Hi guys! I'm so sorry for being away for such a long time! But as Time praises those who can wait, chapter 4 is finally here and it's all for you! Enjoy and review!
xx
L.
CHAPTER 4
Introduce a little anarchy.
Upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos.
I'm an agent of chaos. Oh, and you know the thing about chaos? It's fair!
The Joker – The Dark Knight
~•~•~•~
The cold beams of the artificial light poured into the room and refracted on the transparent walls of the cell.
When lisa opened her eyes, she could see nothing but blurred shapes.
Each single fibre of her body was sore, and the air scraped the side of her lungs like sand against glass.
Her clothes had been taken away and now she was enveloped in a sleeveless scarlet silk tunic, with a fine, golden Celtic knot- embroidery inlaid on the front.
She swiped her fingers on the smooth fabric of the dress, completely in awe, when the thought of someone undressing her without her consent hit the back of her stomach and a sudden rush of stinging bile soured her throat. She swallowed hard and coughed and her breath got instantly cut, making her almost choke.
She reflexively sat up and pressed a palm deep on her chest then, As she managed to control the rhythm of her breathing again, she caught a slight movement, just like a rustle, right behind her back.
~•~•~•~
"I assure you, brother, the sun will shine on us again "
Thor snapped his eye open, Loki's last words still resounding in his ears. A thunder boasted aloof and the smell of rain slowly filled the air. He inhaled a deep breath and started to walk again, a foot ahead of the other, while the storm had begun to rage furiously around him.
He had been a king, a son, a brother, and yet now he was none of them. He had been given the chance to be a right king, a son to be proud of, a protective brother but he had wasted it, by acting in a wrong way, by making the wrong choices, leading everyone and everything he loved to doom and death.
He thought about Jane and the day he had promised her he would have kept Midgard safe from any danger and the idea of that failed promise set his heart pounding.
His heavy steps creaked over the blanket of dry leaves, that covered the clearing he was crossing, and the wind kept on howling through the trees like a continuous groan of a wounded wolf.
~•~•~•~
"Welcome back" Loki hissed when Lisa turned to him. "I hope you like your acommodation. Unfortunately, the furnishings are quite shabby, but you will soon get used to it". He continued, hinting at the wooden cot which Lisa was sitting on.
His black hair was still loose, but he appeared totally different.
He was wearing his armour again and the golden inserts on it were glimmering just like his blue-shaded irises. The green cape swayed, brushing against the floor, as he walked, and all his moves were measured and composed.
Lisa studied him for a few seconds, then, her eyes fell on his right hand and both her eyebrows frowned. His thin fingers were clenched around a bronze multi- pointed staff with an iridescent stone, encased between two silver blades at the end.
She winced and snapped up. "Where are we? What place is this?" She asked, in a higher voice than she actually expected.
Loki shot her a disapproving glance.
"We are Thanos' guests." He answered flatly.
Lisa blinked and gaped at him, bewildered.
Loki's face, on the opposite, let no emotions seep out at all.
Lisa looked at him sideways and swallowed. Her expression turned hard.
"What's that? A weapon?" She demanded harshly, pointing at the sceptre.
"I'd rather say a gift." Loki replied with the same impassive tone, "For the services given in those weeks. We ca—"
Lisa let a baffled laugh out.
"Weeks?!" She cut in in astonishment.
"Rightly so. We arrived here eighteen days ago." He explained, quite vexed.
Lisa frowned and paused. her eyes clouded and her heart stood still for a moment as if a frozen hand was grabbing and squeezing it.
She sucked two deep breaths in and spoke again, trying to puzzle the most recent events into a logic scheme.
"Ok, I must have clearly missed something." She admitted. "Would you please tell me what happened ?"
"That is exactly what I was about to do before you interrupted me". He retorted sharply.
"We came across Thanos while we were heading to North and he mercifully offered me another chance to serve him. It was truthfully unexpected thus, this time I cannot fail."
Lisa's lips twitched in total shock. A shiver of panic crossed her spine and her guts clamped tight.
No.
This just could not happen again.
Not after all she had told him.
Not after all Thanos had done to him, to her, to everyone.
Lisa staggered closer to the side glass of the cell and leant slightly forward, searching for his gaze.
"Loki, please." She began, when she finally met it- her voice gashing desperation- Don't fall into his trap. Let me out of here, let's go away."
He narrowed his eyes and cantered his head ."Let you out?" He repeated. A wicked grim wrinkled his mouth. "You are my pass to glory and freedom Why should I ever do that?"
"Loki, listen." She insisted firmly. "I don't know what that staff does, but I'm pretty sure it's controlling you; it's ensnaring your senses. Please, give it up, be reasonable!"
"You wouldn't be here if I hadn't been reasonable." He countered coldly.
"You should only thank me for being alive and yet, I can't see your gratitude" he added.
Lisa closed her eyes for a moment and sighed.
"Come on, Loki. Of course, I do thank you for what you've done! Don't misunderstand my words. But I still need you and above all, I truly need you to be rational. Have you forgotten why we started this journey?"
Loki gave her a breathless mocking laugh.
"You, silly girl" He murmured, shaking his head. "So hopelessly devoted to your tiny idealistic world. Love, hope, trust... so pathetic" He stated, rolling his eyes with annoyance."
Lisa fell silent. Crystal tears started to tumble and glitter over her cheeks. She glared out at the floor
"It's preposterous. He is a fool and an impostor." She muttered bitterly. "Preposterous is your insane optimism" He shot back.
"He slaughtered your people right in front of you and you still side with him!" She abruptly stormed, with fury blazing in her eyes.
"Death was the alternative!" Loki snarled in response.
"What kind of life is that? Stuck in here as a wild animal to tame." She asked lowering her voice.
"The only you can have now." He surly replied.
"Loki! I beg you!" She pleaded one last time. "Help me find my child, please."
He stared long at her, his heart sinking, then for a bunch of seconds, he looked away, his eyes flickered in uncertainty.
"Your child does no longer exist." He straightened frostily in the end. "And this cannot be changed."