Chapter 10 - Escalation
Not long after Nick left the infirmary, Black Widow showed up with candy and a tablet linked to the security cameras around Loki's cell. She slipped the computer into Maria's hands and took the side chair to open the treats. The live video showed Loki pacing.
"What did you say to Loki to get him so flustered?"
"Not sure, really. He's hard to read sometimes."
Maria held the Aries charm between her fingertips, then noticed that Loki came to a sudden halt as if he sensed the touch and dropped it.
"He knows I'm in pain. The necklace connects me to him."
"Maybe that's why Fury hasn't taken it away again," Natasha suggested, "to torment him with your discomfort."
She popped a few chocolate pieces in her mouth then poured some into Maria's hand.
"Do you think he really wanted to live on Earth? Help take care of the baby?"
Maria played their conversation through in her mind while sucking on some candy.
"I believe there is a part of him that wants to be involved, but he told me himself that he isn't capable of it."
"Well, he's known for being a liar," Natasha reminded her with a chuckle. "I bet he lies to himself too."
It was an interesting insight.
On the screen, Loki righted the bed, scooped up the coverings and settled back onto the edge. His head was down, frame slouching. Maria switched between the various cameras until she could get a closer view of his features, noting the hint of sweat on his brow and discord within his eyes. He looked so distressed that Maria felt a pang of sympathy for him.
"Uh oh," Natasha said, studying Maria. "I shouldn't have brought that in here. You need to be resting."
Maria had a high tolerance for pain, but knew sleep would be out of the question with so much on her mind. What if Fury was right? What if Loki saw every attempt at interaction as a ploy, a tactic? He wasn't ever going to cooperate from within that cell.
Natasha was slipping her more candy when static interrupted the camera feed, replacing Loki's image with the broad, menacing face of Thanos.
"Meager Earthlings," he said, the low rumble of his voice sending a chill through Maria, "I am Thanos the Eternal. I have come to cull your world."
Black Widow rose from her chair, fiddling with her communicator. She moved to the door, opening it wide so they both got a view of the medical lounge where the warlord shown on the large screen television. A nurse flipped through the channels, each the same unsettling depiction.
Natasha said, "I think he's on everything."
"Surrender your infinity stones, the traitor Loki and my daughter Gamora," Thanos said, "and I shall grant half your people a swift, merciful death. If you challenge me, I will level your mountains, burn the forests, boil the oceans and watch your civilization unravel into famine, war and chaos. I offer you time to decide— one Earth day to make peace with your gods and loved ones."
"Dramatic," Natasha quipped with a critical tone.
With the end of his transmission, the tablet flickered back to the live video of Loki's cell where the prisoner was on his feet and moving. Maria shifted, swinging her legs off the side of the bed and sending another shooting pain through her rib.
Natasha rushed forward to block her, demanding, "Where do you think you're going?"
Maria pushed the tablet into Natasha's hands. She stepped down with a grimace.
"I need to talk to Fury about Loki."
Natasha's arms circled her, trying to be both supportive and restraining.
"Forget Loki. He's not going to talk. It's probably too late for his intel to help anyway."
"Don't make me pull rank on you, Tasha!"
Maria leveled her with a hard look that with her gasps, quickly wore her friend down. Natasha retrieved a wheelchair from the hall and eased Maria into it.
"You're not really in my chain of command anymore," the redhead reminded her along the way to the elevator.
They joined the group gathered in the tense atmosphere of the war room. Nick, Steve, Clint and Thor stood along a row of monitors which displayed satellite activity around the globe. The director's scowl grew at the sight of Maria, but he didn't yell at her or Natasha.
"Where are his forces?" Maria asked.
"We don't know," Fury admitted.
Hawkeye had turned an angry shade of pink. Veins stuck out on his neck and forehead.
"Just give us the word," Barton said to Nick, indicating himself and the other two men. "We'll get something out of Loki."
"No!" Maria barked with authority, causing the men to turn. "We should release him."
The archer huffed then rolled his eyes with an exasperated, "Here we go again."
Maria pushed on, mainly addressing Nick and Steve.
"Why does Thanos want him back? If Loki is valuable, then we need to do everything in our power to stop Thanos from recapturing him."
