with fire.

Dimmed downlights lined the dark staircase in a brilliant blue light that guided her way through the pitch black foyer. Her uniform was soaked through and her body ached but she needed to know if the ghost remained within his room. A dreaded feeling met her chest as she neared the black door. It was extremely overgrown to the point of almost sealing the door shut. She struggled to pry open the brass handle but she did. The heavy door swung open welcoming her into the darkness. She waited. Her eyes struggling against the darkness. Nothing. Not a sound to be heard or shape to be seen. Only the whistling wind sounded, viciously whipping droplets of rain against the arched windows. She was disheartened in not hearing the low voice that usually greeted her with a well-learned allure. An illness on her behalf.

Fury stepped into the room guided by the light stream that came from the window. Books were strewn across the carpet, set down on certain pages. Her fingers traced the bookshelf with a deep breath that disturbed the dust on its surface. She admired his collection of books that spanned from sorcery to...Romeo and Juliet?

She had to look again to make sure she wasn't delirious from the cold. A smile met her lips from the revelation that made the quick-witted sorcerer seem less badass in his infamy.

"She has returned", A shadow crawled behind her. Unclear on personal space like his brother. Fury smirked with relief, ignoring his chest that was almost pressed against her back.

"Satan, is that you?", She spoke with humour. Her heel squeaked against the white floor and she met the emerald eyes that appeared from the darkness in a lingering stare.

"Oh, it's you. So close",

His face didn't falter from the vacant expression he held while he waited for her to stop talking.

"I thought you would have brought Thor", He spoke with a prying manner. Under his stare laid a secret he couldn't help but share. Fury's eyes flickered to the pouring rain that drenched the palace with its viciousness.

"Why?",

"Have you not heard?", A smile formed on Loki's lips at her clueless expression. What?

"Oh my dear Fury, You've been rumoured to be a mistress to Odin, Thor and well...", She didn't need his hand to motion to himself for her to know it was him.

"Who started it? The rumour?", Fury asked with a fire growing in her veins.

"Well you did when you ran off with Thor for 3 weeks", Loki bit back with a wave of unexplained anger hidden beneath his witty humour. Was he accusing her of something? He should have known not to press her by now. How rich. To act betrayed by her departure. Manipulative prick

"And what a fireball he was in the sack", She spoke with venom, capturing his attention that rained fire upon her. It told her to stop before he stops having a reason not to kill her.

"You know I would have never thought such a strong beast of a man could be such a gentle lover", She continued her lie with a taunting voice of insult. She couldn't stop. She wouldn't. Not for his sake.

He grasped her arms viciously, sparking excitement within her. His strength lured her close until she was pressed against his leather-bound chest. Trapped by his long fingers that dropped to her elbows, gathering her armoured waist in the violent action. A loose strand of midnight Black hair dared to fall out of place of his slicked-back mane. Fury felt an overwhelming urge to kill him or kiss him. One of which he would have preferred. She settled on a taunting smile to settle the rush of adrenaline pumping underneath her pale skin. She was certain her mental balance wasn't what it used to be. Her sense came back to her but she didn't fight his painful grasp. He wanted her to. She could see the desperation in his staring orbs. It pleaded for her to fear him. To fall into subjugation under his rule. He wanted to break her insolence. To feel the accomplishment in extinguishing her flame.

"You may worship chaos but do not test me, dear Fury", His words against her ears sent a line of hair sticking up against her skin. She felt his breath against her wet skin that pleaded with her to yield but she was a sucker for destruction and she loathed him.

"Who said it was a test?", She met his eyes with the viciousness he held against her. His teeth were clamped together with such rage that his cheekbones grew increasingly sharp. She felt the grip on her arm lessen then float away. Veins pulsed at the base of his neck. His mind elsewhere. In his eyes, she saw a vacancy. The lights were on but nobody was home. His chest heaved with ragged, angry breaths. He was disassociated with his body. Interesting.

It lingered in her mind that perhaps he had entered her thoughts. He seemed invasive enough. She thought of Thor. Embracing him in the rain. His hand caught against her cheek where they should have parted. The courtyard lights dimmed while their lips met in a deep, deprived kiss. Her legs groped around his waist as rough hands gripped at her clothing, tearing mercilessly at her vest until he had found her tank under her three layers.

Loki's hand summoned a wisp of green light that swirled around her arm with a sinister glow. Horns sprouted in a golden helmet from the top of his head matching his armour. He was manifesting, manipulating her thought. But it wasn't her thought. It was his. She was in his mind.

She returned to the thought, imagining the courtyard, the ragged breaths. She had to end it. It was depraved. Thor disappeared from her mind and she turned to the dark figure in the back. "Satisfied?", She called. "Now get out". The thought flashed to a foreign planet, void of any life. The purple-skinned creature towered over her chained form, drawing from her essence of magic. She screamed from the pain. Pleading for death. He laughed and whipped the hilt of his knife around her mouth. A groan escaped her lips following a whimper of despair. "You don't leave until I'm satisfied". Tears welled in her eyes. Knowing what followed. She welcomed the searing pain of the needle that buried into her wrist, leaving a trail of scars from the creature's lack of care. The syringe emptied her veins and replaced it with the virus that insured her loyalty. The thousands of black creatures shot into her veins, taking the consciousness from her body.

"You can project your thoughts...Your feelings", Fury reeled back with wide eyes, her voice was no more than a whisper to the man who had taken a battle stance. She shook her head, stripping the care from her voice.

"If you tell me to kneel I will punt my fist into your jaw", Fury's words ripped him from his furious trance. His armour disappeared in a mist of green and gold. The lightness in the room was taken with his sorcery. It left them once more in darkness.

He growled with a deep rage in his chest. His hand released her waist with defiance. She was relieved he had backed down. It gave her a sense of victory.

"You're wet", Loki wiped his hands against the leg of his pants. He was quite the detective. Her blue eyes darted to the pattering drops of rain that leaked onto the balcony. She had questions like: Who was the purple man and why he wanted Loki so weak? Was it why he hadn't used the powers he was infamous for? Because he had been stripped? But most of all why did she care? Maybe she was the mental case.

"You're perceptive", She commented with a sour expression. Her eyes watched the waterfall from the sky, stalking closer to the window to see it patter against the cobblestone courtyard below.

"Why are you here?", Loki's fuse had run short with her. He would rather enjoy his last few hours alone.

"If you have to ask then you needn't know, if you know then you needn't ask", Fury revelled in his expression that morphed into utter annoyance. He muttered words underneath his breath, awaiting her answer. She was proud of how quickly the cryptic stir had popped into her mind. He wasn't as appreciative of her stirring.

"It's your last day. I wanted to make certain you were actually gone.", Fury smirked with humour. Her fingernails tapped lightly at the glass window making a soft pattering sound.

"How thoughtful", He commented with the same bitter smirk that revealed itself in place of any real reaction. His eyes seemed to linger on the fact that she was soaking wet against his pristine white floor, grimacing at her appearance like she were a dirty peasant.

"You have two hours until they burn you and we're still not done yet", Fury set her pace to the black door. His confusion seemed out of place on his delicate features, following her with his eyes.

"You've waited a month already. What are another ten minutes?", Her voice trailed from the hallway to the mahogany door that lived almost straight across from Loki's room.