"So we just let him go?" Barton chided. "What the hell, Maria! He's a criminal."
Nick pulled out an empty chair at the console and settled into it so he was almost level with Maria in the wheelchair. He looked irked as hell, yet managed a civil tone.
"Convince me."
Maria stared into the depths of Nick's soulful, good eye, aware of the precious moments that ticked by as he allowed her this chance.
"Loki is a sitting duck in that cell. You know we can't protect him anymore than we can protect ourselves. Why not give Loki the opportunity to do the right thing because he wants to, not because we forced or tricked him into it? Even if he chooses to leave and we fail, at least we'll know that Thanos didn't get everything he wanted from us."
"Love the optimism," Clint said with bitter sarcasm. "Thanks for choosing your psycho boy-toy over all of humanity." He strode away, drawing stares from the people at the workstations before shoving through the doors.
"I wish I could trust my brother," Thor confessed with a frown, "but I do not believe he will volunteer his assistance. If we release him from the cell, he will flee— and maybe not in a peaceful manner. He harbors great anger at all of us."
"And at Thanos," Maria pointed out.
"Kindness doesn't work with Loki," Fury reminded her. He stood from the chair, apparently disinterested in hearing more. "You should evacuate to the bunkers with the civilian personnel."
"Sir," she continued, "offer him sanctuary on Earth. Let him earn it by helping us."
"If he doesn't flee, he will turn on us," Thor stated. "Leave him in his cell."
Steve stood silent off to the side, his arms crossed. His gaze had drifted downward. This was the same man who went above and beyond to support others when they lost their way. He advocated for Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, and had so easily forgiven Wanda and Pietro Maximoff for the crimes they'd committed for Hydra and Ultron. He'd even gone rogue himself a few times. Yet, he wouldn't acknowledge Maria.
"If he runs away, Asgard will eventually find him," Maria continued to argue. "He faces torture from Thanos, imprisonment and possible execution on Asgard. I think he will join us given his choices."
Fury pondered, his attention drifting across the monitors.
Finally, he said, "I didn't get where I am by always playing it safe." His gaze fell again on Maria. "Fine. Tell him our terms and let him out."
Maria tried not to smile. Though her boss didn't actually agree with her, Maria felt relieved that he still trusted her judgment. It was more than she'd get from any of the others.
Thor asked, "Shall I go with her?"
"You might set him off. Let's not jinx it," Fury said.
When Steve took a stiff step forward, Natasha turned the wheelchair toward the doors.
"Leave Loki to us girls. We're sugar and spices and all that entices," she assured them with a brazen grin.
As they entered the corridor, Maria couldn't help chuckling at Natasha's comment then groaning at the resulting pain.
"Tasha, please don't give Loki the wrong idea."
"Hey, I wiggle my ass for just about everyone," she admitted, but quieted as they entered the elevator, leaning on the wall for the short ride down. "So, what's the approach?"
"Nothing too complicated. Sincerity mostly."
Loki stepped to the front of the cell as they entered the room. He appeared a bit fearful as he inquired, "Has Fury decided to trade me to the Mad Titan?"
Maria puzzled. "You heard?"
He gestured to the control panel off to the far side. "Through the equipment."
Natasha dismissed the guards then strolled over to the panel.
Maria wheeled herself closer to the cell once the three of them were alone. She considered standing, but decided it wouldn't make a difference in his opinion of her at this point.
"I have a proposition. S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to contract for your services."
"What services am I to provide?"
"You will help us find the whereabouts of Thanos. You will fight side-by-side with our people, assisting and protecting them to the best of your abilities until the conflict has ended."
He didn't move, just gawked at her.
"And what am I to get in return?" His tone was whimsical, yet harsh. "A thank you? A pat on the head? Perhaps a group hug?"
"Sanctuary," Maria said. "You will be allowed to live here free and in peace. We will tell Asgard that you are under our protection and will not be extradited. In essence, by helping save the people of Earth, we will forgive the past crimes you perpetrated against us."
He turned, making a full circle as he openly laughed.
"Have you all gone mad?"
Maria waited for him to calm and look back before admitting, "It might appear that way."
Natasha asked, her eyes narrowing, "You'd prefer to stay in there?"
"You are fools. I can agree to anything, but you have no power over my actions outside this cage."
With a nod from Maria, Natasha cut the power to the cell so they were no longer dampening Loki's magic. Maria pushed out of the chair, squelching grimaces as she shuffled forward to enter the code and open the door.
"You can leave— but if you want to see your son and have a safe place where you can sleep at night without fear, you have to earn it like the rest of us."
She backed up, keeping a cautious eye as Loki sauntered toward the doorway, studying her and Natasha in turn.
"Thor never would have agreed to this. Or Captain Rogers."
"Doesn't matter. Fury calls the shots."
He stepped over the threshold, a mere stride from Maria, who tried not to tremble or appear too desperate. Loki read something in her expression and instantly froze.
"This is a trick."
"It isn't."
"You lie!" he roared, his face growing ugly with his quick rage. "I am not a prize to be won, or a pawn to be manipulated for your gains. You make me promises with no intent to keep them. This agreement will go the way of our last— disregarded with a whim."
How dare he call the baby a whim! Maria thought. Like our son is nothing more than an inconvenience, a blunder.
Between the encroaching threat of Thanos, the distrust of most of her colleagues and the worsening physical pain, Loki's fierce disbelief in her motives shattered Maria's resolve. She'd gambled her reputation, credibility and trust— everything she had left— on him. Dared to believe he could be more than a dagger-tongued scoundrel. Now he would leave her and the baby helpless to Thanos's intent.
Maria retreated, her goal to put some space between them, but knocked into the wheelchair and fell into the seat. Bent over in agony, she sobbed into her hands. Her heightened emotional state put the baby on edge as well, and he began squirming around, poking her in tender places. She barely caught the sound of Loki's movement within the tight leather and assumed he'd magicked himself away.
Moments later, Natasha's hand came down upon her head. The comforting gesture made Maria feel worse, yet she tried to calm her cries, still hiding behind her hands and struggling to breathe. How could she have been so blind, so stupid? Allowed herself to become so invested, vulnerable and weak?
"She spoke the truth," Natasha's voice said from farther away than Maria expected. "Don't hurt her."
Maria peeked. It was Loki that stood in front of her. His features were flushed, mouth agape and eyes bewildered. His hand cupped her cheek, a slight tremble to his touch. Then he looked upon the Aries charm.
"I felt it," he whispered in a mixture of awe and what might have been regret, "the breaking of your heart."
Her doubts and insecurities fell away at the sight of him paralyzed with forced empathy. This was the opportune moment, Maria realized, the last and best hope to recruit him to their cause.
"Stay," she begged. "Because you want to."
He drew in a long breath, perhaps to calm himself. His hand left her cheek, reaching down to hover near the injured rib.
"What happened?"
"The baby kicked me," she admitted and wiped her runny eyes and nose on the back of her uniform sleeve since she didn't have a tissue handy.
He crouched down, slipping his hand under her shirt and causing her to jump as it clutched her side.
"Ow. Soft touches, remember?"
He winked. "I remember quite well."
She tried to be angry with him and his antics, but with his magic soothing the ache, Maria felt gratitude and some inclinations of endearment. She did warn him, "This is not the best time to flirt with me."
His features warmed with a playful half-smile. "The baby is quite strong and, I suspect, impatient to be born. I'm sure he gets that from you," Loki teased, "for I am capable of profound patience."
Maria sighed, but not necessarily because she was offended. The way he spoke just amused her sometimes. Impatience was a common Aries trait.
"Well, he has to learn some restraint because it's still a bit early, and I can't take the beating."
Loki leaned in close to her stomach. "Did you hear that?" he asked the baby in a conspiring tone. "Your mother says we have to be tolerant and gentle with her."
Oh God, Maria thought. Thanos is going to rip the Earth a new one, and Loki's being adorable.
She really needed him not to do that right then.
"The pain is gone," she said and pushed his hand away.
Mild relief swept over Natasha's features as she sidled up to them, inquiring, "Can we get to work?"
"I can't believe I'm about to say this," Loki said, helping Maria out of the wheelchair, "but take me to the Avengers."